| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08375394B2 |
Techniques to automatically classify processes
Techniques for automatically classifying processes are presented. Processes executing on a multicore processor machine are evaluated to determine shared resources between the processes, excluding shared system resources. A determination is then made based on the evaluation to group the processes as a single managed resource within an operating system of the multicore processor machine. |
| US08375393B2 |
Methods and architectures for resource management
Resource management architectures implemented in computer systems to manage resources are described. In one embodiment, a general architecture includes a resource manager and multiple resource providers that support one or more resource consumers such as a system component or application. Each provider is associated with a resource and acts as the manager for the resource when interfacing with the resource manager. The resource manager arbitrates access to the resources provided by the resource providers on behalf of the consumers. A policy manager sets various policies that are used by the resource manager to allocate resources. A resource consumer creates an “activity” at the resource manager and builds one or more “configurations” that describe various sets of preferred resources required to perform the activity. Each resource consumer can specify one or more configurations for each activity. |
| US08375381B1 |
Management user interface for application execution environment
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for managing an application execution environment on a computer. One or more aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in one or more methods of managing an application execution environment, the one or more methods including: identifying different versions of the application execution environment installed on a computer; presenting a user interface configured to manage the different versions of the application execution environment, wherein the user interface includes an option to selectively uninstall one or more of the different versions of the application execution environment; and managing the different versions of the application execution environment on the computer as a single runtime environment program having the different versions bundled therein, based on input received via the user interface. |
| US08375380B2 |
In-system reconfiguring of hardware resources
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for determining if a system is compatible with an upgrade to a hardware resource of the system, receiving instructions from a remote server to upgrade the hardware resource if the system is compatible, and programming the hardware resource based on the instructions. In one such embodiment, the hardware resource may be programmed via programmable fuses to enable circuitry of the hardware resource. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08375379B2 |
Importing language extension resources to support application execution
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to provide a registration service that is configured to accept a registration, where the registration includes a first address and a description of available language extension resources of a resource provider. The computer readable storage medium further includes executable instructions to import, based on the registration, the available language extension resources from the resource provider to support execution based on the available language extension resources. The executable instructions to import use inter-process communication. |
| US08375374B2 |
Partitioning programs between a general purpose core and one or more accelerators
An mechanism is provided for partitioning programs between a general purpose core and one or more accelerators. With the apparatus and method, a compiler front end is provided for converting a program source code in a corresponding high level programming language into an intermediate code representation. This intermediate code representation is provided to an interprocedural optimizer which determines which core processor or accelerator each portion of the program should execute on and partitions the program into sub-programs based on this set of decisions. The interprocedural optimizer may further add instructions to the partitions to coordinate and synchronize the sub-programs as required. Each sub-program is compiled on an appropriate compiler backend for the instruction set architecture of the particular core processor or accelerator selected to execute the sub-program. The compiled sub-programs and then linked to thereby generate an executable program. |
| US08375372B2 |
Business process execution language program simulation
A BPEL program simulator can include a document object modeler configured to arrange activities defined by a BPEL document into a document object model (DOM) tree. The DOM tree can include activity nodes and links between the activity nodes. The BPEL program simulator further can include simulation logic configured to process the activity nodes to emulate at least one BPEL activity selected from the group consisting of Sequence, Flow, While, Pick and OnMessage, Switch and Case, Invoke, Script, Receive, Reply, Empty, Staff, and Assign. |
| US08375371B2 |
Importance-based call graph construction
A system and method for importance-based call graph construction, including a) analyzing a computer software application to identify a plurality of calls within the computer software application, b) assigning an importance value to any of the calls in accordance with a predefined importance rule, c) selecting any of the calls for inclusion in a call graph in accordance with a predefined inclusion rule, d) representing the call in the call graph, e) adjusting the importance value of any call represented in the call graph in accordance with a predefined importance adjustment rule, and f) iteratively performing any of steps a)-e) until a predefined termination condition is met. |
| US08375370B2 |
Application/service event root cause traceability causal and impact analyzer
A method, system, and computer-readable medium for identifying root causes of problems in a software factory. Each work packet being executed within the software factory is assigned meta-data, which describes a relationship between that work packet and other work packets, as well as a relationship between that work packet and resources within the software factory. These metrics provides means for identifying any problems within the software factory. |
| US08375367B2 |
Tracking database deadlock
In tracking a deadlock caused by at least one application, a computing system is communicatively coupled to a computing device, wherein the computing device has the at least one application. A source code line in the at least one application is identified, wherein the at least one application includes a plurality of source code lines. A deadlock identifier is generated by the computing system and the computing system transmits a first response to the application, wherein first response includes the deadlock identifier. The deadlock identifier is extracted from the first response, the source code line is captured, and a second response is transmitted to the computer system by the application. The second response includes the source code line and the deadlock identifier. |
| US08375360B2 |
Provision of services over a common delivery platform such as a mobile telephony network
A system for providing services to subscribers of a network supports the provision of a plurality of different services to multiple subscribers. Multiple processing units are provided, each providing a respective execution environment for a respective set of software applications. A data structure is provided containing data identifying the sets of software applications or software application components of the sets of software applications, and different developers are provided with different access rights to the data in the data structure. Different software applications or software application components are associated with different access right levels. This provides a software development environment in which a common services repository is provided with different access rights implemented for accessing the repository. |
| US08375359B2 |
Parallel transaction execution with a thread pool
A method for using available server threads to process resources and reduce the overall time of performing XA interactions in two-phase commit protocol implemented by the transaction manager. A TM processing XA interactions dispatches interaction commands for multiple resources to a thread manager, which dispatches the commands to idle server threads. In one embodiment, the TM attempts to dispatch all but one of the interaction commands to separate threads. The primary thread then processes the remaining resource command. Any commands relating to dispatch requests that were unable to be dispatched to separate threads due to unavailability are processed by the primary thread. Once the primary server has processed its interaction commands and received a signal indicating the threads receiving dispatch requests have completed their respective processing of dispatched commands, the next group of commands is processed in a similar manner. |
| US08375357B2 |
Graphical data flow web application repository with version control
System and method for performing program-related operations over a network via a web browser. A network connection is established between a server computer and a client computer over a network. A universal resource identifier (URI) is sent from the client computer to the server computer over the network, where the URI indicates a program, e.g., a graphical program (GP), or at least a portion of a graphical program interactive development environment (GPIDE), e.g., a graphical program editor, an execution engine, a static or dynamic analyzer, and/or compiler. The at least a portion of the GPIDE is received from the server computer over the network in response to the URI, and executed in a web browser of the client computer to perform some specified functionality with respect to the GP. |
| US08375350B1 |
Methods for reduced test case generation
In one embodiment of the invention, a method is disclosed including executing one or more commands of a work script to perform work on a portion of a netlist of an integrated circuit design; receiving an indication of a program fault in a first integrated circuit (IC) design program performing work on the portion of the netlist in response to the one or more commands of the work script; and generating a debug work script associated with the work script in response to the program fault, the debug work script including an identification of the portion of the netlist of the integrated circuit design upon which work was being performed during the program fault. |
| US08375345B1 |
Soft-bounded hierarchical synthesis
A large block synthesis (LBS) process pre-optimizes selected submacros by synthesizing the submacros using timing assertions and placement abstracts, removing placement information, and assigning weights to the internal nets of the submacros that are much higher than weights used for external (e.g., top-level) nets. The timing assertions include an input arrival time, a required output arrival time, and an output pin capacitance loading for the logic block, and the placement abstract is generated by condensing input and output pins of the logic block at a center of gravity of the logic block. The submacros to be pre-optimized can automatically be identified using an attribute to indicate pre-optimization, or by determining that the submacro is one of many instances in the design. The higher weights for the submacro nets define soft-bounds for the logic which still allow relocation of submacro components. The pre-optimization results in significantly reduced synthesis runtime. |
| US08375342B1 |
Method and mechanism for implementing extraction for an integrated circuit design
An improved method and system for performing extraction on an integrated circuit design is disclosed. Extraction may be performed at granularities much smaller than the entire IC design, in which a halo is used to identify a geometric volume surrounding an object of interest to identify neighboring objects and generate an electrical model. The extraction approach can be taken for Islands, Nets, as well as other granularities within the design. Re-extraction of a design can occur at granularities smaller than a net. Some approaches utilize Island-stitching to replace an island within a net. An approach is also described for improving cross-references for cross-coupled objects. |
| US08375340B2 |
Apparatus for manufacturing substrate for testing, method for manufacturing substrate for testing and recording medium
A test substrate manufacturing apparatus comprising a test circuit database that stores circuit data of a plurality of types of test circuits in association with a plurality of types of testing content; a definition information storing section that stores definition information defining arrangements of device pads of devices under test and testing content to be performed for each of the device pads; and a lithography data generating section that generates lithography data for the test substrate by (i) selecting, from the test circuit database, circuit data of each test circuit to be connected to a device pad based on the testing content defined by the definition information stored in the definition information storing section and (ii) determining positions on the test substrate where the test circuits corresponding to the selected circuit data are formed using lithography, based on the arrangements of the device pads as defined by the definition information. |
| US08375337B2 |
Manufacturability
Techniques are disclosed for modifying an existing microdevice design to improve its manufacturability. With these techniques, a designer receives manufacturing criteria associated with data in a design. The associated design data then is identified and provided to the microdevice designer, who may choose to modify the design based upon the manufacturing criteria. In this manner, the designer can directly incorporate manufacturing criteria from the foundry in the original design of the microdevice. |
| US08375334B2 |
Portable information terminal, display control device, display control method, and computer readable program therefor
Predetermined travel locuss are set in a three-dimensional virtual space. Menu panels displaying menu items are arranged along the travel locuss assuming a display position set as a local origin so that the normal to each LCD panel will face a virtual camera. The transparency of a menu panel is raised in accordance with its distance to the virtual camera. A scroll operation moves menu panels along the travel locuss connecting display positions P until a selected specific menu panel reaches the display position P0. A display screen is drawn with the virtual camera and menu panels are three-dimensionally displayed in rolls.By sliding a stylus pen on the LCD panel, the menu screen displayed on the LCD panel scrolls at a velocity corresponding to the drag velocity. When the stylus pen is released from the LCD panel, an application program corresponding to the menu display entity (crosshatched) is activated. |
| US08375333B2 |
Mobile terminal and operating method thereof
A mobile terminal and an operating method thereof are provided. The operating method includes bookmarking a plurality of websites using a touch screen of the mobile terminal, and storing a plurality of images respectively corresponding to the bookmarked plurality of websites; displaying on the touch screen an image array including the stored plurality of images in such a manner to create a sense of distance; and if a drag signal is input via a touch screen, changing at least one of the sizes of the images in the image array, at least one image in the image array, and an arrangement of the images in the image array, according to a direction and distance corresponding to the input drag signal. Therefore, it is possible to easily access and manage bookmarked websites. |
| US08375330B2 |
Task importance indicator based on personalized rules
The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for providing an indicator of a relative importance of a work item. One process includes operations for identifying at least one work item for determining a relative importance of the work item. A context of a user associated with the work item is determined, and a plurality of attributes of the work item are identified. At least one applicable rule is also identified from a set of rules specific to the user. A score for the work item is calculated based on an application of the at least one applicable rule to the context of the user and the plurality of attributes of the work item, the score representing the relative importance of the work item. An indicator of the relative importance of the work item is presented through a user interface. |
| US08375328B2 |
Implementing customized control interfaces
Systems and techniques by which a single electronic device can implement a variety of customized control interfaces. The control interfaces can be tailored to specific operations performed the device which is controlled. In one aspect, computer-implemented methods for controlling a web-based application include providing, from a server, a web page that includes a web-based application and a uniform resource identifier specifying a control interface for the web-based application and transmitting the control interface specified by the uniform resource identifier to a client for use in controlling the one or more functions of the web-based application. The control interface is configured to permit a user to control one or more functions of the web-based application from a mobile device. |
| US08375326B2 |
