| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08296857B2 |
Scanning probe microscope with current controlled actuator
The piezo-electric actuator (1) to oscillate the probe of a scanning probe microscope is arranged in the feedback branch (3) of an analog amplifier (4). A current source (10) is provided for feeding a defined alternating current to the input of the amplifier (4). The amplifier (4) strives to adjust the voltage over the actuator (1) such that the current from the current source (10) flows through the actuator (1). As the current through the actuator (1) is proportional to its deflection, this design allows to run the actuator at constant amplitude without the need of complex feedback loops. |
| US08296853B2 |
Method and system for authenticating a user
Method of authenticating a user in a heterogeneous computer environment. The method may include defining a set of unique prefixes, each prefix identifying a type of user repository; defining a set of abstract repository names, each abstract repository name identifying an address of a user repository; and authenticating the user in the heterogeneous computer environment by assigning a sequence comprising a unique prefix, a reference to an abstract repository name and a unique identifier for the user within the user repository indicated by the reference to the abstract repository name. |
| US08296851B1 |
System and method for ensuring security of data stored on electronic computing devices
A system and method for using a host electronic computing device to prevent access to data in a preselected memory portion of an electronic computing device remote from the host electronic computing device. Each of the electronic computing devices is adapted for selective electronic communication with the other. The system and method comprises a first software program for the remote device, the first software program comprising a unique identifier, a current expiration time value, a comparator for comparing the current expiration time value against a time-based parameter of the remote device, and a security trigger. The system and method further comprises a second software program for the host device, where the second software program includes means for identifying the remote device, means for accessing an expiration time reset schedule, and means for resetting the current expiration time value. |
| US08296850B2 |
Detecting global anomalies
Systems and methods of detecting distributed attacks that pose a threat affecting more than one node in the network. The distributed attacks include events that appear normal or innocuous when viewed locally at any node. The systems and methods include reference global profiles and detection global profiles corresponding to activities or events of interest on the network. |
| US08296849B2 |
Method and apparatus for removing homogeneity from execution environment of computing system
A method of protecting data in a computer system against attack from viruses and worms comprising; modifying micro-code of a processor of system to be protected to remove homogeneity between processors from a manufacturer; modifying op-codes of an application to match modified micro-code of the processor prior to execution. |
| US08296848B1 |
Control flow redirection and analysis for detecting vulnerability exploitation
A security module detects attempted exploitations of vulnerabilities of applications executing on a computer. The security module hooks an application on the computer. The hook transfers control flow to the security module if execution reaches a hooked location. When a hook is followed, the security module saves the state of the computer and activates an analysis environment. A virtual machine within the analysis environment executes signatures that programmatically analyze the state of the computer to determine whether a vulnerability in the application is being exploited. If a signature detects an exploit, the security module blocks the exploit by skipping over the one or more instructions that constitute the exploit, terminating the application, or performing a different action. The security module reports the detected exploit attempt to the user of the client. The security module returns control flow back to the application if it does not detect an exploit. |
| US08296847B2 |
Method of managing utilization of network intrusion detection systems in a dynamic data center
A method of managing utilization of network intrusion detection systems in a dynamic data center is provided. A plurality of network intrusion detection systems are provided, each being networked so that utilization of each network intrusion detection system can be based on demand for the network intrusion detection systems in the dynamic data center. A monitoring policy and a plurality of monitoring points to be monitored on a network with any of the network intrusion detection systems are received. Further, the monitoring of the monitoring points is automatically arranged using the network intrusion detection systems and the monitoring policy. |
| US08296842B2 |
Detecting public network attacks using signatures and fast content analysis
Network worms or viruses are a growing threat to the security of public and private networks and the individual computers that make up those networks. A content sifting method if provided that automatically generates a precise signature for a worm or virus that can then be used to significantly reduce the propagation of the worm elsewhere in the network or eradicate the worm altogether. The content sifting method is complemented by a value sampling method that increases the throughput of network traffic that can be monitored. Together, the methods track the number of times invariant strings appear in packets and the network address dispersion of those packets including variant strings. When an invariant string reaches a particular threshold of appearances and address dispersion, the string is reported as a signature for suspected worm. |
| US08296838B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for protecting against IP prefix hijacking
A communication network is operated by identifying at least one potential hijack autonomous system (AS) that can be used to generate a corrupt routing path from a source AS to a destination AS. For each of the at least one potential hijack AS the following operations are performed: identifying at least one regional AS that is configured to adopt the corrupt routing path from the source AS to the destination AS and determining a reflector AS set such that, for each reflector AS in the set, a source AS to reflector AS routing path and a reflector AS to destination AS routing path do not comprise any of the at least one regional AS. A reflector AS is then identified that is common among the at least one reflector AS set responsive to performing the identifying and determining operations for each of the at least one potential hijack AS. |
| US08296836B2 |
Secure multi-user identity module key exchange
An apparatus in one example, where the apparatus comprises a communication device component that performs an authentication key agreement protocol by receiving a first random nonce (RAND) and an authentication token, wherein the communication device component is configured with a shared secret key. The communication device component generates a derivation key by applying a pseudo random function to the RAND and the shared secret key. The communication device component generates a first set of session keys based on a second random nonce (RANDC) and the derivation key where the first set of session keys are used in encrypting communications. |
| US08296834B2 |
Secure single-sign-on portal system
A computer-implemented portal system facilitates access to secure data and multiple secure-access internet sites. The system authenticates a user based on a single-sign-on identifier (ID) and password. The system stores user authentication information for the secure-access internet sites so that once the user is authenticated, the system can automatically authenticate the user to the sites, thus allowing the user to access multiple secure sites after a single manual authentication. |
| US08296833B2 |
System connections and user interfaces
This disclosure relates to methods and systems to allow, in one embodiment, automatic access from one system to other systems which include an operating system that includes a user login process. In one embodiment, a method includes logging into, automatically in response to starting a first data processing system, a second data processing system at least as a guest user of the second data processing system which has a storage volume storing data and displaying a user interface object on a display device of the first data processing system, the user interface object corresponding to at least one of the second data processing system and the storage volume to allow at least one of a search to be performed or a browsing to be performed of the data stored on the storage volume. |
| US08296832B2 |
System, method and computer program, for enabling entry into transactions on a remote basis
A system, method and computer program for enabling transactions on a remote basis is provided. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: (1) providing a first computer at a location of a customer, and providing a second computer at a location of a financial institution, the first computer and the second computer being linked so as to provide a two-way audiovisual communication system; (2) providing an authentication request at the second computer and communicating the request to the first computer; (3) the customer reviewing the request and providing a signature or other writing as an input to an input device connected to the first computer; (5) transmitting the signature from the first computer to the second computer; (6) receiving the signature and providing the signature to a plotting device connected to the second computer; and (7) applying the signature to a transactional document, wherein the audiovisual information received by the second computer and the signature received by the second computer in combination provide a means of transaction authentication and non-repudiation. |
| US08296830B2 |
Management apparatus and control method of management apparatus
A management apparatus capable of communicating with a plurality of external devices includes a storage unit to store management information including authentication information for authenticating a user in the external device, a first transmission unit to transmit an authentication result of the user in the external device and user information necessary for authenticating the user by the external device among the management information to the external device by referring to the management information stored in the storage unit in response to a request from the external device, a selection unit to, when a content of the management information is changed, select an external device to be a transmission destination of the changed management information based on the change thereof, and a second transmission unit to transmit the changed management information to the external device selected by the selection unit. |
| US08296820B2 |
Applying security policies to multiple systems and controlling policy propagation
Techniques are disclosed for attaching security policies to secured computing systems. A security policy is attached to a parent domain. The parent domain includes a first secured computing system. The security policy is a natural language description for controlling access to the secured computing system. Upon determining that the parent domain propagates the security policy, a first generation child domain is identified. The first generation child domain includes a second secured computing system. The first generation child domain is associated with the parent domain in a hierarchical relationship. It is determined that the first generation child domain inherits the security policy based on an inheritance rule. The security policy is attached to the first generation child domain. |
| US08296814B2 |
Video quality monitoring method, distribution server, and client
A video quality monitoring method includes a distribution server measuring first video quality index values according to a full-reference method by comparing a video, distributed from the distribution server to a client through a network, with a degraded video, generated by causing multiple scenarios of quality degradation due to the network in the video in a pseudo manner, creating characteristic data of first quality degradation values, obtained by causing the quality degradation to vary with the scenarios at regular intervals, and the first video quality index values corresponding to the respective scenarios, and transmitting the characteristic data to the client; and the client measuring a second quality degradation value in the video distributed through the network, and calculating a second video quality index value, equivalent to a value according to the full-reference method, of the distributed video from the measured second quality degradation value and the characteristic data. |
| US08296811B1 |
Method and apparatus for automatically converting source video into electronic mail messages
The invention relates to a method and system for automatically identifying video content within source video and transmitting the video content to an electronic mail client. The transmitted video content can be streaming video, video files, and/or other medium derived from the source video. An enhanced electronic mail client is also disclosed. |
| US08296806B2 |
Non-real time services
In certain embodiments, a digital television broadcast method involves generating a digital television signal having one or more transport streams; where data in at least one of the one or more transport streams supports non-real time (NRT) services; where such data comprises an Internet protocol (IP) stream of packets containing non-real time content, a FLUTE file description table (FDT), NRT service metadata and NRT content metadata; where the NRT metadata further comprises NRT content description text that is contained in Text Fragment Table (TFT); and outputting the one or more transport streams for broadcast as a digital television signal. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08296804B2 |
Non-real time services
In certain embodiments, a digital television receiving method that receives non-real time (NRT) content involves receiving a transport stream containing an Internet Protocol (IP) stream of packets containing non-real time content, NRT service metadata and NRT content metadata; at a demultiplexer, demultiplexing the IP stream of packets to produce: NRT content that is stored in the electronic storage medium, NRT service metadata, and NRT content metadata; parsing the NRT metadata to produce NRT service metadata, and NRT content metadata; and where the NRT content metadata contains a signal that indicates that an update is available indicating whether or not a referenced content item will be updated periodically. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08296800B2 |
System and method for providing access to interactive features of electronic program guides from within promotional programming
The system and method of the present invention provides access to interactive features of an electronic program guide by a user from within a broadcast advertisement. The method of the present invention comprises receiving the broadcast advertisement comprising audio, video and promotional metadata over a broadcast distribution network. The received promotional metadata is analyzed to determine one or more valid electronic program guide features and present options on a display device corresponding to the one or more valid electronic program guide features. The user selects a presented option for execution. |
| US08296799B2 |
Broadcast program and digest view display apparatus and method
Received by a program display apparatus are: programs for each of which a receiving time has been determined; digest views corresponding to the programs; and receiving-time information for the programs. The received digest views and receiving-time information are stored in a memory. A moving picture is displayed on a main screen zone of a monitor screen, with the digest views that have been stored in the memory on a sub screen zone of the monitor screen, as being superposed on the moving picture, according to the user's operation. Each digest view is allowed to be displayed on the sub screen zone when a remaining time of the program corresponding the digest view, obtained based on the receiving-time information, is longer than the reference time. The digest view is, however, inhibited from being displayed on the sub screen zone when the remaining time is equal to or shorter than the reference time. |
| US08296793B2 |
System for broadcasting targeted advertisements
A system for broadcasting inter-programme and/or intra-programme advertisements to a viewing or listening audience is disclosed. A given advertisement's target audience profile is matched to an obtained real audience profile to dictate not only that certain advertisements shall be broadcast only between and/or during certain programmes but also that certain individual members of, or groups of members within, the programme-receiving audience may receive one advertisement, during and/or between certain programmes, whilst other audience members or member groups receive a different advertisement, in one or more of the same respective advert ‘slots’, whilst watching or listening to the same broadcast. |
| US08296791B2 |
Media usage monitoring and measurement system and method
Media monitoring and measurement systems and methods are disclosed. Some embodiments of the present invention provide a media measurement system and method that utilizes audience data to enhance content identifications. Some embodiments analyze media player log data to enhance content identification. Other embodiments of the present invention analyze sample sequence data to enhance content identifications. Other embodiments analyze sequence data to enhance content identification and/or to establish channel identification. Yet other embodiments provide a system and method in which sample construction and selection parameters are adjusted based upon identification results. Yet other embodiments provide a method in which play-altering activity of an audience member is deduced from content offset values of identifications corresponding to captured samples. Yet other embodiments provide a monitoring and measurement system in which a media monitoring device is adapted to receive a wireless or non-wireless audio signal from a media player, the audio signal also being received wirelessly by headphones of a user of the monitoring device. |
| US08296790B2 |
Protective cover for disk-shaped recording medium
A protective cover for covering the recording surface of a disk-like recording medium so that the recording surface does not come into contact with other objects. The disk-like recording medium can be easily attached to and detached from the protective cover. The protective cover (2), made of resin, covers the recording surface of the recording medium (1) to protect the recording surface. The diameter of the protective cover (2) is set smaller than that of the recording medium (1), an outer peripheral part (11) of the protective cover (2) comes into contact with a margin portion on the outer peripheral side of a recording area of the recording surface of the recording medium (1), and, in the area between the outer peripheral part (11) and an inner peripheral contact part (12) coming into contact with margin portion, a cover body (10) of the protective cover is separated from the recording surface of the recording medium (1). |
| US08296786B2 |
Agent-based remote function execution
A function call can be received at a remote execution module in a host environment. The call can instruct the remote execution module to remotely execute a specified function in a remote environment. The call can be received while an agent is executing in the remote environment. The function can be sent to the agent in the remote environment in response to receiving the call. The agent can be employed to perform acts, which can include receiving the function at the remote environment, executing the function in the remote environment in response to receiving the function, and sending results of executing the function to the execution module. Additionally, the execution module can be employed to receive the results from the agent and return the results as a response to the call. |
| US08296785B2 |
Providing links between application programs
Links are established between data elements common to different application programs to make it easier for a user to perform an action in one application program using data available in another application program. Data elements are identified in a first data set for a first application program. One or more performable actions is associated with each identified data element. Common or matching data elements in a second data set for a second application are identified. When a user selects one of the matching data elements in the second data set, a selectable list of actions is presented to enable performance of a selected action from within the first application program in relation to the data element selected in the second application program. |
| US08296784B1 |
Social network application programming interface
Disclosed in one example is a method for interfacing with multiple social networks. The method includes receiving a call from a social networking service agnostic social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, translating the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, and passing the call in the second format to a first social networking service by utilizing a first social networking service application programming interface. |
| US08296782B2 |
System eliminating hardware duplication during application testing of an internal storage array across different operating systems
A method for capturing data comprising the steps of (A) handling a call for a first operating system at a storage library, (B) routing the call from the storage library to a controller firmware, (C) sending a response to the call from the controller firmware to the storage library, and (D) storing the response in a data store box for later use by the storage library. |
| US08296781B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for determining application parameters based on hardware specifications
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for determining parameters for an application based on hardware specifications. In operation, a plurality of hardware specifications associated with a system are identified. Additionally, at least one application associated with the system is identified. Furthermore, at least one parameter for the application is determined based on the hardware specifications. Still yet, the parameter is applied to the application. |
| US08296776B2 |
Efficient mechanism for terminating applications
An efficient mechanism for terminating applications of a data processing system is described herein. In one embodiment, in response to a request for exiting from an operating environment of a data processing system, an operating system examines an operating state associated with an application running within the operating environment, where the operating state is stored at a predetermined memory location shared between the operating system and the application. The operating system immediately terminates the application if the operating state associated with the application indicates that the application is safe for a sudden termination. Otherwise, the operating system defers terminating the application if the operating state associated with the application indicates that the application is unsafe for the sudden termination. |
| US08296775B2 |
Efficient context switching of virtual processors by managing physical register states in a virtualized environment
Various operations are disclosed for improving the operational efficiency of register handling in a virtualized environment. Some infrequently accessed software managed registers are managed lazily when switching contexts between virtual processors. The states of those registers are not saved on exit from a guest or restored on entry to the guest. Rather, guest accesses to those registers are intercepted. For some frequently accessed registers, register states are saved or restored only upon exit from a hypervisor to a different guest that that from which the hypervisor was entered. For enable-flag-gated registers, updates to a physical register value are not made unless the register is enabled. A shadow register cache may be used to speed accesses to some registers. When a shadowed register is modified, the new value is cached as a shadow copy in RAM and subsequent reads of the register are taken from the shadow copy. |
| US08296774B2 |
Service-based endpoint discovery for client-side load balancing
A server farm includes a plurality of server devices. The plurality of server devices includes a plurality of topology service endpoints and a plurality of target service endpoints. A client computing system sends a topology service request to one of the topology service endpoints. In response, the topology service endpoint sends target service endpoint Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to the client computing system. When a client application at the client computing system needs to send a target service request to one of the target service endpoints, the client computing system applies a load balancing algorithm to select one of the target service endpoint URIs. The client computing system then sends a target service request to the target service endpoint identified by the selected one of the target service endpoint URIs. In this way, the client computing system may use a load balancing algorithm appropriate for the client application. |
| US08296773B2 |
Systems and methods for thread assignment and core turn-off for integrated circuit energy efficiency and high-performance
A system and method for improving efficiency of a multi-core architecture includes, in accordance with a workload, determining a number of cores to shut down based upon a metric that combines parameters to represent operational efficiency. Threads of the workload are reassigned to cores remaining active by assigning threads based on priority constraints and thread execution history to improve the operational efficiency of the multi-core architecture. |
| US08296771B2 |
System and method for mapping between resource consumers and resource providers in a computing system
A system and method for allocating system resources is described herein. In one embodiment, the method comprises creating, in a computer system, a resource consumer and assigning the resource consumer one of a set of flavors. The method further includes determining whether the resource consumer is limited to receiving resources from a certain one of a set of resource providers, wherein each of the set of resource providers has one of the set of flavors. The method further includes marking a field to indicate that the resource consumer is limited to receiving resources from the certain one of the set of resource providers, if the resource consumer is limited to receiving resources from the certain one of the set of resource providers. The method further includes allocating a resource to the resource consumer from one of the set of resource providers whose flavor matches the flavor assigned to the resource consumer. |
| US08296769B2 |
Order-relation analyzing apparatus, method, and computer program product thereof
An order-relation analyzing apparatus collects assigned destination processor information, a synchronization process order and synchronization information, determines a corresponding element associated with a program among a plurality of elements indicating an ordinal value of the program based on the assigned destination processor information, when an execution of the program is started, and calculates the ordinal value indicated by the corresponding element for each segment based on the synchronization information, when the synchronization process occurs while executing the program. When a first corresponding element associated with a second program, of which the execution starts after the execution of a first program associated with the first corresponding element finishes, is determined, the ordinal value of the second program is calculated by calculating the ordinal value indicated by the first corresponding element. |
| US08296767B1 |
Defining and measuring skew between coscheduled contexts
Management of contexts that execute on a computer system is described. More specifically, context scheduling in a virtual machine environment is described. Times at which a context transitions from a scheduled state to a descheduled state and times at which the context transitions from a descheduled state to a scheduled state are recorded for each context. Skew is detected using the recorded times. The amount of skew can be quantified, and a corrective action is triggered if the amount of skew fails to satisfy a threshold value. |
| US08296764B2 |
Internal synchronization control for adaptive integrated circuitry
The disclosure describes internal synchronization in adaptive integrated circuitry which utilizes a data flow model for data processing. Task initiation and execution are controlled based upon data consumption measured in data buffer units, with initiation of and transitions between tasks based on a determined boundary condition within the data stream. When a data processing task is selected for synchronization, a boundary condition in a data stream is determined for commencement of the selected data processing task. Then, a timing marker for the commencement of the selected data processing task is determined relative to the data stream. The timing marker is dual-valued, providing a designated buffer unit and a designated byte or bit location within the designated buffer. The timing marker is communicated to the selected data processing task, which then commences data processing at a location in the data stream designated by the timing marker. |
| US08296763B1 |
System and method for personal cloud computing
A system and method for providing Personal Cloud computing and for hosting applications and/or content may employ a network attached storage device on which virtual machine monitors (T-cups) and logical devices (Ts) are instantiated in memory. Each T may include hosted content, application modules, a server module configured to host the modules and/or content, and an interface module configured to provide access to the modules and/or content in response to detecting an authorized key. Detecting an authorized key may include communicating with a name server to determine if a T instantiated on a storage device coupled to the system is associated with a device identifier on a list of device identifiers authorized to access the module(s). The storage device may be a computer, camera, frame, phone, audio/video player, or portable storage device. The name server may be configured to authenticate Ts, define T ownership, and/or establish friend-to-friend networks between Ts. |
| US08296762B2 |
Virtual machine management using processor state information
A method, system, and apparatus are provided for virtual machine management. According to one embodiment, processor state information associated with a processor is evaluated, and the processor state information is used to manage one or more virtual machines. |
| US08296758B2 |
Deployment and versioning of applications
A method and system to deploy a software archive on a runtime environment. The method extracts metadata from the archive and verifies the components can be deployed and further deploys them on the runtime environment. |
| US08296756B1 |
Patch cycle master records management and server maintenance system
A method, system, and computer readable storage medium for managing the deployment of software patch updates on a plurality of computers in an enterprise computer network during a patch cycle wherein each computer receives and installs periodic software patch updates automatically. An inventory is maintained of the computers in a central database that stores a status of each computer for each patch during the patch cycle. The computers are filtered into at least one filter group and a list of computers in the filter group is displayed along with the status for each patch. The status of each patch is verified and displayed for each computer in the filter group. A controlled software patch update is performed for each non-compliant computer in the filter group. A controlled reboot of each computer in the filter group is performed following the completion of the software patch updates for the patch cycle. |
| US08296752B2 |
Implementation of in-system programming to update firmware on memory cards
Methods and apparatus for efficiently enabling firmware associated with a flash memory card to be updated are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for updating firmware associated with a memory storage device includes providing new firmware to a host and sending the new firmware from the host to a reader which communicates with the host. The reader interfaces with the memory storage device which includes installed firmware. The method also includes sending the new firmware from the reader to the memory storage device, and incorporating the new firmware into the memory storage device such that the new firmware at least partially replaces the installed firmware. In one embodiment, the method further includes embedding the new firmware into a first command. In such an embodiment, sending the new firmware from the host to the reader includes sending the first command from the host to the reader. |
| US08296750B2 |
Optimization of a target program
A method and apparatus for optimizing a target program including a pattern of instructions to be replaced. The method is performed by execution of program code by a processor of an information processing apparatus that includes an output device and a computer readable storage medium storing the program code. At least one transformation is performed on the target program to generate a transformed target subprogram in which dependencies among the instructions included in the target subprogram are matched with dependencies in the pattern to be replaced. The transformed target subprogram is replaced, with a post-replacement instruction stream determined to correspond to the pattern to be replaced, to generate a replaced target subprogram. An optimized target program that includes the replaced target subprogram is outputted to the output device. The at least one transformation includes a first transformation, a loop transformation, or both the first transformation and the loop transformation. |
| US08296747B2 |
Method for optimizing character string output processing
A system acquires an output program for sequentially executing a plurality of character string output instructions, and thereby for outputting a text in which a plurality of output character strings are combined. The system converts the character code set of the character string constants, which is outputted by at least one of the character string output instructions, from a first code set for internal processing to a second code set for output, before the output program is executed. In addition, the system buffers the values of two or more character string variables to be outputted by two or more of the character string output instructions without converting the character code set from the first code set, during the execution of the output program. |
| US08296743B2 |
Compiler and runtime for heterogeneous multiprocessor systems
Presented are embodiments of methods and systems for library-based compilation and dispatch to automatically spread computations of a program across heterogeneous cores in a processing system. The source program contains a parallel-programming keyword, such as mapreduce, from a high-level, library-oriented parallel programming language. The compiler inserts one or more calls for a generic function, associated with the parallel-programming keyword, into the compiled code. A runtime library provides a predicate-based library system that includes multiple hardware specific implementations (“variants”) of the generic function. A runtime dispatch engine dynamically selects the best-available (e.g., most specific) variant, from a bundle of hardware-specific variants, for a given input and machine configuration. That is, the dispatch engine may take into account run-time availability of processing elements, choose one of them, and then select for dispatch an appropriate variant to be executed on the selected processing element. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08296741B1 |
Identifying function-level code dependency by simulating runtime binding
An analysis tool analyzes a software system by simulating runtime binding in order to identify function-level code dependencies. The tool receives a list of one or more entry point functions and identifies other functions that can be invoked if the entry point functions are executed. The tool generates a tracker graph having tracker nodes representing classes that can be instantiated from the entry points. Each tracker node identifies functions/methods in that class that can be invoked from the entry points. If the software system uses an object-relational mapping to a database, the tracker graph also identifies the portions of the database that can be accessed from the entry points. The tool can be used to partition the functionalities of the software system into core and non-core functionalities in order to support upgrading while maintaining high-availability. |
| US08296737B2 |
Computer program for tracing impact of errors in software applications
A solution for managing errors in software applications is proposed. Typically, the software application is represented (during its analysis and design phases) by means of different models—for example, of the UML type. The same models are also exploited to represent the impact of any errors in the software application. For this purpose, during the analysis and design phase, it gets determined the artifacts of the models that are directly impacted by each error (since it occurred in an object that participates in their implementation); the artifacts correlated thereto either directly or indirectly—are set as indirectly impacted by the error. It is then possible to display a diagram corresponding to the model, with the directly and indirectly impacted artifacts that are highlighted with different colors. |
| US08296736B2 |
Automated business process testing that spans multiple platforms or applications
A system and method for automated software testing includes defining a data model of an automated software test for a feature or business process being tested and then identifying an address for a function library at a local or remote location for executing the data model of the automated software test based upon the platform of the application. This identified function library is accessed at the address at the local or remote location so that an execution of a function within the function library may be invoked to obtain results therefrom. |
| US08296734B2 |
System and method for testing a software product
A system for testing at least one software product comprising a requirement loader and a test specification loader. The requirement loader is adapted for loading a plurality of requirements on the software product into a database. The test specification loader is adapted for loading a plurality of test specifications for the software product into the database, each test specification being related to one or more of the requirements. The test specification loader is further adapted for generating during loading of a test specification a virtual test specification in the database for each of the one or more related requirements, the virtual test specification comprising all test specifications for the respective requirement on the software product stored in the database. |
| US08296729B2 |
Plug-in for adapting an integrated development environment to a programming language
A system features a back-end computing system that includes a library that contains objects for use with a computer programming language, and a front-end computing system that executes a development environment. The development environment includes a plug-in that supports the computer programming language, and the plug-in enables access to the library. The plug-in includes a first component to perform syntax checking for the computer programming language in the integrated development environment, and a second component to provide access to the library from the integrated development environment. |
| US08296726B2 |
Representation of software application functionality
A plurality of functional steps corresponding to a functional module of a software application may be determined. Data fields associated with each of the functional steps may be determined. A cardinality associated with each functional step and corresponding to the data fields of the functional step may be determined. A logical sequence of the functional steps including data fields may be determined. A visual representation of the functional module based on the logical sequence may be generated including the functional steps, data fields and cardinality. |
| US08296721B2 |
Template-based software development
A computer-implemented method for software development includes selecting a pre-defined software pattern, the pre-defined software pattern having one or more pre-defined elements, identifying one or more of the pre-defined elements to be modified, obtaining one or more behavioral models, each of the behavioral models specifying a functional behavior for at least one of the identified elements, ascertaining a modification required for each of the identified elements to provide the specified functional behavior, and incorporating the modification into an instance of the software pattern. |
| US08296720B2 |
Framework to access a remote system from an integrated development environment
For use in an integrated development environment, such as Eclipse, a common connection registry of connections to remote systems is presented. The connection registry contains objects and subsystem objects. The connection objects have attribute information for the remote system whereas the subsystem objects contain information specific to a particular tool and connection. The framework further presents a common user interface by which tools can be registered within a connection, or by which a new connection can be created. The common user interface presents application program interfaces by which connection objects and subsystem objects can be created, retrieved, maintained, updated, modified, stored in the registry, and/or deleted, etc. The framework is capable of maintaining connections and tools within an integrated development environment independent of the type and/or operating system of the remote systems, the programming language of the tools, etc. |
| US08296719B2 |
Software factory readiness review
A computer-implemented method, system, and computer-readable medium for determining if a software factory is ready to take on a software project is presented. In a preferred embodiment, the computer-implemented method includes the steps of: receiving a software project proposal including a custom software description describing a specific project type of the software project; determining, by a computer processor, that the software project proposal is qualified for acceptance by a software factory, utilizing a scorecard for the specific project type, wherein the scorecard provides a maturity assessment of resources required and identifies any potential choke-points for the specific project type; and in response to a determination that the software project proposal is qualified for acceptance by the software factory, the software factory undertaking the software project proposal. |
| US08296718B2 |
SOA software components that endure from prototyping to production
The disclosed invention presents a multi-phased approach for developing a service oriented architecture (SOA) solution using front end SOA components that endure throughout the SOA development lifecycle. The approach can determine interface requirements between a set of services to be implemented in a SOA solution and SOA front end. The SOA front end can conform to the determined interface requirements. The SOA front end can also be interactively utilized early within and can be applicable to all phases of a SOA lifecycle, which includes design, development, and implementation phases. The SOA front end can be combined with a service emulator to form an interactive prototype of the SOA solution. The SOA front end can also be combined with a set of SOA back end components to form the SOA solution. |
| US08296717B1 |
Method and system for implementing inherited connections for electronics designs
Disclosed are improved methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing inherited connections for electronic designs. Scoped default connection or global nets are used in inherited connections for default expressions, where the default connection/global net that is applied to a particular portion of the design is scoped by being limited in its application only to certain hierarchical portions of the design. |
| US08296716B2 |
Method for setting width of trace on printed circuit board
A method implemented by a computer layout software for setting the width of the printed circuit board trace is disclosed. The method selects one from several traces set on the printed circuit board traces, obtains the corresponding trace name of the selected trace, obtains the device pin connected to the selected trace, acquires the pad corresponding to the device pin, reads the width of the pad, and adjusts the width of the pad. |
| US08296713B2 |
Method and apparatus for synthesizing pipelined input/output in a circuit design from high level synthesis
A method and apparatus for synthesizing pipelined input/output in a circuit design from high level synthesis is described. In one example, an operation is selected to be performed by a circuit, the operation including a plurality of partial operations of different types. The partial operations are ordered based on the ordering of the variables. A plurality of hardware components for performing the operations are represented with a data flow graph having edges and nodes, the edges and nodes being connected based on the ordering of partial operations. A plurality of solutions are simulated for performing the operations as hardware component combinations represented as paths on the data flow graph. For each solution, a cost including a number of edges and nodes traversed on the data flow graph is determined, and a solution is selected with the lowest cost as a hardware component combination for a circuit. |
| US08296711B2 |
Method and apparatus for using entropy in ant colony optimization circuit design from high level synthesis
A method and apparatus for using entropy in ant colony optimization circuit design from high level synthesis is described. In one example, an operation to be performed by a circuit is selected. A plurality of hardware components for performing the operation are represented with a data flow graph having edges and nodes. A plurality of solutions for performing the operation are simulated as hardware component combinations represented as paths on the data flow graph. For each solution the cost including a number of edges and nodes traversed on the data flow graph and a supplemental sub-integer cost is determined and a solution is selected with the lowest cost as a hardware component combination for a circuit. |
| US08296710B2 |
Soft constraints in scheduling
A method for implementing soft constraints in scheduling comprises receiving a description of circuit behavior. The description is un-timed. A scheduling solution is generated for use in scheduling the description. The scheduling solution includes scheduling variables and an objective function. The scheduling variables schedule the time of at least one operation. The objective function includes a penalty term and constraints comprising at least one hard constraint and at least one soft constraint. The constraints are created on the scheduling variables. The penalty term comprises a slack variable representing violations of the constraints. The penalty term measures the design cost of violating the soft constraint. Following generation of the scheduling solution, the description is scheduled by applying the scheduling solution to the description. Timing information of the description is provided as an output of the scheduling. |
| US08296709B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing parallel routing using a multi-threaded routing procedure
A method for designing a system to be implemented on a target device includes generating bounding boxes on the target device for nets in the system where a bounding box identifies routing resources available for routing its corresponding net. The nets in the system are assigned to a plurality of threads to be routed. The threads are executed so that a plurality of the nets are routed in parallel within their corresponding bounding box. |
| US08296708B1 |
Method of constraint-hierarchy-driven IC placement
Disclosed is a computer-implemented method to generate a placement for a plurality of device modules within an analog integrated circuit (IC) subject to a set of constraints. By building a constraint hierarchy tree according to the constraints, conflicts of constraints can be identified and resolved. Furthermore, placements can be generated based on the hierarchy tree through a bottom-to-top dimension optimization process and a top-down wire length optimization process. Furthermore, a graphical user interface can be used to display the tree, and the user can edit the tree visually and interactively. |
| US08296700B2 |
Analyzing method of semiconductor device, designing method thereof, and design supporting apparatus
A design supporting apparatus of a semiconductor device, includes sections to perform: setting an impurity concentration with respect to a channel direction and a depth direction to node points arranged discretely in a channel region of a model transistor based on a predetermined concentration distribution rule; calculating an electric characteristic of the model transistor by using the impurity concentration; and storing the impurity concentration as a model parameter of the model transistor in a storage unit, when the calculated electric characteristic and an electric characteristic prepared previously are coincident with each other within a predetermined range. The device characteristic calculating section calculates a surface potential to each of the node points by reducing a dimension of the impurity concentration in the depth direction, corrects the surface potential based on interaction between the node points adjacent to each other, and calculates the electric characteristic by using the corrected surface potential. |
