| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08166903B1 |
Deadrise-altering adjunct for marine hull bottom
As typically embodied, the present invention's add-on device includes two wedge-shaped structural components that are oppositely congruent and symmetrically connected. In profile, the device describes a pair of nearly triangular quadrilateral figures that are enantiomorphs (mirror images) with respect to the linear bisector (mirror line) at which they join. The device's V-angular upper surface defines the same V-angularity (“deadrise”) as does a V-angular hull bottom, the device thus fitting beneath the hull bottom. The device's V-angular lower surface defines a different angularity, which is imparted to the hull bottom when the device is attached thereto. According to typical inventive practice, the device alters the hull bottom's V-angularity by at least 1° and, at least, covers approximately 100% of the hull bottom's widthwise expanse along approximately 50% or more of the hull bottom's lengthwise expanse. The device modifies a marine vessel's hydrodynamics and/or hydrostatics, and may provide armor and/or wear benefits. |
| US08166901B2 |
Dock system
There is provided a dock having a pair of primary frame members and a pair of secondary frame members. A plurality of cross members extends between the pair of primary frame members. The dock includes a plurality of cross member connectors for connecting the cross members to the primary frame members. Each cross member connector includes a frame contact portion and a cross member engagement portion extending from the frame contact portion. The frame contact portion is connected to a respective one of the plurality of primary frame members. The cross member engagement portion defines a channel sized and configured to receive the alignment plate of a respective one of the plurality of cross members. A roller assembly may also be included for stabilizing the dock relative to an adjacent piling. |
| US08166900B2 |
Deceleration device of a personal watercraft
A personal watercraft configured to eject water rearward from a body thereof to generate a propulsive force, includes a pair of right and left resistive elements which are attached to the body and configured to be able to receive water resistance during travel of the watercraft. The resistive elements are configured to move between an operating position and a non-operating position, the water resistance being larger in the operating position than in the non-operating position. Each of the resistive elements includes a pressure receiving section configured to receive the water resistance in the operating position, and wherein in the operating position, at least a portion of the pressure receiving section is located outward relative to a coupling portion where the resistive element is coupled to the body, in a width direction of the body. |
| US08166898B2 |
Wind-powered personal hydrofoil watercraft
A personal wind-powered hydrofoil watercraft having a sail supported by a mast coupled to a buoyant body, where the mast is tiltable forward and backward but not side to side, in order to prevent excessive rolling of the buoyant body when it is lifted clear of the water on the hydrofoils. Additionally, the buoyant body may be in the shape of a pontoon, the watercraft may be steerable by a steering mechanism actuated by a human operator's foot or feet, and the front hydrofoil may be associated with a surface tracking means in order to stabilize the altitude of the watercraft. |
| US08166895B2 |
Variable displacement meter roller
A metering apparatus for metering a granular product is presented having a unitary meter roller comprising a plurality of meter roller sections, where each meter roller section has a plurality of radially extending ridges defining product receiving valleys having a volume such that each meter roller section dispenses a specific volume of the granular product per rotation of the unitary meter roller, whereby at least one meter roller section of the unitary meter roller has product receiving valleys of a different volume than the other meter roller sections of the unitary meter roller for reducing or increasing the overall volume of the granular product dispensed per rotation of the uniform meter roller. |
| US08166893B2 |
Table system
A table system that includes a table top having an upper surface and a surface covering which covers substantially the upper surface of the table top. The table top and the surface covering have concentric openings with substantially similar diameters. |
| US08166892B2 |
Railroad gondola car structure and mechanism therefor
A railroad gondola car has a hopper carried between two trucks. The hopper has convergent end and side slope sheets that feed a bottom discharge. The bottom discharge has a pair of longitudinal doors. The door closing mechanism is a mechanical transmission that includes a set of linkages running from the door to a reciprocating pneumatic cylinder. The linkages run generally parallel to the slope sheet. The car has a very short draft installation that includes a removable coupler carrier bar, and the main shear plate has a removable draft gear installation panel. There is a machinery space above the end section shear plate. It is overhung by the slope sheet that is substantially unobstructed by any other primary structure. The pneumatic cylinder is mounted on an angle in this unobstructed machinery space, oriented longitudinally over the draft sill beneath the main drag link of the mechanical transmission, and above the main pivot of the driving input lever of the transmission. The main lever is bifurcated, and straddles the pneumatic cylinder. The mechanism includes a primary lock in the form of an over center lever arrangement, and a compact secondary lock that acts sideways rather than lengthwise. The sidewalls of the car include vertical stiffeners and side sheets. The lower portion of the side sheets lies laterally inboard of the stiffener web, while the upper portion lies laterally outboard of the stiffener web. The side slope sheet of the hopper meets the sidewall at the transition of the sidewall sheet from the inside-the-post to the outside-the-post condition. |
| US08166890B2 |
Cab isolation for a locomotive
Provided is a cab isolation system for a locomotive is provided including a cab having a front and a rear. The cab isolation system further includes a pivot located generally near the rear of the cab and at least one spring generally located near the front of the cab. In another embodiment, dampers may further be provided and generally located near the front of the cab. In another embodiment, lateral links may further be provided and generally located near the front of the cab. This system may include any of the above elements, alone or in combination, to provide for a cab isolation system for isolating a locomotive cab from engine generated structure borne noise and vibration, while lower frequency track induced motions are not magnified. |
| US08166887B2 |
Sound systems for model railroad locomotives
On-board model railroad speaker enclosure designs are presented that isolate back and front speaker waves. In one example, a first speaker may be disposed inside of a model steam locomotive tender, and a second speaker disposed inside of the model steam locomotive. Bass sounds and mid-range sounds may be separately directed to the first and second speakers, and isolated from mixing with one another. |
| US08166885B2 |
Suspended cable amusement ride
An suspended cable amusement ride is disclosed. The cable is supported by turning beam assemblies and moved by turning beam drive assemblies. The turning beam assemblies and turning beam drive assemblies each have multiple sheave wheels supported in brackets along a turning beam. In the turning beam drive assembly the sheave wheels are driven by motors operably attached to the sheave wheels. |
| US08166880B2 |
Micro-machined or micro-engraved safety and arming device
A micro-machined or micro-engraved safety and arming device for a pyrotechnic train of a projectile to which axial spin is imparted after firing, such device comprising a substrate onto which a shutter to break the pyrotechnic train is positioned, such shutter being mobile in translation on the substrate, device in which the train-breaking shutter is held immobile by at least two locks, a first lock, or axial acceleration lock, which is released further to the application of the acceleration communicated to the projectile during firing, and a second lock, device wherein the second lock is a centrifugal lock that is released further to the projectile being made to spin. |
| US08166879B2 |
Detonator ignition protection circuit
An ignition circuit for a detonator is disclosed. The circuit includes an igniter, a transient voltage suppressor (TVS), an energy source and a switch, all electrically connected in series with each other. Current flow through the igniter sufficient to ignite the igniter is prevented until an ignition voltage is applied across the TVS that is equal to or greater than the breakdown voltage of the TVS. |
| US08166877B2 |
Printing press having a dryer device for varnished sheets
A printing press and a method of drying printed or varnished sheets in a printing press include heating printed and/or varnished sheets, before the sheets enter a dryer, to a temperature higher than the ambient temperature, through the use of a heatable impression cylinder in the last printing and/or varnishing unit upstream of the thermal dryer device. |
| US08166873B2 |
Automated juice extractor
An automatic juicer turns and pushes an upward facing juicing cone into a fruit for releasing and collecting juice. The juicer includes a base containing a motor, gear and shaft assembly which rises as a unit with the juicing cone. A fixed guide extends upward from the base and inner and outer shafts reside inside the fixed guide and are driven by the motor and gear assembly to rotate and advance the juicing cone into the fruit. The juicing cone, strainer and a bowl release and catch the juice. The outer shaft includes threads to vertically advance and retreat the outer and inner shafts when the outer shaft turns. The inner shaft rises with the outer shaft and lifts and rotates the juicing cone, thereby releasing juice from the fruit. The bowl is fixed to the base. |
| US08166872B2 |
Modified atmosphere for food preservation
An appliance system including a module removably mounted to an appliance, one or more removable gas canisters operably connected to the module, and a food retaining enclosed space operably connected to the module. The one or more gas canisters supply a modified atmosphere in the food retaining enclosed space to produce a modified atmosphere that enhances preservation of the food contained in the food retaining enclosed space. A method of modifying the atmosphere in a food storage space for food includes the steps of: providing a module capable of being removably engaged to an appliance and typically receiving power from the appliance and at least one removable gas canister; operatively connecting or otherwise engaging the module with the appliance; operatively connecting or otherwise engaging the module to a food storage area having an existing atmosphere; and removing at least a portion of the existing atmosphere from the food storage space and replacing it with a modified food storage atmosphere using at least one of the at least one removable gas canisters to supply the modified atmosphere to the food storage area. |
| US08166871B2 |
Food product steamer
A steamer for sandwich buns, bagels, croissants, cakes, vegetables, pastas, and other foods delivers fixed amounts of water onto a hot, dry platen through a vertically-oriented water conduit which is also thermally insulated from the hot platen and made from thermally insulating materials. The vertically-oriented water conduit retains water after a water supply is shut off at the beginning or end of a steam generating cycle. Orienting the conduit vertically reduces the surface area of liquid water exposed to air. Insulating the water conduit from the hot platen reduces the rate at which water standing in the conduit evaporates. Tubes used in the water conduit are insulating and easily removed from the water conduit assembly and flexible. Minerals that precipitate out of solution and become deposited onto the flexible tube are easily removed by flexing the flexible tube. |
| US08166869B2 |
Infusion assembly for beverage preparing machine
An infusion assembly, particularly for machines for preparing beverages, comprising a first shoulder and a second shoulder which face each other and are adapted to define internally a space for the movement of a piston, a dispensing assembly being arranged between the first and second shoulders, means for locking a capsule being provided, the piston being rigidly coupled to the locking means in order to move the locking means from an open position to a closed position in which the capsule is accommodated within the dispensing assembly. |
| US08166867B2 |
Liquid flow control through a beverage preparation apparatus
Apparatuses, methods and systems for liquid flow control and beverage preparation are disclosed. The apparatuses, methods and systems of the present invention include liquid flow control and beverage preparation capsules, pods, cartridges, pouches, systems, and modules for controlling and directing flow streams of liquid through a beverage preparation process. The apparatuses, methods and systems of the present invention may be used in combination with or included as an integral assembly of any apparatus, method or system for liquid dispension. |
| US08166863B2 |
Magnetic damping field armor system
A resource is protected by an armor structure comprising a magnetic field such that the magnetic field will interfere with a warhead blast to weaken the blast. In particular, magnetic field will interfere with a molten metal jet from a shaped charge to disperse the jet, allowing subsequent layers of armor to absorb the jet energy without penetration. In one embodiment, the magnetic field is produced by a layer of magnetic material magnetized with the field lines perpendicular to the primary threat direction and typically parallel to the surface of the area to be protected. The magnetic material layer may include ferromagnetic (iron or steel, or other) layers to strengthen and contain the magnetic field, protect the magnetic material and act as additional armor layers. The magnetic layer is typically used in conjunction with an inner shield armor layer to absorb the diffused jet after passing through the magnetic layer. |
| US08166859B2 |
Paper trimmer
Methods, systems and components for paper trimmers cut paper placed on a planar base using a blade that is moved transversely across the paper. A recessed cutting track containing a desired cutting pattern is inserted into the planar base and a counterpart guide track suspended thereover. A blade assembly is inserted through a channel in the guide track with the cutting blade residing in the counterpart channel in the cutting track. Material to be trimmed is placed between the recessed cutting track and the guide track. As the blade assembly is directed along the length of the counterpart channels, guides on the blade assembly interact with the channel and cause the cutting blade to rotate, cutting along the path of the channel. Desired cuts are made by selecting appropriate interchangeable cutting tracks and counterpart guide tracks. |
| US08166851B2 |
Combination driving tool for phillips and robertson fasteners
Embodiments of a driving tool are disclosed that comprise a shank portion, and a working portion, wherein the working portion is configured to drive either a Phillips head fastener or a Robertson® head fastener. |
| US08166845B2 |
Theftproof clutch handle that is detached easily and quickly
A theftproof clutch handle for a motorcycle includes a clutch connector, at least one fixed shaft mounted on the clutch connector, a handle body removably mounted on the fixed shaft, and a locking shaft movably mounted on the handle body and releasably locked onto the fixed shaft. The fixed shaft has a locking groove. The handle body has at least one shaft hole. The locking shaft has a release groove. Thus, when the locking shaft is pressed, the fixed shaft is released from the release groove of the locking shaft, and the locking shaft is released from the locking groove of the fixed shaft to unlock the fixed shaft from the locking shaft so that the handle body can be removed from the fixed shaft to provide a theftproof effect. |
| US08166842B2 |
Dual clutch transmission
A dual-clutch transmission comprising clutches with input sides coupled to an input shaft and output sides respectively coupled to two transmission input shafts. Toothed idler gearwheels are mounted to rotate on countershafts while toothed fixed gearwheels are connected to the first and the second transmission input shafts and engage with the idler gearwheels. Coupling devices are provided for connecting the idler gearwheels to the countershaft, and drive output gearwheels are fixed to the countershafts and couple an output shaft, while a shifting element couples the input shafts such that eight forward gears and at least one reverse gear can be engaged. Four wheel planes are arranged in the transmission such that at least one winding gear can be engaged by the shifting element. |
| US08166840B2 |
Twin clutch type speed change control system
In a twin clutch type speed change control system in which changeover of gear position is carried out by switching between a pair of clutches, to suppress the noises of clutch being in the disengaged condition during a normal operation with a fixed gear position. In the twin clutch type speed change control system, changeover of gear position between an odd-ordinal gear position and an even-ordinal gear position is effected by disengaging an engaged clutch and engaging a disengaged clutch. During the normal operation with a fixed gear position, the clutch being in the disengaged condition is supplied with a minute oil pressure toward the clutch engaging side, whereby the clutch is moved by a minute amount toward the clutch engaging side. |
| US08166839B2 |
Seat adjuster
A transmission device, in particular for the adjuster of a vehicle seat, is suitable for converting a linear driving motion into a rotary output motion. According to an exemplary embodiment, the device has at least one lever that extends radially relative to a driven axis and is connected thereto. The at least one lever has a free end that interacts with an inclined surface that is moveable in a substantially linear manner in the direction of a driven shaft. |
| US08166837B2 |
Transmission arrangement of an agricultural or industrial utility vehicle
The present invention relates to a transmission arrangement of an agricultural or industrial utility vehicle, in particular of an agricultural tractor. The transmission arrangement comprises a drive transmission, which can be driven by an engine of the utility vehicle, and a PTO transmission. The drive transmission has a rear-axle transmission output for driving a rear axle of the utility vehicle. The drive transmission has a front axle transmission output for driving a front axle of the utility vehicle. The PTO transmission serves to drive an implement adaptable to the utility vehicle. The PTO transmission can be driven via a PTO transmission output of the drive transmission or independently of the drive transmission via a shaft driven by the engine of the utility vehicle. The transmission arrangement according to the invention is characterized in that the PTO transmission can be coupled to the front axle transmission output of the drive transmission, in order to couple the output speed of the PTO transmission to the speed of travel of the utility vehicle. |
| US08166835B2 |
Sensor chip and inspection device
A sensor chip of an electrical signal detection type, comprises a semiconductor sensing device, the sensor chip being detachable with respect to an inspection device. |
| US08166831B2 |
Force measuring rigid load binder
The present invention provides a force measuring rigid load binder in the field of goods holding. The force measuring rigid load binder of the invention address the problems of conventional force measuring rigid load binders, such as potential damages to goods, adverse affection on goods transportation, increased difficulty in manual control, time and labor consumption and inconsistent tensioning forces of the binding belt. The force measuring rigid load binder of the invention includes a tensioning mechanism having a handle. Each of both ends of the tensioning mechanism is connected with a hook respectively. The tensioning mechanism is made of a rigid material. The distance between two hooks could be adjusted by the tensioning mechanism when the handle is pulled. A sensor is provided at a forced part of the tensioning mechanism, which could generate a signal corresponding to the size of the tensioning force when the load binder is in operation. The sensor is connected with a signal processing circuit which could receive and process said signal. A display device is connected with the signal processing circuit to display the size of the tensioning force. The force measuring rigid load binder of the invention has advantages including timely availability of the size of the tensioning force of the load binder, a high safety property, a compact structure and a low manufacturing cost. |
| US08166827B2 |
MEMS device and method for manufacturing the same
A MEMS device, including: a substrate having a first principal plane and a second principal plane opposite to the first principal plane; a through hole formed in the substrate; and a vibrating film formed over the first principal plane so as to cover the through hole. The first principal plane and the second principal plane are both a (110) crystal face; and the through hole has a substantially rhombic shape on the second principal plane. |
| US08166820B2 |
Method for detecting a sonic imprint of a three-dimensional object and related apparatus
Non invasive method used to detect a “sonic imprint” of three-dimensional objects, particularly suitable for the identification and monitoring of artworks, consisting in acquiring the vibrations caused by a source of elastic waves and using a set of detectors fixed in various predetermined points of the external surface of the object. An apparatus, cheap and simple to utilize, suitable to execute this method, is also described. |
| US08166816B2 |
Bulk acoustic wave gyroscope
Capacitive bulk acoustic wave x, y and z-axes gyroscopes implemented on (100) and (111) silicon substrates are disclosed. Exemplary gyroscopes comprise a handle substrate, a bulk acoustic wave resonator element supported by the handle substrate, and a plurality of electrodes surrounding and separated from the resonator element by very small capacitive gaps. The electrodes can excite and detect at least two degenerate bulk acoustic wave resonant modes in the resonator. Advantages include reduced size; higher Q, which improves noise and bias stability; larger bandwidth, and improved shock resistance. In addition, the high Q is maintained in atmospheric or near-atmospheric pressure which reduces the cost and complexity of the wafer-scale packaging of the gyroscope. |
| US08166815B2 |
Angular velocity sensor element
An angular velocity sensor element is provided which is capable of preventing even transmission of sudden externally-applied vibration to an element portion by absorbing the vibration. An angular velocity sensor element 2 according to the present embodiment has a fixing portion 21 in the form of a frame, an element portion 20 disposed in the frame of the fixing portion 21 and having vibrating arms 21 to 24 in a drive system and a detection system, and a connecting portion 25 formed as a fixed-fixed beam having its both ends connected to the fixing portion 21 and having its intermediate portion connected to the element portion 20. |
| US08166810B2 |
Swinging apparatus and energy harvester using the same
A swinging apparatus comprising an energy provider and a swinging mechanism disposed thereon. By means of adjusting the size and shape of the swinging mechanism and adjusting a distance between the swinging mechanism and the energy provider so as to control the ratio of the distance between the swinging mechanism and the energy provider to a characteristic value corresponding to the swing mechanism in a range between 4 and 0.25, the swinging frequency of the swinging mechanism may be adjusted automatically to comply with the variation of the motion frequency of the energy provider. The present invention further provides an energy harvester to work with the swinging apparatus and a coil to generate an induced current for power generation during the swing of the swing mechanism. In the present invention, the natural frequency of the swing mechanism may be adjusted according to the rotational velocity of the energy provider. |
| US08166805B1 |
Engine misfire detection probe
A probe and method for sensing pressure variations in the exhaust stream of an engine for detecting cylinder misfires. The probe includes a Venturi tube placed in the exhaust stream. The Venturi tube has a sensing tube with an aperture, and the sensing tube is coupled to a pressure sensor for monitoring the pressure of the exhaust stream within the Venturi tube at the point of the aperture. The pressure sensor then generates a voltage signal based on the pressure, and this voltage signal is viewed on an oscilloscope or processed by a microprocessor to generate a waveform readable by a technician. The waveform will indicate the presence of a misfiring cylinder(s), and more specifically, which cylinder(s) is misfiring. |
| US08166798B2 |
Gas analyzer having a structure including cavities and volumes
Method of making a structure, a structure and a gas analyzer comprising cavities and volumes in which a multilayer structure is made by laminating single layers on top of each other to form the multilayer structure and combining them all together, in which method before the laminating step at least one layer is processed by cutting pneumatically constrictive openings therein to form pneumatic filters comprising constrictive cavities and volumes with the surfaces of the adjoining layers. |
| US08166794B2 |
Method for judging quality of lithium nickel composite oxide and positive electrode using lithium nickel composite oxide
A positive electrode active material quality judgment method that can easily and accurately judge the quality of a positive electrode active material used in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary cell without having to complete the positive electrode. The positive electrode active material quality judgment method includes: heating a positive electrode active material mainly made of a lithium nickel composite oxide to a temperature x (° C.) of 200° C. or higher and 400° C. or lower; measuring the amount of carbon dioxide gas generated from the heating; and the positive electrode active material as a suitable positive electrode active material when the positive electrode active material satisfies formulas 3 and 4: y<(1.31x−258)/1000000(200≦x<300) formula 3 y<1.20x−225/1000000(300≦x≦400) formula 4 where x is the heating temperature x (° C.) and y is the amount of carbon dioxide gas (mole/g) generated per 1 g of the positive electrode active material in the heating to the heating temperature x (° C.). |
| US08166791B2 |
Die cushion device
A die cushion pad 13 is divided into four small pads 15 and a large pad 16. With this arrangement, a load applied to an action point of each of the small pads 15 can be equalized by the large pad 16, and an overturning moment arising between the action point and a reaction force point that equates the center of the small pad 15 can be canceled, thereby preventing flexure of the small pad 15. Accordingly, since flexure of the cushion pin and the like can be prevented, there is no risk that the cushion pin is frictioned against the penetrating hole of a bolster, and the lifting operation can be smoothly performed, whereby a higher-accuracy pressing forming operation can be realized. |
| US08166788B2 |
Lip-rolling and flanging tool for bending back or widening fender-wheelwell edges
A lip-rolling and flanging tool for bending back and/or widening fender-wheelwell edges of motor vehicles, the tool having a flanging roll (46) that is attached through a telescoping tube arrangement (10) to an affixing flange (4) mountable on a wheel axle of the motor vehicle, and while generating a pressing force against the fender-wheelwell edge is pivotable together with the wheel axle, the flanging roll (46) is mounted in a forked support bracket (44) disposed at one end of the telescoping tube arrangement (10), which bracket is disposed in a rotatable and lockable manner between the clamping jaws (40, 40′) attached to the telescoping tube arrangement (10′), the clamping jaws (40, 40′) each have at least one recess or milled-out section (100,100′) that interacts with a pin (103) disposed in the flanging-roll support bracket (44) so as to restrict the pivoting range of the flanging-roll support bracket (44). |
| US08166786B2 |
Wire-forming machine
A wire-forming machine, comprising a machine frame, a wire feeder and a wire guide for transporting wire to a working area of the machine where the wire is processed by one or more tools. The tools are affixed on a tool plate on the machine frame and around a recess formed in the plate. A wire is fed through the recess to the working area of the machine. The tool plate is fitted on a second plate and is displaceable along a first direction (x) relative to the second plate, while the second plate is displaceable along a second direction (y) relative to the machine plate. Both directions (x, y) have an inclination of 45° each to the vertical normal axis of the wire-forming machine and are perpendicular to each other. |
| US08166785B2 |
Rolling mill apparatus and method of shape control of rolled strip and plate
This invention relates to a rolling mill apparatus and a method of shape control of a rolled strip which enables satisfactory shape control even in extremely thin rolling. A rolling mill apparatus of this invention has a rolling mill, which rolls a rolled strip P between upper and lower work rolls; a shape detecting portion, which detects the degree of flatness of the rolled strip in the width direction of rolled strip which has been rolled by the rolling mill; a spray portion, having a plurality of spray nozzles arranged along the length direction of the upper and lower work rolls, which sprays the upper and lower work rolls with coolant C; and, a shape control portion, which adjusts the spray amount and/or temperature of the coolant C sprayed from the spray portion based on detected information from the shape detecting portion, to control the shape of the rolled strip P. The shape control portion has two control modes, in which the relationship of the detected information of the shape detecting portion and the spray amount and/or temperature of the coolant C sprayed from the spray portion are inversely proportional, and switches between these two control modes based on the strip thickness of the rolled strip P. |
| US08166783B2 |
Anti-tampering arrangements for pin tumbler cylinder locks
A pin tumbler cylinder lock includes a shell, a plug, and at least first and second tumbler pins and first and second driver pins. At least the first driver pin extends into a corresponding plug channel when the plug is in a locked condition, such that rotation of the plug with respect to the shell is blocked. The lock is configured such that at least the first driver pin is separated from the first tumbler pin by a gap when the plug is in the locked condition. When the first and second tumbler pins are raised without the proper key and the gap between the first tumbler pin and the first driver pin is eliminated, the second tumbler pin extends across the shear line and into the corresponding shell channel. |
| US08166779B2 |
Baffle system for blank molds of a glassware forming machine
A baffle system for blank molds of a glassware forming machine, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, includes a first shaft mounted for movement in the direction of its axis and for rotation around its axis. A baffle arm is mounted to the first shaft and a manifold is suspended from the baffle arm. A plurality of baffle holders are suspended from the manifold, and rocker arms interconnect the baffle holders for equalizing forces applied by the baffle holders to the blank molds of a glassware forming machine. A second shaft is adjacent to the first shaft and a link arm extends between the second shaft and the manifold. The baffle arm, the manifold and the link arm form a linkage that moves the baffle holders between a first position overlying the blank molds and a second position spaced from the blank molds. Disposition of the rocker arms between the manifold and the baffle holders permits the manifold to be folded under the baffle arm in the second position of the baffle arm, the manifold and the baffle holders. The link arm preferably is coupled to the second shaft for longitudinal and pivotal movement on the second shaft, and a wear block preferably is carried by the baffle arm and engages the link arm adjacent to the second shaft for supporting the link arm during movement of the link arm on the second shaft. |
| US08166775B2 |
Noise attenuating device for a heating-ventilation-cooling system of a motor vehicle
A system and method for reducing noise in an automotive heating, ventilation, and cooling system is described. A noise attenuation device using radial vanes upstream of a flow discontinuity, such as a bend in the ducting, and downstream of a blower fan is used to reduce noise. |
| US08166770B2 |
Apparatus and method for cooling electrical equipment
An HV_ECU executes a program, which includes a step of receiving route information; a step of acquiring a duty command value of a battery cooling blower; a step of calculating a cooling airflow; steps for acquiring a battery temperature and an intake temperature; a step of calculating a value TB−TC; a step of calculating a cooling performance; a step of estimating a battery temperature; and a step of performing fail safe processing when in an abnormal state. |
| US08166764B2 |
Flow sleeve impingement cooling using a plenum ring
A combustor assembly for a turbine engine includes a combustor liner, a flow sleeve and a plenum ring. The flow sleeve surrounds the combustor liner to form an annulus radially between the combustor liner and the flow sleeve. The flow sleeve has a plurality of rows of cooling holes. The plenum ring radially surrounds the combustor liner in the annulus. The plenum ring has a plurality of bypass tubes for directing axial air flow and radial flow chambers for directing radial air flow. |
| US08166763B2 |
Gas turbine fuel injector with a removable pilot assembly
A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes an injector housing having a longitudinal axis. The injector housing includes one or more fuel inlets, one or more fuel galleries annularly disposed about the longitudinal axis, and an air inlet. The fuel injector also includes a premix barrel having a proximal end and a distal end circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis. The premix barrel is fluidly coupled to the fuel galleries and the air inlet at the proximal end, and configured to mechanically couple to a combustor of the gas turbine engine at the distal end. The fuel injector also includes a pilot assembly disposed radially inwards of the premix barrel. The pilot assembly may include a first end and a second end. The second end is removably coupled to the injector housing, and the first end is proximate the distal end of the premix barrel. The pilot assembly is fluidly coupled to the fuel galleries, the air inlet, and the combustor. |
| US08166756B2 |
Turbine intake pressure release structure
A turbine intake pressure release structure to control pressure release between a throttle and a first turbine boosted pressure outlet includes a pressure release valve which has a first pressure orifice, a second pressure orifice and a housing chamber, at least one controller which has a pressure detection end and a driven portion and a switch duct which has a first end opening, a second end opening and a third end opening. The first end opening is connected to a third turbine boosted pressure outlet. The second end opening leads to the atmosphere. The third end opening is connected to the second pressure orifice. The driven portion runs through the switch duct to close the second end opening through the driven portion drive a membrane to a first position or closes the first end opening through the driven portion to drive the membrane to a second position. |
| US08166755B2 |
Turbocharger system with turbine bypass valve actuated by multiple-rate fluid pressure actuator
A fluid pressure actuator for a turbocharger system's turbine bypass valve comprises a piston slidable in a cylinder so as to define a chamber containing a compression spring assembly operable to exert a spring force on the piston. The cylinder can be selectively subjected to a vacuum or pressure for exerting a fluid pressure force on the piston in a direction opposite from the spring force. The spring assembly comprises a first spring arranged to be compressed by the piston throughout a first range of motion of the piston in a compression direction, and at least a second spring arranged to be compressed by the piston throughout a second range of motion that is smaller than and co-terminal with the first range of motion but to be uncompressed during an initial part of the first range of motion of the piston in the compression direction. |
| US08166754B2 |
Exhaust manifold
In an exhaust manifold for an internal combustion engine including a central part with tow exhaust gas flow ducts extending from the central part in opposite directions for collecting exhaust gas from first and respectively second cylinder groups of the engine, the center part includes a first control valve for controlling the exhaust gas flow from the first and the second cylinder groups to first and second turbine inlet flow passages, a second control valve for controlling the exhaust gas pressure and a third control valve for controlling the exhaust gas recirculation rate. |
| US08166752B2 |
Apparatus and method for cooling an exhaust gas
An exhaust gas cooling apparatus and method for cooling an exhaust gas is provided. The exhaust cooling apparatus having a first fluid conduit having a variable nozzle opening disposed at one end of the first fluid conduit, the variable nozzle opening being defined by a shape memory alloy extending from the first fluid conduit; and a second fluid conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end, the variable nozzle opening being disposed in the second fluid conduit proximate to the inlet end of the second fluid conduit such that a fluid inlet opening is disposed about an outer periphery of the variable nozzle opening and an inner surface of the inlet end of the second fluid conduit, the shape memory alloy varying the size of the variable nozzle opening by moving toward or away from a center line of the first fluid conduit in response to a temperature of an exhaust gas flowing through the first fluid conduit. |
| US08166751B2 |
Particulate filter
A filter includes a housing including an inlet and an outlet, and the housing includes a first section and a second section. The filter also includes a plurality of parallel channels defined by a plurality of porous walls within the first and second sections of the housing. The plurality of channels extend between the inlet and the outlet. The plurality of channels in the first section of the housing includes at least one first channel including an inlet stopper and at least one second channel including an outlet stopper. The plurality of channels in the second section of the housing including at least one open channel. |
| US08166747B2 |
Gas turbine engine
A steam injection gas turbine engine having a once-through steam generator (OTSG). A condenser is provided downstream of the OTSG to capture water and is protected from hot flue gasses during startup by a bypass circuit. Optionally, heating the exhaust downstream of the condenser using coolant taken from an intercooler provides plume suppression. |
| US08166742B2 |
Uncured composite rope including a plurality of different fiber materials
An uncured, composite rope includes at least one inner tow of structural fibers of a first material and a plurality of outer tows of structural fibers disposed about the at least one inner tow, the structural fibers of at least one of the plurality of outer tows being made from a second material that is different from the first material. The uncured, composite rope further includes an uncured polymeric resin impregnated into the at least one inner tow and the plurality of outer tows. |
| US08166741B2 |
Resilient composite tire cord
Elastic metal/textile composite cord (C-1) having two layers (Ci, Ce) of 1+N construction, formed from a core or inner layer (Ci) comprising a textile core thread (10) of diameter d1 and a metal outer layer (Ce) of N wires (12) of diameter d2 wound together in a helix with a pitch p2 around the layer Ci, said cord being characterized in that it has the following characteristics (p2 in mm): As>1.0%; At>4.0%; Af>6.0%; d1>1.1d2; 4 |
| US08166738B1 |
Combine header with crop compression rollers
A header (20) for an agricultural combine (10) comprises a laterally extending frame (28) supporting a laterally extending cutter bar (54) and left and right lateral belt conveyors (32, 34) supported on the frame (28). Each of the belt conveyors (32, 34) has a feeding direction from an outer side end towards a center of the header (20). Rotationally drivable left and right crop compression rollers (74) are supported on the frame (28) above the left and right lateral belt conveyors (32, 34). The crop compression rollers (74) extend substantially over the length of the left and right lateral belt conveyors (32, 34) and have a smooth cylindrical surface. |
| US08166736B2 |
Crop-conditioning apparatus having hydraulic tension mechanism
As crop materials are severed from the field, they pass through two successive pairs of counter-rotating conditioning rolls before being returned to the ground. The front rolls are preferably ribbed, metal rolls wherein the ribs of one roll are intermeshed with those of the other roll so as to crimp the stems of the crop materials as they pass between the rolls. The hard metal ribs also aggressively feed the materials rearwardly into the second set of rolls, which are preferably compressive surface rolls made of rubber or the like and provided with wide, intermeshed bars about their periphery. The tension mechanism for the rolls includes single-acting hydraulic cylinders that squeeze the rolls together to the extent permitted by adjustable stop structure used to set gaps between the rolls. An accumulator is hydraulically connected to the hydraulic cylinders for cushioning the tension mechanism. |
| US08166735B1 |
Pull type gang mower
A gang-type lawn mower system comprises a main frame and a plurality of mower decks secured to the main frame. Mounted on the frame is a power source such as an internal combustion engine. A drive train is interconnected between the power source and each of the mower decks. Thus, each mower deck is driven by the single power source. Further, the frame structure includes a tongue that is adapted to be connected to a tractor. Therefore, in cutting grass, the frame structure is pulled over the ground and each of the mower decks, driven by the power source, cuts grass or other vegetation that passes under the mower deck. Additionally, each mower deck is pivotally connected to the frame structure about at least one pivot axis. |
| US08166731B2 |
Method and apparatus for supplying gas to an area
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to various designs and packaging methods for a gas delivery device and materials for supplying one or more predetermined gases to a target area as well as to application specific opthamological embodiments. With regard to the gas delivery device, the device may include a reservoir, a gas diffusion portion for communicating gas from the reservoir and one or more predetermined gases at concentrations greater than atmospheric contained within the reservoir, wherein the device does not generate gas and may be packaged prior to use with the one or more predetermined gases. |
| US08166730B2 |
Device for closing containers with screw caps including quick change mechanism for closing element
A device for closing containers, particularly bottles, with screw caps, having at least one rotatably drivable closing head in which a closure-specific closing element is exchangeably retained, a positive-fit quick-change mechanism for the respective closing element is embodied in the closing head, and in the release state of the quick-change mechanism the closing element can be laterally removed or inserted essentially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the closing head. |
| US08166728B1 |
Protective shield assembly and method
A method of protecting an existing surface includes providing a surface to be protected; providing at least one shield section including a plurality of protective shield assemblies, each of the protective shield assemblies including a corrugated panel and a protective shield base carried by the corrugated panel; and attaching the corrugated panel to the surface with the protective shield assembly facing away from the surface. |
| US08166727B2 |
Automated brick laying system for constructing a building from a plurality of bricks
An automated brick laying system (10) for constructing a building from a plurality of bricks (16) comprises a robot (12) provided with a brick laying and adhesive applying head (18), a measuring system (13), and a controller (14) that provides control data to the robot (12) to lay the bricks (16) at predetermined locations. The measuring system (13) measures in real time the position of the head (18) and produces position data for the controller (14). The controller (14) produces control data on the basis of a comparison between the position data and a predetermined or pre-programmed position of the head (18) to lay a brick (16) at a predetermined position for the building under construction. The controller (14) can control the robot (12) to construct the building in a course by course manner where the bricks (16) are laid sequentially at their respective predetermined positions and where a complete course of bricks for the entire building is laid prior to laying of the brick for the next course. |
| US08166726B2 |
Tile leveling process and apparatus
The process of tiling a floor is disclosed in which the leveling of the tile members being attached to a floor or counter top includes selecting and attaching a plurality of tile height spacers to each piece of tile. Each tile height spacer has a plurality of feet extending from one side thereof and an adhesive coating on the other side having a protective cover thereover. The adhesive cover is removed from the tile so that the tile height spacer can be attached to the bottom of a tile member for pressing the tile member and tile height spacers attached thereto into the tile bonding agent applied to the floor for leveling the tile. |
| US08166723B2 |
Floor panels with edge connectors
Floor covering, including hard floor panels which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides, are provided with coupling parts, cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, and provide a snap-action coupling. |
| US08166708B2 |
Integrated glass run and upper reveal with film
An integrated reveal molding is provided for a motor vehicle door frame having a header section defining a window opening. The integrated reveal molding includes an upper reveal adapted to be mounted to the header section. The upper reveal includes a reveal surface disposed outboard of the header section. A reveal is secured along the reveal surface. The integrated reveal molding also includes a glass run co-extruded with the upper reveal. The glass run includes a window receiving channel for engagement with a window pane. The integrated reveal molding is formed as an extruded member from thermoplastic vulcanisate (TPV) of different durometer values to meet varying flexibility and durability requirements. |
| US08166706B2 |
Multipositional vault door
The present invention relates to a vault door mechanism that assists a user in opening or closing the door. A hold-open arm and hinge plate pivotally interconnect the door to a surrounding frame and are fixed in place by an associated locking mechanism. The locking mechanism stops the door in the partially opened position prior to being fully opened or closed, thereby assisting the user in handling the door. The details of the present invention, and the manner in which they interrelate, will be described in greater detail hereinafter. |
| US08166700B2 |
Indoor greenhouse
