| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08141165B2 |
Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection
The present invention provides systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection. Electronic appliances such as computers equipped in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that information is accessed and used only in authorized ways, and maintain the integrity, availability, and/or confidentiality of the information. Such electronic appliances provide a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) that may enforce a secure chain of handling and control, for example, to control and/or meter or otherwise monitor use of electronically stored or disseminated information. Such a virtual distribution environment may be used to protect rights of various participants in electronic commerce and other electronic or electronic-facilitated transactions. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node. These techniques may be used to support an all-electronic information distribution, for example, utilizing the “electronic highway.” |
| US08141152B1 |
Method to detect spam over internet telephony (SPIT)
The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for detecting and filtering SPam over Internet Telephony (SPIT). The invention includes a two level filter. The first level may include a robust audio hash used to filter audio messages based on their audio content and the second level may include a near-duplicate pattern matching algorithm having a number of content filters and an evaluator to aggregate the results from the multiple content filters. By supporting multiple aggregation methods, a more flexible SPIT detection scheme is provided. |
| US08141150B1 |
Method and apparatus for automatic identification of phishing sites from low-level network traffic
A module is configured to identify a phishing Web site. The module identifies email associated with a Web site and transmitted to a plurality of recipients. The module then determines that the Web site has received less than a first threshold amount of traffic before a first time. The module then determines that the Web site has received more than a second threshold amount of traffic between the first time and a second time (i.e., a spike in traffic between the first time and the second time). The module then determines that at least a portion of the more than a second threshold amount of traffic is received as a result of the email associated with the Web site being sent to the plurality of recipients. |
| US08141149B1 |
Keyword obfuscation
Embodiments of the invention provide novel systems, methods and software for searching and/or analyzing text, based on a list of one or more keywords of interest. In a set of embodiments, a first computer generates a regular expression satisfied by a particular keyword of interest as well as a hash value corresponding to the keyword. In some embodiments, the regular expression and the hash value are transmitted to a second computer, which identifies a set of text associated with a particular event and/or evaluates the set of text against the regular expression. If the text satisfies the regular expression, the second computer might generate a text hash from the text. This text hash can be compared with the hash from the package, and if there is a match, the event might be identified as requiring monitoring, collection and/or further analysis. |
| US08141148B2 |
Method and system for tracking machines on a network using fuzzy GUID technology
A method for querying a knowledgebase of malicious hosts numbered from 1 through N. The method includes providing a network of computers, which has a plurality of unknown malicious host machines. In a specific embodiment, the malicious host machines are disposed throughout the network of computers, which includes a world wide network of computers, e.g., Internet. The method includes querying a knowledge base including a plurality of known malicious hosts, which are numbered from 1 through N, where N is an integer greater than 1. In a preferred embodiment, the knowledge base is coupled to the network of computers. The method includes receiving first information associated with an unknown host from the network; identifying an unknown host and querying the knowledge base to determine if the unknown host is one of the known malicious hosts in the knowledge base. The method also includes outputting second information associated with the unknown host based upon the querying process. |
| US08141146B2 |
Authentication server, authentication method and authentication program
Upon receipt of a service use request from a client, an authentication server device reads one or more image information pieces from an image information storage storing multiple image information pieces each containing one or more known symbols, one or more dummy symbols, or both of them, and thereafter creates challenge data using the one or more read image information pieces so that one or more two-dimensional images each containing one or more of the known symbols and one or more two-dimensional images each containing one or more of the dummy symbols can be presented to the user of the client, one image at a time. Upon receipt of response data, the authentication server device judges whether or not the received response data matches the one or more known symbols contained in the challenge data, and approves the service use of the client device if the match is confirmed. |
| US08141145B2 |
Method to control the execution of a program by a microcontroller
The aim of the present invention is to propose a method and a device with the aim of avoiding problems which could ensue following the de-synchronization of a program counter during the execution of a program.This aim is achieved by a method for controlling the execution of a program involving separating the program into a number of blocks of instructions and adding an input control section and an output control section to each block. The control sections have conditions for entry to the block and conditions for exit from the block. This can be used to check the validity of the execution of a program by verifying the execution history of the program. Action can be taken in the case that any anomaly is found in the program execution compared to the expected execution. |
| US08141144B2 |
Security policy management for network devices
The present invention provides a system and method for use within a computer network that allows for automated provisioning, configuration, and maintenance of the servers and other devices connected to a computer network in accordance with established policies. This system and method make use of templates which represent security polices which are applicable to all devices within the system, a subset of the devices, or a particular type of device. In addition, the template structure includes conditional statements which allows for flexibility in defining the policies. |
| US08141142B2 |
Secure authentication of service users of a remote service interface to a storage media
A pair of servers are employed to provide a secure low-overhead authentication of a user. A certificate server of the pair receives personal information of the user from a first client over a first network and provides an encrypted user certificate to the first client over the first network, wherein the encrypted user certificate includes an encryption of one or more personal attributes of the user corresponding to the set of personal information. A device control server receives the encrypted user certificate from a second client over a second network and provides remote access information to the second client over the second network, wherein the remote access information facilitates remote access to a device by the user over the second network based in response to a verification by the device control server of the encrypted user certificate. |
| US08141140B2 |
Methods and systems for single sign on with dynamic authentication levels
Method and systems for single sign on with dynamic authentication levels is described. The method include receiving a data request for access to a second application, where the user is already authenticated to the first application at a first authentication level. Application information about the authentication level necessary to access the second application is retrieved. In response to a request, the user provides the further authentication data for accessing the second application. The type of the further authentication data required is based on the first authentication level and the minimum authentication level necessary to access the second application. The user is then authenticated to the second application at the minimum authentication level necessary to access the second application. |
| US08141138B2 |
Auditing correlated events using a secure web single sign-on login
Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed to provide for auditing of events or access of resources in a distributed system. In one embodiment, auditing access of resources can comprise receiving from a client a request to access one or more of the resources. A sign-on identifier can be assigned to a user of the client requesting to access the resources. The user identifier and sign-on identifier can be provided to one or more applications managing the one or more resources requested by the client. The resources requested by the client can be accessed based on the request. A record of the access of the resources requested by the client can be logged in a repository. Based on these records and information relating to prohibited activity, a determination can be made as to whether a prohibited activity is being performed by one or more users. |
| US08141136B2 |
Method and system of replacing smart card
The present invention disclosed a method and system of replacing smart cards. It uses a new identification device (a new SIM) to replace an old one (an old SIM) associated with a user account. The new identification device has an identification number (ICCID). The new identification device is activated in the following manner. The old identification device communicates with an identification-management center through a communication interface (mobile telephone). And the identification-management center recognizes the old identification device. The identification number of the new identification device is sent to the identification-management center through the communication interface. The identification-management center checks the identification number. If the identification number is correct, the user account will be assigned to the new identification device by the identification-management center. |
| US08141134B2 |
Authentication engine for enrollment into a computer environment
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a system and method for enrolling a user into an authentication system. In some embodiments of the invention, a user completes a first portion of the enrollment or setup process using a first computer environment, but is not permitted to complete the enrollment or setup process from the first computer environment. The system permits the user to complete the enrollment or setup process only from a second computer environment different from the first computer environment. In one embodiment, the second computer environment is any computer environment outside of the first computer environment. |
| US08141131B2 |
Security policy generation
The invention provides security policy generation methods and devices for generating a security policy that is set up for an information processing apparatus comprises a step of generating an application model having a transmitter and a receiver of a message decided, for each of a plurality of messages that are communicated, a step of storing in advance a plurality of security patterns with a signer of electronic signature appended to the message as an undecided parameter, a step of selecting a security pattern that is a model of security policy to be setup for the transmitter or receiver of the message, corresponding to each of the plurality of messages included in the application model, and a step of substituting the identification information of the transmitter or receiver of each message included in the application model for the undecided parameter of the security pattern selected corresponding to the message. |
| US08141129B2 |
Centrally accessible policy repository
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for a centrally accessible policy repository. Protection policies for protecting resources within an organization are stored at a central policy repository. Thus, an administrator can centrally create, maintain, and manage resource protection polices for all of the organizational units within an organization. Accordingly, resources consumed when performing these protection policy related operations is significantly reduced. Additionally, since protection policies are centrally located, there is increased likelihood of being able to consistently apply an organization's protection policies within different organizational units, even when protection policies change. |
| US08141125B2 |
Orchestration of policy engines and format technologies
Policies can combine the efficiency of rule sets with the flexible expression power of workflow engines, as well as advantages of other programming languages and engines. Consistent modelling of policy rules is provided across different levels, such as network, control, and service levels. In one system, a policy module can orchestrate rule set and workflow engines in order to evaluate different conditions of a policy. In another embodiment, a hybrid language can be used that allows rule set and other variables to be used in a business process container, workflow and other variables to be used in a rule set container, rule set and business process variables to be used in other containers. In this way, a subset of conditions in a policy can be evaluated using multiple languages and/or engines in order to enforce or evaluate a policy. |
| US08141124B2 |
Managing community provided in information processing system
Provided is a system which manages a user community provided in an information processing system, in which user community information provided by a user is made available to another user for reference. The system includes a storage section which stores an audit policy defining contents of information to be permitted to be registered in each of a plurality of communities, by associating the audit policy with each of the communities; a detection section which detects a community to which information is provided in response to provision of the information by a user; and a registration control section which inhibits registration of information, provided by a user, in a detected user community on condition that the information violates an audit policy corresponding to the user community. |
| US08141121B2 |
Method and system for communicating information between a point of distribution and a plurality of subscriber destinations via a hybrid fiber coax delivery plant
A communication system for distributing information via a network to one or more subscribers includes a multi-port switch, one or more radio frequency (RF) modems coupled to respective ports of the switch, a combiner and a transmitter. The switch forwards source information to the RF modems based on address information. Each RF modem modulates and up converts information from the switch to an RF signal within a respective subscriber channel of the television broadcast spectrum. Each channel is assigned to one or more subscribers, and each subscriber is allocated unshared bandwidth. The combiner combines modulated information from each RF modem into a combined signal and the transmitter transmits the combined signal to the subscribers via the network. Each subscriber destination includes a gateway device or the like that is tuned to a corresponding channel to retrieve source information from that channel, and to deliver the information to the subscriber. |
| US08141117B1 |
PC media center and extension device for interfacing with a personal video recorder through a home network
A personal computer media center is connected to a media center extension and a personal video recorder (PVR) through a home network. The personal computer media center instructs the PVR through the home network to record a television broadcast. Subsequently, the personal computer media center instructs the PVR through the home network to output a media signal of the recorded television broadcast to the media center extension, which displays the media signal on a television. |
| US08141114B2 |
Content ratings and recommendations
Content ratings and recommendations is described. In an embodiment, a ratings service compiles ratings of programs for a rating system that is associated with a group of viewers, where a viewer of the group establishes the rating system, and where at least some of the viewers of the group rate the programs for the group of viewers. A recommendation service then provides program recommendations to the viewers of the group based on the rating system. |
| US08141105B2 |
Bridge for linking two publish/subscribe message brokers
The invention discloses a subscription which is made to receive request messages on one or more topics from a first broker. A subscription is made to receive all messages published at either the first or the second broker to a replyto topic including a bridge identifier. A request message is received from the first broker, the request message specifying a temporary replyto topic on which responses to the request should be published. The temporary reply to topic is modified to specify a bridge identifier. The modified request message is forwarded to a second broker. A response to the request is received from the second broker, the response being published on the replyto topic including the bridge identifier. The bridge receives the response as a result of the subscription to receive all messages published to a topic including the bridge identifier. The response is forwarded to the first broker. |
| US08141101B2 |
Minimizing message flow wait time for management user exits in a message broker application
A method for minimizing the message flow wait time for management user exits in a message broker application. A message broker application processes a request in a request and a response message flow. The request message flow generates a request identifier, collects information about the request message flow, and stores the request identifier and information in a global data map. The response message flow uses the request identifier to access the map and read the collected information without having to acquire a lock on the map. The response message flow also collects information about the response message flow, and generates management information about the request based on the information about the request message flow and the information about the response message flow. A dedicated clean up thread in the message broker application is used to remove used items from the global data map. |
| US08141099B2 |
Autonomic method and apparatus for hardware assist for patching code
Hardware assist to autonomically patch code. The present invention provides hardware microcode to a new type of metadata to selectively identify instructions to be patched for specific performance optimization functions. The present invention also provides a new flag in the machine status register (MSR) to enable or disable a performance monitoring application or process to perform code-patching functions. If the code patching function is enabled, the application or process may patch code at run time by associating the metadata with the selected instructions. The metadata includes pointers pointing to the patch code block code. The program code may be patched autonomically without modifying original code. |
| US08141082B2 |
Node-based representation of multi-threaded computing environment tasks, and node-based data race evaluation
A method for detecting race conditions in a concurrent processing environment is provided. The method comprises implementing a data structure configured for storing data related to at least one task executed in a concurrent processing computing environment, each task represented by a node in the data structure; and assigning to a node in the data structure at least one of a task number, a wait number, and a wait list; wherein the task number uniquely identifies the respective task, wherein the wait number is calculated based on a segment number of the respective task's parent node, and wherein the wait list comprises at least an ancestor's wait number. The method may further comprise monitoring a plurality of memory locations to determine if a first task accesses a first memory location, wherein said first memory location was previously accessed by a second task. |
| US08141078B2 |
Providing shared tasks amongst a plurality of individuals
A mechanism for sharing tasks is provided in which individuals in a share group may signal their intent to complete individual shared tasks and communicate that intent to other individuals in the share group. A required time for completion of the shared tasks may be associated with an individual's signaling of the intent to complete the shared task. The completion of the shared task by the individual signaling intent to complete may be monitored and, if not completed within the associated required time, the performance of the shared task may again he shared with the individuals of the share group. In this way, another individual may signal that individual's intent to perform the shared task and the process may be repeated until the shared task is completed. |
| US08141064B2 |
Method and system for program transformation using flow-sensitive type constraint analysis
A method for analyzing a program is provided. The method includes, determining an object type that may exist at an execution point of the program, wherein this enables determination of possible virtual functions that may be called; creating a call graph at a main entry point of the program; and recording an outgoing function call within a main function. The method also includes analyzing possible object types that may occur at any given instruction from any call path for virtual calls, wherein possible object types are determined by tracking object types as they pass through plural constructs; and calling into functions generically for handling specialized native runtime type information. |
| US08141063B2 |
Static analysis of reachable methods and fields in object-oriented applications using object instantiation
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention comprise an algorithm described herein that utilizes a technique to shrink a set of potentially reachable elements to a close approximation of the actually reachable elements within a software application by closely approximating how the application executes at runtime. The algorithm attempts to identify all of the reachable elements of an object-oriented software application by starting with the entry points into the application and thereafter progressively determining all of the software elements within the application that are reachable. The algorithm instantiates application objects in the same way they would be instantiated at runtime and passes references to these objects from one method and field to the next; emulating as closely as possible object instantiation performed by the application at runtime. |
| US08141062B2 |
Replacing a variable in a use of the variable with a variant of the variable
A method for optimizing a code section prior to performing register allocation for variables referenced in the plurality of computer instructions. The method includes performing at least one of a full prematerialization or a partial prematerialization for a variable in the plurality of computer instructions. The full prematerialization replaces the variable in every use of the variable in the plurality of computer instructions with one or more variants of the variable and replaces a definition of the variable with a nop instruction. The partial prematerialization replaces some but not all occurrences of the variable in uses of the variable in the plurality of computer instructions with one or more variants of the variable without replacing the definition of the variable with the nop instruction. |
| US08141060B2 |
Calling an entity of a graphical model with a non-graphical entity and calling a non-graphical entity of a graphical model with a graphical entity
The present invention provides a graphical model in a computing environment, where the graphical model includes at least a caller entity. A call command associated with the caller entity is executed, where the call command includes at least a partial name of the callee entity. The at least one callee entity may be identified based on the partial name of the at least one callee entity provided in the call command. The at least one callee entity may then be called. |
| US08141059B2 |
Method and system for avoidance of software conflict
A method/system for avoiding software conflicts, with library being divided into layer 1 to layer M and M≧1. The method including the following steps: before a program runs, prescanning calling functions of the binary executable code of the program and called functions that belong to libraries of layer 1 and are individually called by the calling functions of the binary executable code of the program, and if M>1, further prescanning calling functions that belong to libraries of layer 1 to layer M−1 and called functions that belong to libraries of layer 2 to layer M and are individually called by the calling functions that belong to libraries of layer 1 to layer M−1, so as to determine whether there exists any individual conflict between the calling functions and the corresponding called functions; if there exists at least one conflict, storing at least one piece of conflict information individually indicating the at least one conflict; and when the program calls a library directly called by the program, abandoning loading of the library if conflict information correspond to the library has been stored, or loading the library otherwise. |
| US08141058B2 |
System for and method of capturing application characteristics data from a computer system and modeling target system
A system for, method of and computer program product captures performance-characteristic data from the execution of a program and models system performance based on that data. Performance-characterization data based on easily captured reuse distance metrics is targeted, defined as the total number of memory references between two accesses to the same piece of data. Methods for efficiently capturing this kind of metrics are described. These data can be refined into easily interpreted performance metrics, such as performance data related to caches with LRU replacement and random replacement strategies in combination with fully associative as well as limited associativity cache organizations. |
| US08141056B2 |
Just-in-time dynamic instrumentation
Just-in-time dynamic instrumentation of a running software system may be achieved by registering one or more instrumentation probe handlers in an inactive state wherein the probe handlers reside in a memory space associated with the software system but are not instrumented into the software system. The probe handlers may each have one or more probe handler tags representing categories to which the probe handlers have been assigned. Tag query requests are periodically received and processed in order to provide information to a caller about registered probe handlers associated with a probe handler tag specified in the tag query request. A probe handler activation request can be made by specifying a probe handler or a probe handler tag. The request can be processed by placing the specified probe handler, or probe handlers associated with the tag, in an active state. The software system thus becomes dynamically instrumented to execute the probe handler(s) as part of the software system's execution flow. The activated probe handler(s) may be returned to the inactive state in response to a probe handler deactivation request specifying a probe handler or a probe handler tag. |
| US08141055B2 |
Method for dynamic discovery of code segments in instrumented binary modules
A method for dynamic discovery of code segments in instrumented binary modules is provided. A program comprising code segments is received. Potential code segments are determined, and the program is instrumented at potential code segments for dynamic code discovery. The instrumented program is run. In response to executing the potential code segments, the potential code segments are marked. The marked code segments are stored as confirmed code segments. |
| US08141053B2 |
Call stack sampling using a virtual machine
Call stack information is sampled. A flag associated with a target thread is set in a memory work area associated with a virtual machine in response to an interrupt. Monitoring for an event takes place during execution of a plurality of threads created by the virtual machine. A determination is made as to whether the flag is set in response to an occurrence of the event. If the flag is set, the virtual machine makes a call out to a profiler which initiates sampling of the call stack information in response to the flag being set. |
| US08141051B2 |
Methods and apparatus to collect runtime trace data associated with application performance
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to perform runtime trace filtering associated with application performance analysis are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves generating a first performance value based on first performance data associated with a first function of a first application process. A difference value is generated based on the first performance value and a historical performance value associated with the first function. The difference value is compared to a threshold value, and first trace data associated with execution of the first application process is collected based on the comparison of the difference value to the threshold value. |
| US08141049B2 |
System and method for scalable flow and context-sensitive pointer alias analysis
A system and method for pointer analysis for computer program verification includes forming a subset or cluster of pointers from pointers in a program by applying increasingly accurate alias analyses in a cascaded fashion such that each analysis works on a subset of pointers generated by a previous analysis's results. Aliases are computed for any pointer by computing aliases in the subsets in parallel instead of an entire program. For carrying out context and flow-sensitive alias analysis, function summaries are computed on small subsets in a top-down manner based on the points-to hierarchy which reduces the sizes of the summaries. |
| US08141048B2 |
Sequential encoding for relational analysis (SERA) of a software model
A method of verifying a software system includes receiving a description of a software system described utilizing a high-level modeling language, and responsive thereto, parsing the description and constructing an abstract syntax graph. The abstract syntax graph is transformed into a sequential logic representation of the software system. The sequential logic representation is formed by reference to a Hardware Description Language (HDL) library. Then, the sequential logic representation is transformed into a gate-level sequential logic representation. Following the transforming, the software system is verified based upon the gate-level sequential logic representation. Following verification, results of verification of the software system are output. |
| US08141047B2 |
Dependent object framework for junit testing and software application component
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for testing a software application component. A dependent object framework is provided. The dependent object framework includes a set of static methods, a set of dependent object files, and a set of properties files. A test program is received. The test program references one or more objects described by the set of dependent object files. The one or more objects are loaded using at least one of the static methods of the dependent object framework. The received test program is run and a result of the test program is displayed. |
| US08141045B2 |
Automatically identifying the source of copied software
A method, system, and computer-usable medium for automatically identifying the source of copied software. A single identifying marker can be embedded in a common code base associated with different software application products. A suspected copy of a product can be fed to an automated tool, which extracts the type of object code, which is then scanned to determine the identifying marker. The automated tool can therefore identify the exact product and version of the suspected copy utilizing the identifying marker and the type of object code without the need for labor-intensive modification of the common code base and product-specific markers. |
| US08141038B2 |
Virtual RAS repository
The present invention provides a virtual Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) repository. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: providing RAS assets for each different lifecycle phase of a software asset; and linking the RAS assets together using RAS related-assets. |
| US08141035B2 |
Method for accessing internal states of objects in object oriented programming
A method provides an annotated language extension for the class of an object, the extension identifying an internal state that may be exposed via simple accessor methods. The extension could apply to an entire object type, or to a specific state within the object. Annotations that can be added to the extension include @Accessable, @Gettable and @Settable. In one embodiment, a method selectively accesses one or more object states. The method includes generating an annotated extension identifying each internal object state to be exposed for access, adding a usage annotation to the extension that defines an accessor method associated with each identified state, and operating a virtual machine to call the accessor method associated with a particular identified state. The particular state may then be accessed, as defined by the called accessor method. |
| US08141033B2 |
Object oriented based methodology for modeling business functionality for enabling implementation in a web based environment
A computer method and apparatus defining Business Classes for modeling business activities comprising the steps of representing business activities as the interaction between one or more Business Classes, and entering into a computer and storing in an electronic format the Business Classes and the relationships existing between the Business Classes. |
| US08141032B2 |
N-tiered applications support via common interface
A development system is provided. The system includes a workspace component to visually display one or more model components. A separation component automatically segments the model components into two or more project components. A synchronization component can be provided to automatically update at least one of the project components in view of changes made to at least one other project component. |
| US08141030B2 |
Dynamic routing and load balancing packet distribution with a software factory
A system decision engine enables a software factory to effectively handle intelligent load balancing and distribution to workers on a software assembly line through the use of pre-configured rules. The pre-configured rules are based on a projected availability of workers based on past traffic analysis of work packets being sent to particular workers on the software assembly line. |
| US08141024B2 |
Temporally-assisted resource sharing in electronic systems
Methods and apparatuses to optimize integrated circuits by identifying functional modules in the circuit having similar functionality that can share circuit resources and producing a modified description of the circuit where the similar functional modules are folded onto common circuit resources and time-multiplexed using an original system clock or a fast clock. |
| US08141023B2 |
Method and apparatus for preventing congestive placement
A congestive placement preventing apparatus, applied in a logic circuit layout having 2K logic circuits, where K is a positive integer, is provided. The congestive placement preventing apparatus includes a restructuring module and a synthesizing module. The restructuring module adds a selecting unit in the logic circuit layout, and adds (N−K) buffers in each of the 2K logic circuits, where N is a positive integer. The synthesizing module synthesizes the restructured logic circuit layout according to a plurality of “don't touch” synthesizing commands associated with the added buffers. In the synthesized logic circuit layout, all of the 2K logic circuits are independent and not coupled or merged with one another. |
| US08141021B2 |
Combined memories in integrated circuits
Combined memories in integrated circuits are described, including determining a first requirement for logic blocks, determining a second requirement for memory blocks including a vertical configuration for the memory blocks, and compiling a design for the integrated circuit using the first requirement and the second requirement. The memory blocks may include non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays. The non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays can be formed on top of a logic plane. The logic plane can be fabricated in a substrate. The non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays may be vertically stacked upon one another to form a plurality of memory planes. The memory planes can be portioned into sub-planes. One or more different memory types such as Flash, SRAM, DRAM, and ROM can be emulated by the plurality of memory planes and/or sub-planes. The non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays can include a plurality of two-terminal memory elements. |
| US08141020B2 |
Temperature-controlled 3-dimensional bus placement
Block placement within each device-containing layer is optimized under the constraint of a simultaneous optimization of interlayer connectivity between the device-containing layer and immediately adjacent device-containing layers. For each functional block within the device-containing layer, lateral heat flow is calculated to laterally adjacent functional blocks. If the lateral heat flow is less than a threshold value for a pair of adjacent functional blocks, placement of the functional blocks and/or interlayer interconnect structure array therebetween or modification of the interlayer interconnect structure array is performed. This routine is repeated for all adjacent pairs of functional blocks in each of the device-containing layers. Subsequently, block placement within each device-containing layer may be optimized under the constraint of a simultaneous optimization of interlayer connectivity across all device-containing layers. This method provides a design having sufficient lateral heat flow in each of the device-containing layers in a semiconductor chip. |
| US08141017B2 |
Method for bounded transactional timing analysis
A portion of a gate-level netlist representing an integrated circuit design is selected for optimization. A timing window representing the selected portion is made comprising one or more copies of the selected portion. A checkpoint is created for the timing window and stored in a transaction history. One or more changes are then made to the timing window and stored in the transaction history. The changed elements are marked as dirty and stored in the transaction history. After the one or more changes have been made, the timing window is queried for current timing conditions and compared with the checkpoint. If the one or more changes are an improvement, the one or more changes are committed by replicating the one or more changes to the portion of the gate-level netlist. If the one or more changes are not an improvement, the timing window may be restored to the checkpoint. |
| US08141015B1 |
Reporting status of timing exceptions
A method for reporting timing exception status is presented. The method begins by computing a set of edges of a sub-domain and a set of edges of a timing exception. A slack value is computed based on either the edges of the sub-domain common to the set of edges of the timing exception or the timing paths of the sub-domain. If the sub-domain has a valid slack value, the method compares the sub-domain timing exception type to the timing exception type of the timing exception. The method identifies the timing exception as being overridden if both timing exception types are different and either the slack value computed based on edges of the sub-domain is valid, or the sub-domain has the valid slack value and an intersection of the set of edges of the sub-domain and of the timing exception forms a timing path. The method presents the overridden timing exceptions. |
| US08141012B2 |
Timing closure on multiple selective corners in a single statistical timing run
An approach for covering multiple selective timing corners in a single statistical timing run is described. In one embodiment, a single statistical timing analysis is run on the full parameter space that covers unlimited process parameters/environment conditions. Results from the statistical timing analysis are projected for selected corners. Timing closure is performed on the corners having the worst slacks. |
| US08141008B2 |
Optical lithography correction process
A apparatus and method for correcting a process critical layout includes characterizing the influence of individual ones of a set of worst case process variations on a simulated nano-circuit layout design and then correcting layout geometries in the simulated nano-circuit layout based on such characterizations. |
| US08141006B2 |
Photomask data processing method, photomask data processing system and manufacturing method
A computer-implemented method, of processing design data to obtain photomask data, includes: selecting, amongst design data, data representing a first cell; selecting a first area in said first cell for which a configuration of a corresponding first pattern is influenced by patterns arranged outward relative to said first cell area; selecting a second area other than said first area in said first cell; constructing a hierarchical structure for said data representing said first cell area that includes said first area and said second area; subjecting the first area to optical proximity correction on the basis of a relationship between the first pattern and the patterns arranged around said first cell area; performing optical proximity correction in said second area on the basis of the first pattern; and synthesizing the corrected first area and the corrected second area, according to the hierarchical structure, to obtain photomask data. |
| US08141001B2 |
System, method and computer-readable medium for directing a computational system to defragment and maintain a disc memory
A method, system and computer-readable media for enabling a user of a computer to initiate a defragmentation process of a hard disc of a hard disc drive are provided. One version of the method includes (a.) presenting an icon identifying a defragmentation process, the presentation comprised within a desktop startup display of a computer; and (b.) in response to only a single action performed by a user, directing the computer to execute the defragmentation process. The single action may be a depression of, i.e., a clicking, a button of a computer mouse, a pointing device, or a television remote control, or of a key on a key pad of a computer. The computer may be a personal computer, a wireless telephone, a computer game console, a digital television, or a personal digital assistant. |
| US08140998B2 |
Imaging device
An imaging device with an enhanced degree of freedom in device settings based on commands, thereby improving the usability of an imaging device. When the user of an imaging device operates a menu switch, a composite image of a top menu image superimposed on a currently set source image, for example, a camera image, as a background image is displayed on a monitor. In response to the user's selection of an advanced settings command icon on the top menu image through the operations of the menu switch and circumferential switches surrounding the menu switch, the display on the monitor is changed from the composite image including the top menu image to a lower-layer menu image. Some of command icons included in the lower-layer menu image are different from command icons included in the top menu image. A top menu return command icon and a menu image deletion command icon may be included. This arrangement desirably enhances the degree of freedom in device settings based on commands and thereby improves the usability of the imaging device. |
| US08140992B2 |
Device for aircraft dialogue
A dialogue device deactivation/activation unit for deactivating layers of an interactive window which are associated with systems of the aircraft that are not selected. |
| US08140991B2 |
Drag and drop rule topology
The Rule Editing Program (REP) displays a rule in a hierarchical tree topology, wherein individual rule portions can be reordered by moving them to different locations within the rule using drag and drop interaction. Dragging and dropping rule portions results in the rule itself being changed accordingly. Additionally, new rule portions can be added to any part of the rule, including the beginning, middle and end. Finally, the entire rule, and individual rule portions, can be expanded all the way out, and collapsed all the way in. |
| US08140978B2 |
System and method for providing information in a virtual world
Providing tracking information about events in a virtual world using a computer is presented including: causing the computer to provide a re-usable code portion, the re-usable code portion configured with a unique identifier and an address of an external data storage, causing the computer to configure at least a set of events to be tracked for sending information about tracked events to the external data storage; causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with a virtual object to be tracked in the virtual world. In some embodiments, methods are presented wherein the causing the computer to associate the re-usable code portion with the virtual object comprises causing the computer to integrate the re-usable code portion on a source code level into the virtual object.” |
| US08140972B2 |
Sticky functionality
Manipulation of elements in a graphical user interface is aided by allowing the graphical user interface to treat certain mouse button actuation and releases as holding the mouse button in an actuated state. When predetermined conditions are satisfied, the graphical user interface will treat a mouse button actuation and release as if the mouse button were held in an actuated state. A user can then manipulate elements in the graphical user interface as if the user held the mouse button in an actuated state. The types of manipulation can include the moving of a window, the resizing of a window, moving an icon, and the scrolling through the visible portion of a window. |
| US08140968B2 |
Medium which records program for controlling icon of document file, control computer, and controlling method
A recording medium stores a program which, when executed, allows a computer to perform a function comprising: obtaining a color attribute of a document file, and displaying a document icon which represents the document file and has an image reflecting the obtained color attribute. |
| US08140965B2 |
Identifying related information given content and/or presenting related information in association with content-related advertisements
The usefulness of content (target content), such as advertisements, may be increased by determining additional content and providing such additional content in association with the content. The target content may be text, a Web page, a URL, a search query, etc. The additional content might be related suggested queries (e.g. “Try a search for ——————”), news articles (or excerpts or summaries thereof), reviews (or excerpts or summaries thereof), advertisements, user group messages, etc. |
| US08140952B2 |
Method of assisting a user
A method of assisting a user, for use in an environment comprising: a user session, an external entity session and a forms engine for generating a form. The method comprises the steps of: registering with the user session, wherein a first session is established between the user session and the forms engine; receiving a request for assistance from a user; in response to receiving the request, de-registering with the user session, wherein the first session is un-established; registering with the external entity session, wherein a second session is established between the external entity session and the forms engine; receiving input from the external entity session; and populating the form with the received input. |
| US08140948B2 |
Efficient low complexity high throughput LDPC decoding method and optimization
A decoder and method for iteratively decoding of low-density parity check codes (LDPC) includes, in a code graph, performing check node decoding by determining messages from check nodes to variable nodes. In the code graph, variable node decoding is performed by determining messages from the variable nodes to the check nodes. The variable node decoding is independent from degree information regarding the variable nodes. Decoded results are output. |
| US08140945B2 |
Hard component failure detection and correction