| US08296688B2 |
Evaluating the quality of an assist feature placement based on a focus-sensitive cost-covariance field
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that determines an assist feature placement within a post-optical proximity correction (post-OPC) mask layout. During operation, the system receives a set of target patterns which represent a set of polygons in a pre-OPC mask layout. The system then constructs a focus-sensitive cost function based on the target patterns, wherein the focus-sensitive cost function represents an amount of movement of post-OPC contours of the target patterns in response to changes in focus condition of the lithography system. Next, the system computes a cost-covariance field (CCF field) based on the focus-sensitive cost function, wherein the CCF field is a two-dimensional (2D) map representing changes to the focus-sensitive cost function due to an addition of a pattern at a given location within the post-OPC mask layout. Finally, the system generates assist features for the post-OPC mask layout based on the CCF field. |
| US08296687B2 |
System and method for using first-principles simulation to analyze a process performed by a semiconductor processing tool
A method, system and computer readable medium for analyzing a process performed by a semiconductor processing tool. The method includes inputting data relating to a process performed by the semiconductor processing tool, and inputting a first principles physical model relating to the semiconductor processing tool. First principles simulation is performed using the input data and the physical model to provide a first principles simulation result; and the first principles simulation result is used to determine a fault in the process performed by the semiconductor processing tool. |
| US08296682B2 |
Interface for navigating interrelated content hierarchy
An interface allows navigation of a hierarchy of related content organized into a node tree. Each node may be associated with media content and navigation input may be received to navigate between the nodes. The interface includes a mechanism for viewing graphical data representing related content within the node tree. A user may provide input to navigate between nodes in the same hierarchy level or different hierarchy levels while graphical data for the selected node is provided in the interface. |
| US08296678B2 |
System and method for read-ahead enhancements
A method and system is provided for analyzing potential repeatable values for placement into a data field based on user-defined criteria and includes analyzing relationships between documents for the purpose of correlating sender and receiver information into a context to more accurately populate type-ahead functions in repeatable data fields. Threaded messages are typically limited to those messages that are responses to responses or responses to an original message and are usually denoted by terms such as, for example, “forwarded” or “reply to” and where the history of the previous related message is included in the most recent message. However, the invention now expands correlation into non-thread related documents to achieve a higher correlation rate. The expanded documents may be any previous email or associated documents of a sender or receiver, including any documents defined by user criteria. In the case of stand-alone applications such as word processors, any user associated document, as defined by user criteria may be included in a contextual association for purposes of type-ahead analysis. |
| US08296673B2 |
Collapsible tabbed user interface
A tab-based collapsible user interface includes selectable user interface tabs, a ribbon area, and an editing surface. When a browse tab is selected, the ribbon area displays information and does not include any user interface controls for performing commands. When the browse tab is selected, a vertical scroll bar is displayed adjacent to the ribbon area and the editing surface. When the vertical scroll bar is used, the ribbon area and the editing surface are both scrolled. When a page tab or a contextual tab is selected, the ribbon area displays user interface controls for performing commands. When a page tab or a contextual tab is selected, a vertical scroll bar is displayed adjacent to the editing surface but not adjacent to the ribbon area. When the vertical scroll bar is used, the contents of the editing surface are scrolled but the ribbon area is not scrolled. |
| US08296669B2 |
Virtual room-based light fixture and device control
In one embodiment, a technique for controlling one or more devices within a physical room of a structure is provided. One or more devices in the structure are coupled, either directly or indirectly, to a programmable multimedia controller configured to issue control commands which, when implemented, change the state of the devices. A virtual room-based user interface is displayed on a display screen. The virtual room-based user interface may include one or more virtual rooms, each virtual room including a substantially photo-realistic depiction of a portion of the structure, including substantially photo-realistic depictions of one or more devices located within the portion of the structure. In response to the selection of a particular substantially photo-realistic visual depiction, the programmable multimedia controller may issue control commands which, when implemented, change the state of a particular device. The appearance of the particular virtual room may be updated to reflect the changed state. |
| US08296668B1 |
Paper texture for watercolor painting effects in a graphics editing program
Systems and methods for simulating watercolor painting effects in a graphics application may employ an ink dispersion model comprising three layers: surface, flow, and fixture. In response to input representing deposition of ink on paper having a given paper texture, a blocking parameter may be determined dependent on three texture channels of the given paper texture: paper grain, pinning, and absorption. The absorption channel may control absorption behavior of the paper. A noise texture applied onto the absorption channel may simulate uneven absorption across the paper. A lattice Bolztmann based simulation may model the dispersion of ink in the flow layer, and may be dependent on the blocking parameter, and on values of parameters for controlling ink and brush properties. The ink, brush, and paper texture parameter values may be user-configurable through a graphical user interface of the graphics application. An output image may be composited from the three layers. |
| US08296661B2 |
Systems and methods for facilitating originality analysis
The present invention provides methods for integrating the peer review process with other applications and facilitating peer review using a user interface linked to a peer review application having knowledge base information and defined rules for: accepting a paper for peer review, assigning the paper to one or more of a defined set of reviewers for review, providing to the reviewers one or more criteria to be used for reviewing and evaluating each paper for enabling each reviewer to create a peer review result, and processing all peer review results for any paper to produce a peer review report. Access to these systems and methods may be provided, for example, on a stand-alone computer or over the Internet, World Wide Web, or an intranet. |
| US08296656B2 |
Media manager with integrated browsers
Methods and systems that improve the way media is played, sorted, modified, stored and cataloged are disclosed. One aspect relates to a browse window that allows a user to navigate through and select images that are related to media items. Another aspect relates to a graphical user interface of a media management program that utilizes multiple browse windows. Another aspect relates to simultaneously displayed media browse windows whose operations are integrated together so that the content shown therein is automatically synched when selections are made. Another aspect relates to resetting browsed content to the currently playing media. |
| US08296652B2 |
Method for printing web pages included advertisement
A method for printing a web page with an advertisement is provided. When a web user wants to print a specific web page of a web site, a web printing exclusive viewer operates and then the specific web page is automatically adjusted to be fit into a printing area of a web browser. Then, the web page with an advertisement related to the contents of a current web page, provided from the web server, is printed, and the web server automatically counts a page view while printing the web page, such that an accurate total page view count value can be obtained. |
| US08296651B2 |
Selecting terms for a glossary in a document processing system
A method, apparatus and computer program element are disclosed for selecting a term for inclusion in a glossary in a document handling or processing system in which a set of functions or rules are applied to the term in order to provide a probability measure for the terms being suitable for inclusion in said glossary. |
| US08296646B2 |
Focusing on areas of the display of tabular data through hierarchical collapsing and expanding of cell areas
A method, apparatus and program product for focusing the display of tabular data wherein the display has multiple rows and columns of cells. A computer running a tabular data application includes a display for displaying the tabular data. The tabular data application includes a routine for defining a user defined area in the tabular data display in a focused display. The routine places indicators at the top, bottom, right side and left side of the focused display. The indicators may be one of an expand indicator or a collapse indicator. A movable cursor in the tabular data display is used to select at least one of the indicators for focusing the display. The routine in the tabular data application expands or collapses the display of tabular data to give a focused display. The expanding or collapsing of the display is determined by whether the selected indicator is an expand indicator or a collapse indicator. |
| US08296645B2 |
Jump destination site determination method and apparatus, recording medium with jump destination site determination program recorded thereon
A jump destination site determination method and system determine a site which is a jump destination of a hyperlink selected in a terminal apparatus. The system and method include receiving a jump destination distribution ratio representing a ratio of jumping to each of a plurality of sites storing same contents, which varies over time, and contents including a hyperlink to which the jump destination distribution ratio is correlated, judging whether a time period elapsing from a time the contents are received until a time the hyperlink included in the contents is selected is equal to or longer than a predetermined time period, and acquiring a jump destination distribution ratio effective at a point in time at which the hyperlink is selected from the server responsive to determining that the time period elapsed is equal to or longer than the predetermined time period. |
| US08296643B1 |
Running multiple web page experiments on a test page
Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for performing multiple tests on a test web page. Source of a test web page is configured to perform multivariate testing by placing a number of variable content sections into the source of the test web page. Multiple tests having differing variable content for insertion into the variable content sections, or a subset thereof, can be performed without the need for the test page to be re-modified. |
| US08296641B2 |
Parity generation circuit, counter circuit, and counting method
A circuit outputs, upon receipt of data and a parity of the data, count information on the number of bits in the data represented as a base-n number (n: a natural number equal to or larger than 2) and the parity of the count information. The circuit includes a determining unit and an inverting unit. The determining unit determines that the number of bits in the data represented as a base-n number is a specific value. The inverting unit outputs, as the parity of the count information, any one of a value of the parity of the data and an inverted value of the parity depending on a result of determination by the determining unit. |
| US08296640B2 |
Method and apparatus for parallel processing multimode LDPC decoder
A method and apparatus for decoding transmissions in a wireless communications network is provided. A receiver includes a receive path. The receive path includes a decoder configured to perform low density parity check decoding. The decoder includes a number of Context Reconfigurable Instruction Set Processors (CRISPs). The CRISPs are configured to process received data in parallel. The decoder includes a plurality of memory units, and each of the CRISPs includes a plurality of processors. |
| US08296635B2 |
Architecture and control of Reed-Solomon error-correction decoding
Systems and methods are provided for implementing various aspects of a Reed-Solomon (RS) error-correction system. A detector can provide a decision-codeword from a channel and can also provide soft-information for the decision-codeword. If the decision-codeword corresponds to an inner code and an RS code is the outer code, a soft-information map can process the soft-information for the decision-codeword to produce soft-information for a RS decision-codeword. A RS decoder can employ the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm (BMA), list decoding, and a Chien search, and can include a pipelined architecture. A threshold-based control circuit can be used to predict whether list decoding will be needed and can suspend the list decoding operation if it predicts that list decoding is not needed. |
| US08296634B2 |
Error correction decoder, error correction value generator, and error correction system
An error correction decoder includes a syndrome generator and an error correction value generator. The syndrome generator is operable to generate a plurality of syndromes based upon a received signal generated according to a generator polynomial. The error correction value generator is operable to generate a plurality of product values. Each of the product values is generated for one of the syndromes based upon a respective power of the roots of the generator polynomial. The respective power is determined based upon a respective index corresponding to one of the syndromes to be considered and unit positions of the received signal. The error correction value generator is further operable to generate an error correction value according to the product values, and to provide an error correcting device coupled thereto with the error correction value for correcting an error of the received signal. |
| US08296632B1 |
Encoding and decoding of generalized Reed-Solomon codes using parallel processing techniques
A system, computer program, and/or method for encoding data that can correct r/2 errors. The original symbols are transformed using a Fourier transform of length p. Generator polynomials are used to encode the p blocks separately, and an inverse Fourier transform is applied to obtain the redundant symbol. In a decoding system, Fourier transforms are applied to every set of p consecutive symbols of the received vector, to obtain p blocks of symbols which in total have the same size as the received vector. Next, a syndrome calculator is applied to each of these blocks to produce p syndromes. The syndromes are forwarded to a Berlekamp-Massey unit and an error locator polynomial is decimated into p parts and a Chien search is applied concurrently. A Fourier transform of length p is applied to values calculated by the Chien search, and the positions of the zeros obtained are error positions. |
| US08296631B2 |
Power reception optimization method, and associated apparatus, for operating upon an encoded data block
Apparatus, and an associated method, for recovering the informational content of an encoded data block. Data bursts are delivered to a receiver. A series of data bursts together include all of the informational content of the encoded data block. A detector detects delivery to the receiver of the data bursts. A determiner determines indicia associated with the communicated data. And, responsive thereto, the data is decoded, selectably utilizing fewer than all of the data bursts that form the encoded data block. |
| US08296630B2 |
Multi-mode forward error correction
According to one embodiment, a system for multi-mode forward error correction comprises a substrate, forward error correction (FEC) modules, and a controller. The FEC modules are disposed outwardly from the substrate. A first FEC module performs forward error correction according to a first FEC scheme, and a second FEC module performs forward error correction according to a second FEC scheme. The controller configures the first FEC module and the second FEC module to convert from an input FEC scheme to an output FEC scheme for a stream. |
| US08296626B2 |
Error correction for flash memory
Providing for single and multi-bit error correction of electronic memory is described herein. As an example, error correction can be accomplished by establishing a suspect region between bit level distributions of a set of analyzed memory cells. The suspect region can define potential error bits for the distributions. If a bit error is detected for the distributions, error correction can first be applied to the potential error bits in the suspect region. By identifying suspected error bits and limiting initial error correction to such identified bits, complexities involved in applying error correction to all bits of the distributions can be mitigated or avoided, improving efficiency of bit error corrections for electronic memory. |
| US08296624B2 |
Variable interleave data transmission
In cable modem termination systems (CMTS) and other information transmission systems, a method for changing the interleave depth associated with each data stream is provided. This may be done dynamically, and for any subset of downstream devices such as modems. The interleave depth may be set on an individual device level. Embodiments may decrease data receiving latency on devices that do not suffer from error rates, such as caused by burst noise, while maintaining throughput on devices with high error rates. |
| US08296621B2 |
Integrated circuit comprising error correction logic, and a method of error correction
An integrated circuit comprises forward error correction (FEC) decoder logic being coupled to memory and arranged to receive data, comprising application data, from a host application process. The FEC decoder logic performs error detection upon the received data. Logic is further arranged to transmit error free application data back to the host application process prior to performing error correction; and store in memory only application data in which errors are detected. |
| US08296619B2 |
Method and apparatus for indicating a temporary block flow to which a piggybacked ACK/NACK field is addressed
A method and an apparatus for indicating a temporary block flow (TBF) to which a piggybacked acknowledgement/non-acknowledgement (PAN) field is addressed. A method and apparatus of performing receive processing to reduce the probability of false acceptance of erroneous PANs are also disclosed. A transmit station generates a PAN check sequence (PCS) and performs a channel coding on a PAN field and the PCS. The transmit station scrambles the encoded bits of the PAN field and the PCS with a TBF-specific scrambling code. Because of the scrambling, the PCS decoding at a receive station will pass if the data block is received by an intended receive station, while the PCS decoding will fail if received by a non-intended receive station. Alternatively, the scrambling may be performed before the channel coding. Alternatively, the transmit station may combine the PAN field and a temporary flow identity (TFI) to generate a PCS. |
| US08296615B2 |
System and method for generating data migration plan
A system and method for generating a migration plan for migrating data from a first electronic medium to a second electronic medium is provided. The system comprises a migration readiness assessment module for determining a migration recommendation; an effort estimation module for determining a total effort required for migrating data from a first electronic medium to a second electronic medium; and a migration plan generator module for generating a migration plan based on the determined migration recommendation and the total estimated effort. |
| US08296613B2 |
Systems and methods of implementing remote boundary scan features
A system and method for remotely performing boundary scans on a circuit board, device and/or system across a network. A first computing component, connected to the network, includes a computer readable media including computer executable instructions. The instructions cause the computing component to maintain or access a library of test scan procedures for a plurality of subject circuit boards. At least one of the test scan procedure is downloaded to a second computing component proximate the circuit board, device and/or system. The second computing component and the test scan procedure are monitored and controlled remotely via the network. |
| US08296611B2 |
Test circuit for input/output array and method and storage device thereof
The invention provides a test circuit for n input/output arrays. Each of the n input/output arrays has M pairs of input/output. The test circuit includes M write drivers and M comparing circuits. The ith write driver provides an ith test signal to the ith inputs of all of the n input/output arrays, and 1≦i≦M. The jth comparing circuit determines if jth output signals of all of the n input/output arrays are the same, and outputs a jth comparing result correspondingly, and 1≦j≦M. The invention also provides a method of testing n input/output arrays. The invention also provides a storage device. |
| US08296610B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method for testing the same
A semiconductor memory device includes an alignment unit configured to align data received from the outside, a plurality of data input/output lines corresponding to the aligned data, respectively and a realignment unit configured to change correspondence between the data and the data input/output lines in response to one or more change signals in a test mode. A method for testing the semiconductor memory device includes inputting data in series using a testing apparatus, aligning the serial data in parallel, and realigning the parallel data in response to one or more change signals. |
| US08296598B2 |
Double data rate output circuit and method
A synchronization circuit for re-synchronizing data from an input clock to an output clock is presented. The first transparent latch receives data synchronized to an input clock. A second transparent latch receives data from the first transparent latch and outputs data dependent on a delayed output clock which is the output clock delayed by an insertion delay. An output latch receives data from the second transparent latch and synchronizes data to the output clock. |
| US08296588B2 |
Microcontroller and control method therefor
Provided is a microcontroller including: a first low-voltage detection circuit to detect that a power supply voltage is equal to or lower than a first voltage value; a second low-voltage detection circuit to detect that the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than a second voltage value, the second voltage value being lower than the first voltage value; a CPU to stop operating when the first low-voltage detection circuit detects that the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than the first voltage value; and a real-time clock to continue operating unless the second low-voltage detection circuit detects that the power supply voltage is equal to or lower than the second voltage value, in which the first low-voltage detection circuit, the second low-voltage detection circuit, the CPU, and the real-time clock are formed on a single chip. |
| US08296582B2 |
Method and system for providing copy-protection on a storage medium and storage medium for use in such a system
In a method for providing copy-protection services on a storage medium (for instance a solid state memory module), the data are arranged in sectors to which a field (S4T) is associated, where said field contains a random value Ri which is changed randomly when writing data to said sector. By encrypting the data stored on the medium using a key which depends critically on said random numbers, bit-by-bit copies (apart from said random numbers, which can not be deterministically changed by an application) to a second storage medium or recopies from some intermediate storage medium, can not be decrypted because the values of said random numbers will have changed, thus preventing unauthorized duplication and replay attacks. |
| US08296580B2 |
System and method for protecting data on a mobile device
Methods and systems are disclosed for protecting data on a mobile device. A data protection module on the mobile device receives a transmission including a secret key. The secret key is used in encrypting data on the device and is then deleted. Subsequent to an event detectable to the mobile device, the data protection module receives another transmission including said secret key. The secret key is then used to decrypt the encrypted data. |
| US08296576B2 |
Method for scrambling the current consumption of an integrated circuit
A method for scrambling current consumption of an integrated circuit, at least during execution of a confidential operation by the integrated circuit that includes reading confidential data stored therein and/or the calculation of an encryption code is provided. The charge pump is activated to generate current consumption fluctuations on the electrical power supply line of the integrated circuit, at an intensity great enough to mask the current consumption variations associated with the execution of the confidential operation. |
| US08296572B2 |
Projector system
A projector system includes an information processing apparatus and a projector. The projector includes a device connection unit which enables communication between the information processing apparatus and the projector, a password generating unit which generates a password, and an encryption unit which encrypts the password and outputs the encrypted password to the information processing apparatus through the device connection unit. The information processing apparatus includes a device connection unit which enables communication between the projector and the information processing apparatus, a decryption unit which decrypts the encrypted password input through the device connection unit of the information processing apparatus using a decryption key, and a password determining unit which has functions of determining whether the decrypted decryption password is correct and outputting a signal directing to start the process for projection to be performed by the information processing apparatus in a case where the decrypted password is correct. |
| US08296566B2 |
Method for session key derivation in an IC card
A key session derivation is provided during a mutual authentication between a master IC card storing a master key, and a user IC card storing a key-seed. The master IC card and the user IC card are connected through a communication interface for a communication session. A first random number associated to the user IC card is generated. First and second sub keys are derived from the key-seed. First and second session sub keys are respectively derived through the first sub key in combination with the first random number, and through the second sub key in combination with the first random number. The first and second session sub keys are joined in at least a session key for the communication session. |
| US08296556B2 |
System and method for processing booting failure of system
A method for processing booting failure of a computer system is adapted for being performed at a computer. The method includes the following steps. First, a parameter selecting signal is generated according to a triggering signal by a control module. Second, a driving parameter is chosen from a look-up table according to the parameter selecting signal by a basic input output system (BIOS), and the driving parameter is loaded into the BIOS and provided to a driving module. Third, a memory is driven according to the driving parameter by the driving module. Fourth, the driving parameter is stored by BIOS. |
| US08296554B2 |
Pre-boot recovery of a locked computer system
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatuses, articles, and removable storage devices for pre-boot recovery of a locked computer system. In one instance, the method includes determining on pre-boot whether a removable storage device is attached to a computer system, determining whether the computer system is in a locked state and, if the removable storage device is detected, transferring control to a pre-boot authentication module (PBA) stored on the removable storage device to interact with a manageability engine to restore the computer system from the locked state to an unlocked state. If the removable storage device is not detected, the computer system shuts down if the system is determined to be in the locked state and no other PBA is detected. The computer system comprises a host operating environment and a manageability engine that operates independent of the host operating environment. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed. |
| US08296553B2 |
Method and system to enable fast platform restart
A method and system to perform a fast reset or restart of a platform by minimizing the hardware initialization of IO devices in the platform during a restart of the platform. The basic input/output system (BIOS) of the platform traps any software initiated reset request (SIRR) or warm reset. The BIOS restores the input/output (IO) devices coupled with the platform to their previous hardware state to avoid the full platform initialization when the SIRR is trapped. The restart of the platform can be performed in a fast manner as the full platform initialization is minimized. |
| US08296551B2 |
Binary translator with precise exception synchronization mechanism
A source computer system with one instruction set architecture (ISA) is configured to run on a target hardware system that has its own ISA, which may be the same as the source ISA. In cases where the source instructions cannot be executed directly on the target system, the invention provides binary translation system. During execution from binary translation, however, both synchronous and asynchronous exceptions may arise. Synchronous exceptions may be either transparent (requiring processing action wholly within the target computer system) or non-transparent (requiring processing that alters a visible state of the source system). Asynchronous exceptions may also be either transparent or non-transparent, in which case an action that alters a visible state of the computer system needs to be applied. The invention includes subsystems, and related methods of operation, for detecting the occurrence of all of these types of exceptions, to handle them, and to do so with precise reentry into the interrupted instruction stream; by “precise” is meant that the atomic execution of the source instructions is guaranteed, and that the application of actions, including those that originate from asynchronous exceptions, occurs at the latest at the completion of the current source instruction at the time of the request for the action. The binary translation and exception-handling subsystems are preferably included as components of a virtual machine monitor which is installed between the target hardware system and the source system, which is preferably a virtual machine. |
| US08296550B2 |
Hierarchical register file with operand capture ports
A hierarchical register file included in a hierarchical microprocessor that includes a plurality of execution clusters. An embodiment of the a hierarchical register file includes a first-level register file including a plurality of mappable registers. where the first level register filed is configured to allocate the mappable registers to store execution results of instructions executed by the execution clusters and provide secondary register storage for each of the execution clusters. The hierarchical register file also includes a plurality of second-level register files operatively coupled with the first-level register file, where the plurality of second-level register files are configured to store instruction operands and provide the instruction operands to respective execution units of the execution clusters for use in executing associated instructions. The hierarchical register file further includes a plurality of third-level register files operatively coupled with the first register file and respective second-level register files, where the third-level register files are configured to provide operands to execution units and capture immediate literal values. |
| US08296549B2 |
Overlapping command at one stage submitting method of dynamic cycle pipeline
The invention discloses an overlapping command committing method of dynamic cycle pipeline, for a chip having pipeline structure, the method comprising the following steps: reading the command from command buffer, decoding the command, judging whether operator is reasonable or not, if a illegal command, then deleting, otherwise preprocessing the operator of command, preparing the initial operator of each pipeline, and observing the status of pipeline, waiting for pipeline command exiting signal, and judging whether there is command relevance or not, if not, then committing a new command to pipeline when the command exiting a last cycle of pipeline. Overlapping command committing method of the invention can avoid appearing of bubble, improve parallelism of pipeline performing unit, and thus shorten the processing period of command in chip, let the chip process more command in unit time. |
| US08296544B2 |
Storage capacity management system in dynamic area provisioning storage
Provided is a capacity monitoring method used for a computer system including one or more application computers, one or more storage systems, and a management computer. The storage system includes a physical disk and a disk controller. In the capacity monitoring method, a storage area of the physical disk belongs to a storage pool, the storage system provides a volume, and the management computer monitors a used capacity of the storage pool, judges whether or not a storage capacity required for operating the application computer for a predetermined time period is present in the storage pool based upon an increasing speed of the used capacity of the storage pool to be monitored, and executes a predetermined process operation when the storage capacity required for operating the application computer for the predetermined time period is not present in the storage pool. Accordingly, the storage pool is properly operated and managed. |
| US08296543B2 |
Computer system management apparatus and management method for the computer system
Provided is a computer system including a plurality of storage apparatuses, in which, if the storage apparatuses employ an external mapping/connection system, the plurality of storage apparatuses can efficiently use each other's storage resources. The computer system includes a plurality of storage apparatuses and a management computer for managing the storage apparatuses. The management computer determines whether or not it is possible to perform external connection between the plurality of storage apparatuses and whether or not it is possible to divert the use of a storage device in one storage apparatus to another storage apparatus, on the basis of a criteria table, and if it is possible to perform external connection between the plurality of storage apparatuses, it is carried out and, if it is not possible, the management computer diverts the use of a storage device in one storage apparatus to another storage apparatus. |
| US08296537B2 |
Storage system and remote copy recovery method
The storage system includes a first storage device, configured to be installed in a first site and providing a primary logical volume in which data received from a host computer is written; a second storage device, configured to be installed in a second site and providing a virtual logical volume, which has no structure for storing data received from the first storage system; and a third storage device, configured to be installed in a third site and providing a secondary logical volume in which data received from the second storage system is written. Data written in the primary logical volume of the first storage device are remote-copied to the secondary logical volume of the third storage device via the virtual logical volume of the second storage device. |
| US08296536B2 |
Synchronization of replicated sequential access storage components
A replication synchronization table (RST) is configured for the source instance. The RST is adapted for recording compacted information for at least one of a truncate and an erase operation applied on the source instance. The RST of the source instance is updated at a source component with the compacted information. The updated RST is transmitted from the source instance to the replicated instance. Based on the RST of the source instance and the RST of the replicated instance, data representative of a most recent position on the source component from which data should be transmitted to a replicated component to achieve a full synchronization is determined. |
| US08296533B2 |
Method and system for deleting low-load allocated virtual server resources
In the environment of a virtual server, there is a problem in that the contents in a disk area released correspondingly with the deletion of the virtual server may be read. According to the present invention, in a virtual computer system controlling a disk volume and a virtual server which is connected to the disk volume, to which the area of the disk volume is allocated as a virtual disk and which executes a process using the allocated virtual disk, the virtual computer system erases information stored in the virtual disk allocated to the virtual server to be deleted correspondingly with the deletion of the virtual server. According to another embodiment of the present invention, an administrative serve is provided to select a server system which is low in load from among plural server systems controlling virtual servers as a server system for erasing information stored in the virtual disk allocated to the virtual server to be deleted. |
| US08296530B1 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for optimizing the number of client write requests to virtually provisioned logical units of a physical data storage array
According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for optimizing the number of data writes to virtually provisioned logical units of a physical data storage array. The method is performed at a virtual provisioning layer associated with a physical storage array and includes receiving, from a client, a first write request for writing data to a first portion of a first data block of a virtually provisioned logical unit (VLUN) of the physical data storage array, wherein the size of the first portion is less than the size of the first data block. In response to receiving the first write request, a combined write request is generated from the virtual provisioning layer, where the combined write request is for writing the first portion of the data from the received write request and a second portion of fill data such that a size of the first portion and the second portion is equal to a size of the first data block. The second write request is then forwarded to the physical layer associated with the data storage array. |
| US08296529B2 |
Write-once optical disc and method for recording management information thereon
A write-once optical disc and a method and apparatus for recording management information on the disc are provided. The method includes recording an opened SRR information on a recording medium, and removing an identification of a certain SRR from the opened SRR information once the certain SRR is closed. The opened SRR information carries an identification of any opened SRR, and the number of opened SRRs allowed is at most a predetermined number. |
| US08296526B2 |
Shared memory having multiple access configurations
An apparatus includes a first processor that accesses memory according to a first clock frequency, a second processor that accesses memory according to a second clock frequency, and a memory device is configurable to selectively operate according to the first clock frequency or the second clock frequency. A memory controller enables dynamic configuration of organization of the memory device to allow a first portion of the memory device to be accessed by the first processor according to the first clock frequency and a second portion of the memory device to be accessed by the second processor according to the second clock frequency. |
| US08296524B2 |
Supporting efficient spin-locks and other types of synchronization in a cache-coherent multiprocessor system
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that acquires a lock in a shared memory multiprocessor system. During operation, the system loads the lock into a cache associated with the thread and then reads a value of the lock. If the value indicates that the lock is currently held by another thread, the system periodically executes an instruction that tests a status of the lock. If the status indicates the lock is valid, the system continues to test the status of the lock. Otherwise, if the status indicates that the lock was invalidated by a store, the system attempts to acquire the lock by executing an atomic operation. On the other hand, if the status indicates that the lock was invalidated by an atomic operation, or that the lock is not present in the cache, the system repeats the loading and reading operations. |
| US08296521B2 |
Method of configuring non-volatile memory for a hybrid disk drive
A system, method and machine-readable medium are provided to configure a non-volatile memory (NVM) including a plurality of NVM modules, in a system having a hard disk drive (HDD) and an operating system (O/S). In response to a user selection of a hybrid drive mode for the NVM, the plurality of NVM modules are ranked according to speed performance. Boot portions of the O/S are copied to a highly ranked NVM module, or a plurality of highly ranked NVM modules, and the HDD and the highly ranked NVM modules are assigned as a logical hybrid drive of the computer system. Ranking each of the plurality of NVM modules can include carrying out a speed performance test. This approach can provide hybrid disk performance using conventional hardware, or enhance performance of an existing hybrid drive, while taking into account relative performance of available NVM modules. |
| US08296520B2 |
System and method for optimizing neighboring cache usage in a multiprocessor environment
A method for managing data operates in a data processing system with a system memory and a plurality of processing units (PUs), each PU having a cache comprising a plurality of cache lines, each cache line having one of a plurality of coherency states, and each PU coupled to at least another one of the plurality of PUs. A first PU selects a castout cache line of a plurality of cache lines in a first cache of the first PU to be castout of the first cache. The first PU sends a request to a second PU, wherein the second PU is a neighboring PU of the first PU, and the request comprises a first address and first coherency state of the selected castout cache line. The second PU determines whether the first address matches an address of any cache line in the second PU. The second PU sends a response to the first PU based on a coherency state of each of a plurality of cache lines in the second cache and whether there is an address hit. The first PU determines whether to transmit the castout cache line to the second PU based on the response. And, in the event the first PU determines to transmit the castout cache line to the second PU, the first PU transmits the castout cache line to the second PU. |
| US08296519B2 |
Synchronizing access to data in shared memory via upper level cache queuing
A processing unit includes a store-in lower level cache having reservation logic that determines presence or absence of a reservation and a processor core including a store-through upper level cache, an instruction execution unit, a load unit that, responsive to a hit in the upper level cache on a load-reserve operation generated through execution of a load-reserve instruction by the instruction execution unit, temporarily buffers a load target address of the load-reserve operation, and a flag indicating that the load-reserve operation bound to a value in the upper level cache. If a storage-modifying operation is received that conflicts with the load target address of the load-reserve operation, the processor core sets the flag to a particular state, and, responsive to execution of a store-conditional instruction, transmits an associated store-conditional operation to the lower level cache with a fail indication if the flag is set to the particular state. |
| US08296517B2 |
Database operation-aware striping technique
A method, device, and computer readable medium for striping rows of data across logical units of storage with an affinity for columns is provided. Alternately, a method, device, and computer readable medium for striping columns of data across logical units of storage with an affinity for rows is provided. When data of a logical slice is requested, a mapping may provide information for determining which logical unit is likely to store the logical slice. In one embodiment, data is retrieved from logical units that are predicted to store the logical slice. In another embodiment, data is retrieved from several logical units, and the data not mapped to the logical unit is removed from the retrieved data. |
| US08296514B2 |
Automated correction of contentious storage virtualization configurations
Systems and methods for managing storage virtualization in a storage infrastructure are provided. The method comprises examining storage virtualization configurations across a data storage infrastructure having one or more data storage resources, such that configuration data associated with the storage virtualization configurations applied to the one or more data storage resources is stored in a configuration repository; analyzing the configuration data to detect storage virtualization policy inconsistencies across the data storage infrastructure; reporting potential problems associated with applying the storage virtualization configurations to said one or more data storage resources; and automatically implementing recommendations for corrective action to improve storage virtualization, in response to detecting the virtualization policy inconsistencies. |
| US08296513B1 |
Standby disk spin up control in disk array system using expander device
A method and system are provided for controlling SAS/SATA disk spin up when a disk enters an inactive mode, such as standby mode, in a near line storage system. A routing table entry is modified for a selected hard disk drive in an expander routing table to redirect and reroute to a spinup control virtual target any access requests intended for the selected hard disk drive, in response to the selected hard disk drive being in standby mode. In response to the selected hard disk drive exiting standby mode, the routing table entry is modified to direct and route requests for access to the selected hard disk drive back to the drive itself. A SAS expander device can control spin up for standby disk drives in a disk array. Alternatively, spin up control can be performed for disks in other power modes, such as idle, in a disk array. |
| US08296503B2 |
Data updating and recovering methods for a non-volatile memory array
Methods for updating and recovering user data of a non-volatile memory array such as a flash memory are disclosed. An indication for indicating a mapping relationship for a logical address is established when original user data of the logical addresses is updated into new user data. The indication records new pointers, which record the mapping relationships between logical addresses and physical addresses storing the new user data of the logical addresses. Alternatively, the indication records memory positions of the non-volatile memory array which are defined as designated memory positions and a sequence for using these designated memory positions. |
| US08296502B2 |
Data management method for flash memory and storage system and controller using the same
A data management method, a flash memory storage system and a controller using the same are provided. The data management method is used for accessing a flash memory of the flash memory storage system, wherein the flash memory includes a plurality of physical blocks and the physical blocks are grouped into a data area and a spare area. The data management method includes configuring a plurality of logical blocks for be accessed by a host. The data management method also includes dividing each physical block into a plurality of physical parts and mapping the logical blocks to the physical parts. The data management method further includes accessing the mapped physical parts according to the physical blocks to be accessed by the host. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the usage and the accessing speed of the physical blocks in the flash memory storage system. |
| US08296499B2 |
Flash memory device and program method thereof
A flash memory device includes a memory cell array, a peri circuit unit, an I/O controller, and a controller. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells respectively connected to a plurality of bit line pairs and a plurality word lines. The peri circuit unit is configured to program data into the memory cell array or read data stored in the memory cell array in response to a command input through a control bus. The I/O controller is configured to receive data for programming and supply the data to the peri circuit unit in response to a command provided through a data input/output (I/O) bus. The controller is configured to control the I/O controller to perform a voltage setup operation for a program while the data for program is received. |