Described herein is an indoor greenhouse that includes a rack unit, an outer layer that surrounds the rack unit and defines a greenhouse interior, at least one light surrounded by a light enclosure, a cooling system, and a ventilation system all disposed in the greenhouse interior. The ventilation system includes a fan, a filter and at least one duct that cooperate to exhaust air out of the exhaust vent opening. The rack unit includes a top, a bottom, and an intermediate portion extending therebetween. The outer layer includes a top, a bottom, and an intermediate portion extending therebetween that correspond to the similar portions of the rack unit. The outer layer also has intake and exhaust vent and light cooling openings defined therein. The cooling system includes at least one duct that cooperates with the light enclosure to define an air path between the intake and exhaust light cooling openings. |
| US08166699B1 |
Swiveling tip for a fishing rod
A swiveling tip for a fishing rod includes a housing with a barrel positioned therein and a roller. The housing includes a first bore for receiving the barrel and a second bore for receiving a fishing rod. The barrel is capable of rotating 360° around a longitudinal axis of the second bore. The barrel has an axle mounting member at a distal end thereof and a through hole that is parallel to and offset from the second longitudinal axis for receiving a fishing line. The roller is configured to rotate about the axle and is adapted to redirect the fishing line from a first direction to a second direction. |
| US08166697B1 |
Rifle scope indicia system
A rifle scope indicia system preferably includes a mounting base, a marker turret and a plurality of marker pins. The mounting base is attached to a top of an elevation turret of a rifle scope. The marker turret includes a plurality of marker openings formed at a perimeter thereof for receiving the plurality of marker pins. The marker turret is preferably removably attachable to the mounting base. The plurality of marker pins may be illuminated with an illumination circuit. A light emitting device of the illumination circuit is retained in an internal cavity of the marker turret. An illumination conduction ring is placed below the marker turret to illuminate any translucent marker pins. A reference marker pin inserted into the marker turret may be coordinated with a marker applied to the parallax wheel or the parallax bell of a rifle scope. |
| US08166696B2 |
Rifle scope with adjustment stop
Rifle scopes with adjustment stops include a scope body, a movable optical element defining an optical axis enclosed by the scope body, and a turret having a screw operably connected to the optical element for adjusting the optical axis in response to rotation of the screw. The turret has a stop element selectably engaged to the screw. The body defines a stop surface positioned for engagement by the turret stop element to limit rotation of the screw, such that the relative position at which the stop element is secured to the screw defines a zero position of the screw and the movable optical element. The stop element is held against the stop surface by an indexing portion while the relative position at which the stop element is secured to the screw to define the zero position is determined. |
| US08166693B2 |
Systems and methods for conditional use of a product
A method performed by a weapon, includes interacting with a user of the weapon to receive a first code; determining whether the first code is consistent with a second code in a memory of the weapon to produce a result of determining; testing whether the weapon is in a zone; performing an operation of the weapon in accordance with the result and the weapon being in the zone. Interacting may include monitoring a switch that is operated by the user; and receiving may include determining the first code in accordance with a time between successive operations of the switch. The method may further include disabling performance of the operation in accordance with the weapon being not in the zone. And, after disabling, requiring a repeat performance of interacting and determining whether the first code is consistent with the second code before enabling performing a further operation of the weapon. An assembly for upgrading an electronic control device, the assembly includes an enclosure, an electrical connector, a battery, and a transceiver. The transceiver supplies to the electronic control device a current that conveys a result of testing whether the assembly is in a zone. A device detects that an electronic control device has been used. The device includes a radio receiver and a circuit. The electronic control device generates a radio signal when used. The circuit detects a plurality of properties of the received radio signal and outputs a signal in response to detecting. |
| US08166691B1 |
Ambidextrous magazine catch
An ambidextrous magazine catch mechanism for a pistol includes a button in the pistol frame. The button has a W-shaped camming surface. A magazine has a catch aperture. A catch includes two upwardly disposed legs connected to one another. A first leg has a tooth to mate with the catch aperture. The first and second legs form a spring having an equilibrium position. When the first leg is pressed toward the second leg, an outward force on the first leg biases the catch toward the equilibrium position. The first leg has a W-shaped camming surface to mate with the camming surface of the button. The button has a neutral position, and a first and second depressed position. In the neutral position, the camming surface of the button mates with the camming surface of the first leg and the tooth is engaged in the aperture to secure the magazine. In the first depressed position, a first side of the button is depressed such that the camming surface of the button moves against the camming surface of the first leg such that the first leg is urged toward the second leg to disengage the tooth from the magazine. |
| US08166690B2 |
Systems and methods for indicating properties of a unit for deployment for electronic weaponry
An electronic weapon may be used with a unit for deployment to cause skeletal muscle contractions in a human or animal target. The unit for deployment when electrically coupled to the electronic weapon, may include at least two electrodes, an indicator, and a propellant for deploying the electrodes to enable delivery, through the target, of a stimulus current to incapacitate the target by causing contractions of the skeletal muscles of the target. The indicator indicates, to the electronic weapon, indicia of a first property of the unit for deployment prior to operating the propellant, and indicia of a second property of the unit for deployment after operating the propellant. Another unit for deployment includes at least two electrodes, an indicator, and a stimulus signal generator, coupled to the electrodes to enable delivery, through the target, of a stimulus current to incapacitate the target by causing contractions of the skeletal muscles of the target. The indicator indicates, to the electronic weapon, indicia of a first property of the unit for deployment prior to operating the stimulus signal generator, and indicia of a second property of the unit for deployment after operating the stimulus signal generator. |
| US08166687B2 |
Electric fireplace with flame curtain
The invention relates to a An electric fireplace with a flame curtain comprises a housing, a light source, a flame curtain with integral structure being disposed on the electric fireplace and in front of an electric fireplace flame generator, an imaging mechanism and a charcoal bed being disposed on the flame curtain, and a number of light-holding charcoal with a plurality of transparent surfaces being disposed on the charcoal bed. The essential effect of the present invention is to solve the problems of constant charcoal flame brightness, the lacking of reality and the bad charcoal flame simulation effect in conventional electric fireplaces. Meanwhile, the problems of constant charcoal flame shape, dull appearance and poor visual effect in conventional electric fireplace are solved as well. The present invention is of simple structure and easy assembly process, while the charcoal flame structure can be arbitrarily changed, the light-spots of the flame are sparkling intermittently with bright and shade, and the flame is of light-holding effect. The visual effect and the authenticity are both perfect. |
| US08166685B2 |
Identifying animals
A identifying device for animals comprising an identifying ring comprising a laser or ink jet marker and/or an electronic transponder intended for being arranged around one of the animal's legs, characterized in that the ring comprises adjusting and latching means, comprising at least one latching stem to be engaged concurrently on the one hand, into a latching hole and on the other hand, into a retaining hole. |
| US08166684B2 |
Display boards
The present invention provides a display board comprising two flexible planar members joined together along an upper edge. The planar members are extendable between a first position for transport and storage where their lower edges are adjacent and a second position where their lower edges are spaced apart and the flexible planar members are curved. The display board can be used to display posters and other printed matter. It is lightweight and very stable even in the presence of strong winds. |
| US08166683B2 |
Card holder
A card holder includes a unitary hollow main body having with a base portion, a first side, a second side, and a top portion. The first side and the second side are angled toward one another and coupled to the top portion. The base portion is coupled to at least one of the first side and the second side. At least one of the first side, the second side, and the top portion has a plurality of grooves formed therein. Each of the grooves has a depth sufficient to hold at least one card in a substantially upright position. |
| US08166680B2 |
Steam iron
A steam iron is disclosed. The steam iron at least includes a base, a handle and a mechanical pump, in which the base has a steam generator and a water tank. The handle is connected with the base. The handle has a storage space and a shell surrounding the storage space. The mechanical pump is set in the storage space of the handle. The mechanical pump is connected with the steam generator and the water tank, and the bailing member of the mechanical pump is adjacent to the handle. The invention provides the mechanical pump having the bailing member that has short length and mounted in the handle. Because the bailing member may be hidden in the handle, user can easily press the bailing member without driving up finger to press the bailing member. So, the problem is solved that common steam iron is discommodiously used. |
| US08166679B2 |
Electric iron
The present invention discloses an electric iron comprising: at least one base unit a main body provided with a water inlet, a water outlet and a water tank connected between said inlet and said outlet; said base unit and said main body may connected or disconnected by a connecting unit; said base unit provided with a water passage which can connected with said water outlet when in assembly with said main body, a steam outlet, a chamber connected between said water passage and said steam outlet and a heating plate used for heating said chamber. Since the base unit can disconnected to the main body, user can choice different heating plates based on different clothing ironing conditions. |
| US08166677B1 |
Manual snow plow
A manual snow plow with ergonomic features comprises a snow scoop, two (2) articulating struts extending upward from the scoop and two (2) hinged rounded braces placed against a user's shoulders during use. The struts are provided with cross bracing which provide size adjustability and stability to the plow. A set of position adjustable hand grips extend from each strut in a rearward fashion to control the device during use. A pair of casters provided on a rear of the snow scoop allows the device to ride over cracks and other uneven surface variations. The snow plow becomes an extension of the user's body and thus enables the user to use the force of their entire body to move snow. |
| US08166675B2 |
Shoe tongue centralizer
The shoe tongue centralizer assembly includes a binding post and a centralizer band which, together prevent the tongue of any type of laced shoe, boot, or other footwear from significant movement either laterally or longitudinally in the footwear. |
| US08166673B2 |
Air bladder footbed
A sole system for an article of footwear comprising: an outsole layer and an insole layer, each of which include a vertically extending opening, a midsole layer disposed between the outsole and insole layers and including a bottom surface, a top surface, and an opening that extends vertically through the midsole layer to define a cavity therein, the cavity opening having a first dimension at the bottom surface substantially corresponding to the outsole layer opening and a second dimension at the top surface substantially corresponding to the insole layer opening; and a bladder element having a top and a base, wherein a portion of the bladder element is secured within the midsole cavity such that the top extends into at least a portion of the insole layer opening and the base extends into the outsole layer opening, wherein the bladder element and the midsole cavity include corresponding shapes and dimensions. |
| US08166663B2 |
Evidence preservation items
The kit described herein may include a first measurement element capable of measuring in at least the x and y planes without substantially moving the element. The kit may further include a second measurement element capable of measuring in at least the x and y planes without substantially moving the second element. In one embodiment, the measuring element is substantially rectangular, has an internal opening and it includes at least a first axis along the x-axis and a second axis along the y-axis. In another embodiment, the measuring element comprises an “L” shape having a first axis along the x-axis and a second axis along the y-axis, wherein each axis has a length of more than 150 cm. |
| US08166661B2 |
Shaving system comprising a razor handle
A shaving system comprises a bifurcated razor handle (1,90) comprising a unitary, two-shot plastics molding having a pair of hinges (4) with elastomeric springs (11) joined by a cartridge mounting portion (30,91) which receives the bottom side of a generally flat, multi-blade cartridge (60) in fixed, snap-fit relation. The cartridge is retained in a dispenser (80) beneath a resilient leaf (84) and pressed onto the mounting portion along an engagement axis E normal to the shaving plane, the leaf being received in a recess (48) between the mounting portion and the cartridge. The cartridge is then retracted from the dispenser along a retraction axis R generally parallel with the shaving plane. The mounting portion includes digit-receiving regions (40) for pressing the mounting portion onto the cartridge, an ejection element (41,141) for disengaging the cartridge from the handle, and an elastomeric skin-engaging platform (51) arranged in advance of the shaving plane. |
| US08166659B2 |
Garden shears
A garden shears has a first shear, a second shear, a separator, an engaging member and two joined pressing arms. A cutting portion of the first shear is offset from the handle portion, and central portion has a centrally positioned first pivot hole and a first eccentric pivot hole. A central portion of the second shear has a second pivot hole. A side of the second shear has a strip-shaped extending portion with an end bent towards the other side of the second shear and having an engaging gear rack, which defines an escape region. An arcuate limiting guide groove is disposed between the second pivot hole above the escape region. The engaging member has an arcuate engaging tip edge with a protrusion. The pressing arms are bi-leveled with a beveled connection and have a handle at a lower portion and a second eccentric pivot hole at an upper portion. |
| US08166657B2 |
Needle roller bearing
A steel retainer (3), which retains needle rollers (2), is formed from a steel plate containing 0.15 to 1.10% by mass of carbon. After being formed, the steel plate is subjected to induction heat treatment which includes induction hardening and induction tempering. Such heat treatment can be carried out efficiently in a short period of time, using compact treatment facilities, even in small-lot production. The retainer (3) thus formed is sufficiently resistant to wear and surface damage, and is high in fatigue strength and fracture strength as a whole. |
| US08166654B2 |
Method for component positioning during assembly of scroll-type fluid machine
A positioning system used in assembling a scroll-type fluid machine exerts a horizontal thrust on a stationary scroll in a direction opposite to a direction in which an eccentric shaft end portion formed at one end of a rotary shaft is oriented while turning the rotary shaft, and determines an orbital path of the stationary scroll by measuring horizontal displacements thereof. While exerting the horizontal thrust, the positioning system incrementally presses the stationary scroll against a guide frame until a stable orbital path of the stationary scroll is obtained. When the orbital path is judged to be stable, the positioning system determines a fixing point on which the stationary scroll should be fixedly centered with respect to the guide frame, so that a scroll wrap of the stationary scroll and a scroll wrap of an orbiting scroll are correctly intermeshed, forming a series of pockets therebetween. |
| US08166653B2 |
Method of manufacturing printed circuit board having embedded resistors
A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board (PCB) having embedded resistors, including providing a PCB on which internal layer circuit patterns, including electrode pads, are formed; layering insulating layers on the PCB; forming first via holes on the electrode pads and simultaneously forming second via holes at predetermined locations on the internal layer circuit patterns; forming contact pads for connecting the electrode pads with resistors by filling the first via holes with oxidation-resistant conductive material and flattening the oxidation-resistant conductive material; forming the resistors so that ends of each resistor are connected to two respective contact pads, which are spaced apart from each other; forming circuit patterns on the PCB, in which the second via holes are formed; and layering insulting layers on the PCB having the formed circuit patterns, and forming external layer circuit patterns. |
| US08166650B2 |
Method of manufacturing a printed circuit board
A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board (PCB) includes of disposing thermal transfer vias and electrical vias through the PCB. The method further includes filling holes of the vias with a solder mask. The thermal transfer vias are filled to about 70% of capacity while the electrical vias are completely filled. Once filled, surfaces of the PCB are coated with an organic solderability preservative. |
| US08166647B2 |
Method of manufacturing a printed circuit board
A printed circuit board and a method for manufacturing the printed circuit board are disclosed. The method can include; providing an insulated layer, in which a first metal layer is formed on one side of the insulated layer; forming a groove on the insulated layer; forming a metallic substance on an inner side of the groove and on another side of the insulated layer; and forming a first circuit pattern on at least one of one side of the insulated layer and the metallic substance formed on the groove by removing a portion of the first metal layer. The present invention provides the printed circuit board having a high efficiency of heat emission by disposing a heat sink in direct contact with a board and the method of manufacturing the printed circuit board. |
| US08166645B2 |
Method for providing near-hermetically coated, thermally protected integrated circuit assemblies
The present invention is a method for providing an integrated circuit assembly, the integrated circuit assembly including an integrated circuit and a substrate. The method includes mounting the integrated circuit to the substrate. The method further includes adding thermally conductive particles to a low processing temperature, at least near-hermetic, glass-based coating. The method further includes, during assembly of the integrated circuit assembly, applying a low processing temperature, at least near-hermetic, glass-based coating directly to at least one of the integrated circuit and the substrate. The method further includes curing the coating. |
| US08166643B2 |
Method of manufacturing the circuit apparatus, method of manufacturing the circuit board, and method of manufacturing the circuit device
A method of manufacturing a circuit apparatus includes forming a plurality of pierced holes in a metal substrate. A first wiring layer is formed on one side of the metal substrate via a first insulating layer, and a second wiring layer is formed on the other side of the metal substrate via a second insulating layer. A conductor layer is formed in at least some of the plurality of pierced holes to establish a connection between the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer. A circuit element is connected to the first wiring layer on the one side of the metal substrate. When a plurality of pierced holes are formed, protrusions are formed on a surface of the metal substrate at least along either edge of each of the pierced holes provided with the conductor layer to protrude in a convex manner from the surface of the metal substrate. |
| US08166639B2 |
Coaxial cable connector attaching tool having connector magazine
A connector attaching tool is for attaching a coaxial cable connector to a coaxial cable by longitudinal compression of the coaxial cable connector. The tool includes a tool body defining therein a connector compression chamber and a plunger receiving chamber longitudinally adjacent thereto. A plunger having a plunger head is within the plunger receiving chamber and a plunger shaft extends outwardly therefrom. A handle is carried by the tool body and is movable from a retracted position to a compressed position for advancing the plunger shaft to drive the plunger head to longitudinally compress the coaxial cable connector within the connector compression chamber to thereby attach the coaxial cable connector to the coaxial cable. The tool body defines a connector magazine chamber for storing a plurality of coaxial cable connectors. A biasing member is within the connector magazine chamber for urging the coaxial cable connectors toward the connector compression chamber. |
| US08166638B2 |
Rotary clip bonder
Multiple connector clips are bondable onto an electronic device simultaneously with a rotary clip bonder, wherein a pick head comprising a plurality of collets is positioned at a clip supply channel. A plurality of connector clips are picked up from the clip supply channel in a fixed orientation with the pick head and are conveyed to a clip bonding area where the electronic device is located. The pick head is rotated with a rotary motor about a rotational axis passing through a shaft connecting the rotary motor to the pick head in order to change the orientation of the plurality of connector clips, before the connector clips are bonded at the clip bonding area. |
| US08166637B2 |
Apparatus for mounting a flip chip on a substrate
An apparatus for mounting semiconductor chips as flip chips on a substrate includes a chip supply, a pick-and-place system with a bonding head having a chip gripper, a flipping apparatus operable to rotate the chip from a first position to a second (flipped) position through an angle with a gripper and two cameras. The first camera determines a position of the chip before the flipping apparatus receives the chip and also determines a position of the flipped chip received by the chip gripper of the bonding head once the flipping apparatus has transferred the chip to it. The apparatus also comprises an optical switch, e.g., a rotatable mirror located in the field of view of the first camera. The mirror operates to rotate with the gripper of the flipping apparatus but at half the angle. |
| US08166635B2 |
Manufacturing method of electrode, electric storage device, and intermediate laminate member
In a current collector laminating step, a current-collector laminate unit 30 composed of current-collector materials 31 and 32 and a film material 33 is formed. Resist layers 34 having a predetermined pattern are formed on both surfaces of the current-collector laminate unit 30. An etching process is performed with the resist layers 34 used as a mask, whereby through-holes 20a and 23a are formed on the respective current-collector materials 31 and 32. The resist layers 34 are removed from the current-collector laminate unit 30. Since the etching process is performed on the plural current-collector materials 31 and 32, productivity of an electrode can be enhanced. During the application of the slurry, the film material 33 prevents the leakage of the electrode slurry. Therefore, the current-collector laminate unit 30 can be conveyed in the horizontal direction, whereby the productivity of the electrode can be enhanced. |
| US08166634B2 |
Workpiece mounting device
When a lift moves up, the lift is moved by a lifting guide under an urging force of urging means in a direction opposite to a direction of movement of a hanger. Consequently, a synchronizing bar of the lift approaches the hanger and makes contact with a front surface in the direction of movement of the hanger in a sure and also soft manner, thus resulting in synchronization between the hanger and a self-propelled lifting carriage, regardless of a relative speed between the hanger and the self-propelled lifting carriage. Therefore, because no excessive impact is applied to the synchronizing bar and thereby a necessity to provide excessive strength in the synchronizing bar and the neighboring part thereof is eliminated, the self-propelled lifting carriage can be avoided from becoming large in size or being increased in weight. In addition, acceleration, deceleration, and quick stop of the self-propelled lifting carriage also become easy. |
| US08166628B2 |
Method of manufacturing coil for stators mounted in rotary electric machines
In manufacturing a stator coil for rotary electric machine having phase windings, plural conductive shaped wire members are integrated mutually to form an integrated body. Each shaped wire member has plural straight portions and plural turn portions alternately connecting adjacent straight portions at each of both ends of each straight portion. The body has plural straight superposed portions each formed by mutually superposing the plural straight portions. A wound-up body has plural straight stack portions The straight portions are fitted to respective fitting grooves of an alignment member, the fitting grooves being formed in the alignment member at intervals each corresponding to the size of a gap between adjacent straight stack portions. The integrated body is wound about a core member together with the alignment member, with the straight portions being fitted to the alignment member to form the wound-up body. |
| US08166626B2 |
Method and a jig for mounting a stack of belleville springs
A method and a jig for mounting of a stack of Belleville springs about a shaft. The individual springs of the stack are first positioned over the shaft. A jig is then placed over the shaft and the springs and has at least one axially extending pressure bar that is radially inwardly biased to urge the inner circumferences of all the springs into contact with axially aligned points on the surface of the shaft. The springs are then compressed using a compression element while they are still urged by the pressure bar against the shaft. Finally, to retain the springs on the shaft and maintain the springs in compression, a split retaining clip is pressed onto to the shaft until it engages in a groove. |
| US08166624B2 |
Linearly extendible impact anchor driving pole and anchor system
A linearly extendible impact anchor driving apparatus for positioning and setting a wedge anchor assembly in a pre-drilled hole extending inwardly through the ceiling or wall surface of a structure while at ground level and with a single tool. One embodiment of the apparatus has an extendible tubular housing with a coupling and anchor head at one end and a hemispherical end tip at the other. A slidable handle impacts a stop mounted to the body to impart linear force to the anchor. |
| US08166618B2 |
Straps and method of using straps for holding sinks in position
A strapping device used for installing, supporting, and sealing under-mount sinks comprises a series of straps looped by a series of rings and locking tightening devices. The locking tightening devices are used to tighten the straps and raise and support an under-mount sink in position. The rings and straps are anchored to hooks attached to the edge of the sink opening on the counter top underlay. A series of hooks are capable of holding a series of straps under tension to support an under mount sink in position with a located on the lip of the under-mount sink. A continuous loop of closed cell PVC is disposed atop the lip of the sink, so that when the sink is tightened through the countertop underlay, the lip of the sink encounters the underside of the countertop and the sealing material is compressed, forming a permanent, flexible, water-tight seal. |
| US08166617B2 |
Device for organizing and maintaining the patency of lines
One aspect of the invention relates to a device that efficiently folds and organizes tubing and cords while not compromising their function. In certain embodiments, the device provides dynamic length adjustment in the form to reducing line length, and the device organizes the lines in parallel, making it easier to identify their connections. |
| US08166615B2 |
Apparel accessory clamp
A wearable, item attaching, apparel clamp is disclosed. The clamp broadly includes a clamping jaw and an underlying opposed clamping jaw capable of permanently or temporarily attaching a personal item either directly or indirectly to whatever substrate or fabric edge the clamp is attached. The clamping jaw attaches to the underlying jaw via a hinge element which includes a fulcrum. An article connecting element attaches to the clamping jaw and extends toward or beyond the securing portion of the clamping jaws. The connecting element contains a resilient opening large enough to attach a second item directly or indirectly. Such other item may include a key chain, chain link, receptacle, or the like, thus enabling the item to hang below the bottom of the clamp. The underlying clamping jaw(s) distribute the weight of the attached item relative to the clamp preventing the flexible substrate to which the clamp can fasten from excessive bending. The clamp can also be used to attach the personal item to another accessory such as a purse, beach bag, backpack, etc. In addition it is conceivable that the invention could be used to attach items to upholstery, curtains, blankets, towels, or even to hang items from a clothes line, cooking pots, etc. |
| US08166607B2 |
Upright vacuum cleaner
Several embodiments of an upright surface cleaning apparatus are disclosed. The surface cleaning apparatus has a first cyclonic cleaning stage and comprises a surface cleaning head having a dirty fluid inlet. A fluid flow path extends from the dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the upright surface cleaning apparatus. A support member is mounted to the surface cleaning head. A mounting member mounted to the support member. At least one of a first cleaning stage of the upright surface cleaning apparatus and a suction motor is mounted directly or indirectly to the mounting member. A suction motor is provided in the fluid flow path. |
| US08166603B2 |
Compound water-wiper and pet hair/fur removal apparatus and method
An apparatus and method that efficiently removes water from a surface without the need for a towel and effectively removes hair or fur from a surface. The apparatus is designed to provide a comfort gripping region to a human hand to facilitate ease in use. The material that the apparatus is made from can be static electric attracting to more effectively remove charged particles such as hair or fur from a surface. The apparatus may have various flex edges, including combs, slits and bulges. |
| US08166602B2 |
Gutter cleaner apparatus, a gutter cleaner kit and a method of cleaning gutters
A cleaning arrangement for removing accumulated leaves and other debris from an overhead gutter of a building, said arrangement including: a cleaning tool having a blade of comparative cross sectional profile to the gutter to be cleaned, an elongated rod having one end adapted to be held by a user and a remote end substantially perpendicular to the said blade when blade is connected to said rod, said blade including an aperture at an upper corner of said blade for an end of the rod to be releasable fastenable therein, such that the off-centering of the rod to the corner of the blade allows the cleaning tool to be scraped along the length of a segment of guttering without the blade making contact with internal brackets or bracing supporting the gutter. |
| US08166600B2 |
Toothbrush for pet dog
A toothbrush for a pet dog is disclosed, in which a groove is longitudinally formed in a center of a head in a direction of a handle, and a cushion material is provided in a surrounding surface, a lower surface and the groove. When a pet dog bites a toothbrush with teeth during a tooth brushing, it is possible to prevent teeth from fracture while preventing a lot of pain occurring when teeth collide with a hard toothbrush. Toothbrush hairs planted in a head are shaped depending on a tooth shape of a pet dog, so it is possible to reliably brush off plague attached on the upper side of a cervical ridge of premolars and molars of a pet dog without applying over stimulation on the gum. |
| US08166599B2 |
Articulated link duster and duster support frame
In accordance with another aspect of the present development, an articulated link duster support frame includes a base and a working region connected to the base. The working region includes a plurality of links pivotally connected in series such that each link is pivotally connected to at least one adjacent link, with an inner one of said links pivotally connected to the base. Respective articulated joints pivotally connect the inner link to the base and pivotally connect each link to at least one adjacent link. Each joint includes a first side comprising at least two ears and a second side comprising at least one tab located between and slidably abutted with the at least two ears of said first side. Each joint further includes a fastener pivotally connecting the first and second joint sides. A fabric, feather, or other dusting member is connected to the working region. |
| US08166596B2 |
Construction method for girder in bridge, crane for pulling up girder, vehicle for carring girder, and girder used for the same
A construction method for a girder in a bridge in which a plurality of piers are installed in an interval in a longitudinal direction of the bridge, a plurality of copings are installed on the piers, and a plurality of girders respectively installed between the piers are installed on the copings. The method comprises the steps of: installing at least one temporary girder on a front coping of the copings and a rear coping adjacent to the rear coping of the copings; installing a crane for pulling up a girder having a girder pulling up space therein guided by the temporary girder; and providing with a girder by a pre-cast method so as to install a girder on the front coping and the rear coping. |
| US08166593B1 |
Stabilizing system
The stabilizing system has a ramp having a first end mounted within a vehicle and a second end positioned on a base surface external to the vehicle. The stabilizing system further includes a tension mechanism having a first end section, a second end section, and a tension member positioned therebetween. The first end section of the tension mechanism is releasably coupled to the vehicle and the second end section of the tension mechanism is releasably coupled to the first end of said ramp. The ramp is maintained in fixed location with respect to said vehicle and said base surface. |
| US08166590B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining laundry load size
A method and apparatus according to one embodiment for operating a laundry treating appliance includes determining a parameter representative of a rotational speed of laundry in a drum and determining a laundry load size based on the parameter. |
| US08166589B2 |
Mattress
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a mattress including an underlayer, an air chamber layer arranged above the underlayer, granular material incorporated in the air chamber layer, and adjusting devices for adjusting the amount of air in the air chamber layer between a rest position, wherein the granular material at least almost fills the whole air chamber layer, and an adjusting position wherein the air chamber layer is only partially filled with granular material. |
| US08166586B2 |
Removable pallets and patient tables for medical systems
A removable pallet configured to be mounted to a patient table. The patient table has a table surface adapted to support patients thereon during a medical procedure or imaging session. The removable pallet includes a support body having a runway configured to slidably engage a transfer board carrying a patient. The support body extends along a longitudinal axis and is configured to be mounted over the table surface of the patient table. The removable pallet also includes a coupling device that is configured to removably couple the support body and the patient table. The coupling device secures the support body over the table surface to permit the transfer board to be moved onto the patient table. |
| US08166581B2 |
Toilet device
A toilet device includes a seat (2) with a pair of side walls (14 & 16) pivotally connected thereto. The side walls are capable of three configurations with respect to the seat portion (2). In a first folded configuration they extend towards one another for compact storage of the device. In a second configuration they extend downwardly in right angles to the seat for use as a chamber pot when supplied with a suitable liner. In a third configuration the side walls extend outwardly away from one another so that the device can be placed on a conventional toilet seat and adapt that seat to the user of the device. Locking and locating means are provided for locking and/or locating the device in the three configurations. |
| US08166578B2 |
Goggle with quick release double locking lens
An apparatus for releasably locking a protective eye lens to the housing of a protective face cover is disclosed. The apparatus is configured to have an inner and outer lock. The inner lock couples the protective eye lens to the housing. The inner lock can release the protective eye lens from the housing through the use of a release unit. An activator on the release unit is guarded by the outer lock to prevent inadvertent movement of the activator and consequent unintended release of the protective eye lens from the housing. |
| US08166577B2 |
Helmet having rotatable shield
Provided is a helmet including a half helmet-shaped helmet main body including a main body through hole at each side thereof; a shield that is rotated vertically at a front side of the helmet main body and inserted into the helmet main body and has a through hole at each end thereof so as to be detachably connected to the helmet main body; and a holder having a penetrating connection shaft at its lower surface, the penetrating connection shaft capable of being inserted through the main body through hole and the shield through hole from the outside of the helmet main body and connecting the shield to the helmet main body so as to be rotated vertically. |
| US08166575B2 |
Protective headgear with a visor and ear muff
A protective headgear combination has a helmet and at least one ear defender secured on the helmet rotational position of the at least one ear defender relative to the helmet is adjustable about a first axis of rotation, wherein the first axis of rotation is positioned relative to the vertical at an angle of less than 45° for an upright head position of a user of the protective headgear combination. |
| US08166574B2 |
Protective helmet
The invention relates to a protective helmet (10), particularly for motorcyclists or the like, having an exterior casing particularly configured as an exterior shell (11), and a lining element arrangement (12), which is received in the exterior casing and lines the same at least in some regions, wherein the lining element arrangement (12) has at least two lining elements, wherein at least one lining element is configured as a cushion element (14) filled with filling bodies (21), and at least one further lining element is configured as a lining shell element (17), wherein the cushion element (14) is surrounded at least along its contour by at least one lining shell element (17), which at least partially supports a contour surface of the cushion element (14). |
| US08166573B1 |
Helmet system with interchangeable outer shells
A helmet system comprises a base shell, a set of outer shells, said each outer shell selectively and adjustably geared for placement on and over the base shell in an interchangeable mode and position thereon as desired by the wearer, a connector detachably engaging said each outer shell to the base shell, and a first guide rail slot that includes an upwardly extending portion that the outer shell lies on and in, so that the upwardly extending portion extends between the base and the outer shell to form a buffer there between. |
| US08166571B2 |
Apron with a bendable pocket-forming device
The present invention relates generally to an apron or bib, and in particular, to a pocket-forming device that bends to form a pocket in an apron for catching and holding material. The pocket-forming device comprises an elongated base with a plurality of elongated members extending away therefrom. The elongated members have ends connected to the base at different positions along the base's length, and at least one of the elongated members can be configured to be bent to cause the portion of the apron to form a pocket for catching debris. |
| US08166570B2 |
Knee protection system
The invention is related to a knee protection system having a knee pad permanently attached to a garment such as pants. The pad is made of silicone rubber. The pad may be shaped and have a number of pad areas including a patella covering part of the pad, a pair of side parts and a top part of the pad. The side parts of the pad protect the user when they roll on their knees and the top part of the pad protects the user knee when they lean forward. The silicone rubber pad is waterproof, inert, and fire resistant. The pad is permanently attached to a knee region of a pair of pants. By manufacturing the pad in a pair of pants a user can comfortably walk around with the knee protection system. |
| US08166569B1 |
Multiaxial polyethylene fabric and laminate
Provided is a multiaxial fabric comprising a first layer comprising a first layer comprising substantially parallel resin-free polyethylene yarns oriented in a first direction; a second layer comprising substantially parallel resin-free polyethylene oriented in a second direction, the first and second directions being skew with respect to each other; a layer, interposed between and in contact with each of the first and second layers, and comprising a thermoplastic or thermoset film; and a yarn interlaced transversely among each of the layers of the multiaxial fabric. |
| US6114148C1 |
High level expression of proteins
|
| US08171568B2 |
Positional diamondoid mechanosynthesis
The invention provides methods of using positionally controlled molecular tools in an inert environment (such as ultra high vacuum) to fabricate complex atomically precise structures, including diamond, graphite, nanotubes, fullerenes, additional sets of the selfsame molecular tools, and others. Molecular tools have atomically precise tooltips which interact directly with a workpiece to add, remove, and modify specific atoms and groups of atoms, and have handles by which they can be held and positioned; tools can be recharged after use. Specific tooltips are brought into contact with and bond to specific feedstock molecules distributed on a presentation surface, and then transfer said feedstock molecules to specific atomic sites on a workpiece using mechanosynthetic chemical reactions. Specific sites on a workpiece can be made chemically reactive, facilitating the transfer of specific groups to them. Repeated applications of molecular tools at different locations on a workpiece can build a desired atomically precise structure. |
| US08171565B2 |
Systems and methods for locally generating license and activating DRM agent
Systems and methods for locally generating a license and activating a Digital Rights Management (DRM) agent are provided. The system includes a storage device and an electronic device. The storage device includes a DRM treated file, operation information, and a management application. The electronic device activates the management application from the storage device to retrieve information, such as a Unique Identification (UID) or a DRM machine certificate from the electronic device, and generate a license for the electronic device according to the operation information, and the retrieved information of the electronic device. The electronic device activates a DRM agent by providing the DRM treated file and the license to the DRM agent for playing back the DRM treated file based on the license. The management application may set the license expired after the DRM treated file is played back on the electronic device. |
| US08171558B2 |
Inter-program authentication using dynamically-generated public/private key pairs
In a multi-tiered computing environment, a first program may authenticate with a second program using dynamically-generated public/private key pairs. An authentication token is constructed that includes user information and information about the first program and the second program. The first program then digitally signs the authentication token using the dynamically-generated private key, and sends the authentication token to the second program. The second program then verifies the authentication token using the public key corresponding to the first program. Once verified, the first program is authenticated to the second program. The second program may then authenticate to a next-tier program by constructing an authentication token that includes the information in the authentication token received from the first program. This may continue to any suitable number of tiers, using dynamically-generated public/private key pairs to allow authentication between programs without requiring any user interaction or input from a system administrator. |
| US08171557B2 |
Document accessing through multiple security domains
Methods and apparatuses for accessing documents in a multi-security domain environment are described herein. The novel methods may be processor implemented methods and may include saving by a processor from a first to a second security domain a version of a document, wherein the first security is a higher security domain than the second security domain. As part of the saving operation, a determination may be made as to whether the document includes one or more components not to be accessible through the second security domain, and writing the components of the document excluding the one or more components determined not to be accessible through the second security domain into the second security domain. The methods may further include opening the document through the security domain by determining whether a version of the document has been saved to the second security domain, and if so, merging a copy of modifications made to version of the document, if there are any, into the document being open. In various embodiments, a domain specific document server and a cross security domain trusted services are employed to enable among other things, reduction of number of storage devices needed. |
| US08171547B2 |
Method and system for real time classification of events in computer integrity system
Method and system using a designated known secure computer for real time classification of change events in a computer integrity system are disclosed. In the embodiment of the invention, the known secure computer is dedicated for providing permissible change events, which are compared with change events generated on client operational computers. An alert is raised when the change event at the client operational computer and the respective permissible change event provided by the known secure computer differ. |
| US08171538B2 |
Authentication and authorization of extranet clients to a secure intranet business application in a perimeter network topology
Methods and systems authenticate and authorize an extranet client to a secure intranet business application with a perimeter network topology, where connections to the secure intranet business application from outside the secure intranet are not permitted. A perimeter network proxy is authenticated within the secure intranet. The perimeter network proxy corresponds to an authenticated extranet client. If the perimeter network proxy is authenticated, information on an intranet business application client is acquired and used to create a session with the intranet business application. The intranet business application client corresponds to the extranet client, and the extranet client uses the session to submit requests to the intranet business application. |
