| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08225418B2 |
Method for processing output of scanning type probe microscope, and scanning type probe microscope
Incident light 19 emitted from a laser light source 18 is reflected on an upper surface of a cantilever 13, so that reflected light 19a enters light detection means 20. Since the incident light 19 and the reflected light 19a are in a plane not including a long axis of the cantilever 13, movements of the reflected light 19a due to change in a deflection amount θ of the cantilever 13 and due to change in a fine vertical movement amount z thereof are different in direction on the light detection means 20. This enables the change in the deflection amount θ of the cantilever 13 and the change in the fine vertical movement amount z thereof to be separated from output of the light detection means 20. |
| US08225413B1 |
Detecting impersonation on a social network
In one implementation, a method includes receiving a claim that identifies a first user profile page as allegedly impersonating a second user profile page on a social network, and retrieving first information associated with the first user profile page and second information associated with the second user profile page. The method can also include comparing the first information and the second information to identify indicators of impersonation. The method can further include, based upon the identified indicators of impersonation, determining that the first user profile page is likely impersonating the second user profile page on the social network, wherein first user profile page is determined to be likely impersonating the second user profile page when the first and second user profile pages are determined to be similar to each other; and returning a flag indicating that the first user profile page is likely impersonating the second user profile page. |
| US08225409B2 |
Security control verification and monitoring subsystem for use in a computer information database system
A security control verification and monitoring subsystem of a managed computer system performs security control verification operations regularly and for each security control verification operation determines the applicable security benchmark level for use by a given computer. The subsystem assigns security risk categories to groups of computers based, for example, on overall system or group administrator supplied potential impact settings and/or system type and business or information type selections. The subsystem further associates the security risk categories with security benchmark levels based on mapping information supplied by the overall system or group administrator. The subsystem then directs the computer to benchmark definition files based on the assigned security risk category, the associated security benchmark level and attributes of the computer. The subsystem performs the security control verification operations whenever the computer performs computer profile data update operations, and thus, monitors essentially continuously the security control compliance of the computer. The subsystem stores the results of the security verification operations and includes the results in reports for the system, group or computer. |
| US08225406B1 |
Systems and methods for using reputation data to detect shared-object-based security threats
Computer-implemented methods and systems for using reputation data to detect shared-object-based security threats are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) identifying a process, 2) identifying an executable file associated with the process, 3) identifying at least one shared object loaded by the process, 4) obtaining reputation data for both the executable file and the shared object from a reputation service, 5) determining that the shared object represents a potential security risk by comparing the reputation data for the executable file with the reputation data for the shared object and determining that the reputation data for the shared object is significantly different from the reputation data for the executable file, and then 6) performing a security operation on the shared object. Corresponding server-side methods and systems for identifying malicious shared objects based on reputation data are also disclosed. |
| US08225404B2 |
Trusted secure desktop
Systems and methods for simultaneously protecting software components (150) installed on a computer system (102) against malware. The methods involve executing a first end user application (3181, 3182, . . . , 318p) to the computer system (102) which execute in user mode on a trusted secure desktop (904). The trusted secure desktop is configured to run simultaneously with an unsecure desktop (902). The methods also involve performing a security service operation to protect the first end user application against malware. The security service operations include a keylogger prevention service operation, a code injection prevention service operation, a screen scraper protection service operation, a process termination prevention service operation, or a Domain Name System service operation. |
| US08225403B2 |
Displaying a security element to help detect spoofing
A security element is displayed that provides information to a user to help ensure that they are not confused or misled into believing that content originates from a trusted source when in fact it does not. The security element shows the user the source of the content and is displayed in such a manner that the source of the content is easily viewable. For example, according to one embodiment, the security element is shown within the title bar of a window. The security element may also be temporarily shown. Providing the user with more information about the site being accessed helps them to make an intelligent decision about their browsing experience. The security element includes at least part of a domain name that identifies the source of the content. The security element may also include the entire domain name. For example, the security element may overlay the screen. |
| US08225401B2 |
Methods and systems for detecting man-in-the-browser attacks
A computer-implemented method for detecting man-in-the-browser attacks may include identifying a transaction fingerprint associated with a web site. The method may also include tracking a user's input to the web site. The user's input may be received through a web browser. The method may further include intercepting an outgoing submission to the web site. The method may additionally include determining whether, in light of the transaction fingerprint, the user's input generated the outgoing submission. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08225400B2 |
Security overlay network
A device receives an indication of detected attack traffic associated with a network, identifies a victim of the attack traffic, and selects a security platform for processing the attack traffic. The device also advertises a tunnel and routing tag information in the network for the selected security platform, receives the attack traffic via the advertised tunnel, and forwards the attack traffic to the selected security platform for processing. The device further receives processed traffic from the selected security platform, and forwards, via the network, the processed traffic to the victim. |
| US08225397B1 |
Detection of observers and countermeasures against observers
A system for detecting an observing program on a computer system is disclosed as including accessing instructions that access observer data that includes data descriptive of the observer program. The system also includes reading instructions that read memory of the computer system to obtain memory data. Further, the system includes comparing instructions that compare the observer data with memory data read in from memory to determine whether the observer program is present on the computer system. The system may also include generating instructions that generate results from the reading and comparing. The results generated indicate whether the observer program is present on the computer system. In addition, the system includes outputting instructions that obtain the results and provide the results for a user. |
| US08225396B1 |
Systems and methods for detecting and warning users about hidden sensitive information contained in webpages
Computer-implemented methods, systems, and computer-readable media for detecting and warning users about hidden sensitive information contained in webpages are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) identifying a webpage accessed by a web browser on a computing device, 2) detecting, within the webpage, hidden sensitive information that is not visually displayed by the web browser, and then 3) warning a user of the computing device that the webpage contains the hidden sensitive information. |
| US08225391B2 |
System and method for improving restrictiveness on accessing software applications
Systems and methods for improving the restrictiveness on accessing software applications on mobile devices, such as cell phones, are disclosed. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented system and method for improving the restrictiveness on accessing software applications comprises using a device having a memory, wherein the software application is stored in the memory and requesting, from the user, an original PIN, wherein the original PIN is not stored in the memory and any information about the original PIN is not stored in the memory. The invention further comprises using the original PIN as a seed number to create a true encryption key, using the true encryption key to encrypt an application secret data into a ciphertext and storing, in the memory, the ciphertext. The invention further comprises requesting a PIN from an accessing person that is accessing the targeted software application, wherein the requested PIN is not validated by the software application, using the requested PIN, without any validation, as the seed number to create an encryption key, and using the encryption key to decrypt the ciphertext. |
| US08225390B2 |
Licensing protected content to application sets
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for licensing protected content to application sets. Embodiments of the invention permit a local machine to increase its participation in authorizing access to protected content. For example, an operating system within an appropriate computing environment is permitted to determine if an application is authorized to access protected content. Thus, the application is relieved from having to store a publishing license. Further, authorization decisions are partially distributed, easing the resource burden on a protection server. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention can facilitate more robust and efficient authorization decisions when access to protected content is requested. |
| US08225388B2 |
Method and apparatus for authorizing the transfer of information
The present invention overcomes deficiencies in the prior art by providing a PIN-based system for managing delivery of privileged information, which utilizes “third-party” authorization. In one embodiment this system includes the use of three separate parties, a First Party, a Second Party, and a Third Party. The First Party initially “registers” with the Second Party by providing self-authenticating core registration information. This registration provides the First Party with a first set of privileges. The First Party may then ask for a PIN number in order to obtain a second set of privileges to observe information provided by the Second Party which is related to a Third Party. In requesting the PIN, the First Party must provide additional registration information (beyond the core information) to the Second Party relating to the Third Party, which the Second Party can authenticate due to an existing relationship which can be checked. The Second Party then forwards the PIN request to the Third Party along with the First Party's basic registration information. A PIN administrator at the Third Party's location can be designated by the First or the Third party. The Third Party then can decide whether to forward the PIN to the First Party. If the PIN is so forwarded, the First Party then may use the PIN to gain the requested additional access privileges. The second set of privileges can be dynamically modified by the Third Party. Although at least three parties can be involved, two of these parties could be the same. |
| US08225383B1 |
Method and system for user-initiated account activation
Some embodiments provide a system that activates an online account. During operation, the system obtains, through a registration interface, authentication information for the online account from a user without obtaining contact information for the user through the registration interface. Next, the system generates an activation credential for the online account using the authentication information and displays the activation credential to the user through the registration interface. Finally, the system activates the online account upon receiving the activation credential from the user through user-initiated communications outside of the registration interface. |
| US08225382B2 |
Attested identities
Attested identities are provided. An applicant requests an attested identity. Attesting resources provide assertions that include roles, rights, and privileges for the attested identity. The collection of assertions from each of the attesting resources represents the attested identity. |
| US08225381B2 |
Security technique for controlling access to a network by a wireless device
The present invention relates to a method for protecting the security of a computer network which is accessed through the use of wireless devices, among other means. Specifically, the present invention pertains to a method of using user-specific biometric data to identify users of wireless devices such as PDAs and yet prevent use by unauthorized persons and prevent changing of the biometric data by unauthorized persons. The method also prevents unauthorized access, and facilitates authorized access, to computer networks. Control of access to the biometric data and control of access to the network can be maintained in the network administrator or other responsible body and thereby also offers security against theft. |
| US08225378B2 |
Auditing authorization decisions
The auditing of authorization decisions is facilitated by integrating or coupling an audit policy to access control decisions. In an example implementation, an audit policy of an auditing scheme is coupled to a semantic framework of an access control scheme such that the audit policy is specified using at least a portion of the semantic framework. In another example implementation, audit policy rules include audit content rules that specify what audit information from any of the inputs, the outputs, or the internal data of authorization decisions is to be included in an audit record. In yet another example implementation, a semantic of an audit trigger rule comports with a semantic framework of an access request and of a logical evaluation for an authorization decision. |
| US08225375B2 |
Information processing system, information processing apparatus and method and program therefor
The invention is to alleviate cumbersome operations of manager such as registration and deletion of authentication information. A card ID read from an IC card is transmitted to an IC card authentication server to obtain a first authentication result, and when the first authentication result indicates a successful authentication, the use of a composite apparatus is permitted. When the first authentication result indicates a failed authentication, an input user name is transmitted to a directory service server to obtain a second authentication result, and, when the second authentication result indicate a successful authentication, the card ID failing the authentication and the user name succeeding in the authentication are transmitted for requesting a registration to an IC card authentication server, which, receiving the request, registers the card ID and the user name in the registration request in combination in an authentication table. |
| US08225373B2 |
Protection of computer resources
In one embodiment, local software code present in a computer system enables real-time detection of whether the computer system is properly protected against malicious attacks from harmful software. For example, software code such as one or more agents executing in the computer system support real-time protection validation based upon detection of the behavior of the computer system (as opposed to mere detection of the presence of resources or applications in the computer system). In response to detecting that the computer system or an application accesses or provides a particular type of resource and should be protected via one or more appropriate protection policies, if the computer system is not already protected, an agent of the computer system can provide immediate remediation (e.g., a security measure) to temporarily protect the computer system until the appropriate protection policy can be activated to protect the computer system against malicious software threats. |
| US08225366B2 |
Wireless control channel and back-channel for receiver
A method and apparatus for integrating a bi-directional control channel into an entertainment display device to deliver content and exchange control information. The system collects request and response information from the entertainment display device. The system also provides format translation of received and collected content to and from a plurality of formats such as N-PCS technology formats and video display formats in such a manner that the integrated system is independent of broadcasters, satellite, IPTV and cable operators. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08225364B2 |
Method of searching internet and video receiving apparatus to use the same
A method of searching the Internet and a video receiving apparatus, such as an Internet TV, to use the same to enable currently-displayed video to be transmitted to an external apparatus, such as a remote controller, and the video received from the external apparatus to be controlled, thereby increasing user convenience. Specifically, the video captured from the video receiving apparatus is transmitted to the external apparatus which receives coordinate data and performs an operation indicated by a menu of the currently-displayed video corresponding to the coordinate data received from the external apparatus so that websites having menus requiring user control can be used without requiring redesign even if the websites are not designed for use with the video receiving apparatus. |
| US08225362B2 |
Distributed diagnostics for internet video link
In one embodiment consistent with the invention, an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) information collector device has an Internet interface for communication with an aggregator via the Internet and for communication with IPTV service providers. A processor functions to carry out a process of: conducting a query of an IPTV service and at least one IPTV channel supplied thereby; gathering quality of service (QOS) information from the at least one IPTV channel of the IPTV service as a result of the query; and reporting the QOS service to an aggregator device. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08225358B2 |
Content recommendation apparatus and method
A content recommendation apparatus that can recommend contents suitable to user's taste immediately even after introduction of the system even if a TV set is used by unspecified users. Among previously-determined recommendation ranks of contents, the content recommendation apparatus of the present invention lowers the recommendation rank of a VOD content that is similar to TV programs broadcast in other media at a prescribed time. As the prescribed time, can be employed a time designated by a user, a time on a prescribed cycle, or a time when a TV program on the air in another media is changed, for example. |
| US08225350B2 |
Remote commander injecting new user interface (UI) into legacy controlled device to permit legacy controlled device to work with new remote commander
A controlled device such as a TV is vended with a legacy remote commander (RC) and legacy user interfaces (UI), but is programmed with authentication information to accept downloaded UI updates from an authenticated after market RC with more capabilities than the legacy RC. |
| US08225349B2 |
Apparatus for receiving digital multimedia broadcasting channels
Disclosed is a digital broadcast receiver including a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) module for receiving digital broadcastings of multiple channels; an output unit for outputting voice and image signals of the digital broadcastings; and a controller for controlling the DMB module to receive the digital broadcastings while successively and automatically switching the channels at a predetermined time interval, and controlling the digital broadcasting data received in the DMB module to be transmitted to the output unit. |
| US08225345B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling an apparatus having a parental control function
A method for controlling an apparatus such as a television signal receiver having a parental control function allows users to change a setting associated with the parental control function without first entering a password, while also preventing children from circumventing and defeating the parental control function. The method is also useful for informing parents if a child attempts to change a setting in an effort to circumvent and defeat the parental control function. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of enabling a user to change a predetermined setting associated with the parental control function without entering a password, and disabling at least one of an audio output and a video output of the apparatus responsive to the change. |
| US08225343B2 |
Gesture cataloging and recognition
Methods and apparatus for cataloging and recognizing gestures are disclosed. A gesture may be detected using sample motion data. An energy value and a baseline value may be computed. The baseline value may be updated if the energy value is below a calm energy threshold. The sample motion data may be adjusted based on the updated baseline value. A local variance may be calculated over a predetermined number of samples. Sample motion data values may be recorded if the local variance exceeds a threshold. Sample motion data recording may stop if a local variance scalar value falls below a drop threshold. Input Gestures may be recognized by computing a total variance for sample values in an Input Gesture; calculating a figure of merit using sample values from the Input Gesture and one or more Catalog Gestures; and determining whether the Input Gesture matches a Catalog Gesture from the figure of merit. |
| US08225341B2 |
Data storage means
Apparatus in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention includes a data storage cartridge and/or a receiver configured to receive the cartridge in facilitation of data transfer to and/or from the cartridge. The cartridge and the receiver each include respective connector portions configured to connect when the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. The cartridge and/or the receiver also include guide features configured to facilitate alignment of the connector portions for connection as the cartridge is inserted into the receiver. |
| US08225337B2 |
Application programming interface enhancement
Some embodiments of application programming interface (API) enhancement in a networked system have been presented. In one embodiment, a servlet is initialized on a centralized server in the networked system. The capabilities of an application programming interface (API) accessible by the client are expanded to allow the client to have data converted to a predetermined format when executing an automation script in order to perform an administrative task on multiple computing machines in the networked system without user intervention. |
| US08225334B2 |
On-the-fly replacement of physical hardware with emulation
Various aspects are disclosed herein for replacing the hardware backing the memory locations associated with a virtual machine with a backing mechanism. The backing mechanism may have the memory locations appear to contain data convenient to the driver in the virtual machine, typically containing what the hardware would have returned if the hardware had been read from. The data image being returned from the memory locations may travel with the virtual machine even if the virtual machine moves to a different physical machine that does not contain hardware equivalent to the hardware that was recently removed from the virtual machine. |
| US08225333B2 |
POS hardware abstraction
A framework for point of sale system is discussed. The framework includes an application program stored on a tangible computer medium. When executed by a computing device, the application is capable of communicating using a first protocol. The framework further includes a first point of sale hardware device externally located from the computing device and configured to communicate with the computing device using a second protocol and a device abstraction layer capable of communicating with the application program using the first protocol and the first point of sale hardware device using the second protocol to pass information between the application program and the first point of sale hardware device. |
| US08225332B2 |
Method and system for protocol offload in paravirtualized systems
Certain aspects of a method and system for protocol offload in paravirtualized systems may be disclosed. Exemplary aspects of the method may include preposting of application buffers to a front-end driver rather than to a NIC in a paravirtualized system. The NIC may be enabled to place the received offloaded data packets into a received data buffer corresponding to a particular GOS. A back-end driver may be enabled to acknowledge the placed offloaded data packets. The back-end driver may be enabled to forward the received data buffer corresponding to the particular GOS to the front-end driver. The front-end driver may be enabled to copy offloaded data packets from a received data buffer corresponding to a particular guest operating system (GOS) to the preposted application buffers. |
| US08225330B2 |
RDMA (remote direct memory access) data transfer in a virtual environment
In an embodiment, a method is provided. In an embodiment, the method provides determining that a message has been placed in a send buffer; and transferring the message to an application on a second virtual machine by bypassing use of an operating system to process the message by directly placing the message in an application memory space from which the application can retrieve the message. |
| US08225327B2 |
Synchronizing access to a shared resource utilizing selective locking
A method and system for providing access to a shared resource utilizing selective locking are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided comprising receiving a request to perform a resource access operation on a shared resource, invoking a first routine to perform the resource access operation, detecting a data processing system exception generated in response to invoking the first routine, and invoking a second routine to perform the resource access operation in response to such detecting. In the described embodiment, the first routine comprises a dereference instruction to dereference a pointer to memory associated with the shared resource, the second routine comprises a lock acquisition instruction to acquire a global lock associated with the shared resource prior to a performance of the resource access operation and a lock release instruction to release the global lock once resource access operation has been performed. |
| US08225324B2 |
Resource management on a computer system utilizing hardware and environmental factors
A method for resource management on a computer system utilizing hardware and environmental information. A caller interacts with an application program interface to handle information requests with a persistent data storage device to combine information involving hardware resource information, environmental data and other system information, all both historical, present and predicted values. Application execution decisions may then made regarding hardware for the calling entity. The method may be implemented as a computer process. |
| US08225323B2 |
Control device and control method for reduced power consumption in network device
This invention provides a data transfer control device for carrying out data transfer using a plurality of transfer resources. The data transfer control device comprises a transfer resource management portion that set the plurality of transfer resources to either one of a transfer-enabled state whereby data transfer is enabled and a plurality of standby states on the basis of a load on the data transfer control device and that manages the plurality of transfer resources so as to assume the set operating status; and a load distribution portion that distributes the data to transfer resources that have been set to the transfer-enabled state. The plurality of standby states are states which data transfer is disabled and which mutually differ at a minimum in terms of at least one of power consumption level and transition time to the transfer-enabled state. |
| US08225321B2 |
Efficient enforced resource consumption rate limits
A method for enforcing a consumption rate limit for a resource in a data processing system includes receiving a first request for consumption of the resource; calculating an accumulated resource availability using the consumption rate limit; in response to a determination that the accumulated resource availability is sufficient to satisfy the first request, satisfying the first request; calculating a residual resource availability; receiving a second request for consumption of the resource; calculating an additional accumulated resource availability using the consumption rate limit unless the residual resource availability is sufficient to satisfy the second request. |
| US08225313B2 |
Object-based virtual infrastructure management
In certain embodiments, a method for virtual infrastructure management includes discovering a plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments, each virtual environment comprising one or more components and being associated with one or more vendor-specific management operations. The method further comprises generating, for each of the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments, one or more virtual environment objects that model that virtual environment and are operable to abstract the one or more vendor-specific management operations of that virtual environment to a normalized set of management operations. The method further comprises facilitating management of the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments using the virtual environment objects that model the plurality of heterogeneous virtual environments. |
| US08225310B1 |
Automatic detection and redistribution of content management code
Automatic detection and redistribution of content management code is disclosed. A new or updated software object class is received at a repository. A change record at the repository is updated to reflect that the new or updated software object class is available from the repository. |
| US08225294B2 |
Method and apparatus for expressing and checking relationships between types
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for generating executable code. During operation, the system receives source code, wherein the source code can include declarations for types and operations, wherein the type declarations may be parameterized, and wherein the source code may specify subtyping relationships between declared types. Next, the system compiles or interprets the source code to produce executable code, wherein the type parameters may be instantiated by different types during execution, and wherein the result of executing operations may depend upon the instantiations of the type parameters. While compiling or interpreting the source code, the system checks the types and operations in the source code to ensure that the executable code generated is type-safe, and hence will not generate type errors during execution. |
| US08225291B2 |
Automated detection of application performance bottlenecks
Detecting performance bottlenecks in a target application is provided. In response to receiving hotspot selections from a user interface, bottleneck rules are extracted from a database. A hotspot is a region of source code that exceeds a time threshold to execute in the target application. Metrics needed to evaluate the bottleneck rules extracted from the database are identified. The identified metrics are computed. It is determined whether each bottleneck rule extracted from the database is evaluated to true using the computed metrics for hotspots in the target application. In response to determining that a bottleneck rule is evaluated to true using an appropriate computed metric corresponding to the bottleneck rule, a bottleneck description is created for the bottleneck rule. Then, the bottleneck description is sent to the user interface. |
| US08225285B2 |
Generating a test suite to test support for routines
Provided are techniques for generating a test suite. A statement grouping is generated based on operating parameters in a first operating parameters package. A data model is generated from the statement grouping based on operating parameters in a second operating parameters package. Then, one or more routine definitions are generated from the data model based on operating parameters in a third operating parameters package. |
| US08225284B2 |
Methods and systems for testing software development
Methods and systems are provided for generating a test bed from an input data set that has multiple data elements. A development program, which includes multiple decision points, is executed using each of the data elements as input to the development program in a sequence. For each decision point, execution of the decision point by at least one of the data elements is identified. Those identified data elements are assigned for identification in the test bed. |
| US08225280B2 |
Incorporating state machine controls into existing non-state machine environments
A computer program product for incorporating state machine controls into existing non-state machine environments includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes determining a state machine representation for an existing environment, assigning state indicators to each state of the state machine, transcoding existing software flags of the environment into modifier values associated with the state indicators, assigning state values based on the modifier values and the state indicators, assigning event identifiers for transitions from the state values, and creating a tabular representation of the determined state machine, the tabular representation providing next state information based on the event identifiers and the state values. |
| US08225278B2 |
Method of visualizing modifications of a hierarchical state diagram
Hierarchical state diagrams are reflected in a tree structure with the initial state of the diagram represented as the parent node, intermediate states represented as intermediate levels of the hierarchy, and final states represented as the lowest level in the hierarchy. Information on the modification(s) on a child or subsequent level is transferred to the parent node. Such information includes quantifying and displaying of the modification(s). Accordingly, content and extent of any modifications to the diagram can be viewed at the parent node without requiring review of different levels in the hierarchy to view modifications to the state and/or transition in such levels. |
| US08225274B2 |
Code highlight and intelligent location descriptor for programming shells
There are disclosed systems and methods for aiding programmers in identifying a location in a program while coding. In an embodiment, the method comprises defining a plurality of sections of code within the program, associating at least one section of code with a background color, and displaying the at least one section of code against the associated background color. Sections of code corresponding to the same module may be associated with the same background color. A user-selectable control may be provided for viewing only those sections of code corresponding to a user-selected module, and upon selection of the module by the user, only those sections of code corresponding to the module may be displayed against the associated background color. A text description may also be associated with each section of code, and the text description may be displayed when a cursor is placed in the section of code. |
| US08225267B2 |
Method and apparatus for analyzing structure of complex material layer, and storage medium storing program for causing a computer to execute thereof method
A structure analysis apparatus (1) for analyzing structure of a complex material layer containing a plurality of members (2a, 2b) for modeling layout data on a complex material layer, includes: an area setting portion (21) for setting an area to be modeled in the complex material layer; an area dividing portion (22) for dividing the area into a plurality of elements; an area computing portion (23) for calculating, based on an occupancy of each of the plurality of members (2a, 2b) in the area, the number of elements corresponding respectively to the plurality of members (2a, 2b); and an element placing portion (24) for generating a model of the complex material layer by placing the plurality of members (2a, 2b) respectively in the plurality of elements based on the number of the elements corresponding respectively to the plurality of members (2a, 2b). |
| US08225259B1 |
Apparatus and methods for time-multiplex field-programmable gate arrays with multiple clocks
A multiple-clock time-multiplexed field programmable gate array (TM-FPGA) includes programmable logic circuitry. A plurality of clock signals within the TM-FPGA couple to the programmable logic circuitry. A user's circuit can be mapped to the programmable logic circuitry without the user's intervention in mapping the circuit to the programmable logic circuitry. |
| US08225254B2 |
Delay period analyzing apparatus, delay period analyzing method, and delay period analyzing program
A apparatus for analyzing a delay in path between flip-flops, including: a calculator that performs delay calculation and generates a delay calculation result on wiring and layout of logic circuits; a analyzer that performs delay analysis for each delay calculation results, and generates delay analysis results for paths by adding delay of logic elements and flip-flops, and by multiplying the sum calculated by a scattering coefficient; a sorter that stores delay analysis results for paths, thereby generating a maximum delay sorting result; a probability calculator that generates probability density functions for paths on a condition by performing processing in which a path is selected from paths in order of maximum delay on the maximum delay sorting result, and a probability density function is generated for the path selected between the flip-flops; and a value calculator that performs maximum value calculation for the probability density functions for all the paths. |
| US08225249B1 |
Static formal verification of a circuit design using properties defined with local variables
A static formal verification tool is used to test properties for a circuit design, where the properties are written in a verification language, such as SystemVerilog, that allows local variables. The use of local variables presents implementation challenges for static formal verification tools because it requires multiple instances of the local variables to be tracked during the verification process. To deal with local variables, the static formal verification tool translates a property containing local variables into an optimized, statically allocated data structure that does not need multiple representation of different instances of the local variables. The formal verification is then performed using the data structure. This reduces the verification complexity and makes the size of the problem representation predictable. |
| US08225248B2 |
Timing, noise, and power analysis of integrated circuits
DFM systems are provided that incorporate manufacturing variations in the analysis of integrated circuits by calculating predicted manufacturing variations on the shapes of interconnects and devices of the drawn layout of a circuit design. The shape variation on interconnects is converted to variations in resistor-capacitor (RC) parasitics. The shape variation on devices is converted to variations in device parameters. The variation in device parameters and wire parasitics is converted to changes in timing performance, signal integrity, and power consumption by determining the impact of device parameter and wire parasitic variations on the behavior of each instance of a standard cell. The results from these analyses are integrated back into the design flow as incremental delay files (timing), noise failures and buffer insertion/driver resizing commands (noise), and leakage power hotspots and cell substitution commands (power consumption). |
| US08225245B2 |
Method of implementing physically realizable and power-efficient clock gating in microprocessor circuits
A method and system of merging gated-clock domains in a semiconductor design includes producing, for each subset of clock gating functions in an initial set of clock gating functions, a set of quantified functions produced by existentially quantifying each clock gating function in the subset over a set of variables that are not part of the support sets of the other clock gating functions of the subset. If the set of quantified functions are equal, selecting one as a super clock gating function and adding it to the set of super clock gating functions. The set of super clock gating functions are sorted according to a criterion and the best is selected and added to the set of final clock gating functions. The remaining super clock gating functions are modified to prevent flip-flops gated by the selected super clock gating function from being gated by remaining super clock gating functions. |
| US08225244B2 |
Large scale integration device and large scale integration design method including both a normal system and diagnostic system
The LSI design apparatus adds diagnostic circuitry for micro diagnosis to a behavior level description. Based on behavior level design data for a normal system of a LSI, high level synthesis generates RTL design data and register information. Based on the register information, a unique address used by a micro diagnosis program is allocated to each register. Circuit components within the normal system are grouped together. Based on the result of the address allocation and the result of the grouping, a behavior description for diagnostic circuits constituting a diagnosis system for the LSI is generated and added to the behavior level design data for the normal system, resulting in behavior level design data in which the normal and diagnosis systems are integrated together. |
| US08225239B2 |
Methods for defining and utilizing sub-resolution features in linear topology
Regular layout shapes are placed in accordance with a virtual grate. A determination is made as to whether an unoccupied layout space adjacent to a regular layout shape to be reinforced, and extending in a direction perpendicular to the regular layout shape, is large enough to support placement of a sub-resolution shape. Upon determining that the unoccupied layout space is large enough to support placement of the sub-resolution shape, the sub-resolution shape is placed so as to be substantially centered upon a virtual line of the virtual grate within the unoccupied layout space. Also, one or more sub-resolution shapes are placed between and parallel with neighboring regular layout shapes when windows of lithographic reinforcement associated with each of the neighboring regular layout shapes permit. The sub-resolution shapes may be placed according to a virtual grate, or may be placed based on proximity to edges of the neighboring regular layout shapes. |
| US08225237B2 |
Method to determine process window
A method to determine a process window is disclosed. First, a pattern data is provided. Second, a bias set is determined. Then, a resizing procedure is performed on the pattern data in accordance with the bias set to obtain a usable final resized pattern to be a target pattern of changed area. The final resized pattern is consistent with a minimum spacing rule, a contact to poly rule and a contact to metal rule. Accordingly, the target pattern is output. |
| US08225236B2 |
Displaying active cursor in mobile terminal
A mobile communication terminal and a method of multi-tasking in the terminal are provided. The mobile communication terminal displays a first task display associated with a first application task, receives a request to execute a second application task while the first application task is being performed, and displays a second task display associated with the second application task, wherein the second task display at least partially replaces the first task display, at least a portion of the second task display is identified by an active cursor configured to allow a user to select a function associated with the second application task, and at least one display feature of the active cursor indicates that the first application task is being concurrently performed. |
| US08225229B2 |
Adjusting display brightness and/or refresh rates based on eye tracking
A device may determine an area at which a user gazes on the display screen. The device may identify on the display screen a screen region which does not overlap the area, may darken the identified screen region, and/or may refresh the display screen by updating a screen region that overlaps the area and not updating the identified screen region. |
| US08225226B2 |
Virtual control panel
A system that enables a user to interact with a virtual control panel using a user controlled pointing object. The system includes a portable identification element, a tracking unit adapted to capture data representing the position of the pointing object and the position of the identification element, a storage unit, storing at least one pre-defined graphical interface representing a control panel of a device, a graphics unit, generating a graphical representation of the control panel, a registering unit, registering the graphical representation of the control panel in a fixed relation to the portable identification element to produce a virtual control panel and a display unit, showing the user a view including the real world and the virtual control panel. |
| US08225225B2 |
Graphical user interface having an attached toolbar for drag and drop editing in detail-in-context lens presentations
Detail-in-context techniques are described. In an implementation, an original image is distorted to produce a distorted region for a selected object at a first position in an original image displayed on a display screen. The distorted region magnifies at least a portion of the object. A signal is received to drag the object and the distorted region from the first position to a second position. A signal is received to drop the object at the second position. The distorted region is removed from the original image after the object is dropped at the second position. |
| US08225224B1 |
Computer desktop use via scaling of displayed objects with shifts to the periphery
The present invention relates to facilitating multi-tasking in a computing environment. A focus area component defines a focus area within a display space—the focus area occupying a subset area of the display space area. A sealing component scales display objects as a function of proximity to the focus area, and a behavior modification component modifies respective behavior of the display objects as a function of their location of the display space. The subject invention provides for interaction technique(s) and other interface(s) in connection with managing display objects on a display surface. One aspect defines a central focus area, such that the display objects are displayed and behave as usual. Also included as a periphery outside the focus area where the display objects are reduced in size based on their location, getting smaller as the display objects near an edge of the display surface with many more objects visible. |
| US08225212B2 |
Method for providing remote control device descriptions from a communication node
A method of providing a description of a remote control device to a communication device configured to interact with an electronic device over a communication network as a remote control device is presented. In the method, the communication device transfers an indication of the electronic device over the network to a communication node. Afterward, the communication device receives the description of the remote control device associated with the electronic device from the node over the network. The communication device transfers a command associated with the remote control device over the network to the electronic device, wherein the command is generated using the description of the remote control device. |
| US08225209B2 |
Capsule endoscope image display device
A capsule endoscope image display device displays, on a display screen, at least a search character input window, a thumbnail specification input button for specifying a thumbnail, and a report specification input button for specifying a report. When the thumbnail specification input button is operated, thumbnails to which a comment including characters input in the search character input window is added are searched for in a recording device, and their listing is displayed in a scrollable manner. When the report specification input button is operated, reports including the characters input in the search character input window are searched for, and their listing is displayed in a scrollable manner. In this way, data associated with an image of desired position, lesion portion, etc. can be easily grasped from among many pieces of image information. |
| US08225207B1 |
Compression threshold control
Systems and methods for audio editing are provided. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes receiving digital audio data and displaying a representation of the received digital audio data as an audio waveform. The display also includes a representation of one or more controls for applying one or more effects to the digital audio data. A user input is received manipulating a first control relative to the audio waveform. The displayed representation of the audio waveform is modified according to the relative position of the first control and a corresponding effect is applied to the digital audio data. The modified digital audio data is then made available for further processing. |
| US08225204B2 |
System and method of document reuse
The present invention is a system and method for computer optimization of content and reusing documents. The invention provides integrated user interfaces to facilitate reuse of static or dynamic content. The system further includes on a display, a first window and a second window where the system includes programming instructions operable to control the processing unit to output to the first window the content of memory. The content output to the first window is simultaneous to output being displayed in the second window of the separate program. Each of these programs may reside in the same memory space or different memory space. The separate program can provide documents or content to be used in the first window. The system further includes programming instructions operable to transform selections retrieved from documents of the second window into content for the first window. |