In one embodiment, a memory controller comprises a check bit encoder circuit coupled to receive a data block to be written to memory, a check/correct circuit coupled to receive an encoded data block read from the memory, and a hard failure detection circuit coupled to the check/correct circuit. The check bit encoder circuit is configured to generate a corresponding encoded data block comprising the data block, a first plurality of check bits, and a second plurality of check bits. The check/correct circuit is configured to detect an error in the encoded data block responsive to the first check bits, the second check bits, and the data block within the encoded data block, which is logically arranged as an array of R rows and N columns, wherein R and N are positive integers. Each of the first check bits covers a respective row of the array, and the check/correct circuit is configured to generate a first syndrome corresponding to the first plurality of check bits. A presence of more than one binary one in the first syndrome indicates a multi-bit error. Responsive to detecting the multi-bit error, the hard failure detection circuit is configured to perform a plurality of memory read/write operations to the memory locations in which the encoded data block is stored to identify a hard error failure in the memory. |
| US08140942B2 |
System, method and storage medium for providing fault detection and correction in a memory subsystem
A memory subsystem with a memory bus and a memory assembly. The memory bus includes multiple bitlanes. The memory assembly is in communication with the memory bus and includes instructions for receiving an error code correction (ECC) word in multiple packets via the memory bus. The ECC word includes data bits and ECC bits arranged into multiple multi-bit ECC symbols. Each of the ECC symbols is associated with one of the bitlanes on the memory bus. The memory assembly also includes instructions for utilizing one of the ECC symbols to perform error detection and correction for the bits in the ECC word received via the bitlane associated with the ECC symbol. |
| US08140941B2 |
Data receiving apparatus, data receiving method, and computer-readable recording medium
A data receiving method according to the present invention includes: storing received packets in a data storing unit; storing, in a data-storage-information storing unit, information indicating data portions are stored; specifying FEC parameters of column FEC packets and row FEC packets; specifying a leading FEC packet using at least SNBase of a first column FEC packet and SNBase of a second column FEC packet or a row FEC packet; specifying an FEC packet group corresponding to a matrix same as a matrix of the leading FEC packet; selecting one FEC packet from the FEC packet group; judging whether restoration processing can be performed by using the selected FEC packet; storing, when a lost data packet is restored, the restored data packet in the data storing unit; and storing, in the data-storage-information storing unit, information indicating that the restored data packet is present. |
| US08140939B2 |
Flash error correction
A data processing device for detecting and correcting data errors of a re-writable memory via an error correction algorithm. In one embodiment, the data processing device includes a coding unit implemented in hardware and an error correction unit implemented in software. In one embodiment, the coding unit is capable receiving a first set of data to be written to the memory and processing that data in accordance with an error correction algorithm to form a second set of data. The second set of data may be output to memory. In one embodiment, the coding unit receives data from the memory and processes that data in accordance with the error correction algorithm to determine whether the data contains an error. In one embodiment, the error correction unit receives data that contains an error and produces corrected data via an error correction algorithm. The corrected data may be output to the memory. |
| US08140937B2 |
Memory initialization time reduction
A method and apparatus to improve memory initialization in a memory of a computer system. Memory units in the memory comprise a plurality of ranks, each rank having a unique rank select. A parity generator outputs a parity bit corresponding to whether an encoded rank select has an even or odd number of “1”s. The parity bit is used by an Error Checking and Correcting (ECC) unit that generates ECC bits that are stored in a rank having an active rank select. During a first interval in a memory initialization period, ranks having an even number of “1”s in their encoded rank select are initialized in parallel. During a second interval in the memory initialization period, ranks having an odd number of “1”s in their encoded rank select are initialized in parallel. |
| US08140934B2 |
LDPC-coded multilevel modulation scheme
A PMD compensation scheme suitable for use in multilevel block-coded modulation schemes with coherent detection. |
| US08140933B2 |
Buffering packets of a media stream
Buffering packets of a media stream for transmission from a transmitting device to a receiving device. Media packets are formed from at least one kind of media information in a stream generator; forward error correction data is formed on the basis of the media packets; one or more repair packets are formed on the basis of the forward error correction data; and a transmission schedule is generated for packets to be transmitted. In addition, hypothetical decoding is also performed according to the transmission schedule. The hypothetical decoding comprises buffering the packets to be transmitted according to the transmission schedule to a hypothetical decoding buffer; and controlling the buffer occupancy level of the hypothetical decoding buffer by controlling the operation of the stream generator. |
| US08140928B2 |
Radio communications apparatus and method used in a mobile communications system
A radio communications apparatus having a retransmission function that has a determination portion configured to receive an error detection result obtained for a first packet transmitted to a destination apparatus and determine in a first sub-layer whether the error detection result is a positive acknowledgement; a transmission portion configured to transmit a second packet following the first packet to the destination apparatus; a timer portion configured to measure a predetermined period of time after the second packet is transmitted; and a report portion configured to report to a second sub-layer that is an upper sub-layer of the first sub-layer that the error detection result is the positive acknowledgement when no message is received from the destination apparatus during the predetermined period of time, the message indicating that the error detection result is falsely determined to be the positive acknowledgement. |
| US08140924B2 |
Selectively accessing test access ports in a multiple test access port environment
A TAP linking module (21, 51) permits plural TAPs (TAPs 1-4) to be controlled and accessed from a test bus (13) via a single TAP interface (20). |
| US08140923B2 |
Test circuit and method for testing of infant mortality related defects
The disclosure provides embodiments of ICs and a method of testing an IC. In one embodiment, an IC includes: (1) a functional logic path having a node and at least one sequential logic element and (2) test circuitry coupled to the functional logic path and having a delay block, the test circuitry configured to form a testable path including the delay block and the node in response to a test mode signal, wherein a delay value of the delay block is selected to detect a small delay defect associated with the node. |
| US08140921B2 |
System for elevator electronic safety device
An elevator electronic safety system in which reliability of malfunction check can be improved by performing a malfunction check on memory data, an address bus, and a data bus. A check on the address bus and the data bus is executed periodically by a hardware circuit and software processing, and a memory data malfunction check circuit. A designated address and designated data used to verify both cases of “0” and “1” for each of all bit signals on the address bus and the data bus in a memory system are input to or output (the address is only output) from a CPU periodically. For the address bus, plural designated addresses are detected by a designated address detection circuit. For the data bus, plural pieces of designated data are written into and read out from memories and the data before and after writing are compared with each other. |
| US08140920B2 |
Method and system for providing bit error rate characterization
An approach is provided for bit error rate characterization. A test signal representing one or more Ethernet frames exhibiting a particular bit error rate is generated. The test signal is output to a device under test. Traffic is received from the device under test. A determination is made as to whether a link failure condition exists at a port on an Ethernet switch. |
| US08140918B2 |
Clock supply method and information processing apparatus
A clock supply method for supplying a clock to a plurality of processing units includes supplying a clock from a first clock supply unit to processing units forming a first group as a primary clock and to processing units forming a second group as a standby clock; supplying a clock from a second clock supply unit including a clock source different from that of the first clock supply unit to the processing units forming the second group as a primary clock and to the processing units forming the first group as a standby clock; and when a processing unit in the first or second group detects an abnormality of the primary clock, switching the standby clock into use in place of the primary clock being supplied to the processing units that has detected the abnormality belongs; wherein the first and second clock supply units supply clocks with the same frequency. |
| US08140916B2 |
Unit for predicting malfunction of an apparatus
According to one embodiment, a malfunction predicting unit includes a level reduction unit, a first buffer gate unit, a second buffer gate unit, a comparator unit and a processing unit. The level reduction unit reduces an input digital signal to generate a level-reduced signal. The first buffer gate unit generates a first output signal. The first output signal has first or second level if the digital signal is or is not higher than a preset threshold level, respectively. The second buffer gate unit generates a second output signal. The second output signal has the first or second level if the level-reduced signal is or is not higher than the preset threshold level, respectively. The comparator unit compares the first and second output signals to generate a comparison result. The processing unit determines whether a malfunction will soon occur, based on the comparison result. |
| US08140914B2 |
Failure-model-driven repair and backup
A predictive failure model is used to generate a failure prediction associated with a node. A repair or backup action may also be determined to perform on the node based on the failure prediction. |
| US08140910B1 |
Mismatched operation and control correction
A system and method for a software override capability for enforcing a predetermined state for an otherwise hardware-programmable device. Software that may think it knows what it is doing may try to control a hardware device, but may not know about a hardware issue, such as another feature or defect requiring that the device stay in a certain state. The technique programmatically maintains a persistent hardware state independent of any other control software. To other software, the software layer of the invention is indistinguishable and inseparable from hardware. Nothing can slip in between. Any insertion attempt will be detected and disallowed. Features of the processor or system chips actually weld the software to the hardware, which feature disallows any software intervention between the welded software layer and the hardware. |
| US08140905B2 |
Incremental problem determination and resolution in cloud environments
Installation files are annotated, which annotations may trigger system snapshots to be taken at a plurality of points during the execution of the installation files and/or collected. During a test run, the generated snapshots are examined incrementally to determine whether the installation is success or failure at that point. Checkpoint snapshots are stored, and those indicating failure are recorded with description of the error and/or remediation that suggest how the errors may be resolved or fixed. During a production run, the annotated installation files may be executed and the checkpoint snapshots generated during the production run may be compared with those stored of the test run to incrementally identify and resolve potential problems in the production run. |
| US08140900B2 |
Establishing a connection between a testing and/or debugging interface and a connector
This invention relates to automatically establishing a connection between a testing and/or debugging interface to an integrated circuit and a connector of an apparatus, the connector being connectable to a testing and/or debugging apparatus configured to communicate with the testing and/or debugging interface via the connector in a testing and/or debugging mode of the apparatus and connectable to an accessory apparatus to be used in a normal operation mode of the apparatus, if the testing and/or debugging apparatus is connected to the connector, thereby establishing the testing and/or debugging mode of the apparatus. |
| US08140887B2 |
System and method for providing data services via a network
A method and system are provided for performing an activity. Accordingly, an activity to be performed is determined, a stored hierarchy is examined indicating a first alternate component for performing the activity first and a second alternate component for performing the activity if the first alternate component fails. The first alternate component is invoked to perform the activity, and when a failure of the first alternate component to perform the activity is detected, the second alternate component is invoked to perform the activity. A revised hierarchy is stored indicating that the second alternate component is to be invoked to perform the activity before the first alternate component is invoked to perform the activity. |
| US08140882B2 |
Serial bus clock frequency calibration system and method thereof
A serial bus clock frequency calibration system and a method thereof are disclosed herein. The system utilizes a first frequency calibration device and a second frequency calibration device both to share an oscillator as so to perform two-stage clock frequency resolution calibrations for generating different frequency-tuning ranges. This can bring an optimal frequency resolution and greatly reduce system complexity and save element cost. |
| US08140879B2 |
System and method for information handling system power management by variable direct current input
A power manager of an information handling system selectively commands a first or second source voltage from an AC-to-DC adapter based upon power consumption of the information handling system. A lower direct current voltage is provided during reduced power consumption so that DC-to-DC conversion in a power supply is more efficient. A higher direct current voltage is provided during increased power consumption so that the current required to provide the increased power remains below a threshold current, thus allowing the power system to have components that operate at lower current levels under high power consumption operations yet with increased efficiency during low power consumption operations. |
| US08140878B2 |
Power conservation technique for blade computer systems
A blade computer system includes a plurality of client devices, a blade enclosure having a plurality of blades therein, and an allocation server configured to allocate and deallocate the blades to and from the client devices. The blade enclosure is configured to place individual ones of the blades into or out of a sleeping state responsive to network messages received from the allocation server. |
| US08140873B2 |
User imposed power constraints on web server based on user preferences
Web application users are able to specify power constraints for remote web servers. These may be based on individual performance needs and energy-conservation desires. They enable the user to exercise control over the amount of energy that the web server expends in serving the needs of the user. The invention may employ such features as vertical scaling using power capacity on demand (CUoD) type functionality. The method includes providing a user-interactive interface to enable the user to indicate a preference for power restrictions with respect to its web requests. The user then instructs the web site provider to reduce power consumption in response to the user's request. The user specifies a reduction in overall power consumption for the user's needs, such as instructing the web service provider to use an energy-conserving server to handle the user's web requests, or specifying a acceptable delay or fulfilling the user's web requests. |
| US08140871B2 |
Wake on Lan for blade server
A computer implemented method, a tangible computer medium, and a data processing system are provided for waking a blade server from an operational state of reduced power. When server blade enters the state of reduced power, a service firmware configures a multi-port blade switch of the server blade to direct incoming packets to the service firmware. The service firmware then polls for receipt of a Wake-on-Lan magic packet. When the Wake-on-Lan magic packet is received by the service firmware, the service firmware reconfigures the multi-port blade switch to direct incoming packets to a network interface card of the server blade. The service firmware then initiates a reboot of the server blade. |
| US08140865B2 |
Pre-configuring of encryption bands on a disk for use in a plurality of array configurations
A computational device receives input information on characteristics of customer data, critical metadata, and non-critical metadata, and characteristics of disk array configurations, wherein customer data is to be stored encrypted, wherein critical metadata is to be stored non-encrypted, and wherein non-critical metadata is to be stored encrypted or non-encrypted. The computational device determines band boundary information based on the received input information. Encrypting disks with pre-established bands are created based on the band boundary information and the encrypting disks are pre-initialized. |
| US08140863B2 |
Automatic security action invocation for mobile communications device
A mobile communications device, server, and method for providing security on a mobile communications device are described. In accordance with one example embodiment, the mobile communications device comprises: a processor; a communications subsystem connected to the processor operable to exchange signals with a wireless network and with the processor; a storage element connected to the processor and having a plurality of application modules and data stored thereon, the data comprising at least user application data associated with the application modules and service data including data for establishing communications with the wireless network; and a security module operable to detect policy messages received by the mobile communications device, wherein the security module is further operable to perform a security action if a first policy message to enforce a first data protection policy is received and a subsequent policy message to enforce a second data protection policy is not received within a predetermined duration from the time at which the first policy message is received; and wherein the security action comprises erasing or encrypting at least some of the data on the storage element. |
| US08140862B2 |
Memory device
A memory device includes a storage unit having a decryption key storage section that stores key information for decryption and a data storage section that stores to-be-read data requested from the exterior, and a decryption control unit capable of decrypting an externally input encrypted read instruction and address based on the key information stored in the decryption key storage section, and causing data corresponding to the decrypted read instruction and address to be output from the data storage section. The decryption key storage section is composed of arrays of a flash memory. |
| US08140860B2 |
Policy-driven file system with integrated RAID functionality
A filing system controls block-level storage and selects a required level of performance and reliability for a file stored on a storage system on a file-by-file basis. A policy manager contains at least one rule relating to a RAID level of protection for a file stored on the storage system and the RAID level of protection is selected from a plurality of RAID levels of protection. At least one rule is based on an access pattern of files stored on storage systems. An access manager provides the policy manager with information relating to access patterns of files stored on the storage system. At least two files can be stored on the storage system having different RAID levels of protection, and at least two files can be stored on a same storage unit of the storage system can have different RAID levels of protection. |
| US08140857B2 |
Method for selective encryption within documents
The present invention allows the user (author or creator) of a document to specify that certain portions of a document be selected for encryption while other portions of the document remain displayed as created. The user could employ a standard word processing editor technique to highlight (or swipe) portions of a document that the user desires to be encrypted. The highlighted portion would then be ‘tagged’ with a surrounding attribute indicating to the word processor that this highlighted portion of the document is to be encrypted. This process is similar to the existing word processor capability to highlight areas on a document and then assign rich text attributes, such as BOLD, ITALICS, etc., to those areas. With proper authorization, any encrypted portion of a document would be displayed as part of the document. Without proper authorization, the display of the document would only contain the unencrypted portions of the document. |
| US08140856B2 |
Method and apparatus for removing encrypted files unassociated with a user key from an archive
The present invention provides a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product to selectively extracts compressed-encrypted files from an archive. The data processing system receives a command to preprocess the archive from an authenticated user, wherein the authenticated user is associated with at least one fingerprint. The data processing system determines that the at least one fingerprint fails to match all fingerprints in metadata of a first compressed-encrypted file in the archive. The data processing system, responsive to a determination that the fingerprint fails to match all fingerprints, deletes the compressed-encrypted file. The data processing system determines that the fingerprint matches a second fingerprint in metadata of a second compressed-encrypted file in the archive. The data processing system, responsive to a determination that the fingerprint matches the second fingerprint, avoids deleting the second compressed-encrypted file. |
| US08140852B2 |
Authenticating serialized commodities
A system for authenticating a serialized commodity is presented. A fixed identification, serial number, and authentication code are received for a serialized commodity to be checked for authenticity. A reference table is searched for an entry that matches the received fixed identification. In response to finding an entry in the reference table that matches the received fixed identification, a fixed identification key is retrieved from the reference table that is associated with the received fixed identification. A recreated authentication code is generated for the serialized commodity using the retrieved fixed identification key, the received fixed identification, and the received serial number. Then, it is determined whether the recreated authentication code matches the received authentication code. In response to determining that the recreated authentication code does match the received authentication code, an authentication code match message is outputted to authenticate the serialized commodity. |
| US08140844B2 |
Server apparatus, terminal device, and method for performing IP multicast communication
A presence table stores therein presence information. A storage unit stores therein in associated manner a terminal identifier unique each of a plurality of terminals and an encryption key to be used for multicast communication within a multicast group. A receiving unit receives a subscription request message from a first terminal from among the terminals. The subscription message includes the terminal identifier of the first terminal, and a request requesting subscription to the presence information present in the storage unit. An acquiring unit acquires the encryption key from the storage unit by using the terminal identifier of the first terminal. A transmitting unit transmits acquired encryption key to the first terminal. |
| US08140842B2 |
Client identification and authorization in an asynchronous request dispatching environment
The present invention provides client and server identity validation in an asynchronous request dispatching environment with client-side aggregation. An application server receives an asynchronous include request from a client. A first unique identifier associating the client with the asynchronous include is generated and sent to a results server. A second unique identifier identifying the results server is generated and sent to the application server. Results of the asynchronous include are stored in the results server. The application server sends the first and second unique identifiers to the client, which polls the results server and sends the second unique identifier to the results server. The results server uses the second unique identifier to verify the identity of the client. The results server sends the first unique identifier to the client. The client uses the first unique identifier to validate the identity of the results server. |
| US08140836B2 |
Information processing apparatus and program
If a defect flag stored in a CF 19 while a BIOS is being booted, an information processing device 10 boots a second program stored in an external device 31 connected to a connection section 21, and if the defect flag is not detected, the information processing device 10 confirms whether or not the first program is bootable. If the first program is confirmed to be bootable, the first program is booted and if not, the defect flag is set in the CF 19 and the power of the information processing apparatus 10 is turned off. |
| US08140833B2 |
Implementing polymorphic branch history table reconfiguration
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing polymorphic branch history table (BHT) reconfiguration. A BHT includes a plurality of predetermined configurations corresponding predetermined operational modes. A first BHT configuration is provided. Checking is provided to identify improved performance with another BHT configuration. The BHT is reconfigured to provide improved performance based upon the current workload. |
| US08140831B2 |
Routing instructions in a processor
Disclosed are a method and system for reducing complexity of routing of instructions from an instruction issue queue to appropriate execution pipelines in a superscalar processor. In one or more embodiments, an instruction steering unit of the superscalar processor receives ordered instructions. The steering unit determines that a first instruction and a subsequent second instruction of the ordered instructions are non-branching instructions, and the steering unit stores the first and second instructions in two non-branching instruction issue queue entries of a shadow queue. The steering unit determines whether or not a third instruction the ordered instructions is a branch instruction, where the third instruction is subsequent to the second instruction. If the third instruction is a branch instruction, the steering unit stores the third instruction in a branch entry of the shadow queue; otherwise, the steering unit stores a no operation instruction in the branch entry of the shadow queue. |
| US08140822B2 |
System and method for maintaining page tables used during a logical partition migration
Maintaining data integrity for a logical partition by enabling nonintrusive switching of page tables used during a migration of the logical partition from a source computer system to a target computer system. A first page table stores a plurality of page entries made within a logically partitioned environment. A second page table stores one or more page entries generated during the migration. After migration, the processor page table pointer is switched to point to the first page table. A page entry in the second page table corresponding to a page entry made to the first page table by the logical partition may be invalidated in response to a page table hypervisor call made by the logical partition. In parallel, a plurality of entries generated during the migration of the logical partition in the second page table may be read through and invalidated. |
| US08140821B1 |
Efficient read/write algorithms and associated mapping for block-level data reduction processes
A system configured to optimize access to stored chunks of data is provided. The system comprises a vLUN layer, a mapped LUN layer, and a mapping layer disposed between the vLUN and the mapped LUN. The vLUN provides a plurality of logical chunk addresses (LCAs) and the mapped LUN provides a plurality of physical chunk addresses (PCAs), where each LCA or PCA stores a respective chunk of data. The mapping layer defines a layout of the mapped LUN that facilitates efficient read and write access to the mapped LUN. |
| US08140816B2 |
Utilizing partition resource requirements from workload estimation to automate partition software configuration and validation
A method and apparatus for utilizing partition resource requirements to automate computer partition configuration. Partition resource requirements that are collected by a workload estimator include the type and version of software that is to be run on each partition of the system and the minimum hardware resources needed for each of the plurality of partitions on a partition by partition basis. The partition resource requirements are included in a system plan that is passed to other tools to configure a system based on the system plan. The tools that use the system plan include a deployment wizard that uses the system plan file to configure a system upgrade, and an ordering tool that passes the partition resource requirements to the manufacturer to allow the manufacturer to configure a new system based on the workload information in the system plan file. |
| US08140815B2 |
Estimating the size of an in-memory cache
This Sampling Object Cache System (“SOCS”) estimates the size of an in-memory heap-based object cache without the need to serialize every object within the cache. SOCS samples objects at a user-determined rate and then computes a “sample size average” for each type of class—whether a top class, type of top class or non top class. Using these sample size averages, a statistically accurate measure of the overall size of the cache is calculated by adding together the total size of the objects in the cache for each class type. |
| US08140810B2 |
Storage management command control in virtualized environment
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a method for creating a command device in a storage system in a server virtualization environment. The storage system is coupled to a host computer having a virtual machine. The host computer includes a memory and a processor. The method comprises receiving a command device registration request to register a command device as a storage device for command transmission, the command device to be used in a virtual machine of the host computer; creating a virtual device by allocating a storage area of the storage system to the virtual device; and mounting the virtual device as the command device to the virtual machine in which the command device is used. |
| US08140809B2 |
Computer implemented masked representation of data tables
In the computer software field, method and apparatus to obfuscate (mask or hide) computer data which is part of or accessed by a computer program. The method protects (hides) accesses to tables of data in terms of the place or position of each element in the table. It does this by providing an intermediate table which describes the positions of the elements of the first table or tables, but in a transformed (modified) fashion. |
| US08140805B2 |
Memory component having write operation with multiple time periods
A memory component includes a memory core, a control transport block to receive a write command from external control lines, and a write control buffer to store the write command for a first time period after the write command is received at the transport block. A data buffer receives data from external data lines, the data to be stored in the memory core in response to the write command, wherein receipt of the data occurs based on a second time period that follows the first time period, such that receipt of the write command and the data are separated by a delay time that includes both the first time period and the second time period. A write mask buffer receives write masking information from an external write mask line. Receipt of the write command and the write masking information are separated by the delay time. |
| US08140801B2 |
Efficient and flexible memory copy operation
A system, method, and computer program product for semi-synchronously copying data from a first portion of memory to a second portion of memory are disclosed. The method comprises receiving, in a processor, a call for a semi-synchronous memory copy operation. The semi-synchronous memory copy operation preserves temporal persistence of validity for a virtual source address corresponding to a source location in a memory and a virtual target address corresponding to a target location in the memory by setting a flag bit. The call includes at least the virtual source address, the virtual target address, and an indicator identifying a number of bytes to be copied. The memory copy operation is placed in a queue for execution by a memory controller. The queue is coupled to the memory controller. At least one subsequent instruction is continued to be executed as the subsequent instruction becomes available from an instruction pipeline. |
| US08140800B2 |
Storage apparatus
Upon receiving an access request from a server, a microprocessor allocates a free slot as a data storage destination that is different from the LU# and LBA designated as a storage destination of user data, stores user data and data identifying information for identifying the user data in the free slot, and zero-clears the pre-updated data slot designated with the LU# and LBA. During a subsequent read access, the microprocessor accesses the data slot and, if the read data identifying information and the data identifying information designated in the read access from the server coincide, transfers this read data to the server as correct data, and, if the read data identifying information and the data identifying information designated in the read access from the server do not coincide, performs processing for recovering correct data based on the read data identifying information. |
| US08140796B2 |
Serial advanced technology attachment write protection: mass storage data protection device
A mass storage device protection system may have a mass storage device, a processor configured to generate at least one serial write command signal to the mass storage device via a serial communication link, and a storage protector configured for communication with the processor and mass storage device, the storage protector configured to do the following: intercept the at least one serial write command signal, and determine whether the at least one serial write command signal comprises an authorized command signal or an unauthorized command signal. |
| US08140794B2 |
Snapshot storage and management system with indexing and user interface
A system and method of managing stored data in a storage management system. The storage management system includes a storage manager, a media agent connected to the storage manager, and a primary volume connected to the media agent. A plurality of snapshots are taken of the primary volume. The snapshots are indexed by associating respective information with the snapshot. The indexed snapshots are copied to a recovery volume. In this way, browsing features are enabled for the user. The user may view the snapshots in a hierarchical format, and may even view snapshot data in association with the corresponding application. The resultant recovery volume may be used to replace a primary volume. |
| US08140792B2 |
Indirectly-accessed, hardware-affine channel storage in transaction-oriented DMA-intensive environments
Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system, and computer program product for managing a computer memory system including a channel controller and a memory area. In one embodiment, the method comprises the channel controller receiving a request including a header and a payload, and separating said memory area into a working memory area and an auxiliary memory area. A copy of the header is deposited in the working memory area; and a full copy of the request, including a copy of the header and a copy of the payload, is deposited in the auxiliary memory area. The copy of the request in the auxiliary memory area is used to perform hardware operations; and the copy of the header in the working memory area is used to perform software operations. |
| US08140791B1 |
Techniques for backing up distributed data
Techniques for backing up distributed data are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for backing up distributed data comprising identifying one or more sources of distributed data targeted for backup, identifying two or more backup storage locations, determining which one or more backup storage locations of the two or more identified backup storage locations to utilize for a backup job based at least in part on one or more specified preferences, and configuring, for at least one of the sources of distributed data, the backup job using the one or more backup storage locations. |
| US08140790B2 |
Failure management method in thin provisioning technology for storage
A pool is replicated in the unit of volume providing the pool, and when a physical device is blocked, any volume blocked in the pool is changed to the replicated volume so that the pool and a virtual volume can be recovered. With such a configuration, when any pool or virtual volume is blocked due to blockage of any volume providing the thin provisioning function, volume recovery can be swiftly performed without changing the virtual volume used by a host computer, and consumption of storage resources needed therefor can be suppressed. |
| US08140788B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for selecting an input/output tape volume cache
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for selecting an input/output tape volume cache (TVC). A history module maintains access history instances for a plurality of clusters. A request module receives an access request for a logical volume. An adjustment module weights the access history instances in favor of recent access history instances. A calculation module calculates an affinity of the logical volume for each cluster of the plurality of clusters. The calculation module may calculate the affinity of the logical volume for each cluster of the plurality of clusters using read/write/scratch granularity and an algorithm. Further, the calculation module may filter out clusters. A selection module selects a cluster TVC with a highest affinity as the TVC for the logical volume. |
| US08140787B2 |
Methods for implementation of an active archive in an archiving system and managing the data in the active archive
According to the disclosure, a unique and novel archiving system that provides one or more application layer partitions to archive data is disclosed. Embodiments include an active archive including a fixed storage. The active archive can create application layer partitions that associate the application layer partitions with portions of the fixed storage. Each application layer partition, in embodiments, has a separate set of controls that allow for customized storage of different data within a single archiving system. Further, embodiments of methods for ensuring storage capacity in the active archive and the application layer partitions within the active archive is also disclosed. |
| US08140781B2 |
Multi-level page-walk apparatus for out-of-order memory controllers supporting virtualization technology
The invention relates generally to computer memory access. Embodiments of the invention provide a multi-level page-walk apparatus and method that enable I/O devices to execute multi-level page-walks with an out-of-order memory controller. In embodiments of the invention, the multi-level page-walk apparatus includes a demotion-based priority grant arbiter, a page-walk tracking queue, a page-walk completion queue, and a command packetizer. |
| US08140775B1 |
Allocating background workflows in a data storage system using autocorrelation
Technologies are described for implementing a system that schedules background workflows in a storage system. Historical load statistics can be analyzed to estimate the preferred times in the future during which to schedule background workflows. After collecting load statistics related to the storage system, natural cyclical patterns in the load data can be determined as the predominant periodicities of the load data are selected from peaks in an autocorrelation of the collected data. A linear predictor may be formed as a weighted sum of the historical data sampled at the determined periodicities. Error minimization, such as the method of least squares, may be used to determine the values of the weighting in order to minimize an error between the load predictor and the measured load. Predicting future loads can improve the scheduling of background operations by avoiding conflicts with normal system operations. |
| US08140773B2 |
Using ephemeral stores for fine-grained conflict detection in a hardware accelerated STM
A method and apparatus for fine-grained filtering in a hardware accelerated software transactional memory system is herein described. A data object, which may have any arbitrary size, is associated with a filter word. The filter word is in a first default state when no access, such as a read, from the data object has occurred during a pendancy of a transaction. Upon encountering a first access, such as a first read, from the data object, access barrier operations including an ephemeral/private store operation to set the filter word to a second state are performed. Upon a subsequent/redundant access, such as a second read, the access barrier operations are elided to accelerate the subsequent access, based on the filter word being set to the second state to indicate a previous access occurred. |
| US08140766B2 |
Enhanced coherency tracking with implementation of region victim hash for region coherence arrays
A method and system for precisely tracking lines evicted from a region coherence array (RCA) without requiring eviction of the lines from a processor's cache hierarchy. The RCA is a set-associative array which contains region entries consisting of a region address tag, a set of bits for the region coherence state, and a line-count for tracking the number of region lines cached by the processor. Tracking of the RCA is facilitated by a non-tagged hash table of counts represented by a Region Victim Hash (RVH). When a region is evicted from the RCA, and lines from the evicted region still reside in the processor's caches (i.e., the region's line-count is non-zero), the RCA line-count is added to the corresponding RVH count. The RVH count is decremented by the value of the region line count following a subsequent processor cache eviction/invalidation of the region previously evicted from the RCA. |
| US08140763B2 |
Techniques for managing data in a write cache of a storage controller
A technique for limiting an amount of write data stored in a cache memory includes determining a usable region of a non-volatile storage (NVS), determining an amount of write data in a current write request for the cache memory, and determining a failure boundary associated with the current write request. A count of the write data associated with the failure boundary is maintained. The current write request for the cache memory is rejected when a sum of the count of the write data associated with the failure boundary and the write data in the current write request exceeds a determined percentage of the usable region of the NVS. |
| US08140762B2 |
System to reduce drive overhead using a mirrored cache volume in a storage array
A system comprising a host, a solid state device, and an abstract layer. The host may be configured to generate a plurality of input/output (IO) requests. The solid state device may comprise a write cache region and a read cache region. The read cache region may be a mirror of the write cache region. The abstract layer may be configured to (i) receive the plurality of IO requests, (ii) process the IO requests, and (iii) map the plurality of IO requests to the write cache region and the read cache region. |
| US08140761B2 |
Event tracking hardware
An event tracking hardware engine having N (≧2) caches is invoked when an event of interest occurs, using a corresponding key. The event tracking engine stores a cumulative number of occurrences for each one of the different kinds of events, and searches in the N caches for an entry for the key. When an entry for the key is found, the engine increments the number of occurrences if no overflow of the cumulative number of occurrences would occur. However, if the incrementing would cause overflow, then instead of incrementing the cumulative number of occurrences, the engine promotes the entry for the event of interest to a next higher cache. |
| US08140756B2 |
Information handling system with immediate scheduling of load operations and fine-grained access to cache memory
An information handling system (IHS) includes a processor with a cache memory system. The processor includes a processor core with an L1 cache memory that couples to an L2 cache memory. The processor includes an arbitration mechanism that controls load and store requests to the L2 cache memory. The arbitration mechanism includes control logic that enables a load request to interrupt a store request that the L2 cache memory is currently servicing. When the L2 cache memory finishes servicing the interrupting load request, the L2 cache memory may return to servicing the interrupted store request at the point of interruption. The control logic determines the size requirement of each load operation or store operation. When the cache memory system performs a store operation or load operation, the memory system accesses the portion of a cache line it needs to perform the operation instead of accessing an entire cache line. |
| US08140753B2 |
Method and system for rebuilding data in a distributed RAID system
Embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed provide a distributed RAID system comprising a set of data banks. More particularly, in certain embodiments of a distributed RAID system each data bank has a set of associated storage media and executes a similar distributed RAID application. The distributed RAID applications on each of the data banks coordinate among themselves to distribute and control data flow associated with implementing a level of RAID in conjunction with a volume stored on the associated storage media of the data banks. Migration of volumes, or portions thereof, from one configuration to another configuration may be accomplished according to a priority associated with the volume. |
| US08140751B1 |
Power-aware redundant array of independent disks (PARAID) and related methods
A system defining a power-aware redundant array of identical disks (PARAID) is provided. The PARAID includes multiple data-storing disks that store multiple data blocks in a skewed stripping pattern. The PARAID further includes a PARAID disk manager for selectively powering on the plurality of disks based upon user demand. A PARAID disk driver is also provided. The PARAID disk driver includes a PARAID level module for instantiating a PARAID to operate within a computing environment by segmenting data among the array of independent disks in a skewed striping pattern. The skewed striping pattern creates multiple distinct sets of the array of independent disks, each set defining a unique gear in which the PARAID can operate. Additionally, the PARAID disk driver includes a PARAID gear-shifting logic module for selectively causing the PARAID to operate in a particular gear. The PARAID disk driver further includes a PARAID monitoring module for determining in which gear the PARAID operates. |
| US08140745B2 |
Data retrieval methods
Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, methods of retrieving information from a data storage device previously deactivated by modification or degradation of at least a portion of the data storage device are disclosed. |
| US08140743B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method for operating semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory array section configured to serve as an information storage area and an interface section configured to interface between an external memory controller and the memory array section, the memory array section and the interface section being sealed in a package. The interface section includes a plurality of interface modules configured to correspond to a plurality of memory types on a one-to-one basis, and a clock generation section configured to generate a plurality of clock signals based on a system clock signal supplied by the external memory controller. The generated clock signals are used by the plurality of interface modules. The interface section further includes a mode interpretation section configured to interpret an input mode designation signal as indicative of one of the memory types in order to output a mode signal denoting the interpreted memory type. |
| US08140742B2 |
System for accessing non volatile memory