Contextual-based and overlaid user interface elements
A portable electronics device for displaying a graphical user interface (“GUI”) element on a screen of the device includes a screen, a user input device, a GUI element, and a port for receiving audio headgear. Content is displayed on a screen of the device, the content being associated with a function of the device. Upon receiving user input, the GUI element is displayed on the screen by overlaying the GUI element above the content. The GUI element graphically represents one or more menu selection items, permitting the user of the device to select a menu selection item without navigating out of the function of the device prior to selecting the menu selection item. |
| US08375320B2 |
Context-based task generation
A triggering mechanism for generating task reminders based on contextual information associated with the tasks is provided. Contextual information may be extracted from a variety of sources and may be related to one or more tasks. Based on the contextual information, task reminders may be generated and may be presented in a manner that makes the task reminders more useful to an end user. |
| US08375317B2 |
Motor control characteristic evaluation device and motor control characteristic presentation method
An evaluation index selection section in which any evaluation index is selected from a plurality of evaluation indices of the control characteristics in the motor control system and which outputs selection information indicating the selected evaluation index; a relational data extraction section for extracting data related to the selected evaluation index from a data group of the motor control system based on the selection information; an evaluation value calculation section for calculating an evaluation value of the evaluation index based on the extracted data; and a display control section for displaying the calculated evaluation value on a display are included. |
| US08375314B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium
A disclosed information processing method for use in an information apparatus including a display unit comprises a creating step of creating screen components based on screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on the display unit is previously defined, a display controlling step of displaying the screen formed with the screen components created in the creating step, and a storing step of storing, upon transition from the screen displayed in the display controlling step, all or a part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition. The information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function. |
| US08375313B2 |
User interface generation with scoring
A system assists in user interface generation by using scoring and providing viable component options to a developer. The system receives a new user interface that comprises a plurality of components and compares the new user interface against a plurality of repository benchmark user interfaces. The system then determines a score for the new user interface and at least one of the benchmark user interfaces. The score measures a level of deviation between the new user interface and the at least one benchmark user interface. |
| US08375305B1 |
Placement of user interface elements based on a window entry or exit point
Disclosed are various embodiments for placing user interface elements in a network page. A first network page is generated with client side code embedded therein that can track navigation input data associated with the user. The navigation input data can be interpreted to determine whether the user has a tendency to idle an input device in a particular area of the network page or exhibit any other behavior that allows a high value area to be identified. |
| US08375304B2 |
Maintaining state of a web page
Systems and methods pertaining to maintaining and provisioning state information of user sessions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a plurality of web browsing engines adapted to run in an operating system instance, with the plurality of web browsing engines adapted for remote interaction via a corresponding plurality of devices. In the same embodiment, the system also includes a plurality of state manager engines corresponding to the plurality of web browsing engines. In the same embodiment, the plurality of state manager engines are adapted to maintain a corresponding plurality of browsing state sessions, with each browsing state session comprising a respective first portion of a respective webpage sent for remote viewing. |
| US08375300B2 |
Electronic illustrated dictionary device, illustrated dictionary display method, and storage medium storing program for performing illustrated dictionary display control
An electronic illustrated dictionary device includes an illustration highlighter character string hiding unit configured to execute a process of, when an illustration associated with an expository content of an arbitrary headword is displayed on the display unit according to a user operation, displaying a character string highlighted with a highlighter by the illustration highlighter adding unit in invisible form, and a link destination highlighter character string hiding unit configured to execute a process of, when the in-illustration textual content display unit displays an expository content having a character string as a headword highlighted with a highlighter by the illustration highlighter adding unit on the display unit, displaying a character string highlighted with a highlighter by the link destination highlighter adding unit in invisible form. |
| US08375299B2 |
Pasting content into a document using twisties
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for pasting text into a document as twisties. In one embodiment, a request may be received to paste text into a document. A plurality of twisties may be generated from the text. The plurality of twisties may be inserted into the document, responsive to the request to paste text into the document. |
| US08375298B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing layout and storage medium
A plurality of other contents are placed in one content placement region so that a priority content to which a priority attribute is set is displayed larger than the other contents to which the priority attribute is not set. |
| US08375294B2 |
Editing web pages
In particular embodiments, a method for editing a web page includes identifying a plurality of components that collectively form a programmatic representation of a first web page. At least one of the components has content that dynamically changes in response to data retrieved externally from the content. A second web page is generated. The second web page includes a plurality of parameters. Each parameter of the second web page corresponds to a respective one of the identified plurality of components. One or more modifications made to the plurality of parameters are interpreted. A programmatic representation of a third web page is generated, the generation based at least in part on the interpretation. |
| US08375292B2 |
Tool and method for mapping and viewing an event
A tool for mapping an event includes a map generator for generating an event map, a view generator for generating a zoomable and pannable view of the event map, and a display device for displaying the zoomable and pannable view of the event map, and in another aspect, a tool for annotating an event map includes a map generator for generating an event map, an annotating unit for annotating the event map based on a user input, a view generator for generating a zoomable and pannable view of the annotated event map, and a display device for displaying the zoomable and pannable view of the annotated event map. |
| US08375291B2 |
Method and system for generating and utilizing persistent electronic tick marks
Consistent with embodiments of the invention, computer-based systems and methods for annotating documents with a special type of graphical icon—referred to herein as a tick mark—are provided. Accordingly, utilizing a document annotation tool consistent with one embodiment of the invention, a user can quickly and easily place a tick mark next to an element of a document (e.g., a word, sentence, paragraph, number, chart, graph or figure) being displayed to visually convey some information about that particular element of the document. A second user, who is viewing the same document subsequent to the first user placing the tick mark, will immediately recognize and appreciate the information conveyed by the placement of the tick mark. |
| US08375287B2 |
Repositioning of hyperlinks for common functions
In one embodiment, common functions of hyperlinks are listed and associated with alternative terms, which may be words and phrases that are commonly used to identify hyperlinks in web pages and other documents. A common icon is associated with each common function, and a predetermined position on a display screen is assigned to each common icon. The alternative terms for each common function are compared to each of the hyperlinks in a source document. If a hyperlink matches an alternative term of a common function, the target resource locator from that hyperlink, which points to a target document, is associated with that common function. The corresponding common icon is displayed at its predetermined position on a display screen in the form of a common function hyperlink, which includes the target resource locator. Activating the common function hyperlink redirects the application to the target document. |
| US08375280B2 |
Optimum distance spectrum feedforward tail-biting convolutional codes
A method of generating a set of generator polynomials for use as a tail biting convolution code to operate on data transmitted over a channel comprises: (1) selecting valid combinations of generator polynomials to include in a pool of potential codes, each valid combination being a potential code; (2) determining first lines of a weight spectrum for each potential code in the pool and including potential codes of the pool having best first lines in a candidate set; (3) determining best codes of the candidate set based on the first L number of lines in the weight spectrum; (4) selecting an optimum code(s) from the best codes; and (5) configuring a shift register circuit(s) of a data transceiver to implement the optimum code(s). |
| US08375274B1 |
Disk drive recovering multiple codewords in data sectors using progressively higher order parity codewords
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk and a head actuated over the disk. The disk comprises a plurality of tracks, wherein each track comprises a plurality of data sectors including a parity sector, the parity sector comprising at least a P0 parity codeword and a P1 parity codeword. A plurality of data sectors are read from the disk (including the parity sector) to generate a plurality of data codewords CW0-CWn. The data sectors are decoded using an error correction code (ECC) decoder. When a single data codeword in CW0-CWn is unrecoverable using the ECC decoder, the single data codeword is recovered using the P0 parity codeword. When two data codewords in CW0-CWn are unrecoverable using the ECC decoder, the two data codewords are recovered using the P0 and P1 parity codewords. |
| US08375271B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing adaptive cyclic redundancy check computation
A method and apparatus for providing adaptive cyclic redundancy check (CRC) computation is disclosed. A transport block size is determined. Transport block (TB) CRC bits are computed with a first CRC generator when the TB size is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. TB CRC bits are computed with a second CRC generator when the transport block size is greater than the predetermined threshold. When the TB is greater than the predetermined threshold, the TB is segmented into code blocks (CBs) and CB CRC bits are computed with the first CRC generator. A method and apparatus for handling adaptively cyclic redundancy check (CRC) encoded transport blocks (TBs) is also disclosed. A TB is received. The TB is CRC checked based on a first CRC generator when the TB size is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold. Code blocks of the TB are CRC checked based on the first CRC generator when the TB size is greater than the predetermined threshold. When the TB size is greater than the predetermined threshold, the code blocks are concatenated, and the TB is CRC checked based on a second CRC generator. |
| US08375266B2 |
Adaptive error resilience for streaming video transmission over a network
Adaptive error resilience for streaming video transmission over a network is provided. In one embodiment, a method of transmitting a plurality of packets comprises generating a first proactive repair redundancy information for a first data packet; adding the first proactive repair redundancy information to a second data packet; generating a second proactive repair redundancy information for the first data packet; adding the second proactive repair redundancy information to a repair packet; and transmitting the plurality of packets, wherein the plurality of packets includes the first data packet and at least one of the second data packet and the repair packet. |
| US08375265B1 |
Delay fault testing using distributed clock dividers
In an embodiment of the invention, an integrated circuit with several clock domains bank is tested by first disabling a PLL clock and scanning test data into scan chains. Next delay fault testing (DFT) code is transmitted to each distributed clock divider on the integrated circuit. The PLL clock is then enabled to the distributed clock dividers. Selected clock dividers generate launch pulses that allow test data to be propagated from the scan chains into circuit blocks in the clock domains. Capture pulses are then generated by selected distributed clock dividers to capture test data coming form the circuit blocks into the scan chains. Next the PLL clock is disabled and the test data is scanned from the scan chains to an on-chip test control circuit. |
| US08375262B2 |
Field programmable redundant memory for electronic devices
An electronic device is provided including an input/output (I/O) interface, a plurality of memory elements, a controller coupled to the I/O interface and the plurality of memory elements. In the device, the controller configured for operating the plurality of memory elements during a normal operating mode of the electronic device, where responsive to receiving a command for replacing a selected memory sector in the electronic device during the normal operating mode, the controller is configured for identifying one or more available spare memory sectors in the electronic device and modifying at least one memory map in the electronic device to replace the selected memory sector with the one of the available spare memory sectors. |
| US08375261B2 |
System and method of puncturing pulses in a receiver or transmitter
An apparatus for data communication that receives a plurality of pulses from a remote communications device, determines a pulse puncturing rate based on the pulses, and punctures or discards subsequent pulses based on the pulse puncturing rate. During intervals when punctured pulses are expected, the apparatus operates in a lower power consumption mode for the purpose of conserving power. In another aspect, a receiving apparatus determines the pulse puncturing rate based on received pulses, and transmits the pulse puncturing rate information to a transmitting apparatus. In response, the transmitting apparatus sends a subset of the pulses it would have transmitted based on the pulse puncturing rate. Because the receiving apparatus receives fewer pulses (e.g., a subset), the receiving apparatus may operate in a lower power consumption mode for longer periods in order to conserve power. Similarly, because the transmitting apparatus sends fewer pulses, it may also operate in a lower power consumption mode for longer periods. |
| US08375259B2 |
System and method for initializing a memory system, and memory device and processor-based system using same
Systems, controllers, and methods are disclosed, such as an initialization system including a controller configured to receive patterns of read data coupled from a memory device through a plurality of read data lanes. The controller is operable to detect lane-to-lane skew in the patterns of read data. The controller then adjusts the manner in which the read data received through the read data lanes during normal operation are divided into frames. The controller can also couple patterns of command/address bits to the memory device through a plurality of command/address lanes. The memory device can send the received command/address bits back to the controller through the read data lanes. The controller is operable to detect any lane-to-lane skew in the patterns of command/address bits received through the read data lanes to adjust the manner in which the command/address bits coupled through the command/address lanes during normal operation are divided into frames. |
| US08375258B1 |
Watchdog timer with mode dependent time out
A method and apparatus to operate a watchdog timer having a first time out period in a processing system. The watchdog timer receives an indication of a change in a mode of operation in the processing system. In response to the change in the mode of operation of the processing system, the watchdog timer changes the time out period to a second time out period corresponding to the new mode of operation. |
| US08375256B2 |
System with configurable functional units and method
A method and a system is provided for the processing of data or signals with a number of functional units which are each adapted to apply one or several functions to the data or signals, and which are connected with each other via a connection matrix for the exchange of data or signals between the functional units. At least one functional unit of the system is programmable and/or configurable such that it performs a particular function out of a number of different functions. The connection matrix is programmed and/or configured such that the functional units are connected with each other in a particular configuration out of a number of different configurations. |
