| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08219692B2 |
Method and apparatus for storing and restoring state information of remote user interface
An apparatus and method are provided for restoring a remote user interface (RUI) in a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) environment. In the method, a client receiving an RUI from a server, requests that the state information of the RUI be saved. The method includes obtaining state information generated when the RUI is used, and requesting that the obtained state information be saved. Accordingly, it is possible to apply a method of storing and restoring state information of a remote user interface, in a UPnP environment, to an HTTP-based remote protocol model having stateless characteristics which do not allow state information of a remote user interface to be stored. |
| US08219690B2 |
Recording medium that stores internet-protocol (IP) address assignment control program, IP address assignment control apparatus, and IP address assignment control method
An internet-protocol address assignment control apparatus obtains, via an interface provided in a first communication device, a first unique number for a first interface provided in a server apparatus connected to the interface provided in the first communication device and a second unique number for a second interface provided in the server apparatus connected to an interface provided in a second communication device. The apparatus stores, in a storage, the obtained second unique number for the second interface provided in the server apparatus on a basis of the first unique number for the first interface provided in the server apparatus. |
| US08219688B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for service selection, and client application server
A service selection method, apparatus and system, as well as a client application server are provided. The method includes: obtaining meta information according to contents specified by a client; requesting to query services matched with the meta information to obtain a service list including service identifications of the services matched with the meta information; converting the service list into a format recognizable by the client and providing the converted service list to the client; obtaining a corresponding service identification according to acknowledgement information from the client; requesting interface and address information of a service server corresponding to the corresponding service identification, and providing the interface and address information to the client. In this way, services capable of processing current contents may be found according the contents, and an appropriate service may be selected among the services. |
| US08219683B2 |
Enabling creation of converged internet protocol multimedia subsystem services by third-party application developers using session initiation protocol support
A plurality of pure operator type rules are instantiated within a domain of a telecommunications operator and a plurality of pure application type rules are instantiated within a domain of a third party telecommunications application provider. The plurality of pure operator type rules and the plurality of pure application type rules are associated with a composite service. A plurality of network components are established to transmit given events of a plurality of protocol-level events to at least one of the domain of the telecommunications operator and the domain of the third party telecommunications application provider. The composite service is deployed in an execution engine of the third party telecommunications application provider. |
| US08219678B2 |
Application verification for hosted services
In a client-server environment providing hosted services, an application service server receives from a client a first request for hosted services associated with a user-specified domain name. If the server does not provide hosted services for that domain name, the server designates the first request as pending and provides a limited set of the hosted services in association with the first request. The server provides a complete set of the hosted services requested in the first request if it can be established that a first user associated with the first request has appropriate authority to make administrative changes for the network domain designated by the domain-name. In some embodiments, the server denies the first request and cancels the limited services if it is not shown within a predetermined period of time that the first user has the appropriate authority. |
| US08219677B2 |
Method and apparatus for inspecting the properties of a computer
The invention disclosed herein enables a collection of computers and associated communications infrastructure to offer a new communications process which allows information providers to broadcast information to a population of information consumers. The information may be targeted to those consumers who have a precisely formulated need for the information. This targeting may be based on information which is inaccessible to other communications protocols. The targeting also includes a time element. Information can be brought to the attention of the consumer precisely when it has become applicable, which may occur immediately upon receipt of the message, but may also occur long after the message arrives. The communications process may operate without intruding on consumers who do not exhibit the precisely-specified need for the information, and it may operate without compromising the security or privacy of the consumers who participate. |
| US08219676B2 |
Systems and methods for web logging of trace data in a multi-core system
A method and system for generating a web log that includes transaction entries from transaction queues of one or more cores of a multi-core system. A transaction queue is maintained for each core so that either a packet engine or web logging client executing on the core can write transaction entries to the transaction queue. In some embodiments, a timestamp value obtained from a synchronized timestamp variable can be assigned to the transaction entries. When a new transaction entry is added to the transaction queue, the earliest transaction entry is removed from the transaction queue and added to a heap. Periodically the earliest entry in the heap is removed from the heap and written to a web log. When an entry is removed from the heap, the earliest entry in a transaction queue corresponding to the removed entry is removed from the transaction queue and added to the heap. |
| US08219665B2 |
Method and system for discovery via tribal knowledge
The invention provides one or more modules that may be used to automatically configure a computing device to communicate over a network. When a polling computer is connected to a network, it monitors network traffic to determine the protocols being used on the network. These protocols are then installed and loaded onto the polling computer. The polling computer may find voting computers on the network and send queries to the voting computers to discover network information such as network settings and network resources. The polling computer stores the results in a data structure, which may be sorted and is searchable to find the most popular network settings and resources used on the network. Network settings and resources may be automatically applied to the polling computer or the user may be provided with a user interface allowing the user to select particular settings and/or resources. |
| US08219662B2 |
Redirecting data generated by network devices
A system and method for efficiently and easily capturing data dumps generated by a network device is disclosed. In one embodiment, a storage management device is disposed between a network device and a storage device. The network device is programmed with a virtual address that is associated with the storage management device. Upon generating a data dump, the network device writes the data dump to the virtual address where the storage management device receives the data dump and redirects it to a long-term storage location. Additionally, the storage management device can generate a record of each data dump that indicates the network device that generated the data dump and where the data dump was stored. |
| US08219659B2 |
Systems for distributing data over a computer network and methods for arranging nodes for distribution of data over a computer network
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a super-node formed from a plurality of nodes in a binary tree topology network. The super-node includes a multitasking computing system having a memory, and nodes running the computing system. Each of the nodes are adapted to be docked downtree of and with another node, and are adapted to be docked uptree of and with two other nodes. A first node in the plurality of nodes is docked downtree of and with a parent node running on a first separate computing system. Each node of the plurality of nodes except the first node is docked downtree of and with another one of the plurality of nodes. In this manner, a super-node is formed having more than two sockets available for connection with nodes not running on the multitasking computing system. |
| US08219652B2 |
Client application installer
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for installing client application. In one aspect, a method includes receiving user identification data at the client device, determining a client application configuration based on the user identification data, and configure a client application on the client device according to the specified client application configuration. |
| US08219651B2 |
Incentive network for distributing incentives on a network-wide basis and for permitting user access to individual incentives from a plurality of network servers
An incentive network equipped with methods for distributing incentives on a network-wide basis and for permitting user access to individual incentives from any network server. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method performed by a server for accessing incentives in an network, comprises steps of receiving an access request from a device associated with a user and connected to the network, transmitting identifying information corresponding to the access request to a host, receiving incentive information from the host reflecting available incentives corresponding to the identifying information, and transmitting a network document, including the incentive information, to the device associated with the user in response to the access request. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for accessing incentives in an network, comprises transmitting an access request to access a server in the network, receiving a subscriber request for a subscriber ID associated with the access request, transmitting the subscriber ID to the server, and receiving in response to the access request incentive information reflecting available incentives corresponding to the subscriber ID, wherein the server provides the subscriber ID to a host that selects and transmits the incentive information to the server. |
| US08219649B2 |
Automated deployment of change and configuration management software tools
A system and method for automatically deploying a change and configuration management software tool to a web application server includes launching a configurable wizard application programmed to solicit data from a user. The user is queried regarding a desired web application server and database connectivity authentication parameters. A location on the user's system of the desired web application server's installation package is identified. The user's input is integrated with the selected web application server. The change and configuration management software tool is automatically deployed to the desired web application server. |
| US08219648B2 |
Generalized credential and protocol management of infrastructure
To provide a more cost effective way to manage the infrastructure while addressing the security needs of a computerized data center, a technique for credential and protocol independent management of infrastructure in a computerized data processing system is provided. More cost effective and secure management is obtained through modified workflows used in the operational management of the computer data processing system. A workflow is first parsed to locate device specific operation requests. Such specifications are then replaced with logical equivalents. The resulting workflow is neutral with respect to both credentials and protocol. Prior to execution, the modified workflow is combined with information retrieved from a resource or by an administrator that further resolves the workflow to a specific target object or plurality of target objects. Security is enhanced through granular administration of user ID and password combinations which may be maintained separate from the workflows in which they are used. |
| US08219645B2 |
Content delivery network cache grouping
One or more content delivery networks (CDNs) that deliver content objects for others is disclosed. Content is propagated to edge servers through hosting and/or caching. End user computers are directed to an edge server for delivery of a requested content object by a universal resource indicator (URI). When a particular edge server does not have a copy of the content object from the URI, information is passed to another server, the ancestor or parent server to find the content object. There can be different parents servers designated for different URIs. The parent server looks for the content object and if not found, will go to another server, the grandparent server, and so on up a hierarchy within the group. Eventually, the topmost server in the hierarchy goes to the origin server to find the content object. The origin server may be hosted in the CDN or at a content provider across the Internet. Once the content object is located in the hierarchical chain, the content object is passed back down the chain to the edge server for delivery. Optionally, the various servers in the chain may cache or host the content object as it is relayed. |
| US08219641B2 |
Automated data delivery systems
The Automated Data Delivery Systems (ADDS) are two delivery systems designed to either deliver specific data to customer computers over a network, e.g., the Internet, or from one application program to another. In both cases the user computer requesting data delivery can either have a special automatic data reception capability or receive the data without screening. In particular, ADDS are systems that allows a data delivery services to be offered on the Internet or an Intranet between two sites or offered between an Internet site and a User Computer. In addition the ADDS invention includes a modification to existing or future application programs that allow the program to deliver specified data, in the format specified by the user, to the location specified by the user, and at a schedule specified by the user. In the case of Internet delivery the Website might charge a specified price for the delivery service. |
| US08219638B2 |
Editing information configured for use in selecting content regarding at least one content provider
A computer-implemented method for controlling content distribution includes forwarding information associated with a user to a device operated by the user, the information being configured for use in selecting content from any of multiple content providers for a content distribution to the user. The method includes receiving, in response to the information, an edit of the information forwarded from the device. The edit identifies a first content provider and including a first modification of the content distribution regarding the first content provider. The method includes storing the edit in association with the information such that the first modification is taken into account in the content distribution. The method can be implemented using a computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium. |
| US08219636B2 |
Networked media recording
A receiving module selectively receives a stream of digital data from a recording device via a network. A data store selectively stores the digital data. A streaming module that selectively streams the stored digital data to a network device via the network. |
| US08219635B2 |
Continuous data feeding in a distributed environment
Techniques for transporting data in a distributed environment are described. In a media system in which boxes are configured to supply each other needed data, stabilities of data transportation among the boxes are important. According to one aspect of the techniques, when one or more supplying boxes are identified to supply respective data portions to an ordering box, each communication session between the ordering box and one of the supplying boxes is constantly monitored. If the data is not transported correctly, a backup session by a backup box is activated to replace the session in which the data is not transported correctly. Without affecting the number of available boxes that may be designated to supply data to other ordering boxes, in one embodiment, one box is used to backup multiple boxes. |
| US08219634B2 |
Information distribution system, and information distribution method
Information distribution systems and information distribution methods are provided. In an information distribution system, header files of contents in accordance with a preference of a user of a data terminal are automatically selected, in advance, from a content distribution apparatus and are transmitted to the data terminal, so that probabilities that the header files of the contents have been already stored are very high when the user downloads the content of the body data. If the number of header files to be stored is more than a predetermined number, the most of the header files with respect to the contents of the body data to be downloaded will be in the data terminal. Therefore, on performing a downloading operation, the header files can be played immediately, then subsequently, the downloaded content of the body data are played, whereby the user can appreciate the content which the user desires to view and listen to without waiting time. |
| US08219629B2 |
Marking email as partially reviewed based on scrolling extent
An extent to which a user has reviewed an email is estimated, and a review value is assigned to the email based upon the estimated extent of review. A visual indicator associated with the email is displayed, wherein the appearance of the visual indicator is determined at least by the review value. In an exemplary embodiment, the email contains one or more recipient email addresses, wherein each recipient email address is associated with a recipient review value. In the exemplary embodiment, a visual indicator is displayed corresponding to the recipient review value associated with each recipient email address. |
| US08219626B2 |
Body-less email for asynchronous chat-like communications and email-chat integration
A system and method integrate synchronous electronic (e.g., chat) communications with asynchronous electronic communications in the form of body-less electronic mail messages (emails). Body-less emails have a subject line but lack a message body capable of receiving message content. When converting a synchronous electronic communication into a body-less email, a processor places each text message of the synchronous electronic communication into the subject line of the body-less email. When converting a received body-less email into a synchronous electronic communication, the processor places each text message in the subject line of the body-less email into a chat format. A user can readily transition between asynchronous and synchronous communications. |
| US08219624B2 |
System, method, and apparatus for electronic communication initiation contingent on busyness
An apparatus, system, and method for electronic communication initiation contingent on busyness. The method includes receiving a request from a requester to contact a user. The requested contact includes a request to engage in electronic communication. The method also includes determining a busyness of the user. The busyness is determined by accessing a quantity of active contact related tasks for the user. The method also includes comparing the busyness of the user to a condition. The condition is a complex condition having threshold levels for a plurality of contact related tasks. The method also includes contacting the user in response to satisfaction of the condition. |
| US08219623B2 |
Email transport rule per-recipient condition
A schema for a rule transport engine to be applied to an email having multiple recipients. The schema defines a rule which executes one or more specific actions for a particular recipient or a particular group of recipients receiving a message instance of a bifurcated message when the message meets certain conditions. |
| US08219622B2 |
Systems and methods for providing extended peering
A system includes at least one network device that allows users to establish peering connections between ports in different geographic locations via web-based interfaces. |
| US08219618B2 |
Information communication system, information communication method, and recording medium having information communication program stored thereon
An information communication system for exchanging a plurality of contents between a plurality of node devices, includes a plurality of internal networks connected to an external network. The internal networks include: node devices that connects the same internal network; and a support device, which connects the internal network, and which supports acquisition of contents by the node devices. An internal overlay network is constructed for each of the internal networks. An external overlay network is constructed on the external network. Each of the node devices includes a first acquisition unit that acquires contents from a first internal overlay network, which is an access destination of the first acquisition unit. If it is unable to acquire the contents from the first internal overlay network, the first acquisition unit acquires contents from one of the support devices through a first support device, which is a support device connecting the first internal network. |
| US08219617B2 |
Game system, game terminal therefor, and server device therefor
The present invention provides a game system 100, a game terminal 10, and a server device 40. Game system 100 allows players to play a game in a unit of a group constituting one game terminal 10 that has been selected as a parent node and game terminals 10 that have been selected as child nodes. The parent node is capable of communicating with each node, and each child node is capable of communicating with the parent node. The selection of the parent node is performed by server device 40. A parent node is selected based on bandwidth notified from each game terminal 10. |
| US08219615B2 |
Instantaneous symbol lookup
A computer program assists in the completion of text input provided by a user. For example, the computer program may maintain a list of n-tuples (where n>1), each of which includes n text strings. For example, each n-tuple may include a stock ticker symbol and the name of a company having that stock ticker symbol. As the user types each character, the program determines whether the text typed by the user so far matches any of the text strings in the n-tuples. The program provides the user with an indication of whether any matches have been found, such as by displaying a list of the n-tuples having text matching the text typed by the user so far. The program then allows the user to select one of the matching n-tuples. The program uses text (such as a stock ticker symbol) from the user's selection to complete the text input. |
| US08219614B2 |
Edge peer device, pan gateway device, super peer device, and P2P network-based interconnection method
An edge peer device, includes a first peer device connection management unit for allowing the edge peer device to participate in a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, and establishing a pipe connection to other edge peer device or the PAN gateway device to transmit or receive contents; a first peer device authentication unit for performing authentication of the edge peer device and PAN gateway device; and a first advertisement management unit for generating and storing advertisements and indexing the generated advertisements to transmit the indexed advertisements to the super peer device. Further, the edge peer device includes a first PAN device management unit for requesting and receiving a list of PAN devices from the PAN gateway device to manage the PAN device list; a first PAN service management unit for managing and providing services included in the PAN device list; and a first P2P communication unit for performing P2P communication with the super peer device and other peer devices. |
| US08219613B2 |
System and method for associating a client identity between servers
A client identity is associated between servers by establishing an identity for the client at a first sever, storing information about the client at the first server, identifying the client at a second server using a second ID transmitted by the client to the second server, linking the first ID and the second ID, and associating the information about the client with the second ID. |
| US08219612B2 |
Method for managing data transmission between peers according to levels of priority of transmitted and received data and associated management device
A method dedicated to the management of data transmission in peer to peer mode between peers that can connect to a communication network, each transmission being carried out by a peer, following the reception of a request from another peer, according to a selected reciprocity mechanism. When a peer wants to receive from another peer N blocks of data according to a first priority level Xk selected in a set of at least two different priority levels, in assigning to this peer an exchange value equivalent to a number M of blocks of data to be transmitted to at least one other peer according to a second priority level Xk′ selected in this set, M being equal to N*mkk′, where mkk′ is a predetermined value function of the first Xk and second Xk′ selected priority levels. |
| US08219611B2 |
Systems and methods for providing a complete view of large computing networks
The management tool can determine and store all information that is relevant to the computing systems in the network. The management tool can generate and provide reports that are customizable by a requester. The management tool can receive a request to generate a report which specifies the information relevant to the computing systems to be included in the report. The management tool can search the stored information and generate the report with the stored information that matches the request. The reports can include network topology maps based on the request and geographic maps based on the request. |
| US08219603B2 |
Waveform correction apparatus and waveform correction method
This disclosure concerns a waveform corrector comprising a first portion calculating an offset value of an intermediate value between a maximum value and a minimum value of a signal with respect to a reference value; a second portion calculating an actual amplitude of the signal by subtracting the offset value from the maximum value or the minimum value; a third portion generating a first correction signal by subtracting the offset value from the digital signal; a fourth portion subtracting a value obtained by shifting a figure of the actual amplitude from the actual amplitude so that the actual amplitude converges into a reference amplitude; and a fifth portion subtracting a value obtained by shifting the first correction signal by an amount identical to a shift amount of the actual amplitude from the first correction signal so that the first correction signal converges into a second correction signal. |
| US08219593B2 |
System and method for measuring the quality of document sets
Systems and methods are described that calculate the interestingness of a set of one or more records in a database, either absolutely (i.e., compared to an overall collection of records) or relative to some other set of records. In one embodiment, the measure is a relative entropy value that has been normalized. Various applications of the measure are described in the context of an information retrieval system. These applications include, for example, guiding query interpretation, guiding view selection and summarization, intelligent ranges, event detection, concept triggers and interpreting user actions, hierarchy discovery, and adaptive data mining. |
| US08219591B2 |
Graph query adaptation
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with graph query adaptation are described. One example method includes generating an adapted topological query from a base topological query. The adapted topological query may be generated upon detecting a pre-specified sub-graph in the base topological query. The example method may also include executing the adapted topological query on a stored graph to generate a query result. |
| US08219590B2 |
Media validation system
A media validation system including a plurality of media storage devices which contain a quantity of content thereon, a user computer processor assembly structured to operatively access a select media storage device, a verification module, and a communicative link between the verification module and the user computer processor assembly. Each of the media storage devices includes a unique unit identifier, the verification module identifying the unique unit identifier of the select media storage device and receiving user information associated therewith. The verification module is also structured to apply a reward credit in association with only a first user whose user information is associated with the unique unit identifier for the select media storage device. |
| US08219589B2 |
Method for communicating data in xDSL using data retransmission
In one embodiment, a method for communicating data is provided. The method includes, defining a data transmission unit (DTU) to be sent in an xDSL data stream, defining a retransmit container as a time slot that corresponds to the DTU, maintaining a copy of the DTU and an index corresponding to the retransmit container in a retransmission buffer, transmitting the DTU in the xDSL data stream, determining whether the DTU should be retransmitted, and if the DTU should be retransmitted: identifying the DTU by the retransmit container and retransmitting a copy of the DTU as identified by the retransmit container before the DTU leaves the retransmission buffer. |
| US08219587B2 |
Method for searching a tree structure
A method, apparatus, and computer readable article of manufacture for tracing, on the basis of a key, an index created using a tree structure to access data. The method includes: searching the tree structure to reach a target node that can be associated with the key without acquiring a lock on the root node and on an internal node; setting the target node as a current node when the target node is a leaf node; moving the search to a node at a lower layer when the target node is an internal node by tracing an edge in the tree structure to reach a leaf node and setting the leaf node as the current node; and associating the key with the leaf node specified as the current node by acquiring a lock on the leaf node specified as the current node, thereby accessing the data. |
| US08219583B2 |
Methods and systems for mining websites
Mining of websites that in one embodiment includes obtaining web usage data of user sessions of a website, wherein the website has a hierarchical structure with granular levels and has mapping from each webpage of the website into the hierarchical structure, mapping the user sessions to the hierarchical structure of the website resulting in hierarchical user sessions, initiating an edit distance metrics to determine similarity in the hierarchical user sessions, and clustering similar hierarchical user sessions into groups. |
| US08219582B2 |
System, method, and computer readable media for identifying a user-initiated log file record in a log file
A system, a method, and a computer readable media for identifying a user-initiated log file record in a log file are provided. The log file has a user-initiated log file record and a repeating pattern of log file records automatically generated by a software program. The system allows a user to identify first and second timestamp values corresponding to first and second times which identify a time interval of interest in the log file. The system further analyzes the log file to identify the user-initiated log file record having a timestamp value between the first and second timestamp values. The system further identifies the repeating pattern of log file records in the log file. |
| US08219581B2 |
Method and system for analyzing ordered data using pattern matching in a relational database
Several methods and a system for analyzing ordered data using pattern matching over an indefinitely long ordered sequence of rows in a relational database are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a server includes receiving an ordered data in a relational database. The method further includes matching a pattern specified in a query on ordered data in a relational database in a single pass in constant space for overlapping mode of results. The method also includes creating an output data in the single pass in constant space for overlapping mode of results based on the matching of the ordered data with the pattern in the relational database query. |
| US08219577B2 |
Apparatus and method product for presenting recommended information
A recommended information presentation apparatus, including a display unit which displays text data, an extraction unit which extracts keyword candidates from the text data, a storage unit which stores semantic attributes of the keyword candidates, semantic attribute rules which contain scoring criteria for semantic attributes, descriptive phrases describing the keyword candidates and descriptive phrase rules which contain scoring criteria for descriptive phrases. The scores of the keyword candidates are calculated by a selection unit based on the semantic attribute rules and descriptive phrase rules and the highest scoring keyword candidates are selected as keywords. The selected keyword is used to search an information database by a search unit which also receives the search results which are displayed on the display unit by a control unit as recommended information with regards to the text information. |
| US08219574B2 |
Querying compressed time-series signals
A system described herein includes a receiver component that receives a query that pertains to a raw time-series signal. A query executor component selectively executes the query over at least one of multiple available compressed representations of the raw time-series signal, wherein the query pertains to at least one of one of determining a trend pertaining to the raw time-series signal, generating a histogram pertaining to the raw time-series signal, or determining a correlation pertaining to the raw time-series signal. |
| US08219570B2 |
System and method for the automatic generation of a query to a DICOM server
A system and method for automatically generating a query to a DICOM server are disclosed. The system comprises patient identification information encoded in a tangible medium. The system further comprises a reading device to read the encoded patient identification information from the tangible medium. The system also includes a computer-based platform hosting a medical software application. The computer-based platform operationally interfaces to the reading device to receive the read patient identification information from the reading device and to automatically generate a DICOM query, using the medical software application, such that the DICOM query includes at least a portion of the patient identification information. The system further comprises at least one DICOM server operationally interfacing to the computer-based platform to receive the DICOM query from the computer-based platform. |
| US08219568B2 |
Providing extensible document access to assistive technology providers
A system and computer program product provides an intermediary access engine between a specific document and a renderer for assisting individuals with vision impairment. The access engine is instantly activated responsive to the initiation of an event within an application. In response to instantiation of the access engine, the renderer queries the access engine to determine supported navigation modes for serving the document to the individual. The access engine receives navigation and commands from the renderer and sends rendering information for the current focus within the document to the renderer. The renderer uses the received information to render an output via one or more enhanced capabilities of the renderer. The rendered output may then be utilized by individuals with vision impairment. The output, for example, may be a speech output, brail output, or font enlargement output for application data. |
| US08219563B2 |
Indexing mechanism for efficient node-aware full-text search over XML
Techniques are provided for searching within a collection of XML documents. A relational table in an XML index stores an entry for each node of a set of nodes in the collection. Each entry of the relational table stores an order key and a path identifier along with the atomized value of the node. An index on the atomized value provides a mechanism to perform a node-aware full-text search. Instead of storing the atomized value in the table, a virtual column may be created to represent, for each node, the atomized value of the node. Alternately, each entry of the relational table stores an order key and a path identifier along with, for simple nodes, the atomized value, and for complex nodes, a null value. For a complex node with a descendant text node, a separate entry is stored for the descendant text node in the relational table. |
| US08219561B2 |
Systems and methods for mapping large object data content in a database table to a work area
According to some embodiments, a programming language in an application server may access different database server implementations, wherein the programming language accesses content of database tables via work areas derived from the database tables. A database table may be mapped to a work area such that each column in the database table is mapped to a corresponding component of the work area (having a default component type based on the column type of the associated column). It may be determined that a particular column in the database table is to store large object data content, and a new mapping to a work area may be defined such that a particular column maps to a corresponding component having a component type other than the default component type. |
| US08219555B1 |
Method and apparatus for distributing content
Some embodiments provide an application for retrieving, tagging, analyzing, and delivering content. The application includes a tag receiver for receiving content from a content provider and for retrieving tags from a tag pool and a tag processor for receiving the content and tags from the tag receiver. The tag processor includes (i) a tag assignor for associating a set of tags to the content and (ii) a tag chain organizer for organizing the set of tags into a tag chain table. The application further includes a tag score calculator for computing a tag score metric for each tag from the set of tags and associating the tag score metric with a particular subset of tags from the set. In some embodiments, the tag processor is further for receiving feedback from a feedback manager. The tag chain table of some embodiments includes a list of tag chains, a user type associated with each tag chain, and an affinity score associated with each user. |
| US08219553B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for managing audio and/or video information via a web broadcast
Provided Web broadcast information is managed by annotation markers. At least one marker is received that annotates the audio and/or video information and the annotated audio and/or video information is saved in an electronically searchable file. |
| US08219551B2 |
Decoding a hierarchical multi-layer data package
A hierarchical decoder is operable to decode a hierarchical multi-layer data package. The hierarchical multi-layer data package includes a plurality of layers and one or more subpackages in each layer. To decode the data package, an objective function is created based on parameters for identifying data in the data package most relevant to information of interest. Subpackages in one or more layers are evaluated using the objective function and a subpackage is selected. Information for the selected subpackage, which may include a summary and metadata, is used to determine whether the subpackage satisfies an information need. If the information need is not satisfied, a drill down procedure is performed to evaluate subpackages in a next lower layer of the data package. |
| US08219547B2 |
Indirect database queries with large OLAP cubes
A large OLAP cube includes data and dimensions not required for a particular query, or for a collection of queries. A response to a query is generated by using the large OLAP cube rather than using an OLAP cube tailored to the query, and rather than querying the relational database directly. The large OLAP cube may be created after identifying a set of frequently sought data and/or filters used in queries to the relational database. Data may be staged by creating a smaller OLAP cube with data extracted from the large OLAP cube. The cubes may then be queried, browsed, and used to prepare reports or generate flat files. |
| US08219545B2 |
Indigenous authentication and searching system and method
An apparatus and system for authenticating and searching data is provided. The apparatus includes a tightly coupled housing, an authenticator in the tightly coupled housing, a first archival storage in the tightly coupled housing, an indexer in the tightly coupled housing, and an index storage in the tightly coupled housing. The authenticator receives a file from an external email system, the authenticator creates first and second self-authenticating copies of the file, the first archival storage stores the first self-authenticating file, the indexer dissembles the second self-authenticating copy into components of the second self-authenticating copy, and the index storage stores the components of the second self-authenticating in a searchable format. |
| US08219544B2 |
Method and a computer program product for indexing files and searching files
A method and a computer program product for indexing files, the method includes: generating, by a remote indexing entity, user consolidated files indexing information representative of content of user files that are stored in either one of a user machine and in at least one server. |
| US08219537B1 |
Identifying skewed queries in an MMP system
Apparatus and methods for determination of unacceptable skew for query in a massively parallel processing system. The apparatus and methods may use data associated with processing the query that has been stored in computer logs. The processing data may be used to determine the actual level of skew for the query. The apparatus and methods may calculate an acceptable level of skew. If the actual skew exceeds the acceptable skew, the query may be considered unacceptably skewed and may be flagged for tuning. |
| US08219536B2 |
Systems and methods to select media content
Systems and methods to select media content are provided. A particular method includes dynamically selecting media content items for presentation by a media player based on media selection settings. The method also includes generating an output including a current media content item of the dynamically selected media content items. The method also includes accessing a selected media content item from a memory when the selected media content item becomes the current media content item. When the selected media content item is available at a first local memory, the selected media content item is accessed from the first local memory. When the selected media content item is not available at the local memory, a request is sent to a remote network device to send the selected media content item from a remote memory. |
| US08219534B2 |
Multiple file compaction for network attached storage
Mechanisms are provided for optimizing multiple files in an efficient format that allows maintenance of the original namespace. Multiple files and associated metadata are written to a suitcase file. The suitcase file includes index information for accessing compressed data associated with compacted files. A hardlink to the suitcase file includes an index number used to access the appropriate index information. A simulated link to a particular file maintains the name of the particular file prior to compaction. |
| US08219529B2 |
Retention of active data stored in memory using multiple indexing systems for data storage
A method and apparatus for retention of active data stored in memory using multiple indexing systems for data storage. An embodiment of a method for retention of active data in a storage server includes reading data into a first location of a main memory of the storage server. The data in the first location indexes data elements in a long-term data storage in a first manner. The method further provides for copying the data from the first location into a second location in the main memory of the storage server, where the data in the second location indexing the data elements in the long-term data storage in a second manner. |
| US08219528B1 |
Method and apparatus for simultaneous comparison of multiple backup sets maintained in a computer system
Method and apparatus for simultaneous comparison of multiple backup sets maintained in a computer system are described. A plurality of backup sets of data maintained in a computer system including a hierarchy of objects is managed. In some examples, a graphical user interface (GUI) is displayed on a display coupled to the computer, the GUI having views configured show a first group of backup sets from the plurality of backup sets. Individual objects of a selected backup set in the first group of backup sets are pinned in a pinned view of the views in response to a first command. A second group of backup sets from the plurality of backup sets is shown in the views in response to a second command by sliding individual objects of at least one backup set in the plurality of backup sets across at least one unpinned view of the views with respect to the individual objects of the selected backup set in the pinned view. |
| US08219524B2 |
Application-aware and remote single instance data management
A method and system for reducing storage requirements and speeding up storage operations by reducing the storage of redundant data includes receiving a request that identifies one or more files or data objects to which to apply a storage operation. For each file or data object, the storage system determines if the file or data object contains data that matches another file or data object to which the storage operation was previously applied, based on awareness of the application that created the data object. If the data objects do not match, then the storage system performs the storage operation in a usual manner. However, if the data objects do match, then the storage system may avoid performing the storage operation with respect to the particular file or data object. |
| US08219522B2 |
Management of temporal data by means of a canonical schema
Computer programs embodied in computer-readable media for managing temporal data in relational databases are provided. According to one embodiment, a computer program comprises logic for storing temporal data in tables stored in a database and using a single schema. The schema includes a first column designating an identifier of an object represented in a row of a table and columns designating an effective-time period. For a past effective-time period, the state of the object as it existed is described by atemporal data in the row. For a present effective-time period, the present state of the object is described. For a future effective-time period, the state of the object as it will exist is described by the atemporal data. Additional logic stores additional data in the tables, such as business data describing the state of the object. |
| US08219508B2 |
Systems and methods for compressing state machine instructions using a two access indexing scheme
Systems and methods for compressing state machine instructions are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the method comprises associating input characters associated with states to respective indices, where each index comprises information indicative of a particular transition instruction. |
| US08219505B2 |
Energy usage prediction and control system and method