| US08225196B2 |
Dynamic web page behavior
In some embodiments, code can be encapsulated in an external behavior component for affecting the behavior of an element inserted into an HTML document. A reference can be attached to the element in the document to associate the element with the external behavior component. A renderer can parse the element in the HTML document and access the external component to modify a behavior of a page image. For example, the properties or location of a displayed element associated with the external behavior component may be changed on an event, the external behavior component can control user data input, or the external behavior component can draw on the page image. Multiple documents can reuse external behavior components, and an element can be associated with multiple external behavior components. The associations between elements and external behavior components may be maintained in cascading style sheets, inline with the elements, and in various formats. |
| US08225195B1 |
Displaying links at varying levels of prominence to reveal emergent paths based on user interaction
Links in a system may be displayed at varying prominence based on user interaction with the links. Link paths chosen by users become apparent by virtue of display prominence of the links. A link may be displayed with greater or lesser prominence corresponding to the propensity of users to interact with the link. Prominence values that affect a prominence at which links are displayed may be modified based on user interaction information. Prominence values may further automatically decay, possibly over time or according to user interaction with the links. Using and modifying prominence values in this manner, links that emerge with greater prominence may form one or more “paths” that users can readily follow. Much as in the natural world where pheromones deposited by ants attract other ants to desirable paths, user interaction information can be advantageously used to automatically identify more desirable link paths to a resource. |
| US08225194B2 |
Bookmarks and watchpoints for selection and presentation of media streams
Selection and presentation of media streams, in which presentation is not limited by order imposed by the digital content representative of those media streams, in response to bookmarks and watchpoints settable and usable by a user. Bookmarks reference a location within the media stream, not necessarily pre-selected and possibly dynamically selected, in which a presentation can be started or restarted therefrom. Watchpoints reference a location within the media stream, or a presentation state for the media stream, in which an action can be triggered thereby. Bookmarks and watchpoints provide a general technique for presenting selections from media streams in response to metadata. |
| US08225193B1 |
Methods and systems for providing workspace navigation with a tag cloud
A computer-implemented method for providing workspace navigation with a tag cloud. The computer-implemented method may include identifying a set of launch items within a workspace. The computer-implemented method may also include displaying the tag cloud in a graphical user interface. Each tag in the tag cloud may be associated with one or more launch items from the set of launch items. The computer-implemented method may further include receiving, from the graphical user interface, a selection of a tag from the tag cloud. The computer-implemented method may include using the selected tag to identify a subset of launch items within the set of launch items. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a request to launch at least one launch item in the subset of launch items and launching the at least one launch item. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08225192B2 |
Extensible cache-safe links to files in a web page
Linking content and functionality files in a cached client-side web page to a corresponding server-side web page is provided so that a client-side browsing application is notified of changes made to the server-side web page to allow the client-side browsing application to retrieve a server-side web page or server-side web page items only when changes are made to the server-side web page or corresponding server-side web page items. |
| US08225189B2 |
Data error detection
Systems, methods, and computer program products that can be used concurrently or alternatively to detect errors in data as well as to protect access to data are provided. Embodiments enable a coherent data set (CDS) which is a data set guaranteed to be genuine and error-free at run-time. Embodiments provide systems, methods, and computer program programs to create a CDS, identify a CDS, and verify the coherency of a data set purported to be a CDS. Embodiments further enable privileged functions which are functions that can only be accessed by a restricted set of other privileged functions. Embodiments provide systems, methods, and computer program products to create, identify, and protect access to privileged functions. |
| US08225187B1 |
Method and apparatus for implementing a cyclic redundancy check circuit
A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bit-slice circuit including a plurality of AND gates coupled with configuration data is described. The configuration data may enable the plurality of AND gates to provide a set of CRC input data and feedback polynomial data meeting a plurality of CRC protocols. The CRC bit-slice circuit accepts a generator polynomial as an input design parameter to build a CRC module. The modularity of the design then allows a larger CRC design to be constructed from multiple CRC modules such that wider data width may be accommodated. Several CRC modules can be cascaded to accommodate various data widths and to meet a plurality of CRC protocols. |
| US08225185B1 |
RS codec architecture that combines a compact encoder and serial BMA
A Reed-Solomon (RS) coding system is provided that can employ an RS code of varying correction power, and which can maintain a small area requirement. The Reed-Solomon coding system can include an RS encoder and an RS decoder. Both of these components can be implemented using primarily constant multipliers rather than more area-consuming general multipliers. For example, the programmable encoder can be realized by implementing polynomials with constant coefficients rather than variable coefficients, and a Berlekamp-Massey algorithm performed by the decoder can be realized using a serial implementation. To further reduce the area of the coding system, hardware sharing can be utilized between the RS encoder and the RS decoder. |
| US08225183B2 |
Methods and apparatus for selective data retention decoding in a hard disk drive
Methods and apparatus are provided for improved physical re-read operations in a hard disk drive. The disclosed methods and apparatus selectively retain data in a hard disk drive. A signal is read in an iterative read channel by assigning a reliability metric to each of a plurality of segments in a read signal; repeating the assigning step for a plurality of read operations; and selectively retaining the segments based on the assigned reliability metric. The read signal can be obtained by positioning a transducer over a storage media. The reliability metric may be based on soft bit decisions; log likelihood ratios or a noise estimation of a given segment. |
| US08225181B2 |
Efficient re-read operations from memory devices
A method for data storage includes storing data, which is encoded with an Error Correction Code (ECC), in a group of analog memory cells by writing respective first storage values to the memory cells in the group. After storing the data, respective second storage values are read from the memory cells in the group, and the read second storage values are processed so as to decode the ECC. Responsively to a failure in decoding the ECC, one or more of the second storage values that potentially caused the failure are identified as suspect storage values. Respective third storage values are re-read from a subset of the memory cells that includes the memory cells holding the suspect storage values. The ECC is re-decoded using the third storage values so as to reconstruct the stored data. |
| US08225178B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes a data storage area wherein a plurality of data cells, respectively storing one bit of data, is arranged in a lattice form, a redundant data storage area that stores one bit parity data, the one bit parity data corresponding respectively to a line of data read out of the data storage area as a data group, a first switch section that receives a data group read out from the data storage area and a parity data bit, and a composite unit that receives an output of the first switch section and that generates correction data for the read data group, as based upon defect position information of the data storage area. The first switch section is selectively controlled to provide the parity data bit associated with the read data group as an input into the composite unit based on the defect position information. |
| US08225170B2 |
MIMO wireless system with diversity processing
A MIMO wireless system with Diversity processing is provided having Turbo Codes Decoders for computing orthogonal multipath signals from multiple separate antennas. The invention decodes multipath signals that have arrived at the terminal via different routes after being reflected from buildings, trees or hills. The Turbo Codes Decoder with Diversity processing increases the signal to noise ratio (SNR) more than 6 dB which enables the Wireless system to deliver data rates from up to 600 Mbit/s. A Turbo Codes Decoder block is provided to compute baseband signals from multiple different receiver paths. Several pipelined max-Log-MAP decoders are used for iterative decoding of received data. A Sliding Window of Block N data is used for pipeline operations. |
| US08225167B2 |
Receiving/transmitting system and data processing method in the receiving/transmitting system
A receiving system and a data processing method are disclosed. The receiving system includes: a receiving unit receiving a broadcast signal including a first group comprising mobile service data, known data and signaling data; a signaling decoder decoding the signaling data from the received broadcast signal; a demodulator demodulating the received broadcast signal based upon the known data; an equalizer channel-equalizing the demodulated broadcast signal based upon the known data; a turbo decoder performing turbo decoding on the mobile service data of the channel-equalized broadcast signal by applying a Serial Concatenated Convolutional Coding (SCCC) mode based upon the signaling data; and an error correction unit performing error correction decoding on the turbo-decoded mobile service data based upon the signaling data. |
| US08225161B2 |
Retransmissions of data using increased data rate
A method and apparatus are provided for error correction of a communication signal. To allow for retransmission of information in response to error determination with respect to a transmission of the information, the operating sampling rate for a communication channel is increased over its normal sampling rate. At the increased operating rate, retransmissions may be made while at least maintaining the overall data rate of the communication channel with respect to its normal sampling rate. The retransmissions may be conducted using automatic repeat request (ARQ) techniques. In an embodiment, operating at increased sampling rate allows for a decrease in the required signal-to-noise ratio at a given bit error rate for the communication channel. |
| US08225160B2 |
Decoding apparatus, decoding method, and recording medium
A decoding apparatus includes a unit decoding and inversely quantizing coded data to obtain frequency domain audio signal data, a unit computing from the coded data one of the number of scale bits composed of the number of bits corresponding to the scale value of the coded data and the number of spectrum bits composed of the number of bits corresponding to the spectrum value of the coded data, a unit estimating a quantization error of the frequency domain audio signal data based on one of the number of scale bits and the number of spectrum bits of the coded data, a unit computing a correction amount based on the estimated quantization error and correct the frequency domain audio signal data obtained by the frequency domain data obtaining unit based on the computed correction amount, and a unit converting the corrected frequency domain audio signal data into the audio signal. |
| US08225158B2 |
Compare circuit having inputs from scan registers and flip-flops
The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for providing expected data, mask data, and control signals to scan test architectures within a device using the falling edge of a test/scan clock. The signals are provided on device leads that are also used to provide signals to scan test architectures using the rising edge of the test/scan clock. According to the disclosure, device test leads serve to input different test signals on the rising and falling edge of the test/scan clock which reduces the number of interconnects between a tester and the device under test. |
| US08225156B1 |
Methods and apparatuses for external voltage test methodology of input-output circuits
Various methods and apparatuses are described for a system that includes some on-chip components, e.g., I-Os, test processors, soft wrappers, etc., an external testing unit that provides Parametric Measurement Unit (PMU) capability, and various tests performed on the I-Os by the on-chip testing logic, the test vector patterns supplied by the external testing unit. |
| US08225152B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating electronic test and data structure
A hierarchical test executive system comprising and including Procedure, Test, Measurement and Datapoint levels. A Procedure is an ordered list of Tests; a Test is a group of Measurements in a Procedure that share the same test algorithm, and thus the same software code; a Measurement is a configuration or setup for a Test, and provides parameters to a Test; and a Datapoint is a subset of a Measurement containing additional parameters that select a result when one Measurement generates multiple results. When initiated, the test executive system presents a list of models and the user selects a model to be tested. The program then uploads the test software corresponding to the selected model and presents a list and descriptions of Procedures to the user. The user selects one of the Procedures, and the program retrieves the selected procedure from the test software and expands it into Tests, Measurements and Datapoints as determined by the Procedure. The test executive system then loops through the Tests, Measurements and Datapoints, generating the results and a corresponding data structure on the fly. |
| US08225148B2 |
Systems and methods for achieving higher coding rate using parity interleaving
The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for encoding data based on a run-length-limited code and an error correction code to provide codewords. The codewords include RLL-encoded data that are produced based on the RLL code, and parity information that are produced based on the error correction code. The parity information is interleaved among the RLL-encoded data. In one embodiment, the codeword is produced by separately producing the RLL-encoded data and the parity information, and interleaving the parity information among the RLL-encoded data. In one embodiment, the codeword is produced by producing the RLL-encoded data, and using erasure decoding to compute the parity information. |
| US08225140B2 |
Method and system for graphical user interface testing
A method and system are provided for testing a graphical user (GUI) (204). The method includes applying a test step (208, 222) to a GUI under test (204) and finding a control in the GUI under test (204) to which the test step is to be applied. A model (210) is built dynamically of representations of the contents of the GUI under test (204) as a new control is found. The method includes finding a collection of dependent controls and representing the collection of controls in the GUI model (210) as a generalised pattern of the controls. The method applies a test step to the model (210) simultaneously with the GUI under test (204) and compares the results of the test step from the GUI under test (204) and from the model (210). If a test step is applied to the model and it is determined that a representation of the control to which the test step is to be applied is not provided in the model (210), a building rule (212) is executed to add a representation of the control to the model (210). |
| US08225139B2 |
Facilitating transactional execution through feedback about misspeculation
One embodiment provides a system that facilitates the execution of a transaction for a program in a hardware-supported transactional memory system. During operation, the system records a misspeculation indicator of the transaction during execution of the transaction using hardware transactional memory mechanisms. Next, the system detects a transaction failure associated with the transaction. Finally, the system provides the recorded misspeculation indicator to the program to facilitate a response to the transaction failure by the program. |
| US08225133B1 |
System and method for on-the-fly migration of server from backup
A system, method and computer program product for migrating a server include creating an image of a storage device of a first server; during execution of a boot loader on a second server, starting an initialization application that at least partially restores, to a storage device of the second server, operating system data from the image; analyzing a hardware configuration of the second server; modifying at least one driver of an operating system based on the analyzed hardware to enable the operating system of the second server to interface to the storage device of the second server; rebooting the second server using the at least partially restored operating system data; and restoring unaltered portions of remaining data from the image. The second server identification and/or authentication data stored on the image is updated before the rebooting. Identification data of the second server is at least partially replaced with corresponding data stored on the image. The image is unchanged until completion of the restoring step. The restoration step uses an incremental image of the storage device. A boot loader is started in case of failure of the first server. |
| US08225129B2 |
Methods and apparatus for effective on-line backup selection for failure recovery in distributed stream processing systems
A failure recovery framework to be used in cooperative data stream processing is provided that can be used in a large-scale stream data analysis environment. Failure recovery supports a plurality of independent distributed sites, each having its own local administration and goals. The distributed sites cooperate in an inter-site back-up mechanism to provide for system recovery from a variety of failures within the system. Failure recovery is both automatic and timely through cooperation among sites. Back-up sites associated with a given primary site are identified. These sites are used to identify failures within the primary site including failures of applications running on the nodes of the primary site. The failed applications are reinstated on one or more nodes within the back-up sites using job management instances local to the back-up sites in combination with previously stored state information and data values for the failed applications. In additions to inter-site mechanisms, each one of the plurality of sites employs an intra-site back-up mechanism to handle failure recoveries within the site. |
| US08225126B2 |
Adaptor detecting sequence on TMS and coupling TAP to TCK
A method comprises a system comprising a host device coupled to a first remote device actively operating according to a state diagram that the host device and all remote devices follow during operation of the system. The method further comprises powering up a second remote device while the host device and first remote device are actively operating according to the state diagram. The second remote device waits for a synchronization point sequence. Upon detecting the synchronization point sequence, the second remote device implements a predetermined feature set and synchronizes itself to the state diagram at a common point as the host device and first remote device. |
| US08225125B2 |
Power supply selector and power supply selection method
In the field of electronic technologies, a power supply selector and a power supply selection method are provided. The power supply selector includes: a first selection module, configured to select a power supply from multiple candidate power supplies; a control module, coupled to the first selection module, and configured to use the power supply selected by the first selection module as a power supply, and compare voltages of the multiple candidate power supplies to generate a control signal of each candidate power supply; and a second selection module, coupled to the control module, and configured to select a power supply for output in the multiple candidate power supplies under the control of the control signal of each candidate power supply. The technical solution is used to select a power supply from multiple candidate power supplies. |
| US08225123B2 |
Method and system for integrated circuit power supply management
A method and system for power supply management in an integrated chip selectively manages the power supplied to the various circuits within the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a combinational logic block, a memory block, a power supply block, and a control block. The power supply block includes multiple power regulators for generating power supply potentials of various magnitudes. The control block receives a power down signal, a clock disable signal, and a temperature threshold signal, and generates control signals for controlling the magnitude of the potential of the power supplied to the combinational logic block and the memory block by the power supply block. |
| US08225116B2 |
Power supply system electronic card and method for supplying power to the electronic card
A communication device includes a power supply system, the power supply system includes: an MCH, a power module, and at least one AMC module. The AMC module is adapted to send a load power supply control command according to a received load power supply control request. The power module is adapted to receive input of external power supply, and provide management power supply and load power supply after converting the input of external power supply. The at least one Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) module is adapted to send the load power control request to the MCH, receive the load power supply control command sent by the MCH, and control provision of the load power supply of the power module according to the load power supply control command. |
| US08225113B2 |
Computer system with resistor-capacitor filter circuit
A computer system includes a north bridge chip, a power source, and a resistor-capacitor filter circuit coupled between the power source and the north bridge chip. The north bridge chip has a digital-to-analog converter analog power pin and a digital-to-analog converter analog ground pin. The power source is coupled to the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip. The resistor-capacitor filter includes a first resistor and a first capacitor. The first resistor is connected between the power source and the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip. One end of the first capacitor is connected to the digital-to-analog converter analog power pin of the north bridge chip, and another end of the first capacitor is connected to ground together with the digital-to-analog converter analog ground pin of the north bridge chip. |
| US08225111B2 |
Method and apparatus to authenticate a power supply
A power supply that can be authenticated is disclosed. An apparatus according to aspects of the present invention includes an external power supply of an electronic product that modulates an output of the power supply with information encoded to identify the power supply to the product. |
| US08225105B2 |
Method and apparatus for verifying integrity of computer system vital data components
Vital data components of a computer system are protected by a mechanism for detecting unauthorized alteration, preferably in the form of digital signatures to detect unauthorized alteration. A vital data validation mechanism is provided to verify that vital data modules have not been tampered with. The vital data validation mechanism verifies the current state of each vital data module, preferably by decrypting the digital signature. The validation mechanism also checks an alteration log to verify that no alterations have been made to the corresponding memory locations. The second verification is intended to detect whether a vital data module has been altered temporarily, and then restored to its initial state. |
| US08225104B1 |
Data access security
An execution environment of a computer computes an initial effective permissions set for managed code based on user identity evidence, code evidence and/or a security policy and executes the code with this permissions set. If the managed code requests a data access, the execution environment considers data evidence that indicates the trustworthiness of the requested data. The data evidence can be based on the source of the data, the location of the data, the content of the data itself, or other factors. The execution environment computes a new effective permissions set for the managed code based on the data evidence and the security policy. This new effective permissions set is applied to the managed code while the code accesses the data. The execution environment restores the initial permissions set once the managed code completes the data access. |
| US08225097B2 |
Anchor point-based digital content protection
Digital content protection can be effectively implemented through use of an anchor point and binding records in a user domain. An anchor point domain may include a secure anchor point, and data storage to store digital property instances and rights objects. The secure anchor point may be configured to receive a title pre-key from the rights object and use a binding key to decrypt the title pre-key to yield a title key. The binding key may include data uniquely associating the encrypted digital property instance with the secure anchor point. |
| US08225095B2 |
Password-authenticated asymmetric key exchange
Communicating keys between network devices on a network using asymmetric cryptographic techniques, for which asymmetric keys may be derived from a single (same) password. Knowledge or partial knowledge of the password may be the only information shared between parties prior to execution of a key exchange, and may be the only criteria by which one party will base trust in the other. A first network device may encrypt a key using a password-based key derived from a password, and authenticate a second device based on the second network device's ability to decrypt the encrypted key using a key derived from the same password. Knowledge of the password may be conveyed by the second device to the first device—a session key may be generated as a function of the decrypted key, and a function of this session key may be communicated from the second device to the first device. |
| US08225093B2 |
Providing secure inter-application communication for a mobile operating environment
Providing for secure and efficient communication for mobile applications executed in a mobile operating environment is described herein. As an example, a primary mobile application can initiate a handshake that includes a unique identifier of the primary application and a random number for signing and/or certifying responsive requests. A recipient application can reference the unique identifier with a list of certified primary applications to verify the primary application. If verified, the recipient responds with the random number and a second random number that can sign and/or certify data requests sent by the primary application. According to some embodiments, random numbers can be hashed and/or truncated to provide low power encryption for such numbers. Further, round-trip policies can be enforced to provide reliable transmission of data. Accordingly, reliable, secure and low power synchronous communication can be conducted in a mobile environment. |
| US08225091B1 |
Systems and methods for protecting sensitive files from unauthorized access
Systems and methods for protecting sensitive files from unauthorized access are disclosed. An exemplary method involves detecting a connection of the computing device to an electronic device. An authorized connection list is accessed. It is then determined whether the connection is identified in the authorized connection list. If the connection is not identified in the authorized connection list, the method involves accessing sensitive file information which identifies at least one sensitive file stored on the computing device, and preventing access to the at least one sensitive file identified by the sensitive file information. |
| US08225084B2 |
Content transmitting device, content receiving device and content transmitting method
Before content transmission, the content transmitting device and the content receiving device mutually authenticate each other to verify that the other device respects copyright and rightfully handles content, and then content is encrypted by shared key data and transmitted. It is arranged that in an authentication process, a time from transmission of an authentication request or a time from transmission of an authentication response until arrival of receipt acknowledgement data is measured and only when a measured time is less than a fixed upper-limit value, content is transmitted. |
| US08225083B2 |
Secured seeding of data in a distributed environment
Techniques for seeding data among client machines, also referred to as boxes herein, are disclosed. To prevent the data distributed among the boxes from being illegitimately accessed or possessed, according to one aspect of the present invention, each box is configured to perform what is referred to herein as a transcription process. In other words, when encrypted data is received, the data is decrypted and then re-encrypted with a key agreeable with a next box configured to receive the data. |
| US08225081B2 |
Updating programmable logic devices
Updating programmable logic devices (‘PLDs’) in a symmetric multiprocessing (‘SMP’) computer, each compute node of the SMP computer including a PLD coupled for data communications through a bus adapter, the bus adapter adapted for data communications through a set of one or more input/output (‘I/O’) memory addresses, including configuring the primary compute node with an update of the configuration instructions for the PLDs; assigning, by the PLDs at boot time in an SMP boot, a unique, separate set of one or more I/O addresses to each bus adapter on each compute node; and providing, by the primary compute node during the SMP boot, the update to all compute nodes, writing the update as a data transfer to each of the PLDs through each bus adapter at the unique, separate set of one or more I/O addresses for each bus adapter. |
| US08225076B1 |
Scoreboard having size indicators for tracking sequential destination register usage in a multi-threaded processor
A scoreboard memory for a processing unit has separate memory regions allocated to each of the multiple threads to be processed. For each thread, the scoreboard memory stores register identifiers of registers that have pending writes. When an instruction is added to an instruction buffer, the register identifiers of the registers specified in the instruction are compared with the register identifiers stored in the scoreboard memory for that instruction's thread, and a multi-bit value representing the comparison result is generated. The multi-bit value is stored with the instruction in the instruction buffer and may be updated as instructions belonging to the same thread complete their execution. Before the instruction is issued for execution, this multi-bit value is checked. If this multi-bit value indicates that none of the registers specified in the instruction have pending writes, the instruction is allowed to issue for execution. |
| US08225075B2 |
Method and apparatus for shuffling data
Method, apparatus, and program means for shuffling data. The method of one embodiment comprises receiving a first operand having a set of L data elements and a second operand having a set of L control elements. For each control element, data from a first operand data element designated by the individual control element is shuffled to an associated resultant data element position if its flush to zero field is not set and a zero is placed into the associated resultant data element position if its flush to zero field is not set. |
| US08225074B2 |
Methods and systems for managing computations on a hybrid computing platform including a parallel accelerator
In accordance with exemplary implementations, application computation operations and communications between operations on a host processing platform may be adapted to conform to the memory capacity of a parallel accelerator. Computation operations may be split and scheduled such that the computation operations fit within the memory capacity of the accelerator. Further, the operations may be automatically adapted without any modification to the code of an application. In addition, data transfers between a host processing platform and the parallel accelerator may be minimized in accordance with exemplary aspects of the present principles to improve processing performance. |
| US08225072B2 |
Pre-fetching data into a memory
Systems and methods for pre-fetching of data in a memory are provided. By pre-fetching stored data from a slower memory into a faster memory, the amount of time required for data retrieval and/or processing may be reduced. First, data is received and pre-scanned to generate a sample fingerprint. Fingerprints stored in a faster memory that are similar to the sample fingerprint are identified. Data stored in the slower memory associated with the identified stored fingerprints is copied into the faster memory. The copied data may be compared to the received data. Various embodiments may be included in a network memory architecture to allow for faster data matching and instruction generation in a central appliance. |
| US08225069B2 |
Control of on-die system fabric blocks
Methods and apparatus for control of On-Die System Fabric (OSF) blocks are described. In one embodiment, a shadow address corresponding to a physical address may be stored in response to a user-level request and a logic circuitry (e.g., present in an OSF) may determine the physical address from the shadow address. Other embodiments are also disclosed. |
| US08225068B2 |
Virtual real memory exportation for logical partitions
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and program product for extending virtual memory associated with logical partitions. A hosting partition receives a paging request from a logical partition on a logically partitioned data processing. The hosting partition identifies a location of the physical memory space on a remote computing device assigned to the logical partition and sends an extended virtual memory paging request to an extended virtual memory manager located on the remote computing device using a network connection. The extended virtual memory paging request comprises the instructions for the memory page-in or the memory page-out and the location of the physical memory space on the remote computing device that is being paged-in or paged-out. The extended virtual memory manager performs a page-in operation or a page-out operation in accordance with the instructions for the memory page-in or memory page-out. |
| US08225064B2 |
Storage region allocation system, storage region allocation method, and control apparatus
There are provided a memory space allocation method and a memory space allocation device that aim at higher-speed accesses when a memory is shared by a plurality of circuits. In this memory, one data is accessed by issuing addresses a plurality of times. Memory allocation is performed so that high-order addresses of memory spaces of an external memory 505 may be maximally shared by a plurality of circuits 501. When the high-order addresses are common, a memory control circuit does not transfer the high-order addresses, thereby reducing the number of transfers of the high-order addresses. Therefore, the higher-speed access is achieved. |
| US08225058B2 |
Memory system managing a size of logs
A memory system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a log overflow control unit configured, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, to prohibit a recording operation of a log and to cause a log recording unit only to perform an updating operation of a management table, and when a commit condition is satisfied after the predetermined condition has been satisfied, to prohibit a commit operation by a log reflecting unit and to cause a snapshot storing unit to perform a snapshot storing operation. |
| US08225054B2 |
Method and system to locate a storage device
A request is received from a client machine via a web interface for content presented on a web page. A globally unique identifier (GUID) that is associated with the user is accessed and a number is generated based on the GUID. The generated number is utilized as an index to locate the storage device from the number of storage devices. Here, the storage device stores a user profile associated with the user. The user profile is read from the located storage device and the web page is personalized based on this user profile. The personalized web page is then communicated to the client machine. Other techniques for locating a storage device are also described. |
| US08225053B1 |
Method and apparatus for mitigating performance impact of background processing on interactive application
A method and apparatus for mitigating the performance impact of background or idle time processing during interactive computing sessions. One embodiment of the present invention is a method for mitigating performance impact of background or idle time processing on interactive applications comprising identifying executable and data pages in physical memory that are associated with an interactive application that is temporarily unused and preventing any of the identified executable and data pages from paging out. |
| US08225052B2 |
Methods for controlling host memory access with memory devices and systems
The present disclosure includes methods for controlling host memory access with a memory device, systems, host controllers and memory devices. One embodiment for controlling host memory access with a memory device includes receiving at least one command from a host and controlling execution of the at least one command with the memory device. |
| US08225050B2 |
Memory storage device and a control method thereof
The present invention discloses a control method of a memory storage device which includes a high density memory. The high density memory is composed of a plurality of MSB pages and LSB pages. The major feature of the method is such that it determines the property of data by its data length, and then decides where the data is to be written according to its property. |
| US08225048B2 |
Systems and methods for resource access
Systems and methods are provided to manage access to computing resources. More specifically, certain embodiments are described in which a resource or resource consumer can engage access controls or request that access controls be engaged if the age of a request exceeds one or more thresholds. For example, a requester may, after the age of a request meets or exceeds a threshold, indicate to a destination that a control should be engaged. |
| US08225046B2 |
Method and apparatus for saving power by efficiently disabling ways for a set-associative cache
A method and apparatus for disabling ways of a cache memory in response to history based usage patterns is herein described. Way predicting logic is to track consecutive misses to ways of a cache, i.e. hits/reads to other ways of cache. Based on the usage of ways and the non-usage of other ways, the way predicting logic determines if a way is to be powered down. In response to determining a way is to be powered down, the way predicting logic generates a power signal to power down an associated. Furthermore, upon a subsequent hit to a powered down way, the way predicting logic toggles the power signal to power up the associated way to ensure performance. |
| US08225045B2 |
Lateral cache-to-cache cast-in
A data processing system includes a first processing unit and a second processing unit coupled by an interconnect fabric. The first processing unit has a first processor core and associated first upper and first lower level caches, and the second processing unit has a second processor core and associated second upper and lower level caches. In response to a data request, a victim cache line is selected for castout from the first lower level cache. The first processing unit issues on the interconnect fabric a lateral castout (LCO) command that identifies the victim cache line to be castout from the first lower level cache and indicates that a lower level cache is an intended destination. In response to a coherence response indicating success of the LCO command, the victim cache line is removed from the first lower level cache and held in the second lower level cache. |
| US08225042B1 |
Method and apparatus for preventing foreground erase operations in electrically writable memory devices
Methods and systems are provided that may include a nonvolatile memory to store information, where the nonvolatile memory has a memory cache to store data corresponding to a received sector write operation, and a main memory comprising at least the designated memory block and a second memory block. A controller may reclaim at least one sector of the designated memory block and performing a write operation to write information from the memory cache in response to the received sector write operation to at least one sector of the second memory block. |
| US08225040B1 |
Systems and methods for redundant data storage
A computer-implemented method for redundant data storage may include identifying a storage system. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying a unit of data to be redundantly stored. The computer-implemented method may further include identifying an integer that represents the unit of data. The computer-implemented method may additionally include identifying a set of pairwise coprimes. The computer-implemented method may further include generating a set of shares, with each share including a reduction of the integer modulo a corresponding pairwise coprime in the set of pairwise coprimes. The computer-implemented method may also include redundantly storing the unit of data by storing the set of shares on the storage system. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08225039B2 |
Storage controller and virtual volume control method
A storage system includes a virtual volume, a plurality of RAID groups, a pool unit for managing a plurality of first real storage areas and a controller. If a write command related to the virtual volume is issued from a higher-level device, the controller selects a prescribed second real storage area from among respective second real storage areas included in a prescribed first real storage area, and associates this prescribed second real storage area with a prescribed area inside the virtual volume corresponding to the write command, and which associates one virtual volume with one first real storage area. A migration destination determination unit selects a migration-targeted second real storage area from among the respective second real storage areas associated with the virtual volume, and selects a migration-destination first real storage area, which is to become the migration destination of data stored in the migration-targeted second real storage area. |
| US08225038B2 |
Storage array boot and configuration
A RAID storage array having a controller and plurality of disk drives is configured into a plurality of groups. The plurality of disk drives are in a plurality of drive trays. The controller includes a main memory. A set of configuration information is stored on a central nonvolatile memory device. The set of configuration information includes group configuration information corresponding to each group of the plurality of groups with which a corresponding disk drive is associated. The set of configuration information is stored on a plurality of remote nonvolatile memory devices that are each associated with at least one of the plurality of drive trays. A bootware control process is loaded into the main memory. The bootware control process is executed. A plurality of service layer processes are loaded into the main memory. The plurality of service layer processes are executed in parallel under the control of the bootware control process. The configuration information is read from the central nonvolatile memory device. |
| US08225037B2 |
Apparatus and method for incremental package deployment
A method and apparatus for incremental package deployment are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the redirection of disk input/output (I/O) requests to preserve contents of disk memory. Following redirection of the disk I/O request, a software distribution package is created according to disk I/O write requests redirected to unused blocks of disk memory. In one embodiment, the software distribution package is generated using a firmware agent, which uploads the software distribution package to a server, which provisions the software distribution packet to other computers within a uniform environment to ensure that each system within the uniform environment has an identical system and memory image. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08225035B2 |
Systems and methods for operating a disk drive
System and methods for storing data to a storage device are provided. In embodiments, the storage device may include a disk drive with a solid-state memory for storing certain frequently updated information. In some embodiments, the solid-state memory may be used to store journaling information. |
| US08225028B2 |
Memory devices and methods for programming flash memory utilizing spare blocks
An access method for use in a memory device is provided. The memory device comprises a data area having a plurality of data blocks and a spare area having a plurality of spare blocks. First, data from a host is received. A spare block is popped from the spare area and the received data is programmed into the popped spare block accordingly. A data block corresponding to the data is pushed to the spare area. The pushed data block is erased when the memory device is waiting for a specific instruction to be issued from the host. |
| US08225023B2 |
Indicator control apparatus
An indicator control apparatus includes a bus connector, a signal converting unit, an address configuring unit, and an indicating unit. The signal converting unit receives bus signals from the bus connector. The address configuring unit sets an address of the signal converting unit. The signal converting unit converts the bus signals to digital input/output (I/O) signals in response to the address of the signal converting unit matching with the bus signals. The indicating unit is driven by the I/O signals and correspondingly displays information. |
| US08225022B2 |
Methods for eliminating intermediate bussing and bridging requirements between a solid state memory device with PCI controller and a main system bus
A method is provided for enabling electronic representation of a removable or fixed data storage device having a non-volatile memory as an operating system-standard disk directly accessible to a main bus of a computing appliance having a peripheral component interface connector and a motherboard. The method includes the acts (a) providing a peripheral component interface ported to a memory controller on the device, the memory controller for controlling host access to the non-volatile memory, (b) providing disk control registers and or bus control registers including appropriate disk and or bus protocols and commands in the peripheral component interface on the device, and (c) connecting the device to the peripheral component interface connector of the computing appliance. |
| US08225016B2 |
Even and odd frame combination data path architecture
Methods and apparatus to odd and even frame combination data path architectures are described. In one embodiment, a logic may include a buffer and a parallel input, serial output (PISO) logic that may be utilized for transferring data between a source and a destination. The logic may be utilized for transferring the data whether or not the data is transmitted in accordance with single ended or differential signals. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08225014B2 |
Continuous data provision by radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders
The present invention relates to the field of short-rage communication systems. In particular, the present invention relates to radio frequency identification transponders with fixed physical memory capacity having however a flexible virtual memory capacity allowing for providing amounts of data by the radio frequency identification transponders extending the fixed physical memory capacity. Accordingly, a method and a radio frequency identification transponder for continuos data provision by a radio frequency identification transponder is provided. A stream of data is received via a data interface for the transponder and the received data is stored in a transponder memory. Then the stored data is read out form the transponder memory and supplied to a radio frequency interface for being communicated therewith. Next, the memory, which is currently used for storing data, which has been read out previously, is provided afterwards for storing data being received subsequently via the data interface. |
| US08225013B2 |
Generation of a formatted unique device identifier from an AT attachment serial number
A Network Address Authority (“NAA”) identifier associated with a storage device is generated from an Advanced Technology Attachment (“ATA”) serial number, or other identifier, associated with the storage device. The ATA serial number is received from the storage device and used to generate a unique string having a predefined length. In one embodiment, a hash function is applied to the ATA serial number to produce a unique value from the ATA serial number and a portion of the unique value, such as the least significant three bytes, is used as the string having the predefined length. Additional identifying data is combined with the predefined length string and reformatted to generate the NAA identifier. For example, an eight-byte data packet including a four-bit type identifier, a three-byte OUI and the three-byte predefined length string is generated and subsequently used to identify the storage device to processes or devices. |
| US08225005B2 |
Use of peripheral component interconnect input/output virtualization devices to create high-speed, low-latency interconnect