Accessing a non-volatile memory array is described, including receiving a first data and a memory address associated with the first data, writing the first data to the non-volatile memory array at the memory address of the first data without erasing a second data stored in the non-volatile memory array at the memory address of the first data before writing the first data. |
| US08140741B2 |
Semiconductor storage device and control method thereof
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device comprises a main memory, a request issue module, a delay module, and an access module. The main memory is configured to store candidate information for determining a compaction candidate for a nonvolatile memory. The request issue module is configured to issue an access request for the candidate information in the main memory. The delay module is configured to delay the access request issued from the request issue module. The access module is configured to access the candidate information in the main memory based on an access request delayed by the delay module. |
| US08140735B2 |
Techniques for dynamic disk personalization
Techniques for dynamic disk personalization are provided. A virtual image that is used to create an instance of a virtual machine (VM) is altered so that disk access operations are intercepted within the VM and redirected to a service that is external to the VM. The external service manages a personalized storage for a principal, the personalized storage used to personalize the virtual image without altering the virtual image. |
| US08140734B2 |
Asynchronous/synchronous switching of console devices and peripheral devices
A signal switch for sharing a video monitor, a plurality of console devices compliant with an industry standard and one or more than one peripheral device in any of a plurality of computer systems, is provided comprising a CPU with a first memory for storing a management program for managing the signal switch; a hub switch module connected to the CPU and configured to communicate with any of the plurality of computer systems, and the one or more than one peripheral device; a device control module for emulating according to the industry standard the plurality of console devices, connected to the CPU and the hub switch module; a host control module connected to the CPU and configured to communicate with the plurality of console devices; and a video control module connected to the CPU and configured to communicate with a video monitor device. |
| US08140728B1 |
Data packet arbitration system
A data packet arbitration system for routing data transfers from a plurality of clients to a data transmission line is described. The system includes multiple arbitration stages for transferring data from the plurality of clients to the data transmission line. Data transfers are routed through the system based on arbitration logic that prioritizes by function in a primary arbitration stage and by client in a subsequent arbitration stage. |
| US08140727B2 |
Bus arbitration apparatus and method
A bus arbitration apparatus according to this invention appropriately arbitrates bus rights of use between a plurality of masters and a plurality of slaves so as to efficiently perform requested data transfer. An arbiter A 5 receives data transfer requests with respect to a slave A 3 generated by masters A 1 and B 2. The arbiter A 5 cooperates with an arbiter B 4, and arbitrates a contention of the data transfer requests with respect to the slave A 3 generated by the masters A 1 and B 2. |
| US08140726B2 |
Single wire transmission interface and method for the same
The present invention discloses a single wire transmission interface comprising: a signal detection circuit detecting level switchings of a transmission signal from a single wire, and generating an enable signal and a decoded signal corresponding to the transmission signal, the level switchings including first switchings from a first level to a second level and second switchings from the second level to the first level, wherein the enable signal starts according to one first switching of the transmission signal, and stops when no first switching occur in a predetermined period after one second switching of the transmission signal, and wherein rising edges (or falling edges) of the decoded signal correspond to the first switchings of the transmission signal; a counter, under enablement by the enable signal, counting a number of the rising edges (or the rising edges) of the decoded signal or the first switchings of the transmission signal, and generating a count; a single short pulse generator generating a short pulse according to the start of the enable signal to reset the decoded signal. |
| US08140722B2 |
Mobile terminal, character conversion apparatus, character conversion process, computer program, and computer usable medium
A character conversion apparatus makes a predictive search of a conversion database for conversion candidates on the basis of one or more characters inputted by use of a character input key. The apparatus obtains, in reference to a table, the total number of times the character input key is to be pressed down before inputting an unconverted character included in each of the searched conversion candidates and immediately following the one or more characters. The table contains characters assigned to the total numbers of times the character input key is pressed down. The apparatus determines the order of display, on a screen of a display device, of the conversion candidates to align with a descending order of the total number of times the character input key is to be pressed down before inputting the unconverted character. On the screen, the conversion candidates are displayed in the determined order of display. The apparatus receives confirmation of one of the conversion candidates. |
| US08140721B2 |
System and method for starting a buffer pool
For an information retrieval system coupled to a buffer pool maintaining a plurality of pages of recently accessed information for subsequent re-access, a technique for starting the buffer pool is provided. The technique facilitates a quicker start to the buffer pool by deferring allocation of page storing portions, for example, until they are needed. The technique makes the buffer pool available for storing pages while deferring allocation of a page storing portion of the buffer pool and allocates the page storing portion of the buffer pool in response to a demand to store pages to the buffer pool. The technique may be used to re-start a buffer pool with pages stored to a memory coupled to the information retrieval system where the pages where stored upon a buffer pool shutdown. Further, buffer pool readers or prefetchers may be configured to read pages for storing to the buffer pool and allocate the page storing portions of the buffer pool in response to instructions to read particular pages. |
| US08140715B2 |
Virtual media input device
A virtual media device is described for processing one or more input signals from one or more physical media input devices, to thereby generate an output signal for use by a consuming application module. The consuming application module interacts with the virtual media device as if it were a physical media input device. The virtual media device thereby frees the application module and its user from the burden of having to take specific account of the physical media input devices that are connected to a computing environment. The virtual media device can be coupled to one or more microphone devices, one or more video input devices, or a combination of audio and video input devices, etc. The virtual media device can apply any number of processing modules to generate the output signal, each performing a different respective operation. |
| US08140714B2 |
Media management and routing within an electronic device
A method and apparatus for intelligently routing and managing audio signals within an electronic device is disclosed. The routing is responsive to a set of logical and physical policies which are stored in data tables which can be updated as needed. |
| US08140705B2 |
Method and system to recover a failed flash of a blade service processor in a server chassis
A method and system for recovering a server blade, in a multiple server blade computer, that is lost during a flash update operation on a service processor in the server blade. Because of the flash update failure, the lost server blade is unaware of its location on a management pathway, which in an exemplary form may be a midplane or a bus, which connects the server blade and a management module in a server blade chassis. The lost server blade puts a signal on the management pathway indicating that the flash failed. The signal is put on a special channel reserved for such messages. The management module receives the signal, and then determines which of the multiple server blades are lost due to the flash update failure. |
| US08140702B2 |
System and method of maximizing utility in media delivery network
A method is provided for maximizing utility of a media delivery network having a media source, a first media adaptor, a second media adaptor and a media renderer. The media source can provide data in a first format and a second format. The first media adaptor can receive the data in the first format from the media source. The second media adaptor can receive the data in the second format from the media source. The first media adaptor can further provide data in a third format based on the received data in the first format. The second media adaptor can further provide data in a fourth format based on the received data in the second format. The media renderer can render the data in the third format and can render the data in the fourth format. The method includes: defining constraints of the media delivery network; predetermining factors to measure a utility of the media delivery network; defining a utility function based on the predetermined factors; and maximizing the utility function in light of the defined constraints. |
| US08140701B2 |
Scalable dynamic content delivery and feedback system
In an embodiment, a computer system instantiates an intermediary software application configured to intermediate between an event controller and a content delivery network (CDN). The event controller is configured to administer a real-time event involving multiple meeting participants. The CDN is configured to distribute dynamic, real-time content to a plurality of event participants. The intermediary software application joins the event as an event participant such that the intermediary software application receives a real-time stream of media content associated with the event from the event controller. The intermediary software application also transmits the received media content stream to computer systems of the CDN, where each CDN computer system is configured to distribute the real-time media content stream to the participants communicatively connected to the CDN. |
| US08140700B2 |
Reliable delivery of multi-cast conferencing data
Conferencing data is reliably delivered to computer systems participating in a hierarchically arranged multi-cast conferencing session. When a child computer system does not receive a multi-cast packet (e.g., an IP multi-cast packet), the child computer system sends a negative acknowledgment to a parent computer system. In response, the parent computer system re-transmits conferencing data that was contained in the multi-cast packet to the child computer system. Conferencing data can be re-transmitted to the child computer system via uni-cast (e.g., TCP). Accordingly, conferencing data that is not received or that is damaged via multi-cast can be repaired via uni-cast. Computer systems can join an existing multi-cast conference session without having to communicate with the root computer system. The root computer system adjusts a multi-cast send rate to compensate for changed network conditions. |
| US08140699B2 |
Switching a client from unicasting to multicasting by simultaneously providing unicast and multicast streams to the client
Switching a client from unicasting back to multicasting involves simultaneously providing the digital video content to the client via unicasting and multicasting until the client has buffered duplicate frames (i.e., frames that contain the same digital video content). Once the client has buffered duplicate frames, the client can transition from playing out of a buffer that holds frames received via unicasting to playing out of a buffer that holds frames received via multicasting without skipping a frame. Once the transition back to multicasting is complete, unicasting is terminated and any frames remaining in the unicast buffer are flushed. |
| US08140697B2 |
Using transport-independent resource status
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using transport-independent resource status. Embodiments of the invention provide a mechanism for implementing a new protocol for performing resource request status updates that maintains the benefits of existing protocol (e.g., HTTP) conventions while being usable with arbitrary transport protocols. Additionally, the new protocol works with a variety of different message exchange patterns. The use of the protocol can be hidden behind a programming model that normalizes transport-specific resource status protocols, such as, for example, HTTP, with transport-independent resource status protocols, such as, for example, with a SOAP binding of the described protocol. As such, embodiments of the invention provide resource status updates over an arbitrary network transport protocol whose format and message exchange pattern is decoupled from the definition of the application. |
| US08140694B2 |
Method and apparatus for effecting secure communications
A technique to effect secure communications with a server application, such as server applications that are accessible on the Internet. In one embodiment, a client connection is detected at a first port. The client is provided with a decoy port number. A server provides services to the client on a second port that is mapped to the decoy port number. |
| US08140693B2 |
Method and system for allocating on-demand resources using a connection manager
A method and system provide a user-friendly mechanism that allows the user to access remote on-demand resources through a network only when the resources are required. These on-demand resources are accessed using a connection manager that is enabled on a client when, for example, the user moves a mouse cursor to an active edge of the client computer screen. Once enabled, the connection manager allows the user access to any on-demand resources to which the user has authorization. These on-demand resources can be freed from the user when they are no longer needed, so that these resources can be used by other users. |
| US08140691B2 |
Role-based views access to a workflow weblog
Described is a method for controlling a user's access and viewing rights to a weblog used to track the status of a workflow based on one or more roles or responsibilities of the user in the workflow. Advantageously, the workflow is not required to change when workflow members leave their assigned roles or are unable to perform their workflow tasks. Instead, new members are assigned to the roles and access and viewing rights are changed accordingly. Optionally, a person responsible for a workflow instance can grant access and viewing rights for the particular workflow to an individual who is not a member of the workflow. |
| US08140689B2 |
Establishing unique sessions for DNS subscribers
A system establishes virtual DNS servers that are supported by a DNS server. Target IP addresses are assigned for the virtual DNS servers. Network capable devices are uniquely assigned to the virtual DNS servers for domain name resolution. Each network capable device accesses the communication network through a corresponding network device associated with a corresponding source IP address. A client's service plan is assigned to a first network capable device used by the client. The service plan is implemented through a DNS request under a session established between the first network capable device and its assigned first virtual DNS server. The session is uniquely identified by a first source IP address of a first network device used by the first network capable device to access the communication network and a first target IP address of the first virtual DNS server. |
| US08140686B2 |
Detection of required password authentication in a network
A client device interrogates an access point on a network to request an initial connection to the network. Without using a browser, the client device determines if the connection failed due to a lack of authorization for the client device to connect to the network. |
| US08140682B2 |
System, method, and apparatus for server-storage-network optimization for application service level agreements
A computer-implemented method for determining, from a system including a plurality of data center resources, at least one configuration of data center resources for an implementation of an application. The method includes receiving application information and receiving information regarding known internal features up the data center resources. The method also includes provisioning the system of data center resources and creating possible configurations of data center resources for implementing application. The method also includes correlating models and data center resources to create an interrelated representation of the models and the data center resources. The models predict a relationship of parameters for the possible configurations. The method also includes creating a multiple dimensional analysis of parameters for the possible configurations of data center resources using the interrelated representation and selecting a configuration of data center resources from the possible configurations using the multiple dimensional analysis of parameters. |
| US08140678B2 |
Failover protection from a failed worker node in a shared memory system
A method is described that involves entering a notification of a request into a queue that supplies request notifications to a first worker node amongst a plurality of worker nodes. The first worker node is targeted to process the request. In response to the first worker node failing before the notification could be serviced from the first queue, the notification is moved from the first queue to a second queue that supplies request notifications to a second worker node amongst the plurality of worker nodes. After servicing the notification from the second queue, the request is transferred to the second worker node. A response to the request is then generated with the second worker node. |
| US08140677B2 |
Autonomic web services hosting service
An autonomic grid. The autonomic grid can include a multiplicity of hosting services communicatively coupled to one another. Each hosting service can include an administrative service configured to determine whether to deploy requested Web services locally or remotely; a code base for storing implementations of the requested Web services; and, a deployment service configured to deploy on command the implementations stored in the code base. Notably, at least one of the hosting services further can include one or more Web services instances; one or more monitors configured to proxy requests to and responses from the Web services instances; and, one or more agents subscribed to the monitors to analyze the requests to and responses from the Web services instances, and to provision Web services in others of the hosting services based upon the analysis. |
| US08140675B2 |
Content reproduction apparatus
A content reproduction apparatus (1) which reproduces digital contents, and includes a device key storage unit (110) holding a device key (110a) specific to the content reproduction apparatus (1) in a manner that does not allow access from outside the content reproduction apparatus (1). The content reproduction apparatus (1), also includes a device ID storage unit (19) holding device key index information (19a) that is in a one-to-one association with a device key (110a), an instruction code receiving unit (14a) receiving an instruction code to output index information, a device key index information obtainment processing unit (10a) outputting, to outside, the device key index information (19a) stored in the device ID storage unit (19) based on the instruction, and a device key index information output processing unit (11a). |
| US08140674B2 |
Autonomic service routing using observed resource requirement for self-optimization
A service request routing system and method includes a model table configured to store resource models. A monitor is coupled to the model table and programmed both to model resource consumption in a service providing infrastructure, and also to store the modeled resource consumption in the model table. A router is coupled to the model table, and the router is programmed to route each service request to a corresponding service instance disposed in an associated service host having a service providing infrastructure. The associated service host includes a grid host in a grid computing system. |
| US08140672B2 |
Media resource storage and management
Provided are computer-implemented methods and systems for performing media resource storage and management. The computer-implemented method and system implemented as a request manager is capable of monitoring requests for media resources in a content delivery network. For each monitored request, the request manager determines whether to generate a multifile for the requested media resource. For example, the request manager can first determine whether the media resource is eligible for multifile generation. If eligible, the request manager then determines whether the media resource has reached a popularity threshold. If the media resource has reached the popularity threshold, the request manager initiates generation of the multifile for the requested media resource. Generally, the generated multifile is stored in a storage system associated with the content delivery network. |
| US08140671B2 |
Apparatus and method for sampling security events based on contents of the security events
There are provided an apparatus and method for sampling a security event based on contents of the security event, the apparatus including: a security event accumulation module collecting security events occurring in a network system and storing the security events for each type according to contents of the security event; a security event analysis module calculating distribution of the security events for each type by analyzing the stored security events; and a security event extraction module sampling the stored security events according to the calculated distribution of the security events for each type. The apparatus and method may improve speed of visualization of a security event and a security event analysis apparatus and may increase accuracy thereof. |
| US08140669B2 |
Resolving hostnames on a private network with a public internet server
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for resolving hostnames on a private network with a public Internet server. One embodiment of the invention provides for a public Internet server configured to generate a private network ID when a new private network is identified, wherein the private network ID is a unique reference to all nodes within a private network and wherein the private network is comprised of one or more private DNS servers. The public internet server stores the private network ID and an IP address for at least one or more private DNS servers on the private network and sends, upon request, the private network ID to at least one of the private DNS servers. |
| US08140664B2 |
Graphical user interface based sensitive information and internal information vulnerability management system
A system and method provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for users to monitor and manage sensitive information within an enterprise network. The GUI can provide users with information, such as the presence of input/output devices (I/O device), the location of documents containing sensitive information (sensitive documents), and the status of local security policy. The GUI can also provide users with real-time information, such as the occurrence of local security policy violations, the life-cycle of sensitive documents, and the sensitive information dynamic flow within the enterprise network. |
| US08140661B2 |
Local assurance management device for an equipment element in a communication network
An installed device (D) is intented to local assurance management for a network element (NE) in a communication network (N) equipped with a network management system (NMS), where said equipment element (NE) presents a chosen configuration and contains means (MM) for the measurement of parameter values in the network as well as a management information base (MIB) which stores management data representing the measured values. The device or arrangement (D) includes management means (MAE) used to adapt the configuration of the equipment element (NE) in accordance with at least the management data stored in the management information base (MIB) and with chosen rules known as assurance rules. |
| US08140657B2 |
Method and system to connect multiple SCSI initiators to a fibre channel fabric topology using a single N-PORT
A method and system for connecting multiple initiators to a storage area network (SAN) via a Fiber channel fabric using a single N_port fiber channel switch. The multiple initiators are associated with a common domain identification (DID), each initiator having a unique source identification (SID). The method includes initiating a communication exchange between at least one of the initiators and the SAN, the exchange including transmission of a command frame. The method also includes monitoring the initiated exchange communication exchange, and replacing the unique SID of one of the initiators with an SID of the fiber channel switch. |
| US08140655B1 |
Dynamic enclave computing system
A computing architecture and method which provides application software or hardware the ability to dynamically allocate subsystem resources to construct computing enclaves. The architecture manages the configuration of and controls access to the subsystem resources. Subsystem resources are assigned to enclaves and additional subsystem resources are able to be added or removed as needs fluctuate. Removed subsystem resources are sanitized and returned to a resource pool, and are available for allocation. This computing architecture and method allows the creation of dynamic computing systems. |
| US08140654B2 |
Verifying management virtual local area network identifier provisioning consistency
A communications network, comprising a plurality of nodes supporting connection-oriented traffic and connectionless traffic, wherein management traffic between the nodes is propagated as connectionless traffic having a unique management traffic Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identifier (VID), and wherein at least one node is configured to perform a Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) exchange operation to enable detection of inconsistent provisioning of the Management VID in at least one node. Also disclosed is a communications network component, comprising logic that enables connection-oriented traffic and VLAN-based connectionless traffic, wherein the logic propagates management messages as VLAN-based connectionless traffic having a management VID, and wherein the logic enables detection of inconsistent management VIDs in a network. |
| US08140653B1 |
Management of a multi-process system
A system comprising a network of network elements and a data store associated with a data store manager. The data store contains data representing the actual state of the system and data representing a planned state of the system. The data store manager causes the network elements, or processes supported thereby, to conform with the planned system state. In addition, at least some of the processes communicate to the data store manager data representing their respective state. The data store manager, upon receipt of said data, updates the actual state data in accordance with the received data. The data store provides an actual model and a planned model of the system by which the state of the system can readily be managed. |
| US08140652B2 |
Energy-efficient server location determination for configuration changes
At a data center controller, a first server location is determined from a set of available server locations at which to change a server active state for a data center. A time and configuration change for the data center are forecasted. A second server location is determined from the set of available server locations at which to change the server active state based upon the forecasted configuration change for the data center. An available server location is selected at which to change the server active state based upon the first server location, the second server location, and the forecasted time associated with the forecasted configuration change for the data center. |
| US08140651B2 |
Method and system for self-organizing computer systems
A system and method to self-configure a distributed system includes obtaining a description of a distributed system which has a plurality of computing nodes, each node being capable of performing any of a plurality of tasks in the description. At each node, a persona of that node is determined in accordance with the description such that the nodes are assigned tasks in the distributed system. Each node is reconfigured in accordance with the persona such that the nodes are linked in the distributed system to provide a self-configured distributed system for performing at least one application. |
| US08140650B2 |
Use of configurations in device with multiple configurations
The invention relates to a method for arranging use of configurations in a device with multiple configuration data sets manageable by one or more external managing entities. The device comprises access control information originated and/or controlled by an external managing entity for defining a right to access a configuration data set. The access control information is checked in response to an indication from an application requiring access to a configuration data set. If the application is, on the basis of the access control information, entitled to access the configuration data set, access to the configuration data set is arranged for the application. |
| US08140648B2 |
Information processing apparatus, content management method and recording medium
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a storage unit for saving content data, a communication unit for communicating with one or more external storage devices, and a content management unit for, when receiving from the external storage device through the communication unit a notification indicating that new content data is saved in the external storage device, acquiring the new content data from the storage device through the communication unit with the notification as a trigger, and saving the new content data in the storage unit. |
| US08140646B2 |
Network application performance enhancement using speculative execution
A speculative web browser engine may enable providing transmission of content between a server and a client prior to a user-initiated request for the content hidden in imperative code (event handlers), which may reduce user-perceived latency when the user initiates the imperative code. In some aspects, a speculative browser state may be created from an actual browser state and used to run the event handlers. The event handlers may be modified to direct actions of the event handler to update the speculative browser state. Speculative content may be transmitted between the server and the client in response to an execution of the modified code. The speculative content may be stored in a cache and made readily available for use when the user initiates the event handler and finds that the desired content has already been fetched. |
| US08140639B2 |
Information-processing system, method for transmitting and receiving data, image-processing apparatus suited especially for transmitting and receiving data among a plurality of image-processing apparatuses connected to network
In order to efficiently store data that is to be transmitted or received, an image-processing system is provided with a plurality of MFPs and has: a designation unit to designate an arbitrary destination user as a receiver of data; a specifying unit to specify an MFP among the plurality of MFPs, the destination user designated by the designation unit belonging to the specified MFP; and a control unit to control switching between a first mode and a second mode in accordance with a predetermined condition, the first mode being for storing the data in a predetermined storing device on the network so as to enable reading of the data by an operation by the destination user designated by the designation unit, the second mode being for, instead of storing the data in the predetermined storing device, transmitting the data to the MFP specified by the specifying unit, the destination user belonging to the specified image-processing apparatus. |
| US08140636B2 |
Instant messenger subset management
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to instant messaging and provide a method, system and computer program product for instant messenger subset management. In an embodiment of the invention, an instant messenger subset management method can be provided. The method can include selecting a set of names for different open chat sessions of an instant messenger, providing a single responsive posting to the selected set, and persisting the set for subsequent processing. Additionally, the method can include annotating the single responsive posting in a chat log to indicate the names in the selected set having received the single responsive posting. |
| US08140633B2 |
Forwarding to automatically prioritized IM accounts based upon priority and presence
Systems for forwarding incoming instant messages comprise a primary IM processing device configured to send and receive IM messages. The primary IM processing device is further configured to forward incoming IM messages to an available secondary IM processing devices based upon presence information and availability information on a plurality of secondary IM processing devices. A router is configured to route IM messages between the primary IM processing device and the secondary IM processing devices. An IM server is coupled to a communications network and is configured to send and receive presence information from the primary IM processing device and the secondary IM processing devices. The primary IM processing device is further configured to maintain presence information on the secondary IM processing devices including the secondary IM processing devices that were unavailable to receive a forwarded instant message. Other systems and methods are also provided. |
| US08140630B2 |
Publish/subscribe message broker for message sequences
A method of operating a publish/subscribe message broker. A method in accordance with an embodiment includes receiving a message on a topic from a publisher, identifying the message as a start of a sequence of messages, transmitting the message to one or more existing subscribers to the topic, registering a new subscriber to the topic, receiving a further message on the topic from a publisher, and transmitting the further message to the one or more existing subscribers to the topic, but not to the registered new subscriber to the topic. Following the identifying of the message as a start of a sequence of messages, the message broker creates a new sub-topic corresponding to the sequence of messages and subscribes the one or more existing subscribers to the new topic. Any new messages received that relate to the sequence are published to the sub-topic and not the original topic. Any new subscribers to the topic are not subscribed to the sub-topic. |
| US08140629B2 |
System and method for processing instant messages
Various aspects relate to using structured messages within one or more systems that implement instant messaging function in a distributed computing environment. In particular, structured information may be encoded and embedded in unstructured instant messages and communicated among one or more computer systems, networks, applications or other entities. In one aspect, instant messaging may be leveraged as middleware for application integration. Other aspects relate to using structured message information to perform functions in a distributed instant messaging system. For example, structured message information may be used to control the display of instant message information to a user, or may be used to control how the instant message information is distributed, processed, or otherwise handled by a receiving system, application or process. Other aspects relate to an interface for displaying information relating to a number of instant messaging conversations to a user. Further, aspects relate to using instant messaging in a trading environment. |
| US08140619B2 |
Management of community buddy lists
One or more buddy lists from a first user's computer is populated on one or more other users' computers to cause a buddy list update of community buddy lists. The buddy lists may be auto-populated in response to a change in job status of the first user. |
| US08140616B2 |
Server unit, server control method, and recording medium in server-based computing system
When a drawing command for the screen drawing data created by an application program corresponding to a user input event is transmitted to a client unit, if the transmission delay time t obtained by RTT measurement is within a preset threshold value TH, the drawing command is transmitted in real time in an Instantaneous (Eager) Update mode in the order in which the drawing data was created. If the transmission delay time t has exceeded the threshold value TH, an interval corresponding to a drawing update time interval Tn is allowed and the drawing commands during the interval are put together and transmitted in a Non-instantaneous (Lazy) Update mode. In the Non-instantaneous (Lazy) Update mode, transmission priority according to the type of a drawing command (the user's attention) is set. |
| US08140615B2 |
Consolidated business service for integrating service oriented architecture services with customer resources
A Consolidated Business Service (CBS) manages an interface between Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) services and resources used by at least one enterprise customer. The CBS utilizes an Enterprise Systems Management (ESM) layer that includes: a bi-directional portal between Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) services and enterprise resources used by at least one enterprise customer; an aggregating logic for aggregating incoming and outgoing messages from the SOA services and the enterprise resources; a strategy set of rules that define pre-set responses to an event described by one or more of the incoming messages from the enterprise resources, wherein the pre-set responses are provided by a SOA response service from the SOA services; and a delegation logic for delegating the pre-set responses to agents in the affected resources, wherein the agents are software logic that have been pre-deployed, from the ESM layer to the affected resources, for executing the pre-set responses. |
| US08140611B1 |
Method and representations for exporting tactical data link information as a web service
A scalable method and apparatus for performing a mashup of military Situation Awareness (SA) data in a tactical data link (TDL) with data residing in several databases, using a web server-web browser architecture over an IP-based network. In a preferred embodiment the invention employs a TDL gateway to collect and correlate SA data from a TDL and stores the data in a track database, which is interfaced by a web server to the IP-based network. A SA web browser interfaces with the TDL gateway web server, a maps server and a symbology server to mash data from a plurality of sources into an integrated whole, allowing a more complete graphical representation of the SA data. The invention is capable of operating in reverse, to inject user defined data from the SA web browser into the TDL. |
| US08140608B1 |
Pipelined integer division using floating-point reciprocal
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for performing fast integer division using commonly available arithmetic operations. The technique may be implemented in a two-stage process using a single-precision floating point reciprocal in conjunction with integer addition and multiplication. Furthermore, the technique may be fully pipelined on many conventional processors for performance that is comparable to the best available high-performance alternatives. |
| US08140604B2 |
Method, system, and apparatus for creating an archive routine for protecting data in a data protection system
A method for creating an archive protection plan for archiving a backup of data is provided. An indication of an archive data protection kind and an archive data protection duration are received. In response to receiving the archive data protection kind and the archive data protection duration, an archive scheme is determined and an archive protection plan representative of the archive scheme is generated. |
| US08140602B2 |
Providing an object to support data structures in worm storage
An object storage system provides a storage object to support index structures, logs, and audit trails in WORM storage. The storage object includes a mutable object, an immutable object, or an appendable object. For each storage object, the system maintains an indication of type, such as mutable, immutable, or appendable object type. A mutable object can be arbitrarily modified, an immutable object cannot be modified, and the contents of the appendable object cannot be modified but can be appended with new data. Appended data becomes immutable. The system enables a protection level represented by the object type to be upgraded but not downgraded. Consequently, data committed to be immutable cannot be changed by changing the type of the storage object. |
| US08140600B2 |
Memory power control method and memory power control program
A method and a computer readable article of manufacture for controlling memory power consumption on a computer. The method includes a memory having a power saving mode and performs a garbage collection for collecting no-longer-needed objects in groups the no-longer-needed objects being allocated to memory blocks obtained by dividing a memory's address space by a predetermined constant size. The method includes the steps of dividing a heap area of the memory into a number of sub-heap areas; managing the sub-heap areas; and changing the number of sub-heap areas used for garbage collection based on a magnitude correlation between a required time for the garbage collection and a predefined target value. |
| US08140599B1 |
Garbage collection for merged collections
A method of identifying nonreferenced memory elements in a storage system is disclosed. A plurality of lists of referenced elements from a plurality of storage subsystems is input. A union of the lists of referenced elements is compiled. The union of the lists of referenced memory elements is compared to a list of previously referenced memory elements to determine previously referenced elements that are no longer referenced. The previously referenced elements that are no longer referenced is output. |
| US08140593B2 |
Data viewer management
Embodiments described herein are directed to generating a customized data viewer, where the viewer is configured to display data at any level in a data model. In one embodiment, a computer system receives a user request indicating that portions of data are to be displayed in a user-customized manner using a data viewer. The computer system accesses the requested data portions that are to be displayed with the data viewer. The computer system generates a dynamic data viewer configured to display the accessed data portions in the user-customized manner indicated in the received user request. The computer system also applies the generated dynamic data viewer to the accessed data portions, such that the generated viewer displays the requested data portions in the user-customized manner. |
| US08140584B2 |
Adaptive data classification for data mining
A method and system for adaptive classification during information retrieval from unstructured data are provided. The method includes receiving input from a user defining a classification. A sample set of unstructured data based on the user defined classification defined is determined. The sample set of unstructured data is analyzed to determine a classification mapping that maps attributes of the sample set of unstructured data to class labels for the classification. The attributes of a set of data objects in a second set of unstructured data are indexed and one or more data objects in the set of data objects are mapped to the class label based on the classification mapping. Feedback based on the user's response to an interaction with results is determined using the class label. Finally, adaptive classification mapping is performed based on analysis of feedback by adjusting the sample set of data objects. |
| US08140581B2 |
Configurable view on data models
Data-driven configuration of various views on data models. A framework may be provided that offers one or more parameterized view generation components, each aimed at generating a particular view type in response to configuration data that populates the parameters of the associated component. A user or other computing entity merely provides configuration data to an appropriate view generation component to generate a custom view. That custom view may then optionally perhaps be applied to any number of data models, or perhaps not applied to any data model at all and just saved for perhaps some future use. This view generation may generate composite views on a data model, or even hierarchical views on a data model. |
| US08140575B2 |
Apparatus, method, and program product for information processing
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing an interface for using a web service on an external server device. A first tree structure used for using the web service is stored. A request message calling up a web service is generated in response to having received access to a request node in the first tree structure. The request node is used for accessing the web service corresponding to the request node. The request message is sent to the server device providing the web service. A response message, including a result of having executed the web service from the server device, is received. The result of the web service execution is reflected in a response node in the first tree structure for storing the result of the web service. |
| US08140567B2 |
Measuring entity extraction complexity
A named entity input is received and a target sense for which the named entity input is to be extracted from a set of documents is identified. An extraction complexity feature is generated based on the named entity input, the target sense, and the set of documents. The extraction complexity feature indicates how difficult or complex it is deemed to be to identify the named entity input for the target sense in the set of documents. |
| US08140559B2 |
Knowledge correlation search engine
An improved search engine creates correlations linking terms from inputs provided by a user to selected target terms. The correlation search process receives pre-processed inputs from a user including a wide variety of input formats including keywords, phrases, sentences, concepts, compound queries, complex queries and orthogonal queries. The pre-processing also includes pre-processing of general digital information objects and static or dynamic generation of questions. After a correlation search of the information presented by the pre-processing, the search results are processed in novel ways to provide an improved relevance ranking of results. |
| US08140558B2 |
Generating structured query language/extensible markup language (SQL/XML) statements
A mechanism is provided for generating Structured Query Language/Extensible Markup Language (SQL/XML) statements. An SQL/XML generation module receives an SQL statement that is expressed in terms of logical data items. The SQL/XML generation module parses and analyzes the SQL statement and generates a set of XMLQUERY functions, a set of XMLTABLE functions, and a set of XMLEXISTS predicates to retrieve, filter, or update at least one of XML documents or relational data based on a main mapping table and a namespace mapping table. The SQL/XML generation module generates at least one SQL/XML statement from parts of the SQL statement and the generated set of XMLQUERY functions, the set of XMLTABLE functions, and the set of XMLEXISTS predicates. The at least one SQL/XML statement is substantially equivalent in functionality to the SQL statement. The SQL/XML generation module sends the at least one SQL/XML statement to a database engine for execution. |
| US08140555B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for dynamically defining inductive relationships between objects in a content management system
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for defining inductive relationships between content objects in a content management system. The system includes a content engine server that stores at least two content objects having a set of attributes. An attribute selection module selects an attribute of the content objects for identification of an inductive relationship. A comparison module compares the attribute value of the attribute selected of a first content object with the attribute value of a second content object. An inductive relationship module dynamically defines an explicit relationship between the first content object and the second content object in response to the first attribute value and the second attribute value satisfying a match criteria. The explicit relationship is preserved in an inductive relationship database. User-defined content management rules may then be applied to the inductively related content objects such as records management, retention, or launching business processes. |
| US08140551B2 |
Address matching