| US08171534B2 |
Two-way authentication using a combined code
An authentication process for a client and a target service to perform mutual authentication. A combined code is received that comprises a combined code hash of at least two sets of data from which an encoding scheme of the at least two sets of data can be determined. The two sets of data comprise a first set of data that includes a first hash of a public key associated with a certificate used to establish a secure channel with a target service, and a second set of data that includes a credential for authentication. The certificate can be validated with the first set of data included in the combined code. In response to a successful validation of the certificate, the credential from the second set of data can be provided to the target service for authentication. |
| US08171531B2 |
Universal authentication token
A universal authentication token is configured to securely acquire security credentials from other authentication tokens and/or devices. In this manner, a single universal authentication token can store the authentication credentials required to access a variety of resources, services and applications for a user. The universal authentication token includes a user interface, memory for storing a plurality of authentication records for a user, and a secure processor. The secure processor provides the required cryptographic operations to encrypt, decrypt, and/or authenticate data that is sent or received by universal token. For example, secure processor may be used to generate authentication data from seed information stored in memory. |
| US08171529B2 |
Secure subscriber identity module service
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for a secure subscriber identity module service. Communication via a mobile network is activated in response to receiving a request to activate communication service for the system by a secure partition of the system. In response to receiving the request, a key is retrieved for a permit service from storage accessible only by the secure partition. The key is included in a permit requesting to activate the communication service, and the permit is sent to a service provider for the communication service. The service provider communicates with the permit service to obtain a digital signature for the permit. The secure partition receives a signed permit from the service provider, confirms that the signed permit contains the digital signature by the permit service, and activates the communication service for the system in response to confirming that the signed permit contains the digital signature. |
| US08171521B2 |
System and method for managing network by value-based estimation
A system and method for managing a network by value-based estimation is provided. A network device requesting communication is defined as an active point and a network device receiving a request for communication is defined as a passive point. A value of a network device is determined according to the number of active points connected to the corresponding network device, and a value of a network device that is in a path of communication between network devices is determined based on a value of a network device passing through the corresponding network device. When a policy for changing a network environment is transferred in a state where the values of the network devices have been estimated, a policy conflict test is performed on the basis of the estimated values of the network devices, thereby determining application of the policy in due consideration of the values and significance of the network devices. |
| US08171518B2 |
System and method for presenting progressively downloaded media programs
A system and method for presenting progressively downloaded media programs is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Set-Top Box (STB) having a controller element to determine a length of a media program from a catalog of media programs and present according to said length a portion of the media program while it is being delivered to the STB by a media delivery system. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08171517B2 |
Apparatus and method for distributing media content to vehicles
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to wirelessly download media content to a media device of a vehicle from a point in the media content where a gateway previously stopped downloading the media content to the vehicle media device, where the server is in a reconfigurable master-slave relationship with the gateway, where the server and the gateway are remote from each other and remote from the vehicle, and where the gateway is associated with the vehicle. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08171514B2 |
Managing favorite channels
A system is described that provides for scrolling among favorite channels with a remote control device, preferably through user interaction with channel keys. Some embodiments also provide for enhanced management of favorite channels. |
| US08171513B2 |
Electronic program guide information display method and apparatus, and broadcasting receiver thereof
Provided are a method and apparatus for displaying electronic program guide (EPG) information so that a broadcast program can be searched for even when the size of each display region of an EPG information screen, which displays program information, is small or reduced and a broadcast receiver therefor. The method includes detecting program information for each of a plurality of broadcast programs which are to be displayed from the electronic program guide information, adjusting or changing the program information to be suitable for a display region for each broadcast program in an electronic program guide information screen, and constructing and displaying the electronic program guide information screen so that the electronic program guide information reflects the adjusted or changed program information. |
| US08171512B2 |
Host device having notice function for setting environment and setting environment method thereof
A host device having a notice function for setting environment and a setting environment method thereof are disclosed. The host device includes a download unit which downloads and stores an application provided from a broadcasting station, a control unit which executes the application stored in the download unit and thus to change a setting environment, and a display unit which displays the setting environment changed by the control unit on a screen. |
| US08171509B1 |
System and method for applying a database to video multimedia
A system and method for applying a database to video multimedia is disclosed. One embodiment provides media content owners the capability to exploit video processing capabilities using rich, interactive and compelling visual content on a network. Mechanisms of associating video with commerce offerings are provided. Video server and search server technologies are integrated with ad serving personalization agents to make the final presentations of content and advertising. Algorithms utilized by the system use a variety of techniques for making the final presentation decisions of which ads, with which content, served to which user. |
| US08171499B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for object clone event notification
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for object clone event notification. The apparatus is provided with a logic unit containing a plurality of modules configured to functionally execute the necessary steps of detecting an event on a primary software object, referencing a set of clones of the primary software object, and notifying one or more clones in the set of clones of the event in response to the event. The event may include events occurring on the primary software object, or events occurring on a software object monitored by the primary software object. These modules in the described embodiments include a detection module, a reference module, and a notification module. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would notify object clones of changes within the software system without requiring resource intensive broadcasts or implementation of a separate notification manager. |
| US08171496B2 |
Program evaluation program, program evaluation device, and program evaluation method
According to an aspect of an embodiment, an evaluation device for evaluating a target program is provided by calculating a first parameter showing an impact size of a target module of the target program on the outside of the target module, based on an execution log of the target program and calculating a second parameter that is a value related to a power consumption by executing the target module. An evaluator evaluates the target module based on the first and second parameters and outputs an evaluation result. |
| US08171495B2 |
Queue dispatch using deferred acknowledgement
Dispatching an incoming message from a queue into message transfer session(s) from which message consumers may draw messages. The message is reversibly received from the queue, whereupon a context of a message is identified. If the context correlates to an existing message transfer session, the message is ultimately assigned to a message transfer session. If the context does not correlate to an existing message transfer session, a new message transfer session is created, and the message is assigned to that new message transfer session. Upon receiving an acknowledgement of successful processing of the message, the removal of the message from the queue-like communication medium is assured. Upon receiving an acknowledgement of unsuccessful processing of the message, the message is restored to the queue-like communication medium. |
| US08171486B2 |
Conditionally accessing instances of software components from an un-synchronized pool
A method is described that involves creating an instance of a software component for the substantially private use of a thread. A determination of whether to access an instance of a software component from one of a private software component instance collection and a software component instance pool is made, the private software component instance collection configured to include an instance of the software component that is not synchronized with an additional thread of the computer program, the software component instance pool configured to include an instance of the software component that is synchronized with the additional thread of the computer program, the determination based on a number of other threads accessing the software component instance pool and a complexity of whether the instance of the software component is to execute at least one of a single task and a few simple tasks. |
| US08171477B2 |
Method and system for performing real-time operation
An information processing system performs a real-time operation including a combination of a plurality of tasks. The system includes a plurality of processors, a unit which stores structural description information and a plurality of programs describing procedures corresponding to the tasks, the structural description information indicating a relationship in input/output between the programs and including cost information concerning time required for executing each of the programs, a unit which determines an execution start timing and execution term of each of a plurality of threads for execution of the programs based on the structural description information, and a unit which performs a scheduling operation of assigning the threads to at least one of the processors according to a result of the determining. |
| US08171474B2 |
System and method for managing, scheduling, controlling and monitoring execution of jobs by a job scheduler utilizing a publish/subscription interface
The invention relates to a system and a method for tracking and executing a job comprising a series of tasks. Each task may be executed on a separate computing device. The method comprises having a workload manager to identify an initial schedule of implementation for the job; having agents to selectively control execution of the tasks; and utilizing a publish/subscription interface between the workload manager and the agents to isolate the communications of the workload manager from the agents. The workload manager and the agents each subscribe and schedule execution of and reporting of the tasks through the publish/subscription interface. |
| US08171472B1 |
Separation and reuse of versions directory in execution framework installations
A method is provided for executing multiple applications concurrently on a single computer. The method comprises discriminating static from non-static execution framework files, installing the non-static files in a first directory on a host computer, installing the non-static files in a second directory on the host computer, and installing the static files in a third directory on a server computer. The method also includes remote mounting the third directory to the host computer. The method further includes executing the first application within a first instance of the execution framework and executing the second application within a second instance of the execution framework, wherein both the first and second instances of the execution framework are based on the non-static files on the host computer and on the static files in the remote mounted third directory. |
| US08171467B1 |
Updating of malicious code patterns using public DNS servers
Malicious code patterns of an antivirus may be updated using public DNS (domain name system) servers. An update to the malicious code patterns may be generated and divided into several portions for inclusion in DNS records. The DNS records may be published for caching in public DNS servers. An update client in a client computer may send out DNS queries to receive contents of the DNS records, which include the portions of the update. The update client may combine the portions to update the malicious code patterns in the client computer. |
| US08171464B2 |
Efficient code generation using loop peeling for SIMD loop code with multile misaligned statements
An approach is provided for vectorizing misaligned references in compiled code for SIMD architectures that support only aligned loads and stores. In this framework, a loop is first simdized as if the memory unit imposes no alignment constraints. The compiler then inserts data reorganization operations to satisfy the actual alignment requirements of the hardware. Finally, the code generation algorithm generates SIMD codes based on the data reorganization graph, addressing realistic issues such as runtime alignments, unknown loop bounds, residual iteration counts, and multiple statements with arbitrary alignment combinations. Loop peeling is used to reduce the computational overhead associated with misaligned data. A loop prologue and epilogue are peeled from individual iterations in the simdized loop, and vector-splicing instructions are applied to the peeled iterations, while the steady-state loop body incurs no additional computational overhead. |
| US08171463B2 |
Image processing apparatus and control method thereof
A data processing apparatus has an interpreter environment for dynamically implementing a program constructed based on a command set defined independently of a native command group, in a native environment constructed based on the native command group processed by a processor configuring hardware. The apparatus generates an intermediate data stream in each of a plurality of stages into which an input data stream is divided in interpretation in the native environment and filters the intermediate data stream to generate a filtered data stream in the interpreter environment. |
| US08171462B2 |
User declarative language for formatted data processing
A user declarative language for formatted data processing is provided. The user declarative language may be used to generate constraints which can be projected onto a string according to one or more anchor points. The constraints can correspond to evaluation criteria. At least a portion of a string can be evaluated according to the evaluation criteria. |
| US08171456B2 |
Method for auditing compliance of an electronic platform and/or a computer program present on said platform, and device and computer program corresponding thereto
A method is provided for auditing compliance of an electronic platform, referred to as the platform being tested, and/or a computer program being tested, which is present on the platform being tested. The method includes the following steps: transmitting the same data set, via an auditing device, to the platform being tested, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to a compliant reference platform present in the auditing device; and deciding upon the compliance of the platform being tested and/or the computer program being tested, based on an analysis of the respective behaviors of the platform being tested and the reference platform. The auditing device then issues a compliance decision. |
| US08171449B2 |
Generating sequence diagrams using call trees
A software tool is provided to analyze static source code. Source Code files are selected to define the project work space. A class and a method in the class are selected from said selected source code files. The tool generates a Call Tree as an ordered recursive sequence of all method calls in different classes or their instances that are invoked by said selected method in said selected class. A Sequence Diagram is generated from said Call Tree. The tool remembers all updates to the Call Tree used to generate the Sequence Diagram. This information is used when a generated Sequence Diagram is impacted due to changes made to any source code file included in the project. |
| US08171447B1 |
Automatically routing nets according to current density rules
A technique will automatically route interconnect of an integrated circuit while taking into consideration current density rules. In an implementation, the technique uses a shape-based approach where a grid is not used. Based on data input including current density and a frequency of each net, the technique will determine the current requirements for each net. In an implementation, the technique forms a Steiner tree for a net, and routs using the Steiner tree. The technique widens nets having greater current requirements; adjacent wiring may be pushed aside to create sufficient space for wider nets. |
| US08171445B2 |
Replacing single-cut via into multi-cut via in semiconductor integrated circuit design
According an aspect of the invention, there is provided a design support system of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a first unit configured to determine a wiring path by calculating wiring resource consuming information for carrying out a connection through a multi-cut via in case that the connection is carried out through the multi-cut via in a wiring region having a plurality of layers; and a second unit configured to replacing a single-cut via into the multi-cut via. |
| US08171441B2 |
Integrated circuit devices and methods and apparatuses for designing integrated circuit devices
Methods and apparatuses to design an Integrated Circuit (IC) with a shielding of wires. In at least one embodiment, a shielding mesh of at least two reference voltages (e.g., power and ground) is used to reduce both the capacitive coupling and the inductive coupling in routed signal wires in IC chips. In some embodiments, a type of shielding mesh (e.g., a shielding mesh with a window surrounded by a power ring, or a window with a parser set of shielding wires) is selected to make more routing area available in locally congested areas. In other embodiments, the shielding mesh is used to create or add bypass capacitance. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08171440B2 |
Timing analyzing apparatus, timing analyzing method and program thereof
A timing analyzing apparatus according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes, a storage apparatus which stores a global clock list including information on clock paths inside and outside a partial area of an electronic circuit, and a post layout processing area netlist which is a netlist of the partial area after layout processing of circuits therein is executed; and a timing analyzing unit which calculates the clock skew between two points on the circuits in the partial area, neglecting the clock delay of a common part outside thereof of two clock paths from the clock source, located outside thereof in the electronic circuit, to the two points (CRPR calculation), to judge whether the delay of a clock path and a signal path of the electronic circuit satisfies timing constraints using the calculated clock skew. |
| US08171433B2 |
Method of calculating pattern-failure-occurrence-region, computer program product, pattern-layout evaluating method, and semiconductor-device manufacturing method
Method of calculating pattern-failure-occurrence-region comprising calculating a pattern failure occurrence region using relation information and a layout used for forming a convex section, the relation information being a relation between a distance from a formed pattern in a film to cover the convex section on a substrate to the convex section and a region in the film in which a shape of the formed pattern cannot satisfy a predetermined condition because of influence of the convex section. |
| US08171430B1 |
System and method for providing an image and image instructions responsive to a mouse cursor position
A system and method receives an image or animation, which may be vector based to allow for scalability or antialiased or both, and replaces or supplements a mouse cursor with the image or animation. Attributes such as position or size of the image or animation may be altered according to instructions supplied by an author or programmer and signals received from a pointing device, allowing, for example, the mouse cursor to be replaced with the image or animation. |
| US08171426B2 |
Method for secondary selection highlighting
A method is provided to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and handling email messages. A display of color coding and selection highlighting may be provided. A secondary highlighting color may be provided to indicate messages related to a selected message. One or more of the following may also be provided: an indicator that provides the user with a number of items that are off the screen for a particular category, a command that causes the first entry for a category to be scrolled into view, a label to indicate the number of items in a particular category matching a particular criteria, and/or a control for scrolling between next or previous categories. |
| US08171417B2 |
Method for switching user interface, electronic device and recording medium using the same
A user interface switching method, and an electronic device and a recording medium using the same are provided. First, a plurality of user interfaces are provided, and one of the user interfaces is displayed in a touch screen of the portable electronic device. A representative icon bar and a hot key bar are displayed in the touch screen, wherein the representative icon bar comprises representative icons respectively corresponding to the user interfaces and the hot key bar comprises one or more hot keys corresponding to the user interface currently displayed in the touch screen. When the touch screen detects a touch signal which falls within the representative icon bar and is moved therein, the representative icon bar is moved correspondingly, and the displayed user interface and hot keys are also switched according to the representative icon on which the touch signal is terminated. |
| US08171415B2 |
Outage management portal leveraging back-end resources to create a role and user tailored front-end interface for coordinating outage responses
A solution for centrally managing and federating outage specific information and for rapidly providing controlled access to this information in a role tailored fashion. The information can be gathered and provided in real-time along with programmatically determined proposed actions. An information recipient can configure and dynamically change the manner in which the information is presented, so that relevant information for that recipient can be rapidly digested. For example, a manager with a moderate level of technical knowledge may want information to be presented pictorially and in summary fashion, while a highly technical troubleshooter may want to configure information presentation to show key network statistics and values. In one embodiment, outage information can be presented in a Web portal having multiple discrete and customizable portlets, which include a geography portlet and a system portlet. |
| US08171408B2 |
Dynamic location generation within a virtual world
An approach is provided for dynamic loading and rendering of avatar's initial login environment. The approach consists of a method and a system for dynamically rendering locations from a preference list of locations most likely to be visited by an avatar. In one embodiment the method consists of creating a preference list of locations most likely to be visited by the avatar, rendering a dynamically built continuous environment populated from such preference list of locations most likely to be visited by the avatar, and caching and thereafter rendering at least one of the locations from the preference list of locations most likely to be visited by said avatar. |
| US08171405B2 |
Information processing program, information processing method, and information processing device
The present invention is intended to improve operability in page-by-page editing operation of a document file having multiple pages using a computer. A display processor displays multiple pages of the document file in list form on a display unit, selects an item to be displayed from a plurality of items contained in attribute information allocated to each page, and displays the attribute information relating to the item that has been selected in association with each page. An editing processor receives page selection operation and editing operation, executes editing process on a selected page, and updates the attribute information by rewriting an item associated with the editing process of the attribute information allocated to the selected page. After the editing process by the editing processor, the display processor selects an item to be displayed from the plurality of items of the attribute information based on the substance of the editing process to update a display item list of the attribute information. |
| US08171403B2 |
System and method for managing acronym expansions
Systems and methods for managing acronym expansions are described. In one example, the method comprises creating from the plurality of identified expansions a case-insensitive group of identified expansions, wherein each identified expansion of the case-insensitive group match in a case-insensitive manner the other identified expansions of the case-insensitive group. The method also comprises assigning a weight to the text source location for each identified expansion in the case-insensitive group. The method further comprises creating from the case-insensitive group at least one case-sensitive group of identified expansions, wherein each identified expansion of the case-sensitive group of identified expansions match in a case-sensitive manner the other identified expansions of the group of case-sensitive identified expansions. The method also comprises for each case-sensitive group of identified expansions, determining from the weights of the text source locations for the identified expansions a total weight. The method further comprises comparing the total weights for the at least one group of case-sensitive identified expansions. The method also comprises selecting a first group of case-sensitive identified expansions from the at least one group of case-sensitive identified expansions upon comparing the total weights. The method further comprises associating an identified expansion corresponding to the first case-sensitive group of identified expansions to the potential acronym. |
| US08171402B2 |
Handheld electronic device including auto completion of punctuation in numerical entry, and associated method
A handheld electronic device has the capability to automatically output a preferred punctuation arrangement in response to determining whether a previous output has a predetermined characteristic. An alphanumeric input is detected as a first number of input member actuations. Responsive to the detecting an alphanumeric input, a first output is generated. A second number of input member actuations are detected as a punctuation input. A determination is made that the first output comprises a digit. Responsive to the determination, a preferred punctuation arrangement is identified. In certain examples, a selectable geographic location of use and an actual geographic location of use are detected and a comma is identified as the preferred punctuation arrangement. |
| US08171393B2 |
Method and system for producing and organizing electronically stored information
The invention provides techniques for efficiently organizing and reviewing electronic documents to be produced in the course of a discovery process. The technique provides for marking the master or pivot document with review information, and identifying a plurality of duplicate documents related to the master or pivot document. The technique provides for reviewing a master or pivot document and propagating the review information to a set of related documents. The technique provides for producing a plurality of electronic documents where each of the electronic documents is marked up in accordance with the review information. The method provides for organizing the plurality of electronic documents so it can be presented and searched in an efficient manner. |
| US08171390B1 |
Method and system for viewing and transferring data between documents
A method and system for viewing and transferring data between documents whereby source data a user desires to transfer from a source document to the one or more data fields and/or locations of a given target electronic form, or other target document, is transformed into clipboard content data. The clipboard content data is then linked to a selected cursor/pointer, or other user interface device, such that the clipboard content data can be displayed along with the target electronic form, or other target document, on the same user interface screen, wherever the selected cursor/pointer is located on the user interface screen. This allows the user to quickly view and transfer the source data to the target electronic form, or other target document, within the same given user interface screen, and within a common display context, without having to toggle between the target electronic form, or other target document. |
| US08171388B2 |
Trust based moderation
A network device, system, and method are directed towards detecting trusted reporters and/or abusive users in an online community using reputation event inputs, such as abuse reports. When an abuse report is received for a content item, the combined trust (reputation) of previous reporters on the reported content item and the trust (reputation) of the content author are compared to determine whether to trust the content item. If the content item is un-trusted, the content item may be hidden from public view. In one embodiment, the content item might still be visible to the content author, and/or members in the author's contact list, or the like, while being hidden from another user in the community. In one embodiment, the author may appeal the determined trust, and results of the appeal may be used to modify a trust of at least one reporter. |
| US08171384B2 |
Device having turbo decoding capabilities and a method for turbo decoding
A device and a method for turbo decoding, the method includes performing multiple iterations of a turbo decoding process until a turbo decoding process is completed; wherein the performing comprises repeating the stages of: (i) initializing at least one state metric of multiple windows of a channel data block for a current iteration of the turbo decoding process by at least one corresponding state metric that was calculated during a previous iteration of the turbo decoding process; and (ii) calculating in parallel, at least forward state metrics and backward state metrics of the multiple windows, during the current iteration. |
| US08171382B2 |
Encoding system and method for encoding error control codes within bit streams
An encoding system for encoding error control codes may include a first encoder configured to encode an input bit stream to generate first bit streams of C-bits, where c is an integer greater than zero, and a second encoder may be configured to receive the first bit streams and shuffle data of the received first bit streams to generate second bit streams. The data shuffling of the first bit streams may adjust an error distribution of the second bit streams. An encoding method may include encoding an input bit stream to generate first bit streams of C-bits, and receiving the first bit streams and shuffling data of the received first bit streams to generate second bit streams. An error distribution of the second bit streams may be adjusted based on the data shuffling. |
| US08171381B2 |
Outer coding methods for broadcast/multicast content and related apparatus
Transmission techniques are provided that improve service continuity and reduce interruptions in delivery of content that can be caused by techniques that occur when the User Equipment (UE) moves from one cell to the other, or when the delivery of content changes from Point-to-Point (PTP) connection to a Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) connection in the same serving cell, and vice-versa. Such transmission techniques enable seamless delivery of content across cell borders and/or between different transmission schemes such as Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) and Point-to-Point (PTP). Mechanisms for adjusting different streams and for recovering content from each data block during such transitions are also provided so that data is not lost during a transition. In addition, mechanisms for realigning data during decoding at a receiving terminal are also provided. |
| US08171380B2 |
Adaptive systems and methods for storing and retrieving data to and from memory cells
Adaptive systems and methods that may help assure the reliability of data retrieved from memory cells are described herein. The systems may include a memory device including a plurality of memory cells, a data quality monitoring block, and an adaptive data encoding block, the data quality monitoring block and the adaptive data encoding block both being operatively coupled to the memory device. The data quality monitoring block may be configured to determine a quality value of a group of one or more memory cells included in the memory device, the determined quality value being indicative of a quality of the group of one or more memory cells. The adaptive data encoding block may be configured to select a coding scheme from a plurality of coding schemes to encode data to be written to the group of one or more memory cells in the memory device, the selection of the coding scheme being based at least in part on the determined quality value of the group of one or more memory cells. |
| US08171379B2 |
Methods, systems and media for data recovery using global parity for multiple independent RAID levels
Implementations described herein generally provide methods, systems and media for recovering data from disk failures. One method generally includes calculating a global parity for a group of disks comprising multiple independent RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) arrays; determining if a two disk failure has occurred within a single RAID array; and if so, recovering from the two disk failure using the global parity and data from the RAID arrays. |
| US08171376B2 |
Method for protecting important data of contents and apparatus therefor
A method of protecting important data in digital content and an apparatus therefor are provided. The method includes: receiving digital content which includes first important data; receiving reference data which includes second important data and authentication data for verifying whether the first important data is modified; and selectively correcting the first important data included in the digital content based on the reference data. |
| US08171372B2 |
Feedback signaling error detection and checking in MIMO wireless communication systems
A method of feedback in a wireless transmit receive unit includes providing a precoding matrix index (PMI), error checking the (PMI) to produce an error check (EC) bit, coding the PMI and the EC bit and transmitting the coded PMI and EC bit. |
| US08171368B1 |
Probabilistic transition rule for two-level decoding of reed-solomon codes
Decoding data is disclosed, including computing a syndrome polynomial for Reed-Solomon encoded data, applying the Berlekamp-Massey method to solve key equations associated with the syndrome polynomial, comparing a linear feedback shift register (LSFR) length LΛ associated with an error locator polynomial Λ(x) with an error correction capability t, and based on the comparison, determining whether to perform soft decision decoding or a Chien search. |
| US08171361B2 |
Multiplexer Control Circuitry for TAP Domain Selection Circuitry
Today many instances of IEEE 1149.1 Tap domains are included in integrated circuits (ICs). While all TAP domains may be serially connected on a scan path that is accessible external to the IC, it is generally preferred to have selectivity on which Tap domain or Tap domains are accessed. Therefore Tap domain selection circuitry may be included in ICs and placed in the scan path along with the Tap domains. Ideally, the Tap domain selection circuitry should only be present in the scan path when it is necessary to modify which Tap domains are selected in the scan path. The present disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus which allows the Tap domain selection circuitry to be removed from the scan path after it has been used to select Tap domains and to be replaced back into the scan path when it is necessary to select different Tap domains. |
| US08171360B2 |
Linking module enable leads connected to plural TAPs
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). |
| US08171354B2 |
Communication system and method for controlling the same
For an error rate QBER, threshold values are preset, including a threshold value Qbit for frame synchronization processing, a threshold value Qphase for phase correction processing, and a threshold value QEve for eavesdropping detection. Upon the distribution of a quantum key from a sender to a receiver, when the measurement value of QBER is deteriorated more than Qbit, frame synchronization processing is performed. When the measurement value of QBER is deteriorated more than Qphase, phase correction processing and frame synchronization processing are performed. When QBER does not become better than QEve even after these recovery-processing steps are repeated N times, it is determined that there is a possibility of eavesdropping, and the processing is stopped. |
| US08171350B2 |
Method and system for providing automatic disabling of network debugging
An approach is provided for automatic disabling of network debugging. A debugging command is received for initiating debugging of a router that includes a processor configured to execute a debugging procedure. Utilization of the processor is monitored. A determination is made whether the utilization exceeds a utilization threshold. The debugging procedure is disabled based on the determination that the utilization threshold is exceeded. |
| US08171347B2 |
Method and apparatus for troubleshooting a computer system
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for troubleshooting a computer system. During operation, the system receives an identifier for a suspect computer system, which is suspected of operating abnormally. The system also receives an identifier for a normal computer system, which is operating normally. Next, the system automatically sends a command to be executed to both the suspect computer system and to the normal computer system. The system subsequently receives a response to the command from both the suspect computer system and the normal computer system and compares the responses to determine differences in behavior between the suspect computer system and the normal computer system. |
| US08171344B2 |
System, method and computer readable storage medium for troubleshooting
A troubleshooting system that receivesing as input one or more symptom(s) of trouble of an IT system and outputting a remedy for the symptom, the troubleshooting system including: a first data base to collecting configuration information of the IT system, a second data base to collecting incidents of trouble including symptoms of trouble and remedies for dealing with the symptoms, a first storage unit to deriveing and storeing configuration information of incidents of trouble from the first data base and the second data base using the configuration information as a key, a configuration information similarity degree calculation unit to calculating similarity degrees between input configuration information of the IT system experiencing trouble and configuration information of the incidents of trouble, and an output unit to presenting a remedy for the IT system experiencing the trouble together with the similarity degree. |
| US08171341B2 |
Method for controlling an operating mechanism and a manipulation unit
A method for controlling an operating mechanism using a manipulation unit, in which the operating mechanism includes at least one microcontroller, at least one memory with a plurality of memory cells, and at least one debug interface, and the debug interface presents a monitoring functionality for monitoring memory content and using the debug interface a first timepoint of the operating mechanism is detected for writing into a first memory cell and, using the information transmitted by the debug interface for the first timepoint to the manipulation unit, a trigger timepoint results for a processing routine through the manipulation unit (IN) and using the processing routine a second value is written by the manipulation unit using the debug interface for a second timepoint in the first memory cell before the first memory cell is read by the operating mechanism for a third timepoint. |
| US08171338B2 |
Method and system for enabling checkpointing fault tolerance across remote virtual machines
A checkpointing fault tolerance network architecture enables a backup computer system to be remotely located from a primary computer system. An intermediary computer system is situated between the primary computer system and the backup computer system to manage the transmission of checkpoint information to the backup VM in an efficient manner. The intermediary computer system is networked to the primary VM through a high bandwidth connection but is networked to the backup VM through a lower bandwidth connection. The intermediary computer system identifies updated data corresponding to memory pages that have been least recently modified by the primary VM and transmits such updated data to the backup VM through the low bandwidth connection. In such manner, the intermediary computer system economizes the bandwidth capacity of the low bandwidth connection, holding back updated data corresponding to more recently modified memory pages, since such memory pages may be more likely to be updated again in the future. |
| US08171334B2 |
Apparatus and method to interface two different clock domains
A gearbox is placed between two clock domains to allow data to be transferred from one domain to the other. Although the two domains may operate at the same clock frequency, typically one domain has a faster clock speed than the other. The gearbox is disposed between the two clock domains to control timing of data transfer from one to the other, by selecting a pattern which identifies when data is made transparent for the transfer. The gearbox allows a number of clock ratios to be selected, so that a particular clock ratio between the two domains may be readily selected in the gearbox for the data transfer. |
| US08171332B2 |
Integrated circuit with reduced electromagnetic interference induced by memory access and method for the same
The invention provides an integrated circuit with reduced electromagnetic interference induced by memory access. The integrated circuit includes a random code generator, a request receiver and a memory unit. The random code generator generates a plurality of random codes according to a predetermined delay parameter. The request receiver obtains an input clock signal according to a plurality of data requests and spreads the spectrum of the input clock signal based on the random codes to derive a non-periodic output clock signal. The memory unit accesses image data to be displayed in response to the data requests and the output clock signal. |
| US08171330B2 |
Asynchronous circuit insensitive to delays with time delay insertion circuit
The asynchronous circuit insensitive to delays comprises at least one time delay insertion circuit on the propagation path of a signal. The delay insertion circuit comprises, between an input and an output of the signal, a Muller C-element and a plurality of delay circuits connected in series to an output of the Muller C-element. The outputs of the delay circuits are connected to corresponding inputs of a multiplexing circuit having an output constituting the output of the delay insertion circuit. The Muller C-element comprises an input connected to the output of the last delay circuit via an inverter gate, and an input constituting the input of the signal to the delay insertion circuit. The multiplexing circuit control circuit preferably comprises a random generator. |
| US08171327B2 |
Packet processing device, power-saving device, and power supply method
In a packet processing device capable of reducing power consumption when time intervals between input packets is increased and an input traffic capacity is reduced, packet processors, N in number (N is an integer of one or more), sequentially perform processing in response to an input packet to output a processed packet and processor packet detectors detect whether or not a packet exists in the packet processors. Responsive to a result of the processor packet detectors, a power supply switch unit controls power supply to the packet processors. Thus, each of the packet processors is intermittently put into an active state by intermittent power supply. |
| US08171324B2 |
Information processing device, data writing method, and program for the same
An information processing apparatus comprises: a creation unit creating a preset number of pieces of second data by duplicating first data, and holding the second data in a predetermined area or sending the second data to another information processing apparatus; a first writing unit for writing the first data in a first storage device; an activation unit activating power to a second storage device at a predetermined time, the second storage device being in a stopped state; a second writing unit for writing the second data in the second storage device activated by the activation unit by retrieving the second data from the predetermined area or another information processing apparatus after the second storage device is activated by the activation unit; a stop unit stopping power to the second storage device in which the second data is written by the second writing unit. |
| US08171323B2 |
Integrated circuit with modular dynamic power optimization architecture
A system and method for regulating power consumption within an integrated circuit (IC) with a modular design. The IC is designed so that any one distinct functional module within the IC utilizes only transistors with a substantially same or similar critical voltage level, which may for example be the threshold voltage of the transistors. Consequently, the supply voltage delivered to each functional modules can be lowered to the minimum voltage necessary to enable the transistors within the module to operate. Similarly, modules within the IC may be designed with transistors which share a common value for a substrate bias voltage or a clock speed, or with a combination of common values for several electrical factors. In this way, it is possible to reduce power consumption by fine-tuning the voltages supplied to (or clock speeds driving) specific modules, in a way which is custom-tuned to each module. |
| US08171321B2 |
Method and apparatus for cost and power efficient, scalable operating system independent services
A low cost, low power consumption scalable architecture is provided to allow a computer system to be managed remotely during all system power states. In a lowest power state, power is only applied to minimum logic necessary to examine a network packet. Power is applied for a short period of time to an execution subsystem and one of a plurality of cores selected to handle processing of received service requests. After processing the received service requests, the computer system returns to the lowest power state. |