| US08375254B2 |
Factorial design expert system
An automated expert system that uses split-run and factorial design methods to determine which factors are most important in an experiment. The expert system is architected into Design, Execute and Evaluate phases, to assist a user in developing a Factorial Design experiment in which one, two or three factors are tested simultaneously. In a preferred embodiment, a database infrastructure and web client, browser-based methodology functions as the expert system (a “wizard”) to design experiments, build control groups and evaluate results, all with the goal of discovering what values for which factors will yield the optimum response from subjects. |
| US08375252B2 |
Method, device and system for automatic device failure recovery
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, devices and a system for automatic device failure recovery. The method mainly includes: sending a recovery request message to a management device or a server; obtaining a program file used for failure recovery from the management device or the server; and performing the failure recovery by using the program file. With the implemention of the present invention, a device may recover from a failure fully automatically. No intervention of a local user is needed in the whole failure recovery process. Therefore, the implementation of the recovery is more convenient and more flexible. Meanwhile, the failure emergency recovery of the device may be implemented automatically, which makes the failure recovery processing safer and more reliable, and effectively reduces the cost of the local maintenance of a device. |
| US08375250B2 |
System and method for testing a module
In an embodiment, a system has a bus interface port, a selection circuit coupled to the bus interface port, a first bus interface circuit coupled to the selection circuit and a second bus interface circuit coupled to the selection circuit. The selection circuit is configured to select between the first bus interface circuit and the second bus interface circuit. The system also has an initialization circuit configured to detect a first codeword written to the bus interface port, and activate the second bus interface circuit if the first codeword is detected. |
| US08375249B1 |
Method for testing battery backup units
A method for testing a battery backup unit used to power electronic components stored in an enclosure, such enclosure including a cooling system have a fan, such electrical components and fan being powered by a power supply electronic components stored in an enclosure, such enclosure including a cooling system have a fan, such electrical components and fan being powered by a power supply and, in the event of a detected failure of the power supply to provide proper power, the battery backup unit. The method includes periodically interrupting the power from the power supply to the fan while the fan is supplied power from the battery backup unit to test the battery backup unit while the power supply maintains power to the electrical components. |
| US08375248B2 |
Method and system for virtual on-demand recovery
A data management system (“DMS”) provides an automated, continuous, real-time, substantially no downtime data protection service to one or more data sources. A host driver embedded in an application server captures real-time data transactions, preferably in the form of an event journal. The driver functions to translate traditional file/database/block I/O and the like into a continuous, application-aware, output data stream. The host driver includes an event processor that can perform a recovery operation to an entire data source or a subset of the data source using former point-in-time data in the DMS. The recovery operation may have two phases. First, the structure of the host data in primary storage is recovered to the intended recovering point-in-time. Thereafter, the actual data itself is recovered. The event processor enables such data recovery in an on-demand manner, by allowing recovery to happen simultaneously while an application accesses and updates the recovering data. |
| US08375246B2 |
Information recording apparatus and information recording method
According to one embodiment, an information recording apparatus for recording, in a free area, first low-quality recorded data having an error rate not less than a first error rate upon finalization of a recording medium, the information recording apparatus includes a reader, a measurement module, a detector, and a recorder. The reader is configured to read recorded data from a recording area of the recording medium. The measurement module is configured to measure an error rate of the recorded data of each predetermined data block. The detector configured to detect the first low-quality recorded data based on an error rate measurement result of the measurement module. The recorder is configured to correct an error in the first low-quality recorded data, and record error-corrected recorded data corresponding to the first low-quality recorded data at a spare recording position of the free area of the recording medium. |
| US08375245B2 |
Mobility management entity failover
A method, performed by a first mobility management entity (MME) device in a network, includes receiving, from a second MME device, standby database information associated with user equipment (UE) registered with the second MME device; detecting that the second MME device has failed or lost connectivity; designating that the UEs registered with the second MME device will be registered with the first MME device, in response to detecting that the second MME device has failed or lost connectivity; detecting a request to activate a particular UE registered with the second MME device; and paging the particular UE to register with the first MME device, using the standby database information and in response to detecting the request to activate the particular UE. |
| US08375243B1 |
Failure determination system
A system-failure determination system fo a vehicle, made up of processors linked together that control or monitor the systems of a vehicle, that includes critical and non-critical applications that generate data. Certain data from the critical applications would be useful for the reconstruction of a system failure or for the reconstruction of an accident; and configuring an executive to monitor and store data for later recovery to determine cause. |
| US08375242B2 |
Clock and data recovery (CDR) method and apparatus
Embodiments of methods and apparatus for clock and data recovery are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method for recovering data from an input data stream of a device is disclosed, the method comprising synchronizing, during an initialization phase, a data clock (DCK) with an input data stream; synchronizing, during the initialization phase, an edge clock signal (ECK) with the input data stream based at least in part on a phase relationship between the ECK and the synchronized DCK; and sampling, during the initialization phase, a rising edge of the input data stream with the synchronized ECK to generate a transition level reference voltage. Additional variants and embodiments may also be disclosed and claimed. |
| US08375241B2 |
Method and system to improve the operations of a registered memory module
A method and system to improve the operations of a registered memory module. In one embodiment of the invention, the registered memory module allows asynchronous read and write operations when a clock circuit in the registered memory module is being activated. In another embodiment of the invention, the registered memory module allows enabling or disabling of its clock circuit without any interruption of its operation. When the clock circuit in the registered memory module is disabled, the power consumption of the registered memory module can be reduced. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the registered memory module is allowed to enter or exit an asynchronous operation mode without entering or exiting a self-refresh or pre-charge power down operation mode of the registered memory module. |
| US08375236B2 |
Methods for determining battery statistics using a system-wide daemon
Techniques for determining battery statistics using a system-wide daemon are described herein. According to one embodiment, a power management daemon is configured to collect operating status data of a battery of a data processing system by accessing at least one of firmware and hardware coupled to the battery. The power management daemon is a single system-wide component within the data processing system to provide the operating status data of the battery to multiple clients. The power management daemon is also configured to compute battery statistics based on the collected operating status data of the battery. In response to a query received from one of the clients via an application programming interface (API), the power management daemon is configured to return the battery statistics to the client to enable the client to determine remaining time of the battery until being recharged. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. |
| US08375233B2 |
Method and device for the dynamic management of consumption in a processor
A method for managing the power consumed in a processor executing an application, the application including several processing phases, each of which is associated with a computational load. The method includes defining a first nominal mode of consumption, defining at least one second mode of low consumption, and formulating a decision function making it possible optionally to switch from the nominal mode of consumption to the mode of low consumption during the transition from one processing phase to another processing phase of the application. |
| US08375227B2 |
Abstracting programmatic representation of data storage systems
Providing for a paradigm shift in block-level abstraction for storage devices is described herein. At a block-level, storage is characterized as a variable size data record, rather than a fixed size sector. In some aspects, the variable size data record can comprise a variable binary key-data pair, for addressing and identifying a variable size block of data, and for dynamically specifying the size of such block in terms of data storage. By changing the key or data values, the location, identity or size of block-level storage can be modified. Data records can be passed to and from the storage device to facilitate operational commands over ranges of such records. Block-level data compression, space management and transactional operations are provided, mitigating a need of higher level systems to characterize underlying data storage for implementation of such operations. |
| US08375223B2 |
Systems and methods for secure distributed storage
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for secure distributed storage. In aspects, a set of remote storage hosts, such as personal computers, servers, media devices, cell phones, or others, can subscribe or register to provide storage via a cloud-based or other distributed network. Source data from an originating computer, such as a data file, can be decomposed into data storage subunits, each of which is encrypted via a cloud management system or other logic or control. The data storage subunits can comprise data blocks or even or uneven size. The set of encrypted data storage subunits can be registered to a table or other record, and disseminated to the remote storage hosts. In the event of data loss at the originating computer or at other times, the remotely stored data storage subunits can be extracted, decrypted, and reassembled to reconstruct the original source data. |
| US08375222B2 |
Audio recording and reproducing apparatus having two modes of operation
An information processing system has a power supply section which detects a predetermined potential applied to a USB terminal and supplying the potential as a source potential, an information detection section which detects the predetermined information supplied to the USB terminal, and a processing section which executes, subsequent to the detection of the predetermined potential, the encryption process or the decryption process in accordance with at least the operating information supplied from the operation key arranged on the body and in accordance with the predetermined information supplied to the USB terminal after detection of the predetermined information. The recording and reproducing operation can be performed with the operating key on the body with power supplied only from the USB terminal. |
| US08375221B1 |
Firmware-based trusted platform module for arm processor architectures and trustzone security extensions
A “Firmware-Based TPM” or “fTPM” ensures that secure code execution is isolated to prevent a wide variety of potential security breaches. Unlike a conventional hardware based Trusted Platform Module (TPM), isolation is achieved without the use of dedicated security processor hardware or silicon. In general, the fTPM is first instantiated in a pre-OS boot environment by reading the fTPM from system firmware or firmware accessible memory or storage and placed into read-only protected memory of the device. Once instantiated, the fTPM enables execution isolation for ensuring secure code execution. More specifically, the fTPM is placed into protected read-only memory to enable the device to use hardware such as the ARM® architecture's TrustZone™ extensions and security primitives (or similar processor architectures), and thus the devices based on such architectures, to provide secure execution isolation within a “firmware-based TPM” without requiring hardware modifications to existing devices. |
| US08375220B2 |
Methods and systems for secure remote wake, boot, and login to a computer from a mobile device
Methods and systems to allow an authorized user to remotely awaken, boot, and login to a computer in a secure manner. The user and computer may communicate using a short message service. (SMS). The user may communicate with the computer using a mobile device, such as a smart phone. The user may initially provide a wake-up message to the computer, which may then respond by asking for one or more boot passwords. In an embodiment, these boot passwords may be basic input/output system (BIOS) passwords that are required for the loading and operations of the computer's BIOS. The user may then provide these one or more passwords to the computer. The computer may further request an operating system (OS) login password. The user may then provide this password to the computer. In an embodiment, all passwords may be provided to the computer in encrypted form. Moreover, authentication measures may be used to provide assurance that the user is legitimate. |
| US08375211B2 |
Optimization of signing soap body element
An XML digital signature mechanism for providing message integrity. A sending party serializes a source XML document into a serialized byte array, calculates the source offset and length of the array of the signed part in the serialized byte array, and calculates a source hash value using the serialized array and the source offset and length. The serialized byte array is a non-canonicalized array. The array and source hash value used to sign a part or the whole of the serialized byte array is sent to a receiving party. The receiving party calculates the target offset and length of the signed part in the serialized byte array and calculates a target hash value of the signed part by using the array and the target offset and length. The receiving party compares the target hash value and the source hash value to verify the integrity of the target XML document. |
| US08375205B2 |
Techniques for communicating information over management channels
Techniques for communicating information over management channels are described. An apparatus may comprise a classifier module operative to classify management information for a wireless communications network as media access control security management information or media access control management information. The apparatus may further comprise a wireless transceiver to couple to the classifier module, the wireless transceiver operative to communicate the media access control security management information over an insecure management connection and the media access control management information over a secure management connection. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08375204B2 |
Method and system to combine multiple digital certificates using the subject alternative name extension
A method for forming a digital certificate includes receiving contact information associated with the digital certificate. The contact information includes at least a name, a mailing address, and an email address. The method also includes receiving billing information associated with the digital certificate and receiving a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for the digital certificate. The method further includes receiving a first name for use in forming the digital certificate and receiving a second name for use in forming the digital certificate. Moreover, the method includes receiving an indication of a vendor of web server software, receiving an indication of a service period for the digital certificate, and forming the digital certificate. The first name is stored in a Subject field of the digital certificate and the second name is stored in the SubjectAltName extension of the digital certificate. |
| US08375203B2 |
Method and system for secure remote transfer of master key for automated teller banking machine