A method and system for providing address matching consistent with the invention includes comparing the address against a plurality of address records in a database, wherein the database comprises at least one or the following: a delivery point database (505) and an enhanced delivery point database (705). In addition, the method and system include providing output data indicating whether the address has been matched to at least one of the plurality of address records in the database. |
| US08140547B2 |
Systems, methods and computer products for a monitoring context generator
Systems, methods and computer products for generating calculation context classes from a relationship between structured data and a calculation procedure, the context classes having parent-child relationships. Exemplary embodiments include a method including searching the calculation procedure for a first data definition, generating a first context from a first scope applied to the first data definition, tracing back the calculation procedure to obtain a second data definition for calculating the first data definition and to which the first scope is applied, copying the calculation procedure into the first context until the second data definition is obtained, obtaining a second scope applied to the second data definition, obtaining a second context generated from the second scope, determining an existence of an order comparison of the first scope with the second scope and obtaining order from the structured data. |
| US08140544B2 |
Interactive digital video library
A system for increasing user interaction with a digital video library. In response to receiving a question by an interactive digital video library server from a user regarding course material being presented from a digital video library, it is determined whether the question is in an audio format. In response to determining that the question is in an audio format, the question is converted into a text format. The course material is searched in a time sliced video index database for an answer to the question using keywords found in the text format of the question. Also, other course materials similar to the course material are searched in a video knowledge base. A weight is assigned to each search result hit found in the course material and the other course materials. Search result hits are outputted in a priority order according to assigned weight and user preference. |
| US08140543B2 |
Method of topic summarization and content anatomy
A topic is summarized through content anatomy. The topic is summarized temporally. In an evolution graph generated through the present invention for the topic, all important events are picked up and cause-result relationships between the events are clearly shown. Hence, difficulty in understanding evolution of the topic is effectively reduced. |
| US08140541B2 |
Time-weighted scoring system and method
A time-weighted score accumulation system and method are provided herein. |
| US08140540B2 |
Classification of electronic messages based on content
Classifying electronic mail (e-mail) based on content and predefined categories. Content of a received e-mail may be analyzed to determine one of a plurality of predefined categories into which the e-mail is classified. A relevancy score may also be calculated to indicate the strength of correlation between the e-mail and the category. A user may be allowed to sort e-mails in an e-mail box based on the category names and/or relevancy scores. |
| US08140535B2 |
Ontology-based network search engine
A method and apparatus for searching for a documents residing on a network comprises receiving a search request from a user. The search request comprises one or more search terms of an ontology. The ontology includes a plurality of terms. One or more of the plurality of terms includes a plurality of sub-category terms. One or more documents residing on the network is identified based on the one or more search terms and an ontology index. The ontology index comprises a plurality of relationships between the plurality of terms and sub-category terms of the ontology and a plurality of documents residing on the network. One or more search results that describe the one or more documents is presented to the user. The one or more documents contain the one or more search terms, or one of the plurality of sub-category terms of the one or more search terms. |
| US08140534B2 |
System and method for sorting attachments in an integrated information management application
A system and method to sort attachments in an integrated information management application. The system includes an email agent, and email repository, and an attachment engine. The email agent facilitates organization of email communications within the integrated information management application. The email repository is coupled to the email agent. The email repository stores a plurality of email files and a plurality of email attachments. The email attachments are associated with at least some of the email files. The attachment engine is coupled to the email agent. The attachment engine generates a list of the email attachments within the email repository for visual communication on a display device. |
| US08140533B1 |
Harvesting relational tables from lists on the web
Computer implemented methods and apparatus for extracting list information into database tables. A number of fields are independently determined for items in list. A number of database table columns are determined from most common number of list item fields. New fields are determined for items with more fields than database columns. Null fields are inserted into items with fewer fields than database columns. Information from items having the same number of fields as database columns is written to database table rows. Information from each field is written to a corresponding database table column. Streaks of poorly matching cells in a database table row are determined. Streak cells are merged and new cells are determined. Null cells are inserted if number of new cells is less than number of cells in the streak. Information from the new cells is written to the table row and columns that define the streak. |
| US08140532B2 |
System for sorting and classifying users of an image information management system
A system for sorting and classifying users of an image information management system is disclosed. The system for sorting and classifying users of an image information management system according to the present invention comprises some identical sub-systems, and every two sub-systems are interconnected. The sub-system comprises a user information encoding module, a user information decoding and authority identifying module, a user sorting module, a user classifying module, a command performing module, an authorized user collection database and a resource information database. The resource information database comprises real-time images, history images and control right commands of cradle heads and lens of cameras. The present invention resolves the problem of ordered accessing and utilizing of image information in a super-large-scale advanced real-time monitoring information management system, and realizes the object that local failures do not affect the normal work of the other parts by connecting every two sub-systems to each other and arranging the user identification entrance in each one of sub-systems. |
| US08140527B2 |
Retrieving personal user information for storage in a device
This invention relates to a method for retrieving personal user information from a user of a device, wherein personal user information retrieved from said user is stored in the device, the method including automatically deciding if retrieving of the personal user information is required; and taking action to retrieve the personal user information if it has been decided that the retrieving is required. The invention further relates to a computer program, a computer program product, a device and a module for retrieving personal user information from a user of a device. |
| US08140525B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and computer readable information recording medium
An information processing apparatus uses a storing unit configured to store search conditions, search results obtained based the search conditions and importance levels of the search results in association with each other. When an input search condition has been stored in the storing unit, a search result and an importance level from the storing unit with the use of the search condition as a key, and, when the input search condition has not been stored in the storing unit, a new search result based on the input search condition. On a display screen, the search results modified according to the importance levels, or the new search results, are displayed. |
| US08140522B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for adaptive query parallelism partitioning with look-ahead probing and feedback
A database query is partitioned into an initial partition including a plurality of parallel groups, and is executed, via an execution plan, based on the initial partition. A sampling subset of data is identified from the plurality of parallel groups. Substantially in parallel with the executing of the query, the execution plan is executed on the sampling subset of data as a sampling thread. The execution plan is modified based on feedback from the execution of the execution plan on the sampling subset of data. |
| US08140520B2 |
Embedding densities in a data structure
A method, apparatus and program product that determine a density for each key value of a plurality of key values in a table over at least one range of rows in the database table, and store the determined densities in a data structure for use in optimizing a query that references a key value in the plurality of key values in the table. By doing so, the density of various key values may be determined and dynamically maintained, often resulting in optimization data for improved query optimization. |
| US08140519B2 |
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. |
| US08140518B2 |
System and method for optimizing search results ranking through collaborative gaming
The present invention provides a method and system for optimizing search result rankings through use of a game interface. The method and system includes providing a game interface to at least two users, the game interface comprising at least one search query and at least two search result sets. The method and system further includes detecting the selection of one of the two search result sets by the users based on competition criteria and updating ranking data in response to the selection of one of the two search results. The method and system further includes selecting ranking data associated with a given query, determining an optimum ranking based on aggregating the selected ranking data, and storing the optimum ranking. |
| US08140515B2 |
Personalization engine for building a user profile
Users of electronic documents are classified for profiling and targeting of additional relevant content. Behavioral data is gathered from user registration information and user activity, and user documents and actions are categorized. Registration information is combined with collaborative and editorial data to provide user profile information. Author-generated document classification information is analyzed and assigned a first taxonomic noun to characterize the document. User-generated tags characterizing a portion of the document are assigned a second taxonomic noun. Search terms that resulted in the user accessing the document are identified and assigned a third taxonomic noun. Attributes related to how the document was accessed are evaluated and assigned a fourth taxonomic noun. The document is processed using pattern rules to extract a fifth taxonomic noun. The taxonomic nouns are aggregated to determine a composite set of taxonomic nouns, and the user is categorized using the taxonomic nouns, and/or the author-generated classification. |
| US08140514B2 |
Automatic classification of defects
A method of automatically classifying defects. The method generally includes the steps of (A) receiving information for a current defect, (B) extracting field values from the current defect, (C) counting a number of occurrences of one or more keywords in the current defect, (D) determining one or more new keywords occurring in the current defect and storing the one or more new keywords in a database and (E) creating one or more linkages in the database between a first record corresponding to the current defect and one or more second records corresponding to previous defects based upon one or more similarities between the first and the second records. |
| US08140512B2 |
Consolidated information retrieval results
Systems and methods are disclosed for consolidating information retrieval results. According to some embodiments of the invention, a computer system can be used to retrieve and rank results in a first result set, in response to a query. The computer system can then perform a more in-depth comparison of the results with the query to determine a more complete correlation of the data in a result with the terms in the query. Each result can then be scored according to its correlation with the search query, and results that do not meet minimum threshold score can be dropped, the remaining results comprising a second result set. Results in the second result set can then be compared with each other to determine whether they contain information regarding a single object or entity, in which case the records are consolidated and redundant data is removed. The computer system can then present the consolidated result on a display. |
| US08140510B2 |
System and method for handling item listings with generic attributes
A system for storing a plurality of items across different categories in a database including a database that stores a data structure that has item entries for items of different categories. Each item entry includes one or more associated attributes. The attributes may be shared by multiple items across more than one category. |
| US08140507B2 |
Method and system for searching across independent applications
A method and system are provided for searching across independent applications. A first seedlist (202) is provided from a first application (201), the first seedlist (202) including a list of data items (211) for crawling by a search engine (220). The data items (211) are owned by the first application (201). A second seedlist (206) is also provided from a second independent application (205), the second seedlist (206) including annotation data (214) for crawling by a search engine (220). The annotation data (214) relates to the data items (211) of the first application (201). A search index (204) provides searchable data from the two or more applications (201, 205), the searchable data relating to the same set of data items (211). |
| US08140506B2 |
File sharing based on social network
Embodiments of the present invention provide for sharing files within a social network. Members of the social network are provided a set of virtual folders that indicates groups and other members that are authorized for file sharing. The folders are automatically maintained for the social network. In addition, various folders may be designated for different levels of access. For example, public folders may be accessible to anyone, while private folders could be restricted to one or members of the social network. The file sharing folders would be provided as part of the social network online service, and thus, are maintained without user configuration. |
| US08140505B1 |
Near-duplicate document detection for web crawling
A system generates a hash value for a fetched document and compares the hash value with a set of stored hash values to identify ones of the stored hash values with a sequence of bit positions, less than all of the bit positions, that match a corresponding sequence of bit positions of the hash value. The system also determines whether any of the identified hash values are substantially similar to the hash value and identify the fetched document as a near-duplicate of another document when one of the identified hash values is substantially similar to the hash value. |
| US08140501B2 |
Attribute presenter of object attributes and method for presenting object attributes using the attribute presenter
An attribute presenter of object attributes from at least one object includes an attribute controller for determining which attributes to select; an attribute collector for collecting and normalizing the determined attributes from the at least one object; an attribute organizer for organizing the collected and normalized attributes for display; and an attribute viewer for displaying the organized object attributes. A method for presenting object attributes using an attribute presenter includes the steps of determining which object attributes to select using an attribute controller; collecting and normalizing the determined object attributes from at least one object using an attribute collector; organizing the collected and normalized object attributes for display by an attribute organizer; and displaying the organized object attributes by an attribute viewer. |
| US08140496B2 |
Method and apparatus for information transformation and exchange in a relational database environment
A method and apparatus is disclosed for transforming hierarchical information into a rowset and for transforming a rowset into hierarchical information. In transforming hierarchical information, such as an XML data file, into a rowset, a parser parses the XML data file to form an active store. A query processor, after receiving a query including a number of metaproperties, processes data from the XML active store to form a rowset. The rowset can be processed further using a query language, such as the Structured Query Language (SQL). After processing, the rowset can be converted back into an XML data file using an XML formatter. An overflow feature facilitates the addition of text data to the rowset. A fusion feature facilitates defining a relationship between different data items in the rowset such that they can be merged into a single data element as the rowset is converted into an XML data file. |
| US08140493B2 |
Changing metadata without invalidating cursors
A method and apparatus for changing versioned metadata without invalidating cursors is provided. Cursors may be linked to the appropriate version of metadata at execution time as opposed to compilation time, meaning that they do not require recompilation to link to a new version of metadata. A database system maintains compiled code implementing a plan with respect to data items in a data storage space. The compiled code may have been generated in response to receiving a request to perform an operation that may be implemented using the plan. A version of metadata is also maintained. The metadata describes characteristics of the data storage space implicated by the plan. The compiled code is executed. The step of execution comprises binding the compiled code to the version of metadata. A proxy object referenced in the compiled code may facilitate the binding of the compiled code to the appropriate version of metadata. |
| US08140492B2 |
Method and apparatus for transposing data trees
According to one embodiment, a method for transposing data trees includes translating a first data tree and a second data tree into a first format. A label within the second data tree is replaced with a label within the first data tree if the data in the first data tree matches the data in the second data tree and such a label is provided in the first data tree. The replaced label is stored in a third data tree, and the third data tree is translated into a second format. |
| US08140488B2 |
Reducing memory required for prediction by partial matching models
Some embodiments of a method and an apparatus to reduce memory required for prediction by partial matching (PPM) models usable in data compression have been presented. In one embodiment, statistics of received data are accumulated in a tree of dynamic tree-type data structures. The data is compressed based on the statistics. The tree of dynamic tree-type data structures may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. |
| US08140485B2 |
Data recovery using a minimum number of recovery streams
A data recovery method that uses a minimum number of recovery streams is provided. The method comprises defining a minimum number of recovery streams to be read from during restoration of data from one or more storage volumes in a communication network, wherein the minimum number is determined according to one or more parameters defining availability of one or more resources in the communication network; restoring the data using at least the minimum number of recovery streams to optimize the rate at which the data is restored; and dynamically changing the minimum number of recovery streams, in response to determining that the availability of the one or more resources has changed. |
| US08140484B2 |
Techniques for determining an implemented data protection policy
Described are techniques for determining an implemented data protection policy. One or more recovery points corresponding to each of one or more storage objects are determined. A data protection method determined in accordance with a facility and replication type associated with each recovery point is selected for each of the one or more recovery points. A data protection category for each of the one or more recovery points is determined in accordance with the data protection method, a recovery point type, and a recovery point location associated with each recovery point. A data protection policy indicating an implemented data protection policy for each of the one or more storage objects for at least one data protection category is stored. |
| US08140483B2 |
Transaction log management
A method and apparatus for managing a log-full condition of a transaction log in a transaction processing system are provided. The transaction log has a plurality of log records each associated with a particular transaction. When a log-full condition is detected, the active transaction having the oldest log entry of all active transactions is identified and logging for all transactions except for the identified transaction is temporarily suspended. A dynamic transaction backout of the identified transaction is initiated, with the writing of a backout record for the identified transaction to the log being delayed. The method waits for confirmation that the backout has completed before trimming the log. Then the delayed backout record for the identified transaction is written to the log and normal logging is resumed. |
| US08140482B2 |
Using RSS archives
In some aspects, at least two different probes are applied to datafeed archives to derive information based on data in the archives. The probes are part of a probe plan to determine a result based on the derived information. The result is determined based on the derived information. |
| US08140475B1 |
Dynamic configuration archival and retrieval
The present invention is a method and system for retrieving and retaining data relating to the configuration of a storage system. Data relating to the configuration of a storage system may be retrieved and stored in an accessible file, stored locally or remotely. When a loss of configuration data event occurs, such as a catastrophic failure of a storage system, a configuration file in accordance with the present invention may be retrieved and loaded into the computing system of the storage system in order to rebuild the storage system with the set of configuration settings stored on the configuration file of the present invention. A detection module of the present invention may also detect a change of configuration data such that the configuration file may reflect the most current configuration for a storage system. |
| US08140474B2 |
Aggregation of file/directory structures
In general, in one aspect, a method is disclosed that includes storing a superset of data available to a client having non volatile memory (NVM) on a distant hard drive. A subset of the data is maintained in the NVM on the client. The client controls the data stored on the distant hard drive and the data maintained in the NVM. A single merged directory/file tree image is generated for the content maintained in the NVM and the distant hard drive that is accessible to a user of the client and applications running thereon. |
| US08140472B2 |
Method for allocating logical unit inside storage system to logical volume and storage controller
A storage controller comprises a creation module that creates a logical volume, a management module that manages a plurality of types of logical units inside a storage system, a measurement module that measures an access characteristic, which is a characteristic related to an access to the logical volume, a decision module that decides the type of a logical unit to be allocated to the logical volume based on the measured access characteristic, and an allocation module that allocates to the logical volume a logical unit, of the plurality of types of logical units, of the type decided by the decision module. |
| US08140465B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling a device under test
An apparatus is provided for monitoring and controlling a device under test, the device under test comprising a plurality of registers, each register having a register value and comprising a plurality of data bits for controlling a setting or settings of the device under test. The apparatus comprises display means for displaying an interactive register map to a user. The interactive register map is configured to display a plurality of register values simultaneously, and further adapted to display one or more data fields corresponding to each register value, each data field relating to one or more of the data bits and having a first indicator for representing a corresponding device setting. In this manner, a user can readily appreciate which device settings are controlled by the same register value, and hence can be written simultaneously. |
| US08140461B2 |
System and method for identifying conflicting network access rules and creating a resolved consequence
A method of selectively identifying conflicting network access rules within a knowledge base containing a plurality of network access rules, each rule having a condition portion and a consequence portion, and creating a corresponding resolved consequence, including the steps of comparing the condition portions of the rules, determining conflicting rules to be rules with matching condition portions and differing consequence portions, and analyzing the consequence portions of each of the conflicting rules to define the resolved consequence to be executed when the condition portion in any of the conflicting rules is executed. |
| US08140460B2 |
Character outfit autoconfiguration device, character outfit autoconfiguration method, and character outfit autoconfiguration program
Provided is a character outfit autoconfiguration device capable of configuring outfit for a character matched with a content of a scenario without requiring specification of outfit by a user or using user environment information. The character outfit autoconfiguration device (300) for configuring outfit of a character from a scenario includes: a scenario dividing unit (320) for dividing the scenario into sections according to continuity of outfit of the character, and outfit autoconfiguration unit (350) for configuring outfit of the character according to a content of a scenario section for each of the scenario sections divided by the scenario dividing unit. |
| US08140457B2 |
Determining compliance rates for probabilistic requests
Systems and methods for solving a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) defined by one or more variables, constraints and probabilistic requests (PRs) are provided. In one embodiment, each PR is mapped onto a set of constraints that implement the PR. The CSP solver then finds a series of solutions to the CSP. For each solution, if a constraint associated with a PR is satisfied, then a success counter for that PR is incremented; else a failure counter for that PR is incremented. If the constraint was not considered for the purpose of solving the CSP, then the failure counter for the PR associated with the constraint is incremented. |
| US08140452B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for otoacoustic protection of autonomic systems
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments an autonomic unit transmits an otoacoustic signal to counteract a potentially harmful incoming signal. |
| US08140440B1 |
Paperless mortgage closings
Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing an electronic document processing system, an electronic document generation mechanism, an encrypted digital certificate generator, a tool for coordinating the processing of electronic documents, a packaging mechanism for finalizing and authenticating electronic documents, a tracking log for recording relevant electronic document information, and a transferring protocol for transferring the ownership of electronic documents. The present disclosure also is directed to an electronic authentication system including an electronic document authentication watermark seal or signature line for confirming a document's signing within the view. The present disclosure also is directed to a system, software program, and method for generating electronic documents, coordinating the signing of electronic documents, digitally authenticating and certifying electronic documents, and organizing electronic documents for retrieval and transfer in a mortgage closing and/or other financial services application. |
| US08140438B2 |
Method, apparatus, and program product for processing product evaluations
A technique for determining a match between a character string including an evaluation and product information stored in a storage device and including a feature description of a product. The character string includes a name of an evaluation object to be evaluated and an evaluation expression representing the evaluation of the evaluation object. The matching method includes a first determining step of determining from the evaluation object and the evaluation expression whether the evaluation expression represents a positive evaluation of the evaluation object or a negative evaluation of the evaluation object; and a second determining step of determining, when the evaluation expression represents a positive evaluation of the evaluation object, if the evaluation expression is included in a feature description of a product, the product to be a matched product, and if the evaluation expression is not included in a feature description of a product, the product to be a mismatched product. |
| US08140437B2 |
Method of recording and reproducing sample data to/from a recording medium and sample data containing recording medium
The present invention provides according to an embodiment a method of reproducing content, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a digital content from an external source, the digital content protected by Digital Right Management (DRM) information, the DRM information authorizing a reproduction of the digital content; (b) requesting the DRM information to an external source based on URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information in order to normally reproduce the digital content; and (c) reproducing the digital content based on the DRM information. |
| US08140434B2 |
System for making funds available for gaming
A system for making funds available for gaming which includes a terminal which is configured to read customer information from a card. The terminal includes an input/output unit configured to allow the customer to select a quasi-cash transaction and to generate an order authorizing the quasi-cash transaction. The system also includes a station which is configured to retrieve the order and information verifying the identity of the customer and, when the identity of the customer is verified, is configured to, at the customer's option (1) obtain an electronic endorsement from the customer and place the electronic endorsement in an electronic image or (2) print out a hard copy of a check for endorsement by the customer. |
| US08140433B2 |
Method for making secure transactions carried out with cards provided with an owner identification number
The invention concerns a method for carrying out a transaction comprising prior steps of identifying the card by reading its number and authenticating the bearer optionally by writing in the secret code using a keyboard. The invention is characterized in that the secret code and/or the card number, comprise(s) in a specific position at least a character modified at each transaction. The modified character(s) (N) of the secret code and/or the card is/are modified in accordance with at least a character of a predetermined parameter. |
| US08140432B2 |
Aggregated postal billing and payment methods and systems
A computer-implemented method for a trusted entity such as a Post Office to process bills from a plurality of billers includes generating aggregated listings of bills to be submitted each identified customer and making the aggregated listings available to each identified customer. The trusted entity may then receive orders to effectuate payment of selected ones of the bills in the aggregated listings from customers. The first trusted entity may request that a second trusted entity designated by each identified customer (such as a bank) guarantee availability of funds sufficient to cover payment of the bills selected for payment. A third trusted entity (a central bank) may then be instructed to carry out the payments specified in each of the received orders in batch mode by transferring the payments from the second trusted entities designated by the customers to respective fourth trusted entities (e.g., banks) designated by the billers. |
| US08140431B1 |
Dynamic financial liability management
Financial liabilities are dynamically managed by receiving liability information relating to a client associated with multiple financial liabilities. Each financial liability is associated with a respective interest rate. A payment is allocated among the financial liabilities, for example, as a function of the interest rates associated with the financial liabilities. When a change in a financial liability occurs, the allocation of the payment is adjusted. |
| US08140429B2 |
Universal merchant platform for payment authentication
A method is provided for supporting processing of a transaction conducted between a first party and a second party. The first party accepts payment via a plurality of different payment options selectable by the second party, and the plurality of different payment options are associated with a plurality of different authentication protocols prescribed therefor. The method includes: receiving payment information over a communications network at a server operatively connected to the communications network, the payment information identifying a particular payment option used by the second party for the transaction, and the server being equipped to format and route messages over the communications network in different manners to accommodate the plurality of different authentication protocols; determining from the payment information received at the server which of the different authentication protocols is prescribed for the type of payment option identified in the payment information; selecting, in accordance with the determination, a particular authentication protocol from the plurality of different authentication protocols supported by the server; and, obtaining an authentication determination for the transaction in accordance with the selected authentication protocol, including formatting messages and routing the formatted messages over the communications network in accordance with one or more mandates of the selected authentication protocol. |
| US08140427B2 |
Systems, methods and computer program products for adaptive transaction cost estimation
A system, method and computer program product are provided for forecasting the transaction costs of a trade using empirical data and user-defined modeling constraints based on real-time data regarding changes in market conditions. In preferred embodiments, the invention acts as a forecaster whereby it accepts inputs from customers and identifies real-time market analytics, and provides dynamically adjusted ex ante cost estimates and metrics for the prevailing market conditions. Specific cost estimation and optimization algorithms can be provided to model transaction costs of a specific trade based on empirical data and real-time variables. |
| US08140424B2 |
Method and system to implement seller authorized buying privileges within a network-based shopping facility
A method that commences by receiving a bid for a particular sales listing from a first bidder that is not pre-approved to bid on the particular sales listing. The method continues by restricting the bid for the particular sales listing from the bidding process associated with the particular sales listing, the restricting based on the requirement of the first bidder to be pre-approved to bid on the particular sales listing. |
| US08140417B2 |
Data transmission system and data transmitting method
A data transmission system is provided that enables a user to move away before the completion of data transmission regardless of whether a refund is made in association with occurrence of a communication error when a data transmitting apparatus performs data transmission and collects a consideration. The data transmitting apparatus includes a consideration receiving portion that receives a consideration of FAX data transmission, a report destination input portion that inputs a report destination of a user, and a FAX transmission error detecting portion that detects a communication error at the time of the FAX data transmission. In case the FAX transmission error detecting portion detects a communication error, the system including the data transmitting apparatus transmits refund information for refunding the consideration of the FAX data transmission with the communication error to the report destination input through the report destination input portion. |
| US08140408B2 |
Systems and methods for facilitating internet shopping
Systems and methods for facilitating online comparison shopping, including a similarity engine, a navigational system, and a step skipping system. The systems and methods according to the invention include a method for determining similarity between two preferably disparate products. The systems and methods also preferably include a method of increasing efficiency of navigation in a comparison shopping site based on product coverage and product entropy. The systems and methods further include a method of step-skipping to quicken user navigation through a comparison shopping site. |
| US08140407B2 |
Method, system, and storage medium for substituting media preview items for suppressed media preview items
A user viewing a preview of a media title using a media player can elect to add that media title to a list for future use, such as a future rentals list maintained by a rental media provider. The media player communicates with the rental media provider for updating a list for the user which is stored at (or accessible to) the provider. Optionally, a filtering capability may be provided to suppress viewing of particular previews which are stored on media inserted into the media player (for example, because the user has already rented the previewed media title, because the preview does not match filtering criteria such as parental controls, etc.). The filtering may comprise preventing media titles from being added to the future rentals list. Optionally, substitute previews may be provided for the previews which are suppressed by the filtering. |
| US08140406B2 |
Personal data submission with options to purchase or hold item at user selected price
At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving data related to an item, the item being associated with a listed price and receiving data related to a user requested price for the item. Some embodiments include determining whether a first seller accepts the user requested price for the item and in response to a determination that the first seller accepts the user requested price, sending an offer to the user to purchase the item at the user requested price. |
| US08140405B2 |
Grouping orders across multiple forums
The subject invention relates to electronic buying and selling systems and methods. In particular, the invention concerns relations among distinct price curves, price curve attributes (i.e., factors of the offer that can affect the price curves) and buyers or potential buyers. For instance, a price offered to a system user can vary based on total volume of all people aggregating in private environments, cumulative total order by user, ship date, optimal time, as well as terms and conditions associated with the offer (e.g., no cancellation of order, cancellation possible, payment method . . . ). |
| US08140404B1 |
Browsing with static pages
Disclosed are various embodiments for showing images and information associated with a plurality of items individually for each item in a network page. In one embodiment, a page generator generates a network page comprising an image layer and an information layer where the information layer is superimposed over the image layer. The image layer includes an image depicting the item and the information layer depicts information describing the item. Further, the network page may include a set of navigation controls that, when manipulated, triggers a client side application to shift the image currently shown in the image layer out and shift in a new image into the image layer. Contemporaneously, the client side application also replaces the information in the information layer with new information associated with the new image. |
| US08140401B2 |
Automated quoting of molds and parts from customer CAD file part data
A customer sends a CAD file for the part to be molded to the system. The system assesses the CAD file to determine various pieces of mold manufacturing information. One or more acceptability criteria are applied to the part, such as whether the part can be manufactured in a two-piece, straight-pull mold, and whether the mold can by CNC machined out of aluminum. If not, the system sends a file to the customer graphically indicating which portions of the part need modification to be manufacturable. The system provides the customer with a quotation form, that allows the customer to select several parameters, such as number of cavities, surface finish and material, which are independent of the shape of the part. The quotation module then provides the customer with the cost to manufacture the mold or a number of parts. Budget-driven quotation is possible, wherein proposed modifications in the molding process are controlled by the budget of the customer. Interactivity is also achieved, with the customer being able to modify the quotation interactively by modifying one or more of the initially selected parameters, including selecting a different budgeted amount. |
| US08140399B1 |
System for concurrent optimization of business economics and customer value
A computer-implemented system and method to provide options on products to enhance customers' experience. A computer-implemented service is operated that delivers to a customer an option to utilize up to n of m selected products, where n is less than or equal to m. Information is recorded in a data store, pertaining to said option. In addition, a system is operated to define each of the n Chosen Products, whereby after each of the n Chosen Products is defined, the customer can utilize said Chosen Product. The information pertaining to said defined products is recorded in a data store. A computer-implemented system and method to award two or more confirmed products to a customer, where in said customer is allowed to utilize fewer than the awarded products. |
| US08140398B1 |
Apparatus and methods for inventory, sale, and delivery of digitally transferable goods
A system comprises: a) storage and distribution means; b) inventory upload means; c) product information download means; d) order upload means; and e) delivery download means. A method comprises: (a) digitally transferring the goods and pertinent product information from a provider of the goods to a storage and distribution means; (b) storing the goods, pertinent product information, order information, sales information, or marketing information on the storage and distribution means; (c) digitally transferring product information to a shopper; (d) digitally transferring order information from a buyer of goods to the storage and distribution means; and (e) digitally transferring the goods to the buyer. The storage and distribution means may be provided with a network connection for access by providers, shoppers, and buyers. |
| US08140395B2 |
Enrollment apparatus, system, and method
An apparatus for enrolling a package is disclosed including: a receiving surface for receiving the package; at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package; at least one video camera which generates a video signal indicative of an image of the package on the receiving surface; and a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the at least one video camera. The processor includes: a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package; and a dimension capture module which produces in response to the video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package. In some embodiments the processor further includes a recognition module which produces, in response to the video signal character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package. |
| US08140392B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for pay for lead advertisements
Methods and apparatuses for advertising where the performance is determined via tracking the communication leads generated from the advertisements. One embodiment includes: providing an advertisement on behalf of a specific party; and charging an advertisement fee responsive to a customer making a request for an in person communication with the specific party via the advertisement. |
| US08140390B2 |
System and method for displaying partial advertising data during trick play
A method is disclosed including but not limited to initiating a trick play command having a trick play duration at the end user device during replay of video data an end user device main display; presenting an advertising data item having an advertising duration during execution of the trick play command; and presenting a remaining portion of the advertising data on a picture in picture (PIP) display on the main display after expiration of the trick play duration. A system is provided for executing the method. A data structure is provided in a computer readable medium for containing data used by the system and method. |
| US08140386B2 |
Delivery, organization, and redemption of virtual offers from the internet, interactive-TV, wireless devices and other electronic means
Disclosed are methods and systems for redeeming virtual coupons by associating the coupons with a consumer and a payment system associated with the consumer. In some embodiments, the method includes distributing the enabled promotional offers, from one or more source sites, via the electronic contact addresses for the plurality of consumers, such that the promotional offers can be electronically accepted by at least some of the particular consumers with whom they are identified without redeeming the accepted offers. The method further includes electronically receiving a redemption of the promotional offer by means of the consumer's presentment of the associated payment system for purchasing the subject matter of the accepted promotional offer. |
| US08140385B2 |
Promotional campaign award validation methods through a distributed computer network
Code processing for promotional games and the like. In a preferred application, a lottery ticket holder who has purchased a lottery ticket is encouraged to access a designated Internet site by rewarding access thereat on the condition that information visibly supported on the lottery ticket from a given drawing is input at an Internet site and a test indicates that the information so-input matches lottery numbers that were picked for that drawing. Access to predetermined Internet-based services or sites can also be had as an award to an individual for inputting an iconic code at a machine connected to the Internet if the input code tests as valid, with the code being marked so as to be usable only once. Preferably, the iconic code is input by click-selecting displayed icons one after another in an order that corresponds to that of a code provided to the individual. POS methods for code processing are also described. |
| US08140384B2 |
Advertising revenue sharing
A method of host development is based on paying the writer of free content through advertising revenue sharing. Steps include receiving an advertisement, which is paid content, from an advertiser; receiving non-paid content subject to a condition that the provider may receive no compensation for the non-paid content; combining the paid content and the non-paid content on a content page; registering a user to interact with the content page; sending the content page for display on a computer operated by the user; calculating a number equaling all interactions of the user with the paid content; receiving payment from the advertiser for said number; and paying the provider based on a fraction of the payment. |
| US08140380B2 |
Creating an incentive to author useful item reviews
A facility for rewarding the provision of useful item reviews is described. The facility receives a plurality of item reviews, each from a source. The facility publishes each of the plurality of received item reviews, and assesses the usefulness of the published item reviews. Based upon this assessment of usefulness, the facility selects one or more of the published item reviews, and provides rewards to the sources of these selected item reviews. |
| US08140372B2 |
Planning production for complementary demands