A controller and/or a gateway acts as a feedback-based energy estimator for controlling initial and refined estimates of energy usage of one or more buildings controlled by the controller or gateway. An initial estimate of a building's energy needs for a specified time in the future (e.g., a month or a week ahead) are calculated, and then over time, in conjunction with an energy company, the initial estimate (and subsequent estimates) is revised based on the costs of the energy predicted or quoted by the energy company. The controller may examine jobs to be performed at the time as well as predictive information that may affect the building's energy needs (e.g., the predicted temperature for the time of the predicted energy needs). As expectations change (or as predicted factors such as temperature change), the energy company may be informed of the additional energy that will be needed (e.g., if the predicted temperature is increasing and cooling will be needed) or the excess energy that is expected (e.g., if the predicted temperature is decreasing and less cooling will be needed). |
| US08219504B1 |
Method and system for estimating the actual cost of a product or service using financial data
Financial data associated with one or more “contributing consumers” is obtained from one or more sources. The financial data includes data associated with specific financial transactions and the specific financial transactions are tagged as sharable by the contributing consumers. The financial data, and/or specific financial transactions are categorized by the contributing consumers, and/or associated with a specific purchase of a parent product and/or service. The financial data obtained from one or more contributing consumers is then aggregated, processed, and/or categorized, according to the parent product and/or service associated with the financial data. A “user consumer” then initiates a request for financial data associated with the purchase of a specified product and/or service. The financial data obtained from one or more contributing consumers is then searched and data associated with the purchase of the specified product and/or service and any other secondary purchases, is presented to the user consumer. |
| US08219500B2 |
System and method for managing information flow between members of an online social network
An online social network is provided in which members of the online social network control who may view their personal information and who may communicate with them. The members control who may view their personal information by setting a visibility preference. A member may not view another member's full personal profile if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the visibility preference of the other member. The members also control who may communicate with them by setting a contactability preference. A member may not communicate with another member if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the contactability preference of the other member. |
| US08219496B2 |
Method of and apparatus for ascertaining the status of a data processing environment
In order to facilitate a user's ability to trust a computing environment, a trusted computing device (2) is arranged to challenge other devices in the computing environment and to record a log of the facilities available within the computing environment and an indication of whether those facilities are trustworthy. A new user (40) entering the computing environment can obtain the log from the trusted computing device in order to ascertain the status of the environment. Alternatively any device can hold data concerning platforms in its vicinity and its operation can be authenticated by the trusted device. |
| US08219487B2 |
System and method for managing credit risk for investment portfolios
A system is disclosed for enabling a portfolio manager to obtain credit approval for an issuer of securities from a credit analyst. The system includes a relational database containing subjective and objective issuer information, a graphical user interface for permitting a portfolio manager to submit a credit approval request to a credit analyst, a graphical user interface for permitting a credit analyst to evaluate the credit approval request submitted by the portfolio manager based on the issuer information contained in the database, and a graphical user interface for permitting the credit analyst to resolve the credit approval request on behalf of the portfolio manager. |
| US08219483B2 |
Seller automated engine architecture and methodology for optimized pricing strategies of goods and services
An improved seller automated engine architecture methodology particularly (though not exclusively) for use in automated real-time iterative reverse auctions and/or price quotations over the Internet and the like for purchase and sale of goods and services, providing a choice of architectural implementations while enabling price optimization on market share-directed considerations, specific sales target-directed implementations, seller utility derivative-following implementations, model optimizer implementations and explorations, mathematical optimization-oriented and rules-based implementations. |
| US08219475B2 |
Method and system for administering a discounted security
An exchangeable security, tradable on a securities exchange is issued at a share price that is a discount from the share price of an underlying security or basket of underlying securities. At or prior to maturity of the exchangeable security, a holder of the exchangeable security may exchange a share of the exchangeable security for a share of the underlying security or basket of underlying securities. The exchangeable security may also include a linked payment that is redeemable for the full amount of the payment on maturity of the exchangeable security. Alternatively, the exchangeable security may be issued at the share price of the underlying security with the linked payment. The invention provides methods for issue, trade and redemption as well as systems for issue, trade and redemption of the security. |
| US08219467B2 |
System and method for dispatching field technicians based on locations of virtual warehouses
A method is disclosed for determining a technician to dispatch to a customer site requiring a service call. A first plurality of technicians assigned to a customer site requiring a service call is determined. A location of each of the technicians is also determined. A first plurality of distances is determined between each of the technicians and a plurality of locations at which is disposed equipment needed for the service call. A second plurality of distances is determined between each of the technicians and a plurality of service vehicles at which is disposed the equipment needed for the service call. One of the technicians is dispatched to the customer site based on the location of each of the technicians, on the first plurality of distances, and on the second plurality of distances. A system for implementing the method is also disclosed. |
| US08219465B2 |
Online ordering for a consumer
Systems and methods for facilitating an on-line purchase of at least one item on behalf of a consumer are disclosed. A consumer may shop and purchase at least one item on a consolidated shopping (CS) website displaying one or more items available for purchase on one or more different merchant websites. The CS website provides consumers with advanced searching that takes into consideration a personal profile of the consumer, the consumer's previous shopping history, transactional data relating to a group of similar consumers, and the like. A host computer providing the CS website may access a merchant website selling the requested item, and order the requested item on behalf of the consumer, and charging a transaction fee, listing fee, receiving a rebate and/or offering a rebate for performing such. One embodiment allows a consumer to purchase/order multiple items from multiple websites in a single purchase request to the CS website. |
| US08219458B1 |
Method and system for computer-based auctioning of basic generation services
A system for conducting a computer-based, simultaneous, multiple round, descending clock auction for basic generation services includes a web server for receiving bid data for one or more users for basic generation service products, an application server host application software, which processes the one or more bids according to at least one auction rule, tracks the auction, monitors the auction, and/or determines when to end the auction, and a database server, which stores auction data. A method of conducting a computer-based, simultaneous, multiple round, descending clock auction for basic generation services includes the repeating steps of receiving bids indicating desired tranche units of basic generation service products, calculating next round prices for each product, and sending round results to bidders. The subsequent round price for each of the products and a notice of the number of tranches bid during the immediately previous round of bidding for each of the products and/or the amount of excess supply offered. When the number of tranches bid for the round of bidding are equal to or less than the certain threshold for each of the products such that no further bidding can take place under the auction rules, the auction ends after the round of bidding and awarding winning bidders an ending price for each of the at least one of the plurality of products won by the winning bidders. |
| US08219457B2 |
Custom user definable keyword bidding system and method
A system and method allow a user or business entity to create customized rules for bidding on keywords to/from a search engine. A bid automation engine allows a user or business entity to specify a number of rules for bidding on keywords used in Internet advertising campaigns. The bid automation engine may be part of, or interface with, a web analytics tool and/or a bid management system to provide user-defined strategies for bidding on keywords. Accordingly, a user or business entity may set up a customized bidding strategy for keywords by building sets of bidding rules. |
| US08219455B2 |
Searching apparatus
A search engine at a service provider is configured to identify commercial suppliers in response to a keyword specified by a user. Keywords are received and searches are performed on an index database to identify displayable text items. Images are stored in the form of commercially relevant graphical images such as logos. A logo is linked to each item of displayable text and an output list is produced in which each text item includes a displayable graphical image. The system may store different image formats to allow the graphical images to be displayed on a variety of platforms. |
| US08219453B1 |
Generating classifications from normalized item attributes
Disclosed are various embodiments for generating classifications for items from normalized item attributes. Multiple attribute options are maintained for an item. Each of the attribute options is associated with a respective range of values on a normalized scale for an attribute. Multiple item classifications are generated for one of the attribute options by mapping the respective range of values for the one of the attribute options to one or more item classifications on each of multiple scales of classification for the attribute. |
| US08219450B2 |
Method for providing a shopping list service
A method is disclosed that provides an Internet wish list for deferred purchasing. A user clicks on an add to wish list button located on locations, such as, a product page, a banner ad, or search results to add an item to the wish list. A reminder system is used to remind a user to purchase an item at a future time. The shopping list service may be integrated at a high level of integration and a low level of integration. On a low level of integration a proxy platform is used to add functionality to a website. |
| US08219449B2 |
Communication methods and systems
A system arranged to receive an authorization request from an application server using a first communication protocol; identify a charging server associated with the authorization request from a plurality of charging servers, each charging server associated with a respective charging server communication protocol; and communicate with the identified charging server using the respective charging server communication protocol. |
| US08219448B2 |
System and method for managing airline seat reservations
This invention relates to an electronic means by which people can select the exact seat or seats they want for any type of event or reserve an appointment for any activity. More specifically, a customer or a ticket re-seller or a venue operator can go, for example, to the internet and select the event or activity for which he wants a ticket or tickets or reserve a time and reserve and order the exact seat or seats or the time of his choosing directly online. The seat or seats or reserved time he selects is then removed from the inventory for that activity or event and made not available for any other buyer and such is so indicated by a graphical representation or other such indicator on the online map or picture representing availability of seating or time for that event. |
| US08219447B1 |
Real-time adaptive probabilistic selection of messages
A facility selects a unit of content to include in an instance of a content container. For each of a plurality of units of content, across a plurality of other instances of the content container distributed during a foregoing period of time that included the unit of content, the facility determines both an average level of success achieved by including the unit of content, and a measure of the level of variability of the level of success achieved by including the unit of content. The facility scores each unit of content by selecting a value from a probability distribution that is based on the determined average level of success and measure of the level of variability of the level of success. The facility selects one of the units of content to include in the instance of the content container based on the determined scores. |
| US08219445B2 |
Promotion processor and management system
A data processing system employs a unique coded promotional vehicle to attract customers into retail establishments for the purchase of discounted goods. The promotional vehicle includes coupon styled graphics integrated with a code to allow data tracking by the store pursuant to purchases by that customer. The promotional vehicle is easier and less costly to distribute compared to the prior art, avoids cutting of coupons, and post purchase redemptions. The system further allows more targeted discounting at a lower cost, and substantially reducing fraud by eliminating post purchase coupon processing and redemption. Additionally, the system provides for selective deactivation of the code for each discount used by redemption of the vehicle without deactivating the code for the discounts not used so that the code may remain selectively active for future use. |
| US08219442B2 |
Permit-based parking environment management method and system
A system and method for managing a permit-based parking environment governed by a parking program. The permit-based parking environment includes a number of parking permits each including a unique RFID tag and tag number. One or more RFID readers are used to scan the vehicles parked in the parking environment to determine if a RFID tag is associated with the parked vehicle. The results of the scan along with information related to the parked vehicle are provided to a permit management system to determine if the vehicle is parked within the scope of privileges pre-defined for that vehicle, pursuant to the parking program governing the parking environment. The permit management system stores, manages, and monitors data related to the permits controlled under the parking program. |
| US08219441B2 |
Algorithm system and method
An algorithm system and method is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes selecting an algorithm to calculate a demand factor for each job in a job list requiring a demand factor calculation, calculating the demand factor using the selected algorithm, and assigning the calculated demand factors to the corresponding jobs in the job list. The calculating demand factor using the selected algorithm includes utilizing data associated with a job in the job list to calculate the demand factor using the selected algorithm. For example, the data includes aging data of the jobs, job status data, and client priority data of the job. |
| US08219439B2 |
Electric-power-generating-facility operation management support system, electric-power-generating-facility operation management support method, and program for executing operation management support method on computer
An electric-power-generating-facility operation management support system includes an analyzing unit that calculates operation plan creating basic information based upon received information with regard to lifespan calculating expressions, present electric-power market information, and operation-history information with regard to an electric power generation. The electric-power-generating-facility operation management support system also includes an operation plan creating unit that calculates and outputs operational conditions of electric power generating facilities as a created operation planning based upon the operation plan creating basic information calculated by the analyzing unit. The analyzing unit includes a lifespan-consumption-costs calculating unit that calculates lifespan consumption costs of the electric power generating facilities. In addition, the analyzing unit includes a reserve-electric-power-price estimating unit that estimates a market price of reserve electric power. The analyzing unit further includes a reserve-electric-power supply -probability estimating unit that estimates a probability of a supply of the reserve electric power. |
| US08219435B2 |
Determining task status based upon identifying milestone indicators in project-related files
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for generating project milestones. A method for programmatically determining a status of a particular task is described. Project management data for a particular task is retrieved from a data store. Milestone indicators are retrieved from a key word data store. An analysis is performed of the project-related files to determine an actual status of the particular task, using the milestone indicators and project management data as part of the analysis. When the analysis reveals that the project-related files reflect a different status for the project than the project management data reflects, one or more notifications are raised. |
| US08219434B2 |
Ad-hoc coordination actions in business processes
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for ad hoc coordination actions in business processes. A computer-implemented method for implementing an ad-hoc coordination action framework, extending on a business process framework, includes enabling ad-hoc coordination actions as generic callable services in a work context, implementing the ad-hoc actions as templates defining state transitions between roles participating at the work context, and enabling the work context to track state transitions as a conversation thread. |
| US08219433B2 |
Methods for analyzing job functions and job candidates and for determining their co-suitability
A method and system for conducting an elemental analysis of a job's functions and requirements, conducting a medical diagnosis of a worker to determine the physical capabilities and limitations of the worker, and comparing the elemental analysis and the medical diagnosis to determine whether the worker can function in a particular job be it the current job, another existing job or a modification of either. |
| US08219432B1 |
Automatically controlling availability of tasks for performance by human users
Techniques are described for managing the release of tasks so that the tasks are available for performance, such as for tasks submitted by task requesters to be performed by human task performer users, or the release of other types of items as being available for use. In some situations, the managed release of tasks is based at least in part on determining one or more desired task performance characteristic values, and predicting appropriate values for one or more performance-related factors that will produce the determined desired task performance characteristic values. As one example, a determined target quantity of tasks to make concurrently available may be determined that will result in a desired level of task performance contention, such as based on expected or actual values for a rate of task performance and a duration of possible contention. |
| US08219428B2 |
System and method for determining a franchisee commitment fee based on a determined cost standard
A cost standard determination system and a cost standard calculation module are provided. The system enables the operational effort of a store operation by a store operator to be reflected in a commitment fee, thereby promoting the independence support of employees. A cost standard is a value serving as a basis for the calculation of a commitment fee paid by a store owner who owns the store to the store operator to whom the store operation is committed and is used as a reference value for evaluating the operation of the store by the store operator. The cost standard calculation module has five cost standard calculation processing functions corresponding to five cost attributes (controllable attribute, permittable attribute, controllable & permittable attribute, uncontrollable attribute, and uncontrollable-based-charge attribute) and calculates a proper cost standard for each of a plurality of accounts on the cost by selectively using the five cost standard calculation processing functions. |
| US08219426B1 |
Processing an application for insurance coverage
Systems and methods provide customizable insurance according to consumer preferences. Demand simulators may be used to guide the creation of optimized packages of features, which consumers may select from to form an insurance product appropriate for their particular needs. Packages may be formed with a particular appeal to consumers with common characteristics. In addition, methods are provided for selling insurance products formed through an optimization process and providing corresponding insurance services. |
| US08219423B2 |
Transferring insurance policies
A server may receive from a trading system information on an insurance policy, in which the information may include privacy related information. The server may compare the privacy related information to at least one predefined characteristic and determine that there is a match between the privacy related information and the characteristic. Based at least in part on there being a match, the server may filter-out the insurance policy such that the information on the insurance policy is not provided to a workstation in use by a participant. Alternatively, the server may determine that there is not a match between the privacy related information and the characteristic and provide the information, minus the privacy related information, to the workstation. |
| US08219419B1 |
System and method for reducing the placebo effect in controlled clinical trials
A method and system for performing a clinical trial having a reduced placebo effect is disclosed. The method includes randomizing study participants into three or more treatment groups and performing a first phase of testing on the groups. In a typical embodiment, the first phase of testing includes administering an active treatment to a first group, and administering a placebo to a second group and to a third group. Responders and non-responders are determined for each group. A second phase of testing is then performed. The second phase of testing includes administering the placebo to non-responders in the first group, administering the active treatment to non-responders in the second group, and administering the placebo to non-responders in the third group. The data from the first phase of testing and from the second phase of testing is pooled and analyzed to determine response rates to active treatment and placebo. |
| US08219415B2 |
Characterizing relationships among procedures using similarity metrics
Data is received that characterizes a plurality of procedures for a single event. Thereafter, one or more dynamically determined groups are associated with the plurality of procedures, the dynamically determined groups being generated from similarity metrics derived from a plurality of historical procedures for a plurality of historical events. A likelihood of the plurality of procedures being associated with the single event can then be determined based on the associated one or more dynamically determined groups. This determined likelihood can be used to determine whether the data is indicative of fraud. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described. |
| US08219412B2 |
Architecture for orchestrating promotional services
The promotional orchestration engine includes a services engine that provides transactional responses to a user's request, such as informational results being returned to the user or request for further actions that will be forwarded. An analysis engine stores data and provides tactical and strategic level analysis. The analysis engine uses transactional data generated by the services engine to abstract knowledge and consolidate and aggregate such information. The learning engine is a mechanism by which the promotional orchestration engine adapts itself to changing conditions. The learning engine preferably customizes various components of the services engine and components of the analysis engine. The learning engine causes the services engine to present different information over time so as to keep the system fresh. From a user's standpoint, the learning engine allows components of the services engine to be personalized to the particular user. |
| US08219411B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for targeting advertisements
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for targeting advertisements. Clickstream data is received that describes at least subscriber actions. Content information is received that describes what content is available. A criterion is also received for determining which subscribers should receive a targeted advertisement. The clickstream data is merged with the content information to generate data describing at least one event timeline. When the data describing the at least one event timeline matches the at least one criterion, then at least one subscriber is targeted to receive the advertisement. |
| US08219408B2 |
Audio signal decoder and method for producing a scaled reconstructed audio signal
During operation a multiple channel audio input signal is received and coded to generate a coded audio signal. A balance factor having balance factor components each associated with an audio signal of the multiple channel audio signal is generated. A gain value to be applied to the coded audio signal to generate an estimate of the multiple channel audio signal based on the balance factor and the multiple channel audio signal is determined, with the gain value configured to minimize a distortion value between the multiple channel audio signal and the estimate of the multiple channel audio signal. The representation of the gain value may be output for transmission and/or storage. |
| US08219390B1 |
Pitch-based frequency domain voice removal
A system and method are disclosed for modifying an audio signal. A pitch associated with the audio signal is detected. A portion of the audio signal that is associated with the detected pitch is modified. Controlling the modification of a primary audio signal is disclosed. The level of a secondary audio signal is monitored. Modification of the primary audio signal is enabled if the level of the secondary audio signal rises above a first prescribed threshold at a time when the primary audio signal is not being modified. Modification of the primary audio signal is disabled if the level of the secondary audio signal drops below a second prescribed threshold at a time when the primary audio signal is being modified. |
| US08219384B2 |
Acoustic model adaptation using geographic information
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for enhancing speech recognition accuracy. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an audio signal that corresponds to an utterance recorded by a mobile device, determining a geographic location associated with the mobile device, adapting one or more acoustic models for the geographic location, and performing speech recognition on the audio signal using the one or more acoustic models model that are adapted for the geographic location. |
| US08219378B1 |
Automatic numerical simulation of processor environment
A system receives a model, internals associated with a target processor, and code information associated with the target processor, and obtains a bit-true model simulation for the target processor based on the model, the target processor internals, and the target processor code information. |
| US08219376B2 |
Verification using directives having local variables
A computer-implemented method for verifying a design includes representing a verification directive, which pertains to the design and includes a local variable, by a finite state machine. The state machine includes multiple states, with transitions among the states, transition conditions associated with the transitions, and procedural blocks, which correspond to the transitions and define operations to be performed on the local variable when traversing the respective transitions. The finite state machine is executed by traversing the transitions in accordance with the respective transition conditions and modifying the local variable in accordance with the respective procedural blocks of the traversed transitions, so as to verify the design with respect to the verification directive. |
| US08219374B1 |
Symbolic switch/linear circuit simulator systems and methods
Interactive and real time web-based electrical circuit symbolic solvers and simulators. The invention includes an interactive and innovative graphical user interface (GUI) for creating circuit schematics and generating netlists, circuits symbolic solving and instant simulated solutions, their systems and methods. Users such as students can use GUI interfaces to remotely access a remote server controlled by educational institutions such as universities, or electronic book publishers, in order to draw, symbolically solve, and instantly simulate electrical circuits. |
| US08219369B2 |
Automatic generation of joint locations
A method determines overlap regions by identifying a face on a first component part of an assembly that is less than a specified gap distance from a face on a second component part of the assembly. The method is also for determining if a minimum width of each of one or more the overlap regions exceeds a specified maximum value, and if the minimum width of an overlap region does not exceed the specified maximum value, determining a guide curve along a centerline of the overlap region. If the minimum width of an overlap region exceeds the specified maximum value, the method is further for determining two or more guide curves along an offset of two or more edges of the overlap region. The method also is for determining one or more joint locations along the guide curve or curves based upon one or more parameters. |
| US08219368B1 |
Capacity modeling system
Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for a capacity model run-time estimator that determines the transactional capacity of an application. The capacity model run-time estimator is based on a model that includes at least one job with various steps within a run-time window. One or more windows make up shifts and one or more shifts make up a day. Historical data is used to estimate various run-times for each of the steps in a window. If the steps are dependent on transaction characteristics a statistical analysis is used to determine a run-time window estimator model that is dependent on the transaction characteristics. Constraints are placed on the run-time and transaction capacity of the windows, intra-windows, and shifts. The capacity model uses the run-time window estimators and constraints to determine the transaction capacity for an application across various periods and compares the results to forecasted capacity. |
| US08219356B2 |
System and method for detecting anomalies in wind turbines
A device and method for use in detecting anomalies in wind turbines is provided. The method includes monitoring data acquired by at least one sensor in a first wind turbine, wherein the data is calculated to produce a value for a predetermined amount of time, monitoring data acquired by at least one sensor in a grouping of wind turbines similar to the first wind turbine, wherein the monitored data corresponds to the monitored data of the first wind turbine and is combined for a predetermined amount of time, and comparing the monitored data of the first wind turbine with the monitored data of the grouping of wind turbines. The method also includes generating a sensor error if the monitored data of the first wind turbine deviates more than a predetermined amount from the monitored data of the grouping of wind turbines, and displaying the results of the comparison of the monitored data. |
| US08219353B2 |
Absolute diameter measurement arm
A measurement apparatus calibrated to measure an absolute diameter of a part in a shop floor environment. The measurement apparatus includes a calibration that includes compensation factors for thermal expansion, shifting of measurement parts (arm, support tower, and related laser), and variances of these parts. The resulting measurements report an absolute diameter of a part to a higher degree of accuracy than previously possible. Also, the calculated compensation factor eliminate the need for an isolated, climate-controlled measurement room. |
| US08219352B2 |
Localization in industrial robotics using rao-blackwellized particle filtering
Embodiments of the invention disclose a system and a method for determining a pose of a probe relative to an object by probing the object with the probe, comprising steps of: determining a probability of the pose using Rao-Blackwellized particle filtering, wherein a probability of a location of the pose is represented by a location of each particle, and a probability of an orientation of the pose is represented by a Gaussian distribution over orientation of each particle conditioned on the location of the particle, wherein the determining is performed for each subsequent probing until the probability of the pose concentrates around a particular pose; and estimating the pose of the probe relative to the object based on the particular pose. |
| US08219350B2 |
Apparatus for measuring a frequency-domain optical coherence tomography power spectrum from a sample
An apparatus is provided for measuring a frequency-domain optical coherence tomography power spectrum from a sample. The apparatus includes a partially reflective element configured to be optically coupled to a light source and to the sample. A first portion of light from the light source is configured to be reflected by the partially reflective element. A second portion of light from the light source is configured to propagate through the partially reflective element, to impinge the sample, and to reflect from the sample. The apparatus is configured to receive the first and second portions of light and to measure the frequency-domain optical coherence tomography power spectrum in response to the first portion of light and the second portion of light. |
| US08219349B1 |
Test management system
A test management system is provided that performs tests on integrated circuit test structures. A server may be used to distribute a test recipe to multiple test cells. Each test cell may have multiple test instruments and associated instrument drivers. When performing a test, a test type module may run on a given test cell. The test type module may perform tests by using the instrument drivers to control the test instruments available in the test cell. Users may make test option selections using graphical interface screens such as a test recipe setup screen and a platform engine control screen. A user can select test sites for testing based on which process parameters where used to fabricate the test structures associated with the test sites or other criteria. |
| US08219346B2 |
High resolution time measurement in a FPGA
Various techniques are described for high resolution time measurement using a programmable device, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The timing may be triggered by any event, depending on the applications of use. Once triggering has occurred, a START pulse begins propagating through the FPGA. The pulse is able to propagate through the FPGA in a staggered manner traversing multiple FPGA columns to maximize the amount of time delay that may be achieved while minimizing the overall array size, and thus minimizing the resource utilization, of the FPGA. The FPGA timing delay is calibrated by measuring for the linear and non-linear differences in delay time of each unit circuit forming the staggered delay line path for the timing circuit. The FPGA is able to achieve nanosecond and sub-nanosecond time resolutions. |
| US08219341B2 |
System and method for implementing wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) advanced process control (“APC”) with routing model
System and method for implementing wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) advanced process control (“APC”) are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing an inter-metal (“IM”) WAT on a plurality of processed wafer lots; selecting a subset of the plurality of wafer lots using a lot sampling process; and selecting a sample wafer group using the wafer lot subset, wherein IM WAT is performed on wafers of the sample wafer group to obtain IM WAT data therefore. The method further comprises estimating final WAT data for all wafers in the processed wafer lots from IM WAT data obtained for the sample wafer group and providing the estimated final WAT data to a WAT APC process for controlling processes. |
| US08219340B2 |
Monitoring method for through-silicon vias of three-dimensional intergrated circuit (3D IC) and apparatus using the same
A monitoring method for Through-Silicon Vias (TSVs) of a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) is provided, wherein the 3D IC includes a plurality of TSVs, and the method includes: providing a plurality of inverters; connecting the inverters with the TSVs as a circuit; enabling the circuit to oscillate; measuring an output signal on an output end of one of the inverters; and determining the characteristic of TSVs of the 3D IC based on the output signal. |
| US08219333B2 |
Battery management systems for protecting batteries from fault conditions
A battery management system for a battery pack that includes multiple battery cells is disclosed. The battery management system includes a detector coupled to the battery cells, multiple temperature sensors coupled to the battery cells, a current sensor coupled to the battery cells in series, and a processor coupled to the current sensor. The detector generates first monitoring signals corresponding to cell voltages across the battery cells. The temperature sensors generate second monitoring signals corresponding to temperatures of the battery cells. The current sensor generates third monitoring signals corresponding to currents of the battery cells. The processor determines whether an undesired condition is present according to the first, second, and third monitoring signals. |
| US08219329B2 |
Thermal type mass flow meter, and thermal type mass flow control device
A thermal mass flow meter and a thermal mass flow control device addresses a thermal siphon error, even if they are in a compact and inexpensive structure, without using a flow path converting block. A control computing process portion is configured to correct a measurement error caused by thermal siphon by calculating a correction value based on a measurement value at time of depressurizing fluid flow path and flow rate measuring conduit to an atmospheric pressure or less, a difference between the measurement value and a measurement value at time of charging an actual fluid into the flow rate measuring conduit, kind of the actual fluid, pressure at time of charging the actual fluid, and flow ratio of the fluid flowing in the fluid flow path and the flow rate measuring conduit, storing the correction value, and correcting an actual measured output flow value by the stored correction value. |
| US08219327B2 |
Multiplexed assay using encoded solid support matrices
In a multiplexed assay, each molecule of a plurality of molecules is attached to a support matrix with a substrate adapted for attachment and/or synthesis of molecules and an integrally-formed memory device with an optically-encoded identifier to uniquely identify the molecule attached to the substrate. The molecules are exposed to one or more processing conditions then placed within the path of an optical detector adapted to read the optically-encoded identifier and measure biochemical processes on each support matrix. The support matrices may besingulated to be read by the optical detector one at a time. |
| US08219326B2 |
Determination of melting temperatures of DNA
Numerical determinations of the first derivatives of a melt curve data set are made. A baseline is determined for the first derivative values and the baseline is subtracted from the first derivative values to produce modified first derivative values. A first maximum value of the modified first derivative values is determined and said first maximum value represents a melting temperature Tm of a DNA sample. A model function, such as a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) function, with parameters determined using a Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) regression process can also be used to find an approximation to the first derivative curve. The maximum values of the numerically determined first derivative values are used as initial conditions for parameters of the model function. The determined parameters provide one or more fractional melting temperature values, which can be returned, for example, displayed or otherwise used for further processing. |
| US08219323B2 |
System and method for quantifying the sequence specificity of nucleotide binding factors
Systems and methods for determining free energy parameters for predicting binding affinities of nucleotide sequences are provided. The disclosed subject matter obtains phenotypic measurements for nucleotide sequences (for example a DNA sequence or RNA sequence), links the phenotypic measurements to the nucleotide sequences to obtain linked pairs of phenotypic measurements and nucleotide sequences, estimates a relationship between the phenotypic measurements and the nucleotide sequences using the linked pairs, and obtains sequence specific affinity parameters from the estimated relationship. |
| US08219322B2 |
Processing of stratigraphic data
A method of processing stratigraphic data comprising a plurality of stratigraphic features, such as horizon surfaces, within a geological volume is provided. The method includes the steps of: extending a plurality of spaced sampling traces through the volume to traverse the stratigraphic features; and assigning the stratigraphic features respective relative geological ages. On each sampling trace, the relative geological age of each stratigraphic feature traversed by the sampling trace in the direction from geologically younger to geologically older stratigraphic features is increased in relation to the relative geological age of its preceding stratigraphic feature, under the condition that each stratigraphic feature takes the same relative geological age across all the sampling traces by which it is traversed. |
| US08219320B2 |
Seismic attributes for reservoir localization
A method and system for processing three component seismic data includes determining a covariance data matrix from three component seismic data for each of a plurality of time periods to obtain eigenvectors and eigenvalues. One or more seismic attributes are calculated from the eigenvectors and eigenvalues for each of a plurality of time periods. A stability measure is determined from the calculated seismic attribute for each of the plurality of time periods and stored for display. |
| US08219313B2 |
Navigation device and program
Navigation devices, methods, and programs store map data hierarchically with the map data of a hierarchy level being excluded. The devices, methods, and programs read the stored map data, perform a route search within each predetermined area on a departure point side and a destination side, and acquire a shortest cost route in a range overlapped in search areas. In a hierarchy level having a proximal higher hierarchy level of which the map data does not exist, the devices, methods, and programs expand the predetermined area into a search area in the proximal higher hierarchy level and acquire a first shortest cost route, and perform the route search in a higher hierarchy level to acquire a second shortest cost route. When the second shortest cost route's cost is smaller than the first shortest cost route's cost, the devices, methods, and programs update the cost of the shortest cost route. |
| US08219310B2 |
GPS device for displaying traffic conditions and method thereof
This present disclosure provides a GPS device for displaying traffic conditions and method thereof. The GPS device defines turn distance ranges according to GPS navigation information. When running into the defined turn distance range, the vehicle turns on a video device and turn signal lamps automatically, and displays the video feed provided by the video device. When passing by the defined turn distance range, the vehicle turns off the video device and the turn signal lamps automatically. |
| US08219309B2 |
Method and apparatus for a navigational graphical user interface
An approach is provided for presenting a graphical user interface on a mobile device according to a navigational application. A presentation is initiated of a graphical user interface on a mobile device according to a navigational application. The graphical user interface includes a first area displaying one or more selectable objects. The graphical user interface also includes a second area displaying a map in perspective view that preserves a predetermined form. The first area and the second area are non-overlapping. |
| US08219305B2 |
Engine with an automatic choke and method of operating an automatic choke for an engine
An automatic choke connectable to an engine. Also disclosed is an engine including the automatic choke, an apparatus including the engine and the automatic choke, and a method of controlling a choke valve. The automatic choke includes a motor for moving a choke valve and a controller electrically connected to the motor. In one construction, the controller is configured to store position information and a flag related to a position of the choke valve, determine the engine has, and control the automatic choke with the stored position information based on the flag and the determination that the engine has re-started. In another construction, the controller is configured to generate a motor control signal to direct the choke valve to a fully-open position without providing choke relief based on a temperature value indicating the engine temperature is greater than a threshold. |
| US08219303B2 |
Method for operating an internal combustion engine for a hybrid powertrain system
A hybrid powertrain system includes an internal combustion engine operatively connected to a second torque machine to transmit torque to an output member. A method for operating the hybrid powertrain system includes monitoring an operator torque request, determining an output torque command based upon the operator torque request, commanding a transition between an engine-off state and an engine-on state, monitoring an engine crank angle, spinning the engine unfueled, estimating cylinder pressure based upon the engine crank angle during the spinning of the engine, predicting a cylinder pulse torque based upon the cylinder pressure, determining a cancellation torque for the second torque machine based upon the predicted cylinder pulse torque, and controlling motor torque output from the second torque machine based upon the cancellation torque and the output torque command. |
| US08219301B2 |
Control device for internal combustion engine
A control device for an internal combustion engine in which controls can be simplified, and being capable of performing high-performance control by appropriately mediating a plurality of requirements. The device includes an emission control unit, a fuel consumption control unit and an idle stability control unit. Those units output requirements for the internal combustion engine on the basis of their respective aims. An efficiency mediation unit that mediates requirements from those units is provided. Furthermore, an actuator instruction value calculation unit, which determines instruction values for the plurality of actuators installed in the internal combustion engine on the basis of a result of mediation performed by the efficiency mediation unit, is also provided. The requirement is a requirement concerning torque efficiency, which indicates a ratio of a required torque to a reference torque that is obtained when operating points of the plurality of actuators are optimized. |
| US08219296B1 |
Control device for controlling drive force that operates on vehicle
