| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08136569B2 |
Operating and mounting system for a window covering
An operating unit (5) for operating a window covering. The operating unit (5) includes a housing (11), a rotatable drive pulley (13) having an axis of rotation and first and second mounting positions in the housing, with respect to the axis of rotation, an engagement device (15), rotatable about the axis of rotation, and a brake mechanism (45, 47, 49) for, in use, arresting the engagement device when the drive pulley (13) is not rotated and preventing the engagement device and drive pulley from being back driven by the window covering. The engagement device (15) has a plurality of circumferentially spaced pins (19) parallel to the axis of rotation. The drive pulley (13) has a corresponding plurality of openings (17) facing the pins (19). In the first mounting position, the pins on the engagement device (15) engage with the corresponding openings (17) in the drive pulley and the engagement device rotates with the drive pulley. In the second mounting position, the pins (19) do not so engage and the engagement device (15) thereby can rotate relative to the drive pulley (13). |
| US08136565B2 |
Speed changing transmission mechanism of sheet laminating apparatus
A speed changing transmission mechanism of a sheet laminating apparatus includes a speed changing module, a motor, a switching gear, a hot press gear, a first connecting gear and a second connecting gear. By switching the switching gear to be engaged with different gear, the speed changing transmission mechanism is capable of hot laminating the sheet article and withdrawing the jammed sheet article. |
| US08136559B2 |
Planer
A hand held electrically powered planer including a housing; an electric motor mounted within the housing; a work piece engaging shoe mounted on the underside of the housing having an aperture formed therethrough; and a cutting drum rotatably mounted within the housing, which is capable of being rotatably driven by the electric motor when the electric motor is activated. A part of the cutting drum protrudes through the aperture to engage a work piece. A cutting blade is mounted on the cutting drum. A rear handle is mounted on the housing and includes an elongate shaft attached at one end only to the rear of the housing and extends forward in a lengthwise direction over a portion of the housing toward the front end of the housing. A grip is mounted or formed on the elongate shaft and there is a front handle which is mounted on the free end of the shaft forward of the grip. |
| US08136558B2 |
Plunge router bearing
A routing machine comprises a first plunge post, a second plunge post, and an electric motor moveable on the routing machine relative to the first plunge post and the second plunge post. A first sleeve bearing is slideably positioned on the first plunge post with a first clearance defined between the first sleeve bearing and the first plunge post. The first sleeve bearing is configured to slide along the first plunge post when the electric motor moves relative to the first plunge post. A second sleeve bearing is slideably positioned on the second plunge post with a second clearance defined between the second sleeve bearing and the second plunge post. The second sleeve bearing is configured to slide along the second plunge post when the electric motor moves relative to the second plunge post. At least one flexible member extends from the second sleeve bearing toward the second plunge post. |
| US08136556B2 |
System for loading particulate matter into a transport container
A method of loading particulate matter into a transport container having at least one chamber with a peripheral region using an apparatus comprising a rotatable member configured to be positioned at least partially into an opening for the chamber. The method can include the acts of locating the apparatus adjacent the opening for the chamber by movement relative to the transport container, initiating a flow of particulate matter from the apparatus into the opening, rotating the rotatable member to facilitate the dispensing of particulate matter within the chamber, and engaging the rotatable member with particulate matter so that at least a portion of particulate matter that has been dispensed into the chamber is pushed into the peripheral region within the chamber. |
| US08136554B2 |
Molded plastic pipe
The invention relates to a plastic molded pipe, in particular for fuel-conducting return lines in injection systems for internal combustion engines. The plastic molded pipe has an inner pipe and an outer encapsulation made of a plastic material with connectors for additional components of the fuel injection system. The inner pipe is embodied as a plastic inner pipe with at least one bend. |
| US08136547B2 |
Poppet valve with diverging-converging flow passage and method to reduce total pressure loss
A poppet valve is disclosed that include a valve body, a poppet guide disposed inside the valve body so as to form a flow passage from a flow inlet to a flow outlet of the valve, a poppet shutter disposed inside the poppet guide, and a converging-diverging flow passage formed by a portion of an outer surface of the poppet shutter and a corresponding portion of an inner surface of valve body. A method for reducing a closing pressure force acting on a poppet shutter of a poppet valve is also disclosed. |
| US08136546B2 |
Pressure relief valve
A pressure relief valve for blown fiber closures is provided having constituent components fabricated from plastic. An adaptor is provided for connection to a blown fiber closure, and a body welded to this adaptor, is provided to enclose a piston and a spring within, such that they are protected from the ingress of silt and water. The piston is arranged to provide a double seal such that a pressure relief valve plug and an opening in the enclosing body are closed or opened simultaneously to prevent the ingress of silt and/or water on the one hand and the unhindered escape of pressurized fluid on the other. |
| US08136544B2 |
Sealing arrangement with a segmented seal and pressure relief
A sealing apparatus adapted for use in a pressure vessel such as a synthesis gas cooler. The sealing apparatus is of a segmented plate construction formed around an outer wall section of a conduit means of the pressure vessel that defines at least part of a passage for receiving effluent from a gasification process. Pressure responsive mechanisms are provided on the plate segments to maintain the pressure difference across the sealing apparatus within the acceptable operating limits as well as to permit instantaneous pressure release to prevent damage to the pressure part assembly or cage. The seal is also maintained continuously through the differential growth movement between the conduit means and the pressure vessel during heat up and cool down cycles. |
| US08136538B2 |
Processing system, processing method, and storage medium
A processing system 1 comprises: a processing vessel 30 configured to accommodate an object to be processed W in a processing space 83; a process-fluid generating part 41 configured to generate a process fluid of a predetermined temperature; and a main duct 56 arranged between the process-fluid generating part 41 and the processing vessel 30, the main duct 56 being configured to guide the process fluid supplied from the process-fluid generating part 41. A process-fluid supply duct 171 is arranged on a downstream side of the main duct 56 via a switching valve 70, the process-fluid supply duct 171 being configured to introduce the process fluid into the processing space 83 of the processing vessel 30. A process-fluid bypass duct 172 is arranged on the downstream side of the main duct 56 via the switching valve 70, the process-fluid bypass duct 172 being configured to guide a process fluid, which is not introduced to the process-fluid supply duct 171, so as to bypass the processing space 83. The main duct 56 is provided with a flow-rate adjusting mechanism 65 for adjusting a flow rate of the process fluid flowing through the main duct 56. |
| US08136536B2 |
Shape memory polymer mascara brush
A mascara brush includes bristles made from shape memory polymer (SMP) filaments. The SMP filaments are selected to exhibit a first shape during assembly of the brush, and a second shape after exposure to an external stimulus in the form of heat or other energy. During assembly, the SMP filaments are clamped between wire segments twisted to form a core. The first shape can be straight to facilitate assembly of the fibers in the wire core. The second shape, after assembly in the core and after being subjected to the external stimulus, can be any bristle shape suitable for enhancing the function of the brush, e.g., kinked, wavy or coiled. The brush head may be made solely of SMP filaments, or may be a blend of SMP filaments and any other suitable filament (e.g., nylon, natural plant or animal fibers, etc.). |
| US08136535B2 |
Artificial nail and method of forming same
An artificial nail is formed by injection molding a first section and a second section. The first section and second section are adjacent to one another. One of the sections defines a front distal tip of the artificial nail and is formed by injecting a quantity of heated material under pressure from a nozzle into a sprue, through a runner and through a cavity gate into a mold cavity. The other section is formed by injecting another quantity of heated material under pressure from a heated nozzle through another cavity gate into the mold cavity. |
| US08136534B2 |
Method and device for enclosing hair
A method and device for enclosing a portion of hair such that it is not mussed or damaged, yet is aesthetically pleasing. A flexible and elastic elongated material having a cavity therein receives the hair, and the device is unfurled to a desired length. |
| US08136528B2 |
Condom
This invention relates to condoms, prophylactics and contraceptive devices made of silicone rubber having a body with an open end and a closed end, a first collar proximate to the open end, a second collar adjacent to the first collar, and a series of accordion pleats on the body, wherein the accordion pleats can independently expand or contract. |
| US08136525B2 |
Mask system
A mask system for use between a patient and a device to deliver a breathable gas to the patient includes a mouth cushion, a pair of nasal prongs, an elbow, and a headgear assembly. The mouth cushion is structured to sealingly engage around an exterior of a patient's mouth in use, and the pair of nasal prongs are structured to sealingly communicate with nasal passages of a patient's nose in use. The elbow delivers breathable gas to the patient. The headgear assembly maintains the mouth cushion and the nasal prongs in a desired position on the patient's face. The headgear assembly provides a substantially round crown strap that cups the parietal bone and occipital bone of the patient's head in use. |
| US08136521B2 |
Auto-titration bi-level pressure support system and method of using same
A bi-level pressure support system and method of treating disordered breathing that optimizes the pressure delivered to the patient during inspiration and expiration to treat the disordered breathing while minimizing the delivered pressure for patient comfort. The pressure generating system generates a flow of breathing gas at an inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP) during inspiration and at an expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) during expirations. A controller monitor at least one of the following conditions: (1) snoring, (2) apneas, (3) hypopneas, or (4) a big leak in the pressure support system and adjusts the IPAP and the EPAP based on the occurrence of any one of these conditions. |
| US08136514B2 |
Device for propelling a projectile
An archery or similar projectile launching device having a spring assembly to energize the device and a release mechanism to transmit energy stored within a torsion or alternative spring to the bowstring, so as to accelerate an arrow nocked to the bowstring once the trigger is released. In one embodiment, conjoined cranks wind a torsion spring within a spring motor affixed along the riser of the bow while the bowstring and arrow are concurrently brought into the discharge position. A mechanical advantage may be achieved with the cranking mechanism to reduce the effort exerted by the archer and thereby increase accuracy, velocity and ease of use. |
| US08136508B2 |
Selective displacement control of multi-plunger fuel pump
A pump for a combustion engine is disclosed. The pump may have at least one pumping member movable through a plurality of displacement strokes during a single engine cycle. The pump may also have a controller in communication with the pumping member. The controller may be configured to selectively reduce an amount of fluid displaced during at least one, but less than all of the plurality of displacement strokes. The reduction may be initiated in response to a demand for the displaced fluid. |
| US08136503B2 |
Piston valve internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine of two perpendicular, toroidal cylinders intersecting at two junctions with each cylinder containing one piston filling half of its volume. The pistons are 180 degrees out of phase; each alternately occluding one intersection or the other. Each piston completes a full power, exhaust, intake, and compression stroke in one revolution. Endplates of 45 degrees allow the combustion chamber junction to be permanently filled and sealed at all times; first by one piston, then by the tips of both pistons as the complementary-angled endplates tangentially slide past one another, and then by the other piston. Compressed gases are shunted into the crossing cylinder's combustion chamber. Both pistons orbit continuously, one-way. Airflow is also one-way. Each piston is mounted to a sealed, 360-degree, counterbalanced ring gear. One ring gear is positioned centrally and the other peripherally to prevent interference. These maintain coordination between the pistons and provide output. |