Method, system and program product for planning production for complementary demands are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining complementary demand values including at least one daily going rate (DGR) demand and a service demand; running a first planning production model in which the at least one DGR demand is included and the service demand is excluded; and running a second planning production model in which DGR related variables are fixed to values determined in the first planning production model and the service demand is included. Demands that are only considered by one of the planning production models are considered complementary demands. |
| US08140370B2 |
System and method for reducing the steps involved in searching for available appointment times and scheduling appointments in a health care environment
A system and method for searching for and scheduling appointments in a health care environment. The present invention is a computerized searching and scheduling system and method for scheduling appointments. The computerized searching and scheduling system and method comprises a plurality of search definitions for defining a plurality of standard searches based on health care provider pools, date offsets and time ranges. The plurality of search definitions define a plurality of appointment visits that are available for scheduling appointments. The computerized searching and scheduling system and method further comprises a plurality of scheduling algorithms for determining a scheduling solution based on parameters and rules by visit type, procedure, providers, and/or resources. Execution of the plurality of search algorithms provides a plurality of available appointment time options for selection in scheduling an appointment. |
| US08140363B2 |
System and method for integrating hazard-based decision making tools and processes
A system and method for inputting, analyzing, and disseminating information necessary for identified decision-makers to respond to emergency situations. This system and method provides consistency and integration among multiple groups, and may be used for both initial consequence-based decisions and follow-on consequence-based decisions. The system and method in a preferred embodiment also provides tools for accessing and manipulating information that are appropriate for each decision-maker, in order to achieve more reasoned and timely consequence-based decisions. The invention includes processes for designing and implementing a system or method for responding to emergency situations. |
| US08140362B2 |
Automatically processing dynamic business rules in a content management system
A business rule processing system automatically processes dynamic business rules in a content management system, allowing frequent updates to the business rules. The updates can be automatically adapted by the system without restarting the content management system. The system utilizes a stand-alone rule engine. Business logic is encoded as business rule definition files using a platform-independent language; the business rule definition files are stored in a central business rule repository. The business rules are managed and executed by the rules engine; the rules engine provides business rule processing services to other parts of the content management system. The system reduces development and maintenance cost, accelerates the business rule update cycle, and simplifies administration efforts. |
| US08140354B2 |
Ordering clinical orders associated with future events
Computerized methods and systems for permitting clinicians and other healthcare providers to designate performance locations for clinical orders having one or more phases associated therewith, and for presenting order catalog content that is flexed based upon the designated performance location for the clinical order are provided. Further provided are computerized methods and systems for permitting clinicians and other healthcare providers to designate a performance location for each phase of a multi-phase clinical order, and for presenting order catalog content for each phase that is flexed based upon the designated performance location for the phase. Systems and methods for providing control of plan and phase initiation based at least upon a location associated with the chart encounter are also provided. |
| US08140352B2 |
Order sets having different views for CPOE systems
Order sets are presented in different views thereby allowing the doctor to treat a patient in a more intuitive manner. Order set content is created so that order sets can be viewed from varying perspectives. An order set library is modified such that each order statement or orderable is tagged with metadata. Each orderable is tagged with an Intervention tag, a Problem tag, and a System tag. An application may then take the modified order sets and present them to doctors based on an Intervention view, a Problem view, or a System view. These views give the doctor the option of switching between views depending on the severity of a patient's medical condition and allows the doctor to follow a more intuitive and internal mental process when treating a patient. The doctor does not have to translate between different perspectives of the order sets mentally, thereby greatly reducing the doctor's cognitive load. |
| US08140349B2 |
Drug delivery device incorporating a tracking code
A tracking code is adhered to a syringe label cradle for tracking each activity regarding the syringe label cradle, e.g., drug preparation, drug inventory, drug dispensing, drug administration, drug return, drug charges, etc. The tracking code may be in the form of bar or other machine readable code, as well as human readable indicia. The unique tracking code enables tracking of events pertaining to a specific syringe from the time of being prepared with a prescribed drug to its disposal or return to a hospital pharmacy. A log is created relating the patient to the specific drug used and all information inputted with respect to the tracking code. |
| US08140348B2 |
Method, system, and program for facilitating flow control
Disclosed is a technique for flow control. It is detected that a work request is being transferred to an in-memory structure. A maximum limit is compared with a number of work requests stored in the in-memory structure. If the number of work requests stored in the in-memory structure equals the maximum limit, a notification is sent that indicates that additional work requests are not to be sent. |
| US08140341B2 |
Method for the semi-automatic editing of timed and annotated data
The present invention relates to methods for editing timed and annotated data, the method comprising the steps of acquiring a multimedia data stream, segmenting the multimedia stream into respective audio/video audio data streams, wherein the playback times of the audio/video data streams are synchronized. Playback time annotation indicators are associated with the time synchronized audio/video data streams, wherein discrete playback time annotation indicators of the video data stream segments correlate with discrete playback time annotation indicators of the audio data stream segments, and a transcript of the audio data stream is created. The method further comprises the steps of associating the discrete playback time annotation indicators of the audio data stream words, or phrases that are reproduced within the audio data stream with respective corresponding textual representations of the words, or phrases that are comprised within the transcript, editing the transcript, and outputting the transcript in a predetermined data format. |
| US08140336B2 |
Speech recognition system with huge vocabulary
The invention deals with speech recognition, such as a system for recognizing words in continuous speech. A speech recognition system is disclosed which is capable of recognizing a huge number of words, and in principle even an unlimited number of words. The speech recognition system comprises a word recognizer for deriving a best path through a word graph, and wherein words are assigned to the speech based on the best path. The word score being obtained from applying a phonemic language model to each word of the word graph. Moreover, the invention deals with an apparatus and a method for identifying words from a sound block and to computer readable code for implementing the method. |
| US08140335B2 |
System and method for providing a natural language voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment
A conversational, natural language voice user interface may provide an integrated voice navigation services environment. The voice user interface may enable a user to make natural language requests relating to various navigation services, and further, may interact with the user in a cooperative, conversational dialogue to resolve the requests. Through dynamic awareness of context, available sources of information, domain knowledge, user behavior and preferences, and external systems and devices, among other things, the voice user interface may provide an integrated environment in which the user can speak conversationally, using natural language, to issue queries, commands, or other requests relating to the navigation services provided in the environment. |
| US08140334B2 |
Apparatus and method for recognizing voice
An apparatus and method for recognizing voice. The apparatus includes a feature vector extraction unit dividing an input voice signal into predetermined unit regions, and extracting feature vectors corresponding to each of the unit regions; a predicted node extraction unit extracting a list of second nodes whose travels to a first node corresponding to the extracted feature vectors are predicted, with reference to a network of one or more nodes; a single waveform similarity calculation unit calculating degrees of single waveform similarity of the first node and the second nodes of the list by substituting the extracted feature vectors into single waveform probability distributions that constitute voice signals corresponding to the second nodes; a multiple waveform similarity calculation unit calculating degrees of multiple waveform similarity by substituting the extracted feature vectors into multiple waveform probability distributions that constitute single waveform probability distributions usable to calculate the degrees of single waveform similarity in a preset range; and an output unit outputting a function-performing signal corresponding to a multiple waveform probability distribution that enables calculation of a highest of the calculated degrees of multiple waveform similarity. |
| US08140332B2 |
Technique for searching out new words that should be registered in dictionary for speech processing
To search out a new word that should be newly registered in a dictionary contained in a segmentation device for segmenting a text into words. This system inputs a training text into the segmentation device to cause the segmentation device to segment the training text into words, and thereby generates a plurality of segmentation candidates in association with certainty factors of the results of the segmentation, the segmentation candidates respectively containing mutually different combinations of words as results of the segmentation of the training text. Then, this system computes a likelihood that the each word is a new word by summing up some of the certainty factors that are respectively associated with some of the plurality of segmentation candidates that contain the each word. Then, from among combinations of words each contained in at least any one of the segmentation candidates, the system searches combinations of words contained in at least any one of the segmentation candidates and containing words with which the entire training text can be written, in order to find out a combination that minimizes an information entropy of words assuming that each word belonging to the combinations appears in the training text at a frequency according to the likelihood corresponding to the word, and thereafter for outputting the found-out combination as the combination of words including the new word. |
| US08140331B2 |
Feature extraction for identification and classification of audio signals
Characteristic features are extracted from an audio sample based on its acoustic content. The features can be coded as fingerprints, which can be used to identify the audio from a fingerprints database. The features can also be used as parameters to separate the audio into different categories. |
| US08140329B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatically recognizing audio data
A method and apparatus are proposed for automatically recognizing observed audio data. An observation vector is created of audio features extracted from the observed audio data and the observed audio data is recognized from the observation vector. The audio features include features are selected from a group of 3 types of features obtained from the observed audio data: (i) ICA features obtained by processing the observed audio data, (ii) first MFCC features obtained by removing a logarithm step from the conventional MFCC process, or (iii) second MFCC features obtained by applying the ICA process to results of a mel scale filter bank. |
| US08140324B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for gain coding
A wideband speech encoder according to one embodiment includes a lowband encoder and a highband encoder. The lowband encoder is configured to encode a lowband portion of a wideband speech signal as a set of filter parameters and an encoded excitation signal. The highband encoder is configured to calculate values for coding parameters that specify a spectral envelope and a temporal envelope of a highband portion of the wideband speech signal. The temporal envelope is based on a highband excitation signal that is derived from the encoded excitation signal. In one such example, the temporal envelope is based on a difference in levels between the highband portion and a synthesized highband signal, wherein the synthesized highband signal is generated according to the highband excitation signal and a set of highband filter parameters. |
| US08140322B2 |
Method of managing error risk in language translation
Methods for analyzing, evaluating, and controlling risk of errors in language translation of medical device labeling are disclosed. The disclosed methods include identifying the risk level of the device; identifying the safety function(s) of the content that is translated; evaluating risks associated with the translation process; and analyzing this risk information and applying it in the selection of resources and in the design and execution of processes, to effectively mitigate the risk of safety related translation errors in labeling for medical devices. |
| US08140321B1 |
Semantic unit recognition
A semantic locator determines whether input sequences form semantically meaningful units. The semantic locator includes a coherence component that calculates a coherence of the terms in the sequence and a variation component that calculates the variation in terms that surround the sequence. A heuristics component may additionally refine results of the coherence component and the variation component. A decision component may make the determination of whether the sequence is a semantic unit based on the results of the coherence component, variation component, and heuristics component. |
| US08140320B2 |
Modelizing resources and external data of a program for procedural language coding
A method and system to represent in UML the resources and external data manipulated by a program to be coded in a procedural language is disclosed. The usual UML class diagram is enhanced with two new stereotypes “Program” and “Data Object”. The program stereotypes applied to an operation and its parameters describe the data manipulated, through the logical definition provided by the Data Object. This model will be enhanced in order to introduce classes on which the Resource stereotype is applied. These classes will be connected to the appropriate logical data definition (the Data Object) and used as parameter types of the operation instead of the Data Object. A second set of stereotypes will be applied to the Resource classes to indicate the physical type of the resource (a file, table etc. . . . ) and its characteristics. Parameters that point to a DataObject or a primitive type will be considered as external data. |
| US08140319B2 |
Method and system for predicting system performance and capacity using software module performance statistics
A method and system for predicting performance and capacity of an information technology (IT) system before the IT system is built, where the predicting uses a database of performance statistics measured for reusable software modules. A performance simulation modeling tool receives a set of performance statistics of a test computer. The set of performance statistics is associated with a set of software modules included in a library of reusable software modules. The set of software modules is required to build a target IT system. The set of performance statistics is received from a database of performance statistics resulting from individual executions on the test computer of each reusable software module in the library. The performance simulation modeling tool predicts computing resources required by the target IT system. The computing resources prediction follows the receipt of the set of performance statistics and precedes the target IT system being built. |
| US08140315B2 |
Test bench, method, and computer program product for performing a test case on an integrated circuit
The disclosure relates to a test bench, method, and computer program product for performing a test case on an integrated circuit. The test bench may comprise a simulation environment representing an environment for implementing the integrated circuit and a reference model of the integrated circuit, wherein the reference model may be prepared for running within the simulation environment. The test bench may further comprise a device for running a simulation on the reference model within the simulation environment. The reference model may be based on an original reference model provided for a formal verification. |
| US08140314B2 |
Optimal bus operation performance in a logic simulation environment
Sample-count feedback from bus functional models and a binary convergence algorithm are to generate optimal sampling values for an accelerator, or hardware assisted simulator. The simulator includes a bus functional model and a driver program. A software readable register maintains a count of a number of samples provided the simulator in execution of a transaction on the bus functional model. For each supported bus functional model, a sample count retrieved from the bus functional model and a last sampling value given the hardware assisted simulator is maintained, and a binary convergence algorithm applied to generate sampling values based on the last sampling value given to the hardware assisted simulator and the last actual sampling value used by a given bus functional model for a transaction. |
| US08140313B2 |
Techniques for modeling variables in subprograms of hardware description language programs
A method, system and computer program product for modeling variables in subprograms of a HDL program. A subprogram is provided with an initial value of a variable of an element being modeled and the subprogram is stored in memory of a data processing system. In response to a subprogram call, a copy of the stored subprogram is provided to the requesting HDL program. During execution, the initial value of the variable in the provided copy of the subprogram may be modified by the HDL program, but the value retains unchanged in the stored subprogram. |
| US08140309B2 |
Method of predicting the dynamic behavior of water table in an anisotropic unconfined aquifer having a general time-varying recharge rate from multiple rectangular recharge basins
The present invention relates to development of a method of predicting the dynamic behavior of water table in an anisotropic unconfined aquifer having a general time-varying recharge rate from multiple rectangular recharge basins. Each basin can have a different dimension and nature of rate of recharge. Aquifer can have prescribed head, zero flux, or a combination of both types of boundary conditions. |
| US08140306B2 |
Determination of process operations in order to describe forming processes on a forming part
Processing steps are determined and optimized during the production of sheet metal forming parts, for example, using deep drawing/stretch forming processes. During the determination, using a computer-assisted design system, of process operations (PO1-PO6) for the description of forming processes on a forming part, the following steps are carried out: defining geometry models for the computerized description of a geometry of the forming part in a target state; defining several geometry operators (m1-m9, e1-e6), wherein one geometry operator (m1-m9, e1-e6) associates a geometry of an area of a first geometry model with a geometry of an area of a second geometry model, and the geometry operator (m1-m9, e1-e6) describes a transition from one of the two associated geometries to the other one; and defining several groups of respectively at least one geometry operator (m1-m9, e1-e6), wherein each one of the groups is respectively associated with a process operation (PO1-PO6). |
| US08140304B2 |
Method of cloth simulation using linear stretch/shear model
Deformations occurring in cloth can be decomposed into two components: the in-plane and the out-of-plane deformations. Stretch and shear are in-plane deformation, and bending is out-of-plane deformation. In the method, the numerical simulation can be done in real-time, and the models fix some flaws that existed in previous real-time models, leading to conspicuous reduction of artifacts. The (|x|−C)2 in the energy function is replaced with |x−x*|2 for some constant vector x*, such that the force Jacobian becomes a constant, which obviates solving the large system of linear equations at every time step. The method uses simplified physical models for both edge-based and triangle-based systems. |
| US08140303B2 |
Bioequivalence evaluation method of evaluating bioequivalence of a generic drug to the corresponding original drug
[Problem] There is provided a bioequivalence evaluation method not only of evaluating bioequivalence between an original drug and a corresponding generic drug but also of enabling to compare bioequivalence between generic drugs.[Means of Solving the Problem] The bioequivalence between generic drugs is evaluated according to the Expression (1) wherein CCVCmax g stands for the calibration coefficient of variation of Cmax (the maximum blood concentration), CCVTmax g stands for the calibration coefficient of variation of Tmax (the time to maximum blood concentration), CCVT1/2 g stands for the calibration coefficient of variation of the half-life (T1/2), and CCVAUC g stands for the calibration coefficient of variation of AUC (the blood concentration-area under the curve). |
| US08140302B1 |
Method for using variable structure in physical modeling
A method and apparatus programmatically define structure within a physical modeling environment. The system and corresponding method of modeling, provides a computationally based modeling environment in which a physical entity can be modeled parametrically and hierarchically, if desired. A physical component of the physical entity is identified. The physical component is defined by a structural physical parameter and a behavior. The definitions combine to form a model element with the structural physical parameter using structural variables, and behaviors, that can be defined functionally. |
| US08140299B2 |
Operating method for a sensor and a control facility communicating with the sensor
A sensor has a detection device and an evaluation device to detect an analog signal, to determine a digital signal and to transmit the digital signal to a control device outside the sensor. The analog signal and/or the digital signal is supplied to a monitoring device of the sensor. An enable signal is transmitted to the control device only if the device being monitored is operating correctly. In a normal mode, the control device processes the digital signal further. Otherwise, it deems the transmitted digital signal to be defective and outputs a message using a malfunction of the sensor. On account of the transmission of the test signal, the sensor assumes a test mode in which it manipulates the signals which are supplied to the monitoring device in such that the monitoring device detects that the device being monitored is not operating correctly. In the test mode, the control device outputs a message using a malfunction of the sensor if the enable signal is transmitted to it in addition to each. |
| US08140296B2 |
Method and apparatus for generalized performance evaluation of equipment using achievable performance derived from statistics and real-time data
A statistical performance evaluation system for a thermodynamic device and process uses the achievable performance derived from statistics and real-time data for the device or process to evaluate the current performance of the device or process, and to adjust the operations of the device or process accordingly, or provide feedback to an operator or other monitoring system for taking corrective actions to obtain performance approaching the optimum achievable performance. The achievable performance of the device or process is derived from data collected during operational periods when the best achievable performance is anticipated, such as after maintenance is performed, and supersedes the ideal or design performance specified by the manufacturer, which typically does not represent the actual operating conditions in the field, as the basis for evaluating the real-time performance of the device. The statistical performance evaluation system may set desired upper and lower limits for performance parameters, and compare desired limits to the actual performance parameter values to determine the readjustment to be made to the operation of the device or process. |
| US08140291B2 |
Stator turn fault detection apparatus and method for induction machine
A system and method are provided for correction of parameters used in determination of stator turn faults of an induction motor. An embodiment may include determining a residual impedance and/or a residual voltage of the motor, and correcting a normalized cross-coupled impedance based on the residual impedance and residual voltage. Additional embodiments may include measuring an operating temperature of the motor and determining a negative sequence impedance of the motor based on the temperature. Another embodiment may include measuring voltages and currents of the motor and determining phasors for the voltages and currents using compensation for variations from a nominal frequency of the motor. |
| US08140289B2 |
Network-centric processing
In one aspect, a network-centric processing (NCP) system includes sensors configured to monitor activities associated with testing of an asset, a first system configured to provide the testing on the asset, a second system configured to provide training of personnel using the asset, a third system configured to record problems associated with the testing and the training of the asset as input for an acquisition process and a network connected to the first system, the second system, the third system and the sensors. |
| US08140288B2 |
On-machine methods for identifying and compensating force-ripple and side-forces produced by actuators on a multiple-axis stage
Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for identifying force-ripple and/or side-forces in actuators used for moving a multiple-axis stage. The identified force-ripple and/or side-forces can be mapped, and maps of corresponding position-dependent compensation ratios useful for correcting same are obtained. The methods are especially useful for stages providing motion in at least one degree of freedom using multiple (redundant) actuators. In an exemplary method a stage member is displaced, using at least one selected actuator, multiple times over a set distance in the range of motion of the subject actuator(s). Each displacement has a predetermined trajectory and respective starting point in the range. For each displacement, respective section force-command(s) are extracted and normalized to a reference section force-command to define a section compensation-ratio. Multiple section compensation-ratios are assembled, as functions of displacement in the range, to provide a map of compensation ratios for the actuator(s) throughout the range. |
| US08140286B2 |
Position sensing system and method
The linear position of a moving mechanical component is determined. A plurality of values of a quantity using a plurality of sensors is sensed and the sensed values are indicative of the linear position of the mechanical component. The plurality of sensed values are converted into a plurality of best linear position estimates concerning the mechanical component. One or more compensations are applied to at least some of the plurality of best linear position estimates. Each of the compensations are applied to account for a relative positioning of one of the plurality of sensors with respect to the others. A plurality of weighting factors associated with each of the plurality of best linear position estimates are determined. The position of the mechanical component is determined using the plurality of best linear position estimates and the plurality of weighting factors. |
| US08140282B2 |
Determining a total length for conductive whiskers in computer systems
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that determines a total whisker length for conductive whiskers on a circuit in a computer system. During operation, a target electromagnetic signal radiating from the computer system is monitored. Then, the target electromagnetic signal is analyzed to determine the total whisker length for conductive whiskers on the circuit in the computer system. |
| US08140281B2 |
Voltage detecting device
The present invention is to provide inexpensively a voltage detecting device for setting an address of each voltage detection IC even if a power source level of each voltage detection IC differs. A first transmitting line LT1 and a first receiving line LR1 connect a plurality of voltage detection ICs in series each other, and connect between the bottom voltage detection IC and the main microcomputer. The main microcomputer transmits an address number 0 to the bottom voltage detection IC. When the respective voltage detection ICs receive an address number through the first receiving line of a lower side from the main microcomputer, an address number adding 1 to the received address number is set as a self-address number. Furthermore, the respective voltage detection ICs transmit the address number which adds 1 to the received address number to the first transmitting line LT1 of an upper side. |
| US08140278B2 |
Intelligent fuse holder and circuit protection systems
A circuit protection device includes: (i) a housing configured to hold a fuse; (ii) a first contact configured to connect the fuse to a power source; (iii) a second contact configured to connect the fuse to a load; and (iv) a sensing circuit placed in parallel with the fuse, the sensing circuit configured to operate on a leakage current running through the circuit after the fuse opens. |
| US08140267B2 |
System and method for identifying similar molecules
A vectorization process is employed in which chemical identifier strings are converted into respective vectors. These vectors may then be searched to identify molecules that are identical or similar to each other. The dimensions of the vector space can be defined by sequences of symbols that make up the chemical identifier strings. The International Chemical Identifier (InChI) string defined by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is particularly well suited for these methods. |
| US08140266B2 |
Vehicle positioning information updating system
Based on positioning accuracy of an own vehicle required for appropriately carrying out assistance control carried out according to a position of the own vehicle, an execution condition for map matching correcting the position of the own vehicle is set. Specifically, setting is made in such a manner that, as the positioning accuracy is higher and an error thereof is smaller, an execution frequency of map matching becomes higher. Then, map matching is carried out according to the thus-set execution condition. |
| US08140262B2 |
Method to identify the vessel a container is loaded on
A method and system for determining which vessel a container is loaded on. Independent location information received from the container and a vessel is compared to determine a distance between the vessel and the container. If the distance is within the length of the vessel, the container is loaded on the vessel. |
| US08140260B2 |
System for enhancing a vehicle operator's orientation and ability to navigate
A system for enhancing a vehicle operator's orientation and ability to navigate a vehicle includes, but is not limited to, a display unit, a data storage unit, a position determining unit and a processor communicatively connected to the display unit, the data storage unit and the position determining unit. The processor is configured to obtain a position and heading of the vehicle from the position determining unit, to obtain terrain data from the data storage unit, and to control the display unit to display a three-dimensional representation of a terrain representative of an actual terrain proximate the vehicle. The processor controls the display unit to overlay a three-dimensional compass onto the three-dimensional representation of the terrain to display both the heading of the vehicle and the location of the vehicle with respect to the actual terrain. |
| US08140257B2 |
Method and device for generating a taxiing trajectory for an aircraft
Disclosed is a method and device for generating an aircraft ground path for piloting an aircraft along the ground of an airport domain. Geographical coordinates of reference points corresponding to a series of elements of the airport domain that the aircraft is to successively follow are obtained and converted to a metric frame. Points of intersection of the successive elements are then determined, as well as an auxiliary path for the aircraft to follow, based on the converted geographical coordinates. A turn at each of the intersection points is next determined, and the aircraft ground path is generated from each of the determined turns. |
| US08140256B1 |
Dynamic ride matching system
A ride matching method is disclosed herein. The ride matching method addresses many of the limitations associated with traditional dynamic ride matching applications. The method is unique in its ability to accept trips with schedules that cannot be expressed in terms of a simple recurrence pattern (e.g. Monday thru Friday work schedule). It can handle one-time and occasional trips. It is also distinct in its use of spatial analysis techniques to locate matches. Specifically, the use of a shortest path solver enables the ride matching method to perform a search along the path of a user's trip, in addition to the customary radial search around the endpoints. The shortest path solver is also used to calculate the driving distance between the user and a match. This provides a more accurate measurement than the straight-line distance used by other methods, especially in the presence of barriers. |
| US08140250B2 |
Rail vehicle identification and processing
A solution for further automating the identification, processing, and/or routing of rail vehicles is provided. Each individual rail vehicle in a series of rail vehicles is identified and measurement data is acquired for the rail vehicle. The measurement data is analyzed and the rail vehicle is automatically routed based on the analysis. The rail vehicle can be routed to an outbound track based on a destination, to a maintenance shop for repair, and/or to a local track for repair and/or re-measurement. The solution can further incorporate expert systems and data mining to reduce the number of rail vehicles that are unnecessarily routed for repair and/or inadvertently allowed to pass with one or more unsafe conditions. |
| US08140246B1 |
Method and system for detecting a presence of a block heater in an automobile
The present invention relates to a method and system for detecting a presence of a block heater in an automobile. In one embodiment, an automobile includes an engine, a radiator, an engine coolant temperature (“ECT”) sensor, and/or an engine control unit (“ECU”). The radiator delivers coolant to the engine to cool the engine. The ECT sensor is located in a path of the coolant and determines ECT data. The ECU determines a temperature difference between a current maximum temperature of the engine coolant temperature data at a first time period and a current minimum temperature of the engine coolant temperature data at a second time period after the first time period. When the temperature difference is greater than a predetermined temperature threshold, the ECU determines that the block heater is present. When the block heater is present, the ECU masks any engine malfunction detections. |
| US08140240B2 |
Engine speed controller with total system integration for on-board vehicle power applications
The present invention provides a system and method for controlling the speed of a vehicle engine utilizing total system integration and an on-board power system for electrical power generation and distribution, which ensure that control of multiple components can be maintained, that critical operational parameters can be modified by generating calibration values, and that an electrical load can be met in both stationary and mobile vehicle applications. |
| US08140239B2 |
Slippage condition response system
A slippage condition response system for a first machine of a plurality of machines is disclosed. The response system may have a sensing system configured to sense a parameter indicative of a slippage condition of the first machine. Additionally, the response system may have a locator configured to sense a parameter indicative of a location of the first machine. The response system may also have a transmitter. In addition, the response system may have a controller, which may be in communication with the sensing system, the locator, and the transmitter. The controller may be configured to monitor the location of the first machine. The controller may also be configured to monitor the parameter indicative of a slippage condition of the first machine. Additionally, the controller may be configured to transmit to an offboard system at least one location where the first machine experienced a slippage condition. |
| US08140237B2 |
Method and system for determining a brake pressure predefined by a vehicle control system
A method and system for determining a brake pressure which is predefined by a vehicle control system involve effecting a vehicle braking process initiated by an electronic braking system and/or the vehicle driver, determining a vehicle deceleration a, and a brake pressure pestim, comparing the brake pressure pestim against a reference pressure pB, terminating the braking process triggered by the electronic braking system when pestim is less than the reference pressure pB, or continuing the braking process triggered by the electronic braking system when pestim is greater than or equal to the reference pressure pB. |
| US08140229B2 |
Transmission control device of motorcycle
A transmission control device of a motorcycle can detect a predetermined traveling state based on the difference in rotational speed between a front wheel and a rear wheel, and can execute a shift-change control suitable for the traveling state. A transmission control device of a motorcycle includes a shift-change control instruction part that performs an automatic shift change of an AMT (automatic manual transmission) in response to at least vehicle-speed information. A first sensor detects a rotational speed of a front wheel, which constitutes a driven wheel. A second sensor detects a rotational speed of a rear wheel, which constitutes a drive wheel. A rotational-speed-difference detector detects the difference in rotational speed between the front wheel and the rear wheel. The control part inhibits the automatic shift change when the rotational speed of the rear wheel becomes larger than the rotational speed of the front wheel by a predetermined value or more. |
| US08140227B2 |
Vehicle airbag device and control method thereof
A vehicle airbag device provided in a steering apparatus, wherein the steering apparatus is configured with grips positioned on the right and left sides but are not positioned on an upper side. An airbag, installed at the center of the steering apparatus, is configured to deploy toward the driver when a vehicle collision occurs. An electronic control unit controls an inflation pressure of the airbag to be increased when the steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined reference angle, as compared to when the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor exceeds the predetermined reference angle. |
| US08140223B2 |
Multiple-antenna GNSS control system and method
A global navigation satellite sensor system (GNSS) and gyroscope control system for vehicle steering control comprising a GNSS receiver and antennas at a fixed spacing to determine a vehicle position, velocity and at least one of a heading angle, a pitch angle and a roll angle based on carrier phase position differences. The roll angle facilitates correction of the lateral motion induced position errors resultant from motion of the antennae as the vehicle moves based on an offset to ground and the roll angle. The system also includes a control system configured to receive the vehicle position, heading, and at least one of roll and pitch, and configured to generate a steering command to a vehicle steering system. The system includes gyroscopes for determining system attitude change with respect to multiple axes for integrating with GNSS-derived positioning information to determine vehicle position, velocity, rate-of-turn, attitude and other operating characteristics. A vehicle control method includes the steps of computing a position and a heading for the vehicle using GNSS positioning and a rate gyro for determining vehicle attitude, which is used for generating a steering command. Alternative aspects include multiple-antenna GNSS guidance methods for high-dynamic roll compensation, real-time kinematic (RTK) using single-frequency (L1) receivers, fixed and moving baselines between antennas, multi-position GNSS tail guidance (“breadcrumb following”) for crosstrack error correction and guiding multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment relative to each other. |
| US08140222B2 |
Electric power steering system
A control unit estimates reverse transfer torque transferred from tires to a steering wheel and calculates an assist gain based on the reverse transfer torque. The control unit calculates basic assist torque demand by multiplying torsion torque detected by a torque sensor by the assist gain. The control unit further calculates assist torque command by adding compensation for stabilization. Since the assist gain is determined based on the reverse transfer torque, actual assist torque is generated in accordance with the force transferred from the road surface. Thus, a driver can operate the steering wheel while feeling the force from the road surface. |
| US08140221B2 |
Motor vehicle having a vehicle body and a chassis
A motor vehicle has a vehicle body and a chassis that has at least one wheel suspension device for two opposing wheel. An adjusting device is assigned to each of the wheels. The adjusting devices are coupled to one another by a stabilizer. At least two stabilizer bearings are provided for rotatable support of the stabilizer, and at least one coupling device is provided on the vehicle body for variable torque support of the stabilizer. Accordingly, a reliable level lifting function is provided, based on a sturdy configuration that is both space-saving and weight-saving. The coupling device for torque support of the stabilizer on the vehicle body may have a switchable blocking device and/or at least one spring mechanism. |
| US08140218B2 |
Detection device for side collision of vehicle and passenger protection system having the same
A detection device for side collision of a vehicle includes: an outer plate of a vehicle side door; an inner plate of the side door arranged separately from the outer plate; a reinforcing member arranged between the outer plate and the inner plate and having a bending rigidity higher than a bending rigidity of the outer plate; a detection subject member provided by at least one of the inner plate and a member fixed to the inner plate; a sensor detecting a separate distance between the detection subject member and the reinforcing member; and a determination element determining that the vehicle collides with an object based on an output value of the sensor. |
| US08140217B2 |
Damage control system and method for a vehicle-based sensor
A damage control system for a vehicle-mounted sensor comprises at least one sensor frame. At least one sliding mechanism is coupled to the at least one sensor frame and configured to provide a path for the sensor frame to move forwards or backwards, or both. At least one height-adjustment mechanism is coupled to the sliding mechanism and configured to raise, lower, or both, the sensor frame. |
| US08140214B2 |
Method and device for determining the speed of a vehicle
The invention relates to a method for determining a speed of a vehicle (1), whereby at least two images (A, B) of an area surrounding the vehicle are recorded in time succession using a camera on the vehicle (1), and between the images (A, B) changes (2) in a position and/or a size of at least one object (X) contained in the images (X) are determined, and from the changes, a speed of the vehicle (1) is determined relative to the object (X). |
| US08140212B2 |
Method for locating the longitudinal position of wheels of a vehicle
A method for locating the longitudinal position, on the front end or rear end of a vehicle with engine, of wheels fitted with an electronic module. Each electronic module incorporates elements for measuring vibrations stressing the corresponding wheel and resulting from rotation of the engine. First, a spectral analysis is performed in a preliminary phase, with the engine running, of signals delivered by the respective measurement elements of wheels mounted on the front end and the rear end, to establish a criterion for differentiating the signals by a frequency offset between these signals. Locating the longitudinal position of the wheels includes carrying out a spectral analysis of the signals delivered by the different measurement elements, with the engine running, and deducing from the frequency offset between the signals an indication of the longitudinal position of each wheel. |
| US08140203B2 |
Method for controlling vehicle operation incorporating quick clearing function
A method for operating a train includes: (a) using a processor carried by the train, creating a trip profile which is computed at so as to substantially optimize an operating parameter of the train which depends on multiple operating variables; (b) operating the train along a route at speeds determined by the trip profile; (c) identifying a target location ahead of the train which cannot be cleared in a desired time if the train operates in accordance with the trip profile; and (d) operating the train at a clearing speed substantially faster than determined by the trip profile until the target location is cleared. A computer program product is provided for carrying out the method. |
| US08140194B2 |
Supply-and-demand control system of distributed and coordinated type, for use in power systems
According to one embodiment, each of the nodes incorporated in the respective electrical apparatuses that constitute a local power system establishes a communication path connected to any adjacent node, transmits and receive average supply-and-demand state data to and from the adjacent node through the communication path. Each node adjusts (increases or decreases) the power to generate or consume in it, on the basis of the average supply-and-demand state data. Each node performs a supply-and-demand control of distributed and coordinated type, in which the average supply-and-demand state value is corrected based on the value by which the power has been adjusted (increased or decreased) and the average supply-and-demand state value thus corrected is supplied to the adjacent node through the connection path. |
| US08140193B2 |
Assessing, forecasting and simulating energy consumption of buildings using energy efficiency coefficients
Energy consumption data of a building and temperature data outside the building collected over a period of time are correlated and segmented into a plurality of segments including at least a heating consumption segment, a cooling segment, and temperature-insensitive segment. An energy efficiency coefficient for heating from the heating consumption segment, an energy efficiency coefficient for cooling from the cooling consumption segment, an energy efficiency coefficient for other energy consuming activities from the temperature insensitive segment are determined, and scaled. The energy efficiency coefficient for heating, the energy efficiency coefficient for cooling and the energy efficiency coefficient for other energy consuming activities are used to assess energy efficiency among one or more buildings, forecast future consumption of energy in the building based on forecasted temperature and simulate impact of hypothetical temperature and hypothetical energy efficiency on energy consumption in the building. |
| US08140189B2 |
Apparatus and method for computing operational-space physical quantity
An operational space physical quantity calculation apparatus computes a physical quantity in an operational space describing a relationship between a force and acceleration acting on a link structure including a plurality of linked rigid bodies. The operational space physical quantity calculation apparatus includes a forward dynamics calculating unit configured to perform a forward dynamics calculation on the basis of force information about a force acting on the link structure in order to obtain accelerations occurring at certain points of the link structure and an operational space physical quantity computing unit configured to compute an inverse operational space inertia matrix and an operational space bias acceleration by causing the forward dynamics calculating unit to perform the forward dynamics calculation using a kinetic model of the link structure. |