| US08296495B2 |
Using an add-on storage device for extending the storage capacity of a storage device in a host device
A storage device with a memory, a controller, a storage device interface and a host interface, and a method of data transfer to and from a storage device are provided. The storage device is operative to connect with a host device and the storage device interface is operative to couple with an add-on memory. When the host interface is connected to a host device, the controller is configured to receive a data transfer command specifying a memory address from the host interface; and if the memory address is beyond the address space of the memory, to route the data transfer command to the storage device interface for access to the add-on memory. The address space of the memory and an address space of the add-on memory are addressed as one integral address space transparently to the host. |
| US08296492B2 |
Power supply circuit for IEEE 1394 interface
A power supply circuit for IEEE 1394 interface includes an IEEE 1394 interface control chip, an interface circuit, and a power circuit. The IEEE 1394 interface control chip outputs transmission protocol signals. The interface circuit is electrically connected to the IEEE 1394 interface control chip by a number of differential signal transmission lines. The interface circuit receives the transmission protocol signals and exchanges data with a peripheral device according to the received transmission protocol signals. The power circuit has a voltage decreasing circuit and provides working voltage to the interface circuit. The voltage decreasing circuit receives a DC voltage and converts the received DC voltage to the working voltage. |
| US08296485B2 |
System and method for recognizing a keystroke in an electronic device
The disclosure provides a system and a method of processing keystrokes entered on an electronic device. The method comprises: monitoring for activation of two or more keys on the keyboard; evaluating whether the activation of those keys occurs within a set window of time; evaluating locations of those keys. After these evaluations, if the keystroke conflict is determined to not have been produced then characters for those keys are generated in order of their activations. If the keystroke conflict is determined to have been produced, then the method arbitrates between those keys to select a key utilizing a dictionary to automatically determine the key to be selected. In the dictionary, its entries are related to each of those keys combined with any previously entered keystrokes. The method then processes the selected key to generate on a display one character, which is associated with the selected key. |
| US08296483B2 |
Storage device of serial attached small computer system interface/serial advanced technology attachment type
Provided is a storage device of a serial attached small computer system interface/serial advanced technology attachment (SAS/SATA) type, which provides data storage/reading services through an SAS/SATA interface. The SAS/SATA type storage device includes: a memory disk unit which includes a plurality of memory disks provided with a plurality of volatile semiconductor memories; an SAS/SATA host interface unit which interfaces between the memory disk unit and a host; and a controller unit which adjusts synchronization of a data signal transmitted/received between the SAS/SATA host interface unit and the memory disk unit to control a data transmission/reception speed between the SAS/SATA host interface unit and the memory disk unit. The storage device can support a low-speed data processing speed for the host and simultaneously support a high-speed data processing speed for the memory disk unit, so that there are advantages in that the performance of the memory disk can be fully utilized to enable high-speed data processing in an existing interface environment. |
| US08296481B2 |
Device and method for improving transfer efficiency of odd number of data blocks
A data transfer device includes a data buffer, an odd number flag, and a control unit. The data buffer holds an even number of data blocks from a data transfer controller. The odd number flag is set when the number of data blocks to be transferred to a receiving device is odd. The control unit transfers an even number of data blocks to the receiving device for each data transfer cycle with respect to the receiving device, and transfers one data block to the receiving device in a last transfer cycle when the odd number flag is set. Thus, also when the data transfer controller which transfers data in a unit of an even number of data blocks is used, not only an even number of data blocks but an odd number of data blocks may be transferred to the receiving device. |
| US08296476B2 |
Storage method, storage system, and controller
A storage method, a storage system, and a controller are disclosed. The method is applicable to a system that includes at least one controller, at least two Peripheral Component Interconnection Express (PCIE) Input/Output (IO) modules, and at least two storage devices. The at least two storage devices are connected through a PCIE switch chip of the at least one controller, and the at least two PCIE IO modules are connected through a PCIE switch chip of the at least one controller. The method includes: receiving a request message from a server through the at least two PCIE IO modules; and accessing the at least two storage devices according to the request message. The at least two PCIE IO modules are shared between controllers, thereby saving resources; and the storage devices access the controllers without the need of a hard disk controller or a hard disk extension chip, thereby saving costs. |
| US08296470B2 |
Network device with a triggering element that overwrites predetermined network parameters
A network device with a triggering element. In a first embodiment where a triggering element is embedded in a network socket, a user is allowed to trigger it to control a processor on the network device to set network parameters. In a second embodiment, the invention can trigger the triggering element to control the processor on the network device. In a third embodiment, the invention sends a triggering signal to the triggering element for controlling electronic elements other than the network device. Therefore, the invention can achieve the effects of network settings of the network device, processor controls, and convenience in controlling other electronic elements. |
| US08296467B2 |
Single-chip flash device with boot code transfer capability
A Multi-Media Card (MMC) Single-Chip Flash Device (SCFD) contains a MMC flash microcontroller and flash mass storage blocks containing flash memory arrays that are block-addressable rather than randomly-addressable. An initial boot loader is read from the first page of flash by a state machine and written to a small RAM. A central processing unit (CPU) in the microcontroller reads instructions from the small RAM, executing the initial boot loader, which reads more pages from flash. These pages are buffered by the small RAM and written to a larger DRAM. Once an extended boot sequence is written to DRAM, the CPU toggles a RAM_BASE bit to cause instruction fetching from DRAM. Then the extended boot sequence is executed from DRAM, copying an OS image from flash to DRAM. Boot code and control code are selectively overwritten during a code updating operation to eliminate stocking issues. |
| US08296464B2 |
System and method for providing a split deployment model for a telecommunication service access gateway
A split deployment model is enabled for a telecommunication service access gateway. The services of the gateway are segregated into a set of core services that provide container-based functionality and a set of exposure services that enable network integration and translation of protocols. The core services are executed as part of the application server, while the exposure services are deployed in separate archive files. This isolation of services allows single or groups of services to be independently upgraded, patched or removed and reduces the impact of one service on others. Furthermore, the services can scale independently, allowing additional hardware resources to be added to a particular service. Multiple versions of a single service can also be deployed in a single cluster or server. |
| US08296459B1 |
Custom routing decisions
With the advent of virtualization technologies, networks and routing for those networks can now be simulated using commodity hardware rather than actual routers. For example, virtualization technologies such as those provided by VMWare, XEN, or User-Mode Linux can be adapted to allow a single physical computing machine to be shared among multiple virtual networks by providing each virtual network user with one or more virtual machines hosted by the single physical computing machine, with each such virtual machine being a software simulation acting as a distinct logical computing system that provides users with the illusion that they are the sole operators and administrators of a given hardware computing resource. In addition, routing can be accomplished through software, providing additional routing flexibility to the virtual network in comparison with traditional routing. As a result, in some implementations, supplemental information other than packet information can be used to determine network routing. |
| US08296458B2 |
Adaptive routing of content requests using multiple anycast addresses
A system includes a plurality of cache servers and a domain name server. Each of the cache servers is configured to respond to a content request. The plurality of cache servers is divided into a plurality of subsets and configured to respond to an anycast address for each subset to which the cache server belongs. The domain name server is configured to receive a request from a requester for a cache server address, identify an anycast address for a largest available subset, and provide the anycast address of the largest available subset to the requester. |
| US08296456B2 |
Systems and methods for displaying personalized media content
Systems and methods for generating and/or displaying personalized video content are provided. In some embodiments, a video asset made up of a set of frames, including a preliminary frame with an object region, is received at user equipment. A media element is identified and transmitted to a remote server, where it is processed to produce a modified version of the media element and then transmitted back to the user equipment. The video asset is displayed at the user equipment, except that a modified frame incorporating the modified version of the media element is displayed in place of the preliminary frame. The modified version of the media element is incorporated in an area of the modified frame corresponding to the object region of the preliminary frame. |
| US08296452B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting tiny fragment attacks
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for checking link layer protocol frames such as Ethernet frames. The method can be implemented on a processor executing software instructions stored in memory. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes receiving an Ethernet frame, and counting data bytes of the Ethernet frame to generate a total number of counted bytes. The total number of counted bytes can be used to calculate a data length of a datagram of the Ethernet frame. Once calculated, the datagram data length can be compared to a predetermined value. If the datagram length does not fall within an acceptable range of the predetermined value, the Ethernet frame may be dropped so that the Ethernet frame does not reach its final destination. |
| US08296449B2 |
Systems and methods for calculating a distribution
Systems and methods are provided for calculating a distribution of a quantity over receiver objects. In one implementation, a data processing system is provided that comprises application programs adapted to generate a distribution request, storage means for storing rules adapted for distribution of the quantity and storing an assignment of a sub-set of the rules to each application program, each rule having an assigned priority of execution and each sub-set of rules having an assigned identifier. The system may also comprise means for receiving the request comprising the identifier of the sub-set of rules assigned to the one of the application programs, the quantity to be distributed, and the identifiers of receiver objects, the distribution calculation means adapted to access the storage means for execution of the sub-set of rules assigned to the one of the application programs. |
| US08296447B2 |
Method for copying session information, call control server for executing the same, and computer product
The method is executed by a call control server that establishes a media session for sending and receiving media data between a calling terminal and a called terminal. The method includes exchanging messages with calling terminal and called terminal for establishing the media session, generating a session information necessary for establishing the media session based on the messages exchanged with the calling terminal and/or the called terminal, monitoring a media information included in the messages, the media information containing a definition specifying a way of exchanging the media data, determining, based on the monitoring result, whether the media session has been established, and transferring the session information to at least one other call control server different from the call control server if the media session has been established. |
| US08296446B2 |
System and method for transmitting data from a server application to more than one client node
A system and method for transmitting the same data to more than one client node or from an application to at least two client nodes. The method includes connecting a first client node and a first client protocol stack and connecting the application and the first client protocol stack; associating a first minimal communications protocol stack with the first client protocol stack; providing a connection between the application and the first minimal communications protocol stack and between a second client node and a second client protocol stack; associating a second minimal communications protocol stack with the second client protocol stack; providing a connection between the first minimal protocol stack and the second minimal protocol stack; and between the second minimal protocol stack and said the client protocol stack. Data is then transmitted from the application program to the first client protocol stack and the first minimal protocol stack substantially simultaneously. |
| US08296440B2 |
Method and apparatus for accessing a remote location with an optical reader having a programmable memory system
An optical reader for accessing a remote location on a network includes an optical scanning system, a memory system, an output circuit for interfacing to a first computer disposed on the network, and a switching device for switching between a scan mode, a record mode and a playback mode. The optical reader further includes a transmitter for transmitting code information representative of a code to the first computer. In the scan mode, the code information is indicative of information representative of an encoded indicia scanned by the optical scanning system. In the playback mode the code information is indicative of information retrieved from a user-selectable memory in the memory system. The code information is configured to cause the first computer to determine routing information to the remote location, and access the remote location on the network in accordance with the determined routing information. |
| US08296431B2 |
Communication network including means for managing conflicts during the execution of several communication services
A communications network including: n service managers (AS1, AS2, . . . , ASn), each adapted to execute an associated service; routing means (MR) adapted to receive protocol messages sent by a service manager, and to forward them to a terminal. The network also includes a conflict manager including: a set of packets, each packet containing rules for sorting protocol messages liable to be sent by at least two service managers; selection means for selecting a packet as a function of an indicator of the services that the terminal can access; sorting means for sorting protocol messages sent by at least two service managers upon execution of the associated services as a function of the content of a selected packet and forwarding the sorted protocol messages to the routing means (MR). Also disclosed are a conflict management method and a method of adding an additional service to a communications network. |
| US08296424B2 |
Network capacity planning
Data representing application deployment attributes, network topology, and network performance attributes based on a reduced set of element attributes is utilized to simulate application deployment. The data may be received from a user directly, a program that models a network topology or application behavior, and a wizard that implies the data based on an interview process. The simulation may be based on application deployment attributes including application traffic pattern, application message sizes, network topology, and network performance attributes. The element attributes may be determined from a lookup table of element operating characteristics that may contain element maximum and minimum boundary operating values utilized to interpolate other operating conditions. Application response time may be derived using an iterative analysis based on multiple instances of one or more applications wherein a predetermined number of iterations is used or until a substantially steady state of network performance is achieved. |
| US08296422B2 |
Method and system of manipulating data based on user-feedback
A method and system for providing content data to a user that includes providing a sample that is previewed by the user. The content data includes e-books, albums, games, videos and other electronic data. The user can then decide whether to accept the content based on the sample. If the sample is rejected, the user profile is updated to reflect the rejection. If the sample is accepted, the entire content is provided to the user. The amount of the content viewed or listened to by the user is tracked to determine how much of the content was actually listened to or viewed. |
| US08296418B2 |
Optimized modification of a clustered computer system
A method, program product, and data processing system are provided for modifying a cluster in a data processing system, the cluster comprising a plurality of nodes. A monitoring unit monitors resource usage over at least one cycle of a periodic timeframe to obtain monitored resource usage data. A forecasting component forecasts resource usage over a future cycle of the periodic timeframe using the monitored resource usage data to obtain forecast resource usage data. An analysis component analyzes the forecast resource usage data using at least a first rule to determine whether a modification of the cluster is necessary and at least a second rule to determine a time window for the modification of the cluster. A modification component modifies the cluster by adding or removing a node to the plurality of nodes in the time window. |
| US08296413B2 |
Device registration in a hierarchical monitor service
Monitor services deployable on device networks may be implemented using a modular approach, in which a core monitor service is mapped to one or more devices included in, or associated with, the device networks. Additional monitoring-related functionality may be provided to such devices using plug-ins, add-on services or service components, or other service modules, which interact with the core monitor service. The core monitor service(s) and any monitor service modules may be mapped, to specific ones of the devices, based on, for example, requirements of other services and/or relevant device metadata (e.g., capabilities) of the devices. In additional or alternative implementations, various protocols may be used to register new devices and deployed monitor service(s) with the distributed monitoring service(s) in a fast, secure, energy-efficient, and reliable manner, even as devices join or leave the device network(s). |
| US08296412B2 |
Method and system for event impact analysis
An impact analysis software system is described which resides on a computer connected to a network in an enterprise. The system analyzes the impact of network events on the network, and includes a number of modules, including a number of data source adapters for interfacing with external data sources to thereby allow access by the system to enterprise-related data in the external data sources. The system further includes an impact analysis data structure populated with data accessed from the external data sources and defining relationships between the enterprise-related data. One or more action tree data structures comprise a routine which, when executed, acts upon the relationships defined by the impact analysis data structure to handle events. A message processor reads the network events and select one of the action tree data structures to handle each read network event. |
| US08296410B1 |
Bandwidth management in a client/server environment
A method of managing bandwidth usage among a plurality of client devices is provided. A request is received at a first device from a second device. The request is to transfer a file between the first device and the second device and includes an identifier of the second device. A client group associated with the second device is determined based on the identifier and used to select a bandwidth usage policy. A data transfer rate for transferring the file between the first device and the second device is determined based on the selected bandwidth usage policy and a bandwidth usage at the first device associated with a plurality of devices. A number of bytes to transfer is determined based on the determined data transfer rate and a time period. A response, which includes the determined number of bytes and the time period, is sent to the second device. |
| US08296407B2 |
Calculation, representation, and maintenance of sharing information in mesh networks
A method for representing, in a network data structure, a minimum amount of protection bandwidth required to be reserved on each link in a mesh network, to restore service upon failure of another node or link in the network. The method includes (1) receiving a request for a new service in the network, wherein the new service is represented by a service data structure having an identification of each link and transit node in a primary path for the new service, (2) determining, using the network and service data structures, whether the new service requires additional protection bandwidth to be reserved on any link in the network, and (3) updating the network data structure if any additional protection bandwidth is determined to be needed. In one implementation the network and service data structures are vectors and the steps of determining and updating involve vector operations between these structures. |
| US08296401B2 |
Messaging script for communications server
For use in a communication system, a method of testing communications between at least one enterprise server and at least one handheld mobile communication device, the method comprising automatically sending a plurality of test messages from the enterprise server to the handheld mobile communication device. Also set forth is a method for verifying correct receipt of the test messages and reporting the verification results. |
| US08296398B2 |
Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods
Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. |
| US08296396B2 |
Delivering resources to clients in a distributed computing environment with rendezvous based on load balancing and network conditions
A plurality of repeater servers form a shared content delivery network (CDN) to serve resources to clients on behalf of a plurality of content providers. First and second resources are associated with a first content provider, the first resource referencing the second resource. The second resource is associated with a domain of the shared CDN. Responsive to a request that causes the first resource to be served to a client from a server in a domain associated with the first content provider, a CDN server is identified in the domain associated with the shared CDN to serve the second resource to the client. The CDN server is selected based, at least in part, on load conditions on at least some of the CDN servers, and on the client's location. Responsive to the CDN server being requested to serve the second resource: if a copy of the second resource is available on the CDN server, the copy is served to the client from the CDN server; otherwise, the second resource is replicated on the CDN server and then served to the client from the CDN server. |
| US08296393B2 |
Media advertising over peer-to-peer networks
Advertising on P2P networks can include a three-step system in one embodiment of the disclosure. The first step can include the review of search requests, followed by a response linking to a media file containing an advertisement. The second step can be a delivery process. The advertising cannot be considered spam as the user can be redirected towards information that can directly correlate to the users search. The advertising can be done with the full cooperation and volition of the media company or companies involved. The advertisers' contract with the media companies can allow for payment and the media companies can then expose their product to potential buyers. The third step can be contacting an advertising server any time that media file is played. In this third step it can be determined what the optimal advertisement for this media file is. |
| US08296392B2 |
Browser-based retrieval and display of content associated with a link that matches a link signature
A page update handler, which may be loaded by a web browser as part of a web page, adds functionality for dynamically updating the web page with content supplied by a content server. The content may be related to a particular item detected on the web page by the page update handler, such as a link that matches a link signature. The content server may operate in a different Internet domain from the server that servers the original web page, and may supply content for display on web pages of many different independent web sites. In one embodiment, an operator of a web site that is separate from the content server can enable the display of content from the content server on the site's web pages by adding an update handler tag to one or more corresponding HTML documents. |
| US08296391B2 |
Relay server, relay communication system, and communication apparatus
In a relay communication system in which remote LANs communicate with one another beyond a WAN, a method and apparatus prevent crossover among a plurality of call controls in each of a plurality of sections and crossover among a plurality of communication routes in each of the plurality of sections. Relay servers relay communication between client terminals. A relay server creates information described below, and allows a whole of a relay communication system to share the information: relay group information indicating that the relay servers constitute a relay group; and relay server information indicating a client terminal capable of communicating with the relay server. The relay servers and the client terminals collate identification information of call control, which is transmitted when the call control is executed for a destination for communication in each section, and identification information of call control, which is received from the destination for communication in each section when a communication route is established, with each other, and allows the call controls and the communication routes to correspond to each other. |
| US08296389B2 |
Content reproduction apparatus, content delivery apparatus, content delivery system, and method for generating metadata
Metadata for a content delivered from a content server is generated while suppressing an increase in the network traffic. A content delivery system includes a content server and a client communicatively connected to the content server. The content server includes a content transmission unit for sending a content to the client. The client includes a content reception unit for receiving the content from the content server, a content reproduction unit for reproducing the received content, a metadata generation unit for applying predetermined analysis processing to the received content to generate metadata that indicates a result of the analysis processing, and a metadata transmission unit for sending the generated metadata. |
| US08296388B2 |
Cross-application encoding of geographical location information
A facility for cross-application encoding of geographical location information is described. In various embodiments, the facility receives a first document containing information relating to a geographical area, displays an image representing the geographical area, receives input from a user identifying at least a geographical location that is located in the geographical area, encodes a portion of the input to create an encoded link to the geographical location, and causes the link to be added to a second document such that when the link is selected, the first application displays the geographical area and identifies the identified geographical location. In various embodiments, the facility includes a correlating server that correlates geographical locations identified in documents of a first document type with documents containing mapping information. |
| US08296385B2 |
Apparatus and method for selective engagement in software distribution
Apparatus, methods and program products by which the user of a computer system may initiate an interval during which the user leaves the system idle to permit the system to become engaged in peer to peer software distribution. |
| US08296381B2 |
Method and computer program product for receiving an update to a previously received email message
A method and computer program product enable an email user to receive an update to a previously received email message. An email client receives an update to the previously received email message is received. Privacy information in the update is identified and that privacy information is associated with a first portion of the previously received email message. The privacy information indicates whether the user is permitted to view that first portion of the previously received email message. The privacy information may be used to update the previously received message. |
| US08296378B2 |
Adaptive electronic messaging
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, adaptive electronic message services are provided for generating and supplementing adaptive electronic messages with digital content items. |
| US08296377B1 |
Facilitating presentation by mobile device of additional content for a word or phrase upon utterance thereof
A method for presenting additional content for a word that is part of a message, and that is presented by a mobile communication device, includes the steps of: presenting the message, including emphasizing one or more words for which respective additional content is available for presenting by the mobile communication device; receiving an utterance that includes an emphasized word for which additional content is available for presenting by the mobile communication device; and presenting the additional content for the emphasized word included in the utterance received by the mobile communication device. These steps are performed by the mobile communication device. |
| US08296374B2 |
Controlling the presence information of activity participants
Techniques for relaying presence information of one or more entities, wherein the one or more entities are participants in a scheduled activity, are provided. A status of the scheduled activity is obtained from a first entity via an application loaded on a device of the first entity. The presence information of the first entity and/or a second entity is updated in accordance with the status of the scheduled activity. The updated presence information of the first entity and/or the second entity is published. |
| US08296372B2 |
Method and system for merging electronic messages
What is described is a method and system for merging electronic messages. The method includes receiving a message at a client, determining if the message relates to a stored message, merging the message in the stored message to generate a merged message if the message relates to the stored message, and transmitting the merged message to a destination. |
| US08296371B2 |
Individual XML message processing platform
A communication platform deployed on servers is disclosed. The communication platform enables users to receive electronic messages from corporations and others comprising a message processing platform. The message processing platform comprising logic for receiving a first electronic message addressed to the platform. The first electronic message is for an activity having an activity status, wherein the activity is categorized into events. Further the logic includes organizing the first electronic message in an information folio based on the activity; receiving a second electronic message for an event in the activity; parsing the second electronic message to determine whether the second electronic message comprises a definition to update the activity status; and if the second electronic message comprises a definition to update the activity status, then updating the activity status for the activity. |
| US08296362B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for dynamically enforcing privileges for use during a data collaboration session
In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a first participant wherein the first participant corresponds with a primary group name; identify a profile based on the primary group name; detect a second participant; identify a secondary group name based on the second participant; select a privilege within the profile based on the secondary group name; and apply the privilege to the first participant and the second participant. |
| US08296354B2 |
Flexibly transferring typed application data
The present invention extends to using Simple Object Access Protocol (“SOAP”) to exchange typed objects, such as, for example, parameters for invoking methods. A computer system accesses typed object parameters corresponding to a typed object. The typed object is annotated with one or more message contract attributes of a message contract model defining a mapping between typed object parameters and corresponding SOAP elements. The computer system utilizes the message contract attributes to map the typed object parameters into a SOAP element and inserts the SOAP element into a SOAP envelope. A receiving computer system accessing the SOAP element and utilizes the message contract attributes to map the SOAP element back into the typed object parameters. |
| US08296353B2 |
Flow control method and apparatus for enhancing the performance of web browsers over bandwidth constrained links
Flow control is applied to increasing the performance of a browser while pre-fetching Web objects while operating over bandwidth constrained links to increase the level of concurrency, thus reducing contention for limited bandwidth resources with increased levels of concurrency. Using an agent or a gateway to speed up its Internet transactions over bandwidth constrained connections to source servers. Assisting a browser in the fetching of objects in such a way that an object is ready and available locally before the browser requires it, without suffering congestion on any bandwidth constrained link. Providing seemingly instantaneous availability of objects to a browser enabling it to complete processing the object to request the next object without much wait. |
| US08296352B2 |
Methods and systems for providing, by a remote machine, access to graphical data associated with a resource provided by a local machine
A method for providing, by a remote machine, access to graphical data associated with a resource provided by a local machine includes initializing, by a remote agent on a remote machine, a proxy icon handler. The proxy icon handler receives, from an icon handler on a local machine, data associated with an icon for a resource provided by the local machine. The proxy icon handler modifies a window in a remote desktop environment displaying a plurality of icons including at least one icon associated with a resource provided by the remote machine and the icon associated with the resource provided by the local machine. The remote agent transmits, to the local machine, window attribute data associated with the modified window and graphical data representing the window displaying the plurality of icons. The local agent displays the received graphical data in a window formed according to the received window attribute data. |
| US08296346B2 |
Channel-select decimation filter with programmable bandwidth
A channel-select decimation filter capable of operating in multiple bandwidth modes includes a first low pass filter stage, a variable gain stage, a subtraction module a second low pass filter stage and a down-sampling module. The first low pass filter stage includes a first programmable delay module for filtering input signals to produce first low pass filtered signals. The variable gain stage applies a programmable gain to the input signals to produce gained input signals. The subtraction module subtracts the first low pass filtered signals from the gain input signals to produce first stage signals. The second low pass filter stage includes a second programmable delay module for filtering the first stage signals to produce channel-selected signals. The first programmable delay module, second programmable delay module and programmable gain are programmed to implement one of the multiple bandwidth modes. |
| US08296338B2 |
Method for a cloud-based meta-file system to virtually unify remote and local files across a range of devices' local file systems
A system and process that establish a singular shared file system among devices in order to create a virtual representation of data on all of the devices via metadata indexing. This virtual representation of data means that the files are not actually stored on all devices and thus, with the exception of a single physical location, they do not need to take up any space (i.e. storage) on any additional device's hard drive. This allows for significant amounts of data to be virtually stored on each device, even if there is no physical storage room available for the data on each device. The system and process do not require data to be stored on a provider server, but instead stores only lightweight metadata, i.e., a small fraction of information about the files, online. |
| US08296337B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for managing data from a requesting device with an empty data token directive
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing data with an empty data segment directive at the requesting device. The apparatus, system, and method include a token directive generation module and a token directive transmission module. The token directive generation module generates a storage request with a token directive. The token directive includes a request to store on the storage device a data segment token. The token directive substitutes for a series of repeated, identical characters or a series of repeated, identical character strings to be stored as a data segment. The token directive includes at least a data segment identifier and a data segment length. The data segment token and the token directive are substantially free from data of the data segment. The token directive transmission module transmits the token directive to the storage device. |
| US08296336B2 |
Techniques for efficient dataloads into partitioned tables using swap tables
Techniques for efficiently loading data into a partition of a partitioned table of a database are provided. Data is stored in a swap table and the high water mark of the swap table has been reset prior to storing the data. The swap table is swapped with the partition. After the swap, the swap table becomes the partition of the partitioned table and the partition of the partitioned table becomes the swap table, and the swap table is truncated to reset the high water mark of the swap table. |
| US08296334B2 |
Document validation mapping system and method
Documents having a structured nature such as contracts, legislation, etc. can be graphically depicted to emphasize their logical structure. A document map may graphically show clauses of a document as nodes with the requirements of the clause as branch structures from the nodes. The requirement elements of a clause may be logically linked by a logical operator for the clause, such as AND, OR, NOT etc. Each requirement element may include a validation field that allows a user to indicate whether a requirement has been validated. Validation of the clause can be calculated based on the validation field values, typically Boolean values, and based on the logical operator. The validation map may be used to determine compliance with a document, costs of compliance, etc. |
| US08296332B2 |
Visual manipulation of database schema
Methods, program products, and systems for visual manipulation of database schema are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a system can display a schema view and a data view in graphic representation in an integrated GUI on a display device. The system can display a schema in the schema view, and one or more data records in the data view. The system can receive a touch input from the display device in the schema view, or the data view, or both. In response to the touch input, the system can modify the schema, or the data records, or both. The system can update the schema view and data view substantially simultaneously to reflect the modification in the schema or data records. |
| US08296327B2 |
Short paths in web graphs with small query time
Short paths are found with a small query time in scale-free directed graphs using a two-phase process by which data structures comprising shortest path trees are first pre-computed for a group of central vertices called “hubs” that have short paths to most other vertices in the graph. In a query time phase, a short path between two vertices of interest in the graph is found by looking up the path to the root in each of the shortest path trees. |
| US08296326B1 |
Grid-based user interface techniques for interacting with nested hierarchical data structures
An improved graphical user interface (GUI) for accessing an Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) has defined Device Management (DM) state of a mobile device is provided via a technique for transforming an OMA DM hierarchical data structure, such as a tree structure having a number of nodes, into a grid-based user interface element. |
| US08296324B2 |
Systems and methods for analyzing, integrating and updating media contact and content data
A computer implemented system for integrating and searching media related databases comprising a first server for receiving digital content from at least one of a plurality of sources, a second server for receiving queries from at least one of a plurality of user computing devices, and a database access layer being utilized by the first and second servers to read and write to a plurality of databases. The plurality of databases comprise a content database and a media database. The content database receives at least one article of digital content from the first server via the database access layer and stores the at least one article. The media database contains at least one journalist data and media outlet data. A mapping module matches journalist data and media outlet data to at least one journalist data and media outlet data contained in the media database. |
| US08296323B2 |
Personal data subscriber systems and methods
Methods and systems for facilitating the propagation of personal data include a Personal Data Propagation Environment (“PDP environment”) that facilitates the propagation of personal data items between secure personal data stores and various consumers of the personal data items. One PDP environment includes a personal data manager and a personal data subscriber. The personal data manager manages personal data items on a secure data store associated with a user computing device. The personal data manager provides access to personal data items stored on the secure data store in accordance with a personal data subscription associated with the personal data subscriber. |
| US08296322B2 |
User terminal device and method for controlling the same
A method is provided that automatically saves data on a user terminal of a thin client system to a file server or to the user terminal by appropriately and efficiently sorting the data. System update data such as a patch for the user terminal and confidential data that should be saved to the server are distinguished when written to a secondary storage device, and separately cached into memory. Then, the confidential data that should be saved to the server is automatically uploaded to the file server at any given timing, for example, at shut-down of the terminal, whereby a minimum amount of data can be efficiently saved to the file server. |
| US08296321B2 |
Techniques for changing perceivable stimuli associated with a user interface for an on-demand database service
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided techniques for providing perceivable stimuli in an interface of a multi-tenant on-demand database system. These techniques for providing perceivable stimuli facilitate collaborative efforts of groups of users of a multi-tenant on-demand database system while maintaining access constraints amongst users associated with a common tenant. |
| US08296319B2 |
Information retrieving apparatus, information retrieving method, information retrieving program, and recording medium on which information retrieving program is recorded
The present invention provides an information retrieving apparatus and the like which replies a search result accurately to a question from the user.In the present invention, sentence information of a sentence in collected documents is stored, information of a questioning sentence from the user is received from a terminal 2, the questioning sentence from the user is decomposed into segments (S10), documents having common arc segments are extracted from segments in the questioning sentence from the user, the documents are compared with the questioning sentence, and a leaf segment missing in the questioning sentence is retrieved (S12 to S16), and the search result is transmitted to the terminal 2 (S19). |
| US08296318B2 |
Human resource networking system and method thereof
A Human Resource Networking System, which is a novel Method establishing a business system for locating, identifying, promoting and assisting in the employing of career project workers in the non-career workforce, includes a Relational Database comprising an Industry Credit Inductive Lineage Construct Matrix containing People Elements, Places Elements, Projects Elements, and Things Elements derived from People Information, Places Information, Project Elements, and Things Elements; a plurality of Credit Constructs each of which is formed by associating two or more of the People Elements, the Places Elements, the Projects Elements, and the Things Elements and stored in the Industry Credit Inductive Lineage Construct Matrix of the Relational Database; and a Display Device for outputting Credit Bytes generated by combining the Credit Constructs upon query. |
| US08296317B2 |
Searchable object network
Methods and systems for preparing data for searching and performing searches are provided. Searchable data definitions describe the location and format of searchable data within enterprise applications. Documents may be created from the searchable data definitions and indexed by a search engine, while preserving semantic information available within the enterprise application. Search results can include an indication of objects that are semantically related to each search result, providing more information and increased navigation and search options. |
| US08296316B2 |
Dynamically sharing a subtree of operators in a data stream management system operating on existing queries
A new continuous query to a data stream management system (DSMS) may use several operators that are equivalent to operators currently being used by continuous queries that have been previously registered in the DSMS. To determine equivalence of operators, the DSMS checks at least the function and the data input to the operators. On finding equivalence, the DSMS modifies a global plan being executed, to use at least an existing subtree of operators during execution of the new continuous query, to generate a modified plan. The DSMS is also programmed to cause each relation source operator (which outputs a relation) to propagate a current state of the relation to each operator newly coupled to the relational operator. After propagation of current state to newly-coupled operators, each operator in the modified plan processes any new data and supplies the result to all operators coupled thereto, including newly-coupled operators and existing operators. |
| US08296313B2 |
Method for controlling a relational database system
A method for controlling a relational database system, with a query statement comprised of keywords being analyzed, with the RTN being formed of independent RTN building blocks. Each RTN building block has an inner, directed decision graph which is defined independently from the inner, directed decision graphs of the other RTN building blocks with at least one decision position along at least one decision path. The inner decision graphs of all RTN building blocks are run by means of the keywords in a selection step and all possible paths of this decision graph are followed until either no match with the respectively selected path is determined by the decision graph and the process is interrupted, or the respectively chosen path is run until the end. |
| US08296308B2 |
Methods and apparatus for associating a virtual white line (VWL) image with corresponding ticket information for an excavation project
Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received at a first user location, which may be remote from the dig area. The source data is processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more indicators are added to the displayed input image(s), via a user input device associated with the display device, to provide at least one indication of the dig area and thereby generate a marked-up digital image. The marked-up digital image may be electronically bundled with information from a corresponding ticket. A descriptor file may be used to identify one or more marked-up images corresponding to a ticket. |
| US08296307B2 |
Contact information querying
System and method for querying of contact information are disclosed. An aspect of the invention includes a method for querying contact information. The method includes receiving a query language including relationship information of a plurality of contacts with unknown contact information. The method further includes acquiring a query request, wherein acquiring the query request includes parsing the query language according to a query language syntax. The method further includes querying contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information in at least one directory to obtain the contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information requested in the query request. The method further includes returning the contact information of the plurality of contacts with unknown contact information requested in the query request. |
| US08296301B2 |
Systems and methods for probabilistic data classification
A system for performing data classification operations. In one embodiment, the system comprises a filesystem configured to store a plurality of computer files and a scanning agent configured to traverse the filesystem and compile data regarding the attributes and content of the plurality of computer files. The system also comprises an index configured to store the data regarding attributes and content of the plurality of computer files and a file classifier configured to analyze the data regarding the attributes and content of the plurality of computer files and to classify the plurality of computer files into one or more categories based on the data regarding the attributes and content of the plurality of computer files. Results of the file classification operations can be used to set appropriate security permissions on files which include sensitive information or to control the way that a file is backed up or the schedule according to which it is archived. |
| US08296300B2 |
Method for reconstructing protein database and a method for screening proteins by using the same method
The present invention relates to a method for reconstructing protein database for identifying a protein and a method for screening a protein using the same, more precisely a method for reconstructing protein database, and a method for identifying a protein using the same. The method for reconstructing protein database and the method for identifying the protein of the invention are very useful for the investigation of endogenous proteins and their functions and interactions, and are further effectively used for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents for various diseases. |
| US08296296B2 |
Method and apparatus for formatting information within a directory tree structure into an encyclopedia-like entry
Method and apparatus for formatting information within a directory tree structure into an encyclopedia-like entry. The method includes performing a search by utilizing a selective one or more search methodologies including keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure. The directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes. Each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure. The method further includes selecting one of the matching items, formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry, and displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item. The encyclopedia-like entry can include text, graphics, links to related topics within the directory tree structure, links to related web sites external to the directory tree structure, or any combination thereof. Utilizing the search methodologies can be performed by a server, preferably accessible over the internet through the public switched telephone network. |
| US08296295B2 |
Relevance ranked faceted metadata search method
A method includes receiving a query that identifies a taxonomy item. The method also includes performing a computer taxonomy based search of a plurality of content items against the taxonomy item in response to the query. The taxonomy item is selected from a faceted taxonomy. The computer based taxonomy search identifies a subset of content items where each content item in the subset of content items has a non-binary relevance score with respect to the taxonomy item. |
| US08296286B2 |
Database processing method and database processing system
Provided is a database processing system including: a computer for outputting data in response to a received query request; and a storage system including a storage device for storing the data, in which: the storage device stores a plurality of partial indices indicating a storage location of the data; the data stored in the storage device is grouped; and the computer is configured to: receive the query request for the data; acquire one of the plurality of partial indices; specify, based on the query request for the data and the acquired one of the plurality of partial indices, a location at which the requested data is stored; and send a request to acquire the data stored at the specified location to the storage system. Accordingly, in the database processing system, a time period necessary to input and output the data is shortened. |
| US08296285B2 |
Rendering advertisements with documents having one or more topics using user topic interest information
Ambiguities with respect to a user topic interest may be resolved so that useful topic-relevant ads can be presented. Such ambiguities may be resolved by monitoring user behavior, determining a user topic interest (e.g., from a plurality of different candidate topics) based on the monitored behavior, and serving ads relevant to the determined user topic interest. |
| US08296279B1 |
Identifying results through substring searching
Systems, methods, and computer program products identifying a search query, the search query including at least one search term. An index is used to identify a word as a search result for the search query, where the index includes a substring of the word, one or more inclusive strings corresponding to the substring, the one or more inclusive strings including the substring and at least one more character, and one or more word objects, the one or more word objects identifying content including the substring of the word. |
| US08296278B2 |
Identifying product issues using forum data
Product issues are identified through an analysis of forum data stored in a forum database. Forum threads are identified within the forum data and clustered together by grouping related forum threads. Once the forum threads have been clustered, the clustered forum threads can be analyzed to identify product issues. Once the product issues have been identified, steps may be taken in an attempt to resolve the identified issues. |
| US08296273B2 |
Electronic device filtering
A filtering method and apparatus for an electronic device. The operating system's program registry is copied and then modified to direct all application data to a filter program such as a virus scanning filter program. If the filter program determines that the object is virus free, the copy of the program registry (filter registry) is queried by the filter program to determine the application program associated with the data object. The data object is then forwarded to the appropriate application program. |
| US08296272B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program
An information processing apparatus which may include basic-file management means for managing a file stored in a storage medium by utilizing basic-file management information stored in the same storage medium, specific-file management means for managing a specific type file in files which are adapted to share predetermined management-use information items out of management-use information items set to each file owned by the basic-file management means, and which are managed by the basic-file management means by utilizing specific-file management information stored in the storage medium, comparing means for comparing, when performing an index display in which the specific type file to be stored in the storage medium is displayed in an index style, a content of the management-use information item, about the specific type file to be displayed in the index display, shared by the basic-file management information and the specific-file management information, and display controlling means for executing the index display such that a comparison result by the comparing means is reflected. |
| US08296270B2 |
Adaptive logging apparatus and method
An adaptive logging apparatus and method are provided. Using the adaptive logging apparatus and method, it is possible to accumulatively store the size of log records generated according to a data update request, and selectively perform algorithms for Recovery and Isolation Exploiting Semantics (ARIES) logging and shadow paging logging, according to the size of the stored log records. |
| US08296263B2 |
Systems and methods for data upload and download
Systems and methods which provide a hybrid network based solution for digital data file backup are shown. Embodiments utilize a transport mass storage system to provide transmission of digital data files between user equipment and a network based mass storage system. A manifest may be used to manage transporting and/or storage of digital data files. User equipment may then access the digital data files stored to the network mass storage system for various purposes using a network link. Subsequent, incremental backups and other transfers of relatively small amounts of digital data files are preferably accomplished using a network link for the transfer. |
| US08296262B1 |
Systems and methods for real-time online monitoring of computing devices
Computing devices, such as workstations, associated with an institution system may each run a real-time online (RTO) software application. Each RTO application may comprise a software object that executes on the computing device to recognize events pertaining to the computing device, such as startup, shutdown, user logon, and user logoff. Upon occurrence of one of the events, data pertaining to the event is forwarded to the institution system, where it may be processed and stored in an RTO repository for future querying. The institution system may generate a plurality of reports based on an analysis of event data it has received from each computing device. |
| US08296257B1 |
Comparing models
Methods, systems and computer program products for evaluating performance of generative models are disclosed. One method includes providing a base model and a candidate model having observed variables and first and second conceptually related variables related to the observed variables, respectively, receiving observations assigned to a subset of the observed variables, and for each observation, evaluating the observation by the base model to produce a base assessment of the observation, evaluating the observation by the candidate model to produce a second assessment of the observation, determining a similarity measure of the assessment of the observation based on the base and second assessments, and selecting a subset of observations having low similarity measures for use in evaluating performance of the candidate model. |
| US08296256B2 |
SAT-based synthesis of a clock gating function
Clock gating circuit is determined by transforming a clock gating opportunity function to a non-Boolean function and constraining inputs of the non-Boolean function. The non-Boolean function may be a ternary function. Constraining the inputs may be achieved by introducing control variables and a cardinality constraint associated with their values. The non-Boolean function may be utilized to approximate universal quantification of an input assigned with a non-Boolean value, such as “don't care” value. The non-Boolean function may be utilized to provide an ALL SAT solution of a Boolean function using a SAT solver. |
| US08296246B2 |
Allocating virtual universe customer service
Virtual universe customer service representatives axe cloned and assigned as a function of observing customer behavior, retrieving historical data and creating a customer profile Preferential subavatar assignment parameters are determined for a customer as a function of the customer profile, choosing a subavatar from a plurality of subavatars as a function of a correlation of a subavatar performance characteristic with the preferential subavatar assignment parameter and a store objective, and the clone is populated with the chosen subavatar Choosing a subavatar may comprise preferentially rating subavatars and determining an appropriateness threshold as a function of the subavatar assignment parameter, the performance characteristics and the stole objective. Some embodiments reset a threshold in response to time-in-queue or to repetitively observing customer behavior, retrieving customer data, determining a subavatar assignment parameter and choosing a highest-rated available subavatar meeting a revised threshold. Subavatars may comprise automated, customer service representative-controlled and jointly-controlled subavatars. |
| US08296243B2 |
Systems for identifying and categorizing medical waste
Methods for using a liner in a waste sorting and disposal system are provided. The liner includes an internal space and an opening that provides access to that internal space. In some embodiments, the liner may also include a machine-readable identification key that is configured to identify a type of waste that the liner may receive. In some embodiments, the machine-readable key is optical, color-coded, alphanumeric or graphical. The liner can include one or more closure members to allow a user to securely seal the liner when it is removed from the container. In some embodiments, the liner can include a flange, lip, hook or other protrusion to secure its position relative to a container. |
| US08296241B2 |
Telephone initiated text message response system
A system for providing text messages in response to telephone initiated service requests that includes a multi-function code, such as “*#” (star, pound), followed by an item code associated with a particular text message. Different item codes correspond to different text messages. The telecommunications switch recognizes the multi-function code as a trigger and responds by sending a data message containing the item code and identification information pertaining to the initiating telephone device to a data fulfillment center, which responds to the data message by sending the text message associated with the item code to the initiating telephone device over a wireless data network. The data fulfillment center may also send an Internet link to the initiating telephone device. A charge for this service may be automatically charged to an account associated with the originating telecommunications device. |
| US08296234B2 |
Method of and system for communicating liability data in a telecommunications network
The present invention relates to a method of and system for managing financial liability in a telecommunications network wherein a service requester (1) receives post paid services provided by a service provider (2) and wherein financial liability of said service requester for payment of said services is certified by a liability provider (3). At least one liability token data signal is received by said service provider via said telecommunications network (8), which at least one liability token data signal is issued e by said liability provider. Said liability token data signal comprises time dependent validity data for said liability token data signal and data regarding an amount for which said service requester is liable. The invention is also related to a liability server for use in a method and system according to the invention. |
| US08296233B2 |
Electronic payment instrument and packaging
Methods and systems provide and utilize a transceiver-based electronic payment device to consumers in an arrangement which allows for convenient carrying of the device and payment using the device. |
| US08296226B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for an asset-backed purchase card
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for an asset backed purchase card. The present invention includes a house account comprising one or more assets, each of the one or more assets having a substantially continually updated spot purchase price. The invention receives funds from a consumer in exchange for a portion of the one or more assets from the house account based on an internal spot price of the asset, increasing a balance in a purchase account of the consumer. The purchase account is debited by selling a quantity of the asset backing the purchase account balance to the house account based on the internal spot price of the asset in response to a transaction based on a purchase card purchase by the consumer. |
| US08296221B1 |
Methods and systems related to securities trading
At least one exemplary aspect comprises a method comprising: (a) receiving electronic data describing a trading order for a market-traded security; (b) checking the data describing the trading order against one or more sets of conditions, and identifying one or more of the one or more sets of conditions that is satisfied; (c) based on the identified one or more of the one or more sets of conditions that is satisfied, identifying a class of trading algorithms appropriate for execution of the trading order; (d) selecting with a processing system one or more trading algorithms from the identified class of trading algorithms, for execution of the trading order; and (e) commencing with the processing system execution of the trading order via the selected one or more trading algorithms; wherein the processing system comprises one or more processors. Other aspects and embodiments comprise related computer systems and software. |
| US08296214B1 |
Methods and apparatus related to billing and accounting for assets that require more than two factors to establish asset value
In one embodiment, a first device is configured to determine a value of an asset at a second time. The value of the asset can be based at least in part on a quantity of the asset and a value of a multiplier fund. The value of the multiplier fund can be based at least in part on an adjustment value. The adjustment value can be based at least in part on a value of an index at a first time, the value of the index at the second time and a multiplier value associated with the multiplier fund. The first device can be configured to send, to a second device and in substantially real-time, a signal including at least one of: the value of the asset at the second time, the value of the multiplier fund and the adjustment value. |
| US08296212B2 |
Issuing machine and issuing system
An issuing system for issuing unmodifiable and/or unforgeable hardcopy documents or securities includes a server and a plurality of issuing machines connected to the server via a network. Each of the issuing machines receives an ID recording medium provided by a potential purchaser, retrieves an identification recoded in the received ID recording medium, requests the potential purchaser to input request for a transaction of the security or fixed rate financing instrument, processes the requested transaction by retrieving information via a network from the server, and prints out on demand a hardcopy of the security or fixed rate financing instrument as purchased by the potential purchaser and a checksum thereon. A method for forming a new market with the issuing system. |
| US08296210B2 |
Weather derivative volatility surface estimation
Systems and methods are provided for determining the volatility of weather derivative option contracts. Volatility levels are initially determined with conventional methods. Unreliable volatility levels are then replaced with futures contracts volatility levels. If the futures contracts volatility levels are not available or appear unreliable, meteorological volatility levels are utilized. The data may be reduced to a three dimensional surface and used when determining margin account requirements. |
| US08296204B2 |
System and method for reducing RIKS associated with accepting a financial instrument
A system and method for verifying a financial instrument or a user's authorization to use a financial instrument. The system initiates one or more verifying transactions involving the instrument, with details that may vary from one transaction to another, such as the type of transaction (e.g., deposit, credit, debit), amount of the transaction, number of transactions, the merchant or vendor name or account for the transaction, and so on. Selected details, particularly variable ones are saved in the system. The user accesses information regarding the transaction, by accessing it on-line, via telephone, in a monthly statement, etc. The user then submits the requested details to the system, which compares them to the stored details. If they correspond, then the user may be allowed to use the instrument (e.g., for a purchase, a fund transfer). |
| US08296198B2 |
Method and system for distribution of information
A method and system for distribution of information is provided. A consumer metamodel definition for a device is created, wherein the consumer metamodel definition has consumer attribute. The consumer metamodel is then customized by editing the consumer attribute. A device inventory is then generated for the device by downloading a device information from a device information store, wherein the device has at least the consumer attribute of the consumer metamodel. |
| US08296193B2 |
Supplier dynamic reference systems and methods
Systems and methods for a supplier dynamic reference are provided. Some embodiments include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions. In various embodiments, the memory stores instructions causing the processor to provide product information to a consumer, process data to determine that the consumer wants to make a purchase, process data to enable a supplier to dynamically select a reseller of their products based on a predetermined criteria, and cause the processor to transmit data related to the selected reseller to the consumer. Some embodiments may include a database with product information and product reseller information, including an indication of which resellers sell each product and a selection system configured to select a reseller to provide to the consumer based on the consumer wanting to purchase the product and a reseller selection criteria, wherein the transmitter transmits reseller information to the consumer. |
| US08296192B2 |
Method for making money on the internet
A computer-implemented system for monetizing internet content. The system includes an internet content provider providing online information on a web page and an online comment section associated with said online information, said online comment section capable of having posted thereto reader comments in a free default format. The system includes computer executable instructions for performing steps of displaying an offer associated with said online information to alter a reader comment from a free default format to a distinctive format for a fee, said fee being dynamically adjustable; receiving by the internet content provider; and displaying the reader comment in the distinctive format on the web page. The system also includes a processor for executing the computer executable instructions, and a memory for storing at least the computer executable instructions. |
| US08296191B1 |
Electronic open-market commerce system and method
A computer implemented method for administering a sales transaction, including: receiving consumer transaction requirements and seller transaction requirements within one or more established transaction parameters; filtering the consumer transaction requirements based on the seller transaction requirements and producing a subset of consumer transaction requirements based on the filtering; receiving bids from potential sellers, wherein the bids are limited to a predefined number and type of variables; displaying the bids to potential sellers and receiving subsequent bids; displaying a plurality of the bids and the identities of the potential sellers that correspond to the displayed bids to one or more potential consumers; and receiving from the one or more potential consumers an acceptance or rejection of one or more of the displayed bids. |
| US08296190B1 |
Digital content aggregation
Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a content marketplace where digital content can be offered for use by licensees in exchange for a license from a licensor. In some embodiments the content marketplace can provide this licensing forum without hosting the digital content. Instead, the content market place can provide links to the digital content at a digital content host (e.g. third party website). For instance, the content marketplace can embed the digital content into the content market place by embedding an Internet address that points to the digital content at the digital content host. In some embodiments the content marketplace can also provide, among other things, searchable index of digital content available for license, license attributes for license agreements, descriptions of the digital content, and/or standard licenses that can be agreed upon. |
| US08296188B2 |
Image display system, server apparatus, and terminal apparatus
Commodity images that tend to be selected by a user can be smoothly and efficiently displayed on the user's terminal without requiring the user's effort. A server acquires a plurality of commodity images to be transmitted to a mobile terminal from a commodity DB based on a purchase history stored in a user DB and an image feature amount of image DB, and transmits the acquired commodity images to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives the commodity images transmitted from the server and sequentially displays the received commodity images one by one as a slide show on the entire screen of a monitor. Therefore, the visual images of the commodities can be easily displayed without causing the user to perform special operations and without displaying extra information such as text. |
| US08296187B2 |
System and method for storage and retrieval of information subject to authorization by a data controller
A system and method for storage and retrieval of information subject to authorization by a data controller that allows information for purchasing and other information exchange to occur only for authorized parties. A data subject place information abbot the data subject into a data repository controlled by a data controller. The data controller authorizes a data recipient to obtain that data subject data when authorized by a data subject. Such transactions as purchases of goods and services and applying for college admission are the types of transactions contemplated. The data repository places client software on the computer of the data recipient thereby signifying that the data recipient is authorized. Thereafter, the data recipient can receive information about the data subject when the data subject accepts and offer from the data recipient. |
| US08296184B2 |
Managing payment for sponsored content presented to mobile communication facilities
A system and method for targeted delivery of advertising of a first or second sponsor to a plurality of cellular phones of a first or second type by way of a competitive bid auction process includes (a) receiving a credit card datum from a credit card provider; (b) presenting to the first and second sponsor data corresponding to (1) the credit card datum and (2) the first type and the second type of cellular phone; (c) receiving from each sponsor advertising associated with credit card characteristic relating to the credit card datum, wherein each advertising has a different rendering capability associated therewith; (d) attributing a priority to the delivery of the advertising based upon a resultant yield determination; and (e) transmitting the appropriate advertising to the types of cellular phones having the corresponding rendering capabilities of the advertising. |
| US08296183B2 |
System and method for dynamic layout intelligence
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for of automatically rendering an advertisement element on an advertisement are disclosed. The method includes the steps of obtaining an advertisement element to be rendered on the advertisement, comparing the advertisement element to a set of stored markup records, determining which stored markup record is closest in at least one attribute to the advertisement element, rendering the advertisement element in accordance with the closest markup record, and displaying the rendered advertisement element on the advertisement. |
| US08296178B2 |
Services using globally distributed infrastructure for secure content management
Secure content management is enabled as a cloud-based service through which security protection and policy enforcement may be implemented for both on-premise network users and roaming users. The global SCM service integrates the security functionalities—such as anti-virus, spyware, and phishing protection, firewall, intrusion detection, centralized management, and the like—that are typically provided by enterprise network SCM appliance hardware or servers into a cloud-based service that users reach via Internet-based points-of-presence (“POPs”). The POPs are configured with forward proxy servers, and in some implementations, caching and network acceleration components, and coupled to hubs which provide configuration management and identity management services such as active directory services. |
| US08296177B2 |
Method for generating forecasting landscapes
A method of generating an aggregated forecasting landscape for a particular advertiser's bidded term constructs standardized forecasting landscapes for each marketplace, rescales, by the advertiser's clickability in the respective marketplace, each of the standardized landscapes corresponding to the previous appearance of the advertiser's ad in that marketplace and whose appearance was attributed to the bidded term, and adds together the rescaled landscapes, thereby giving the advertiser a more accurate representation of how many total clicks he can expect for his advertisement as a function of how much he is willing/able to pay. In particular, estimation variance is reduced by introducing rank into the construction of the standardized landscapes, which increases the accuracy of the calculations. |
| US08296176B1 |
Matching visitors as leads to lead buyers
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing information regarding a visitor to a website; accessing a plurality of filters that are each associated with one of a plurality of lead buyers and being defined by a set of lead criteria specified by the associated lead buyer; and, for each of the filters, determining whether the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter and, if the information regarding the visitor satisfies the set of lead criteria defining the filter, selecting the filter as a filter for which the visitor qualifies as a lead. The method includes, for each of the filters for which the visitor qualifies as a lead, accessing information indicating a potential revenue to be obtained by a lead matcher from the lead buyer associated with the filter. |
| US08296171B2 |
User interface for human involved business processes
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for providing a graphical representation of a business process. According to one embodiment, a method for providing a user-relevant view of a business process can comprise reading a definition of the business process. A determination can be made as to whether a milestone in the business process is relevant to an end user of the business process based on a set of pre-defined milestones for the business process. In response to determining the milestone in the business process is relevant to the end user a visualization of the business process can be generated that includes the milestone. In response to determining the milestone in the business process is not relevant to the end user, a visualization of the business process can be generated that does not include the milestone. |
| US08296168B2 |
System and method for analysis of an opinion expressed in documents with regard to a particular topic
System and method for analysis of an opinion expressed in documents on a particular topic computes opinion strength on a continuous numeric scale, or qualitatively. A variety of opinion scoring techniques are plugged in to score opinion expressing words and sentences in documents. These scores are aggregated to measure the opinion intensity of documents. Multilingual opinion analysis is supported by capability to concurrently identify and visualize the opinion intensity expressed in documents in multiple languages. A multi-dimensional representation of the measured opinion intensity is generated which is agreeable with multi-lingual domain. |
| US08296164B2 |
Pharmacy benefits management method and apparatus
A pharmacy benefits management system and method. A processor server has claim information relating to pharmacy benefits claims, and information relating to a claims processing formulary stored therein. A provider server has pharmacy benefits plan structure information stored therein. A management server has price information relating drugs in various classes and a processing module for correlating the claim information with the benefits plan structure information and the formulary information to identify drugs dispensed to patients, expenses associated with the drugs in accordance with the pharmacy benefits plan structure information, alternative drugs in the same class as the drugs and expenses associated with the alternative drugs. |
| US08296159B2 |
Apparatus and a method for calculating a number of spectral envelopes
An apparatus calculates a number of spectral envelopes to be derived by a spectral band replication (SBR) encoder, wherein the SBR encoder is adapted to encode an audio signal using a plurality of sample values within a predetermined number of subsequent time portions in an SBR frame extending from an initial time to a final time, the predetermined number of subsequent time portions being arranged in a time sequence given by the audio signal. The apparatus has a decision value calculator for determining a decision value, the decision value measuring a deviation in spectral energy distributions of a pair of neighboring time portions. The apparatus further has a detector for detecting a violation of a threshold by the decision value and a processor for determining a first envelope border between the pair of neighboring time portions when the violation of the threshold is detected. |
| US08296158B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding object-based audio signals
An audio decoding method and apparatus and an audio encoding method and apparatus which can efficiently process object-based audio signals are provided. The audio decoding method includes receiving a downmix signal, which is obtained by downmixing a plurality of object signals, and object side information, extracting metadata from the object-side information and displaying an information regarding the object signals based on the metadata. |
| US08296151B2 |
Compound gesture-speech commands
A multimedia entertainment system combines both gestures and voice commands to provide an enhanced control scheme. A user's body position or motion may be recognized as a gesture, and may be used to provide context to recognize user generated sounds, such as speech input. Likewise, speech input may be recognized as a voice command, and may be used to provide context to recognize a body position or motion as a gesture. Weights may be assigned to the inputs to facilitate processing. When a gesture is recognized, a limited set of voice commands associated with the recognized gesture are loaded for use. Further, additional sets of voice commands may be structured in a hierarchical manner such that speaking a voice command from one set of voice commands leads to the system loading a next set of voice commands. |
| US08296146B2 |
Computerized information presentation apparatus
A computerized information system and computer readable apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus is configured for use in a transport apparatus and comprises a computer readable medium having at least one computer program disposed thereon, the at least one program being configured to provide the user with requested information (such as for example directions to a desired business or other entity). At least a portion of the information is obtained via a wireless link with a remote server. |
| US08296143B2 |
Audio signal processing apparatus, audio signal processing method, and program for having the method executed by computer
An audio waveform processing not imparting any feeling of strangeness and high in definition, in which time stretch and pitch shift are performed by a vocoder method, and the variation of phase over the whole waveform caused by the vocoder method at all times is reduced. An audio input waveform is handled as one band as it is or subjected to frequency band division into bands. While performing time stretch and pitch shift of each band waveform like conventional vocoder methods, the waveforms are combined. The combined waveform of the band is phase-synchronized at regular intervals to reduce the variation of phase. The phase-synchronized waveforms of the band are added, thus obtaining the final output waveform. |
| US08296142B2 |
Speech recognition using dock context
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for performing speech recognition using dock context. In one aspect, a method includes accessing audio data that includes encoded speech. Information that indicates a docking context of a client device is accessed, the docking context being associated with the audio data. A plurality of language models is identified. At least one of the plurality of language models is selected based on the docking context. Speech recognition is performed on the audio data using the selected language model to identify a transcription for a portion of the audio data. |
| US08296140B2 |
System and method of generating responses to text-based messages
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an automated method of and system for generating a response to a text-based natural language message is disclosed. The method includes identifying a first selected input clause in a sentence in the text-based natural language message. Also, assigning a semantic tag to the first selected input clause and matching the semantic tag to a historical input tag. The historical input tag associated with a first previously generated response clause. Further; generating an output response message based on the historical response clause, the output response message derived from the historical input tag and a second previously generated response clause. The system includes means for performing the method steps. |
| US08296139B2 |
Adding real-time dictation capabilities for speech processing operations handled by a networked speech processing system
The present invention can include a speech processing method for providing dictation capabilities to a voice server. The method can include a step of establishing a real-time voice communication session involving a voice interface. Speech for the communication session can be streamed to a remotely located voice server. A real-time stream of text can be received from the voice server. The stream of text can include text that has been speech-to-text converted by the voice server from the streamed speech. The voice server can use a MRCP based non-halting interface to receive the real-time stream of speech and a delivery interface to deliver real-time text to a designated endpoint. |
| US08296138B2 |
System and method for mobile automatic speech recognition
A system and method of updating automatic speech recognition parameters on a mobile device are disclosed. The method comprises storing user account-specific adaptation data associated with ASR on a computing device associated with a wireless network, generating new ASR adaptation parameters based on transmitted information from the mobile device when a communication channel between the computing device and the mobile device becomes available and transmitting the new ASR adaptation data to the mobile device when a communication channel between the computing device and the mobile device becomes available. The new ASR adaptation data on the mobile device more accurately recognizes user utterances. |
| US08296136B2 |
Dynamic controller for improving speech intelligibility
A system improves the speech intelligibility and the speech quality of a speech segment. The system includes a dynamic controller that detects a background noise from an input by modeling a signal. A variable gain amplifier adjusts the variable gain of the amplifier in response to an output of dynamic controller. A shaping filter adjusts a speech signal by tilting portions of the speech signal of the dynamic controller. |
| US08296135B2 |
Noise cancellation system and method
A noise cancellation apparatus includes a noise estimation module for receiving a noise-containing input speech, and estimating a noise therefrom to output the estimated noise; a first Wiener filter module for receiving the input speech, and applying a first Wiener filter thereto to output a first estimation of clean speech; a database for storing data of a Gaussian mixture model for modeling clean speech; and an MMSE estimation module for receiving the first estimation of clean speech and the data of the Gaussian mixture model to output a second estimation of clean speech. The apparatus further includes a final clean speech estimation module for receiving the second estimation of clean speech from the MMSE estimation module and the estimated noise from the noise estimation module, and obtaining a final Wiener filter gain therefrom to output a final estimation of clean speech by applying the final Wiener filter gain. |
| US08296130B2 |
Systems and methods for word offensiveness detection and processing using weighted dictionaries and normalization
Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for identifying language that would be considered obscene or otherwise offensive to a user or proprietor of a system. A plurality of offensive words are received, where each offensive word is associated with a severity score identifying the offensiveness of that word. A string of words is received. A distance between a candidate word and each offensive word in the plurality of offensive words is calculated, and a plurality of offensiveness scores for the candidate word are calculated, each offensiveness score based on the calculated distance between the candidate word and the offensive word and the severity score of the offensive word. A determination is made as to whether the candidate word is an offender word, where the candidate word is deemed to be an offender word when the highest offensiveness score in the plurality of offensiveness scores exceeds an offensiveness threshold value. |
| US08296129B2 |
System and process for grammatical inference
A grammatical inference system for inferring a grammar from a plurality of example sentences. The system selects sentences having a common suffix or prefix component; identifies the other of said suffix or prefix component of each selected sentence; generating rules for generating the example sentences and the other components; reduces the right hand side of each rule on the basis of the right hand sides of the other rules; and generates a grammar on the basis of the reduced rules. |
| US08296121B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling power in an emulation system
Method and apparatus for controlling power in an emulation system are described. In one example, a first interface is configured to receive requirement information for a logic module to be emulated from a host computer system. The requirement information includes at least one of a power requirement or a thermal requirement. A second interface is configured to receive measurement data from sensors in the emulation system. A controller is configured to control at least one of a synchronization system, a power regulation system, or a thermal system in the emulation system in response to the requirement information and the measurement data to reduce power load of the emulation system. |
| US08296119B2 |
Saving and restarting discrete event simulations
Method, system, and computer program product for saving and restarting discrete event simulations are provided. A discrete event simulation of a scenario is performed via a process executing on a system. The process includes one or more application threads. A checkpoint of the process is created at a point in time when a command to save the discrete event simulation of the scenario is received. The checkpoint includes data elements of the process and the one or more application threads of the process that are stored in components of the system at the point in time. These data elements reflect a state of the process and the one or more application threads of the process at the point in time. The checkpoint is saved to one or more files in the system that are usable to later restart the discrete event simulation of the scenario from the point in time. |
| US08296117B2 |
Business process optimizer
A system and method for optimizing enterprise applications driven by business processes is provided. The method for optimizing business processes comprises the steps of obtaining process data, optimizing the process data using algorithms, simulating execution of one of the process data and the optimized process data, publishing the optimized process data, and deploying the published data for execution using a run time engine. In one embodiment, the simulator simulates using both process data and optimized process data. Modifications to process data can be input, and this modified data can be simulated, and also can be optimized. |
| US08296116B2 |
Bioinformatics system
The invention develops models of functional proteomics. Simulation scenarios of protein pathway vectors and protein-protein interactions are modeled from limited information in protein databases. The system focuses on three integrated subsystems, including (1) a system to model protein-protein interactions using an evolvable Global Proteomic Model (GPM) of functional proteomics to ascertain healthy pathway operations, (2) a system to identify haplotypes customized for specific pathology using dysfunctional protein pathway simulations of the function of combinations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) so as to ascertain pathology mutation sources and (3) a pharmacoproteomic modeling system to develop, test and refine proposed drug solutions based on the molecular structure and topology of mutant protein(s) in order to manage individual pathologies. The system focuses on simulating the degenerative genetic disease categories of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, immunodegenerative diseases and aging. The system reveals approaches to reverse engineer and test personalized medicines based upon dysfunctional proteomic pathology simulations. |
| US08296114B2 |
System, program product, and related methods for bit design optimization and selection
Systems, program product, and methods are provided which include analyzing the drillability of a subterranean formation and a database of performance characteristics for drilling bits to facilitate bit design optimization and selection for that formation. Using component subterranean formation data, computer models can be generated for the drillability of a target section in terms of physical, mechanical, and micro-structural properties, and for postulated suitable drilling bit performance characteristics based on physical, mechanical, and micro-structural properties of the target section. The drilling bit performance characteristics are then updated by quantifying effects of the drilling system to be employed. Each performance characteristic can be normalized and plotted on its own axis for easy comparison. Next, a candidate drilling bit design is selected from a library of computer models of drilling bit characteristics for a suite of drilling bit designs. An optimization of the drilling bit design may be also performed. |
| US08296113B2 |
Virtual steering of induction tool attenuation and phase difference measurements
An apparatus and method that provide steerable measurements of attenuation and phase difference are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a logging tool is provided with two triads of orthogonal receivers and a triad of orthogonal transmitters. A controller in the logging tool fires selected transmitters singly and in pairs, and determines measurements of ratios between signals received by the receiver triads. The measurement of sixteen ratios is sufficient to allow determination of attenuation and phase difference that would be measured by virtually steered receivers according to equations provided herein. |
| US08296111B2 |
Simulation system and simulation method
A simulation system is provided. A simulator is configured to execute simulation of a simulation object at a processing speed. A user interface module is configured to generate at least one of a first operation screen for inputting simulation conditions on the simulation executed by the simulator and an output screen for representing a result of the simulation executed by the simulator, and to display the at least one of the first operation screen and the output screen on a display unit. An adjustor is configured to adjust an updating speed of the at least one of the first operation screen and the output screen which are displayed on the display unit by the user interface module to be different from the processing speed. |
| US08296107B2 |
Computer method and apparatus for constraining a non-linear approximator of an empirical process
A constrained non-linear approximator for empirical process control is disclosed. The approximator constrains the behavior of the derivative of a subject empirical model without adversely affecting the ability of the model to represent generic non-linear relationships. There are three stages to developing the constrained non-linear approximator. The first stage is the specification of the general shape of the gain trajectory or base non-linear function which is specified graphically, algebraically or generically and is used as the basis for transfer functions used in the second stage. The second stage of the invention is the interconnection of the transfer functions to allow non-linear approximation. The final stage of the invention is the constrained optimization of the model coefficients such that the general shape of the input/output mappings (and their corresponding derivatives) are conserved. |