A method for securely transferring a master key from a host to a terminal, such as an automated teller machine, is disclosed. Each of the host and terminal is initialized with a certificate, signed by a certificate authority, and containing a public key used in used in connection with public key infrastructure communication schemes. An identifier of an authorized host is stored in the terminal. Upon receiving a communication from a host including a host certificate, the terminal validates whether it is already bound to a host, if not, whether the host identifier of the remote host matches the preloaded authorized host identifier, before further communicating with the remote host, including the exchange of certificates. In this way, the terminal is protected against attacks or intruders. Following the exchange of certificates, the host may securely transfer the master key to the terminal in a message encrypted under the terminal's public key. The terminal may decrypt the message, including the master key, using its corresponding secret key. |
| US08375202B2 |
Communications methods and appliances
Communications methods and appliances are described. According to one embodiment, a communications method includes prior to deployment of an appliance, establishing a trusted association between the appliance and a certificate authority, during deployment of the appliance, associating the appliance with a communications address of a communications medium, using the certificate authority, creating a signed certificate including the communications address of the appliance, announcing the signed certificate using the appliance, after the announcing, extracting the communications address of the appliance from the signed certificate, and after the extracting, verifying the communications address of the appliance. |
| US08375201B2 |
Ethernet PHY level security
A system and method are provided for securing links at the physical (PHY) layer in an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet communication system. A local device (LD) receives an electrical waveform representing link partner security information from a network-connected link partner (LP) via unformatted message pages. The LD accesses predetermined LP reference information stored in a tangible memory medium. The LD compares the received LP security information to the LP reference information. In response to the LD matching the received LP security information to the LP reference information, a secure link to the LP is verified. Likewise, the LD may send electrical waveforms representing security information to the LP via the unformatted message pages. In response to the LP matching the LD security information to the LD reference information, a secure link to the LD is verified. |
| US08375200B2 |
Embedded device and file change notification method of the embedded device
A file change notification method of an embedded device that includes a first operating system (OS) and a second OS. The first OS corresponds to a first central processing unit (CPU) and connects to a storage system, the second OS corresponds to a second CPU for sharing with the configuration file via a network file system (NFS). The method monitors the configuration file stored in the storage system, determines whether the configuration file has been modified, and generates a notification message to notify a first application program that the configuration file has been changed. The method further sends the notification message from the first OS to the second OS through a communication network, and notifies a second application program that the configuration file has been changed when the notification message is received from the first OS. |
| US08375199B2 |
Automated security management
A computerized method and system for managing security risk, where risk associated with a breach of security is analyzed and quantified according to weighted risk variables. The analysis is accomplished by a computerized security risk management system that receives information relating to physical, informational, communication and surveillance risk, and structures the information such that it can be related to risk variables and a security risk level can be calculated according to a relevance of associated risk variables. The security risk level can be indicative of a likelihood that a breach of security may occur relating to a particular transaction or facility. Similarly, a security confidence level can be indicative of how secure a particular facility or practice is and a security maintenance level can be indicative of a level of security that should be maintained in relation to an analyzed subject. |
| US08375196B2 |
Vector processor with vector register file configured as matrix of data cells each selecting input from generated vector data or data from other cell via predetermined rearrangement path
A data processing apparatus includes a vector register bank having a plurality of vector registers, each register including a plurality of storage cells, each cell storing a data element. A vector processing unit is provided for executing a sequence of vector instructions. The processing unit is arranged to issue a set rearrangement enable signal to the vector register bank. The write interface of the vector register bank is modified to provide not only a first input for receiving the data elements generated by the vector processing unit during normal execution, but also has a second input coupled via a data rearrangement path to the matrix of storage cells via which the data elements currently stored in the matrix of storage cells are provided to the write interface in a rearranged form representing the arrangement of data elements that would be obtained by performance of the predetermined rearrangement operation. |
| US08375194B2 |
System and method for freeing memory
There is provided a computer-executed method of freeing memory. One exemplary method comprises receiving a message from a user process. The message may specify a virtual address for a memory segment. The virtual address may be mapped to the memory segment. The memory segment may comprise a physical page. The method may further comprise identifying the physical page based on the virtual address. Additionally, the method may comprise freeing the physical page without unmapping the memory segment. |
| US08375190B2 |
Dynamtic storage hierarachy management
The invention relates to an architecture for optimization that can leverage the several advantages of flash memory or hard disk technology, while simultaneously compensating for associated disadvantages. In a system with a flash module and a hard disk, respective memory can be dynamically allocated as a function of demand, preference, or utilization of respective applications in order to optimize overall system performance. |
| US08375189B2 |
Configuring levels of program/erase protection in flash devices
A method and apparatus for configuring a memory device, such as a flash memory device, is herein described. Features/functional modules of a memory device, are selectable by a manufacturer, customer, or user. Instead of a manufacturer having to complete numerous redesigns of a memory product to meet multiple customer's special needs, a single all inclusive device is manufactured and the customized features are selected/configured, by the manufacturer, or by the customer themselves. By using one time programmable (OTP) flags, the features are enabled or disabled, by the manufacturer, customer, or user, and may potentially not be altered by a user later. Moreover, after configuring a memory device, a manufacturer, customer, or end user may also lock down a configuration module to ensure the configuration itself is not later intentionally or inadvertently altered. |
| US08375187B1 |
I/O scheduling for flash drives
In a data storage system, a controller schedules I/Os to storage devices so that each one substantially performs only reads or only writes, thereby increasing performance. At least one storage device is designated as a current write device. The remainder of the devices are designated current read devices. Host write data is stored in a buffer memory. Storage device reads occur only from the current read devices. Storage device writes occur only to the current write device(s). In response to a triggering event, the designations are updated so that a different storage device is designated the current write device, and the remainder of the storage devices are designated the current read devices. A triggering event may include but not be limited to a time period, number of writes, cache size, device wear, environmental conditions, application requirements, or combination. |
| US08375186B2 |
Spatial extent migration for tiered storage architecture
Provided are techniques for migrating a first extent, determining a spatial distance between the first extent and a second extent, determining a ratio of a profiling score of the second extent to the spatial distance, and, in response to determining that the ratio exceeds a threshold, migrating the second extent. |
| US08375181B1 |
System and method for performing replication based on change tracking information
Data-object-level replication is performed based on storage-device-level change tracking. A method of replicating a data object (such as a file) involves accessing mapping information and change information. The mapping information identifies that one or more regions of a storage device (such as a logical volume) store portions of the data object. The change information identifies whether the regions of the storage device, which were identified by the mapping information, have been modified subsequent to a particular point in time. If the change information identifies that any of those regions of the storage device have been modified, replication of each modified one of the regions to a secondary system is initiated. Replication can be initiated from a system other than the production system. |
| US08375179B2 |
Method for reading a multilevel cell in a non-volatile memory device
A non-volatile memory device has a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells. The array can operate in either a multilevel cell or single level cell mode and each cell has a lower page and an upper page of data. The memory device has a data latch for storing flag data and a cache latch coupled to the data latch. A read method comprises initiating a lower page read of a memory cell and reading, from the data latch, flag data that indicates whether a lower page read operation is necessary. |
| US08375177B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for efficiently verifying writes
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for efficiently verifying writes. A storage module stores a plurality of data sets in a storage controller memory. A write module writes the plurality of data sets through a first write channel to a hard disk drive. A verification module verifies whether a representative data set of the plurality of data sets is successfully written to the first write channel or not. A mitigation module rewrites the plurality of data sets in response to an unsuccessful write of the representative data set. |
| US08375167B2 |
Storage system, control apparatus and method of controlling control apparatus
A storage system has a storage pool for at least one of a logical volume having a plurality of slices, a memory for storing a slice table indicating whether each slices of the logical volume is assigned from the storage pool or not, and a controller for receiving a release command for releasing one of the slices, sending out a response indicating the releasing of one of the slices corresponding to the release command has completed regardless of an execution of processing corresponding to the release command, duplicating a copy target area included in the one of the slices corresponding to the release command into a copy target volume included in the storage pool, and releasing the one of the slices upon completely duplicating the copy target area into the copy target volume. |
| US08375164B2 |
Content addressable storage with reduced latency
A system and method for storing data in a content-addressable system is provided. The system includes a content-addressable storage system and a persistent cache. The persistent cache includes a temporary address generator that is configured to generate a temporary address which is associated with data to be stored in the persistent cache, and a non-content-addressable storage system configured to store and retrieve data in the persistent cache using the temporary address. The persistent cache further comprises an address translator configured to map a temporary address associated with the data in the non-content addressable storage system with a content address associated with the data in the content-addressable storage system. |
| US08375154B2 |
Electronic device capable of matching a multimedia playback device
An electronic device capable of matching a multimedia playback device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a slot, a connecting port, a sliding cover, a positioning device, and an identification device. The slot is used to accommodate the multimedia playback device. The connecting port is used to electrically connect the multimedia playback device. The sliding cover matches with the slot. The sliding cover has a support structure to support the multimedia playback device. The positioning device is used to fix the sliding cover at a specific position. The identification device is used to identify the type of the multimedia playback device. When the multimedia playback device is accommodated in the slot, the sliding cover fixes in a specific position to match and support the multimedia playback device. |
| US08375152B2 |
Controller, data transfer device, information processing device, processor, and control method of information processing device
A controller is provided that controls data transfer between a processor and a data transfer device and that includes: a storage unit that stores first data outputted from the processor; a determination unit that compares control information of the first data and control information of second data received from the processor after the first data, and determines whether a first case in which the first data and the second data include the same data body holds according to a result of the comparison; a management unit that stores a portion of the control information of the second data as duplicate information associated with the first data in the first case, and stores the second data in the storage unit in a second case other than the first case; and a control unit that controls output of data stored in the storage unit to the data transfer device. |
| US08375147B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device includes a response-request transmitting unit and a response receiving unit. The response-request transmitting unit transmits a response request including an identifier of the response-request transmitting unit on a second network to an external device through a first net work. The response receiving unit that receives a response including an identifier of the external device on the first network, transmitted through the second network in response to the response request. |
| US08375141B2 |
Infrastructure to disseminate queries and provide query results
Methods of querying a large number of endsystems are described in which metadata is replicated between endsystems. When a query is injected, an available endsystem receives a message relating to the query which identifies a range of endsystems for which that available endsystem is responsible. The available endsystem then generates completeness data for the range of endsystems based on data stored at the endsystem and this completeness data is transmitted to the sender of the message. The methods may be implemented using device-executable instructions which may be stored on device readable media. |
| US08375139B2 |
Network streaming over multiple data communication channels using content feedback information
The present disclosure is directed to sending a single data stream from a sending endpoint to a receiving endpoint. Both of the endpoints each have multiple data communication channels connecting each endpoint to one or more networks, respectively. Different portions of data packets are sent by the sending endpoint over different ones of the multiple data communication channels. Sender content information is sent by the sending endpoint to the receiving endpoint over one or more of the data communication channels. Feedback information is sent by the receiving endpoint over one or more of the data communication channels and is received by the sending endpoint. The feedback information is gathered for each of data communication channels connected to the receiving endpoint. Receiver content information regarding streaming data gathered at the receiving endpoint is sent by the receiving endpoint over one or more of the data communication channels and is received by the sending endpoint. |
| US08375133B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for synchronizing and managing content over multiple devices
In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect an active device configured to utilize content; identify the content and a current location of the content; detect an idle device configured to selectively deliver the content; detect a transition parameter for determining a transition to the idle device; and transition the content from the active device to the idle device wherein the idle device is capable of utilizing the content based on the transition parameter. |
| US08375127B1 |
Method and system for using virtual URLs for load balancing