| US08171320B2 |
Information processing apparatus, operation control method and operation control program storage medium
An information processing apparatus having a processing circuit to execute a program by operating at a set operating frequency, including: a measuring section that measures an elapsed time from the user's last operation; a notification section that notifies operation allowing frequencies in the processing circuit and instructs, in response to an elapsed time longer than a predetermined threshold time measured by the measuring section, fixing to a specific low-operating frequency among the operation allowing frequencies and in response to the user's operation in an input section, instructs to release the fixing; and a setting section that selects an operating frequency from among the operation allowing frequencies according to a processing situation and sets the selected operating frequency to the processing circuit and upon release of the fixing, restarts setting of an operating frequency selected from among the operation allowing frequencies, according to a processing situation in the processing circuit. |
| US08171318B2 |
Reporting flash memory operating voltages
Apparatus and associated systems, methods and computer program products relate to using information stored in a flash memory to adjust the operating voltage supplied to the flash memory. The voltage information indicates a minimum operating voltage at which to operate the flash memory device. In general, operating a flash memory device near a minimal operating voltage may substantially minimize power consumption. The minimum operating voltage for individual flash memory devices may vary from IC to IC, by manufacturing lot, and by manufacturer. In a product, the minimum operating voltage for a particular flash memory may be determined, for example, by a controller built-in to a flash memory reporting (automatically or in response to a query) the minimum operating voltage (e.g., 2.5 V, 3.15 V) to a memory controller or microprocessor. The stored voltage information may further include information to adjust the operating voltage based on temperature. |
| US08171317B2 |
Conserving power in a platform supporting network interfaces
A computer system may comprise a platform in which a processing block may be provisioned. The processing block may determine an optimal compression ratio such that the optimal compression ratio may cause a minimum of a total power to be consumed by the computer platform. The total power may comprise total compression power consumption and total transmission power consumption. The processing block may generate compressed frames from a plurality of frames generated by an application. The compressed frames may be generated by encoding the plurality of frames using the optimal compression ratio. The processing block may select a network interface from multiple network interfaces supported by the computer system to transmit the compressed frames. |
| US08171316B2 |
Mobile system on chip (SoC) and a mobile terminal including the mobile SoC
A mobile System on Chip (SoC) including a central processing unit (CPU) and an audio out module that includes a buffer and an audio interface. A power mode of the audio out module is controlled separately from a power mode of the mobile SoC so that the audio out module operates when the mobile SoC is in a power down mode. |
| US08171307B1 |
Background encryption of disks in a large cluster
The invention provides for rekeying a large cluster of storage security appliances which allows more than two of the storage security appliances to proxy a single storage medium while encrypting the storage medium in a manner that is transparent to any attached server. The invention provides a method for synchronizing encryption of the disk among a large cluster of storage security appliances, while allowing all of the storage security appliances involved to access the storage device being rekeyed in a secure fashion. |
| US08171301B2 |
Method and system for integrated securing and managing of virtual machines and virtual appliances
Method and system for the integrated securing and managing of virtual machines and virtual appliances are presented. Sealing the virtual appliance at the computer of a sender, verifying authenticity of the sender at a recipient computer and managing the execution of the VA are performed in a seamless fashion. |
| US08171300B2 |
Security method and apparatus
A method and apparatus for providing password security to an electronic device. Access rights to an electronic device are determined by decrypting and decoding an encrypted password given to one or more individuals. When an individual enters a given encrypted password into the electronic device, a decrypting function decrypts the password to generate a decrypted password. The decrypted password contains information as to whether access should be granted to the individual, and if so, to what extent. For example, the decrypted password may comprise a numerical value and access is granted if the numerical value is less than or greater than a predetermined value, or if the numerical value is within a predetermined range. |
| US08171297B2 |
System and method using information based indicia for securing and authenticating transactions
A method, system, and apparatus for authenticating transactions and records is disclosed. A method for authenticating an information-based indicium includes receiving an article bearing a first identifier, wherein the first identifier substantially prevents a single user from accumulating multiple articles bearing the same first identifier, receiving a first digital certificate that is derived in part by encoding the first identifier, and comparing the first digital certificate and the first identifier to authenticate the information-based indicium. |
| US08171292B2 |
Systems, devices, and methods for securely transmitting a security parameter to a computing device
Embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods described herein generally facilitate the secure transmittal of security parameters. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a representation of first data comprising a password is generated at the first computing device as an image or audio signal. The image or audio signal is transmitted from the first computing device to the second computing device. The password is determined from the image or audio signal at the second computing device. A key exchange is performed between the first computing device and the second computing device wherein a key is derived at each of the first and second computing devices. In at least one embodiment, one or more security parameters (e.g. one or more public keys) are exchanged between the first and second computing devices, and techniques for securing the exchange of security parameters or authenticating exchanged security parameters are generally disclosed herein. |
| US08171290B1 |
System for authenticating remotely generated optical control signals
An authentication system authenticates remotely generated optical control signals. A remote optical emitter transmits an optical control signal from a remote location. A remote authentication device collocated with the remote optical emitter receives an authentication challenge signal and transmits a compatible authentication response signal. A control optical signal processor positioned at a first location receives the optical control signal from the remote optical emitter and generates a control output signal in response to detection of a valid optical control signal. An authentication device is coupled by a real time data communications link with the optical signal processor and with the remote optical emitter. The control authentication device receives the control output signal from the optical processor, transmits the authentication challenge signal to the remote authentication device in response to receipt of the control output signal and generates an authenticated control output signal in response to receipt of a valid authentication response signal from the remote authentication device. |
| US08171289B2 |
Method and apparatus to provide authentication and privacy with low complexity devices
A method and apparatus to provide a cryptographic protocol for secure authentication, privacy, and anonymity. The protocol, in one embodiment, is designed to be implemented in a small number of logic gates, executed quickly on simple devices, and provide military grade security. |
| US08171285B2 |
Cryptographically signed filesystem
A cryptographically signed filesystem provides a central database resident on a server that contains database objects. The server creates startup software to be installed in a client system's read only memory. The startup software contains a hash value for a second stage loader. The server also creates software for a bootstrap loader object which typically contains the operating system for a client system and also the bootstrap loader's hash value and a digital signature that is unique to the server. The startup software and objects created by the server are initially installed on a client device at the time of manufacture. The server can update a client's bootstrap loader and root filesystem at any time through the transmission of slices. |
| US08171276B2 |
Minimal startup mode for performing multiple-reboot configuration
A computer implemented process performs a plurality of computer bootups in minimal mode. Login authentication is disabled during the computer bootups. All startup programs and services not required to install new software are disabled during the computer bootups. New software is installed during the computer bootups. During the final computer bootup, the disabled startup programs and services are enabled to restore the computer to normal operating condition. |
| US08171274B2 |
Method and system of executing stack-based memory reference code
A method and system of executing stack-based memory reference code. At least some of the illustrated embodiments are methods comprising waking a computer system from a reduced power operational state in which a memory controller loses at least some configuration information, executing memory reference code that utilizes a stack (wherein the memory reference code configures the main memory controller), and passing control of the computer system to an operating system. The time between executing a first instruction after waking the computer system and passing control to the operating system takes less than 200 milliseconds. |
| US08171272B1 |
Critical pre-OS driver verification
Before booting from a main OS into a pre-OS, a pre-OS management component verifies that all critical drivers are present in the pre-OS. The pre-OS management component identifies the hardware devices present on the computer on which the pre-OS is to be booted, and determines which drivers are installed in the pre-OS. If any drivers for critical devices are missing, the pre-OS management component provides a detailed report so that that the user can locate the missing drivers and add them to the pre-OS. In another embodiment, the pre-OS management component automatically obtains and installs the missing drivers. |
| US08171271B2 |
Server device and method of sharing basic input/output system
A server device and a method of sharing a basic input/output system (BIOS) include a plurality of mainboards, a circuit board, and a memory unit, and a switching unit disposed on the circuit board. A single memory unit stores a plurality of BIOS entity program segments respectively corresponding to a mainboard model, and transmits the BIOS entity program segments corresponding to the model of the mainboard for receiving the BIOS to the mainboard through the switching unit, so that the mainboards of various models may share the BIOS. |
| US08171269B2 |
Branch target buffer with entry source field for use in determining replacement priority
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for branch prediction. As an example, some embodiments of the present invention provides processor circuits that include a program address circuit, a branch target buffer, a branch prediction replacement circuit, and an execution pipeline. The branch target buffer includes a plurality of entries each associated with a respective change of flow instruction. Each entry includes an indication of an entry source and a next program address corresponding to the respective change of flow instruction. The branch prediction replacement circuit is operable to determine replacement priorities of the plurality of entries based at least in part on the entry source for each of the plurality of entries. The execution pipeline receives an executable instruction corresponding to one of the next program addresses. |
| US08171260B2 |
Fetching all or portion of instructions in memory line up to branch instruction based on branch prediction and size indicator stored in branch target buffer indexed by fetch address
The invention provides a method and apparatus for branch prediction in a processor. A fetch-block branch target buffer is used in an early stage of pipeline processing before the instruction is decoded, which stores information about a control transfer instruction for a “block” of instruction memory. The block of instruction memory is represented by a block entry in the fetch-block branch target buffer. The block entry represents one recorded control-transfer instruction (such as a branch instruction) and a set of sequentially preceding instructions, up to a fixed maximum length N. Indexing into the fetch-block branch target buffer yields an answer whether the block entry represents memory that contains a previously executed a control-transfer instruction, a length value representing the amount of memory that contains the instructions represented by the block, and an indicator for the type of control-transfer instruction that terminates the block, its target and outcome. Both the decode and execution pipelines include correction capabilities for modifying the block branch target buffer dependent on the results of the instruction decode and execution and can include a mechanism to correct malformed instructions. |
| US08171259B2 |
Multi-cluster dynamic reconfigurable circuit for context valid processing of data by clearing received data with added context change indicative signal
A dynamic reconfigurable circuit includes multiple clusters each including a group of reconfigurable processing elements. The dynamic reconfigurable circuit is capable of dynamically changing a configuration of the clusters according to a context including a description of processing of the processing elements and of connection between the processing elements. A first cluster among the clusters includes a signal generating circuit that when an instruction to change the context is received, generates a report signal indicative of the instruction to change the context; a signal adding circuit that adds the report signal generated by the signal generating circuit to output data that is to be transmitted from the first cluster to a second cluster; and a data clearing circuit that, when output data to which a report signal generated by the second cluster is added is received, performs a clearing process of clearing the output data received. |
| US08171257B2 |
Determining an end of valid log in a log of write records using a next pointer and a far ahead pointer
Provided are a method, computer program product and system for determining an end of valid log in a log of write records. Records are written to a log in a storage device in a sequential order, wherein the records include a next pointer addressing a next record in a write order and a far ahead pointer addressing a far ahead record in the write order following the record. The far ahead pointer and the next pointer in a plurality of records are used to determine an end of valid log from which to start writing further records. |
| US08171255B1 |
Optimization of paging cache protection in virtual environment
A system, method and computer program product for virtualizing a processor include a virtualization system running on a computer system and controlling memory paging through hardware support for maintaining real paging structures. A Virtual Machine (VM) is running guest code and has at least one set of guest paging structures that correspond to guest physical pages in guest virtualized linear address space. At least some of the guest paging structures are mapped to the real paging structures. A cache of connection structures represents cached paths to the real paging structures. The mapped paging tables are protected using RW-bit. A paging cache is validated according to TLB resets. Non-active paging tree tables can be also protected at the time when they are activated. Tracking of access (A) bits and of dirty (D) bits is implemented along with synchronization of A and D bits in guest physical pages. |
| US08171252B2 |
Sharing of non-divisible files
A method and a system for sharing files recorded by non-divisible sections in a first memory, including dividing each section into subsets to which are respectively assigned specific access rights; storing, in a second memory, separate from the first one, a specification table comprising at least the location of each subset in the section, at least one key conditioning the access to this subset, and the rights assigned to the key; and conditioning the accesses to the subsets to their respective specifications by a control performed by a microprocessor. |
| US08171249B2 |
Internet-safe computer
The present invention eliminates the possibility of problems with viruses, worms, identity theft, and other hazards that may result from the connection of a computer to the Internet. It does so by creating a new configuration of components within the computer. In addition to commonly used components, two new components are added. These are a secondary hard drive and a secondary random access memory. When the computer is connected to the Internet these secondary components are used in place of their primary counterparts. The primary hard drive is electronically isolated from the Internet, thus preventing Internet contamination of the primary hard drive. |
| US08171248B2 |
Storage system controlling method, switch device and storage system
A method for controlling a storage system having first and second switches and a storage device connected to the switches via a network in response to a request from a host, the storage device having first and second areas, each of the first and second switch accessing to the first and second area, the method includes, receiving a request for copying data stored in the first area to the second area from the host, transmitting initiation notification of the copying to the second switch, executing the copying by the first switch, maintaining progress status of the copying, controlling the second switch to refer to the progress upon receiving a request for access to the first or second area by the host before completion of the copying, and determining whether to permit access to the first or second area by the second switch. |
| US08171247B2 |
Method for backup storage device selection
A method and system for backing up computer data uses a network device to select a storage device in a manner that enhances at least one parameter associated with the backup process. |
| US08171244B2 |
Methods for implementation of worm mode on a removable disk drive storage system
Embodiments provide systems and methods for maintaining immutable data in an archiving system using random access memory. To ensure data is immutable, novel pointers are maintained in the hardware/firmware of the drive ports and on the removable disk drives. For example, a hardware/firmware in a modular drive bay maintains a pointer to a memory address in the removable disk drive memory that cannot write to a memory block that precedes the pointer. Data may only be stored after the pointer in the removable disk drive. As such, once data is written to the removable disk drive, the data cannot be overwritten although the removable disk drive employs random access memory. |
| US08171242B2 |
Systems and methods for scheduling a memory command for execution based on a history of previously executed memory commands
A memory system is operated by maintaining a queue of memory commands to be executed, maintaining a list of previously executed memory commands, comparing local information associated with the commands to be executed with local information associated with the list of previously executed commands, and selecting one of the commands for execution from the queue of memory commands to be executed based on a result of the comparison. |
| US08171240B1 |
Misalignment predictor
In one embodiment, a processor comprises a circuit coupled to receive an indication of a memory operation to be executed in the processor. The circuit is configured to predict whether or not the memory operation is misaligned. A number of accesses performed by the processor to execute the memory operation is dependent on whether or not the circuit predicts the memory operation as misaligned. In another embodiment, a misalignment predictor is coupled to receive an indication of a memory operation, and comprises a memory and a control circuit coupled to the memory. The memory is configured to store a plurality of indications of memory operations previously detected as misaligned during execution in a processor. The control circuit is configured to predict whether or not a memory operation is misaligned responsive to a comparison of the received indication and the plurality of indications stored in the memory. |
| US08171238B1 |
Identification of data stored in memory
Systems and methods for identification of data stored in memory are provided. A data packet is received and a first packet byte within the data packet is compared to a first memory byte within a memory. A mismatch is determined between the first packet byte and the first memory byte. A memory location is jumped to that contains a second memory byte that is non-consecutive with the first memory byte. A packet location is jumped to that contains a second packet byte that is non-consecutive with the first packet byte. The second packet byte is compared to the second memory byte. A retrieval instruction is generated based at least in part on a result of the comparison between the second packet byte and the second memory byte. Various embodiments may be included in a network memory architecture to allow for faster data matching and instruction generation in a central appliance. |
| US08171237B2 |
Automatic association of reference data with primary process data based on time and shared identifier
A method and system for automatically associating primary process data with reference data. The primary process data may include image, video, audio, text, search data, and the like. The reference data may include location, temperature, pressure, and the like. A primary process data processor device, such as a digital camera, is used to acquire the primary process data with time information, but without any reference data. A reference data collector device, such as a cellular telephone, is used to acquire the reference data with time information. The primary process data and the reference data are uploaded to a server and each are associated with a shared identifier, such as a user ID. Of the content and reference data associated with the shared ID, the server determines which primary process data and reference data were acquired near the same time, and automatically associates the reference data with the primary process data. |
| US08171235B2 |
Atomic compare and swap using dedicated processor
An atomic compare and swap operation that can be implemented in processor system having first and second processors that have different sized memory transfer capabilities. The first processor notifies the second processor to perform a compare and swap operation on an address in main memory. The address has a size less than or equal to a maximum memory transfer size for the second processor and greater than a maximum memory transfer size for the first processor. The second processor atomically performs the compare and swap operation and notifies the first processor of the success or failure of the compare and swap operation. |
| US08171231B2 |
System and method for aggregating core-cache clusters in order to produce multi-core processors
According to one embodiment of the invention, a processor comprises a memory, a plurality of core-cache clusters and a scalability agent unit that operates as an interface between an on-die interconnect and multiple core-cache clusters. The scalability agent operates in accordance with a protocol to ensure that the plurality of core-cache clusters appear as a single caching agent. |
| US08171230B2 |
PCI express address translation services invalidation synchronization with TCE invalidation
A PCI Express (PCIe) computer system utilizes address translation services to translate virtual addresses from I/O device adaptors to physical addresses of system memory. A combined memory controller and host bridge uses a translation agent to convert the I/O addresses via translation control entries (TCEs) in a TCE table (also known as an address translation and protection table). Some of the I/O device adaptors have address translation caches for local storage of TCEs. The TCE definition includes a new non-cacheable control bit which is set active in the TCE table when the TCE is in the process of being invalidated. The memory controller prevents further caching of the TCE while the non-cacheable control bit is active. A further implementation utilizes a change-in-progress control bit of the TCE to indicate that the TCE is in the process of being changed to allow simultaneous invalidation of the previously TCE information. |
| US08171219B2 |
Method and system to perform caching based on file-level heuristics
A method and system to perform caching based at least on one or more file-level heuristics. The caching of a storage medium in a caching device is performed by a cache policy engine. The cache policy engine receives file-level information of input/output access of data of the storage medium and caches or evicts the data of the storage medium in the caching device based on the received file-level information. By utilizing information about the files and file operations associated with the disk sectors or logical block addresses of the storage medium, the cache policy engine can make a better decision on the data selection of the storage medium to be cached in or evicted from the caching device in one embodiment of the invention. Higher cache hit rates can be achieved and the performance of the system utilizing the cache policy engine is improved. |
| US08171218B2 |
Memory card system, memory card and method for executing an application program thereon
A memory card system and memory card. The memory card system may include a host and a memory card able to be received by the host. The memory card may transfer an application program index to the host in response to a command from the host. Time spent finding information relating to the application programs loaded in the memory card may be saved and a convenient and efficient interface may be provided to a user. |
| US08171212B2 |
Data processing apparatus and data processing program storage medium
A data processing apparatus has a processing memory section that stores plural processing sections for building a combination processing section; a construction data memory section that stores construction data for building the same combination processing section as the latest combination processing section used for executing a series of processing of most recently input data; and a processing construction section that reads, at a timing before data to be processed is input, plural processing sections forming the same combination processing section as the latest combination processing section, based on the construction data and connects the processing sections in the same order of processing as in the latest combination processing section, thereby building the same combination processing section as the latest combination processing section. |
| US08171210B2 |
Semiconductor memory, operating method of semiconductor memory, and system
Operation control circuits start a first operation of any of memory cores in response to a first operation command, start a second operation of any of the memory cores in response to a second operation command, and terminate the first operation and continue the second operation in response to a termination command to terminate operations of the plurality of memory cores. For example, the semiconductor memory is mounted on a system together with a controller accessing the semiconductor memory. The termination of the operation in response to the termination command is judged in accordance with an operation state of the memory core. Accordingly, it is possible to terminate the operation of the memory core requiring the termination of operation without specifying the memory core from outside. |
| US08171209B2 |
Write protection method and device for at least one random access memory device
In a write protection method for at least one random access memory device, the inherent problems of such memory devices with regard to data integrity and security with respect to hacker attacks, such that they can also be used for secure archiving in particular of a large volume of data, are avoided by virtue of the fact that commands directed to the at least one memory device are received by a write protection device connected upstream of the at least one memory device before said commands are forwarded to the at least one memory device, wherein commands received in the write protection device are compared with a positive list of permitted commands previously stored in the write protection device, wherein in one case, where the comparison determines that a permitted command is present, said command is forwarded to the at least one memory device, and in the other case, where the comparison determines that no permitted command is present, said command is not forwarded to the at least one memory device. |
| US08171207B2 |
Adaptive hybrid density memory storage device and control method thereof
The present invention discloses a control method of an adaptive hybrid density memory storage device suitable for locating a data to the storage device. The storage device includes a high density memory unit and a low density memory unit. The method is characterized in that the property of the data is determined by its length, and the data is written to the high density memory unit or the low density memory unit according to the property of the data and the relative wearing rate and the amount of data processed by the storage device. |
| US08171204B2 |
Intelligent solid-state non-volatile memory device (NVMD) system with multi-level caching of multiple channels
A flash memory system stores blocks of data in Non-Volatile Memory Devices (NVMD) that are addressed by a logical block address (LBA). The LBA is remapped for wear-leveling and bad-block relocation by the NVMD. The NVMD are interleaved in channels that are accessed by a NVMD controller. The NVMD controller has a controller cache that caches blocks stored in NVMD in that channel, while the NVMD also contain high-speed cache. The multiple levels of caching reduce access latency. Power is managed in multiple levels by a power controller in the NVMD controller that sets power policies for power managers inside the NVMD. Multiple NVMD controllers in the flash system may each controller many channels of NVMD. The flash system with NVMD may include a fingerprint reader for security. |
| US08171201B1 |
Systems and methods for improving virtual machine performance
Virtual machine optimization and/or storage reclamation solutions are disclosed that manage virtual machine sprawl and/or growing enterprise storage costs. For instance, certain solutions receive recommendations based on one or more rules, policies and/or user preferences that identify storage and/or alignment criteria for virtual machine disk (VMDK) partition(s). In certain examples, a resize tool that operates within a host operating system of a host server dynamically resizes and/or aligns one or more VMDK partitions of a powered-down virtual machine. For instance, the resize tool can be injected to the host server from a remote management server and can resize and/or align the VMDK partitions without requiring contents of the VMDK to be copied to another VMDK. By reallocating storage and/or aligning the VMDK partitions, embodiments of the invention can increase virtual machine performance and improve storage management. |
| US08171197B2 |
Main electronic device for communicating within a network and method for operating a main electronic device for communicating within the network
The present invention relates to a main electronic device (1) for communicating within a network (7) comprising an interface (6) for enabling communication within the network (7) and a controller (4) for sending polling messages via the network (7) to logical addresses via said interface (6) in order to request information from at least one further electronic device (1a, 1b . . . 1f).The present invention further relates to a method for operating a main electronic device (1) for communicating within a network (7). |
| US08171188B2 |
Method of handling successive bitstream extraction and packing and related device
To handle boundary conditions efficiently during bitstream extraction, a predetermined number of bits are extracted from the bitstream register starting from a most significant bit of the bitstream register when an underflow flag is set. The predetermined number equals a predetermined extraction width minus a previous starting position. The bits are stored in a lowest part of a destination register, and the underflow flag is cleared. |
| US08171186B1 |
On-chip interconnect fabric
A method for performing write transactions in an interconnect fabric is described. A burst write transaction is received by a bridge coupled to a master. The burst transaction is initiated by a command phase that includes a wait state attribute. The bridge is also coupled to a second bus that is coupled to a slave destination device or to another bridge. The bridge may initiate a cut-through transaction to the second bus when the wait state attribute indicates a master inserted wait state will not be incurred during the burst transaction. |
| US08171185B2 |
Electronic device and communication method
This invention provides an electronic device that can suppress the undesired influence of signals flowing on the bus as interference on devices connected to the bus. The electronic device has two ports connected to the bus with corresponding physical layer processing means. The physical layer processing means may optionally be connected together permitting separate connection to separate busses. Thus a bus reset on first bus will not interfere with processing on the second bus. |
| US08171184B2 |
Multifunction peripheral having a plurality of functions
A multifunction device has a plurality of functions selected from among a printer function, scanner function, facsimile function, and data storage function and capable of being connected to a computer via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. The multifunction device includes: a device data outputting unit that outputs information forcing an OS in the computer to recognize the multifunction device as a USB storage class device having a plurality of USB-compliant logic unit numbers (LUNs) when establishing a connection with the computer; and a controlling unit that determines, when output data is transmitted from the computer, which one of the plurality of functions the output data is for controlling, based on the LUN included in the output data, and that controls the determined function based on the output data. |
| US08171181B2 |
Memory module with configurable input/output ports
A memory module has one or more memory devices, a controller in communication with the one or more memory devices, and a plurality of input/output ports. The controller is configured to configure each input/output port as an input, an output, or a bidirectional input/output. |
| US08171173B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing delivery of media content
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to select a portion of content servers among a plurality of content servers for delivery of media content to the set top box, where the selection is based on server metrics associated with the plurality of content servers and received by the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08171166B1 |
Method and a computer program product for modifying or generating a multiple program transport stream
Methods and computer program products for modifying a multiple program transport stream, generating a multiple program transport stream and extracting a single program transport stream, the method for modifying the multiple program transport stream includes: receiving a multiple program transport stream; and inserting a decoding time stamp equivalent value program clock reference in a transport stream packet of a program; wherein the transport stream packet is positioned so as the value of the inserted decoding time stamp equivalent value program clock reference is substantially equal to a decoding time stamp of an elementary stream of the program. |
| US08171164B2 |
Target routing by initiator
An illustrative embodiment provides a computer-implemented method for target routing by initiator, using Internet small computer system interface. The computer-implemented method obtains a logical unit number configuration, containing a set of logical unit numbers, determines whether an initiator Internet protocol address, associated with a requester, has a mapping to a logical unit number in the set of logical unit numbers. The computer implemented method further sets a path for an input output/request from the requester to a backing file, according to the mapping, and returns success to the requester. |
| US08171161B2 |
Static and dynamic content delivery
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for returning website content after being requested by a client. A dynamic component and a rewritten URL may be requested and a static component may be requested, which may be updated. The combination of static and dynamic website content may be returned to the client. |
| US08171152B2 |
Systems, methods and computer-readable media for configuring receiver latency
The present disclosure is related to transmitting and receiving media channels, such as audio and video channels. These channels may be transmitted as packets from one or more transmitting devices to one or more receiving devices for playout. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining latency of a data network for synchronized playout of received signals. Additionally, certain embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and computer-readable media for synchronizing playout among devices connected to a data network. |
| US08171150B2 |
Data transfer system and method
A method is disclosed of data transfer between a source computer and multiple target computers. The method includes: receiving a user data and format request from one or more target computers; transmitting a multi-media formatted transmission from the source computer over a first network to a server configured to receive the multi-media formatted transmission; extracting a data stream from the multi-media formatted transmission; transmitting the data stream in an Internet format over a second network to the target computers, the target computers each configured to receive the data stream in a finite set of protocols over the second network, the finite set of protocols including Internet protocols but excluding multi-media protocols; and extracting data from the data stream and reformatting the extracted data into a multi-media format at each target computer, wherein each target computer is able to reformat the extracted data into different multi-media formats. |
| US08171149B2 |
Communication system, terminal device, and method of controlling terminal devices in communication system
In a communication system, a first terminal device and a second terminal device are connected via a wireless network and perform communications with each other. Each of the first and second terminal devices includes an interface unit which accesses a memory-card type recording medium detachably mounted to the interface unit. Information needed for one of the first and second terminal devices to communicate with the other terminal device is transferred between the first terminal device and the second terminal device using the recording medium. |
| US08171148B2 |
Systems and methods for establishing connections between devices communicating over a network
Systems and methods are described for establishing a connection between a client and a server that are each communicating via a network. The methods and techniques may be used, for example, to establish a media streaming connection between a media player and a placeshifting device when a firewall or other impediment to direct network connections exists. A relay server receives connection requests from the client and from the server via the network. In response to receiving the requests, a first connection is established between the relay server and the client and a second connection between the relay server and the server. Data received by the relay server on each of the first and second connections is relayed to the other of the first and second connections to thereby establish the connection between the client and the server via the relay server. |
| US08171142B2 |
Data center inventory management using smart racks
A system for managing physical and virtual inventory in a data center is disclosed. The system includes a resource management system for managing computing resources of the data center, an inventory management system for tracking physical locations of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of virtual machines in the data center and a smart rack for housing a plurality of hosts. The computing resources include a plurality of hosts and a plurality of virtual machines running on one or more of the plurality of virtual machines. The smart rack has sensors for detecting movement of each of the plurality of hosts in the data center. The smart rack also has a control unit to control the sensors and collecting data from sensors. The control unit is coupled to the inventory management system and configured to transmit the collected data to the inventory management system through a network. The plurality of hosts, the resource management system and the control unit are coupled together through the network. |
| US08171141B1 |
Provisioning system including stack manager
Systems and methods of executing and/or provisioning an application in an application specific runtime environment are disclosed. The application specific runtime environment is defined by an application environment specification to include a minimal or reduced set of software resources required for execution of the application. These software resources are optionally stored in a resource repository that includes resources associated with a plurality of operating systems and/or executable applications. Various embodiments of the invention include the development of hierarchical resource metadata configured to characterize the various files, packages and file families included in the resource repository. In some embodiments this metadata is used to select between files and different versions of files when provisioning an application specific runtime environment. Various embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for dynamically and/or manually determining which resources should be included in the provisioning of an executable application. |
| US08171140B2 |
Resource allocation in computers
A method and tangible medium embodying code for allocating resource units of an allocatable resource among a plurality of clients in a computer is described. In the method, resource units are initially distributed among the clients by assigning to each of the clients a nominal share of the allocatable resource. For each client, a current allocation of resource units is determined. A metric is evaluated for each client, the metric being a function both of the nominal share and a usage-based factor, the usage-based factor being a function of a measure of resource units that the client is actively using and a measure of resource units that the client is not actively using. A resource unit can be reclaimed from a client when the metric for that client meets a predetermined criterion. |
| US08171137B1 |
Transferring application state across devices
A first client device or system performs a method that includes retaining in memory registration information for a respective application indicating the respective application is registered for sharing application state with other client devices or systems. The method further includes storing an application state of a respective application, and detecting a transfer triggering condition. The transfer triggering condition includes presence of a second client device or system within a predefined proximity of the first client device or system, and the predefined proximity is a predefined proximity for near field communication. Furthermore, upon detecting the triggering condition, the first client device or system determines, in accordance with the stored registration information, that the respective application is registered for application state sharing, and transmits the application state of the respective application to the second client device or system. |
| US08171136B2 |
System and method for transmitting pollution information over an integrated wireless network
A pollution information message system provides a system and method for generating and transmitting pollution information messages. In one embodiment, the pollution information message system employs a transceiver network with a plurality transceivers coupled to monitoring devices. Control room operators receive a pollution information message from an identifiable transceiver. The transceiver, identified by an identification code, indicates a location and the nature of the detected pollution. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described. |
| US08171134B2 |
Methods and apparatus to characterize and predict network health status
Methods and apparatus to characterize and predict network health status are presented. A particular method of characterizing and predicting a health status of a network node includes receiving a plurality of report values associated with the network node, where each report value is one of alert and normal, and where each report value is received at a corresponding time. The method includes calculating a current report weight associated with a current report value received at a current time. When a first previous report value was received at a first previous time before the current time, the current report weight is calculated based at least partially on the current report value and at least partially on a first previous report weight associated with the first previous value. The method includes storing the current report weight at a memory device. |
| US08171126B2 |
Storage network system, managing apparatus, managing method and program
A management computer includes a memory storing toplogical information including identifiers of ports of computers, storage apparatuses, and switches. The management computer includes a processor, which is configured to: collect a plurality of performance information of the ports, and a plurality of access times from computer ports to the storage apparatuses; evaluate that a certain access time among the plurality of access times exceeds a predetermined allowable range; search a first access path to which the certain access time corresponds; search at least one second access path starting from a first computer port on the first access path; and search performance information of certain ports which are on the at least one second access path in order to display the searched performance information. |
| US08171125B2 |
Scalable distributed storage and delivery
Embodiments describe scalable distributed storage delivery method that can utilize commodity storage devices, thus there is little, if any, modification of the existing storage hardware or storage clients. According to an aspect is a system that can include a plurality of primary servers and application servers to deliver data to the storage client. The client can request information from the primary server, which can in some embodiments, authenticate the client. The primary server can determine a set of application servers that can deliver the information. The information data can be served to the client transparently from the application servers. The application servers can read the information content from a local cache or directly from storage devices. |
| US08171124B2 |
Systems and methods for GSLB remote service monitoring