| US08136495B2 |
Switchable support element for a valve train of an internal combustion engine
A switchable support element (1) for a valve train of an internal combustion engine, said support element (1) comprising a housing (2) that can be arranged through an outer peripheral wall (3) in a reception of the internal combustion engine and in whose bore (4) an axially movable inner element (6) extends, a head (5) of the inner element (6) protruding beyond an edge (7) of the housing (2), coupling elements (8) being associated to the inner element (6) for a selective coupling of the inner element (6) in an axially extended position of the inner element (6) to the housing (2), and said inner element (6) being biased by at least one lost motion spring (9) in a direction leading out of the housing (2), wherein the coupling elements (8) are at least one slide which, in case of uncoupling, is positioned in a guide (10) of the housing (2) extending in radial or secant direction and which comprises a flattened upper side (12) starting from a radially inner front end (11) of the slide, and this flattened upper side (12) can be brought into engagement with a flattened lower side (13) of a recess (14) in the outer peripheral wall (15) of the inner element (6) for effecting coupling. |
| US08136494B2 |
Lifter guide
A guide for use in a vehicle engine having an engine block, cylinder head, and a cylinder head gasket. The guide comprises a valve lifter retention portion, a push rod retention portion in communication with the valve lifter retention portion via one or more apertures, and an alignment and attachment portion extending from the push rod retention portion and configured to be retained by contact with the cylinder head gasket. |
| US08136492B2 |
Internal combustion engine having a variable valve control system, and method of using same
An internal combustion engine includes a variable valve control system which is operable to switch actions of an engine valve by slidably moving a rocker arm in the axial direction of a rocker-arm shaft, and which is capable of removing a restriction on the sliding movement of the rocker arm at accurate timings while employing a simplified configuration. When a trigger arm swings by a predetermined amount to the opposite side of a rocker arm, a left-hand engagement nail in engagement with an engagement groove disengages from the engagement groove, but a right-hand engagement nail still engages with an engagement groove. The left-hand engagement nail is placed on top of a left-hand deck-like portion. After that, when an action of the rocker arm makes the trigger arm further swing to the opposite side of the rocker arm, the right-hand engagement nail disengages from the engagement groove. |
| US08136490B2 |
Multi-piston camwheel engine
An engine is disclosed. In one implementation, the engine includes a camwheel mounted to an output shaft. Eighteen cylinder-enclosed pistons are positioned in a circular plane about the camwheel such that the radius of the circular plane and the camwheel are coplanar. Lobes integrally formed on the camwheel define a guiderail including a continuously, substantially sinusoidal surface biased for rotation in the direction of the rotary motion of the output shaft. Drive bearings associated with each piston engage and maintain contact with the guiderail. The rotary motion is obtained by transferring the displacement of the plurality of pistons from respective top dead center positions and bottom dead center positions to the guiderail, thereby rotating the camwheel and output shaft. |
| US08136489B2 |
Variable compression ratio internal combustion engine
In a variable compression ratio internal combustion engine that controls the compression of an internal combustion engine by changing the volume of the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine in an axial direction of the cylinder, when a target compression ratio (εt) based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine is at a reference compression ratio (ε0) or greater (S102), the compression ratio is changed to the target compression ratio (S103). When the target compression ratio (εt) is lower than the reference compression ratio (ε0) (S102), a control is executed to change the compression ratio and also to strength the tumble flow in the combustion chamber (S104). |
| US08136486B2 |
Motorized vehicles spark timing control for use with biofuel gasoline mixture
The present invention provides apparatus for varying an engine's combustion spark timing for use of hybrid fuels, such as bio-fuel and gasoline. An operator selectable switch enables or disables an on-board computer selecting between gasoline and bio-fuel mixtures as the on-board fuel so that engine mounted sensors provide data used to determine optimum fuel-ignition spark discharge values from a computerized table. |
| US08136484B2 |
Turf irrigation system
An irrigation system has a water distribution system, a controller, and a pet monitoring system. The controller may modify an irrigation setting of the water distribution system based on a pet elimination signal from the pet monitoring system. The pet elimination signal may correspond to an event such as a pet urination event. |
| US08136483B2 |
Method and apparatus for creating a pathway in an animal
A method and apparatus for safer and more effective deep trans-cervical intra-uterine artificial insemination (AI) is provided. Such a deep AI catheter causes minimal discomfort and risk of trauma, and does not require the services of a highly trained AI professional. First, a catheter is inserted into the cervical tract of the animal. A membrane, initially positioned inside a tube section of the catheter, is then extended from an opening in the tube and into the tract under pressure. The membrane extends into the tract without friction thereby reducing the discomfort and the risk of trauma or injury to the animal. When the membrane is fully extended into the tract, pressure causes the tip of the membrane to open thereby releasing the AI fluid and depositing the genetic material suspended in the fluid into the reproductive tract. In addition to AI and embryo transplant, other applications for the pathway include other therapeutic, diagnostic or procedures, such as introducing fluoroscopic cameras, instruments, and drug delivery. |
| US08136480B2 |
Physical vapor deposition system
A physical vapor deposition system for making microparticles generated by using a non-transfer type plasma torch not generating an outgas even in an ultra-high vacuum environment accelerate by a supersonic gas flow and depositing microparticles on a substrate to form a coating film is provided. Provision is made of an evaporation chamber (10, 20) having a plasma torch (16, 26) and an evaporation source (15, 25) inside it and a film formation chamber 30 having a supersonic nozzle 35 and a substrate for film formation 33. Each plasma torch has a substantially cylindrical electrically conductive anode 40, a polymer-based or non-polymer-based insulation pipe 50 inserted to the inner side of that and generating less outgas than a phenol resin, and a rod shaped cathode 60 inserted to the inner side of an insulation pipe 50. Microparticles are generated from an evaporation source (15, 25) by a plasma obtained by applying voltages to the anode 40 and the cathode 60, ejected from a supersonic nozzle 35, made to ride on a supersonic gas flow, and deposited by physical vapor deposition onto a substrate for film formation 33. |
| US08136478B2 |
Device and a method for applying an even, thin fluid layer to substrates
A device for applying an even, thin fluid layer, in particular a phosphoric acid layer, onto substrates, in particular silicon cells for photovoltaic application, is provided with a process chamber, which is provided with a fluid pan and a high-frequency ultrasound device that converts the fluid into fluid mist, and with a transport device that is arranged beneath a fluid-mist dropping shaft of the process chamber for the substrates. To create a device of this type, which permits an application of the fluid onto the silicon cells in question that is substantially more homogeneous regarding both surface area and volume, the fluid-mist dropping shaft of the process chamber tapers in its interior cross-section towards the transport device and discharges into a passage shaft arrangement for the substrates that covers the transport device, and the interior cross-section of the orifice end of the fluid-mist dropping shaft and of the passage shaft arrangement are coordinated with each other, preferably being essentially identical. |
| US08136475B2 |
Controlled environment chamber for applying a coating material to a surface of a member
A painting apparatus for applying a coating material to a member surface of a member comprises a housing, at least one slide rail, a rack assembly, a cross beam and a spraying device. The slide rail may be mountable within the housing and may have a plurality of rack positions. The rack assembly is mountable within the housing at one of the rack positions. The rack assembly is configured to support the member such that the member surface is exposed. The cross beam may be coupled to the slide rail. The cross beam is movable along the slide rail and is positionable at the rack positions. The spraying device is mountable on the cross beam and is configured to move along the cross beam while spraying the coating material onto the member surface. |
| US08136473B2 |
Gluing mechanism and gluing method for tissue paper winding machine
A gluing mechanism and method is used to dispense glue onto predetermined positions at a gluing side of a long tape of tissue paper when the tissue paper is feeding through a winding machine. The gluing mechanism includes a glue dispensing roller oriented towards and located at a predetermined distance from the gluing side of the tissue paper; at least one gluing member located near a predetermined feeding path of the tissue paper to orient toward a contact side of the tissue paper opposite to the gluing side, and including a pivot end and an action end. A driving mechanism is connected to the pivot end of the gluing member for driving the gluing member to turn about the pivot end, so as to move the action end of the gluing member to a glue dispensing position oriented toward the glue dispensing roller or away from the glue dispensing position. |
| US08136471B1 |
Marker system with marker and installation apparatus
A marker for marking a ground surface is disclosed, and includes a shaft having a bottom end and a top end. The shaft includes an insertion portion for insertion into the ground. The insertion portion is located at the bottom end of the shaft. The shaft includes a mast portion for extending above the ground surface when the insertion portion is at least partially inserted into the ground. The shaft includes an engagement portion located between the insertion portion and the mast portion with the insertion portion being located between the engagement portion and the bottom end. The engagement portion is configured to be engaged and pushed to cause insertion of the shaft into the ground. |
| US08136470B1 |
System and method for modifying the net buoyancy of underwater objects
Buoyancy is controlled in a tethered object by pumping fluids, either of a first or second specific gravity, from an external source into either a first or second containment chamber to change the respective volumetric capacities of the first and second containment chambers. The containment chambers are configured such that the second chamber is at least partially enclosed within the first chamber. The second chamber is configured to expand and retract within the first chamber, which has a fixed housing. Expansion or contraction of the second chamber results in a corresponding inverse change in a volumetric capacity of the first chamber. The fluid chambers may be separate or contained within the same housing, and may be located on a towing vessel. Sensor data from the tethered object's environment may be used to control the transfer of fluid to the first and second chambers. |
| US08136465B2 |
Apparatus and method for reducing motion of a floating vessel
A vessel (2) comprises a first stabilizer assembly (14) and a second stabilizer assembly, each stabilizer assembly comprising at least one submergible at least partially hollow body; and suspending means (16) for suspending the or each body from the vessel, the first and second stabilizer assemblies being suspended from substantially opposite sides of the vessel. Fins (22) are provided on the stabilizer assembly. |
| US08136464B1 |
C-fast system
A vessel constructed with a series of hull, bulkhead, and/or deck panels. The vessel includes a vessel frame and multi-panel sections attached to the frame. The multi-section panels include a plurality of elongated cold formed steel sections welded together. The sections include a flat segment and a web segment, where the flat segment is wider than the web segment. The multi-panel section is attached to the vessel frame and the flat segments form the hull, bulkhead, or deck of the vessel. |
| US08136463B2 |