A method, computer program product and server for use managing connection requests to a pool of servers identified by a given URL. The method begins in response to a connection request from a given client machine that initiates a user session for associating a session identifier with a given server in the pool. The session identifier is then used to generate a “virtual” URL that redirects the connection request to the given server. Thereafter, any additional connection requests issued from the given client machine during the user session are redirected to the given server so that all content is served to the client from the same location. When the user session terminates, the virtual URL is inactivated and the given server is returned to the pool so that it can then be assigned a new user session to manage. |
| US08375125B1 |
Mechanism for handling persistent requests from stateless clients
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes receiving at a first device a first request for a physical address of a second device different from the first device, wherein the first request specifies a network address of the second device, and determining that a set of pending requests has a maximum number of requests, wherein the set of pending requests is ordered based on when the requests were received by the first device. The method can further include removing an oldest request from the pending requests and adding the first request to the pending requests, and processing a newest request in the pending requests by sending a message to the second device and receiving the physical address responsive to the message. |
| US08375118B2 |
Smart home device management
A mobile communication device receives information associated with multiple home devices, and generates, based on the home device information, a connected home dashboard that includes a home device item, a modes item, a monitoring item, a security item, and a notifications item. The mobile communication device also provides the connected home dashboard for display to a user, and receives, from the user, a selection of one of the home device item, the modes item, the monitoring item, the security item, or the notifications item. The mobile communication device further provides, based on the home device information and for display to the user, information associated with the selected item. |
| US08375115B2 |
Methods, apparatus, and systems for integrated management, graphics and I/O control of server systems
In one embodiment of the invention, a server system is disclosed for data processing having a printed circuit board with one or more processors to process data; a network interface controller coupled to the one or more processors; and a monolithic integrated circuit (IC) coupled to the one or more processors and the network interface controller. The network interface controller couples the server system to a network for remote client access to the server system. The monolithic integrated circuit couples a remote computer system to the server system via the network. The remote computer system includes a remote storage device, a remote display, a remote keyboard, and a remote mouse to allow remote control and management of the server system. |
| US08375114B2 |
Device loading in storage networks
Systems and methods for implementing device loading in storage networks are disclosed. In an exemplary implementation a computer program product encodes a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process. The computer process comprises identifying a plurality of storage devices to be configured in a storage network, identifying a number of host port LUNs configured on each of the storage devices, and identifying a number of host port connections to the storage devices. For each host port connection, the computer process determines actual loading for each of the storage devices based at least in part on the queue depth for each of the host port LUNs. |
| US08375113B2 |
Employing wrapper profiles
Technology is disclosed for controlling access to data store information among multiple entities. A corresponding wrapper is created for information that may be subject to simultaneous access attempts. The wrapper includes an attribute that identifies the accessibility of the information—indicating whether the information is locked from further access, shareable among multiple entities, or not restricted at all. Before accessing information in the data store, an entity looks at the wrapper associated with the information to determine the type of access allowed, if any. An Identity, Access, or integrated Identity/Access System may maintain the wrappers as objects in the data store, with each wrapper object controlling another object containing information. Wrappers can be utilized when multiple provisioning applications are employed to provision resources. Each user and their corresponding resources are represented as objects with corresponding wrappers. Each provisioning application employs the wrappers to ensure that it has exclusive ownership of selected user and resource objects when provisioning resources to the selected user. |
| US08375109B1 |
Shortened DHCP lease time
Storing subscriber state information is disclosed. It is determined whether a subscriber state information associated with a DHCP lease communication is stored in a persistent storage. If the subscriber state information is not stored in the persistent storage, a shortened time that is shorter than a normal DHCP lease time is included in the DHCP lease communication. |
| US08375105B2 |
In-flight service system
When a server unit is stopped by a failure, for example, and gives no response, and a monitor timer times out, an operation panel unit is switched to a proxy server. Then, the operation panel unit transmits request messages to the other operation panel units. The other operation panel units perform necessary operations, such as display and input operations, in accordance with the request messages. When the server unit recovers from the failure, the operation panel unit stops the proxy server function. Again, the server unit transmits request messages to the operation panel unit and the other operation panel units. |
| US08375104B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing remote access service
A remote access service is provided by receiving remote access transport agent (RATA) capability information of a home remote access server (RAS) and a remote RAS from the home RAS and the remote RAS, respectively, generating a RATA profile based on the RATA capability information, supported by the home RAS and the remote RAS, and transmitting the generated RATA profile to the home RAS and the remote RAS, respectively. |
| US08375100B1 |
Systems and methods for sending consolidated electronic mail messages
An organization generates for each member a plurality of pieces of information (datums) to be sent to the member. The organization consolidates a plurality of the datums for the member into a single message by allowing the member to set a rule with a message service for receiving messages therefrom. The set rule specifies how to consolidate at least some of the datums from the organization into the single message. Datums from the organization to be sent to the member are then accumulated, and the set rule is employed to construct each received message having at least some of the accumulated datums consolidated thereinto. |
| US08375099B2 |
Method, system, graphical user interface, and data structure for creating electronic calendar entries from email messages
A method, system, and data structure for creating electronic calendar entries are disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a computer data structure that includes an email message with an embedded link. The embedded link contains event information corresponding to multiple parameters for an event described in the email message. The embedded link is configured, upon activation, to initiate generation of an electronic calendar entry form with multiple fields. A plurality of the multiple fields contain event information from the embedded link. |
| US08375089B2 |
Methods and systems for protecting E-mail addresses in publicly available network content
A content server includes an e-mail masking module. The e-mail masking module is configured to replace text-based c-mail addresses, contained in content provided by the content server, with images of the e-mail addresses. The e-mail masking module can be a part of the content server. The e-mail masking module can be a standalone module capable of being installed into or operate in conjunction with the content server. |
| US08375088B2 |
Customizable personal directory services
Included are systems and methods for providing a personalized directory. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving a request to view at least one listing, the at least one listing including information related to a plurality of criteria. Other embodiments include providing a display that includes at least a portion of the information, the display further including a user option to store at least a portion of the information in a personal directory. |
| US08375087B2 |
Methods and apparatus for synchronization of data set representations in a bandwidth-adaptive manner
A bandwidth-adaptive method for synchronizing a consumer node representation of a dynamic data set and the source node representation of the dynamic data includes the step of receiving, from a source node, metadata information identifying a plurality of data packets that represent a state of at least a portion of a changing data set at a point in time. At least one of the identified data packets is received from the source node and at least one of the received data packets is selected responsive to the received meta-data information. The metadata information and the selected at least one data packet are transmitted to a consumer node. |
| US08375086B2 |
Shared state manager and system and method for collaboration
A shared state manager (SSM) for collaboration includes an updating module for updating a shared state of data based on a request to edit the data made by a client, and a notifying module for, upon the updating the shared state, notifying another client of the updated state. |
| US08375082B2 |
Communications systems and methods
Collaboration session communications methods, methods of configuring a plurality of collaboration sessions, communications methods, collaboration infrastructures, and communications systems are described. According to one aspect, a collaboration session communications method includes coupling a plurality of groups of participants with a collaboration infrastructure, providing a plurality of communications rules to the collaboration infrastructure to control communications of data within a collaboration session, outputting a communication from a first one of the groups for communication to a second one of the groups, receiving the communication within the collaboration infrastructure after the providing, identifying the communication as originating from the first one of the groups and intended for communication to the second one of the groups, and forwarding the communication to a third one of the groups using the collaboration infrastructure and responsive to the identifying and in accordance with one of the communications rules. |
| US08375080B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving filtered content based on age limit
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving filtered content based on an age limit. A client transmits to a server a content request message requesting original content, part of which is blocked due to an age limit, and receives from the server filtered content according to the age limit in response to the content request message. |
| US08375078B2 |
Fast floating point result forwarding using non-architected data format
A microprocessor having an instruction set architecture (ISA) that specifies at least one architected data format (ADF) for floating-point operands. The microprocessor includes a plurality of floating-point units, each comprising an arithmetic unit configured to receive non-ADF source operands and to perform a floating-point operation on the non-ADF source operands to generate a non-ADF result. The microprocessor also includes forwarding buses, configured to forward the non-ADF result generated by each arithmetic unit of the plurality of floating-point units to each of the plurality of floating-point units for selective use as one of the non-ADF source operands. |
| US08375077B2 |
Method, apparatus and media for performing GF(2) polynomial operations
Methods, apparatus and media for performing polynomial arithmetic operations over a Galois field having characteristic 2 and size 1 are disclosed. Such methods, apparatus and media include generating a binary representation of a polynomial over a Galois field having characteristic 2 and size 1, generating a plurality of right shifted binary representations of the first polynomial, and generating a binary representation of the polynomial reciprocal based upon a bitwise exclusive-OR of the binary representation of the polynomial and one or more right shifted binary representations selected from the plurality of right shifted binary representations. |
| US08375076B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining resolver angle
The invention concerns a method and apparatus (28) for determining an angle (9) by means of a resolver (3). In the method, an excitation signal (29) of constant frequency is supplied to the resolver (3), the resolver response signals (13, 14) are measured, successive (16) measurements of each response signal are stored into a sample buffer (5), FIR filtering (10) is computed for the response signal values (16) present in the sample buffer (5) at the instant of computation, the computation points (23, 24) and the set of computation result values (18) corresponding to these points are stored in memory, at least two sets of values (18, 19) of computation results are compared to each other and of these the value set Amax (19) which contains the highest computation result as an unsigned value is selected, and FIR filtering (10) is repeatedly computed at the computation points (25, 26) corresponding to value set Amax (19). |
| US08375074B2 |
Device and program for ciphering data
A terminal to be connected to a network has: a data acquisition unit for acquiring first data from the network; an extraction unit for extracting second data regarding a physical quantity in accordance with the first data; a random number generation unit for generating a random number in accordance with the second data; and an enciphering unit for enciphering the first data in accordance with the random number. The terminal has further a counter unit for counting the number of the first data, wherein the random number generation unit generates a random number in accordance with the second data or a value counted by the counter unit. |
| US08375073B1 |
Identification and ranking of news stories of interest
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for ranking news articles. A plurality of news articles referenced in one or more hub pages are identified, where each of the hub pages include respective references to one or more of the news articles. A score component is derived for a news article from a measure of a prominence of the news article in the hub pages that includes a reference to the news article. |
| US08375069B2 |
User interface methods and systems for selecting and presenting content based on user navigation and selection actions associated with the content
A user-interface method of selecting and presenting a collection of content items based on user navigation and selection actions associated with the content is provided. The method includes associating a relevance weight on a per user basis with content items to indicate a relative measure of likelihood that the user desires the content item. The method includes receiving a user's navigation and selections actions for identifying desired content items, and in response, adjusting the associated relevance weight of the selected content item and group of content items containing the selected item. The method includes, in response to subsequent user input, selecting and presenting a subset of content items and content groups to the user ordered by the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the content items and content groups. |
| US08375068B1 |
Extensible framework and graphical user interface for sharing, comparing, and displaying resource usage data
A framework and graphical user interface for sharing, comparing, and displaying resource usage data provide for the ability to construct an extensible framework for configuring a graphical user interface (GUI) containing resource usage data pertaining to one or more entities. In various embodiments, the framework enables competitions and comparisons, event tagging, carbon offsetting, or any combination thereof. The framework also makes the GUI available by various means, including Internet distribution. The GUI may take the form of websites, standalone applications, desktop widgets, blog or social networking applications, and the like. |
| US08375059B2 |
Electronic device and method therefor
An electronic device comprises a user communication interface, a memory for storing music tracks, a music player capable of playing back the music tracks, and a processor provided for measuring, for each of the music tracks, how many times the music track is played back and how long time the music track is played back each time; calculating a parameter value for each of the music tracks based on how many times the music track is played back and how long time the music track is played back each time; and creating a play list of music tracks based on the parameter values. |
| US08375058B2 |
Process and apparatus for selecting an item from a database
A method and apparatus for selecting database items from a database, where the database items are indexed by a list of item identifiers. The item identifiers may be in the form of text. An initial display is generated which includes one or more parts of the item identifiers. Selection of the one or more parts may be made and results in the generation of a display of a further one or more parts for selection. The further one or more parts may be selected in order to add to the selected one or more parts to build a larger part or whole of an item identifier. Selection from a large list of item identifiers may be carried out in a relatively short time period. |