The present invention provides improvements to the integration between a metric exchange protocol and a monitoring mechanism supporting load balancing by a Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) appliance in a GSLB hierarchy of appliances, using a method for triggering a monitor on a remote service. The method includes receiving, by a first appliance, metrics of a second appliance via a metric exchange connection between the first and second appliances. The first appliance includes a GSLB service and identifies a service provided via the second appliance as a remote service for GSLB. The first appliance may identify via the metrics that a state of the service is up, and determine that the metric exchange connection is down. Responsive to the determination, the first appliance may trigger a monitor to monitor the status of the service. Further, the first appliance may obtain via the monitor a second status of the service. |
| US08171123B2 |
Network bandwidth detection and distribution
In a node configured to communicate with one or more other nodes over a network, available bandwidth for network traffic may be distributed among two or more distinct channels of communication within a single application running on the node. An available bandwidth may be detected for communication between the first node and a second node. A distribution may be determined for the available bandwidth among the two or more communication channels. A sending rate may be adjusted for data sent from the first node to the second node over one or more of the two or more communication channels in response to a detected change in the available bandwidth. |
| US08171119B2 |
Program deployment apparatus and method
With a management server that is connected via a network to at least one physical server including a physical server with a virtualization facility for providing a virtual server to a client and deploys a program to the at least one physical server as necessary, and by a program deployment method for such a management server for deploying a program to the at least one physical server as necessary, there is provided units for detecting one or more nodes which are any of the physical server, the virtualization facility, and the virtual server and connected via the network, acquiring first configuration information about a virtual layer of each detected node for each detected node, and selectively deploying the program to the relevant node based on the first configuration information for each acquired node. |
| US08171118B2 |
Application streaming over HTTP
Disclosed are systems and methods for application streaming over HTTP. A virtual application running on a host computing device may detect the need for a page of memory that is not present on the host computing device. Accordingly, the virtual application may send a request to a virtual application server, seeking the absent memory page. The virtual application server may send to a web server an HTTP GET byte range request for the desired memory page. The web server may retrieve the requested block, which may be a portion of the virtual application image file. The requested data is returned to the host computing device via the virtual application server. The virtual application continues running on the host device using the requested data. |
| US08171112B2 |
Content channels for a mobile device
Various embodiments enable a user of a mobile media device to select one or more channels to load onto the device. Each channel comprises a collection of media content files, such as video content, audio content, and so on. Each collection of media content files can be associated with a particular genre (or genres) of media content. A channel can be managed such that its collection of media content can be rearranged, augmented, and/or otherwise edited to produce a refreshed version of the channel. The refreshed version of the channel can be provided to the mobile media device for playback. Thus, a channel associated with a particular genre of media content can provide a user with a dynamic user experience without requiring the user to manipulate specific media content files. |
| US08171104B2 |
Scheduling and searching meetings in a network environment
Provided are a method, system, and program for scheduling and searching meetings in a network environment. A form is transmitted over a network to be rendered at an organizer computer to enable entry of information on a meeting. The form is received having organizer entered information on one meeting. The information in the received form is stored in a meeting database, wherein the stored information from the received form is associated with the meeting identified in the received form. A user computer accessed by a user is enabled to register for at least one selected meeting. An email database accessed by the user is updated automatically to include information on the at least one selected meeting indicated. |
| US08171095B2 |
Speculative distributed conflict resolution for a cache coherency protocol
A conflict resolution technique provides consistency such that all conflicts can be detected by at least one of the conflicting requestors if each node monitors all requests after that node has made its own request. If a line is in the Exclusive, Modified or Forward state, conflicts are resolved at the node holding the unique copy. The winner of the conflict resolution, and possibly the losers, report the conflict to the home node, which pairs conflict reports and issues forwarding instructions to assure that all requesting nodes eventually receive the requested data. If a requested cache line is either uncached or present only in the Shared state, the home node provides a copy of the cache node and resolves conflicts. In one embodiment, a blackout period after all responses until an acknowledgement message has been received allows all conflicting nodes to be aware of conflicts in which they are involved. |
| US08171089B2 |
Privileged and restricted email processing to multiple recipients based on sender defined visibility settings
A method is provided for email processing to recipients based on user defined visibility settings. Input of email addresses for recipients in a privileged list and for recipients not in the privileged list is received. An email message is transmitted to recipients in the privileged list and to recipients not in the privileged list. The recipients in the privileged list are able to visibly distinguish recipients in the privileged list from the recipients not in the privileged list. The recipients not in the privileged list are unable to visibly distinguish the recipients in the privileged list. Input of email addresses for recipients in a restricted list and for recipients not in the restricted list is received. An email message is transmitted to recipients in the restricted list and to recipients not in the restricted list. Recipients in the restricted list are unable to visibly see recipients in the restricted list. |
| US08171087B2 |
Thread-based conversation management
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with thread-based conversation management are described. One system embodiment includes a conversation manager that provides access to communication applications, that provides lifecycle management for an electronic conversation carried on over the communication applications, and that organizes conversation elements belonging to a conversation carried on using the communication applications. The conversation lifecycle may include pausing and resuming a conversation carried on, at least in part, over a synchronous, online, real-time, communication application. The system embodiment may also include a thread manager to provide thread-based storage for conversation elements. |
| US08171085B1 |
Methods and apparatuses for authenticating electronic messages
Methods and systems and machine readable media for processing email and other electronic messages. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes storing a plurality of domain names, each of which correspond to a portion of a full email address; receiving a first email; determining whether a sender address specified by the first email is within a domain specified by the plurality of domain names; determining whether the first email is authentically from an entity which controls the domain specified by the plurality of domain names if the sender address is within the domain; and presenting an indication of nonauthenticity if the first email is not authentically from the entity. |
| US08171084B2 |
Custom emoticons
Methods and devices for creating and transferring custom emoticons allow a user to adopt an arbitrary image as an emoticon, which can then be represented by a character sequence in real-time communication. In one implementation, custom emoticons can be included in a message and transmitted to a receiver in the message. In another implementation, character sequences representing the custom emoticons can be transmitted in the message instead of the custom emoticons in order to preserve performance of text messaging. At the receiving end, the character sequences are replaced by their corresponding custom emoticons, which can be retrieved locally if they have been previously received, or can be retrieved from the sender in a separate communication from the text message if they have not been previously received. |
| US08171080B2 |
Click to create meeting makers from electronic messages
A method and system for generating meeting maker requests as efficiently and with as few steps as possible. Here, a software API or program automatically generates and populates a meeting maker request by using information already located within an electronic message, such as an e-mail, to compose the meeting maker request. One embodiment includes a method for converting an electronic message into a meeting maker. The method comprises receiving an electronic message. Meeting information is located within the received electronic message. Invited attendees to the meeting are determined based on information within the electronic message. A meeting maker request is automatically generated using the determined information. |
| US08171079B2 |
Metasearch engine for ordering items returned in travel related search results using multiple queries on multiple unique hosts
Process and system for metasearching on the Internet performed by a metasearch engine, comprising: receiving an HTTP request from a client device for the metasearch engine to send a plurality of search queries to a plurality of unique hosts that provide access to information to be searched, the HTTP request associated with a plurality of travel related items that may be ordered comprising at least one airline ticket and at least one other type of travel related item; sending the plurality of search queries to the plurality of unique hosts in response to the HTTP request; receiving search results from the plurality of unique hosts; incorporating the received search results into a response; communicating the response from the metasearch engine to the client device; receiving another HTTP request from the client device for placing an order for at least one of the plurality of travel related items; processing the order. |
| US08171078B2 |
System and method of package creation that includes audio content and audio advertising
A particular method includes receiving, via an interactive voice response unit, an audio content item during a first call. An indication of an insertion point at which to insert audio advertising in the audio content item is also received. The method further includes receiving via the interactive voice response unit an audio advertisement during a second call. The audio advertisement is automatically inserted into the audio content item at the insertion point to create a package. |
| US08171072B2 |
Media contents distribution system and method
A server stores a media content and an execution program for processing the media content, and determines a usage rule for the media content to be transmitted to a terminal. The server distributes the usage rule, the media content, and the execution program to the terminal. The terminal stores the distributed usage rule, media content, and execution program. The terminal executes the stored execution program and processes the stored media content within the bounds of the usage rule as stored. The server may perform a billing process in accordance with the determined usage rule, or select and distribute a media content or an execution program in accordance with the processing ability of the terminal or a state of communications. Moreover, the server may distribute, in addition to the execution program, middleware for constructing an operating environment for the execution program. |
| US08171070B2 |
Turnkey reseller program for registering domain names
A reseller program may be used to increase the number of Customer desired domain names that are registered by a Registrar. There are two main embodiments of this reseller program. In the first embodiment, Resellers guide Customers to a Registrar web site through the use of advertisements, links in various web sites and/or links from search engines. The Registrar web site communicates directly with the Customer and registers the Customer desired domain names and compensates the Reseller for guiding the Customer to the Registrar web site. In the second embodiment, Resellers have their own reseller web sites that communicate directly with the Customers and communicate the desired domain names to the Registrar web site so the Registrar web site can register the Customer desired domain names. In this embodiment, the Customer may compensate the Reseller and the Reseller may compensate the Registrar for the services rendered. |
| US08171069B2 |
Streaming digital data filter
A method of filtering streaming digital data in real time. The method including: (a) initializing and storing a set of m data elements and an associated set of m pointer data from 1 to m in sequence, m an integer greater than 2; (b) receiving in real time a first or next data element of a digital data stream of sequential data elements; (c) simultaneously with (b), replacing a stored data element associated with the pointer datum m with the received data element, changing the pointer datum of m to 1, and incrementing the value of all other pointer data by 1; (d) simultaneously with (b) sorting in order from a low to high all stored data elements; (e) simultaneously with (b), maintaining the association of pointer datum and data elements; (f) simultaneously with (b), filtering all stored data elements; and (g) repeating (b) through (f) multiple times. |
| US08171068B2 |
Generating unique pseudorandom numbers
A method of generating a set of unique pseudorandom N-digit base-B integers includes the steps of selecting an integer A, wherein A is equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than BN−1, and adding to integer A an integer P, modulus BN, wherein P is equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than BN−1, and wherein P and N are relatively prime, to obtain a first element of the set. The method generates a second element of the set by adding P to the first element, modulus BN. The method generates the complete set of unique pseudorandom N-digit base-B integers by repeating the process BN times. Elements of the set may be used to populate a data set. |
| US08171065B2 |
Relational objects for the optimized management of fixed-content storage systems
A system and method is described for managing data objects in a fixed-content storage system. Metadata is provided for each variable size packet and may include offset information, packet size data, reference content blocks, and the like. Using this information, intelligently decomposed objects, consolidated objects, differenced objects, and composite objects may be stored in the storage system. The data structure provided by these objects allows for the reduction of necessary storage resources and the total number of stored objects. |
| US08171061B2 |
File-system based data store for a workgroup server
A system and method for storing workgroup objects on a file-system based data store in a workgroup server is disclosed. The present invention implements a file-system based workgroup system in which a workgroup object is stored in one or more files. The present invention further includes a workgroup object list comprising object identifiers, each object identifier uniquely mapping to a workgroup object and each object identifier including a property of the workgroup object based on which the workgroup object list is sorted. |
| US08171058B2 |
One click creation of linkages between master data records
A method and system for creating interrecord relationships between master data records stored in a relational database are provided. The method includes receiving information for a first master data record from a user, searching a plurality of master data records in the relational database for candidates that have a potential of being related to the processed master data record, the searching performed automatically in response to the receiving, determining at least one possible relationship type between the candidates found as a result of the searching and the first master data record, and presenting the at least one possible relationship type and the candidates found as a result of the searching to the user. The disclosed method and system allow a user to create and maintain relationships between multiple master data records with minimal steps. |
| US08171056B2 |
Data processor, data processing method, and computer product
A data processor includes a storage unit, a decompressing module, an interface module, and a data retrieving module. The storage unit stores therein a compressed setting data file including setting data files each compressed in a compression format. The decompressing module decompresses a setting data file, in the compressed setting data file, corresponding to a model of a printer selected for printing. The interface module displays a setting screen corresponding to the setting data file decompressed by the decompressing module. The data retrieving module sets print settings based on settings specified on the setting screen. |
| US08171053B2 |
Dynamic workflow documentation system
The dynamic workflow documentation system is a computer implemented process comprising the following steps: The dynamic workflow documentation system starts a workflow manager program, a class loader program in a computer memory and creates an instance of a workflow program in the computer memory. The dynamic workflow documentation system extracts metadata properties from the workflow program and records the metadata properties in the memory. The dynamic workflow documentation system notifies the workflow manager that a new instance of the workflow program has been created and repeats the steps of creating an instance of a workflow component program, extracting metadata properties, recording the metadata properties and notifying the workflow manager for all workflow components associated with the workflow program. Security and auditing functions of the dynamic workflow documentation system ensure that workflow programs execute according to the workflow requirements. |
| US08171046B1 |
Converting CQL query results into user-controllable objects
A method is provided. The method includes (a) sending, from a client device to a data storage system, a query regarding elements of the data storage system, (b) receiving, at the client device, from the data storage system, a query result, the query result containing information about a set of elements within the data storage system presented in tabular format, the set of elements being defined by the query, (c) parsing the query result, at the client device, to obtain a class object representing an element of the set of elements, and (d) performing an operation associated with the element on the class object. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided. |
| US08171043B2 |
Methods for improving the diversity of image search results
Techniques are described to increase the diversity or focus of image search results. A user submits an original query to search for images. A server generates a first results set by executing the original query using metadata associated with each image. The server selects, from the first results set, a specified number of results ranked highest and generates a list of terms from the metadata of each of the results selected. The terms may be only the tags of the results. The server generates an updated query using terms in the list that may be weighted based on the frequency of the term in the list or include only a specified number of the highest occurring terms in the list. The server generates a second results set by executing the updated query using metadata associated with each image. The second results set is then stored and displayed to the user. |
| US08171041B2 |
Support for international search terms
A search engine server supports delivery of search results using an international search string option by identifying websites that provide support in English as well as the language of the international search string. The international search string is a search string in any of the languages that are listed/supported by the search engine server. The search engine server delivers web links of websites that provide support in both English as well the language of the international search string by identifying conjugate English terms, strings or phrases for the international search string, that provide exact or approximate equivalent meaning for searching. In addition, the search engine server also provides web links of websites that provide international language support by utilizing a thesaurus in English that provides synonyms for the conjugate English terms. The search engine server also translates websites where there is no support in the language of the search string. |
| US08171040B2 |
Method and system for navigation of a data structure
A method and system are provided for navigation of a data structure. The method includes receiving an input path expression (104) for a query of a data structure (101) to locate one or more elements (110) in the data structure (101) at runtime. The input path expression (104) includes one or more path steps. The method includes accessing a schema (103) of the data structure (101) and obtaining information relating to the one or more elements (110). The path expression (104) is modified to specify an index in one or more of the path steps to limit the number of occurrences of an element located in a path step. In one embodiment, modifying the path expression (104) also expands any wildcard characters and specifies one or more full paths of the elements (110), wherein if there are two or more full paths they are combined by a union operator, and the modified path expression is used to query (111) the data structure (101) at runtime. |
| US08171037B1 |
System and method for reference number expansion
Method and system are disclosed for expanding a reference number range without altering existing data storage length. Such reference numbers may include employee numbers, social security numbers, customer account numbers, and the like. The method/system takes advantage of the way decimal numbers are stored by computers to allow text to be used in numeric reference numbers. In one implementation, letters A-Z are used for the leftmost position, increasing the domain count of reference numbers from 10 to 36 for that position. A reference number expansion utility is then used to convert the additional reference numbers to and from the existing data storage format. |
| US08171027B1 |
Clustering for additive trees
A computing device-implemented method includes receiving an additive tree; assigning data associated with the additive tree to one or more initial clusters; partitioning the additive tree into one or more pairs of additive sub-trees corresponding to one or more binary segmentations; computing a set that includes partitions resulting from a combination of the one or more initial clusters and the one or more pairs of additive sub-trees; evaluating one or more partitions of the set with one or more cluster validation criteria; storing one or more evaluation results for the one or more partitions; selecting at least one partition from the one or more partitions of the set that satisfies the one or more cluster validation criteria, where the at least one partition is associated with an optimal evaluation result; and removing at least one of the binary segmentations that corresponds to the at least one partition. |
| US08171025B2 |
Density-based data clustering method
A density-based data clustering method, comprising a parameter-setting step for setting a scanning radius and a minimum threshold value, a dividing step for dividing a space of a plurality of data points according to the scanning radius, a data-retrieving step for retrieving one data point out of the plurality of data points as a core data point, a searching step for calculating a distance between the core data point and each of the query points, a grouping determination step for determining whether a number of the neighboring points is smaller than the minimum threshold value. |
| US08171021B2 |
Query identification and association
Apparatus, systems and methods for predictive query identification for advertisements are disclosed. Candidate query are identified from queries stored in a query log. Relevancy scores for a plurality of web documents are generated, each relevancy score associated with a corresponding web document and being a measure of the relevance of the candidate query to the web document. A web document having an associated relevancy score that exceeds a relevancy threshold is selected. The selected web document is associated with the candidate query. |
| US08171018B2 |
SQL code generation for heterogeneous environment
This invention relates generally to a system for processing database queries, and more particularly to a method for generating high level language or machine code to implement query execution plans. In one preferred embodiment, the method begins by receiving a subject query, and then forming an execution plan corresponding to the subject query. The execution plan will typically have a sequence of component snippets or pieces and corresponding processes for implementing the pieces. For at least one piece in the plan, the process then (a) generates source code using different code generation techniques as a function of expected runtime processing machine types; and then (b) compiles the generated source code to form machine executable code for implementing the subject query. As a result, the query executed directly as machine executable code thereby avoiding runtime interpretation of the pieces in the execution plan. |
| US08171014B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for executing a distributed spatial data query
A method for executing a distributed spatial data query. The present invention allows a client to perform spatial queries against spatial data stored in a various formats in various separate databases. A view of the data is created in the relevant databases, wherein the spatial data is converted to WKB and stored as a BLOB. A federated server contains nicknames for the various database views, and also contains views of the data where the BLOB is converted back to a spatial data type. The federated server presents to clients an application view of the distributed heterogeneous spatial data such that the clients can treat the data as if it were a homogenous data source. Also taught is incorporating distributed non-spatial data into the application view by creating a nickname and a view on top of the nickname which derives spatial information from the non-spatial location information. |
| US08171006B1 |
Retrieval of searchable and non-searchable attributes
Retrieving stored data is disclosed. A retrieval request is received for an object. A retrieval response is generated that includes: 1) a first set of searchable attributes associated with the object, wherein an attribute of the first set of attributes is stored in a database in a manner that enables a database query to be performed against the attribute of the first set of attributes; and 2) a second set of non-searchable attributes associated with the object, wherein an attribute of the second set of attributes is stored in the database in a manner that does not enable a database query to be performed against the attribute of the second set of attributes. |
| US08171001B2 |
Using a data mining algorithm to generate rules used to validate a selected region of a predicted column
Provided are an article of manufacture, system, and method for using a data mining algorithm to generate rules used to validate a selected region of a predicted column. A data set has a plurality of columns and records providing data for each of the columns. Selection is received of at least one predicted column for which rules are to be generated and at least one region of the selected at least one predicted column, wherein each region specifies data positions in the column. The data set is processed to determine association relationships among data in at least one predictor column and subsequences in the selected at least one region of the at least one predicted column. At least one rule is generated from the relationships specifying a condition involving at least one predictor column that predicts at least one value in the selected region of the at least one predicted column. |
| US08170999B2 |
Online incremental deferred integrity processing and maintenance of rolled in and rolled out data
A system and a method for the deferral and incremental performance of integrity processing for data rolled into a table of a data warehouse and for the deferral and incremental performance of maintenance on data rolled out of a table of the data warehouse while permitting general users online access to other data contained in the table. The rolled in and rolled out data are contained within specific data partitions of the table. Each data partition in the table has an associated distinguishable partition ID. Each data partition can also have associated attributes corresponding to containing rolled-in and rolled-out data respectively. Table operation mechanisms are arranged such that general users of the table do not access rolled in data in a partition for which integrity processing has not yet been performed and do not access rolled out data. |
| US08170998B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for estimating accuracy of linking of customer relationships
The disclosed methods, systems, and computer-program products allow a business to estimate linking errors in customer relationships in a database and to identify metrics that improve the linking accuracy. In an embodiment, a plurality of sample customer relationships are selected from a database to form a sample data set that is statistically representative of the database. Potential linking errors are then identified within the sample data set. The identified potential linking errors are then validated to identify actual linking errors in the sample data set. Once validated, the actual linking errors within the sample data set are used to estimate linking errors within the database. Further, the estimated linking errors in the database may be analyzed to identify one or more factors that contribute to the linking errors. |
| US08170995B2 |
Method and system for offline indexing of content and classifying stored data
A method and system for creating an index of content without interfering with the source of the content includes an offline content indexing system that creates an index of content from an offline copy of data. The system may associate additional properties or tags with data that are not part of traditional indexing of content, such as the time the content was last available or user attributes associated with the content. Users can search the created index to locate content that is no longer available or based on the associate attributes. |
| US08170991B1 |
Method and apparatus for managing image data on a sequential storage device
Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for managing an image of a storage volume are described. File extents for each of a plurality of files as defined in an original block layout of the image are obtained. A re-ordered block layout is generated by re-ordering, for each file of the plurality of files, blocks as defined by the original block layout based on the file extents of the respective file such that the blocks are contiguous. Layout metadata indicative of a mapping between the original block layout and the re-ordered block layout is generated. An archive image having the re-ordered block layout and the layout metadata is stored to a sequential storage device. |
| US08170987B2 |
Methods, systems and computer program products for automatically identifying and backing up user device content
Methods, systems and computer program products facilitate intelligent, automatic selection of content on consumer electronic devices to be backed up. User-defined rules selectively and automatically back up content and/or metadata about the content to a network, to another external device, or to an internal chip or memory. Via a user-friendly interface, users can initially set up rules for content backup, and thereafter, content backup can occur automatically. Stored back up content can be replicated on a device, for example, when the content has become corrupted on the device, when the content is lost, and/or when the CPE device crashes. |
| US08170985B2 |
Primary stub file retention and secondary retention coordination in a hierarchical storage system
A protected file is retained in secondary storage for a retention period, and a corresponding stub file is retained in primary storage for the retention period. The stub file retains attributes of the file indicating a location of the file data in the secondary storage and indicting that the stub file is to be retained for the retention period. A system administrator may instruct a primary file server that a secondary file server supports retention based protection and it is desired to protect stub files corresponding to protected files that are migrated to the secondary file server. The primary file server may request the secondary file server to return a protection status of the file after migration. This enables automatic policy-based migration to both file level retention (FLR) and non-FLR retention protected secondary storage from diverse applications accessing FLR or non-FLR files in the primary storage. |
| US08170980B1 |
Universal software architecture for decision support
A universal software architecture for decision support includes an n-tiered architecture for building a universal task and workload management software system. The design incorporates a connectivity tier for activating a data object representative of application specific data; a management tier for activating a workflow object in response to both the data object and application specific rules; and a presentation tier for providing a user with decision support elements responsive to said workflow object. The design may also incorporate a corporate tier for providing the application specific data and rules. |
| US08170977B2 |
Conditional probability tables for Bayesian belief networks
An apparatus for making probabilistic inferences based on a belief network includes a processing system configured to receive as input one or more parameters of a causal influence model. The belief network has a child node Y and one or more parent nodes Xi (i=1, . . . , n) for the child node Y. The causal influence model describes the influence of the parent nodes Xi on possible states of the child node Y. The processing system is further configured to use a creation function to convert the parameters of the causal influence model into one or more entries of a conditional probability table. The conditional probability table provides a probability distribution for all the possible states of the child node Y, for each combination of possible states of the parent nodes Xi. |
| US08170972B2 |
Conflicting rule resolution system
A method for identifying conflicting and duplicate rules in a decision support system is provided. The method includes establishing a first subsystem including a protocol of existing rules, each existing rule includes an input feature. The method also includes creating a new rule that includes an input feature, and comparing terminology in the input feature of the new rule against terminology in the input feature of each existing rule of the protocol using a second subsystem and determining whether the new rule and at least one existing rule from the protocol are similar. |
| US08170971B1 |
Systems and methods for providing recommendations based on collaborative and/or content-based nodal interrelationships
In selected embodiments a recommendation generator builds a network of interrelationships between venues, reviewers and users based on their attributes and reviewer and user reviews of the venues. Each interrelationship or link may be positive or negative and may accumulate with other links (or anti-links) to provide nodal links the strength of which are based on commonality of attributes among the linked nodes and/or common preferences that one node, such as a reviewer, expresses for other nodes, such as venues. The links may be first order (based on a direct relationship between, for instance, a reviewer and a venue) or higher order (based on, for instance, the fact that two venue are both liked by a given reviewer). The recommendation engine in certain embodiments determines recommended venues based on user attributes and venue preferences by aggregating the link matrices and determining the venues which are most strongly coupled to the user. |
| US08170970B2 |
Constraint based system that identifies top constraint expressions
A constraint solver solves a constraint satisfaction problem (“CSP”) that includes a network of variables and constraints. The solver receives a sub-expression and determines if the sub-expression is an internal constraint of the CSP. The internal constraint has a supporting operator expression. If the sub-expression is an internal constraint, the solver determines any or all top constraint expressions associated with the supporting operator expression. |
| US08170966B1 |
Dynamic streaming message clustering for rapid spam-wave detection
In some embodiments, a streaming message classification method dynamically allocates a stream of messages to a variable number of clusters (e.g. message categories), each containing messages which share a set of similar features. Incoming messages are compared to a collection of known spam clusters. New spam types are identified, and new clusters are created automatically and dynamically in order to accommodate the new spam types. Message clustering is performed in a hyperspace of message feature vectors using a modified k-means algorithm. Triangle inequality distance comparisons may be used to accelerate hyperspace distance calculations. |
| US08170965B2 |
Method for governing the operation of a generalist agent within a complex multi-agent adaptive system
Described is a method for governing the operation of a generalist agent within a multi-agent complex adaptive system such that the generalist agent maintains the stability of the system. The method includes the steps of migrating about the system, badging with the specialty agents, participating in the respective function performed by the specialty agents, collecting information while functionally participating as a specialty agent, evaluating the collected information, reconfiguring source code in view of the evaluated information, testing the reconfigured source code through additional functional participation, determining the usefulness of the reconfigured source code, archiving any reconfigured source code determined to be useful, and distributing the useful reconfigured source code. |
| US08170964B2 |
Method for planning a semiconductor manufacturing process based on users' demands using a fuzzy system and a genetic algorithm model
A method for planning a semiconductor manufacturing process based on users' demands includes the steps of: establishing a genetic algorithm model and inputting data; establishing a fuzzy system and setting one output parameter representing percent difference of each cost function in neighbor generations; setting to have a modulation parameter corresponding to each input parameter for adjusting fuzzy sets of the output parameter; executing genetic algorithm actions; executing fuzzy inference actions; eliminating chromosomes that produce output parameter smaller than a defined lower limit, and the remaining chromosomes that produces the largest output parameter is defined as the optimum chromosome, wherein the genetic algorithm actions stops being executed upon the optimum chromosome; then determining whether or not a defined number of generations has been reached, if yes, executing the optimum chromosome of the last generation; if no, continuing executing the genetic algorithm actions, thereby finding the optimum semiconductor manufacturing process for users. |
| US08170954B2 |
Secure and efficient payment processing system with account holder defined transaction limitations
A method for carrying out commercial transactions includes establishing a transaction processing system on an electronic communications network, and establishing an account within the transaction processing system for a corresponding account holder. One or more descriptions of acceptable future commercial transactions related to the account are obtained from the account holder. Commercial transactions carried out via the transaction processing system are administered, and it is verified that administered commercial transactions related to the account meet one or more of the descriptions obtained. |
| US08170952B2 |
System and method for providing instant-decision, financial network-based payment cards
A system and method for issuance of a financial network-based payment card (generally known as a “payment card” or a “credit card”) almost instantaneously after application, wherein an applicant applies for a credit card by entering data into a data entry system using a handheld electronic device, advantageously by filling in a plurality of predefined forms in a computer-based data entry system. The applicant's data is sent via a data network to a central decision center, which approves or disapproves the application. If the application is approved, data is generated, a payment card is activated, and a result of the determination to issue is sent to the handheld electronic device. |
| US08170950B1 |
System and method for automated order entry on short queues
Orders are automatically sent to the market when certain user defined conditions are met. In particular, a trader can configure the trading application to automatically send orders for preset quantities at price levels with queues falling below a user-defined threshold. The length of queues may be measured in several ways, for example, the queue length could be measured by quantity at a given price level or the queue length could be measured by the number of orders at a given price level, or the queue length could be measured by a combination of quantity and orders. The present embodiments can more quickly recognize opportunities and send an order to take advantage of it than a trader can do manually. Other advantages and features are described herein. |
| US08170949B2 |
Products and processes for order distribution
Systems and methods for trading financial instruments through multiple trading intermediaries are described. |
| US08170947B2 |
Fraud detection based on call attempt velocity on terminating number
A method of identifying fraud in a telecommunications system, the method including receiving data related to a current call placed from an originating ANI to a terminating ANI, where the received data includes the terminating ANI and a billing number used to place the call. Billing numbers for prior calls to the terminating ANI, if any, and corresponding indicia of the times of the calls are retrieved. A determination is made of whether the number of billing numbers used for the current and prior calls to the terminating ANI over a prior period of time falling within a time interval satisfies a threshold. If the threshold is satisfied, a fraud alert is generated. |
| US08170946B2 |
Cost management file translation methods, systems, and apparatuses for extended commerce
A quantity of an item referenced within a multilevel bill of material (BOM) is determined. A price bid for the item is received into an application framework from a supplier. The price bid is associated with the item. The cost of the multilevel BOM is determined based on the quantity of the item and the price bid. |
| US08170935B2 |
Systems and methods for evaluating the integrity of a model portfolio of a financial instrument
System and methods for checking portfolios used to model the behavior of actively managed funds to facilitate intra-day trading of actively managed exchange traded funds (AMETFs) without revealing the fund assets. Exchange traded notes based on an underlying actively managed fund without revealing the fund assets. Computer means are used to perform a statistical comparison between a model portfolio and the AMETF, and a statistical comparison compares the periodic values, returns, or risk characteristics of the model portfolio and the financial instrument over some period of time, periodically sending or publishing the results of the statistical comparison. The model portfolio does not reveal the assets of the financial instrument. |
| US08170932B1 |
System and method for data management and financial transaction categorization
A transaction management system includes a database system configured to receive and store data for a plurality of financial transactions, the data for the plurality of financial transactions being associated with a plurality of financial accounts of a user. The system further includes a server system coupled to the database system and configured to categorize the plurality of financial transactions into a plurality of categories, the categories including merchant categories and payment method categories, the server system being further configured to provide a plurality of user interfaces to the user, each user interface providing a display of a different portion of the plurality of financial transactions, each user interface configured to enable a user to select a link configured to direct the user to an image of a check associated with one of the plurality of financial transactions; and categorize the financial transaction into a one of the merchant categories. |
| US08170931B2 |
Configuring user-customized services for networked devices
Systems and methods for managing one or more aspects of a user's relationship with one or more media devices or other information handling systems and one or more media content providers. In some embodiments, a service center functions as a central management point and includes various modules configured to provide the management services. |
| US08170924B1 |
Real time auction with end game
A real time auction system operates in a non real time mode, and an end game mode in which the users are placed in a forum. In both modes the users are capable of placing bids along with times when those bids should be executed. An agent treats the bids as secret until the time, and then at the time executes those bids. |
| US08170922B2 |
Multi-party payment object oriented system and method
The present invention involves a server for accommodating multiple payments in an e-commerce transaction. The server includes a processor with a communications device and software modules. The vendor software module is adapted to receive payment requirements from a vendor via the communications device, and also to receive payment parameters from an initiator. The payment parameters include an item payment amount and an identification of at least one contributor. The contributor software module is adapted to obtain payment information from at least one of the initiator and the contributors wherein the payment information is sufficient to authorize the commitment of funds to a transaction. The aggregation software module is adapted to send participation messages via the communications device to at least one contributor. The participation messages include information on the item, the item payment amount, and directions for the contributor to interact with the contributor module. Further, the aggregation software module maintains a total of committed funds and initiates a payment transaction when the committed funds are sufficient to pay the vendor the item payment amount. |
| US08170919B2 |
Method and system for on-line, real-time, interactive collaborative visualization
An inventive system and method for collaborative commerce is presented. The invention comprises activating an art board, placing items onto the art board, inviting users to interact with the art board, and collaborating with the invited users. Additional features and functions include purchasing items shown on the art board, including by placing the items in a shopping cart, using e-mail, text messaging, and instant messaging to invite users, who may be chosen from a buddy list. Collaborating can be performed using voice chatting, video chatting, instant messaging, and text messaging, and includes examining reviews, ratings, reputations, and recommendations, and also includes displaying details regarding the items. In addition, reports comprising information regarding the items can be generated. A toolbar can be located on the art board and used to initiate inviting of users and placing of items onto the art board. |