| US08296096B2 |
Positioning system and method using optically tracked anchor points
A method and system for determining the location and attitude (roll, pitch, and yaw) of a moving object relative to an external reference frame by tracking unique two-dimensional patterns in the external reference frame from the moving object with displacement sensors. The displacement sensors lock onto the unique two-dimensional patterns by means of a steering mechanism which steers an optical path element capable of deviating the optical path using the displacement information from the relative movement of the two-dimensional patterns. The system is able to detect position and attitude to sub-millimeter accuracy without a physical connect between the moving object and the external reference frame and without a physical connection between the moving object and the external reference frame. |
| US08296092B2 |
Platform specific test for computing hardware
A platform specific test for computing hardware and method using same, wherein the method supplies a plurality of test procedures, and provides a computing device to be evaluated, where the computing device comprises (M) physical objects. The method identifies, for each value of (i), an (i)th physical object disposed in the computing device. The method then determines, for each value of (i), if the plurality of test procedures comprises one or more test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object. If, for each value of (i), the plurality of test procedures comprises one or more (i)th test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object, then the method adds, as one or more (i)th test procedures, the one or more test procedures associated with the (i)th physical object to a test algorithm, and saves that test algorithm. |
| US08296087B2 |
Interrogation method for passive wireless sensor interrogation system
A method of wirelessly interrogating a sensing device comprising a plurality of passive sensors, to determine a measurement parameter, comprises the steps of repeatedly interrogating the sensing device using a predetermined transmission signal and detecting the response; estimating the measurement parameter for each sensor by means of an analysis of the data accumulated as a result of the interrogation step, and determining the average of the parameters derived from the estimating step for each sensor, using a weighted average, in which the weightings depend on the amplitude of the sensor response. The measurement parameter may be a resonant frequency where the passive sensors are resonant devices, and the sensors may be SAW devices. |
| US08296082B2 |
System for testing performance of array ultrasound transducer
A performance inspection system for an array ultrasound transducer includes: a driver for selectively applying an electric signal to all or some parts of constituent channels of the array ultrasound transducer; an acoustic power measurement unit for measuring an ultrasound acoustic power emitted from individual channels receiving the same voltage from the driver; a radiation conductance conversion unit for measuring a voltage signal applied to each channel although the driver applies different voltages to the individual channels, and converting the measured voltage into an ultrasound acoustic power acquired when the same voltage is applied to the channels; and a channel uniformity estimation unit for estimating uniformity of the acoustic power value acquired by the radiation conductance conversion unit or uniformity of acoustic power values of the individual channels measured under the same voltage. |
| US08296081B2 |
Method for provision and utilization of material information regarding steel sheet for shipping
The present invention provides a method for obtaining material information regarding steel sheet for shipping over the entire length of the steel sheet for shipping without spending too much time and effort, providing detailed material information in large volumes to a user through a computer and network, and having the user utilize the same. Specifically, it estimates the mechanical properties of temper rolled steel sheet based on the actual rolling data in a skinpass mill installed at the exit side of the continuous annealing line or galvanization facility and provides the estimated mechanical properties through the host computer and network to the user of the steel sheet. The user can use the estimated material information so as to remove the parts defective in mechanical properties or change the press forming conditions of the steel sheet. Further, the user can feed back information to the steel sheet manufacturer. |
| US08296080B2 |
Method for determining at least one parameter representative of at least one interaction along a longitudinal direction between a tyre for vehicle and the ground
A method of determining at least one parameter representative of at least one interaction along a longitudinal direction between a tyre and the ground, includes identifying a first parameter representative of a radial deformation of the tyre; determining a first and a second value of the first parameter in respective neighbourhoods of a first and a second longitudinal end of a footprint area defined between the tyre and ground; calculating a linear combination of the values thereby obtaining a second parameter; determining a third parameter representative of an angular velocity of the tyre; calculating a ratio between the second and third parameters; and calculating a main parameter, starting from the ratio, according to an algorithm, which main parameter is representative of a longitudinal interaction between the tyre and the ground. |
| US08296078B1 |
Method of multi-dimensional moment analysis for the characterization of signal peaks
A method of multi-dimensional moment analysis for the characterization of signal peaks can be used to optimize the operation of an analytical system. With a two-dimensional Péclet analysis, the quality and signal fidelity of peaks in a two-dimensional experimental space can be analyzed and scored. This method is particularly useful in determining optimum operational parameters for an analytical system which requires the automated analysis of large numbers of analyte data peaks. For example, the method can be used to optimize analytical systems including an ion mobility spectrometer that uses a temperature stepped desorption technique for the detection of explosive mixtures. |
| US08296077B2 |
Food additive detector
Systems and methods for a handheld food additive detector are described. In one aspect, the food additive detector includes a test strip treated with or comprising chemical(s) reactive to at least one target characteristic (e.g., additive(s), compound(s) created as a result of stale/old food, etc.). Responsive to a food sample being placed on the strip, a sensor operatively coupled to the handheld device measures one or more of the strip characteristics (e.g., color, contrast, etc.) resulting from placement of the sample on the strip. The device analyzes the sensor measurement value(s) to determine presence, quantity, concentration, percentage, relative amount, and/or so on, of the target food additive(s), or other characteristics of the food that pertain, for example, to freshness or staleness. Results of the analysis are presented to a user. |
| US08296075B2 |
Computer system and computer-facilitated method for nucleic acid sequence alignment and analysis
The present invention relates to a computer system and methods of computer-facilitated data analysis for providing reliable DNA alignments. More specifically, the invention relates to the automation of alignment and naming of mitochondrial DNA sequences for use in forensic analysis. The methods of the present invention provide consistency of sequence nomenclature by minimizing alignment ambiguities, thus providing a common functional system within and among laboratories. |
| US08296068B2 |
Method for transmission of seismic data
The transmission method utilizes multiple seismic acquisition units within an array as intermediate short range radio receivers/transmitters to pass collected seismic data in relay fashion back to a control station. Any one seismic unit in the array is capable of transmitting radio signals to several other seismic units positioned within radio range of the transmitting unit, thus allowing the system to select an optimal transmission path. Utilizing an array of seismic units permits transmission routes back to a control station to be varied as needed. In transmissions from the most remote seismic unit to the control station, each unit within a string receives seismic data from other units and transmits the received seismic data along with the receiving unit's locally stored seismic data. Preferably, as a transmission is passed along a chain, it is bounced between seismic units so as to be relayed by each unit in the array. |
| US08296056B2 |
Enhanced vision system for precision navigation in low visibility or global positioning system (GPS) denied conditions
A method of generating an image of a volume ahead of an aerial vehicle is provided. The method comprises determining a position of the aerial vehicle and generating a terrain image corresponding to ground features correlated to the position of the aerial vehicle. Obstacle data pertaining to a set of obstacles ahead of the aerial vehicle is determined with a forward looking sensor. An obstacle overlay image is generated and overlain onto the terrain image to generate a composite image. |
| US08296054B2 |
Method and device for limiting the number of alarms generated by an anti-collision system on board an airplane
The invention relates to a method and device for limiting the number of alarms generated by an anticollision system on board an airplane according to which the duration of a phase of capture of a setpoint altitude by the airplane is adjusted so that a theoretical time for collision with an intruder aircraft is greater than a predetermined threshold, when the airplane is close to said setpoint altitude and air traffic exists in the environment of said airplane. |
| US08296051B2 |
Generalized high performance navigation system
A generalized high performance navigation system is provided using low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In one embodiment, a method of performing navigation includes receiving a LEO signal from a LEO satellite. The method also includes decoding a navigation signal from the LEO signal. The method further includes receiving first and second ranging signals from first and second ranging sources, respectively. In addition, the method includes determining calibration information associated with the first and second ranging sources. The method also includes calculating a position using the navigation signal, the first and second ranging signals, and the calibration information. |
| US08296049B2 |
Vehicle control device
In a vehicle control device capable of sufficiently exhibiting the effect of vehicle control, a selection section selects a value greater than an intermediate value of a vehicle weight in a range restricted by a range restriction unit as the value of the vehicle weight and selects a value greater than an intermediate value of the height of the center of gravity in the range as the value of the height of the center of gravity. For stability, the greater the height of the center of gravity of the vehicle is, the stricter the conditions that are imposed. For fuel consumption, the greater the vehicle weight is, the stricter the conditions that are imposed. The selection section selects the values which become conditions stricter than at least an intermediate value in the range restricted by the range restriction section, and the range restriction section restricts the range. |
| US08296045B2 |
Traffic information processing apparatus and method, traffic information integrating device and method
The present invention provides a traffic information processing apparatus and method, the apparatus comprises a format unifying device which unifies input traffic information with different formats to traffic information with unified format; and a traffic information integrating device which corrects and/or complements the traffic information with unified format based on a knowledge base to obtain traffic information which is consistent with each other, so as to integrate the traffic information, wherein the knowledge base is external to the apparatus or internal to the apparatus. The traffic information processing apparatus and method according to the present invention can process traffic information with spatial inconsistence, temporal inconsistence and semantic inconsistence so as to integrate effectively the traffic information from a variety of heterogeneous information sources and ensure the accuracy, completeness and reliability of traffic data. |
| US08296042B2 |
Humidity detection via an exhaust gas sensor
Various systems and methods are described for operating an engine in a vehicle in response to an ambient humidity generated from an exhaust gas sensor. One example method comprises, during engine non-fueling conditions, where at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve of the engine are operating, generating an ambient humidity from the exhaust gas sensor and, under selected engine combusting conditions, adjusting an engine operating parameter based on the ambient humidity. |
| US08296041B2 |
Control apparatus for vehicle
A vehicle control apparatus is provided which is operative in an automatic engine stop mode to stop an engine automatically and in an engine restart mode to restart the engine automatically after the engine is stopped in the automatic engine stop mode so as to output a predetermined reference engine torque immediately after the engine is started. The vehicle control apparatus works to determine the travel performance of the vehicle required immediately after the engine has been restarted in the engine restart mode and control the torque outputted by the engine based on the determined travel performance so as to ensure the drivability of the vehicle after the engine is restarted automatically. |
| US08296039B2 |
Method and device for the robust estimation of the ratio of injection control parameters to resultant injected fuel quantity
In a method for estimating at least one control parameter of an injection system in an internal combustion engine for a target injection quantity, the estimation of the control parameter is based on linear regression, which is determined between predefined grid points and calculated test points in an operating range of the injection system. |
| US08296037B2 |
Method, system, and apparatus for reducing a turbine clearance
Methods, systems, and apparatus for controlling a turbine clearance in an aircraft engine are provided. A method includes activating a turbine clearance control based on a flight phase of an aircraft using the aircraft engine, and adjusting the turbine clearance based on a preselected turbine clearance value. |
| US08296036B2 |
Aircraft power management
An electric power management system of a vehicle may interconnect a power plant, a propeller drive unit, and a battery via a bus. A controller may direct the operation of the power plant and the propeller drive unit. In a slow control mode, the propeller drive unit may react slowly to small throttle change requests. In the slow control mode, the propeller drive unit may draw power completely or substantially from the power plant. Upon a throttle request to rapidly change propeller drive unit speed more than a threshold amount, the controller may direct that the propeller drive unit quickly obtain the requested speed by drawing power required from the battery in excess of that being generated from the power plant. Subsequently, the controller may direct that the power plant increase power generation to maintain the propeller drive unit at the new speed, and recharge or float the battery. |
| US08296035B2 |
Power balancing for vehicle diagnostic tools
A power balancing system includes a vehicle communication device connected to a data link connector of a vehicle, and a scan tool connected to the vehicle communication device, the scan tool including a handset and a vehicle connector interface (VCI), wherein power can be received from one or more of an external power source being external from the VCI, the vehicle, and an internal power supply of the scan tool, and wherein the system balances the received power. |
| US08296029B2 |
Parking brake control system
A motor current detecting device is provided in a parking brake control system for detecting electric current flowing through an electric motor. And current supply to the electric motor is stopped in case of carrying out a parking brake releasing operation, when a time period in which a differentiated value of the electric current flowing through the electric motor is smaller than a predetermined threshold value exceeds a predetermined time. As a result, a partial braking condition, in which parking brake force partly remains even after the parking brake releasing operation, and which is caused by, for example, the elongation of the brake cable is prevented. |
| US08296028B2 |
Control device and control method for lockup clutch and engine torque in a vehicle
If the a rotational speed difference (Ne−Nt) between an engine speed (Ne) and a turbine speed (Nt) when it is determined that a lock-up ON condition (OFF→ON) is satisfied is large, the lock-up clutch is not engaged but torque reduction control is executed to reduce the engine speed (Ne), thus reducing the rotational speed difference (Ne−Nt) (steps ST13 and ST14). Then, once the rotational speed difference (Ne−Nt) has been reduced to the target rotational speed difference (Nslp), the lock-up clutch is engaged (steps ST15 and ST16). In this manner, excessive heating of the friction material of the lock-up clutch is suppressed which increases the longevity of the friction material. |
| US08296024B2 |
Calibrating transmission motor torque
The described system and method allow a controller to calibrate a transmission variator of a continuously variable transmission for torque control by obtaining static and dynamic qualities and parameters of the variator through an automated calibration procedure. The system and method employ a pair of transmission mode configurations and operational configurations in combination to obtain system-specific information. In this way, the system is able to calibrate out the system variations to provide effective feed forward torque control of the continuously variable transmission. In an embodiment, a first calibration operation is performed while the transmission is neutralized and a second calibration operation is performed while the transmission is engaged in a mode providing a fixed variator output speed. |
| US08296021B2 |
Method for determining constraints on input torque in a hybrid transmission
A hybrid transmission includes torque machines and an energy storage device connected thereto. Thee hybrid transmission is operative to transfer power between an input member and an output member and the torque machines. A method for controlling the hybrid transmission includes monitoring operating parameters of the hybrid transmission, monitoring an operator demand for power, determining an output torque range to the output member based upon states of the operating parameters of the hybrid transmission, constraining the output torque range to the output member based upon the operator demand for power, and determining input torque constraints to the input member based upon the constrained output torque range to the output member. |
| US08296019B2 |
Autoload system for excavation based on productivity
A control system for a mobile excavation machine is disclosed. The control system may include a ground engaging work tool, a sensor, and a controller. The sensor may be configured to sense a parameter indicative of a current travel speed of the mobile excavation machine and generate a speed signal in response thereto. The controller may be in communication with the ground engaging work tool and the sensor, and configured to receive the signal. The controller may also be configured to determine a cutting depth of the ground engaging work tool into a material and calculate a current productivity value associated with removal of the material based on the speed signal and the determined cutting depth. The controller may be further configured to control the ground engaging work tool to vary the amount of material currently being removed in response to the current productivity value. |
| US08296013B2 |
Method and system for evaluating driving conditions of a vehicle
The method and system evaluate driving conditions of a vehicle whereby drivability of the vehicle can be evaluated accurately and objectively. To evaluate drivability of the vehicle under different driving conditions, a plural pieces of driving load information including biological information on a driver and movement information of the vehicle being driven are measured. Then, a group of weighting coefficients as many as or fewer than pieces of the driving load information is selected from groups of weighting coefficients that are set according to representative values of the driving load information in order to use a weighted linear sum of the representative values of the driving load information as an index of an integrated evaluation of the drivability of the vehicle. Subsequently, a weighted linear sum is obtained using the selected group of weighting coefficients and used to perform the integrated evaluation of the drivability under various driving conditions. |
| US08296010B2 |
Suspension control apparatus
A suspension control apparatus enabling a driver to obtain an excellent driving feeling. The suspension control apparatus controls an actuator disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle. The suspension control apparatus includes a lateral acceleration detector operable to detect a lateral acceleration, a lateral jerk detector operable to detect a lateral jerk, and a suspension controller operable to control the actuator to change a pitch of the vehicle based the detected lateral acceleration and lateral jerk. |
| US08296009B2 |
Suspension controller
A suspension controller for controlling, based on a value detected by at least one sensor which is provided in a vehicle and which is configured to detect a detected portion, a suspension provided for a wheel of the vehicle which is located on a rear side of the detected portion and which is distant from the detected portion by a longitudinal distance in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, such that the suspension works in accordance with a control command value that is prepared based on the value detected by the at least one sensor. The suspension controller includes a gain determiner configured to determine a gain, for controlling the suspension based on the determined gain. The gain determiner is configured to determine the gain such that the determined gain is smaller when a previewable time is shorter than a threshold length of time, than when the previewable time is not shorter than the threshold length of time. |
| US08296007B2 |
Embedded vehicle data recording tools for vehicle servicing
Various embodiments include tools for vehicle data recording for vehicle servicing. A methods, a computer for installation in a vehicle, and a computer program product may be provided for recording diagnostic vehicle data. An input may be received from memory including a plurality of vehicle data recording parameters which comprise a vehicle data recording configuration. A data recording trigger signal may also be received. Upon receipt of the trigger signal, diagnostic data may be received from one or more vehicle modules over a vehicle network communicating with the computer. The diagnostic data may be based on the vehicle data recording configuration. The diagnostic data may be stored in memory for diagnosing one or more vehicle concerns. |
| US08296005B2 |
Mobile apparatus
Even when a first moving condition is not satisfied, when it is determined that a second moving condition is satisfied and at the same time an object belongs to a first classification, an operation of a robot is controlled so as to prompt the object to move according to a first pattern or an arbitrary pattern. The second moving condition is a condition that the robot is capable of moving in according to a current target position trajectory without being obstructed by the object when the object is displaced according to the first pattern. The first classification is a classification of the object as an object capable of recognizing an action pattern of the robot and capable of moving autonomously. |
| US08295999B2 |
System and method for the automatic generation of movement authority solutions in a rail system
A dual-process system for the automatic generation of railway route-solution candidates and their concomitant movement authorities includes a central authority server that accepts dispatcher-provided start and end point data and time information and executes two different independent routing processes to provide two independently determined route-solution candidates. The two solutions are compared for consistency and, when consistent, the route with the minimum authority grants is selected as the solution for use by the locomotive or train. |
| US08295992B2 |
Remote control system having a touchscreen for controlling a railway vehicle
The present invention is directed to a remote control system for controlling a railway vehicle. The remote control system including a remote control device for transmitting signals to a first controller module. The first controller is mounted to the railway vehicle and controls and monitors the functions of the railway vehicle. The first controller module also relays information to the remote control device. The remote control system can also include a portable safety switch allowing any individual in proximity to the railway vehicle to send a stop signal to the first controller module to stop the railway vehicle if any unsafe conditions exist. |
| US08295988B2 |
Generating apparatus and control method thereof
Voltage of a utility grid is reliably and swiftly restored, which decreased due to a utility grid failure or the like, to reference voltage. A generator is connected to a utility grid. A voltage detecting section detects voltage of a utility grid. A control section determines reactive current corresponding to the voltage obtained from the voltage detecting section based on voltage current correlation information in which the voltage of the utility grid and the reactive current to be supplied to the utility grid are correlated with each other. An electric power converting section regulates the reactive current to be supplied to or absorbed from the utility grid. An information changing section changes the voltage current correlation information to increase an amount of the reactive current with respect to a variation in the voltage in the voltage current correlation information, in the case where the voltage of the utility grid is not in a predetermined range set in advance after a predetermined time period has passed since the voltage of the utility grid varied by a predetermined amount. |
| US08295985B2 |
Latching solenoid energy reserve
An irrigation device including an actuator configured to control water flow to at least one water delivery device, a first stored energy source configured to power the actuator to effect irrigation via the at least one water delivery device, and a second stored energy source which is separate from the first stored energy source, wherein the second stored energy source is configured to power the actuator to terminate the irrigation via the at least one water delivery device. The irrigation devices further includes a controller configured to cause the first stored energy source to power the actuator to effect the irrigation, responsive to an instruction to provide irrigation, and to cause the second stored energy source to power the actuator to terminate the irrigation responsive to a termination condition. |
| US08295979B2 |
Adaptive scheduling of a service robot
A method for scheduling mowing tasks by a robotic mower is provided. An estimated height of grass cut by the robotic mower is determined for a predetermined number of past mowing tasks. The estimated height of grass cut is compared with a predicted height of grass in an operating environment for the robotic mower. Then, a mowing schedule for the robotic mower is adjusted by decreasing a time between mowing tasks in response to the estimated height of grass cut being greater than the predicted height of grass. Alternatively, the mowing schedule for the robotic mower is adjusted by increasing the time between mowing tasks in response to the estimated height of grass cut being less than the predicted height of grass. |
| US08295978B2 |
System for cooperation of multiple robots using dynamic behavior binding and method thereof
The present invention relates to a system for cooperation of multiple mobile robots and a method thereof that allow the multiple mobile robots to cooperatively execute one complicated task. The system and method can use centralized control architecture, create robot cooperation application codes on the basis of conceptual behavior units without depending on actual physical robots, and dynamically bind behavior units used to create the robot cooperation application at the time of executing the robot cooperation application to actual functions of the robots, thereby actively adjusting to changes in a dynamical environment, such as a change in the types, the number, and the functions of robots for cooperation. |
| US08295973B2 |
Control arrangement with correction means for systematic position-dependent errors
A control arrangement for an electric drive with a control which processes desired values and actual values of the electric drive in relation to a desired-actual control is provided. A determination device determines a derived variable in an iterative manner in accordance with the actual values and the derived variable is fed to an evaluation device. The evaluation device associates the derived variables with position values of the drive and determines, after accumulating several derived variables, characteristic values of a systematic error in the desired values and/or the actual values. In accordance with the determined characteristic values, the evaluation device determines correction values and switches the correction values to the desired values, the actual values or the difference of desired and actual values. |
| US08295972B2 |
High performance milling
Technology for milling selected portions of a workpiece by a cutting tool of a numerical control machine is described. The described technology can receive a main toolpath, the main toolpath comprising one or more cuts; compute one or more transition toolpaths, each transition toolpath defining a transition area intersecting one or more of the cuts of the main toolpath; trim one or more cuts of the main toolpath near two or more points of intersection between the main toolpath and the transition toolpaths; connect the trimmed portions of the main toolpath with one or more connecting moves such that each connecting move is mostly inside one or more of the transition areas; and mill the selected portions of the workpiece by moving the cutting tool in accordance with the cuts, transition toolpaths, trimmed cuts, and connecting moves. |
| US08295970B2 |
Customer-created textiles and customer-oriented garment dyeing machine
Customers obtain customized textile materials by selecting style, shape, size, pattern and color for an undyed textile product. Based on a selection made by the customer, the textile product is transformed by a dyeing operation performed on a single item (or multiple items selected to be dyed the same) to yield a product, such as a shirt, pants, or jacket, which has a color and pattern of his or her own choosing, in the size and style he or she desires. The process can be performed in a retail setting using a dye apparatus which allows the process to be viewed by the customer. To enhance the educational and entertainment experience of the customer, the dyeing operation can be performed in a transparent tank or water kettle in the retail outlet so that the customer can view, for example, the garment as it is being dyed to the customer's specifications. |
| US08295967B2 |
Endpoint control of multiple-wafer chemical mechanical polishing
A computer-implemented method includes polishing substrates simultaneously in a polishing apparatus. Each substrate has a polishing rate independently controllable by an independently variable polishing parameter. Measurement data that varies with the thickness of each of the substrates is acquired from each of the substrates during polishing with an in-situ monitoring system. A projected thickness that each substrate will have at a target time is determined based on the measurement data. The polishing parameter for at least one substrate is adjusted to adjust the polishing rate of the at least one substrate such that the substrates have closer to the same thickness at the target time than without the adjustment. |
| US08295966B2 |
Methods and apparatus to predict etch rate uniformity for qualification of a plasma chamber
A method for predicting etch rate uniformity for qualifying health status of a processing chamber during substrate processing of substrates is provided. The method includes executing a recipe and receiving processing data from a first set of sensors. The method further includes analyzing the processing data utilizing a subsystem health check predictive model to determine calculated data, which includes at least one of etch rate data and uniformity data. The subsystem health check predictive model is constructed by correlating measurement data from a set of film substrates with processing data collected during analogous processing of a set of non-film substrates. The method yet also includes performing a comparison of the calculated data against a set of control limits as defined by the subsystem health check predictive model. The method yet further includes generating a warning if the calculated data is outside of the set of control limits. |
| US08295963B2 |
Methods for performing data management for a recipe-and-component control module
A computer-implemented method for performing data management in a plasma processing system is provided. The method includes providing a recipe-and component control module (RACCM). The RACCM is a server that includes a plurality of intelligent agents, which are configured to interact with the plurality of components. The RACCM also includes a coordinating agent, which is configured to receive processed data from the plurality of intelligent agents. The RACCM further includes a set of provisional agents, which is configured to perform recipe management by distributing at least part of a recipe to at least one of the plurality of intelligent agents and the coordinating agent. |
| US08295958B2 |
Audio level meter
A circuit for correcting the output of an audio level meter comprises input means for generating the square or the absolute value of an input signal, a low pass filter having a predetermined attack time and release time, and output means for converting the output signal from a linear scale to a logarithmic scale. The circuit further comprises a correction means to which an information about whether the input signal to the audio level meter was subject to squaring or converting into an absolute value at the input, as well as the attack and release time of the low pass filter, are supplied as input values, and which provides, at its output, a value representing the difference between the output of the audio level meter and the true signal power of the input signal. |
| US08295950B1 |
Intelligent power management system
A refrigerated truck has a power management system for optimally distributing power between one or more energy sources, energy sinks, or energy storage components on the refrigerated truck. One such power consuming component includes a refrigeration unit that cools a refrigerated compartment of the refrigerated truck. Particularly with regard to this refrigeration unit, the power management system is operative to direct power from multiple power sources to the refrigeration unit so as to efficiently use available power. To do so, the power management system dynamically determines the availability of certain power sources and selects a preferred power source based on availability and a defined order of power source preference. For example, one defined order of power source preference may include, in order of preference upon availability, a shore power source, a truck engine generator drivingly connected to the refrigerated truck's engine, one or more auxiliary power sources, and a stand alone refrigerator unit engine. |
| US08295949B2 |
Control system, control method, master device, and control device
There is provided a control system comprising: a master device that includes: a first transmission section that transmits, to a plurality of slave devices connected thereto through a network, a control command for the slave devices to control a device to be controlled and a flag that have two or more values; and a second transmission section that transmits, to the plurality of slave devices, a control start command for the slave devices to simultaneously start performing control based on the control command transmitted by the first transmission section, and a slave device that includes: a reception section that receives the control command and flag transmitted from the master device; a control command storage section that stores the control command received by the reception section in a storage section in the case where the flag received by the reception section has a specified value; and a first control start section that receives the control start command transmitted from the master device and starts performing control of the device to be controlled based on the control command stored in the storage section using the control start command as a trigger. |
| US08295945B1 |
Neural stimulation lead fixation
An implantable lead having at least one electrode contact at or near its distal end prevents undesirable movement of the electrode contact from its initial implant location. One embodiment relates to a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) lead. A first injectable material is injected into the dura space to mechanically position the electrode array with respect to the spinal cord. Conjunctively for use with adhesives, or alternatively for use instead of the adhesives, a balloon may be positioned on the electrode lead array. The balloon is filled with air, liquid or a compliant material. When inflated, the balloon stabilizes the lead with respect to the spinal cord and holds the lead in place. An elastic aspect of the balloon serves as an internal contained relief valve to limit the pressure the balloon may place on the surrounding tissues when the epidural space is constrained. |
| US08295944B2 |
Electrode array with electrodes having cutout portions and methods of making the same
A lead for brain stimulation includes a lead body having a distal end. At least one cable extends within the lead body, each cable comprising at least one conductor. The lead further includes a plurality of electrodes coupled to the at least one cable. Each of the plurality of electrodes defines a cutout portion that receives and attaches to a one of the at least one cable. |
| US08295943B2 |
Implantable medical lead with biased electrode
This disclosure describes implantable medical leads that include a lead body and an electrode. A width of the electrode as measured along a longitudinal direction of the lead varies about the perimeter of the lead. The uneven width of the electrode may bias a stimulation field in a particular direction, e.g., a radial or transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the lead. Electrodes with an uneven width may be useful for controlling the direction of propagation of the stimulation field in order to, for example, avoid phrenic nerve stimulation during LV pacing or neck muscle stimulation during vagal neurostimulation. |
| US08295942B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing excess adipose tissue
The adipose areas of the body are simultaneously subjected to lipolysis, through the action of an apparatus that generates low-frequency electromagnetic waves, to extraction, out of the adipose cells, of the fatty acids released by the lipolysis, and to drainage of the fatty acids to the vascular and lymphatic system, through the action of a pressotherapy apparatus. |
| US08295940B2 |
System for recharging medical instruments
A system for recharging medical instruments comprises a medical instrument tray defining a plurality of recesses therein for receiving and storing a corresponding plurality of medical instruments. At least one of the medical instruments includes a secondary coil coupled to a rechargeable voltage source. The medical instrument tray includes a primary coil positioned at least partially about one or more of the recesses configured to receive and store one of the medical instruments. The primary coil couples to the secondary coil to charge the rechargeable voltage source when the corresponding medical instrument is received in the recess. A storage container is provided for receiving and storing one or more such medical instrument trays. The storage container includes an electrical routing system for routing voltage from an external voltage source to the primary coils. |
| US08295939B2 |
Programmer for biostimulator system
A biostimulator system comprises one or more implantable devices and an external programmer configured for communicating with the implantable device or devices via bidirectional communication pathways comprising a receiving pathway that decodes information encoded on stimulation pulses generated by ones of the implantable device or devices and conducted through body tissue to the external programmer. |
| US08295936B2 |
Implantable neurostimulator device
The disclosure describes an implantable neurostimulator device for delivery of neurostimulation to treat head, neck, or facial pain or tension, including pain or tension caused by occipital neuralgia. The device may be a neurostimulation device having a miniaturized housing with a low profile that permits subcutaneous implantation at a stimulation site directly adjacent a neuralgic region at the back of the neck of a patient. For example, the device may be subcutaneously implanted at the back of the neck of a patient to relieve symptoms of occipital neuralgia. |
| US08295932B2 |
Ingestible capsule for appetite regulation
A method is provided for treating a subject. The method includes administering to the subject an ingestible capsule containing one or more flexible support elements adapted to expand while in a stomach of the subject, thereby bringing a plurality of electrodes into contact with a wall of the stomach. The method also includes driving the electrodes to apply an electrical signal to the stomach wall at first and second times, the second time at last 24 hours after the first time. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08295930B2 |
Medical device having resistance welded connections
A medical device is electrically connected to a biological tissue for transmission of an electrical signal between the medical device and the biological tissue. The medical device includes a housing assembly and a control circuit assembly that controls the electrical signal. The control circuit assembly is enclosed within the housing assembly, and the control circuit assembly includes an electrically conductive terminal. The device further includes an electrical component at least partially enclosed within the housing assembly. The electrical component has a connecting member that electrically connects the electrical component to the control circuit assembly. The connecting member is resistance welded and bonded directly to the electrically conductive terminal of the control circuit assembly. |
| US08295929B2 |
Glass feedthrough assemblies for implantable medical devices
A feedthrough assembly of an implantable medical device includes a glass insulator containing at least approximately 20 mol % of calcium oxide (CaO), preferably of a CABAL-12 type composition. The assembly is either manufactured so that the glass insulator includes a surface layer including calcium phosphate, preferably of relatively low solubility, or is assembled in the implantable device so that the glass insulator is exposed to phosphate-containing body fluid, when the device is implanted, for the formation of a surface layer including calcium phosphate. |
| US08295928B2 |
Pre-excitation pacing for treatment of hypertension
Described herein are methods and apparatus for treating hypertension with electrical pre-excitation pacing therapy. Electrical pre-excitation of a hypertrophic region advances the timing of the regional contraction and reduces its contribution to the overall contraction. Such pre-excitation pacing therapy may be beneficial to hypertensive patients with an abnormal distribution of ventricular wall stress/strain. |
| US08295927B2 |
Closed loop impedance-based cardiac resynchronization therapy systems, devices, and methods
This document discusses, among other things, systems, devices, and methods measure an impedance and, in response, adjust an atrioventricular (AV) delay or other cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) parameter that synchronizes left and right ventricular contractions. A first example uses parameterizes a first ventricular volume against a second ventricular volume during a cardiac cycle, using a loop area to create a synchronization fraction (SF). The CRT parameter is adjusted in closed-loop fashion to increase the SF. A second example measures a septal-freewall phase difference (PD), and adjusts a CRT parameter to decrease the PD. A third example measures a peak-to-peak volume or maximum rate of change in ventricular volume, and adjusts a CRT parameter to increase the peak-to-peak volume or maximum rate of change in the ventricular volume. |
| US08295922B2 |
Iontophoresis device
An iontophoresis device may be capable of preventing or reducing the generation of gas, or the production of undesirable ions, due to an electrode reaction occurring in an electrode assembly; or the alteration of an active agent due to a chemical reaction upon energization. A doping layer made of a substance such as a conductive polymer that effects an electrochemical reaction due to the doping or de-doping of an ion, may be formed in an electrode in an active electrode assembly or counter electrode assembly of an iontophoresis device. |
| US08295918B2 |
Systems and methods for activating and controlling impedance-based detection systems of implantable medical devices
Techniques are provided for use with implantable medical devices for addressing encapsulation effects, particularly in the detection of cardiac decompensation events such as heart failure (HF) or cardiogenic pulmonary edema (PE.) In one example, during an acute interval following device implant, cardiac decompensation is detected using heart rate variability (HRV), ventricular evoked response (ER) or various other non-impedance-based parameters that are insensitive to component encapsulation effects. During the subsequent chronic interval, decompensation is detected using intracardiac or transthoracic impedance signals. In another example, the degree of maturation of encapsulation of implanted components is assessed using impedance frequency-response measurements or based on the frequency bandwidth of heart sounds or other physiological signals. In this manner, impedance-based HF/PE detection systems can be activated as soon as component encapsulation has matured, without necessarily waiting until completion of a preset post-implant maturation interval, often set to forty-five days or more. |
| US08295911B2 |
Motion correction for tomographic medical image data of a patient
A method and apparatus for motion correction of medical image data of a patient are provided. Medical image data is obtained in a tomographic image recording process by back-projection from a number of projection images. The position of a magnetic location sensor, which is arranged on a medical implant inserted into a patient is also determined as a function of time while the projection images are being recorded, by means of an electromagnetic location system and the position is taken into account in the back-projection of the projection images for motion correction purposes. |
| US08295909B2 |
Medical tracking system with infrared data transfer
A medical tracking and appliance control system includes a medical tracking system having a camera array and an infrared light source, and at least one medical appliance controllable via infrared signals or operative to exchange data via infrared signals. The infrared light source of the medical tracking system is operable to provide wireless control and/or data exchange with the medical appliance. |
| US08295908B2 |
Device and method for opening vascular obstructions
The present invention is directed to a device and method for opening obstructed body internal passages and for sensing and characterizing tissues and substances being in contact with the device of the invention. In general, the device of the present invention comprises a catheter tube capable of inducing vibrations in a guidewire contained therein, wherein said vibrations of the guidewire are utilized for opening a passage through an occlusion. The in-vivo vibrations may be induced by means of a magnetic field actuating means (5) and a guidewire (2) comprising magnetic coupling means (3), or by means of transducers, which may be also used for the sensing. |
| US08295905B2 |
Movable integrated scanner for surgical imaging applications
A patient imaging system includes a patient support table, an MRI system including a cylindrical magnet and a PET system including positron detectors mounted in a ring. The magnet defines a cylindrical bore for receiving the patient on the table where the magnet is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis on a slew ring carried on rails allowing longitudinal movement. The PET ring is mounted in the bore for longitudinal movement. The quench tube for the magnet passes through the slew ring with a rotary union at the axis. The shielding covers include a fixed upper part and a lower part which rotates about the axis with the magnet. The magnet is arranged in a two or three room diagnostic configuration in which a holding bay houses the magnet and the diagnostic patients are organized in the three rooms each cooperating with the magnet bay as the magnet is rotated. |