A control device for controlling a front wheel drive force and a rear wheel drive force of a vehicle comprises a first controller for controlling a drive force of main drive wheels and the drive force of auxiliary drive wheels; and a second controller for sending to the first controller an auxiliary-drive-wheels-limiting drive force for limiting the drive force of the auxiliary drive wheels in a case that the vehicle is traveling in an unstable state. The second controller has a first calculation unit for calculating a first limiting drive force on the basis of lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and a second calculation unit for calculating a second limiting drive force on the basis of longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle. The second controller sends to the first controller a maximum limiting drive force among the first limiting drive force and the second limiting drive force as the auxiliary-drive-wheel-limiting drive force. |
| US08219287B2 |
System and method for integration of crash signature sensor in vehicle side impact sensing
A system and method for performing side impact sensing in a vehicle including at least one side impact zone is provided. The system comprises a controller and at least one crash signature sensor. The controller is configured to deploy one or more safety restraints in response to at least one crash signature signal. The one crash signature sensor is positioned in the side impact zone. The crash signature sensor is configured to detect an impact with an object at the side impact zone. The crash signature sensor is further configured to generate the crash signature signal which corresponds to measured structural impact energy of the vehicle in the side impact zone deformed by the impact at frequencies above 2 kHz. |
| US08219286B2 |
Noise reduction for occupant detection system and method
An occupant detection system with noise reduction, a controller having noise reduction for an occupant detection system and a method for reducing noise in an occupant detection system. A high order digital filter is used to filter harmonics of a noise signal from an electrode signal used to determine an occupant presence or absence of the occupant. A way of sampling the electrode signal and the implementation of the high order digital filter cooperate such that the signal processing can be performed by a lower cost general purpose microprocessor as opposed to using a higher cost digital signal processor. |
| US08219285B2 |
Electric power steering system designed to generate torque for assisting driver's turning effort
In an electric power steering system installed in a vehicle and designed to generate, by a motor, assist torque for assisting the driver's turning effort of the steering wheel, a self-aligning torque determiner determines a value of self aligning torque applied to the vehicle. A commanded-value generator determines a value of an assist ratio based on a predetermined relationship between a variable of the self aligning torque and a variable of the assist ratio. The assist ratio represents a ratio of share of torque by the motor for compensating the self aligning torque. The commanded-value generator generates, based on the self aligning torque and the value of the assist ratio, a commanded value for the assist torque. An assist torque determiner determines the assist torque based on the commanded value for the assist torque generated by the commanded-value generator. |
| US08219284B2 |
Steering control apparatus, steering control system, and steering control program
The present invention provides a steering control apparatus that controls steering of a vehicle of a steer-by-wire type, and includes steered-wheel motors that apply separate torques to right and left steered wheels respectively, a rod member that couples the right and left steered wheels so that the steered wheels can be steered, and a steering controller that controls driving of the steered-wheel motors. In each steered wheel, a center of the contact face thereof and a kingpin point thereof are offset in a lateral direction of the vehicle, and the steering controller controls driving of the steered-wheel motors so as to generate a torque difference between the right and left steered wheels, and provides a steering effort in accordance with this torque difference for each of the right and left steered wheels via the rod member, thereby to steer the vehicle. |
| US08219282B2 |
System for dynamically determining vehicle rear/trunk loading for use in a vehicle control system
A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a pitch rate sensor (37) generating a pitch rate signal, a longitudinal acceleration sensor (36) generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, and a yaw rate sensor (28) generating a yaw rate signal. A safety system (44) and the sensors are coupled to a controller. From the sensors, the controller (26) determines an added mass and a position of the added mass, a pitch gradient and/or a pitch acceleration coefficient that takes into account the added mass and position. The controller controls a vehicle system in response to the added mass and the position of the added mass, the pitch gradient and/or pitch acceleration coefficient variables. |
| US08219280B2 |
Vehicle information storage apparatus
A vehicle information storage apparatus capable of storing necessary information dataset helpful for diagnosis. The vehicle information storage apparatus includes a status information acquiring unit acquiring a dataset of status information items of a vehicle; and a controlling unit determining a time point when the malfunction started based on the dataset of status information items acquired by the status information acquiring unit, and further determines the malfunction-cause-investigation information data to be used for investigating the cause of the malfunction from among the dataset of status information items acquired by the status information acquiring unit based on the specified time point when the malfunction started, and stores the determined malfunction-cause-investigation information data in a prescribed storage medium. |
| US08219278B2 |
NOx sensor malfunction diagnostic device and malfunction diagnostic method
The NOx sensor malfunction diagnostic device includes a control section. The control section performs the supplying of an excess amount of reducing agent, which is more than an amount required to reduce adsorbed NOx in a NOx reduction catalyst when a predetermined amount of NOx has been adsorbed in the NOx catalyst, and detects malfunctions of the NOx sensor based on NOx sensor output signal when the excess amount of reduction agent is supplied. |
| US08219273B2 |
Engine starting control for hybrid electric powertrains
A method of starting an internal combustion engine of a vehicle with a hybrid-electric powertrain having an internal combustion engine, a generator, and a high-voltage battery pack, is provided. An internal combustion engine start input signal is received. A load on an electric motor and generator is determined. The internal combustion engine receives torque transmitted from the electric motor and generator when the load on the electric motor and generator is below a predetermined load threshold. The internal combustion engine receives torque from an exogenous starting device when the load on the electric motor and generator is above the predetermined load threshold. |
| US08219271B2 |
Method for controlling a drivetrain for a hybrid vehicle
A method for controlling a drivetrain for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The drivetrain has at least one internal combustion engine, a torque converter and an operational link to at least one drivable axle, an electrical energy store, and an electrical machine, which is usable as a generator for charging the electrical energy store during a recuperation operation. The electrical machine is provided on the pump wheel and the operational link being provided on the turbine wheel of the torque converter. A torque is introduced from the drivable axle via the operational link and through the turbine wheel into the liquid of the torque converter in recuperation operation in order to be dissipated as heat. |
| US08219267B2 |
Wind estimation for an unmanned aerial vehicle
The speed of the wind during operation of a UAV is estimated. In one example the speed of the wind is estimated by modeling an acceleration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on a measured ground speed of the UAV, determining an actual acceleration of the UAV with one or more sensors, and estimating the speed of the wind as an integral of a difference between the modeled acceleration and the actual acceleration. |
| US08219265B2 |
Perspective vertical situation display system and method
A display system and method for an aircraft simultaneously displays the terrain under the flight plan, or under the current track of the aircraft, as both a two-dimensional lateral situation view image and as a perspective vertical situation view image. This provides improved tactical flight planning, and that does not erroneously show the flight plan passing through the displayed terrain. |
| US08219264B1 |
Close formation flight positioning system using air data measurements
A close formation flight positioning system uses only air data measurements without a data link. The wake vortex of a lead aircraft generates horizontal, vertical and lateral induced velocities that vary with horizontal, vertical and lateral position from its wing. Two or more laterally or vertically separated air data sensors on a follower aircraft measure impact pressure, angle of attack and angle of sideslip, which are converted to horizontal, vertical and lateral velocity components. By comparing these velocity component measurements, using the distance between the sensors on the follower aircraft and the wing span of the lead aircraft, the distance from the follower to the lead aircraft can be determined. If weight, speed and altitude of the lead aircraft are known, then two sensors on the follower aircraft are sufficient to determine relative positions. If those conditions are not known, then three sensors on the follower aircraft are needed. |
| US08219261B2 |
Fan speed control from thermal diode measurement
Measurement circuit components are included in an integrated circuit fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. A method is provided for controlling the speed of a cooling fan provided to cool an integrated circuit in which includes the steps of receiving a voltage from a thermal diode, addressing a table of digital temperatures by incrementing the address of the table entries every clock cycle of a circuit clock, converting the addressed data to a second voltage representing temperature, comparing the first voltage to the second voltage, providing a resulting temperature when both the first and second voltages are equal, and adjusting the fan speed accordingly. |
| US08219259B2 |
Maintaining uniform power consumption from an electric utility by a local load in a power distribution system
Maintaining uniform power consumption from an electric utility by a local load in a power distribution that includes a distributed renewable generation (‘DRG’) system that is capable of providing power to the utility and batteries for storage, where maintaining uniform power consumption is carried out iteratively and includes monitoring present power consumption of the local load from the electric utility; determining whether the present power consumption is greater than a predefined target power consumption by the local load; if the present power consumption is not greater, storing locally generated power in the batteries; if the present power consumption is greater: calculating in dependence upon present local power generation by the DRG system, the predefined target power consumption, and the present power consumption of the local load, an amount of locally generated power to provide to the electric utility; and providing the amount of locally generated power to the electric utility. |
| US08219258B1 |
Queuing access to a shared power supply
A method of queuing access to a power supply shared by a set of electrical access points. The access points turn on independently from one another and thus have independent power draws. Each access point has a specific power draw when on. The on state and associated power draw of each of access point is identified, and a load duration curve for each access point is normalized (i.e., combined with load duration curve(s)) from the other access points) into a probability distribution function. The probability distribution function is a normalized load duration curve that thus accounts for a varying set of “operating states” that may occur with respect to the set of access points (when viewed collectively). Each operating state has an associated probability of occurrence. As the operating state of the set (of access points) changes, access to the power supply is selectively queued, or de-queued (if previously queued). |
| US08219254B2 |
Adaptive control for irrigation system
A combined water management and communication system for a water provider wirelessly communicating with selected ones of the multiplicity of user wireless transceiver for changing water distribution to selective ones of the multiplicity of independent users upon an undesired water flow characteristic within the water distribution channels. The multiplicity of user wireless transceivers communicating with proximate user wireless transceivers for forming a network for communicating information to a third party wireless transceiver unrelated to liquid flow. The invention is also incorporated into a remote controlled solar operated wireless irrigation valve. The invention is further incorporated into an improved water management irrigation system incorporating an adaptive weather based controller that is adjusted by a weather based sensor base controller. |
| US08219252B2 |
Central air-conditioning system
Regarding rooms other than a room being targeted, a controller controls the rooms in energy-saving conditioning mode when a person is not detected in the rooms, even when the rooms are scheduled to be controlled in ordinary conditioning mode in a temperature control schedule. At this time, when the controller judges that the person has exited the room, the controller controls the targeted room in energy-saving conditioning mode, in rapid conditioning mode. As a result, the room is rapidly conditioned such that the temperature changes from an energy-saving temperature t to an ordinary set temperature by the time the person who has exited the room enters the room. As a result, unnecessary conditioning of the room set to be conditioning in ordinary conditioning mode can be reduced, and energy consumption can be reduced. In addition, comfort of the person entering the room can be ensured by prediction of the movement of the person. |
| US08219249B2 |
Indoor air quality controllers and user interfaces
Controllers for controlling heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC) systems are provided. The controllers include graphical user interfaces for user adjustment of system settings. The controllers also include communication interfaces for receiving climate data. In certain embodiments, the controllers govern operation of the HVAC systems based at least in part on the climate data. Further, the controllers may display information and alerts related to the climate data. The controllers also may govern operation of air treatment devices within the HVAC systems. |
| US08219245B2 |
Articulated arm robot
To increase the safety of an articulated arm robot with robot members connected by means of joints as open kinematics and with functional elements acting on the joints, such as drive motors, gears, brakes and a weight balance system, while reducing the mechanical limitations of the motion space of the robot, the present invention provides that at least some of the said functional elements have a dual design. |
| US08219238B2 |
Automatically generating embroidery designs from a scanned image
A method and system are disclosed for automatically generating embroidery designs from a scanned image. A described method of generating embroidery data from image data includes identifying an object from the image data, wherein the object corresponds to a contiguous portion of an image defined by the image data. The described method further includes determining a plurality of possible stitch angles for the object and determining respective numbers of fragments required to stitch the object for each of the possible stitch angles. The method further includes selecting a stitch angle from the plurality of possible stitch angles, wherein the selected stitch angle is to result in a least number of fragments to stitch the object, and generating the embroidery data based on the selected stitch angle. |
| US08219227B2 |
Merging variable data for packaging imposition
A printing imposition method for creating packaging imposition schemes includes providing target printing sheet properties; providing at least one designed package element (23, 26, 27) wherein the designed package element includes at least one variable information object (92, 93, 94); providing variable information data (44, 45, 46, 47) to be inserted in at least one variable information object; creating variable package elements (95, 96, 97) by merging the variable information data (44, 45, 46, 47) and at least one variable information object (92, 93, 94) in at least one designed package element (23, 26, 27); and performing step and repeat of the variable package elements on the target printing sheet (70) according to the target printing sheet properties. |
| US08219221B2 |
Industrial controller using shared memory multicore architecture
A multicore processor for industrial control provides for the execution of separate operating systems on the cores under control of one of the cores to tailor the operating system to optimum execution of different applications of industrial control and communication. One core may provide for a reduced instruction set for execution of industrial control programs with the remaining cores providing a general-purpose instruction set. |
| US08219216B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing configuration changes across multiple components of an industrial control system
An industrial control system includes an industrial controller and a series of bridge devices logically connected in a cascaded arrangement to facilitate data communication between the industrial controller and an I/O device. The control system further includes a programming interface connected to the industrial controller to provide modifications to the program and component configuration. Modifications are provided to the controller and to the bridge devices across the network in a multiphase operation that includes a first operation that cascades the modifications from the industrial controller and to the bridge devices, and a second operation that cascades a apply command to the industrial controller and to the bridge devices instructing the industrial controller and the bridge devices to update the configuration of each of the devices based on the modifications provided in the first phase only upon acknowledgement that the industrial controller and each of the bridge devices has accepted the modifications. |
| US08219209B2 |
Implantable medical lead having reduced dimension tubing transition
Lead body designs for forming a fluid tight seal between a multilumen tube and other portions of a lead body are provided. One lead body design has a multilumen tube having a first portion defining a first number of lumens and a second reduced dimension portion defining a second number of lumens, the second number of lumens being smaller than the first number of lumens. The reduced dimension portion is attached to a distal tip portion of the lead body, forming a fluid tight passageway through the multilumen tube to the distal tip portion. Also provided are methods for forming such multilumen tubes and incorporating such multilumen tubes into a lead body. |
| US08219207B2 |
Thermal switch for implantable medical devices
An implantable medical device includes an electrode having a thermal switch. The thermal switch is configured to electrically decouple components of the implantable medical device when in contact with tissue at temperatures above normal body temperature. |
| US08219206B2 |
Dwell time adjustments for posture state-responsive therapy
A medical device detects a patient posture state and adjusts therapy based on the detected posture state. A patient posture state may be transient. To avoid adjusting therapy in response to transient posture states, a dwell time may be imposed. Using the dwell time, only those posture states that are assumed by a patient for a minimum length of time will result in therapy adjustment. To help ensure that the dwell time is set to an appropriate length of time, patient therapy adjustment data may be analyzed. Therapy adjustments made during the dwell time may indicate that the dwell time is too long. Therapy adjustments made prior to the initiation of the dwell time may also indicate that the dwell time is too long. Therapy adjustments made by the patient after expiration of the dwell time may indicate that the dwell time is too short. Based on analysis of the therapy adjustment data, the dwell time can be adjusted to a length that is appropriate for the patient and/or posture state. |
| US08219205B2 |
Flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission
This invention provides a flexible antenna module for wireless energy transmission, which uses an antenna size controlling device to adjust the antenna's size to conform a living body's outer portion wearing the flexible annular antenna. An antenna energy transmission control module is provided to adjust the power for driving the flexible annular antenna according to the deformation of the flexible annular antenna. This invention can adjust both the antenna size to fit the individual and the power for driving the antenna. The individual can use the present antenna module under a comfortable, safe and reliable circumstance. |
| US08219200B2 |
Medical device packaging system
A system, comprising a sterilizable package; an implantable medical device placed inside the sterilizable package; and an electrical interface electrically coupled to the implantable medical device and extending from inside the sterilizable package to outside the sterilizable package. In various embodiments, the interface may include package contacts electrically coupled to electrode terminals on the implantable medical device, patient terminals and conductors extending between the package contacts and the patient terminals. |
| US08219198B2 |
Method and device for using impedance measurements based on electrical energy of the heart
A method and a device are disclosed for evaluating the cardio-circulatory and pulmonary condition of a patient, including determining the patient's thoracic impedance based on information solely derived from the electrical energy generated by the patient's own heart. |
| US08219196B2 |
Determination of stimulation output capabilities throughout power source voltage range
Techniques for determining whether a medical device will be able to deliver stimulation according to a particular program throughout a useable voltage range of a power source of the medical device are described. According to some examples, the medical device configures a DC to DC converter of the medical device in a specified output configuration and delivers electrical stimulation from the medical device according to a program while at the specified output configuration. Whether the medical device will be able to deliver stimulation according to the program when the power source is at a power source voltage level lower than a present voltage level used during therapy delivery is determined based on a value of a voltage drop across a regulator module determined while delivering the electrical stimulation according to the program. The determination for a program may be performed, as an example, when the program is created or modified. |
| US08219194B2 |
Implantable cardiac stimulator, system, device and method for monitoring cardiac synchrony
In a system and method for monitoring cardiac synchrony in a human heart, a first sensor is positioned at a first cardiac wall location that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and measures the cardiac wall movements at the first cardiac wall location and a second sensor is positioned at a second cardiac wall location that is subject to movements related to longitudinal valve plane movements along the longitudinal axis of the heart, and measures the cardiac wall movements at the second cardiac wall location. A lead arrangement conducts respective output signals from the first and second sensors to processing circuitry that processes the first and second sensor output signals to produce a synchronization signal therefrom indicative of synchrony in the respective valve plane movements at the first and second cardiac wall locations. |
| US08219191B1 |
Recumbent stepping exercise device with stimulation and related methods
In one aspect, a device facilitates performance of a recumbent stepping exercise using stimulation. The device may include a seat for receiving a human exercise subject and foot receivers for alternately translating to and fro relative to a stationary base along a path of travel between a first position in which the legs are at least partially bent and a second position in which the legs are less bent than in the first position. An electrical stimulator is provided for facilitating the performance of the exercise by the subject moving the foot receivers alternately along the path of travel. In another aspect, adaptive feed-forward control may also be used to enhance the stepping exercise performed using the device. Related methods of performing stepping exercises are also provided. |
| US08219190B2 |
Implantable biomedical chip with modulator for a wireless neural stimulation system
The invention relates to an implantable biomedical chip with modulator for a wireless neural stimulating system. The implantable biomedical chip comprises a power regulator, a demodulator, a baseband circuit, a D/A converter, an instrumentation amplifier, an A/D converter and a modulator. According to the invention, the modulator is mounted on the implantable biomedical chip, and can achieve full-duplex communication to improve the controllability and observability. Besides, the power consumption and area occupation is reduced as compared with using discrete components. Therefore, the integration of the implantable biomedical chip can be easily accomplished. |
| US08219188B2 |
Synchronization of vagus nerve stimulation with the cardiac cycle of a patient
Methods, systems, and apparatus for treating a medical condition of a patient, involving detecting a physiological cycle or cycles of the patient and applying an electrical signal to a portion of the patient's vagus nerve through an electrode at a selected point in the physiological cycle(s). The physiological cycle can be the cardiac and/or respiratory cycle. The selected point can be a point in the cardiac cycle correlated with increased afferent conduction on the vagus nerve, such as a point from about 10 msec to about 800 msec after an R-wave of the patient's ECG, optionally during inspiration by the patient. The selected point can be a point in the cardiac cycle when said applying increases heart rate variability, such as a point from about 10 msec to about 800 msec after an R-wave of the patient's ECG, optionally during expiration by the patient. |
| US08219185B2 |
Rapid method for analyzing bio-signal instantaneously by phase space complexity difference and its device
The present invention relates to a method for analyzing bio-signal instantaneously by Chaotic Phase Space Difference (CPSD) operation and its measure analyze device. This method includes time-delay procedure and rebuilt phase space matrix to calculate complexity of phase space matrix and diagnose the bio-signal. This method can also be used as an analyze method in portable device or 24 h ECG recorder which is a fast and convenient measure analyze device. |
| US08219179B2 |
Systems and methods for navigation within a branched structure of a body
A system and method for navigating a medical instrument in a branched structure of a body employs a tracking system, for collecting positional information for the medical instrument, and data, which defines a geometrical model of the branched structure, in particular, coordinates for predetermined points defining a pathway extending along branches of the model. Coordinates are identified for each Euclidean distance of the instrument, from an anchor point of a coordinate system for the tracking system, that corresponds to a Euclidean distance of a designated point, of the predetermined points, from a reference point of a coordinate system for the model, wherein the anchor point of the tracking coordinate system has been established to correspond to the reference point of the model coordinate system. The two coordinate systems are registered to one another using the identified coordinates of the instrument and the corresponding coordinates of each designated point. |
| US08219176B2 |
Single coil parallel imaging
An imaging apparatus for an object in change includes an MRI system having a first channel which produces images of the object using alternate lines of k-space applied along each of the two phase encoding directions and a computer which combines the individual images into a composite 3D image. The MRI system acquires alternate lines of temporally resolved data along each phase encoding direction. A method for imaging an object in change includes producing an individual image of the object with a first channel of an MRI system using alternate lines of k-space applied for each phase encoding direction, producing an individual image of the object with at least a second channel of the MRI system by acquiring alternate lines of temporally resolved data using alternate lines of k-space, and combining the individual images into a composite 3D image of the object with a computer of the MRI system. |
| US08219170B2 |
System and method for practicing spectrophotometry using light emitting nanostructure devices
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method for practicing spectrophotometry using light emitting nanostructures. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention include a physiologic sensor comprising a sensor body configured for placement adjacent pulsatile tissue of a patient, a first light emitting nanostructure device configured to emit light at a first wavelength through the pulsatile tissue, a second light emitting nanostructure device configured to emit light at a second wavelength through the pulsatile tissue, and a light detector configured to detect the light at the first wavelength and the light at the second wavelength after dispersion through the pulsatile tissue. |
| US08219169B2 |
Apparatus and method using light retro-reflected from a retina to non-invasively measure the blood concentration of a substance
A method determines the concentration of a substance in a subject's blood. The method includes noninvasively irradiating an eye with a measurement light beam having a first wavelength and a first power and with a reference light beam having a second wavelength and a second power. The second wavelength is different from the first wavelength. The method further includes measuring at least one of a body temperature of the subject and an ambient temperature of the subject. The method further includes detecting a power of the measurement retro-reflected light beam and detecting a power of the reference retro-reflected light beam. The method further includes calculating a measurement ratio of the detected power of the measurement retro-reflected light beam and the first power and calculating a reference ratio of the detected power of the reference retro-reflected light beam and the second power. The method further includes calculating a parameter dependent on the measurement ratio and the reference ratio and determining a concentration of the substance in the subject's blood in response to the calculated parameter and to the at least one of the body temperature and the ambient temperature. |
| US08219166B2 |
Manufacturing of back lighting structure for mobile terminal
There is provided a mobile terminal comprising a back lighting structure. The mobile terminal according to an embodiment comprises a light emitting device and a case part provided on the light emitting device and formed of a transmissive material. The mobile terminal further comprises a shielding coating layer laminated on a region excluding a specific region of the case part and formed of a shielding material so that the specific region of the case part transmits light. |
| US08219164B2 |
Apparatus and method for supporting multiple antenna service in a wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for supporting a multiple antenna service in a wireless communication system are provided. The apparatus includes at least one antenna, a form determining unit for determining a form of an MS, and an antenna constructing unit for constructing an antenna structure according to the form of the MS using the at least one antenna. |
| US08219161B2 |
Portable terminal
A portable terminal, which is small sized, excellent in portability, and having high operability for various functions other than a call function, is provided. Two housings are connected such that they can be extended in directions different from each other. The housings have a retraction state, a first extension state, a second extension state, and a third extension state that is a state achieved by further sliding the housings from the second extension into another state. Broadcast receiving conditions are improved by changing the length of an antenna for receiving digital broadcast reception in the second extension state and the third extension state. |
| US08219159B2 |
Cover flip mechanism and electronic device using the same
A cover flip mechanism and an electronic device using the same are provided. An electronic device with the cover flip mechanism includes a first casing and a second casing. The cover flip mechanism includes a sliding mechanism connected to the first casing and the second casing, a rotating mechanism having a supporting portion and a rotating portion disposed at the second casing and is connected to the supporting portion, a fastener pivotally connected to the second casing and a protrudent block disposed at the first casing. When the first casing slides relatively to the second casing to the rotating location, the protrudent block pushes the fastener, and then the fastener rotates and releases the supporting portion. Therefore, the supporting portion can rotate relatively to the second casing via the rotating portion further to push the first casing to rotate relatively to the second casing. |
| US08219158B2 |
Handheld wireless communication device
A handheld wireless communication device configured to be hand cradleable by an operator during text entry. A display, key field and trackball navigation tool are located on a front face of the device. At least some keys of the key field are arranged in key-columns and each of the key-columns is vertically offset from adjacent key-columns. Alphanumeric input keys include several alphabetic keys with letters arranged in a traditional (QWERTY), but non-ITU Standard E.161 telephone letter layout. A microprocessor is provided that receives operator commands from the keys and the trackball navigation tool and which affects corresponding changes to the display based on user input. At least one key of the key field is positioned adjacent to the trackball navigation tool and the at least one key has an arcuate-shaped edge conformance fitting to an arcuate-shaped boundary about the trackball navigation tool. |
| US08219157B2 |
Electronic device with shared multiband antenna and antenna diversity circuitry
Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may have antenna diversity circuitry that allows an optimum antenna in an antenna structure to be switched into use during device operations. The antenna structure may be shared between multiple radio-frequency transceivers in a radio-frequency transceiver circuit. The radio-frequency transceiver circuit may be coupled to the antenna structure using switching and filtering circuitry. The filtering circuitry may include a diplexer that divides radio-frequency signals into a divided signal path based on frequency. The filtering circuitry may also include bandpass filters that are interposed in each branch of the divided signal path. Switching circuitry in the switching and filtering circuitry may be used to selectively configure the wireless communications circuitry in transmit and receive modes using multiple communications bands. |
| US08219156B2 |
Transceiver device and power saving method thereof
A transceiver device and a power saving method thereof are provided. The transceiver device includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a control module. The control module is coupled to the transmitter and the receiver. After the control module lowers the output power of either the transmitter, the receiver, or both of them, the control module checks a signal transmission between the transceiver device and a far-end device is normal or not. When the signal transmission between the transceiver device and the far-end device is abnormal, the control module readjusts the output power of the transmitter, the receiver, or both of them. Thereby, the power consumption of the transceiver device is decreased. |
| US08219153B2 |
Mobile advertising on personal cellular telecommunications devices
Mobile advertising on personal cellular telecommunications devices includes an initial Level 0 Interactive Display Message (IDM) having a content precursor for requesting additional content with or without a visual advertising component. Level 0 IDMs may be displayed as part of a user initiated client application or automatically replacing an idle screen. Mobile advertising can optionally include one or more Level 1 Advertisement Display Messages (ADMs) including text, graphics, video, and the like Level 1 ADMs may be interactive or not. |
| US08219150B2 |
Portable electronic equipment capable of displaying candidate of scene based on frequency information
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile phone including: a first storage configured to store transit information associated with a destination scene for each scene; a second storage configured to store frequency information representing a frequency as to a route passing through a source scene, a first scene transited from the source scene and a second scene transited from the first scene; a first display configured to selectably display a candidate of the second scene, depending upon a transition from the source scene to the first scene and upon the transit information; a second display configured to selectably display a candidate of the second scene, depending upon a transition from the source scene to the first scene and upon the frequency information; and a transit unit configured to transit from the candidate displayed to a scene of the candidate if the displayed candidate is selected. |
| US08219142B2 |
Method, system, and apparatus for coexistence of plurality of communication technologies in communication device
A method and system for enabling coexistence of a plurality of communication technologies in a communication device is provided. The method includes determining a time offset between a first communication event of a first communication technology of the plurality of communication technologies and a second communication event of a second communication technology of the plurality of communication technologies. The method further includes altering a first communication state of one or more of the first communication technology and the second communication technology to a second communication state based on one or more of the time offset and a plurality of parameters of one or more of the first communication technology and the second communication technology. |
| US08219140B2 |
Battery-operated wireless-communication apparatus and method
A combined battery and wireless-communications apparatus and method. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a support, a first conductive layer deposited on a first surface area of the support, a thin-film battery including a cathode layer, a solid-state electrolyte layer, and an anode layer deposited such that either the anode layer or the cathode layer is in electrical contact with the first conductive layer, an antenna mounted to the support structure, and an electronic communications circuit mounted to the support and electrically coupled to the battery and the antenna to transceive radio communications. Other embodiments include an energy-receiving device mounted to the support structure, and an electronic communications circuit mounted to the support structure and including a recharging circuit, the recharging circuit electrically coupled to the battery and the energy-receiving device to recharge the battery using energy received by the energy-receiving device. |
| US08219138B2 |
Optimal power allocation method for an LSSTC wireless transmission system
The optimal power allocation method for an LSSTC wireless transmission system utilizes Layered Steered Space-Time Codes (LSSTC), a recently proposed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system that combines the benefits of vertical Bell Labs space-time (V-BLAST) scheme, space-time block codes (STBC), and beamforming. A new downlink scheme employs LSSTC with optimal power allocation based on the assumption that the user feeds the base station (BS) with the average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) per V-BLAST layer through the uplink feedback channel. Such a system enhances the error performance by assigning power to the layers in an optimum manner. |
| US08219136B2 |
Techniques to determine transmitter power
Techniques are described that can be used to determine a transmitter power level of a mobile station based on spectrum efficiency gain and loss. Spectrum efficiency gain is measured for a home sector base station. Spectrum efficiency loss is measured for base stations other than the home sector base station. In one example, a base station transmits information such as noise plus interference level to a mobile station and the mobile station determines the transmitter power level. In another example, the mobile station transmits information such as preamble signal strength and preamble total signal strength to the home sector base station and the home sector base station determines the transmitter power level and instructs the mobile station to apply the determined transmitter power level. |
| US08219135B2 |
Method for building spontaneous virtual communities based on common interests using wireless equipment
The present invention refers to a method for establishing a communication network that connects a group or community of users using wireless equipments according to their defined interests. These equipments are preferentially portable, low cost, and user-friendly, where each equipment must be configurable using its user's profile, which contains a small amount of the user's personal data, namely the miniprofile. The method uses a collection of such miniprofiles to transparently set a communication network among the associate users to establish a virtual community. In addition, each profile will contain further information on user's interests, which the method will propagate across the communication network to the established virtual community in a way that their members will be able to form groups based on common interests while allowing for interaction among their members. The user profile can be set identifiable or anonymous, may or not be shareable in relation to the other members of a group. The method is distributed, and supports spontaneous and volatile communication networks, preferentially. |
| US08219134B2 |
Seamlessly switching among unicast, multicast, and broadcast mobile media content
In embodiments, the present invention provides a method and system for switching between broadcast and unicast content on a mobile device. The method and system involves making unicast content available to the mobile device, making broadcast content available to the mobile device; and providing an application on the mobile device which allows for switching between the unicast and broadcast content. |
| US08219128B2 |
Network-centric link adaptation for coordinated multipoint downlink transmission
A Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) cell controller performs network-centric link adaptation for User Equipment (UE) in the CoMP cell. The CoMP cell controller receives at least infrequent channel estimates from a UE in the CoMP cell, from which it estimates downlink channel and thermal noise at the UE. The CoMP cell controller is aware of the desired signal to be received at the UE, and the intra-CoMP cell interference to the UE caused by transmissions to other UEs in the CoMP cell. The CoMP cell receives from the UE reports of inter-CoMP cell interference caused by transmissions by other CoMP cells. Based on the downlink channel quality, the desired signal, the intra-CoMP cell interference, the inter-CoMP cell interference, and the thermal noise, the CoMP cell controller performs link adaptation by selecting modulation and coding schemes, and other transmission parameters, for an upcoming transmission duration (such as a TTI). |
| US08219127B2 |
Apparatus and method of performing measurements logging in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for performing measurements logging in a mobile communications system is provided. An user equipment receives a first measurement configuration message including a first measurement configuration and receives a second measurement configuration message. The user equipment discards the first measurement configuration upon receiving the second measurement configuration message. |
| US08219124B2 |
Method for planning a cellular mobile telecommunications network
A method for planning cellular mobile telecommunications network including at least one network cell and intended to provide network services to user equipment located in the network cell, wherein the network services include at least one network service deliverable at a plurality of provisioning rates, including evaluating an uplink coverage of the network in a predetermined service area. The evaluation of the uplink coverage includes: a) forecasting a number of user equipment located in the service area; b) setting a current provisioning rate to the highest of provisioning rates; c) estimating a power required for each user equipment for accessing the at least one network service in the service area at the current provisioning rate; and d) comparing the estimated required power to a maximum power deliverable by each user equipment. If the estimated required power exceeds the maximum deliverable power: e) determining a reduced service area wherein the estimated power required to each user equipment of a reduced number of user equipment located therein for accessing the at least one network service at the current provisioning rate does not exceed the maximum deliverable power; f) updating the current provisioning rate to the immediately lower provisioning rate of the plurality; and g) repeating steps c) and d) and, if required, steps e) and f). |
| US08219123B2 |
Personalized multimedia messaging system
A method for providing a personalized multimedia messaging service, wherein the method includes obtaining an MMS message (800). Recipient according to preferences of the at least one targeted recipient (900), thereby producing a personalized MMS message (910), and transmitting the personalized MMS message to the at least one targeted recipient indicate (1000) that the at least one targeted recipient is not interested in receiving the personalized MMS message. |
| US08219119B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving DRX operation in a wireless communications system
In order to avoid system malfunction, the present invention provides a method for improving Discontinuous Downlink Reception (DRX) operation for a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communications system. The method includes stopping a timer when the UE allocated with a dedicated HS-DSCH Radio Network Temporary Identifier (H-RNTI) moves from a CELL_PCH state to a CELL_FACH state due to an uplink data transmission, wherein the timer is started when the UE enters the CELL_PCH state and is utilized for determining a time length for using a first DRX cycle. |
| US08219118B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding paging message in wireless communication system
A method and mobile device for decoding a paging message transmitted as multiple bursts in a wireless communication system are provided. In the method, only the first burst among four bursts of a transmitted paging message is received and equalized. The equalized first burst is compared (e.g., by computing correlation) with a reference paging message. The first comparison result value obtained from the first comparison is compared with a threshold value. If the first comparison result value is greater than the threshold value, second through fourth bursts of the paging message are not received, and a previous decoded paging message is output and a sleep state is entered. If the comparison result value is not greater than the threshold value, the second through fourth bursts are received and decoded, the decoded paging message is encoded, and a first burst of the encoded paging message is stored as the reference paging message. |