Device and method for continuous production of a three dimensional fabric for making panels
Method and device for continuous production of three dimensional fabrics (50) made up of two or more external layers (51,52) of fabric connected to each other using thread strands (53) starting from separate pieces of fabric, overlapping and joining them and proceeding to sewing using strands (53), said sewing using strands (53) being performed using two pieces of fabric lying and sliding on the opposite faces of a spacer comb-like structure (6), that determines the length of the thread strands (53). |
| US08136462B2 |
Quick and easy assembly shelving unit and method for assembling the same
A shelving unit includes a support frame and a plurality of support boards each detachably mounted on the support frame. The support frame includes a first support bracket, a second support bracket located opposite to the first support bracket, two connecting braces each pivotally mounted between the first side of the first support bracket and the first side of the second support bracket, and a connecting plate having a first side pivotally mounted on the second side of the first support bracket and a second side detachably mounted on the second side of the second support bracket. Thus, the shelving unit can be assembled and disassembled easily and quickly without using tools, thereby facilitating a user on saving a considerable amount of time and inconvenience to assemble the shelving unit. In addition, the shelving unit can be folded before assembly facilitates on reducing the cost of packaging, transportation and storage of the shelving unit. |
| US08136458B1 |
Clothesline apparatus
A clothesline apparatus for holding a laundry basket and clothes pins comprising a bench component, a basket for placing atop the bench component, and a set of containers disposed near the front of the bench component, wherein the set of containers is for storing clothes pins and/or the like. A first wing and a second wing are disposed on the bench component, wherein the clothesline apparatus can be attached to a pole or a wall via clamps wrapping round the first wing and the second wing. |
| US08136454B2 |
Battery-powered all-electric locomotive and related locomotive and train configurations
Designs for a battery-powered, all-electric locomotive and related locomotive and train configurations are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, a locomotive may be driven by a plurality of traction motors powered exclusively by a battery assembly which preferably comprises rechargeable batteries or other energy storage means. The locomotive carries no internal combustion engine on board and receives no power during operation from any power source external to the locomotive. A battery management system monitors and equalizes the batteries to maintain a desired state of charge (SOC) and depth of discharge (DOD) for each battery. A brake system may be configured to prioritize a regenerative braking mechanism over an air braking mechanism so that substantial brake energy can be recovered to recharge the battery assembly. Many locomotive or train configurations involving battery-powered or battery-toting locomotive(s) may be implemented. In one embodiment, a battery-toting locomotive is directly coupled with and positioned between two diesel-electric locomotives, wherein the batteries recover energy from regenerative braking and/or supply power to drive traction motors. |
| US08136453B2 |
Linear motor driven system and method
A vehicle motion control system comprising: a sliding surface; a vehicle adapted to slide on said sliding surface; and a linear motor associated with the vehicle and the sliding surface for affecting sliding motion of the vehicle on the sliding surface. |
| US08136450B2 |
Thermally initiated venting system and method of using same
An apparatus includes a heat-to-detonation transition manifold, a heat pipe connected to the transition manifold, a linear shaped charge, and a transfer line connecting the heat-to-detonation transition manifold and the linear shaped charge. An apparatus includes a thermally-activated pyrotechnic train and a linear shaped charge coupled with the pyrotechnic train. A method includes initiating a deflagrating material at a predetermined temperature or within a predetermined range of temperatures, initiating a detonating material with the deflagrating material, and initiating a linear shaped charge with the detonated material. |
| US08136449B2 |
Explosive powder plug and method of using the same
An inexpensive bullet-shaped plug is shown for use in a blasting hole containing water in the bottom thereof, which plug permits dry powder to be used above the waterline rather than more expensive wet powder. After the blasting holes are drilled, if water accumulates in the bottom thereof, the bullet-shaped plug with a center weight is dropped into the hole, which bullet-shaped plug floats on the water. Small rocks are dropped on top of the bullet-shaped plug causing upper tentacles to flare out to engage the wall of the blasting hole. Dry powder is then loaded into the blasting hole on top of the bullet-shaped plug. A cap is inserted a distance below the surface of the blasting hole. Thereafter, a series of similar blasting holes are blown at one time to create debris that can be removed or further processed. |
| US08136444B2 |
Method for pressing and forming a raw material into a granulated material and an apparatus thereof
A method and apparatus for pressing and forming a raw material into a granulated material having a uniform shape by a pair of rolls (1, 2), wherein at least one of the rolls of the pair of rolls has a predetermined number of holes (16) for forming the granulated material on an outer surface thereof, and pressing pins (17), which are inserted into respective holes, and a predetermined number of members (18) for supporting the pins installed in the one of the rolls of the pair of rolls, the members for supporting the pressing pins being configured to be separate from the pressing pins so that the pressing pins slide on the members for supporting the pressing pins; and wherein the granulated material is ejected by the pressing pins as the pressing pins slide on the members for supporting the pins. |
| US08136442B2 |
Selection systems and methods
The present invention relates generally to a selection process that is facilitated by a multi-modality controller. The selection process and knob are particularly useful in connection with an oven or other cooking appliance, but the knob and screens described herein can be used with any electronic component that requires a user to select various operating modes. |
| US08136440B1 |
Adapter for converting a magazine-fed firearm to use linked ammunition
An ammunition feed adapter and method of use is provided that converts a semi-automatic or fully automatic firearm from a magazine-fed firearm into a belt-fed firearm enabling the firearm to be used as a sustainable source of firepower. Modification of a soldier's standard issue automatic or semi-automatic rifle into a belt-fed firearm increases the options for strategic maneuvering of a combat unit on the field of battle by overcoming the limitations of traditional sources of sustained firepower, such as a Squad Automatic Firearm. |
| US08136439B2 |
Explosive well tool firing head
A firing head embodiment of the invention confines a connected capacitance cartridge, explosive detonator, and wireline connection switch within an independent, cylindrical housing tube that is environmentally capped at both ends by threaded closures for secure transport to a well site. |
| US08136438B2 |
Arborist's climbing rope
An arborist's climbing rope in which an eye splice having a splice tuck can be formed at one end includes in one embodiment a core of polypropylene, a first braided tubular sheath of nylon disposed about the core and a second braided tubular sheath of a polyester disposed about the first braided tubular sheath, the cross-sectional diameter of the fiber material of the core area being in the range of 1 to 10% of the total cross-sectional diameter of the arborist's climbing rope. In forming the eye splice a portion of the core is intentionally removed near the eye splice to form a space within the first tubular sheath where the core has been removed and the splice tuck is buried in and substantially completely fills the space within the first tubular sheath where the core has been intentionally removed. |
| US08136434B2 |
Cutting blade control system, particularly for cutting-off machines for cutting logs of web material
A control device for a cutting blade, particularly for cutting-off machines for logs of web material, interrupts operation of the cutting blade when deformation of the blade reaches a preset deformation value and resumes operation of the cutting blade when the deformation of the blade is less than another preset deformation value. The control device includes a measuring device for measuring deformation values of at least a portion of the cutting blade, at least one comparator for comparing the measured deformation values with at least one preset deformation value set by an operator, and an actuator which sends, according to signals coming from the comparator, control signals to a motor of the machine to control the start up and/or the stop of the motor. |
| US08136431B2 |
Torque wrench for implantable medical devices
A torque wrench for implantable medical devices is disclosed. The torque wrench comprises a first and a second component. The first component has first and second ends with a bore extending between the first and second ends of the first component. The first component includes a plurality of anti-rotation members extending from an inner surface of the bore at the second end of the first component. A second component includes a middle portion having a first and second ends. A drive shaft extends from the first end and a plurality of fingers extends from an exterior surface of the second end. The second component is received in the bore of the first component such that the fingers are interdigitate with the anti-rotation members. |
| US08136430B2 |
Retractable screwdriver
A retractable screwdriver includes a handle, a positioning member, an operation ring, a shank, a sleeve and a drive socket. The positioning member includes a first opening and a second opening respectively defined through a wall thereof and communicating with the passage. The length of the first opening is shorter than that of the second opening. A first wall is formed at the first opening and a second wall is formed at the second opening. The first and second walls are located on different radial planes and have a distance defined therebetween in a radial direction. The opening ring is obliquely located in the passage and biased by the second spring to keep an inclination of the operation ring. The operation ring has its contact edge to contact the shank so as to achieve the purpose of adjustment of the shank. |
| US08136427B2 |
Wrenches
The invention relates to hand tools that can be used in a variety of projects. Specifically, the invention relates to wrenches having two heads that are useful for repairing many different types of objects. The projects include motorcycle repair, automotive repair, small engine repair, general home repair, and appliance repair. |
| US08136426B2 |
Rotary table mounting and drive device
A rotary table mounting and drive device (1), including a rotary table (3) which is rotatably mounted on a frame (2) and for the mounting of which an axial/radial rolling bearing arrangement (4) and an active magnetic bearing arrangement (5) are provided, has an electric direct drive (19) which is preferably a torque motor having a rotor (20) rigidly connected to the rotary table (3) and a stator (21) rigidly connected to the frame (2). |
| US08136425B2 |
Back light of steering wheel
A steering wheel comprises a rim connected to spokes. A covering material is provided to enclose at least a portion of the rim and/or the spokes. The covering material includes an outer cover and a light element positioned under the outer cover. The light element is configured to emit light through at least a portion of the outer cover. The light element is positioned over a casing that is provided to give shape to the steering wheel so that a vehicle driver may easily grasp the steering wheel. The light element may provide continuous, pulsed, or non-continuous lighting. |
| US08136423B2 |
Multiple turn mechanism for manual lumbar support adjustment
An actuator is disclosed. The actuator includes: an output gear, a pinion, a drive shaft, a housing, and a spring. The output gear is adapted to receive a traction element. The pinion is in driving communication with the output gear. The drive shaft is interconnected with the pinion. The housing is adapted to receive the output gear and the drive shaft. The coil spring is circumjacent the drive shaft and located in a position intermediate the drive shaft and the housing, whereby rotation of the drive shaft causes the coil spring to frictionally disengage from the housing such that the output gear may rotate. |
| US08136420B2 |
Gear and gear drive unit
Provided are a gear in which oil film formation between the tooth surfaces of gears rotating at high speed can be effected to a sufficient degree, in which generation of pitting, abrasion, and scoring is prevented, and which helps to prevent an increase in temperature and wear to achieve an improvement in durability, and a gear drive unit. A multitude of minute concave recesses are provided at random on a tooth surface, and an average area of the recesses is set to a range of 160 to 740 μm2. Accordingly, the tooth surface can obtain a high oil film forming capacity. Thus, even under a low-viscosity/thin-lubrication condition in which the thickness of the oil film is extremely small, it is possible to achieve a long service life. |