A computer-implemented method for a high speed peripheral component interconnect input/output virtualization configuration creates a set of virtual function path authorization tables, receives a request including a virtual function, from a requester, to provide requested data, and identifies a source address in the source system and a target address in each target system of the target set of systems. A virtual function work queue entry for the source system is created containing the source and the target address and responsive to determining the virtual function is authorized, write the requested data from the source address of the source system through a firewall of an intermediate device into the target address of each target system, wherein the intermediate device is one of a multi-root peripheral component interconnect device and a single root peripheral component interconnect device, and issuing a notice of completion to the requester. |
| US08224999B2 |
World wide web content synchronization between wireless devices
Wireless access protocol-capable wireless devices are able to synchronize displayed Web content. A first WAP device requests a synchronized session through the sync Proxy of the network. The sync Proxy, through a WAP Push Proxy, sets up the synchronized session. One or both wireless devices may then request content from a Web site. This content is transmitted from the Web site to the first device, and through a WAP proxy to the second device. |
| US08224998B2 |
Micro-client for internet appliances
A method and system are described for providing features for internet access at an internet appliance which go beyond the resource limitations of the internet appliance. Such features may be implemented on the server, and coupled to the internet appliance for display, responsive to the ability of the internet appliance to provide those features. (1) The internet appliance and the server adapt to communication link limitations by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed. (2) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running applets at the server and intercepting display functions of applets for display at the internet appliance. (3) The internet appliance and the server adapt to memory and processor limitations by dynamically running editing programs or web pages at the server and by dynamically adjusting picture quality or size for graphics to be displayed. |
| US08224991B2 |
Duplicating switch for streaming data units to a terminal using different communication protocols
Streaming to a terminal by using a duplicating switch to receive a stream of data units, using the duplicating switch to store content from the stream, using the duplicating switch to generate a second stream that incorporates the content that was stored and address information corresponding to more than one terminal whose addressing information was not part of the first stream, and using the duplicating switch to make the second stream of data units available to two or more terminals. |
| US08224987B2 |
System and method for a hierarchical interconnect network
A system and method for a hierarchical interconnect network. Some illustrative embodiments comprise a network switch comprising a plurality of ports each adapted to couple to other devices external to the network switch as part of an interconnect network (the interconnect network comprises an inverted tree structure that originates with a root bus), a controller coupled to the plurality of ports (the controller defines an active path through the network switch, the active path follows the inverted tree structure), and a memory coupled to the controller (the memory comprising routing information). The controller uses the routing information to identify an alternate path through the network switch. At least part of the alternate path does not follow the inverted tree structure. |
| US08224986B1 |
Methods and apparatus for redirecting requests for content
The invention is directed to techniques in a computer, for processing a content request. In one arrangement a content engine receives a content request from a client, generates a result based on the content request, the result including one of a content-providing value and a redirection value in response to the content request, and selectively provides, to the client, one of (i) content when the result includes the content-providing value, and (ii) a redirection message when the result includes the redirection value, the redirection message including an extended domain name having a client identifier which identifies the client.The result can be used by a content router or content engine in deciding whether to provide content or a redirection. The decision to selectively provide can be based on client proximity to the content engines, past redirections, content size and type, content engine capacity, content availability and other factors. |
| US08224981B2 |
Accelerated multimedia file download and playback
A multimedia file transfer system including a redirector configured to identify a request to access a multimedia file via a network at a specified network address, and an accelerator configured to respond to the request by identifying at least one physical data storage device on which at least a portion of the multimedia file is stored, establish a plurality of data transfer links via the network with any of the devices, download a different portion of the multimedia file via each of the data transfer links, where any of the portions are downloaded at least partly concurrently, and provide, at least partly concurrently with downloading any of the portions, downloaded multimedia file data to a multimedia file player in the order in which the data appear in the multimedia file. |
| US08224968B1 |
Method and system for scalable content storage and delivery
A peer-to-peer communication system in which a peer communicating with a tracker node on a local torrent can locate and download files that are not currently available from other peers communicating on the local torrent. To enable this, the tracker node maintains collaboration information for a list of files. The collaboration information includes, for each file, a list of locations at which a full copy of the file may be located. The list of locations may include active peers, dormant peers and remote tracker nodes. The collaboration information may be obtained from each peer when it joins a local torrent. Upon joining the torrent, the peer may provide the local tracker node with a list of files that it is willing to serve. |
| US08224952B2 |
Methods, communication networks, and computer program products for monitoring, examining, and/or blocking traffic associated with a network element based on whether the network element can be trusted
A communication network is operated by determining whether a network element can be trusted and monitoring traffic associated with the network element based on whether the network element can be trusted. At least some of the monitored traffic may be selected for examination based on the degree of trust for the network element. At least some of the monitored and/or examined traffic is selected to be blocked based on the degree of trust for the network element. |
| US08224950B2 |
System and method for filtering data received by a computer system
The present invention provides a system and method for restricting access to data received by a computer over a network by filtering certain data from the data received. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a computer based method for filtering objectionable or target text data from World Wide Web pages which are received by a computer system connected to the Internet. According to the method, if the web page requested by the user contains only a minimum of objectionable or target data, the user may receive a portion of the filtered web page for downloading and viewing on his or her computer. If the web page requested contains a large amount of objectionable or target data, the invention will cause a “forbidden” page to be displayed on the user's computer monitor. |
| US08224946B2 |
Method and apparatus for accommodating duplicate MAC addresses
Each access node is associated with one or more IP subnets with a preferred default subnet. Each subnet is instantiated as a unique virtual Ethernet broadcast domain. As client nodes register on the communication network, they will dynamically try to obtain an IP address for use on the communication network. As part of this process, the MAC address of the client node will be checked to ensure that it is not a duplicate of another MAC address associated with another client node that has already been assigned an IP address from the default subnet. When duplicate MAC addresses are detected, the device with the duplicate MAC address will be assigned an IP address from a different subnet so that more than one client device with the same MAC address are not associated with the same subnet. In one embodiment, a DHCP server may implement the process of checking for duplicate MAC addresses. In an Ethernet context, different IP subnet prefixes may be mapped to different S-VID values so that the different subnets are implemented as different VLANs within the Ethernet network. |
| US08224945B2 |
Memory management system and method for open platform
The present invention relates to a memory management system and method for open platform. The memory management system and method of the present invention utilizes the main spirit of sharing service in open platform. When the used memory in local open platform exceeds an upper limit, the standard service bundle access interface is used for accessing the standard service bundle in remote open platform. Therefore, the standard service bundle in local open platform can be off-loaded to release the memory space so as to resolve the memory shortage problem. The stability of the whole system can be maintained. |
| US08224943B2 |
Network traffic routing
A service appliance is installed between production servers running service applications and service users. The production servers and their service applications provide services to the service users. In the event that a production server is unable to provide its service to users, the service appliance can transparently intervene to maintain service availability. To maintain transparency to service users and service applications, service users are located on a first network and production servers are located on a second network. The service appliance assumes the addresses of the service users on the second network and the addresses of the production servers on the first network. Thus, the service appliance obtains all network traffic sent between the production server and service users. While the service application is operating correctly, the service appliance forwards network traffic between the two networks using various network layers. |
| US08224941B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer product for managing operation
A system resource manager of a site management server registers a server domain as a group of servers having a uniform physical wire connection, registers a server group as a group of servers that use uniform software in a registered server domain, and changes an application of a server by controlling a switch of software that is stored in a RAID device connected to a server belonging to a registered server group via a SAN for each application and that is used by the server. |
| US08224938B2 |
Data processing system and method for iteratively re-distributing objects across all or a minimum number of processing units
A data processing system has a program module for determining a re-distribution of objects, such as database tables, over processing units of a cluster of processing units, such as in a blade computing environment. An estimate of the required duration for applying the re-distribution is calculated in order to facilitate an administrator's decision when to initiate the re-distribution procedure. |
| US08224932B2 |
Deployment of remote portlets into a portal
A method and system for deploying remote portlet applications into a portal. The system includes a portal server in communication with a client, and including a portal which includes a portlet which receives a request from a user, via the client, to install a portlet application from a remote location, searches for a selected remote portlet application as selected by the user, and triggers an installation of the selected remote portlet application when selected for installation by the user, and a deployment application programming interface (API) which communicates with the portlet and deploys the selected remote portlet application to the portal when triggered by the portlet. |
| US08224926B1 |
System and method for outage avoidance
Disclosed are systems and methods for outage avoidance in connecting to a remote system. The systems and methods dynamically adjust the number of requests allowed to attempt to access the remote system, resulting in a more efficient use of resources and an improved user experience. |
| US08224922B1 |
Work flow engine for controlling delivery of media treatments to customer contacts
The present invention recognizes that there is a need to enable scripts or rules within workflow engines to be more dynamic, more easily created, more easily interpreted by other software entities and moreover to enable many different media types to be provided rather than only one such as voice. The present invention addresses this by making use of new types of web-based scripting applications such as VXML and SALT. One or more new commands are added to existing workflow engines to enable them to instruct media servers to access web-based instructions. Those web-based instructions are then executed at the media server to provide additional media treatment control. |
| US08224917B1 |
Electronic communication reminder technology
Techniques are described for providing reminders for electronic communications. For instance, response patterns of a user are determined by communication type based on monitoring past response behavior of the user and the response pattern data is stored for the user by communication type. After storing the response pattern data for the user by communication type, a particular communication that is for the user and that is initiated by a first sender is received. A type of the particular communication is determined and response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication is accessed. A response reminder time for the particular communication is set based on the accessed response pattern data associated with the determined type of the particular communication. |
| US08224914B2 |
Systems and methods for optimizing smart mail
Methods and systems provide for creating and generating dynamic mailings which include providing for static and dynamic content to be included in a dynamically generated e-mail; establishing filters for determining dynamic content; establishing a generic e-mail including static and dynamic content; selecting dynamic content using the filters; generating a dynamic e-mail based upon the generic e-mail and the dynamic content selected; and transmitting the dynamically generated e-mail. |
| US08224912B2 |
Method and system for mapping organizational social networks utilizing dynamically prioritized E-mail flow indicators
A method to use dynamically prioritized email communications to establish and analyze organization social network maps includes selecting a dynamically prioritized email dataset based on network boundaries and contextual framework, establishing a one-way trusted relationship score between an email recipient and sender, establishing a one-way trusted relationship score between an email sender and recipient, establishing a two-way trusted relationship score between two communicating entities, establishing an atomic unit of entities based on a decreasing order of at least one of the one-way trusted relationship score and the two-way trusted relationship score, and establishing a social network based on arranging atomic units and entities based on one or more of an email prioritization score, a trusted relationship score, and an email productivity and collaboration metric, wherein the entities are email senders and email recipients. |
| US08224901B2 |
Method and apparatus for enhancing compound documents with questions and answers
A server system runs a bot service that registers an FAQ (frequently asked questions) for a document having an embedded object. The FAQ includes one or more question-and-answer (Q&A) pairs. The bot service receives, from each electronics device that renders a copy of the document, a request from the embedded object for the FAQ registered for the document, and transmits the FAQ to each electronic device from which a request is received. Each electronics device displays the FAQ, including the one or more Q&A pairs, within its rendered copy of the document. Any viewer of a copy of the document with the embedded object can submit a question to the bot service through the embedded object. The bot service uses a messaging service to obtain an answer to the question from an author. The FAQs displayed at the electronics devices are updated to include the new Q&A pair. |
| US08224898B2 |
Relevance-based expiration of data
Technologies are described herein for relevance-based expiration of data. An initial expiration time for the data is computed based upon an expiration duration associated with the data. The expiration time for the data is periodically re-computed in order to extend the expiration time. A relevance value for the meeting data is computed and the expiration time is set as a function of the computed relevance value. The relevance value may be computed as a product of a user-settable relevance value for the meeting data and a dynamic relevance point for the meeting data. When the computed expiration time for meeting data has been reached, the meeting data is expired, such as through the deletion of the meeting data. |
| US08224897B2 |
Automatically sharing a user's personal message
Described techniques enable a particular user to automatically share a piece of content with a group of users. To share the content, the particular user navigates to a Website or the like to identify the desired piece of content. The particular user then chooses to share the piece of content by actuating a button, an icon, or the like displayed within the content (e.g., Web content) or displayed within the browser's toolbar. In some embodiments, the users with whom the piece of content is then shared each include the particular user within a contact list. This document also describes techniques capable of enabling the particular user to allow a third party to select and share a piece of content. In some instances, the piece of content comprises an advertisement. This piece of content may be shared with a group of users that include the particular user as a contact. |
| US08224892B2 |
Rapid cooking oven with broadband communication capability to increase ease of use
An improved oven for use in a residence is described. The oven includes a cooking chamber, a programmable controller for executing program instructions, memory media for recording executable program instructions, and at least one controllable cooking system under control of the programmable controller, which provides a data-processing-controlled high speed cooking process which may be applied to food placed in the oven chamber. A plurality of cooking programs are recorded in the memory media of the oven. These define a plurality of high speed cooking routines available for use with the oven. A gateway server is communicatively coupled to the programmable controller. It manages the communication of digital content which is at least in-part related to operation and utilization of the improved oven. A broadband communication channel extends from a source of digital content, which is external to the residence, to the residence. The broadband communication channel delivers particular digital content related to the oven through the gateway server for distribution within the residence, including distribution to the programmable controller of the oven in order to facilitate cooking operations utilizing the oven. |
| US08224888B2 |
Public variable interface system
A system for interfacing information between subsystems of an embedded software system with subsystem independence. It is a public variable system that defines a simple, extensible framework for interfacing between product subsystems such as control engines, input/output subsystems, and communications protocols. Server subsystems within the embedded software system are given the ability to make public information available for use by client subsystems within the system, with isolation between client and server subsystems. |
| US08224885B1 |
Method and system for remote computing session management
A method and system for communicating a display image. The method comprises (a) compressing, by a first application on a first processor, initial updates; (b) determining, by the first application, availability of a second processor comprising compression hardware not in the first processor; (c) determining, by a second application on the first processor, a requirement to compress, by the second processor, future image updates; (d) compressing, by the second processor a first future image update; (e) initiating, by the first application on the first or a third processor, compressing by the second processor of a second future image update; (f) determining, by the first application, an unavailability of the second processor; (g) compressing, by the first application subsequent future image updates, including the second future image update, to generate compressed updates; and (h) transmitting the compressed initial updates, the compressed first update, and the compressed updates to a remote computer. |
| US08224884B2 |
Processor communication tokens
The invention provides a method of transmitting messages over an interconnect between processors, each message comprising a header token specifying a destination processor and at least one of a data token and a control token. The method comprises: executing a first instruction on a first one of the processors to generate a data token comprising a byte of data and at least one additional bit to identify that token as a data token, and outputting the data token from the first processor onto the interconnect as part of one of the messages. The method also comprises executing a second instruction on said first processor to generate a control token comprising a byte of control information and at least one additional bit to identify that token as a control token, and outputting the control token from the first processor onto the interconnect as part of one of the messages. |
| US08224883B2 |
Packed add-subtract operation in a microprocessor
A packed half-word addition and subtraction operation is performed by a microprocessor in parallel upon half-word operands obtained from designated top or bottom half-word locations of designated source registers of a register file and the sum and difference results of such operation are packed into respective top and bottom half-word locations of a designated destination register. The microprocessor includes an arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) with adder circuitry that can be selectively split into separate half-word adders that are independently selectable to perform either an addition operation or subtraction operation upon the selected half-word operands. The half-word adders of the ALU access the operands from source registers via a set of multiplexers that select among the top and bottom half-word locations. Operations with halving and saturation modifications to the sum and difference results may also be provided. |
| US08224880B2 |
File management apparatus and method, and storage system
The present invention provides a file management system and method, and a storage system that can prevent file-multiplexing in a storage apparatus, and efficiently use the storage capacity of the storage apparatus. The storage apparatus stores first management information for managing two or more kinds of classification list, each classification list including one or more keywords, and second management information for managing the kinds of classification list set for each of one or more users with regard to each of one or more tiers of their respective virtual file trees; and sends, in response to a request from a client apparatus to search the classification lists for a classification list set for a directory, the classification list set for the relevant user with regard to the tier matching the request to the client apparatus with reference to the first and second management information. |
| US08224872B2 |
Automated data model extension through data crawler approach
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for accessing data stored in multiple data sources. Such methods employ an automated software agent to maintain a collection of data sources available for querying. The data sources may all reside within a single local network or may be distributed throughout multiple locations. Generally, the automated software agent searches a given domain for additional data sources according to a defined set of selection criteria. After discovering an additional data source, the automated software agent configures a query application to reflect the availability the additional data source. Further, the automated software agent may periodically evaluate the collection of data sources against the selection criteria and remove those that are either no longer available or no longer satisfy the selection criteria. |
| US08224871B2 |
Triangulated irregular network
Methods and other embodiments associated with performing an in-memory triangulation of a large data set are described. One example method for performing in-memory triangulation of a large data set includes partitioning a large geographical information data set into a set of stripes and generating, in-memory, a set of local triangulated irregular networks (TINs) corresponding to members of the set of stripes. Information associated with triangles associated with the set of local TINs are stored. |
| US08224868B2 |
Network coding with last modified dates for P2P web caching
A method may include obtaining a source file at a node in peer-to-peer network and dividing the source file into a plurality of pieces. The pieces of the source file may be encoded using network coding principles. A last-modified-date (LMD) value may be appended to each of the encoded pieces, the LMD value being the same for each of the encoded pieces of the source file. The encoded pieces with the LMD values may be sent to one or more other nodes in the peer-to-peer network. |
| US08224866B2 |
Idea tracking and management
Disclosure is related to idea tracking and management. The disclosure invokes a method and system for displaying and tracking ideas from a database. The invention accesses a data repository via a data connection, displays the data from the data repository, and allows the displayed data to be characterized as scheduling data, statistical data, action items, current status, and listing of individuals. |
| US08224864B1 |
Striping directories across a striped volume set by the filenames contained in the directories
A method and apparatus for striping a directory across storage server nodes. Each storage server node services one of a plurality of persistent mass storage facilities. The method comprises mapping each filename in the directory to one of the persistent mass storage facilities. According to the mapping of the filenames, the directory is distributed across the storage server nodes for storage on the persistent mass storage facilities. |
| US08224855B2 |
Database data dictionary
Systems and methods are provided for manipulating data sets. In accordance with one implementation, a computerized system is provided for storing, managing, indexing, interrelating, and/or retrieving data sets in a manner independent of the data model. The system includes an element module configured to store and uniquely identify elements and an element relation module configured to store relationships between the elements in the element module. The computerized system may also comprise a class module configured to store attributes of elements in a class and a type definition module configured to define the class and the attributes related to the class. The computerized system may further comprise a state machine module, the state machine module including a state machine transition module and a status module. |
| US08224853B2 |
Methods and apparatus for updating a plurality of data fields in an electronic form
The disclosed system empowers technical and non technical users to author logical business objects, author intelligent business forms, and create automated workflows. The logical business objects include data definitions and methods from existing and new data sources. An object broker interprets the business object definition and brokers data/information and method calls to the data sources. The intelligent business forms are created by an information worker in a rich web-based tooling environment. Each form is intelligent enough to recognize other forms that it might co-exist with on a single page, as well as how to react based on events that occur on these related forms. The automated workflow tools include process discovery features that assist users during the process identification phase. The tools assist both technical and non technical users to identify processes within the organization, including supporting solution artifacts such as forms, rules, actions, outcomes and business objects involved. Process modeling features include the ability to combine defined artifacts into a process model that can be published into a runtime environment where it can be executed and used by business users in the organization. |
| US08224850B2 |
Method and system for determining users that satisfy desired conditions
A method and system are disclosed allowing for determining those users of multiple users who satisfy desired condition(s), where characteristics of the users in at least some embodiments vary dynamically. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a server device a request for a determination regarding which of a plurality of users satisfies a plurality of conditions respectively relating to a plurality of user characteristics, and obtaining at the server device a conditions specification. Additionally, the method includes accessing at least one repository in which is stored information regarding the users to obtain at least some of the information, the information concerning the user characteristics. The method also includes making a determination regarding which of the users satisfies the plurality of conditions, obtaining at the first server device updated information from the at least one repository, re-evaluating the determination, and sending output information regarding the re-evaluated determination. |
| US08224846B2 |
Apparatus for music retrieval, method for music retrieval, and program for music retrieval
An apparatus for retrieving music that matches with a user preference across a plurality of music is provided. The apparatus comprises a feature vector generating device for generating feature vectors of each of the music, a clustering device for clustering the music into a plurality of clusters according to the feature vectors, a music extraction device for extracting a predetermined number of music from each of the clusters, a music selection accepting device for accepting a selection of music by the user from the music, and a music retrieval device for calculating similarities between a feature vector of the selected music and feature vectors of each of the music, and retrieving music that have higher similarities to the selected music among the music. |
| US08224839B2 |
Search query extension
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for search query extension are disclosed. A particular method retrieves a set of queries related to a search query from a query repository. The search query includes one or more search words and at least one search word is included in each query in the set of queries. A set of context words based on one or more computer-readable files accessible to a computer is generated and an intersection is calculated. The intersection is based on the set of queries and the set of context words. An extended search query is generated based on the calculated intersection and the search query. |
| US08224838B2 |
Database search method, program, and apparatus
A search condition specifying unit specifies a search condition item, and specifies a re-search condition item which is desired to be re-searched based on the search result according to the search specified condition. A search processing unit extracts an item value corresponding to the re-search condition item from the search result of the database according to the search condition item, and repeats search of a database wherein the item value serves as the search condition item until no item value is extracted. A search result display unit displays the search result according to the search processing unit in a list. |
| US08224837B2 |
Method and mechanism for supporting virtual content in performing file operations at a RDBMS
Techniques are provided for accessing and storing files within a virtual folder. A virtual folder is a folder that is logically a part of a hierarchical folder structure of a file system repository, but the contents of the virtual folder are not physically stored in the file system repository. A client may issue, to an access mechanism, a request to perform a file operation on a file in a virtual folder. The access mechanism, which may be a database server or a component therein, may perform the file operation on the file in the virtual folder as if the file was stored in a particular folder within the hierarchical folder structure implemented by the file system repository. Advantageously, files may be physically stored outside of the file system repository, but still be a part of the hierarchical folder structure implemented by the file system repository. |
| US08224835B2 |
Expanding attribute profiles
A method and system for expanding attribute profiles are presented in which primary attributes from one or more attribute profiles are used to derive secondary attributes which are added to the respective attribute profiles to generate expanded attribute profiles. The expanded attribute profiles are generated to increase the strength of association of a query attribute with one or more attribute profiles associated with query-attribute-positive individuals. |
| US08224832B2 |
Computerized document examination for changes
A system and method are provided to examine a changeable monitored document and to provide alerts relating to changes of interest. The logical entities of a monitored document are compared, when changed, to the logical entities of an updatable reference of the monitored document which comprises material from the monitored document at a given time. The system distinguishes between logical entities which have moved within a document and logical entities which have been changed in a document. A user or users are alerted to any change in the monitored document according to the user's preferences. The system also allows the user to specify one or more search terms, thereby allowing a user to receive alerts only when a specified search term or terms appear in a newly changed portion of the monitored document. After examination, an extracted copy of the monitored document is retained as the editable reference. |
| US08224829B2 |
Database
A database is provided in which an index for the database is provided as a hierarchical structure of nodes that are navigated during a search until a conclusion set is reached. The structure is organized such that key information relating to a node is inferred from the position of the node in the structure. The index is queried using a search criterion having at least one key, each key including at least one key symbol, in order to locate data matching the search criterion. The index is a hierarchical structure of nodes that is navigated during a search until a conclusion set satisfying the search criterion is reached, and the index is searched by comparing, at each node, a decision group within the search key with a decision value associated with the node. The structure is organized such that the key symbols are not stored at a node in the structure, and each node has less than three exit paths therefrom. |
| US08224828B2 |
Multi-client generic persistence for extension fields
Access to a networked application can be provided to multiple users while allowing user-specific extension fields to be created and maintained for exclusive access by the user creating the extension field. A user-customized data object that includes a standard field value of a standard field of a standard data object defined by the networked application and a user-specific extension field value of a user-specific extension field that modifies operation of the networked application for the user and that is not available to other users of the plurality of users can be received from a user for writing to memory. The user-specific extension field value can be separated from the standard field value. The standard field value and the user-specific extension field value can be persisted in a first database table and a second database table, respectively. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also provided. |
| US08224826B2 |
Agent rank
The present invention provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for searching and ranking linked information sources. The techniques include receiving multiple content items from a corpus of content items; receiving digital signatures each made by one of multiple agents, each digital signature associating one of the agents with one or more of the content items; and assigning a score to a first agent of the multiple agents, wherein the score is based upon the content items associated with the first agent by the digital signatures. |
| US08224825B2 |
Graph-processing techniques for a MapReduce engine
Systems, methods, and devices for sorting and processing various types of graph data are described herein. Partitioning graph data into master data and associated slave data allows for sorting of the graph data by sorting the master data. In another embodiment, promoting a data bucket having a first data bucket size to a data bucket having a second data bucket size greater than the first data bucket size upon reaching a memory limit allows for the reduction of temporary files output by the data bucket. |
| US08224823B1 |
Browsing history restoration
Systems and methods are presented for restoring and/or utilizing browsing history for dynamically-generated or modified content is described. In one embodiment, the method includes: in response to a user request to display a page of information including a navigational element on a computing device, obtaining a content identifier for content associated with the navigational element, identifying a stored content identifier associated with the content and corresponding to a prior navigational element that was previously viewed on the computing device, verifying the prior navigational element associated with the stored content identifier, and setting at least one property of the navigational element to indicate, when displayed, that the content associated with the navigational element was previously viewed on the computing device. |
| US08224822B2 |
Template based entity transformation
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with template based entity transformation are described. One example method includes generating a difference set that describes differences between an existing data entity and a template. The example method may also include applying the template to the existing data entity based on the difference set and conflict resolution choices. |
| US08224814B2 |
Methods and systems for intermingling hetergeneous listing types when presenting search results
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for managing how merchandise listings satisfying a search query are processed and presented to a user of a computer-based trading or e-commerce application when the listings are of heterogeneous types. Consistent with some embodiments, in response to a user-initiated search query, item listings and product listings are displayed intermingled in a set of search results pages. The item listings and product listings are positioned relative to one another, in part, based on a level of demand associated with the product listings and the item listings, where demand is measured by monitoring user-initiated activities in connection with the item and product listings. |
| US08224811B2 |
Workload management using robustness mapping
Computer-implemented systems and associated operating methods use performance maps created by evaluating robustness of a database operator, query plan, or query to analyze health of a currently-executing query. The computer-implemented system comprises logic that receives one or more robustness maps of measured database system performance acquired during database execution in a predetermined range of runtime conditions. The logic analyzes state of a currently-executing query by locating the query's performance on the robustness maps. |
| US08224810B2 |
Abstract classification field specification
Techniques are disclosed for storing and rendering a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes a display area for specifying result fields and operators to define an abstract query. Each result field corresponds to a logical field specification of a data abstraction model abstractly describing data in a database. The GUI further includes a display area for specifying classification fields for the abstract query, each classification field including a result field and a classification definition, and the display area including a result field window displaying available result fields and graphical elements configured to allow specification of classification definitions for one or more selected result fields. The classification definition is suitable for dividing data into a plurality of categories. The GUI further includes a selection element for specifying whether the specified classification fields are included with the abstract query for execution, and another selection element for initiating execution of the abstract query. |
| US08224809B2 |
System and method for matching entities
Matching systems are provided that are configured to determine if a first entity received from a client device of a first user matches with at least one other entity of a plurality of entities indexed in an index in which each entity is associated with one or more index points. The system includes an application server adapted for communication with a matching engine and the client device. The matching engine is configured to index the first entity by associating the first entity with one or more index points in the index; and search for other entities matching the first entity among the plurality of entities indexed in the index by searching for other entities associated with at least one of the index points with which the first entity is associated. The matching system is adapted to initiate the search for other entities matching the first entity upon occurrence of a match triggering event and interpret the reception of the first entity as a match triggering event such that search is initiated upon reception thereof. |
| US08224802B2 |
User interface for facts query engine with snippets from information sources that include query terms and answer terms
A method and a system for providing snippets of source documents of an answer to a fact query are disclosed. Snippets of source documents may be provided in response to a user request for the source documents from which the fact answer to a fact query was extracted. The snippets include the terms of the fact query and terms of the answer. The snippets may be displayed along with Uniform Resource Locators (URL's) of the source documents. |
| US08224801B1 |
System and method for improved information retrieval
An improved information retrieval system. In response to detecting that the user has interacted with a display element in a first web page within a web browser window, retrieving information from a second web page before the user requests that the second web page be displayed within the web browser window. Other enhanced information retrieval techniques. |
| US08224800B2 |
Hardware accelerated reconfigurable processor for accelerating database operations and queries
Embodiments of the present invention provide a hardware accelerator that assists a host database system in processing its queries. The hardware accelerator comprises special purpose processing elements that are capable of receiving database query/operation tasks in the form of machine code database instructions, execute them in hardware without software, and return the query/operation result back to the host system. For example, table and column descriptors are embedded in the machine code database instructions. For ease of installation, the hardware accelerators employ a standard interconnect, such as a PCle or HT interconnect. The processing elements implement a novel dataflow design and Inter Macro-Op Communication (IMC) data structures to execute the machine code database instructions. The hardware accelerator may also comprise a relatively large memory to enhance the hardware execution of the query/operation tasks requested. The hardware accelerator utilizes hardware-friendly memory addressing, which allows for arithmetic derivation of a physical address from a global database virtual address simply based on a row identifier. The hardware accelerator minimizes memory reads/writes by keeping most intermediate results flowing through IMCs in pipelined and parallel fashion. Furthermore, the hardware accelerator may employ task pipelining and pre-fetch pipelining to enhance its performance. |
| US08224799B2 |
Providing lock-based access to nodes in a concurrent linked list
A method of providing lock-based access to nodes in a concurrent linked list includes providing a plurality of striped lock objects. Each striped lock object is configured to lock at least one of the nodes in the concurrent linked list. An index is computed based on a value stored in a first node to be accessed in the concurrent linked list. A first one of the striped lock objects is identified based on the computed index. The first striped lock object is acquired, thereby locking and providing protected access to the first node. |
| US08224795B2 |
Map data product, map data processing program product, map data processing method and map data processing device
A first data product that can be read into a computer or a map data processing apparatus, contains therein map data having map-related information of a map. The map data includes: a structure having the map-related information divided into units of a plurality of divisions into which the map is divided; and a structure having management information for the map-related information divided into units of the divisions, and: the map-related information obtained by the computer or the map data processing apparatus can be updated in units of the individual divisions by using the management information. |
| US08224793B2 |
Registration in a de-coupled environment
A method, system and computer program product for registration in a de-coupled environment or system may include providing an identity of a spawned component to a manager. The method, system and computer program product may also include taking a predetermined action in response to the spawned component failing to report its status to the manager after a preset time period. |
| US08224791B2 |
Information lifecycle cross-system reconciliation
In the described systems and methods for information lifecycle cross-system reconciliation, a number of reconciliation indicators for a certain type of data are defined. A first set of values of the reconciliation indicators are calculated at a first computer system based on data stored in a memory of the first computer system. A second set of values of the reconciliation indicators are calculated at a second computer system based on data transferred from the first computer system. The two sets of values are received at reconciliation cockpit and stored in a reconciliation data structure. Further, the reconciliation data structure is examined to identify inconsistency between the data stored in the memory of the first computer system and the data transferred to the second computer system. If such an inconsistency is identified, the data transfer is cancelled. If inconsistency is not identified, the data transfer is confirmed. |
| US08224790B2 |
Information processor arrangement
Irregular links and relationships in a data set may relate to fraudulent actions or identify deception or risk assessment or knowledge generation but may be identified by simple superficially unlinked actions. Thus, for example a claimant may claim through an address using one telephone number but contact the insurer for that claim using a different telephone number. By pooling all the information received, including all telephone numbers, unusual or irregular or fraudulent leads can be identified by establishing telephone numbers or other gateway cluster nodes for each dataset such that supposedly unrelated claims can be matched and therefore be more closely scrutinized. The information processor arrangement may create a cascade of clusters for an as presented data set which can be configured through cluster nodes to allow better identification of suspect activity or for better analysis profiling. |
| US08224774B1 |
Electronic form processing
Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to producing an electronic form with the approximate look and/or feel of a previously existing hardcopy form, including generating a series of objects such as, for example, classes, table structures, metadata, etc., representing the hardcopy form. One or more object-oriented classes may be generated based, at least in part, on a form definition template representing a previously existing hardcopy form. |
| US08224768B1 |
Tropical cyclone prediction system and method
A method of predicting information related to a path of a weather phenomenon includes obtaining a plurality of tracks corresponding to the weather phenomenon from at least one source. A factor is assigned to each of the plurality of tracks. A set of probabilities for the weather phenomenon to intersect a plurality of segments corresponding to a boundary is determined using at least intersection points of the plurality of tracks with the boundary and the factor assigned to each of the plurality of tracks. |
| US08224766B2 |
Comparing spatial-temporal trails in location analytics
Systems and computer-implemented methods are provided for comparing, associating and deriving associations between two or more spatial temporal data trails. One or more spatial-temporal data trails comprising one or more places are received at a processor. Each place is identified by a spatial temporal data point. And each spatial-temporal data trail is associated with an individual. The similarity between pairs of places is determined to establish one or more groups of places or one or more groups of individuals. Similarity and/groups can be determined based on demographics associated with the place or individual. |
| US08224761B1 |
System and method for interactive correlation rule design in a network security system
A method for generating correlation rules for events comprises receiving event data for each of a plurality of events, the event data of a particular event comprising at least one attribute associated with that event. The method continues by displaying the event data for each of the plurality of events to an operator. The method continues by receiving a selection of at least a portion of the events. The method continues by generating at least one rule that correlates the selected events based at least in part upon the attributes associated with the selected events. The method concludes by displaying the event data to the operator in accordance with the at least one rule. |