| US08375057B2 |
Database system, server device, terminal device, and data presentation method
According to one embodiment, a database system includes a first and second storage unit, a reading unit, and a generating unit. The first storage unit stores a first data table in which first data records, each including information about information fields, are described. The second storage unit stores a second data table in which second data records including pieces of attribute information, each representing a display attribute about the information field included in the first data record, are described. The reading unit reads out the first and second data records from the first and second storage units in accordance with the fact that displaying the information included in the first data table is requested. The generating unit generates an image for displaying the information included in the read first data record in accordance with the display attribute represented by the attribute information included in the read second data. |
| US08375053B2 |
Fuzzy keyword searching
A fuzzy, or ambiguous, keyword searching process and systems for implementing the fuzzy keyword searching process are provided. In general, one or more keyword search terms are first identified for a search. Next, a user is enabled to adjust a logical fuzziness, or logical ambiguity, for each of the one or more keyword search terms. As used herein, logical fuzziness of a keyword search term refers to the extent to which associated keywords are considered for the search. In one embodiment, the user may also be enabled to view and adjust keyword associations for each of the keyword search terms. A search is then performed based on the one or more keyword search terms and the logical fuzziness of the one or more keyword search terms, and results of the search are presented to the user. |
| US08375051B2 |
Apparatus for controlling subscriptions
An apparatus for controlling subscriptions comprising: a detector operable to detect to a subscription associated with a wildcard topic string; and an analyzer, responsive to the detection of the subscription associated with a wildcard topic string and a topic string of a topic node matching the wildcard topic string, for analyzing a first attribute of the topic node; and means for determining whether a subscriber associated with the subscription should receive a message associated with the topic string of the topic node. |
| US08375049B2 |
Query revision using known highly-ranked queries
An information retrieval system includes a query revision architecture providing one or more query revisers, each of which implements a query revision strategy. A query rank reviser suggests known highly-ranked queries as revisions to a first query by initially assigning a rank to all queries, and identifying a set of known highly-ranked queries (KHRQ). Queries with a strong probability of being revised to a KHRQ are identified as nearby queries (NQ). Alternative queries that are KHRQs are provided as candidate revisions for a given query. For alternative queries that are NQs, the corresponding known highly-ranked queries are provided as candidate revisions. |
| US08375048B1 |
Query augmentation
Front end preprocessing includes an augmentation function that augments the query with additional query terms that have an associated weighting value. The terms include identifying characters so that they are recognizable as being added by the augmentation module, but are treated as any other query term by all processing components. The terms are selected based on user context, preferences, and likely intent and the confidence levels are used when ranking results. |
| US08375047B2 |
Apparatus and method for query prioritization in a shared nothing distributed database
A shared nothing distributed database system includes a master node and a set of shared nothing nodes. Each shared nothing node includes a node state table stored in memory that characterizes various statements and multiple processes implementing each statement, target resource consumption rate for each process and process activity information. A monitor module executed by a central processing unit processes information in the node state table and adjusts values in the node state table in accordance with priority criteria specifying individual user priority ascribed to a statement. A query associated with a statement is processed in the shared nothing distributed database system in accordance with the priority criteria. |
| US08375042B1 |
Index-side synonym generation
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for index-side synonym expansion. One method includes indexing a token from a resource, including determining that the token comprises a numeric portion and storing data associating the resource with both the particular token and the numeric portion in a search engine index. Another method includes indexing a token from a resource, including normalizing the token by removing a prefix matching a stopword prefix and storing data associating the resource with both the token and the normalized form of the token in a search engine index. Another method includes creating a token blacklist. |
| US08375037B2 |
Predictive conversion systems and methods
In one embodiment, a system and method of predicting sale transaction conversion rate of an item operates through a search of information in response to a query over a network. The system and method can includes discovering available information of the item of interest, extracting certain of the available information of the item, analyzing the certain information by comparing the information to other item information, weighting the information for the item in comparison to other items of the category, calculating a predictive score for the item of interest, and presenting the information of the item of interest ranked according to the predictive score as compared to other items of the category. |
| US08375035B2 |
Visual aid to assist making purchase by tracking key product characteristics
The present invention is directed to methods and systems for assisting users in an ecommerce environment. The method includes displaying a user interface of including products. Each of the products have associated attributes. Each of the associated attributes are displayed in the user interface with an associated selection tool. The method further includes receiving one or more selections of the selection tools indicating selection of one or more of the associated attributes. The one or more selections provide a ranking of each of the selected attributes. For each of the products, the method calculates a real-time score total and displays the real-time score total within the user interface. The calculating includes determining a weighted value for each of the products based on an aggregation of each of the selected associated attributes of the product. Further, the method includes displaying a ranked list of the products based on the determined weighted values of each of the products. |
| US08375033B2 |
Information retrieval through identification of prominent notions
A system and method for information retrieval from a corpus of text based on offline prominent sentences extraction, and online prominent sentences retrieval ordered by predefined criteria, and recommending online cross-interest prominent sentences. |
| US08375032B2 |
Method and apparatus for predicting object properties and events using similarity-based information retrieval and modeling
Method and apparatus for predicting properties of a target object, in particular, one of an origin and a source, comprise application of a search manager for analyzing parameters of a plurality of databases for a plurality of objects, the databases comprising an electrical, electromagnetic, acoustic spectral database (ESD), a micro-body assemblage database (MAD) and a database of image data whereby the databases store data objects containing identifying features, source information and information on site properties and context including time and frequency varying data. The method comprises application of multivariate statistical analysis and principal component analysis in combination with content-based image retrieval for providing two-dimensional attributes of three dimensional objects, for example, via preferential image segmentation using a tree of shapes and to predict further properties of objects by means of k-means clustering and related methods. By way of example, a fire event and residual objects may be located and qualified such that, for example, properties of the residual objects may be qualified, for example, via black body radiation and micro-body databases including charcoal assemblages. |
| US08375029B2 |
Data processing
A system for processing data comprising: a plurality of resource interfaces each of which is operable to access a corresponding underlying resource, and a processor unit for integrating data accessed from the underlying resources and controlling a user interface. The user interface is operable in use to permit a user to view all of the underlying resources currently accessible to the system and to select a plurality of these to form a subset comprising some, but not all, of the underlying resources from which to form an integrated view of the sub-set. The processor unit is operable to store the selection within a user selection store and to determine how to join the data from the selected underlying resources to generate an integrated view of the selected sub-set of underlying resources and to generate data for transmission to a device for displaying the generated view to the user. |
| US08375026B1 |
Method and system for matching data sets of non-standard formats
A system and method is described for receiving a plurality of non-standardized data sets and generating respective plurality of standardized profiles that can be used for efficiently comparing and matching one profile against the other plurality of profiles. One application of this invention is to convert job seekers' resumes and job postings into respective profiles and then permitting either a job seeker to search for job postings that most closely match the job seeker's resume or, conversely, permitting an employer to search for job seekers whose resumes most closely match the employer's job posting. |
| US08375020B1 |
Methods and apparatus for classifying objects
An object classification system is provided that receives, from a user, at least one piece of information relating to the object, wherein the information does not directly specify a classification for the object, and that applies at least one rule that classifies the object based, at least in part, on the at least one piece of information received from the user. The techniques described herein also enable classifying an object by, in response to a request from at least one application to access the object, applying at least one rule that dynamically classifies the object. |
| US08375018B2 |
Open types for distributed systems
Techniques for exchanging data are provided herein. An “open” data type is established on a computer system to define the structure of data. The open data type includes one or more predefined properties, and enables one or more extension properties to be optionally included. Data that is defined according to the open data type includes data values for the predefined properties, and may optionally include data values for extension properties. A second computer system may consider the extension properties to be extension properties or predefined properties of a data type known at the second computer system. In this manner, the type system that is used to exchange data between nodes need not necessarily be commonly known among the nodes, and/or may be dynamically modified, even for a particular data instance. Furthermore, queries may be performed against the data that query against the predefined properties and/or extension properties. |
| US08375016B2 |
Interactive real estate contract and negotiation tool
Term negotiation can utilize centralized systems accessed via web interfaces for purposes such as mediation of communications between buyers and sellers, maintenance of a history of negotiations, and notification of parties regarding changes suggested during negotiation. Changes to terms proposed by parties using centralized systems can be stored in a data warehouse, potentially along with timestamp and identification information. |
| US08375014B1 |
Database query builder
A schema parser may determine one or more datasets of a database schema, wherein the datasets include one or more fields from a data source and represents data corresponding to the one or more fields. An input handler may receive a selection of one or more of the datasets via an interface. A translation engine may provide operations for refining the data of the selected datasets into a result set via a query, wherein the operations may be determined based on metadata defining relationships amongst the data sources and fields. A query engine may provide a graphical query including operational flow indicators indicating a directional flow of the query from the selected datasets with the selected operation to the result set. |
| US08375013B2 |
Server-controlled testing of handheld devices
Systems, methodologies, media, and other embodiments associated with testing of an application (e.g., software application) on a handheld device are described. Testing can be initiated by the handheld device, however, the testing regimen is controlled by a server. Logic associated with testing is stored on the server with statements being provided by the server to the handheld device. |
| US08375006B2 |
Analyzing internal hard drives and continuously authenticating program files within a 32/64 bit operating system
A method of performing an analysis on internal hard drive(s), which includes an analysis of the file management system, individual files that exist on the hard drive, developing a Unique ID for each program (i.e., executable) file and continuously analyzing (i.e., scanning) the hard drive(s) to detect physical changes in the previously analyzed program files. The method may be implemented on a computer unit, which can be a 32/64-bit Microsoft PC O/S, or a 32/64-bit Microsoft Server O/S. |
| US08375005B1 |
Rapid restore
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for restoring or transmitting files from a first location to a second location, comprising prioritizing the files, and restoring or transmitting the files in prioritized order. In one embodiment, the files may be prioritized according to file type, and may be subsorted by timestamp. In one embodiment, the files may be prioritized according to timestamp or timestamp range, and subsorted by file type. File types may be grouped such that all file types in a group have the same priority, and the group may be associated with an application or application suite. In one embodiment, the files may be prioritized according to predicted file usage. |
| US08375003B1 |
Backup systems and methods for a virtual computing environment
Improved backup and storage operations are disclosed for virtual computing environments using a backup proxy server to perform storage operations on one or more virtual machine disks. The proxy server can include a module that intercepts application programming interface (API) calls, for writing backup data to a first location, prior to the data arriving on the proxy disk. During the intercept process, the data can be compressed in memory pages of the proxy server and redirected to an alternative backup disk location. The proxy server can also include a differential engine that identifies changes to the virtual machine disk at the block level since the last full backup. The differential engine can advantageously leverage memory pages of the proxy server to compare differences between signatures of blocks of the last full backup with signatures of new blocks. Subsequently, only blocks with non-matching signatures are processed for backup. |
| US08374999B2 |
Deduplication of data object over multiple passes
In each of a number of passes to deduplicate a data object, a transaction is started. Where an offset into the object has previously been set, the offset is retrieved; otherwise, the offset is set to reference a beginning of the object. A portion of the object beginning at the offset is deduplicated until an end-of-transaction criterion has been satisfied. The transaction is ended to commit deduplication; where the object has not yet been completely deduplicated, the offset is moved just past where deduplication has already occurred. The object is locked during each pass; other processes cannot access the object during each pass, but can access the object between passes. Each pass is relatively short, so the length of time in which the object is inaccessible is relatively short. By comparison, deduplicating an object within a single pass prevents other processes from accessing the object for a longer time. |
| US08374997B2 |
Application code generation and execution with bypass, logging, user restartability and status functionality
A Value Analyzer system is a data-driven computer-facilitated financial model that provides accurate and consistent profitability calculations using account, product and event attributes stored in a relational database managed by a relational database management system (RDBMS). Profitability calculations are performed in the computer by applying one or more rules to the account, product and event attributes accessed from the database, wherein the profitability calculations include setup, generation and execution of structured query language (SQL) statements by the RDBMS. The present invention also monitors the profitability calculations by monitoring the setup, generation and execution of the SQL statements by the RDBMS, in order to provide bypass, logging, user restartability, or status (BLURS) functions for the profitability calculations. |