| US08219114B2 |
Real-time location determination for in-building distributed antenna systems
A system for determining the location of a wireless mobile device with respect to an interconnected network of wireless transmission waveguides is disclosed. The interconnected network could be interconnected ducts of an HVAC system in a building. Multiple wireless probes are placed at multiple locations within the HVAC duct system (or similar interconnected network of waveguides). Each probe may detect a common signal from a wireless mobile device and independently preserve arrival time information of the detected signal, wherein the signal propagates to probes by way of a free-space path to an opening in one or another duct, and thereafter to the probes via one or another path through the interconnected ducts, which act as wireless transmission waveguides. By correlating timing information of a signal received at three or more probes, a location of the mobile wireless device may be determined by one or another form of triangulation. |
| US08219113B2 |
Network assisted mobile communication terminal and network assisted global positioning method for mobile communication terminal
When a GPS terminal (8) is located in a cell (1), positioning is performed by acquiring cell information and position information (ResPos) of the cell (1). Furthermore, since the ResPos acquired by the GPS terminal (8) in the cell (1) includes surrounding cell information about surrounding cells (cell 2 to cell 7), the surrounding cell information is also stored in the GPS terminal (8) in association with the ResPos acquired in the cell (1). When the GPS terminal (8) moves between a plurality of cells, positioning is performed using the ResPos stored in the cell (1) as is if the number of handovers is smaller than a predetermined threshold. On the other hand, if the number of handovers exceeds a predetermined threshold, positioning is performed using the ResPos acquired in the destination cell. |
| US08219108B2 |
Smart radio communication system and method of operating the same
Provided is a method of operating a smart radio communication system, the method including: collecting information associated with each of a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) through an access to the plurality of RATs; receiving a type of a service, requested by a terminal, via a first RAT accessing the terminal among the plurality of RATs; selecting an optimal channel based on the collected information and the received type of the service; and transmitting a content corresponding to the service via the selected optimal channel. |
| US08219102B2 |
Method for installing a radio system in a building
A radio system is installed in a building, wherein each terminal (T) communicates with neighboring terminals and can transmit telegrams. The terminals (T) are contained in devices or installed as separate mobile terminals. A routing table is created, in which each acceptable route from a source (Q) to a destination (Z) is entered. Connection from source to destination is evaluated with consideration of the number of hops from terminal to terminal within a route, and of the availability of unique individual sections (SES) that cannot be replaced by a parallel path. |
| US08219098B2 |
Femtocell base station and method of switching communication services thereof
A femtocell base station and method of switching communication services of femtocell base stations. The method establishes an authorization list by which the mobile communication apparatus can be authorized to access the other femtocell base stations within the communication coverage, sets up a communication warning value and a signal capturing duration, performs a timing process when detecting that the signal intensity of itself is less than the communication warning value, and selects another femtocell base station having the highest priority in the priority list as an object for performing a switching process when the timing process counts to the signal capturing duration and the signal intensity of itself is less than the signal intensity of the other femtocell base station having the highest priority in the priority list, so as to interconnect the mobile communication terminal. |
| US08219097B2 |
Method of transmitting and receiving radio access information in a wireless mobile communications system
In a wireless mobile communications system, a method of transmitting and receiving radio access information that allows a faster and an efficient way of establishing a radio connection between a terminal and a target base station while performing a handover for the terminal to a cell of the target base station. The network transmits in advance, the radio access information and the like, to the terminal so that the terminal can be connected with the target cell in a faster manner which minimizes the total time for the handover process. |
| US08219096B2 |
Method and equipment for transferring information of neighboring cell in wireless communications system
A method and corresponding equipment for transferring information of a neighboring cell in a wireless communications system are provided. The method includes obtaining position information of a user equipment (UE) when detecting that the UE is in a service connection state. It is determined whether the UE is in a coverage threshold range of a micro-cell adjacent to a current macro-cell according to the position information of the UE. Information of the micro-cell is transferred to the UE when the UE is in the coverage threshold range of the micro-cell adjacent to a current macro-cell. |
| US08219094B2 |
Location-based services in a femtocell network
System(s) and method(s) are provided to route traffic and signaling between a set of networked femto access points (APs) and enable location-based services. A femto AP in the set of femto APs is functionally linked to a routing platform that manages traffic and signaling, and is functionally connected to a controller component that relays at least part of data and control to a femto network platform. The femto network platform allows access to one or more external networks. Routing platform can exchange signaling with one or more femto APs to enable, at least in part, location-based services based at least in part on identifier(s) for a femto AP, access privileges, or time-of-flight measurements that assess propagation timing between a mobile device and a femto AP. Routing platform can supply timing configuration to enable predetermined spatial resolution of location estimates. Location estimates can be recorded and conveyed to a consumer layer. |
| US08219093B2 |
Handover processing method and system for multi-mode mobile station
The present invention relates to efficient handover processing for a multi-mode mobile station supporting a licensed wireless system and unlicensed wireless system. A handover processing method using unlicensed mobile access (UMA) includes: checking, upon recognition of necessity of handover, neighbor cell information from a licensed wireless system; determining possibility of handover on the basis of the neighbor cell information; preventing, if handover is not possible, a handover-related operation, and maintaining an existing connection to the licensed wireless system; and performing, if handover is possible, handover to an associated unlicensed wireless system. |
| US08219092B2 |
User equipment frequency allocation methods and apparatus
In an embodiment, a wireless communication system (100, FIG. 1) includes one or more nodes (102-108) and one or more user equipments (UE) (130-134). A node may service a cell (110-116). A UE may be classified (802, FIG. 8) into a cell-edge UE group when the UE is within in a cell-edge region (504, 506, 508, FIG. 5) of a cell. The cell-edge UE group may be allocated at least one first frequency range within an available bandwidth (600, 700, FIGS. 6 and 7). A UE may be reclassified (808, FIG. 8) into a cell-center UE group based on at least one indicator of UE performance. The cell-center UE group may be allocated at least one second frequency range within the available bandwidth. |
| US08219088B2 |
Method and apparatus for registering location of terminal in packet-switching domain
A method and apparatus for registering the location of a terminal in a PS domain in a mobile communication network are provided, in which the terminal transmits a request message requesting registration of the location of the terminal to an MME of the mobile communication network, receives from the MME a response message including an eMSC indicator indicating an eMSC connected to the MME from among a plurality of eMSCs, and registers the location of the terminal to the eMSC indicated by the eMSC indicator included in the response message if the eMSC indicator included in the response message is different from an eMSC indicator stored in the terminal. |
| US08219087B2 |
Method, apparatus, computer program product and system for providing dynamic assignment of session capabilities
An apparatus for providing dynamic assignment of session capabilities such as buddy list capabilities includes a processing element. The processing element may be configured to receive a message associated with a communication session with a network node, acquire service plan based capabilities associated with the network node, receive device based capabilities associated with the network node, and determine session based capabilities associated with the service based on the device based capabilities and the service plan based capabilities on a per subscriber basis. |
| US08219086B2 |
Low duty mode for femtocell base stations
A low duty mode is provided for a femtocell base station operating as part of a cellular communications system. Methods and systems are described for reducing the service impact of the low-duty mode on mobile stations that are either already attached or are attempting to attach to a femtocell base station. |
| US08219085B2 |
Method and apparatus for optimizing compressed mode duration
An apparatus and method for optimizing compressed mode duration comprising collecting a first set of receive signal strength indication (RSSI) measurements from at least one 2G cell; determining a best 2G cell from the at least one 2G cell using the first set of RSSI measurements; identifying at least one second best 2G cells with at least one of the first set of RSSI measurements within a range threshold TR of the best 2G cell; collecting a second set of RSSI measurements from the second best 2G cells; identifying at least one third best 2G cells with at least one of the second set of RSSI measurements within the range threshold TR of the best 2G cell; and collecting a third set of RSSI measurements from the third best 2G cells. |
| US08219080B2 |
Methods and apparatus for producing a user-controlled PLMN list for a SIM/USIM card with use of a user agent application
Methods and apparatus for producing a user-controlled PLMN list for a SIM/USIM card with use of a user agent application are disclosed. Selection indication data corresponding to at least one of a plurality of network attribute type preferences is received at the user agent application. The selection indication data may be received through a user interface of the user equipment, a user application of the user equipment, or both. The at least one selected network attribute type preference is indicative of a preference to prioritize network selection based on at least one network attribute type of a plurality of network attributes types (e.g. cost, bandwidth, quality, number of available features, etc.). A list of network identifications associated with a plurality of wireless communication networks is ranked in accordance with a ranking of network attributes of the at least one selected network attribute type made available by the plurality of wireless communication networks. The ranked list of network identifications is then stored as a user-controlled PLMN list in the SIM/USIM. An automatic network selection process may then be performed with use of the user-controlled PLMN list. As apparent, network selection may be controlled and facilitated by the end user in a more conceptual fashion. Other additional and alternative advantageous features are described in the detailed description. |
| US08219077B2 |
Apparatus and methods for managing malfunctions on a wireless device
Apparatus and methods for managing predetermined malfunction events in a wireless device operating in a wireless communications network. Malfunction event data and operational data are recorded by the wireless device based on a selected malfunction event tracking configuration. Further, a recovery module associated with the wireless device operates to attempt to recover information leading up to and including the malfunction event. The collected information may be transmitted to a user manager in the form of a malfunction event log. The malfunction event log may be analyzed to characterize the malfunction, and is particularly useful for determining the sequence and identity of events leading to the malfunction, including a crash, freeze and reset. |
| US08219074B2 |
Method and apparatus for communication site planning
The present invention relates to a solution for determining wireless communication cell characteristics related to wireless MIMO transmission mode and dynamically selecting suitable communication transmission mode for certain parts of the wireless communication cell. The solution uses a flatness spectrum analysis of received impulse response from a plurality of measurement points in the cell using a plurality of antennas in a wireless network access gateway, e.g. a base station. |
| US08219073B2 |
Method for simlutaneous communications management
A method for presenting multiple communications in a wireless communication device (100) comprising presenting (308) a plurality of communications concurrently with at least one output device of a wireless communication device. The method further comprises formatting the plurality of communications on the at least one output device as a function of the number of communications of the plurality of communications and of at least one condition and a function of a communication characteristic. |
| US08219070B2 |
System and method for delivering advertising to packet-based telephones
A system and method of delivering targeted advertising to packet-based network telecommunications devices may include accessing a database configured to store telephone services information of telecommunications devices. The telecommunications services information may indicate whether a telecommunications device has packet-based network access. Telecommunications devices that have telephone number information including NPA-NXX of a certain NPA-NXX code and packet-based network access may be identified. Advertising content may be communicated to the identified telecommunications devices for display on the telecommunications device. |
| US08219069B2 |
Advanced voice and data operations in a dual-mode mobile data communication device
A system and method for integrating voice and data operations into a single mobile device capable of simultaneously performing data and voice actions. The mobile device working in a network capable of exchanging both cell phone calls and data items to the mobile device. By wearing an earphone or an ear-bud device the user is capable of dealing with voice conversations while working with data centric information related to the current caller. By providing a data-centric device with voice capabilities there is a new range of features that allow incoming data events to trigger outgoing voice events. |
| US08219068B2 |
Speech to message processing
Voice message processors are configured to produce text representations of voice messages. The text representations can be compacted based on one or more abbreviation libraries or rule libraries. Abbreviation processing can be applied to produce a compact text representation based on display properties of a destination device or to enhance user perception. Text representation length can be reduced based on abbreviations in a standard abbreviation list, a user specific abbreviation list, or a combination of standard and custom lists. In some examples, text length is shortened based on stored rules. Mobile stations are configured to receive text representations of voice messages and request delivery of the associated voice messages based on message identifiers or message availability indicators that are presented on mobile station display. Network elements comprise a voice message processor and are configured to produce text representations and deliver text representation or voice messages based as requested by message recipients. |
| US08219064B2 |
Method, system, and apparatus for preventing bidding down attacks during motion of user equipment
A method for preventing bidding down attacks during motion of a User Equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes the UE sends a Tracking Area Update (TAU) Request message to a new MME, the TAU Request carries UE's security capabilities, the UE receives UE's security capabilities sent by the MME, and the UE checks whether the received UE's security capabilities are consistent with the stored UE's security capabilities. A system, an MME, and a UE for preventing bidding down attacks during motion of the UE are also provided. When the UE performs security capability negotiation with the MME, the UE can check whether the received security capabilities are consistent with the stored security capabilities, and determine whether a bidding down attack exists, and therefore may prevent bidding down attacks. |
| US08219063B2 |
Controlling usage in mobile devices via a virtualization software layer
One embodiment is a method of controlling usage in a virtualized mobile device including virtualization software that supports one or more virtual machines, the method including: (a) receiving control information at the virtualized mobile device that includes one or more limits pertaining to one or more uses of the virtualized mobile device; (b) collecting usage information relating to the one or more uses; (c) determining whether usage information corresponding to one of the one or more uses exceeds a corresponding one of the one or more limits; and if so; (d) carrying out a predetermined action relating to the one of the one or more uses. |
| US08219062B2 |
Ambient information for usage of wireless communication devices
Embodiments that indicate usage information of services for wireless communication devices via ambient elements are disclosed. Some embodiments determine usage of a service for a wireless communication device and manipulate one or more ambient elements to indicate the usage to a user of the device. Various embodiments may determine usage by measuring a quantity of data transferred or measuring a number of voice minutes consumed according to a rate plan. Changing ambient elements may comprise activating vibration modules or changing colors of screen elements, or changing screen brightness of the devices, as examples. Examples of wireless communication devices are cell phones, smartphones, satellite phones, and other types of mobile communication devices that use wireless communication services. |
| US08219056B2 |
Radio environment scanner
A device may include a measurement receiver, a communication receiver, and a transmitter. The measurement receiver may include a receiver (RX) down-conversion component to receive an amplified signal from a low-noise amplifier of the communication receiver, selectively receive a signal from a first local oscillator associated with the communication receiver or a second local oscillator associated with the transmitter, and down-convert the amplified signal to baseband using the received signal from the first local oscillator or the second local oscillator. The measurement receiver may further include a delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to provide low quantization noise only for a particular frequency range to be measured, and a control component to configure the delta-sigma ADC to provide the low quantization noise at the particular frequency range. |
| US08219053B2 |
Automatic tuning reader
A system and method of automatically tuning a reading device that remotely monitors RFID tags or transponders. The reading device utilizes the phase signal of an antenna signal wherein the harmonic of the antenna signal is filtered through a signal coupling transformer and utilizes the antenna current reading to determine the optimal capacitance setting for the reader by adjusting capacitors and storing the relative phase signal and level of current in a processor. In one embodiment, the method comprises supplying power to the reading device, monitoring the power supply, storing data related to the monitored power supply, emitting a signal from an antenna, filtering the harmonic of such signal, outputting the phase signal to a processor and adjusting capacitors based on the phase signal and monitored current. |
| US08219049B2 |
Generating a process and temperature tracking bias voltage
In one embodiment, a method includes generating a current that is proportional to a mobility and an oxide capacitance of a tracking device and independent of a threshold voltage variation of the tracking device, generating a voltage from the current, and providing the voltage as at least part of a bias voltage for another device. In one embodiment, this other device may be a compensation circuit coupled to a main device to compensate for capacitance non-linearity of the main device. |
| US08219048B2 |
Method and system for receiving signals via multi-port distributed antenna
Methods and systems for receiving signals via a multi-port distributed antenna are disclosed and may include selectively enabling one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) coupled to the antenna. The selective enabling may be based on a desired gain level applied to a signal received from the antenna. The LNAs may be coupled to ports on the antenna based on an input impedance of the LNAs and an impedance of the ports. Each of the LNAs may be configured for optimum linearity in different gain ranges, which may be proportional to the input impedance of the LNAs. The antenna may be integrated on a chip with the LNAs, or may be located external to the chip. The antenna may include a microstrip antenna. The LNAs may include variable gain and may be enabled utilizing a processor. Linearity on demand may be enabled via the selective enabling of the LNAs. |
| US08219047B2 |
Methods for calibrating a transmitter, and radio transmitter
In an embodiment, a radio transmitter may be provided. The radio transmitter may include a radio transmitter control loop; and a controller configured in such a way that it operates the radio transmitter control loop as a closed control loop in a first operating mode, and that it operates the radio transmitter control loop as an open control loop in a second operating mode. |
| US08219044B2 |
Feedback compensation detector for a direct conversion transmitter
A feedback compensation detector for a direct conversion transmitter includes a baseband processor, a direct up-converter, an antenna, and an impairment detection and compensation feedback circuit. The baseband processor generates an in-phase (I) baseband signal and a quadrature-phase (Q) baseband signal. The direct up-converter is coupled to the baseband processor, and combines the I and Q baseband signals with an RF carrier signal to generate an RF output signal. The antenna is coupled to the direct up-converter, and transmits the RF output signal. The impairment detection and compensation feedback circuit is coupled to the RF output signal and the I and Q baseband signals. The impairment detection and compensation feedback circuit down-converts the RF output signal to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, measures at least one signal impairment in the IF signal, and pre-distorts the I and Q baseband signals to compensate for the measured signal impairment. |
| US08219041B2 |
Design structure for transmitter bandwidth optimization circuit
A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium used in a design process provides a transmitter having a frequency response controllable in accordance with an operational parameter, and may include a storage operable to store operational parameters for controlling a frequency response of the transmitter under each of a plurality of corresponding operating conditions. A sensor can be used to detect an operating condition. In response to a change in the detected operating condition, a stored operational parameter corresponding to the detected operating condition can be used to control the frequency response of the transmitter. |
| US08219040B2 |
Transmitter bandwidth optimization circuit
A method is provided for operating a transmitter integrated in a microelectronic element. In a calibration phase, a plurality of operational parameters are stored for controlling a frequency response of the transmitter under each of a plurality of corresponding operating conditions. Upon detecting an operating condition such as a temperature or power supply voltage level, the corresponding stored operational parameter is applied to the transmitter to control the frequency response. |
| US08219038B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving broadcasting reception performance of portable terminal
The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and to a method and apparatus for improving broadcasting reception performance of the portable terminal by filtering a transmission frequency of a radio frequency unit introduced to a broadcasting reception path without experiencing broadcast signal loss. The filtering can be achieved using a filter that includes a variable capacitor in the broadcasting reception path. Accordingly, the transmission frequency of the radio frequency unit may be filtered without a broadcast signal loss. A capacitance of the variable capacitor may be controlled according to the broadcast channel. |
| US08219035B2 |
Enhanced calibration for multiple signal processing paths in a wireless network
Calibrating signal processing paths for a plurality of transmission devices by obtaining calibration data for at least one of the signal processing paths for each of the transmission devices and determining a plurality of calibration weights from the calibration data for each of the transmission devices. A calibration variance is calculated between the plurality of calibration weights and it is determined if the calibration variance is below a calibration variance threshold. Additionally, a phase variation and a magnitude variation are calculated from the calibration data for each of the transmission devices with respect to a reference transmission signal obtained from a reference transmission device and it is determined for each of the transmission devices if the phase variation is below a phase variation threshold and if the magnitude variation is below a magnitude variation threshold. Further, if the calibration variance is below the calibration variance threshold, and the phase variation is below the phase variation threshold and the magnitude variation is below the magnitude variation threshold for each of the transmission devices, then the plurality of calibration weights are applied to the at least one of the signal processing paths of each of the transmission devices. |
| US08219033B2 |
System of transmit antennas adapted to propagation conditions for radio broadcasting
To broadcast synchronized radio waves in at least one frequency band in a predetermined territory, antennas (AS, ATI, AE) emit waves to respective coverage areas in which receivers (RQ, RB) measure characteristics of the emitted waves and transmit to a central server (SC) . The server analyzes the characteristics (CO) as a function of prediction models for broadcasting waves in the territory in order to determine adjustment parameters for the antennas. The server transmits the adjustment parameters to the antennas to control them in order to offer a greater diversity of radio broadcasting services and to optimize coverage areas according to different wave propagation modes. |
| US08219031B2 |
Monitoring channels
A transmitter of a cognitive radio comprises a selector for selecting from a memory a channel which is determined free, for a power measurement. A power meter measures the received power from the selected channel. Detection selector compares the measured power and a power of the same channel saved in the memory and selects the channel for detection if the power in the channel is within a predetermined range from the power saved in the memory. A detector performs detection of the channel as a response to the selection for detection. A channel selector selects the channel for communication if the channel is detected unoccupied on the basis of detection. The transmitter communicates in the channel as a response to the selection for communication. |
| US08219028B1 |
Passing information between mobile devices
A method for sharing information between mobile devices is disclosed. The method includes sensing a physical motion event of a first mobile device, obtaining information reflecting a physical motion event of a second mobile device that is in proximity to the first mobile device, and transmitting data to the second mobile device upon a determination that the physical motion events match each other. |
| US08219024B2 |
Underwater data transfer system
The present invention relates to a system that provides flexible data access to a wired underwater communications network through an electromagnetic, non-conductive connection. An underwater data access point is described wherein data access to a cabled network is provided through an electromagnetic connection. An inductive connector system may also be provided to allow transfer of data and/or power between a data access point and a client system. |
| US08219023B1 |
Remotely operated illumination device
A system includes a substrate having a first side and a second side, more than one optical sources, wherein at least one optical source is coupled to the first side and at least one optical source is coupled to the second side, a power source operatively connected to the optical sources, a switch connected to the power source, and an RF receiver connected to the switch. The optical sources may be LEDs and may operate within the visible or infrared spectrum. The system may include an enclosure that is configured to be attached to antenna masts of a radio relay device. The enclosure may have windows to allow light from the optical sources to pass unobstructed through the enclosure. In some embodiments, the system is contained within the radio relay device. The system may be remotely controlled to illuminate a distant object or structure. |
| US08219021B2 |
System and method for proctoring a test by acting on universal controls affecting all test takers
An aspect of the present invention relates to an online test platform adapted to facilitate the development, delivery, and management of educational tests with interactive participation by students, teachers, proctors, and administrators even when some or all of them are remotely located. The platform may include administrator interfaces, test proctor interfaces, and test taker (e.g. student) interfaces to allow each participant to view, navigate, and interact with aspects of the online test platform that are intended to meet their needs. |
| US08219019B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A loop of a transferring material is formed at a position between a secondary transfer nip portion and a fixing nip portion such that a loop amount of the loop of the transferring material, which is formed at the position between the secondary transfer nip portion and the fixing nip portion when a mono-color mode is executed, is larger than a loop amount of the loop of the transferring material, which is formed at the position between the secondary transfer nip portion and the fixing nip portion when a full-color mode is executed. In the mono-color mode, image formation is executed such that primary transfer rollers are separated from an intermediate transfer belt. In the full-color mode, image formation is executed by photosensitive drums. |
| US08219016B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A fixing device includes a hollow, generally cylindrical open-sided stationary heat roll, a flexible fuser belt, a fuser pad, a rotatable pressure member, and a roll shape retainer. The heat roll is configured to heat an outer circumference thereof, and defines an elongated longitudinal side opening in one side thereof. The fuser belt is looped for rotation around the heat roll to transfer heat radially outward from the roll circumference. The fuser pad is held substantially stationary along the roll opening outward from the roll hollow and inward from the loop of the fuser belt. The pressure member is pressed against the fuser pad through the fuser belt to form a fixing nip. The roll shape retainer is disposed on the roll opening to retain the generally cylindrical shape of the heat roll. |
| US08219014B2 |
Image heating apparatus having magnetic flux confining means
An apparatus includes a rotatable image heater for heating a recording material, a coil, outside the heater, for generating magnetic flux for heating the heater and having an end outside an end of the heater with respect to the rotational axis direction, a pressor contacting the heater outer surface for forming a nip nipping and conveying the recording material, a metal member for pressing the pressor through the heater and having an end which is located outside the end of the heater and outside an end of the coil with respect to the rotational axis direction, and a magnetic flux confiner disposed inside the heater between the coil and the metal member, for confining the magnetic flux from the coil so as not to extend toward the metal member and having an end located outside the end of the heater with respect to the rotational axis direction. |
| US08219011B2 |
Intermediate transfer member and image formation apparatus
The invention provides an intermediate transfer member which is excellent in transferability and adhesion property and exhibits superior durability (releasability, resistance to lack of line images and cracking resistance) even after being used or aged under a severe environment over a long period of time and an image forming apparatus provided therewith. The intermediate transfer member comprises a substrate having thereon from the substrate side a first inorganic compound layer and a second inorganic compound layer, wherein a layer thickness ratio of the second inorganic compound layer to the first inorganic compound layer is not less than 1.0 and not more than 5.0, a carbon content of the first inorganic compound layer is not less than 0.5% by number of atoms and not more than 10% by number of atoms, and a carbon content of the second inorganic compound layer is less than 0.1% by number of atoms. |
| US08219010B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, intermediate transfer belt, and method of evaluating the same
In an image forming apparatus which transfers a toner image formed on a photoconductive member primarily onto the intermediate transfer belt and then transfers the same secondarily onto an image bearing medium, a relation; 40 |
| US08219008B2 |
Powder supply unit, manufacturing method of the powder supply unit, and recycling method of the powder supply unit
A powder supply unit is disclosed, which includes a housing accommodating powder, a rotating member rotatably provided in the housing, a sheet-like transporting member fixed to the rotating member and having a free end at a side different from the fixed portion side and slidingly moved on an inner wall of the housing by the rotation of the rotating member to transport the powder in the axial direction of the rotating member, and a powder supplying hole provided on the downstream side in the transporting direction of the powder in the housing. The powder supply unit is constructed such that the transporting member, when not in use, is in a hold state in which the free end side thereof is bent in a direction opposite to the direction of bending when in use. |
| US08219007B2 |
Developing apparatus and image forming apparatus provided with the same
A housing of a developing apparatus is provided with a conveying member and two agitating members. A guide is provided in an inner bottom surface of the housing between two agitating members. A guide is formed into a mountain shape with wide foot portion in a cross sectional shape which is orthogonal to an axial direction of rotating shafts of the agitating members. The guide is arranged in such a manner that a gap between respective outermost portions of two agitating members, and an inner bottom surface of the housing and the guide becomes equal to or more than 1.5 mm and less than 3 mm. Further, each of two agitating members rotates in a direction from the below to the above at a position of the guide. |
| US08219005B2 |
Developing device, image forming apparatus and developer cartridge
A developing device includes: a developer carrying member that supplies developer to an image carrying member; plural developer supply members, containing different color developers, that supply the developers to the developer carrying member in a developer supply position; a conveyance member that sequentially conveys the plural developer supply members to the developer supply position; and a peeling member that peels off developer, remained after supply of the developer by the developer carrying member to the image carrying member, from the developer carrying member. |
| US08219003B2 |
Drive control device of a rotation member, method for drive control of a rotation member, and image forming apparatus including the drive control device
A drive control apparatus including a drive motor that transmits a rotation drive force to a rotation member in order to rotate the rotation member, a pulse signal outputting unit that outputs a pulse signal for each predetermined angle of rotation or a position for rotation of the rotation member, while the rotation member is rotating, a pulse cycle measuring unit that measures a pulse cycle of the pulse signal, where the pulse cycle is a cycle of a rising or falling edge, a computation processing unit that computes an angular error or a position error of the rotation member based on the pulse cycle and a desired pulse cycle, where the desired pulse cycle corresponds to a desired velocity of the rotation member and a drive control unit that controls the drive motor based on the angular error or the position error. |
| US08218998B2 |
Developer storing container having a seal to prevent toner leakage
A developer storing container includes a developer storing chamber storing a developer therein and having a side wall, and an agitating member having a shaft portion rotatably supported by the side wall. The side wall has a hollow portion surrounding the shaft portion of the agitating member. A seal member having an annular shape is provided between the hollow portion and the shaft portion. The seal member has an outer circumferential surface contacting the hollow portion, and an inner circumferential surface contacting the shaft portion. A contact pressure between the outer circumferential surface of the seal member and the hollow portion is larger than a contact pressure between the inner circumferential surface of the seal member and the shaft portion of the agitating member. |
| US08218994B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that synthetically prints image data and ID image data specific to a user on a recording paper, a paper discharge tray that discharges and accumulates the recording papers, and an ID image reading portion that reads the ID images of the recording papers accumulated in the paper discharge tray, and notifies an external device specified by a user corresponding to the read ID image that the recording papers in the paper discharge tray must be removed. The image forming apparatus includes an output condition setting portion that sets output conditions of the recording papers, and the image forming portion prints the image data on a recording paper and the ID image data on an edge of the recording paper in accordance with the output conditions set by the output condition setting portion. |
| US08218991B2 |
Fixing device for image forming apparatus
A fixing device according to an embodiment of the present invention heats a metal conductive layer of a heat roller using an induction current generating coil. In order to supplement a heat capacity of the heat roller, a press roller having a large heat capacity is heated by a halogen lamp. During a start of activation of an image forming apparatus, when a printer control circuit is started, the supply of electric power to the halogen lamp is started before warming-up is started. |
| US08218988B2 |
Image forming apparatus with transfer belt cleaning function
To provide an image forming apparatus which can prevent malfunction of the open/close control of a shutter due to erroneous detection of the toner on the transfer belt when the opening and closing of the shutter is detected from the output from an optical sensor. The separation/contact assembly for moving a cleaning member into and out of contact includes an arm rotationally supported on a pivot, an abutment part fixed to the body frame so as to limit the rotation of the arm and a spring for pressing the arm in the clockwise direction. The cleaning member is attached at the distal end of the arm. The cleaning member cleans the transfer belt surface when the shutter is closed, so that the cleaned transfer belt surface can be always detected when the shutter is open. |
| US08218986B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of controlling a moisture content quantity of a paper
The image forming apparatus transfers a toner image onto a print paper via a transfer roller having an electrode configured to apply a bias electric potential upon the print paper. The image forming apparatus includes a humidity detection sensor to detect a humidity of the print paper, a retention electrode to preserve the toner image transferred to the print paper by applying a bias electric potential upon the print paper and a control device configured to control the bias electric potential of each of the electrode of the transfer roller and the retention electrode. The control device measures moisture content quantity of the print paper based on an interval from commencement of variation in the humidity to a maximum quantity of variation of the humidity and controls the bias electric potential of the electrode of the transfer roller and the retention electrode according to the moisture content quantity thus measured. |
| US08218983B2 |
Image formation apparatus including hot-roll type fixing device and method for determining malfunction of temperature sensor in the same
A control portion determines whether a malfunction occurs or not in a roller temperature sensor and an ambient temperature sensor by comparing a trajectory (temporal behavior) actually created by two-dimensional data on a temperature table with a target trajectory. In other words, the control portion successively integrates a prescribed weight for each transition from one element to the adjacent element corresponding to a trajectory of two-dimensional data on the temperature table, and determines whether or not a malfunction occurs in the roller temperature sensor and the ambient temperature sensor, based on the integrated weight. |
| US08218981B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming system
An image forming apparatus is supplied that includes a storage section that previously stores apparatus structure of a self apparatus. A structure detecting section detects apparatus structure of the self apparatus. A setting information generating section generates a definition file and an overwriting program for overwriting the definition file on the basis of the apparatus structure detected by the structure detecting section, and generates apparatus structure change information containing the generated definition file and overwriting program. An information storing section in which a sending address of an image processing apparatus in which a printer driver is installed is stored. A sending section sends the apparatus structure change information to the image processing apparatus on the basis of the sending address. The image processing apparatus automatically updates a printer driver on the basis of the apparatus structure change information. |
| US08218979B2 |
System, method and apparatus for coherent optical OFDM
Digital compensation of chromatic dispersion (CD) effect experienced by optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexed (OFDM) signal in fiber transmission is provided in the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform/Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (FFT/IFFT) pair with equal length of digital samples prior to OFDM receiver signal processing, wherein the equal length is larger than the length of a FFT used for OFDM subcarrier demultiplexing of the received signal. The OFDM signal processing is independent of fiber CD, so small guard-interval (GI) can still be used to achieve high spectral efficiency even under the experience of large CD. The GI need only to be large enough to accommodate other effects such as polarization-mode dispersion. The length of an IFFT used for OFDM subcarrier multiplexing, as well as the FFT for OFDM demultiplexing can be sufficiently small so subcarrier spacing is sufficiently large to tolerate typical frequency offsets between the transmitter laser and the optical local oscillator. |
| US08218976B2 |
Optical receiver with trans-impedance responding in bit-by-bit to input signal
An optical receiver implemented with a pre-amplifier with an additional trans-impedance able to respond to the input signal in bit-by-bit is disclosed. The optical receiver provides a photodiode to convert an optical signal into a photocurrent, a trans-impedance amplifier to convert the photocurrent to a voltage signal, and an additional trans-impedance circuit able to respond instantaneously to the voltage signal. The additional trans-impedance includes a FET whose gate is fully fixedly biased and the source thereof receives the voltage signal. The FET may bypass the current flowing in the intrinsic trans-impedance instantaneously. |
| US08218973B2 |
Optical transmitter device and optical transmitter module
Provided are an optical transmitter device and an optical transmitter module which are capable of reducing the optical transmitter module size while maintaining a state where an excellent optical transmission waveform quality is obtained over a wide range of frequencies. The optical transmission module (2) includes a semiconductor laser diode device (10), an optical modulator device (12), and a first termination resistor circuit (14-1). A printed circuit board (4) includes a driver IC (16) and a second termination resistor circuit (14-2). A lower cutoff frequency of the first termination resistor circuit (14-1) and an upper cutoff frequency of the second termination resistor circuit (14-2) correspond to each other. An impedance of the first termination resistor circuit (14-1) in a pass frequency band thereof and an impedance of the second termination resistor circuit (14-2) in a pass frequency band thereof correspond to each other. |
| US08218972B2 |
Wavelength division multiplexing system
A wavelength division multiplexing system has an array of wavelength-tunable lasers with at least two wavelength-tunable lasers emitting laser light at mutually different wavelengths, a first diffraction grating, an optical fiber, a second diffraction grating, and an array of photodetectors. The laser light emitted by the different wavelength-tunable lasers wavelengths impinges upon the first diffraction grating where it is reflected so as to impinge on an input end of the optical fiber. The light then propagates in the optical fiber and comes out from an output end of the optical fiber. Then the laser light having at least two different wavelengths further impinges on a second diffraction grating, whereupon it is reflected such that laser light having a first wavelength impinges on a first photodetector, and laser light having a second wavelength impinges on a second photodetector, which is different from the first photodetector. |
| US08218970B2 |
Medium access control method for optical-fiber TDMA networks
A medium access control method for optical-fiber TDMA networks is revealed. The TDMA indicates the technique of time-division multiple access which is used to provide medium-sharing environment. Once the MAC protocol implementing traffic control is applied to control access among nodes with the same optical fiber, the medium access in optical networks can be distributed logically and effectively among the nodes so as to improve unfair access in the optical TDMA networks. Therefore, the optical TDMA network is suitable to construct metropolitan area networks (MANs), local area networks (LANs) or subnetworks of public networks for reducing construction cost of networks, increasing bandwidth utilization and improving communicative performance. |