| US08140187B2 |
Multiple drawer and compartment vending
A multi-drawer and doored vending system in which each drawer has one or a plurality of compartments each holding an items to be vended, and each doored compartment contains at least one item for vending. Drawer control is provided by a drawer opening and position control system comprising an array of spaced apart control tabs on each drawer, a drawer lock and release assembly, and a progressively movable drawer position control bar to control drawer opening in conjunction with the control tabs. Each doored compartment also employs a lock and release assembly. A control system is provided to control user interface, to maintain product inventory counts and to control the vending process. This involves verifying the identity of a user seeking to obtain a vended item, verifying any other system or pre-vend requirements, and permits limited access to a drawer and compartment corresponding to an approved vend selection. An item return compartment is also included. |
| US08140185B2 |
Virtual vendor shelf inventory management
A cooler system for providing goods. The cooler system may include a cooler with a refrigeration system and a shelf monitor, a data processing device remote from the cooler, and a vending bridge. The data processing device is in communication with the refrigeration system and the shelf monitor of the cooler. |
| US08140184B2 |
Tank-locking device, system for managing liquid supply and method using the same
A system for managing liquid supply suitable for a process equipment with a liquid tank is disclosed. The system includes a host, a data-reading tool, a system controller and a tank-locking device. The host stores a built-in liquid database. The data-reading tool used for reading data related to the liquid tank is electrically connected to the host. The host receives the data related to the liquid tank from the data-reading tool, and the received data mapped with the liquid database. The system controller drives the tank-locking device according to the signal from the host to whether or not allow replacement of the liquid tank. |
| US08140183B2 |
Method and system for order fulfillment in a distribution center
Order allocation techniques that reduce the number of stops that a container makes in the process of fulfilling a customer order is disclosed. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by first identifying a pod that stocks the largest number of different items in a customer order. Then, a second pod is identified that stocks the largest number of remaining items in the customer order. Ultimately, all items in the customer order are assigned a pod. The collection of pods defines a container path through the distribution center. |
| US08140179B2 |
Method and apparatus for repairing turbine components
The present invention includes an apparatus and method by which the three-dimensional form or configuration of a distorted workpiece, such as a turbine component, is reverse engineered, and then this reverse engineering capability is combined with welding equipment, preferably a laser powder fusion welder, all integrally carried within a single machine, whereby a tool path unique to each workpiece is created and the welding machine accurately replaces lost material on the workpiece. The present invention consists of a series of operations or steps, preferably carried out by a single machine. |
| US08140177B2 |
Numerical controller with interference check function
A numerical controller having an interference prevention function whereby calculation for preventing interference is reliably performed. The numerical controller has the function of defining interference regions corresponding to multiple machine structural objects, respectively, moving the interference regions in accordance with machine coordinate values of the machine structural objects updated by interpolation, and performing an interference check to determine whether or not the interference regions interfere with each other. Interference check computation period automatic adjusting means automatically adjusts an interference check computation period, based on the value obtained by dividing a computation time required for the interference check by time of occupancy of the interference check within one interpolation period. Interference region expanding means expands the interference regions, based on the highest of feed velocities of respective axes and the interference check computation period. Checking means determines whether or not the expanded interference regions interfere with each other. |
| US08140174B2 |
Device and method for controlling a plant by using an identifier for partially identifying a model parameter
A control apparatus that can partially identify model parameters is provided. The apparatus for controlling an object that is modeled using at least one first model parameter and at least one second model parameter comprises a partial model parameter identifier for recursively identifying the second model parameter based on an output from the object and an input into the object, and a controller for using the first model parameter that is pre-identified and the second model parameter identified by the partial model parameter identifier to determine an input into the controller so that the output from the object converges to a desired value. Since all model parameters are not required to be recursively identified, the time for causing the model parameters to converge to optimal values can be shortened. The computational complexity for the identifier can be reduced. |
| US08140170B2 |
Method and apparatus for renal neuromodulation
An apparatus for renal neuromodulation includes an expandable support member having a main body portion for engaging a wall of a blood vessel proximate a renal vasculature and at least one electrode connected with the main body portion. The at least one electrode is arranged to selectively deliver electric current to a desired location where modulation of the sympathetic nervous system is effective to alter renal function. The apparatus further includes an insulative material attached to at least a portion of the main body portion for isolating blood flow through the vessel from the electric current delivered by the at least one electrode. |
| US08140169B2 |
Induction heating for the delivery of thermal therapy
An induction heating apparatus includes a first interventional device and a second interventional device. The first interventional device includes an electrically conductive material. The first interventional device is adapted for implantation inside a body and for receiving an alternating current. The second interventional device comprises a magnetically conductive material. The second interventional device is adapted for implantation inside the body in close proximity to the first interventional device. With both devices placed inside the body, the second interventional device magnetically couples with the first interventional device and the second interventional device generates heat upon the application of the alternating current to the first interventional device thereby heating the body site. |
| US08140163B1 |
Implantable pulse generator and method of use
In one embodiment, there is disclosed an implantable pulse generator for electrically stimulating a patient, which comprises: a housing enclosing pulse generating circuitry; a header coupled to the metallic housing, the header including an inner guide having cylindrical passages for accepting feedthrough wires such that the inner guide is slidingly coupled to the plurality of feedthrough wires, wherein the inner guide has an exterior surface which intersects a portion of each cylindrical passage to create an exposed portion of each feedthrough wire, an outer seal having an interior surface sized to support terminals against the exposed portion of the feedthrough wires, and an outer clip component fitting over at least a portion of the outer seal component. |
| US08140162B1 |
Low temperature degradation resistant yttria stabilized zirconia
The invention is directed to an apparatus substantially eliminating destructive low-temperature, humidity-enhanced phase transformation of yttria-stabilized zirconia in general, as well as eliminating low-temperature degradation of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline ceramic (Y-TZP). The martensitic-type phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic is accompanied by severe strength degradation in a moist environment at low-temperature, specifically at room temperature as well as at body temperature. This class of materials has been chosen as the packaging material for small implantable neural-muscular sensors and stimulators because of the high fracture toughness and high mechanical strength. This destructive phase transformation has been substantially eliminated, thus ensuring the safety of long-term implants, by subjecting the sintered components to post-machining hot isostatic pressing, such that the average grain size is less than about 0.5 microns. |
| US08140160B2 |
Systems and methods for interacting with an implantable medical device
An interactive implantable medical device system includes an implantable medical device and a network-enabled external device capable of bi-directional communication and interaction with the implantable medical device. The external device is programmed to interact with other similarly-enabled devices. The system facilitates improved patient care by eliminating unnecessary geographic limitations on implantable medical device interrogation and programming, and by allowing patients, physicians, and other users to access medical records, history, and information and to receive status and care-related alerts and messages anywhere there is access to a communications network. |
| US08140157B2 |
Medical device for detecting ischemia and a method for such a device
In a method and medical device for detecting an ischemic episode and to determine a location of ischemia in a heart of a patient, an impedance measuring circuit measures the impedances in the tissue between electrodes of at least one electrode configuration according to a predetermined measurement scheme and an ischemia detector evaluates the measured impedance values using at least one reference impedance image of the heart to detect changes in the measured impedances that are consistent with an ischemia and to determine a location of the ischemia to at least one region of the image. |
| US08140156B2 |
Heart sound sensing to reduce inappropriate tachyarrhythmia therapy
Techniques for detecting heart sounds to reduce inappropriate tachyarrhythmia therapy are described. In some examples, a medical device determines that a cardiac rhythm of the patient is treatable with a therapy, such as a defibrillation pulse, based on a cardiac electrogram (EGM). The medical device analyzes detected heart sounds, and withholds or allows the therapy based on the analysis of the heart sounds. |
| US08140155B2 |
Intermittent pacing therapy delivery statistics
This document discusses, among other things, an apparatus comprising an implantable cardiac depolarization sensing circuit, an electrical stimulation circuit, and a pacing mode controller. The pacing mode controller is configured to deliver pacing therapy according to a first pacing mode that is a normal operating mode, and to deliver pacing therapy according to second and third pacing modes. The second and third pacing modes increase mechanical stress on at least a particular portion of the ventricle as compared to the pacing therapy delivered during the first pacing mode. The pacing mode controller alternates between the second and third pacing modes when switched from the normal operating mode to a stress augmentation mode and stores a statistic related to the stress augmentation mode in a stress augmentation cycle memory area. |
| US08140151B2 |
Implantable seizure monitor
An implantable seizure monitor can include at least one sensing electrode and an electronics module configured to detect, record and/or log neurological events. For example, the electronics module can be configured to detect brainwaves indicative of seizures, such as, for example, epileptic seizures, and to create a log indicating when such seizures occur. The implantable seizure monitor can include a cushioning member made of a soft material and configured to be implantable between the epidermis and cranium of a patient. |
| US08140148B2 |
Readable probe array for in vivo use
A disposable high-density, optically readable polydeoxynucleotide array with integral fluorescence excitation and fluorescence emission channels is described. The compact array size allows integration into several types of interventional devices such as catheters, guidewires, needles, and trocars and may be used intraoperatively. Highly sensitive monitoring of the metabolic and disease pathways of cells in vivo under varying chemical, genetic, and environmental conditions is afforded. |
| US08140146B2 |
Catheter tip device and method for manufacturing same
A catheter tip device and methods for manufacturing a catheter tip device are disclosed, the device comprising a transducer module attached to a capsule, wherein the transducer module comprises a carrier including a recessed die-attach area, a transducer die located in the recessed die-attach area, and at least one conductive lead deposited onto the carrier and interconnected to the transducer die. The recessed die-attach area has an outer perimeter greater than the outer perimeter of the transducer die forming a groove between at least one edge of the transducer die and the outer perimeter in which an adhesive agent is located to attach the transducer die to the recessed die-attach area. The methods of manufacturing the catheter tip device involve the use of an array of carriers. |
| US08140144B2 |
Atlas and methods for segmentation and alignment of anatomical data
The present invention provides an atlas comprising values representative of magnetic resonance properties of a magnetic resonance (MR) scan and optionally, prior probability data relating to tissue type. Further embodiments of the invention involve a system including an MR scanner and the atlas for use in alignment of an MR scan, such as a localizer scan, to obtain a specific geometry of the data acquired during a subsequent scan. Also, a system includes an MR scanner and the atlas for automatic segmentation of an MR scan. Methods of making and using the atlas and system are also provided. |
| US08140140B2 |
Analyte detection system for multiple analytes
An apparatus for analyzing the composition of bodily fluid. The apparatus comprises a fluid handling network including a patient end configured to maintain fluid communication with a bodily fluid in a patient; and a pump unit in operative engagement with the fluid handling network. The pump unit has an infusion mode in which the pump unit is operable to deliver infusion fluid to the patient through the patient end, and a sample draw mode in which the pump unit is operable to draw a sample of the bodily fluid from the patient through the patient end. The apparatus further comprises a spectroscopic analyzer positioned to analyze at least a portion of the sample; a processor in communication with or incorporated into the spectroscopic analyzer; and stored program instructions executable by the processor to obtain measurements of two or more properties of the sample. In one implementation, the pump unit comprises a first pump operable in the infusion mode but not in the sample draw mode, and a second pump operable in the sample draw mode but not in the infusion mode. |
| US08140138B2 |
Method and system for providing vehicle-directed services
The present invention provides a method, system, and computer usable medium for directing service in a vehicle. A service request is received at a service management application from the vehicle. A vehicle location is also received. Vehicle delivery-enabling information is determined based on the service request and the vehicle location. The service corresponding to the service request is configured based on the vehicle delivery-enabling information. The configured service is sent to the vehicle. |
| US08140137B2 |
Compact display unit
A compact display unit that includes a mobile application server. The mobile application server is mounted in the vehicle for receipt and transmission of communications. The mobile application server is operatively connected to the compact display unit. The compact display unit presents to a vehicle operator a range of pre-selected permissive communications between the vehicle and a remote server by a vehicle operator during operation of the vehicle. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure, but this abstract is not to be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of any claim. |
| US08140125B2 |
Mobile communication terminal
There is provided a mobile communication terminal of which a display area is inhibited from narrowing when a state of a display screen is switched from a vertically long state to a horizontally long state.The mobile communication terminal is configured to include: a connecting state detecting part 18 adapted to determine whether a display screen 2a is in the vertically long state or the horizontally long state; a display object storage part 20 adapted to store first and second display objects to be displayed depending on an operating state; and a display controlling part 16 adapted to display the respective display objects on the display screen 2a. The display controlling part 16 displays, in the case where the display screen 2a is in the vertically long state, a plurality of the first objects in a first object display area provided in an upper end portion of the display screen, and a plurality of the second display objects in a second object display area provided in an lower end portion of the display screen, or in the case where the display screen is in the horizontally long state, the respective first and second display objects in a third object display area provided in any of an upper end portion or a lower end portion of the display screen. |
| US08140123B2 |
Method for displaying speed dial settings and mobile communication device using the method
A method for displaying speed dial settings is disclosed. The method is used for a mobile communication device, comprising the steps: detecting whether a speed dial setting operation is implemented to a button of a keypad of a mobile communication device, and displaying an indicator for the button if the speed dial setting operation is detected. |
| US08140119B2 |
Storage medium and conflict control method
Disclosed herein is a storage medium to be attached to a mobile phone for use, the storage medium including: a contact type connection section configured to connect with the mobile phone; a wireless communication section configured to connect with a controller located outside; a subscriber information storage section configured to store subscriber information about a subscriber using the mobile phone; and a conflict control section configured to control access to the subscriber information storage section by the mobile phone through the contact type connection section, and access to the subscriber information storage section by the controller through the wireless communication section. |
| US08140113B2 |
High frequency signal combining
An integrated circuit transmission system includes a dielectric substrate wave guide and first and second substrate antennas. A substrate transmitter is operable to produce an radio frequency (RF) signal, the RF signal having first and second components. A micro-strip resonator filter module generates a filtered RF signal by adjusting phases of the first and second components of the RF signal via selection of one of a plurality of selectable tap points. A third substrate antenna generates a beam formed signal for transmission through the dielectric substrate wave guide, wherein the beam form signal is directed, via the filtered RF signal, to either the first substrate antenna or the second substrate antenna. |
| US08140112B2 |
Method and apparatus for handoff between a wireless local area network (WLAN) and a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS)
Apparatus and method for providing an automatic handoff process of a dual-mode user equipment (UE) from either a wireless local area network (WLAN) to a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) or from a UMTS to a WLAN. Handoffs may be initiated by the UE, based upon user preference, signal quality, comparison of location coordinates of the UE and the system to be switched to or signal quality. The available channels of one system may be sent to the UE by the other system or the UE may monitor channels of the system to be switched to and lock on to one. The handoff may also be initiated by the UMTS, the selection being power-based. |
| US08140109B2 |
Method of operating a mobile electronic device and mobile electronic device
A method of operating a mobile electronic device, a mobile electronic device, as well as a method of operating a server and a sever are disclosed. The mobile electronic device comprises a receiver unit, a processing unit, a memory and an input unit. The memory stores a plurality of data objects which may be selected by a user of the mobile electronic device. |
| US08140108B2 |
Website theme changing using a mobile device
An apparatus and method for changing a theme of a website automatically. A mobile device includes a processor and a memory. The memory contains an application for detecting the selection of a theme and automatically changing a theme of a website to the selected theme. Information related to the selected theme may be transferred to the website using a wireless protocol such as MMS, WAP, etc. The website may be a blog site, a social networking site, or a personal website. The selected theme may include information related to music, alerts, wallpaper, text, videos, pictures, or virtual card file (VCF) information. |
| US08140107B1 |
Method and system for selective power control of wireless coverage areas
In methods and systems for adjusting forward link transmit power of wireless coverage areas, forward link signal strength is observed to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and/or an observed frame error rate (FER) for the received signal. A determination is made whether to request a forward link power adjustment. If the determination is that a forward link power adjustment is required, a request may be made into a radio access network (RAN) to adjust power. The RAN may select a subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power. If further power adjustment is required, a further request may be made into the RAN, and the RAN may select a different subset of wireless coverage areas in which to adjust power. |
| US08140104B2 |
Rapid search for optimal wireless network configuration
A search algorithm to find a globally optimal radio plan for a wireless network, including assignments of frequency and transmission power to multiple access points. Two different evaluation metrics are used in order to provide an optimal solution in a reasonable time period. Frequency searches are performed using a special rapid evaluation metric. Transmission powers are selected using a more refined metric that estimates data throughput. The search results are deterministic and execution time is also substantially deterministic. |
| US08140097B2 |
Mobile domain registry and content platform
A method and system for broadcasting information in real time to a plurality of recipients. The method can include authenticating an administrator. The method can include selecting a message type of an SMS message, wherein the message type is at least one of: a broadcast message wherein recipients cannot reply to the broadcast message, and a two-way messaging alert wherein recipients can reply to the two-way messaging alert. The method can include selecting recipients for the SMS message from a set of subscribers. The method can include receiving a body of the SMS message from the administrator. The method can include, responsive to a first administrator request, transmitting an administrator-entered test message to an administrator-specified test recipient. The method can include transmitting the SMS message to the selected recipients. |
| US08140095B2 |
Resolving encoding dependencies for data bursts
A system comprises a receiver and a transmitter in wireless communication with the receiver. The receiver receives from the transmitter multiple bursts of data on a paging channel. First and second bursts of data comprise channel protocol information and paging mode data. The second burst comprises an encoding dependency that groups paging mode data independently of channel protocol information. |
| US08140094B2 |
Continuous data optimization of new access points in positioning systems
Methods and systems of continuously optimizing data in WiFi positioning systems. A location-based services system uses WiFi-enabled devices to monitor WiFi access points in a target area to indicate whether a WiFi access point is newly-observed. A WiFi-enabled device communicates with WiFi access points within range of the WiFi-enabled device so that observed WiFi access points identify themselves. A reference database is accessed to obtain information specifying a recorded location for each observed WiFi access point in the target area. Observed WiFi access points for which the reference database has no information specifying a corresponding recorded location are identified. The recorded location information for each of the observed WiFi access points is used to calculate the position of the WiFi-enabled device. The reference database is informed of the WiFi access points (for which there was no information in the database) and is provided the calculated position in conjunction therewith. |
| US08140093B2 |
Wireless landmark-based operation of a wireless device
A technique configures a wireless device to perform operations based on the wireless device being within or near a particular physical environment. A wireless signal source identifier (e.g., a cell site identifier) serves as a wireless landmark for the particular physical environment. When the wireless device detects the wireless landmark, the wireless device performs operations previously associated with the wireless landmark. To define a wireless landmark for a particular physical environment, the wireless device detects wireless communications signals and decodes the signals to determine wireless signal source identifiers. A user selects a particular wireless signal source identifier and associates the selected wireless signal source identifier with an indication of the physical environment, such as a character string representation of the physical environment. The user indicates one or more operations for the wireless device to perform in response to subsequent detection of the wireless landmark. |
| US08140090B2 |
Method and system for estimating traffic distribution in a cellular mobile radio communications network
A method for estimating a territorial distribution of traffic in a selected area of a cellular radio mobile communications network, includes: dividing the selected area into a plurality of traffic-generating area elements; determining overall traffic in respect of said selected network area; and distributing the overall traffic across the plurality of traffic-generating area elements. For distributing the traffic, a respective network traffic generation propension is calculated for each traffic-generating area element, wherein said network traffic generation propension is adapted to provide an indication of a forecasted population of users of the network in respect of the traffic generating area element; and a distribution of a radio electromagnetic field associated with a current network configuration across said selected area is also estimated, obtaining an indication of the radio electromagnetic field strength in each of said traffic-generating area elements, each of said traffic-generating area elements being assigned a respective overall traffic portion based on the respective network traffic generation propension and on the respective indication of the radio electromagnetic field strength. |
| US08140088B2 |
Transmission rate switching in a mobile communication system
In a mobile communication system, a mobile switching center 27 changes a transmission rate of communication data transmitted from a mobile station 16 and so on to a database 11 or a transmission rate of communication data transmitted from the data 11 to the mobile station 16 and so on, on a basis of request from the mobile station 16 and so on or the database 11, individually and independently. |
| US08140077B2 |
Handover or location update for optimization for relay stations in a wireless network
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to the optimization of relay station handovers and location update in a wireless network. According to an example embodiment, a request to handover a plurality of mobile stations from a first base station to a second base station may be sent. An identifier associated with the second base station for each of the plurality of mobile stations may be received. In another example embodiment, each of the identifiers is forwarded to the mobile station corresponding to the connection identifier. In another example embodiment, a location update may be performed by sending a message to a network device, such as a target base station, to provide location update information for a plurality of mobile stations. In this manner, one message may be transmitted over a wireless link to facilitate a handover or location update for a plurality of mobile stations. |
| US08140073B2 |
Method and system for optimized handover for mobile devices
Method and system for optimized handover for mobile devices. The present invention provides a method for providing wireless communication. The method includes providing a first access device and a second access device in a communication network. The first access device and the second access device are configured to provide wireless connectivity. The method also includes providing a mobile device that is wirelessly connected to the first access network using a first connection. The mobile device is connected to a communication network using a first address that is associated with the first access network. The first connection is associated with a first priority level. Moreover, the method includes detecting the second access device by the mobile device. The method further includes obtaining a second connection between the second access device and the mobile device. In addition, the method includes providing a second address that is associated with the mobile device and the second access network. |
| US08140072B1 |
Border zone paging in wireless communication networks
What is disclosed is a method of operating a wireless communication system that serves mobile communication devices. The method includes, in a first plurality of wireless access nodes, broadcasting a first paging zone identifier (ID), wherein the mobile communication devices report the first paging zone ID to a page control system when registering to use one of the first plurality of wireless access nodes. The method also includes, in a second plurality of wireless access nodes, broadcasting a second paging zone identifier (ID), wherein the mobile communication devices report the second paging zone ID to the page control system when registering to use one of the second plurality of wireless access nodes. The method also includes, in a third plurality of wireless access nodes, broadcasting the first paging zone ID and the second paging zone ID, wherein the mobile communication devices do not report to the to the page control system when registering to use one of the third plurality of wireless access nodes if currently using either the first paging zone ID or the second paging zone ID. The method also includes, in the page control system, transferring a first set of pages to the first plurality of wireless access nodes and third plurality of wireless access nodes for delivery to the mobile communication devices reporting the first paging zone ID, and transferring a second set of pages to the second plurality of wireless access and third plurality of wireless access nodes for delivery to the mobile devices reporting the second paging zone ID. |
| US08140057B2 |
Automated call context notification
A request is received to initiate a context-based voice call, where the request includes a calling number, a called number, and a text string forming a context portion of the context-based voice call. A request is received to initiate a voice call portion of the context-based voice call from the calling number to the called number. The voice call portion and the context portion of the context-based voice call are synchronized between a calling device referenced by the calling number and a called device referenced by the called number. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08140054B2 |
Method for authenticating subscriber station, method for configuring protocol thereof, and apparatus thereof in wireless portable internet system
Disclosed are a subscriber station authentication method, a protocol configuration method, and a device thereof in a wireless portable Internet system. In the subscriber station authentication method, an authentication mode between a subscriber station (10) and a base station (20) is negotiated, and the authentication mode is negotiated by the base station (20) according to the authentication mode negotiation. The authentication modes include an authentication mode based on the IEEE 802.16 privacy standard protocol and an authentication mode based on the standardized authentication protocol of the upper layer. Authentication is performed by the base station (10) in the case of the authentication mode based on the IEEE 802.16 privacy standard protocol, and the authentication is performed through message transmission using a diameter protocol between a base station (10) and an authentication server (40) in the case of the authentication mode based on the standardized authentication protocol of the upper layer. |
| US08140048B2 |
Alarm system with two-way voice
Techniques are described for establishing a two-way voice communication session with an alarm system. The alarm system may establish a two-way voice communication session with an operator associated with a monitoring service that provides monitoring services for alarm events detected by the alarm system. The alarm system also may establish a two-way voice communication session with a notification recipient that is interested in receiving notifications associated with events detected by the alarm system. |
| US08140044B2 |
Mixer circuit and method of operation
A mixer circuit to mix a RF (Radio Frequency) signal with a LO (Local Oscillator) signal to generate an IF (Intermediate Frequency) signal including a dummy branch connected in parallel of a mixing branch, the dummy branch including a transconductance stage having an input connected to a reference potential independent from the RF signal, to transform the reference potential into a current signal, and a current switching core to switch the current signal according to LO and signals, and chopping switches to connect in series the transconductance stage of the mixing branch to the current switching core of the mixing branch and, in the alternative, to the current switching core of the dummy branch under the control of a chopping signal. |
| US08140043B2 |
Simplified high frequency tuner and tuning method
A disdosed method tunes a signal from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing. A signal of interest having a predetermined maximum bandwidth is mixed with a local oscillator signal, which has a frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing or one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing. The local oscillator signal is selected to frequency translate the signal of interest to within a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest. Problems associated with 1/f noise, DC offsets, and self-mixing products are avoided or substantially diminished. Other methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08140041B2 |
Tunable capacitive device with linearization technique employed therein
One exemplary tunable capacitive device includes a first tunable capacitive element, a first coupling capacitive element, a first coupling resistive element, and a first specific capacitive element. The first tunable capacitive element has a first node coupled to a first input voltage, and a second node. The first coupling capacitive element has a first node coupled to the second node of the first tunable capacitive element, and a second node coupled to a first connection terminal of the tunable capacitive device. The first coupling resistive element has a first node coupled to the second node of the first tunable capacitive element, and a second node coupled to a second input voltage, where the first input voltage and the second input voltage include a control voltage and a reference voltage. The first specific capacitive element is coupled between the first node and the second node of the first tunable capacitive element. |
| US08140040B1 |
Method and apparatus for a temperature compensated phase locked loop supporting a continuous stream receiver in an integrated circuit
An integrated circuit including a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) configured for use with a continuous stream receiver is disclosed. A control voltage line is configured to deliver a control voltage with a capacitive load delivered by a capacitor array to the control voltage based upon an add signal and a subtract signal. A threshold generator generates a high threshold voltage and a low threshold voltage using and including at least one process dependent resistor and at least two temperature and process dependent current sources. The PLL responds during calibration to the control voltage being above the high threshold voltage by asserting the add signal directing the capacitor array to increase the capacitive load on the control voltage line, and to the control voltage being below the low threshold voltage by asserting the subtract signal to decrease the capacitive load. |
| US08140039B2 |
Quadrature-input quadrature-output divider and phase locked loop frequency synthesizer or single side band mixer
The present invention relates to a quadrature divider which may be used in a phase locked loop or frequency synthesizer or with a single side band mixer. According to a preferred embodiment the divider takes a quadrature input and has a quadrature output. The divider has four analog mixers 1, 2, 3 and 4. The first two mixers 1, 2 take the in-phase quadrature input, while the second mixers 3, 4 take the quadrature-phase quadrature input. The outputs and feedback loops of the mixers are properly arranged such that the in-phase and quadrature-phase outputs of the divider have a determinisitic phase sequence relationship based on the phase sequence relationship of the corresponding quadrature inputs. Third order harmonics may be minimized or reduced by addition or subtraction of the mixer outputs. As the divider is able to take a quadrature input, there is no need for a dummy divider in the phase locked loop, thus saving space and power. |
| US08140036B2 |
Information processing apparatus
Provided is an information processing apparatus having a plurality of antennas for short range wireless communication, cooperating with a detected terminal apparatus when each of the antennas detects the terminal apparatus as a counter communication party, and performing a process associated in advance with the antenna that detects the terminal apparatus, including a scanner, wherein if a first antenna among the antennas detects a first terminal apparatus, the image data read by the scanner is transmitted to the first terminal apparatus through the first antenna so as to be stored in the first terminal apparatus, wherein the scanner includes: a platen; a carriage in which a scanner head is provided, wherein a first antenna among the antennas is provided to the carriage, and wherein, every time when the second antenna is moved together with the carriage to sequentially detect the terminal apparatuses mounted on the platen, the information processing apparatus and the terminal apparatuses cooperate with each other to perform a process associated in advance with the second antenna. |
| US08140033B2 |
Method for automatic impedance matching for a radiofrequency circuit and transmission or reception system with automatic matching
The invention relates to a method for automatically matching the antenna impedance for a radiofrequency transmission circuit having an amplifier. An impedance matching network is inserted between the amplifier and the antenna. The output current i and voltage V from the amplifier and their phase shift are measured, and from this the complex impedance, defined by V/i, is deduced. The antenna impedance is calculated as a function of this complex impedance and as a function of the known present values of the adjustable impedances of the matching network. New values are calculated, from the calculated value of the antenna impedance, for the adjustable impedances of the matching network that allow an overall load impedance of the amplifier to be obtained which is as close as possible to the nominal load impedance Zopt of the amplifier, and the matching network is controlled to adjust the adjustable impedances to these new values. |
| US08140030B2 |
Adaptive impedance converter adaptively controls load impedance
A transmitter generates first and second constant-envelope radio frequency (RF) component signals having first and second phase angles. The first and second phases are controlled by a phase controller. First and second nonlinear power amplifiers (PAs) are modulated by an amplitude-modulated power supply signal as the first and second constant-envelope RF component signals are amplified. The phase controller controls the first and second phases of the first and second constant-envelope RF component signals, in response to a power control signal, and, in so doing, controls an effective load impedance seen at the outputs of the first and second nonlinear PAs. By controlling the effective load impedance in response to a power control signal, rather than in response to rapid amplitude variations in an input signal envelope, the output power of the transmitter is efficiently controlled over a wide dynamic range even at low output powers. |
| US08140029B2 |
Adaptive transmission and receiving method and device in wireless communication system with multiple antennas
Disclosed is an adaptive transmit and receive method and device in a multiple-antenna wireless communication system. A transmit mode comprises different main transmit modes each of which includes one or both of a sub-transmit mode based on STBC and a sub-transmit mode based on SM. A receiver calculates an STBC performance parameter and a SM performance parameter, and a transmitter uses the parameters to determine a main transmit mode with maximum data rates and select a sub-transmit mode for minimizing power consumption. The transmitter channel-encodes, modulates and antenna-maps input data according to the selected transmit mode, and outputs results to the receiver. The receiver antenna/symbol-demodulates and channel-decodes the received data. |
| US08140028B2 |
Low noise RF driver
A low noise RF driver circuit including at least two series-coupled driver stages which receive a frequency modulated signal and an amplitude modulated signal that is applied to the supply voltage input of the driver stages, and provide a combined output signal. The RF driver circuit can be implemented in CMOS technology and integrated with other components of an RF communication subsystem, such as an RF transceiver circuit and power amplifier. Each driver stage includes a complementary pair of transistors with source degeneration resistors for linearity and gain control. |
| US08140025B2 |
Single input/output port radio frequency transceiver front end circuit with low noise amplifier switching transistor
A front end circuit for coupling an antenna to a radio frequency (RF) transceiver for time domain duplex systems is disclosed. The front end circuit includes an antenna port, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, and a matching network. The output of the power amplifier and the input of the low noise amplifier are coupled to the matching network and connected in common to the antenna. The power amplifier and the low noise amplifier are activated and deactivated in sequence corresponding to the transmit and receive modes of the transceiver, and the matching network minimizes the effect that one has on the other at the designated operating frequency. |
| US08140021B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication method
A mobile communication system in which a mobile station apparatus transmits reception quality information to a base station apparatus, the reception quality information indicating quality of a signal received from the base station apparatus, characterized in that the base station apparatus transmits information for instructing transmission of reception quality information without uplink data included in an uplink data transmission permission signal, and the mobile station apparatus transmits reception quality information without uplink data according to the information for instructing transmission of reception quality information without uplink data. This allows a mobile station apparatus to transmit reception quality information including a large amount of information even if there is no uplink data between the mobile station apparatus and the base station apparatus, and the transmission control flexibly responding to the amount of information and the frequency of transmissions of the reception quality information transmitted from the mobile station apparatus is possible. Therefore, more efficient communication control (scheduling) between the base station apparatus and the mobile station apparatus can be achieved. |
| US08140020B2 |
Radio frequency calibration apparatus and method for multi-antenna mobile communication system
There is provided to an RF calibration apparatus and method for a multi-antenna mobile communication system, which calibrates a phase error and gain error of an RF path by calculating the minimum value of a sum of an initialized reference signal and a comparison signal by a simple operation and controlling the phase value of a phase converter and the gain of a variable amplifier on the RF path, in calibrating the RF path of a multi-antenna mobile communication system of a TDD (Time Division Duplexing) type or FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) type. |
| US08140019B2 |
Method for reducing inter-cell interference
A method for reducing inter-cell interference and a method for transmitting a signal by a collaborative MIMO scheme, in a communication system having a multi-cell environment are disclosed. An example of a method for transmitting, by a mobile station, precoding information in a collaborative MIMO communication system includes determining a precoding matrix set including precoding matrices of one more base stations including a serving base station, based on signal strength of the serving base station, and transmitting information about the precoding matrix set to the serving base station. A mobile station in an edge of a cell performs a collaborative MIMO mode or inter-cell interference mitigation mode using the information about the precoding matrix set collaboratively with neighboring base stations. |
| US08140009B2 |
Circuit and data carrier with radio frequency interface
A circuit (12) comprises a first circuit point (13) and a second circuit point (14), which first circuit point (13) and second circuit point (14) are designed to be connected with RF transmission means (11) being designed for receiving in a contact-less manner a carrier signal (CS) from a read/write station and for feeding the circuit (12) with the received carrier signal (CS). The circuit (12) further comprises circuit testing means (4) being designed to carry out functional tests of the circuit (12) and to output a modulated response signal (TS-MOD) via the first and second circuit points (13, 14) only if the functional tests have been successful. The circuit (12) further comprises test trigger signal detecting means (5) being designed for detecting a test trigger signal (TS) that is applied across the first circuit point (13) and the second circuit point (14), wherein the test trigger signal detecting means (5) are designed to trigger the circuit testing means (4) to carry out the functional tests if they detect the test trigger signal (TS). |
| US08140006B2 |
Signal combining apparatus satisfying maximum transmission capacity in cellular system employing distributed antennas and resource allocation method using the same
Disclosed is a signal combining apparatus and a resource allocation method using the same in a cellular system using distributed antennas. The resource allocation method includes detecting a channel transmission capacity when a signal is transmitted from a single Relay Station (RS) to a Mobile Station (MS), by a Base Station (BS), detecting a channel transmission capacity when transmitting a signal produced by using signal combining by two or more RSs to the MS, by the BS, selecting a channel transmission capacity with a larger gain between the detected channel transmission capacity of the single RS and the detected channel transmission capacity of the two or more RSs, by the BS; and selecting the signal transmitted by the single RS or the signal produced by using the signal combining by the two or more RSs having the selected channel transmission capacity with the larger gain, and then transmitting the selected signal to the MS. |
| US08139996B2 |
Image forming device having detachable drum unit