| US08170917B2 |
Information communication system, content output apparatus, user apparatus, content delivery apparatus, and methods for controlling content output apparatus, user apparatus, and content delivery apparatus
In an information communication system, a portable apparatus stores owned content information as list information about a content already purchased by a user. The portable apparatus transmits the owned content information to an in-vehicle apparatus capable of wireless communication. When the in-vehicle apparatus does not store the content the user already purchased, the in-vehicle apparatus acquires content data for the content from a content delivery server. The information communication system can automatically supplement the in-vehicle apparatus to be used by the user with the content the user already purchased. As a result, the user can use the already purchased content on the in-vehicle apparatus without any inconvenient operations. |
| US08170911B1 |
Incentive program awarding points per-mile-driven
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to incentive programs awarding loyalty points based at least in part upon the number of miles driven in a motor vehicle. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, reward points can be earned by having the vehicle serviced at authorized locations, such as a dealership. At the time of servicing, the authorized location notes the current vehicle odometer reading, and this odometer reading is communicated to an administrator of the loyalty program. The odometer reading in turn serves as the basis for calculating the number of miles driven since the last authorized servicing, and for conversion of this mileage figure into loyalty points to be credited to the owner, lessor, or renter of the vehicle. In this manner, a manufacturer of an automobile or other sponsor of a co-branded payment card can provide incentives for servicing only at manufacturer-authorized locations such as dealerships, thereby enhancing profitability of the dealership and promoting relations between manufacturer and dealer. |
| US08170908B1 |
Apparatus and method for processing agricultural materials and changing the proportions of output materials
Apparatus and method for optimizing different amounts of output products derived from an initial biomass material. The method includes obtaining economic data of costs and availability of raw materials and resources, and prices that would be paid for output products derived, performing calculations to determine an optimum amount of each of the output products; and controlling processes that generate the output products. In some embodiments, the processes convert initial biomass materials into intermediate and output products, an economic engine that obtains economic data relating to costs of initial materials and prices that would be paid for output products derived from the raw materials, and performs calculations to determine an optimum amount of each of the output products, and valves that are controlled by the economic engine to route variable amounts of the initial biomass materials to the processes to obtain a mix of output products that provides an optimum profit. |
| US08170899B2 |
Supply chain reservation
A method for managing a supply chain which provides for mapping each demand and its respective source of supply. The method entails attaching a reservation between a demand and a supply. The reservation is updated as the status of the source of supply changes. As a result, the user has complete visibility for modeling the entire supply chain as material moves from one location to another. |
| US08170898B2 |
System and method for facilitating bilateral and multilateral decision-making
Techniques for facilitating evaluation, in connection with the procurement or delivery of products or services, in a context of at least one of (i) a financial transaction and (ii) operation of an enterprise, are disclosed. The techniques involve retrieving party and counterparty preference profile data from digital storage media; performing multilateral analyses of the combined preference data by computing a closeness-of-fit value; and delivering a list matching the selected party and the at least one counterparty using the computed closeness-of-fit values. |
| US08170897B1 |
Automated validation of results of human performance of tasks
Techniques are described for facilitating automated validation of results of performance of tasks. In some situations, task requesters may specify various automated validation criteria for tasks that they submit, and those specified validation criteria may automatically be used to determine whether results of performance of those tasks by task performers are validated. To facilitate such automated validation, predefined types of validation criteria may be provided that a user may select and/or configure. The outcome of automated validation of results may be used in various ways, such as to indicate when results have been validated and/or have not been validated, to determine whether to provide results to a task requester (e.g., if results are not provided unless they have been validated, or if results that fail validation are corrected or replaced with results that pass validation) and/or to compensate task performers for providing the results. |
| US08170891B2 |
User interface for generating and managing medical documentation sets
Methods, computer storage media, systems and user interfaces for generating and/or managing medical documentation sets are provided. Medical documentation sets are generated by replicating a predetermined medical template. After the predetermined medical template is replicated, the medical label associated with the medical documentation set may be modified so that the medication documentation set includes a unique medical label. Upon the completion of a medication documentation set, it may be retrieved and managed as desired. |
| US08170882B2 |
Multichannel audio coding
Multiple channels of audio are combined either to a monophonic composite signal or to multiple channels of audio along with related auxiliary information from which multiple channels of audio are reconstructed, including improved downmixing of multiple audio channels to a monophonic audio signal or to multiple audio channels and improved decorrelation of multiple audio channels derived from a monophonic audio channel or from multiple audio channels. Aspects of the disclosed invention are usable in audio encoders, decoders, encode/decode systems, downmixers, upmixers, and decorrelators. |
| US08170877B2 |
Printing to a text-to-speech output device
A method for producing speech output can include the step of selecting a TTS output device from a plurality of available output devices. The selected output device can be associated with outputting content of an application responsive to a print command. According to the method, the print command can be detected, which results in the content of the application being conveyed to the selected TTS output device. The TTS output device can be associated with at least one text-to-speech engine. Upon content conveyance to the TTS output device, at least a portion of the content can be automatically converted using the text-to-speech engine. The speech converted content can be outputted. |
| US08170876B2 |
Speech processing apparatus and program
A word dictionary including sets of a character string which constitutes a word, a phoneme sequence which constitutes pronunciation of the word and a part of speech of the word is referenced, an entered text is analyzed, the entered text is divided into one or more subtexts, a phoneme sequence and a part of speech sequence are generated for each subtext, the part of speech sequence of the subtext and a list of part of speech sequence are collated to determine whether the phonetic sound of the subtext is to be converted or not, and the phonetic sounds of the phoneme sequence in the subtext whose phonetic sounds are determined to be converted are converted. |
| US08170873B1 |
Comparing events in word spotting
An approach to comparing events in word spotting, such as comparing putative and reference instances of a keyword, makes use of a set of models of subword units. For each of two acoustic events and for each of a series of times in each of the events, a probability associated with each of the models of the set of subword units is computed. Then, a quantity characterizing a comparison of the two acoustic events, one occurring in each of the two acoustic signals, is computed using the computed probabilities associated with each of the models. |
| US08170869B2 |
Method to detect and assist user intentions with real time visual feedback based on interaction language constraints and pattern recognition of sensory features
A language model back-off system can be used with a user interface employing one or more language models to constrain navigation of selectable user interface input components. A user input interpretation module receives user input and interprets the user input to determine if a selection is made of one or more user interface input components. If a selection is not made, the user input interpretation module determines whether conditions are met for backing off one or more language models employed to constrain navigation of the user interface input components. If the conditions are met, a language model back-off module backs off the one or more language models. |
| US08170865B2 |
Speech recognition device and method thereof
A speech recognition device and a method thereof are adapted to recognize a Chinese word. The speech recognition device includes a lexicon model, a language model, a speech recognition module, and a parsing module. The lexicon model keeps a plurality of words. The speech recognition module performs a speech recognition processing on a voice signal conforming to a syntax structure of Chinese word description. The speech recognition processing searches words related to the Chinese word description from the lexicon model according to a feature of the Chinese word description, and produces a literal word series in digital data form by referring a syntax combination probability. The language model based on the syntax structure of Chinese word description provides the syntax combination probability according to combination relations between the searched words. The parsing module analyzes the syntax structure of the literal word series for retrieving the Chinese word. |
| US08170864B2 |
Method and apparatus for capturing graphic user interface resource of an application
A method and apparatus for capturing graphic user interface resource of an application, which method comprises: loading resource files in which visible text data in graphic user interfaces of the application are stored; duplicating the resource files; adding identification information to each visible text data unit in the resource files, the identification information being used to uniquely identify each visible text data unit in each of the resource files; capturing at least one panel of graphic user interface according to the graphic user interfaces of the application; and saving the duplicated resource files and the at least one captured panel as the graphic user interface resource of the application into an intermediate file. Advantageously, a linkage can be built up between the visible text data and the resource bundles by adding the unique identification information to each visible text data unit, and the application environment of the visible text data can be obtained by capturing the panels of graphic user interface of the application when the application is executed, so as to provide a basis for precise translation of the visible text data. There is also provided a method and apparatus for editing graphic user interfaces of an application. |
| US08170862B2 |
Document image processing device and document image processing program for maintaining layout in translated documents
A document image processing device includes a region dividing unit that divides a document image into sentence regions, a character recognizing unit that recognizes characters in each sentence region obtained by the region dividing unit, a classifying unit that classifies the sentence regions into groups based on first character sizes and first line spacings, a translation unit that translates the characters constituting a character string in each sentence region, a calculating unit that calculates second character sizes and second line spacings, and a correcting unit that corrects the second character sizes and the second line spacings of the sentence regions classified into a same group by the classified unit so that differences in second character size and second line spacing between the sentence regions of the same group is substantially equal to or less than predetermined values. |
| US08170860B2 |
Method and device for emulating control and/or regulating functions of a control or regulating device
A method and an emulation device for emulating control and/or regulating functions of a control or regulating unit, in particular of a motor vehicle. For emulation, the functions are swapped out into an external emulation computer, a data circuit is produced before the beginning of the emulation via a software interface of the emulation computer and a software interface of the control/regulating unit. In order to significantly accelerate the development and programming of new control/regulating functions of the control/regulating unit, the software interfaces are configured for the emulation of different control/regulating functions before the beginning of the emulation without changing the software. |
| US08170858B2 |
Characterization and modeling of ferroelectric capacitors
Simulation of an electronic circuit including a model of a ferroelectric capacitor. The model of the ferroelectric capacitor includes a multi-domain ferroelectric capacitor, in which each of the domains is associated with a positive and a negative coercive voltage. A probability distribution function of positive and negative coercive voltages is defined, from which a weighting function of the distribution of domains having those coercive voltages is defined. The electrical behavior of the ferroelectric capacitor is evaluated by evaluating the polarization of each of the domains, as weighted by the weighting function. A time-dependent factor can be included in the polarization expression evaluated for each domain, to include the effect of relaxation. The effects of longer-term mechanisms, such as imprint, can be modeled by deriving a probability distribution function for the domains after an accelerated stress. |
| US08170857B2 |
In-situ design method and system for improved memory yield
A system and method for designing integrated circuits includes determining a target memory module for evaluation and improvement by evaluating performance variables of the memory module. The performance variables are statistically simulated over subset combinations of variables based on pin information for the module. Sensitivities of performance on yield to the variables in the subset combinations are determined. It is then determined whether yield of the target module is acceptable, and if the yield is not acceptable, a design which includes the target module is adjusted in accordance with the sensitivities to adjust the yield. |
| US08170854B2 |
Behavioral model generation
A model of a device is generated. An input port of the device is stimulated with a large amplitude signal having a central frequency. A first port of the device is perturbed with a small amplitude signal tone. The small amplitude signal tone is at a frequency offset slightly from a harmonic of the central frequency. Spectral component frequencies of a resulting signal from the device are obtained to determine model coefficients for the device. At least some of the spectral component frequencies occur at frequencies offset slightly from harmonics of the central frequency. |
| US08170851B2 |
Method and apparatus for surveying a borehole with a rotating sensor package
A method and apparatus for surveying a borehole using a rotating sensor package. A sensor tool preferably including a magnetometer sensor array is disposed in the bottom hole assembly of a drillstring. Conditioning circuitry in the sensor tool processes the sensor readings from the sensor array taken while the drillstring is rotating. In one embodiment, the conditioning circuitry includes processing circuitry adapted to adjust the sensor readings to account for an analytically predicted level of axial current induced in the drillstring as a result of its rotation in the Earth's magnetic field. In another embodiment, a current generator is provided to generate a counter-current intended to cancel the analytically predicted level of axial current induced in the drillstring as a result of rotation in the Earth's magnetic field. In another embodiment, insulating members are disposed above and/or below the sensor tool to prevent conduction of rotation-induced current therein. In still another embodiment, the sensor tool is disposed in a drill collar that is composed of a non-conducting material, such that no rotation-induced current is conducted through the sensor tool. |
| US08170848B2 |
System and method for providing simulation model penetration presentation
A system and method for viewing models and model variables within a sophisticated modeling environment is disclosed. The system provides varying levels of insight into a modeling infrastructure to help the user understand model and model variable dependencies, usage, distribution, and/or the like. The method includes storing model and model variable data within a relational database system, receiving a request from a user interfacing with the system via a web interface, extracting search criteria and presentation preferences from the request, formulating and executing one or more queries on the database to retrieve the required data, formatting the data in accordance with the request, and retuning the data to the requesting user in the form of a web page. |
| US08170842B2 |
Fabric modelling
A method of modelling fabric properties and behavior first involves generating (16) a yarn model from fiber parameters, which may be empirically determined. The yarn model is homogenised (18, 20) to produce a homogenous representation of the yarn (YMM), suitable for use in finite element analysis. The method may then, secondly, involve generating (24) a fabric weave model by finite element analysis of the yarn representation (YMM). The fabric model is then also homogenised (26, 28) to produce a homogeneous representation of the fabric (FMM), suitable for use in finite element analysis. Finite element analysis of the fabric representation (FMM) can then be used to assess the suitability of various fabric materials for technical applications. |
| US08170837B2 |
Oilfield equipment identification method and apparatus
A system comprising a piece of oilfield equipment, an identifier assembly and a reader. The piece of oilfield equipment has an exterior surface. The identifier assembly comprises an identification tag storing a unique identifier. The identification tag is capable of outputting a signal indicative of the unique identifier. The identification tag is mounted to the exterior surface of the piece of oilfield equipment beyond an external surface perimeter of the piece of oilfield equipment such that the identification tag is isolated from the exterior surface of the piece of oilfield equipment. The reader has an antenna receiving the signal indicative of the unique identifier from the identification tag. |
| US08170836B1 |
Low-power triggered data acquisition system and method
A low-power triggered data acquisition system and method utilizes low-powered circuitry, comparators, and digital logic incorporated into a miniaturized device interfaced with self-generating transducer sensor inputs to detect, identify and assess impact and damage to surfaces and structures wherein, upon the occurrence of a triggering event that produces a signal greater than a set threshold changes the comparator output and causes the system to acquire and store digital data representative of the incoming waveform on at least one triggered channel. The sensors may be disposed in an array to provide triangulation and location of the impact. |
| US08170830B2 |
Method and system for providing tolerance to interference and obstructions of line of sight
Various aspects of the present invention are shown and described, each of which has stand alone utility in a navigated medical environment. A receiver position calibration system and method facilitates calibration of a reference frame prior to each navigated procedure. A concept and application of confidence weights is introduced. Confidence weights can be applied to distance calculations to mitigate the effects of interference and increase the tolerance of the navigated medical system. Multi-path interference is minimized through the transmission of a signal having a pattern of unique frequencies and filtering of the distance calculations for each frequency to identify the “best” distance in the presence of multi-path interference. A position determination method and system that transmits a signal having multiple frequency components permits positions to be identified with high resolution over a large area. |
| US08170827B2 |
Drop mass deviation measuring apparatus, drop mass deviation measuring method of the same, pattern forming system using the same, and control method of the pattern forming system using the same
A drop mass deviation measuring apparatus, a drop mass deviation measuring method, a pattern forming system, and a control method measure mass deviations of drops discharged from a plurality of drop discharge units in real time with high precision. The apparatus utilizes a plurality of drops discharged from a plurality of drop discharge units, a drop moving force providing part to provide moving forces, having directions different from discharge directions of each of the plurality of drops, to the plurality of drops, a discharged drop position detection member to acquire drop position images individually reflecting the a position of each of the plurality of drops, and a drop mass deviation measurement control part to calculate a drop discharge direction separation angle of each of the plurality of drops using the drop position images acquired by the discharged drop position detection member to measure mass deviation of each of the drops. |
| US08170825B2 |
Method and apparatus for calibrating seeders
A calibration device for calibrating a metering system that dispenses a product to a seeder towed by a farm vehicle is provided for obtaining and maintaining a desired rate of delivery of the product from the seeder. The calibration device includes a first console port positioned at or near the farm vehicle and a second console port at or near the metering system, each operative to receive at least one a calibration console for calibrating the rate of product delivery and adjust the metering system accordingly. |
| US08170823B1 |
Jitter estimation in phase-locked loops
A phase-locked loop is characterized by analyzing phase noise in its output signal while known levels of input phase noise are provided. The resulting data provides intrinsic phase noise and gain of the phase-locked loop. These values provide a general relationship between input phase noise and output phase noise for the phase-locked loop, which allows estimation of output phase noise corresponding to a given level of input phase noise, and allows estimation of input phase noise corresponding to a given level of output phase noise. |
| US08170822B2 |
Compensation method for touch sensor system
A compensation method devoid of operating voltage calibration, establishing fundamental linearity calibration table and inputting, and detecting the actual operating voltage is disclosed. The compensation method comprises the steps of: a) turning off a switch in a touch sensor system; b) initializing the touch sensor system and measuring a reference frequency outputted from a oscillator in the touch sensor system; c) turning on the switch and measuring a first frequency outputted from the oscillator; and d) deducting the first frequency from the reference frequency so as to obtain a frequency difference; and e) comparing the difference with a predetermined value, and judging based upon the difference if the touch sensor system is touched by a foreign object. |
| US08170820B2 |
Virtual probing
A method and apparatus for generating one or more transfer functions for converting waveforms. The method comprises the steps of determining a system description, representative of a circuit, comprising a plurality of system components, each system component comprising at least one component characteristic, the system description further comprising at least one measurement node and at least one output node, each of the at least one measurement nodes representative of a waveform digitizing location in the circuit. One or more transfer functions are determined for converting a waveform from one or more of the at least one measurement nodes to a waveform at one or more of the at least one output nodes. The generated transfer functions are then stored in a computer readable medium. |
| US08170818B2 |
Battery state estimator using multiple sampling rates
A method for estimating vehicle battery parameters that uses two different sampling rates. The method samples a battery terminal voltage and current at a high sampling rate to estimate the battery open circuit voltage and high frequency resistance. The battery state of charge (SOC) is derived from the open circuit voltage. Next, the battery terminal voltage and current are re-sampled at a low sampling rate. Other battery parameters can be extracted from the low-rate sampled signals. Next, all of the battery parameters that were obtained from the two sampling rates are used together to predict battery power. |
| US08170817B2 |
Method and device for determining the electrical loadability of overhead lines by means of temperature measurement
In a method for determining the electrical loadability of power lines by temperature measurement, the temperature is measured with at least one sensor arranged on the power line and connected to a data processing system, wherein the time-dependent temperature of the power line is determined by an existing or a weighted load parameter, and wherein based on the electrical current and the temperature measured by the sensor, taking into account either the existing or a weighted load parameter, a time-dependent electrical load is determined in the data processing system. |
| US08170816B2 |
Parallel arc detection using discrete wavelet transforms
An apparatus to perform parallel arc fault current interruption (AFCI) is provided. The apparatus includes a current sensing device disposed in the electrical circuit, a detection unit configured to receive an output signal produced by the current sensing device and to output a secondary signal based on the output signal, a microcontroller coupled to the detection unit, configured to receive and to decompose the secondary signal via discrete wavelet transforms to thereby obtain discrete wavelet coefficients, to compute a sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients, and to compare the sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients to a predetermined threshold, and to generate a trip signal when the sensed load current is above a predetermined threshold and the sum of the discrete wavelet coefficients cooperatively indicate that predetermined threshold conditions are satisfied. |
| US08170815B2 |
RF fingerprinting for location estimation
The location of a terminal is estimated within an area of coverage of a wireless network comprising at least one fixed node by measuring a complex frequency response of a radio channel between the terminal and one of said fixed nodes and estimating the location of the terminal on the basis of at least a comparison between data representing a first metric of the measured complex frequency response and data representing a plurality of stored metrics, each of said plurality of stored metrics being related to one of a plurality of different locations within the network and each stored metric being of a complex frequency response measured between the said one of said fixed nodes and the location within the network to which the metric relates. |
| US08170814B2 |
Systems and methods to determine an impedance mismatch
In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving data related to a customer premise equipment (CPE) device and determining an impedance mismatch between a transmission line and the CPE device based on the received data. The method further includes initiating removal of a source of the impedance mismatch in response to determining the impedance mismatch. |
| US08170811B2 |
Drive device comprising a drive shaft and a device for detecting torque
A drive device, which has a drive shaft mounted in such a way as to rotate about an axis, two driving cranks which are connected to the drive shaft in an angularly rigid manner in relation to the axis in the peripheral direction, and an output element which is connected to the drive shaft and transmits torque between the drive shaft and a load element. To enable the measurement of the torque transmitted by the shaft as easily and economically as possible, the drive device has at least one magnetostrictive sensor which is connected to the drive shaft in a fixed manner and axially arranged between a driving crank and the output element. |
| US08170810B2 |
Method for monitoring the load on rotor blades of wind energy installations
In a method for monitoring the load on rotor blades of wind energy installations by measuring acceleration on at least one rotor blade of a wind energy installation and determining load on the rotor blade from the picked-up acceleration signals, dynamic, even uncritical load states can be detected, in differentiated fashion, and combined in a suitable form for evaluation in order to influence, if possible prior to the onset of damage to the rotor blade, the mode of operation of the wind energy installation, in particular the design of the pitch control or angle setting of stall-regulated rotor blades, on the basis both of all of the rotor blades together and of a single rotor blade. Frequency of occurrence of the load values over a certain period of time is determined from amplitudes of the acceleration signal or amplitudes of selected natural oscillations of the frequency spectra are obtained by Fourier transformation. |
| US08170805B2 |
Method for selecting statistically validated candidate genes
Provided herein are methods for evaluating associations between candidate genes and a trait of interest in a population. The methods include a combination of genome-wide association analysis and one or more of nested association mapping (NAM), expression QTL analysis (eQTL), and allele epistastic analysis (AEA). Markers are selected or prioritized if they are shown to be positively-correlated with a trait of interest using GWA and a combination of one or both of NAM and eQTL. Also provided are models for evaluating the association between a candidate marker and a trait in a nested population of organisms. These methods include single marker regression and multiple marker regression models. Markers identified using the methods of the invention can be used in marker assisted breeding and selection, as genetic markers for constructing linkage maps, for gene discovery, for identifying genes contributing to a trait of interest, and for generating transgenic organisms having a desired trait. |
| US08170802B2 |
Communication between sensor units and a recorder
A seismic acquisition system. In one implementation, the seismic acquisition system includes a recorder having a memory having a communication protocol application stored therein and one or more sensor units in communication with the recorder through a communications network. Each sensor unit may include a memory having the communication protocol application stored therein. |
| US08170801B2 |
Determining fluid rate and phase information for a hydrocarbon well using predictive models
Physical models of wells are used to determine rate and phase composition for fluid produced from or injected into the wells on a near real time and continuous basis. The method can be used to alert operators or others of conditions in a well or field to permit more immediate response. The method can be more tolerant of sensor faults, sensor drift, anomalous data or other occurrences which could otherwise lead to incorrect output. More than one model can be used to permit a hierarchy of calculation such that the rate and phase determination is more tolerant of anomalous data. The calculated rate and phase values from one or more wells can be reconciled against facility data. |
| US08170792B2 |
Vehicle control device
A vehicle control device which can at least provide compatibility between a high grip performance and fuel efficiency or compatibility between quietness and fuel efficiency is provided. When a camber angle of a wheel 2 is adjusted to a negative camber, ground contact in a first tread 21 is increased and ground contact in a second tread 22 is decreased. Accordingly, the high grip performance or the quietness is provided. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel 2 is adjusted to a positive camber, the ground contact in the first tread 21 is decreased and the ground contact in the second tread 22 is increased. Accordingly, a rolling resistance becomes low, and fuel saving is achieved. In this manner, by adjusting the camber angle of the wheel 2, the compatibility can be provided between conflicting performances of the high grip performance or the quietness and the fuel saving. |
| US08170786B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining reference points for groups of data
In a method and apparatus for the management of data, particularly coordinate data, which are determined with respect to a number of predetermined reference points with a spatial distribution around the respective reference points using at least one sensor arrangement, such as a coordinate determination arrangement, the data points are grouped into a number of classes in accordance with a first distance criterion, a respective center point of the data point classes is determined, a distance of each data point from the center points of the data point classes is compared with a second distance criterion, and the various individual data point classes are assigned to respective reference points. |
| US08170784B2 |
Method and apparatus for moving content to mobile devices
A method and apparatus is provided for moving content to a mobile device (2). A data item (34) of a predetermined type is received at a first device (14), the data item (34) including a content URI for fetching content associated with the data item. Upon detecting that the data item (34) is of the predetermined type, the first device (14) generates a symbol (40) representing at least: a local address of a content-retrieval device (14) on a local wireless network, and an explicit or implicit identifier of the content associated with the data item. The symbol (40) is then read using the mobile device (2). The mobile device (2) decodes the symbol and transmits a request, containing the content identifier, to the content-retrieval device (14). On receiving the request, the content-retrieval device (14) uses—the content identifier in the request to obtain that content, and replies to the request with the obtained content. |
| US08170780B2 |
Apparatus and method for control of a vehicle
An apparatus and method for transporting a payload over a surface is provided. A vehicle supports a payload with a support partially enclosed by an enclosure. Two laterally disposed ground-contacting elements are coupled to at least one of the enclosure or support. A motorized drive is coupled to the ground-contacting elements. A controller coupled to the drive governs the operation of the drive at least in response to the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle to dynamically control balancing of the vehicle. |
| US08170774B2 |
Method and devices for the control of the air-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine
Methods and devices for controlling the normalized air-fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine, otherwise known, in technical terms, as Lambda. The present invention is based on the use of the ionization current released by a device positioned on each cylinder of the engine. This ionization current is measured by a Control Unit equipped with a low-pass filter and electronic means which implement the invention. |
| US08170771B2 |
Fluid-powered thrust reverser actuation system speed control
A fluid-powered thrust reverser actuation speed control system and method are provided. A drive fluid is supplied to a fluid-powered drive mechanism that is coupled to a thrust reverser movable component to thereby move the thrust reverser movable component at a first movement speed. A determination is made as to when the thrust reverser movable component attains a predetermined position. In response to the thrust reverser movable component attaining the predetermined position, the drive fluid supplied to the fluid-powered drive mechanism is controlled to thereby move the thrust reverser movable component at a second movement speed that is less than the first movement speed. |
| US08170768B2 |
Slip ratio estimating device and slip ratio control device
The present invention provides a slip rate estimating device measuring a slip ratio without the need for a body speed and a slip ratio control device using the slip ratio estimating device. A motor torque measured by a torque measuring instrument is input to each of a vehicle model (601) and an SRE (602) that performs calculations including time differentiation of the slip ratio. The vehicle model (601) derives a wheel rotation speed, a wheel rotation acceleration, and a body speed. The vehicle model (601) outputs the wheel rotation speed and the wheel rotation acceleration to the SRE (602). The SRE (602) outputs the slip ratio based on the motor torque, the wheel rotation speed, and the wheel rotation acceleration. |
| US08170766B2 |
System and method for supplying power to ABS for vehicle
A system and method for supplying power to an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) for a vehicle includes: determining whether an ignition key has been turned on; comparing voltage of a first battery unit, configured to apply the power to an ABS actuation unit, with voltage of a second battery unit, connected to the first battery unit, if the ignition key has been turned on; determining whether the ABS actuation unit is operating if the voltage of the first battery unit is lower than the voltage of the second battery unit; and charging the first battery unit with the power if the ABS actuation unit is operating, and balancing the voltage of the first battery unit and the voltage of the second battery unit if the ABS actuation unit is not operating. |
| US08170763B2 |
Method for controlling a drive system and/or wheel braking system
A method is provided for controlling a drive system and/or a wheel braking system of a vehicle, in which a total braking power to be exerted on the wheels of a motor vehicle is composed of a drive braking power and/or a wheel braking power. The instantaneously set drive braking power is frozen when, starting from a steady state operating mode, the gradient of the required total braking power exceeds a predetermined threshold. |
| US08170757B2 |
Selection device for shifting a vehicle transmission
A selection device for shifting a vehicle transmission, with a operating element (4), which can be rotated into different shift positions (6, 7, 8, 9) about an axis of rotation (5) and with a shaft (21), which is connected to the operating element (4) and is rotatable about the axis of rotation. An angle of rotation sensing device (32) is connected to the shaft, by which a rotation of the operating element (4) about the axis of rotation (5) can be sensed. An actuator (22) is provided by which a torque can be applied to the shaft (21) or a torque can be applied to oppose a rotation of the shaft (21). A control is connected to the angle of rotation sensing device (32) and to the actuator (22) for controlling the torque. The vehicle transmission (10) can be shifted into shift states (P, R, N, D) assigned to the shift positions (6, 7, 8, 9), wherein the shaft (21) extends along the axis of rotation (5) between the angle of rotation sensing means (32) and the operating element (4), which is designed as a rotary knob or button and is arranged at a first end (28) of shaft (21). |
| US08170752B2 |
Parking assistance apparatus, vehicle-side apparatus of parking assistance apparatus, parking assist method, and parking assist program
A parking assistance apparatus makes it easy for a driver to grasp a relative positional relation between a vehicle and a target parking position and makes it possible to park the vehicle at the target parking position in a parking space with accuracy.An image of a mark M in a parking space S is taken by a vehicle-side camera 7. A relative position calculation portion 8 calculates a relative positional relation between the vehicle and a target parking position T based on the taken image of the mark M. A backward locus calculation portion 9 calculates an expected locus when the vehicle moves based on the relative positional relation and based on a steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor 15. An image of the parking space S is taken by a parking-space-side camera 3 and transmitted to a vehicle-side apparatus 1. An image composition portion 12 composes the image of the parking space S from the parking-space-side camera 3 and the expected locus calculated by the backward locus calculation portion 9. The composed image is displayed on the monitor 14 located in the vicinity of a drivers seat of the vehicle. |
| US08170749B2 |
Roll rigidity controller of vehicle
A target roll angle of the vehicle is computed based on an actual lateral acceleration at the centroid of the vehicle, and the lateral acceleration of the vehicle at the centroid is corrected by use of lateral acceleration correction amounts based on a yaw rate of the vehicle, whereby the lateral accelerations of the vehicle at the front wheel position and the rear wheel position are computed. Subsequently, target anti-roll moments at the front wheel position and the rear wheel position are computed based on the target roll angle and the accelerations of the vehicle at the front wheel position and the rear wheel position, and active stabilizer apparatuses of the front and rear wheels are controlled based on these target anti-roll moments. |
| US08170747B2 |
Fleet maintenance method and in-vehicle communication system
A fleet maintenance method for generating a suggested speed for each vehicle in a fleet to maintain the vehicle in the fleet is provided. In the fleet maintenance method, vehicles are clustered into a plurality of sub-fleets, and in each sub-fleet, one vehicle is selected as a leader vehicle and the other vehicles are considered as member vehicles. Besides, a position coordinate and a speed of each vehicle in each sub-fleet are obtained, and the position coordinate is converted into a corresponding linear coordinate. In addition, a sub-fleet gravity center of each sub-fleet and a fleet gravity center of the entire fleet are calculated according to the linear coordinates. Moreover, a suggested speed of each leader vehicle is generated according to a gravity center distance of the leader vehicle, and a suggested speed of each member vehicle is generated. |
| US08170742B2 |
Antilock braking system diagnostic tool and method
A method of diagnosing, installing, repairing and/or maintaining an antilock braking system (ABS) unit in a motorcycle. The method includes connecting a diagnostic tool to an ABS unit of a motorcycle, communicating with the ABS unit using the diagnostic tool and informing a mechanic utilizing the diagnostic tool about a component in the ABS unit. Also, a tool for diagnosing, installing, repairing and/or maintaining an antilock braking system (ABS) unit in a motorcycle. |
| US08170737B2 |
Method of controlling vehicle powertrain and vehicle control system
A method of controlling a vehicle powertrain and a corresponding vehicle control system are provided that enable operation in an electric-only operating mode for an extended range by adjusting the threshold minimum state of charge of the battery, i.e., the state of charge of the battery at which the engine will be started to allow the battery charge to be replenished, in accordance with vehicle location. The engine will also be started when the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of a long-term parking location. |
| US08170736B2 |
Control device for vehicle, hybrid vehicle, method of controlling vehicle, program for causing computer to execute the method of controlling the vehicle, and computer-readable recording medium recording the program
A control device includes a target rotation speed determination unit that determines a target rotation speed of an engine, a filtering process unit that receives an output of the target rotation speed determination unit, changes the received output such that the target rotation speed changes gently, and outputs the changed output, a property switching control unit that switches properties of the filtering process unit in accordance with a vehicle state, and a first torque value calculation unit that calculates a target torque of a motor generator in accordance with a difference between the output of the filtering process unit and an actual rotation speed of the engine. Preferably, the property switching control unit increases a time constant of the filtering process in accordance with a shift switch instruction to switch a vehicle state from a traveling state to a neutral state. |
| US08170735B2 |
Marine vessel maneuvering supporting apparatus and marine vessel including the same
A marine vessel maneuvering supporting apparatus is used in a marine vessel which includes a propulsion system and a steering mechanism. The marine vessel maneuvering supporting apparatus includes a first operational unit arranged select a forward drive position for forward drive of the propulsion system, a reverse drive position for reverse drive of the propulsion system, and a neutral position for an inactive state of the propulsion system, a second operational unit arranged to command rightward and leftward movement of the marine vessel, and a target value computing unit arranged to determine target values including a target propulsive force for the propulsion system and a target steering angle for the steering mechanism, such that the marine vessel undergoes parallel movement in a direction that is in accordance with an operation position of the first operational unit when rightward or leftward movement is commanded by the second operational unit. |
| US08170728B2 |
Rotorcraft control system
A system (100) for controlling a rotorcraft (1) including a rotor (10), at least one variable-pitch propulsion propeller (6L, 6R), and a motor (5) for driving the rotor and the propeller(s), the system includes: a member (101, 101A, 102, 103, 104) for generating a propeller pitch setpoint (θp*+θd*, θp*−θd*) as a function at least of a thrust variation command (TCL); a member (105, 105A) for generating a setpoint (RPM*) for the drive speed (RPM) of the rotor and the propeller(s), as a function at least of the travel speed (VTAS) of the rotorcraft; and a member (106) for generating a setpoint (NG*) for the engine speed as a function at least of the thrust command (TCL), of the drive speed setpoint (RTM*), and of a rotor collective pitch command (θ0). |
| US08170727B2 |
Method for calculating an approach trajectory of an aircraft to an airport
The invention relates to a method for calculating an approach trajectory of an aircraft (200) to an airport The aircraft is slaveable in terms of trajectory, thrust and/or speed. The aircraft is able to advance at reduced engine revs. The airport has a runway The approach trajectory terminates in an impact point (205) on the runway and has a high-altitude descent segment (217) and an intermediate geometric segment (207), to which the aircraft is slaved in terms of trajectory and speed. A step of calculating a final approach segment (208) at reduced engine revs and a landing segment is performed with a greater thrust than the reduced revs so as to prepare a possible go-around (209), to which the aircraft is slaved in terms of thrust and speed. |
| US08170726B2 |
System and method for road angle estimation
A system and method for estimating road angles of a road on which a moving body is traveling are disclosed. The road angle estimation system includes: a sensing module adapted to be mounted on the moving body to detect a plurality of pieces of measurement information associated with the moving body; and a calculating module coupled to the sensing module to receive the pieces of measurement information therefrom. The calculating module simultaneously calculates an estimated bank angle and an estimated grade angle on the basis of the pieces of measurement information, a plurality of support parameters, and a plurality of user control parameters. |