| US08218967B1 |
Optical switching systems and methods
An optical switching system and method that provide fault tolerant optical switching without duplicating the entire system. Two optical switches are provided, each of which receives a portion of a transmitted optical signal. Should one switch fail, the other switch is still able to perform the required optical routing of the optical signal to the desired receiving node. The two switches can be the same type of optical switch that have identical switching functionality, or each switch could have a distinct switching functionality. In one example, one switch could be a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) switch that has fast switching speed but uses more power, and the other switch could be a micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switch that has slower switching speed but uses less power, thereby combining the benefits of fast switching and low power switching into a single architecture. |
| US08218966B2 |
Technique for securing transmission of data along an optical communication line
A technique for securing data transmission via an optical communication line comprising an optical fiber extending between a first network element and a second network element; the technique comprises conveying a first optical signal carrying data via the optical fiber from the first network element towards the second network element at a predetermined optical wavelength, and conveying a second optical signal at the same predetermined optical wavelength via the same fiber in the opposite direction to create within the optical fiber a combined optical signal such that combination of the first and second optical signals is adapted to hamper an unauthorized non-intrusive extraction of the first optical signal from the combined optical signal. |
| US08218964B2 |
All optical 1+1 protection unit using sub-carrier modulation protocol
An interface between a network component and an optical fiber section communicates with a remote interface and a remote network component at an opposite end of the optical fiber section through over-modulation of optical signals sent between the interfaces and network components. The over-modulation is at frequencies much lower than the ordinary modulation of the optical signals. The over-modulation allows communication between the interfaces for performing management, testing and maintenance operations and permits superior detection of faults in the optical fiber section. |
| US08218963B2 |
Spatially adaptive photographic flash unit
Using photographic flash for candid shots often results in an unevenly lit scene, in which objects in the back appear dark. A spatially adaptive photographic flash (100) is disclosed, in which the intensity of illumination (21, 23) varies depending on the depth and reflectivity (30, 101) of features in the scene. Adaption to changes in depth are used in a single-shot method. Adaption to changes in reflectivity are used in a multishot method. The single-shot method requires only a depth image (30), whereas the multi-shot method requires at least one color image (40) in addition to the depth data (30). |
| US08218954B2 |
Fragrant electronic device
A fragrant electronic device includes a main body, a fragrant member and a resilient member received in the main body. The resilient member resists the fragrant member and ensures that the resilient member will not become loose and rattle around in the main body. |
| US08218953B2 |
Video reproducing device and video reproducing method
A television personal computer 40, when saving video data 43 by recording a video content, extracts a section containing a predetermined type of scene from within the video content, and displays, when instructed to reproduce the video data, a picture framing area and a time line. The time line includes blocks specifying the section containing the predetermined type of scene together with this type of scene, and an indicator indicating a reproducing point is displayed on the time line. |
| US08218949B2 |
Video information recording device, video information recording method, and recording medium containing the video information recording program
A control unit 102 of a digital broadcast receiver 100 finds a motion vector by performing encoding into an MPEG-4 format partially and records the found motion vector into a recording unit 103 as a motion vector stream 147 in parallel with processing to encode program contents into an MPEG-2 format and to record program contents 141 encoded in the MPEG-2 format into the recording unit 103. The control unit 102 then generates program contents in the MPEG-4 format from the program contents 141 in the MPEG-2 format and the motion vector stream 147 recorded in the recording unit 103 to enable use in another device 131. |
| US08218948B2 |
Digital recording/reproducing device, computer program, and server
The invention provides a digital recording/reproducing device wherein a reservation recording itself is not required and a viewer can search a desired target program quickly. The digital recording/reproducing device 10 comprises a plurality of tuners 12 which can receive a plurality of television signals at the same time, convert a television signal into a digital signal and records/reproduces. A server provides a time index having an identifier which can identify program data and program section data, and the time index is received via a communication means and recorded. In addition, a signal receiving unit 25 receives a program data reproducing signal from a remote controller and an input unit 28 for sending an input signal relating to the reproduction of program data. A control unit 18 detects an identifier of a time index corresponding to the program data reproducing signal that the signal receiver 25 receives, and extracts program data associated with the detected identifier from a recording means 17. |
| US08218943B2 |
CV tag video image display device provided with layer generating and selection functions
Under an internet environment, video images of actual roads, stores or the like are distributed, an arbitrary tag can be attached to the video images or information can be written in them and further a plurality of layers are set to the video images in the same area. An administrator device (200) stores a CV video image obtained by adding, to a video image of an arbitrary object area, a CV value indicating three-dimensional values of camera positions and attitudes during shooting, stores a CV tag which is displayed in a synthesized manner at an arbitrary designated position in the CV video image, generates a plurality of layers to be overlapped with the CV video image and having the same coordinate system as that of the CV video image, and stores the generated layers in association with the corresponding CV video images. A plurality of user devices (300) which are respectively connected with the administrator device (200) through an internet receive desired CV video images from the administrator device (200) for display, display a desired layer in the displayed CV video image in an overlapped manner, and synthesize and display the CV video image and the layer with a CV tag at a desirable position on a display (300a). |
| US08218940B2 |
System and method for managing multiple independent graphics sources in an information handling system
An information handling system includes a video processor that provides a first video signal in a first video format; a display that receives a second video signal in a second video format; and another display that receives a third video signal in a third video format. The first, second, and third video formats are all different from each other. The information handling system also includes a mid-stream frame buffer that stores video information from the first, second, and third video signals, and a video selector coupled to the mid-stream frame buffer the video processor and the displays. The video selector converts the First video signal into the second and third video signals and couples the video processor to a selected display. |
| US08218939B2 |
Intelligent synchronization of portable video devices
A method, system and computer program provide a mechanism for intelligently synchronizing a portable video device with a digital video recorder. The intelligent synchronization handles conditions under which a complete transfer of difference content is not possible due to available storage limitations of the portable video device. The synchronization process determines a content difference between the content on the portable video device and the content on the DVR, determines available storage space on the portable video device and compares the available storage space on the portable video device to a size of the content difference. If the size of the content difference is greater than the available storage space, the size of the content difference is reduced, by compression or truncation, without completely excluding video programs from the transfer. |
| US08218938B2 |
Light guide strip structure
A light guide strip structure with neon effect, which is manufactured at lower cost and can be used with the bright-and-dark stripes or diffraction and interference between the light rays minimized. The light guide strip structure includes a transparent main body having a light-scattering surface and a color band disposed in the main body. The color band has a reflective index greater than that of the main body, whereby most of the light is reflected back to the main body and only a minor part of the light enters the color band to create neon effect. The light entering the main body substantially travels along an axis thereof. The light is refracted and reflected between the main body and the color band and scattered from the surface of the main body to enhance brightness and overcome the problem of vagueness. |
| US08218937B2 |
Optical film, image display device, diethynylfluorene, and polymer thereof
An optical film of the present invention comprises a polyimide-based polymer represented by the following general formula (V). The optical film of the present invention exhibits an optical property such that wavelength dispersion of retardation scarcely changes ranging from the short wavelength side to the long wavelength side.Typically, the optical film of the present invention may be used as a retardation film of a liquid crystal display device. |
| US08218934B1 |
Monolithic optically-driven high frequency power amplifier
A power amplifying apparatus comprises a base layer hosting a power supply, a core insulating layer, a growth layer, and a high power amplifier layer. The high power amplifier layer hosts a control section, a first drive and amplification section, an electrical (RF) signal to optical signal converter section, a plurality of photolithically defined substrate channels forming embedded optical waveguide structures for optical signal routing, an optical signal to electrical signal converter section, a second drive and amplification section, and at least one high frequency and high breakdown voltage power transistor. |
| US08218930B2 |
High-reliability optical fiber having a nanocomposite coating
An optical fiber is coated with a super-hydrophobic carbon nanotube film, or other film containing a nanocomposite material, to increase reliability. The film is formed from a carbon nanotube dispersion, which is in turn formed from a mixture of water, carbon nanotube gel, and a polymer such as single stranded DNA of a repeating sequence of the base pairs GT with a length of 20 base pairs, which is sonicated and then ultracentrifuged. |
| US08218928B2 |
Spatial filtering of higher order modes in multimode fibers
A mode filter for eliminating the propagation of higher-order modes along a section of optical multimode fiber comprises a graded index (GRIN) lens, preferably of a quarter-pitch length, and a pinhole element in the form of a small core fiber. This configuration creates a Fourier spatial filter assembly that removes higher order modes propagating along an optical fiber while capturing the fundamental mode of the optical signal. A section of GRIN fiber is preferably used as the lens, with the small core fiber disposed at the output of the GRIN fiber lens to collect substantially only the on-axis fundamental mode of the optical signal. Since the higher order modes are shifted away from the origin by the GRIN fiber lens, only the fundamental mode signal is captured by the small core fiber. |
| US08218926B2 |
Cable, and a use and method for constructing a cable network
A cable, provided with at least one signal conductor (5), for instance glass fiber and/or glass fiber bundle, received in a cable inner space (3), such that a signal conductor take-out part can be taken out of the cable inner space (3), wherein the length of said take-out part is at least 1% of a cable length over which the take-out part can be taken out of the cable, preferably more than 2%, in particular more than 4% and more in particular more than 10%. |
| US08218925B2 |
Armored fiber optic assemblies and methods of making the same
Armored fiber optic assemblies are disclosed that include a dielectric armor along with methods for manufacturing the same. The dielectric armor has an armor profile, thereby resembling conventional metal armored cable to the craft. The dielectric armor provides additional crush and impact resistance and the like for the optical fibers and/or fiber optic assembly therein. The dielectric armor is advantageous to the craft since it provides the desired mechanical performance without requiring the time and expense of grounding like conventional metal armored cables. Additionally, the armored fiber optic assemblies can have any suitable flame and/or smoke rating for meeting the requirements of the intended space. |
| US08218921B2 |
Dual twist single helix optical fiber grating
A single helix chiral fiber grating of a predetermined grating strength is provided that is operable to control light transmission in a predetermined wavelength range. The novel fiber grating comprises a first optical fiber with a first interface portion at a first end, a second interface portion at a second end, and a middle portion therebetween. The first optical fiber is configured with at least one fiber core, surrounded by a corresponding at least one cladding, with a first longitudinal section disposed within the first interface portion, a second longitudinal section disposed within the second interface portion, and also includes a longitudinal helical section, disposed therebetween within the middle portion, that comprises a longitudinal helix structure of a single predetermined handedness, having a predetermined pitch profile, and having a predetermined helix diameter profile selected and configured to produce the predetermined grating strength. The helical section of the novel fiber grating is preferably produced by placing the first optical fiber, proximal to and parallel with a second fiber (or equivalent elongated member), and longitudinally twisting them together to form a double helix structure. Advantageously, the diameter of the second fiber (or a diameter profile thereof) may be selected to achieve the predetermined helix diameter profile in the helical section of the first fiber. The second fiber may be left proximal to the first fiber after fabrication or removed. |
| US08218915B2 |
Asymmetrical interleaver and deinterleaver
Asymmetrical interleavers and deinterleavers. In one example embodiment, an asymmetrical deinterleaver includes first, second, third, fourth, and fifth filter cells interleaved with first, second, third, and fourth waveplates and followed by a fifth waveplate. The filter cells are configured to filter optical signals propagating on first and second legs of an optical loop. The asymmetrical deinterleaver also includes a retro reflector optically coupled with the filter cells and waveplates. The retro reflector is configured to reflect the optical signals between the first leg and the second leg to form the optical loop. The asymmetrical deinterleaver further includes a single-fiber collimator optically coupled to the first leg of the optical loop and a dual-fiber collimator optically coupled to the second leg of the optical loop. |
| US08218911B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus which applies processes to input image data is disclosed. The image processing apparatus includes a first processing section which applies processes to the image data by a specific calculating device, and a second processing section which applies processes to the image data by a general-purpose calculating program. The input image data are multilevel image data. The first processing section includes an image data binarizing unit for forming binary image data from the multilevel image data, and a multilevel image data processing section for applying a calculation process to the multilevel image data. The second processing section includes a binary image data processing section for applying a calculation process to the binary image data formed by the image data binarizing unit. |
| US08218909B2 |
System and method for geodesic image matching using edge points interpolation
A method for deformable registration of 2 digital images includes providing a pair of digital images, including a fixed image and a moving image, extracting a set of edge images from each image of the pair of images, each edge set being extracted at a different resolution, selecting a pair of edge images with a lowest resolution, determining a mapping from edge points of the fixed image to edge points of moving image using a geodesic thin plate spline interpolation, applying the mapping to a next higher resolution edge point image of the moving image, selecting a pair of edge images at a next higher resolution, where a moving edge image is the moving edge image to which the mapping has been applied, repeating the steps at a next higher resolution for all edge images in the set of edge images, and applying the mapping to an entire moving image. |
| US08218908B2 |
Mixed content image compression with two edge data representations
A method (200, 400) of compressing an input image (201) is described. The method (200, 400) starts by extracting image gradient data representing pixel differences along contours of the image. Next, the method forms an edge based image from the image gradient data and a low resolution image derived from the input image. The method then computes a residual image representing a difference between the edge based image and the input image, and finally compresses the input image by encoding the image gradient data, the low resolution image, and the residual image. |
| US08218906B2 |
Image registration evaluation
An apparatus for evaluating image registration is provided. The apparatus includes a graph generation unit configured to generate a graph based on a plurality of registered images and a plurality of transformation rules therebetween, the graph comprising a plurality of nodes respectively corresponding to the registered images and a plurality of edges respectively corresponding to at least part of the transformation rules; a general transition unit configured to identify one or more loops for at least one of the nodes within the graph and to transform the registered image corresponding to the at least one node along the one or more identified loops to provide one or more transformed images; and a general transition error unit configured to produce a similarity measure between the registered image corresponding to the at least one node and at least one of the transformed images, wherein the graphic generation unit is further configured to calculate an inverse consistency metric for at least one pair of the registered images and a pair of transformations rules between the at least one registered image pair, and to establish as the edges the pair of transformation rules with an inverse consistency metric within a prescribed range. |
| US08218901B2 |
Robust mosaicing method, notably with correction of motion distortions and tissue deformations for a vivo fibered microscopy
A method for mosaicing frames from a video sequence is disclosed. Each frame is constituted by a point cloud, and each point in the point cloud is potentially acquired at a different time. The method involves compensating for motion and motion distortion due to acquisition time differences in each frame, applying a global optimization of inter-frame registration to align consistently the frames, and applying a reconstruction algorithm on the registered frames to construct a mosaic. |
| US08218899B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program
An image processing device that executes deformation of an image. A candidate area setting unit sets candidate areas, each of which includes a specific image, on a target image used as a target for a deformation process. An exclusion determination unit, when there is a candidate area that partially extends off a cropped image that is clipped from the target image through predetermined cropping, excludes the candidate area, which at least partially extends off the cropped image, from the target for the deformation process. A deformation processing unit performs deformation of an image on the candidate areas other than the excluded candidate areas. |
| US08218897B2 |
Image processing method, image processing apparatus, and imaging apparatus
A distortion included in image data is corrected by performing a coordinate transformation with respect to the image data based on { X = x + ( a + b y 2 ) x Y = y where x and y represents coordinates of a transformation destination with a center of a screen as an origin, X and Y represents coordinates of a transformation source with the center of the screen as an origin, and a and b are coordinate transformation coefficients. |
| US08218894B2 |
System and method of contrast enhancement
A system and method of contrast enhancement is disclosed. A contrast enhancement unit processes an input pixel to generate a contrast-enhanced pixel, and a delta unit subtracts the input pixel from the contrast-enhanced pixel, thereby resulting in a difference value. Multiple delayed difference values generated by a delay unit are low-pass filtered to generate a refined difference value. An adding unit adds back the refined difference value to the input pixel, thereby resulting in an output pixel that is contrast-enhanced without noise boost. |
| US08218889B2 |
Systems and methods for deblurring data corrupted by shift variant blurring
The present invention provides methods, systems and machine readable medium including machine readable code for deblurring data corrupted by shift variant blurring. A first version of data having shift variant blurring characterized by a first shift variant point spread function is provided. A target shift invariant point spread function is selected. A second shift variant point spread function is derived wherein a combination of the first and second shift variant point spread functions generates the target shift invariant point spread function. The second shift variant point spread function is applied to the first version of the data thereby generating a second version of the data having shift invariant blurring characterized by the target shift invariant point spread function. A linear shift invariant filter is applied to the second version of the data thereby generating a deblurred version of the data. |
| US08218888B2 |
Motion blur detecting apparatus and method, image processing apparatus, and image display apparatus
Motion blur periods (bf) are detected (14) from gradation differences (g1) between a first image signal (d1) and a second image signal (d2), gradation differences (g2) between the second image signal (d2) and a third image signal (d3), and results of the detection of transition periods (h) in the gradations of the second image signal (d2), and the second image signal (d2) is corrected (3) only during the detected motion blur periods (bf). Transition periods (h) are deemed to occur when, for example, the absolute value of a gradation change in the second image signal is greater than a first predetermined threshold value (S1) and less than a second predetermined threshold value S2 ( |
| US08218886B2 |
Transitioning compression levels in a streaming image system
Systems and media for transitioning compression levels of a streaming image system include a machine-accessible medium of a storage device containing instructions for transitioning compression levels between image frames in a streaming image system. Embodiments may include receiving client information from a client of an interactive streaming image system, generating a new image frame based on the received information, determining an initial compression level, comparing the new image frame to a previous frame to determine whether content changed, performing a smoothing heuristic by generating a multi-frame smoothing routine by increasing image quality in response to no change of content and decreasing image quality in response to a change in content, setting the new compression level based on the multi-frame smoothing routine, and encoding and transmitting the new image frame and compression level to a client. |
| US08218875B2 |
Method and system for preprocessing an image for optical character recognition
A method and system for preprocessing an image for Optical Character Recognition (OCR), wherein the image includes a plurality of columns is disclosed. Each column includes one or more of Arabic text and non-text items. The method includes determining a plurality of components associated with one or more of the Arabic text and the non-text items, wherein a component includes a set of connected pixels. On determining the plurality of components, a line height and a column spacing is determined for the plurality of components. The plurality of components are then associated with a column of the plurality of columns based on the line height and the column spacing. Subsequently, a set of characteristic parameters are calculated for each column and the plurality of components of each column are merged based on the set of characteristic parameters to form sub-words and words. |
| US08218873B2 |
Object information derived from object images
Search terms are derived automatically from images captured by a camera equipped cell phone, PDA, or other image capturing device, submitted to a search engine to obtain information of interest, and at least a portion of the resulting information is transmitted back locally to, or nearby, the device that captured the image. |
| US08218871B2 |
Detecting behavioral deviations by measuring respiratory patterns in cohort groups
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for detecting behavioral deviations in members of a cohort group. In one embodiment, a member of a cohort group is identified. Each member of the cohort group shares a common characteristic. Respiratory metadata associated with the member of the cohort group is received in real-time as the respiratory metadata is generated. The respiratory metadata describes respiration associated with the member of the cohort group. Patterns of respiratory changes are identified using the respiratory metadata. The respiratory metadata is analyzed to identify the patterns of respiratory changes. In response to the patterns of respiratory changes indicating behavioral deviations in the member of the cohort group, the member of the cohort group is identified as a person of interest. |
| US08218869B2 |
Image segmentation using spatial random walks
The embodiments of the invention describe a method for segmenting an image. We perform an initial segmentation of the image to produce a previous segmented region and segment iteratively the image using a spatial random walk based on a shape prior of the previous segmented region to produce a next segmented region. We compare the next segmented region with the previous segmented region, and repeat the segmenting and the comparing until the previous and next segmented regions converge. After that, we select the next segmented region as a final segmented region. |
| US08218866B2 |
Saturation adjustment method and related color adjustment system
A saturation adjustment method is disclosed for compensating over-saturation adjustment. The saturation adjustment method includes: adjusting a first full-scale saturation corresponding to a hue of a color wheel to become a second full-scale saturation wherein the second full-scale saturation is greater than the first full-scale saturation; setting a critical saturation corresponding to the hue based on the first and second full-scale saturations; and adjusting a first saturation within a range between the critical and second full-scale saturations corresponding to the hue to become a second saturation based on the first full-scale, second full-scale and critical saturations. Furthermore, disclosed is a color adjustment system essentially including a saturation adjuster for adjusting the first saturation greater than the critical full-scale saturation to become the second saturation based on an adjusted full-scale saturation and the critical saturation. |
| US08218865B2 |
Constructing a color transform using a neural network for colors outside the spectrum locus
A color management module which provides color values in a destination color space by interpolation of a LUT that maps from color values in a source color space to corresponding color values in the destination color space. The LUT includes cells corresponding to color values within a spectrum locus and color values outside the spectrum locus. The LUT is populated differently for cells within the spectrum locus and for those outside the spectrum locus. For cells within the spectrum locus, color values are calculated using a color transform constructed based on device profiles for the source device and for the destination device, and corresponding cells of the LUT are populated based on the calculated values. For cells outside of the spectrum locus, an artificial neural network is trained using the calculated color values, and the corresponding cells are populated based on outputs of the trained neural network. |
| US08218857B2 |
Color-coded target, color code extracting device, and three-dimensional measuring system
To provide a color-coded target having a color code of colors chosen not to cause code reading errors and technique for automatically detecting and processing the targets. The color-coded target CT1 of this invention includes, on its surface: a position detecting pattern P1 indicating a position to be measured; a reference color pattern P2 having a plurality of unit areas tinted in different colors for use as color references; and a color code pattern P3 having a plurality of unit areas tinted in different colors for discriminating the targets. The colors of the color code pattern P3 are chosen so that adjacent colors in the HSI color space are different in at least one of hue, saturation, and intensity by a specified value or greater. |
| US08218851B1 |
Identifying stored documents by evaluating image attributes
Stored documents can be recognized and identified by evaluation of their attributes from an image file to obtain a document specification that can be compared to stored data about the document. The image file is analyzed using a processor in order to discern image attributes. The image attributes form a specification for the document in the image. This specification can then be compared to the stored criteria using the processor, and the result of the comparison can be stored. An embodiment of the invention can be used in a check processing system for a financial institution. In such a case, the corresponding data comprises MICR data and the image attributes can, for example, indicate whether the document is a check in a carrier, as opposed a paper check by itself. |
| US08218849B2 |
Method and system for automatic landmark detection using discriminative joint context
A method and system for detecting anatomic landmarks in medical images is disclosed. In order to detect multiple related anatomic landmarks, a plurality of landmark candidates are first detected individually using trained landmark detectors. A joint context is then generated for each combination of the landmark candidates. The best combination of landmarks in then determined based on the joint context using a trained joint context detector. |
| US08218848B2 |
System and method for the generation of attenuation correction maps from MR images
A method for generating a positron emission tomography (PET) attenuation correction map from magnetic resonance (MR) images includes segmenting a 3-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) whole-body image of a patient into low-signal regions, fat regions, and soft tissue regions; classifying the low-signal regions as either lungs, bones, or air by identifying lungs, identifying an abdominal station, and identifying a lower body station; and generating an attenuation map from the segmentation result by replacing the segmentation labels with corresponding representative attenuation coefficients. |
| US08218847B2 |
Hybrid registration method
A registration method whereby a sensor-based approach is used to establish initial registration and whereby upon the commencement of navigating an endoscope, image-based registration methods are used in order to more accurately maintain the registration between the endoscope location and previously-acquired images. A six-degree-of-freedom location sensor is placed on the probe in order to reduce the number of previously-acquired images that must be compared to a real-time image obtained from the endoscope. |
| US08218840B2 |
Method and device for selectively targeting cells within a three-dimensional specimen
The invention provides an apparatus for electromagnetically affecting a particle of interest in a specimen. The apparatus includes (a) a stage capable of supporting the specimen; (b) a detector including at least one camera, wherein the detector is capable of resolving a particle of interest within the specimen; (c) a means for locating the particle of interest in three dimensions; (d) a means for focusing electromagnetic radiation to a focal volume within the specimen; and (e) a means for adjusting the relative positions of the stage and electromagnetic radiation focusing means, thereby positioning the particle of interest within the focal volume. |
| US08218836B2 |
System and methods for generating three-dimensional images from two-dimensional bioluminescence images and visualizing tumor shapes and locations
A system and methods for generating 3D images (24) from 2D bioluminescent images (22) and visualizing tumor locations are provided. A plurality of 2D bioluminescent images of a subject are acquired during a complete revolution of an imaging system about a subject, using any suitable bioluminescent imaging system. After imaging, the 2D images are registered (20) according to the rotation axis to align each image and to compensate for differences between adjacent images. After registration (20), corresponding features are identified between consecutive sets of 2D image (22). For each corresponding feature identified in each set of 2D images an orthographic projection model (24) is applied, such that rays are projected through each point in the feature. The intersection point of the rays are plotted in a 3D image of a tumor is generated. The 3D image can be registered with a reference image of the subject, so that the shape and location of the tumor can be precisely visualized with respect to the subject. |
| US08218835B2 |
Method for assisting in diagnosis of cerebral diseases and apparatus thereof
Input MRI brain images are positioned so as to correct a spatial deviation, gray matter tissues are extracted from these images to effect a first image smoothing, the thus-obtained images are subjected to anatomical standardization, a second image smoothing is effected, the gray level is corrected, brain images after correction are statistically compared with MRI brain images of normal cases, thereby providing the diagnosis result. In this instance, the brain images are automatically checked for input images regarding the resolution dot density and the like, the result of gray matter tissue extraction and the result of anatomical standardization, by which specifications of input images and the like can be confirmed objectively and automatically to make a diagnosis automatically by image processing. Further, an ROI-based analysis is made to provide the analysis result as the diagnosis result. |
| US08218834B2 |
Method of analyzing cell structures and their components
A cell is provided that contains a plurality of virus particles. A first image of a first virus particle and a second image of a second virus particle are taken by electron microscopy technology. The first virus particle is characterized as being in a first maturity stage and the second virus particle as being in a second maturity stage. The first image and the second image are transformed to first and second gray scale profiles, respectively, based on pixel data. The first and second gray scale profiles are then saved as first and second templates, respectively. A third virus particle in a third image is identified. The third image is transformed into a third gray scale profile. The third gray scale is compared to the first and second template to determine a maturity stage of the third virus particle. |
| US08218832B2 |
Apparatus for detecting feature of driver's face
An apparatus for detecting a gaze direction of a driver is mounted on an automotive vehicle. An image of the driver's face on which infrared rays are incident is reflected on a windshield, and the reflected image is fed into a camera. An outside view entering through the windshield may be subtracted from the image of the driver's face taken into the camera to obtain a clearer image of the driver's face. A gaze direction of the driver is detected by a known method (refer to the Specification) based on the image taken by the camera. A mirror for further reflecting the image reflected on the windshield may be added to the apparatus to position the camera freely in the vehicle. A band-pass filter for allowing only the infrared rays to pass through may be disposed before the camera to suppress an image of outside view entering through the windshield. The gaze direction of the driver is correctly detected without placing the camera in a direct front of the driver. |
| US08218827B2 |
Virtual white lines for delimiting planned excavation sites
Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. A digital image of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received, and at least a portion of the received digital image is displayed on a display device. The dig area is delimited on the displayed digital image, via a user input device associated with the display device, so as to generate a marked-up digital image including a delimited dig area, without acquiring geographic coordinates to delimit the dig area. Information relating to the dig area is electronically transmitted and/or electronically stored so as to facilitate the detection of the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility within the dig area. |
| US08218826B2 |
Integrated measurement based on an optical pattern-recognition
A measurement system is provided that includes an integrated optics unit which measures at least one variable of the movement of a conveyance system relative to an oil well during an oil well operation, wherein the at least one variable is a direction of motion, a speed of movement, or a length of movement of the conveyance system. |
| US08218820B2 |
Image processing method, recording medium carrying image processing program, and image processing apparatus
An image processing method includes the steps of extracting edges from each of a plurality of original images, thereby obtaining edge images; extracting straight lines from the edge images, thereby obtaining line images; assuming extensions of the straight lines constituting the line images and setting vanishing points on the basis of the extensions; and trimming the plurality of original images so that positions of the vanishing points in the respective original images mutually match, thereby obtaining final images. |
| US08218816B2 |
Moving object detecting device and mobile robot
A moving object detecting device measures a congestion degree of a space and utilizes the congestion degree for tracking. In performing the tracking, a direction measured by a laser range sensor is heavily weighted when the congestion degree is low. When the congestion degree is high, a sensor fusion is performed by heavily weighting a direction measured by a image processing on a captured image to obtain a moving object estimating direction, and obtains a distance by the laser range sensor in the moving object estimating direction. |
| US08218810B1 |
Signaling device
A signaling device is disclosed that transmits a signal to a personal monitoring system. The signaling device may include an array of RLC components that determine the frequency of the signaling device. The frequency may be tuned by adding or removing RLC components from impacting the frequency. The signaling device may also include a wake-up mechanism for activating the signaling device for normal use and a signal indicating that a predetermined useful life is about to end. |
| US08218809B2 |
Microphone video screen/monitor display
A video screen/monitor display microphone attachment. The video display is fixed to a microphone and has an internal surface substantially conforming to an outer surface of the microphone. |
| US08218804B2 |
Switching structures for hearing assistance device
A hearing aid is provided with a switch that automatically, non-manually, controls a configuration of the hearing aid in the presence of a magnetic field. In an embodiment, the switch in the hearing aid is configured to control a filtering configuration of the hearing aid in the presence of a magnetic field. |
| US08218802B2 |
Hearing aid having an occlusion reduction unit and method for occlusion reduction
A method is described for reduction of occlusion effects in an acoustic appliance which closes an auditory channel, wherein an audio signal in the transmission path of the acoustic appliance is processed by a signal processing unit and is emitted via an output transducer, which is arranged in the auditory channel, as an acoustic signal. A resultant sound signal is then detected by an auditory channel microphone and is supplied to a variable loop filter which is arranged in a feedback loop of an occlusion reduction unit for the acoustic appliance. The output signal from the loop filter is injected into the transmission path of the audio signal. The occlusion reduction unit is in this case controlled adaptively, with at least one signal from the transmission path of the audio signal and/or from the feedback loop being used to control the loop filter for the occlusion reduction unit. |
| US08218801B2 |
Method and system for a headset H-field/E-field canceller
Described are a device and a method for canceling a magnetic field and/or an electric field emitted from a device. The device includes a housing including an inner wall and an outer wall, a sense coil located within the inner wall of the housing in proximity to a user's ear, the sense coil sensing a magnitude, polarization and a polarity of an inbound magnetic field within the housing, and an induction coil located between the outer wall and the inner wall of the housing, the induction coil generating an outbound magnetic field having the same polarization and an opposing polarity to the polarity of the inbound magnetic field. The method includes sensing, by a sensing coil, a magnitude and a polarity of an inbound magnetic field, the sensing coil located within a housing of a device, and applying a current to an induction coil to generate an outbound magnetic field having an opposing polarity to the polarity of the inbound magnetic field, the induction coil located within the housing of the device. |
| US08218798B2 |
Sound processor
A sound processor includes N (N is an integer of five or more) speakers, a sound source configured to output N sound signals an additional sound source configured to output an additional sound signal and a coefficient data input section configured to input N pieces of position information indicating respectively positions of the N speakers and N coefficients indicating respectively volumes of sounds outputted from the N speakers based on the additional sound signal a coefficient data analysis section configured to generate M (M is an integer equal to or greater than two and smaller than N) adjustment coefficients based on said N pieces of position information and the N coefficients wherein the M adjustment coefficients indicate volumes of sounds outputted from M speakers of the N speakers based on the additional sound signal. |
| US08218797B2 |
Micro-speaker and manufacturing method thereof
A micro-speaker and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The micro-speaker has a sandwich structure. The micro-speaker includes two piezoelectric material layers and a diaphragm disposed between the two piezoelectric material layers, where the piezoelectric material layers have a ring-shaped structure. The problem of insufficient sound pressure at low frequency is resolved, and the flexibility of the micro-speaker is improved. |
| US08218796B2 |
Microphone unit and method of manufacturing the same
A microphone unit includes a substrate. The substrate includes a first face formed with a first recess, a second face opposite to the first face, and a through hole communicating the second face to a bottom part of the first recess. A diaphragm unit includes a diaphragm, and at least a part of which is disposed in the first recess so that the diaphragm opposes the through hole. |
| US08218795B2 |
Methods for forming and using thin film ribbon microphone elements and the like
A geometrically shaped acoustic polymer ribbon with shape memory, high conductivity, high toughness. A method of manufacturing the ribbon comprises: forming a sized, elongated, coated or coatable polymeric substrate film between a pair of opposed, geometrically shaped dies, pinching the dies about the polymeric substrate film to form an assembly, heating the dies and the pinched die and polymeric film assembly to a temperature of at about 300 degrees F. for a period of about 15 minutes to set the elongated film into a predetermined geometric pattern, cooling the assembly, removing the film from the dies; and if not already coated, coating the geometrically formed, set, elongated film with a conductive coating. |
| US08218794B2 |
Component comprising a MEMS microphone and method for the production of said component
A component with a housing for a MEMS microphone is proposed that has a cavity with terminals arranged in the cavity, a sound inlet opening, and SMT contacts on an outer side. The MEMS chip installed in this housing closes the sound inlet opening from the inside and is connected by means of electrically conductive connections to the terminals of the housing. Opposite the electrically conductive connections, the MEMS chip is in mechanically intimate contact with the housing. The dimensioning of the housing relative to the MEMS chip allows the cavity at the sides of the MEMS chip to be used as an acoustic rear volume. |
| US08218793B2 |
Apparatus and muting circuit
An apparatus and a muting circuit. The apparatus comprises an amplifier, a mute circuit, a pull-down circuit, and a power detection circuit. The amplifier receives a power supply voltage and a common mode voltage, and amplifies an audio input signal to generate an audio output signal. The mute circuit, coupled to the amplifier, conducts the audio output signal to about ground level upon receiving a mute signal. The pull-down circuit, coupled to the amplifier, pulls the common mode voltage to about ground level upon receiving a pull-down signal. The power detection circuit, coupled to the mute circuit and the pull-down circuit, detects power-up or power-down of the power supply voltage, and generates the mute signal and a pull-down signal according to the power-up or power-down operation. |
| US08218791B2 |
Volume control feature for use with a multimedia device
A disclosed set top box or other type of multimedia handling device (MHD) is configured to support a toggle volume feature that enables the end user to toggle between two or more substantially different audible volume settings using a single push of a single remote control button or other type of control, e.g., a touch screen control. In some embodiments, the MHD includes a processor, storage media accessible to and readable by the processor, a remote control interface in communication with the processor, a multimedia decoder, and an audio digital-to-analog converter. The remote control interface receives input from a remote control device. The multimedia decoder module receives and processes multimedia streams. The decoder generates a decoder audio output and a decoder video output. The DAC processes the decoder audio output and produces an audio signal having a particular volume level. |
| US08218790B2 |
Techniques for customizing control of volume level in device playback