There is provided an image forming device that forms images on recording sheets. The image forming device includes a frame having an opening, a cover movable for opening and closing the opening, a drum unit, a belt unit and a pair of registration rollers. The drum unit is disposed in the frame and having plurality of photosensitive drums each defining an axis, the plurality of photosensitive drums being juxtaposed in line in a direction orthogonal to the axis. The belt unit is accommodated in the frame and having a plurality of rollers and an endless belt mounted over the plurality of rollers under tension, the endless belt having a first running part running in a sheet conveying direction and in direct confrontation with each of the photosensitive drums, the first running part extending in a first direction, the drum unit being movable in the first direction and accessible through the opening. The pair of registration rollers nips the recording sheets therebetween to correct skew in the recording sheets and to convey each recording sheet toward the belt unit, the pair of registration rollers being supported to the frame and disposed at a side opposite to the drum unit with respect to an imaginary plane which is an extension of the first running part, the pair of registration rollers defining a nip point therebetween where the recording sheet is nipped, the nip point being located at a position aligned with the belt unit. |
| US08139994B2 |
Automatic original cover closer and office equipment having the same
In order to reduce a number of parts and required costs, and to improve operability during assembly and maintenance, the automatic original cover closer comprises hinge portions having a supporting member which supports the original cover to be opened and closed with regard to a main body of an office equipment and a driving portion automatically driving the supporting member of the hinge portions. The automatic original cover closer is characterized in that the supporting member is rotatably supported via a rotation shaft on a mounting member attached to the main body, that the driving portion comprises a driving motor and a driving force transmitting mechanism for transmitting a rotation drive force of the driving motor to the rotation shaft, and that the rotation shaft is adjusted so that its rotation drive force can be transmitted to the supporting member via a shaft engaging members fixedly attached thereto. |
| US08139992B2 |
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of treating marking material on media
Apparatuses useful for printing and methods of treating marking material on media are provided. An exemplary embodiment of an apparatus useful for printing includes a continuous belt including an inner surface and an outer surface, a first roll including a first outer surface forming a nip with the outer surface of the belt, and a radiant energy source disposed internal to the belt. The radiant energy source is adapted to emit radiant energy onto the inner surface of the belt at the nip. |
| US08139989B2 |
Toner bottle having a rubbing member and image forming apparatus including same
A toner bottle includes a bottle main body for discharging toner contained therein by rotation of the bottle main body and a scraping member disposed inside the bottle main body for rubbing the inner wall surface of the bottle main body 20 by rotation of the bottle main body. A shaft section for supporting a rubbing section included in the scraping member has an inclined support section extending with a predetermined angle inclined in a direction deviating from a direction in which an axis of rotation of the bottle main body extends. |
| US08139988B2 |
Developing device of image forming apparatus
A developing device includes a feed tool to feed a developer to a developing tool, a developer receiving chamber in which the developer to be fed to the feed tool is received, and a first delivery unit and a second delivery unit arranged one higher than another in a state in which the developing device is mounted in the image forming apparatus. The developer received in the developer receiving chamber is delivered to the second delivery unit by the first delivery unit and thereafter, is delivered to the feed tool by the second delivery unit. |
| US08139984B2 |
Image forming method and apparatus
An image forming apparatus, wherein a surface resistivity Rse[Ω] of a charger and a volume resistivity Rsw [Ω·cm] of the composition having a low softening point satisfy the following relationship: 0.8×10−1Rse |
| US08139983B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus with liquid developer coating members
A developing device includes a developer storage portion that stores a liquid developer including toner and carrier liquid. A first coating member rotates and coats the liquid developer stored in the developer storage portion. A second coating member contacts the first coating member and rotates in a direction opposite to that of the first coating member. A developer supporting body contacts the second coating member and rotates in the same direction as that of the second coating member. A contact member contacts the liquid developer coated on the second coating member by the first coating member. |
| US08139982B2 |
Image formation apparatus and printed item
The invention provides an image formation apparatus having at least a first toner image-forming unit that forms a first toner image which directly contacts a surface of a recording medium, a second toner image-forming unit that forms a second toner image which is disposed on the first toner image without directly contacting the recording medium, and a fixing unit. The invention further provides a printed item having at least a recording medium, a first toner image directly contacting a surface of the recording medium, and a second toner image residing on the first toner image without directly contacting the recording medium. A contact angle θ1 of the first toner and the first toner image with respect to an aqueous de-inking solution, is smaller than a contact angle θ2 of the second toner and the second toner image with respect to the aqueous de-inking solution. |
| US08139981B2 |
Spring-loaded web cleaning apparatus for electrographic printer
A cleaning station for removing particulate material from a moving web in an electrographic printer/copier includes a customer-replaceable web-cleaner device with a support bracket/backup shoe assembly. A quick disconnect feature enables the cleaner cover to be de-coupled from the cleaner body to allow the debris to be easily removed with replacing the web-cleaner. The cleaner has a cleaner sump that is spring loaded to force contact of four strategically placed stops in the sump with a stationary back up shoe assembly allowing for higher precision of blade engagement with a transport web or a photoconductor. The web-cleaner has two wiper blades, each having each having a distinguishment such that the distinguishment distinguishes one wiper blade from the other wiper blade when the blades are locked into the cleaner sump by springs, to facilitate material removed from the web. The wiper cleaning blades and the cover assembly are easily replaceable by the operator in the correct order. |
| US08139976B2 |
Developing apparatus, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus
A developing apparatus comprises: a housing having an opening that opens towards an image carrier on which an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a developer storing unit in which a developer is stored; a developer carrier that carries the developer stored in the developer storing unit and transports the developer to a developing region in opposition to the image carrier; a partitioning frame arranged in a groove formed between the developer carrier and the developer storing unit of the housing, that is provided with a connecting hole which enables connect between the developer storing unit and the opening; a partition arranged on a side surface of the partitioning frame; and a closely contact section that causes the partitioning frame to closely contact to the groove. |
| US08139974B2 |
Exhaust device, image forming apparatus including the same, recording medium on which control program for exhaust device is recorded
An exhaust device provided in an image forming apparatus is provided. In the exhaust device, an initial condition setting unit sets an initial drive output value of a exhaust fan at a time of starting an image forming operation based on a calculation value calculated by an image bearing member drive counting unit. A drive unit drives the exhaust fan to start to discharge air in the image forming apparatus. A continuation condition setting unit sets a continuation drive condition at a time of continuously driving the exhaust fan from a point in time when ending the image forming operation based on a count value of the number of image formation by the job counting unit 303a. A drive unit drives the exhaust fan with the continuation drive condition to continuously discharge the air in the image forming apparatus. |
| US08139972B2 |
Process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus
A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developing roller, a developer accommodator including two frames two end portion members, supporting the roller, a first member providing an electrostatic capacity between itself and the roller when a developing bias voltage is applied to the developing roller, and a second member including a contact portion elastically contacting to a bent portion of the accommodator, and a first electrical contact portion, electrically connected to the contact portion, for transmitting, to the main assembly, an electric signal corresponding to a value of the electrostatic capacity provided between the developing roller and the first member. The second member is mounted to one end portion member such that the contact portion is inside the one end portion member and the first electrical contact portion is outside the one end portion member. |
| US08139971B2 |
Image heating apparatus operable in stand-by-mode
An image heating apparatus has a coil; a rotatable image heating member capable of generating heat by a magnetic flux generated by the coil to heat an image; a temperature detecting member; an electric power supply controller for controlling electric power supply to the coil; and an execution portion for executing a stand-by mode operation in which the image heating member is at rest, and the apparatus waits for input of an image formation signal while the electric power supply controller carries out its power supply control operation such that in the stand-by mode, along no longitudinal line on said image heating member, the temperature of the image heating member exceeds Curie temperature on an entirety of the longitudinal line. |
| US08139967B2 |
Image forming apparatus having an image carrying area switching part which switches image carrying areas on an intermediate transfer part
An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image carrier, an intermediate transfer part, a primary transfer part, a secondary transfer part, and a transfer area change part. The image carrier is configured to carry a visible image formed with developer. The primary transfer part is configured to transfer the visible image from the image carrier to a transfer area on the intermediate transfer part. The secondary transfer part is configured to transfer the visible image from the intermediate transfer part to a recording medium. The transfer area change part is configured to change the transfer area. |
| US08139964B2 |
Fixing device, control method for a fixing device and image forming apparatus
Provided is a fixing device including: a heater; a heating body that is heated by the heater and is caused to rotate; a pressure body that is in contact with the heating body, and is caused to rotate; a plurality of temperature sensor units each including a temperature sensing element that is covered with a protective member and is in contact with the heating body in order to sense a temperature of the heating body; and a control unit that recognizes temperatures of the heating body at respective portions thereof based on signals received from the temperature sensor units, brings the heater into an ON state if the recognized temperatures exhibit a temperature difference of a predetermined value or larger, judges that the protective member has peeled off if all the temperatures sensed by using the temperature sensor units are recognized to have risen, and corrects the temperature. |
| US08139962B2 |
Image forming apparatus for maintaining a uniform toner concentration
An image forming apparatus includes a latent image carrier, a latent image forming unit, a developing unit, a toner supplier, a toner concentration detector, a prediction calculator, and a toner supply controller. The toner supplier includes a single driving source and supplies toner to a two-component developer at a predetermined supply position by driving a toner supply member with the driving source. The toner concentration detector detects a toner concentration in the developer at a predetermined detection position located upstream of the supply position. The prediction calculator predicts changes in the toner concentration in the developer over time at a prediction position located at the supply position or downstream of the supply position and upstream of a developer feed position to the developer carrier when toner is not supplied, based on a result of the toner concentration detection. The toner supply controller adjusts an amount of the toner supplied based on the prediction. |
| US08139955B2 |
Method and system for controlling driving current of WDM-PON optical transmitter
The present disclosure relates to a WDM-PON optical transmitter; and, more particularly, to a system for controlling a driving current of the WDM-PON optical transmitter. The present disclosure provides a driving current control system of an optical transmitter for use in WDM-PON including a plurality of optical transmitters, each transmitter generating and transmitting a transmittance optical signal based on a driving current and an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer for combining the optical signals received from the plurality of the optical transmitters to output a combined optical signal through a single common terminal, wherein the driving current is controlled based on the combined optical signal outputted from the common terminal. |
| US08139952B2 |
System and method for measuring the extinction ratio of an optical transmitter using an interferogram wing-to-peak ratio
Systems and methods are described that derive a relationship between an optical transmitter's extinction ratio (Er) and its interferogram wing-to-peak ratio (Iwp). The change in an optical transmitter's Iwp correlates with a change in measured Er. As the Er of a telecom signal changes, the power of the modulated signal's interferogram wings change. After a relationship between Iwp and measured Er has been derived for an optical transmitter, the relationship may be used after deployment to determine an Er by measuring an Iwp. |
| US08139948B2 |
Process and system for providing electrical energy to a shielded medical imaging suite
A process and system are disclosed for supplying electrical energy to a device located in a room housing an imaging system (such as an MRI system, for example), wherein the room is shielded from external electromagnetic fields. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and processes for emitting electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range of the light spectrum from at least one light emission device. Embodiments of the present invention further provide a process and system for transforming the electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy using at least one transducer device located in the room, and supplying the electrical energy to the device so as to minimize interfering electromagnetic fields within the room. |
| US08139944B2 |
Method and apparatus for clearing an optical channel
A method and apparatus for clearing an optical channel for transmitting data through free space between a first and second location includes a light beam, wherein the light beam has a spatially and/or time-dependent modulated intensity profile, and is substantially collimated so that the intensity profile is conserved over a specified distance of operation. The light beam includes a cross-sectional profile having regions of low and high intensity, portions of which are provided for the transmission of an optical data signal. A light source wavelength and intensity are selected for types of obscurant particles having optical properties whereby the radiation pressure acts on the particles, and the particles may then be either attracted into or repelled from portions of the spatially modulated optical beam, leaving certain portions of the optical channel beam absent of obscurant particles, thereby enabling transmission of optical data through the cleared optical channel with low attenuation. |
| US08139942B2 |
Remote controlling system, electronic device, and controlling method
A remote controlling system is disclosed. An infrared remote controller generates a first serial signal containing a command corresponding to a user's operation and outputs the first serial signal by infrared communication. A radio remote controller generates a code signal containing a key number corresponding to a user's operation and outputs the code signal by radio communication. An electronic device includes a light receiving section, a radio receiving section, a selecting section, and a controlling section. |
| US08139937B2 |
Automatic optical power control method for OLT in PON
Provided is an automatic optical power control method for an optical line terminal (OLT) of a passive optical network (PON). The automatic optical power control method includes at the OLT, measuring an allowable range of the optical power allowing a normal network operation on the PON, at the OLT, setting an optimum optical signal level within the measured allowable range of the optical power, and at the OLT, adjusting a power level of a transmitter to the set optimum optical signal level. Accordingly, an appropriate power level can be selected depending on an optical distribution network (ODN) structure to drive the transmitter. Also, when the entire optical network units are deactivated, a laser of the transmitter is turned off to thereby minimize unnecessary power consumption at the OLT. |
| US08139935B2 |
3D camera with foreground object distance sensing
There is disclosed a stereographic camera system and a method of operating a stereographic camera system. The stereoscopic camera system may include a left camera and a right camera having respective left and right lenses and an IOD mechanism to set an interocular distance between the left and right cameras. A foreground distance sensor may provide an output indicative of a distance to a closest foreground object. A controller may causes the IOD mechanism to set the interocular distance based on, in part, the output of the foreground distance sensor. |
| US08139932B2 |
Imaging system and method
An optical imaging system is provided for an airborne platform or the like, including an image acquisition unit having an optical axis and configured for providing images in a direction along said axis, the image acquisition unit being mounted to a pointing mechanism configured for selectively pointing said optical axis in a desired direction. The system also has an optical shield configured for shielding said image acquisition unit from receiving undesired electromagnetic radiation from at least one direction different from said desired direction. |
| US08139928B2 |
Method of creating playback control file for recording medium and method and apparatus for reproducing data using the playback control file
A method of creating the playback control file for a recording medium and a method and apparatus for reproducing data using the playback control file are disclosed. The method includes reading an original PlayList including at least one original PlayItem from the recording medium, the at least one original PlayItem being configured to reproduce original data recorded on the recording medium, downloading at least one additional PlayItem from an external source, the at least one additional PlayItem being configured to reproduce additional data downloadable from the external source, and creating a new PlayList by binding the original PlayList with the at least one additional PlayItem, the new PlayList being able to reproduce the original data and the additional data, individually or in combination. |
| US08139927B2 |
Information recording apparatus and information recording method
An information recording apparatus includes a recording medium receiver to receive a recording medium whereon information may be recorded by the apparatus and a non-volatile memory to store management information about the recording medium provided in the recording medium receiver. The management information provides information about whether or not data can be recorded on the recording medium. |
| US08139925B2 |
Recording medium, playback device, and integrated circuit
Provided is a recording medium that enables seamless connection between preceding playitems which are stream data arranged prior to a position where a long jump occurs, such as a layer boundary, and succeeding playitems which are stream data arranged subsequent to the position where the long jump occurs. A block exclusively for 2D playback Ln2D is arranged succeeding a 3D extent block in which a depth map data block, a right-view data block, and a left-view data block are arranged in an interleaved manner. A 3D extent block including a block exclusively for 3D playback L3SS is arranged between the block exclusively for 2D playback and a long jump point LB. The block exclusively for 2D playback and the block exclusively for 3D playback are identical in content. |
| US08139921B2 |
Program recording reservation system and remote controller
A program recording reservation system includes a recording apparatus including a recorder for recording a broadcast program; and a remote controller for making a recording reservation for the recording apparatus. A content management section is provided for managing, as recording parameters, an average recording bit rate for each of a plurality of provided recording modes and the remaining recordable capacity of the recorder. Date and time at which a broadcast program is scheduled to be broadcast are obtained as program information. A recording capacity necessary for recording a program shown in the program information is computed. On the basis of the average recording bit rate for each recording provided by the recorder, the duration of the broadcast program, and the remaining recordable capacity, the capability or incapability of recording of a broadcast program is determined. The determined capability or incapability of recording for each program is displayed in the program table. |
| US08139920B2 |
Reducing playback time differences when joining moving images of different formats
A moving image editing device which uses a smart rendering scheme whereby the variation of playback time is minimized even when editing material data with a minimum time unit that does not match that of the save format. A material format which is a moving image format of the material data is acquired, and then it is determined whether or not the material format acquired by the material format acquisition unit matches a save format which is the moving image format to be saved. The material data is converted into the save format. The moving image data acquired by the format conversion unit is sequentially joined, and then the moving image data which is the save result is generated. The format conversion unit outputs a portion or the entirety of the material data itself regarding the material data determined to be matched by the format determination device, on the other hand, outputs data encoded into the save format after decoding a portion or the entirety of the material data regarding the material data determined not to be matched, and the joining unit repeats sequential joining so that the difference in the playback time with the material data may be minimized. |
| US08139919B2 |
Light table editor for video snippets
A light table video application includes a stackable video snippet player control, a filmstrip video snippet player control, and a timeline video snippet player control. A user may edit indicate the sequence of an edited video clip by placing one or more stackable video snippet players in a stacked fashion. A user may change the display of a stackable video snippet player control to a filmstrip video snippet player control by resizing the stackable video snippet player control. A timeline video snippet player control provides functionality for a user to drag a video player control into a sequence and place the digital video file associated with the video player at a location indicated by an insert indicator. |
| US08139918B2 |
Recording medium editing apparatus based on content supply source
An editing apparatus wherein the editing of content is controlled according to its supply source. Identification information for identifying a content supply source is recorded in a recording medium in correspondence with the content supplied from the content supply source and recorded in the recording medium. When editing of the content is requested by a user, the identification information corresponding to that contend is checked. According to the content supply source identified by the identification information, the editing of the content is enabled or disabled. |
| US08139914B2 |
Enclosure for housing splice trays
An enclosure for housing splice trays, including a convex bracket extending between two internal sections of the enclosure, the bracket having a track extending at least partially between said sections of the enclosure, wherein the splice trays are couplable to and translatable along the track. |
| US08139912B2 |
Double clad optical fiber having ring core surrounding core for high power operation
An optical fiber apparatus having a wavelength of operation comprises an optical fiber comprising a core; a pump cladding disposed about the core for receiving pump optical energy having a pump wavelength; and a second cladding disposed about for tending to confine pump optical energy to the pump cladding. The core can comprise a rare earth material for providing optical energy having the wavelength of operation responsive to the optical fiber receiving the pump optical energy, and the fiber can further comprise at least one ring core spaced from the core, the ring core defined by inner and outer diameters and comprising the cross sectional area therebetween. The ring core can comprise an absorbing material for absorbing optical energy having the wavelength of operation. At the wavelength of operation the optical fiber can comprise a fundamental mode that is primarily a mode of the core and at least one higher order mode (HOM) that is a mixed mode of a selected mode of the core and of a selected mode of the ring core, the selected modes being of the same azimuthal order. The mixed mode can be suppressed relative to the fundamental mode. |
| US08139911B2 |
Light-illuminating probe and fundus observing apparatus, fundus surgery apparatus, endoscope, and catheter using the light-illuminating probe
A light-illuminating probe with increased spatial spread of an external illumination light and a fundus observing apparatus, a fundus surgery apparatus, and an endoscope using the light-illuminating probe are provided. The light-illuminating probe includes a light-transmitting portion which is constructed with at least a first dielectric material having a light transparency and a light-radiating portion which is constructed with a second dielectric material having a light transparency to be formed in an extension portion of the light-transmitting portion. |
| US08139910B2 |
Systems and methods for control of ultra short pulse amplification
A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system is described comprising controlling an optical power within the ultra-short pulse system and control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse. In some embodiments, the method also comprises tuning a compressor by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control the width of the optical pulse output from the compressor. In other embodiments, the method may comprise tuning a multi-pass stretcher by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control the width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system may also comprise accessing a control system from a remotely located command station, communicating status information from the control system to the command station, and communicating information from the command station to the control system. |
| US08139909B2 |
Illuminator method and device
A first toroidal ray guide defines an axis of revolution and has a toroidal entrance pupil adapted to image light incident on the entrance pupil at an angle to the axis of revolution between 40 and 140 degrees, and it also has a first imaging surface opposite the entrance pupil. A second toroidal ray guide also defines the same axis of revolution and has a second imaging surface adjacent to the first imaging surface. Various additions and further qualities of the ray guides, which form optical channels, are disclosed. In a method light emanating from a source at between 40-140 degrees from an optical axis is received at an entrance pupil of a ray guide arrangement that is circularly symmetric about the optical axis. Then the received light is redirected through the ray guide arrangement to an exit pupil in an average direction substantially parallel to the optical axis. |
| US08139907B2 |
Optoelectronic device and method of forming the same
An optoelectronic device including a substrate, a half-boat-shaped material layer, a deep trench isolation structure, and an optical waveguide is provided. The substrate has a first area. The half-boat-shaped material layer is disposed in the substrate within the first area. The refractive index of the half-boat-shaped material layer is lower than that of the substrate. A top surface of the half-boat-shaped material layer is coplanar with the surface of the substrate. The deep trench isolation structure is disposed in the substrate within the first area and located at one side of a bow portion of the half-boat-shaped material layer. The optical waveguide is disposed on the substrate within the first area. The optical waveguide overlaps a portion of the deep trench isolation structure and at least a portion of the half-boat-shaped material layer. |
| US08139906B2 |
Optical wiring module
Provided is an optical wiring module. The optical wiring module includes a light source mounted on a surface of a substrate, a metal optical waveguide coupled to a transverse magnetic mode of light emitted from the light source and using a long-range surface palsmon polariton, and a photodetector. The optical wiring module has a simple structure enabling it to be further miniaturized and its yield to be increased. |
| US08139905B1 |
Generator protection system
A temperature sensor is disclosed. The sensor includes an optical fiber and at least one twin-grating structure formed on the optical fiber. Each twin-grating structure includes a first optical grating structure, a second optical grating structure adjacent the first optical grating structure, and a sensing cavity disposed between the first and second optical grating structures. Each twin-grating structure is selectively responsive to a unique wavelength of light to generate an optical interference fringe signal. For each twin-grating structure, an optical property of the twin-grating structure and a phase of the optical interference fringe signal generated by the twin-grating structure are determined by a temperature of the twin-grating structure. |
| US08139903B2 |
Driving circuit of optical gate switch
A driving circuit of a semiconductor optical amplifier type gate switch constituting a matrix optical switch is provided with an operation amplifier into which a driving signal is input and from which a current corresponding to the driving signal is output, an inductance element provided at an output terminal of the operation amplifier, and a circuit composed of a diode element and a resistor element connected in parallel and provided between the inductance element and the semiconductor optical amplifier. |
| US08139901B2 |
Nano-encoding and decoding information related to printed texts and images on paper and other surfaces
A method and system for nano-encoding and decoding information related to printed texts and images on paper and other surfaces is provided. The system and method includes a nano-encoder for encoding information related to printed texts and images; and then collocating the encoded information with the related printed texts and/or images. The system also includes a nano-decoder for decoding information encoded by the nano-encoder. The nano-decoder includes a text processing database having a translator database. The translator database includes a definition database; and a summary database. In addition, the system and method includes detecting luminescent nano particles and/or magnetic nano particles; and determining invariant properties of the detected nano particles. The invariant properties are then matched with coded information. The system and method includes matching the invariant properties with predetermined coded information and analyzing the invariant properties of the detected nano particles for segmentation. |
| US08139900B2 |
System and method for providing objectified image renderings using recognition information from images
An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects. |
| US08139897B2 |
Detecting tilt in an image having different resolutions in different directions
An image processing device includes an acquiring unit that acquires, from image data, processing image data having a first resolution in a first direction and a second resolution in a second direction different from the first direction; a receiving unit that receives input of a first theoretical resolution in the first direction and a second theoretical resolution in the second direction; and a tilt detecting unit that detects tilt of the image data in accordance with the processing image data and the first theoretical resolution and the second theoretical resolution. |
| US08139896B1 |
Tracking moving objects accurately on a wide-angle video
A method and a system for tracking the motion of moving objects accurately on the entirety of a wide-angle video is disclosed. The method includes using a non-uniform scaling to selectively enhance pixel density, preferably in preparation for other image processing. In preferred embodiments, the further image processing (such as motion detection, object recognition, or tracking, etc.) functions better with the enhanced pixel density or distribution. |
| US08139895B2 |
Image recognition device and image rotating method
An image recognition device for generating an output rotation image from input original image data, including a memory section being capable of storing data of a line including pixels of the original image data to be processed, an angle-to-sine/cosine converting section obtaining an X component and a Y component where a pixel interval of the original image data is an oblique side based on a rotating angle, and a coordinate searching section calculating a reference coordinate of the output rotation image for the original image using the X component and the Y component in order of input of the original image data and outputting data of the output rotation image based upon the reference coordinate. |
| US08139894B2 |
Automatic dominant orientation estimation in text images based on steerable filters
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an image processing system is capable of receiving an image containing text, applying optical character recognition to the image, and then audibly reproducing the text via text-to-speech synthesis. Prior to optical character recognition, an orientation corrector is capable of detecting an amount of angular rotation of the text in the image with respect to horizontal, and then rotating the image by an appropriate amount to sufficiently align the text with respect to horizontal for optimal optical character recognition. The detection may be performed using steerable filters to provide an energy versus orientation curve of the image data. A maximum of the energy curve may indicate the amount of angular rotation that may be corrected by the orientation corrector. |
| US08139889B2 |
Method, an apparatus and a computer-readable medium for processing a night vision image dataset
Method for processing a sequence of at least two image datasets each having at least two pixels, each pixel having an intensity value by calculating a structure tensor for each pixel in an image dataset included in the sequence of image datasets; calculating values in a summation kernel based on the structure tensor for each pixel in the image dataset; calculating a weighted intensity value for each pixel in the first image dataset, using as weights the values in the summation kernel; storing the weighted intensity value for each pixel in the image dataset as a processed intensity value for each corresponding pixel in a processed output image dataset; rotating a local coordinate system in which the summation kernel is described so that the coordinate axes of said local coordinate system coincide with the directions of the eigenvectors of the structure tensor. |
| US08139887B2 |
Image-signal processing apparatus, image-signal processing method and image-signal processing program
Disclosed herein is an image-signal processing apparatus, including: a band pass filter configured to increase the bit count of an input digital image signal in a bit decompression process and pass on an image signal of a high frequency band; an amplitude limiting section configured to limit the amplitude of the image signal passed on by the band pass filter to a level determined in advance; and a subtractor configured to subtract an image signal output by the amplitude limiting section from the input digital image signal. |
| US08139882B2 |
Method for locally adjusting a quantization step and coding device implementing said method
The invention relates to a method of locally adjusting a quantization step for each region of an image in a sequence of n images. The method comprises the following steps; calculating, for each image of the sequence, a first difference of bits saved on the potential masking region when quantizing it with a first quantization step and a second difference of bits required by the region of interest when quantizing it with a second quantization step; and in each image of the sequence, assigning to the potential masking region the first quantization step and if the sum of the n first differences of bits is higher than the sum of the n second differences of bits assigning said second quantization step to said region of interest and otherwise assigning a third quantization step such that the sum of said n first differences of bits is distributed between the regions of interest according to a reconstruction quality criterion. |
| US08139880B2 |
Lifting-based directional lapped transforms
A “directional lapped transform coder” (“DLT Coder”) provides various techniques for designing directional lapped transforms. In general, lapped transforms are factorized into lifting steps. A “directional operator” is then introduced into each lifting step in order to construct the directional lapped transform by selecting data elements from a data signal along a path corresponding to the directional operator. The resulting directional lapped transform preserves the advantages of conventional lapped transforms while also providing more efficient representation directional signals. In various embodiments, the resulting directional lapped transform is used to enable an image/video coding scheme that provides significant improvement over conventional state-of-the-art image lapped transform based coding schemes for images with strong directional correlations. |
| US08139879B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding image by exponential Golomb binarization using optimal threshold, and method and apparatus for decoding image by exponential Golomb binarization using optimal threshold
A method and apparatus for coding an image by using exponential Golomb binarization are provided. The method comprises: performing entropy coding on an input image by performing exponential Golomb binarization using a plurality of predetermined thresholds; measuring a bit rate of a bit stream which is generated by performing the entropy coding using each threshold; and determining an optimal threshold by comparing bit rates with regard to the thresholds. |
| US08139878B2 |
Picture coding method and picture decoding method
The method includes the following units: a coefficient number detecting unit (109) for detecting the number of coefficients which has a value other than 0 for each block according to the generated coefficient, a coefficient number storing unit (110) for storing the number of coefficients detected, a coefficient number coding unit (111) for selecting a table for variable length coding based on the numbers of coefficients in the coded blocks located on the periphery of a current block to be coded with reference to the selected table for variable length coding so as to perform variable length coding for the number of coefficients. |
| US08139876B2 |
Image processing apparatus, control method for image processing apparatus, program, and storage medium
When an original image containing a code image is lossy-compressed, the image quality of the code image is deteriorated. Thus, due to the deterioration of the image quality of the code image, information contained in the code image cannot be acquired. Thus, a portion corresponding to the code image is not lossy compressed, and the portion corresponding to the code image, which has not been subjected to lossy compression, is stored in a storage unit. |
| US08139874B2 |
Disk sector allocation for high performance access to images
An image data storage system and associated method store, on one or more disk drives in a disk drive array, original image data for different images as well as multiple resolution levels of compressed image data for each image. The lowest resolution level image data for multiple different images (i.e., “thumbnail” copies of images) are grouped together and stored within sectors closest to the center. The progressively higher resolution levels of image data for the same images can similarly be grouped together and stored within sectors sequentially from a first track closest to the center to a last track closet to an outer edge. Alternatively, all higher resolution levels of image data for any single image can be grouped together and stored within a same sector as close to the center as possible. This organization can significantly reduce average access time for large collections of images. |
| US08139872B2 |
Splitting file types within partitioned images
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates optimally and efficiently utilizing an image file format. A server can host an image that is partitioned into two or more tiles, wherein the two or more tiles collectively represent the image in entirety and are defined in at least one image file format. A tile generator can evaluate at least one tile to identify a suitable image file format based upon at least one of a characteristic of such file format or a context of a use for the tile. A browser can utilize the tile in the identified file format in order to render a portion of the image. |
| US08139871B2 |
Circuit and method for adaptive, lossless compression of successive digital data
An image compression and decompression method compresses data based upon the data states, and decompresses the compressed data based upon the codes generated during the compression. |
| US08139870B2 |
Image processing apparatus, recording medium, computer data signal, and image processing method
There is provided an image processing apparatus including a character recognition section that executes character recognition on an input document image and outputs a character recognition result, an item name extraction section that extracts a character string relevant to an item name of an information item from the character recognition result, an item value extraction section that extracts a character string of an item value corresponding to the item name from the vicinity of the character string relevant to the item name in the document image, and an extraction information creation section that creates extraction information by associating the character string of the item value extracted by the item value extraction section to the item name. |
| US08139865B2 |
Computer-implemented system and method for recognizing patterns in a digital image through document image decomposition
A computer-implemented system and method for retrieving a digital image through document image decomposition is provided. A stored digital image is retrieved. Generic visual features are extracted. The features are grouped into a primitive layer including word-graphs that each include words and features. The words are grouped into a layout layer including zone hypotheses that each include one or more of the words. Causal dependencies between the word-graphs and the zone hypotheses are expressed through zone models that include a joint probability defining a pair of probabilistic models generated through a learned binary edge classifier. Each pair of probabilistic models is expressed as an optimal set selection problem including a set of cost functions and constraints. The optimal set selection problem is evaluated through a heuristic search of the cost functions and constraints and a non-overlapping optimal set of the zone hypotheses is provided that characterize the stored digital image. |
| US08139863B1 |
System for capturing, characterizing and visualizing lidar and generic image data
A system that offers a method of capturing, analyzing, and visualizing a matrix of data for object and feature extraction. This is accomplished by reading a matrix of data represented by a plurality of data types into a processor via a data capture system. The matrix of data is overlaid by a control grid to form a regular matrix having a plurality of cells. A data search spatial radius is created from a point in each cell. Data is then processed from the matrix and certain characteristics are captured and represent each variable in each cell of the matrix, and then output, respectively. |
| US08139859B2 |
Method for automatic detection of data in in-vivo images
A method for detecting, in single time-point, in-vivo imaging data related to artifacts in the imaging of objects, includes acquiring at least one in-vivo image with imaging apparatus. A background image corresponds to imaged air of the in-vivo image. The background image is obtained in two steps. A first step includes establishing an object-air boundary and a second step is an atlas-based refinement of a background volume of interest. A histogram reflects an intensity distribution of the background image. The background image is formed of a set of voxels where artifacts are detected. Intensities above a definable intensity value provide an initial estimate of a range of artifacts intensities. A modified morphological opening operation is executed, formed of an erosion of a set of voxels and a dilation, performed iteratively and constrained to voxels intensity above the intensity value, so that the opening operation provides natural definition of artifacts regions. |
| US08139856B2 |
Image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, and computer readable medium irregularizing pixel signals continuous in level near a saturation level
An image processing apparatus, a computer readable medium and the like in which a dither effect in a neighborhood of a highlight area can be obtained easily and certainly. For this purpose, an image processing apparatus includes an inputting unit which inputs a pixel signal group representing a field image, an averaging unit (21-2 and 21-3) which performs a processing having an averaging effect among the pixel signal group input by the inputting unit, and an irregularizing unit (21-4) which irregularizes mutually continuous signal-values at least near a saturated level among the pixel signal group after having been processed by the averaging unit, into discontinuous signal-values. |
| US08139854B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing conversion of skin color into preference color by applying face detection and skin area detection
A method and apparatus for performing a conversion of a skin color of an input image into a preference color by applying face detection and skin color detection is disclosed. The method includes: detecting a face area from the input image; detecting a skin area from the input image; judging a common area between the face area and the skin area as a face; extracting a skin color from the input image with reference to the skin color in the judged face; and converting the extracted skin color into an image-adaptive skin color. |
| US08139848B2 |
Color signal processing device, image processing apparatus, color signal processing method, image processing method, computer-readable medium and computer data signal
A color signal processing device includes a conversion unit that converts a first color signal into a second color signal. The second color signal is obtained by changing a color point, in a device independent color space, corresponding to a color of each color component of the first color signal by a distance corresponding to a reduction degree so that the color point, in the device independent color space, corresponding to the color of each color component of the first color signal approaches white along a locus, in the device independent color space, corresponding to each color component of the first color signal. The locus, in the device independent color space, corresponding to each color component is obtained by changing an amount of a coloring material that corresponds to each color component and is used in an output device. |