| US08170725B2 |
Vehicle stability enhancement control adaptation to driving skill based on highway on/off ramp maneuver
A system that classifies driver driving skill based on on-ramp or off-ramp maneuvers. The system reads sensor signals for vehicle speed and vehicle yaw rate. The system determines that the vehicle has made an on-ramp or off-ramp maneuver using the vehicle speed signal and the yaw-rate signal and then classifies the driver's driving skill using selected discriminant features obtained or derived from the on-ramp or off-ramp maneuver. |
| US08170722B1 |
Method and apparatus for coding and linking electrical appliances for control and status report
A coding method and apparatus for linking electrical appliances for control and status reporting by arbitrarily appending the appliances remote control protocol with the premise's room/zone code for identifying the appliance location and ID-code to operate on the basis of the appliance type and function, sub header code define the command nature, a blank header identifies the signal and a checksum trailer ends the five byte command for operating a range of appliances, lights and LED illuminators, locally and in the different rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and laundry including provision for extending the commands when needed. Current sensors for power outlets and power cables linked via lightguides or fiber optic use same codes for reporting statuses of and current consumption by the appliances and lights to the video interphone or the shopping terminal. LED bulbs are coded through an optical transceiver accessed through the rear of the bulb socket. |
| US08170721B2 |
Automatically adjusting irrigation controller
Methods and devices are provided to automatically determine plant water requirements and adjust irrigation in order to make efficient use of water. In one implementation, an irrigation control unit comprises a memory storing historical values of a plurality of variables used at least in part in calculating plant water requirements, and at least one input adapted to receive signals corresponding to current values of one or more of the plurality of variables. The unit also comprises a processor coupled to the at least one input and the memory, the processor adapted to determine the plant water requirements at least in part using, for each of the plurality of variables, a current value in the event the current value is available and at least in part using, for each of the plurality of variables, a stored historical value in the event the current value is not available. |
| US08170714B2 |
Integrated suite of medical tools
The present disclosure is directed to a tool that can be used to order, dispense, locate, request and administer medications as well as locate, issue and administer medical items and supplies for patients from a plurality of entry points into the system, e.g. handheld devices, mobile cart, etc. New workflows and functionality for various devices such as dispensing devices (automated dispensing cabinets) and issuing devices (e.g. open shelving) are also disclosed. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims. |
| US08170712B2 |
Method and apparatus for non-linear unit-level sortation in order fulfillment processes
A flexible, non-linear, unit-level sortation system for sorting mixed collections of items into orders. Collections of unsorted items for fulfilling requests are delivered to one or more singulation stations. At a singulation station, individual units of items are selected from a collection, associated with particular conveyance receptacles, and placed into the receptacles, with one and only one unit per receptacle. The receptacles may be inducted into a conveyance mechanism under the direction of a control system. The receptacles are not fixed to the conveyance mechanism. The control system may direct the conveyance mechanism to route the receptacles to a particular one of one or more sorting stations. At a sorting station, the units may retrieved from receptacles and placed into locations corresponding to particular orders under control or direction of the control system. The conveyance mechanism may, but does not necessarily, return empty conveyance receptacle to a singulation station. |
| US08170711B2 |
Method and system for transporting inventory items
A system for transporting inventory items includes an inventory holder capable of storing inventory items and a mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is capable of moving to a first point with the inventory holder at least one of coupled to and supported by the mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is additionally capable of determining a location of the inventory holder and calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the first point. The mobile drive unit is then capable of determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance. In response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance, the mobile drive unit is also capable of moving to a second point based on the location of the inventory holder, docking with the inventory holder, and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the first point. |
| US08170705B2 |
Interactive on-demand orthotic vending machine and method of producing orthotic including disc version
An orthotic vending machine may comprise a measuring apparatus and an orthotic fabricating apparatus. The measuring apparatus may comprises a plurality of probes capable of sensing pressure at various pixels on the underside surfaces of the person's feet at various configurations (e.g., flat plane, shoe contour, or prescriptive optimal) and determining the heights at the various pixels for the various configurations. The fabricating apparatus may lay down a plurality of discs on a base layer having different hardnesses based on the measured pressure and heights by the measuring apparatus to fabricate customized orthotics. Alternatively, the fabricating apparatus may form the customized orthotic via solidifying a polymerizeable material in a honeycomb structure based on the measured pressure and heights by the measuring apparatus. As a further alternative, the fabricating apparatus may form the customized orthotic via milling orthotic blanks based on the measured pressure and heights by the measuring apparatus. The orthotic vending machine may be placed in shoe retail shops such that shoe purchasers may purchase a shoe and a customized orthotic during one visit to the shoe store. |
| US08170698B1 |
Virtual robotic controller system with special application to robotic microscopy structure and methodology
The present invention defines a unique, flexible system that may be applied to the manufacture and assembly of a plurality of highly configurable and reusable virtual robotic control devices. It is specifically concerned with providing a plurality of self contained virtual control systems that comprise a moving part that is detected by an associated sensor whereby signals may be generated and transmitted to a plurality of other devices to operate a plurality of robotic microscopes directly or, when configured through a robot control program, through an intermediate computer and network. Furthermore, these virtual robotic control systems may be assembled into a number of partial or complete robotic microscopes so that the degree of realism and control over the examination of a slide may be matched more exactly to the needs and requirements of a microscopist. |
| US08170693B2 |
Stage command autostop
The present system teaches an autostop system for a stage control system in which some of all of the device implemented effects associated with a production may be automatically stopped when certain conditions exist. The conditions causing the effects to stop may be configurable by the show creator to prevent injury to the persons involved with the production and damage to the scenery and equipment. |
| US08170690B2 |
Implantable medical lead having an anchor providing enhanced fixation
An implantable medical lead is disclosed herein wherein the lead employs a helical distal tip anchor having improved fixation capabilities. The implantable medical lead may include a body and a helical anchor. The body may include a distal end and a proximal end. The helical anchor may be at least one of extending and extendable from the distal end. The helical anchor may include at least one loop including first and second straight sides that intersect at a first corner. |
| US08170684B2 |
Electrodes for applying an electric field in-vivo over an extended period of time
As compared to conventional electrodes, the electrode configurations disclosed herein minimize irritation and damage to the skin when they are placed in contact with a patient's body over extended of time. The electrodes are formed from a conductive substrate coated with a thin dielectric material, and a plurality of open spaces pass through the electrodes. Those open spaces are distributed and sized to permit moisture on the surface of the patient's body to escape when the electrode is placed in contact with the patient's body. One intended use for the electrodes is for treating tumors by applying an AC electric field with specific frequency and field strength characteristics over an extended period of time. |
| US08170677B2 |
Recording and retrieval of sound data in a hearing prosthesis
A hearing prosthesis for delivering stimuli to a hearing-impaired recipient is disclosed, the hearing prosthesis comprising: a sound transducer for converting received sound signals into electric audio signals; a sound processor for converting the electric audio signals into stimuli signals; a stimulator for delivering the stimuli to the recipient; a memory for storing data representative of sound signals; and a controller configured to cause selected sound data to be retrieved from the memory and processed by the sound processor. |
| US08170673B2 |
Carbon nano-tube power cell
A device which converts mechanical deformation in electrical current, these mechanical deformations are generated as a result of liquid pressure over a part of the device. This device is integrated within an implantable lead and inserted into the cardiovascular system of a patient. The purpose of the device is to charge a battery which stores energy for various uses of other implantable devices. |
| US08170671B2 |
Method and system for overdriving a heart chamber during a threshold search according to an AV delay
An implantable medical device includes a lead, a pulse generator, an autothreshold module and a control module. The lead includes electrodes positioned within a heart. At least one of the electrodes senses cardiac signals. The pulse generator delivers a stimulus pulse through at least one of the electrodes. The autothreshold module performs a threshold search when operating in an autothreshold mode and causes atrial stimulus pulses to be delivered in an atrium of the heart at an overdrive rate during the threshold search. The control module determines an AV conduction time and applies an overdrive AV adjustment to the AV conduction time to generate an AV delay. The autothreshold module uses the AV delay in connection with delivering ventricular stimulus pulses to a ventricle of the heart. |
| US08170664B1 |
Monitoring heart disease using implantable sensors and slopes determined therefrom
Specific embodiments of the present invention use an implanted sensor, during a period of time, to measure a physiologic property when the patient's heart is not stressed, and when the patient's heart is stressed. A slope is determined, where the slope is indicative of a change in the physiologic property during the period of time. Heart disease is monitored based on a magnitude of the slope. In further embodiments of the present invention, a slope indicative of a change in a physiologic property during a period of time is determined, for each of a plurality of periods of time. Changes in the patient's heart disease are monitored based on changes in the slope. |
| US08170663B2 |
Method and apparatus to control delivery of high-voltage and anti-tachy pacing therapy in an implantable medical device
A system and method for delivering both anti-tachy pacing (ATP) therapy and high-voltage shock therapy in response to detection of abnormal cardiac rhythms is disclosed. The system controls the time between delivering ATP therapy and the charging of high-voltage capacitors in preparation for shock delivery based on a predetermined set of criteria. In one embodiment, the inventive system operates in an ATP During Capacitor Charging (ATP-DCC) mode wherein all, or substantially all, of the ATP therapy is delivered during charging of the high-voltage capacitors. Based on evaluation of the predetermined set of criteria, the system may switch to an additional ATP Before Capacitor Charging (ATP-BCC) mode, wherein substantially all of the ATP therapy is delivered prior to charging of the high-voltage capacitor. According to one aspect of the invention, the predetermined set of criteria is based, at least in part, on the effectiveness of previously-delivered ATP therapy. |
| US08170662B2 |
Method and apparatus for charging partitioned capacitors
One aspect of this disclosure relates to an apparatus for providing a selective capacitance. An embodiment of the apparatus includes a first and second capacitor in a stack, and a switching circuit connected between the first and second capacitors. The switching circuit has at least two states, and is adapted to provide a first defibrillation capacitance in a first state and a second defibrillation capacitance in a second state. A switching circuit embodiment includes a field effect transistor (FET) adapted to have a source connected to the first capacitor and a drain connected to the second capacitor, a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) adapted to have an emitter connected to the source of the FET and a collector connected to a gate of the FET, a first current source connected to the collector of the BJT, and a second current source connected to a base of the BJT. |
| US08170661B2 |
Pacing system controller integrated into indeflator
Systems and methods for temporarily pacing a patient's heart are provided. One system includes a vascular treatment system having a vascular access system and a therapy system. The therapy system includes an indeflator and an elongate medical device and the elongate medical device has an inflatable member and an electrode. The indeflator is adapted to provide pressurized fluid to the inflatable member and electrical signals to the electrode, with its operation manually or automatically controlled. Devices for electrically and fluidly coupling the indeflator and the elongate medical device are also provided. |
| US08170659B2 |
Method for thermal modulation of neural activity
Methods and related systems for modulating neural activity by blocking conduction in peripheral neural structures with thermal stimuli are disclosed. Methods and systems for reversing effects of thermal blocking stimuli and/or for producing substantially permanent conduction block are also disclosed. |
| US08170658B2 |
System for electrical modulation of neural conduction
Methods and related systems for modulating neural activity by repetitively blocking conduction in peripheral neural structures with electrical stimuli are disclosed. Methods and systems for reversing effects of blocking stimuli and/or for producing substantially permanent conduction block are also disclosed. |
| US08170657B1 |
Delivery catheters for light activated agents
A delivery catheter for delivery, then photo-activation of photo sensitive material has a photo-sensitive substance-delivery part and an activation part. The catheter delivers substances such as biomaterials to a target site, followed by illumination of the target using optics located at the distal tip of the catheter which are optically coupled to an extracorporeal light source. In another aspect a deployable light-delivery catheter is disclosed that can illuminate a large area of tissue. |
| US08170654B1 |
Sequential discrimination approach for detecting treatable cardiac rhythms
A system and method for use in a medical device for discriminating cardiac events establishes population-based thresholds corresponding to cardiac signal morphology metrics for discriminating between a first cardiac event and a second cardiac event. A population-based threshold criterion for discriminating cardiac events is established. The population-based threshold criterion is applied to a cardiac signal segment and the segment is classified if the criterion is satisfied. A patient-specific threshold is established in response to the sensed cardiac signal segment not being classified after applying the population-based threshold criterion. The sensed signal segment is classified in response to the patient-specific threshold comparison. |
| US08170651B2 |
Imaging volumes with arbitrary geometries in non-contact tomography
A method for tomographic imaging of diffuse medium includes directing waves into a diffusive medium, solving a surface-bounded inversion problem by forward field calculations through decomposition of contributions from the multiple reflections from an arbitrary surface within the diffusive medium or outside the diffusive medium into a sum of different orders of reflection up to an arbitrary order, and using contact or non-contact measurements of waves outside said diffusive medium to generate a tomographic image. |
| US08170639B2 |
Case for defibrillator electrode pads and release liner
A case for defibrillator electrode pads on a release liner is described which protects the pads prior to use and retains them in either an electrically connected or electrically disconnected configuration. When the case is closed, spring contacts on opposite sides of the inside of the case retain the pads and release liner in place. The retention either holds electrical conductors in contact with each other to retain the pads in electrical connection with each other, or in a different configuration in which the pads are not electrically connected. |
| US08170633B2 |
Mobile terminal configured to be mounted on a user's wrist or forearm
A mobile terminal includes: a terminal body having a display unit; a band connected with both ends of the terminal body; and an antenna radiator installed in the band. |
| US08170621B1 |
Mobile device display management
The display of a mobile device is managed during a voice communication session using a proximity sensor and an accelerometer. In one example, the display of a mobile device is turned off during a phone call on the mobile device when a proximity sensor detects an object is proximate the device and an accelerometer determines the device is in a first orientation. |
| US08170620B2 |
Mobile terminal and keypad displaying method thereof
A mobile terminal including a display configured to display a first keypad in a first display portion and to display information input using the first keypad in a second display portion, a sensing unit configured to detect a touch and drag action on the first keypad displayed in the first display portion, and a controller configured to change the first keypad displayed in the first display portion to a second keypad that is different from the first keypad when the detected touch and drag action is determined to be more than a predetermined distance. |
| US08170619B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying event of mobile terminal
An event display apparatus and method of a mobile terminal are disclosed. The event display method of a mobile terminal includes: detecting events in the mobile terminal; displaying time graphics on a screen; and positioning the detected events on the time graph according to their types. Various scattered events in the mobile terminal are detected and displayed on the time graphics indicating time according to types of the detected events, so the events can be easily viewed and managed. |
| US08170618B1 |
Measuring signal strength in a multiple-input multiple-output antenna environment
A wireless communication device is operated in a M by N multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode. M is the number of antennas transmitting to the communication device from a first base station. N the number of receiving antennas and receivers. M and N are integers greater than one. The wireless communication device is operated in an M by N−1 MIMO mode while a first one of the N receiving antennas and a first one of the N receivers receives wireless communication from a second base station. |
| US08170611B2 |
Internal accessory antenna system and method for wireless network
Described is a method and system which includes an arrangement including an internal wireless communication antenna and a wireless communication device couplable to one of an external wireless communication antenna and the arrangement. When the arrangement is attached to the device, the device is capable of unitizing either first or second wireless channels. When the arrangement is not attached to the device, the device utilizes only the second channel. |
| US08170609B2 |
Personal virtual assistant providing advice to a user regarding physiological information received about the user
A personal virtual assistant is provided. The personal virtual assistant includes a medical device and remote station that is connectable via a wireless network to a server containing a control processor and rules engine. The medical device is used to provide physiological information to the remote station. The remote station communicates the physiological information and other related information to the server that monitors the information for a number of reasons, including determining whether the physiological information has a trend. Based on the detrimental trend, the server communicates back to the remote station virtual assistance in the form of advice regarding tips to help facilitate halting or reversing the trend. |
| US08170608B2 |
Transmission/reception channel matching apparatus and method for mobile communication terminal and mobile phone test equipment
Disclosed herein is a transmission/reception channel matching apparatus and method for a mobile communication terminal and a mobile phone test equipment. The apparatus includes mobile communication terminal-side terminals, transmission and reception terminals, a connection detection unit, a switching unit, and a control unit. The mobile communication terminal-side terminals are connected to the option pins of a serial communication port in a one-to-one correspondence. The transmission and reception terminals correspond to the transmission and reception channels of the mobile phone test equipment. The connection detection unit detects the state of connection between the mobile communication terminal-side terminals and the option pins. The switching unit connects the mobile communication terminal-side terminals to the transmission and reception terminals. The control unit automatically sets the transmission and reception channels of the mobile communication terminal and the transmission and reception channels of the mobile phone test equipment with reference to the state of the connection, and outputs the channel matching command. |
| US08170599B2 |
Format based power control
Power control methods and apparatus taught herein advantageously provide quick convergence to the signal quality target needed to achieve a given data error rate target, when changes in transport format use by a given transport channel require such convergence. Specifically, the methods and apparatus maintain a “baseline” signal quality target that stays current with changing signal propagation conditions because it is common to all transport formats used by the transport channel. The methods and apparatus then bias this baseline signal quality target with a target offset particularized for the transport format in use. This offset may be selected from memory or dynamically calculated, and, regardless, can often be applied after a single transmission time interval. |
| US08170592B2 |
Method and system for frame timing acquisition in evolved universal terrestrial radio access (EUTRA)
Aspects of a method and system for frame timing acquisition in evolved universal terrestrial radio access (EUTRA) may include determining a received secondary synchronization sequence (SSS) based on a selected cyclic prefix length and on synchronization of a primary synchronization sequence (PSS). A first portion of information associated with the received SSS may be processed separately from a second portion of information associated with the received SSS. A frame timing and/or base station identifier may be determined by comparing the processed first portion of information with the processed second portion of information. The cyclic prefix length may be selected from a finite set of possible cyclic prefix lengths. The cyclic prefix length may be, for example, 9 samples or 32 samples. The primary synchronization sequence synchronization may be determined via correlation. |
| US08170582B2 |
Extended positioning reporting
A method of transferring positioning information using a set of data having a standardized set of formats for a single position entity comprises inclusion (212) of data representing at least two separate position entities or an entity having information beyond the standardized set of formats in data containers intended for points defining corners of a single polygon. The method further comprising arranging (214) of data within the set of data according to predetermined rules as an indication of an existence of such data. The set of data is transferred (230) over a communication network. In the transferred set of data, the indication of an existence of such data is detected (224) and data representing the original position is extracted (226) from the data containers intended for points defining corners of a single polygon. A communication network node performing at least a reception part or a transmission part of the method above is also presented. |
| US08170580B2 |
Geo-boundary triggered messaging and schedule system and method of use
A location based system is provided is configured to provide messages to a recipient based on time and location based information. The a method includes detecting when a mobile user has crossed within a predefined geo-boundary. The method further includes sending a message to the mobile user when the mobile user has crossed within the predefined geo-boundary during a predetermined time period set by an originator of the message. |
| US08170578B1 |
Location reporting system
A communication system receives a registration message from a device that identifies a location of the device and a device identifier. The system transmits the location of the device to a location database. The system receives a watch list that identifies a plurality of devices. The system also receives a session request from the device for a session. The system processes the device identifier to determine if the device is a one of the plurality of devices. In response to determining that the device is one of the plurality of devices, the system transfers the location of the device from the location database to a location reporting system. |
| US08170576B2 |
Network oriented spectrum sharing system
There is provided a system and method for sharing a wireless spectrum compromising a first transceiver for establishing the communication channels within the allocated bandwidth using a first protocol, a broker for determining the unused bandwidth within the allocated bandwidth, and a second transceiver for establishing the further communication channels within the unused allocated bandwidth using a second protocol. The first protocol is UMTS and the second protocol is WiMax. The broker may monitor UMTS traffic and allocate bandwidth to WiMax traffic whenever resources are idle or traffic are low or allocate bandwidth in dependence upon time division multiplexing, or frequency division multiplexing or may overlap a WiMax signal with a UMTS signal. |
| US08170574B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling interference between cells in mobile communication network
A method and apparatus for controlling interference between cells for non-real time data transfer in a mobile communication network is provided. The method of controlling interference between cells in a mobile communication system including a plurality of cells includes: dividing each cell into at least one segment based on density of terminals within each cell and distance from the center of each cell; allocating rise over thermal (RoT) with respect to each segment based on the distance from the center of each cell, an attenuation ratio according to the distance, and a shadowing factor; and providing data services to terminals within each segment according to the allocated RoT. Accordingly, it is possible to improve system throughput. |
| US08170573B2 |
Base station apparatus and wireless communication method
A base station apparatus which conducts a packet communication with a wireless communication terminal includes: a retransmission request detection unit which detects a retransmission request from the wireless communication terminal; a bandwidth assignment unit which assigns a communication bandwidth applied to the packet communication; a modulation class calculation portion, based on both bandwidth information regarding the bandwidth assigned by the bandwidth assignment unit and a data amount of packets corresponding to the retransmission request, calculates a modulation class applied to a retransmission in order to adjust a number of retransmitted packets to be the same as a number of previously transmitted packets; a modulation class determination unit which determines whether or not the modulation class is lower than a modulation class applied to a previous packet transmission; and a retransmission unit which retransmits packets corresponding to the retransmission request based on the determination result regarding the modulation class. |
| US08170571B2 |
Base station and mobile station communicating with OFDM system using a plurality of subcarriers and communication method with OFDM system using a plurality of subcarriers
A multicarrier communication apparatus that is capable of suppressing interference of feedback information with other channels and alleviating a reduction in an uplink capacity. In PL signal reception section (260) of this apparatus, PL signal extraction section (261) extracts pilot signals and reception quality measuring section (262) measures reception quality such as an SIR. Here, since pilot signals are included in respective subcarriers, reception quality measuring section (262) measures reception quality of subcarriers. FBSC determining section (270) determines a feedback information subcarrier based on the reception quality of subcarriers. More specifically, FBSC determining section (270) determines a subcarrier having the highest reception quality as a feedback information subcarrier. FBSC determining section (270) outputs information about the feedback information subcarrier (FBSC information) to control CH transmission section (110) and FB information reception section (250). |
| US08170567B2 |
Radio resource management in wireless cellular networks having multihop relay stations
Radio resource management for wireless cellular networks equipped with relay stations for multi-hop packet or protocol data unit (PDU) relaying. |
| US08170563B2 |
Systems and methods for transmission of data in a communication system
A method of transmitting data from a node, such as a session node including any network node, located in a first network to one of a plurality of devices located in a second network, said method comprising; determining that another device connected to the node is located in the second network; transmitting from the node to the other device located in the second network a message addressed to the one of said plurality of devices via the connection between the node and the other device; and forwarding the message from the other device to the one of said plurality of devices via a connection established within the second network. |
| US08170552B2 |
Mobile network device multi-link optimizations
Methods and apparatus for performing optimizations for a mobile network device such as a Mobile Node or Mobile Router supporting multiple links to a Home Agent (or Correspondent Node in a Mobile IPv6 environment) are disclosed. During the registration process, link characteristics are transmitted in the registration request. From the link characteristics, it is possible to determine whether the mobile network device has roamed from a high to a low bandwidth link, or vice versa. A first set of optimizations may be performed when the mobile network device has roamed from a high to a low bandwidth link, while a second set of optimizations may be performed when the mobile network device has roamed from a low to a high bandwidth link. Some optimizations may be performed during the establishment of a TCP session, while others may be performed during or upon completion of the Mobile IP registration process. |
| US08170547B1 |
Dynamic adjustment of a base transceiver station in a wireless communication system
A system is provided for dynamic communication adjustment. The system includes a server that obtains data associated with a base transceiver station. The server also compares the data to at least one threshold. Additionally, the server promotes adjustment of an operational parameter of a base transceiver station based on the comparison. Furthermore, the server promotes readjustment of at least one operational parameter based on an at least weekly comparison of subsequently obtained data associated with the base transceiver station to at least one threshold. |
| US08170546B2 |
Client device characterization of other client device transmissions and reporting of signal qualities to access point(s)
A wireless network in a communication infrastructure has a packet switched backbone network and includes a plurality of access points and services at least one client device. The access points communicatively couple to the packet switched backbone network and each include access point processing circuitry and access point wireless transceiver circuitry. Each client device has client processing circuitry and client wireless transceiver circuitry. The client devices receive transmissions from other client devices serviced by the plurality of access points and characterize the received transmissions to determine signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions received from the other client devices. The client devices then report the signal qualities of the plurality of transmissions to at least one of the plurality of access points. The access points may forward the signal qualities to other access points, to other client devices, and may alter operation of the wireless network based upon the signal qualities. |
| US08170545B1 |
Information technology support system and method
A computer support tool is provided. The tool includes diagnostic software and a user interface. The diagnostic software identifies information associated with a computer problem, wherein the information is based on the needs of help desk personnel. The user interface informs a user of the information associated with the computer problem, and suggests a self help option for the user to address the computer problems. |
| US08170540B2 |
System and methods for remotely upgrading software applications
The present invention includes a system and methods for upgrading software on a mobile terminal. The system includes a network management computer (NMC) adapted to receive a plurality of software upgrades and to transmit one of the plurality of software upgrades to one of a plurality of mobile terminals through a satellite link. The mobile terminal can include an upgradeable component, which in turn includes a detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to operating characteristics of the upgradeable component. According to the present invention, the NMC is adapted to transmit the one of a plurality of software upgrades to the mobile terminal in response to the DDD of the upgradeable component. Methods employing similar features and advantages are also disclosed herein. |
| US08170539B2 |
Messaging with proprietary attributes
Methods, computer readable media, and system embodiments are provided for messaging with proprietary attributes. A method embodiment includes storing a particular proprietary attribute for a mobile service feature in a datastore of a telecommunications system. The method includes receiving a configuration for a mobile service from a service provider to the datastore, the configuration including the mobile service feature. The method also includes transmitting a message for the mobile service from the datastore through the telecommunications system, the message including the particular proprietary attribute. |
| US08170538B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for programming user-defined information into electronic devices
A device for programming user-defined information into an electronic device is provided. The programmer allows a user to program customized information, such as user-selected audio, video, or Internet access information into his or her programmable device. Such electronic devices include wireless telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants. The programmer allows a user to, among other things, customize the device to suit his or her particular taste. |
| US08170534B2 |
Systems and methods for user sessions with dynamic service selection
Under one aspect, a system generates dynamic call models within an IMS network, allowing different user entities (UEs) to have different service experiences. The IMS network includes application servers (ASs) and a serving call state control function (S-CSCF) that receives and then forwards UE service requests. The system includes storage media storing a service tree, which defines potential call models that map potential UE service requests onto ASs. At least two potential call models map a specified potential UE service request onto different ASs that can provide different service experiences. The system includes control logic for providing session control, which receives UE service requests from the S-CSCF, receives the service tree from the storage media, generates a call model for each UE based on potential call models defined by the service tree and on the requested service, and invokes a specified AS based on the generated call model. |
| US08170530B2 |
Managing wireless devices using access control
An improved solution for managing wireless devices that uses access control is provided. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for managing wireless devices includes receiving a notification for one of the plurality of wireless devices, the notification indicating at least one of: an access attempt threshold is exceeded or the wireless device is displaced; and remotely locking the wireless device based on the notification. |
| US08170528B2 |
Network access control
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of authorizing a communication device to connect to a network. The method comprises receiving, at a processor, a communication device identifier and a subscriber identifier, determining, by the processor, whether the received communication device identifier is associated with the received subscriber identifier in a data store. Where it is determined that the received identifiers are not so associated the method further comprise requesting, by the processor, a security token associated with the communication device, receiving, at the processor, a security token, determining, by the processor, whether the received security token matches a stored security token associated with the received communication device identifier in the data store, and where it is so determined, authorizing the communication device to connect to the network. |
| US08170527B2 |
Real-time balance on a mobile phone
A system, method and prepaid payment mobile phone configured to display a current prepaid balance. The prepaid payment mobile phone receives a debit balance request from input on the mobile phone. After retrieving an encoded current balance, the mobile phone displays the amount. The current balance may be calculated by the phone after a transaction, or the phone may receive a debit balance via a short message service notification. |
| US08170525B2 |
System and method for initiating communication
A system and method for initiating communications with a called party using a wireless device. The wireless device comprises an input element and a microprocessor. In one embodiment, when a specific input is entered using the input element, the wireless device performs the following tasks: disabling one or more components of the wireless device; establishing a wireless communication session with the called party; communicating with a location system to generate location information of the location of the wireless device; and providing the location information to the called party. In other embodiments, the wire device performs additional tasks, including: capturing content during the wireless communication; communicating with the location system to generate subsequent location information; and providing one or more of the subsequent location information and the content to the called party. The called party may then use the location information and the content to perform one or more actions, including providing help to the user of the wireless device. |
| US08170524B2 |
Power line communication system and an intelligent meter
A power line communication system including a plurality of intelligent devices in communication with a power line and operable to monitor energy usage at a site and communicate usage data onto the power line, and a controller also in communication with the power line, wherein each intelligent device maintains a routing table identifying a first set of other intelligent devices downstream of it relative to the controller that it can communicate with directly and identifying a second set of other intelligent devices downstream of it relative to the controller that it can communicate with through one or more of the first set of other intelligent devices. |
| US08170523B2 |
Super regenerative receiver and method of saving power of the same
A low power super regenerative receiver and a method of reducing the power consumption of the low power super regenerative receiver are provided. The super regenerative receiver includes: an oscillator having a start-up time period starting oscillation that varies according to an existence of an input signal; and a power controller supplying power within the start-up time period of the oscillator. |
| US08170521B2 |
Method and apparatus for sampling RF signals
The invention provides a method and apparatus used in a receiver for sampling RF signals, particularly to provide a method and apparatus for greatly decrease the sampling rate performed in RF band. The invention provides an apparatus for sampling a RF signal including a plurality of interference frequency components and a useful frequency component, comprising: a filtering unit for filtering out at least one preset interference frequency component from the RF signal to generate a notch-filtered RF signal; a sampling unit for sampling the notch-filtered RF signal at a preset sampling rate to generate a discrete analog signal. The sampling unit can be implemented by a plurality of notch filters. RF sampling can be simply and conveniently implemented by using the method and apparatus according the invention, and the sampling rate can be decreased to about 1/N of the carrier frequency of the useful frequency component, which is much lower than the sampling rate in existing RF sampling scheme. The method and apparatus according the invention can greatly decrease power dissipation when sampling. |
| US08170518B2 |
Dual antenna system having one phase lock loop
Circuits, systems, and methods are disclosed for controlling multiple antenna receive paths in a wireless communication device. In some embodiments, the circuit may include a pair of receiving antennas, a first receive path including a VCO coupled to receive a PLL signal and a first mixer coupled to receive a first signal from the VCO and a signal from one of the antennas, and a second receive path integrated separately from the first receive path including a second mixer coupled to receive a second signal from the VCO and a signal from the other antenna. By utilizing the output of the VCO to tune the first and second mixers in the first and second receive paths to the same phase and frequency, control of the multiple antenna receive paths may be optimized. |
| US08170517B2 |
Receiving apparatus
A receiving apparatus comprising: a first mixing unit to output first and second mixed signals each having a first frequency that is a frequency difference between a received signal and a first local oscillator signal, the first and second mixed signals having phases substantially orthogonal to each other; a phase control unit to output second and third local oscillator signals each having a second frequency, the second and third local oscillator signals having a phase difference from each other corresponding to a phase difference between the first and second mixed signals; and a second mixing unit to add a signal obtained by mixing the first mixed signal and the second local oscillator signal, and a signal obtained by mixing the second mixed signal and the third local oscillator signal, to output an intermediate frequency signal having an intermediate frequency that is a difference between the first and second frequencies. |
| US08170515B2 |
Method and apparatus for the phased detection of a signal including a frequency deviation detection phase
A plurality of phases of sniff operations are performed for detecting wake-up signals being received by an implantable medical device (IMD), including a phase that performs a staged detection of whether the integrated frequency deviation of a received signal is outside of an expected frequency deviation range, where sniff operations are aborted if the integrated frequency deviation of the received signal falls outside of corresponding high and low thresholds in any stage, wherein the difference between the high and low thresholds tightens with each subsequent stage and an average frequency deviation over all completed stages are used in the calculations. One phase of sniff operations includes a dual frequency modulation (FM) detector including a first FM detector that introduces a small delay in a received signal providing an average frequency estimate and a second FM detector having a larger delay that is adjusted based on the estimated average frequency. |
| US08170509B2 |
Incident and reflected signal phase difference detection
Embodiments include methods and apparatus for detecting a phase angle between an incident signal and a reflected signal. The apparatus comprises a plurality of phase shifters and additional circuitry. The plurality of phase shifters is adapted to apply first phase shifts to a representation of the incident signal and to apply second phase shifts to a representation of the reflected signal. The additional circuitry, which is operatively coupled to the plurality of phase shifters, is adapted to produce a first indication of a location of a relative phase difference between the incident signal and the reflected signal within a first region of a first reference circle, and to produce a second indication of the location of the relative phase difference within a second region of a second reference circle, wherein the second reference circle is rotated with respect to the first reference circle. |
| US08170504B2 |
Modified preamble for programmable transmitter
A programmable transmitter generates a frame preamble to train a receiver with respect to a communication link format that corresponds to a transmission mode wherein the transmission mode may comprise transmitting the communication link over one or more antennas. Generally, the invention includes generating a preamble with an arrangement that depends upon whether a Greenfield (high data rate) or mixed mode transmission is to occur and that depends upon a number of spatial streams that are to be generated. One format for high data rate transmission includes a short training sequence, a long training sequence and a signal field. The mixed mode transmission further includes a legacy prefix. |
| US08170501B2 |
WCDMA transmit architecture
A baseband digital processing module operates cooperatively with an analog signal processing module to effectuate highly adjustable and highly accurate gain adjustment in accordance with transmitter processing within a communication device. The gain adjustment and/or gain control is partitioned between the digital and analog domains by employing two cooperatively operating digital and analog modules, respectively. Gain adjustment in the analog domain is performed in a relatively more coarse fashion that in the digital domain. If desired, gain adjustment in each of the analog and digital domains is performed across a range of discrete steps. The discrete steps in the analog domain are larger than the discrete steps in the digital domain. Also, the discrete steps in the digital domain may be interposed between two successive discrete steps in the analog domain. |