| US08295903B2 |
Electron avalanche putative energy field analyzer
A device and method of detecting and analyzing a vital field places an avalanche diode in the path of vital waves in the vital field. The vital waves interfere with the electron avalanche process in the avalanche diode. Control circuitry and an avalanche initiator cause electron avalanches at a known sampling frequency. The interference from the vital waves produces a beat frequency that is output from the avalanche diode. By adjusting the sampling rate by a known amount, a second beat frequency is produced and the beat frequency shift is used to determine the input frequency of the vital waves. The vital waves are very weak and produce frequencies into the terahertz range, so that the input frequency is undersampled by the device. Further, high sensitivity is required and a circuit design is implemented to maximize sensitivity while minimizing noise and other interference that is common to avalanche diode operation. |
| US08295902B2 |
Low profile electrode assembly
A tissue electrode assembly includes a membrane configured to form an expandable, conformable body that is deployable in a patient. The assembly further includes a flexible circuit positioned on a surface of the membrane and comprising at least one base substrate layer, at least one insulating layer and at least one planar conducting layer. An electrically-conductive electrode covers at least a portion of the flexible circuit and a portion of the surface of the membrane not covered by the flexible circuit, wherein the electrically-conductive electrode is foldable upon itself with the membrane to a delivery conformation having a diameter suitable for minimally-invasive delivery of the assembly to the patient. |
| US08295898B2 |
Location based authentication of mobile device transactions
Systems, methods, and software for implementing location-based authentication of both online and mobile web-based transactions. This implementation may involve verifying whether a mobile device (such as a cellular telephone) is proximate to a computer from which the transaction is being performed. Depending upon the location of the mobile device, further transactions may be approved or rejected. In further implementations, the transactions may be made from the mobile device itself. In this case, the location of the mobile device compared with one or more pre-stored locations may affect whether further transactions from the mobile device are approved or rejected. |
| US08295894B2 |
Portable wireless communications device including pickpocket notification and related methods
A portable wireless communications device to be carried by a holster includes a portable housing carrying a wireless transceiver, a holster sensor, a local alert indicator, a user authentication input device, and a controller. The controller may store data and is connected to the wireless transceiver, the holster sensor, the local alert indicator, and the user authentication input device. The controller may be switchable to a pickpocket mode for activating the local alert indicator, wirelessly sending at least one remote alert message, and rendering unusable at least a portion of the stored data upon removal from the holster unless a user authentication is input before expiration of a predetermined time. |
| US08295892B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for controlling display thereof
A mobile terminal including a terminal body, a transparent display formed at the terminal body, a solar cell configured to be disposed below the transparent display and to generate electricity using light incident and transmitting through the transparent display; and a controller configured to control an amount of light transmitted through the transparent display and being incident on the solar cell. |
| US08295890B2 |
Intra-vehicular mobile device usage detection system and method of using the same
A system and method for detecting and storing mobile device usage by a driver of a vehicle. An antenna in a vehicle is configured and positioned to detect mobile device signals from the driver area in the vehicle. A processor in communication with the antenna analyzes the detected signals for frequency and strength. The antenna and processor may communicate with vehicle data collection systems (e.g., GPS, telemetry, etc.) such that the mobile device usage data may be collected along with the vehicle operation data. The mobile device usage data and vehicle operational data can be evaluated to determine the impact of mobile device usage by the driver of a vehicle. The data may be especially useful to the trucking, train, bus, and mass transit industries in order to educate drivers about the dangers associated with using mobile devices while driving. |
| US08295886B2 |
Mobile terminal and apparatus for controlling illumination of backlight thereof
An apparatus, method and computer program product for actively controlling the luminance (brightness) of illumination of a backlight of a mobile terminal according to the surrounding environment and a mobile terminal implementing such apparatus are disclosed. The mobile terminal includes: an illuminance sensor that detects ambient illuminance; a backlight controller that controls a brightness of backlight illumination by regulating the power outputted to the backlight according to a change in the ambient illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor; and a controller that monitors an operation state of the backlight controller or changes a set value of a particular register or component by cooperating with the backlight controller. |
| US08295881B2 |
Virtual card (VCARD) container for creating and sending electronic business cards
Virtual Card (VCARD) Container is an enhanced method and device for displaying VCARDs that includes a display of the VCARD file along with the graphical chart of the enterprise to allow recipients of the VCARDs to readily distinguish cards from two separate individuals at two separate enterprises. The VCARD Container allows the display of highly graphical VCARDs corresponding to the employee's enterprise during a communication between two parties. These VCARDs will be easily recognizable by the recipient of a phone call, for example, and when displayed, they will appear similar to a paper business card. |
| US08295877B2 |
Base station with coordinated multiple air-interface operations
Base stations with coordinated multiple air-interface operations are provided. In some embodiments, multi-mode base station (BTS) systems operate with different air-interfaces, functionality, or configurations in a coordinated manner. For example, typical applications of such systems can include Macrocell BTS, Picocell BTS, Femtocell BTS, or Access Point (AP), Set Top Box (STB), or Home Gateway, Hot Spot Devices, User Terminal with the capability to perform required base station operations. In some embodiments, various techniques are provided for system improvements and optimizations via radio resource management, including user and system throughput optimization, QoS improvement, interference management, and various other improvements and optimizations. In some embodiments, a system (e.g., a multi-mode device, such as a base station, a repeater, and/or a terminal) includes a multi-mode communication unit, in which the multi-mode communication unit allocates access for communication using at least two modes; and a processor configured to implement at least in part the multi-mode communications unit. In some embodiments, the at least two modes include one or more of the following: frequency band, protocol standard, duplexing format, broadcast mode (e.g., television broadcast and/or a radio broadcast), and one-way communication mode. |
| US08295875B2 |
Apparatus and method for mobile communication by using non-volatile memory device
A mobile communication apparatus configured to communicate with an opposite communication device is provided. The mobile communication apparatus includes a transceiver configured to receive an incoming signal sent from the opposite communication device. The transceiver is configured to produce an interrupt signal upon receiving the incoming signal. The mobile communication apparatus includes a first memory device and a non-volatile second memory device. The mobile communication apparatus includes a controller connected to the transceiver, the first memory device and the second memory device. The controller is configured to perform garbage collection of the second memory device, to load data stored in one of the first memory device and the second memory device into another of the first memory device and the second memory device, to access the first memory device if the transceiver produces the interrupt signal. |
| US08295874B2 |
Femto-cell power control using idle-mode user equipment in a cellular communication system
Disclosed is a method for providing power control using idle-mode user equipment attached to a cell in a wireless communication system. First and second higher power level thresholds for signal transmissions of a cell are defined, wherein the first power level has a defined offset higher than a minimum required power level, and wherein the first and second power level thresholds define an operating power band therebetween. The user equipment measures a signal transmission power level. If the idle-mode user equipment determines that the signal transmission power level falls outside of the operating power band, then a message is sent to affect a change in signal transmission power level. |
| US08295873B2 |
Communication terminal and method for use in radio communication system
A disclosed communication terminal includes a determination unit analyzing a received downlink control signal and determining an allowable maximum uplink transmission power level, a measurement unit performing different frequency measurement in a transmission gap period, a threshold determination unit determining whether the allowable maximum level is higher than or equal to a threshold within a predefined period before the start and/or after the end of the transmission gap period, a transmission power control unit setting an uplink transmission power level, and a transmission unit transmitting an uplink signal at the determined power level. If the allowable maximum level is higher than or equal to the threshold, the transmission power control unit sets the uplink transmission power level to or below a predefined level lower than the allowable maximum level within the predefined period before the start and/or after the end of the transmission gap period. |
| US08295869B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving transmission efficiency in a mobile radio communications system
A method and apparatus of improving the performance of a mobile radio system (100) comprising at least one radio device (105, 120) having at least two transmission equipments (114) adapted to transmit radio signals within a frequency band is disclosed. The method comprises deriving (220) a relative time delay of the at least two transmission equipments based on at least two sub-band transmit weight vectors, wherein a sub-band transmit weight vector comprises weight vectors applicable to the at least two transmission equipments, respectively, in a sub-band of the frequency band. |
| US08295864B2 |
Sending and receiving text-based messages over a mobile phone via a network connected computer
A method for sending and receiving text-based messages using a proxy mobile phone is disclosed. Sending includes receiving via a global communication network, at a server, an outgoing text-based message and sending the message and a directive for a proxy mobile phone to receive the message and forward the message via a wireless telephonic network to a destination device specified by a destination identifier. Receiving includes receiving, at the server, an incoming text-based message and an origin identifier indicating the message has been received by the proxy mobile phone via the wireless telephonic network and forwarded by the proxy mobile phone to the server via the global communication network. The incoming text message is provided by the server for access via the global communication network. Further, a system is disclosed having a server and a client equipped mobile phone, the system being configured to use the method. |
| US08295863B1 |
Multimedia enhanced services
Techniques for providing information to users implemented through personal mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, electronic book readers, and other such devices are described herein. The described techniques and systems allow users to request searches, perform information seeking, purchasing, or other types of transactions with a provider via a mobile or wireless network using the messaging service capabilities of the users' mobile devices. Messages may be compiled in a manner customized to a user request and may be provided without the user authenticating to the provider in some instances. |
| US08295853B2 |
Method and system for refining accuracy of location positioning
A method and system for accurately determining the location of the mobile device (10) is disclosed. In the mapping phase collected reference positioning data and collected cell data are used to map a covered area estimation and in the actual location determination phase the covered area estimation is calculated from actual environment data received through wireless cellular communication network (11, 12) and possibly but not necessarily from external databases (17, 19). The covered area estimation comprises at least some of the following calculations: (i) estimation of base station location, (ii) estimation of transmission range, (iii) estimation of signal map and (iv) estimation of area type. The actual location of the mobile device (10) is determined from the covered area estimation based on relative comparison between the actual environment data and estimations (i)-(iv) and weight numbers resulted from the comparison. During the both phases a database is stored in the server (14) and updated whenever new environment data is received. |
| US08295850B2 |
Random access channel frequency allocation
The present invention provides a method of allocating a frequency parameter for random access preamble transmission. The method includes determining a fixed location, in an operating bandwidth, of a frequency region for random access transmission wherein a relative location parameter defines the fixed location of the frequency region according to a bandwidth parameter, the relative location parameter being common to a plurality of cells. The present invention further provides a method of allocating a frequency parameter for random access transmission. The method comprises allocating a fixed location, in an operating bandwidth, of a frequency region for random access transmission, wherein the fixed location is configurable per cell. |
| US08295848B2 |
Method and arrangement for automatic tuning of the RACH configuration in a wireless communication network
The present invention relates to a method and a communication network node for automatically tuning a PRACH configuration parameter in a communication network system comprising radio base stations each serving at least one cell and with which user equipments are communicating on uplink and downlink channels. The PRACH configuration parameter is used for defining the division of uplink resource blocks between PRACH and PUSCH. Load statistics on RACH and PUSCH are collected used for determining a number of RACH opportunities required per time unit. Then a new PRACH configuration parameter having said required number of RACH opportunities per time unit is selected which is replacing the old PRACH configuration parameter. |
| US08295846B2 |
GPS-based CE device wireless access point mapping
A CE device can incorporate a GPS receiver and can be moved around a building with wireless access point (AP) signal strengths recorded at various locations. The optimum AP location is selected on the basis of the location-to-signal strength correlations. |
| US08295845B1 |
Transceiver I/Q mismatch calibration
A calibration mechanism is disclosed for performing I/Q mismatch calibration operations in a wireless communication device comprising a receiver unit and a transmitter unit. During an I/Q mismatch calibration mode, a first signal and a second signal are provided from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit via a loopback path coupled between the transmitter and receiver units. A phase shift is added to the second signal that is provided to the receiver unit. A first set of I/Q measurements is determined from the first signal and a second set of I/Q measurements is determined from the second signal with the added phase shift. Transmitter and receiver I/Q mismatch parameters are calculated based on the first and second sets of I/Q measurements. The receiver and transceiver I/Q mismatch parameters are used to compensate for I/Q mismatch at the receiver and transmitter units, respectively. |
| US08295843B2 |
Method and system for detecting data congestion and applying a cell reselection offset
A method and apparatus for reducing data congestion in a cell having signal strength, the method having the steps of: assigning a congestion penalty at a mobile device to a cell; applying the congestion penalty to the signal strength to create a selection value; and performing cell reselection using the selection value. |
| US08295842B2 |
Base station controller and wireless packet processing device
Call connection processing is performed and a message is processed in a different subnet without UATI reassignment and takeover of a wireless session. RANs that belong to different subnets and are adjacent to each other use messages to exchange ColorCode, IP addresses of base station controllers, wireless resource information of base station transceiver subsystems and the like. When the RAN receives, from an AT, a message having ColorCode that is different from ColorCode of the RAN, the RAN transfers the message to a base station controller included in the RAN having ColorCode that matches the ColorCode included in the message. |
| US08295841B2 |
Inter-carrier member handover apparatus and method
Provided are an inter-carrier member handover apparatus and method. In the inter-carrier member handover apparatus and method, data is transmitted or received by allocating a plurality of carriers to a single mobile terminal, a carrier aggregation, which includes a plurality of carrier members that process the allocated carriers, is managed, and a handover between the carrier members in the managed carrier aggregation is processed when the handover is required. Therefore, an intra-base station handover can be performed when a mobile terminal and a base station exchange data using a plurality of carrier frequency bands. |
| US08295831B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling roaming lists in a wireless communication system
Method and apparatus for updating roaming lists. An error handling message is provided when the roaming list protocols within the elements of a system are not compatible. A roaming list format identifier is provided to the remote user identifying the protocol version supported by the network. The roaming list format identifier acts to either request an old version of the protocol or request the current stored format at the remote user. In one embodiment, the old version is the Preferred Roaming List, and the new version is the Extended Preferred Roaming List. |
| US08295830B1 |
System and method for enabling authorization of local breakout for internet protocol multimedia services
A mobile communication terminal includes a registration module that initiates a registration of the mobile communication terminal with Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystems (IMS) within a home network. The registration module initiates registration when the mobile communication terminal is roaming in a visited network. The mobile communication terminal also includes a session module that initiates a session set-up with the IMS to enable use of IMS resources. At least one of the registration module and the session module provide a first IP address to the IMS during at least one of the registration and the session set-up. The mobile communication terminal communicates with a first packet data network (PDN) that is local to the visited network using the first IP address in order to use at least one of the IMS resources. |
| US08295816B2 |
Voice fallback strategy for vehicle originated cellular communication to a call center
A system and method for making vehicle originated calls to a telematics service provider or other call center. The method includes identifying a call type associated with a desired wireless communication of speech or data to the call center, and then carrying out one of a number of different call connection processes depending on the call type. For voice channel cellular connections, an in-band modem cellular connection is preferably established in most instances using a connection retry strategy that includes primary, secondary, and possibly tertiary connection attempts. The system and method can be carried out in connection with various cellular system technologies, but is especially suited for use with GSM systems. |
| US08295815B2 |
Reject mobile-terminating SMS due to mobile not reachable flag
The present invention provides a technique to reduce the quantity of paging attempts to mobile terminals. The technique involves periodically rejecting mobile terminating SMS (MT-SMS) messages destined to a mobile subscriber who has already had no paging response success for a previous MT-SMS message until the mobile terminal is reachable or upon the timeout of a Mobile Not Reachable Flag (MNRF) rejection period. The present invention targets mobile subscribers who were out of radio coverage and allows the mobile subscriber to terminate voice calls. Mobile terminal originated activity is not affected. The present invention may co-exist with the existing SMS Center mobile terminating SMS polling mechanism in the market today. |
| US08295814B2 |
Message forwarding and retrieval with a single messaging service
Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method and system of integrating a user's voice mail onto a single voice messaging service, e.g., a Unified Messaging (UM) service, such that a client may access this single source for voice mail retrieval, even where such voice mails are from a variety of sources, e.g., work, mobile phone, etc. A user, or the user's mobile operator, need only agree to accept the service, and the registration and configuration requirements for providing the service and forwarding calls to the service are automatically configured. The user's existing “speed dial” key or other setting for retrieving voice mail may also be automatically configured to the access number(s) for the service. Configurations may monitor the status of the service and update access and/or forwarding numbers. Voice mail forwarding and settings may also be automatically reverted back to the user's original service. |
| US08295810B2 |
Network element and method for providing access control for a cellular communication network
A network element (130, 330), for providing access control to a core network (120) of a cellular communication network (100) for a wireless communication unit (150) operating within a communication cell supported by the network element (130, 330), comprises a receiver for receiving a message (425) from the wireless communication unit (150) comprising identity information. The network element further comprises logic (160), operably coupled to the receiver, for determining whether to permit the mobile communication unit (150) access to the core network (120), based at least in part on the received identity information. |
| US08295808B2 |
Secure remote subscription module access
Disclosed is a method of granting a client communications terminal access to a subscription module of a server communications terminal, the method comprising the steps of establishing a communications link between the client communications terminal and the server communications terminal; communicating data related to the subscription module between the server communications terminal and the client communications terminal via the communications link; authenticating the client communications terminal by the subscription module using a key-based authentication procedure; and initiating the step of communicating data related to the subscription module conditioned on a result of the step of authenticating the client communications device. The present invention further relates to an arrangement for granting access to a subscription module in a communications system. The present invention also relates to a server communications terminal comprising a subscription module, a client communications terminal and a subscription module. |
| US08295802B2 |
Communication control device and communication control method for an emergency call over the internet
A communication control apparatus includes a database which stores identification information of a party on the other end of communication with whom communication should be controlled, a search circuit which acquires communication data for requesting a connection to a party on the other end of communication and searches the database for the identification information of the party on the other end of communication, and a control unit which, if the identification information of the party on the other end of communication is found in the database, transmits a connection termination request to a terminal of the transmission source, and further transmits a connection request thereto so as to establish, in place of the party on the other end of communication, a connection with the terminal of the transmission source of the communication data and controls communication between the transmission source and the party on the other end of communication. |
| US08295801B2 |
System and method for identifying and collecting data messages being communicated over a communications network
A system and method for capturing emergency data messages in a network environment includes receiving, at a first network node, an emergency data message communicated from a wireless communications device. The emergency data message may be accompanied by an origination address and destination address indicative of an emergency network address. A determination may be made at the first network node to determine whether the origination address matches a monitored address established by a law enforcement agency to capture data messages to or from the origination address. If it is determined that the origination address matches the monitored address, then a copy of the emergency data message may be routed to a second network node for collection of the emergency data message and the emergency data message may be routed to the destination address. Otherwise, the emergency data message may be routed to the destination address. |
| US08295800B2 |
Apparatus and method for down-converting electromagnetic signals by controlled charging and discharging of a capacitor
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting and up-converting an electromagnetic signal. In embodiments, the invention operates by receiving an electromagnetic signal and recursively operating on approximate half cycles of a carrier signal. The recursive operations can be performed at a sub-harmonic rate of the carrier signal. The invention accumulates the results of the recursive operations and uses the accumulated results to form a down-converted signal. In embodiments, up-conversion is accomplished by controlling a switch with an oscillating signal, the frequency of the oscillating signal being selected as a sub-harmonic of the desired output frequency. When the invention is being used in the frequency modulation or phase modulation implementations, the oscillating signal is modulated by an information signal before it causes the switch to gate a bias signal. The output of the switch is filtered, and the desired harmonic is output. |
| US08295799B2 |
Method and system for identifying radio frequency identification (RFID) tag location using a switchable coil
Aspects of a method and system for identifying a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag location using a switchable coil are presented. Aspects of the systems may include one or more processors that enable selection of an inductor coil from a plurality of inductor coils. The selection of the inductor coil may be based on a change in an electromagnetic field, with respect to an initial electromagnetic field, as detected by the selected inductor coil. The processors may enable transmission of a signal, having a transmitter frequency in the UHF frequency band, via the selected inductor coil. |
| US08295797B2 |
MIMO radio interfaces
A receiver front end includes a plurality of in-phase and quadrature phase receive processing blocks operable at first and second frequency bands and further includes a plurality of filtering and amplification blocks disposed within a corresponding ingoing signal path, a plurality of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) blocks coupled to receive an ingoing analog signal from a corresponding plurality of nodes disposed throughout the ingoing signal path, each of the plurality of RSSI blocks producing a signal strength indication, and wherein a baseband processor is operable to receive a selected signal strength indication and to produce at least one gain setting to at least one amplification block within the in-phase or quadrature phase receive processing blocks. In operation, the baseband processor receives a signal strength indication from each RSSI block to determine a total amount of gain and appropriate gain distribution within the receive signal path. |
| US08295795B2 |
Method and device for obtaining at least one calibration frequency for calibrating a transmission chain
A method is provided for obtaining a calibration frequency for calibrating a transmission chain that can transmit information signals on a frequency band comprising a plurality of channels. The chain includes an amplifier that can be configured according to at least one gain configuration. The method includes: obtaining an output power value of the amplifier; obtaining a frequency dispersion, based on the power value; detecting whether a constraint linked to said frequency dispersion is satisfied; and if the constraint is not satisfied, then obtaining a current frequency subband and a calibration frequency for said current frequency subband. |
| US08295794B2 |
System and method for power control for a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter-less transmitter
A power control system includes a transmitter having a plurality of gain-adjustable elements, a switchable attenuator located at an output of the transmitter, a gain-adjustable power amplifier coupled to the attenuator, and a power control element responsive to a power target signal, the power control element configured to calculate and apply a gain control signal to the plurality of gain-adjustable elements in the transmitter, to the switchable attenuator, and to the gain-adjustable power amplifier so that a signal to noise ratio (SNR) at the output of the transmitter remains substantially constant over a range of output power. |
| US08295793B2 |
Configuration controller for receiver
A configuration controller generates one or more control signals based on channel data. The channel data includes requirements data received via the stream of inbound data, wherein the requirements data includes at least one of: a quality of service requirement, and a signal latency limit. A receiver includes an RF receiver section and a receiver processing module that are configured in response to the control signal. |
| US08295792B2 |
Control of switcher regulated power amplifier modules
Various embodiments described herein relate to a power management block and an amplification block used in the transmitter of a communication subsystem. The power management block provides improved control for the gain control signal provided to a pre-amplifier and the supply voltage provided to a power amplifier which are both in the amplification block. The power expended by the power amplifier is optimized by employing a continuous control method in which one or more feedback loops are employed to take into account various characteristics of the transmitter components and control values. |
| US08295785B2 |
Transmission and/or reception process with high channel capacity, transmitter and/or receiver, and mobile terminal
A transmission and/or reception process with high channel capacity uses a multiple transmitter and/or receiver system, and signal processing undergoes phases of temporary switching-off. Also disclosed arm corresponding transmitters and/or receivers, as well as a mobile terminal. In order to provide a process, a device and a mobile terminal of the above-mentioned type which improve communication reliability with high spectral efficiency using multipath propagation, it is proposed that the mixer units (5) be initialized when signal processing is turned on. |
| US08295780B2 |
Method for applying amplitude use to digital amplyfier with variable bit resolution or clock frequency and apparatus for excuting the method
Disclosed is an adaptive modulation scheme and apparatus thereof using an Analog/Digital (AJO) converter with variable bit resolution or clock frequency, the A/D converter including a transmitter including a modulator to modulate data to be transmitted according to a modulation scheme received from a receiver, an A/D converter to convert the modulated data into an analog signal using a bit resolution or a clock frequency received from the receiver, and a radio frequency (RF) processor to transmit the analog signal to the receiver through a wireless channel and a receiver including an RF processor to receive data through a wireless channel, a calculator to calculate a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the data received through the RF processor, and a modulation controller to search a predetermined setting table for a corresponding modulation scheme and bit resolution using the calculated SNR and to transmit to a transmitter. |
| US08295776B2 |
Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method
When SRS serving as a base of CSI measurement at a base station apparatus is transmitted from each of two antennas, a control unit controls resource element mappers to make the SRS orthogonal to each other or identical with each other in terms of frequency or code between the two antennas, in accordance with use of CSI at a base station apparatus. |
| US08295774B1 |
Methods and apparatuses for providing a stable wideband noise signal
Methods and apparatuses for determining uplink receive signal path characteristics in a wireless communication system are disclosed. In one embodiment, a tower-top noise source (TTNS) is provided such that it is permanently affixed in close proximity to a receive antenna. The TTNS preferably has an output that includes a wideband noise signal having predetermined characteristics. The TTNS output is selectively connected to a receive signal path that includes a tower-top low-noise amplifier (TTLNA). An altered version of the wideband noise signal is received at the output of the receive signal path, and a characteristic of the altered wideband noise signal is measured. |
| US08295773B2 |
Communication apparatus and communication system
Remote control data is securely transmitted to a device under control. A remote control device transmits an acknowledge request for A ch to the device under control (S21). When the device under control has assigned A ch as the reception channel, acknowledge ACK is received. A ch is assigned as the transmission channel (S23), and a command frame is transmitted through A ch (S24). When acknowledge ACK has not been received, an acknowledge request for B ch is transmitted to the device under control (S25). When the device under control has assigned B ch as the reception channel, acknowledge ACK is received. B ch is assigned as the transmission channel (S27), and a command frame is transmitted through B ch (S28). The remote control device can transmits a command through a channel through which the device under control can receive the command, so that secure remote control can be accomplished. |
| US08295772B2 |
Device for improved isolation characteristics in a telecommunications system
Apparatus in a wireless telecommunications system comprises at least a first antenna of a first polarization and a second antenna of a second polarization. The apparatus additionally comprises a receiver and a transmitter, and is intended for communication with at least one other device in the wireless telecommunications system. The apparatus is equipped with a polarization estimator for estimating the polarization state of a signal which is received from the one other device, and a polarization controller for adapting the polarization state of signals transmitted from the apparatus to the one other device on the basis of the estimate of the received signal. |
| US08295769B2 |
Wireless connection for data devices
A method and a system are provided for wirelessly connecting two data devices. A user intending to connect the devices issues a connect activation command and then moves one device toward the other device along a connection vector. Wireless communication connection is established through Ultra WideBand (UWB) protocol when the two devices are in range of each other. The wireless connection is terminated when the one device is moved along a displacement vector. |
| US08295767B2 |
Method of manufacturing a microradio
A microradio is provided with a hysteretic switch to permit an optimum range increasing charging cycle, with the charging cycle being long relative to the transmit cycle. Secondly, an ensemble of microradios permits an n2 power enhancement to increase range with coherent operation. Various multi-frequency techniques are used both for parasitic powering and to isolate powering and transmit cycles. Applications for microradios and specifically for ensembles of microradios include authentication, tracking, fluid flow sensing, identification, terrain surveillance including crop health sensing and detection of improvised explosive devices, biohazard and containment breach detection, and biomedical applications including the use of microradios attached to molecular tags to destroy tagged cells when the microradios are activated. Microradio deployment includes the use of paints or other coatings containing microradios, greases and aerosols. Moreover, specialized antennas, including microcoils, mini dipoles, and staircase coiled structures are disclosed, with the use of nano-devices further reducing the size of the microradios. |
| US08295764B2 |
Inductive communications system
A bi-directional asymmetric system is provided with a first node and a second node. The first node has a first transmitter that produces a modulated magnetic flux and a first exciter receiver that acts to receive data at the first node. The second node is coupled to the first node with a direct inductive communications downlink and a mutually inductive uplink. The second node includes a receiver that produces a signal induced by the first transmitter at the first node. The second node has a mutually inductive data transmitter that modules an exciter signal produced at the first node by the exciter receiver. |
| US08295762B1 |
Distributed blind source separation
Systems and methods for using distributed processing in conjunction with blind source separation techniques for signal processing and acquisition in sensor network environments are provided. In the distributed blind source separation framework, sensors each perform some processing of sensor signals rather than transmitting such signals over long distances, and/or outside of the sensor network, to be processed at a central location. Sensors attempt to own a source signal, which can only be owned by one active sensor. Sensors owning a source signal broadcast the signal directly or indirectly so it is perceived by users. Sensors receive information from other sensors in their sensor neighborhood, including observed signals of the other sensors and the estimated source signals of sources owned by the other sensors. This allows owning sensors to extract the respective source signals of the sources they own and all redundant sensors to check for any non-owned source signals present. |
| US08295758B2 |
Method of correcting curl of sheet and recording apparatus
In a first step, a sheet is conveyed in a direction, whereby a leading end portion of the sheet is fed to a position between a decurl roller and a decurl pinch roller, which are in positions spaced apart from each other. In a second step, the leading end portion of the sheet is curved and held by causing the decurl pinch roller to come close to or press against the decurl roller. In a third step, the leading end portion of the sheet is withdrawn from between the decurl roller and the decurl pinch roller by conveying the sheet in a direction opposed to the conveying direction. After executing the first to third steps, the sheet is conveyed in the conveying direction through the first step while the sheet is curved by the decurl roller. |
| US08295757B2 |
Document feeder and document scanning device provided with the same
A document feeder includes a feed tray, a catch tray, a carrying path extending from the feed tray to the catch tray via a scanning position, a reversal path diverging from a point on the carrying path downstream relative to the scanning position and connecting to a point on the carrying path upstream relative to the scanning position, a switchback mechanism conveying a sheet back to front from the reversal path toward the scanning point, an ejection mode switching mechanism having a flap provided upstream relative to the catch tray movably relative to an ejection roller, the ejection mode switching mechanism switching an ejection mode by moving the flap between a first mode to eject the sheets on already-ejected sheets and a second mode to insert the sheets under already-ejected sheets. The flap forms part of the reversal path in the first mode. |
| US08295756B2 |
Image forming apparatus
The image forming apparatus has a plurality of image forming units for forming a developer image on a recording medium, and a fixing device for fixing the developer image to the recording medium. Each of said image forming units has an image bearing body that bears the developer image, and a cleaning portion that removes residual developer from said image bearing body. Said cleaning portion of said image forming unit is disposed closest to said fixing device and includes a cleaning blade that has repulsion elasticity at a predetermined temperature, and said repulsion elasticity is lower than that of a cleaning blade of said cleaning portion of at least one of said image forming units disposed farther from said fixing device. |
| US08295754B2 |
Toner-fixer apparatus and electronic photograph printer
A toner-fixer apparatus 1 used in an electronic photograph printer includes: an apparatus main unit extending along a web fed in the electronic photograph printer; a hot-air-blower section having air ejection ports for blowing hot air onto the web; and an air-exhaust section for suctioning air into air exhaust ports having openings on the apparatus main unit opposed to the web. In this configuration, the toner-fixer apparatus obtains capabilities in terms of fixing toner used in a multi-color image, thermal efficiency, environmental load, and space saving. |
| US08295747B2 |
Intermediate transfer member for use in electrophotographic image forming apparatus
An intermediate transfer member is provided which enables to maintain superior secondary transferability and enhanced cleaning capability and is also capable of continuing to obtain toner images of superior text reproduction and high quality without causing lack of text images even when making prints of a large number of sheets (e.g., 160,000 sheets). The intermediate transfer member for use in an image forming apparatus having a device capable of transferring a toner image carried on the surface of an electrophotographic photoreceptor primarily to an intermediate transfer member, and secondarily transferring the toner image from the intermediate transfer member to a transfer material, wherein the intermediate transfer member is provided with an elastic layer on the circumference of a resin substrate and further thereon a surface layer, the surface layer exhibits a layer thickness of 10 to 500 nm, the Young's modulus of the surface of the intermediate transfer member which is determined by a nanoindentation method is 0.1 to 5.0 GPa and is 0.0 to 2.0 GPa greater than the Young's modulus of the elastic layer which is determined by a nanoindentation method. |
| US08295746B2 |
Image forming apparatus including a secondary transfer unit and a sheet guiding member
One end of a sheet guiding member on a transfer nip side is located on a straight line connecting an exit of a registration nip formed between a pair of registration rollers and an entrance of the transfer nip or on an opposite side of an intermediate transfer belt across the straight line and on one side of a triangle formed by connecting rotation centers of the transfer member, the transfer roller, and the transfer guide roller or inside the triangle. |
| US08295738B2 |
Developing unit containing a reduction portion and image forming apparatus using the developing unit
A developing unit including a retainer receiving portion for receiving a developer retainer, a first agitation portion adjacent to the retainer receiving portion, a second agitation portion adjacent to the first agitation portion, a first conveyance member received in the first agitation portion, a second conveyance member received in the second agitation portion, a layer thickness limiting member made of a magnetic material and disposed between the second conveyance member and the developer retainer to limit the layer thickness of a developer retained on the surface of a retaining member, and a blocking portion disposed on the upstream side of the layer thickness limiting member in the rotation direction of the retaining member and in a space located between the layer thickness limiting member and the second agitation portion to block a developer on the upstream side of the layer thickness limiting member from entering the space. |
| US08295737B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus using same
A developing device capable of preventing scattered developer from being discharged and of stably supplying a developer to a latent image carrier by preventing the developer from being discharged despite that the amount of developer within the developing device is not increased, and an image forming apparatus including the developing device. When the bulk of the developer existing in the vicinity of the downstream end in the conveyance direction of the supply conveyance path exceeds the height level of the developer discharge port, the developer that has reached the height level of the developer discharge port is discharged to the outside of the developing device by the developer discharge port and developer conveyance path serving as the developer discharge device. |
| US08295729B2 |
Image forming device linkable to an optional unit
An image forming device, which is linkable to an optional unit, includes: a connector providing an electrical connection with the optional unit; a connector cover opening and closing a connecting surface of the connector; and a cover opening-and-closing mechanism opening the connecting surface of the connector by moving the connector cover in accordance with a linking operation linking the optional unit. |
| US08295727B2 |
Image forming apparatus with temperature adjustment
An image forming apparatus includes: a heat transfer member having a width extending along a direction orthogonal to a medium conveying direction along which a medium is conveyed, the heat transfer member transferring heat from a heater to the medium; the heater provided along substantially the entire width of the heat transfer member and configured to heat the heat transfer member so as to heat the medium via the heat transfer member; a temperature detector configured to detect the temperature of the widthwise center of the heat transfer member; a temperature setting unit configured to set a target temperature by correcting a default target temperature, depending on the difference between the default target temperature and the temperature that is detected by the temperature detector when the heater starts to heat; a heat controller configured to control the heater to make the temperature detected by the temperature detector the target temperature. |
| US08295726B2 |
Fixing device, image forming apparatus, and method for controlling fixing device
In a fixing device including (i) an external heat belt which abuts against a surface of a fixing roller so as to heat the fixing roller and (ii) a cleaning member which abuts against the external heat belt, a fixing temperature, which is a surface temperature of the fixing roller during a fixing process, is set per group into which recording media to be subjected to the fixing process are divided according to their widths in a direction of a rotary axis of the fixing roller, in such a way that the fixing temperature is set to a lower temperature for a group of narrower widths. This makes it possible to prevent a reduction in releasability of the fixing roller caused by a material, which is scraped off from the external heat belt by the cleaning member and then adhered to the fixing roller, thereby preventing the high-temperature offset. |
| US08295723B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method with improved protective agent properties
An image forming method and apparatus in which a protective agent is supplied to an image carrier, and the image carrier is charged by a plurality of charging units. Degrees of discharge deterioration of the surface of the image carrier in the plurality of charging units are different, and the amount of protective agent supplied to a charging portion of a charging unit, in which a degree of discharge deterioration of the surface of the image carrier is high, is large. |
| US08295722B2 |
Xerographic developer