| US08139846B2 |
Verification of integrated circuits against malicious circuit insertions and modifications using non-destructive X-ray microscopy
A method and system for verifying the integrity of integrated circuits (ICs) by detecting the presence of unauthorized circuit insertions or modifications using non-destructive x-ray microscopy is disclosed. A reference image based on a trusted IC or a trusted design file may be generated. An un-trusted IC may be received from an un-trusted foundry, which IC is manufactured in response to the trusted design file provided to the foundry. An x-ray microscope may record a plurality of sets of base images of the un-trusted IC, each set corresponding to a different viewing angle. One or more un-trusted images may be produced from the base images. The reference images may be compared with the un-trusted images to illuminate any additions or modifications in circuit elements or other parameters. |
| US08139842B2 |
Device and method for inspecting rechargeable battery connection structure
An inspection apparatus for inspecting a rechargeable battery electrode plate-connected structure to check whether electrode plates are properly connected to a current collector plate by filters. The apparatus includes an imaging device arranged on one side of the rechargeable battery electrode plate-connected structure, a first lighting device which illuminates the rechargeable battery electrode plate-connected structure at the same side of the rechargeable battery electrode plate-connected structure as the first lighting device, a second lighting device which illuminates the rechargeable battery electrode plate-connected structure from the opposite side of the rechargeable battery electrode plate-connected structure, and an inspection circuit connected to the imaging device which inspects the connection state of the fillets by analyzing a front lighting image captured by the imaging device when only the first lighting device emits light and a back lighting image captured when only the second lighting device emits light. |
| US08139833B2 |
Analyzing large data sets using a computer system
A method and/or system for making determinations regarding samples from biologic sources. A computer implemented method and/or system can be used to automate parts of the analysis. |
| US08139832B2 |
Processing medical images of the breast to detect anatomical abnormalities therein
Methods, systems and related computer program products are provided for processing a medical image of a breast to detect anatomical abnormalities therein, including anatomical abnormalities that may be associated with breast cancer. The medical image of the breast, which includes a background region bordering a breast tissue region along a skinline thereof, is processed to detect an inward-facing retraction along the skinline, which can be potentially indicative of an anatomical abnormality in the breast tissue. In one preferred embodiment, a display monitor displays first information representative of the medical image of the breast and second information identifying a location of the detected inward-facing retraction on the medical image of the breast. In another preferred embodiment, one or more metrics characterizing the detected inward-facing retraction are used as features in the classification of potential CAD detections in the breast tissue region. |
| US08139824B2 |
Crop particle discrimination methods and apparatus
A method of discriminating between kernel and chaff particles, in crop, using a crop viewing apparatus that includes an image-capturing device that is capable of capturing one or more images of crop in the crop viewing apparatus. The image capturing device connected to a processing device for processing one or more resulting images. The crop viewing apparatus also includes one or more lamps for illuminating crop in the crop viewing apparatus. The lamp illuminates the crop in a range of illumination levels up to a maximal level equal to or above a reflectivity saturation level at which increasing illumination causes no further reflectivity change. The crop viewing apparatus further includes one or more control devices for controlling the level of illumination provided by each lamp. |
| US08139810B2 |
Motorcycle speaker system
A motorcycle having an open-air cockpit area and a seat configured to receive a rider and position the rider within the open-air cockpit area. A luggage container defines a substantially enclosed cargo volume, and the luggage container is configured to open to provide selective access to the cargo volume. A speaker is configured to output sound in response to signals from a source. A speaker enclosure at least partially encloses the speaker. A bass-reflex passage couples an interior space of the sparker enclosure and the cargo volume of the luggage container. |
| US08139805B2 |
Speaker apparatus
A speaker apparatus includes a speaker and a sound box. The sound box is shaped like a wine barrel and includes arced side boards and parallel top and bottom boards coupled to upper and lower ends of the side boards, respectively. The sound box is divided by at least an isolating board into air chambers interconnected with one another via at least an air aperture formed in the isolating board, and at least an air venting hole is formed through at least one of the side boards so as to communicate the air chambers with the outside. The speaker is installed on the top board via an installation hole formed therein. The interconnected air chambers and side boards produce air cushions corresponding to resonant frequency sections of the speaker, thereby enabling the speaker to reproduce original audio sounds without interfering with a successively formed air cushion. |
| US08139797B2 |
Directional electroacoustical transducing
A multichannel audio system for radiating sound to a listening area that includes a plurality of listening spaces. The audio system includes directional audio devices, positioned in a first of the listening spaces, close to a head of a listener, for radiating first sound waves corresponding to components of one of the channels and nondirectional audio devices, positioned inside the listening area and outside the listening space, distant from the listening space, for radiating sound waves corresponding to components of a second of the channels. |
| US08139789B2 |
Signal amplifier circuit
A plurality of main amplifiers amplifies input audio signals with an adjustable gain. A first selector selects any of the input audio signals. An auxiliary amplifier receives an output of the first selector and amplifies this output with an adjustable gain. A second selector receives n outputs from the main amplifiers and selects any of the outputs. A soft switching circuit receives an output of the second selector at a first input terminal, receives an output of the auxiliary amplifier at a second input terminal, and makes the output transition gradually from one of the input terminals to the other of the input terminals. Output switches are respectively provided for the main amplifiers, an output of a corresponding main amplifier is received at a first input terminal, an output of the soft switching circuit is received at a second input terminal, and one of the outputs is selected to be outputted. |
| US08139786B2 |
Plop noise avoidance for an amplifier
The invention concerns a method and signal conversion device for avoiding undesirable noise in the start up of an amplifying device, as well as to an amplifying device including such a signal conversion device. The signal conversion device (12) comprises a variable gain providing unit (Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6), a voltage to current converter (Q1, Q2, R1, R2), a variable gain control unit (22) controlling the variable gain of the variable gain providing unit, and a bias current control unit (20) for controlling a first biasing current (IB1) of the voltage to current converter, for avoiding DC offset originating noise as well as noise originating from components of the signal conversion device. |
| US08139773B2 |
Method and an apparatus for decoding an audio signal
An apparatus and method for receiving a downmix signal including at least one object signal, and a bitstream including object information and downmix channel level difference. When the downmix signal includes at least two object signals, a relation identifier indicating whether two object signals are related is extracted, and whether the two object signals correspond to stereo object signals is identified using the downmix channel level difference and the relation identifier generating mix information including a first element and a second element using a single user input, and generating at least one of downmix processing information and multi-channel information based on the object information and the mix information. Further, the first element is applied to the left object signal to output a first channel, the second element is applied to the right object signal to output a second channel, and the first element is conversely related to the second element. |
| US08139767B2 |
Fine-grained forward-secure signature scheme
The presented methods form the basis of a forward-secure signature scheme that is provably secure. Moreover, the presented methods form also the basis of a fine-grained forward-secure signature scheme that is secure and efficient. The scheme allows to react immediately on hacker break-ins such that signatures from the past still remain valid without re-issuing them and future signature values based on an exposed key can be identified accordingly. In general, each prepared signature carries an ascending index such that once an index is used, no lower index can be used to sign. Then, whenever an adversary breaks in, an honest signer can just announce the current index, e.g., by signing some special message with respect to the current index, as part of the revocation message for the current time period. It is then understood that all signatures made in prior time periods as well as all signatures make in the revoked period up to the announced index are valid, i.e., non-reputable. |
| US08139758B2 |
Voice caller ID
An apparatus and method for audibly annunciating at a device information transmitted over a telephone network. The information is transmitted in the form of a modulated signal to the device wherein the modulated signal is representative of the information. The apparatus includes a receiver for capturing a ring signal and a modulated signal representative of information transmitted over a telephone network during an interval between the ring signal and a subsequent ring signal; a converter in communication with the receiver for converting the modulated signal into a stream of audible signals; and a speaker in communication with the converter for producing audible sounds corresponding to the stream of audible signals representative of the information received over the telephone network. |
| US08139755B2 |
System and method for the automatic selection of interfaces
The automatic selection of interfaces can result in the optimization of interaction between entities. Such selection of interfaces can be applied specifically in the context of interactive voice response systems, and can allow the interface presented to a caller to be optimized based on factors including the caller's usage of the system. |
| US08139753B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling a telephone call
One embodiment of the invention provides a method of handling a telephone call. The method includes providing a multi-tenanted computer-telephony integration (CTI) server. The different tenants correspond to various outlets for one or more product or service offerings. The CTI server is located outside the customer premises for the various outlets. The method further includes receiving a call directed to one of the outlets and using CLI for the call by the CTI server to identify the calling party and a customer profile for the calling party. The customer profile is based on previous orders. The method further includes queuing the call within the network if it is determined that the outlet is unable to currently service the call, and forwarding the call to the outlet to process the call. The CTI server uses the customer profile for providing priority call handling treatment for loyal customers. |
| US08139740B2 |
Method for operating a telephone system with at least two telephony terminals and a telephony terminal for carrying out the method
A method for operating a telephone system with at least two telephony terminals to where, in addition to voice data or user data, functional data is transmitted by means of special functions of the telephone system, such as forwarding or holding established call connections. It shall be possible in a simple way for the user to handle even a relatively large multitude of special functions. For this purpose, according to the invention, an action key of a first telephony terminal, provided for triggering special functions is assigned the respective special function to be triggered, depending on its own status or the status of a second telephony terminal within the same team. |
| US08139736B2 |
Destination device billing according to call recipient
A destination telephony device, responsive to detecting a call between a caller at an origin telephony device and a callee at the destination telephony device within a trusted telephone network, authenticates an identity of the callee with a callee voice authenticated identifier through a voice sample provided by the callee during the call. The destination telephony device receives an order form from the origin device for an order placed with the caller by the callee from the destination telephony device. The destination telephony device controls output of the order form from at least one output interface of the destination telephony device. The destination telephony device, responsive to receiving a single entry by a callee to complete the order, generates an authorization for the billing service to bill for the order from the billing plan according to the callee voice authenticated identifier in the order form, wherein authorized access to the billing plan is allowed according to the callee voice authenticated identifier and not according to account numbers. |
| US08139734B2 |
Call volume based IVR call duration and port adjustment
A method, system and computer-readable medium are disclosed for adjusting port usage and call duration in an interactive voice response (IVR) system based on changes in call volume. In one embodiment, the method comprises monitoring usage of one or more ports within an IVR system. A determination is made whether the usage of the ports exceeds a predetermined threshold for port usage. In response to determining port usage exceeds the predetermined threshold, the method adjusts one or more call flows within the IVR system to reduce call duration within the IVR system. |
| US08139733B2 |
Simultaneous voice and data systems for secure catalog orders
Systems and methods for providing a simultaneous voice and data user interface for secure catalog orders and in particular for providing a system and method for providing a distributed voice user interface for a remote device having a limited visual user interface simultaneously with a data stream for facilitating secure automated catalog orders for simultaneous electronic fulfillment applied to that device are described. |
| US08139732B2 |
Method and system for providing enhanced caller identification
Systems and methods for providing enhanced caller identification screening using audible caller name announcement are disclosed. Generally, a request for audible caller identification associated with a calling communication station is transmitted to the calling communication station based on an analysis of a query comprising data indicating whether presentation of standard call identification information to a called communication station. Audible caller identification information is then received and transmitted to the called communication station. |
| US08139725B2 |
Associated information in structured voice interaction systems
A structured voice interaction system includes logic to communicate one or more voice prompts to a caller via a voice channel, and to communicate navigation information for the structured voice interaction system to the caller via a data channel. Voice prompts communicated to the caller via the voice channel connection are coordinated with the navigation information communicated via the data channel connection. Information not referenced by the voice channel prompts, but related to or associated with actions or options referenced by the voice channel prompts, is accessed, identified, and provided over the data channel connection. |
| US08139724B2 |
Method and system for incorporating audio clips during a voice call
A method and a system for incorporating audio clips during a voice call between a calling subscriber A and at least one called subscriber B is provided. At least one of the subscribers A or B incorporates a desired audio clip into the voice call by a press of a button on the respective subscriber's telecommunications terminal. |
| US08139720B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a soft clock re-sync for subscriber line interface cards
A first clock signal is generated by a first circuit and a second clock signal is generated by an auxiliary clock circuit. A switch controls whether the first clock signal or the second clock signal is provided to a subscriber line integrated circuit (SLIC). The SLIC is operable to generate a line voltage within predetermined tolerances on a loop line at a customer premises if the SLIC is receiving the first clock signal or the second clock signal. A resync signal is sent to the SLIC to cause it to resync with the first clock signal without going through a reset operation. |
| US08139718B2 |
Radiotherapy apparatus
Realtime beam shape adjustment in response to (for example) online CT scanning of a patient during treatment is assisted by the radiotherapy apparatus comprising a source adapted to emit a beam of therapeutic radiation, a collimator for delimiting the radiation beam, the collimator comprising a plurality of leaves arranged alongside each other and be moveable longitudinally so that the tips of the leaves define a variable edge of the collimator, the leaves being mounted on a support that is moveable laterally with respect to the leaves. In this way, movements of the tumor that are perpendicular to the direction of leaf motion can be accommodated by simply moving the collimator bodily so as to accommodate this. It is preferred that the apparatus also includes a control means adapted to receive information as to the location of the target volume, and, on the basis of that information, control the longitudinal positions of the leaves and the lateral position of the support. It is also preferred that the support tilts as it moves laterally along a path. This can be achieved, by example, by bearings that are moveable on suitable guides, or by mounting the support on a plurality of pivot arms of unequal lengths. The lengths of such pivot arms can be adjusted as necessary. |
| US08139717B2 |
Secondary collimator and method of making the same
A method for making a secondary collimator that includes at least one plate having a plurality of slits defined therein includes determining a gap thickness between plate positions of the secondary collimator based on at least one dimension of the at least one plate and fabricating a base plate from a base plate blank. The base plate includes at least two slots being spaced apart by the gap thickness. The at least one plate is inserted into a first slot of the at least two slots to form the secondary collimator. |
| US08139712B2 |
Radiation imaging apparatus and method for breast
A radiation imaging apparatus in which early recognition of breast cancer can be made possible by acquiring both a radiation tomographic image that accurately displays a tumor mass and a radiation planar image that accurately displays calcification. The apparatus includes an image processing unit for generating a tomographic image signal in a first imaging mode and generating a planar image signal in a second imaging mode, a computing unit for computing an imaging direction for obtaining a radiation planar image based on a location designated in a radiation tomographic image, and a control unit for controlling a rotational driving device and a radiation generating unit to obtain the radiation tomographic image in the first imaging mode, and controlling the rotational driving device according to the computed imaging direction and controlling the radiation generating unit to obtain the radiation planar image in the second imaging mode. |
| US08139711B2 |
Radiation phase image radiographing apparatus
A radiation phase image radiographing apparatus, including a radiation emission unit having multiple radiation sources for emitting radiation onto a subject, the radiation sources being distributed such that radiation emitted from each of the radiation sources and transmitted through the subject forms a part of a projected image of the subject, a first diffraction grating configured to be exposed to the radiation emitted from the multiple radiation sources of the radiation emission unit and to produce a Talbot effect by the exposure, a second diffraction grating for diffracting the radiation diffracted by the first diffraction grating, and a radiation image detector for detecting the radiation diffracted by the second diffraction grating. |
| US08139706B2 |
Apparatus and method for supporting fuel assemblies in an underwater environment having lateral access loading
A method of loading nuclear fuel assemblies into a fuel rack in an underwater (or other submerged) environment that reduces the depth required for the pool to effectuate the fuel rack loading procedure. In one embodiment, the method comprises submerging a nuclear fuel assembly having an axis and a horizontal cross-section in a pool; providing a fuel rack in the pool, the fuel rack comprising a body structure comprising at least one elongated cell, a top, a bottom, a first lateral side, at least one elongated slot in the first lateral side that forms a lateral passageway into the cell; positioning the fuel assembly laterally adjacent to the elongated slot of the fuel rack so that the axis of the fuel assembly is substantially aligned with the elongated slot; and translating the fuel assembly in a lateral direction through the elongated slot and into the cell. |
| US08139705B2 |
Screened chamber for ion therapy
In a shielded chamber for neutron therapy including a therapy room which has a central beam axis along which a high-energy therapy beam is introduced into the Chamber through one end wall thereof and which includes at the opposite end a labyrinth entrance with at least two shielding wall sections displaced longitudinally along the central beam axis and extending into the room from opposite side walls, the wall sections include structures for causing spallation to thereby generate from the high energy neutrons in the high energy neutron beam a plurality of low energy neutrons which are then moderated by the wall sections. |
| US08139700B2 |
Dynamic quadrature clock correction for a phase rotator system
A system and method for closed loop clock correction includes adjusting two or more input signals comprising at least one in-phase clock and one quadrature clock, and applying adjusted quadrature clock signals to a device capable of generating a 4-quadrant interpolated output clock phase. An interpolated output clock phase is delayed to form a clock for a measurement device. Two or more adjusted input signals are measured on a measurement device over a range of interpolated output clock phases. Errors are determined on the in-phase clock and the quadrature clock using sampled information from the measurement device. The in-phase clock and the quadrature clock are adapted using determined error information. |
| US08139698B2 |
Dual correlation frame synchronization system and method
A system and method utilize a dual correlation, one for the synchronization pattern (sync correlation) and one for the channel equalization pattern (CE correlation), to determine where the channel equalization pattern starts and thus establish frame synchronization. The system and method compare the two correlations and decides on the start of the channel equalization symbols when the CE correlation is larger than the sync correlation. |
| US08139697B2 |
Sampling method and data recovery circuit using the same
A sampling method and a data recovery circuit using the same are provided. The sampling method includes following steps. First, a first strobe, a second strobe, a third strobe, and a fourth strobe are provided, wherein the second strobe lags the first strobe a first predetermined phase, the third and the fourth strobe respectively lag the first and the second strobe a second predetermined phase, and the second predetermined phase is half of the first predetermined phase. Then, a digital signal is respectively sampled with the first and the second strobe. Thereafter, the positions of data transition points of the digital signal are determined according to the sampling results of the first and the second strobe. Next, the third or the fourth strobe is selected as a preferable sampling strobe according to the determination result. Finally, the digital signal is sampled with the preferable sampling strobe. |
| US08139696B2 |
Baud rate detection
A method is provided of characterising a data stream of binary symbols, the method comprising sampling the stream at a predetermined rate sufficient to capture at least two samples per binary symbol, identifying the shortest continuous run of samples having the same logic level and assigning a symbol rate to the stream on the basis that the identified run is one symbol in length. |
| US08139695B2 |
Combined channel coding and space-block coding in a multi-antenna arrangement
Enhanced performance is achieved by combining channel coding with the space-time coding principles. With K synchronized terminal units transmitting on N antennas to a base station having M≧K receive antennas, increased system capacity and improved performance are attained by using a concatenated coding scheme where the inner code is a space-time block code and the outer code is a conventional channel error correcting code. Information symbols are first encoded using a conventional channel code, and the resulting signals are encoded using a space-time block code. At the receiver, the inner space-time block code is used to suppress interference from the other co-channel terminals and soft decisions are made about the transmitted symbols. The channel decoding that follows makes the hard decisions about the transmitted symbols. Increased data rate is achieved by, effectively, splitting the incoming data rate into multiple channels, and each channel is transmitted over its own terminal. |
| US08139693B2 |
Apparatus and method for estimating inter-carrier interference power and noise power in a channel
An estimation method is provided for use in a receiver of an OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) system to estimate the ICI (inter-carrier interference) and the noise power of a channel. Two pilot signals respectively carried by two subcarriers are received from the channel wherein the two pilot signals are adjacent and differ by a first phase angle. Another two pilot signals respectively carried by another two subcarrier are received from the channel wherein the another two pilot signals are adjacent and differ by a second phase angle. According to some embodiments of the invention, these phases are correlated with the ICI power, but are uncorrelated with the noise power. The estimation method then individually estimates the ICI power and noise power according to the first phase and the second phase. |
| US08139689B2 |
Hierarchical offset compensation to improve synchronization and performance
Systems and methods for removing phase shifts due to hierarchical modulation to improve synchronization and performance in legacy and hierarchical decoders are presented. To compensate for the effects of hierarchical modulation, such methods include receiving an I,Q symbol that has been further modulated by an overlay phase shift, detecting the direction of the overlay phase shift, de-rotating the symbol by a defined angle corresponding to the overlay phase shift and said direction; and passing the symbol to legacy synchronization and forward error correction decoding stages after said de-rotating. An exemplary receiver can be provided to implement the disclosed methods. |
| US08139686B2 |
Radio communication method, radio transmitting apparatus, and radio receiving apparatus
A duplicating section duplicates a bit sequence to be input, and a 16 QAM section modulates a bit sequence of a duplicating source to form a symbol, a 16 QAM section modulates the duplicated bit sequence to form a symbol, an S/P section parallel converts the symbol sequence input in series, an S/P section parallel converts the symbol sequence input in series, and an IFFT section 15 provides IFFT processing to the input symbol sequence. Since each of multiple same bits duplicated by the duplicating section is included in a different symbol, each of the multiple same bits is allocated to each of multiple subcarriers each having a different frequency by IFFT processing. As a result, a multicarrier signal including the multiple same bits each having a different frequency is generated. |
| US08139685B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for frequency control
A receiver according to one embodiment includes a frequency control unit configured to receive a stream of samples including a plurality of received instances of a transmitted signal. The frequency control unit is configured to output a first correction signal (e.g. indicating a rotation) that is based on more than one of the received instances and a second correction signal (e.g. to control an oscillator) that is also based on more than one of the received instances. In some embodiments, a controlled oscillator is used to receive and/or transmit another signal, such as a signal received from a GPS space vehicle. In other embodiments, the received instances are from a GPS signal. In further embodiments, a fixed-frequency oscillator is used, and the second correction signal is used to receive and/or transmit another signal, such as a GPS signal. |
| US08139683B2 |
Receiver and a method for channel estimation
A receiver and a method for channel estimation, the method includes calculating at least one initial channel estimate; characterized by calculating an estimate of the channel based upon a mathematical relationship between a first group of pilot subcarriers and a second group of pilot subcarriers;whereas a difference between locations of pilot subcarriers of the first group and locations of corresponding pilot subcarriers of the second group is substantially constant; and at least one of the following conditions are fulfilled: (i) pilot subcarriers that belong to the same group of subcarriers are non-evenly spaced in a frequency domain, (ii) a pilot subcarrier of the first group and a corresponding pilot subcarrier of the second group are proximate to each other in the frequency domain. |
| US08139680B2 |
Signal acquisition methods and apparatus in wireless communication systems
In an embodiment, a receiver includes an antenna configured to receive a communication frame. The communication frame may include an acquisition code symbol sequence, which in turn may include a plurality of acquisition code symbols. In an embodiment, an acquisition code symbol includes a subcode sequence having a plurality of subcodes. A receiver also may include a correlation calculator coupled to the antenna. The correlation calculator may be configured to determine a correlation between the subcodes of the received communication frame and a stored version of the subcodes. The correlation may be used in determining a timing offset for further processing of the communication frame. |
| US08139676B2 |
Wireless communication unit, linearised transmitter circuit and method of linearising therein
A wireless communication unit includes a frequency generation circuit, and a linearised transmitter operably coupled to the frequency generation circuit and having a forward path for routing a signal to be transmitted; and a feedback path, operably coupled to a power amplifier and the forward path for feeding back a portion of the signal to be transmitted. The feedback path and forward path form two loops in quadrature. The frequency generation circuit includes independent phase shift elements arranged to independently phase shift the two loops in quadrature (‘I’ and ‘Q’). |
| US08139672B2 |
Method and apparatus for pilot communication in a multi-antenna wireless communication system
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate improved pilot information to MIMO user devices without increasing interference of SISO user devices in a wireless communication environment. A data communication signal can be generated and transmitted at a first power level, and a continuous pilot waveform comprising pilot information related to the data signal can be generated and sent at a second power level below the first transmission power level. Alternatively, a discontinuous pilot waveform can be generated so that it does not overlap with pilot segments in the first waveform, and can be transmitted at the first power level without interfering with the first waveform as received by a SISO user device. A MIMO user device can receive both waveforms, and can employ the pilot waveform to better estimate a MIMO channel for the first waveform. |
| US08139668B2 |
Unified STTC encoder for WAVE transceivers
A transmitter encodes an input bitstream using space-time trellis coding (STTC). The encoder includes a serial to parallel convertor to produce a first and second output bitstreams. First and second three bit shift registers are connected to produce first and second output bitstreams. A multiplier applies a code generating weight to each bit of the shift registers to encode the bitstreams. A first switch is connected between a last bit of the first shift register and a first bit of the second shift register. A second switch is connected between the second output and the first bit of the second shift register. The first set of encoded bit streams and the second set of encoded bitstreams are combined and mapped to a frequency domain. |
| US08139667B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating frequency offset and timing offset of one or more mobile stations
A method and apparatus for estimating frequency offset and timing offset of a first Mobile Station (MS) in a communication system is provided. The method includes receiving a composite signal at a plurality of receiver antennas of a Base Transceiver Station (BTS). The composite signal includes a first signal transmitted from a first MS and a second signal transmitted from a second MS. The composite signal includes one or more tiles. Each tile includes a plurality of data sub-carriers, a plurality of first pilot sub-carriers, and a plurality of second pilot sub-carriers. A total phase offset of the first MS is estimated based on a complex conjugate product of pilot symbols of the plurality of first pilot sub-carriers. Thereafter, a first phase offset corresponding to the timing offset of the first MS is estimated based on a Power Delay Profile (PDP) of one or more first pilot sub-carriers. Finally, a second phase offset corresponding to the frequency offset of the first MS is determined based on the total phase offset and the first phase offset. |
| US08139664B2 |
Reception apparatus, reception method and program
Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus, including, an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signal reception section, a first filter section, a subtraction section, a second filter section, a coefficient production section, and a Fast Fourier Transformation mathematic operation section. |
| US08139660B2 |
Methods and apparatus related to using a wireless terminal scrambling identifier
User specific modulation-symbol scrambling is implemented for various uplink segments, e.g., uplink traffic acknowledgement channel (ULTACH), uplink state request channel (ULSRCH), and uplink dedicated control channel (ULDCCH) segments. A wireless terminal is assigned a wireless terminal scrambling identifier. A set of ordered input modulation symbols are determined for an uplink dedicated segment to which user specific scrambling is to be applied. One bit of the assigned wireless terminal scrambling identifier is associated with each of the ordered input modulation symbols of a segment in accordance with a predetermined mapping. For each input modulation symbol a scrambling operation, e.g., a phase rotation of the input modulation symbol, is performed as a function of the associated user specific scrambling identifier bit to obtain a corresponding output modulation symbol. A value of (0,1) for a scrambling ID bit is associated with a (first, second) amount of phase rotation, e.g., (0, 180) degrees, respectively. |
| US08139658B2 |
Method and system for providing a time equalizer for multiline transmission in communication systems
A method and system for multiline transmission in communications systems are described. Eigenvalues are calculated to maximize equalized channel impulse response (1010). Eigenvectors associated with dominant eigenvalues are identified (1020). The eigenvectors are combined into a subspace. Optimization is performed over the subspace to calculate subspace time equalizer coefficients (1030). |
| US08139657B2 |
VUTP hybrid command management authority
Embodiments of an a autointelligent sensing and analysis systematic method that includes differentiating between digital and analog communication, controlling access authorities both locally and remotely, and making intelligent analysis on static or dynamic utilization of the electrical utility under management on a parallel computational basis. |
| US08139653B2 |
Multi-channel galvanic isolator utilizing a single transmission channel
A galvanic isolator having a transmitting section and a receiving section is disclosed. The transmitting section includes a frame input circuit, a data encoder, and a data transmitter. The frame input circuit receives an input data frame that includes a plurality of input binary bits. The data encoder encodes the input binary bits to generate an encoded data frame that includes a sequence of encoded binary bits in which two successive encoded binary bits represent each input binary bit. The successive encoded binary bits representing a 1 are 01 or 10, and the successive encoded binary bits representing a 0 are 00 or 11. The sequences are chosen to maximize the number of transitions in the encoded data frame. A data receiver recovers the encoded data frame by examining successive pairs of encoded data bits using a clock that is reset on the edges in the encoded data frame. |
| US08139647B2 |
Moving image decoding apparatus and moving image decoding method
Moving image decoding apparatus and moving image decoding method wherein the picture quality degradation is small even when an error occurs in decoding or the like in an coding system that refers to more than one frames to perform a prediction coding. An error correcting part (6) comprises an image selecting part (61) and an error concealing part (62). The image selecting part (61) selects a frame to be used as the image for the concealment and notifies the error concealing part (62) of, as information of the selected frame, the frame number (frame_num) of the selected image or the number of a frame memory in which the selected image is stored. The error concealing part (62) uses additional information and the selected frame information which is given from the image selecting part (61) to conceal the macro block where the error has occurred. |
| US08139646B2 |
Splicing MPEG streams comparing offset and reference time value
The present invention relates to a method of assembling a first data stream (ds1) with a second data stream (ds2), each data stream comprising coded frames (I,P), each coded frame being associated with a relative time value, specific coded frames of a data stream being preceded by an absolute time value. Said method comprises the steps of: calculating a current reference time value for a current coded frame on the basis of a previous reference time value and on an integer part of the current relative time value, calculating an offset time value on the basis of the reference time value of the last frame in the display order of the first data stream, modifying the absolute time values of the specific coded frames of the second data stream by adding the offset time value to said absolute time values. |
| US08139642B2 |
Method for encoding signals, related systems and program product therefor
A method for encoding video signals subjects the signals to unbalanced multiple description coding. The unbalanced multiple description coding codes a video signal in a first high resolution packet and a second low resolution packet and represents, respectively a first high resolution description and a second low resolution description. The unbalanced multiple description coding step includes using different intra refresh periods for the first and second high resolution descriptions, with an intra refresh period for the second low resolution description shorter than the intra refresh period of the first high resolution description. |
| US08139635B2 |
Method for efficient encoding and decoding quantized sequence in Wyner-Ziv coding of video
A computer-based method for encoding and decoding quantized sequences in Wyner-Ziv coding of video, bi-partite graph is used in an iterative process. The method takes as input to an encoder a sequence of quantized data from a finite alphabet, the sequence comprising a video frame. Another sequence of data, decoded from the prior video frame, is input to a decoder. A statistical model describing the statistical relationship between the quantized input sequence to the encoder and the input sequence to the decoder is input to both the encoder and the decoder. A minimum field size is estimated from the statistical model at the encoder and the decoder separately. |
| US08139634B2 |
Methods and apparatuses of fast cross motion estimation for video encoding
This disclosure is related to a fast motion estimation method for implementing in a video encoder. A particular method includes determining early termination based on the value of a sum of absolute difference (SAD0). The method also includes performing motion prediction using a motion vector from a previous frame as a prediction point. The method further includes using the prediction point as the center to obtain the integral motion vector by conducting a 3×3 cross searching until a minimum sum of absolute difference (minSAD) is located at the center of the cross and predicting a location of a half-pixel point based upon a point corresponding to the integral motion vector, values of the minimum sum of absolute difference of other four cross points. |
| US08139629B2 |
Adaptive controller
An adaptive controller includes an adaptive-signal generator for generating an adaptive signal, which includes a first amplitude filter coefficient and a first phase filter coefficient, in a first transfer path based on an angular frequency of a cyclic signal, which a vibration generation source generates; a first residual-error detector for detecting a first residual error at a first observation point in the first transfer path; an observation-point target-value setter for setting a residual-error target value, which includes an amplitude target value complying with the angular frequency; and a first filter-coefficient updater for updating the first amplitude filter coefficient and the first phase filter coefficient based on the angular frequency, the first residual error and the residual-error target value. Thus, when adding the adaptive signal to the cyclic signal, the adaptive controller can make the residual error, which results from the addition, not equal to zero intentionally. |
| US08139628B1 |
Method and device to compensate for baseline wander
A method and device for compensating for undesirable signal characteristics such as baseline wander that includes a linear equalization filter responsive to receive an input, a combiner responsive to an output of the linear equalization filter, and a decision feedback equalization filter responsive to an output of the combiner, where the combiner is further responsive to an output of the decision feedback equalizer. Additionally, an error feedback circuit is responsive to the output of the combiner, and the combiner is further responsive to an output of the error feedback circuit to form a compensated signal having reduced distortion relative to the distorted signal. |
| US08139626B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication method, circuit module and integrated circuit
In communication method for communicating via a transmission channel to which first communication apparatuses communicating based on a first communication system, second communication apparatuses communicating based on a second communication system, and third communication apparatuses communicating based on a third communication system are connected, a data transmission domain and a notification domain for notifying a data transmission within the data transmission domain are allocated to the first communication apparatuses, the second communication apparatuses, and the third communication apparatuses, respectively. In the communication method, notices of the data transmission for each of the first communication apparatuses, the second communication apparatuses and the third communication apparatuses are transmitted within the notification domain, and the data transmission domain is reallocated in accordance with the notices transmitted from the first, second and third communication apparatuses. |
| US08139625B2 |
High frequency system on chip transceiver
A system-on-chip (SOC) transceiver is provided. The transceiver is configured to operate in excess of 100 GHz and comprising the following components. A quadrature oscillator is configured to generate a fundamental frequency and a second harmonic frequency and comprises at least a pair of high frequency outputs at said second harmonic frequency. At least the second harmonic frequency exceeds 100 GHz. A transmission output is coupled to one of the high frequency outputs for transmitting an output signal at the second harmonic frequency. A transmission signal transformer is coupled to the other one of the high frequency outputs and configured to generate a differential oscillator signal at the second harmonic frequency. A radio frequency input receives radio frequency signals at the transceiver from an antenna. A radio frequency signal transformer coupled to the radio frequency input is configured to generate a differential radio frequency signal at the radio frequency. A mixer is configure to compare the differential radio frequency signal with the differential oscillator signal and output the comparison as an intermediate frequency signal. |
| US08139619B2 |
Group-III nitride semiconductor laser device, and method for fabricating group-III nitride semiconductor laser device
Provided are a group-III nitride semiconductor laser device with a laser cavity to enable a low threshold current on a semipolar surface of a hexagonal group-III nitride, and a method for fabricating the group-III nitride semiconductor laser device on a stable basis. Notches, e.g., notch 113a and others, are formed at four respective corners of a first surface 13a located on the anode side of a group-III nitride semiconductor laser device 11. The notch 113a or the like is a part of a scribed groove provided for separation of the device 11. The scribed grooves are formed with a laser scriber and the shape of the scribed grooves is adjusted by controlling the laser scriber. For example, a ratio of the depth of the notch 113a or the like to the thickness of the group-III nitride semiconductor laser device 11 is not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.4, a tilt of a side wall surface at an end of the notch 113a is not less than 45° and not more than 85°, and a tilt of a side wall surface at an end of the notch 113b is not less than 10° and not more than 30°. |
| US08139618B2 |
Light emission device, light emission device driving method, and projector
A light emission device includes: first and second clad layers sandwiching an active layer; a first electrode connected with the first clad layer; and second electrodes connected with the second clad layer, at least part of the active layer forms gain areas corresponding to the second electrodes, the gain areas extend from a first side to a second side of the active layer while inclined to a vertical of the first side, at least first and second gain areas form a set of gain areas and a plurality of sets are provided, the first and second gain areas in each set are disposed perpendicular to a direction extending from the first side to the second side, the second electrodes above the first gain areas are interconnected by a first common electrode, and the second electrodes above the second gain areas are interconnected by a second common electrode. |
| US08139615B2 |
Data processing apparatus
A data processing apparatus includes a channel demultiplexing circuit, a bus, a memory controller and a memory. The channel demultiplexing circuit has a first delay circuit which delays first channel data only of multi-channel data by one cycle and outputs first delayed channel data, a second delay circuit which delays second channel data only of the multi-channel data by one cycle and outputs second delayed channel data, and a channel data holding circuit which stores first coupled data obtained by coupling the first channel data and the first delayed channel data for multiple cycles and stores second coupled data obtained by coupling the second channel data and an output of the second delay circuit for multiple cycles. The channel demultiplexing circuit selectively outputs a first channel data group and a second channel data group to the bus. |