| US08224760B2 |
Self learning method and system for managing a group reward system
A system for managing a purchase agreement, including: a memory element for at least one specially-programmed general purpose computer for storing an artificial intelligence program (AIP) and a purchase agreement between a customer and at least one business entity, the purchase agreement including at least one requirement regarding at least one retail transaction between the customer and the business entity; a processor in the specially-programmed general purpose computer for: compiling a purchasing history for the customer with respect to the business entity and the purchase agreement, the memory element for storing the purchasing history, and modifying, using the purchasing history and the AIP, the at least one requirement to increase revenue or profitability of the business entity; and an interface element in the specially-programmed general purpose computer for transmitting the modified at least one requirement for presentation to the customer. |
| US08224757B2 |
Curriculum management system
Methods and systems, including computer program products, for use with a curriculum management system that manages a curriculum comprised of at least a course. The method includes scheduling a booking of the course for a learner; receiving input requesting a modification to the booking; determining whether the booking is an individual booking or a curriculum booking; and processing the modification based on whether the booking is an individual booking or a curriculum booking. |
| US08224754B2 |
Generation, distribution and verification of tokens using a secure hash algorithm
Methods, systems, and apparatus for generation, distribution and verification of tokens are described. In an implementation, a method is described in which a value of an offer is determined and a token for representing the offer is generated. The token has a number of characters based on the determination of the value of the offer. |
| US08224749B2 |
Methods and systems for automated generation of bills
The present invention provides methods and systems for processing bills electronically. Generally, a bill is created for a customer using billing information and master data from a biller and master data from a customer. Billing information is received from the biller by a first processing module having access to the master data of the biller. The first processing module generates a bill using the billing information and the master data of the biller. A second processing module having access to the master data of the customer provides customer data to the first processing module. The bill is transformed into a format specified in the master data of the customer by the first processing module if the format of the generated bill is not the format specified in the master data of the customer. The generated or transformed bill is transferred to the second processing module by the first processing module. |
| US08224748B2 |
Methods and systems for adjusting account terms based on purchase transaction information
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a financial account. The disclosed systems and methods may include providing a financial account offer to a customer. The disclosed systems and methods may also include receiving en acceptance of the offer, providing the financial account, setting an account variable equal to a first account value, and monitoring the financial account. The monitoring may further comprise resetting the account variable equal to a second account value when a number of purchase transactions corresponding to a currently monitored time period are less than a threshold value. Furthermore, the account variable may be reset equal to a third account value when the number of purchase transactions corresponding to the currently monitored time period are greater than or equal to the threshold value and a number of purchase transactions corresponding to the previous time period were less than the threshold value. |
| US08224746B1 |
Method for processing payment for a purchase transaction
A method for processing payment for a purchase transaction includes enabling the provision of a first payments account to an accountholder and enabling a second payments account of the accountholder to be associated with the first payments account. A limit on the number of times the first payment account can be used for making purchase transactions within a determined time period is established. During a purchase transaction being made by the accountholder using the first account, information indicative of the first account and the purchase transaction is received. It is determined whether the limit on the number of times the first account has been used by the accountholder within the determined time period has been reached. When the limit on the number of times the account can be used in the time period has been reached, the second account of the accountholder is used for the purchase transaction. |
| US08224744B2 |
Apparatus and method of a distributed capital system
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide for conducting financial transactions over a network. A user requests to execute at least one financial transaction with at least one of a number of parties, each of the parties corresponding to a data processing system on the network. Real-time financial information relating to the financial transaction is obtained, and the user can test and confirm that the financial transaction with the at least one party can take place prior to execution of the financial transaction. |
| US08224735B1 |
Method, system, and computer program for investing
An investment method provides a predictable monthly income to a retiree or other investor while increasing asset growth potential and decreasing the likelihood that assets will need to be sold during market downturns. The method may be implemented by computer equipment and computer programs operated by an investment services provider. Funds are first received from an investor and used to purchase assets for a Growth Component and an Income Protection Component. The assets in the Growth Component are invested primarily in growth-oriented investments, and the assets in the Income Protection Component are invested primarily in income-oriented investments. The investor may be paid distributions from the Income Protection Component. As the Income Protection Component is depleted through the payment of the distributions, it is periodically replenished by selling assets from the Growth Component. To minimize the likelihood that assets will be sold from the Growth Component during down markets, the amount of assets sold from the Growth Component is based at least partially on the rate of return of the Growth Component and may also be based on the state of the Income Protection Component. |
| US08224732B1 |
Fiduciary screener test and benefit plan selection process
A process for enrolling individual participants in compensation and employee benefit plans using performance scores from a psychometric testing instrument to determine whether individual participants understand the risks of their plan choices. As an individual's score increases on the test, a larger array of plan choices become available allowing greater opportunity for plan customization. This screening process benefits the individual plan participant by limiting plan choices where risks are not properly understood. Additionally, the use of the test as a screener to curtail unsuitable plan choices affords plan sponsors a mechanism to demonstrate that they have properly exercised their fiduciary duty. |
| US08224730B2 |
Scanning based spreads using a hedge ratio non-linear optimization model
The disclosed embodiments utilize hedge ratios to determine the optimal hedge ratio and associated scanning spread. This tells traders what ratios of the quantities of products they should have in their portfolio in order to maintain the status of the portfolios as delta neutral, i.e. be delta hedged, and receive optimal margin credits therefore. |
| US08224724B2 |
Method and system for associating a collateral agreement with a receivable
Embodiments of the present invention relate to software for automatically forming links between a collateral agreement and receivable secured by the collateral agreement. |
| US08224723B2 |
Account opening system, method and computer program product
A system that facilitates opening of a bank account by banking personnel for a customer. The account opening system includes an automatic rate determination feature that uses customer information, account information and other criteria to determine an account interest rate. The rate determination system may also mediate rate negotiation between a personal banker and the customer by limiting the increase in rate awarded by the personal banker. An auditing system assigns numbers to a series of profiles, each describing a request to open an account. Profiles to be audited are determined by generating random numbers that fall within the range of assigned profile numbers. Random number generation is repeated until a threshold percentage of profiles have been selected for auditing. The account opening system includes a system for tracking the progress of the account application and for organizing information recorded by the personal banker during interactions with the customer. |
| US08224722B2 |
Customizable marketing project interfaces
Systems and methods are provided to enable filtered searches of marketing-related data by extracting marketing project information, including marketing activities, promotions, and campaigns information from an existing marketing system database and restructuring the extracted information in a hierarchical series of selectable nodes. In an embodiment, some of the nodes may be grouped into time, accounts, products, agreements, or marketing plan tabs. In an embodiment, once one or more nodes are selected and a search is activated, the results may be presented in a list or Gantt chart. In an embodiment, the Gantt chart may be supplemented with additional information including additional date ranges, key performance indicators (KPIs), and/or trade spends. In an embodiment, this additional information may vary according to a user role and the nodes selected. |
| US08224721B2 |
Lightweight dunnage platform
A dunnage platform adapted to support a load for transport comprises a deck including a top surface, a bottom surface and an edge extending therebetween and a pair of legs, each of the legs including at least one foot extending from the leg. The bottom surface of the deck includes at least one stub for each of the legs, the at least one stub positioning the leg along the bottom surface. The at least one foot of each leg is hollow to receive the at least one stub. When the pair of legs is positioned along the deck, the dunnage platform is elevated by the at least one foot extending from the each said leg of the pair of legs. |
| US08224720B2 |
System and method for tracking inventory
A computer-based system for tracking inventory based on sales. The system can include a processor configured to process, manage, and analyze data. Additionally, the system can include a computing device operably coupled to the processor, wherein the computing device is associated with an entity. Notably, the processor can be configured to request information associated with a product from the computing device, wherein the information comprises an on-hand inventory quantity of the product and a total sales quantity of the product for a designated period of time for the entity and receive the requested information associated with the product from the computing device. The processor can also be configured to determine whether the on-hand inventory quantity is at least one and the total sales quantity of the product for the designated period of time is zero. Furthermore, the processor can be configured to select the entity when it is determined that the on-hand inventory quantity is at least one and the total sales quantity of the product for the designated period of time is zero. |
| US08224717B2 |
Managing an inventory of service parts
An inventory of service parts may be managed by assessing a company's capability, optimizing the inventory and implementing a management program based on the assessment and optimization. Optimizing target stock levels for the inventory of parts may be accomplished by calculating an inventory baseline for understanding information about the currently held inventory; developing a service strategy for a set of segments; quantifying a service level for each of the segments; analyzing the segments and their service levels for identifying at least one logistically distinct business; assigning each of the segments to a “best-fit” planning model for indicating each segment's deployment, replenishment, forecasting and review characteristics; identifying a probability distribution function for estimating a demand process of each of the segments; and calculating a target stock level for each segment. |
| US08224713B2 |
Systems and methods for enhanced information visualization
In accordance with the present invention, an information management application that provides users with the ability to create and customize matrix displays of information relating to a particular product or service for navigation by other users is provided. |
| US08224706B2 |
Commodity information registering method and system which automatically matches commodity model and category with the commodity information
A goods information registration method includes: maintaining a goods model database including a goods model identifier which is used in a predetermined shopping mall relay server; receiving a goods identifier or a goods name of goods information which is registered in a predetermined shopping mall server; extracting a model name keyword from the goods name; using the model name keyword for searching the goods model database for at least one recommendation goods model identifier corresponding to the goods identifier, based on a predetermined automatic goods model recommendation logic; presenting search results including a list of the at least one recommendation goods model identifier to a goods registrant, and receiving a selection on any one recommendation goods model identifier of the list, from the goods registrant; and registering the goods information in the shopping mall relay server, in association with the selected recommendation goods model identifier. |
| US08224705B2 |
Methods, systems and devices for packet watermarking and efficient provisioning of bandwidth
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for transmitting streams of data. The present invention also relates to generating packet watermarks and packet watermark keys. The present invention also relates to a computerized system for packaging data for transmission to a user. The system may utilize computer code to generate a bandwidth rights certificate that may include: at least one cryptographic credential; routing information for the transmission; and, optionally, a digital signature of a certificate owner; a unique identification code of a certificate owner; a certificate validity period; and pricing information for use of bandwidth. The present invention also relates to an electronic method and system for purchasing good and services by establishing an account whereby a customer is credited with a predetermined amount of bandwidth usage, and then charges are assessed against the account in an amount of bandwidth usage which corresponds to the agreed upon purchase value for the selected item. |
| US08224698B2 |
System and method for determining weighted average success probabilities of internet advertisements
A method and related system for determining the weighted average conversion (or click-through) probability (WACP) associated with an activity, such as an internet advertising bid activity. The method involves gathering information associated with prior actions relevant to future actions, such as bidding on internet advertisement placement, for example. The gathered information, such as clicks, impressions and conversions resulting from an advertisement placement, is used in an algorithm to calculate the WACP. The method may be carried out as part of a system including one or more computing devices and the execution of instructions embodied in computer-readable media. The algorithm may include the option of weighting the data used, such as by valuing recent data more than older data. |
| US08224696B2 |
Automated reward management for network-based contests
A system for automated reward management for network-based contests includes one or more processors and memory coupled to the processors, where the memory stores program instructions executable by the processors to implement a contest manager. The contest manager is configured to collect an entry fee corresponding to each entry of a plurality of entries submitted for a contest over a network, and provide a prize to a winning entry of the contest based at least in part on a total amount of entry fees collected for the contest. |
| US08224695B2 |
Monetizing service calls through advertising
A platform service that is used by an application may be linked to an advertising service. A cost of using the platform service may be reduced based on the linking. |
| US08224692B2 |
System and method for pricing of overlapping impression pools of online advertisement impressions for advertising demand
An improved system and method for pricing of overlapping impression pools of online advertisement impressions for advertising demand is provided. An inventory of online advertisement impressions may be grouped in impression pools according to attributes of the advertisement impressions and advertisers' requests for impressions targeting specific attributes may be received. An optimal price may be computed for each of the impression pools of the inventory of online advertisement impressions using dual values of an optimization program. The values of a dual variable for prices of impression pools on the supply constraints of an objective function for allocating the impression pools may be extracted and iteratively increased on those impression pools which have a dual value greater than the book rate value. |
| US08224691B1 |
System and method for distributing information through cooperative communication network sites
Information pertaining to products made by manufacturers and sold to consumers through retailers, is distributed to consumers through a communication network that connects consumer communication nodes to a cooperative network site having an accumulation of information about manufacturer product offers and retailer special deals. A consumer can obtain selected items of this information without knowledge of how to reach the cooperative network site, by simply logging in to a manufacturer network site or to a retailer network site. At a manufacturer site, the consumer can obtain a list of local retailers carrying the manufacturer offers and can then select from among the offers and receive complete details of the selected offers. At a retailer site, the consumer can obtain a list of manufacturer offers available at the retailer stores in the consumer's area, and can then select from among the available offers and receive their complete details. An additional feature of the invention makes use of a consumer “personal page,” which is an individualized database in which consumer shopping preferences are defined, both by information that the consumer expressly provides and by the consumer's past shopping activity. Use of the personal page allows the consumer to receive product offers that are more targeted to the individual consumer, thus saving the consumer time and effort. Another embodiment of the invention provides for distribution of a product purchase incentive directly to the consumer in response to his or her selection of an advertising banner displayed on an independent commercial network site. |
| US08224690B2 |
Graphical risk-based performance measurement and benchmarking system and method
A system and method provides analysis of pre- and post-project effects on frequency and severity of operational loss. The method includes the computation of the frequency of incidents and the severity of incidents for equipment based on recorded incident data. Risk, a function of frequency and severity, is calculated before and after a project to determine if the project has changed the risk of an incident in a piece of equipment or facility and if the project has changed the nature of risk (i.e. increasing severity while decreasing frequency). The method may be used to compute forecast estimates of future operational losses, assess goals for improving current performance relative to demonstrated industry performance, and determine statistical confidence intervals of forecast such that risk, and changes in risk, may be visually quantified and communicated. |
| US08224686B1 |
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for analyzing initiatives for a business network
A system, method, and article of manufacture is disclosed for analyzing a business initiative for a business network including business locations separated into control group sites and test sites that have implemented the business initiative for a predetermined test period. Each of the sites have an associated set of attributes reflecting various characteristics corresponding to the respective site, such as geographical location, size of business location, number of employees, etc. In one aspect of the invention, a process is performed that collects a performance value for each of the test and control group sites reflecting a level of performance of each respective sites during the test period. The performance of the test sites is then measured relative to the performance of the control sites over the same time period. The process may segment the performance values for each test site attribute to identify those attributes that have a greater impact on the performance values of the test sites than other attributes. Further, the process configures a model for predicting the performance values of the test sites using the identified attributes and determines whether the model accurately predicts these performance values. If so, the process applies the model to the non-tested sites to predict the performance values of these sites. Based on the predicted performance values, a user may select one or more of the sites to implement the business initiative. |
| US08224682B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for calendar-based coverage monitoring
Methods, systems, and computer program products for calendar-based coverage monitoring are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes receiving a coverage rule defining at least one covering entity for performing an activity for a covered entity and at least one period of time during which the multiple covering entities is to perform the activity. Individual calendars for the at least one covering entity are monitored and a change in one of the calendars is detected. It is then determined whether the change causes the coverage rule to be violated, and in response to determining that the change causes the coverage rule to be violated, a notification indicating violation of the coverage rule is automatically generated. |
| US08224678B2 |
Systems and methods for tracking health-related spending for validation of disability benefits claims
A method for tracking health-related spending for validation of disability benefits claims includes receiving, by a Medicare Secondary Payer statute-compliance company, from an authorization server, an identification of an approved transaction initiated by a recipient of insurance settlement funds to acquire at least one of a healthcare-related service and a healthcare-related good by a provider, the recipient authorized to receive the at least one of the healthcare-related service and the healthcare-related good from the provider. The method includes tracking, by the Medicare Secondary Payer statute-compliance company, healthcare-related expenditures by the recipient. The method includes generating, by the Medicare Secondary Payer statute-compliance company, a statement of approved transactions. The method includes transmitting, by the Medicare Secondary Payer statute-compliance company, to a disability benefit provider, the statement of approved transactions. |
| US08224677B2 |
System and method for administering life insurance policies issued prior to underwriting
A computer system for administering applications for life insurance has a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive data indicative of an application and an initial premium payment from a proposed insured for life insurance; based on the received data, determine whether the proposed insured is uninsurable; responsive to a determination that the proposed insured is not uninsurable, generate an output signal having data indicative of a decision to respond to the application by issuing a policy and commencing a comprehensive underwriting process; receive data indicative of a result of the comprehensive underwriting process; based on the result of the comprehensive underwriting process, determine a rating of the proposed insured; and, based on the rating, provide an output signal indicative of a same or changed premium for the policy. |
| US08224676B2 |
On-demand flight accident insurance
A system for providing flight accident insurance at low price and fixed coverage comprises means for limiting the number of policies that can be sold on any given flight to not more than a predetermined number. The predetermined number may be 20. The premium for the insurance is a function of the GDP of the country in which the airline operating said flight is domiciled such that said premium is a decreasing function of said GDP. |
| US08224668B2 |
Satori integrated health and financial benefits system and method
A shared medical savings system and method are provided that allow a patient to participate in the savings generated by selecting to have a medical procedure performed overseas. The system has one or more computing devices, a link that is capable of connecting the one or more computing devices to a medical shared savings unit that is capable of interacting with the computing devices. An employer uses the computing device to elect to participate in a medical savings plan using a Health Reimbursement Account, a patient using the computing device to select an overseas medical procedure that is part of the medical savings plan so that the savings for the overseas medical procedure is divided between the employer and the patient utilizing a medical savings plan. |
| US08224667B1 |
Therapy adherence methods and architecture
A therapy adherence system is provided. The system comprises at least one computer system, a database, and an application that, when executed on the at least one computer system, receives a message from a home-based patient device containing medication compliance information and physical condition information. The system also compares medication compliance information and physical condition information with a current treatment regimen and historical medication and physical condition information stored in the database. The system also calculates an updated regimen and health risk level based on at least current and historical medication compliance information and physical condition information. The system also notifies an at least one health care provider when health risk level exceeds a threshold. The system also receives response from the at least one health care provider, the response comprising adjustments to the updated regimen and a diagnosis and communicates the updated regimen. |
| US08224666B1 |
Rules based medical charging system
The combination of a data communication system, including data input, data retention, and data output means, and to the supporting software to develop an accurate account of charges for a surgical procedure, including pre-op, surgical and post-op, of a patient in a medical facility. The method consists of a pair of sequential and interrelated modular subsystems having an administrator module and a manager module. The method includes inputting of such information as base charges, modifying the inputted base charges based on known circumstances and unique conditions of the patient, and identifying materials and facility resources used in the surgical procedure. Further, the actual materials used in the surgical procedures are identified along with actual items and duration of use during the surgical procedure, for inputting into data input base, where all of this data and information is transmitted to the data retention and data output base for accurately determining the appropriate charges to the patient. |
| US08224665B2 |
Estimating healthcare outcomes for individuals
A method and apparatus for predicting a health benefit for an individual is provided. Outcomes from a first simulation on a set of simulated individuals reflecting a population are stored and used to determine a first risk function and corresponding cost values. Outcomes from a second simulation on a set of simulated individuals reflecting having a healthcare intervention are stored and used to determine a second risk function reflecting the intervention and corresponding cost values of the intervention. A benefit function is derived from the difference of the first and second risk functions. A cost function that describes the cost of the intervention is derived from the respective cost values. The derived benefit function and cost function are used to predict the corresponding benefit and cost of the healthcare intervention for a given individual. Individuals can be ranked by degree of expected benefit. |
| US08224663B2 |
System and method for assessment and corrective action based on guidelines
A system and method are provided for applying guidelines to data and providing self-assessment ability. Guideline data is stored in a data storage component, along with user data. The user data represents both quantitative data and qualitative self-assessment data. In a self-assessment system and method, a graphical user interface is provided along with a target image and factor icons. The icons are adapted to be moved onto a position on the target image representative of an entity's self assessment of performance relative to the corresponding factor. A subset of actionable alternatives are selected and displayed based on the self-assessment data and the guidelines. |
| US08224661B2 |
Adapting masking thresholds for encoding audio data
According to one embodiment, an improved audio coding technique encodes audio having a low frequency transient signal, using a long block, but with a set of adapted masking thresholds. Upon identifying an audio window that contains a low frequency transient signal, masking thresholds for the long block may be calculated as usual. A set of masking thresholds calculated for the 8 short blocks corresponding to the long block are calculated. The masking thresholds for low frequency critical bands are adapted based on the thresholds calculated for the short blocks, and the resulting adapted masking thresholds are used to encode the long block of audio data. The result is encoded audio with rich harmonic content and negligible coder noise resulting from the low frequency transient signal. |
| US08224660B2 |
Method of coding a source audio signal, corresponding coding device, decoding method and device, signal, computer program products
A method is provided for coding a source audio signal. The method includes the following steps: coding a quantization profile of coefficients representative of at least one transform of the source audio signal, according to at least to distinct coding techniques, delivering at least two sets of data representative of a quantization profile; selecting one of the sets of data representative of a quantization profile, as a function of a predetermined selection criterion; transmitting and/or storing the set of data representative of a selected quantization profile and an indicator representative of the corresponding coding technique. |
| US08224654B1 |
Editing voice input
A computer-implemented method of generating a voice command to perform an action includes receiving a voice request to perform the action, wherein the voice request comprises first audio information for one or more first data fields associated with the action; generating a GUI that when rendered on a display device comprises a prompt message prompting a user to speak second audio information for one or more second data fields associated with the action; and inserting into the one or more second data fields data indicative of one or more of (i) the first audio information, and (ii) the second audio information. |
| US08224653B2 |
Method and system for operating a vehicular electronic system with categorized voice commands
Methods and systems for operating an avionics system with voice command capability are provided. A first voice command is received. A first type of avionics system function is performed in response to the receiving of the first voice command. A second voice command is received. A second type of avionics system function that has a hazard level higher than that of the first type of avionics system function is performed in response to the receiving of the second voice command only after a condition is detected that is indicative of a confirmation of the request to perform the second type of avionics function. The avionics system may also have the capability to test whether or not the voice command feature is functioning properly. |
| US08224651B2 |
System and method for hazard mitigation in voice-driven control applications
A speech recognition and control system including a sound card for receiving speech and converting the speech into digital data, the sound card removably connected to an input of a computer, recognizer software executing on the computer for interpreting at least a portion of the digital data, event detection software executing on the computer for detecting connectivity of the sound card, and command control software executing on the computer for generating a command based on at least one of the digital data and the connectivity of the sound card. |
| US08224641B2 |
Language identification for documents containing multiple languages
Multiple nonoverlapping languages within a single document can be identified. In one embodiment, for each of a set of candidate languages, a set of non-overlapping languages is defined. The document is analyzed under the hypothesis that the whole document is in one language and that part of the document is in one language while the rest is in a different, non-overlapping language. Language(s) of the document are identified based on comparing these competing hypotheses across a number of language pairs. In another embodiment, transitions between non-overlapping character sets are used to segment a document, and each segment is scored separately for a subset of candidate languages. Language(s) of the document are identified based on the segment scores. |
| US08224637B1 |
Method and apparatus for modeling transistors in an integrated circuit design
An aspect of the invention relates to modeling a transistor in an integrated circuit design. Layout data for the integrated circuit design is obtained. A geometry relating the transistor to at least one well edge of at least one implant well is extracted from the layout data. An effective well proximity value for the transistor is calculated based on the at least one well edge using a complementary error function. The transistor is modeled using the effective well proximity value. In one embodiment, the effective well proximity value is added to a post-layout extracted netlist for the integrated circuit design. The integrated circuit design may be simulated using the post-layout extracted netlist. The effective well proximity value may be used to calculate a threshold voltage for the transistor during the step of simulating the integrated circuit. |
| US08224636B2 |
Method and system for implementing parallel execution in a computing system and in a circuit simulator
A method and mechanism for implementing a general purpose scripting language that supports parallel execution is described. In one approach, parallel execution is provided in a seamless and high-level approach rather than requiring or expecting a user to have low-level programming expertise with parallel processing languages/functions. Also described is a system and method for performing circuit simulation. The present approach provides methods and systems that create reusable and independent measurements for use with circuit simulators. Also disclosed are parallelizable measurements having looping constructs that can be run without interference between parallel iterations. Reusability is enhanced by having parameterized measurements. Revisions and history of the operating parameters of circuit designs subject to simulation are tracked. |
| US08224633B2 |
Computer simulation of physical processes
Simulating a physical process includes storing, in a computer-accessible memory, state vectors for voxels, where the state vectors correspond to a model and include entries that correspond to particular momentum states of possible momentum states at a voxel. Interaction operations are performed on the state vectors. The interaction operations model interactions between elements of different momentum states according to the model. Move operations performed on the state vectors reflect movement of elements to new voxels according to the model. The model is adapted to simulate a high-Knudsen number flow that has a Knudsen number greater than 0.1. |
| US08224632B2 |
Virtual prototyping and testing for medical device development
A system and method of developing better-designed medical devices, particularly cardiovascular stents and endovascular grafts. The system comprises a geometry generator, a mesh generator, a stress/strain/deformation analyzer, and a visualization tool. In one embodiment, the geometry generator receives three-dimensional volumetric data of an anatomical feature and generates a geometric model. The mesh generator then receives such geometric model of an anatomical feature or an in vitro model and a geometric model of a candidate medical device. In another embodiment, the mesh generator only receives a geometric model of the candidate medical device. Using the geometric model(s) received, the mesh generator creates or generates a mesh or a finite element model. The stress/strain/deformation analyzer then receives the mesh, and the material models and loads of that mesh. Using analysis, preferably non-linear analysis, the stress/strain/deformation analyzer determines the predicted stresses, strains, and deformations on the candidate medical device. Such stresses, strains, and deformations may optionally be simulated visually using a visualization tool. |
| US08224631B2 |
Stress, geologic, and support analysis methodology for underground openings
A method of designing supports for an underground mine opening comprising the steps of: receiving mine slope information including at least one of site location, entry length, entry grade, entry orientation, size of opening, surface topology, adjacent borehole data and rock mechanics test data, historical roof fall height, and expected steel set support capacity; conducting stress and geological condition evaluation of the mine opening using a finite element computer modeling program based on the mine opening information; and designing structural supports for the mine opening utilizing the stress and geological condition evaluation of the mine opening. |
| US08224627B2 |
Technique for determination of the signal subspace dimension
A technique for determination of the signal subspace dimension K in direction of arrival estimation and in exponentially damped sinusoids modeling (where K represents respectively the number of detected objects and the model order) by using the ratios between the squared singular values of the processed data matrix and of its sum with an auxiliary matrix composed of random entries from a normal distribution. The disclosed noise addition technique (NAT) is computationally effective and thoroughly tuned for use in each one of the designated tasks, causes very few false alarms, operates accurately within or below the SNR limits attained by others techniques and downwards determines a steadily decreasing to zero dimension K of the signal subspace. |
| US08224621B2 |
Sensing apparatus and method
A method for the determination of the time of flight of a signal transmitted between a transmitter (42, 44) and a receiver (44, 42). In one form, the method involves transmitting a first signal and a second signal having a waveform modification introduced at a predetermined point in time of the duration of the second signal; receiving said first and second transmitted signals; determining a point of diversion between the first and second received signals to determine an arrival time of the introduced waveform feature modification at the receiver. In addition, the invention provides an accurate time of flight determination of ultrasonic signals in a flow sensor (24) adapted for a smoke detector system (10). |
| US08224619B2 |
Gesture recognition apparatus, gesture recognition method and program
A gesture recognition apparatus includes: first and second one-dimensional sensor means for detecting movement corresponding to a motion of an object in a one-dimensional direction along one detection axis and outputting a signal corresponding to the detected movement; a normalization processing means for executing processing of normalization of first and second signals outputted from the first and second one-dimensional sensor means; a phase plane mapping processing means for forming a signal track corresponding to the first and second signals in time series by plotting coordinates on a phase plane using x- and y-coordinate values based on the normalized first and second signals; a correlation coefficient calculation means for calculating a correlation coefficient with respect to the first and second signals using coordinate values forming the signal track; and a motion determination means for determining whether the detected movement is a motion in the first or second direction based on the value of the correlation coefficient. |
| US08224617B2 |
Apparatus and method for calculating temperature dependent green's function using weight function
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for calculating a temperature dependent Green's function using an appropriate weight function. The apparatus includes a material temperature change information input unit inputting change information of a material temperature; and a temperature dependent Green's function calculation unit receiving the change information of the material temperature through the material temperature change information input unit, calculating a temperature dependent Green's function using a weight function, and outputting the calculated result. According to aspects of embodiments, accuracy in the calculation of a thermal stress value can be improved by designing the weight function such that changes in physical properties of a material that change according to temperature changes are considered. |
| US08224616B2 |
Sensor network system for managing the latest data and history data
In a sensor network system comprising a sensor terminal and a management server, the sensor terminal transmits observation data acquired using the sensor, the management server has a latest data storage manager which manages the latest observation data among observation data received from the sensor terminal, a history data storage manager which manages the history of the observation data from any time when data was received from the sensor terminal to the latest observation data, and a missing data manager which manages missing history data, and compensates the missing history data based on a predetermined rule, and when a request for such observation data is received, at least one of the latest observation data managed by the latest data storage manager, and history data wherein the missing data has been compensated and managed by the history data storage manager, is output according to the type of request. |
| US08224613B2 |
Synthesis and generation of arbitrary waveforms with ISI components for jitter tolerance
An Arbitrary Waveform Generator has a controller programmed to generate a sequence of test waveforms using previously-defined waveform data files. The controller generates this series of test waveforms by direct synthesis to cause each waveform to contain a respective different predetermined amount of Rj, Sj and ISI jitter components. In this way, the Arbitrary Waveform Generator produces a sequence of waveforms incorporating varying amounts of ISI to sweep the ISI jitter components from an initial amount of ISI, for example, zero ISI, and continually increment the amount of ISI to a full unit interval of ISI in predetermined increments, for example, 0.1 UI steps. |
| US08224612B2 |
Self-testing device component
A device has a microcontroller (102) configured to operate in a fully-assembled mode if a device component (100) of the device is connected to a primary portion of the device when power is applied to the device component and configured to operate in a self-test mode if the device component is not connected to the primary portion of the device when power is applied to the device component. |
| US08224609B2 |
Excitation uniformity
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with MRI excitation are described. One example method includes performing a calibration to determine a set of transmission parameters for a set of excitation pulses for transmission channels available on a multi-channel MRI transmitter. The set of excitation pulses are configured to produce a resulting nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal from an object exposed to the set of excitation pulses. The resulting NMR signal comprises NMR signal associated with a first NMR resonance associated with the object and NMR signal associated with a second NMR resonance associated with the object. |
| US08224602B2 |
Automatic on-demand prescale calibration across multiple devices with independent oscillators over an I2C Bus interface
A system and method for synchronizing otherwise independent oscillators private to I2C Bus slave devices. An I2C Bus master device can issue two new general call commands, CALIBRATE and ZERO COUNTERS. The I2C Bus slave devices respond to the CALIBRATE command by counting the number of cycles its local, private oscillator makes through during the communication transfer period of the CALIBRATE command on the I2C Bus. All such I2C Bus slave devices measure the same communication transfer period on the I2C Bus, so the differences in the digital measurements obtained by each of them are proportional to their respective oscillator frequencies. The digital measurements are privately used by each I2C Bus slave device to calculate appropriate oscillator prescale factors, and to automatically load the values that will harmonize the final product frequencies of all of the local oscillators on all of the I2C Bus slave devices in the system. |
| US08224601B2 |
Semiconductor device and method of estimating capacitance value
A semiconductor device includes an element coupled between a first power supply line and a second power supply line, and a capacitor coupled between the first power supply line and the second power supply line. A capacitance value of the capacitor is estimated based on a first value that depends on a period of a change in an input signal input to the element and a change in an output signal output from the element, and a second value that depends on a voltage between the first power supply line and the second power supply line. |
| US08224599B2 |
System and method for automatic voltage range measurement
A system for automatic voltage range measurement borne by an electronic device controls a voltage regulator module (VRM) of the electronic device to output a work voltage equaling a work voltage output by the VRM last time added to or subtracted by a voltage difference. When a determination module determines the electronic device has failed to power on or a test of the electronic device for testing hardware of the electronic device has failed after the electronic device is powered on at a work voltage, a limit value of a voltage range boned by the electronic device is ascertained. The limit value is equal to the work voltage this time subtracted or added by the voltage difference. |
| US08224598B2 |
Method for forming optimal characteristic curves of solar cell and system thereof
The method for forming the optimal characteristic curve of a solar cell comprises the steps of: providing a first acceptable error; and determining a current-voltage polynomial regression equation, whose square root of the residual sum of square is less than the first acceptable error for a set of solar cell measured data. The order of the current-voltage polynomial regression equation is gradually increased until the square root of the residual sum of square of the current-voltage polynomial regression equation is less than the first acceptable error. |
| US08224597B2 |
Data collection device and associated system for monitoring and storing performance and maintenance data related to a component of an electrical system
The present invention provides systems and methods for testing and storage of information related to a component. A data collection device having a memory is fixedly connected to the component. A test device communicates with the data collection device to store test data concerning the component in the data collection device. The test device also performs analysis of the test data and provides information concerning the health and maintenance history of the component. The present invention also provides systems and methods for determining the current drawn or supplied by electrical components connected in parallel in an electrical system. A current sensor located between the electrical components determines the current supply or draw of one of the electrical components, while a current sensor between the electrical components and the remainder of the electrical system determine a cumulative current draw or supply by both the electrical components. |
| US08224594B2 |
Apparatus and method for dynamic peak detection, identification, and tracking in level gauging applications
A method includes receiving data identifying wireless signals including wireless signals reflected off a surface of material in a tank and detecting a plurality of reflection peaks associated with the wireless signals. The method also includes classifying at least some of the detected reflection peaks and tracking at least some of the classified reflection peaks. The method further includes identifying a level of the material using at least one of the tracked reflection peaks. The classified peaks could include main-mode and/or high-mode reflection peaks, where the material level is identified using the main-mode peak or using an estimated location of the main-mode peak based on the high-mode peak. The classified peaks could also include level, bottom, and obstruction peaks, where the material level is identified by using a known permittivity, the bottom peak, and a tank height to estimate a location of the level peak when the level peak is lost or obscured. |
| US08224592B2 |
Method and device for estimating the intake air flow rate in an internal combustion engine
A method is described for estimating the intake air flow rate in an internal combustion engine provided with an air intake system, wherein said system comprises valve means for controlling an intake air flow rate, characterized in that it comprises the phases of implementing a first and a second algorithm, suitable to determine respectively a first and a second engine intake air flow rate; and of selecting the first or the second flow rate, on the basis of a previously defined selection criterion. |