| US08136419B2 |
Bearing for a gearwheel which serves as a reversing gear and as a shiftable free gear
A transmission for a motor vehicle featured with an internal combustion engine has a helical reversing gear wheel, which is mounted on a dual-row cylinder roller bearing with left-hand cylinder rollers and with right-hand cylinder rollers, which are supported on the inside, in each case, on a circular centre rim in the reversing gear wheel. The left-hand cylinder rollers and the right-hand cylinder rollers are held in a bearing cage. The bearing cage is configured in such a way that the force flow for axial forces between the reversing gear wheel and its transmission shaft, omitting the bearing cage, is introduced through the centre rim and by way of end faces of the cylinder rollers directly adjacent thereto, through the opposing end faces of the cylinder rollers and through adjacent components into the input shaft. |
| US08136411B2 |
Transducer having a robust electrical connection to a piezoelectric crystal
An embodiment of a piezoelectric assembly for an ultrasonic flow meter comprises a piezoelectric element including a first face and a second face. In addition, the piezoelectric assembly comprises a first electrode engaging the first face. Further, the piezoelectric assembly comprises a second electrode engaging the second face. Still further, the piezoelectric assembly comprises an electrically conductive shim connector attached to the first electrode. Moreover, the piezoelectric assembly comprises a first wire electrically coupled to the shim connector. |
| US08136409B2 |
Performing metering using pulse counting
An apparatus can include a first detector to receive a first signal from a first switch configured to open and close based on position of a metering wheel associated with a flow line. The apparatus can further include a first counter to count within a first range based on a change in a state of the first signal. Using this information, the apparatus can determine usage and direction of, e.g., a fluid or liquid flowing along the flow line. |
| US08136404B2 |
Obstacle detection system
An obstacle detection apparatus for detecting an obstacle in its surroundings is disclosed. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic wave; an obstacle detection section for performing an obstacle detection operation to determine whether the obstacle actually exists, wherein the obstacle detection section determines that the obstacle actually exists when a first voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the obstacle detection operation exceeds a determination threshold; a noise monitoring section configured to perform a noise monitoring operation to determine a noise level, wherein, the noise monitoring section recognizes a second voltage level associated with the ultrasonic wave received in the noise monitoring operation as the noise level; and a determination threshold setting section configured to set the determination threshold based on the second voltage level. |
| US08136398B2 |
Vibration gyro sensor, control circuit, and electronic apparatus
Provided is a vibration gyro sensor including: a vibration element including a piezoelectric element group which has a first side provided with a drive electrode and a detection electrode and a second side opposed to the first side and provided with a common electrode, which vibrates by a drive signal input between the drive electrode and the common electrode and generates an output signal containing a detection signal corresponding to Coriolis force from the detection electrode; a bias section applying a bias voltage to the detection electrode; an oscillation circuit outputting the signal for causing vibration of the vibration element to the drive electrode as the drive signal based on the output signal generated by the detection electrode; and a phase inversion circuit outputting an inversion signal obtained by inverting a phase of the drive signal output from the oscillation circuit to the common electrode. |
| US08136396B2 |
Apparatus for measuring and/or controlling liquid levels
An apparatus for measuring and/or controlling the level of a liquid, specially fuel, contained in a reservoir. The apparatus comprises means supporting a pivot member inside the reservoir, the pivot member comprising a stationary body fixed relatively to the supporting means and a rotary body connected to a lever, the free end of which carries a float. The rotary body includes a permanent magnet and the stationary member houses a magnetic sensor located within the magnetic field of the permanent magnet. Angular movement of the lever produces rotation of the magnet and is detected by the magnetic sensor which emits signals to a micro processor which, in turn, transmits such signals to external processing means. The processing means correlate such signals, which are proportional to variations in the liquid level, to the volume of liquid contained in the reservoir. |
| US08136395B2 |
Systems and methods for well data analysis
Examples of techniques for analyzing well data which may be encountered during formation testing are disclosed. Certain portions of the tests may exhibit an indication of anomalous behavior, defects, errors or events that may have occurred during testing. One or more confidence tokens may be identified during or after the execution of a test. One or more of these confidence tokens may be analyzed to determine whether such anomalous behavior, defects, errors or events have occurred during the test. These confidence tokens may then be used to determine a level of confidence in the results derived from the tests performed and/or their underlying data and interpretation. |
| US08136392B2 |
Pedal operation amount detecting apparatus
In a pedal operation amount detecting apparatus, a brake pedal and a crevice fixed to an end portion of an operation rod are rotatably coupled by a coupling shaft, a bush is interposed between the brake pedal and the coupling shaft, and detectors are mounted on an outer peripheral surface of a bush body, which is elastically deformable, in the bush, and an ECU estimates an angle between the brake pedal and the operation rod based on a ratio between distortion loads detected by the detectors, and calculates an operation amount of the brake pedal, that is to say, pedal force and a pedal stroke, based on the angle, thereby enabling to improve mountability by simplifying a configuration and to detect the operation amount with a high degree of accuracy. |
| US08136381B2 |
Hog ring fastening device
A hog ring fastening device is disclosed. The hog ring fastening device includes a body, a magazine attached to the body, jaws pivotally supported on the body, a main pneumatic cylinder for turning the jaws, a teed pneumatic cylinder fixed to the body and adapted to be retracted when the jaws are turned away from each other, a moving plate attached to a piston rod of the feed pneumatic cylinder, a push spring for pushing the moving plate in a feed direction with respect to a body of the feed pneumatic cylinder, a feed member provided at the moving plate, and a stopper attached to the body of the hog ring fastening device for preventing a hog ring assembly loaded on the magazine from moving in a direction opposite to the feed direction. |
| US08136378B2 |
Seal for fluid forming tools
An electro-hydraulic forming tool for forming a sheet metal blank in a one-sided die has first and second rigid rings that engage opposite sides of a sheet metal blank. The rigid rings are contained within slots on a die portion and a hydraulic force applicator portion of the forming tool. The seals are either resiliently biased by an elastomeric member or inherently resiliently biased into contact with the blank. |
| US08136375B2 |
Door lock for use with differing interchangeable lock cores
A door lock includes an engaging member having a lock core hole. The lock core hole includes a large section and a small section. The large section is formed in an end of the engaging member that is detachably received in a shank of an outer handle. An interchangeable lock core is removably received in the large section. An end of an outer spindle is extended out of a lock body of the door lock and is detachably received in the small section of the lock core hole of the engaging member. The lock core has an outline corresponding to the large section of the engaging member. The lock core can be removed and replaced with a new one. The engaging member can be detached from the outer spindle and the outer handle and replaced with a new engaging member corresponding to the outline of the new lock core. |
| US08136371B2 |
Process for producing glass substrate and glass substrate
Provided are a process for producing a glass substrate usable for low-temperature p-SiTFT substrates directly in accordance with a down draw method, and the glass substrate obtained by the process. The process for producing a glass substrate includes a forming step of forming a molten glass into a ribbon shape in accordance with a down draw method, an annealing step of annealing the glass ribbon, and a cutting step of cutting the glass ribbon to give a glass substrate, in which, in the annealing step, an average cooling rate from the annealing point to the (annealing point −50° C.) is lower than an average cooling rate from the (annealing point +100° C.) to the annealing point. |
| US08136370B2 |
Silver-palladium alloy
A silver-palladium alloy formulated to provide an alloy with a whiter color and superior casting and fabrication properties as compared to nickel-based white gold and also to impart to an article of jewelry or the like favorable properties afforded by white gold. The alloy generally includes silver and palladium, with silver being the predominant component. In some embodiments, the alloy contains about 75%-85% silver and about 5%-15% palladium by weight. |
| US08136368B2 |
Modular evaporator and thermal energy storage system for chillers
A modular evaporator which can be assembled from a number of standard modules is provided. Depending on the requirements, the modular evaporator can be assembled to meet a wide range of design cooling loads. Additionally, the modular evaporator is capable of generating and holding ice for thermal storage purposes, eliminating the need for external ice storage tanks. Furthermore, the heat transfer and thermal storage fluid for the evaporator can simply be water which considerably simplifies the system, lowers the cost, and increases the efficiency of the heat transfer loop. |
| US08136367B2 |
Hinge assembly for a refrigerator
A hinge assembly and a refrigerator using the assembly are disclosed. The assembly rotatably mounts an access door for a compartment of the refrigerator to part of refrigerator that defines the compartment. The hinge assembly has a body coupled to the part and a hinge manifold supported by the body and slidably received in the access door. The manifold has a first supply conduit for supplying a working medium to an icemaker disposed in the access door and a first return conduit for returning the working medium from the icemaker. The hinge assembly can be manufactured as a separate module to be assembled with the refrigerator or retrofit into an existing refrigerator. |
| US08136366B2 |
Method, system and hardware device for temperature control
The invention provides a temperature control method, system and hardware device, wherein, the method comprising: after the system logs in operation system, a temperature control function module obtains a temperature-control control right, and controls the system temperature based on predefined first temperature control strategy; if it is determined that the temperature control function module is at fault and stops working, a temperature control hardware device obtains the temperature-control control right, and controls the system temperature based on predefined second temperature control strategy. The system comprises a temperature control hardware device and a temperature control function module. The temperature control hardware device comprises: a temperature detecting unit, a fan detecting unit, a temperature control logic unit and a timing unit, wherein the timing unit periodically determines if the temperature control function module based on operation system works normally, and if fault occurs in the temperature control function module, activates the temperature control logic unit. The above technical solution can achieve better temperature control effect and improve the system reliability as a whole. |
| US08136365B2 |
Cooling apparatus having a variable speed compressor with speed limited on the basis of a sensed performance parameter
A cooling apparatus such as a refrigerator includes a refrigeration cycle including a compressor driven by an electric motor, a condenser, a throttle valve and an evaporator, a first physical amount detector capable of detecting a physical quantity representing a temperature of an object to be cooled by the cooling operation of the evaporator, a temperature control device capable of controlling a rotating speed of the motor based on the physical quantity detected by the first physical quantity detector so that the object is cooled approximately to a target temperature, a second physical quantity detector capable of detecting a physical quantity corresponding to a performance margin of the refrigeration cycle, and a rotating speed limiter capable of limiting the rotating speed of the motor to or below a predetermined speed based on a physical quantity detected by the second physical quantity detector. |