| US08170500B2 |
Radio-frequency switch circuit
A radio-frequency switch circuit of the invention includes: n-stage through FETs (field effect transistors) connected in series between the antenna terminal and each of the radio-frequency terminals, where n is a natural number; a radio-frequency leakage prevention resistor connected to a gate of the through FETs; a control signal line commonly connected to the gates of the n-stage through FETs connected to the same radio-frequency terminal; and a resistor connected to each of at least two of the control signal lines and connected to the radio-frequency leakage prevention resistor in series The two control signal lines are capacitively coupled between the resistor and the through FETs. |
| US08170498B2 |
IC antenna structures and applications thereof
An integrated circuit (IC) includes a package substrate, a die, and a plurality of antenna structures. The die includes a radio frequency (RF) transceiver and a control module, wherein the RF transceiver processes inbound and outbound RF signals. The control module enables the RF transceiver to receive the inbound RF signal from one or more of the plurality of antenna structures in a frequency band of approximately 55 GHz to 64 GHz and enables the RF transceiver to provide the outbound RF signal to one or more of the plurality of antennas structures for transmission in a frequency band of approximately 55 GHz to 64 GHz. |
| US08170492B2 |
Methods and arrangements for noise rise estimation
A received total wideband power in a wireless communications system is measured (202) a number of times during a time interval. A site communication throughput is determined (204) and processed (206) into a time averaged site communication throughput. A probability distribution for received total wideband power is estimated (210) from the measured received total wide-band power. An estimate of a noise floor measure is computed (214) based on the probability distribution for received total wideband power and a noise rise measure is calculated (218) based on the probability distribution for received total wideband power and the estimate of a noise floor measure. According to the present invention, an adjustment (208) of the noise rise measure is provided based on the averaged site communication throughput. |
| US08170486B2 |
Wireless headset with FM transmitter
A method and device are provided for relaying audio from a source audio device via a wireless headset. Audio signals are received from the source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol. Instructions are received to activate a transmitter associated with a second wireless communications protocol different from the first wireless communications protocol. The received audio signals are output via the transmitter. |
| US08170484B2 |
Synchronized UWB piconets for SOP (simultaneously operating piconet) performance
Synchronized UWB piconets for SOP (Simultaneously Operating Piconet) performance. A common backbone (either wired or wireless) is employed that provides a common CLK (clock signal) to all of the various PNCs (piconet coordinators) of various piconets that may operate within a sufficiently close region such that interference could undesirably occur. By providing a very reliable CLK signal from a common backbone to all of the PNCs of the various piconets operating within a substantially close proximity to one another, very precise synchronization may be ensured for all of the communications performed therein. The various piconets may then even operate using TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)—whose performance would be substantially compromised without effective synchronization. In addition, combined TFC (time frequency code) and TDMA may also be employed to support the communications therein thereby providing even another degree of orthogonality that provided by TDMA alone. |
| US08170481B2 |
Techniques for discovering services provided in a wireless network
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for discovering services provided in a wireless network, comprising enabling devices equipped with radio interfaces to advertise the services it provides and discover services offered by other nearby devices without establishing a network connection with the devices. |
| US08170475B2 |
NGSO communication apparatus for extending operation time and reducing number of satellites using ATC
Provided are a non geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) communication apparatus that extends an operation time using an ancillary territory component (ATC) and reduces a number of satellites, and an ATC and an operating method thereof. The NGSO communication apparatus extends an operation time using an ATC and reduces a number of satellites from a first ATC that communicates with a mobile earth station (MES), and a second ATC that communicates with the first ATC to relay data between the MES and the satellite when the first ATC is unable to communication with the satellite revolving along an orbit. |
| US08170474B2 |
Satellite assisted radioterminal communications systems and methods
Information is transmitted from a radioterminal to a first base station via a first wireless link. A satellite is used to route the information from the first base station to a second base station via second wireless links between the satellite and the first base station and between the satellite and the second base station. At least one of the second wireless links is more spectrally efficient than the first wireless link. Related methods, systems and devices are disclosed. |
| US08170467B2 |
Multi-band jammer including airborne systems
An airborne jammer for transport by an aircraft for jamming communications in a communications system where the communications system operates with digital bursts having burst periods measured in time and occurring in a communication frequency band such as GSM having a transmit band and a receive band. The jammer includes a tone comb generator for providing repetitions of jamming signals for the communication frequency band where the jamming signals have jamming signal intervals providing frequency separation between the jamming signals. The jamming signals are generated with a dwell time substantially less than a burst period for the communications system. The jamming signals are transmitted as RF jamming signals to jam communications for mobile stations. |
| US08170463B2 |
Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus
The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus that can prevent, with higher certainty, lift of the trailing end of each sheet placed in sheet stacking portion. This apparatus includes a first holding member and a second holding member that prevent lift of the trailing end of each sheet from an intermediate stacking portion. When introduced to the intermediate stacking portion, the subsequent sheet comes into contact with the first holding member, so that the first holding member moves to the retracting position. As the subsequent sheet continues to be conveyed, the subsequent sheet comes into contact with the second holding member, so that the second holding member moves from the restricting position to the retracting position. As the trailing end of the sheet is introduced, the first holding member moves from the retracting position to the restricting position, to hold down the trailing end of the sheet. |
| US08170461B2 |
Image forming apparatus including pre-heating unit
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, a transfer unit, a pre-heating unit, a fixing unit, a first temperature sensor, and a first heat controller. The image carrying member carries a toner image. The transfer unit transfers the toner image carried on the image carrying member to a recording medium transported to a transfer position. The pre-heating unit selectively heats the recording medium before the recording medium is transported to the transfer position. The fixing unit fixes the toner image on the recording medium. The first temperature sensor detects temperature of the recording medium as the recording medium passes through the pre-heating unit. The first heat controller changes an amount of heat energy to be applied to the recording medium per unit area of the recording medium by the pre-heating unit. The first heat controller is controlled based on a detection result of the first temperature sensor. |
| US08170455B2 |
Device and method for correcting misregistration, and image forming apparatus
A misregistration correcting device includes an image forming unit, a sensor, a reading unit, and a determining unit. The image forming unit form a set of misregistration correcting patterns that includes a reference pattern. The sensors start detecting the set when a predetermined time has elapsed after start of image formation for the first set. The reading unit reads positional information of the set upon detection of the set. The determining unit determines timing to start detecting subsequent sets of misregistration correcting patterns based on positional information of the reference pattern in the first set. |
| US08170453B2 |
Developing device having developing roller with sleeve having air permeability and sucking device for sucking air from inside the sleeve and image forming apparatus having the developing device
A sleeve constituting a developing roller of a developing device has a cylindrical body with three layers composed of a base layer having rigidity and formed in a mesh-like shape, a filter layer for blocking toner passage, and a conductive layer to which a developing bias voltage is applied, which are arranged in this order from the inside. When a sucking device sucks from an open end of one end portion of the sleeve, an air flow going from the inside of the developing roller through the open end to outside is generated so that a pressure of the internal space of the developing roller becomes smaller compared with the outside. As the peripheral wall has air permeability in its thickness direction, air flows from the outer circumferential portion of the developing roller through the peripheral wall to the inside of the developing roller. |
| US08170445B2 |
Process cartridge and electrophotographic image forming apparatus
A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a drum unit supporting the drum, a developing unit supporting a developing roller and swingably coupled with the drum unit, drum and developing roller rotating force receiving portions first and second positionable portions positioned at first and second main assembly side positioning portion by contacting to the first main assembly side positioning portions by contacting by the urging force of first and second main assembly side urging members, a developing device spacing force receiving portion, first and second cartridge side rotation regulating portions for limiting rotation of the drum unit by abutting first and second main assembly side rotation regulating portions, when the drum and developing roller rotating force receiving portions receive the rotating forces or when the developing device spacing force receiving portion receives the urging force from the main assembly. |
| US08170440B2 |
Method and apparatus for corotron cleaning management in an image production device
A method and apparatus for corotron cleaning management in an image production device is disclosed. The method may include receiving an input from the corotron cleaning counter, determining if the corotron cleaning counter exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein if it is determined that the corotron cleaning counter exceeds the predetermined threshold, notifying a maintainer that the corotron requires cleaning, determining if corotron cleaning has been performed, wherein if it is determined that corotron cleaning has been performed, resetting the corotron cleaning counter. |
| US08170435B2 |
Belt driving mechanism, fixing device, image forming apparatus using same, and belt position adjustment method used therein
A belt driving mechanism includes an endless belt wound around first and second belt supporters, rotated by a driving source, a pressure member that presses against the first belt supporter via the endless belt, a deviation detector to detect a deviation of the endless belt in its thrust direction, a cam mechanism including a rotary cam shaft extending the thrust direction of the endless belt and a first pressure change member of irregular shape, and a controller to changes a rotational position of the first pressure change member according to a detection result by the deviation detector. The first pressure change member has multiple different lengths of radii between a center portion of the cam shaft and its outer circumference and is attached to the cam shaft to press a first end portion of one of the first belt supporter and the pressure member. |
| US08170434B2 |
Power adapting apparatus with an image forming apparatus and electronic apparatus having the same
Disclosed are embodiments of a power adapting apparatus with an image forming apparatus and an electronic apparatus having the same. The power adapting apparatus includes a DC power generator to receive input AC power and generating DC power, a DC power output terminal to output the DC power, and an AC power output terminal to output the input AC power, wherein the power adapting apparatus is located outside an image forming apparatus receiving the DC power and the AC power respectively output from the DC power output terminal and the AC power output terminal.According to the disclosed power adapting apparatus, the power adapting apparatus, the fusing controller, the protection circuit, the AC-AC transformer, and other extensible circuits can be arranged outside the image forming apparatus, and thus allowing for a reduction in size of the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, it is possible to produce compact printers or multi-function peripherals for SOHO (Small Office Home Office) and personal users, which satisfy consumer's demands. |
| US08170430B2 |
Color image forming apparatus, color image forming method, computer program product
An out-of-color registration table containing a correspondence of amounts of out-of-color registration detected by an out-of-color-registration amount detector and machine states detected by a machine state detector is prepared. The out-of-color registration table is updated when there is a change in the current machine state. |
| US08170428B2 |
Method for interchanging components in a printing apparatus
A method may include the steps of providing a printing assembly that includes a plurality of printing modules that each include a specific toner color, wherein a first printing module is failing and at least one second printing module is functioning; determining a toner use demand for the plurality of printing modules; and swapping the first printing module with the at least one second printing module to facilitate reducing a downtime of the printing apparatus, wherein the first printing module has a toner use demand that is substantially greater than the toner use demand of the at least one second printing module. |
| US08170426B2 |
Image forming system, image forming device and information processing device
Provides is an image forming system, comprising an image forming device and an information processing device connected to the image forming device, further comprising a function-detecting unit detecting that a second function is added to the image forming device having a first function, and a notification unit notifying the user using the first function of the fact that the second function is added when addition thereof is detected by the function-detecting unit. |
| US08170424B2 |
Method and apparatus for optical signal power discrimination
The present invention provides an optical power level discriminating device and method for discriminating optical power levels. The optical discriminating device includes a splitter for receiving an optical signal having first and second signal states, and splitting the received optical signal into a first and a second branch optical signal. A first optical fiber for transporting the first branch optical signal is provided that is made of a material having a high non-linear refractive index providing a different non-linear phase shift to the first and second signal states of the first branch optical signal. A second optical fiber is provided for transporting the second branch optical signal with little or no non-linear effect. The discriminating device also includes a combiner for combining the first branch optical signal and second branch optical signal to produce an output optical signal. The output signal is resulted from a constructive interference between the first signal states of the first and second branch optical signals, and a destructive interference between the second signal states of the first and second branch optical signals. |
| US08170420B2 |
Changing hardware settings based on data preamble
The present invention provides a new and unique method and apparatus for a new data speed switching scheme for a wired data interface. The method features receiving high-speed serial data over a physical link using a first coding scheme in a receiver; receiving a transmission mode change signal transmitted with sequential information about a change in a data transmission mode of the receiver using a second coding scheme and switching the data transmission mode of the receiver in response thereto. The data transmission modes may include at least one low-power mode where no data transmission is possible and the receiver is powered down. The at least one low-power mode may include two different power down states, each having different wake-up times. The data transmission modes may also include at least one high speed mode where data transmission is possible and the receiver is on. The at least one high speed mode may include several high speed modes, each having different data transmission rates. |
| US08170417B2 |
Mechanism to detect an unstable wavelength channel and limit its impact on a ROADM network
A system and method for limiting the impact of an unstable wavelength on other wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) network are disclosed. The method generally comprises measuring optical channel power at prescribed time intervals; for each measurement of channel power falling outside a predefined threshold, recording a threshold crossing event; comparing the recorded threshold crossing events to stored criteria indicative of an unstable wavelength channel; and removing an unstable wavelength from the ROADM network if the threshold crossing events exceed the stored criteria. |
| US08170415B2 |
Physical wiring control device, physical wiring control method, and computer product
An optical power information receiving unit receives optical power information transmitted from a power monitor. When it is judged that a new IT apparatus is connected to an optical switch, an optical switch control unit controls the optical switch to connect the IT apparatus and an optical switch control device. A control device port setting unit changes an IP address of an apparatus information acquiring port based on a control device setting address of an address information storing unit. An apparatus information acquiring unit acquires an IP address of the IT apparatus. |
| US08170410B2 |
Imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus including a strobo assembly capable of controlling a light emitting angle of a strobo. The imaging apparatus includes a case and a strobo assembly mated to the case and that revolves with respect to the case. The strobo assembly includes a light source that emits light; a strobo housing that accommodates the light source; a bush embedded in the strobo housing and that provides a revolution shaft of the strobo assembly; and an elastic member accommodated in the bush and that provides a predetermined elastic force so that the strobo assembly revolves with respect to the case. |
| US08170408B2 |
Optical image stabilization in a digital still camera or handset
An optical image stabilization system for a camera module is disclosed. The stabilization system comprises a voice coil motor (VCM), at least one digital gyroscope for receiving signals from the VCM, and an angular velocity sensor for receiving signals from the digital gyroscope and outputting an angular position error signal. The stabilization system further comprises signal processing logic for receiving the error signal, and comparing the error signal to a reference signal and providing a stabilized image based upon that comparison, wherein the hard-coded logic, digital gyroscope and rate and position sensor resides on the same chip. |
| US08170407B2 |
Housing structure and electronic device
A structure of a housing mounted with a lens unit is provided that is capable of withstanding internal pressure changes and ensures shock-resistance while being waterproof and thin. This structure for a housing includes a lens unit 8 that is mounted in housings 3 and 4, a porous film 11 that is attached to the inner surface toward a ventilation hole 31 formed in the housing 3, an elastic member 9 that is interposed between the lens unit 8 and the porous film 11, and a shock-absorbing member 10 that is interposed between the housings 3 and 4 and the lens unit 8. The elastic member 9 is a lens holder that is interposed between the porous film 11 and a portion of the shock-absorbing member 10, and has a through-hole 91 in an area corresponding to the ventilation hole 31 in the housing 3. |
| US08170405B2 |
Multipurpose cartridge-based liquid dispensing air freshener system
A high-performance, modular, multipurpose, cartridge-based, liquid dispensing air freshener system that uses at least one refillable or disposable liquid filled cartridge. It can also use fixed tanks and dispense pesticides or any other liquid that can be vaporized. This programmable device can use an unlimited number of cartridges to discharge numerous different fragrances of which can be dispensed separately or mixed. A variety of chassis size and shape configurations can be used, such as a micro-sized unit that allows extreme portability so that it can be used in cars, at office desks or easily carried around in a pocket or purse; it can also function as a compact plug-in air freshener. Cartridges can be automatically selected so that the system can dispense a different scent for different time intervals or mix scents. It can be built into an automotive dash panel or designed to fit into a car style stereo slot. |
| US08170403B2 |
Video data reproduction apparatus
A video data reproduction apparatus includes a selecting portion that selects a notification image associated in advance with a prescribed instruction when there is input of the prescribed instruction from a user while video data is being output, a generating portion that generates data for display by superposing specific information regarding a reproduction state of the video data in association with the prescribed instruction on the selected notification image, and a combining portion that combines the data for display generated by the generating portion with the video data. |
| US08170402B2 |
Portable high capacity digital data storage device
A portable data storage device compatible with both standard and high definition digital video cameras is provided. The device includes at least one SDI I/O, and preferably at least one audio I/O and preferably at least one medium speed I/O interface. A device controller takes the high speed serial data, packetizes it, and then sends it out to a plurality of memory modules. Preferably each memory module includes four NAND clusters, each NAND cluster consisting of a flash memory controller and two NAND flash memories. Interposed between the device controller and the memory modules are a plurality of memory controllers, each memory controller controlling a group of memory modules. A user interface is coupled to the device controller, the interface including a display capable of at least two user-selectable orientations, record/playback controls and a four-way directional control pad. |
| US08170401B2 |
Optimizing ad insertion by removing low information frames
Techniques are provided to perform seamless or non-seamless ad insertion using a low-complexity process. Delay is introduced into a transport stream to prevent decoder buffer overflow. Delay buildup in the transport stream is reduced by removing pre-identified redundant or near redundant frames. Pre-identification of frames for removal reduces the processing required at the splice points, while maintaining a minimum overall delay in the transport stream. |
| US08170396B2 |
Changing video playback rate
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to changing video playback rate. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes providing a user interface for a digital video editing system, the user interface including a graphical representation of playback rate and playback duration for a sequence of digital video, and the user interface including defined points that reference respective frames in the sequence of digital video; receiving input specifying a change in playback rate for the sequence of digital video; and showing the change in playback rate and a corresponding change in playback duration for the sequence of digital video, the showing including moving one of the defined points in accordance with a new temporal position of a corresponding frame referenced by the one of the defined points. |
| US08170395B2 |
Methods and systems for handling montage video data
Video data may be extremely useful in online property commerce. However, the current methods of handling this video data fail to provide users of the data with effective and convenient ways of consolidating footage from multiple videos or portions thereof and conveying their particular viewpoints and other property features. Among other things, embodiments of the invention address these failures by providing methods and systems for generating and handling montage video data. |
| US08170394B2 |
Multimedia player displaying operation panel depending on contents
A digital content reproducing apparatus is provided with a plurality of user operation interfaces, e.g., a linear content operation panel and an interactive content operation panel, a data monitor unit monitors information on digital contents, and upon occurrence of a change, the plurality of user operation panels are automatically and exclusively displayed in an operation panel display area. Accordingly, only usable operation keys can be displayed, user operation learning time can be shortened, since the panel rendering area is made small, a mouse motion distance can be shortened, and easy to use can be improved. Further, since the panel rendering area is made small, the image display area can be made relatively large. |
| US08170393B2 |
Digital broadcast reproduction device and digital broadcast recording device
There is disclosed a digital broadcast recording/reproduction device capable of easily searching for an updated data broadcast. In this device, a data broadcast update recording unit (125) receives an event message and a report on a module modification from a data broadcast reproduction unit (111) and, by analyzing the contents reported, it records the updated information and the update time in a data accumulation unit (109). When a whole control unit (122) receives a rewinding request from an input control unit (121), a reproduction control unit (127) is controlled so that the reproduction control unit (127) reproduces a data broadcast from the updated portion recorded in the data accumulation unit (109). |
| US08170392B2 |
Method and apparatus for generation, distribution and display of interactive video content
Proposed is a model for generation and use of metadata for interactive video navigation and video content identification. |
| US08170391B2 |
Fiber optic strain relief assembly
A fiber optic strain relief assembly includes a housing having a first end and an oppositely disposed second end. The housing defines a bore that extends between the first end and the second end. The fiber optic strain relief assembly further includes a strain relief plate disposed in the bore of the housing. The strain relief plate includes a retention portion that is adapted to receive a strength member of a fiber optic cable. The retention portion includes a plurality of gripping tabs adapted to engage an outer surface of the strength member. |
| US08170387B2 |
Laser based frequency standards and their applications
Frequency standards based on mode-locked fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers and fiber-based ultra-broad bandwidth light sources, and applications of the same. |
| US08170384B1 |
Hybrid photonic signal processing modules
Methods, systems, apparatus and devices for a variable fiber optic delay line that includes an electro-optic modulator for receiving and modulating an input signal, a switchless discrete long time delay module for injecting a long time delay into the modulated signal to produce a long delayed signal, and a switchless analog variable short delay module injecting a variable short time delay into the long delayed signal for a delayed output signal having a delay approximately equal to the long plus the short time delay. The module may also include non-dispersive single mode fibers for transmission between components and a circulator coupled for routing the input signal to the discrete long time delay module and routing the first delayed output signal to the analog variable short delay module. The VFODL can be used for Radio Frequency, digital electrical signals requiring time delay and amplitude processing or optical signal processing. |
| US08170380B1 |
Method and apparatus for importing, exporting and determining an initial state for files having multiple layers
A method, apparatus and computer program product for importing, exporting and determining an initial state for files having multiple layers is presented. A file having a plurality of layers is imported, the file in a first format and wherein each layer of the plurality of layers includes a first state of the layer and a second state of the layer. One of the first state of the layer and the second state of the layer are displayed for each of the plurality of layers. A swapping is permitted between the first state of the layer and the second state of the layer. One of the first state of the layer and the second state of the layer are then committed. The file may be exported in a format different than the first format. |
| US08170379B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image retrieval method
A plurality of feature points are extracted from an inputted image, and a feature amount is computed with regard to the feature point thus extracted. A prescribed plurality of alterations, i.e., a rotation, an enlargement, or a reduction, are applied to the inputted image, a plurality of altered feature amounts are estimated with regard to the feature point, and an image is retrieved from among stored images that are stored upon a storage apparatus and that is most similar to the inputted image, in accordance with the plurality of the estimated altered feature amounts. |
| US08170377B2 |
Image processing apparatus, control method of image processing apparatus, program, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus includes an interpolation unit (205, S708) which interpolates, based on the result of forming an image when executing calibration and the result of forming an image after executing calibration, the fluctuation amount of the image quality of each of image forming devices capable of outputting image data, a calculation unit (205, S710) which calculates, for each of the image forming devices on the basis of the interpolation result, the fluctuation amount of the image quality for image data to be output, a determination unit (205, S711) which determines the priority order of the image forming devices as output destinations of the image data on the basis of calculation results, and a display unit (205, S712) which displays a list of image forming devices selectable from the image forming devices in accordance with the determined priority order. |
| US08170374B2 |
Image reconstruction method
An image reconstruction method includes: fetching at least two images; calculating a relative displacement between those adjacent images by utilizing a phase correlation algorithm; calculating an absolute displacement between any one of those images and the first image of those images; and computing a common area of those images by utilizing the relative displacement and the absolute displacement, then deleting remainder portions of the image excluding the common area; determining a rotation centers of those images; and reconstructing three-dimensional data of those images. In the present invention, the phase correlation algorithm can be utilized to process numerous noise signals so as to get a higher precision of the image reconstruction. |
| US08170371B2 |
Method of image pre-analyzing of a machine-readable form of non-fixed layout
A method for pre-recognition processing of forms with non-fixed fields. One or more objects that are present on a form can be reliably identified after conversion of the form into an electronic state. Objects are preliminarily assigned to act as reference points for spatial binding of data input fields or groups thereof. In the case of a text object as a reference point, text recognition is additionally performed. The spatial location of a reference point may be not fixed. A reference point may be described as alternative. Field identification may be performed either automatically or manually. |
| US08170368B2 |
Correcting device and method for perspective transformed document images
This invention provides a correcting device and a correcting method for perspective transformation of document images. The correcting device comprises a horizontal vanishing point determining unit, for detecting a horizontal vanishing point of the perspective transformed document image; a vertical vanishing point determining unit, for detecting a vertical vanishing point of the perspective transformed document image; and a perspective transformation correcting and converting unit, for correcting the perspective transformed document image; wherein the horizontal vanishing point determining unit comprises a direct horizontal line segment detecting unit, an indirect horizontal line segment detecting unit and a horizontal vanishing point detecting unit, and wherein the horizontal vanishing point detecting unit detects a horizontal vanishing point in accordance with a direct horizontal line segment detected by the direct horizontal line segment detecting unit and an indirect horizontal line segment detected by the indirect horizontal line segment detecting unit. |
| US08170367B2 |
Representing flat designs to be printed on curves of a 3-dimensional product
A design image is transformed into a projection design image comprising the design image as it will appear when projected onto a physical 3-dimensional (3-D) curved object. In an embodiment, pixels of the design image are mapped into corresponding mapped pixels in a projection design image according to how the design image will appear in a flattened image of the design projected or printed onto the object having 3-dimension curves. The projection design image may be combined with a product image of the object having 3-dimension curves to generate a customized product image of the object having 3-dimension curves incorporating the design image. The customized product image is displayed to a user when customizing a product with a design to ensure that the user understands how the physical product will appear when the design is printed or projected onto the physical product. |
| US08170366B2 |
Image processing using optically transformed light
Processing image information includes receiving light having image information. A first optical transform is performed on the light to yield a first optically transformed light, and a second optical transform is performed on the light to yield a second optically transformed light. A first metric is generated in accordance with the first optically transformed light, and a second metric is generated in accordance with the second optically transformed light. The first metric and the second metric are processed to yield a processed metric. An inverse optical transform is performed on the processed metric to process the image information of the light. |
| US08170365B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and computer readable medium
An image processing device includes, a pixel information output section that reads an image along a predetermined direction and outputs saturation information and lightness information, a dust pixel extraction section that extracts dust pixels that are candidates for pixels expressing dust existing in the predetermined direction, a lightness-changed pixel extraction section that extracts lightness-changed pixels, a correction object pixel extraction section that, from among the dust pixels extracted by the dust pixel extraction section, extracts, as pixels that are objects of correction, dust pixels that have not been extracted as lightness-changed pixels and dust pixels in whose vicinities lightness-changed pixels do not exist, a correction section that corrects both of the information of the pixels, using both of the information of neighboring pixels of the pixels, and an image information output section that outputs image information that includes information expressing pixels corrected by the correction section. |
| US08170362B2 |
Edge-enhancement device and edge-enhancement method
An edge-enhancement device for subjecting input image data to edge enhancement so as to generate output image data has an edge-component generator, a weighting processor, and an addition processor. The input image data is obtained from a frame image having a plurality of pixels, and the input image data contains luminance data. The edge-component generator generates an edge component of the input image data. The weighting processor applies a weight according to the value of the luminance data of each pixel to a calculated edge component of each pixel so as to generate a weighted edge component for each pixel. The addition processor adds the weighted edge component of each pixel to the input image data of the pixel so as to generate the output image data. |
| US08170361B2 |
Video window detector
The invention provides for automatically identifying the location of a displayed video window based upon a characterization of selected portions of the image for realness based upon a distribution of luminance values for the selected portions. The image is then searched mathematically for a large rectangle of realness, and if found, a similar operation is performed in a smaller rectangle around each of the edges of the large rectangle, in turn, zooming in to a resolution of one pixel, thus identifying the position of the edge. This process can be repeated as often as necessary in order to maintain a fix on the edges of the video window. |
| US08170360B2 |
Method and system for enhancing images using multi-resolution histogram shaping
A method for enhancing an image is provided. The method generates a plurality of Gaussian images from the image, and generates a first plurality of Laplacian images from the generated Gaussian images, the plurality of Laplacian images constituting a Laplacian pyramid of images. The method generates a histogram for each of the plurality of Laplacian images, and shapes each of the generated histograms using a predetermined probability density function to produce a second plurality of Laplacian images. The method further combines iteratively each of the second Laplacian images with each of the plurality of Gaussian images expanded at each iteration to generate an enhanced image. |
| US08170358B2 |
Image processing method
An image processing method is provided. The image processing method includes obtaining a least significant bit (LSB) associated with a pixel block. Further, two bits are reduced from a bit number of each of the pixels of the pixel block. Thereafter whether to carry the pixel or not is determined according to the LSB. When the LSB is 01 or 11, the carry manners of each pixel of the pixel block in two consecutive frames are asymmetric one to another. Further, under the conditions of when the LSB is 01 and 11, respectively, the carry manners of the pixels of the pixel block mutually compensate. Therefore, the display performance of a display is improved. |
| US08170356B2 |
Linear temporal reference scheme having non-reference predictive frames
The method, system, and apparatus of linear temporal reference scheme having non-reference predictive frames is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a temporal reference scheme includes creating a non-reference predictive frame and a reference predictive frame from a reference frame, increasing a quantization factor of the non-reference predictive frame by a threshold value, and decreasing the quantization factor of the reference predictive frame by the threshold value. The method may include toggling between the temporal reference scheme and another temporal reference scheme in which there may be no non-reference predictive frames and only reference predictive frames based on a scenario. The method may also include calculating a target bit rate across a communication channel through a bit rate calculation algorithm that considers a bandwidth capacity across the communication channel. |
| US08170350B2 |
Foreground/background segmentation in digital images
An analysis and classification tool compares at least a portion of a captured image and a reference image of nominally the same scene. One of the captured and reference images is taken with flash and the other is taken without flash. The tool provides a measure of the difference in illumination between the captured image and the reference image. The tool compares the measure with a threshold and segments a foreground region from a background region based on the measure. |
| US08170345B2 |
Imaging system, image processing method, and image processing program
A favorable noise reduction process that is optimized for capturing conditions and that prevents the occurrence of residual image components is enabled. Provided is an imaging system including: a first extraction section that extracts a local region that includes a pixel of interest from an image signal; a second extraction section that extracts, from another image signal captured at a different time, a local region located at almost the same position as said local region; a first noise reduction section that performs a noise reduction process by using the local regions; a noise estimation section that estimates an amount of noise included in the pixel of interest; a residual image detection section that detects a residual image component included in the local region based on the estimated amount of noise; and a second noise reduction section that performs a noise reduction process based on the detected residual image component. |
| US08170337B2 |
Video processing apparatus and video processing method
According to one embodiment, a video processing apparatus includes a histogram generator, a tone curve generator, a blend parameter generator, and a blending module. The histogram generator generates a histogram based on a luminance level of a pixel of a video signal. The tone curve generator generates a first tone curve which controls a luminance value of the video signal based on the histogram. The blend parameter generator generates a blend parameter for blending the first tone curve and a prescribed tone curve, based on the histogram. The blending module blends the first tone curve and the prescribed tone curve based on the blend parameter to generate a second tone curve. |
| US08170336B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, image processing method and computer-readable recording medium
An average value calculating section calculates, for respective color components, an average value of pixel values within a pixel block, to define the calculated average values as a pixel value of a pixel of interest. A histogram generating section obtains, for respective pixels of interest, a maximum value of the average values among the color components and a maximum difference in the average values among the color components, and generates histograms respectively for the maximum value and the maximum difference in which histograms a number of pixels for a density bin is considered as a frequency-of-occurrence value. A determination section obtains numbers of density bins that correspond to a frequency-of-occurrence value greater than or equal to a predetermined frequency-of-occurrence value in the histograms, and determines that data of image is of a blank page image when both of the numbers of density bins are a bin threshold or less. |
| US08170335B2 |
Image processing systems employing image compression and accelerated decompression
A system for processing an image includes a non-transitory memory component storing a set of executable instructions, and a scalable tile processing device. The executable instructions cause the system to receive image data, partition the image data into tiles, transmit a tile to the scalable tile processing device, receive an encoded bit stream corresponding to the transmitted tile from the tile processing device, output compressed image data including the encoded bit stream, receive the compressed image data, decode the compressed image data to generate a plurality of decoded code blocks, and output decompressed image data including the plurality of decoded code blocks. The scalable tile processing device receives the tile including tile image data, wavelet transforms, quantizes, segments, and encodes the tile image data to generate a plurality of encoded code blocks, and transmits an encoded bit stream including the plurality of encoded code blocks to the system. |
| US08170334B2 |
Image processing systems employing image compression and accelerated image decompression
A system for processing an image includes a non-transitory memory component storing a set of executable instructions, and a scalable tile processing device. The executable instructions cause the system to receive image data, partition the image data into tiles, transmit a tile to the scalable tile processing device, receive an encoded bit stream corresponding to the transmitted tile from the tile processing device, output compressed image data including the encoded bit stream, receive the compressed image data, decode the compressed image data to generate a plurality of decoded code blocks, and output decompressed image data including the plurality of decoded code blocks. The scalable tile processing device receives the tile including tile image data, wavelet transforms, quantizes, segments, and encodes the tile image data to generate a plurality of encoded code blocks, and transmits an encoded bit stream including the plurality of encoded code blocks to the system. |
| US08170327B2 |
Method for (semi-) automatic dental implant planning
A method and system for (semi-) automatic dental implant planning (A) is described including (a) means for creating 3D models of a tooth setup (b) and/or means for creating 3D models of parts of the jaw, (c) means for detecting zones in the jaw where implants can (or optionally cannot be placed), (d) means for detecting restorative elements in the tooth setup, (e) means for determining candidate implant dimensions, positions, orientations and configurations, (f) means for obtaining implant plans, (g) means for comparing implant plans to each other or to given criteria, (h) means for selecting or improving an implant plan. |
| US08170324B2 |
Apparatus and method for vision processing on network based intelligent service robot system and the system using the same
There are provided an apparatus and method for vision processing on a network based intelligent service robot system and a system using the same. A robot can move to a target object, avoiding obstacles without helps of a robot server interfaced with a robot terminal over network, by extracting/processing three-dimensional distance information of external objects, using a stereo camera, a low price image processing dedicated chip and an embedded processor. Therefore, the intelligent robot can travel and move using only a stereo camera image processing without other sensors, and further provides users with various functional services with low expense. |
| US08170322B2 |
Optical imaging system and method using a reflective background
A system for obtaining an image of an object using an optical imager having an illumination source that is positioned on one side of the object to be imaged and a reflective background positioned on the other side of the object. The imaging system may be implemented in an assembly line or sample processor by using at least one imager and a reflective background positioned behind the samples moving along the assembly or process line. The imager is programmed to decode barcode information and to identify objects in the image using pattern matching techniques. |