| US08374996B2 |
Managing media contact and content data
An indication of a topic of interest is received. Multiple pieces of content are accessed, and the indication of the topic of interest is compared to the pieces of content. Based on comparing the indication of the topic of interest to the pieces of content, a piece of content is identified as being relevant to the topic of interest. An identifier is identified for an author of the piece of content. Contact information for each of multiple authors including identifiers therefor is accessed, and the identifier for the author is compared to the identifiers included in the contact information. Based on results of comparing the identifier for the author to the identifiers included in the contact information, contact information corresponding to the author is identified. Thereafter, an indication of the identity of the author and at least some of the identified contact information corresponding to the author is returned. |
| US08374991B2 |
Determining optimum variable orders for BDDs using recursion
One embodiment accesses a binary decision diagram (BDD) representing a function having n variables; constructs one group of one ordered set of the n variables; recursively constructs one or more new groups of one or more ordered sets of one or more variables, replacing existing groups of one or more ordered sets of one or more variables, until each existing group comprises one or more ordered sets of k variables or less, where 1≦k |
| US08374989B2 |
System for customized prediction of menstruation period or fertility period and calculation method therefor
A system for customized prediction of a menstruation period or a fertility period is provided. The system includes a vital information measurer for measuring vital information about a user, a basic menstruation information generator for calculating the first day of menstruation or an ovulation day using the vital information received from the vital information measurer and outputting the first day of menstruation or the ovulation day as basic menstruation information, a menstruation cycle modeler having a menstruation cycle model representing a menstruation cycle as a function with a predetermined period, and a model parameter estimator for estimating and compensating a menstruation cycle parameter of the menstruation cycle model using the basic menstruation information received from the basic menstruation information generator. |
| US08374986B2 |
Method and system for accelerated stream processing
Disclosed herein is a method and system for hardware-accelerating various data processing operations in a rule-based decision-making system such as a business rules engine, an event stream processor, and a complex event stream processor. Preferably, incoming data streams are checked against a plurality of rule conditions. Among the data processing operations that are hardware-accelerated include rule condition check operations, filtering operations, and path merging operations. The rule condition check operations generate rule condition check results for the processed data streams, wherein the rule condition check results are indicative of any rule conditions which have been satisfied by the data streams. The generation of such results with a low degree of latency provides enterprises with the ability to perform timely decision-making based on the data present in received data streams. |
| US08374981B2 |
Apparatus and method for constructing prediction model
A prediction model constructing apparatus includes a operational result database, similarity calculating means, and prediction model constructing means. The operational result database relates manufacturing conditions of a product manufactured in the past to result information on the manufacturing, and stores a plurality pieces of information obtained by relating the manufacturing conditions to the result information. The similarity calculating means calculates a similarity composed of a plurality of comparison results by comparing the manufacturing conditions stored in the operational result database with a manufacturing condition of a prediction target. The prediction model constructing means determines a parameter of a prediction model corresponding to the manufacturing condition of the prediction target. |
| US08374980B2 |
System and method for managing continued attention to distance-learning content
Management of a user's continued attention to distance learning content using a general purpose computer having a central processing unit and an operating system configured to run multiple program applications concurrently. A memory stores the distance learning content. A distance learning module comprises code executable on the central processing unit, as one of the multiple program applications. The distance learning module presents the distance learning content to a user and is operable to interrupt a presentation of the distance learning content in response to prescribed events concerning another one of the multiple program applications. A method executing on a computer that an concurrently run multiple applications identifies events concerning an application other than the distance learning application, processes the identified events so as to identify a prescribed event among the identified events, and interrupts the presentation of the distance learning content in response to the prescribed event. |
| US08374977B2 |
Methods and systems for transductive data classification
A system, method, data processing apparatus, and article of manufacture are provided for classifying data. Labeled data points are received, each of the labeled data points having at least one label indicating whether the data point is a training example for data points for being included in a designated category or a training example for data points being excluded from a designated category; receiving unlabeled data points; receiving at least one predetermined cost factor of the labeled data points and unlabeled data points; training a transductive classifier using MED through iterative calculation using the at least one cost factor and the labeled data points and the unlabeled data points as training examples; applying the trained classifier to classify at least one of the unlabeled data points, the labeled data points, and input data points; and outputting a classification of the classified data points, or derivative thereof. |
| US08374974B2 |
Neural network training data selection using memory reduced cluster analysis for field model development
A system and method for selecting a training data set from a set of multidimensional geophysical input data samples for training a model to predict target data. The input data may be data sets produced by a pulsed neutron logging tool at multiple depth points in a cases well. Target data may be responses of an open hole logging tool. The input data is divided into clusters. Actual target data from the training well is linked to the clusters. The linked clusters are analyzed for variance, etc. and fuzzy inference is used to select a portion of each cluster to include in a training set. The reduced set is used to train a model, such as an artificial neural network. The trained model may then be used to produce synthetic open hole logs in response to inputs of cased hole log data. |
| US08374966B1 |
In memory streaming with disk backup and recovery of messages captured from a database redo stream
Techniques are disclosed for sharing information in a wide variety of contexts. An information sharing system is described that allows both an explicit capture process and an implicit capture process to add information items to a staging area. Further, the information sharing system supports both implicit and explicit consumption of information items that are stored in said staging area. A rules engine is provided to allow users to create and register rules that customize the behavior of the capture processes, the consuming processes, and propagation processes that propagate information from the staging areas to designated destinations. Techniques are also described for achieving exactly-once handling of sequence of items, where the items are maintained in volatile memory. Techniques are also provided for recording DDL operations, and for asynchronously performing operations based on the previously-performed DDL operations. |
| US08374963B1 |
Method and system for electronic checking
Methods and systems for electronic checking are described. A graphical representation of an electronic check may be provided for presentation to a providing user from which an electronic funds transfer may be initiated. The electronic check may be generated when desired. A payment date selection may be received for an electronic check on a date within the electronic account register and the electronic check may be indicated for the particular date in the electronic account register. The electronic check may be received and associated with a receiving user. An estimated charge for an actual charge may be replaced in the electronic account register in accordance with analyzing one or more actual charges. |
| US08374960B2 |
Prepaid transaction tracking
The prepaid transaction tracking system allows, for example, entities, such as businesses, individuals, or the like, to have the ability to identify, track and maintain information about prepaid transactions. |
| US08374956B2 |
Internet transactions based on user-specific information
An Internet business transaction processor of the present invention has a distributed processing architecture which allows the processing load to be distributed among multiple parallel servers. The transaction processor of the present invention provides a virtual store front utilizing “others people's warehouse” approach by using a dynamic distributor selection processing system to select among a plurality of distributors based on flexible rule-based algorithm. |
| US08374953B2 |
System and method for implementing and managing bundled option box futures
A system and method of providing a collateralized loan utilizing a clearing counterparty is disclosed. The method includes receiving an order at a match engine module, the order related to a futures contract based on an options box spread as the deliverable asset such that the futures contract represents a collateralized loan and such that the order includes an interest rate associated with the collateralized loan, analyzing, at the match engine, the order to determine a strike interval, scanning an order book module in communication with the match engine module, such that the scan is based on the determined strike interval, and automatically defining a first pair of options at a first strike price and a second pair of options at a second strike price, such that the determined strike interval defines the first and second strike prices, such that the first and second pair of options cooperate to define the option box spread. |
| US08374952B2 |
User interface for an electronic trading system
A user interface for an electronic trading exchange is provided which allows a remote trader to view in real time bid orders, offer orders, and trades for an item, and optionally one or more sources of contextual data. Individual traders place orders on remote client terminals, and this information is routed to a transaction server. The transaction server receives order information from the remote terminals, matches a bid for an item to an offer for an item responsive to the bid corresponding with the offer, and communicates outstanding bid and offer information, and additional information (such as trades and contextual data) back to the client terminals. Each client terminal displays all of the outstanding bids and offers for an item, allowing the trader to view trends in orders for an item. A priority view is provided in which orders are displayed as tokens at locations corresponding to the values of the orders. The size of the tokens reflects the quantity of the orders. An alternate view positions order icons at a location which reflects the value and quantity of the order. Additionally, contextual data for the item is also displayed to allow the trader to consider as much information as possible while making transaction decisions. A pit panel view is also provided in which traders connected to the pit are represented by icons, and are displayed corresponding to an activity level of the trader. |
| US08374951B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for managing a virtual portfolio of financial objects
A system, method and/or computer program product for managing an index or portfolio of one or more financial object is disclosed. An index (or portfolio) may be created, including selecting object based on accounting data or weighting the object based on accounting data. Investment managers may manage accounts for investors. The investors may directly hold assets in the accounts so the investors may take advantage of any benefits generated by transactions using the assets in the accounts. Investor(s) may have account(s) and manager(s). A manager may have one or more investors and account(s) to manage. Virtual mutual fund manager may use a holdings matrix and lot matrix to track asset lots in the accounts. When a manager wishes to make a trade affecting an investor, virtual mutual fund manager may determine which asset lots held by the investor should be used to execute the trade. |
| US08374950B1 |
User interfaces for efficient trade entry and management
A plurality of user interfaces for facilitating efficient order management and post-trade processing in an electronic trading system are disclosed. A first user interface comprises a plurality of client buttons and a broker button. Selection of a client button shifts the user interface to a client-perspective mode in which all actions and views are from the selected client's point of view. Selection of the broker button shifts the user interface to a client-neutral mode in which the broker may enter orders in the market without specifying any particular client. An analogous user interface for use by a trader is also described. A second user interface, referred to as a blotter, is also provided that comprises four distinct views for displaying “pending,” “completed,” “all,” and “annulled” trades. Preferred embodiments for utilizing the disclosed user interfaces to process different classes of pending trades are also described. |
| US08374948B2 |
System and method for receiving a bid
An electronic auction system may include a bid validator connected between a network, a bid database and a merchandise catalog page. The example bid validator may receive over the network, bid information via an electronic mail message and further bid information via a web-based bid form. The example bid validator may validate the bid information and the further bid information before placing a bid and a further bid respectively into the bid database. The example bid validator may then update the web-based merchandise catalog page based on the bid and the further bid. |
| US08374946B2 |
Integrated order matching system combining visible and hidden parameters
The invention provides back-end functionality for order processing in electronic order book trading. A sell/buy order is received comprising a lower/upper limit and a conditional lower/upper limit defining a conditional selling/buying price range for executing the sell/buy order under certain selling/buying conditions. It is determined whether the selling/buying conditions are fulfilled, including determining whether the sum of the first and second part of the buy/sell order is superior or equal to a threshold volume. The sell/buy order and the buy/sell order are executed against each other if at least the selling/buying conditions are fulfilled. Embodiments allow rapidly executing large trading interests with minimized market impact and opportunity costs. |
| US08374944B2 |
Method and system for enabling collaboration between advisors and clients
A common collaboration tool enables advisors, their clients and other participants to interact in a coordinated manner in various areas of interest. A client authorizes selected advisors as well as other participants to view, discuss, modify and perform other operations in response to the client's request for services. A client defines the scope of authorization for advisors and/or other participants for security and confidentiality reasons. Advisors (and/or participants) access information submitted (or authorized) by the client to collaborate as a cohesive team in sharing information, devising a plan, addressing client's concerns, drafting (or modifying) a document and performing other services for the client. |
| US08374943B2 |
Funding acquisition of university and non-profit patent portfolios
A method for funding IP procurement for non-profits such as universities and other non-profits that conduct research, includes providing a fund to hold interests in intellectual properties of a non-profit organization, receiving investments from investors to add to the fund to fund acquisition of intellectual properties of the non-profit, by machine, storing information regarding the investments, intellectual properties, and the investors into a database and distributing shares in the fund according to the value of investments made in the fund. |
| US08374942B2 |
Order risk management for financial product processing
Systems and methods are provided for processing derivative product orders at an exchange. Traders provide derivative product order risk data to the exchange. The order risk data may include maximum delta, gamma and/or vega utilization values for derivative product contracts based on the same underlying product. Before executing a trade, a match system analyzes the trader's current utilization state and the utilization that would result after the trade. The match system may then execute all or a portion of the trade. |