| US08136364B2 |
Refrigerant system with expansion device bypass
A refrigerant system is provided with an expansion device that may be a thermostatic expansion device or an electronic expansion device. A bypass line selectively allows a portion of refrigerant to bypass the expansion device and to flow through a fixed restriction expansion device such as an orifice positioned in parallel configuration with the main expansion device. A valve selectively enables or blocks refrigerant flow through this bypass line depending on the volume of refrigerant required to circulate through the refrigerant system as defined by environmental conditions and a mode of operation. The valve can be a simple shutoff valve or a three-way valve selectively allowing or blocking refrigerant flow through a particular refrigerant line or lines. In one embodiment, the expansion device is the main expansion device for the refrigerant system. In the other embodiment, the expansion device is a vapor injection expansion device for expanding refrigerant for performing an economizer function. The present invention allows the use of a smaller expansion device, which can be more precisely controlled, while still allowing the accommodation of higher refrigerant mass flow when necessary. |
| US08136363B2 |
Temperature control system and method of operating the same
A method of conditioning air in a vehicle load space. The method includes providing a refrigeration circuit including an evaporator, directing refrigerant through the refrigeration circuit, directing load space air across the evaporator, sensing a first condition based on one of a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit upstream from the evaporator, determining a second condition based on one of a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporator, determining a difference between the first condition and the second condition, and initiating a defrost process of the evaporator when the difference is greater than a threshold. |
| US08136359B2 |
Gas turbine fuel nozzle having improved thermal capability
Embodiments for minimizing relative thermal growth within a fuel nozzle of a gas turbine combustor are disclosed. Fuel nozzle configurations are provided in which a heating fluid is provided to one or more passages in a fuel nozzle from feed holes in the fuel nozzle base. The heating fluid passes through the fuel nozzle, thereby raising the operating temperature of portions of the fuel nozzle to reduce differences in thermal gradients within the fuel nozzle. Various fuel nozzle configurations and passageway geometries are also disclosed. |
| US08136358B1 |
Heat reservoir for a power plant
A heat reservoir for use in a power plant that burns a dirty fuel such as coal to absorb the heat from the resulting dirty hot gas flow. The heat reservoir includes a number of heat absorbing walls that form dirty hot gas flow passages and clean hot gas flow passages. Cross-over holes are formed in the walls to equalize pressure. The dirty hot gas flow is passed though the dirty passages to heat up the walls. When the heat absorbing walls have absorbed enough heat, the dirty hot gas flow is stopped and compressed air is passed through the clean passages to absorb heat from the walls and is then passed through a turbine to drive an electric generator. The heat reservoir is then recharged again by passing the dirty hot gas flow through the dirty passages to recharge the walls. |
| US08136357B2 |
Turbocharged engine using an air bypass valve
A system to cool exhaust gas entering a catalytic converter in a turbocharged engine is disclosed. An air bypass valve is controlled to vent pressurized air to the atmosphere to overrev a turbocharger when exhaust gas exceeds a predetermined temperature. The rotation of the turbocharger increases to maintain a desired boost pressure. When this occurs, the turbocharger absorbs more energy from the exhaust gas to maintain the desired boost pressure. Thus, the exhaust gas entering the catalytic converter is cooled. |
| US08136355B2 |
Pump control apparatus for hydraulic work machine, pump control method and construction machine
A pump control apparatus for a hydraulic work machine includes: a rotation speed setting device that sets a target rotation speed for an engine; a rotation speed control device that controls an engine rotation speed so as to adjust the engine rotation speed to the target rotation speed; a first variable hydraulic pump used to drive a work hydraulic actuator, driven by the engine; a second variable hydraulic pump used to drive a cooling fan, driven by the engine; and a pump control device that controls an output flow rate of the first variable hydraulic pump and an output flow rate of the second variable hydraulic pump so as to ensure that a sum of an intake torque of the first variable hydraulic pump and an intake torque of the second variable hydraulic pump does not exceed an engine output torque determined in advance based upon the target rotation speed. The pump control device a) controls the output flow rate of the second variable hydraulic pump based upon the target rotation speed and a target output flow rate of the second variable hydraulic pump assuring a required cooling air volume at the cooling fan; and b) regulates the intake torque of the first variable hydraulic pump by calculating the intake torque of the second variable hydraulic pump and subtracting the intake torque of the second variable hydraulic pump from the engine output torque determined in advance based upon the target rotation speed. |
| US08136354B2 |
Adsorption-enhanced compressed air energy storage
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an energy storage device is presented. The energy storage device includes a porous material that adsorbs air and a compressor. The compressor converts mechanical energy into pressurized air and heat, and the pressurized air is cooled and adsorbed by the porous material. The energy storage device also includes a tank used to store the pressurized and adsorbed air and a motor. The motor is driven to recover the energy stored as compressed and adsorbed air by allowing the air to desorb and expand while driving the motor. |
| US08136353B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic pump shutoff
A method of detecting a fluid leak in a hydraulic fluid circuit includes preventing fluid from entering the circuit when an actual outlet flow rate from a pump is positive while a requested outlet flow rate to a hydraulic machine is zero. An outlet port of a variable displacement port can be selectively blocked, while in a fixed displacement pump (FDP) fluid can be diverted from the outlet port to a secondary fluid circuit. The actual outlet flow rate can be measured using a flow sensor or a swash plate angle depending on the pump design. A hydraulic fluid circuit includes a hydraulic machine, a pump, a valve at an outlet port of the pump, and a controller. The controller determines the requested flow rate, and actuates the valve to prevent fluid from entering the circuit whenever the actual outlet flow rate is positive during zero requested flow rate. |
| US08136352B2 |
Cover member for plural exhaust pipes
A vehicle that sufficiently insulates heat between plural exhaust pipes connected to an engine. A cover member bridges over and covers the periphery of the exhaust pipes. A thermal insulation member fills in a space on a line connecting centers of the exhaust pipes, and a space in the vicinity of the line. |
| US08136346B2 |
Internal combustion engine
A post-treatment system comprised of an SOx trapping catalyst (11), a particulate filter (13) carrying an NOx storing and reducing catalyst, and an NOx storing and reducing catalyst (15) and a fuel feed valve (17) for feeding fuel for post processing to the post-treatment system are arranged in an engine exhaust passage. Each time an operating period of the engine passes a certain period, values of operating parameters of the engine and the method of feeding the post-treatment use fuel are reset so that the total amount of consumption of the combustion use fuel and post-treatment use fuel becomes smallest while maintaining the amounts of the harmful components discharged into the atmosphere at below the regulatory values. |
| US08136343B2 |
System for an engine having a particulate matter sensor
A system for improving operation of an engine having a particulate matter sensor is presented. The system may be used to improve engine operation during cold starts especially under conditions where water vapor or entrained water droplets are present in vehicle exhaust gases. In one embodiment, an engine controller that activates a heater of an exhaust gas sensor after an output of a particulate matter sensor exceeds a threshold value after an engine is started. |
| US08136341B2 |
Track beam for the cowling of jet engines
Track beams for the cowling of a jet engine for aircraft are formed of a base body with at least one slide for displaceably mounting a thrust reverser of the jet engine. A connection is provided for an inner engine cowling and fittings for detachably and pivotally attaching to a supporting structure or for connecting to another track beam. To provide such a track beam which has a particularly low weight yet, nevertheless, is sufficiently stiff, the base body is formed by a hollow profile section with a substantially closed cross-section. The hollow section is produced of a carbon-fiber-reinforced synthetic material by way of a resin-infusion process. Two flanges are provided on the hollow section of the base body of the track beam for providing a connection to the inner engine cowling. |
| US08136336B2 |
Selective harvester
Harvesters selectively harvest agricultural objects, such as asparagus spears. One harvester includes at least one set of independently controllable cutter arm assemblies that rotate about a common axis to harvest individual asparagus spears. |
| US08136330B2 |
Medical fluid container
A flexible non-PVC, non-DEHP container or bag for medical fluids has a container body formed of a multiple layer polyolefin film. The container has one or more ports equipped with a polyolefin fill tube and port closure assembly. The container has a low moisture vapor transmission rate. |
| US08136322B2 |
Composite shingle
A composite shingle having unitary construction is presented that includes a body shell, a plurality of longitudinal ribs, and a plurality of rib stiffeners. The present composite shingle may also include transverse ribs, a depressed nailing zone, nailing zone ribs, and/or at least one alignment aid. The plurality of rib stiffeners may include a material saving profile. Further, the dimensions of the composite shingle more closely resemble true slate and shake shingles and at least a portion of the outside face of composite shingle may be textured to resemble slate or wood shake shingles.A plurality of assembled composite shingles of the present invention is also claimed as part of this invention. Finally, a method of applying multiple courses of shingles on a roof including the composite shingle of the present invention is presented. |
| US08136321B1 |
Decorative ceiling/wall panel
A decorative panel for installation on a ceiling or wall as part of a grid of panels. Each of the panels includes a formed sheet of thin sheet metal or plastic material having a main decorative portion and side edges forming a perimeter of the panel. Each side edge includes a flange offset from and extending outwardly from the main decorative portion and a groove positioned between the decorative portion and the flange. Each flange in the grid capable of overlapping the next adjacent flange and to receive a fastener through both overlapping flanges to secure the panels against the ceiling or wall. Adjacent side edges define a gap therebetween into which a resilient concealment strip having flexible sides is resiliently securable into the gap to conceal the fasteners. |
| US08136319B2 |
Hail damage-resistance roof assembly and method for making same
Disclosed herein is a hail resistant roof system having a roof deck. An insulation layer is supported by the roof deck. An energy absorbing layer supported by the insulation layer and a waterproof membrane loose laid over the energy absorbing layer. A wind blown debris resistant roof system is disclosed that includes a roof deck with a secondary waterproof membrane disposed over the deck. A layer of stiff material is attached to the roof deck and a primary waterproofing membrane is supported by the stiff material. Further, a roof insulation and waterproofing construction upwardly adjacent the waterproofing membrane. Also disclosed herein is a hail resistant roof system. The system includes a roof deck with a secondary waterproofing membrane. An insulation layer is supported by the roof deck. An energy absorbing layer is supported by the insulation layer and a primary waterproof membrane is loose laid over the energy absorbing layer. |
| US08136317B1 |
Assembly for straightening a basement's wall
An assembly for straightening a basement's wall, the basement having a floor and being covered by joists which are spaced from each other on center distances to define interstitial cavities and are arranged a perpendicular array or a parallel array, the assembly having mounting plate; joist mounting fasteners attaching the oblongated mounting plate to joists, the fasteners, upon the perpendicular joist array, positioning the mounting plate within an interstitial cavity, and the fasteners, upon the parallel array, bridging the mounting plate across an interstitial cavity; a rigid beam having upper and lower ends; a jack screw for driving the rigid beam's upper end toward the basement's wall; and an anchor bracket for resisting movement of the rigid beam's lower end away from the basement's wall. |