| US08224591B2 |
Method, system, and computer software code for verification of validity of a pressure transducer
A system for verifying validity of a pressure reading from a transducer on a remote powered system, the system including a comparator subsystem configured to evaluate a pressure reading differential taken between a first transducer that is part of a braking system on a lead powered system and a second transducer that is a part of a braking system on a remote powered system, wherein the pressure reading differential is taken when the lead powered system and the remote powered system are operating in a distributed power application. A method and computer software code, stored on a computer readable media and executable with a processor, are also disclosed for verifying validity of a pressure reading from a transducer on a remote powered system. |
| US08224589B2 |
System and method for automating scientific and engineering experimentation for deriving surrogate response data
The present invention provides a system and method for automatically deriving unique surrogate response data from experiment results in which inherent data loss occurs in a sufficient number of the samples to disallow quantitative effects estimation at the experimenter's desired level of confidence for statistical significance. In part, the unique surrogate response data sets of the present invention have four primary characteristics including: each is numerically analyzable; each may be more readily or directly obtained in which inherent data loss occurs; each provides a response value for an experiment trial; and each provides information on the effect of the change made to the process or system that would have been obtainable if the experiment samples had had no inherent data loss. |
| US08224588B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring the conductivity of the water fraction of a wet gas
A method for determining the water conductivity of a multi-component mixture of gas and at least one liquid containing water in a pipe, the method comprising the following steps: a. electromagnetic measurements at least two measurement frequencies are performed in a pipe near the pipe wall at a first cross-sectional location where the mixture predominantly contains gas and at a second cross-sectional location where the mixture predominantly contains liquid, b. the temperature of the multi-component mixture is determined, and c. based on an empirically determined relationship between the measurements performed is step a and b and the conductivity of pure water, the conductivity of the water contained in the multi-component mixture is determined. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed. |
| US08224587B1 |
Method and system for determining a nutritional diet for a canine or feline animal
Determining a nutritional diet for a canine or feline companion animal comprises employing a computer; at least one electronic database coupled to the computer; and at least one software routine executing on the computer. First data comprises a relationship between expression data from the genomic map and a physiological condition of the animal, and second data comprises an effect of nutrition on the expression data from the genomic map. Based on said first and second data, a nutritional diet for the canine or feline companion animal is determined. |
| US08224585B2 |
Documenting and presenting mutation observations
A method and system in a computing environment for documenting mutation observations is provided. The method includes receiving mutation information, disassembling the mutation information into discrete elements and storing the discrete elements. A method and system for presenting mutations is also provided. The method includes obtaining discrete elements for a mutation, obtaining a standard for presenting the mutation and assembling the mutation presentation utilizing the discrete elements and the standard of presentation. |
| US08224579B2 |
Method of diagnosing osteoarthritis
The present invention relates to the identification and use of protein expression profiles with clinical relevance to osteoarthritis (OA). In particular, the invention provides the identity of marker proteins whose expressions are correlated with OA, OA subtype, and/or OA progression. Methods and kits are described for using these protein expression profiles in the study and/or diagnosis of OA, in the determination of the degree of advancement of OA, and in the selection and/or monitoring of treatment regimens. The invention also relates to the screening of drugs that modulate expression of these proteins or nucleic acid molecules encoding these proteins, in particular for the development of disease-modifying OA agents. |
| US08224578B2 |
Method and device for optimizing a nucleotide sequence for the purpose of expression of a protein
The invention relates to a method for optimizing a nucleotide sequence for expression of a protein on the basis of the amino acid sequence of the protein, in which for a particular region there is specification of a test sequence with m optimization positions on which the codon occupation is varied, a quality function being used to ascertain the optimal codon occupation on these optimization positions, and one or more codons of this optimal occupation being specified as codons of the optimized nucleotide sequence. These steps are iterated, with the codons of the optimized nucleotide sequence which are specified in the preceding steps remaining unchanged in subsequent iteration steps. The invention additionally relates to a device for carrying out this method. |
| US08224577B2 |
Method for setting up a mobile machine
The invention relates to a method for setting up a mobile machine (1), particularly an automatic concrete pump, a mobile crane or a movable elevating work platform. With such a method, the subsurface (28) of a site is analyzed for the properties and/or load-bearing capacity thereof before the machine (10) is positioned there and/or oriented and supported by means of flarable supporting legs (20, 24) in set-up positions (VR, VL, HR, HL) suitable according to the determined subsurface properties and load-bearing capacity. In order to determine an optimized set-up position for the supporting legs (20, 24), geodata (38) of a geographic environment that includes the site is read via a computer in a data memory (44) using a layer of subsurface data (40) that defines the subsurface properties and load-bearing capacity. In addition, the geographic position of the machine (1) and the orientation thereof at the site are determined and linked in the form of a data set that defines at least the geographic set-up positions (VR, VL, HR, HL) of the flared supporting legs (20, 24) to the imported geodata and subsurface data (38, 40). Then, the machine (1) is navigated with the supporting legs (20, 24) into a set-up position that is suited according to the imported geodata and subsurface data. |
| US08224574B2 |
System for multiple navigation components
An exemplary navigation system uses a master navigation component at a first location in a vehicle and a slave navigation component at a second location that is a variable displacement to the first location due to physical deformation of the vehicle. Static and dynamic location components provide static and dynamic information of the displacement between the first and second locations. An error estimator estimates errors in the navigational measurement data generated by the slave navigation component based on the navigational measurement data generated by the master navigation component and the displacement information provided by the static and dynamic location components. The master navigation component corrects the navigation measurement data of the slave navigation component based on the determined error and translates the corrected navigation measurement data of the slave navigation component into navigational measurement data in its coordinate system. |
| US08224572B2 |
Stateful, double-buffered dynamic navigation voice prompting
A navigation system written in J2ME MIDP for a client device includes a plurality of media players each respectively comprising a buffer. A navigation program manages the state of the plurality of media players. The plurality of media players are in either one of an acquiring resources state, and a playing and de-allocating state. The use of a plurality of media players each respectively comprising a buffer overcomes the prior art in which navigation system can cut off a voice prompt because of the time-consuming tasks associated with playing a voice prompt. |
| US08224568B2 |
Navigation apparatus, navigation server, and navigation system
In a navigation system, an index information (idx(di(S))) tagged to an objective differential information (di(S)) which is a part of the entire differential information (di) is transmitted from a navigation apparatus (200) to a navigation server (100). Specifically, the index information (idx(di(S))) tagged to the objective differential information (di(S)) pertained to an area (S) containing therein a navigation route (r) for guiding an automobile (2) to a destination position (p2) is transmitted from the navigation device (200) to the navigation server (100). Further, the navigation server (100) determines whether the objective differential information (di(S)) is temporally valid or not, and the objective differential information (di(S)) is added to a navigation map information on condition that the determination result is affirmative. Furthermore, a new navigation route (r) can be set and output according to the updated navigation map information to which the objective differential information (di(S)) has been added. |
| US08224567B2 |
Map-based browser
A map is presented by a browser, and breaking news content such as still photos, videos, etc. is placed on areas of the map to which the news pertains. A user can click on an area of the map for additional information, and can zoom in to a finer granularity. Personal content can also be displayed over map areas related to the personal content. The browser discovers locations to which content pertains in several ways, including by recognizing the name of a place in a story, through metadata, etc. |
| US08224565B2 |
Method and system for automatically creating POI by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device
A method for automatically creating POI by identifying geographic information on a screen of a portable navigation device is disclosed. A first geographic information is retrieved from an information page shown in the screen of the portable navigation device and recognized by comparing with the first geographic information with a geographic information of landmarks stored in a map database of the portable navigation device. It is determined whether the first geographic information is in the map database. If the geographic information is in the map database, a first GPS coordinate corresponding to the first geographic information is obtained and stored as a first POI. |
| US08224564B2 |
Vehicle drive assist system
A control unit sets a current total risk function for each of white lines, guardrails, side walls, and three-dimensional objects existing around a vehicle, estimates a temporal change in the position of each object, and calculates a minimum of the total risk function at the vehicle position for each time. An objective function is generated for the time, and a turning control amount that minimizes the objective function at the time is calculated as a turning control amount of the vehicle. Risk functions provided when the vehicle moves by the turning control amount are set for respective routes. A final avoidance route is selected from the risk functions of the routes, and steering and braking are controlled. |
| US08224563B2 |
Running route acquiring system and arrival notifying system for touring bus
The latitude/longitude and time acquired at prescribed sampling time intervals by a touring bus 1 which runs a predetermined running route are wireless-transmitted. A user 6 specifies a getting-on/off point on the basis of the latitude/longitude and time provided by the touring bus and acquires a running route inclusive of the getting-on/off point. Therefore, the user can acquire the running route inclusive of the getting-on/off point easily and instantaneously. The user can specify the getting-on/off point using the speed computed from the latitude/longitude and time acquired. Thus, the user can set his desired notifying point on the running route thus acquired. In such a configuration, there are provided a system for permitting a user of a touring bus to acquire a running route of the touring bus inclusive of a getting-on/off point easily and instantaneously and a system for notifying the arrival of the touring bus which permits the user to set his desired notifying point easily. |
| US08224559B2 |
Method and apparatus to monitor a mass airflow metering device in an internal combustion engine
A method for operating an internal combustion engine configured to operate in a controlled auto-ignition combustion mode and equipped with a mass airflow metering device includes monitoring an engine combustion state, monitoring states of engine operating parameters, calculating a nominal intake air mass flowrate corresponding to the states of the engine operating parameters, estimating an intake air mass flowrate corresponding to the nominal intake air mass flowrate and the engine combustion state, measuring intake air mass flowrate with the mass airflow metering device, comparing the estimated and measured intake air mass flowrates, and detecting a fault related to the mass airflow metering device when a difference between the estimated and measured intake air mass flowrates exceeds a predetermined threshold. |
| US08224558B2 |
Internal combustion engine control apparatus and method
An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes a fuel supplying mechanism supplying fuel to the internal combustion engine; an exhaust gas recirculating mechanism recirculating exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine to an intake side of the internal combustion engine; a flow adjuster selectively increasing and decreasing a strength of flow of the supplied fuel and the recirculated exhaust gas in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine; a stop controller controlling the fuel supplying mechanism to stop the supply of fuel and controlling the exhaust gas recirculating mechanism to stop the recirculation of exhaust gas, when the internal combustion engine is operated in a predetermined deceleration mode; and in-cylinder flow controller controlling the flow adjuster to increase the strength of the flow when the control to stop the supply of fuel is cancelled. |
| US08224555B2 |
Control apparatus of spark ignition internal combustion engine
In an in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine in which the intake air amount is controlled by use of an intake valve or an exhaust valve, which is provided with mainly a variable valve mechanism, instable combustion during a low-load operation is avoided without an increase in pumping loss (without a decrease in the thermal efficiency). In the in-cylinder injection type spark ignition internal combustion engine, during low-load operation, on the basis of the cooling water temperature of the engine the opening and closing timing of the intake valve is controlled in a retard angle manner and the opening and closing timing of the exhaust valve is controlled in an advance angle manner. Furthermore, the fuel injection timing is controlled in a retard angle manner on the basis of the retard angle amount of the intake valve opening and closing timing. |
| US08224550B2 |
Steering assist system
A steering assist system includes traffic-line detecting means for detecting right and left traffic lines marked on a road, preceding-vehicle detecting means for detecting a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a subject vehicle, traveling-target-point setting means for setting a traveling target point for traveling of the subject vehicle at a predetermined position in the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is not within predetermined ranges from the right and left traffic lines, and for setting the traveling target point at a position offset from the predetermined position in the preceding vehicle toward the center of a traveling lane of the subject vehicle when the preceding vehicle is within the predetermined range of any one of the right and left traffic lines, and steering control means for controlling steering so that the subject vehicle passes over the traveling target point. |
| US08224549B2 |
Method and system for controlling vehicle functions in response to at least one of grade, trailering, and heavy load
A control module and method for controlling vehicle systems, including a possible acceleration module determining possible vehicle acceleration, an actual acceleration module determining actual vehicle acceleration, and a vehicle system control module controlling or providing input to the vehicle systems in response to the difference between possible vehicle acceleration and actual vehicle acceleration. |
| US08224545B2 |
Brake control apparatus and brake control method
A brake control apparatus (20) includes: a hydraulic pressure source (30) that regulates pressure of hydraulic fluid in accordance with a brake operation input (24,25); a wheel cylinder (23) that applies braking force to a wheel (22) in response to a supply of the hydraulic fluid to the wheel cylinder (23); a hydraulic pressure booster mechanism (31) that amplifies the brake operation input by using the hydraulic pressure source (30), and outputs the amplified brake operation input; a hydraulic fluid supply path (63) through which the hydraulic fluid is supplied from the hydraulic pressure source (30) to the wheel cylinder (23); and a controller (70) that shuts off (valve 66) a flow of the hydraulic fluid-through the hydraulic fluid supply path (63), if a malfunction due to hydraulic fluid leakage is detected in the hydraulic fluid supply path (63) during a brake control mode in which the hydraulic fluid is supplied to the wheel cylinder (23) through the hydraulic fluid supply path (63). |
| US08224537B2 |
Method and apparatus for dry clutch temperature prediction in a DCT
A clutch temperature prediction module for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) includes at least one clutch slip power module that determines a first clutch slip power of a first clutch and a second clutch slip power of a second clutch. A temperature calculation module receives the first clutch slip power, the second clutch slip power, an ambient air temperature, an engine oil temperature, and a transmission oil temperature, and calculates at least one clutch plate temperature and a clutch housing temperature based on the first clutch slip power, the second clutch slip power, the ambient air temperature, the engine oil temperature, and the transmission oil temperature using a linear time-invariant (LTI) model. |
| US08224534B2 |
System and method for automatically controlling deck plate position on a corn header
The system and method automatically controls the position of at least one deck plate of a harvesting unit of a corn header so as to increase the width of a stalk receiving channel or reduce pinching forces between the plates when entering a stand of corn to facilitate alignment with the corn rows, and to change the position after a suitable time period or other condition or event, to narrow the channel width and/or increase pinching force, to reduce kernel loss while also monitoring forces exerted against the plates by the stalks and responsively adjusting the plate position for maintaining a desired force on the stalks or width. |
| US08224529B2 |
Self powered steering wheel angle sensor
A steering wheel angle detection system having a steering wheel angle sensor, a generator and a controller memory such that when a vehicle ignition is powered off, movement of a steering wheel generates electricity and allows a steering wheel angle sensor to detect the change in steering wheel angle. The change, or an indicator, is stored in non-volatile RAM until a time in which the ignition is powered-on. The generator may be a generator dedicated to the steering wheel angle sensor or it may be an electric motor that is part of an electrically assisted power steering system. |
| US08224528B2 |
Vehicle steering apparatus
A steered shaft of a steered mechanism is rigidly fixed to a vehicle body. Steering-stiffness is reduced by a lowpass filter for filtering a steered angle detected by a steered angle sensor. A deviation between a target steered angle and the filtered steered angle detected by the steered angle sensor is input to a PID control unit. A gain setting unit sets each of gains for PID control at a low value to thereby reduce steering-stiffness. The PID control unit outputs a target current. A drive circuit performs, e.g., PID control of the steering actuator. |
| US08224524B2 |
Vehicle and control method of the same
A vehicle includes first and second rotary bodies in contact with a road surface. The vehicle also includes a rotation sensor that detects a rotational state of each of the first and second rotary bodies. Additionally, the vehicle includes a turning sensor that detects a physical quantity representing a turning state of the vehicle on the road surface. The vehicle also includes a calculation unit that calculates a predicted value of a turning parameter representing a turning amount of the vehicle by use of a difference between first and second physical quantities which represent the rotational states of the first and second rotary bodies. In addition, the vehicle includes a slip detection unit that detects occurrence of a slip of the first or second rotary body by comparing the predicted value with an actual measured value of the turning parameter obtained by receiving an output signal of the turning sensor. |
| US08224523B2 |
Automatic emergency call language provisioning
A method of language provisioning includes receiving a language designation as part of a packet sent from a communication point. The method also includes setting a local language emergency database (LLED) as a basis for a spoken language when placing emergency calls. According to this method, if an emergency call is originated by a vehicle computing system, outgoing communication from the vehicle computing system is performed at least substantially based on words and/or phrases stored in the LLED. |
| US08224522B2 |
Driving operation support device for a vehicle
A driving operation support device for a vehicle is provided herein. One exemplary driving operation support device includes a road sensor for acquiring information regarding a section of road ahead of a vehicle over which the vehicle is traveling. The driving operation support device may also include a controller for determining whether the section of road is passable for the vehicle based on the information acquired by the road sensor. The driving operation support device may further include a display provided between the section of road and a driver of the vehicle. The controller may display a guidance element on the display at a position overlapped with the section of the road as seen from the perspective of the driver, such that the guidance element indicates whether the road is passable based on the determination of the controller. |
| US08224521B2 |
Communication control apparatus
This invention intends to reduce a time difference in information collection time as much as possible in a vehicle installed network system for collecting information on distributed positions within a vehicle. According to this invention, information on a measurement result by a sensor (23) at a time point after a previously-defined time elapses since a specified signal transmitted regularly is received is held in a sensor data storage register (49) on a network (21) installed within a vehicle, capable of broadcasting, achieved according to a communication method in which a transmission right is supplied regularly, and the information is transmitted at a time point when the transmission right is obtained on the network (21). In the vehicle installed network system for collecting information on the distributed positions within the vehicle, the time difference in the information collection time can be reduced as much as possible. |
| US08224520B2 |
Failure determination apparatus for vehicle, failure determination method and computer readable medium for failure determination
A failure determination apparatus for a vehicle includes: a failure determination element configured to determine that failure occurs at the vehicle when a state with failure detection continues for a first period, and to determine that the failure is resolved when a state without the failure detection continues for a second period; a notification element configured to notify failure information to an external device when the failure determination element determines that the failure occurs at the vehicle; a repair completion detection element configured to detect completion of repair of the vehicle with respect to the failure; and a short-cut element configured to shorten the second period when the repair completion detection element detects the completion of repair of the vehicle. |
| US08224511B2 |
Vehicle regulated-control device with trimmed precision
The regulated-control device (10) for precision-stopping of a vehicle (4) with automatic control comprises: an observed kinematic input (44, 46) capable of receiving at least an observed kinematic variable for the vehicle (4), a predetermined setpoint input (42), capable of receiving an unregulated-control setpoint signal, a regulated-control output (40), which is dependent on the observed kinematic input (44, 46) and the setpoint input (42), according to a predetermined characteristic transfer function comprising at least an internal parameter (K, τ). |
| US08224507B2 |
Systems and methods of improving or increasing information concerning, particularly, runway conditions available to pilots of landing aircraft
Addressed are systems and methods for providing to pilots of landing aircraft real-time (or near real-time) information concerning runway conditions and aircraft-stopping performance to be encountered upon landing. The systems and methods contemplate using more objective data than utilized at present and providing the information in automated manner. Information may be obtained by using conventional ground-based runway friction testers or, advantageously, by using air-based equipment such as (but not limited to) unmanned aerospace vehicles (UAVs). |
| US08224504B2 |
Method and device for updating the position of an aircraft
A method and device for updating the position of an aircraft includes a flight management system incorporating first and second position supplying devices for supplying first and second positions during flight. The first position is based on inertial data and based on data from a satellite positioning system. The second position is based on inertial data and based on data from a radio-navigation system. The flight management system also includes an updating system that includes a fly over updating device, a radar updating device, and a take off updating device. The updating system is operable to generate an updating position manually or automatically that will be used as the second position and selected as a new position for use with the flight management system. |
| US08224503B2 |
Method of inspecting the integrity of an avionics system, and an inspection device for implementing said method
A method of inspecting the integrity of an avionics system (1) installed in an aircraft, by inspecting the integrity in terms of electrical installation and data acquisition and transmission, wherein the method includes: using an Ethernet network (4) connecting the avionics system (1) to an inspection computer (3); using the computer (3) to generate first inspection signals transmitted to the component and/or to acquire second inspection signals coming from the component; using data read and write elements of a controller of the avionics system (1) to generate reference data relating to the component and transmitted to the inspection computer (3) via the Ethernet network (4); and displaying the reference data and the inspection signals and where appropriate recording the reference data and the inspection signals. |
| US08224501B2 |
Store management system and method of operating the same
A method for controlling an unmanned platform from a manned station is provided. The method includes transmitting a master arm control message from the manned station to the unmanned platform via a first control path, transmitting a first critical control message from the manned station to the unmanned platform via a second control path that is independent of the first control path, and transmitting a second critical control message from the manned station to the unmanned platform via a third control path that is different than the first control path and the second control path. |
| US08224500B2 |
Distributed knowledge base program for vehicular localization and work-site management
The illustrative embodiments provide a computer program product for controlling a vehicle. In an illustrative embodiment, a computer program product is comprised of a computer recordable media having computer usable program code for identifying a dynamic condition. When the dynamic condition is identified, computer usable program code using a knowledge base controls the vehicle. |
| US08224499B1 |
Remote annunciator
Apparatus and methods or algorithms that report data regarding an engine controller and allow control over an engine coupled to the engine controller. The controller is coupled to a remotely-located annunciator. The annunciator has an engine communication interface for communicating with the controller, a display, interface electronics for causing the display to indicate status reported by the engine controller a network interface, and a computer processor coupled to the interface electronics, the engine communication interface and the network interface. The controller is polled to monitor engine parameters and the status. The engine parameters and status are transmitted to a remote web-accessible database by way of the network interface. A remote monitoring and control system comprising the remote database is able to monitor the operation of multiple generators through their engine controllers and control individual generators by way of remote annunciators. The combination of the remote annunciators and the remote monitoring and control system allows remote control operation of the engines. |
| US08224493B2 |
Same code base in irrigation control devices and related methods
Various embodiments are described in which different irrigation controllers in an irrigation control system have machine code having a same code base. In one implementation, a first irrigation control unit comprises a processor and a medium storing a first set of machine code to be executed by the processor. The first set is based on a portion of source code on which a second set of machine code stored in a second irrigation control unit is based, and the first and second sets not identical to each other. The first and second irrigation control units are in a predefined hierarchical control relationship. In one variation, the first and second control units have at least related operating systems. In another variation, a central controller includes machine code developed from at least a portion of the same source code as machine code in a remote controller for simulation or execution purposes. |
| US08224491B2 |
Portable wireless remote control unit for use with zoned HVAC system
An HVAC remote control unit for use in an HVAC system is described. In some instances, an HVAC remote control unit may be provided that wirelessly communicates with two or more HVAC controllers and/or other HVAC devices in a zoned HVAC system. When so provided, the remote control unit may be configured to allow a user to select between two or more zones of the zoned HVAC system, and to load one or more of the parameters and/or settings associated with a selected zone via the wireless interface. The remote control unit may be further configured to display at least one of the received parameters and/or settings on a display of the remote control unit, and a user may be allowed to change one or more of the parameters and/or settings that are displayed on the display for a selected zone. The zoned HVAC system may subsequently operate in accordance with the one or more changed parameters and/or settings in the selected zone. In some cases, it is contemplated that the remote control unit may be configured to dynamically change its behavior based on whether a zoned or non-zoned HVAC system is detected. In some instances, most or all functionality of the HVAC remote control unit may be accessible from a single menu level without having to access a sub-menu, but this is not required in all embodiments. |
| US08224490B2 |
System for controlling the heating and housing units in a building
The present invention is a system for controlling the heating of a plurality of individual housing units in a building. The system includes at least one heating unit contained in each individual housing unit for heating said individual housing unit and a control unit coupled to each of the heating units for controlling the heat output of the control units. At least one outside temperature sensor is coupled to the control unit for providing the control unit with the measured temperature of the air outside the building. The control unit has an algorithm which is configured to decrease the heat output of the heating units when the temperature of the air outside the building increases beyond a predefined minimum outside temperature. |
| US08224487B2 |
Robot cleaner, docking station, robot cleaner system including robot cleaner and docking station, and method of controlling robot cleaner
A robot cleaner system is described including a docking station to form a docking area within a predetermined angle range of a front side thereof, to form docking guide areas which do not overlap each other on the left and right sides of the docking area, and to transmit a docking guide signal such that the docking guide areas are distinguished as a first docking guide area and a second docking guide area according to an arrival distance of the docking guide signal. The robot cleaner system also includes a robot cleaner to move to the docking area along a boundary between the first docking guide area and the second docking guide area when the docking guide signal is sensed and to move along the docking area so as to perform docking when reaching the docking area. |
| US08224486B2 |
Method of evaluating and correcting robot program and device for evaluating and correcting robot program
There is provided a device for evaluating and correcting a robot operation program for evaluating an appropriateness for the robot operation program and correcting the robot operation program, comprising a computer including a simulation function for confirming a robot operation. The computer includes a load calculation section for calculating a load given to a motor for driving an operating portion of the robot by a simulation conducted by a computer; and an evaluation section for evaluating, by an evaluation function, whether or not the load exceeds a predetermined allowed value. |
| US08224485B2 |
Snaking robotic arm with movable shapers
Presented is a method and apparatus comprising one or more robotic members which are curvaceous or snake-like; having movable shapers through which may pass an articulable column having successive joints formed of alternating ball and socket members. The shapers can be directed up and down the articulable column, to create virtually any radius of curvature, in any direction. The robotic member may also include discrete microelectronic mechanical devices (MEMS) shapers with embedded addressable controllers. Thus the device, with computerized control is capable of negotiating a tortuous path to access the site of a given operation and to retreat along the same path, without injury to the body in which the arm is directed. Once at the work site, the articulating columns, or parts of them, may be put in compression, causing them to become rigid. |
| US08224484B2 |
Methods of user interface with alternate tool mode for robotic surgical tools
In one implementation, a method is disclosed in which a lock sensing mode is entered for a robotic surgical instrument. In the lock sensing mode, the degrees of freedom of movement in the robotic surgical instrument are switchably reduced. Further in the lock sensing mode, one or more end effectors of the robotic surgical instrument are switchably clamped together in the robotic surgical instrument. An increased level of torque may also be applied to the end effectors to increase a gripping force applied by the one or more end effectors in response to the reduced degrees of freedom of movement in the robotic surgical instrument. |
| US08224482B2 |
Automated pill dispensing systems configured for detecting bottles in output chutes and related methods of operation
An automated pill dispensing system includes an output chute configured to hold pill-containing vials and an optical sensor located at a predetermined location in the output chute. The optical sensor includes an optical emitter and an optical detector configured to be operated cooperatively to output a detection signal indicating a presence or absence of a vial at the predetermined location of the output chute. A controller is coupled to the optical sensor and is configured to receive the detection signal therefrom, detect the presence or absence of the vial at the predetermined location of the output chute in response to the detection signal, and control a next depositing event whereby a next vial is deposited in the output chute responsive to the detection. Related methods of operation are also discussed. |
| US08224477B2 |
Work machining apparatus control program and work machining apparatus control device for executing the control program
A control system is provided for each pair of a work fixing part and a work machining part. In each control system, a work receiving program block, a work machining program block and a work discharge program block are provided, and the work machining program block starts on the condition that the work receiving program block ends and the work discharge block program starts on the condition that the work machining program block ends. The work receiving program block is associated with the work supply program of the work supply apparatus, or the work discharge program block is associated with a work transfer program of a work transfer apparatus so that a command is issued to the work receiving program block or the work discharge program block, and a command to perform a cue of the head of the program of each control system is provided at the last part of the control system. |
| US08224474B2 |
Method of controlling operation of a processing system
In a method of controlling operation of a processing system, a host computer, a process tool and a component of an evacuation system, for example an abatement tool, are connected to a system bus. The abatement tool monitors signals transmitted on the system bus between the host computer and the process tool, and signals received directly from the process tool. The abatement tool uses information contained within the monitored signals to generate a signal for the process tool regarding an operating characteristic of the abatement tool. This signal is transmitted either directly or over the system bus to the process tool, which uses the generated signal to control an operating state of the process tool. |
| US08224472B1 |
Enhanced project management tool
A system for managing a project that includes multiple tasks and a plurality of workers. Input information includes characterizations based upon a human model, a team model and a product model. Periodic reports, such as one or more of a monthly report, a task plan report, a schedule report, a budget report and a risk management report, are generated and made available for display or further analysis or collection into a customized report template. An extensible database allows searching for information based upon context and upon content. Seven different types of project risks are addressed, including non-availability of required skill mix of workers. The system can be configured to exchange data and results with corresponding portions of similar project analyses, and to provide user-specific access to specified information. |
| US08224469B2 |
Systems and methods for controlling audio volume in the processor of a high definition audio codec
Systems and methods for controlling the audio volume of an audio signal in an HDA codec having a programmable processor such as a DSP, wherein the codec receives digital audio signals and audio volume control verbs over an HDA bus, and the audio volume levels associated with the audio volume control verbs are used by the processor in the generation pulse width modulated (PWM) output signals, thereby controlling the audio volume levels of the output signals. The processor may be configured to adjust non-volume parameters such as PWM deadtime, in addition to adjusting audio volume, based on the audio volume levels. The codec may be implemented in a PC or other system that implements an HDA system that includes the HDA bus and HDA codec. |
| US08224468B2 |
Calibration certificate for virtual sensor network (VSN)
A method is used for providing sensing data to a control system of a machine. The method may include providing a plurality of virtual sensors, each of which may have a model type, at least one input parameter, and at least one output parameter. The method may also include integrating the plurality of virtual sensors into a virtual sensor network; determining interdependencies among the plurality of virtual sensors; and obtaining operational information of the plurality of virtual sensors. Further, the method may include recording measurement data and performance information of the virtual sensor network and the plurality of virtual sensors; and generating one or more calibration certificate of the virtual sensor network based on the operational information, the measurement data, and the performance information. |
| US08224467B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling periperal device in response to connection thereto
An information processing apparatus in which its function can be improved by installing an additional module to an existing module in a module configuration system.A video information processing apparatus 100, which is an existing module, has the function of reading, from a network module 150 as an additional module, software held in the network module 150. The software held in the network module 150 includes control software for the network module and software for making the control software available to the existing video information processing apparatus 100. The software held in the network module 150 is added to the video information processing apparatus 100, and the network module 150 is operated by the video information processing apparatus 100. |
| US08224464B2 |
Method and apparatus for treating pelvic pain
A method and apparatus for treating self treating internal muscle and trigger point related pelvic pain in women and men. The apparatus includes a rod having a handle attached to a straight portion at a first end of the rod and a pressure applicator attached to a second end of the rod, where a first curved portion is disposed between the straight portion of the rod and the second end of the rod. A microcurrent electrical stimulation unit electrically connected to the pressure applicator for supplying an electrical current to the pressure applicator. In the method of the present invention, a trigger point is located in the patient's pelvic floor, the patient inserts the apparatus either vaginally or rectally to allow contact of the pressure applicator of the apparatus with the pelvic floor, pressure is applied to the trigger point using the apparatus, and microcurrent electrical stimulation is applied to the trigger point using a microcurrent electrical stimulation unit that is electrically connected to the pressure applicator. |
| US08224459B1 |
Insertion tool for paddle-style electrode
The present disclosure describes various embodiments of an insertion tool that affords steerability of the paddle-style electrode during implantation without causing damage to the insulation and/or the contacts of the paddle-style electrode. One embodiment is described as having a “pin fork” configuration; another a “shovel” configuration; and yet another has tabs or a lumen on the paddle-style electrode for facilitating the insertion of a stylet. The various embodiments for the insertion tool allow for adjustments of the paddle-style electrode in both the medial/lateral and inferior/superior directions allowing the surgeon to steer the paddle-style electrode to the desired stimulation site within the epidural space of the spinal column. |
| US08224454B2 |
Downloadable filters for a visual prosthesis
The present invention is a method of neural stimulation and more specifically an improved method of providing flexible video/image possessing in a visual prosthesis by providing downloadable video filters. In a visual prosthesis, the input video image will, for the foreseeable future, be higher resolution than the output stimulation of the retina, optic nerve or visual cortex. This is due to limits of electrode array technology and the rapid advancement of video camera technology. It is therefore, advantageous to apply video processing algorithms (filters) to help provide the most useful information to the lower resolution electrode array. Different filters are more effective in different environments and for different subjects. Furthermore, filters will continue to improve over time. Examples of situation dependent filters include reverse image, contrast increasing, edge detection, segmentation using chromatic information and motion detection. Filters loaded in the video processing unit may be selected dynamically to suit the situation or the user's preference. It is therefore advantageous to provide flexibility in applying filters. However, it is also important to maintain the security necessary for a medical device. The present invention provides for an external (not implanted) video processing unit with downloadable video filters. |
| US08224451B2 |
Methods and systems for facilitating stimulation of one or more stimulation sites
Methods of facilitating stimulation of a stimulation site within a patient include implanting a distal portion of a first stimulating member such that the distal portion of the first stimulating member is in communication with a first stimulation site located within a patient, securing the distal portion of the first stimulating member at a first securing site with a first securing device positioned proximal to the first stimulation site, forming a first loop of at least 360 degrees with a portion of the first stimulating member proximal to the first securing device, securing the first loop with a second securing device at a second securing site having a position that is greater than or equal to substantially 180 degrees but less than or equal to substantially 315 degrees along the first loop from the first securing site, and positioning the second securing device and a stimulator to be coupled to a proximal end of the first stimulating member to maintain a curve in the first stimulating member of at least 45 degrees between the second securing device and the stimulator. |
| US08224441B2 |
Automatic external defibrillator with active status indicator
An AED includes defibrillation circuitry housed within an enclosure, a first processor programmed to periodically test the operability of the defibrillation circuitry and a second processor in communication with the first processor. The AED further includes a visual indicator, such as a red/green LED, positioned at the exterior of the enclosure that is operatively connected to the second processor. The second processor is programmed to control the visual indicator in response to the periodic test results provided to it by the first processor. |
| US08224440B2 |
Electrically isolating electrical components in a medical electrical lead with an active fixation electrode
A lead body adapted for in-vivo implantation in a living subject includes a proximal end configured for electrical and mechanical connection to a therapy or a monitoring device, and a distal end. A collar is disposed at the distal end of the lead body, and a casing is disposed within the collar and is translatable along a central longitudinal axis of the collar. At least one electrical conductor extends substantially the length of the lead body, and an electronic component is disposed within the casing and conductively coupled to the electrical conductor. An electrode is mechanically connected to the casing and conductively coupled to the electronic component. A seal is disposed between the casing assembly and the collar to prevent passage of ionic fluid into the lead body through its distal end. |
| US08224439B2 |
Batteries and methods of manufacture and use
An apparatus includes multiple first reservoirs and multiple second reservoirs joined with a substrate. Selected ones of the multiple first reservoirs include a reducing agent, and first reservoir surfaces of selected ones of the multiple first reservoirs are proximate to a first substrate surface. Selected ones of the multiple second reservoirs include an oxidizing agent, and second reservoir surfaces of selected ones of the multiple second reservoirs are proximate to the first substrate surface. |
| US08224437B2 |
Baroreflex activation for sedation and sleep
Systems and methods provide baroreflex activation to treat or reduce pain and/or to cause or enhance sedation or sleep. Methods involve activating the baroreflex system to provide pain reduction, sedation, improved sleep or some combination thereof. Systems include at least one baroreflex activation device, at least one sensor for sensing physiological activity of the patient, and a processor coupled with the baroreflex activation device(s) and the sensor(s) for processing sensed data received from the sensor and for activating the baroreflex activation device. In some embodiments, the system is fully implantable within a patient, such as in an intravascular, extravascular or intramural location. |
| US08224433B2 |
Electroencephalography based systems and methods for selecting therapies and predicting outcomes
A method and system for utilizing neurophysiologic information obtained by techniques such as quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), electrode recordings, MRI in appropriately matching patients with therapeutic entities is disclosed. The present invention enables utilization of neurophysiologic information, notwithstanding its weak correlation with extant diagnostic schemes for mental disorders, for safer and expeditious treatment for mental disorders, discovering new applications for therapeutic entities, improved testing of candidate therapeutic entities, inferring the presence or absence of a desirable response to a treatment, and deducing the mode of action of one or more therapeutic entities. In particular, methods for effectively comparing neurophysiologic information relative to a reference set are disclosed along with database-based tools for deducing therapeutic entity actions on particular patients such that these tools are readily accessible to remote users. |
| US08224422B2 |
Esophageal mapping catheter