User interface signals representing volume change requests are converted to volume control signals using a mapping. The mapping is overridden (modified) within a given time interval after starting (which includes resuming) playback. During this interval, the mapping for volume decreases is modified so that the resulting volume decreases are accelerated relative to those that would be generated by the default mapping. This allows the user to quickly reduce the volume of the device when begins playing very loud music. The mapping for volume increases can be modified during this interval. |
| US08218786B2 |
Acoustic signal processing apparatus, acoustic signal processing method and computer readable medium
Hough transform is performed on the point groups forming two dimensional data to generate a plurality of loci respectively corresponding to each of the point groups in a Hough voting space. When adding a voting value to a position in the Hough voting space through which the plurality of loci passes, addition is performed by varying the voting value based on a level difference between first and second signals respectively indicated by the two pieces of frequency decomposition information. |
| US08218785B2 |
Conversation assistant for noisy environments
An infrared (IR) emitter having a broad emission pattern driven by a frequency-modulated (FM) carrier signal enables electronic communication between multiple talkers and multiple listeners. A narrow reception pattern on the listener's receiving unit combined with the inherent capture effect of FM coding provides each listener with the means of easily and naturally selecting one of many talkers from a group. A close microphone for the talking party and a close earphone for the listening party enables the system to assist conversation particularly in the case of noisy environments by improving the signal to noise ratio. A similar system of broad emission transmitters and narrow reception can be used in other systems, such as a teleconferencing unit in which users have transmitters and receivers and a teleconferencing unit has multiple receivers arranged to receive signals in multiple different sectors. |
| US08218783B2 |
Masking based gain control
Interfering signals that may be present in a listening environment are masked by reproducing a desired signal in a listening environment, determining a masking threshold associated with the desired signal, identifying an interfering signal that may be present in the environment, comparing the interfering signal to the masking threshold, and adjusting the desired signal over time to raise its masking threshold above the level of the interfering signal. |
| US08218782B2 |
Headphone device, signal processing device, and signal processing method
A headphone device includes: a sound reproduction unit having a diaphragm which is configured to perform sound reproduction based on a sound signal; a sound pickup unit configured to perform a sound pickup operation; a filtering unit configured to apply filtering to a picked-up sound signal obtained by the sound pickup unit, to give a noise-cancelling signal characteristic; a combining unit configured to combine the picked-up sound signal that has undergone filtering, and a listening sound signal which is inputted separately, to generate a sound signal supplied to the sound reproduction unit; and an abnormality determination unit configured to determine occurrence or non-occurrence of an abnormal sound, on the basis of a result of level detection of a sound signal obtained within a sound signal processing system that includes the filtering unit and the combining unit and is formed between the sound pickup unit and the sound reproduction unit. |
| US08218780B2 |
Methods and systems for blind dereverberation
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for dereverberation of audio generated in a room. In one aspect, a method for dereverberating reverberant digital signals comprises transforming a reverberant digital signal from the time domain into Fourier domain signals using a computing device, each Fourier domain signal corresponding to a subband. For each subband of the Fourier domain signal, the method computes autoregressive model coefficients of the reverberation with the current and previous magnitudes of the Fourier digital signal, and inverse filters the magnitude of the Fourier domain signal using the computing device, based on the autoregressive model coefficients and previous magnitudes of the Fourier digital signal. The method includes inverse transforming the Fourier domain signals with filtered magnitudes into an approximate dereverberated digital signal. |
| US08218778B2 |
Method for showing array microphone effect
A method for showing an array microphone effect includes the steps of obtaining an original acoustic signal from array microphones, and visualizing the original acoustic signal to obtain a figure. The original acoustic signal includes a crystal voice, out-beam noises, background noise, and/or an echo. The figure includes a plurality of graphic components representing the crystal voice, out-beam noise, background noise, and/or echo, respectively. |
| US08218775B2 |
Joint enhancement of multi-channel audio
An overall encoding procedure and associated decoding procedure are presented. The encoding procedure involves at least two signal encoding processes operating on signal representations of a set of audio input channels. Local synthesis is used in connection with a first encoding process to generate a locally decoded signal, including a representation of the encoding error of the first encoding process. This locally decoded signal is applied as input to a second encoding process. The overall encoding procedure generates at least two residual encoding error signals from at least one of said encoding processes, including at least said second encoding process. The residual error signals are then subjected to compound residual encoding in a further encoding process, preferably based on correlation between the residual error signals. |
| US08218769B2 |
Encrypted communication system, communication status management server, encrypted communication method, and communication status management method
An encrypted communication system is provided, in which an encryption key for use in encrypted communication and settings information for the encrypted communication are distributed to each of a plurality of communication devices performing encrypted communication within a group, and in which traffic generated by distributing the encryption key and the like can be reduced. In the encrypted communication system according to the present invention, information including a key for use in the intra-group encrypted communication or a seed which generates the key is distributed to the communication devices belonging to the group that are participating (e.g., logged in) in the intra-group encrypted communication. |
| US08218767B2 |
Security system and method for use in network
A security system, method and device for use in a network for providing a real-time stream are provided. A server updates security association of a terminal device by periodically providing a key stream. When the key stream for changing the security association of the terminal device is received from the server, the terminal device updates stored key stream information after identifying at least one changed field in the key stream and performs a security policy with the server using the updated key stream information. When a security setting operation is performed through a stream notification periodically provided from the server, an unnecessary waste of system resources can be reduced by updating only a specific changed field through the stream notification and reducing the load of generating a security association table. |
| US08218765B2 |
Information system
A trusted service which publishes information describing security attributes of computing platforms in a defined physical area, for use by a visitor to a building, for example, who is unfamiliar with the computing platforms available for use therein. In a preferred embodiment, the system provides only details and/or a list of public keys of genuine trusted computing platforms within the area.In another embodiment of the invention, the information system comprises a trusted computing platform for providing selected information to a user's portable computing apparatus. |
| US08218764B1 |
System and method for media content collaboration throughout a media production process
A method for delivering media content in full motion video to users via the Internet in a collaborative media production process is disclosed. The method includes: receiving encoded, production digital media files and a meta-data file; wherein the meta-data file contains meta-data at least from film, video, television, or commercial production or post-production; parsing the meta-data, wherein the meta-data is read by parsing software; associating the meta-data with the production digital media files; and enabling viewing and collaborative interaction with the production digital media files by a user using the collaborative display interface, wherein the collaborative interaction includes interacting with other users during production and post-production by notating comments that includes inserting a link to a specific digital media file and an actual media clip frame using a production time code. |
| US08218763B2 |
Method for ensuring the validity of recovered electronic documents from remote storage
A method for electronically storing and retrieving at a later date a true copy of a document stored on a remote storage device comprises: sending a document in electronic format from a document owner's computing device to a store entity for storing the document; generating a digest of the document while the document is at the store entity by applying a hash function to the document; signing the digest electronically with a key while said document is at the store entity; generating a receipt that includes the digest and the key; sending the receipt to the document owner; and verifying, at the document owner's computing device, that the received receipt corresponds to the document sent from the owner's computing device. |
| US08218761B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating random data-encryption keys
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates generating random data-encryption keys for data files. During operation, the system receives a command at a computer system to create a data file that may include encrypted data. This data file includes a wrapped data-encryption key to facilitate encrypting and decrypting data. In response to the command, the system generates a bit pattern to be used as the wrapped data-encryption key. Finally, the system creates the data file, which includes the bit pattern as the wrapped data-encryption key. |
| US08218760B2 |
Method and a device for generating compressed RSA moduli
Method and device for generating factors of a RSA modulus N with a predetermined portion Nh, the RSA modulus comprising at least two factors. A first prime p is generated; a value Nh that forms a part of modulus N is obtained; a second prime q is generated in an interval dependent from p and Nh so that pq is a RSA modulus that shares Nh; and information enabling the calculation of the modulus/V is outputted. |
| US08218758B2 |
Sliding rail structure of a sliding cell phone and its methods
A sliding rail of a sliding closure mobile phone includes a sliding rail fixing part fixed on the body of the mobile phone, a sliding rail sliding strip, and a sliding rail moving part fixed connected on the sliding closure of the mobile phone. The sliding rail sliding strip is set between the sliding rail fixing part and the sliding rail moving part for noise cancelling and sliding. Several lug bosses are set at the coupling position of the sliding rail sliding strip and the sliding rail fixing part for adapting to and holding the sliding rail fixing part. |
| US08218757B2 |
Echo canceler
An echo canceller, in which an adder adds a pseudo echo generated by an adaptive filter to an echo, so that the echo and the pseudo echo are canceled to each other, includes: a subband filter (8, 14) and a sampling converter (9, 15) for downsampling an audio signal; a selector switch (10, 16) which appropriately switches between a side performing the downsampling and another side performing fullband echo cancellation; and a tap arrangement controller (19) which optimizes a tap arrangement by using coefficients which are updated using a downsampled signal by the adaptive filter (11), the tap arrangement controller outputting the optimized tap arrangement to the adaptive filter (11) at time of the fullband echo cancellation. |
| US08218754B2 |
System, method and software for transitioning between speech-enabled applications using action-object matrices
A system, method and software are described for facilitating transitions between speech-enabled applications employing action-object matrices. In an exemplary embodiment, an automatic call router determines a service agent destination by identifying an action-object combination included in a user utterance. In addition to forwarding the user to the service agent destination, the automatic call router sends one or more aspects of the user utterance to the service agent for use therewith. The service agent may then use aspects of the forwarded information to request further information from the user or to begin performance of a user desired transaction. |
| US08218750B2 |
Conference call management method and system
A conference call management method and system. The method includes receiving by a computer processor from a conference call administrator, a command for enabling a first conference call. The computer processor enables the first conference call thereby allowing telecommunications between the conference call administrator and a first participant. The computer processor locks the first conference call such that additional participants are unable to access the first conference call. The computer processor receives from a second participant, a conference call request for accessing a second conference call and routes the second participant to a virtual holding area. The computer processor enables the second conference call and routes the second participant from the virtual holding area to the second conference call. |
| US08218746B2 |
Systems, methods and computer products for caller identification from call to wireless/wireline cellular to internet protocol television
Systems, methods and computer products for providing caller identification from a call to a wireless/wireline cellular phone to Internet Protocol Television. Exemplary embodiments include a method for providing caller identification services to an Internet Protocol-enabled device, including receiving a communication request from a caller device over a voice network, the communication request including a caller party number of the caller device and a called patty number of a dual-mode called device associated with the communication request, mapping the called party number to an Internet Protocol-enabled device address of a called party and sending the caller party number to the Internet Protocol-enabled device address corresponding to the called party number. |
| US08218739B2 |
Remote garage door monitoring system
An apparatus and methods for implementing a garage door monitoring system coupled to a garage door opener. The door monitoring system allow a user to actuate the door under control via a network connection. In at least one embodiment, the door monitoring system is controlled by a cell phone or networked appliance capable of transmitting information and data via a cellular telephone network. The door monitoring system provides the added advantage of allowing a remote user to view the areas or regions near to the door under control prior to actuating the door. At least one embodiment comprises a method to validate reception of the pictures or video clips of the areas or regions near to the door prior to enabling the system to actuate the door. In another embodiment a pass code is embedded into the pictures or video provided to the remote user. |
| US08218738B2 |
Facilities management system
A technique is disclosed that enables the managing of environmental conditions within an enterprise workplace and, in doing so, provides an improvement in facilities cost management over some techniques in the prior art. A data-processing system such as a private-branch exchange monitors the workplace by using one or more telephones, or other “telecommunications endpoints” to which the exchange is connected, in the workplace area. The exchange determines whether people are present in the workplace area by monitoring which endpoints are in use. Additionally, the exchange monitors the sounds that are received by the microphones of the endpoints. Based on knowing which endpoints are in use, the exchange generates control signals for the purpose of controlling one or more environmental conditions such as temperature, lighting, and so forth. In some embodiments of the present invention, the exchange examines the audio content of the received signals and bases the control signals on the audio content analyzed. |
| US08218737B2 |
System and method for providing message-based communications via a centralized voice message server
A system and method for providing message-based communications via a centralized voice message server is provided. A plurality of communication devices are interfaced over a data network. A session is initiated upon receipt of a sign-in request from one of the communication devices. An identity of a user associated with that communication device is verified. The user is assigned to at least one discussion group, which includes one or more other signed-in users each associated with an other communication device located at a location removed from the communication device. A voice message is received on a message server from the user. The voice message is encrypted for each of the other signed-in users using keys unique to the other communication devices associated with the other signed-in users. The encrypted voice message is provided from the message server to the other signed-in users. |
| US08218736B1 |
Methods and systems for confirming message delivery
Methods and systems for processing messages and providing notifications regarding the same are described. An optional embodiment includes a telecommunications interface, a data network interface, and an answering system coupled to the telecommunications interface and the data network interface, the call processing system configured to receive a first call from a caller via the telecommunications interface, store a message from the caller, transmit a message notification using the data network to the intended recipient of the call via which the intended recipient can access the message, and transmit information related to the intended recipient's receipt of the message. |
| US08218733B2 |
Telephone emergency response systems and methods
An emergency system includes a gateway and a database in communication with the gateway. The database comprises first routing information for establishing a first communication link between a communication device and a controller, second routing information for establishing a second communication link between the gateway and the controller, wherein the second routing information is correlated to the first routing information; and location data associated with the communication device. Upon receiving identification information related to the communication device, the gateway retrieves the first routing information from the database and provides the first routing information to a switch. The gateway retrieves the second routing information from the database and uses the second routing information to establish a second communication link with the controller, and the gateway retrieves the location data from the database. |
| US08218732B2 |
System and method for evaluating and troubleshooting a digital subscriber line system
Disclosed is a method and system for evaluating and troubleshooting a DSL system in a plurality of DSL systems having a common static characteristic. The plurality of DSL systems are ranked based on a ranking characteristic different than the common static characteristic. |
| US08218727B2 |
System for medical image processing, manipulation and display
A system automatically adaptively adjusts an enlarged region of interest presented as a zoomed image on a secondary live display in response to X-ray filter (e.g., collimator) adjustment. An X-ray medical image user interface system includes one or more displays for displaying medical images. At least one display concurrently presents, a first image window including an X-ray image overview of a portion of patient anatomy and a second image window including an enlarged region of interest within the X-ray image overview. A collimator position detector provides a collimator signal in response to a detected collimator position. An image data processor automatically identifies the enlarged region of interest within the X-ray image overview in response to the collimator signal. A display processor generates data representing an image comprising the enlarged region of interest of the X-ray image overview in response to the identification of the enlarged region of interest within the X-ray image overview. |
| US08218725B2 |
Method and device for online IMRT verification
A method is provided for monitoring and/or signalling errors of a radiation therapy apparatus during delivery of a radiation treatment to a target, the radiation therapy apparatus being configurable for a given radiation treatment by means of a beam shaping device. The method includes providing a radiation array detector between the beam shaping device and the target, capable of providing a measured detector response of the radiation treatment; determining a predicted detector response for successive times of the radiation treatment; measuring the measured detector response caused by the radiation beams for corresponding successive times of the radiation treatment; performing a comparison between the measured detector response and the corresponding predicted detector response; signalling in a short reaction time, an error when the comparison results in a difference which exceeds a given threshold. The disclosure also relates to a device comprising electronic 2-dimensional detectors, processor device and a main software. |
| US08218722B2 |
Method for scanning the internal quality of wooden elements having a main direction of extension, such as logs or planks
A method for scanning the internal quality of wooden elements (1) such as logs or planks comprises the operating steps of irradiating the wooden element (1) with at least one beam (3) of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more directions of irradiation which are transversal to the main axis of extension, at the same time creating a relative helicoidal movement between the wooden element (1) and the beam (3). During the movement, for a plurality of separate reciprocal positions of the wooden element (1) and the beam (3), the residual intensity of the electromagnetic radiation which passed through the wooden element (1) is detected for a detection length (L). The relative movement is created in such a way that the helix has a pitch P equal to Y times the sum of the detection length (L) of all of the detectors used, where Y≧5. Moreover, reconstruction of the internal structure of the wooden element (1), at a cross-section of it, is at least implicitly performed by dividing the volume of the wooden element (1), at the section to be reconstructed, into a plurality of basic volumes having a dimension along the main axis of extension which is equal to at least X times the detection length (L) of each detector used, where X≧5. |
| US08218710B2 |
Seed counting device
A seed counting device where accuracy is maintained at higher counting rates. The seed counting device has a hopper in communication with a tray. An activator is connected to the tray to vibrate the tray. Connected to one end of the tray is a separator having sensors. Below the tray and in partial alignment with the separator is a projecting device. The projecting device projects seeds that fall from the tray past the sensors and into a seed chamber. |
| US08218703B2 |
Methods of processing a wireless communication signal, wireless communication synchronization methods, and a radio frequency identification device communication method
In one aspect, a wireless communication device includes an antenna configured to receive electromagnetic energy corresponding to a wireless communication signal outputted using an interrogator and to output electrical energy corresponding to the received electromagnetic energy, communication circuitry coupled with the antenna and configured to sample the electrical energy to process the wireless communication signal, synchronization circuitry coupled with the antenna and the communication circuitry and configured to generate a clock signal to control sampling of the electrical energy using the communication circuitry, wherein the synchronization circuitry is configured to generate a plurality of transitions within the clock signal responsive to a plurality of transitions of the electrical energy during a first data period and wherein the synchronization circuitry is configured to generate a plurality of transitions within the clock signal during a second data period including generating at least one of the transitions independent of transitions of the electrical energy. |
| US08218701B2 |
Communication system
A frame synchronization device and a frame synchronization method capable of preventing a malfunction when a frame is synchronized by using a frame synchronization pattern varying sequentially is presented. A bit serial signal at every frame is transmitted sequentially in a shift register composed of flip-flop circuits. When a bit in each of the stages is detected to be coincided with a corresponding bit in a frame synchronization pattern by coincidence circuits, existence of a synchronized frame is determined. Each bit in the synchronization pattern is also inputted into an all-zero detection circuit. If an all-zero state is detected, a first AND circuit does not output a synchronization pattern detecting signal even with a case where coincidence is detected from the coincidence circuits. |
| US08218693B2 |
Gain control for wireless receiver
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to a gain control for a wireless receiver. In an example embodiment, a wireless receiver is provided that may include an analog gain circuit adapted to provide a variable analog gain on a received input signal, an analog to digital converter (ADC) having an input coupled to an output of the analog gain circuit, and a digital gain circuit having an input coupled to an output of the ADC and adapted to provide a variable digital gain on a received digital signal from the ADC. According to an example embodiment, the wireless transceiver may decrease a gain of the analog gain circuit while maintaining a gain of the digital gain circuit substantially constant for a receiver input signal level that increases from a first input signal level up to at least a first test signal level. In addition, in an example embodiment, the wireless receiver may also decrease a gain of the analog gain circuit while maintaining a gain of the digital gain circuit substantially constant for a signal level of the input signal that increases from a first input signal level up to at least a blocker test signal level. |
| US08218691B2 |
Time information receiver, radio wave timepiece and storage medium having program stored therein
A time information receiver including a reception unit for receiving and demodulating a standard radio wave containing a time code in which data pulses are arranged at a predetermined period; a determining section for determining rising and falling points of a demodulated signal; a first calculator for calculating first differences between respective time intervals of any pair of the rising points and a time period concerned with the predetermined period, and calculating a rising dispersion amount; a second calculator for calculating second differences between respective time intervals of any pair of the falling points and a time period concerned with the predetermined period, and calculating a falling dispersion amount; a comparison section for comparing the rising dispersion amount and the falling dispersion amount; and a judger for judging a code type of the received time code on the basis of a comparison result of the comparison section. |
| US08218687B2 |
Frequency dependent I/Q imbalance estimation
A receiver estimates I/Q imbalance in I and Q input signals using circuitry to separate different frequency components of the I and Q input signals, and estimation circuitry arranged to estimate I/Q imbalance at the different frequency bands. The separating of the bands may be carried out in the frequency domain, and may involve combining corresponding values representing corresponding negative and positive frequency bands, and converting the separated frequency domain representations to a time domain representation before the estimation. The estimated imbalance may be used to correct the I and Q signals at the different frequency bands. |
| US08218677B2 |
Transmitter characterization for digital pre-distortion using offset preamble subcarriers
Techniques are provided to pre-distort a signal that is transmitted by a transmitter of a wireless communication device, e.g., a device configured for wireless radio frequency communication. The transmitter of the device inherently introduces distortion to the baseband signal to be transmitted. In at least one frame of a baseband signal to be transmitted, at least one subcarrier in a preamble of the frame is shifted in frequency such that the at least one subcarrier is offset from a normal subcarrier frequency position. The at least one frame of the baseband signal is supplied to the transmitter that is configured to produce a transmit signal for transmission. The transmit signal at an output of the transmitter is sampled or detected and inter-modulation distortion in the transmit signal is determined at one or more frequencies as a result of shifting of the frequency of the at least one subcarrier in the preamble of the at least one frame. The baseband signal is pre-distorted based on the inter-modulation distortion prior to coupling to the transmitter for transmission. |
| US08218671B2 |
Receiving apparatus, receiving method and communication system
To obtain excellent reception performance while cutting down the amount of computing operation in a MIMO communication system using soft-decision error correction coding. Received waves picked up by receiving antennas 401-1 to 401-R are converted from the radio frequency to the baseband signal by respective receivers 402-1 to 402-R to be output as a received signal. A signal detector 403 calculates bit LLRs of the transmitted signal based on the received signal and the channel-estimated values obtained from a channel estimator 404. The bit LLRs output from signal detector 403 are rearranged by deinterleaver units 405-1 to 405-T in the patterns opposite to the patterns in which interleaving was performed on the transmission side. The bit LLRs after de-interleaving are subjected to an error correction decoding process through decoders 406-1 to 406-T. The bit sequences after decoding are parallel-to-serial converted by a parallel-to-serial converter 407 so that the detected transmission bit sequence is output. |
| US08218669B2 |
Spectrally flat delay diversity transmission
Delay diversity is implemented within a wireless system in a manner that can achieve a relatively flat spectrum in a receiving device. In at least one embodiment, phase shift values from an orthogonal P×N matrix A are used to provide phase shifts to a data packet to be transmitted from N transmit antennas, in a single spatial stream, to a remote wireless device. The matrix A is an orthogonal matrix with A·AT=P·I and P≧N. Delay diversity values are also provided to the data packet before transmission. |
| US08218666B2 |
Advanced-VSB system (A-VSB)
A method of resetting a trellis-coded modulation (TCM) encoder to a known state, the TCM encoder including a reset input that resets the TCM encoder to the known state when held at a reset level for a plurality of symbol clock cycles, the method including identifying an event to occur in the future that requires the TCM encoder to be reset to the known state; and holding the reset input of the TCM encoder at the reset level beginning the plurality of clock symbol cycles before a time the event will occur so that the TCM encoder will be reset to the known state immediately before the event occurs. |
| US08218659B2 |
OFDM demodulation device
A delay indicator calculator calculates at least two of a first delay indicator indicating a delay time determined based on a correlation value having a predetermined difference from the maximum value of the correlation signal, a second delay indicator indicating a change of a delay time determined based on time during which the correlation signal has no less than a predetermined value, and a third delay indicator indicating a change of a time difference between main and delay path peaks. An estimator generates a state estimation of the transmission path based on the probabilities of the at least two delay indicator values exceeding respective reference values for a plurality of symbols. |
| US08218654B2 |
Method for reducing channel change startup delays for multicast digital video streams
Methods and systems for reducing channel change startup delays for multicast digital video streams are described. Packets of a multicast digital video transport stream having a plurality of normal Group of Pictures are received. Further, a channel change request is received and a speed-up Group of Pictures is inserted in the stream in response to the channel change request. In one embodiment, video stream specific information is also inserted in the stream. The packets are processed and transmitted. |
| US08218645B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding by wavelet transform
A wavelet transform encoding apparatus includes a coefficient encoding unit which encodes each group of multiple wavelet transform coefficients LH, HL, and HH located spatially at the same position within multiple high-frequency subbands belonging to the same hierarchy. At the time, the coefficient encoding unit calculates an encoding parameter for the wavelet transform coefficient of an encoding object based on multiple encoded vicinal wavelet transform coefficients within the multiple high-frequency subbands belonging to the same hierarchy, and encodes the wavelet transform coefficient of the encoding object into a variable-length code by utilizing the calculated encoding parameter. |
| US08218642B2 |
Macro-block video stream encoding
A video stream encoding apparatus and method therefore is herein described. The video stream encoding apparatus includes a divider for dividing a frame in a video stream into a plurality of processing units, each processing unit including a plurality of macro-blocks; and an encoder for encoding the plurality of macro-blocks in each processing unit in parallel. The same quantization parameters are used for respective macro-blocks in the same processing unit in the quantization of the encoder. By the apparatus and the method of the invention, dependencies between macro-blocks are broken, and the precision of high rate controlling is kept while encoding the respective macro-blocks in parallel. |
| US08218640B2 |
Picture decoding using same-picture reference for pixel reconstruction
Digitally encoded pictures may be decoded by padding all un-decoded pixels within a currently decoding picture with temporary pixel values to produce a padded picture and performing motion compensation using the padded picture as a reference picture. |
| US08218639B2 |
Method for pixel prediction with low complexity
A method including: calculating a prediction of a first block of pixels in a second video frame with a temporal position between a first and a third video frame from a first motion vector of pixel position components relative to spatial pixel positions of the first block referring the first video frame and a third motion vector of pixel position components relative to spatial pixel positions of the first block referring the third video frame, wherein a second block of pixels in the third video frame spatially collocated with the first block is predicted from a second motion vector of pixel position components relative to spatial pixel positions of the second block referring the first video frame. |
| US08218638B2 |
Method and system for optical flow based motion vector estimation for picture rate up-conversion
Certain aspects of a method and system for optical flow based motion vector estimation for picture rate up-conversion (PRUC) may include generating one or more motion vectors based on extracted picture rate up-conversion (PRUC) data by minimizing a cost function. The cost function may be constrained by any combination of a block matching constraint, a smoothness constraint and a bias constraint. The PRUC data may be extracted from a compressed video data stream while the compressed video data stream is being decompressed by a video decompression engine. The PRUC data may comprise local block motion vectors, block coding modes, quantization levels, quantized residual data and decoded pictures. A plurality of interpolated pictures may be generated based on extracting the PRUC data. |
| US08218634B2 |
Nonlinear, in-the-loop, denoising filter for quantization noise removal for hybrid video compression
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for using an in-the-loop denoising filter for quantization noise removal for video compression. In one embodiment, the video encoder comprises a transform coder to apply a transform to a residual frame representing a difference between a current frame and a first prediction, the transform coder outputting a coded differential frame as an output of the video encoder; a transform decoder to generate a reconstructed residual frame in response to the coded differential frame; a first adder to create a reconstructed frame by adding the reconstructed residual frame to the first prediction; a non-linear denoising filter to filter the reconstructed frame by deriving expectations and performing denoising operations based on the expectations; and a prediction module to generate predictions, including the first prediction, based on previously decoded frames. |
| US08218631B2 |
Video frame encoding and decoding
A video frame arithmetical context adaptive encoding and decoding scheme is presented which is based on the finding, that, for sake of a better definition of neighborhood between blocks of picture samples, i.e. the neighboring block which the syntax element to be coded or decoded relates to and the current block based on the attribute of which the assignment of a context model is conducted, and when the neighboring block lies beyond the borders or circumference of the current macroblock containing the current block, it is important to make the determination of the macroblock containing the neighboring block dependent upon as to whether the current macroblock pair region containing the current block is of a first or a second distribution type, i.e., frame or field coded. |
| US08218629B2 |
Encoding and/or decoding system, medium, and method with spatial prediction and spatial prediction compensation of image data
An encoding and/or decoding system, medium, and method with spatial prediction and spatial prediction compensation. The system may include a spatial prediction unit that spatially predicts pixel values of a current block of an image using neighboring blocks in a row immediately above the current block among neighboring blocks that are spatially adjacent to the current block. The spatial prediction unit performs spatial prediction using replaced pixel values of neighboring blocks in a row immediately above the current block every predetermined row unit, with the pixel values of neighboring blocks in a row immediately above the current block every predetermined row unit being replaced with a predetermined reference value. |
| US08218625B2 |
Encoding, decoding and representing high dynamic range images
A data structure defining a high dynamic range image comprises a tone map having a reduced dynamic range and HDR information. The high dynamic range image can be reconstructed from the tone map and the HDR information. The data structure can be backwards compatible with legacy hardware or software viewers. The data structure may comprise a JFIF file having the tone map encoded as a JPEG image with the HDR information in an application extension or comment field of the JFIF file, or a MPEG file having the tone map encoded as a MPEG image with the HDR information in a video or audio channel of the MPEG file. Apparatus and methods for encoding or decoding the data structure may apply pre- or post correction to compensate for lossy encoding of the high dynamic range information. |
| US08218624B2 |
Fractional quantization step sizes for high bit rates
At high bit rates, the reconstruction error of compressed video is generally proportional to the squared value of quantization step size, such that full quantization step size increments at high bit rates can lead to significant change in the reconstruction error and/or bit rate of the compressed video. A video codec uses fractional increments of quantization step size at high bit rates to permit a more continuous variation of quality and/or bit rate as the quantization scale changes. For high bit rate scenarios, the bit stream syntax includes an additional syntax element to specify fractional step increments (e.g., half step) of the normal quantizer scale step sizes. |
| US08218622B2 |
System and method for processing videos and images to a determined quality level
System and method for processing videos and images to a determined quality level. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for enhancing video. The method includes providing a first video element that is uncompressed. The method also includes determining motion information associated with the video element. The method further includes providing a second video element by removing at least a defect from the first video element. The second video element includes a color luminance and a luminance. In addition, the method includes de-interlacing the second video element using the motion information. Furthermore, the method includes scaling the second video element. Also, the method includes providing a third video element by enhancing the chrominance and enhancing the luminance of the second video element. The method additionally includes outputting the third video element. |
| US08218617B2 |
Method and system for optimal video transcoding based on utility function descriptors
Techniques for generating utility-based descriptors from compressed multimedia information are disclosed. A preferred method includes the steps of receiving least a segment of compressed multimedia information, determining two or more portions of utility based descriptor information based on one or more adaptation operations, each corresponding to a unique target rate, adapting the compressed multimedia segment by each the portions of utility based descriptor information to generate adapted multimedia segments, using a quality management method to generate measurement for each adapted multimedia segment, and generating a utility based descriptors based on the portions of utility based descriptor information and corresponding quality measurements. |
| US08218615B2 |
Method and apparatus for block-wise decision-feedback equalization for wireless communication
Techniques for performing decision feedback equalization are described. A feed-forward filter response and a feedback filter response are derived based on a channel estimate and a reliability parameter and further without constraint on the feedback filter response or with a constraint of no feedback for an on-time sample. The reliability parameter is indicative of the reliability of the feedback used for equalization and may be frequency dependent or frequency invariant. Different feed-forward and feedback filter responses may be derived with different constraints on the feedback filter and different assumptions for the reliability parameter. Equalization is performed with the feed-forward and feedback filter responses. If equalization is performed for multiple iterations then, for each iteration, the reliability parameter may be updated, the feed-forward and feedback filter responses may be derived based on the updated reliability parameter, and equalization may be performed with the filter responses for the iteration. |
| US08218612B2 |
Timing error detector and method thereof
An effective data sequence based timing error detector (EDS-TED) for baseband transmission system using Tomlinson-Harashima Precoder is disclosed. The EDS-TED extracts timing error information embedded in the received signal to build up autocorrelation between the ESD signals and minimize the mean square error between the received and desired EDS so as to improve the performance of the TED in terms of Peak-to-Peak Jitter and TED gain. Thus the quality of the received signal increases and the error rate decreases. |
| US08218605B2 |
Preamble for synchronization
A method for generating a preamble signal for a wireless communication system including the step of combining a plurality of different short PN sequences into a long PN sequence, wherein one of the plurality of short PN sequences includes information that is configured for coarse timing synchronization, and the long PN sequence includes information that is configured for fine timing synchronization. |
| US08218601B2 |
Receiver and transmitter for use in a satellite navigation system
A receiver is provided for use with a satellite navigation system comprising a constellation of multiple satellites. Each satellite transmits a signal incorporating a spreading code. The receiver includes at least one code storage unit that includes combinatorial logic for storing a memory code comprising a fixed pattern of bits including address decoding, wherein the stored memory code corresponds to a spreading code incorporated into a signal transmitted from a satellite. The receiver further includes a correlator for performing a correlation between an incoming signal and the stored spreading code from the one code storage unit. |
| US08218597B1 |
Diode pumped solid-state laser for high shock environments
A diode pumped solid-state laser for high shock, high vibration environments such as those found in laser ignition systems for artillery systems. |
| US08218592B2 |
Laser device, optical pickup, and optical disk device
A laser device includes a semiconductor laser, a signal generating circuit generating a pulse signal for driving the semiconductor laser, an amplifying circuit amplifying the pulse signal, and a control circuit unit provided between the amplifying circuit and the semiconductor laser and controlling the pulse signal by letting alternating-current components of the pulse signal pass through and removing at least part of direct-current components of the pulse signal. |
| US08218590B2 |
Designs and processes for thermally stabilizing a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (vcsel) in a chip-scale atomic clock
Designs and processes for thermally stabilizing a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (vcsel) in a chip-scale atomic clock are provided. In one embodiment, a Chip-Scale Atomic Clock includes: a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (vcsel); a heater block coupled to a base of the vcsel; a photo detector; a vapor cell, wherein the vapor cell includes a chamber that defines at least part of an optical path for laser light between the vcsel and the photo detector; and an iso-thermal cage surrounding the vcsel on all sides, the iso-thermal cage coupled to the heater block via a thermally conductive path. |
| US08218588B1 |
Compact efficient seeded MID-IR OPO OPA laser
A diode-pumped solid state pulsed laser includes an intracavity nonlinear crystal for wavelength conversion by difference frequency mixing and a secondary resonant cavity containing an additional nonlinear crystal for parametric amplification. Primary and secondary cavities are capable of injection seeding and wavelength stabilization resulting in a very narrow, stable, and well defined spectral output. The combination of pump diode pulsing, the implementation of the intracavity parametric oscillator and parametric amplifier results in very efficient operation. Optical fiber coupled parametric oscillator byproduct light allows simple and non-invasive wavelength diagnostics and monitoring upon connection to an optical spectrum analyzer. |
| US08218585B2 |
Laser oscillator and filtering method
Provided is a fiber laser including a mode filter for selectively attenuating, among modes included in laser light propagating through a multi-mode fiber, any mode other than a radially polarized mode. Among the modes included in the laser light propagating through the multi-mode fiber, the fiber laser causes the radially polarized mode to resonate, so as to emit radially polarized laser light. The mode filter includes a long-period fiber grating obtained by writing, to a multi-mode fiber capable of guiding the radially polarized mode, a grating for selectively attenuating any waveguide mode other than the radially polarized mode. |