| US08136315B2 |
Connecting device for curtain wall units
A connecting device for curtain wall units is disclosed. The connecting device comprises: a claw arm having a horizontal arm for carrying the curtain wall units; a plurality of clamping plates, each two clamping plates fixed on the horizontal arm to clamp the curtain wall units; and a claw base connected to the claw arm and a supporting structure of the curtain wall units. The weight of curtain wall is supported by the claw arm of the connecting device, and point-supported type clamping of the curtain wall is realized by the clamping plates on the end of the claw arm, which enables the stability and security of the structure of curtain wall. The claw arm is hidden in the space between the curtain walls, and thus the whole appearance of curtain wall is beautified. Furthermore, it is unnecessary to provide through holes on the glass wall units. |
| US08136312B2 |
Fencing floor
An aluminum floor for fencing has an improved friction surface with traction-enhancing grooves and is configured to reduce noise. Aluminum extrusions forming the floor define a flat surface but with series of parallel grooves separated by non-grooved spaces. In a preferred embodiment the grooves are essentially square cut. The grooves and spaces between the series of grooves are configured so as to allow sliding on the floor with the essentially flat soles of a user's fencing shoes when desired, but so as to grip the soles with significant friction when the shoe is heavily weighted causing the sole to deform down into the grooves. The fencing floor is intended to lie over an existing floor, as a series of easily connected floor sections. Rubbery sheet material is secured to the bottom of the fencing floor, preferably in transverse strips, directly beneath each joint and preferably at additional locations. When the fencing floor is used over a hard surface such as concrete, the rubber strips prevent the metallic clanging noise typical of aluminum fencing floors in use. |
| US08136311B2 |
Solar panel and equipment mounting apparatus for roofs
Disclosed is an apparatus for mounting equipment or solar photovoltaic structures to roofs where the apparatus base plate engages the roof surface directly, creating a water resistant seal, without the need for flashing. The base plate upper surface includes an upwardly projected portion that is circumscribed by a groove. The base plate lower surface includes a counterbore. Both the counterbore and the groove are disposed to receive annular seals. A threaded fastener is received and seated the upwardly projected portion top surface and feeds through the counterbore, securing the base plate to the roof structure and creates a water resistant seal by compressing the lower annular seal and by creating surface-to-surface contact with the roof and portion of the base plate. An inwardly threaded cover portion engages the upwardly projected portion either directly or through an intermediary, creating a water resistant seal over the fastener. |
| US08136309B2 |
Energy dissipation damper system in structure subject to dynamic loading
A damper system for installation in a structure to dissipate seismic and wind energy transmitted to the structure, includes first and second pairs of elongated members forming an outer parallelogram, third and fourth pairs of elongated members forming an inner parallelogram, and a pair of energy dissipating devices connected between the parallelograms for dissipating the energy transmitted to the structure. |
| US08136304B2 |
Downspout claw
The Downspout Claw is made of clear plastic which enables one to see any debris which may have collected on its fingered protrusions inside the downspout pipe. The Claw may be used as a secondary or additional device to collect debris in the downspout pipe. The invention may be removed, cleaned and replaced without the need of any tools. |
| US08136299B2 |
Sliding door opening/closing device for vehicle
The present invention provides a sliding door opening/closing device for a vehicle that applies a sufficient opening/closing drive force to the left and right sliding doors and reduces a force necessary to lock and unlock the latch, despite a simple configuration of the device, and that facilitates the manufacturing process, improves operability and safety, and reduces noise. A lock device, against both sides of which locking portions abut, rotates a columnar permanent magnet so as to form magnetic locking circuits and fixes the locking portions by magnetic forces of the locking magnetic circuits. The rotational operation of the columnar permanent magnet is converted into the downward operation of a latch, and the lowered latch restrains the locking portions with respect to the lock device. |
| US08136292B2 |
Device and method for support of sheet material
A method and device for supporting a sheet of material is provided optionally for plant support and/or protection. A fencing device includes a rigid post and two or more flexible arms. A shading material, or a protective barrier material, such as a wire mesh, a plastic netting or a deer netting material, or a solar energy collection panel may be attached to distal ends of the flexible arms and may extend for seven feet or more from a ground plane to a top height of flexible arms above the ground plane. Flags may extend vertically above the barrier material to further discourage intrusion by animals. Horizontal lines may be extended from a plurality of fencing posts to even further discourage intrusion by animals and/or to support the barrier material. A trellising device may be coupled with and above another trellising device to provide layers of shading and plant support. |
| US08136287B2 |
Universal quick-release coupler
A coupler apparatus for releasably securing an object to a support member, is described. The mounting apparatus includes a connector joined to the object and having a tapered plug with a slot that extends inward from an outer wall of the plug. The apparatus further includes a base with an internal cavity extending between opposed side walls of the base. The base may be integral with the support member and has an aperture with an internal wall arrangement including an orifice wherein the aperture is dimensioned for reception of the plug. A keeper is slidable positioned within the internal cavity and has a finger that extends though the orifice and into the slot to retain the plug within the aperture. The apparatus is moveable between a secured position wherein the keeper finger extends through the orifice and into the slot of the plug positioned within the aperture, a released position wherein the keeper finger is disengaged from the orifice, and a detached position wherein the connector and the object are removed from the base by applying a linear lifting force. |
| US08136286B2 |
Firearms and firearm components comprising bonded multi-metallic materials
Firearms and firearm components are constructed from bonded multi-metallic base materials comprising at least two dissimilar metallic materials having different properties, such as weight, density, wear resistance, durability, hardness, and the like, bonded to one another. The components are fabricated such that the metallic material having higher impact- and wear-resistance is positioned at areas that experience impact, or that include bearing points, wear points, and interfaces with other components, while a lighter weight metallic material is positioned at component locations that don't have rigorous material property requirements. The bonded multi-metallic materials may be explosively bonded multi-metallic materials. |
| US08136285B2 |
Firearm cartridge speed loader
The firearm cartridge speed loader includes a shaft, a reload cylinder, and a rotation limit assembly at an interface between the shaft and cylinder. The reload cylinder has a plurality of pockets or chambers to hold bullet or ammunition cartridges, and the shaft includes an interference wheel configured to selectively clamp the cartridges in the pockets by simple rotation of the shaft within the limits defined by the rotation limit assembly. The rotation limit assembly includes a rotation-stop pin riding in an arcuate slot that defines the limits of shaft rotation, and a spring loaded spherical ball that selectively engages one of two detents to lock the shaft into the clamping or releasing positions, the disposition of the detents corresponding to the defined limits of the arcuate groove. |
| US08136283B1 |
Vehicle identification card with transferrable identification
A three segment vehicle identification card is provided with an upper hang tag segment, and intermediate claim ticket segment and a lower key tag segment. The lower segment has a removable key tag with a vehicle identification number together with a pair of removable labels, one of which has the vehicle identification number and the other of which has space for entry of the parking space location number for the vehicle receiving service. The removable key tag also has spaces on its foldable tail for entry of the vehicle owners name and the parking space number for the serviced vehicle. |
| US08136282B2 |
Display means
A display adapted for use indoors and outdoors includes a stand adapted to secure a first screen. The stand comprises a first part which supports against an underlying supportive surface and comprises a first bobbin in the first part. The first screen can be wound onto and withdrawn from the first bobbin. The stand also comprises at least one support which in a support mode supports against the surface. The support is arranged to provide a turning moment which is anti-twisting in relation to the turning moment created by a wind pressure acting on the first screen, wherein Mt≧Mp. The stand also comprises at least one foldable pole, or telescopic pole. The stand also includes a number of springs arranged in connection to the at least one pole, and operable to make the display bendable in windy conditions, and to withstand twisting of the springs in windy conditions. |
| US08136280B2 |
Hand held placard display with a plurality of individual messages mounted in a circular bound fashion
A hand-held inter-auto display device includes a handle portion and an interconnecting and substantially planar display portion. A plurality of individual sheets, each displaying at least a portion of a selected message, are displayed from at least one side of the planar display portion. A visual enhancement element, including any of LED elements, phosphorescent coatings or reflective lettering, is associated with at least one of the handle, display portion and sheets to better display a selected message of an exposed sheet supported upon the display portion. |
| US08136276B2 |
Apparatus for producing an optical effect
The present invention relates to apparatus for producing an optical effect, and in particular to an apparatus for producing an optical effect resembling flames and smoke. More especially, the invention relates to flame effect electric fires, such as for domestic use, which may or may not include means for space heating and which include and optical effect to resemble burning solid fuel. |
| US08136275B2 |
Display element for attaching advertising to the handle of a shopping cart
The invention relates to a display element for attaching advertising to the handle of a shopping cart or the like. The display element includes a base body having a recess for inserting advertising media in a flat manner and fastening elements for fastening the display element on the handle bar, or the handle bar mounts, of a shopping cart. The display element is made of half shell-shaped parts, which in the joined state surround the handle bar, or the handle bar mount, in the shape of an enclosed box profile. The half shell-shaped parts are non-positively or positively connected to the handle bar. |
| US08136274B2 |
Ironing pad comprising liquid stain treatment agent
The invention relates to an ironing pad comprising a solid material (1) which reversibly absorbs liquid and a liquid stain treatment composition which is absorbed by the solid material (1) which reversibly absorbs liquid. The invention relates to a process for treating a stain on a textile fabric with such an ironing pad by placing the ironing pad onto the stain and exerting heat and/or pressure on the ironing pad. |
| US08136273B2 |
Clothes refreshing apparatus and method for controlling the same
A fabric refreshing apparatus is provided. The refreshing apparatus may include a case, and a receiving compartment, provided in the case to receive fabric articles. The apparatus may also include a steam generator, a fluid supply tank, and a drain tank. The steam generator supplies steam to receiving compartment to steam the fabric articles. The fluid supply tank supplies fluid the steam generator. The drain tank collects residual fluid from the steam generator. |
| US08136270B1 |
Grave digging system