An esophageal mapping catheter enables a physician to map the location of the esophagus so as to avoid damaging the esophagus during radio frequency (RF) ablation procedures. Information from the esophageal mapping catheter is communicated to a patient information unit, communications unit and/or electroanatomic mapping system. The electroanatomic mapping system uses the information from the esophageal mapping catheter to develop a three-dimensional map of the esophagus and to monitor the temperature within the esophagus in order to prevent the creation of esophageal fistula. |
| US08224421B2 |
Implantable cardiac stimulator, device and system for monitoring the status of a cardiac lead
A cardiac stimulator has an implantable cardiac lead that carries a temperature sensitive element with a surface thereof in contact with biological matter. The temperature sensitive element emits a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of biological matter, such as blood, in contact with the surface of the temperature sensitive element. Processing circuitry receives the temperature signal and determines a variability thereof within a selected time interval. A status signal is emitted dependent on this variability. |
| US08224419B2 |
Medical visualization method, combined display/input device, and computer program product
In a medical visualization method, wherein: a series of organ slice images are acquired at different points in time by an imaging modality; the acquired organ slice images are stored in an image data memory with information about the series and/or the point in time of the acquisition. A data connection between an input/output device and the image data memory is established and the available series are determined. Series that are specific to the organ are symbolically represented with a display of the availability thereof. The organ slice images associated with a selected series are displayed. An input/output device as well as a computer program product operates according to the method. |
| US08224417B2 |
Guide tube for an implantable device system
The implantable device system of the preferred embodiments includes a guide tube, a first electrical subsystem, and a second electrical subsystem. The first electrical subsystem is connected to the second electrical subsystem. The guide tube functions to facilitate the insertion of at least one first electrical subsystem and is adapted to allow the first electrical subsystem(s) to move freely with the tissue, allowing the placement of the first electrical subsystem without disconnecting the second electrical subsystem. The implantable device system may be implanted into the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, muscle, or any other suitable anatomical location. The guide tube of the system, however, may be alternatively used in any suitable environment and for any suitable reason. |
| US08224413B2 |
Analyte monitoring device and methods of use
An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor has, for example, a substrate, a recessed channel formed in the substrate, and conductive material disposed in the recessed channel to form a working electrode. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte. The analyte monitor may also be part of a drug delivery system to alter the level of the analyte based on the data obtained using the sensor. |
| US08224408B2 |
Cradle for mobile phones
The invention relates to a cradle for a mobile phone, comprising a rear bearing surface; left and right side walls; two guide rails being located on the front side of said left and right side walls and protruding laterally from said side walls; a bottom part comprising a connector element for mechanically and electrically engaging a bottom connector of said mobile phone, said rear bearing surface, said side walls and said guide rails define left and right slots extending parallel to said side walls for receiving left and right side sections of a mobile phone; guiding a phone being inserted into said cradle to said bottom part; and retaining a mobile phone received in said cradle against forces acting in a direction substantially perpendicular to said slots; and said connector element comprises means for locking onto a bottom connector of a mobile phone received in said cradle for retaining said mobile phone inside said cradle. |
| US08224404B2 |
Accessory strap securing mechanism
An accessory strap securing mechanism positioned on a portable electronic device to assemble an accessory strap thereon, the accessory strap securing mechanism includes an assembling portion and a securing member. The assembling portion is formed in the portable electronic device. The securing member includes a holding portion. The holding portion is received in the assembling portion. The holding portion includes a hook and a projection. The securing member is rotatable to allow the accessory strap to be coiled around the holding portion and a distal end of the accessory strap attached to the projection. |
| US08224403B2 |
Method of performing actions related to handover by a mobile station that is in power saving mode in a wireless mobile communication system
A method of performing actions related to handover by a mobile station (MS) in a wireless mobile communication system is disclosed. More specifically, the MS receives information from a base station (BS), wherein the information includes at least one action for performing handover and at least one condition corresponding to the at least one action. Furthermore, the MS transmits a request message to perform the at least one action based on the received information from the BS and receives a response message in response to the request message. Lastly, the MS performs the at least one action according to the received response message. |
| US08224400B2 |
Systems and techniques for reducing power consumption in a mobile computing device
Various embodiments are directed to systems and techniques for reducing power consumption in a mobile computing device. In one or more embodiments, a mobile computing device may be arranged to determine a user environment based on detected antenna impedance or detected current. After the user environment is determined, the mobile computing device may confirm that total radiation power (TRP) for the mobile computing device at an initial conducted power level exceeds the minimum TRP threshold required by the network carrier to receive acceptable quality of service (QoS). Based on the excess TRP for the particular user environment, the mobile computing device may determine a reduced conducted power level to be input to an antenna system. Accordingly, significant power savings may be achieved. To save additional power, the mobile computing device may automatically adjust and/or improve antenna impedance matching based on user environment allowing a further reduction in conducted power. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08224395B2 |
Auditory spacing of sound sources based on geographic locations of the sound sources or user placement
A method may include connecting to another user device, identifying a geographic location of the other user device, identifying a geographic location of the user device, mapping a sound source associated with the other user device, based on the geographic location of the other user device with respect to the geographic location of the user device, to a location of an auditory space associated with a user of the user device, placing the sound source in the location of the auditory space, and emitting, based on the placing, the sound source so that the sound source is capable of being perceived by the user in the location of the auditory space. |
| US08224394B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for programming user-defined information into electronic devices
A device for programming user-defined information into an electronic device is provided. The programmer allows a user to program customized information, such as user-selected audio, video, or Internet access information into his or her programmable device. Such electronic devices include wireless telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants. The programmer allows a user to, among other things, customize the device to suit his or her particular taste. |
| US08224391B2 |
Mobile terminal having an LED backlight unit
A mobile terminal having a display unit provided with an LED backlight and controlling method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes a housing, a display unit including a liquid crystal display provided to one side of the housing and a backlight unit including a plurality of light emitting diodes for a backlight provided to a backside of the liquid crystal display and a control unit controlling the backlight unit to selectively adjust brightness of the light emitting diodes in part. Accordingly, a mobile terminal according to at least one of embodiments of the present invention controls light emission of an LED backlight locally, thereby providing more various display visual effects. And, a mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention is able to use at least one portion of the light emitted from an LED BLU of a display unit as an illumination of a main body without using a separate light source for external illumination. Moreover, the illumination of the main body is able to play a role as a transmitter in a visible light communication. |
| US08224385B2 |
Wireless base station and control method thereof
For processing an uplink signal from a mobile station without desiring a high AFC capability in any state, in a wireless base station including a plurality of antennas, reception signals from a mobile station are taken in to perform a signal transmission and reception with the mobile station by a first antenna providing a higher reception signal level, in which a switchover from a signal transmission to the mobile station by the first antenna to that by a second antenna is performed when a frequency variation characteristic measured for an allocated frequency of the reception signal from the first antenna indicates that the mobile station is moving away from the first antenna. |
| US08224382B2 |
Wireless communications interface
A wireless communications interface couples wireless service to conventional wireline phone appliances. In one embodiment, the wireless communications interface is connected to the phone appliances through existing phone jacks. This allows a user to place and receive calls over a wireless network using the existing wireline infrastructure in a building. By using the invention, users can consolidate their portable and fixed phone service with one of the multiple wireless service providers and bypass the wireline service provider entirely, if so desired. In a second embodiment, the wireless communications interface is directly connected to the phone appliances, bypassing the installed wireline infrastructure. In a third embodiment, both wireline and wireless service are operative, and the wireless communications interface may include logic arbitration to route multiple calls to multiple phone appliances. |
| US08224380B2 |
Structure of an apparatus for sharing video input/output modules among handheld devices
A structure of an apparatus for sharing video input/output modules among handheld devices is provided, including a sharing slot, with a top golden finger part and a bus cable to form a first signal path from the video input module of a handheld device, and a bottom golden finger part and a bus cable and a connector to from a second signal path to a video input processor of the handheld device. The present invention may further include a bypass element for shorting the two signal paths by connecting the top golden finger part and the bottom golden finger part of the sharing slot. With the present invention, a second handheld device having extending signal paths can be inserted into the sharing slot of the first handheld to use the video input/output module of the first handheld device to accomplish the sharing of video input/output modules among handheld devices. |
| US08224378B2 |
Protecting uplink transmissions in coexisting wireless networks
A system and method for protecting a wireless device including co-located network transceivers from uplink starvation are disclosed herein. A wireless device includes a first wireless transceiver and a second wireless transceiver respectively configured for communication via a first wireless network and a second wireless network. The wireless device further includes logic that determines which of the first and second transceivers is enabled to transmit at a given time. The logic determines a duration of a pending transmission via the first transceiver, and determines a predicted start time of a predicted transmission via the second transceiver. Based on the duration and the predicted start time, the logic transmits a notification signal indicating that a receiving device should refrain from transmitting on the first network for a reserved time ending after the pending transmission starts. The pending transmission starts following completion of the predicted transmission. |
| US08224374B2 |
Wireless terminal device
A first switching circuit (21) outputs a first radio signal representing a plurality of time-division multiplexed programs and a second radio signal other than the first radio signal, one at a time according to a switching signal. A voltage control oscillator (27) outputs a local signal at a frequency suitable for whichever signal outputted. Using the local signal generated, a frequency converter (24) frequency converts the first and second radio signals to first and second baseband signals, respectively. Via a second switching circuit (31), a first baseband unit (40) and a second baseband unit (50) are supplied with the first and second baseband signals, respectively, and demodulate them to first and second data signals. A switching unit (60) supplies the switching signal indicating periods during which the first radio signal represents a user-selected program, to a tuner unit (20) where the first and second radio signals are processed by time-sharing. |
| US08224369B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method
A disclosed radio communication apparatus includes a precoding unit, a optimum transmit power calculation unit and a transmission unit. The optimum transmit power calculation unit receives the transmit weight related information from the precoding unit and calculates a transmit power level to optimize an objective function in accordance with an interior point method. The objective function results from addition of a barrier function adjusted with a barrier parameter to an original objective function associated with a constrained optimization problem. The original objective function includes a function of respective channel capacities for individual users derived from the transmit weight related information. The optimum transmit power calculation unit adaptively updates a logarithm of the barrier parameter and uses a gradient obtained through a high-order derivative with the logarithm of the barrier parameter to calculate the transmit power level to optimize the resulting objective function. |
| US08224367B2 |
Method and system for estimating station numbers in wireless communications
Consistent with the disclosed embodiments, a method for evaluating the number of mobile stations in a target group uses a processor to execute instructions to perform the method. The method may initiate a counting event using the processor. In response to the counting event, a counting request message may be transmitted over a first communication channel. The counting request message may comprise a code set. The code set may comprise a plurality of orthogonal codes. In response to the counting request message transmitted, receipt of a first counting response message over a second communication channel may be confirmed. The counting response message may comprise a first code. The first code, consistent with some embodiments, may comprise content corresponding to a portion of the code set. Based in part on confirmation of receipt of the counting response message, the number of mobile stations in the target group may be determined independent of a connection status of each mobile station. |
| US08224364B2 |
Method for quieting and sensing in a secondary communications system
A method of retaining channel use by a secondary system is described. A secondary channel used during periods of normal communication between a secondary transmitter and receiver is split into sub-bands for use during a quiet period containing quiet phases. During the quiet period, while the transmitter communicates with the receiver on one sub-band, the receiver simultaneously senses for incumbent devices on another sub-band, as well as vice-versa. Transmission and sensing do not occur simultaneously on the same sub-band and transmission is limited to only one of the sub-bands. Transmission and sensing are performed by both the transmitter and the receiver on every sub-band over the course of the quiet period. The locations of secondary receivers are determined and employed during scheduling such that devices sufficiently separated from each other transmit during different quiet phases and transmit and sense in sub-bands separated by another sub-band. |
| US08224360B2 |
System and method for handling special number calls using text message format
A system for handling special number calls placed from a calling instrument using a text messaging format includes: a plurality of message handling units configured in at least one communication network accessible by the calling instrument. At least one selected message handling unit of the plurality of message handling units operates to recognize an extant call placed from the calling instrument using a special number and expressed in the text messaging call format. The plurality of message handling units cooperates to effect querying the calling instrument to ascertain a substantially pinpoint geographic location of the calling instrument substantially contemporaneously with the extant call. The plurality of message handling units cooperates to use the geographic location for routing the extant call to at least one selected special number answering station coupled with the at least one communication network and situated generally proximate with the geographic location. |
| US08224359B2 |
Provisioning my status information to others in my social network
A device, system, and method are directed towards sending a status of a user in a social network to a recipient. In one embodiment, a status of the user is received over a channel. The channel may include an application protocol. The recipient is selected based on a membership in the social network, a preference of the recipient, or a media format of the status. Another channel is selected based on information about a mode of communication between the recipient and the user and/or another member related to the user in the social network. The status may be modified based on social network information, preferences of a recipient, receiving device information, channel information, or the like. The status is forwarded to the recipient over the other channel. Forwarding may comprise unicasting, multicasting, and/or delaying sending the status until the other channel is available. |
| US08224357B2 |
Method for paging a mobile unit based on previous network interactions
To address the need for new techniques that can improve paging efficiency, a network may employ a method such as that depicted in flow diagram 100 of FIG. 1. The network combines (110) at least one active set associated with each of N previous interactions of a mobile unit to produce a last location set, where N is a number of previous interactions of the mobile unit with the network. The network then initiates (120) paging of the mobile unit in each coverage area represented in this last location set. This method may be further optimized by determining the value of N such that a desired probability of locating the mobile unit in a coverage area represented in the last location set is at least minimally achieved. |
| US08224355B2 |
System and method for improved communication bandwidth utilization when monitoring location information
A personalized format webpage is generated to monitor location information. A graphical mapping module is disclosed to provide mapping tiles from multiple mapping service providers in response to user request for location information of a tracking device associated with an object or an individual. A wizard menu enables the user to reorient an initial request for mapping tiles in a different layout or view format without requiring additional access to a mapping service provider website. Alert messages associated with the tracking device are generated in accordance with selected alert zones. Dashboard management tools may be included or associated with a software file readily accessible and functionally equipped to interpret user requests for mapping reorientation and zoom capabilities. |
| US08224353B2 |
Disseminating targeted location-based content to mobile device users
A trusted third party information arbiter for facilitating third party information sources, such as advertisers or data processing services, to accurately target communications to mobile device users. Illustratively, the mobile device users can control target communications through the utilization of discretion requests/permissions processed by the third party information arbiter. Furthermore, the mobile device users may further interact with the trusted third party information arbiter to provide/release additional personal information. For example, a mobile device user may be provided an increasingly rich rewards or payments that may be provisioned by discount, coupons or offers associated with existing or new product advertisements or promotional information messages. |
| US08224349B2 |
Timed fingerprint locating in wireless networks
Systems and techniques for determining the location of user equipment (UE) in a wireless network are disclosed. These techniques leverage geometric calculations for an overlaid bin grid framework mapping the wireless network area to store differential values for each frame of the bin grid framework for each pair of relevant NodeBs. A timing offset can be determined, such that when a time value from a target UE is accessed, the location can be quickly determined with minimal real time computation. In an aspect, the target UE time value can be search for in the pre-computed differential value data set indexed by a relevant NodeB site pair to return a set of frames (forming a hyperbola between the site pair) that can be intersected with a second set of frames for a second NodeB site pair for the same UE. The intersecting frames can represent the location of the UE in the wireless network. Further, the data can be leveraged to correct timing in the network. |
| US08224346B2 |
System and method for matching users in a wireless communication system
A system for matching users in a wireless communication system based on proximity of the users and user-defined profiles includes at least two mobile units. The mobile units include a requesting unit and at least one target unit, and each mobile unit is capable of operating as both a requesting unit and a target unit. The system also includes profile means for storing a user profile on each of the mobile units and search means for searching for at least one target user by a requesting user. The search means compares the user profiles of each target user with the user profile of the requesting user. The search means can also indicate a match when a target unit is within a predetermined distance of the requesting unit. |
| US08224344B2 |
Parameter collecting method, wireless base station and relay station
A parameter collecting method used for distributing radio resources, collecting a total number (M) of terminals for directly performing radio communication with a radio base station without a relay station or radio quality between each of terminals for directly performing radio communication with the radio base station without the relay station as a parameter, and collecting a total number (N) of terminals performing communication with the radio base station through the relay station or aggregated information on radio quality between the respective terminals performing communication with the radio base station through the relay station and the relay station as the parameter. |
| US08224340B2 |
Method and apparatus to estimate relative base station and subscriber terminal locations and using it to increase frequency reuse
Method for estimating position information of base stations as well as terminals for three dimensional centralized real-time spectrum management to achieve high spectral efficiency. In one aspect of the invention, the method comprises i) understanding the position information of plurality of base stations, wherein the plurality of terminals and the base stations form a wireless network, ii) determining, at the central controller, position of a terminal via plurality of communication wirelessly between the base stations and a terminal and between the base station and the central controller, iii) applying network wide real time knowledge at the central controller to electronically steerable antennas to use a resource in a different direction then where it is used by other base stations to achieve frequency reuse of one. |
| US08224338B2 |
Method and apparatus for joint optimization of dedicated and radio access networks
A computerized method and system for integrated access network business planning for a telecommunications carrier. The invention enables a user to input a set of network business planning parameters that are utilized by a linear programming model to jointly optimize a carrier's dedicated and radio access network by executing a plurality of network optimization models and determine network configuration changes for the dedicated and radio access networks as a constrained optimization based on the set of business planning parameters. |
| US08224335B2 |
Method and system for supporting distributed IMS charging
The present invention relates to communication technology, and in particular, to a method, apparatus and system for supporting distributed IMS charging. The system for supporting distributed IMS charging, comprises: a plurality of nodes, and a index server (101) interconnecting the plurality of nodes, in a network; wherein, a first node (102) sends a charging request to the index server (101), the index server (101) routes the charging request to a second node (103) adapted to charge based on the charging request or returns an address of the second node (103) to the first node (102) and then the first (102) node sends the charging request to the second node (103) with the address from the index server (101); and the second node (103) charges based on the charging request. This invention enables an operator to manage the subscriber's charging location information for distributed charging services in a centralized index server, instead of provisioning the charging locations in each separated IMS charging system. This invention greatly saves the operator's management cost of charging. |
| US08224333B2 |
LAN-based UMA network controller with aggregated transport
A method for managing UMA communications within a local area network and a network controller are disclosed. The method includes establishing a first connection between a first UMA device and a LAN-based UMA network controller (LAN-UNC) and establishing a second connection between a second UMA device and the LAN-UNC. The first and second connections are carried over the local area network. The first and second UMA devices are connected to the same local area network. The method provides establishing a third connection between the LAN-UNC and a UMA network controller (UNC). The UNC is connected to an external network and the third connection extends over the external network. The method includes transporting packets received using the first and second connections to the UNC using the third connection. Packets received using the third connection are transported to the first UMA device using the first connection and to the second UMA device using the second connection. |
| US08224330B2 |
Method and system for interworking between two different networks
Systems and methods for interworking between two different networks are presented. In one embodiment, a method for wireless communication includes requesting a network access from an access point of a first network, and transmitting an EAP authentication request from the access point to a user end. An EAP authentication request response is sent from the user end to the access point. The EAP authentication request response includes an attach type indicator that indicates to a gateway associated with the access point whether the attach request is an initial attachment or a handover from a second network. |
| US08224326B1 |
GSM rescue handover utilizing adaptive multirate half-rate
Call handover in a cellular telecommunication system is improved by adjusting a rate-based parameter, such as that controlled by an adaptive multi-rate (AMR) codec in a time-division multiple access (TDMA) network, to increase call handling capacity when handover is indicated but the candidate handover cell does not have sufficient capacity to handle another call. |
| US08224324B2 |
Method of cell re-selection in multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) system after MBMS session stop
Cell re-selection for a mobile terminal in a single frequency layer includes determining termination of a multicast broadcast multimedia service (MBMS) session in that frequency layer and checking for availability of stored information relating to a previously used frequency. If this information is available, then a check of the validity of stored information is made. If this information is not available or is not valid, then the mobile station selects a frequency from the SIB 11/12 list and attempts cell selection on a suitable cell on the selected frequency. If the cell selection attempt is not successful, then initial cell selection procedures are carried out to determine to which cell the terminal should move. |
| US08224321B2 |
Cell access control method and user equipment
A cell access control method and a user terminal are provided, the method includes: obtaining, by a user equipment (UE), cell access information through a pilot channel and/or a synchronization channel; determining a current cell is a macro base station cell or an HNB cell according to the cell access information; determining, when the current cell is an HNB cell, whether the UE is allowed to access the HNB cell according to HNB information of the cell access information, if the UE is allowed to access the HNB cell, performing the access processing, if the UE is not allowed to access the HNB, abandoning the access. A UE is provided accordingly. |
| US08224320B1 |
Using RF conditions and handoff state to dynamically adjust a search window size
Methods and apparatus are provided for dynamically adjusting a search-window size. An active-call state is entered into, and a mobile station is responsively initially operated according to a default-search-window mode. The preferred-signal strength as received at the mobile station, the preferred-signal fading of the mobile station, and the number of sectors in an active set for the mobile station are monitored to: compare the preferred-signal strength to a signal-strength threshold, compare the preferred-signal fading to at least one of a lower-fading threshold and an upper-fading threshold, and determine whether the number of sectors in the active set is exactly one sector or more than one sector. The mobile station is selectively operated in one of the default-search-window mode, a reduced-search-window mode, and an increased-search-window mode in response to the monitored preferred-signal strength, preferred-signal fading, and number of sectors in the active set. |
| US08224319B2 |
Mobile wireless terminal apparatus and base station search method
A terminal control unit controls a 1x reception signal process unit, searches for a base station which supports a 1x method, and starts wait for occurrence of signal reception. Then, the terminal control unit periodically executes a nearby base station measuring process, controls the 1x reception signal process unit, and searches for a nearby base station which supports the 1x method. On the other hand, as regards a base station which supports an LTE method, an LTE reception signal process unit is activated to execute a search only in the case where a base station supporting the 1x method, which is used for signal reception wait, does not support the LTE method. |
| US08224316B2 |
Control device for shielding a room
A control device that shields a room from incoming signals includes an interference device which is adapted for querying an interference signal for rendering a signal that enters a room unrecognizable by superposition with the interference signal. |
| US08224315B2 |
Controlling the use of access points in a telecommunication system
A mobile telecommunications network includes a radio access network with base stations and one or more additional access points. An access point is connected to a network core by an IP transport broadband connection. The access point is configured to appear to a mobile terminal as a conventional base station—that is, for example, it communicates with the mobile terminal using GSM or UMTS transport protocols and does not require any modification to a standard GSM or UMTS mobile terminal. Arrangements are disclosed which monitor the quality of the broadband connection between the access point and the network core and which cause the mobile terminal to handover to a neighboring base station in the event that the quality of the broadband connection becomes too poor for the class of communication between the mobile terminals registered with the access point to be performed satisfactorily. |
| US08224313B2 |
System and method for controlling vehicle systems from a cell phone
A system and method for controlling systems of a vehicle with a cell phone. The cell phone is associated with the vehicle through a user interface. User preferences are received through the user interface for sending commands from the cell phone to the vehicle for controlling the systems of the vehicle. A wireless connection is established between the vehicle and the cell phone. A distance is determined between the cell phone and the vehicle. One or more commands are sent to the vehicle to control the systems based on the user preferences. |
| US08224296B2 |
Visual voicemail detection and management system
A visual voicemail message may be generated and/or rendered and provided to a mobile device in a format determined based on a characteristic. For example, an identifier of a mobile device may be received. Upon receipt of the mobile device identifier, a characteristic such as a type, a brand, a model, a firmware version, or the like that may indicate a particular format and/or message type capable of being received and/or displayed by the mobile device may be determined. A visual voicemail message may then be generated and/or rendered in the particular format and provided to the mobile device. |
| US08224294B2 |
System and method for delivering information to a transmitting and receiving device
Systems and methods for delivering information to a transmitting and receiving device. The device receives a notification alerting a user of the device that information is available to be obtained and, in some embodiments, providing a short description of the information. After receiving the notification at the device, the user can then use the device to obtain or otherwise act on the information at a time and at a place convenient to the user. |
| US08224292B2 |
Apparatus for sensing smart-card in dual mode portable terminal and method thereof
An apparatus and method for sensing a smart card in a dual mode portable terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of smart card modules including identification information for receiving a specific wireless communications protocol, and at least two communications modules for performing wireless communications according to a connected smart card module among the plurality of smart card modules, wherein any one of the at least two communications modules connected to a smart card module having preset identification information is set as a master device. |
| US08224291B2 |
System, method, and computer-readable medium for mobile-to-mobile calls within femtocell network
A system, method, and computer readable medium for terminating calls in a network system is provided. The communication system features an IP-based femtocell system for provisioning communication services to a user equipment. The femtocell system is provisioned with a list of electronic serial numbers of user equipments that are authorized to access the femtocell system. When a call is received by the femtocell system, the femtocell system determines a directory number of a user equipment to which the call is directed. If the destination user equipment is authorized to access the femtocell system and is currently within the service area of the femtocell system, the call setup may be completed by the femtocell system without any call setup signaling being transmitted to a core telecommunication network. |
| US08224290B2 |
Apparatus and method of ciphering in wireless communications user equipment operative with a plurality of radio access networks
A method in a wireless telecommunications device operative with a plurality of radio access networks, the method comprising: when operating with a first radio access network reading at least one ciphering variable applicable in the second radio access network (e.g. in UMTS reading the value of a variable START from the USIM of the device). When at least one ciphering variable applicable in the second radio access network renders ciphering in the second radio access network infeasible without further authentication (e.g. in UMTS when the value of START in USIM is equal to a value THRESHOLD), using a substitute value for the ciphering parameter (e.g. START) when establishing a connection with the second radio access network. |
| US08224287B2 |
Broadcast information notification method and network node
A broadcast information notification method according to the present invention includes: starting to repeatedly transmit, at a network node, a broadcast message irrespective of transmission timing of a paging message, when the network node is instructed to notify a mobile station of the broadcast information; receiving, at the mobile station, a broadcast message reception parameter by using a parameter specified by the paging message transmitted by the network node at a predetermined timing; receiving, at the mobile station, a receivable broadcast message by using the received broadcast message reception parameter; and performing, at the mobile station, processing corresponding to the broadcast information. |
| US08224285B2 |
Systems and methods for identifying a geographical area in a commercial mobile alert service message
Geographical locations can be encoded in alert messages and the encoded geographical locations can be processed are disclosed. Emergency alerts can be received from an emergency provider or governmental agency comprising a geographical code. The code can be evaluated to determine a geographical location by determining a primary location, such as a state or region, and a secondary location such as a county. This information can be used to determine the devices within a wireless network that should receive the alert message. |
| US08224283B2 |
FM band availability based on GPS
Methods and apparatus for determining an available FM frequency channel for interfacing with FM modulated output signals from a wireless device are described herein. A SPS receiver, such as a GPS receiver, can determine its position based on conventional techniques. The SPS receiver can determine one or more available FM channels over which audio output may be transmitted. The SPS receiver can use the determined position to access a local data base of available channels. Alternatively, the SPS receiver can use the determined position to access a local database of allocated channels in order to determine one or more available channels. The SPS receiver may display a prompt or message that indicates an FM channel over which output audio is modulated. |
| US08224274B2 |
Scalable architecture for satellite channel switch
A frequency translation module for a broadband multi-channel communication system may include an analog signal converter, a digital channel selection device, and a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter. The analog signal converter is configured to receive a plurality of analog signals, to select analog signals residing in a predefined frequency band, and to convert each of the selected analog signals into a digital signal. The digital channel selection device is configured to process digital signals corresponding to the selected analog signals and to generate a composite output of digital signals representative of the selected analog signals. The D/A converter is configured to translate the composite output to an analog signal output decodable by a receiver. Further, the frequency translation module may include a mixer configured to upconvert the analog signal output to a frequency decodable by the receiver. |
| US08224271B2 |
Electronic device with an improved antenna arrangement
An electronic device (200,300) comprising an antenna arrangement with first and second antenna groups with first (122, 142) and a second (124, 144) radiation elements. The first and second radiation elements in each group have first and second respective polarizations and gain, and said groups also comprise a beam forming network (126, 146) connected to the radiation elements of the group and to an output selector (150). The beam forming network (126, 146) of each antenna group uses the radiation elements (122, 124; 142, 144) in the group to create a radiation pattern (127, 147) with a polarization which is a composite of the first and second polarizations of the elements in the group, so that a first (127) and a second (147) radiation pattern of composite polarization is created. The output selector (150) selects or combines signals received by the two antenna groups as its output. |
| US08224267B2 |
Radio frequency-based communication terminal having two exchangeable transmitting paths
A radio frequency (RF)-based communication terminal includes a first switching chip, a second switching chip, a comparison module, a low noise amplifier (LNA), a first filter, a power amplifier (PA), a second filter, and a control module. The comparison module compares the power of a radio signal Rx received from a base station with a pre-stored signal and to output a control signal according to the comparison result. The control module controls conductive modes of the first and the second switching chips according to the control signal. In the first conductive mode, a radio signal Tx is sent out from the PA and the second filter. In the second conductive mode, the radio signal Tx is exchanged to send out from the LNA and first filter. |
| US08224266B2 |
Power amplifier predistortion methods and apparatus using envelope and phase detector
An embodiment of the invention is a predistortion approach to linearize a power amplifier without frequency conversion of the RF signals by using envelope and phase detectors to detect the error to be corrected, and then one or more analog multiplier(s) and a DSP-based processor. For the analog embodiment, the inherent nature of the analog circuitries allows digital predistortion processing structured directly at the RF band, and enables a single power amplifier to support multi-modulation schemes, multi-carriers and multi-channels. As a result, the predistortion architecture is particularly suitable for wireless transmission systems, such as base-stations, repeaters, and indoor signal coverage systems. The wireless system performance can be improved and upgraded just by using the new PA module rather than change or rebuild new subsystem in existing base station. The analog embodiment can also mix and match its analog multipliers with other analog components such as phase splitters, phase shifters, attenuators, filters, couplers, mixers, low-noise amplifiers, buffers, envelope detectors, and etc., to provide additional features. |
| US08224265B1 |
Method for optimizing AM/AM and AM/PM predistortion in a mobile terminal
A method is provided for optimizing Amplitude Modulation to Amplitude Modulation (AM/AM) and Amplitude Modulation to Phase Modulation (AM/PM) predistortion of a polar modulated transmit signal in a mobile terminal in order to optimize an Output Radio Frequency Spectrum (OFRS) of the mobile terminal. The AM/AM and AM/PM predistortion of the polar modulated transmit signal compensates for AM/AM and AM/PM distortion of a power amplifier in the transmit chain of the mobile terminal. However, the AM/AM and AM/PM distortion of the power amplifier cannot be easily measured or computed. Accordingly, the present invention provides a system and method for optimizing coefficients for polynomials defining the AM/AM and AM/PM predistortion of the polar modulated transmit signal based on optimizing the OFRS of the mobile terminal. |
| US08224263B2 |
Transmitter for communications system
An rf signal transmitter for transmitting rf signals through a plurality of antennas is described, which comprises: a transmit section adapted to selectively set, with respect to an input signal, the initial phase of an output to at least one of said antennas depending on a time or frequency region used for communication and to provide delay to the output on an antenna-by-antenna basis and on the basis of a transmission timing or a transmission frequency; and a quality information receive section for receiving quality information from destination station, i.e., a wireless terminal unit, said quality information concerning the rf signal transmitted from said transmit section and received at said destination station. |
| US08224257B2 |
Collaborative spectrum sensing in radio environment
A system for configuring wireless communication in apparatuses based on sensed spectrum information. Apparatuses interacting via a shared information space may exchange configuration information that may, for example, comprise communication transport information. The configuration information may then be utilized in formulating spectrum sensing parameters that are distributed to one or more of the apparatuses via the shared information space. The spectrum sensing parameters may be used by the apparatuses for performing signals sensing operations in their respective environments, the results of which may be shared via the shared information space. The spectrum sensing results may then be utilized to configure and/or manage communications in one or more of the apparatuses. |
| US08224256B2 |
Wireless field maintenance adapter
A wireless field maintenance adapter includes a power source, a controller, a low-power radio-frequency communication module, and a wireless process communication protocol module. The controller is coupled to the power source. The low-power radio-frequency communication module is also coupled to the controller. The wireless process communication protocol module is coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to communicate through the wireless process communication protocol module based on information received from the low-power radio-frequency communication module. |
| US08224255B2 |
System and method for managing radio frequency windows
A system for managing radio frequency windows including a wireless router in communication with the wireless device for transmitting and receiving RF signals between the wireless router and the wireless device, the wireless router configured to determine network performance information of the wireless network; concatenate the network performance information into data packets; a packet network switch in communication with the wireless router for communicating the data packets between the wireless router and the packet network switch; and a network management device in communication with the packet network switch for instructing wireless router to adjust RF modulation between the wireless router and the wireless device based on the network performance information to optimize the network performance to the wireless device. A method for managing radio frequency windows is also included. |
| US08224254B2 |
Operating environment analysis techniques for wireless communication systems
Methods and systems of analyzing an operating environment of wireless communication equipment in a wireless communication system are provided. A stimulus in the operating environment at a location of the wireless communication equipment is sensed and linearly expanded in Slepian sequences using a multitaper spectral estimation procedure. A singular value decomposition is performed on the linearly expanded stimulus, and a singular value of the linearly expanded stimulus provides an estimate of interference at the location of the wireless communication equipment. |
| US08224251B2 |
Data communication apparatus and control method for prevention of audio noise signals due to transmitted data
A data communication apparatus includes a band-elimination filter configured to perform a process of reducing a specific frequency component included in transmission data, a packet producer configured to produce packet data including therein data outputted from the band-elimination filter, and an antenna configured to output the packet data produced by the packet producer, and further, the band-elimination filter is configured to reduce a frequency component corresponding to the reciprocal of a packet transmission cycle inherent in the packet data. |
| US08224245B2 |
Data communication device
The IC card is mounted on the read and write device and the first electrostatic induction electrode and second electrostatic induction electrode are formed facing each other. The data signal is outputted from the first transmission and reception circuit to the first electrostatic induction electrode when the data signal is transmitted from the IC card to the read and write device. Then the first electrostatic induction electrode is charged based on the data signal and the electrostatic induction signal of the opposite polarity is induced at the second electrostatic induction electrode. The inverted data signal appears at the second electrostatic induction electrode. The second transmission and reception circuit of the read and write device receives and amplifies the inverted data signal, leading to the non-contact data communication with lower energy consumption and the lower cost. |
| US08224243B2 |
Communication system, communication method, and data processing apparatus
A communication system performs, by first and second data processing apparatuses, an electromagnetic-induction communication using a carrier having a single frequency. A transfer rate for use between the first and second data processing apparatuses is changeable in one transaction. The first data processing apparatus determines whether a transfer rate can be changed based on data transmitted from the second data processing apparatus. When the first data processing apparatus determines that the transfer rate can be changed, the first data processing apparatus transmits to the second data processing apparatus a request to change the transfer rate to one of a plurality of transfer rates. |
| US08224239B2 |
Antenna selector and communication device
A transmitting/receiving circuit holds a communication at a frequency f1 by using an antenna or an antenna, and a transmitting/receiving circuit holds a communication at a frequency f2 by using an antenna. In response to a receiving signal intensity, a switching circuit connects any one of the antennas to the transmitting/receiving circuit as a selected antenna for use in communication, and connects the other antenna to a terminating circuit as a non-selected antenna. The terminating circuit connected to the non-selected antenna has an impedance that satisfies a predetermined phase condition at the frequencies f1, f2 respectively, suppresses an inter-antenna coupling between the non-selected antenna and the selected antenna and the antenna, and suppresses degradation in antenna characteristic caused due to the inter-antenna coupling between the selected antenna and the antenna. |