There is provided an apparatus for developing a latent image recorded on an imaging surface, including: a housing defining a reservoir storing a supply of developer material comprising toner; a donor member positioned in the housing, spaced from the imaging surface, for transporting toner on an outer surface of the donor member to a region opposed from the imaging surface, a print quality system for monitoring a plurality of xerographic actuator parameters, the print quality system generating a feedback signal if at least one of a plurality of xerographic actuator parameters is beyond a predefined threshold limit; and system for translating the donor member from a first predefined spacing to a second predefined spacing from the imaging surface in response to the feedback signal from the print quality system. |
| US08295721B2 |
Image-forming device for correcting an image formation position
An image-forming device includes an image bearing member, a data providing unit, an image-forming unit, a detecting unit, a first calculating unit, a determining unit, and a second calculating unit. The image bearing member has a surface moving at a surface speed. The data providing unit provides pattern data indicative of a target test pattern to be formed on a target position of the surface in response to a test instruction. The image-forming unit forms an actual test pattern on an actual position of the surface in accordance with the pattern data provided from the data providing unit, and configure to form an image in response to an image-forming instruction. The detecting unit detects the actual position. The first calculating unit calculates a deviation of the actual position from the target position. The determining unit performs a first determination of whether the surface speed when the data providing unit receives the test instruction is stable or unstable. The second calculating unit calculates a correction amount based on the deviation and the first determination. The image-forming unit forms, in response to the image-forming instruction, an image on a position of the surface. The position is corrected based on the correction amount. |
| US08295719B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method of controlling an image processing apparatus
An image processing apparatus having a collected toner container in which residual toner is accumulated is controlled by: obtaining a supplied toner amount, obtaining a total number of printed sheets, calculating an average number of printed sheets per image forming job, calculating an average printing ratio based on the supplied toner amount, the total number of printed sheets, and the average number of printed sheets per image forming job, calculating a collected toner amount based on the average number of printed sheets per image forming job and the average printing ratio, and comparing the collected toner amount with a threshold value to generate a comparison result. |
| US08295714B2 |
Receiver algorithms for coherent detection of polarization-multiplexed optical signals
A digital signal processor (DSP) operating within, for example, an optical receiver wherein the DSP processes complex sample streams derived from a modulated optical signal, the DSP configured to perform a method of acquiring an intermediate frequency (IF) signal from within the received optical signal, the method comprising: processing at least one block of complex sample stream symbols using a frequency locked loop (FLL) to achieve an initial constellation lock condition, the FLL having a nominal lock-in spectral region; if an initial constellation lock condition is not achieved within a predetermined amount of time, shifting the spectral region processed by the FLL to a spectral region proximate a current operating spectral region. |
| US08295713B2 |
Dual stage carrier phase estimation in a coherent optical signal receiver
A system and method implementing dual stage carrier phase estimation (CPE) in a coherent receiver for an optical fiber communication system. In the first stage, a feed-forward CPE is implemented to make an initial carrier phase estimation of a training sequence. The initial carrier phase estimation is coupled to the second stage which implements a decision-feedback CPE. After a training period, accurate bit decision for system traffic can be achieved using the decision-feedback CPE. |
| US08295712B2 |
Optical device and method for optical frequency modulation to optical amplitude modulation conversion
An optical device comprising an optical device comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer having a first 2×2 optical coupler, a second 2×2 optical coupler, a first optical arm, and a second optical arm. The first and second arms connecting corresponding pairs of optical ports of the first and second 2×2 optical couplers. The second optical arm has a longer optical path than the first arm. The device also comprises one or more optical resonators optically coupled to the first optical arm and an optical splitter. The optical splitter is coupled to deliver a portion of an input optical signal to one port of the first 2×2 optical coupler and to deliver a remaining portion of the input optical signal to one port of the second optical coupler. |
| US08295711B2 |
Frequency-agile infrared receiver
An infrared receiver is provided that may include an infrared sensor, a band-pass filter, and a processor. The processor may be configured to transmit a confirmation signal to the band-pass filter if the signal is distinguishable from noise. |
| US08295710B2 |
Optical I-Q-modulator
The invention describes a modulator for the quadrature modulation of an optical carrier signal with an I- and a Q-portion, where a first optical multimode interferometer (MMI) splits the optical carrier signal into four branches and that in pairs of branches the I-portion and the Q-portion respectively is modulated with a Mach-Zehnder-Structure and a second optical multimode interferometer (MMI) combines the modulated I-portion and Q-portion again to one quadrature modulated optical output signal (OS). |
| US08295709B2 |
Variable dispersion compensation device
A dispersion compensation device includes a variable dispersion compensator configured to subject an input optical signal to dispersion compensation, an optical receiver configured to convert an optical signal subjected to dispersion compensation into an electrical signal, recover a clock signal and a received data signal from the electrical signal, and output clock lock information indicating whether the clock signal is locked to the electrical signal, a signal processor configured to output bit error rate information on the received data signal, and a controller configured to variably control a dispersion compensation value of the variable dispersion compensator based on the bit error rate information and the clock lock information. |
| US08295703B2 |
Optical transmission apparatus
Where add optical signals have k different bit rates, an add controller is connected to k ( |
| US08295702B2 |
Optical media converter system
An optical media converter system is divided into an outdoor installed optical media converter and an indoor installed unit, which are connected to each other through an electrical Ethernet cable. The indoor installed unit includes two electrical Ethernet terminations and a power source section for supplying an electrical power from indoor to outdoor. The outdoor installed optical media converter includes an optical-electric converter, optical Ethernet termination, electrical Ethernet termination, and a power source section for generating a power source by an electrical power supplied from the indoor. With the above configuration, there can be provided an optical media converter system in which the need to draw the fiber-optic cable into a home can be eliminated, cost involved in a wiring work can be reduced, and a circuit design thereof is advantageous in cost reduction. |
| US08295701B2 |
Adaptive hybrid optical control plane determination of lightpaths in a DWDM network
Techniques and a control architecture (apparatus and logic) are provided for an adaptive hybrid DWDM-aware computation scheme. The architecture is one that is a hybrid of a centralized control scheme and a distributed control scheme that performs adaptive physical impairment computations for an optical network. A central control server is connected to multiple client control devices each of which resides in a node in a dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) optical network, wherein each client control device is part of an optical control plane associated with the optical network. The control server obtains data for path route analysis from the client control devices. The control server then determines optical feasibility of at least one path route from a source node to a destination node from optical parametric information based on the data obtained from multiple client control devices and without real-time communication between the central control server and the multiple client control devices while performing the optical feasibility computations. |
| US08295696B2 |
Camera module and imaging apparatus
A camera module includes a barrel, a movable lens movable in the barrel in an optical axis direction, an imaging device that captures an image of a subject viewed through the movable lens and an actuator that changes the distance between the movable lens and the imaging device. The actuator has a first power feed terminal at one end thereof and a second power feed terminal at the other end thereof. The first terminal is attached on the side where the movable lens is present. The second terminal is attached on the side where the barrel is present. The actuator bends when electric power is fed to each of the first and second terminals and changes the distance between the movable lens and the imaging device. |
| US08295693B2 |
Dual optical path prism and camera in a minimally invasive surgical system
In a minimally invasive surgical system, a camera includes a prismatic element having a lens within the prismatic element. The lens corrects the resulting image focus for the non-visible light to make it substantially the same as the focus for the visible light. Alternatively, the lens corrects the resulting image focus for the visible light to make it substantially the same as the focus for the non-visible light. |
| US08295692B2 |
Scissor baffles for fuel gas conditioning system
A feed gas conditioner includes a passageway with a plurality of heating elements positioned within the passageway. A plurality of baffle assemblies can cause a fluid flowing through the feed gas conditioner to flow in a serpentine flow pattern so that the fluid flows transverse to at least a portion of the heating elements. The baffle assemblies can each include two or more baffle elements, the baffle elements being positioned at an angle relative to each other. The heating elements can pass through passages within one or more of the baffle elements. |
| US08295691B2 |
Heat treatment apparatus
In a heat treatment apparatus, a substrate held by a holding part is irradiated with light emitted from halogen lamps to perform preheating thereon and irradiated with a flash of light emitted from flash lamps to perform flash heating thereon. Part of light which is emitted from the halogen lamps and goes toward the flash lamps passes through a window hole formed in a peripheral-light shielding member and enters the substrate held by the holding part, and its energy is used for the preheating on the substrate. On the other hand, the remaining light is blocked out by the peripheral-light shielding member. |
| US08295686B2 |
Method of recording dubbing audio data onto a rewritable recording medium
A method for reproducing data includes reproducing still pictures and audio data in separate files, the still pictures and audio data being managed by using at least one playlist. The playlist includes first navigation information for the audio data and at least one playitem for the still pictures, and the first navigation information includes playitem-identifying information for linking the first navigation information and the playitem. |
| US08295680B2 |
Recording and reproducing apparatus and recording and reproducing system
A recording and reproducing apparatus (1) includes: an AV recording medium (26) recording an AV data item; a transmitting and receiving unit (21) transmitting and receiving the item and information on the item to and from an other apparatus connected to the apparatus (1) via a network; a retrieving unit (28) retrieving AV data items that indicate a same program and are recorded on the AV recording medium and in the other apparatus; a comparing unit (29) comparing image qualities of the items; and a restriction value control unit (30) moving use restriction values through the transmitting and receiving unit so that, based on a result of the comparison, (i) a use restriction value of one of the items having a lower image quality is decreased by a predetermined value and (ii) a use restriction value of an other one of the items having a higher image quality is increased by the predetermined value. |
| US08295677B2 |
Method for creating and managing navigation information in a rewritable recording medium
This invention provides a method of managing the navigation data for a rewritable recording medium which are referred to for control of recording, editing, and reproduction. It enables to access to each information table in the navigation data directly by referring to the start address, which is kept in the first information table in the navigation data. When data are recorded to the rewritable recording medium, the management data which are relevant to the data to be recorded are created and written to the relevant information tables, which are accessed directly based on the start addresses. When data on the recording medium are reproduced, the information tables which contain management data required for reproduction of the requested data are located directly by the start addresses. Then, the data are read out from the rewritable recording medium and reproduced in reference to the management data. Compared to the prior navigation data structure, where the information tables are accessed through calculation of the end addresses, the present invention allows to reduce the access time to each information table, contributing to the real-time operation for writing and reproduction. |
| US08295671B2 |
Coated optical fibers and related apparatuses, links, and methods for providing optical attenuation
Coated optical fibers and related apparatuses, links, and methods for optically attenuating light directed to or from optical fibers are disclosed. In one embodiment, an optical fiber includes an optical fiber end. The optical fiber end may be a source end and/or a detector end, and may be angle-cleaved. A coating material is disposed on at least a portion of the optical fiber end and configured to optically attenuate a portion of light directed to the optical fiber end. The material type of the coating material and/or the thickness of the coating material may be selectively controlled to control the amount of optical attenuation. The thickness of the coating material may also be controlled to provide the desired thickness of coating material onto at least a portion of the optical fiber end. The coating material may also be selectively patterned to improve the bandwidth of a multi-mode optical link. |
| US08295667B2 |
Hole arranged photonic crystal fiber for low loss, tight fiber bending applications
A microstructured fiber or photonic crystal fiber is described having a doped solid core region and a cladding region, holes being provided in the cladding region, the fiber having a low hybrid splice loss to conventional fiber as well as being able to be tightly bent due to the microstructured cladding. The cladding region can contain a plurality of holes surrounding and distanced from the core. These holes are preferably located symmetrically around the core and extend longitudinally along the length of fiber. The holes may be two or more D-shaped holes or truncated D-shaped holes arranged symmetrically around the care. In other embodiments, the holes comprise hole structures arranged symmetrically around the core in a ring. The holes may be arranged having the inner side facing the core formed from arcs of a circle, e.g. equal arcs of a circle. Between the arcs circular holes may be provided called capillaries, i.e. smaller holes. According to the present invention, any number of holes may surround the core, preferably three or more. The fiber has low loss at small bending radii. |
| US08295661B2 |
Flat-top response arrayed waveguide grating
An optical system is disclosed. The optical system includes first and second waveguides, a first dispersive element, and a coupler. The first waveguide is configured to support a first mode and a second mode of an optical input signal. The second mode being of a higher order than the first mode. The second waveguide has an input and an output and is configured to receive a portion of the optical input signal. The first dispersive element is disposed along a length of one of the first or second waveguides. The first dispersive element including a waveguide segment configured to induce a frequency-dependent phase shift in one of the portions of the optical input signal. The coupler is configured to couple the portion of the optical input signal in the second waveguide and the portion optical input signal in the first waveguide into the first waveguide. The coupling excites the second mode of the first waveguide to create a multimode optical signal. |
| US08295660B2 |
Light application and method for producing a diffusor
A light applicator (27) for medical applications is proposed whose diffusor (1) comprises diffusion regions (7, 8, 9) with paraboloidal boundary surfaces (11, 12) This configuration of the diffusor (1) permits a particularly good homogenization of the distribution of light along the longitudinal axis of the diffusor (1). |
| US08295653B2 |
Sensing device for sensing surface regions
A sensing device is provided for sensing data encoded on a surface. The device has a region identity sensor and a transmitter. The region identity sensor senses region identity data of the coded data when the sensing device is positioned or moved relative to a region of the surface. The region identity data is indicative of an identity of the region. The transmitter transmits the sensed region identity data to a computer system. |
| US08295650B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method, and program
An information processing apparatus may include the following elements: an image information obtaining unit which obtains image information having at least position information added thereto as additional information, a map information storage unit which stores map information, a template information storage unit which stores template information including a template of content information, a map information obtaining unit which obtains map information corresponding to the position information added to the image information obtained by the image information obtaining unit from the map information stored in the map information storage unit, and a content information creating unit which creates content information using at least the map information obtained by the map information obtaining unit on the basis of the template information. |
| US08295648B2 |
Storage medium having stored thereon image processing program and image processing apparatus
A computer of an information processing apparatus sets an α value of each pixel in accordance with a depth value (Z value) of the pixel of a reference image. The α value is set such that a synthesizing ratio of the reference image is higher for a pixel having a depth value closer to a predetermined reference value. Next, the computer increases the α value which is set for a pixel having a smaller α value among two adjacent pixels which have an α value difference of a predetermined value or greater. Then, the computer synthesizes the reference image and a blurred image corresponding to the reference image based on the α value which is set for each pixel after being processed by the increasing processing. |
| US08295645B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program
An image processing apparatus capable of executing filter processing with a desired blurring degree selected in accordance with an application from a multi-valued image captured an object surface, the image processing apparatus comprises: a first filter processing device for executing smoothing processing on the multi-valued image, a second filter processing device for creating a reduced image reduced from the multi-valued image with an image reduction ratio, executing smoothing processing on the reduced image, and creating an enlarged image of the smoothed image enlarged with an image enlargement ratio corresponding to the image reduction ratio, and an image display device for displaying a processed image by the first filter processing device or the second filter processing device. |
| US08295643B2 |
Device and associated methodology for measuring three-dimensional positions based on retrieved points from one view angle and positions and postures from another view angle
While a view angle is switched between wide and narrow view angles, images with the wide view angle and images with the narrow view angle are alternately taken. Based on images taken with the narrow view angle, movements of corresponding points in images in correspondence between the narrow-angle images are detected. Based on the images taken with the wide view angle, a translational vector and a rotation matrix that represent changes in the position and posture between the wide-angle images are calculated. By linearly interpolating the translational vector and the rotation matrix between the wide-angle images, a translational vector and a rotation matrix that represent changes in the position and posture between the narrow-angle images are estimated. Based on movements of corresponding points in the images and the translational vector and the rotational matrix between the narrow-angle images, three-dimensional coordinates of the corresponding points on the measurement object are highly accurately measured. |
| US08295642B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program product
A first line sensor optically reads a first surface of an original in a main scanning direction to obtain first line image data. A second line sensor arranged in parallel to the first line sensor at a predetermined distance optically reads a second surface of the original to obtain second line image data. A tilt detecting unit detects main-scanning coordinates of a first edge and a second edge from the first line image data, detects main-scanning coordinates of a third edge and a fourth edge from the second line image data, and detects a tilt of the original with respect to a sub-scanning direction based on the detected main-scanning coordinates. |
| US08295637B2 |
Method of classifying red-eye objects using feature extraction and classifiers
Disclosed are methods, devices, and computer program products for red-eye detection in an image. In one example embodiment, a method for detecting red-eye objects in an image includes several acts. First, a set of candidate red-eye objects identified in the image is received. Then, features are extracted from the candidate red-eye objects and, with a plurality of classifiers, a false red-eye object is eliminated from the set of candidate red-eye objects based on the extracted features. First and second ones of the plurality of classifiers are optimized for classifying objects in a first range of sizes using first and second ones of the extracted features, respectively. Furthermore, third and fourth ones of the plurality of classifiers are also optimized for classifying objects using the first and second ones of the extracted features, respectively, but for objects in a second range of sizes. |
| US08295628B2 |
Automatic film grain adjustment
An inventive method obtaining film grains from a picture and processing the obtained film grains using a statistical distribution to determine new film grains. Preferably, a histogram of obtained film grain is subjected to the statistical distribution, which can be a normal distribution. Parameters of the normal distribution are controlled to determine the new film grains. |
| US08295627B2 |
Circuit for controlling color sequential liquid crystal display and method for controlling the same
The present invention provides a circuit for controlling a color sequential liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method for controlling the same. The control circuit comprises a light-source driving circuit, a data driving circuit, and a scan driving circuit. The light-source driving circuit produces a driving signal for controlling the color sequential LCD to produce backlight with different colors. The data driving circuit produces a data signal and includes a plurality of data pulses. The scan driving signal produces a scan signal and includes a plurality of scan pulses corresponding to the plurality of data pulses, respectively. By controlling the pluralities of data pulses and scan pulses and the backlight, the color sequential LCD will display an image. The voltage levels of the pluralities of data pulses and scan pulses change according to different images. Thereby, power consumed by the control circuit can be reduced. In addition, color-mixing problems will be reduced according to the present invention. |
| US08295621B1 |
Data decompression using a geometry shading unit
A system and method uses the capabilities of a geometry shader unit within the multi-threaded graphics processor to offload data compression computations from a central processing unit (CPU), reduce the memory needed to store image data, and reduce the bandwidth needed to transfer image data between graphics processors and between a graphics processor and a system memory. The multi-threaded graphics processor is also configured to perform decompression of the variable length compressed data using the geometry shader unit. |
| US08295619B2 |
Image processing apparatus employed in overdrive application for compressing image data of second frame according to first frame preceding second frame and related image processing method thereof
An image processing apparatus includes a storage device, an image detection circuit, a compression circuit, a decompression circuit, and an overdrive processing circuit. The image detection circuit generates a compression mode control signal according to a first frame. The compression circuit compresses an image data of a second frame according to the compression mode control signal, thereby generating a compressed image data of the second frame to the storage device. The first frame precedes the second frame. The decompression circuit decompresses the compressed image data of the second frame read from the storage device according to the compression mode control signal, thereby generating a recovered image data of the second frame. The overdrive processing circuit determines overdrive voltages of a third frame according to an image data of the third frame and the recovered image data of the second frame, where the second frame precedes the third frame. |
| US08295618B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program product
In an image processing apparatus, an encoding unit encodes a processed image; a determining unit determines whether a reference pixel has been subjected to the image processing; and a decoding unit decodes, when the determining unit determines that the reference pixel has been subjected to the image processing, a piece of rectangular block code data of a rectangular block thereby acquiring a second decoded image. The encoding unit refers to, when the determining unit determines that the reference pixel has been subjected to the image processing, the processed image and encodes the second decoded image. |
| US08295616B2 |
Image processing device and method for image processing
An image processing device configured to compress image data to be used for printing with a plurality of compression levels having different compression rates includes a former stage compression unit, a storing unit and a latter stage compression unit. The latter stage compression unit is configured, after the former stage compression unit finishes compressing all of the areas, to recompress each of areas of a latest compression level at the moment being different from a compression level stored in the storing unit with the latest compression level. |
| US08295613B1 |
Method for fast, robust, multi-dimensional pattern recognition
Disclosed is a method for determining the absence or presence of one or more instances of a predetermined pattern in an image, and for determining the location of each found instance within a multidimensional space. A model represents the pattern to be found, the model including a plurality of probes. Each probe represents a relative position at which a test is performed in an image at a given pose, each such test contributing evidence that the pattern exists at the pose. The method further includes a comparison of the model with a run-time image at each of a plurality of poses. A match score is computed at each pose to provide a match score surface. Then, the match score is compared with an accept threshold, and used to provide the location any instances of the pattern in the image. |
| US08295608B2 |
Device and method for detecting the jointed parts of strip in an endless hot rolling process
There are provided a device and method for detecting joint parts of a steel strip in an endless hot rolling process. The device for detecting joint parts of a steel strip in an endless hot rolling process includes an image signal collection block receiving image signals, each having information on gray level pixels of a steel strip, from a charge coupled device (CCD) camera; an edge line detection block receiving the image signals from the image signal collection block to detect an edge line of the steel strip; a profile calculation block receiving information on the detection of the edge line from the edge line detection block to calculate the sum of gray levels up to an edge line of the steel strip in a traverse direction of the steel strip when the edge line is detected by the edge line detection block; a joint part judgement block receiving information on the sum of the gray levels, which shows a current profile value, from the profile calculation block to judge the edge line as a joint part when a ratio of a mean value of the current profile and a mean value of the previous profile is less than a predetermined value; and an output block receiving information on the judgement of the edge line as the joint part from the joint part judgement block to output a joint part-detecting signal when the edge line is judged to be a joint part. |
| US08295606B2 |
Device and method for detecting shadow in image
A device for detecting a shadow region in an image includes an imaging module generating a multi-channel image including brightness, red, green, and blue channels, a brightness correcting module correcting values of the brightness channel based on imaging parameters and outputting a corrected multi-channel image, a scene classifying module determining to carry out a shadow detection on the corrected multi-channel image, a shadow detecting module classifying pixels of the corrected multi-channel image into a shadow or non-shadow pixel, and generating a shadow classification mark matrix having pixels having a shadow classification mark value corresponding to the classification, a region segmentation module segmenting the multi-channel image into regions having pixels having similar color values, and generating a region mark matrix having pixels having a region mark value, and a post-processing module updating the shadow classification mark matrix based on the shadow classification mark matrix and region mark matrix. |
| US08295603B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method
In an image processing apparatus for determining whether input image data is identical with image data of a reference image or not and performing a process according to the result of the determination, input image data whose similarity to a reference image is not less than a predetermined first threshold value or encoded image data obtained by encoding the input image data is stored in an access limitation storage section to which only a specific user is accessible. This allows an administrator to easily check whether the result of the determination is appropriate or not, without requiring a larger and more complex structure. |
| US08295601B2 |
Indicia reading terminal having multiple exposure periods and methods for same
There is described an image reading terminal having an image sensor array including a plurality of pixels, a first optical assembly for focusing imaging light rays onto a first set of pixels of an image sensor array and a second optical assembly for focusing imaging light rays onto a second set of pixels of the image sensor array. The first set of pixels and the second set of pixels of the image sensor array can have different exposure settings in a single exposure period for the image sensor array. In one embodiment, the indicia reading terminal can be adapted to process image data corresponding to pixels of the image sensor array for attempting to decode a decodable indicia. |
| US08295600B2 |
Image document processing device, image document processing method, program, and storage medium
An image document processing device extracts a character sequence image having M number of characters in an image document, divides the image into individual character images, extracts features of the individual character images, and based on the features, selects N (N is an integer more than 1) character images in the order of degree of matching from a font-feature dictionary for storing features of all character images according to fonts, and generates an M×N index matrix for the extracted character sequence. In searching, the device searches an index-information storage section with respect to each search character included in a search keyword in an input search expression, and extracts an image document including an index matrix including the search keyword. This provides an image document processing device and an image document processing method each allowing indexing not requiring user's operation and each allowing highly precise searching without OCR recognition. |
| US08295598B2 |
Processing method and apparatus
A processing apparatus processes input pixel data by referring to pixel data of peripheral pixels. The processing apparatus divides an input image in a first direction, inputs pixel data of a divided image divided in the first direction in a second direction crossing the first direction at a right angle, and stores the inputted pixel data. When a pixel to be referred to for processing the stored pixel data is not included in the divided image, the processing apparatus outputs pixel data of the reference pixel based on the stored pixel data, and processes the stored pixel data by referring to the pixel data of the reference pixel. |
| US08295596B1 |
Adaptive histogram-based video contrast enhancement
The adaptive contrast enhancer uses an adaptive histogram equalization-based approach to improve contrast in a video signal. For each video frame, the histogram of the pixel luminance values is calculated. The calculated histogram is divided into three regions that are equalized independently of the other. The equalized values are averaged with the original pixel values with a weighting factor that depends on the shape of the histogram. The weighting factors can be also chosen differently for the three regions to enhance the darker regions more than the brighter ones. The statistics calculated from one frame are used to enhance the next frame such that frame buffers are not required. Many of the calculations are done in the inactive time between two frames. |
| US08295594B2 |
Systems and methods for selective handling of out-of-gamut color conversions
Local contrasts within segments of an image are maintained even as the image is gamut mapped to a new gamut space where the remapping, if done straight forward, may result in loss of local contrasts. Display systems described herein use a selective compression unit that first surveys segments of the image to determine which might lose local contrast due to gamut mapping and gamut clamping. Selective compression amounts are determined for respective segments so as to substantially maintain local contrast of the image data within the respective segments. |
| US08295592B2 |
Apparatus and method for adjusting pixels values of object edges within images
An apparatus and method provide logic for processing images. In one implementation, an image processing apparatus includes an edge extraction section, a judgment section, and an edge processing section. The edge extraction section extracts an edge of an object of a character or a line drawing included in an image. The judgment section judges a possibility that the object is an image including a plurality of colors, or that the object is a black object having a pixel value of an image of each color being not less than a certain value. The edge processing section adjusts the pixel value of the extracted edge of the object according to a result obtained by the judgment section. |
| US08295589B2 |
Spatially registering user photographs
Photographs of an object may be oriented with respect to both the geographic location and orientation of the object by registering a 3D model derived from a plurality of photographs of the objects with a 2D image of the object having a known location and orientation. For example, a 3D point cloud of an object created from photographs of the object using a Photosynth™ tool may be aligned with a satellite photograph of the object, where the satellite photograph has location and orientation information. A tool providing scaling and rotation of the 3D model with respect to the 2D image may be used or an automatic alignment may be performed using a function based on object edges filtered at particular angles. Once aligned, data may be recorded that registers camera locations for the plurality of photographs with geographic coordinates of the object, either absolute latitude/longitude or relative to the object. |
| US08295588B2 |
Three-dimensional vision sensor
An object of the present invention is to enable performing height recognition processing by setting a height of an arbitrary plane to zero for convenience of the recognition processing. A parameter for three-dimensional measurement is calculated and registered through calibration and, thereafter, an image pickup with a stereo camera is performed on a plane desired to be recognized as having a height of zero in actual recognition processing. Further, three-dimensional measurement using the registered parameter is performed on characteristic patterns (marks m1, m2 and m3) included in this plane. Three or more three-dimensional coordinates are obtained through this measurement and, then, a calculation equation expressing a plane including these coordinates is derived. Further, based on a positional relationship between a plane defined as having a height of zero through the calibration and the plane expressed by the calculation equation, a transformation parameter (a homogeneous transformation matrix) for displacing points in the former plane into the latter plane is determined, and the registered parameter is changed using the transformation parameter. |
| US08295582B2 |
Prescription bottle imaging system and method
The invention is directed to a prescription imaging system for capturing, storing and displaying images of prescription bottles during the prescription fulfillment process to monitor the quality of the fulfillment process. The system includes one or more pill cameras for capturing images of pills dispensed into one or more prescription bottles and one or more label cameras for capturing images of the bottle labels. The images are stored on a storage device in a database record. The images can be used to verify that the pills in each bottle correspond with the associated prescription. |
| US08295581B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting defects in optical components
A method is disclosed for detecting defects in an optical component to be tested, such as a lens comprising the steps of: providing a structured pattern, recording the reflected or transmitted image of the pattern on the optical component to be tested, phase shifting the pattern and recording again similarly the reflected or transmitted image, calculating the local phase and amplitude images of the optical component to be tested, calculating a model image of a defect free optical component and determining corresponding phase and amplitude images of the defect free model optical component, comparing phase and amplitude images of both optical component to be tested and defect free model optical component, determining suspect zones in the optical component to be tested, and applying a metrics to separate dust and noise from other defects. |
| US08295576B2 |
System and method for automated medical diagnostic interpretation and report generation
Automated medical diagnostic interpretation and report generation for a non-invasive medical diagnostic test, such as an echo cardiogram, is provided. Various dimension measurements and physiological measurements from an echo cardiogram machine are transferred automatically to a computer over an echo cardiogram machine interface. The dimensions and physiological measurements are automatically interpreted by an intelligent interpretation engine running on a computer, generating various machine evaluations. The physician can approve the machine evaluations, overrule them, or make appropriate adjustments. Upon completion of the physician's review, the physician approved interpretations become diagnostic conclusions, and the report containing the results of the physician's review is generated by the report generation engine. |
| US08295573B2 |
Motion-compensated coronary flow from projection imaging
Diagnostic angiograms only provide the projected lumen of a coronary, which is only an indirect measure of blood flow and pressure decline. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a motion compensated determination of a flow dynamics and a pressure decline for stenosis grading is provided, in which the motion compensation is performed on the basis of a tracking of a first position of a first marker and a second position of a second marker in the projection data set. This may provide for a robust and precise flow dynamics and pressure decline determination. |
| US08295572B2 |
Dual-spectrum heat pattern separation algorithm for assessing chemotherapy treatment response and early detection
Infra-red images of tumors carry the information of normal and cancerous tissues in every pixel. We developed a Dual-Spectrum Heat Pattern Separation (DS-HPS) algorithm to quantify the energy from the area of the high temperature tissues, called qH map, and decompose the body surface into the high and normal temperature areas based on a pair of middle-wave Infra-red images and long-wave Infra-red images. Further, with longitudinal registration, we can detect the cancerous tissues and assess the chemotherapy treatment response on a pixel by pixel basis according to the change of the qH map derived by the DS-HPS algorithm. The preliminary result shows the area and the qH values in the high temperature area are decreased as the patients receive more chemotherapy. These suggest the proposed algorithm could capture the incremental or decremental of the energies emitted by the cancerous tissues, which has the potentials for chemotherapy assessment and early detection. |
| US08295570B2 |
Methods and apparatus for measuring body circumference
Methods and apparatus for measuring body circumference are provided. One method includes acquiring dual-energy two-dimensional (2D) scan information from a dual-energy x-ray scan of a body and generating a dual-energy image of the body using the 2D scan information. The method further includes determining a circumference of at least one portion of the body based on the dual-energy scan information and the generated dual-energy image. |
| US08295569B2 |
Method and system for automatic detection and measurement of mitral valve inflow patterns in doppler echocardiography
A method and system for segmentation of mitral valve inflow (MI) patterns in Doppler echocardiogram images is disclosed. Trained root detectors are used to detect left root candidates, right root candidates, and peak candidates in an input Doppler echocardiogram image. Two global structure detectors, a single triangle detector for non-overlapping E-waves and A-waves and a double triangle detector for overlapping E-waves and A-waves, are used to detect single triangle candidates and double triangle candidates based on the left root, right root, and peak candidates. A shape profile is used to determine a shape probability for each of the single triangle candidates and each of the double triangle candidates. The best single triangle candidate and the best double triangle candidate are selected based on shape probability and detection probability. One of the best single triangle candidate and the best double triangle candidate is selected as the final segmentation result based on a shape probability comparison. |
| US08295565B2 |
Method of image quality assessment to produce standardized imaging data
Automated image quality assessment methods, which include locating a region of interest, region assessment, contrast assessment, blur assessment, and contaminant detection, on video data and high-resolution imagery. Where the blur assessment is performed without a reference image by dividing the region into non-overlapping block, measuring the wavenumber frequency of the blocks and calculating the ratio of the low frequency to high frequency areas. |
| US08295559B2 |
Face image pickup device and method
There are provided a face image pickup device and a face image pickup method which can stably acquire a face image by appropriate illumination, and a program thereof. The face image pickup device comprises a camera which picks up an image of a face of a target person, an illumination light source which illuminates the face of the target person with near-infrared light having an arbitrary light amount, and a computer. The computer detects an area including an eye from the face image of the target person picked up by the camera. The computer measures a brightness distribution in the detected area. Thereafter, the computer controls the illumination light source so as to change the amount of near-infrared light based on the measured brightness distribution. |
| US08295553B2 |
Image analysis apparatus, image processing apparatus, and image analysis method
An image analysis apparatus includes a moving image input unit which accepts an input of a moving image of a subject irradiated with X-rays, a determination unit which analyzes the previous frame and current frame of the moving image, and determines based on the analysis result whether or not any of a change in relative position between an exposure field of the X-rays and an observation portion of the subject, a change in imaging condition of the moving image, and a change in observation portion of the subject is detected, and a feature amount setting unit which sets feature amounts extracted from the current frame in the current frame when the determination unit determines that any of the changes is detected, and sets feature amounts set in the previous frame in the current frame when the determination unit determines that no change is detected. |
| US08295549B2 |
Peripheral device having light emitting objects for interfacing with a computer gaming system claim of priority
A peripheral device for communicating with a computer gaming system having an image capture device associated therewith is provided. The image capture device is configured to capture image data of the peripheral device and the computer system is configured to exchange wireless communication data with the peripheral device. The peripheral device includes a body having a first location and a second location, where the first location is defined for a first light emitting object and the second location is defined for a second light emitting object. The first and second illuminating objects having a size that is identifiable in captured image data. The first location on the body is at a fixed predetermined distance from the second location. The peripheral device includes one or more buttons, and circuitry interfaced with the first and second light emitting objects. Also included is circuitry interfaced with a motion sensing device, and circuitry for the exchange of wireless communication data between the peripheral device and the computer gaming system. The wireless communication data includes data associated with the light emitting objects, the one or more buttons, and the motion sensing device. |
| US08295545B2 |
System and method for model based people counting
An approach that allows for model based people counting is provided. In one embodiment, there is a generating tool configured to generate a set of person-shape models based on results of a cumulative training process; a detecting tool configured to detect persons in a camera field-of-view by using the set of person-shape models, and a counting tool configured to track detected persons upon crossing by the detected persons of a previously established virtual boundary. |
| US08295540B2 |
Method and a machine for processing mail runs using matrix accumulators
A method of processing uniform mailpieces referred to as a “run” of mailpieces, during which method OCR is performed for recognizing certain information in a zone of interest of an image of each mailpiece, and during which method the following steps are performed: a) initializing a matrix accumulator associated with said run and including unitary accumulation elements that correspond to the pixels of the image; b) consolidating said matrix accumulator by incrementing certain unitary accumulation elements by deriving an indication of the spatial position of a block of pixels in which said certain information has been recognized unambiguously, or by using construction and local graphical correlation of blocks of image pixels to derive an optical flow map indicating local graphical movements; and c) defining, in the OCR processing, said zone of interest on the basis of the unitary accumulation elements of the consolidated matrix accumulator that present extreme accumulation values. |
| US08295535B2 |
Loudspeaker system