A method and self-propelled system for digging a grave. The system includes a frame defining a frame opening positionable over a grave site and a motor connected to the frame. Wheels connected to the frame to allow for movement of the frame about a surface. A generally zero radius turn mechanism connected to the wheels allows the frame to make generally zero radius turns. An excavator is connected to the frame and is configured for operation through the frame opening to dig a grave. A hoist is attached to the frame and lowers a container within the grave. Containers are attached on each side of the frame and receive dirt excavated by the excavator. Outriggers attached to the frame stabilize the frame during operation of the hoist and the excavator. An operator's seat and controls are also attached to the frame. |
| US08136269B1 |
Backblade-and-snowplow system
A bottom of a snowplow defines a front, plowing surface and an inverted shelf disposed directly behind the plowing surface, and the shelf defines a first side abutting against a rear of the plowing surface and a second side of the shelf extending away from the rear of the plowing surface. A backblade-and-snowplow system comprises a bent, rigid blade defining a top and back and at least one hole in the top of the blade corresponding to a hole defined in the second side of the shelf. At least one fastening mechanism is passed through the corresponding hole defined in the second side of the shelf and the hole defined in the top of the blade to secure the blade to the shelf. At least one L-shaped bracket defines a top edge secured along the top and back of the blade and a first side of the bracket positioned flush with the first side of the shelf. The first side of the bracket further defines at least one hole suitable for receipt of a corresponding fastening device that passes through the first side of the shelf and the hole of the first side of the bracket to secure the blade to the shelf such that a substantial entirety of the blade is disposed directly behind the plowing surface of the snowplow. |
| US08136262B2 |
Drier information system
A drier information system is provided including display means relating to a given region of the system which means serves, at least while a drying cycle is in operation, to provide a visual display indicating at least one of the following parameters: the extent of the region; a boundary of the region; direction or example of manipulation of a pair of hands or other article while in the region to provide for a preferred drying sequence. The visual display can represent the parameters as a two dimensional array within or adjacent the region. Alternatively the visual display can represent the parameters as a virtual or actual three dimensional array within or adjacent the region. |
| US08136260B1 |
Combination anchor bolt holder and concrete form spacer/tie
The invention comprises a reusable, combination—anchor bolt holder, form board alignment and retention, and, thread protection device—for holding an anchor bolt in a secure vertical alignment at an exact depth in the form for either a 2×4 or 2×6 sill plate with the threads fully protected from fouling by cement; and, allowing of early hand float finishing around the bolt thread area that projects above the top of the stem wall. |
| US08136258B2 |
Absolute position sensor with serial reading
An absolute position sensor with serial reading, that includes at least one detector capable of detecting transitions in a target pattern present on a member mobile relative to the detector. The sensor includes a shift register capable of storing a predetermined number of consecutive data from the detector, and a mechanism comparing the value of the register to a set of predetermined values each corresponding to a position of the detector relative to the target pattern. |
| US08136253B2 |
Hair comb attachment for a hair trimmer
A comb attachment for a hair trimmer includes a comb body having a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the trailing edge defines an attachment member for attaching the comb body to the hair trimmer. The comb attachment further includes a plurality of tines at the leading edge of the comb body, wherein adjacent tines define a hair guide slot and the hair guide slot includes first and second side walls. The comb attachment also includes a pair of fins associated with the hair guide slot wherein one fin is positioned proximate each side wall of the hair guide slot and each fin extends from the associated tine. |
| US08136249B2 |
Locking device
A locking device for securing an attachment member to a main body including first engagement pawls provided in the attachment member so that the first engagement pawls extend in the direction of attachment-detachment of the attachment member and along the inner surface of the main body and a push button assembly secured to the inner surface of the main body. The push button assembly includes a back panel for being secured to an inner surface of the main body, a push button for protruding through an opening in the main body, second engagement pawls formed on the push button and a compression spring provided between the push button and the back panel. |
| US08136244B2 |
Integrated heat spreader and method of fabrication
An integrated heat spreader is disclosed in which grooves are formed in a recess of the heat spreader to enhance the stiffness and strength of the integrated heat spreader without increasing production costs or complexity. The integrated heat spreader may be fabricated by providing a metal strip having raised portions thereon to provide a recess therebetween, forming grooves on a bottom surface of the recess, where the grooves extend along a periphery of the bottom surface which is substantially free of the raised portions, and subsequently singulating an integrated heat spreader from the metal strip. |
| US08136243B2 |
Method for producing a piston for an internal combustion engine and the thus produced piston
The invention relates to a method for producing an internal combustion engine piston which is provided with at least one cooling channel (12) and at least one reinforced piston ring groove (14) consisting in producing a piston blank (1), in forming a groove (10) provided with a cooling channel (12) and an external ring (11) in said piston blank (1), in filling the cooling channel (12) with are movable material (2), in filling the external ring with a reinforcing material (3) in removing the removable material (2) and in finish-machining the piston. A piston made of aluminum alloy and produced according to the inventive method is also disclosed. |
| US08136237B2 |
Method of interconnecting electronic wafers
The invention relates to a method of interconnecting electronic components of a first wafer (T1) with electronic components of a second wafer (T2), each wafer having metallized vias (1) which pass through the wafer in the thickness direction. The method includes deposition of a drop (3) of conductive ink containing solvents on each via (1) of the first wafer (T1); stacking of the second wafer (T2) on the first so that the vias (1) of the second wafer (T2) are substantially superposed on the vias (1) of the first wafer (T1); removal of 50 to 90% of the solvents contained in the drops (3) by heating or applying a vacuum, so as to obtain a pasty ink; and laser sintering of the pasty ink drops (3) so as to produce electrical connections (31) between the superposed metallized vias (1). |
| US08136233B2 |
Tools for seating connectors on substrates
The present invention relates to connector tools for seating connectors on a substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB). The connector tool is a machined structure having a plurality of walls that define intersecting slots that mate with an array of male connector pins and include one or more ribs to reduce damage if the tool is dropped on the floor. The ribbed walls strengthen the connector tool, but do not interfere with the mating array of male connector pins. The connector tool also includes push shoulders to contact the connector apart from the array of male connector pins so as to seat the connector onto the PCB without connector tool and connector damage. |
| US08136232B1 |
Assembly fixture
An assembly fixture for fixing a part/component to a printed circuit board includes a platform, an elevating unit, and a carrying body. The platform has a receiving area and a plurality of positioning pillars. The elevating unit is disposed on the platform. The carrying body is coupled with the elevating unit, configured to correspond in position to the receiving area, configured to carry the printed circuit board, and provided therein with a plurality of through holes corresponding in position to the positioning pillars, respectively. The elevating unit is capable of descending to enable the positioning pillars to protrude from the printed circuit board and the through holes, respectively, for positioning the part/component on the printed circuit board. The assembly fixture is effective in positioning the part/component on the printed circuit board to render an assembly process of the printed circuit board easy, quick, safe, and precise. |
| US08136231B2 |
Positioning device and method for transferring electronic components using optical alignment
A positioning apparatus for transferring at least one electronic component, in particular a chip, from a first flat support to at least one predetermined location on a second flat support which extends parallel to the first support, comprising an ejection device for removing the component from the first support by means of an ejection movement, wherein a camera device is provided for detecting position data of the predetermined location, of the component to be removed from the first support and optionally of the ejection device, which together with the camera device are arranged essentially on an imaginary common straight line. A positioning method is also described. |
| US08136229B2 |
Method of producing variant-shaped laminated core
A method of producing a laminated variant-shaped core 10, includes punching out core sheets 12-14 from a strip 11 to form the outlines of the core sheets 12-14, and push back the punched out core sheets 12-14 into the strip 11; forming cutouts 28, 30 and 32 reaching outer peripheries of outer plates 27, 29 and 31, the outer plates 27, 29 and 31 being the same in outer shape and respectively containing thereinside the core sheets 12-14, the cutouts 28, 30 and 32 having inner edges respectively in contact with the core sheets 12-14; forming caulking portions 21 in each of the core sheets 12-14 and caulking portions 33 in each of the outer plates 27, 29 and 31; punching out the outer plates 27, 29 and 31 from the strip 11 to form the outlines of the outer plates 27, 29 and 31, and laminating and interlocking the core sheets 12-14 to form the variant-shaped laminated core 10 and laminating and interlocking the outer plates 27, 29 and 31; and removing the outer plates 27, 29 and 31 located outside the laminated and interlocked variant-shaped core 10. |
| US08136224B1 |
Method and system for providing a perpendicular magnetic recording head utilizing a mask having an undercut line
A method and system for providing a PMR pole in a magnetic recording transducer including an intermediate layer are disclosed. The method and system include providing a mask including a line on the intermediate layer. The line has at least one side, a top, and a bottom. The side(s) have an undercut such that the top of the line is wider than the bottom. The method further include providing a hard mask on the PMR transducer. The hard mask includes an aperture corresponding to the line. Thus, an aperture in the hard mask corresponding to the line is provided. The method and system also include forming a trench in the intermediate layer under the aperture. The trench has a bottom and a top wider than the bottom. The method further includes providing a PMR pole, at least a portion of which resides in the trench. |
| US08136223B2 |
Apparatus for forming a wireless communication device
A method for manufacturing wireless communication devices for use in tracking or identifying items comprises cutting techniques that allow the size of antenna elements for the wireless communication device to be adjusted. Rollers cut tabs that form the antenna elements. In one embodiment, a plurality of rollers are used, each one effecting a different cut whose position may be adjusted so as to shorten or lengthen the antenna element. In another embodiment, the rollers are independently positionable to shorten or lengthen the antenna element. A radiator may be configured to assess a capacitance of the antenna elements prior to cutting to determine an appropriate size for the antenna elements. |
| US08136221B2 |
Method of manufacturing coil for stator incorporated in rotary electric machine
A method is provided for manufacturing a stator coil for a rotary electric machine, which is formed by winding up a plurality of phase wires. The method includes a shaping step for shaping a plurality of shaped wire members from electrically conductive wires, an integrating step for integrating the plurality of shaped wire members with each other to form an integrated body, and a winding-up step for winding the integrated body about a core member to form a wound body. At the winding-up step, curve forming is performed by plastically deforming turn portions of the integrated body into a curved shape, during conveyance of feeding the integrated body to the core member. |
| US08136217B2 |
Reconfigurable console mount
A reconfigurable vehicle console having a plurality of interchangeable overlapping blank and equipment mounting face plates, including both tongue-and-groove joints between adjacent face plates, as well as optional lap joints. |
| US08136214B2 |
Machining apparatus