| US08224238B2 |
Radio communication method, relay station device, and radio receiver device
Provided is a radio communication method or the like for making compatible an improvement in error rate characteristics and a reduction in delay. The radio communication method is used in a mobile communication system including a mobile station, a relay station and a base station. A transmitted signal containing a signal addressed to the base station is transmitted at first from the mobile station to the relay station. A non-reproduced relay signal obtained in the relay station from the transmitted signal is transmitted from the relay station to the base station. On the basis of the reception result of the non-reproduced relay signal at the base station, a re-transmission request of the transmitted signal is transmitted from the base station. A reproduced relay signal, as obtained from the transmitted signal in the relay station, is transmitted from the relay station to the base station in accordance with the re-transmission request transmitted from the base station. |
| US08224231B2 |
Printing system and method
A finishing unit includes a first compiling module and a second compiling module operatively connected in parallel with the first compiling module. Each compiling module includes a finishing head adapted to perform a finishing operation upon a plurality of sheets of media. A printing system includes a sheet media source, a finishing unit operatively spaced from the sheet media source and a marking unit operatively disposed therebetween. A method of performing a print job using such first and second compiling modules is also included. |
| US08224226B2 |
Method for increasing duplex reproduction apparatus productivity by adjusting sheet travel time difference
A method of increasing productivity in a reproduction apparatus wherein a first print engine and a second print engine are coupled by an inverter and synchronized. Each sheet of a plurality of receiver sheets is selectively printed in an invert mode or a non-invert mode. A difference of a travel time of a first receiver sheet in an invert path through the inverter in the invert mode as compared to a travel time of a second receiver sheet in a non-invert path through the inverter in the non-invert mode is adjusted so that the difference is an integral multiple of a period between the receiver sheets. Frames on a dielectric support member in the appropriate print engine are skipped when switching between invert mode and non-invert mode. |
| US08224221B2 |
Endless belt including a metal layer having low residual strain, fixing device and image forming apparatus
The endless belt is provided with: a metal layer that includes at least one layer, that is cylindrically formed, and that has not more than 10 degrees as a half width of a diffraction peak in X-ray diffraction; and a release layer that is stacked on the metal layer. |
| US08224220B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus capable of adjusting amount of oil applied for fixing
A fixing device includes a rotatable fixing member, a pressing member, a motor, and an oil applier. The pressing member contacts the fixing member. The oil applier includes an application roller and an oil supply mechanism. The application roller applies oil to one of the fixing member and the pressing member. The oil supply mechanism supplies oil to the application roller. The motor is provided independent of other drivers, and supplies a driving force to the application roller to rotate the application roller at an arbitrary speed. |
| US08224219B2 |
Fixing device, image forming apparatus, heat fixing member for fixing device, cylindrical rotating member and medium transporting device
A cylindrical rotating member rotatably supported in a device in state where it is configured to contact a medium and that is heated in state where it is supported in the device, including: an elastically deformable base body that is a metal cylinder extending in a width direction of the medium, the width direction intersecting a transport direction of the medium, the base body being configured such that: when the base body is rotated and a portion of the base body reaches a contact-portion at which the base body contacts the medium, the portion of the base body elastically deforms, applies pressure to the medium, increases the size of a contact-area with the medium and applies heat to the medium; and after the base body is further rotated and the portion of the base body has passed the contact-portion, the base body elastically recovers its original shape is provided. |
| US08224218B2 |
Redistributing unit, developing device and image forming apparatus having the same
A developing device includes a photosensitive member having a surface on which a visible image is formed and a developing member to feed a developer to the photosensitive member, and an image forming apparatus having the developing device. The photosensitive member includes a developing region, to which the developer is transmitted by the developing member, and a transfer region, from which the developer of the photosensitive member is transmitted to a recording medium. A redistributing unit is disposed between the developing region and the transfer region, to redistribute the developer present on the photosensitive member. When developing a solid image and a halftone image in sequence is desired, even if a portion of the developer for use in development of the halftone image is prematurely transmitted to the photosensitive member, the redistributing unit can redistribute the transmitted developer so as to use the transmitted developer to develop the halftone image, resulting in a reduction in likelihood of image defects. |
| US08224217B2 |
Developing unit and image forming apparatus employing the same
A developing unit to develop an image on an image support body and an image forming apparatus employing the same. The developing unit includes a housing to contain a developer having a toner and a carrier, a magnetic cylinder including a catch pole to pick up the developer in the housing and a main pole arranged to face the image support body and to hold the carrier of the developer, a sleeve installed to rotate on the magnetic cylinder and on which a developer layer is formed, a thickness regulating member to regulate a thickness of the developer layer, and a width regulating member to regulate a width of the developer layer on the sleeve. |
| US08224213B2 |
Toner transferring mechanism, developing apparatus and image forming apparatus therewith
A toner transferring mechanism is provided with: an agitating and transferring member disposed in a housing accommodating toner, and having a blade portion thereof formed in a spiral shape on a circumferential portion of a rotatable shaft portion; and a plurality of scraping members making contact with the agitating and transferring member, and then scraping toner adhering to the agitating and transferring member, the scraping members being arranged in an axial direction of the agitating and transferring member, wherein the scraping members are arranged so that the scraping members adjacent to each other form an interval which is approximate to a spiral pitch of the blade portion of the agitating and transferring member. |
| US08224211B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus and developer conveying method using the same
To provide a developing device, which includes: a first conveying passage through which a developer including a toner and a magnetic carrier is conveyed; a first conveying member disposed in the first conveying passage for conveying the developer in a predetermined whilst agitating; a toner supply port for supplying toner into the first conveying passage; and a multiple number of electromagnets arranged in the upper part of the first conveying passage and on the downstream side of the toner supply port with respect to the developer's direction of conveyance for creating magnetic fields inside the first conveying passage along the developer's direction of conveyance, and which can improve agitation performance and conveying performance of the developer without extremely increasing stress acting on the developer, as well as providing an image forming apparatus and developer conveying method using the device. |
| US08224210B2 |
Image developer for presenting ink to a photoconductor
In one embodiment, an image developer includes a developer roller rotatable along a photoconductor for presenting a layer of ink to the photoconductor and a cleaner for cleaning ink from the developer roller. The cleaner includes a first cleaning roller rotatable along the developer roller for removing ink from the developer roller and a second cleaning roller rotatable against the first cleaning roller for mechanically removing ink from the first cleaning roller. In one embodiment, the second cleaning roller deforms against the first cleaning roller such that the cross-sectional length of contact between the first and second cleaning rollers is in the range of 20% to 38% of the circumference of the first cleaning roller. In one embodiment, the second cleaning roller has a density in the range of 90 kg/m3 to 150 kg/m3. |
| US08224207B2 |
Light irradiation element, image forming structure, and image forming apparatus
A light irradiation element includes a cavity through which light passes and a translucent light conduit bordering the cavity, allowing light to pass therethrough and transmitting the light passed through the cavity, the light irradiation element being disposed along a longitudinal direction of an image bearing body on which an electrostatic latent image is formed and directing the light passed through the light conduit to irradiate the image bearing body. |
| US08224204B2 |
Device and method for sealing a shaft to prevent the penetration of a toner mixture
In a device or method for sealing a shaft against penetration of a two-component toner mixture comprising magnetic carrier particles and toner particles, an annular, stationary sealing device is arranged radially at a distance of an annular gap around the shaft. The annular gap is charged with a magnetic field. The annular gap is filled with a mixture of a semi-fluid, highly viscous barrier medium and magnetic carrier particles, and wherein the mixture in the annular gap contains 40 to 85 percent by weight or 15 to 60 percent by volume of the magnetic carrier particles. |
| US08224201B2 |
Image heating apparatus for controlling a voltage applied to a heater
An image heating apparatus includes an endless belt configured to heat a toner image on a recording material, a heater configured to heat the endless belt, a voltage supplier configured to supply an alternating voltage to the heater, a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the heater, a controller configured to control a ratio of a time during which the voltage is supplied to the heater to a period at which the voltage is supplied to the heater according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector, and a regulator configured to regulate a maximum value of the ratio according to the temperature detected by the temperature detector by varying the voltage supplied to the heater at a predetermined period. |
| US08224190B2 |
Channel assignment method and apparatus for wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission system
Provided is a channel assignment method in a wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission system. The channel assignment method includes obtaining information about signal modulation schemes from a plurality of optical transmitters, and assigning channels to the respective optical transmitters in consideration of the obtained information about the signal modulation schemes. Accordingly, in transmission of channels of different modulation formats, cross phase modulation is minimized, thereby reducing inter-channel interference. |
| US08224189B1 |
Retro-directive target for free-space optical communication and method of producing the same
An apparatus for retro-reflecting electromagnetic energy and a method for producing the same are provided. The apparatus includes a substrate and a plurality of corner mirrors disposed in said substrate. The plurality of corner mirrors may have respective angles of acceptance with respect to the substrate to be operable to retro-reflect the electromagnetic energy within the respective angles of acceptance. The plurality of corner mirrors are arranged to provide a combined angle of acceptance that is greater than any one of the respective angles of acceptance. The apparatus may also include at least one modulator disposed over at least a portion of said plurality of corner mirrors. The modulator is operable to modulate any of said electromagnetic energy received and retro-reflected. |
| US08224185B2 |
USB compatible apparatus for connecting between optical USB device and electrical USB device
A USB compatible apparatus for connecting an optical universal serial bus (USB) (or an optical serial bus; OSB) device and an electrical USB device, and a structure of the apparatus are provided. More particularly, a USB compatible apparatus for guaranteeing a connection between an optical USB device for inputting/outputting an optical signal and an electrical USB device for inputting/outputting an electrical signal, for example, signal transmission and reception between an electrical USB device (e.g., an electrical USB memory) and an optical USB device (e.g., a computer) having an optical USB port, and a structure of the USB compatible apparatus (a first exemplary embodiment), and a USB compatible apparatus for guaranteeing signal transmission and reception between an optical USB device (e.g., an optical USB memory) and an electrical USB device (e.g., a portable telephone) having an electrical USB port, and a structure of the USB compatible apparatus (a second exemplary embodiment) are provided. |
| US08224180B2 |
Method and system for protection switching
A method is provided for protection switching in an optical network. The method may include: (i) establishing a baseline power level for a channel and a threshold value for the channel approximately equal to a predetermined threshold value; (ii) receiving a signal associated with the channel via each of a first path of the optical network and a second path of the optical network; (iii) monitoring a power intensity of the signal received via the first path; (iv) determining an average power intensity of the signal received via the first path based on the monitored power intensity; (v) modifying at least one of the baseline power level and the threshold value in response to a determination that the average power intensity exceeds the baseline power level; and (vi) protection switching from the signal received via the first path to the signal received via the second path in response to a determination that the baseline power level exceeds the power intensity of the signal received via the first path by the threshold. |
| US08224176B1 |
Combined ambient and flash exposure for improved image quality
A method for capturing an improved archival image using an electronic image capture device having a flash, comprising: capturing at least two preview images of a scene at different capture times using the image capture device; determining a scene brightness; using a processor to analyze the captured preview images to determine a motion velocity for the scene; determining a flash exposure setting and an ambient exposure setting responsive to a ratio between the determined scene brightness and the determined motion velocity; and capturing an archival image using the determined flash exposure setting and the determined ambient exposure setting. |
| US08224174B2 |
Methods for providing diffuse light
Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a method comprising: from an angled first end region of a substantially cylindrical beam splitter, reflecting incident light striking from any of a first set of predefined directions and to substantially transparently convey through said beam splitter and to a camera lens incident light traveling in any of a second set of predefined directions, the beam splitter defining a longitudinal central axis. |
| US08224172B2 |
Autofocus system
An autofocus system includes: a focus operating device which performs focusing in a shooting screen of a camera; a best focus range detecting device which detects a range of a best focus state from the shooting screen representing the result of the focusing performed by the focus operating device; a face detecting device which detects a range of a human face from the shooting screen; an AF frame automatic setting device by which, when a human face exists in the range being in the best focus state in the shooting screen, the position of an AF frame representing the range of an AF area that is the range to be focused by autofocus in the shooting screen, is automatically set to a face frame representing the range of the human face; and an AF frame automatic tracking device which automatically tracks a subject in the set AF frame. |
| US08224167B2 |
Dioptric adjustment device for underwater viewfinder
An adjustment device including an enhanced underwater viewfinder having, in use, a substantially watertight body and including a plurality of prisms within the body, at least one of the prisms being moveable by element of a control mechanism operable from a position exterior of the body. |
| US08224166B2 |
Liquid warming bag and bag warmer
A liquid heating bag 50 is proposed, in particular, a blood heating bag, with a flow volume 1 that is formed from at least two flexible plastic foils connected to each other by welding at four delimiting edges 3,4,5,6, has a flat, substantially trapezoidal basic shape that is limited by the delimiting edges 3,4,5,6, and an inlet line opening 10 and an outlet line opening 11 for a liquid to be heated that are disposed at an upper delimiting edge 3 of the delimiting edges 3,4,5,6 to be disposed at the top during liquid heating, wherein the upper delimiting edge 3 extends sufficiently obliquely with respect to its adjacent delimiting edges 4,6 that a gas reception volume 8 is formed in the region of an acute angle of the flow volume 1 subtended between the upper delimiting edge 3 and a delimiting edge 6 adjacent thereto, and a liquid flow guiding seam 13 that is formed by connecting the plastic foils in the region of the flow volume 1 and divides the upper delimiting edge 3 into a lower inlet line opening region and an upper outlet line opening region on the gas reception volume side. A degassing opening 23 is disposed at the upper delimiting edge 3 in the region of the gas reception volume 8 between the outlet line opening 11 and the delimiting edge 6 adjacent to the outlet line opening region. |
| US08224164B2 |
Insulated conductor temperature limited heaters
A heater may include an electrical conductor. Applying alternating current to the electrical conductor may resistively heat the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor may include an electrically resistive ferromagnetic material. The ferromagnetic material may at least partially surround a non-ferromagnetic material. The heater may provide a reduced amount of heat above or near a selected temperature. An electrical insulator may at least partially surround the electrical conductor. A sheath may at least partially surround the electrical insulator. |
| US08224162B2 |
Information recording medium, and apparatus and method for recording information to information recording medium
An information recording medium achieves high speed conversion of a signal input externally from MPEG-TS to MPEG-PS complying with the DVD standard. An apparatus and a method are used to record information to the information recording medium. A constrained format which enables conversion from a first stream (for example, MPEG transport stream) to a second stream (for example, MPEG program stream) is provided. The constrained format defines that a presentation order of the video information of continuous complete data blocks starts at a top field and ends at a bottom field. The continuous complete data blocks are included in a reference time of continuous presentation of video information and audio information with the reference time including at least one data block. |
| US08224161B2 |
After-recording apparatus
An audio signal is compressively encoded into encoding-resultant audio data. A video signal is compressively encoded into encoding-resultant video data. An audio time stamp for audio-vide synchronous reproduction is added to every unit of the encoding-resultant audio data. A video time stamp for audio-video synchronous reproduction is added to every unit of the encoding-resultant video data. The time-stamp-added audio data and the time-stamp-added video data are multiplexed into main data. To a plurality of first after-recording-purpose data for at least one of (1) the encoding-resultant audio data and (2) the encoding-resultant video data which form the main data, time stamps for reproduction synchronous with a portion of the main data and identification information for identifying the plurality of first after-recording-purpose data are added to convert the first after-recording-purpose data into second after-recording-purpose data. The second after-recording-purpose data are made into bit streams without being multiplexed with the main data. |
| US08224159B2 |
Reproducing apparatus and reproducing method for reproducing and editing video clips
A data accessing and reproducing apparatus and method that permits a user to selected desired video clips and perform editing on the clips such that the time needed to display a thumbnail representation is minimized. In an edit mode, thumbnail pictures are arranged and displayed in the order of which edit results are reproduced. These thumbnails may be, for example, a lower resolution, proxy representation of the audio or video data. When data of thumbnail pictures are read from a disc, the data are read in the order of which they have been recorded. The order of which thumbnail pictures are displayed on the screen is different from the order of which they are arranged on the screen, and thus, the seek time for the disc becomes the shortest. Thus, the thumbnail pictures can be displayed at high speed. |
| US08224155B2 |
Techniques for preventing skipping playback of content
The present invention relates to a playback apparatus, playback method, a storage apparatus, a storage method, a program, a storage medium, a data structure, and a method of producing a storage medium, capable of controlling non-normal playback operations. In a state in which PlayItem_random_access_flag is set to 0 for PlayItem(1) and PlayItem(3) and an Entry Mark is defined in PLayItem(2) for which PlayItem_random_access_flag is set to 1, if a user operation occurs to request a jump to the Entry Mark in PlayItem(2) when a Clip AV stream pointed to by PlayItem(1) is being played back, the playback position jumps not to the Entry Mark in PlayItem(2) but to the beginning of a Clip AV stream pointed to by PlayItem(2). The present invention is applicable to a playback apparatus and a storage apparatus. |
| US08224152B2 |
Apparatus and method for reproducing text file in digital video device
Apparatus and method for reproducing texts in a digital video device, are discussed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes automatically selecting a text conversion table for the digital video device, and reproducing text data stored on a recording medium using the selected text conversion table. |
| US08224150B2 |
Method and apparatus for recording/reproduction
The present invention provides a recording/reproduction apparatus which can record AV data at a variable rate as well as so as to enable trick plays. This recording/reproduction apparatus reads data from an HDD 8 and carries out a recording/reproduction process for the read data, and it comprises a reproduction means 10 for reading first MPEG data from the HDD 8, an analysis means 30 for obtaining positional information indicating positions of previous and subsequent GOPs of a GOP in the first MPEG data on the basis of the read first MPEG data, a navigation information addition means 6 for adding the positional information in a determined position of the first MPEG data to generate second MPEG data, and a recording means 7 for recording the second MPEG data on an optical disk 9. |
| US08224146B2 |
Block-out device for fiber optic adapter
The present invention is directed to a device that protects a fiber optic adapter from contamination, damage or misuse. The fiber optic adapter includes latches that extend from inner sides of the adapter. The device includes a front, a back and sides. The sides extend from the front to the back. Each side includes a slot molded along the sides of the device. The slots receive the latches of the fiber optic adapter when the device is installed in the fiber optic adapter. Once the latches are installed in the slots, the device is secured to the fiber optic adapter. |
| US08224131B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a user interface for setting an instruction from a user and is capable of switching a language used in a display screen of the user interface. The image processing apparatus creates text data by determining the language used in the display screen of the user interface and by performing character recognition suitable for recognizing a document of the determined language on read image data. The image processing apparatus also creates a file in which the text data and the image data are associated with each other. Therefore, character recognition is properly performed in the image processing apparatus by automatically selecting the type of the language. |
| US08224124B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method, and program
An image processing device includes: a rescaling unit configured to obtain an image subjected to scaling, and subject the image to rescaling with the scaling rate of the image; a block border information detecting unit configured to detect a block size and block border position from the image after rescaling; and a detected information correcting unit configured to correct the block size and the block border position detected by the block border information detecting unit based on the scaling rate. |
| US08224122B2 |
Dynamic viewing of wide angle images
A dynamic wide angle image viewing technique is presented which provides a way to view a wide-angle image while zooming between a wide angle view and a narrower angle view that employs both perspective and non-perspective projection models. In general, this involves first establishing the field of view for a view of the wide angle image that is to be displayed. The view is then rendered and displayed based on the established field of view, such that the projection transitions between a perspective projection associated with narrower angle views and a non-perspective projection (e.g., cylindrical, spherical or some other parameterization) associated with wider-angle views. |
| US08224114B2 |
Method and apparatus for despeckling an image
A method, computer readable medium, and device for reducing speckle in an image by detecting the edges of the image to create an edge detected image, binarizing the edge detected image to create a binary edge image for processing, creating a list, L, of connected components in the binary edge image, creating a list, C, of connected components in list L that are smaller than a predetermined number of pixels, determining noise candidate pixels from the edge detected image that are covered by the connected components in list C, computing a histogram he of the noise candidate pixels, calculating a threshold from the total number of noise candidate pixels, and marking the pixels in the connected components in list C having a pixel intensity smaller than the threshold as noise. The pixels marked as noise may then be removed by setting the pixels marked as noise to a background color of the image. Optionally, a number of connected components M in list C and a number of connected components N in list L are counted and a percentage p of noise candidates M to the number of connected components N is calculated as p=M/N. The processing only removes the speckle if p is more than a predetermined percentage and stops processing of the image if p is less than the predetermined percentage. |
| US08224113B2 |
System and method for generating an image enhanced product
A system for generating an image enhanced output product and method for operating the same are provided. An image enhanceable product is identified having a tangible surface and a printing map is defined that defines a plurality of window areas in which images are to be printed on the tangible surface. A desired visual impact characteristic is determined based upon the appearance of the image enhanceable product and the printing map and a selection of a plurality of digital images are received. An image processing method is selected method based upon the determined visual impact characteristic and at least one of the digital images is automatically processed in accordance with the selected image processing method. At least some of the digital images, including the automatically processed image, are provided on the tangible surface according to the printing map. |
| US08224111B2 |
Method of restoring degraded image, apparatus for restoring degraded image, and computer program product
A degraded-image restoration method includes inputting a degraded image degraded by a predetermined degradation process; reading from a storage unit a filter coefficient in a filtering process of restoring the degraded image, in which an iteration formula for minimizing a square error between the degraded image and an image obtained by degrading a restored image by the degradation process is expanded corresponding to a predetermined number of iterations; and performing the filtering process using the filter coefficient with respect to the degraded image to obtain a restored image of the degraded image. Accordingly, a throughput in an apparatus that restores the degraded image can be reduced, thereby obtaining a preferable restored image. |
| US08224104B2 |
System and method for predicting the file size of images subject to transformation by scaling and a change of quality-controlling parameters
A system and method for predicting a file size of an image subject to transformation by scaling and a change about at least one quality-controlling parameter, in which an input receives (a) the file size of the image before transformation, (b) information about at least one quality-controlling parameter of the image before transformation, (c) information about at least one quality-controlling parameter for application to the image during transformation, and (d) a scaling factor for application to the image during transformation. A relative size prediction is calculated on the basis of the received quality-controlling parameters information and scaling factor. The file size of the image after transformation is finally calculated as a function of the file size of the image before transformation and the calculated relative size prediction. |
| US08224102B2 |
Method for encoding a picture, computer program product and encoder
A Method for encoding a picture with a first region and a second region is described wherein the first region is encoded according to a first encoding scheme, the second region is encoded according to a second encoding scheme and the second encoding scheme is carried out taking a parameter representing the visual perception of the second region into account. |
| US08224095B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method
A document matching process section retrieves a similar image on a basis of the result of a first comparison process for comparing features of a matching key image of first resolution that are stored in a features storage section with features of a matching reference image and the result of a second comparison process for extracting features from a matching key image of second resolution that is stored in an image data storage section and comparing the extracted features with features of the matching reference image that are stored in the features storage section. This allows accurately retrieving a matching reference image similar to the matching key image, even when the matching key image is a zoomed image, an N-up image, or an image of low resolution. |
| US08224090B2 |
Apparatus and method for analyzing and determining correlation of information in a document
According to an aspect of an embodiment, an apparatus for analyzing and determining correlation of information contained in a given form containing blocks, at least one of the blocks containing data indicative of a header, the rest of the blocks containing data in association with header information, comprising: a memory for storing templates having nodes, character data associated with said nodes respectively, and relative position information between said nodes; and a processor for analyzing and determining correlation of the information according to a process comprising: obtaining data contained in said blocks in the given form, determining relative position of said blocks to produce relative position information, analyzing the data obtained from the blocks and the relative position information of the blocks in comparison with the character data and the relative position information of said nodes of said templates, and determining correlation of the data contained in said blocks. |
| US08224084B2 |
Image processing method, image processing apparatus, and color image generating system
When a monochrome image is converted into a color image, following criteria are applied. a) Black, white, and a color having lightness according to a pixel value are assigned to minimum and maximum pixel values, and a pixel value therebetween, respectively. b) For the pixel value near but excluding the minimum value, a color in a blue color region is assigned. c) For the pixel value near but excluding the maximum value, a color in a yellow color region is assigned. For the pixel value in a range above those near the minimum value but below near the maximum value, a color in a range of hue from the blue color region to the yellow color region by way of a red color region or a color in the range of hue from the blue color region to the yellow color region by way of a green color region is assigned. |
| US08224081B2 |
Image processor
In a first input step from outside to an image processor, a signal input unit inputs to a pre-filter a first part of first luminance signals inputted from outside, which is a part to be processed by the pre-filter in the first input step, and stores a remaining second part of the first luminance signals in the memory unit. In a second input step following the first input step, the signal input unit inputs to the pre-filter the second part of the first luminance signals read from the memory unit and a first part of second luminance signals inputted from outside, which is a part to be processed by the pre-filter in the second input step, and stores a remaining second part of the second luminance signals in the memory unit. |
| US08224075B2 |
Image selection techniques
Tools disclosed herein comprise progressive, paint stroke based region recognition and selection tools. Using these tools, a user may partially paint a region of interest directly on an image (by using a paint brush or other similar tool). Unlike conventional selection tools, a user is not required to paint the entire region pixel-by-pixel. Rather the desired region is automatically and intelligently recognized based on the partial selection. This is accomplished via a progressive selection algorithm. In addition, these tools provide the ability to quickly execute such region selections on multi-megapixel images. |
| US08224074B2 |
Image-processing device, image-forming device, and storing medium
An image-processing device includes: a memory that stores a red range occurring within a color space; an acquisition unit that acquires image data representing a document image that includes characters; and a production unit that produces image data representing an overall image that includes: the document image represented by the image data that is acquired by the acquisition unit, a differentiation image that is positioned within the document image and that allows the user to differentiate an image of red characters residing in the range from an image formed of colors other than red, and an information image representing information for acquiring the document image in a state in which the differentiation image is not positioned. |
| US08224070B2 |
Three-dimensional measuring device
A three-dimensional measuring device includes an irradiation device configured to irradiate and switch among a multiplicity of light patterns having different periods and having a striped light intensity distribution on at least a measurement object, a camera having an imaging element capable of imaging reflected light from the measurement object irradiated by the light pattern, a rack configured to cause relative change in positional relationship between the imaging element and the measurement object, and a control device configured to perform three-dimensional measurements based on image data imaged by the camera. The control device performs the three-dimensional measurements by performing a phase shift method calculation of height data as a first height data for each pixel unit of image data based on a multiply phase-shifted image data obtained by irradiating on a first position a multiply phase-shifted first light pattern having a first period. |
| US08224069B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image matching method, and computer-readable recording medium
When a feature point extractor sets feature points on one of the images acquired by a first and second image acquirer, a template setting unit sets a base template containing a feature point onto an edge-extracted image of the acquired image. If the image within the base template is segmented by an edge, the template setting unit sets a transformed template, wherein a segmented sub-region that does not contain the feature point is deleted from the base template, and a region equal in area to the deleted region is added to the sub-region that does contain the feature point. A distance computing unit conducts template matching with respect to the one or more other images using either the base template or the transformed template, and computes the shooting distance to the matching feature point. |
| US08224068B2 |
Lock and hold structured light illumination
A method, system, and associated program code, for 3-dimensional image acquisition, using structured light illumination, of a surface-of-interest under observation by at least one camera. One aspect includes: illuminating the surface-of-interest, while static/at rest, with structured light to obtain initial depth map data therefor; while projecting a hold pattern comprised of a plurality of snake-stripes at the static surface-of-interest, assigning an identity to and an initial lock position of each of the snake-stripes of the hold pattern; and while projecting the hold pattern, tracking, from frame-to-frame each of the snake-stripes. Another aspect includes: projecting a hold pattern comprised of a plurality of snake-stripes; as the surface-of-interest moves into a region under observation by at least one camera that also comprises the projected hold pattern, assigning an identity to and an initial lock position of each snake-stripe as it sequentially illuminates the surface-of-interest; and while projecting the hold pattern, tracking, from frame-to-frame, each snake-stripe while it passes through the region. Yet another aspect includes: projecting, in sequence at the surface-of-interest positioned within a region under observation by at least one camera, a plurality of snake-stripes of a hold pattern by opening/moving a shutter cover; as each of the snake-stripes sequentially illuminates the surface-of-interest, assigning an identity to and an initial lock position of that snake-stripe; and while projecting the hold pattern, tracking, from frame-to-frame, each of the snake-stripes once it has illuminated the surface-of-interest and entered the region. |
| US08224065B2 |
Reconstruction of shapes of objects from images
The present disclosure describes a system and method for transforming a two-dimensional image of an object into a three-dimensional representation, or model, that recreates the three-dimensional contour of the object. In one example, three pairs of symmetric points establish an initial relationship between the original image and a virtual image, then additional pairs of symmetric points in the original image are reconstructed. In each pair, a visible point and an occluded point are mapped into 3-space with a single free variable characterizing the mapping for all pairs. A value for the free variable is then selected to maximize compactness of the model, where compactness is defined as a function of the model's volume and its surface area. “Noise” correction derives from enforcing symmetry and selecting best-fitting polyhedra for the model. Alternative embodiments extend this to additional polyhedra, add image segmentation, use perspective, and generalize to asymmetric polyhedra and non-polyhedral objects. |
| US08224064B1 |
System and method for 3D imaging using structured light illumination
A biometrics system captures and processes a handprint image using a structured light illumination to create a 2D representation equivalent of a rolled inked handprint. The biometrics system includes an enclosure with a scan volume for placement of the hand. A reference plane with a backdrop pattern forms one side of the scan volume. The backdrop pattern is preferably a random noise pattern and the coordinates of the backdrop pattern are predetermined at system provisioning. The biometrics system further includes at least one projection unit for projecting a structured light pattern onto a hand positioned in the scan volume on or in front of the backdrop pattern and at least two cameras for capturing a plurality of images of the hand, wherein each of the plurality of images includes at least a portion of the hand and the backdrop pattern. A processing unit calculates 3D coordinates of the hand from the plurality of images using the predetermined coordinates of the backdrop pattern to align the plurality of images and mapping the 3D coordinates to a 2D flat surface to create a 2D representation equivalent of a rolled inked handprint. The processing unit can also adjust calibration parameters for each hand scan from calculating coordinates of the portion of backdrop pattern in the at least one image and comparing with the predetermined coordinates of the backdrop pattern. |
| US08224063B2 |
Inspection apparatus and inspection method
An inspection apparatus and method for precisely detect an amount of misalignment of a component mounted on a panel through an adhesive which contains conductive particles. The inspection apparatus detects an amount of misalignment, from a predetermined mounting position, of a component mounted on a surface of a panel through an ACF, and includes: a visible light camera which captures an image of a panel recognition mark formed on the panel and a component recognition mark formed on the component; an obtaining unit which obtains, from the image captured by the camera, positions of feature points of the respective recognition marks; and a calculation unit which calculates an amount of misalignment of the feature point of the component recognition mark in the image captured by the camera from a predetermined position that is determined using the position of the feature point of the panel recognition mark as a reference. |
| US08224056B2 |
Method for computed tomography motion estimation and compensation
A method and system for motion estimation and compensation are disclosed. Initially, a set of one or more initial images is reconstructed using acquired imaging data. Further, one or more regions of interest are identified in this set of reconstructed initial images. At least a set of filters is applied to the identified regions of interest to generate a sequence of filtered images. Particularly, each of the filtered images in the generated sequence of filtered images includes data acquired near a different reference point. Subsequently, a motion path corresponding to each region of interest is determined based on one or more correspondences in the sequence of filtered images. |
| US08224046B2 |
Visual enhancement of interval changes using rigid and non-rigid transformations
An image point in a displayed reference image R is selected and a non-rigid transformation resulting in a transformation field g(rR) mapping every location rR to a corresponding location rF in a floating image F is applied, next a rigid body transformation is applied to floating image F such that rF coincides with the selected image point and the transformed floating image is displayed. |
| US08224040B2 |
Face recognition apparatus based on even light source
The present invention relates to a face recognition apparatus based on even light source, which includes a data processor (1), an imaging device (2) used to capture a face image and transport the face image to said data processor (1) for image processing, and an optical device (3) used to form an image of human face onto said imaging device (2). The optical device (3) further includes a camera lens (4) and an even light source device (5) located near or surrounding said camera lens (4). The even light source device (5) includes a light emitter (6) and an even light source generation device (7) which is used to generate indirect even light source by means of refraction, diffraction or reflection of light emitted by said light emitter (6). Light radiated onto the human face is evener due to the even light source, thus a better image effect is achieved to facilitate improving recognition quality and processing speed. Further, the apparatus may not bring irritation to human eyes, and may enhance comfortability during the recognition process. |
| US08224039B2 |
Separating a directional lighting variability in statistical face modelling based on texture space decomposition
A technique for determining a characteristic of a face or certain other object within a scene captured in a digital image including acquiring an image and applying a linear texture model that is constructed based on a training data set and that includes a class of objects including a first subset of model components that exhibit a dependency on directional lighting variations and a second subset of model components which are independent of directional lighting variations. A fit of the model to the face or certain other object is obtained including adjusting one or more individual values of one or more of the model components of the linear texture model. Based on the obtained fit of the model to the face or certain other object in the scene, a characteristic of the face or certain other object is determined. |
| US08224037B2 |
Methods involving face model fitting
A method for face model fitting comprising, receiving a first observed image, receiving a second observed image, and fitting an active appearance model of a third image to the second observed image and the first observed image with an algorithm that includes a first function of a mean-square-error between a warped image of the second observed image and a synthesis of the active appearance model and a second function of a mean-square-error between the warped image of the second observed image and an appearance data of the first observed image. |
| US08224030B2 |
Position measuring method and position measuring instrument
The present invention provides a position measuring instrument, comprising a GPS position detecting device 7, an image pickup device 9 for continuously taking a digital image, a laser distance measuring device 8, and a measuring instrument main unit 2, wherein the GPS position detecting device measures positional data at a first point and a second point, the image pickup device continuously takes digital images on sceneries in surroundings during a process where the image pickup device moves from the first point, which is a known point, via the second point to a third point, which is an unknown point, the laser distance measuring device measures a distance to the object of image pickup in parallel to the image pickup by the image pickup device, and the measuring instrument main unit generates tracking point from the image obtained at the first point, sequentially identifies the tracking points from the tracing of points generated on the images to be acquired continuously, calculates three-dimensional positional data of the tracking points of the images acquired at the first point and the images acquired at the second point from the positional data at the first point and the second point, compares the result of calculation with the result of distance measurement by the laser distance measuring device, adopts the result of calculation within a predetermined limit of errors with respect to the measurement results as positional data of the tracking point, and calculates positional data of the third point from the positional data of the tracking point. |
| US08224029B2 |
Object matching for tracking, indexing, and search
A camera system comprises an image capturing device, object detection module, object tracking module, and match classifier. The object detection module receives image data and detects objects appearing in one or more of the images. The object tracking module temporally associates instances of a first object detected in a first group of the images. The first object has a first signature representing features of the first object. The match classifier matches object instances by analyzing data derived from the first signature of the first object and a second signature of a second object detected in a second image. The second signature represents features of the second object derived from the second image. The match classifier determine whether the second signature matches the first signature. A training process automatically configures the match classifier using a set of possible object features. |
| US08224022B2 |
Connected audio and other media objects
Various signal processing methods and apparatus are provided. One claim recites a method of linking media to a network resource. The method includes: computing, with an electronic processor on a handheld device, attributes of media used to identify the media; providing, from the handheld device, computed attributes of the media to a network resource, wherein the network resource uses the computed attributes of the media to identify the media or metadata associated with the media; receiving, at the handheld device, metadata associated with the identified media in the network resource. Of course, other combinations and claims are provided as well. |
| US08224018B2 |
Sensing data from physical objects
Directional albedo of a particular article, such as an identity card, is measured and stored. When the article is later presented, it can be confirmed to be the same particular article by re-measuring the albedo function, and checking for correspondence against the earlier-stored data. The re-measuring can be performed through us of a handheld optical device, such as a camera-equipped cell phone. The albedo function can serve as random key data in a variety of cryptographic applications. The function can be changed during the life of the article. A variety of other features are also detailed. |
| US08224013B2 |
Headset systems and methods