An aircraft seat integrating a loudspeaker system for creating an isolated sound stage designed to prevent egress from one aircraft seating area to another aircraft seating area includes a seat body having a horizontally oriented seat bottom and a seat back secured thereto. The seat back includes an upper end and a lower end. The lower end is positioned adjacent the seat bottom and the upper end includes a headrest structure for supporting the head and upper back of a passenger. A loudspeaker system includes a directional sound assembly and a nondirectional sound assembly. The directional sound assembly is mounted within the headrest structure for selective movement between a storage orientation in which the directional sound assembly is housed and hidden within a supporting housing mounted along the headrest structure and a use orientation in which the directional sound assembly is positioned for use. |
| US08295534B2 |
Flat panel display device
A flat panel display device includes a cabinet with front and rear cabinet parts, a flat panel display component, a holder, a speaker, and a pair of retaining members. The front cabinet part includes a speaker mount and a pair of support tubes. The holder includes an annular main body, a pair of arm, and a pair of engagement portions. The annular main body is disposed on the speaker mount. The engagement portions are disposed at distal end portions of the arms, respectively. The engagement portions engage with lower faces of the support tubes, respectively. The speaker is disposed on the annular main body of the holder. The retaining members are disposed at distal end portions of the support tubes, respectively. The retaining members have a diameter that is larger than that of support tubes. |
| US08295533B1 |
Bluetooth headset lanyard system
A lanyard system for retaining a wireless headset has a strap and a slide affixed at a first end of the strap. The slide engages a portion of a length of the strap and forms a loop. The slide is adjustable along the length of the strap to adjust the size of the loop. An elastomeric retainer is affixed at a second end of the strap for selective attachment to a wireless headset for removably securing the wireless headset to the lanyard system. |
| US08295527B2 |
Microphone boot for a portable electronic device
A microphone boot for a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device having such a microphone boot are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a portable electronic device, comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB); a microphone attached to the PCB and defining an aperture therein; a frame enclosing the microphone and PCB and defining an opening therein; a cap attached to the frame and defining an aperture therein; and a microphone boot received in the opening in the frame and defining an acoustic channel between the aperture in the microphone and the aperture in the cap. |
| US08295525B1 |
Flash-N-scratch
This invention provides a personal and wearable audio system comprising a first and second component; wherein each of the first and second component comprises an audio-signal generator interactively connected to a modulator and optionally a, signal interrupter; at least one speaker for amplifying the audio signal from the audio-signal generators, modulators and optional interrupters; and a means for attaching the first and second components to a wearer's body. |
| US08295524B2 |
Speaker unit to be used for projector
A speaker unit for a projector includes a first speaker, a fixing portion and a second speaker. Either the first speaker or the second speaker has a central hole to hold the vertical post of a projector. Two holes that are diagonally opposing each other are provided in the inner wall of the central hole. The two holes of the fixing portion may align with the two holes of the first speaker and fasteners may be used to fixedly connect the first speaker with the vertical post. A connective portion is provided on either of the two vertical walls of the first speaker and a connective portion is provided on either of the two vertical walls of the second speaker. Therefore, the second speaker may be connected with the first speaker by these connective portions. |
| US08295521B2 |
Hearing apparatus comprising a membrane on the battery compartment interior
A hearing apparatus with a housing including a housing interior is provided. Signal processing components are accommodated in the housing interior. The hearing apparatus includes a battery compartment fastened in or on the housing, which has a battery compartment interior into which a battery is inserted for supplying power to the hearing apparatus. Further, a membrane is provided, which separates the housing interior from the battery compartment interior. The membrane is fastened to the housing or to the battery compartment. |
| US08295508B2 |
Processing an audio signal
A method and apparatus for processing an audio signal to enhance the perceived lower frequency content of the audio signal when played through an audio output device, includes an input configured to receive an audio input signal, a processor configured to filter the audio input signal to produce a high frequency signal and a low frequency signal, generate an enhancement signal by producing higher frequency harmonics from the low frequency signal, including a process of self convolution, and combine the high frequency signal with the enhancement signal to produce an output signal; and an output configured to receive the output signal and produce an audio output. |
| US08295507B2 |
Frequency band extending apparatus, frequency band extending method, player apparatus, playing method, program and recording medium
A player apparatus for playing an input signal after band-extending the input signal includes: an extension controller to determine an extension start band for the input signal in accordance with information relating to the input signal; and a band divider to divide the input signal into a plurality of sub-band signals. The frequency band is extended on the basis of a plurality of the sub-band signals on a side lower than the extension start band, among the plurality of sub-band signals into which the input signal is band-divided by the band divider. |
| US08295506B2 |
Systems and methods for intra-oral based communications
Systems and methods are disclosed for capturing sound for communication by mounting one or more intra-oral microphones to capture sound; and mounting a mouth wearable communicator in the oral cavity to communicate sound with a remote unit. |
| US08295505B2 |
Earphone with controllable leakage of surrounding sound and device therefor
The invention relates to an earphone (1) with leakage control, which can be switched between states with and without leakage to adapt the earphone to different listening situations. The leakage of the earphone may be enabled and disabled automatically in dependence of the sound source and/or may be controlled manually by the user. The earphone is connectable to a device and comprises: a housing (2) substantially covering the external auditory meatus, and accommodating a loudspeaker element (3); the housing further comprising a channel (4) extending between an inner end (5) facing the external auditory meatus, and an outer end (6) facing the environment; and closure means (7) being switchable between a closed state in which said channel is substantially closed, and an open state in which said channel is admitting sound from the environment. The invention also relates to a device co-operating therewith, such as a mobile telephone. |
| US08295504B2 |
Methods and devices for fan control of an electronic device based on loudness data
Disclosed are methods and devices for controlling the state of a fan of an electronic device during audio output based in whole or in part on loudness data of a digital audio file. An audio data file is sampled so that loudness data is determined from the sample audio data. The loudness data may indicate at least one portion of the audio data file that has a predetermined loudness level. For example, when the loudness data indicates that the audio output is low, the fan can be deactivated or slowed. In this way the noise of the fan does not impair the user's audio experience. Alternatively, when the loudness data indicates that the audio output is high, the fan can be activated or its speed may be increased. The predetermined loudness level of the audio output may have a value that is sufficiently high to mask fan noise. |
| US08295503B2 |
Noise reduction device and method thereof
A noise reduction device include at east a cavity; a plurality of ducts noise reduction, at least one of the ducts being connected to the cavity for transmitting an acoustic signal including a noise signal into/out of the cavity; a noise reduction circuit, for receiving the acoustic signal including the noise signal and generating an electrical signal; a microphone for receiving the acoustic signal inside the cavity, converting the received acoustic signal into another electrical signal and transmitting the electrical signal to the noise reduction circuit; and a speaker for receiving the electrical signal generated by the noise reduction circuit, using the received electrical signal to generate an out of phase acoustic signal accordingly, and feeding the out of phase acoustic signal into the cavity to interfere with the noise signal inside the cavity. With the noise reduction circuit and cavity structure designed in the noise reduction device, the full range of noise is attenuated. |
| US08295498B2 |
Apparatus and method for producing 3D audio in systems with closely spaced speakers
An audio processing circuit includes a crosstalk cancellation circuit that is advantageously simplified for use in audio devices that have closely-spaced speakers. In particular, crosstalk filtering as implemented in the circuit assumes that the external head-related contralateral filters are time-delayed and attenuated versions of the external, head-related ipsilateral filters. With this assumption, the circuit's crosstalk filtering is configurable for varying audio characteristics, according to a small number of settable parameters. These parameters include configurable first and second attenuation parameters for cross-path signal attenuation, and configurable first and second delay parameters for cross-path delay. Optional sound normalization, if included, uses similar simplified parameterization. Further, in one or more embodiments, the audio processing circuit and method include or are associated with a defined table of parameters that are least-squares optimized solutions. The optimized parameter values provide wider listening sweet spots for a greater variety of listeners. |
| US08295496B2 |
Audio signal processing
An audio system for processing two channels of audio input to provide more than two output channels. The input may be conventional stereo material or compressed audio signal data. The audio processing includes separating the input signals into frequency bands and processing the frequency bands according to processes which may differ from band to band. The audio processing includes no processing of L−R signals. |
| US08295494B2 |
Enhancing audio with remixing capability
One or more attributes (e.g., pan, gain, etc.) associated with one or more objects (e.g., an instrument) of a stereo or multi-channel audio signal can be modified to provide remix capability. An audio decoding apparatus obtains an audio signal having a set of objects and side information. The apparatus obtains a set of mix parameters from a user input and an attenuation factor from the set of mix parameters. The apparatus then generates a plural-channel audio signal using at least one of the side information, the attenuation factor or the set of mix parameters. |
| US08295488B2 |
Exchange of key material
A communication network manages key material. A method generates and provides session keys from a security node to an access node for further propagation during handoff procedures, without requiring the security node to take part in the handoff procedures. |
| US08295486B2 |
Systems, devices, and methods for outputting alerts to indicate the use of a weak hash function
Systems, devices, and methods for outputting an alert on a mobile device to indicate the use of a weak hash function are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, the method comprises receiving data (e.g. from a server) that identifies at least one first hash function, identifying a hash digest generated using a second hash function, determining if the second hash function is weak using the received data, and outputting an alert indicating that the second hash function is weak if it is determined that the second hash function is weak. |
| US08295475B2 |
Selective glitch detection, clock drift compensation, and anti-clipping in audio echo cancellation
The quality and robustness of audio echo cancellation is enhanced by selectively applying glitch recovery processes based on a quality measurement of the relative offset between capture and render audio streams. For example, large and small glitch detection is enabled for low relative offset variance; large glitch detection is enabled in a medium range of relative offset variance; and neither enabled at high variance. Further, a fast glitch recovery process suspends updating the adaptive filter coefficients of the audio echo cancellation while buffers are re-aligned to recover from the glitch, so as to avoid resetting the adaptive filter. When clock drift exists between capture and render audio streams, a multi-step compensation method is applied to improve AEC output quality in case the drifting rate is low; and a resampler is used to compensate the drift in case the drifting rate is high. An anti-clipping process detects clipping of the signals, and also suspends adaptive filter updating during clipping. |
| US08295474B2 |
Echo canceller with heavy double-talk estimation
In a data processing system, a method includes receiving samples of a send path input signal (Sin) and samples of a receive path input signal (Rin); in response to receiving each sample of the send path input signal, providing a double-talk indicator to indicate whether or not double-talk has been detected; using the double-talk indicator to determine a double-talk density within a predetermined number of samples of the send path input signal or the receive path input signal; and using the double-talk density to provide a heavy double-talk indicator which indicates whether or not heavy double-talk has been detected. In response to the heavy double-talk indicator indicating that heavy double-talk has been detected, a heavy double-talk mode may be entered. |
| US08295473B2 |
Telephone number management equipment and telephone number conversion method
A technology for converting a source or destination telephone number according to usage purposes of a telephone apparatus user. A number converter (115) is provided to convert the source telephone number based on the destination telephone number to which a call is made from an IP voice terminal (130) or a voice terminal (140), using information stored in a called number conversion database (112). The number converter (115) also converts the destination telephone number based on the source telephone number from which a call is made from the IP voice terminal (130) or the voice terminal (140), using information stored in a calling number conversion database (113). |
| US08295472B2 |
System and method for incorporating customer hang-ups and web submissions into a phonecall-based support workflow
A method for managing calls and web-submissions includes receiving a web-submission at a first time; generating a first ticket associated with the web-submission; generating a first digital file indicating both the first ticket and that the web-submission was received from a system; storing the first ticket and the first digital file in a first record of a queue; receiving a live call at a second time; generating a second ticket associated with the live call; generating a second digital file when the live call changes into a hang-up call before being serviced by an agent, the second digital file indicating both the second ticket and that the live call was received from a device; storing the live call or the second ticket and the second digital file in a second record of the queue, the first record being positioned in the queue before the second record, the queue being configured to have the first record being serviced before the second record. |
| US08295471B2 |
Selective mapping of callers in a call-center routing system based on individual agent settings
Systems and methods are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center, along with an intelligent routing system. An exemplary method includes mapping a first portion of callers to agents according to a performance and/or pattern matching algorithm based on comparing caller data associated with the callers and agent data associated with the agents and mapping a second portion of the callers (e.g., the remaining portion callers) to agents differently than the first portion of the callers (e.g., mapping based on queue order), which may provide a control group for monitoring or analyzing the effect and/or training of the pattern matching algorithm. The first and second portion may be varied separately for each agent within the contact center. The method may further include displaying the effect of the routing on at least one outcome variable, which may include revenue generation, cost, customer satisfaction, first call resolution, cancellation, or other variable outputs from the pattern matching algorithm of the system. |
| US08295468B2 |
Optimized method to select and retrieve a contact center transaction from a set of transactions stored in a queuing mechanism
A system and method to select and retrieve contact center transactions from a set of transactions stored in a queuing mechanism. The system includes an interactive voice response system configured to accept at least one call and dynamically populate a web form with call data associated with the at least one call. The system also includes a queuing engine configured to allow a call agent to access the call data prior to the at least one call being connected to the call agent. |
| US08295459B2 |
System and method for dynamically partitioning context servers
A system and method for dynamically partitioning context servers in a network in response to changes in network conditions. Context servers store information about calls in a telecommunications system. Network control elements can obtain call information from one or more partitions of the context servers to help make call control and reporting decisions. |
| US08295453B2 |
Phone
Phones comprising a touch panel and a controller. The controller is operable to control the touch panel to stop showing a first user interface to show a second user interface when receiving an interrupt signal that is occurred when a dialing icon of the first user interface had been tapped. |
| US08295451B2 |
Communication apparatus
A communication apparatus includes at least two communication units that are mutually communicable; an incoming call detection device that is configured to detect presence or absence of an incoming call signal; a notification device that is configured to provide a user, when an incoming call signal is detected by the incoming call detection device, with a notification indicating the detection of the incoming call signal; and a first transfer device that is configured to transfer, when a voice communication is started by a first communication unit out of the at least two communication units after the notification by the notification device is provided, a first connection information indicating a connection condition, when the voice communication is started, of a data communication which has been performed by the first communication unit to a second communication unit other than the first communication unit out of the at least two communication units. |
| US08295449B2 |
Method and system for creating audio identification messages
The invention concerns a system (100) and method (200, 300, 400) for creating audio identification messages for a first communication device (102). In one arrangement, the method can include the step of populating a call list. This can be done by associating a recorded audio identification message with a caller identification (106) of a second communication device (104) that calls the first communication device, and storing (210) the recorded audio identification message in a call list. The audio identification message can be recorded by a user of the second communication device. In another arrangement, the method can include the steps of playing (308) the audio identification message and initiating (314) a call to an entry associated with the audio identification message. |
| US08295445B2 |
Automatic emergency call notification to pre-designated personal emergency contacts
Automatic notification is provided to pre-designated emergency contacts for a given wireless subscriber upon the occurrence of an emergency call from the subscriber. Triggering for the automatic notification may take place at an appropriate time in the emergency call, e.g., at a time the emergency call is received, at a time during the emergency call after a current location of the emergency caller is obtained by the emergency network, once the emergency call terminates, after a set amount of time after the emergency call is received, terminates, etc. The automatic notification is preferably made using voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), but may instead be pre-designated by the subscriber to be in an alternative mode, e.g., by SMS, switched telephone, etc. An option is included for the emergency caller to cancel the automatic notification. The location of the emergency caller may be configurably provided to a notified emergency contact. |
| US08295444B2 |
Systems and methods for performing loop analysis based on un-calibrated single-ended line testing
Systems and methods for performing loop analysis are described. Some embodiments are directed to determining loop characteristics such as loop gauge, loop termination, and straight-loop departure. One embodiment includes a method for performing loop length estimation which comprises receiving an un-calibrated echo signal for a loop under test using frequency domain reflectometry single-ended line testing (FDR-SELT), a region associated with the loop under test, and a platform type. The method comprises classifying the loop under test and outputting a loop length estimate based on the classification of the loop under test and based on one of a ripple-period approach and a template-matching approach. |
| US08295440B2 |
Super miniature X-ray tube using NANO material field emitter
A super miniature X-ray tube using the nano material field emitter includes a tip-tip-type cathode electrode having the nano material field emitter formed on one end with a planar section thereof to generate an electron beam, a gate electrode formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and surrounding an outer circumference of the cathode electrode, the gate electrode having a tapered portion formed on one end and inclined from inside to outside, the gate electrode receiving a voltage for generating the electron beam, a high voltage insulating portion formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and surrounding an outer circumference of the gate electrode, a anode electrode formed at a predetermined distance from one end of the high voltage insulating portion and receiving an acceleration voltage to accelerate an electron beam generated at the cathode electrode, and an electric field adjusting electrode formed between the high voltage insulating portion and the anode electrode to vary a pattern of an acceleration electric field, wherein the cathode electrode includes an open portion formed on one side to receive therein the electric field adjusting electrode, and an X-ray generating portion formed on the other side to generate an X-ray by a collision of an accelerated electron beam. |
| US08295435B2 |
Cardiac target tracking
Systems and methods for tracking cardiac targets are disclosed. The cardiac targets may be tracked dynamically. The process may include registering a cardiac target at different phases of a cardiac cycle. Movement of the cardiac target can be determined by correlating respiratory motion and cardiac pumping motion. Radiation treatment can then be delivered to the cardiac target taking into account the movement of the cardiac target. |
| US08295431B2 |
Non-contacting rotary joint
A rotary joint for transmission of data from a data source to a data sink, between a rotating part and a stationary part, includes a transmission line arrangement fed from a transmission means, and also a receiving means which taps signals from the transmission line arrangement with the aid of a receiving coupler arrangement. A control unit controls the data source. For transmission of data having a small band-width an encoder is provided which converts the data from the data source to a duobinary code. |
| US08295427B1 |
Control rod for a pressurized water nuclear reactor
A control rod for a pressurized-water nuclear reactor contains an absorber rod which is arranged in a casing tube. At least in a lower section, the absorber rod is provided with at least one recess which takes up at most a portion of the circumferential surface of this section. This reduces problems associated with an expansion in the volume of the absorber rod. |
| US08295425B2 |
Fast reactor having reactivity control reflector
A fast reactor having a reactivity control reflector has a reactor vessel in which a coolant is accommodated, a reactor core which is installed in the reactor vessel and dipped with the coolant, and a reflector installed outside of the reactor core so as to be movable in a vertical direction for controlling the reactivity of the reactor core. The reflector of the fast reactor has a lower neutron reflecting portion having a neutron reflection capability higher than that of the coolant and an upper cavity portion located above the neutron reflecting portion and having a neutron reflection capability lower than that of the coolant. The cavity portion is composed of a plurality of cylindrical hermetically-sealed vessels. |
| US08295423B2 |
System and method for clockless data recovery
A system for clockless synchronous data recovery is provided. The system includes an input rate demultiplexer receiving a serial data stream of bits of data transmitted at a bit rate and generating two or more parallel data streams from the serial data stream. One or more delays coupled to the input rate demultiplexer each receives one of the generated parallel serial data streams and delays bits of data and feeds them back to the input rate demultiplexer. |
| US08295422B2 |
Code controller
A code controller configures a code state at a substantially constant and low storage volume, and at a substantially constant computational processing amount, regardless of which state position a desired code state is present in within the state area of the code states. In one embodiment, a state processor detects the position of a desired code state based on an inputted code phase amount. Based on the detection, state processor performs processing for jumping the code state a predetermined interval, and obtains a specific code state near the code state. The state processor selects the appropriate process from among a process for delaying the code state one state at a time from the obtained code state and a process for transiting the code state one state at a time in the direction opposite the delay direction, transits the code state, and obtains the desired code state. |
| US08295415B2 |
Interference characterisation and removal
A method of evaluating the usage in a received signal of codes from a tree of codes that can be used to orthogonalise communications signals, the method including testing to determine if a given code is in use in the received signal and deducing from the result and from the tree structure the need to test in the received signal for the use of the codes in the portion of the tree depending from said given code. The invention also includes corresponding apparatus and software. |
| US08295413B2 |
Doppler frequency estimating device, receiving device, recording medium and Doppler frequency estimating method
A device of an example of the invention comprises a first section of which performs inverse fast Fourier transform for a channel estimation value obtained by channel estimation to obtain a channel impulse response, a second section which selects paths that belong to a group having a large element based on elements of paths for the channel impulse response, a third section which calculates autocorrelation values by time averaging for each of the paths selected by the second section, a fourth section which obtains an ensemble average value of the autocorrelation values by time averaging obtained by the third section, and a fifth section which obtains a Doppler frequency associated with the ensemble average value based on a characteristic of a relationship between an autocorrelation value and a Doppler frequency and the ensemble average value. |
| US08295408B2 |
Receiving apparatus and method for signal detection
A differential amplifier stage under a band design whereby a data signal at a maximum transfer rate among received waveforms is subjected to attenuation upon passing through a transmission line is not amplified, and a signal at a transfer rate half the maximum transfer rate is amplified. If it is determined that a signal whose amplitude is larger in value than a high reference voltage, the signal is determined as a signal “1” while if smaller in value than a low reference voltage, the signal is determined as a signal “0”. If the first amplitude detector detects that the amplitude of the signal is smaller in value than the high reference voltage, and the second amplitude detector detects that the amplitude of the signal is larger in value than the low reference voltage, the present signal is determined as an inverting signal of an immediately preceding signal. |
| US08295399B2 |
Transmission apparatus, reception apparatus and digital radio communication method
A digital radio communication method includes selecting a modulation scheme for a transmission data signal from among a plurality of modulation schemes. The transmission data signal is modulated according to the selected modulation scheme to generate a first symbol, the first symbol being a first quadrature baseband signal. Further, a pilot signal is modulated according to a specific modulation scheme to generate a second symbol, the second symbol being a second quadrature baseband signal. |
| US08295397B2 |
Input drive control for switcher regulated power amplifier modules
Various embodiments described herein relate to a power management block and an amplification block used in the transmitter of a communication subsystem. The power management block provides improved control for the gain control signal provided to a pre-amplifier and the supply voltage provided to a power amplifier which are both in the amplification block. The power expended by the power amplifier is optimized by employing a continuous control method in which one or more feedback loops are employed to take into account various characteristics of the transmitter components and control values. |
| US08295396B2 |
System and method for power control in a wireless transmitter
A system and method for power control in a wireless transmitter. A power control loop includes a feed forward unit coupled to a data source, the feed forward unit processes a signal for transmission, a feedback unit coupled to the feed forward unit, the feedback unit generates a feedback signal representative of an output power level of the signal transmitted by the feed forward unit, a closed loop power control unit coupled to the feedback unit and to the feed forward unit, the closed loop power control unit generates an additive correction signal based on an error signal computed from the feedback signal and data provided by the data source or software instructions, and a ramp path power control unit coupled to the data source, the ramp path power control unit generates a multiplicative correction signal based on an additive correction signal and data provided by the data source. |
| US08295395B2 |
Methods and apparatus for partial interference reduction within wireless networks
Methods and apparatus that enable one or more wireless networks to minimize inter-cellular interference (ICI) at a receiver. In one embodiment, the network comprises an OFDM-based cellular network, and the method comprises utilizing a priori knowledge of non-data portions of signals from multiple base stations in order to schedule transmissions. In one variant, these non-data portions comprise pilot tones; the pilot tones can be scheduled onto various time-frequency resources of the network so as to minimize ICI. The mobility context of the receiver can also be used as a basis for dynamically adjusting the pilot tone density. In another variant, precoding (e.g., Tomlinson-Harashima preceding) can be applied to “shape” the non-data portions of the transmitted signals so as to mitigate ICI. In yet other variants, frame preambles and learning sequences are used as the basis for invoking selective transmission time shifts across the potentially interfering base stations so as to minimize ICI. |
| US08295393B2 |
Device and method for transmitting/receiving pulse signal
A pulse signal transmitting/receiving device is provided. The device includes a signal generating module for generating a transmitting signal including an amplitude-modulated chirp signal, and a reference signal including a chirp signal having a frequency that changes similarly to that of the transmitting signal, a transmitting module for transmitting a pulse having approximately the same waveform as that of the transmitting signal, a receiving module for receiving an echo signal that is the transmitting pulse reflected from a detection target object, a compensating module for extending a dynamic range of the echo signal received by the receiving module, and a pulse compressing module for outputting a pulse-compressed echo signal, wherein the pulse compression is performed by a correlation calculation between the echo signal having the dynamic range extended by the compensating module, and the reference signal. |
| US08295392B2 |
Digital communication system, indoor unit, and outdoor unit
A digital communication system, an indoor unit, and an outdoor unit in which characteristic variation due to temperature is small are provided. The digital communication system comprises an IDU 1 and an ODU 6 connected through a cable 8, in which the IDU 1 includes a slope equalizer 2 which applies a given frequency characteristic to a baseband signal, a DAC 3 which converts the baseband signal from digital form into analog form, and an AGC circuit 5 which amplifies the baseband signal converted from digital form into analog form with a given amplification factor and outputs the signal to the ODU 6, and the ODU 6 includes a power detection circuit 7 which detects a length of the cable 8, determines a frequency characteristic to be applied to the baseband signal and an amplification factor according to the detected length of the cable 8 and notifies the determined frequency characteristic and amplification factor to the slope equalizer 2 and the AGC circuit 5 respectively. |
| US08295391B2 |
Transmission method and transmission apparatus
Of any one of transmission method X of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B including the same data from a plurality of antennas and transmission method Y of transmitting modulated signal A and modulated signal B having different data from the plurality of antennas, base station apparatus 201 does not change the transmission method during data transmission and changes only the modulation scheme. Base station apparatus 201 transmits modulated signal A and modulated signal B to communication terminal apparatus 251 using the determined transmission method and modulation scheme. In this way, it is possible to improve data transmission efficiency when transmitting data using the plurality of antennas. |
| US08295388B1 |
Efficient digital upconverter
Techniques for efficient upconversion can process complex input data, such as for example data in an inphase and quadrature form. Half sample interpolation filtering and delay can be performed, and the results can be combined in a quarter-rate upconverter. The quarter rate upconversion can allow one of the half-sample interpolating filtering and the delay to be performed on one of either the inphase and quadrature samples. |
| US08295386B2 |
Nonlinear filter and transmission circuit
A nonlinear filter includes: a determination unit that determines, based on I and Q signals inputted into the determination unit, whether or not to perform pulse insertion; a rotation detector that detects a rotation direction of the I and Q signals on an IQ plane with respect to the origin of the IQ plane; a pulse generator that generates, when the determination unit determines to perform the pulse insertion, a pulse of which at least one of the direction and the magnitude is determined in accordance with at least the detected rotation direction; and an adder that inserts the pulse into the I and Q signals and outputs resultant I and Q signals. |
| US08295385B2 |
Initiation of a MIMO communication
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for initiating a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication. The method and apparatus includes processing that begins by transmitting a frame formatted in accordance with a default MIMO active transmitter-receiver antenna configuration to a target receiver. The processing continues by receiving at least one response frame from the target receiver. The processing continues by determining a number of receiver antennas of the target receiver from the at least one response frame. |
| US08295384B2 |
Estimating spatial expansion matrix in a MIMO wireless communication system
Techniques are provided to derive the spatial expansion matrix used when one wireless communication device sends a transmission with a number of spatial streams less than the number of its transmit antennas to another wireless communication device. These techniques involve, at the receiving wireless communication device, generating channel estimate information for received transmissions sent with different numbers of spatial streams and to determine when sufficient information is available to estimate a spatial expansion matrix for different spatial expansion scenarios. |
| US08295382B2 |
Antenna multiplexing system and method of smart antenna and multiple-input multiple-output antenna
An antenna multiplexing system and a method of a smart antenna and a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output antenna are provided, wherein the system includes a MIMO antenna array and a smart antenna array, the smart antenna array includes several groups of antenna array elements in which the distance between neighbor antenna array elements is less than or equal to one half of wavelength, and the smart antenna array comprises at least two groups of antenna array elements with the coherence sufficient for the requirement of the MIMO applications. The method includes: in accordance with the type of the data to be transmitted, determining a transmitting mode and processing the data to be transmitted accordingly, and in accordance with the transmitting mode, controlling the MIMO antenna array or smart antenna array, so as to transmitting the data to the mobile terminal. With the premise that the actual coverage of TD-SCDMA system should be further improved, the requirement of higher user throughout could be met, and the MIMO antenna system could satisfy the requirement of the future system evolution. Both of the applications of the MIMO and the smart antenna could be met with the use of the same antenna feeding system, and the adaptive switching of the MIMO and the smart antenna with respect to the user could be achieved. |
| US08295381B2 |
Signal decoder with general purpose calculation engine
Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a signal decoder with a general purpose calculation engine. A system for decoding signals in a wireless communication system can include: a controller including an instruction counter; a program memory configured to store program code for operating the controller; a general purpose calculation engine configured to perform primitive operations derived from algorithms for decoding a plurality of coded signals received via a plurality of receive antennas; and a data memory connected to the general purpose calculation engine for storing data generated by the general purpose calculation engine while performing the primitive operations. |
| US08295378B2 |
Method and system for minimum mean squared error soft interference cancellation (MMSE-SIC) based suboptimal maximum likelihood (ML) detection for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless system
Various aspects of a method for minimum mean square error soft interference cancellation (MMSE-SIC) based sub-optimal maximum likelihood (ML) detection for a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless system may comprise selecting at least one constellation point in a constellation map based on at least one of a plurality of received symbols. A number of the at least one constellation point may be less than or equal to a number of previously selected constellation points in a previous constellation map. At least one of the plurality of received symbols may be decoded based on the selected at least one constellation point. |
| US08295374B2 |
Signal detecting method and receiver using the same
A signal detecting method and a receiver using the same are provided. The method includes the following steps. A receiving signal vector y is received through a number of channels, wherein the receiving signal vector y corresponds to a transmitting signal vector x transmitted by at least one of the channels. A channel matrix H is determined, wherein the channel matrix H represents at least one of the channels. A factorization matrix D is chosen, wherein D is invertible to make the channel matrix H expressed as H={tilde over (H)}D, and {tilde over (H)} is a corresponding channel matrix. The factorization matrix D is determined to make an expected value of the signal estimate error become smaller. The receiving signal vector y is detected to estimate the transmitting signal vector x according to the corresponding channel matrix {tilde over (H)} and the factorization matrix D. |
| US08295373B2 |
Virtual multicarrier design for orthogonal frequency division multiple access communications
Embodiments of the present invention provide a virtual multicarrier design for orthogonal frequency division multiple access communications. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US08295370B2 |
Method and arrangement for improved link quality control
In a method of link quality control for communication links between a plurality of mobile terminals and a node in a radio communication system, providing (S0) at least one data block for transmission between said node and at least one of said mobile terminals, providing (S1) at least two measurement reports comprising measurements of the quality for a plurality of potential burst constellations on which to transmit said at least one data block, jointly selecting (S2) a respective burst constellation for each said at least one data block based at least on said measurement reports, jointly selecting (S3) a respective modulation and coding scheme for each said data block based at least on said measurement reports. Subsequently, scheduling (S4) bursts for transmission on at least one available channel based at least on said jointly selected modulation and coding scheme and said jointly selected burst constellation. |
| US08295366B2 |
Signal adaptive filtering method, signal adaptive filter and computer readable medium for storing program method
A signal adaptive filtering method for reducing blocking effect and ringing noise, a signal adaptive filter, and a computer readable medium. The signal adaptive filtering method capable of reducing blocking effect and ringing noise of image data when a frame is composed of blocks of a predetermined size includes the steps of: (a) generating blocking information for reducing the blocking effect and ringing information for reducing the ringing noise, from coefficients of predetermined pixels of the upper and left boundary regions of the data block when a frame obtained by deconstructing a bitstream image data for inverse quantization is an intraframe; and (b) adaptively filtering the image data passed through inverse quantization and inverse discrete cosine transform according to the generated blocking information and ringing information. Therefore, the blocking effect and ringing noise can be eliminated from the image restored from the block-based image, thereby enhancing the image restored from compression. |
| US08295365B2 |
Wireless receiver
A bitstream analysis circuit, generates a reference clock control data. A reference clock DPLL receives a system clock signal and reference clock control data from the analysis circuit and generates a reference clock signal. The reference clock DPLL comprises a 1/n frequency dividing circuit for frequency-dividing the system clock signal, and a 1/(n+1) frequency dividing circuit for frequency-dividing the system clock signal. A register stores data to set frequency dividing ratios of both frequency dividing circuits. A mixing ratio set register stores data to set a mixing ratio between output clock signals from both frequency dividing circuits and a mixing circuit, and mixes the output clock signals from both frequency dividing circuits at a mixing ratio in response to the data in the mixing ratio setting register. |
| US08295361B2 |
Video compression circuit and method thereof
A video compression circuit including a video pre-processor, a macroblock data storage unit and a video processor is provided. When fulfilled by an input video signal, the video pre-processor converts the input video signal to generate a macroblock data. The macroblock data storage unit alternatively and temporally stores the macroblock data generated from the video pre-processor. The video processor alternatively reads the macroblock data stored in the macroblock data storage unit, and compresses the readout macroblock data to an output video signal. |
| US08295353B2 |
Image encoding device, image encoding control method, and program
An image encoding control method for controlling processing for encoding data of an input moving image based on an interlace system comprises: a step of determining whether or not a chrominance-component motion vector generated based on the luminance-component motion specifies a reference prohibition region preset at least one of outside an upper boundary and outside a lower boundary of the reference image, for each combination of a field type of the region to be encoded and the field type of the reference image; and a step of prohibiting, when the chrominance-component motion vector generated based on the luminance-component motion vector specifies the reference prohibition region, the luminance-component motion vector from being output as a motion vector specifying a region that is most similar to the region to be encoded. |
| US08295348B2 |
Method for controlling moving picture encoding using channel information of wireless networks
Disclosed is a method for controlling bit rates in consideration of wireless channel environment by an apparatus that transmits and receives moving picture encoding data via a wireless network. The apparatus for transmitting/receiving data through a wireless communication network connected to the apparatus including a channel state analyzing unit for analyzing a wireless channel environment, an encoding controller for generating control information containing information about a quantization parameter, skip or non-skip of frames indication, frame type indication, and use or non-use of an Error Resilient Tool (ERT) indication, in consideration of an analyzation result received from the channel state analyzing unit, a moving picture encoding unit for encoding incoming moving picture data, based on the control information received from the encoding controller; and a data transmitting/receiving unit for transferring the encoded moving picture data through the wireless channel to an exterior. |
| US08295347B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method, recording medium, and program
An information processing apparatus and method for splicing first compressed image data with second compressed image data. The method includes performing a decoding process for a first decoding interval that includes a first editing point set to the first compressed image data to produce a first non-compressed image signal. A second decoding process includes a second editing point set to the second compressed image data to produce a second non-compressed image signal. A re-encoding process re-encodes an interval of a third non-compressed image signal and the first and second non-compressed image signals are spliced at the first and second editing points to produce third compressed image data. |
| US08295345B2 |
Transcoder unit and method
A transcoder is provided that achieves lower complexity without picture quality loss. The transcoder may be either an open loop transcoder or a closed loop transcoder. |
| US08295343B2 |
Video bit rate control method
This invention is directed to a video bit rate control method for encoding a video sequence based on a decoder buffer condition and a group of picture (GOP) size limitation of the encoded video sequence. The method includes iteratively adjusting a quantization parameter and/or a masking strength parameter and encoding the video sequence at the adjusted parameters until the buffer condition and GOP size limitation are satisfied. The method makes the above adjustments to avoid buffer underflow and GOP oversizing. |
| US08295339B2 |
Method of estimating inter-carrier interference (ICI) and ICI mitigating equalizer
An inter-carrier interference (ICI) mitigating equalizer includes a channel estimator, a channel calculator, an ICI estimator, a subtracter, and an equalizer. The channel estimator estimates a channel response from a received signal, and the channel calculator calculates a basic component of a channel response and fluctuating components of the channel response from the estimated channel response. The ICI estimator multiplies the fluctuating components of the channel response by a received signal in a frequency domain, filters the multiplication results according to filter coefficients, and estimates an ICI component included in the received signal based on the filtering results. The subtracter subtracts the ICI component from the received signal in the frequency domain. The equalizer equalizes an output signal of the subtracter based on the basic component of the channel response. |