A machining apparatus (1) for machining rotation-symmetrical workpieces (10), comprising a machine frame (4), which has a vertical front face (11), further comprising at least one vertical workpiece spindle (2) that is arranged on the front face (11) and can be driven rotatorily,comprising at least two tool holders (3 and 3a), which are arranged on the front face (11) displaceably horizontally and vertically by means of compound slides (5 and 5a),further comprising a conveyor (9) for workpieces (10), and a loading and unloading device (13), wherein the workpieces (10) can be transported by the conveyor (9) in a direction parallel to the front face (11). |
| US08136213B2 |
Method for fabricating a multi-layer capacitor
The method comprises fabricating a layer stack on a substrate, the layer stack comprising at least two electrically conducting layers and at least one electrically insulating layer arranged between the two electrically conducting layers, and displacing a first portion of the layer stack away from its original position, the first portion comprising an edge portion of the layer stack, and bending the first portion back towards a second portion of the layer stack. The bending may comprise a rolling-up of the first portion of the layer stack. |
| US08136212B2 |
Method of fabricating structure having out-of-plane angular segment
A structure fabricating method plastically deforms a target portion of a substrate, to thereby fabricate a structure having an inclined segment that is inclined relative to a principal surface of the substrate. The method includes forming a projection on the target portion to project from the principal surface of the substrate or from an opposing surface of the substrate on the side opposite to the principal surface, and applying a force to the projection to plastically deform the target portion such that the target portion is bent in a direction from one surface of the substrate on the side where the projection is formed, toward another surface on the side opposite to the one surface. |
| US08136211B2 |
Clamping collar
A clamping collar comprising: a belt having two free ends, at least one of said free ends being curved back to form a loop, said loop being defined by an outer belt portion and by an underlying inner belt portion; and a tightening system suitable for co-operating with said loop so as to tighten said belt; in which clamping collar said outer belt portion presents a pushed-in portion, set back relative to the outer outline of the loop, which pushed-in portion defines a tightening wall with which the tightening system comes into engagement, and is flanked on either side by respective ones of two edge segments of the outer belt portion. |
| US08136209B1 |
Spinner handle for sports' fan banner
A spinner handle for waiving a sport's fan banner-towel comprising an ergonomic handle and a banner-towel grasping attachment. The generally elongated cylindrical handle comprises a neck at a distal end which separates it from a rounded head. The neck is received in an aperture formed on an attachment body having two hingedly attached parts that fold onto one another. A corresponding, interlocking stud-and-tube coupling system is comprised on the two attachment body parts. When the parts fold onto one another, the studs are received in the tubes so that a banner-towel placed therebetween doesn't slip out. |
| US08136207B2 |
Pivot pin with gripper feature
A swinging door hinge has a panel and a frame. The frame includes a horizontal portion, and the horizontal portion has an aperture therethrough. An elongated pivot pin is vertically disposed through the aperture. The pivot pin is coupled to the panel such that the pivot pin and the panel rotate about a longitudinal axis of the pivot pin relative to the horizontal portion of the frame. A gripper feature is located on a surface of the pivot pin. The gripper feature engages a corresponding surface on the panel such that when the panel is rotated, a resulting torsional force transferred to the pivot pin is spread over contact area between the gripper feature and the surface of the panel. Because the torque is transferred over a greater area, stress concentrations in the panel are reduced and the panel is not deformed. |
| US08136206B2 |
Biaxial hinge device and portable terminal device
A biaxial hinge device includes: a first-shaft member; a second-shaft member orthogonal to the first-shaft member; a thrust-cam member provided to the second-shaft member so as to move in the extending direction of the second-shaft member; a rotational-arm member provided to the second-shaft member so as to move rotationally; a protrusion provided to the thrust-cam member so as to protrude to the rotational-arm member side; a groove provided to the rotational-arm member, into which the protrusion is fitted; and an fitting/fitting-release control portion provided to the first-shaft member which releases fitting of the protrusion into the groove when the rotational angle of the second-shaft member as to the first-shaft member is a first-rotational angle, and moves the thrust-cam member to the rotational-arm member side to fit the protrusion into the groove when the rotational angle of the second-shaft member as to the first-shaft member is a second-rotational angle. |
| US08136204B2 |
Door hinge for vehicle, having check function
A door hinge for a vehicle, having a check function includes: a vehicle body-side hinge member to be fixed to a vehicle body; a door-side hinge member to be fixed to a door; a hinge shaft that relatively rotatably connects between the vehicle body-side hinge member and the door-side hinge member; a movable member capable of being displaced in a direction substantially along this hinge shaft; an operation conversion device that converts a relative rotational operation between the vehicle body-side hinge member and the door-side hinge member into a displacement of the movable member substantially along the axial direction; and a check resistance application device that applies a retention resistance against an operational force to the movable member. |
| US08136203B2 |
Hinge arrangement
A hinge arrangement of a door for closing off an opening, such as a housing opening, a partition opening, a wall opening, or the like, having at least one pivot pin connected to the door and oriented vertically in the direction of the housing, wherein the pin can be engaged in a pivot pin receptacle on the housing. The pivot pin can be moved from a retracted position, in which the pivot pin is not engaged in the pivot pin receptacle, by vertical displacement into an extended position in which the pivot pin is engaged in the pivot pin receptacle and is rotatably supported therein. A releasable, spring-loaded locking device acts on the pivot pin and holds the pivot pin in the retracted position. |
| US08136195B2 |
Handle for a floor cleaning implement
A handle for an implement for cleaning a surface, such as a floor, includes an elongated pole, an end cap and a hang cap. The elongated pole has a top end and a bottom end. The bottom end of the elongated pole is adapted to be coupled to a cleaning head on the implement. The end cap is fixedly mounted over the top end of the pole and the hang cap is movably mounted over the end cap. The end cap and hang cap are constructed so that when the hang cap is mounted in place on the end cap, the hang cap may rotate relative to the end cap but cannot move up or down relative to the end cap. The hang cap may define a hole for removably mounting the implement on a hook attached to a wall. |
| US08136191B2 |
Scaffold arrangement and method for repairing the edge structure of a concrete bridge
A scaffold arrangement for repairing the edge structure of a concrete bridge. A steel-structured bent comprises a vertical beam that can be anchored by support members to the upper surface of the bridge. The vertical beam extends to a distance above the upper surface of the bridge. An upper horizontal beam is rigidly secured to the upper end of the vertical beam and the horizontal beam extends substantially transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the bridge and over the edge of the bridge. A vertical column is secured to the end of the upper horizontal beam. The lower end of the vertical column extends down from the edge of the bridge. A lower horizontal beam is secured to the vertical column and extends in alignment with the upper horizontal beam. The lower horizontal beam comprises a first beam portion extending from the vertical column to a distance below the bridge so that mold walls can be fitted onto the first beam portion, and a second beam portion extending from the vertical column to an opposite direction relative to the first beam portion and supporting an access bridge. A longitudinally adjustable support bar is pivotally connected at one end to the first beam portion and at the other end is supportable against the lower surface of the bridge. |
| US08136187B2 |
Slow acting pocketed spring core and method of manufacturing same
Spring cushions (10) having slow-acting pocketed spring cores (12) characterized by the individual springs of the cores (12) being pocketed within semi-impermeable fabric material and a method of making such pocketed spring cores (12). |
| US08136185B2 |
Transport carriage for the patient-bearing surface of an operating table
In a transport carriage for the patient-bearing surface of an operating table, comprising a chassis (10), two supports (58) which are arranged thereon and each have at their upper ends an interface (60) for connecting to a complementary interface on the patient-bearing surface, and a lifting device (48) for adjusting the height of the interfaces (60) relative to the chassis (10), the supports (58) are carried by a pivoting frame (34) which is mounted on the chassis (10) so as to be able to pivot about a horizontal pivot axis (42) and is adjustable by means of the lifting device (48), the supports (58) each being connected to the pivoting frame (34) by a joint (62) having a joint axis (64) parallel to the pivot axis (42) and each being guided on a guide path (70), which is secured to the chassis, in each case set vertically apart from the joint (62) by means of a roller (68) having a roller axis (69) parallel to the pivot axis, in such a way that a line (70), which runs through the joint axis (64) and the roller axis (68) perpendicularly to said supports, remains vertical on the adjustment of the pivoting frame (34). |
| US08136183B1 |
Modular multiple bed unit
A modular multiple bed unit having first and second beds connected together at right angles using mating rail brackets each defining a quick-release coupler. A bracket with quick-release coupler is provided at each of the two spaced locations on the side of one rail of the first bed, and a bracket with a mating quick-release coupler is provided on the end of each rail of the second bed for perpendicular connection of the rails of the second bed to the one rail of the first bed. In one embodiment, a stud is formed on each bracket on the rail of the first bed to engage a hook on an L-shaped bracket on the end of a corresponding rail of the second bed. |
| US08136178B2 |
Retractable rotating spa speaker system
A spa speaker apparatus having a housing with a speaker mounted therein, wherein the speaker can be extended and retracted with respect to the housing and the speaker is also rotatable within the housing. A system for providing audio to a spa is also disclosed. The system comprises a spa having walls and at least one speaker unit mounted to a spa wall. Each of the speaker units is capable of receiving an audio signal, and generating sound towards the occupants of the spa. Each of the speaker units comprises a speaker that is individually retractable to be hidden behind the spa wall and extendible from the spa wall. Each of the speakers is also rotatable within the spa wall to direct the speaker sound. |
| US08136177B2 |
Assembled water reservoir
An assembled water reservoir includes plural boards. Each board is provided side by side on side walls of a tank unit. The water reservoir also includes plural connection members and each connection member is used to connect two neighboring boards, allowing an included angle to be formed between the two neighboring boards, so as to construct a water pool. Therefore, through providing the plural boards and the plural connection members in the closed tank unit to construct the water reservoir, the reservoir can be provided with an effect of isolating temperature, a power source, ambient moisture and water. |
| US08136173B2 |
Sink drain treatment kit
A kit for use in treating a sink drain so that drain remains both open and clean includes an unclogging device and a strainer, which though packagable or stackable together would normally be used separately. The unclogging device can be used to concentrate the spray from a nozzle to assist in unclogging a drain. The strainer would normally reside in a sink drain to prevent debris from clogging or restricting the drain. One version of the strainer provides space for an air freshener that can be replaced. These kits also include a sealing stopper and a gasket. |
| US08136172B1 |
Scented toilet seat
A scent delivery device, the device comprising a standard shaped toilet seat, a hollow inner channel that runs in the body of said toilet seat, a set of holes in fluid communication with said hollow inner channel, and a scent activating component in fluid communication with the hollow inner channel of the toilet seat through a hose. Said scent activating component comprises a scent aerosol and a valve capable of being opened through a timer when a signal is received from weight sensors located on the bottom surface of the toilet seat. |
| 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. |