A digital audio player device can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form an intraoral MP3 player. In another embodiment, the device provides an electronic and transducer device that can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a DAP. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device fabricated from a thermal forming process utilizing a replicate model of a dental structure obtained by conventional dental impression methods. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure. |
| US08224008B2 |
Hearing apparatus with a moveable charging contact
A hearing apparatus includes a charging contact being movable relative to an accumulator and being electrically conductively connected to the accumulator in a first position and less effectively conductively connected thereto in a second position. A spring-elastic element engages with the charging contact in order to push the charging contact into the second position with a predetermined force, so that the charging contact can only be pushed into the first position by overcoming the predetermined force. As a result, the charging contact configuration obtains a switching function, so that electro-corrosion on the charging contacts can be prevented. Therefore, charging an accumulator of a hearing apparatus and in particular of a hearing device using a direct conductive contact is possible, with zero potential of the charging contacts which are accessible from the outside being ensured during normal operation of the hearing apparatus. |
| US08224005B2 |
Hearing aid extension
Systems and methods are disclosed for enhancing the performance of hearing aids and the like. For example, an extension for a hearing aid can include a stem having one or more flanges formed thereon. The flanges can be configured to enhance the fit of the hearing aid in the ear canal. The extension can cushion sensitive tissues of the ear canal from contact with the hard plastic inner end of the hearing aid. The extension also inhibits undesirable leakage of sound around the hearing aid. Thus, both comfort and effectiveness of a hearing aid or the like are enhanced. |
| US08223998B2 |
Electrostatic speaker
An electrostatic speaker is constituted of a vibrator, conductive cloths, and elastic members, which are laminated together and woven together using strings. Since all the constituent elements are restrained in positioning by strings, the overall structure thereof is not substantially changed even when the electrostatic speaker is deformed in shape by bending or curving, wherein it is possible to secure the prescribed positional relationship between the constituent elements, which are not deviated in positioning. It is possible to introduce a sheet composed of a thermoplastic resin, which holds the vibrator and elastic members therein. The conductive cloths can be replaced with film electrodes, each of which is formed such that a conductive polymer layer is formed on a base film composed of a thermoplastic resin. |
| US08223989B2 |
Signal processing system and method for calibrating channel signals supplied from an array of sensors having different operating characteristics
In a signal processing system, a set of channel signals from an array of sensors of different operating characteristics are processed in calibration circuitry that calculates individual average values of the channel signals and calculates an average of the individual average values of channel signals as a reference value. Reciprocal calculators calculate reciprocal values of the individual average values of the channel signals. Scaling circuitry scales the reciprocal values by the reference value to produce a set of amplitude calibration signals and scales the channel signals by the calibration signals respectively. As a result, the channel signals are normalized by their own average values and scaled by the reference value to produce a set of calibrated channel signals. |
| US08223985B2 |
Masking of pure tones within sound from a noise generating source
A method and system for masking pure tones within sound generated from a noise generating source. The method includes detecting one or more pure tones within sound being generated from the noise generating source, and generating one or more masking sounds capable of masking only the one or more pure tones detected within the sound. |
| US08223978B2 |
Target sound analysis apparatus, target sound analysis method and target sound analysis program
A target sound analysis apparatus capable of distinguishing between a sound having the same fundamental period as a target sound but which differs therefrom and the target sound and analyzing whether or not the target sound is contained in an evaluation sound is an target sound analysis apparatus that analyzes whether or not a target sound is included in an evaluation sound, and includes: a target sound preparation unit that prepares a target sound that is an analysis waveform to be used for analyzing a fundamental period; an evaluation sound preparation unit that prepares an evaluation sound that is an analyzed waveform in which its fundamental period will be analyzed; and an analysis unit that temporally shifts the target sound with respect to the evaluation sound to sequentially calculate differential values of the evaluation sound and the target sound at corresponding points in time, calculate an iterative interval between the points in time where the differential value is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value, and judge whether or not the target sound exists in the evaluation sound based on a period of the iterative interval and the fundamental period of the target sound. |
| US08223977B2 |
Sound receiver
Sound waves having a proper phase difference are received by microphones fixed in a mesh-formed casing, while other sound waves pass through the casing, and reach a front surface of a diffuse reflection member. The randomly uneven front surface of the diffuse reflection member diffusely reflects the sound waves, thereby preventing the reflected sound waves from reaching the microphones at the proper phase difference. Any reflected sound waves that do reach the microphones are received at a phase difference that is different from the proper phase difference and are determined to be noise by a sound-source determining circuit, thereby enabling a sound receiver to receive only sound waves having the proper phase difference, and hence, improving directivity thereof. |
| US08223973B2 |
Mix-net system
Each participant apparatus (103) encrypts a plaintext by using a secret key of secret key cryptography, encrypts the encryption key by a public key, and sends the plaintext and public key to a substitution/decryption apparatus (112). With this processing, the limitation on the length of a ciphertext to be processed can be eliminated. In this invention, a verifiable proof text using a public key by each substitution/decryption apparatus is verified by a verification apparatus (109) by using the public key. If one of a plurality of organizations to decrypt and shuffle ciphertexts has not correctly executed the operation, a third party can specify it and prove that the specified organization is unauthorized. |
| US08223972B2 |
Method and device for speeding up key use in key management software with tree structure
In the key management software having a key database with a tree structure, a high-speed data encryption/decryption process is achieved by changing the tree structure without reducing the security strength when deleting or adding a key from/to the tree structure. The key management software having the key database with the tree structure, when deleting or adding a key from/to the tree structure, refers to the encryption strength comparison table and the process time comparison table to change the tree structure without reducing the security strength. This reduces the number of times an encrypted key is loaded onto the encryption/decryption processing device during the data encryption/decryption process, thus achieving a high-speed data encryption/decryption. |
| US08223971B2 |
Apparatus and method for encrypting security key in mobile communication terminal
Provided is an apparatus and method for storing a security key in a mobile communication terminal. In the method, the security key is generated randomly. The generated security key is encrypted in a predetermined encryption scheme. The encrypted security key is stored in the mobile communication terminal. Therefore, even if the stored security keys are read by hacking or memory dump, it is impossible to detect the accurate security keys. |
| US08223969B2 |
Methods and systems for secure distribution of subscription-based game software
A method for secure communications. At least one encryption key can be generated based on a pass-phrase that associates a unique identifier of a client system with a customer. Customer data encrypted with the at least one encryption key can be received such that the customer data is uniquely associated with both the client system and with the customer. The client system cannot decrypt the customer data if the unique identifier of the client system is changed. The client system cannot decrypt the customer data if the customer is changed. |
| US08223968B2 |
Image data verification program recorded on a recording medium, image data verification method, and image data verification system
An image data verification system for verifying image data using a computer and method are provided. The method includes registering image data of an original and extracting information regarding a part of information forming the original image data. The method also includes generating a feature value of the partial information and generating signature information. |
| US08223963B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating a signature for a message and method and apparatus for verifying such a signature
A method of generating a signature σ for a message m, the method enabling online/offline signatures. Two random primes p and q are generated, with N=pq; two random quadratic residues g and x are chosen in Z*N, and, for an integer z, h=g−z mod N is calculated. This gives the public key {g, h, x, N} and the private key {p, q, z}. Then, an integer t and a prime e are chosen. The offline signature part y may then be calculated as y=(xg−t)1/eb mod N where b is an integer bigger than 0, predetermined in the signature scheme. The online part k of the signature on message m is then calculated as k=t+mz and the signature σ on message m is generated as σ=(k, y, e) and returned. To verify the signature, it is checked that 1) e is an odd IE-bit integer, 2) k is an IK-bit integer, and 3) yebgkhm≡x(mod N). An advantage of the method is that it may be performed without hashing. Also provided are a signing device, a verification device, and computer program supports. |
| US08223960B2 |
Apparatus and method for removing an echo signal in a signal transmission/reception apparatus of a communication system
A method and apparatus for removing an echo signal in a signal transmission/reception apparatus of a communication system are provided. A signal transmission/reception apparatus determines an echo channel impulse response using a reception signal, generates an echo signal removing coefficient using the echo channel impulse response, removes an echo signal from the reception signal using the echo signal removing coefficient, and transmits a signal in which the echo signal is removed. |
| US08223958B2 |
Determining an active line
Embodiments for connecting and disconnecting a first pair of conductors of a jack from a second pair of conductors of the jack, the first pair of conductors configured to connect to a first line and the second pair of conductors configured to connect to a secondary line, detecting a voltage or a current on the secondary line while the second pair of conductors is disconnected from the first pair of conductors, and notifying a user in response to detecting the voltage or the current on the secondary line while the second pair of conductors is disconnected from the first pair of conductors are disclosed. |
| US08223956B2 |
System and method for managing, directing, and queuing communication events
A queue interface system and method for queuing voice calls for use with a communication system having queues includes a queue selector allowing a user to select a queue from a list of queues on a display. In an embodiment, one or more of the queues on the list of queues is a service agent queue. Further, the queue interface system includes an expected wait time component for displaying an expected wait time for a customer for the selected queue. The system also includes a call options selector providing a hold option and a call option. The hold option places a call in the selected queue and the call option causes a call to occur. In an embodiment, the call option further includes assigning a placeholder for a customer in the selected queue and causing a call to the customer to occur after the expected wait time. |
| US08223955B2 |
Method and apparatus for delivering and tracking click/call information for PSTN and digital telephone networks
A method and apparatus turns a typical home telephone system into a platform for delivery of web based content and services. The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a broadband enabled telephone system for the home and a series of web servers that collect, package, and deliver personalized content and services to all of the telephone handsets throughout the home. With this end-to-end solution, any information or services available via the web can be delivered through a broadband enabled telephone system. Through the web, each member of a family can build a profile which defines what information and services they want available through the handset. In addition, each handset can be dynamically personalized for any family member. The color screens on the handsets become windows through which an individual can view and interact with a broad range of content and services. The audio channels thus become an extension of the voice based services, such as messaging and voice chat. |
| US08223940B2 |
Selecting communication mode of communications apparatus
A communications device capable of communicating via any one of a number of communication modes comprises a mode comparator configured to determine which of the available modes is likely to be most appropriate for selection when initiating communication with a destination call party based at least in part on availability status data representative of a state of availability of the destination call party. The device displays the mode as a suggestion for selection by the user together with an ordered list of available communication modes for use in contacting a particular party, the list being ordered according to the likelihood of communication being successful. The call history for each mode in reaching the party is analyzed and a score calculated for each mode, the scores being relatively weighted according to a set of weighting factors arrived at from considering the current state of availability of the party, for example using presence information, and the inherent intrusiveness of each communication mode from the point of view of the called party. |
| US08223938B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing caller identification services
A method, system, and computer program product for providing caller identification services to an Internet Protocol-enabled device are provided. The method includes receiving a communication request from a caller device over a voice network, the communication request including a caller party number, mapping a 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. |
| US08223937B2 |
Method of and switching device for handling a telephone call initiated from a calling terminal in a circuit switched telecommunications network
The invention relates to a method of handling a telephone call initiated from a calling terminal in a circuit switched telecommunications network by providing called party identification data of a called party to said network. In the method proposed said call is set up by obtaining answering party identification data from a service control point associated with said called party based on said provided called party identification data. Communication is provided through said network between said calling terminal and an answering terminal identified using said answering party identification data. Said answering party identification data is made available to at least one service control point in said network for identifying services associated with said answering terminal. The invention further relates to a switching device for use with said method. |
| US08223930B2 |
Method and system for workgroup voicemail message
A method, system, and medium related to workgroup voicemail. The method may include receiving a workgroup voicemail for a call placed to a callable workgroup; providing a workgroup message waiting signal to a communication device associated with a member of the callable workgroup; and displaying a workgroup message waiting indication at the communication device associated with the callable workgroup member in response to the workgroup message waiting signal, the workgroup message waiting indication being distinct from a personal message waiting indication associated with the callable workgroup member. |
| US08223929B2 |
Interactive web interface for interactive voice response
Described are a system and method for establishing a communication session between an end user and a communication destination of an interactive voice response (IVR) system. A click-to-call server transmits a web page over a network for display in a browser window at a client system. The web page presents a web menu corresponding to an IVR audio menu of the IVR system and has a link by which the end user of the client system can submit a click-to-call request. The click-to-call server receives a click-to-call request from the client system over the network in response to activation of the link in the web page. The click-to-call server sets up a communication session between a communication device identified by the end user and a communication destination of the IVR system in response to receiving the click-to-call request. |
| US08223924B2 |
Grating with a large aspect ratio, in particular to be used as an X-ray optical grating in a CT system, produced by a lithography method
A grating with a large aspect ratio is disclosed, in particular to be used as an X-ray optical grating in a CT system and in particular produced by a lithography method. In at least one embodiment, the grating includes a multiplicity of recurring alternating grating webs and grating gaps with a height, and a multiplicity of filler beams, respectively arranged in the grating gaps with a spacing from one another in the direction of the gaps, which beams connect respectively adjacent grating webs over their height. In at least one embodiment, the grating webs and the grating gaps run from a first to a second side of the grating, and a filler beam has a width in the direction of the gaps and this width is at most 10% of the spacing between two adjacent filler beams. In at least one embodiment, the spacings between respective adjacent filler beams in a grating gap do not vary by more than 10% in the entire grating. At least one embodiment of the invention furthermore relates to a CT system containing at least one grating according to at least one embodiment of the invention. |
| US08223923B2 |
X-ray source with metal wire cathode
An X-ray source with a cathode (2) that includes a first wire (4) having optionally thermal loops (12, 14) between an emission loop (10) and first and second ends (6, 8). A spiral second wire (30) is wound around the wire (4) and a low work function coating (32) is provided on both wires. The first and second wires may be of refractory material, such as tungsten, and the low work function coating may include barium oxide. |
| US08223922B2 |
Radiation detection device, radiation image acquiring system, radiation inspection system, and radiation detection method
A radiation image acquiring system that improves the detection accuracy of a foreign substance etc., in a subject is provided. An X-ray image acquiring system 1 irradiates X-rays to a subject S from an X-ray source, and detects X-rays in a plurality of energy ranges transmitted through the subject S. The X-ray image acquiring system 1 includes a low-energy detector 32 for detecting X-rays in a low-energy range that is transmitted through the subject S to generate low-energy image data, a high-energy detector 42 arranged in parallel to the low-energy detector 32 with a dead zone region 82 sandwiched therebetween, for detecting X-rays in a high-energy range that is transmitted through the subject S to generate high-energy image data, and a timing control section 50 for controlling detection timing of the high-energy detector 42 based on a dead zone width NW of the dead zone region 82 so that low-energy image data to be generated by the low-energy detector 32 and high-energy image data to be generated by the high-energy detector 42 mutually correspond. |
| US08223920B2 |
Patient positioning imaging device and method
The present invention is related to a patient positioning imaging device for positioning a patient in a hadron therapy device provided with a rotatable gantry (20). The patient positioning imaging device comprises a rotatable structure (10) provided with an extensible arm or foldable pivoting arm (12) arranged for connecting an imaging beam source (121) and an extensible structure or foldable pivoting structure (14) arranged for carrying an imaging beam receiver (141). The rotatable structure (10) is arranged for taking CBCT shots of the patient while the patient is located in an offset position with respect to an isocentre of the hadron therapy device, said offset position being in the direction of a rotational axis of the rotatable gantry (20). The rotatable structure (10) is arranged for being rotated while the rotatable gantry (20) remains fixed, and while the extensible or pivoting arm (12) and the extensible or pivoting structure (14) are in extended or unfolded position. |
| US08223918B2 |
Radiation scanning and disabling of hazardous targets in containers
In one example, a method of examining a container is disclosed comprising detecting a potential threat within contents of a container using radiation scanning and disabling the potential threat with radiation. In another example, a method of examining a container is disclosed comprising scanning at least a portion of the container with a first radiation beam, detecting radiation interacting with contents of the container, identifying a potential threat contained based, at least in part, on the detected radiation, and disabling the potential threat with a dose of radiation from a second radiation beam. The potential threat may be a nuclear, chemical, and/or biological weapon, for example. Chemical and/or biological detectors may also be provided. The threat and/or electronics associated with the threat, may be disabled. Systems are also disclosed. |
| US08223915B2 |
Method and apparatus for radiographic imaging
A radiographic X-ray apparatus is equipped with multiple devices for the acquisition of anatomical data, in particular cameras. These devices are used to facilitate and automate the imaging process, providing: before exposure the automated identification of the specific anatomical features of the patient and the optimized presetting of the exposure technique factors and projection geometry, tailored on the actual anatomy of the patient; during exposure the optimized X-ray dose modulation, either automatically or selected by the operator, in order to correctly expose the various regions of interest, and accordingly impart reduced dose to other body parts, according to the actual anatomy of the patient and imaging requirements; after exposure the possibility to complement the radiographic image with additional information about the internal and external anatomy, providing valuable tools for the medical analysis and diagnosis. |
| US08223914B2 |
Spent fuel storage rack
A spent fuel storage rack 1 according to the present invention is installed in a fuel storage pool of a nuclear facility, and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape forming a plurality of lattice-like cells 2a that are configured to separately accommodate a plurality of fuel assemblies in a matrix of rows and columns. As shown in FIG. 1, the spent fuel storage rack 1 includes: a base 17 configured to support lower parts of fuel assemblies, the base 17 forming a bottom surface of the spent fuel storage rack 1; an outer frame 3 located above the base 17, the outer frame 3 forming an outermost periphery of the spent fuel storage rack 1; and a lattice body 2 disposed inside the outer frame 3, the lattice body 2 forming the lattice-like cells 2a. The lattice body 2 includes: a main lattice 4 having a height equivalent to an active length of the fuel assembly; an upper lattice 5 disposed above the main lattice 4 so as to be fitted to an upper end of the main lattice 4; and a lower lattice 6 disposed between the base 17 and the main lattice 4 so as to be fitted to a lower end of the main lattice 4. Thus, the main lattice 4 can be formed without welding, whereby the main lattice 4 can be made of a boron-added stainless steel to which a sufficient amount of boron is added to absorb neutrons. |
| US08223912B2 |
Transfer apparatus, and jitter control method of transmission signal
A transfer apparatus includes a receiver to receive an input signal and to extract a clock signal from the input signal, an input signal interruption detector to detect whether an input signal is input, an oscillator, and a frequency setter to set an oscillation frequency of the oscillator such that a difference between the oscillation frequency of the oscillator and a frequency of a frequency division signal into which a clock signal extracted from the input signal is frequency-divided falls out of a passband width of a filter when the input signal interruption detector detects the input of the input signal. |
| US08223910B2 |
Method and device for frame synchronization
A device and a method for frame synchronization, the method includes providing a high frequency clock signal over a clock line during a transmission of information over a data line connected to a media access controller and to at least one component; defining a short synchronization period; processing at least one signal conveyed over the data line during the short synchronization period to determine a presence of a synchronization error; and maintaining at least the clock line in a low power mode when the data line is substantially idle. |
| US08223906B2 |
Interpolation IIR filter for OFDM baseband processing
A transmit filter for a stream of OFDM symbols has a remapper, Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter and a controller, the transmit filter operating on a stream of OFDM symbols. The transmit filter accepts symbols to be transmitted, the re-mapper re-orders them, the IIR filters the re-ordered stream, and a controller provides an output by rearranging the filtered symbols. The incoming symbol stream contains a series of symbols, each followed by a guard interval, where each guard interval has a first Tg symbol interval, and a second Tg symbol interval, the remapper generating a re-ordered stream having a first Tg symbol interval, a second Tg symbol interval and the symbol, the output of the IIR filter thereby generating a filtered first Tg symbol, a filtered second Tg symbol, and a filtered symbol, and the controller forms the transmit output by discarding the filtered first Tg symbol and outputting, in sequence, the filtered second Tg symbol, the filtered symbol, and a copy of the filtered second Tg symbol. The filtered second Tg symbol may be saved into a local buffer at the time it is initially output for use following the current symbol. |
| US08223905B2 |
Predictive signal cancellation for extracting 1 Mb/s MIL-STD-1553 component from composite high performance 1553 signal
Method and apparatus for maximizing the usable bandwidth for High Performance 1553 terminals operating concurrently on the same physical bus with legacy 1 Mb/s MIL-STD-1553 terminals. More specifically, the method and apparatus provides implementation for predictive cancellation by synthesizing an estimate of the 1 Mb/s MIL-STD-1553 component of a composite 1 Mb/s plus High Performance 1553 input signal using either of two different techniques: (1) a combination of digital and analog techniques; and (2) an all digital technique. The synthesized signal is then subtracted from the composite signal. Both techniques employ an algorithm for minimizing the effects of clock skew between 1 Mb/s 1553 transmitting clocks and the local High Performance 1553 sampling clock. Both techniques also incorporate an adaptation algorithm for developing and maintaining digital models of 1 Mb/s 1553 signals received from multiple 1 Mb/s 1553 terminals on a bus. |
| US08223900B2 |
Receiver with mixed-mode automatic gain control
In an embodiment, set forth by way of example and not limitation, a receiver with automatic gain includes a receiver stage, an AGC stage, and a digital processor which collectively define an AGC loop. Preferably, the AGC stage has a control circuit and a feedback circuit with matched transfer characteristics. A digital processor is operative to develop a gain control signal to set a desired gain level of the receiver stage to an optimal level based upon a waveform analysis derived from the gain feedback signal. |
| US08223897B2 |
Compact pulse shaping for QM-MSK and PAM/QAM reception
Compact pulse shape partial response (CPS PR) signaling is developed for trellis based signals like QM-MSK, and for PAM/QAM type signals to improve the performance to bandwidth tradeoff. Compact pulse shaped signals are partial response signals that employ a very short pulse shaping filter and use Viterbi decoding to optimally detect the CPS signal in presence of its inherent inter-symbol interference. The CPS filters considered herein have much shorter impulse response than the well-known raised cosine (RC) filter. There is no need to equalize the received signal to eliminate ISI or to allow a fixed amount of ISI between received signal samples as sampled at the symbol rate as is common in partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) systems. Numerical results indicate that CPS QM-MSK and CPS QAM provides between several dB of gain, depending on constellation size, over PR-CPM and RC QAM, when compared at a given value of bandwidth, i.e., B99Tb. |
| US08223895B2 |
Signal separating device and signal separating method
Provided is a signal separating device capable of reducing the calculation amount and improving the communication quality. The signal separating device performs signal separation by the MLD method using the QR decomposition. The signal separating device includes: a nearest-neighbor signal point candidate detecting unit (120) which detects a nearest-neighbor signal point which is a signal point on a constellation used on the last stage and at the minimum distance from each of signal points obtained when fixing all the remaining combinations of the signal point candidates decided up to the last stage but one in the MLD; a signal point candidate selecting unit (130) which selects m (m is a natural number not greater than the modulation multi-value number of the reception signal) signal points (in each of the signal points, each target bit of the nearest-neighbor signal point is reversed) on the constellation corresponding to the respective nearest-neighbor signal points; and a distance calculation unit (140) which calculates an amount indicating an Euclid distance from each of the nearest-neighbor signal points and the selected signal points to the reception signal points after subjected to the unitary transform associated with the last stage. |
| US08223894B2 |
Wireless reception apparatus and reception method therein
A wireless transmission device enabled to improve an error rate performance at a receiver, by acquiring at least one of frequency diversity effect and a time diversity effect while keeping the interference resistance which is acquired by diffusion. In this transmission device, a modulation unit (101) modulates data to create a modulation symbol having in-phase components and quadrature components. An IQ individual spreading unit (102) arranges the diffusion chips, which are obtained by spreading the modulation symbol, of the in-phase components and the quadrature components, in areas extending in diffusion domains set individually for the in-phase components and the quadrature components. An IQ combining unit (103) combines the arranged spreading chips of the in-phase components and the quadrature components. |
| US08223893B1 |
Compensation for residual frequency offset, phase noise and sampling phase offset in wireless networks
A method and apparatus for processing a data packet at a receiver. The method includes receiving a data packet having been previously transmitted by a transmitter over a channel, in which the data packet includes (i) a preamble portion having a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) training symbols, wherein each OFDM training symbol comprises a plurality of subcarriers, and (ii) a data portion. The method further includes, for each subcarrier, determining an estimate of the channel based on the plurality of OFDM training symbols in the preamble portion; compensating each estimate of the channel with a compensation factor having a first term and a second term, wherein (i) the first term varies linearly with respect to an index of the plurality of subcarriers and (ii) the second term is a constant term; and processing the data portion based on the compensated estimates of the channel. |
| US08223889B2 |
Opportunistic radio frequency communications
Systems and methods for opportunistic radio frequency communications are provided which include the use of multiple antennas. Signal data from the antennas can be used to determine directions of incoming signals. Signal power in the direction of strongest signals can then be reduced by adjusting relative gains and phases of received signals. Reducing signal power of strong signals reduces the dynamic range of received signals and facilitates discovery of unused communication frequencies. Any unused frequencies can then be used or allocated as desired. |
| US08223886B2 |
Transmission circuit for bias control of power amplifier
A transmission circuit switches a bias circuit without allowing a power amplifier to enter a non-bias state. A first bias circuit supplies a first bias signal to a power amplifier, and a second bias circuit supplies a second bias signal to the power amplifier. A first delay circuit delays the switching of an operation of the first bias circuit using a first delay time, and a second delay circuit delays the switching of an operation of the second bias circuit using a second delay time. The first bias circuit and the second bias circuit are both simultaneously operated for a predefined time period, in order to prevent a transistor for amplification from entering a non-bias state when switching an operation mode of the power amplifier. |
| US08223883B2 |
Transmission circuit, method for determining delay time used in the transmission circuit, and communication apparatus using the transmission circuit
An amplitude signal and a frequency signal are generated through processing of data. The frequency signal is angle modulated. The amplitude signal is adjusted based on a delay time and is amplitude amplified. The resultant signal from the angle modulation is amplitude modulated based on the resultant signal from the amplitude amplification to obtain a modulated signal. The modulated signal is used to calculate a delay between the amplitude signal and the frequency signal, which is used for feedback control of the delay time by which the amplitude signal is adjusted until no delay exists only in a test period. Through the signal generating, a sinusoidal signal is outputted as each of the amplitude signal and the frequency signal during the test period. |
| US08223882B2 |
Joint constellation multiple access
A method for communication includes defining N respective symbol constellations in a signal space for N transmitters (24), N(2, subject to a predetermined power constraint, so as to produce a joint constellation including superpositions of symbols selected from the N symbol constellations. Data is transferred from the N transmitters by simultaneously transmitting from the N transmitters N respective symbols selected respectively from the N symbol constellations. A composite symbol including a superposition of the N transmitted symbols is received. The received composite symbol is demodulated using the joint constellation so as to reconstruct the data transferred from the N transmitters. |
| US08223880B2 |
System and method for power line communication
A communication system for a power line is described. A transmission system of the communication system divides the time axis into a number of time slots synchronized such that one time slot can start about a zero crossing of the power line signal. These time slots may be referred to as channels. Data may initially be modulated into at least one of these time slots over a first transmission period according to a modulation scheme. The time slots and/or modulation scheme used in subsequent transmission periods may be adjusted depending on transmission feedback relating to prior modulated data. |
| US08223879B2 |
Method and apparatus for range extension of low-power wireless communication links
A method and system for improving a level of service between wireless devices. Handheld devices implementing the Bluetooth specification typically have relatively limited transmission ranges. As a result, and since they are typically portable, such devices easily experience abrupt communication interruptions, either between themselves and other handheld devices, or between themselves and fixed devices. The effective range of the devices can be extended by providing additional error-correcting coding. Although this modification also results in an extended transmission time, users are provided with an increased transmission range, and are given warning that service may soon be interrupted. Users may then, if they wish, take such steps as finishing their communication or moving into their devices' normal transmission range. Additionally, the handheld devices may use the extra transmission time and range to search for a forwarding path to a recipient device, thus minimizing or preventing any service interruption. |
| US08223876B2 |
Apparatus for receiving signals in OFDM communication system having multiple antennas and method thereof
Provided are an apparatus for receiving signals in an OFDM communication system using multiple transmission/reception antennas and a method thereof. The method includes modulating a predetermined part of a data stream based on a multi-dimensional reception procedure to generate a first modulated data stream; regenerating a symbol corresponding to the modulated data stream; eliminating the regenerated symbol from a remained data stream; modulating the eliminated data stream to generate a second modulated data stream; and outputting an output signal obtained by serializing the first modulated data stream and the second modulated data stream. |
| US08223873B2 |
System and method for acquiring beamforming vectors using training sequences with adaptive spreading gains
A method and system for acquiring beamforming vectors using multiple spreading sequence spreading gains is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention allows time and power to be saved by spreading a training sequence with spreading sequences of different gains in different iterations of an iterative beamforming acquisition procedure. In one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises modulating, at a first station, a first training sequence with a first source beamforming vector, wherein the first training sequence has a first spreading gain, transmitting the modulated first training sequence to a second station, receiving a first response signal from the second station, obtaining a second source beamforming vector based on the first response signal, modulating, at the first station, a second training sequence with the second source beamforming vector, wherein the second training signal has a second spreading gain which is different from the first spreading gain, transmitting the modulated second training sequence to the second station, receiving a second response signal from the second station, obtaining a third source beamforming vector based on the second response signal, and determining whether to use the third source beamforming vector to modulate a data signal to be transmitted to the second station. |
| US08223867B2 |
Wireless communications with efficient channel coding
A data encoding algorithm can be used (120) to generate overhead bits from original data bits, and the original data bits and overhead bits can be transmitted in respectively separate transmissions (121, 123), if the overhead bits are needed. At the receiver, the original data bits can be determined (125) from the received overhead bits, or the received data bits and the received overhead bits can be combined and decoded together (126) to produce the original data bits. |
| US08223859B2 |
Method and apparatus for a multi-tone modem
A multi-tone modem with shared and discrete components forming a transmit path and a receive path configured to couple to a wired communication medium to communicate at least one multi-tone modulated communication channel thereon. The modem includes a multi-tone modulator component and a configurable frequency up converter component. The multi-tone modulator component is configured for multi-tone modulation and demodulation of a transmitted and received communication channel at a base band frequency range. The configurable frequency up converter component is coupled to the multi-tone modulator to selectably up convert the frequency range of the transmitted base band signal from the multi-tone modulator to that of a selected communication band and down convert received signals from the selected communication band to the base band for demodulation by the multi-tone modulator. |
| US08223854B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmission of uplink control signaling and user data in a single carrier orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communication system
A user equipment (UE) operating in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communication system transmits Layer 1 and Layer 2 user data non-associated and user data associated control signaling on an uplink by puncturing user data information with the user data non-associated and user data associated control signaling to produce a data stream wherein the control signaling and user data information are multiplexed. The UE then conveys the punctured data stream to a radio access network via an air interface. The communication system further provides for a selection of a coding and modulation for the control signaling based on a modulation and coding scheme of the user data and a transmission scheme that is applied for transmission of the user data information over the air-interface. |
| US08223853B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding data in a layered modulation system
A decoder for a layered modulation system can be configured to independently and concurrently decode each of a base and enhancement layer. The base layer decoder and enhancement layer decoder can be configured substantially in parallel and can each operate concurrently on the same received layered modulation symbol. Each of the base and enhancement layer decoders can be configured with a bit metric module that is configured to determine a signal quality metric based on the received symbol. In systems having turbo encoded data, the bit metric module can be configured to determine a log likelihood ratio. The ratio is based in part on a channel estimate and an energy ratio used in the layered modulation constellation. |
| US08223852B2 |
Multicarrier modulation
Signals are transmitted on sub-channels at different but mutually overlapping frequencies. A receiver separates the sub-channels into component signals Z0 . . . C254 Prior to decoding (7), interference estimates C0 . . . C254 are subtracted from the components. These estimates are deduced from the signals received on the idle sub-channels (or on sub-channels from which a known or estimated signal is subtracted), for example by calculating (10) parameters defining a model of the interference and using these (11) to generate the interference estimates. |
| US08223851B2 |
Method and an apparatus for embedding data in a media stream
A method for enhancing a media file. The method comprises encoding a media file for a real time exchange of communications between a plurality of terminals, embedding a non-media communication of the real time exchange into the media file, and forwarding the embedded media file to at least one of the plurality of terminals. |
| US08223847B2 |
Editing device, editing method, splicing device, splicing method, encoding device, and encoding method
A plurality of bit streams are seamlessly spliced. Separate decoders decode each bit stream. A controller selects the decoded pictures according to a re-encoding range in the vicinity of a splicing point of the bit streams. Pictures presenting a reordering of the streams are excluded in the selection of the decoded pictures. An encoder re-encodes the pictures within the re-encoding range-When it is determined that crossover motion compensation exists between pictures of different streams, the controller changes the motion prediction direction of the problematic picture. The controller changes a motion prediction picture type of a picture which is improperly motion predicted with reference to another stream. A quantization characteristic or motion vectors for the new picture type are generated by the controller. The controller effects the encoding in accordance with a target amount of bits to prevent a breakdown of a buffer and a discontinuation of an amount of data occupancy thereof. A multiplexer multiplexes the original streams with the re-encoded stream to produce a seamless bit stream. |
| US08223830B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining equalization coefficients
A system for filtering a data signal includes an input configured to receive the data signal through a transmission medium and a filter configured to remove distortion from the received data signal using equalization coefficients. The system further includes a processing unit configured to determine dynamically the equalization coefficients of the filter without using a predetermined training pattern in the received data signal. |
| US08223828B2 |
Methods and systems for adaptive receiver equalization
Methods and systems for minimizing distortions in an analog data signal include equalizing the analog data signal at a receive end. In an embodiment, the invention adapts equalization parameters to a signal path associated with the analog data signal. Adaptive control logic is implemented with analog and/or digital components. In an embodiment, the invention equalizes a discrete-time analog representation of an analog data signal. In an embodiment, the invention digitally controls equalization parameters. In an embodiment, a resultant equalized analog data signal is digitized. In an example implementation, an analog data signal is sampled, a quality of the samples is measured, and one or more equalization parameters are adjusted with digital controls as needed to minimize distortion of the samples. The equalized samples are then digitized. The present invention is suitable for lower rate analog data signals and multi-gigabit data rate analog signals. |
| US08223827B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating filter tap weights and biases for signal dependent branch metric computation
A method and apparatus are provided for determining a plurality of filter tap weights or biases (or both) for a noise predictive filter used to generate one or more signal dependent branch metrics. A filter tap weight or filter bias (or both) are adaptively accumulated for each possible data condition. The data conditions may comprise, for example, each possible data pattern for a given data dependency length. The appropriate accumulated filter tap weight or bias to update can be selected based on a data condition associated with the current received data. The filter tap weights associated with a delay 0 tap can be adapted for each filter condition except for a single normalizing condition, whose corresponding delay 0 tap remains fixed. |
| US08223826B2 |
Measuring noise power at wireless receivers using pilot symbol information
Embodiments are directed to a wireless receiver system that utilizes a special structure of pilot symbols used for synchronization and channel estimation in transmission packets to measure noise power at the receiver. The periodicity of the pilot signal sequences is used to extract the noise power from the received signal. Such extraction is achieved by subtracting the received signals from two pilot slots which are separated by the known periodicity of the training sequence. This method relies on the fact that desired signal and system interference signals will cancel out after the subtraction process. Measuring the power of the residual signal after subtraction represents the estimate of the noise power. Several consecutive such residual signals can be first summed up before measuring the power to improve the estimate of the noise power at the receiver. To further improve the performance, estimates of the desired signal produced by a channel estimation block can be first subtracted from each of the received signals on two pilot slots which are then to be subtracted and are separated by the known periodicity of the pilot sequence. |
| US08223824B2 |
Cable modem and method of performing channel bonding using digital upconverter
A cable modem is provided. The cable modem may include: a plurality of modulators to generate a plurality of pieces of digital data corresponding to a plurality of independent channels; a plurality of digital upconverters to up-convert a frequency of each of the plurality of pieces of digital data into a predetermined frequency; and a Radio Frequency (RF) processor to channel-bond outputs of the plurality of digital upconverters into at least one channel, and generate an analog output signal, the outputs having the predetermined frequency. |
| US08223819B2 |
Spectrally shaped pseudo-random noise sequence generator and method thereof
Systems and methods for generating spectrally shaped pseudo random noise sequences are described, which may include generating an L-level PN sequence, where L is an integer greater than 1; up-sampling the PN sequence by a factor of M, where M is an integer greater than 1; and filtering the up-sampled PN sequence using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter of length M, where the coefficients of the FIR filter are chosen from a set of pre-determined values. |
| US08223818B2 |
Integrated circuit for response signal spreading
A wireless communication apparatus capable of minimizing the degradation of the separation characteristic of response signals to be code-multiplexed. In the apparatus, a control part (209) controls both a ZC sequence to be used for the primary spread in a spreading part (214) and a Walsh sequence to be used for the secondary spread in a spreading part (217) according to the associations between sequences and CCEs established in accordance with the probability of using response signal physical-resources corresponding to CCE numbers. The spreading part (214) performs the primary spread of the response signal by use of the ZC sequence established by the control part (209). The spreading part (217) performs the secondary spread of the response signal, to which CP has been added, by use of the Walsh sequence established by the control part (209). |