| US08218584B2 |
Apparatus for coupling light into an optical wave guide, a laser system with such an apparatus, and a preform to manufacture the apparatus
The invention relates to an apparatus for coupling light into an optical wave guide, a laser system with such an apparatus, and a preform to manufacture the apparatus for coupling light into an optical wave guide with the aid of a pumping fiber to guide the light, whereby the optical wave guide comprises a core with a cladding and an initial length segment with a second length segment immediately connected to it, whose cross section increases in tapered form with respect to the first length segment. In order to make a powerful apparatus and thereby a powerful laser system available, including the corresponding preform, it is recommended that the core and cladding of the optical wave guide run continuously through the first length segment and the second length segment, that the end of the pumping fiber embedded in the cladding of the second length segment runs along the cladding and emerges from the forward face out of the end of the second length segment, and that the cross section of the cladding increases in tapered form. Preferably, the cross section of the pumping fiber increases together with the cross section of the second cladding. |
| US08218575B2 |
Method and system for shortening the length of time gaps between data units in a data switching network
A method for shortening the length of time gaps between data units in a data switching network; the method comprising: arranging a group of K data units received consecutively at an input of a first device in K time units, where K is a positive integer; sending the arranged K data units to the inputs of M devices, where M is a positive integer; transferring a group of Hj data units of the arranged K data units by a device j of the M devices from its inputs to its outputs within a time unit Tx in the K unit time period, where Hj is a positive integer and the sum of Hj for j=1, . . . M is equal to K, where HjK; arranging the data units sent to the devices of the M devices transferring at time unit Tx such that no two inputs of the devices of the M devices transferring at time unit Tx receive the same data unit at any moment; and repeatedly combining and arranging the K data units from the outputs of the M devices by a second device such that the K data units appear at the output of the second device consecutively. |
| US08218574B2 |
Scalable packet analyzer and related method
A scalable packet analyzer receives data packets from a data packet source for packet analysis and includes a plurality of policy engine arrays, each having a plurality of packet analysis microengines. A policy algorithm loader module is operative with each packet analysis microengine for loading a policy algorithm to each packet analysis microengine such that each packet analysis microengine analyzes specific sections of the data packet in parallel within each policy engine array based on the applied policy algorithm to obtain data about the data packet for further data packet processing. |
| US08218569B2 |
Apparatus and method for terminating service emulation instances
System and method for providing a termination point for service emulation instances in an access network is provided. In an embodiment, the service emulation instances are implemented utilizing, for example, pseudowires. Communications to and from the access network are aggregated and transmitted via one or more pseudowires to a service emulation instance terminator. The service emulation instance terminator converts the traffic to its native form and, if necessary, converts the traffic to a different type of format or service. The service emulation instance terminator then frames the traffic for the appropriate type of service and transmits the traffic to the service edge. Traffic received from the service is removed prepended with a pseudowire label and aggregated with other traffic. The aggregated traffic is transmitted to the customer via the access network. If necessary, an interworking function may convert the traffic from one type of service to another type of service. |
| US08218564B2 |
Method and apparatus for WiFi long range radio coordination
A method and apparatus for WiFi long range radio coordination is described. In one embodiment, a method for facilitating radio coordination in order to prevent simultaneous exchanges of data includes processing status information associated with a first radio and a second radio within a node and scheduling signal communications of the first radio and second radio based on the status information to avoid interference between the first radio and the second radio. |
| US08218563B2 |
Method and system for providing adaptive modulation and coding in a multi-carrier wireless network
A method of providing adaptive modulation and coding in a multi-carrier wireless network that includes a plurality of subscriber stations is provided. The method includes, for each of the subscriber stations, selecting a type of modulation and a coding rate based on a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) variance. |
| US08218559B2 |
Providing best effort services via a digital broadcast network using data encapsulation
In accordance with an embodiment, a best-effort service is divided into packets for best-effort digital broadcast transmission. The packets are encapsulated with an encapsulation protocol that uses a packet order defining field. The encapsulated packets are inserted into an unused portion of a slot of a digital broadcast transmission frame. Then, the encapsulated packets are repeatedly inserted into the unused portion of the slot of the digital broadcast transmission frame in a packet-carousel fashion. And the transmission frame is digitally broadcast. In accordance with an embodiment, a digital broadcast transmission is received. Encapsulated packets that have been repeatedly broadcast in a packet-carousel fashion are accessed from a best-effort portion of a digital broadcast transmission frame slot. And a best-effort service is composed from the encapsulated packets by combining the encapsulated packets in an order based on a packet order defining field of the encapsulated packets. |
| US08218558B2 |
Data transfer system enabling access to multiple subnets and method thereof
A data transfer system enabling access to multiple subnets and method thereof is disclosed. The data transfer method includes the following steps: executing a virtual private network (VPN) client installed on an electronic system; connecting the VPN client to a VPN router; the VPN client assigning a virtual IP address to a virtual interface; and the VPN client accessing a subnet corresponding to the virtual IP address through the virtual IP address. |
| US08218550B2 |
Method and system for routing traffic in ad hoc networks
The present invention relates to a method for efficient routing in a multiple hop wireless communication network. The routing method comprise the steps of providing link status information by acquiring link status quality between nodes in the network, updating a routing element (101) with said link status information, determining an appropriate route according to said link status information with respect to traffic content, and routing traffic according to said determined appropriate route. |
| US08218549B2 |
Synchronization of message stream in a multi-tier messaging system
A group communication service is adapted for multi-point to multi-point communication. Identical message streams are received by a tier of processing servers from a tier of sources. The processing servers deliver the message streams to a tier of destinations. The group communication service enables the processing servers to deal with newly added message streams and deleted message streams while preserving total ordering. |
| US08218548B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method, and program
The present invention provides an information processing apparatus which is a component of an information processing system in which real time data for which transmission and reception assurance within a predetermined period of time after every fixed period is necessary is communicated through an asynchronous network. The apparatus includes a generator and a transmission controller. The generator is configured to generate time synchronizing information, which is to be utilized upon setting of transmission and reception schedules of the real time data, as packets having a first region into which a sequence number which varies after every period of time corresponding to the fixed period is to be described. The transmission controller is configured to control the packets generated by the generator such that one packet is transmitted to the asynchronous network at each transmission timing after the fixed period. |
| US08218547B2 |
Networked control system using logical addresses
Networked control systems and methods include a plurality of devices connected to a network. At least one device has a logical address that includes a device type and a device location in an environment of the device in a user readable and understandable format, such as English or other languages. The system further includes a processor connectable to the network and configured to execute control logic using the logical addresses. A memory is provided for storing a mapping from the logical address to a physical network address of the device. |
| US08218546B2 |
Interleaved processing of dropped packets in a network device
A network device for processing packets includes at least one ingress module for performing switching functions on a packet, a memory management unit for storing the packet and at least one egress module for transmitting the packet to at least one port. The at least one egress module is configured to maintain multiple queues for the at least one port, including a purge queue, and to store the packet in the purge queue when an error condition is determined when the end of the packet is received by the at least one ingress module. |
| US08218541B2 |
Method and device for forming, transferring and receiving transport packets encapsulating data representative of an image sequence
The present invention relates to a method of forming transport packets for transmitting, from a server device to at least two client devices, data representative of a coded image sequence, the coded data being encapsulated in transport packets comprising a first portion composed of a plurality of fields and a second portion. The method comprises the steps of obtaining (E40) a routing cue for each client device, of forming (E43) at least one transport packet on the basis of coded data, and of modifying (E45) at least one field of the first portion of each transport packet formed as a function of at least one routing cue obtained.The invention also relates to an associated device for forming packets, a transfer method and devices and a method and device for receiving transport packets formed according to the method briefly described above. |
| US08218539B2 |
Flexible packet field processor
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to the processing of a flexible field packet. A technique may include determining a format of a packet, the packet including one or more variable fields and determining an offset value related to a location of at least one of the variable fields in the packet, wherein the offset value is variable and associated with the format of the packet. |
| US08218538B1 |
Storage gateway configuring and traffic processing
In one aspect, initial storage system control information is received, and in response a configuration of a storage interface is determined in accordance with the initial storage system control information. Then final storage system control information is accessed via the storage interface and the storage interface is reconfigured in accordance with the final storage system control information. In another aspect, one of a plurality of physical partitions of a physically partitionable symmetric multiprocessor executes a storage control process to control storage traffic, and another one of the physical partitions executes a program to process the storage traffic. The physical partitions are enabled to communicate the storage traffic at least in part via respective input/output controllers coupled to a switch fabric. The partitionable symmetric multiprocessor has programmatically configurable links for selectively isolating shared memory coherency and cache memory coherency transactions between at least some included processors. |
| US08218535B1 |
Method and device for attaching a user equipment to a telecommunication network
The invention is directed to a communication network wherein a direct tunnel may be formed between a user equipment and a gateway support node, bypassing an intermediate serving support node. If, however, the gateway node should be outside of the actual communication network to which the user equipment is connected, a two-tunnel concept is used wherein a tunnel is provided between the user equipment and the serving support node. Likewise, when receiving a request for Lawful Interception, the tunnel formed between the user equipment and the gateway node is reconfigured to be directed to the serving node for guiding all user traffic and control signaling via this serving node. |
| US08218530B2 |
Seamless handoff between access networks with saved session information
More seamless handoff between access networks is achieved by saving session information for each access network upon being handed off from the access network and invoking the saved session information upon being handed back to the access network. An access terminal establishes a first session with a first access network, which may entail performing QoS negotiation with the first access network and setting up packet filters at a packet data gateway. The access terminal exchanges data with the first access network in accordance with the configuration of the first session. The access terminal saves the first session configuration after being handed off to a second access network, establishes a second session with the second access network, and exchanges data with the second access network in accordance with the configuration of the second session. The access terminal uses the saved first session configuration upon being handed back to the first access network. |
| US08218529B2 |
Device for and method of terminating a VoIP call
The invention relates to the field of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and more specifically to a system and method of terminating a VoIP call. In certain exemplary embodiments, the present solution provides in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) network, a method of terminating a call received from a public switched telephone network (PSTN) phone by a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone via a PSTN gateway, in the absence of a terminating signal from the PSTN gateway, the method comprising: (a) receiving at said SIP phone a sequence of codec frames from said PSTN gateway; (b) determining if a specified portion of each codec frame in said received sequence of codec frames is a specified value; (c) if said specified portion is said specified value, incrementing a counter by an incrementing amount; and (d) when said counter reaches a specified threshold, terminating said call In the absence of a BYE message, session termination of a VoIP call can still be facilitated using the method and apparatus of the present invention. |
| US08218522B2 |
Communication scheduling of network nodes using a cluster coefficient
In one aspect, a method includes scheduling network communications in a network comprising nodes connected by links, receiving at a first node updated bandwidth values from the other nodes, determining a cluster coefficient based on a number of one-hop neighbors of the first node and a number of neighbors N-hops and less of the first node, adjusting the cluster coefficient to form an adjusted cluster coefficient and determining a wait period based on the adjusted cluster coefficient. The method also includes implementing the updated bandwidth values received to determine updated node weight values of the other nodes after the wait period has expired. |
| US08218520B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving an uplink acknowledgement channel for a downlink data channel in a mobile communication system using orthogonal frequency division multiple access
A communication apparatus and method of a mobile communication system using Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). A method of transmitting an uplink acknowledge channel (ACKCH) for a downlink data channel in a mobile communication system using OFDMA includes: determining channel resources for each Control Channel Element (CCE), when a downlink control channel including at least two CCEs is received; generating uplink acknowledgement information by analyzing a received downlink data channel; assigning the at least two CCEs to at least two transmission antennas, respectively; and transmitting the uplink ACKCH including the uplink acknowledgement information through the transmission antennas. |
| US08218519B1 |
Transmit ID within an ad hoc wireless communications network
The present example provides a method of providing a Transmit ID within an ad hoc wireless communications network, and use of the transmit ID to provide methods to select a node's transmit pattern (Transmit Patterns), to inform a node receiver that a packet is incoming that is to be decoded (Receive Packet Acquisition), to tell a node receiver how to efficiently retrieve pulses from multiple packets simultaneously (Efficient Receive Processing), and how to disburse network transmissions throughout network time (Network Traffic Smoothing). The present example may also provide for Network Management of the Transmit IDs for use in network bandwidth reduction and maintenance of the Transmit IDs within the Network. |
| US08218517B2 |
Method and apparatus for dual frequency timing acquisition for compressed WCDMA communication networks
Methods and systems for dual frequency timing acquisition for compressed WCDMA communication networks may include processing received WCDMA signals. The WCDMA signals, which may be primary synchronization channel signals, may comprise signals transmitted by one base station at one frequency band and by another base station at a different frequency band, during a compressed frame. Samples of the received WCDMA signals from the different base stations may be stored in portions of a memory allocated for signals from each base station. The received WCDMA signals having the first frequency band may be processed via the processing circuitry during a non-compressed frame. The samples corresponding to the signals with the first frequency band during the non-compressed frame may be stored in the memory. The received WCDMA signals may be sampled at a faster rate during the non-compressed frame than during the compressed frame. |
| US08218515B2 |
Communication control apparatus and communication control program
A communication control apparatus comprises a terminal control part that generates available-terminal information representing a communication terminal belonging to a group of available-terminals and also generates call-status information representing one of the communication terminals having calls and also representing the media of the communication terminals; a terminal/media selecting part that, upon detection of an event occurrence, if the call-status information matches terminal/media information of a terminal/media information storing part and further if changed-terminal/media information of the terminal/media information storing part is included in the available-terminal information, then determines the communication terminal represented by the changed-terminal/media information as a communication terminal to be incorporated into the calls of the media of the communication terminals; and a session control part that establishes a call of the medium of the determined communication terminal between the determined communication terminal and a communication terminal of another user. |
| US08218514B2 |
Wireless data communications network system for tracking containers
A wireless data communications network system for establishing communication between a server and a plurality of containers that are loaded onto a cargo vessel. The system includes a data communications device configured to establish and manage a pre-configured wireless data communications network and to communicate with the server through a local area network, and a plurality of electronic tracking devices each having a wireless transceiver and routing capabilities and configured to be joined to a container and to connect to the wireless data communications network upon being activated. The data communications device is configured to intermittently perform a network scan to locate each tracking device connected to the network and reconfigure the network topology to include each connected tracking devices such that the data communications device maintains mutual communication with each connected tracking device using the routing capabilities of the tracking devices. |
| US08218507B2 |
System for determining when a communication device should rate shift or roam in a wireless environment
Methods for improving communication performance in a wireless communication system where the wireless communication system has at least one mobile wireless communication device and a plurality of transmitter/receiver sites. The transmitter/receiver sites have a geographic area, defined as a cell, within which the mobile wireless communication devices can communicate with at least one of the transmitter/receiver sites. The methods determine when the mobile wireless communication device should rate shift or roam based on connection quality measurement data or position information such as GPS. In one method, the measurement data is subjected to configurable parameters to create a functional relationship value that is recorded. The recorded functional relationship values are trended and extrapolated to determine whether a rate shift or roam should be performed. In a second method, the measurement data taken prior to a communication connection failure is stored in at least one data vector with there being at least one data vector for each rate shift and one for roam. A functional relationship utilizing current measurements, last data rate, and the respective data vectors determines whether a rate shift or roam should be performed. In a third method, the position information for the wireless communication device is compared to at least one transmitter/receiver site and a determination is made as to the optimal transmitter/receiver site for communication. |
| US08218505B2 |
Mobile communication method
In a mobile communication method according to the present invention includes the steps of: transmitting, from a handover source radio base station to a switching center, a handover request including an Next hop Chaining Count (NCC), a Physical Cell Identification information (PCI) and a KeNB*; changing, at the switching center, the NCC, changing, at the switching center, the KeNB* on the basis of the PCI, and transmitting, from the switching center to the handover target radio base station, the handover request including the changed NCC and the changed KeNB*; generating, at the handover target radio base station, a first key on the basis of the KeNB*; and generating, at the mobile station, the first key on the basis of the NCC and the PCI included in a handover command. |
| US08218500B2 |
Pre-synchronization method for hard handovers in wireless networks
A pre-synchronization method in which the source cell chooses a signature for the user equipment (mobile) to use in the target cell for RACH access, and instructs the user equipment to perform RACH access and return to the current cell before a handover command (break command) is issued. This causes parallel execution of the UL synchronization process with the context transfer process among the two base stations. |
| US08218499B2 |
Header compression optimization method during and after handovers in cellular communication network
The present invention concerns a method for optimizing ROHC RTP (Robust Header Compression Real Time Protocol) compression applied to IP header of data packets stream so as to use more compact formats enable to remain in a steady state, to never discard received packet, and to serve radio resources without requiring to modify ROHC specification. In the method, when handover or mobility procedure is started, new reference values are normally added to a sliding compression window, but no reference value is removed from the window as long as the handover or mobility procedure is on going. After the handover or mobility procedure is complete, when the number of values transmitted on the new radio link are appropriate to cope against the error properties on the new link, all older values can be removed at once from the compression window, thereby reverting to normal window operation. |
| US08218497B2 |
Synchronization in an uplink spatial division multiple access mode of a WiMAX wireless communication system
An apparatus and method for synchronization in an uplink spatial division multiple access (UL SDMA) mode of a WiMAX wireless communication system includes a first step (500) of allocating a mixed sequence of first and second tile patterns for mobile station uplink slots. A next step (502) includes detecting embedded pilot signals in mobile station data traffic. A next step (504) includes calculating first and second pilot signal phase difference within the respective first and second tile patterns. A next step (506) includes estimating a time error and a frequency error of the pilot signals. A next step (508) includes sending information about the time and/or frequency error to the mobile station for use in synchronization (510). |
| US08218495B2 |
Apparatus and method for circuit mode resource allocation in broadband wireless access (BWA) system
An apparatus and method for circuit mode resource allocation in a Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) system is disclosed. The method includes generating a first resource allocation message which comprises currently used slot bitmap information with respect to a circuit mode region in a frame; allocating resources to one or more terminals with respect to currently unused slots in the circuit mode region according to the currently used slot bitmap information; and generating a second resource allocation message which comprises information relating to the resource allocation. Thus, the effective circuit mode resource allocation can be achieved without holes in the circuit mode, while maintaining backward compatibility with the existing standards. |
| US08218494B2 |
Systems and methods for allocating and transmitting uplink data block transmissions
Systems and methods for allocating and transmitting uplink data block transmissions with piggy-backed ACK/NACK bitmap field are provided. The systems and methods involve using a request for a DBCCI (Data Block Combined with Control Information) to allocate a timeslot for data transmission. A UADB (uplink allocation for data block) is not also used to allocate the timeslot. |
| US08218493B2 |
System and method for interference mitigation in wireless networks
A computer-implemented method for scheduling a packet for transmission in a wireless local area network can be used to account for hidden and/or exposed terminals. The method includes determining whether the packet is to be transmitted to a computing device through a wireless access point that is in conflict with at least one other computing device associated with a different access point. The method further includes determining whether there is a conflicting packet scheduled to be transmitted for any conflicting computing devices associated with a different access points and scheduling the packet for transmission based on any conflicting packets. The method yet further includes forwarding the packet to a wireless access point at the scheduled time. |
| US08218487B2 |
System and method of adaptive frequency hopping with look ahead interference prediction
A novel and useful adaptive frequency hopping scheme for wireless devices and networks operating in a congested environment of similar devices, where capacity maximization is desired. The hopping sequence of each wireless link is dynamically adapted such that the impact of the surrounding interference is minimized and the interference induced onto the coexisting systems is also minimized. The scheme detects the repetitive presence of interference on a particular channel and comprises a replacement mechanism for swapping the interfered frequency-channel with one that would be clear for that particular time-slot. The mechanism detects interference during a redundant portion of the transmission (i.e. header or trailer) without having to experience packet failures (i.e. data loss). If the interference impact (e.g. corrupted header bits) exceeds a predefined threshold, that frequency channel is declared temporarily unusable for that time slot and is replaced with another in accordance with a frequency replacement policy. Periodic interference at a particular frequency, originating from a coexisting system of similar operating parameters, may also be detected at instances that are distant from the timeslots for which that particular frequency is to be used, such that frequency replacement in the hopping sequence can be scheduled ahead of time and collisions would be avoided altogether. |
| US08218485B2 |
System and method for multi-link communication in home network
A client in a home entertainment network can communicate with other components, including the server, over both a wired and a wireless link, with the particular path being selected based a component preference, and/or a bandwidth capability, and/or an occupancy ratio. Both links may be simultaneously used. |
| US08218481B2 |
Method of transmitting data in a mobile communication system
Disclosed is a data transmission method in a mobile communication system. The data transmission method through a code sequence in a mobile communication system includes grouping input data streams into a plurality of blocks consisting of at least one bit so as to map each block to a corresponding signature sequence, multiplying a signature sequence stream, to which the plurality of blocks are mapped, by a specific code sequence, and transmitting the signature sequence stream multiplied by the specific code sequence to a receiver. |
| US08218479B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing a multi-code word assignment in wireless communication systems
A method and apparatus for processing a Multi-code word assignment is provided, comprising receiving a MCW-FLAB1, determining value of supplemental field in the MCW-FLAB1 received with a MACID of an access terminal from the SS MAC protocol with a supplemental field, determining whether a MCW-FLAB2 is received with MACID in a same PHY frame and processing the MCW-FLAB1 based upon whether the MCW-FLAB2 is received and the value of the supplemental field. |
| US08218477B2 |
Method of detecting wireless network faults
A wireless communication system includes the ability to determine that a fault condition associated with at least a portion of a cell associated with a base station is likely. Disclosed examples include using information regarding call activity levels of various portions of a cell for determining an expected call activity level for at least one portion of the cell. One example includes using the least active portion of the cell as the portion of interest. Previously observed activity levels provide information to automatically determine an expected relationship between the activity levels of the portions of the cell. Disclosed examples include determining whether a deviation between the actual call activity level and the expected call activity level is statistically significant enough to indicate a fault condition with at least the portion of the cell, which is of interest. |
| US08218475B2 |
Transmission power control method and system
A transmitting power level control method and system are provided, whereby the power of a terminal device in a wireless sensor network is saved and the lifetime thereof is extended. The control method includes the steps of: (A) broadcasting a plurality of transmitting power level (TPL) messages, each of which represents a respective TPL and the respective TPLs are different from one another, wherein each of the plurality of TPL messages is broadcasted at the respective TPL thereof; and (B) setting a TPL for the terminal device at a minimum one of the TPLs represented by the TPL messages received by the terminal device. |
| US08218474B2 |
Bandwidth allocation in satellite communication networks
There is described a method for allocating bandwidth in a satellite communication system comprising a plurality of terminals, the method comprising: at each one of the plurality of terminals: sending a local terminal bandwidth request to a centralized bandwidth manager and to all other terminals of the plurality of terminals via a satellite; receiving a centralized bandwidth allocation for a first group of applications from the centralized bandwidth manager; receiving other terminal bandwidth requests from the other terminals, extracting requests for a second group of applications, and generating a decentralized bandwidth allocation according to a set of bandwidth allocation rules common to all of the plurality of terminals; and generating a global bandwidth allocation using the centralized bandwidth allocation and the decentralized bandwidth allocation. |
| US08218468B2 |
Method and system for multicast retry in a communication network
Aspects of a method and system for multicast retry in a communication network may include an originator station device within a multicast group that enables transmission of one or more PDUs via a network utilizing a multicast address. The transmitted one or more PDUs may be associated with an identified multicast flow. Subsequent to transmission of the one or more PDUs, the originator station device may receive one or more acknowledgment PDUs. The received acknowledgment PDUs may enable the originator station device to determine whether the transmitted PDUs were successfully received by one or more destination terminal devices. One or more of the PDUs may be retransmitted based on the determination. The originator station device and one or more destination terminal devices may be members of a multicast group. The multicast group may be identified based on the multicast address. |
| US08218467B2 |
Method and apparatus for optimizing idle mode stand-by time in a multicast system
Methods and apparatus for optimizing idle mode stand-by time in wireless device operable in a multicast system are disclosed. In order to maximize or optimize the stand-by time for idle mode, a time line for decoding of overhead information symbol (OIS) data received in one or more superframes in the wireless device. Based on the determined time line, an offset time period can be determined for setting an idle mode timer period used by the wireless device to decode the OIS information. By offsetting the timer period, a wireless device can be ensured to wake up and prepared to latch OIS information before the start of a superframe boundary, thus minimizing the wake up time of the device operating in an idle mode and, in turn, optimizing stand-by time. |
| US08218464B2 |
Modulation scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems or the like
Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, bit and power loading may be utilized to select a modulation rate and subcarrier power scaling based on channel state information. As a result, a higher data rate may be utilized for a given signal-to-noise ratio while maintaining a constant bit error rate. |
| US08218461B2 |
Apparatus and method for supporting relay service in multihop relay wireless communication system
Apparatus and method for supporting a relay service in a multihop relay wireless communication system are provided. The method includes setting Tx/Rx mode switch region information of a Relay Station (RS). A signal is sent to a Mobile Station (MS) traveling in a service coverage during a first interval of a DownLink (DL) subframe according to resource allocation information. The mode switch region information and a signal are sent over a second interval of the DL subframe. Accordingly, the RS can communicate with a Base Station (BS) with accurate synchronization. |
| US08218459B1 |
Topology hiding of a network for an administrative interface between networks
An administrative interface is provided between a first network and a second network, where the administrative interface is separate from one or more communications session signaling interfaces between the first network and second network. At least one of authorization, authentication, and accounting messages is communicated over the administrative interface. A module associated with the administrative interface is provided to perform topology hiding of the first network such that topology information of the first network is hidden from the second network. |
| US08218456B2 |
Lawful call interception support
Systems, methods and communication nodes according to exemplary embodiments provide for an IMS node to replicate call content for lawful call interception in packet cable networks. A CSCF node sends a command to an SBC node to perform call content replication for an identified call to be intercepted. The SBC node forwards the replicated call content to a delivery function, which in turn forwards the replicated call content to the appropriate law enforcement agency. |
| US08218455B2 |
Information communication system, information communication method, node device included in information communication system and recording medium recording information process program
A group of nodes mutually connected through a communication route form an information communication system. The nodes include a memory for memorizing node information indicating a candidate node of information transfer destination, a participation request information transfer unit for judging whether node information indicating a node of a transfer destination in response to information of the participation request node is memorized, when participation request information is received, and for transferring the participation request information to the node when the node information is memorized, an existence confirmation information sending unit for judging whether information of other than the transfer destination is memorized when the participation request information is received, and for sending existence confirmation information to the node when the information other than the transfer destination is memorized, and a unit for sending return information to the participation request node device when the existence confirmation information is received. |
| US08218451B2 |
Methods and apparatus for detection of hierarchical heavy hitters
An efficient streaming method and apparatus for detecting hierarchical heavy hitters from massive data streams is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method enables near real time detection of anomaly behavior in networks. |
| US08218448B1 |
Control networks providing reliable communications between different entities
The integrity of a control network for providing reliable communications between different entities is verified. Such a verified control network may be included in a device, system, or design library. The verification of a control network includes, but is not limited to: physically exercising the control network itself and/or its design via modeling, analysis, and/or applying or using other testing or design verification methodologies. For example, a Petri net model of the control network may be analyzed to verify that the control signals cannot be generated which could interfere with each other, that a deadlock condition cannot be reached, and that a control signal on an input port will result in a control signal on an output port, albeit possibly delayed. |
| US08218446B2 |
Frame transfer route confirmation method, node, frame transfer route confirmation program and frame transfer route confirmation system
The frame switching unit 630 has the frame analysis unit 700, the frame rewriting unit 710, the frame transfer unit 720, the table search unit 730, the forwarding table 740, the MAC learning unit 750, the control frame distribution unit 760, the setting control unit 790, the STP control unit 780 which, when receiving a topology change message, converts an LT flag from 0 to 1 to indicate an entry as of before switching to leave the entry in the table, and the OAM control unit 770 which, upon an LT execution request before failure switching, transfers an LT frame according an output port in an entry whose LT flag is 1 among entries in the forwarding table 740. |
| US08218443B2 |
Controlling bandwidth share
There is proposed a modification to the ECN protocol to remove the one-to-one relationship between the network signalling congestion and the sender response to that congestion. The result is to allow a receiver terminal to exhibit some control of bandwidth share relative to other receiver terminals. The idea is to calculate the average CE arrival frequency from received data packets and to set ECE flags at a rate determined as a function of the average CE arrival frequency. Preferably, the function is a multiplier applied to the average CE arrival frequency. The effect of averaging the CE arrival frequency as well as application of a multiplier is a decoupling of the ECE marked ACKs sent by a receiver to the sender, and control of the resulting transmission rate at the sender. |
| US08218442B2 |
Methods and apparatus for flow-controllable multi-staged queues
In one embodiment, a method includes sending a first flow control signal to a first stage of transmit queues when a receive queue is in a congestion state. The method also includes sending a second flow control signal to a second stage of transmit queues different from the first stage of transmit queues when the receive queue is in the congestion state. |
| US08218440B2 |
High speed transmission protocol
A high speed transmission protocol that is implemented in a network device that includes a plurality of modules which are connected by a plurality of high speed links. The protocol includes a transmission link aspect for providing at least one of variable-sized packet based transmission with fixed sized messaging capability and pre-emptive transmission capability and a fabric forwarding aspect supporting at least one of class differentiations for packet flows, a plurality of addressable physical and logical modules, generic multicast forwarding port level indication for physical or logical ports, and explicit parameter for packet-content agnostic fabric operation. The protocol also include a packet processing descriptor aspect for providing at least one of a flexibility for various packet-processing descriptor adaptations and packet processing flow continuity across the network device for system design scalability. The protocol further includes an in-band messaging aspect for providing at least one of congestion management protocols, system resiliency protocols, database synchronization protocols and component access protocols and an encoding aspect for providing a structured header design. |
| US08218439B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive buffering
An adaptive buffering scheme allows more effective media transport and buffering. In one aspect of the adaptive buffering scheme, buffering parameters are adapted to different media characteristics, such as media play commands or the amount of encoding/transcoding required for the particular media stream. In another aspect of the adaptive buffering scheme, buffering is adapted to different transmission or memory conditions, such as transmission rate, packet jitter, or the amount of available buffer memory. In one example, the adaptive buffering is supported using Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), and/or Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP) and associated Real Time Control Protocol (RTCP), and/or Session Description Protocol (SDP) messages. |
| US08218438B1 |
Regulating traffic flow in a network device
A token bucket instantiation regulate packets in a traffic flow stream based on a predetermined peak traffic flow rate. The token bucket size is nominally set to zero. An evaluation is made at a device that has received a given packet. The packet is considered conforming and is passed from the device if the token depth of the bucket is zero or greater. The token depth is decreased by the number of byes in the packet that was passed. The token depth is continuously replenished at a predetermined token rate until the predetermined bucket size is attained (the bucket is full). A received packet is deemed nonconforming if the token depth is less than zero; the non-conforming packet is not passed but is processed according to non-conforming criteria. Token bucket instantiations may be implemented in hardware, software or firmware for each traffic flow to regulate traffic to a given user. |
| US08218436B2 |
Dynamic aggregated maximum bit rate for evolved packet system non-guaranteed bit rate quality of service enforcement and network bandwidth utilization
A system is provided for specifying a dynamic aggregated maximum bit rate (AMBR). The system includes a processor configured to determine whether a change in the AMBR currently applicable to a first network component should be requested. If a change in the AMBR is requested, the processor is configured to promote the first network component recommending to a second network component an adjusted AMBR. |
| US08218434B1 |
Ethernet facility and equipment protection
Described is a system and method of protection switching in an Ethernet network. First and second point-to-point Ethernet links are established to data equipment. Identical streams of Ethernet traffic are received at a first Ethernet port and at a second Ethernet port. The stream of Ethernet traffic being received at the first Ethernet port is transmitted to the data equipment over the first point-to-point Ethernet link, while the second Ethernet port is prevented from transmitting the stream of Ethernet traffic received at the second Ethernet port. During a protection switch, transmission of Ethernet traffic ceases over the first point-to-point Ethernet link, and commences over the second point-to-point Ethernet link, the second Ethernet port transmitting the stream of Ethernet traffic being received at the second Ethernet port to the data equipment. |
| US08218432B2 |
Routing method in a label switching network
A head router (2) can be used for routing packets in a label-switching network (1), the packets initially being intended for a primary destination router (5). A request is sent to set up a primary path (8) between this head router (2) and the primary destination router (5) in the network (1), this request including a request to activate a back-up path (9) to a back-up destination router (7). |
| US08218431B2 |
Gateway device
A gateway device according to the present art includes a storage part that stores a list having identification information identifying another gateway device that is selectable as a move-destination gateway device; a receiving part that receives a call-out signal from a device located in a telephone network; a move-destination-gateway-device selecting part that selects a move-destination gateway device from the list; a re-direction notification generating part that generates a re-direction notification to be transmitted to the selected move-destination gateway device; a re-direction notification transmitting part that transmits the re-direction notification to the move-destination gateway device; a re-direction request signal generating part that generates a re-direction request signal including call identification information identifying the call-out signal; and a re-direction request signal transmitting part that transmits the re-direction request signal to the device located in the telephone network that transmits the call-out signal. |
| US08218429B2 |
Method and device for multicast traffic redundancy protection
A method of multicast traffic redundancy protection includes detecting an original active router; switching a Virtual Route Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) state, by a Virtual Route Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) state switching module if the original active router is faulty; selecting a new active router, notifying, by the VRRP state switching module, a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) routing protocol module of the new active router after the VRRP state switching; and, selecting, by the PIM module, the new active router in the VRRP as a Designated Router (DR) in the PIM. |
| US08218425B2 |
Signaling method in an OFDM multiple access system
A method for reducing the peak-to-average ratio in an OFDM communication signal is provided. The method includes defining a constellation having a plurality of symbols, defining a symbol duration for the OFDM communication signal, and defining a plurality of time instants in the symbol duration. A plurality of tones are allocated to a particular communication device, and a discrete signal is constructed in the time domain by mapping symbols from the constellation to the time instants. A continuous signal is generated by applying an interpolation function to the discrete signal such that the continuous signal only includes sinusoids having frequencies which are equal to the allocated tones. |
| US08218422B2 |
Coordinated linear beamforming in downlink multi-cell wireless networks
System and methods are disclosed for optimizing wireless communication for a plurality of mobile wireless devices. The system uses beamforming vectors or precoders having a structure optimal with respect to the weighted sum rate in a multi-cell orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) downlink. A plurality of base stations communicate with the mobile devices and all base stations perform a distributed non-convex optimization exploiting the determined structure. |
| US08218421B2 |
Data transmission in a mobile communication system apparatus, system and method
An apparatus, system, and method may include providing a plurality of data streams in respective subchannels and modulating a first data stream of the plurality of data streams at least partially with a different modulation constellation than a second data stream of the plurality of data streams. The method may also include transmitting the first and second data streams using a same radio resource to user terminals using different subchannels of the radio resource. |
| US08218420B2 |
Non-cyclic evolving-type user resource structure for OFDMA based system with null guard tones
A non-cyclic evolving-type user resource structure applicable for use in the uplink and the downlink of an OFDMA system with large null guard tones (e.g., a 3GPP LTE system) is provided. In one example, the user resource structure combines the benefits of localized and distributed types of resource structures available in the current baseline 3GPP LTE (Release 8) specifications, and is especially suitable for operating in a fast time-varying channel. In another example, the non-cyclic evolving-type resource structure may be simplified to have no more than three stages: a band-type first stage, a partially evolved-type second stage and an interleaved-type third stage. Depending upon the target or average mobile speed and packet length, the resource structure may even have less than three stages. |
| US08218419B2 |
Simultaneous estimation of multiple channel coefficients using a common probing sequence
An access node of a communication system comprises a plurality of transmitters adapted for communication with at least one receiver. The access node is operative to simultaneously estimate channel coefficients between multiple ones of the transmitters and the receiver, and to utilize the estimated channel coefficients to control at least one data signal sent by at least one of the multiple transmitters to the receiver. In the process of simultaneously estimating the channel coefficients, the access node transmits a plurality of distinct probing signals, each of which is generated based on a distinct combination of a common probing sequence and a selected one of a plurality of different frequency expansions. The access node may comprise at least a portion of at least one central office of a DSL communication system. |
| US08218416B2 |
Multi-layer optical disc, information recording method and information reproducing method
According to one embodiment, single-sided dual-layer recordable disc 100 may be used. Information recording is performed by forming mark and space portions on data area DA using modulated laser power. Pp denotes the maximum laser power or peak power for forming the mark portion, and Pb denotes the bias power for forming the space portion. Power ratio Pb/Pp is calculated for each of recording layers L0 and L1. Information is recorded on any of the recording layers L0 and L1 based on the result of calculation. Here, the calculated power ratio Pb/Pp changes among the recording layers L0 and L1, thereby optimizing the recording condition for a multi-layer recordable optical disc within relatively short time. |
| US08218415B2 |
Laser power control system and method used in optical disc writer
A laser power control system and method used in an optical disc writer. According to a write power value, the laser power control system drives a laser to output a write power through a first channel. According to a proportional value, the laser power control system drives the laser to output an overdrive power through a second channel. By using a close loop control of the laser power control system, the write power and the overwrite power are independent of the temperature changes. |
| US08218412B2 |
Method and system for determining disc format for recovery of data recording
A method for determining a disc format is disclosed. Data from at least one address of the disc is retrieved, wherein the at least one address is selected from a plurality of predetermined addresses related to the disc format. The disc format is determined according to the retrieved data. |
| US08218409B2 |
Method for recording wobble signals on an optical disc and optical disc on which the wobble signals are recorded
According to an embodiment, the invention is directed to an optical disc having signal tracks including a groove track, in which wobble signals are recorded on at least the groove track. Wobble units of wobble signals are modulated on the groove track, while at least 4 wobble units are used to represent a data bit of “0” or “1” in address information. Data bit of “0” or “1” in address information has a same phase and different phase with regard to alternate data bit at least to distinguish from each other. |
| US08218408B2 |
Information recording method and information reproducing method
According to the present invention, when an apparatus performs reproduction from an optical disc of a format not compatible to the apparatus, the apparatus is prevented from obtaining an incorrect address and thus causing a malfunction. A recording method according to the present invention performs first conversion of bit-inverting m number (1≦m |
| US08218400B2 |
Clock
A clock comprising concentric rings of slots slits for indicating time by fully illuminating an appropriate one of the slots. Full illumination is propagated from one slot to an adjacent slot by causing all of the slots in a ring of slots to briefly light up sequentially, thus causing a flash of light to propagate around the ring of slots, thus more clearly showing passage of a second, a minute etc as the illumination was switched from the one slot to the adjacent slot. |
| US08218399B1 |
Gas-filled bubble sound source
A sound source comprises a bubble configured to be filled with a gas, an actuator configured to perturb the gas within the bubble, and a processing circuit configured to provide a control signal to the actuator to cause the actuator to perturb the gas within the bubble at a frequency defined by the control signal. |
| US08218393B2 |
Technique and system to increase the length of a seismic shot record
A system includes an interface and a processor. The interface receives seismic datasets, which are associated with multiple firings of a set of at least one seismic source. Each dataset is acquired by seismic sensors during a different time period of a sequence of time periods that are limited by times at which the set of seismic source(s) are fired. The processor, for each of the firings of the set of seismic source(s), generates an associated shot record based on information contained at least two of the datasets. |
| US08218387B2 |
Semiconductor storage device
In a 4F2 memory cell designed using an SGT as a vertical transistor, a bit line has a high resistance because it is comprised of a diffusion layer underneath a pillar-shaped silicon layer, which causes a problem of slowdown in memory operation speed. The present invention provides a semiconductor storage device comprising an SGT-based 4F2 memory cell, wherein a bit line-backing cell having the same structure as that of a memory cell is inserted into a memory cell array to allow a first bit line composed of a diffusion layer to be backed with a low-resistance second bit line through the bit line backing cell, so as to provide a substantially low-resistance bit line, while suppressing an increase in area of the memory cell array. |
| US08218380B2 |
Degradation equalization for a memory
In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a memory and a control circuit configured to cause an inversion of at least a portion of the data stored in the memory to more evenly balance the amount of time that a given memory cell in the memory stores a binary one or a binary zero. In some implementations, the inversion may be controlled for the memory as a whole via a global indication. In other implementations, data may be inverted on a row-by-row or column-by-column basis. In other embodiments, the global indication may be changed at each boot of a device including the integrated circuit. |
| US08218379B2 |
Semiconductor device having resistance based memory array, method of operation, and systems associated therewith
In one embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a non-volatile memory cell array, a write circuit configured to write to the non-volatile memory cell array, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to store at least one erase indicator. The erase indicator is associated with at least a portion of the non-volatile memory cell array and indicates a logic state. The control circuit is configured to control the write circuit to write the logic state indicated by the erase indicator in the non-volatile memory cell array during an erase operation of the associated portion of the non-volatile memory cell array. |
| US08218377B2 |
Fail-safe high speed level shifter for wide supply voltage range
A fail-safe level shifter switching with high speed and operational for a wide range of voltage supply includes a cascode module, and one or more speed enhancer modules. The cascode module receives one or more input logic signal for generating a plurality of output signals with a reduced switching time. The speed enhancer modules are coupled to the cascode module for facilitating faster charging and discharging of nodes of the cascode module and improving the robustness and operating voltage range of cascode module. |
| US08218376B2 |
Reduced power consumption in retain-till-accessed static memories
Bias circuitry for a static random-access memory (SRAM) with a retain-till-accessed (RTA) mode. The memory is constructed of multiple memory array blocks, each including SRAM cells formed of array transistors; functional and other circuitry outside of the array are formed of core transistors, constructed differently from the array transistors. Bias devices are included within each memory array block, the bias devices constructed as one or more array transistors. The bias devices for a memory array block may be connected in parallel with one another. In the RTA mode, the bias devices drop the power supply voltage differential across each of the SRAM cells. In a normal operating mode, a core transistor serves as a switch, shorting out the bias devices so that the full power supply differential appears across the SRAM cells. |
| US08218371B2 |
Multi-bit flash memory device and method of analyzing flag cells of the same
Disclosed is a multi-bit flash memory device which includes a memory cell array and a control circuit. The memory cell array has multiple memory cells and multiple flag cells. The control circuit determines whether the flag cells are programmed, based on a reference corresponding to a read margin of the flag cells, and controls a program operation of the memory cells in response to the determination. |
| US08218368B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and erase method in the same
A semiconductor memory device and an erase method in the same are disclosed. The semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array configured to have a cell string in which memory cells are coupled, a block switch configured to switch a global word line and a word line of the memory cell array, a block decoder configured to control the block switch, and a recycle switch configured to use an erase voltage charged in a P-well of the memory cell array as a supply voltage of the block decoder. |
| US08218367B2 |
Verification process for non-volatile storage
When erasing non-volatile storage, a verification process is used between erase operations to determine whether the non-volatile storage has been successfully erased. The verification process includes separately performing verification for different subsets of the non-volatile storage elements. |
| US08218359B2 |
Phase change random access memory and methods of manufacturing and operating same
A phase change memory device includes a switching device, a phase change storage node connected to the switching device, and a gate electrode which is spaced apart from the phase change storage node and increases an electrical resistance of the storage node during a reset programming operation. The gate electrode may be disposed around the phase change storage node, and may be used for applying an electric field to the phase change storage node. |
| US08218356B2 |
Spin-torque memory with unidirectional write scheme
Spin torque magnetic memory elements that have a pinned layer, two free layers, and a current-blocking insulating layer proximate to at least one of the free layers. The resistive state (e.g., low resistance or high resistance) of the memory elements is altered by passing electric current through the element in one direction. In other words, to change from a low resistance to a high resistance, the direction of electric current is the same as to change from a high resistance to a low resistance. The elements have a unidirectional write scheme. |
| US08218354B2 |
SRAM word-line coupling noise restriction
A DC mode word-line coupling noise restriction circuit for multiple-port Random Access Memory cells. This circuit may comprise a Static Random Access Memory array. The SRAM array contains a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows with an SRAM cell formed at a cross-point of the columns and rows. Each SRAM cell has a first word-line conductor and a second word-line conductor. The first word-line conductor is connected to a first coupling noise restriction circuit. The first coupling noise restriction circuit comprises an inverter and a NMOSFET. The inverter has another NMOSFET and a PMOSFET. |
| US08218346B2 |
Multi-chip packages including extra memory chips to define additional logical packages and related devices
A packaged integrated circuit device includes a primary chip stack and a secondary chip stack. The primary chip stack includes memory chips therein that define a logical package addressable by a memory controller. The secondary chip stack includes fewer memory chips than the primary chip stack. The memory chips of the secondary chip stack are configured to be electrically connected to memory chips of at least one external device package to define an additional logical package addressable by the memory controller. The additional logical package may include a same number of memory chips as the primary chip stack. |
| US08218343B2 |
DC polarity converter and DC parallel topology, and methods
Embodiments of DC power related systems and methods including a topology and devices to enable DC powered or driven constant current devices to be connected in a parallel configuration while maintaining a series connection internal to the devices. |
| US08218338B2 |
High efficiency universal input switching power supply
A universal input switching power supply has the rectifier, a signal detecting unit detecting a voltage of an external AC power and outputting a detecting signal, a PFC circuit converts a first DC power from the rectifier to a second DC power with different voltage according to the detecting signal; and a parallel and serial type DC to DC converter converting the second DC power with different voltage to a constant voltage of the third DC power. The parallel and serial type DC to DC converter has a transformer having a primary and secondary coils and physically changes a turn ratio of the primary and secondary coils of a transformer thereof according to a voltage ratio of the second DC power and the third DC power. Accordingly, the universal input switching power supply has good transforming efficiency at different AC power source conditions. |
| US08218333B2 |
Printed circuit board and mounting structure for surface mounted device
The present invention provides a printed circuit board capable of sufficiently ensuring joint strength and joint reliability when mounting a surface mounted device, and a mounting structure for a surface mounted device using the printed circuit board. A BGA package as a surface mounted device includes a plurality of solder balls arranged thereon and a printed circuit board includes a plurality of mounting pads corresponding respectively to the plurality of solder balls. The BGA package is connected to the mounting pads on the printed circuit board due to melting of the solder balls, thereby mounted on the printed circuit board. A concave via hole is formed on each of the mounting pads having a circular surface shape and a part of the solder ball is in the convex via hole. Here, the center of the convex via hole is apart from the center of each of the mounting pads by at least the diameter of the concave via hole. |
| US08218327B2 |
Electronic device, electronic component, and method of manufacturing electronic device
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes an electronic component and a circuit board. The electronic component includes a metal material. The circuit board includes a first surface on which the electronic component is mounted and a second surface opposite the first surface. The electronic component includes a contact surface configured to be in contact with the first surface, and is configured to have the center of gravity at a location displaced from the center of the contact surface. The electronic component is temporarily fixed by a magnetic force that attracts the metal material from the second surface with the contact surface being in contact with the first surface. |
| US08218326B2 |
Rivet standoff for panel connection
A standoff joins a circuit board to a chassis member using a rivet. The standoff has a cap surface with a hole that allows the body of an unexpanded blind rivet to pass into an inner cavity of the standoff. The rivet is then expanded against the underside of the cap. In use, the standoff rests against the underside of a circuit board, and the rivet passes through a hole in the circuit board and into the standoff. The rivet head engages the circuit board to hold the circuit board against the standoff. |
| US08218323B2 |
Apparatus and method for embedding components in small-form-factor, system-on-packages
According to various aspects of the present disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a small form factor mobile platform including a system-on-package architecture, the system-on-package architecture arranged as a stack of layers including a first layer having a first conformable material; a second layer having a second conformable material; one or more electronic components embedded within the stack of layers; and a heat dissipating element configured dissipating heat generating from the one or more electronic components, wherein the first conformable material, the second conformable material, or both are configured to allow high frequency signal routing. |
| US08218322B2 |
Modular computing environments
A computer system may include a connecting hub having a plurality of docking regions and be configured to provide to each docking region electrical power, a data network interface, a cooling fluid supply and a cooling fluid return; and a plurality of shipping containers that each enclose a modular computing environment that incrementally adds computing power to the system. Each shipping container may include a) a plurality of processing units coupled to the data network interface, each of which include a microprocessor; b) a heat exchanger configured to remove heat generated by the plurality of processing units by circulating cooling fluid from the supply through the heat exchanger and discharging it into the return; and c) docking members configured to releaseably couple to the connecting hub at one of the docking regions to receive electrical power, connect to the data network interface, and receive and discharge cooling fluid. |
| US08218321B2 |
Self-cooling electrical device
The invention relates to a portable electronic device, e.g. a mobile phone, comprising a shell, a display, a battery, a processor and a receiver. In the portable electronic device is at least one of the components configured to heat exchange with a phase changing material which is arranged within the portable electronic device. |
| US08218319B2 |
Electronic device with fixing members
An electronic device includes a fan including a frame, an enclosure, and many fixing members engaged with the enclosure to fix the fan in the enclosure. The frame includes many mounting holes positioned in corners of the frame, respectively. The enclosure includes many sidewalls and many fixing members corresponding to the mounting holes. Each fixing member includes a base, a fixing portion extending from a top surface of the base, an angle shaped clasping portion extending from a sidewall of the base. Each base includes a locating block received in a corresponding locating member, and at least one fixing arms abuts against the corresponding locating member. Each fixing portion extends through the locating member and is received in a corresponding mounting hole. Each clasping portion extends through the corresponding locating member and clasps an inner wall of the corresponding mounting hole. |
| US08218318B2 |
Low noise cooling device
A cooling device (1) using pulsating fluid for cooling of an object, comprising: a transducer (2) having a membrane adapted to generate pressure waves at a working frequency (fw), and a cavity (4) enclosing a first side of the membrane. The cavity (4) has at least one opening (5) adapted to emit a pulsating net output fluid flow towards the object, wherein the opening (5) is in communication with a second side of the membrane. The cavity (4) is sufficiently small to prevent fluid in the cavity (4) from acting as a spring in a resonating mass-spring system in the working range. This is advantageous as a volume velocity (u1) at the opening is essentially equal to a volume velocity (u1′) at the second side of the membrane, apart from a minus sign. Thus, at the working frequency the pulsating net output fluid can be largely cancelled due to the counter phase with the pressure waves on the second side of the membrane resulting in a close to zero far-field volume velocity. Thus a low sound level is achieved, at a low cost, without requiring mechanical symmetry. |
| US08218317B2 |
Computer apparatus and method having dual air chambers
A computer system is disclosed having an enclosure having a plurality of components. The computer system further includes a first chamber including a first set of cooling devices; and a second chamber including solely a set of components and a second set of cooling devices. The second chamber is located adjacent to the first chamber, and the set of components includes components not included in the first chamber. The set of components includes solely a plurality of storage components selected from the group consisting of a CD-ROM and a hard drive. Air flow is unidirectional from a front side of the enclosure to a rear side of the enclosure. Further, air flow is prevented from flowing between the first chamber and the second chamber by a solid separation mechanism there between. The first chamber has an air flow path independent of the air flow path of the second chamber. |
| US08218316B2 |
Portable electronic device with battery cover
A portable electronic device includes a base defining a chamber, a cover, an operating element, a latching element, and a resisting element. The cover is configured for covering the chamber and rotatably attached to the base. The latching element attaches to the cover. The resisting element attaches to one end of the base. The operating element is slidably attached to the base. The resisting element resists the latching element to force the cover to separate when detaching. |
| US08218314B2 |
Cover mechanism and electronic device using same
An electronic device using a cover mechanism to cover a hole is described. The cover mechanism includes a base member, a cover member and a retaining member. The cover member is fixed with the retaining member and moves between a closed position and an opened position. In the closed position, the cover member is elastically, partially deformed to lock to the base member. In the opened position, the cover member can be elastically bent to expose the hole while still being physically attached to the base member. |
| US08218311B2 |
Electronic apparatus
According to one embodiment, a heat radiation block is pressed in contact with a heat receiving plate of an apparatus body, a heat receiving block receives its reaction force via a heat pipe and thus moves. A drawer section and the heat radiation block are fixed and held in the apparatus body after the movement of the heat receiving block. |
| US08218310B2 |
Shockproof assembly for flat storage device
A shockproof assembly, preventing a flat storage device from shock damage, includes a housing, a bracket, and at least one first buffer. The housing has a bottom plate and a top plate coupled to each other correspondingly and covering the flat storage device. The bracket has a plurality of side blades extended along an extending direction, and the bracket is coupled the side wall of the flat storage device. A first buffer store space is defined among the side blades and the bottom plate of the housing. The first buffer is disposed in the first buffer store space and has a preset height for keeping a preset interval between the bottom face of the flat storage device and the bottom plate. Shock is absorbed by the first buffer during being transmitted to the flat storage device via the housing when the shockproof assembly is shaken. |
| US08218309B2 |
Hard disk backplane structure and hard disk cooling assembly using the same
A hard disk backplane structure includes a main body and an additional board. The hard disk backplane structure includes a first side surface and second side surface adjacent to the first side surface and a backplane connector. The additional board includes a receptacle for connection with an additional electrical component. A hard disk cooling assembly using the hard disk backplane structure is also provided in the disclosure. |
| US08218307B2 |
Information terminal device
An information terminal device includes a first case including an operation section, and a second case movably connected to the first case with a connection mechanism, wherein an edge portion is formed around the operation section of the first case, the edge portion being raised toward the second case, and wherein an elastic sheet member is attached to a surface of the second case, the surface facing the first case, and the elastic sheet member includes a protruding portion, the protruding portion protruding toward the first case and having an outer side surface that elastically and slidably contacts an inner side surface of the edge portion. |
| US08218304B2 |
Display device and method for assembling the same
A display device includes a casing, a display panel assembled in the casing, and a front panel assembled at the casing to cover edges of the display panel. The front panel includes two first boards and two second boards. Each of the first boards includes a main portion and two auxiliary portions located at two sides of the main portion. The two second boards are stacked on the auxiliary portions. A method for assembling a display device is also disclosed. |
| US08218303B2 |
Information processing apparatus and electronic apparatus system
An information processing apparatus includes a main body portion, a support portion, and a communication portion. The main body portion includes a display portion. The support portion supports the main body portion and forms a space below the main body portion in which information equipment connectable to the main body portion can be accommodated. The communication portion is provided to the support portion and performs communication with a noncontact-type communication medium. |
| US08218302B2 |
Display unit, information apparatus with display unit, and method of assembling display unit
A display unit has a display device; a first case with an opening, covering the front surface of the display device; and a second case covering the back surface of the display device. The first case has a frame part enclosing the opening, and a side wall extending from the frame part toward the second case over the entire circumference of the frame part. The display device is placed on the frame part so as to be enclosed by the side wall. At least two support rods are fixed to the side wall and press the display device. The number of parts, man-hours, and weight of the unit can be reduced. |
| US08218296B2 |
Housing for an electronic device and sealing ring for a housing
A housing comprises a first housing part, having a first bearing surface for a first contact surface of a sealing ring, and a second housing part, which can be screwed together with the first housing part and has a second bearing surface for a second contact surface of the sealing ring. The first contact surface of the sealing ring is produced from a first material having a first coefficient of friction in relation to the material of the first bearing surface, the second contact surface of the sealing ring is produced from a second material that has a second coefficient of friction in relation to the material of the second bearing surface, and the first coefficient of friction is smaller than the second coefficient of friction. |
| US08218293B2 |
Winding-type electrolytic capacitor and method of manufacturing the same
Provided is an electrolytic capacitor, including: an anode foil having a dielectric coating film and a conductive polymer layer formed thereon; a cathode foil having a conductive polymer layer formed thereon; an anode lead tab and a cathode lead tab electrically connected to the anode foil and the cathode foil, respectively; and a protection member. A first region provided with the protection member is present between the anode foil and the cathode foil that are wound. The first region is at least one of a region covering the anode lead tab, a region covering the cathode lead tab, a region covering a rear side of the anode foil at a connection portion between the anode lead tab and the anode foil, and a region covering a rear side of the cathode foil at a connection portion between the cathode lead tab and the cathode foil. |
| US08218291B2 |
Monomers for preparing polycarbonate resins, methods of preparing the monomers, polycarbonate resins prepared with the monomers, and capacitors comprising the polycarbonate resins
A monomer and polycarbonate resin are provided, as are methods of making the monomer. The resin may be used to provide a thin film that has a higher dielectric constant and higher glass transition temperature, and similar breakdown strength and similar dissipation factor to films prepared from polycarbonate resins not so modified. The thin films, in turn, may advantageously be used to form, wholly or in part, articles such as capacitors, sensors, batteries, flexible printed circuit boards, keyboard membranes, motor/transformer insulations, cable wrappings, industrial tapes, interior coverage materials, and the like. In particular, a capacitor comprising the polycarbonate resin is also provided. |
| US08218289B2 |
Electrolytic capacitor and electric equipment provided therewith
An electrolytic capacitor includes: a case including a case body, in which an electrolytic capacitor element is disposed in a sealed manner and filled up with an electrolytic solution, and a safety valve is mounted to the case body for jetting an evaporated gas of the electrolytic solution filling the electrolytic capacitor element; a cover member mounted to the case so as to cover the safety valve provided for the case; a first fixing unit mounted to the cover member so as to prevent the cover member from dismounting when the evaporated gas of the electrolytic solution is jetted outward; and a second fixing unit disposed in association with the first fixing unit and adopted to reinforce and assist a function of the first fixing unit to thereby prevent the cover member from being dismounted. An electric equipment includes a lighting circuit including circuit components, and an electrolytic capacitor of the structure mentioned above. |
| US08218286B2 |
MEMS microphone with single polysilicon film
An integrated circuit structure includes a capacitor, which further includes a first capacitor plate formed of polysilicon, and a second capacitor plate substantially encircling the first capacitor plate. The first capacitor plate has a portion configured to vibrate in response to an acoustic wave. The second capacitor plate is fixed and has slanted edges facing the first capacitor plate. |
| US08218285B2 |
Variable capacitance element
A variable capacitance element provided with a substrate, a signal line provided on the substrate, a fixed electrode provided on the substrate, and a movable electrode. The movable electrode includes a movable portion that spans the signal line and extends to above the fixed electrode, and is movable with respect to the fixed electrode, and a fixed portion that is fixed to the fixed electrode across a dielectric layer. |
| US08218283B2 |
Resistive films for electrode peak-field suppression
The present invention relates to an arrangement comprising at least one high potential electrode with a high potential in terms of absolute value, e.g. comprising substantially sharp edges and which may be exposed to a high electrostatic field or a high potential. It comprises at least one low potential electrode means or balancing electrode Q mean said low or balancing potential electrode means being provided at a distance from said at least one high potential electrode and at least one resistive arrangement connecting each of said high potential electrode(s) with each respective Q adjacent low or balancing potential electrode means. Said resistive arrangement(s) has a low conductivity but Q is non-isolating, such that a substantially linear voltage drop is provided between said high potential electrode(s) and said low or balancing potential electrode(s) to suppress peak-fields generated in the vicinity of any of the electrode(s). |
| US08218273B2 |
Driving device with motor current overload protection assembly
A driving device includes a motor, a rotatable shaft rotated by the motor, a driven member, a magnetic material spring, and a power source. The driven member sleeves on an end of the rotatable shaft, and includes an end surface with at least one latching groove defined thereon. The magnetic material spring sleeves the rotatable shaft, and includes a first end fixed to the rotatable shaft and an opposite second end capable of inserting into the latching groove of the driven member. The power source includes two electrodes. The motor and the spring are electrically connected in series between the two electrodes of the power source. |
| US08218272B2 |
Early quench detection in a superconducting article
A superconducting article is provided which incorporates an early quench detection facility. The superconducting article includes a first superconductive segment and a second superconductive segment, along with a magnetic field sensor(s). The magnetic field sensor(s) is disposed to monitor relative change in strength of a net magnetic field generated by a first current passing through the first superconductive segment and a second current passing through the second superconductive segment. A relative change in strength of the net magnetic field indicates degradation of a critical quench current of the first superconductive segment or the second superconductive segment, caused for example, by formation of one or more hot-spots or quench regions in the first or second superconductive segment. The indication of degradation is thus obtained prior to complete superconductive segment quenching. |
| US08218270B1 |
Current-perpendicular-to-the-plane (CPP) magnetoresistive (MR) sensor with improved hard magnet biasing structure
A hard magnet biasing structure for a CPP-GMR or CPP-TMR read head for a magnetic recording disk drive is located between the two sensor shields and abutting the side edges of the sensor free layer. An insulating layer is located between the biasing structure and the lower shield and the side edges of the free layer. The biasing structure includes a seed layer of either Ir or Ru, a layer of ferromagnetic chemically-ordered FePt alloy hard bias layer on the seed layer, and a Ru or Ru/Ir capping layer on the FePt alloy hard bias layer. The FePt alloy has a face-centered-tetragonal structure with its c-axis generally in the plane of the layer. The relatively thin seed layer and capping layer allow the biasing structure to be made very thin while still permitting the FePt alloy hard bias layer to have high coercivity (Hc), a high remanent magnetization-thickness product (Mrt) and a high squareness (S=Mrt/Ms). |
| US08218267B2 |
Head suspension flexure with conductive polymer layer
A flexure has a substrate made of a thin conductive metal plate, a base insulating layer made of flexible resin formed on the substrate, wiring patterns formed on the base insulating layer and connected to a slider mount, and a cover insulating layer formed over the wiring patterns. The flexure is substantially coated with a conductive polymer layer having a thickness in the range of 18 to 130 nm. The flexure prevents electrostatic accumulation and ion migration. |
| US08218266B2 |
Head slider
Embodiments of the present invention provide a slider that may suppress contamination from being attached to the flying surface of the slider without influence on reduction of the flying height of the slider. Ions exerting an effect of decreasing surface energy are implanted in the whole surface of a flying surface of a magnetic head slider except for a front rail surface and a center rail surface. According to this, contamination is prevented from being attached to a front step bearing surface, a side step bearing surface, a center step bearing surface and a negative pressure groove where contamination is particularly liable to be attached in the flying surface of the magnetic head slider, so as to suppress destabilization in flying of the slider. |
| US08218265B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for overcoming stiction in a magnetic tape device
Various embodiments of an apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for reducing stiction in a magnetic tape device. For example, according to one representative embodiment, a magnetic head assembly for reducing stiction includes a magnetic head that is communicable in data exchange communication with tape in contact with the magnetic head. The magnetic head assembly also includes a tape lifter that is movable relative to the magnetic head. More specifically, the tape lifter is movable between a first position away from the tape and a second position in contact with the tape. In the first position, tape is contactable with the magnetic head and in the second position, tape is not contactable with the magnetic head. The magnetic head assembly further includes an actuator made at least partially of a memory shape alloy. The actuator is coupled to the tape lifter and the memory shape alloy is resiliently deformable to move the tape lifter between the first and second positions. |
| US08218263B2 |
Write head with different upper and lower yoke lengths and methods for making the same
According to one embodiment, a system comprises an upper yoke having a first length defined between a pole tip thereof and a back gap thereof. In addition, the system includes a lower yoke having a second length defined between a pole tip thereof and a back gap thereof, the second length being greater than the first length. Also, the system includes coil turns in the upper and lower yokes. Additional systems and methods are also presented. |
| US08218260B2 |
Processing disks on a spin stand
A method of processing disks on spin stand is disclosed, the spin stand comprising a spindle motor having a rotor. A first disk is clamped to the rotor, wherein the first disk comprises a reference servo pattern. A second disk is clamped to the rotor, and a first head is servoed over the first disk in response to the reference servo pattern in order to position a second head over the second disk at a first radial location. Data is written to the second disk at the first radial location using the second head. The second disk is removed from the rotor while the first disk remains clamped to the rotor. |
| US08218255B2 |
Retractable lens barrel unit
A lens barrel unit includes a holder configured to hold a lens, a cam cylinder including a cam groove configured to engage with the holder and define a movement of the holder in an optical axis direction, and a projection that has a part of the cam groove and projects in the optical axis direction, and a straightforward movement cylinder configured to guide a straightforward movement of the holder, the straightforward movement cylinder including a flange forming a notch. In a process from a retraction state in which the projection is located in the notch to an image pickup state in which the projection is located outside of the notch, the straightforward movement cylinder moves relative to the cam cylinder in the optical axis direction. |
| US08218254B2 |
Solid imaging objective and assembly technique for small scale sensor applications
An imaging optic comprising a first combination element comprised of at least two individual lens elements, aligned with each other along an optical axis and adhered to each other, a second combination element comprised of at least one individual lens element and an aperture disposed between the first and second combination elements, the surfaces of the imaging optic having less than about 3 minutes tilt relative to the optical axis and less than about 0.005 mm de-center relative to the optical axis. A method of making the imaging optic and an endoscope comprising the imaging optic. |
| US08218250B2 |
Lens barrel and optical apparatus
A lens barrel includes a cam ring driving unit including a moving frame, a linear driving unit that includes a holding frame configured to hold an image pickup element, and a guide bar that is engaged with the holding frame, extends in the optical axis direction, and is configured to guide a linear movement of the holding frame in the optical axis direction, and an intermediate fixing lens unit configured still in the optical axis direction. The cam ring driving unit is arranged on an object side of the intermediate fixing lens unit, the linear driving unit is arranged on an image pickup element side of the intermediate fixing lens unit, and the lens barrel is configured dividable into the cam ring driving unit, the linear driving unit, and the intermediate fixing lens unit. |
| US08218241B2 |
Viewing optical system and imaging apparatus using the same
The invention provides a viewing optical system positioned between a viewing plane as a virtual plane and an eye point. The viewing optical system comprises, in order from the viewing plane side, a first lens group including a positive lens or a negative lens, a second lens group including a cemented lens in which at least one negative lens and at least one positive lens are cemented together, and a third lens group including a positive lens. Of lenses forming the first, second, and third lens groups, at least one lens surface is an aspheric surface. |
| US08218233B2 |
Light source optical system
The invention relates to a light source optical system for endoscopes which is compatible with various viewing modes, prevents an associated light source apparatus from growing bulky, and makes sure brightness. The light source optical system comprises, in order from the light source 1, the collective optical system 2 for collecting light from the light source, the magnification conversion optical system 3 for reducing a pupil magnification, and the positive lens group 4 for collecting light from the magnification conversion optical system 3, and satisfies Condition (1) with respect to the principal point-to-point distance d of the collective optical system 2 and magnification conversion optical system 3, the rear focal length f2B of the collective optical system 2 and the front focal length f3F of the magnification conversion optical system 3. |
| US08218227B2 |
Sculptural imaging with optical tiles
The invention relates to structures for representing images by directing light at a viewer. In order to represent an image, a structure is provided comprising a plurality of tile elements (22) which, when illuminated by a light source, each direct an amount of light toward an observer at a viewing location dependent on their orientation angles. The orientation angles of each tile element (22) may be selected based on a visual characteristic of a corresponding pixel of the image, such that the observer sees a representation of that image created by the varying amount of light directed to the viewing location by the tile elements (22). |
| US08218226B2 |
Surface-plasmon-based optical modulator
An optical modulator that utilizes Bloch surface plasmon (BSP) effects is disclosed. The BSP optical (BSPO) modulator (10) includes a permittivity-modulated (P-M) grating (20) that can be one-dimensional or two-dimensional. Electro-optic (EO) substrates (30) sandwich the P-M grating. The EO substrates have electrodes (64) arranged thereon, and a voltage source (60) connected to the electrodes is used to provide an applied voltage (V30) via a modulation voltage signals (SM) that switches the modulator. Index-matching layers (40) may be used to mitigate adverse reflection effects. The BSPO modulator allows for normally incident input light (100I) to be modulated directly without having to generate oblique angles of incidence for the input light in order to excite the surface plasmon. |
| US08218219B2 |
Micro-mirror array and optical switch
A micro-mirror array including a plurality of micro-mirror elements and each of the micro-mirror elements includes a mirror rotating around two axes and a support unit connected to an outer frame and supporting the mirror. The support unit extends between the mirror of the micro-mirror elements including the support unit and one of two mirrors adjacent to the mirror, and both ends of the support unit are connected to the outer frame. |
| US08218217B2 |
Light scanning device and thrust-direction force canceling method
At least a part of a first thrust-direction force generated by air resistance received by at least one surface of reflection surfaces arrayed in a rotating direction of a polygon mirror and tilted with respect to a rotation axis of the polygon mirror is canceled by a second thrust-direction force generated by air resistance received by a surface tilted with respect to the rotation axis in a direction opposite to the surface where the first thrust-direction force is generated. |
| US08218214B2 |
Vibration-actuated micro mirror device
The present invention provides a vibration-actuated micro mirror device comprising a substrate having a swinging frame and a reflection mirror, and a vibration part having a first and a second vibration structures coupled to the substrate, wherein the first vibration structure is driven to generate a first complex wave formed by a first and a second wave signals while the second vibration structure is driven to generate a second complex wave formed by a third and a fourth wave signals, and the first and the third wave signals are formed with the same frequency and phase while the second and the fourth wave signals are formed with the same frequency but opposite phases. The first and the second complex waves actuate the substrate such that the swinging frame is rotated about a first axis while the reflection mirror is rotated about a second axis. |
| US08218212B2 |
Device for the production of holographic reconstructions with light modulators
A device for the production of holographic reconstructions having light modulators is disclosed. The device comprises at least one pixelated light modulator illuminated by at least one light source, and a focusing optical element field arrangement which images the light sources in an image plane after the light modulator. For the reconstruction, only one order of diffraction of the Fourier spectrum of the hologram should be used. The light modulator is provided with an assigned filter-aperture field arrangement which is located in the area of the image plane of the light source images and which has a plurality of aperture openings. Said aperture openings are designed in such a way that they each allow the passage of a prespecified area of the overall dimensions either smaller or the same as a diffraction order of the diffraction spectrum following Fourier transformation and produced from the holographic coding of the light modulator. |