| US08374941B2 |
Computer based system for pricing an index-offset deposit product
A computer-based method for determining a value of an index-offset deposit product, having a principal amount, a term, a specified guaranteed amount, and an index credit comprising the step of setting trial values for fixed-income-linked crediting parameters for the product implying an expected fixed-income-linked credit component at the end of the term. The method further comprises the steps of determining a cost for an option paying an index-linked credit component such that a composite index credit together with the principal is at least equal to a specified guaranteed amount. |
| US08374940B1 |
Wealth allocation analysis tools
Enhanced processes, methods, tools, strategies, and techniques are provided for more effectively and efficiently processing, managing, analyzing, and communicating wealth related data and other financial information within a computing environment. In various embodiments, the analysis tools provided herein have been designed to correspond visually with a mental model employed by many clients in managing their wealth. |
| US08374938B1 |
System and method for managing hedging of longevity risk
A computer implemented method and system are provided for implementing a longevity bond management system for managing hedging of longevity of beneficiaries. The method may include issuing, through a special purpose vehicle, using computer processing components, a longevity bond having returns following a longevity index defined for a reference population of a pre-selected cohort of beneficiaries. The method may additionally include receiving from investors a payment amount for investment in the longevity bond, investing the payment amount in a collateral pool held by a custodian, and receiving cash flows from the investment in the collateral pool. The method may further include entering into a swap to exchange the cash flows from the investment for an amount equal to the difference between an actual and best-estimate longevity index amount and calculating, using computer processing components, based on the longevity index, a periodic payment to the investors based on the longevity performance of the pre-selected cohort of beneficiaries, such that the periodic payment increases when longevity exceeds expectations and decreases when longevity falls short of expectations. |
| US08374935B1 |
Advertisement customization
Methods, systems and computer program products for customizing one or more advertisements are described. Specifically, advertisements may be customized using information from content of a web page prior to viewing by a user. For example, the rendering of the text of an advertisement may be in a same size, color, and font type as the text on the web page into which the advertisement is integrated. In addition, the advertisement may be displayed using a same color scheme as that used by the web page such that the advertisement may be enhanced in terms of notice and interaction by the user. |
| US08374934B1 |
Credit card relationship derivation (AcctID) from historic data
Systems and methods for credit card relationship derivation from historic data are provided. A single credit card relationship between a membership organization and a member can be very long-lived and identified by many different account numbers over time. For example, a new card with a new number can be issued if the card is lost, stolen, the member changes the card type (Standard, Gold or Platinum) or the card number is thought to be compromised. Sometimes, data security compromises committed by third-parties can result in a simultaneous mass re-issue of many cards. Various embodiments of the present invention create a common key and ordinal numbers that identifies the account throughout its life by resolving ambiguities and inconsistencies in historical data. |
| US08374932B2 |
Payment entity device transaction processing using multiple payment methods
A method begins with a payment entity device receiving an accounts payable data file from a client entity processing module. The method continues with the payment entity device determining a method of payment for an account payable of the accounts payable data file in accordance with a payables profile. The method continues with the payment entity device initiating a first type of payment for the account payable when the method of payment is a first type; initiating a second type of payment for the account payable, when the method of payment is a second type, or initiating a third type of payment for the account payable when the method of payment is a third type. |
| US08374927B2 |
Methods for wirelessly routing a vehicle
The present invention automates the process of receiving transportation documentation and producing advance loading manifests therefrom to optimize load planning and dynamic product shipment and delivery control. Methods provide for receipt of the transportation documentation, initial preparation, and transmission of the documentation from on board a vehicle or while the vehicle is in transit. |
| US08374926B2 |
Inventory control system
The inventory control system includes a portable controller for receiving information relating to an item to be tracked by the inventory control system. The portable controller is in communication with a database that stores the information relating to the item. Preferably, the item includes a readable tag having a unique identification code affixed thereto. A sensor may monitor the general location of the tag after the item is entered into the inventory control system. Furthermore, a tag reader associated with the portable controller is able to pinpoint the specific location of the item via a laser-light beam within the area generally identified by the sensor. |
| US08374925B2 |
Method and system for monitoring consumable item usage and providing replenishment thereof
Method and system for providing a subscription based replenishment transaction of consumable items such as glucose test strips, lancets, and medication, such as insulin, including a data network, a user terminal operatively coupled to the data network, the user terminal configured to receive and transmit data over the data network, and a server terminal operatively coupled to the data network, the server terminal configured to receive from the user terminal a request for establishing an account associated with a consumable item, receive from the user terminal one or more predetermined parameters associated with the account, and generate the account based on the one or more predetermined parameters, where the one or more predetermined parameters include a user specified consumable replenishment level received from the user terminal is disclosed. |
| US08374923B2 |
Web service for generating portable multimedia presentations
A software application executed at a user computer and/or server allows a user to select one or more multimedia files. The multimedia files may be provided at the user computer, sold at the server, or procured from a third party provider. The user can arrange the multimedia files into a presentation. A user can then specify a display device that will be used to present the multimedia presentation. The display device can be a television, portable media player, a computer, or other device. The system can translate the multimedia presentation into a format compatible with the device. Thus, the user is provided with a simple system to create multimedia presentation and receive the file in a format compatible with a device. |
| US08374918B2 |
Integrated software network agent
A model for the next generation of software network agents for downloadable software is provided. The software network agent delivers a streamlined user experience that presents the user with options to try or buy. The agent may be co-branded for merchant and affiliate marketing. The agent may be integrated with a number of services, such as ecommerce systems, affiliate marketing network systems, site optimization, web analytics and email marketing systems that enable a merchant to enhance the user experience and improve marketing. A user's actions may be tracked in order to provide OEMs and retailers payout on purchase referrals to the merchant's online store. Code changes and bug fixes can be made at the server and in a timely manner with minimal impact to the various systems supporting the software activation user experience. |
| US08374916B2 |
Secure mobile-based financial transactions
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to securing payments from a mobile communications device. In exemplary embodiments, a mobile communications device communicates with a payment server via a point-of-sale device to conduct a transaction. The mobile communications device uses a client payment logic to send payment information to the point-of-sale device. The point-of-sale device uses a vendor payment logic to forward the payment information to the payment server. The payment server verifies the payment information and sends confirmation to the point-of-sale device. |
| US08374913B2 |
Method and system for comparing effects of audio-visual ads on internet searches
A method and system are provided for comparing an effect of an audio-visual ad on Internet searches. In one example, the method includes receiving a keyword search related to the audio-visual ad and storing the keyword search in a keyword search database, extracting ad related keywords from digitized text of the audio-visual ad and storing the ad related keywords in an ad keyword database, comparing the ad keyword database to the keyword search database, wherein the comparing includes determining an ad effectiveness rank of the audio-visual ad, and storing the ad effectiveness rank of the audio-visual ad in an ad effectiveness database. |
| US08374911B2 |
Vehicle usage-based tolling privacy protection architecture
A client-side on-board computing device is partitioned into a trusted computing module, and a private computing platform. When a metric report is required, the private computing platform retrieves an original data file and transfers the original data file to the trusted computing module. The original data file includes a global positioning system coordinate stream and time information. Communication between the private computing platform and the trusted computing module is via an unencrypted serial link. The private computing platform applies at least one billing algorithm to the original data file to determine a billing charge. The private computer platform signs and hashes the billing charge using a private key of a public-private endorsement key pair to create a signed metric report. The private computer platform forwards the signed metric report to the trusted computing module via the unencrypted serial link. The trusted computing module then forwards the signed metric report by the trusted computing module to a billing authority. |
| US08374910B1 |
Parking management method and automated parking system for vehicles
Disclosed are an automated system for the parking of vehicles and methods for the management of a parking facility. The system comprises a communication center module for interacting with a consumer, a payment module for processing payments, a data storage module, an analysis module for detecting potential parking violations and producing one or more enforcement alerts that are communicated to enforcement officers by a parking authority. The communication center module may recognize previous users of the system using at least one of: consumer identity data, consumer biometric data, and consumer behavioral data. Parking unit identity data and consumer identity data may be conveyed by consumer contact with the parking facility. The management method comprises the steps of: communicating with a consumer, receiving parking facility controlling parameters from a parking authority, storing data, processing payments, analyzing a current operational state, detecting a potential parking violation, generating an enforcement alert, communicating the alert to a parking authority, and generating a dispatch order for parking enforcement. |
| US08374904B2 |
Market forecasting
Methods, machine readable media, and systems for market forecasting are provided. An example of a method for market forecasting includes modeling market characteristics of market participants for a type of product and deriving variability of an attribute corresponding to a market characteristic coefficient of the type of product for each of the market participants. The method includes resampling from a distribution of the variability of the attribute for each of the market participants and remodeling the market characteristics of the market participants for the type of product using the resampled attribute. The method includes forecasting future market characteristics of the market participants for the type of product according to the remodeled market characteristics. |
| US08374903B2 |
Information criterion-based systems and methods for constructing combining weights for multimodel forecasting and prediction
Systems and methods are provided for a computer-implemented method for automatically generating a weighted average forecast model that includes receiving a plurality of forecasting models and time series data. At least one parameter of each of the received forecasting models is optimized utilizing the received time series data. A weighting factor is generated for each of the plurality of optimized forecasting models utilizing an information criteria value indicating fit quality of each of the optimized forecasting models, and the generated weighting factors are stored. |
| US08374901B2 |
Career and employment services system and apparatus
Systems, methods, distributed networks, and computer-readable media are provided that relate to recruiting and employment. Background information associated with talent-capability attributes is received from talent. Job description information is received from employers. Prospective matches are identified between employers and candidates, and employers and candidates are given an opportunity to exchange information. |
| US08374892B2 |
Method for retrieving a tumor contour of an image processing system
The present invention related to a method for retrieving a tumor contour of an image processing system that includes a memory storing a grayscale image and a processor, comprising: receiving an input tumor contour of the grayscale image; defining a tumor contour annular region and a plurality of reference segments of the grayscale image, wherein the input tumor contour is in the tumor contour annular region, and each of the plurality of reference segments is across the tumor contour annular region and includes a plurality of measured points; retrieving a tumor contour suggestion point on each of the plurality of reference segments; and linking all the tumor contour suggestion points on all of the reference segments, for forming the tumor contour. Accordingly, by applying the method of the present invention, a doctor can rapidly and accurately identify the contour of a tumor in a grayscale image. |
| US08374890B2 |
Electronic medical chart system, and apparatus and method for data processing
This invention provides an electronic medical chart system which synchronize medical information on a database with medical information described in a paper medical chart. When data is directly changed by input part other than an electronic pen, a keyboard or the like, a correlation between the paper medical chart and electronic medical chart is released. When a medical record is described in the paper medical chart by the electronic pen, medical record data is reflected in the electronic medical chart based on handwriting data that is described. When the medical record data is directly changed, the correlation between the paper medical chart and electronic medical chart is released, and a new ID is assigned to a reprinted new paper medical chart. When an additional medical record is described in the new paper medical chart again by the electronic pen, the handwriting data is reflected in the electronic medical chart. |
| US08374889B2 |
Multiple-input selectable systems integrated display and control functions unit for electrophysiology and the like
A systems integrator that brings various separate systems into one keyboard, video and mouse configuration with customized viewing of the different monitors on one large screen LCD monitor. This permits a user to control the display of several video/audio inputs simply and efficiently, for many diverse purposes including medical procedures, and other complex operations requiring multiple computer displays and video inputs. |
| US08374887B1 |
System and method for remotely supervising and verifying pharmacy functions
A system and method for remotely supervising and verifying pharmacy functions performed by a non-pharmacist at an institutional pharmacy. The institutional pharmacy and a remotely located pharmacist are linked via wired and/or wireless telecommunication systems in a manner that enables the pharmacist to remotely supervise and verify the correct performance of pharmacy functions by non-pharmacist personnel. Images of the pharmacy work performed may be captured using any of a number of types image capture devices. Captured images and corresponding documentation may be transmitted from institutional pharmacy to the remotely located pharmacist, either directly or via a web site accessible to both. After verifying that the pharmacy work was correctly performed, the remote pharmacist may provide the institutional pharmacy with an initialed copy the captured image(s), or other documentation, indicating such verification. Receiving the pharmacist's verification may authorize the non-pharmacist to further process the work. |
| US08374875B2 |
Providing programming information in response to spoken requests
A system allows a user to obtain information about television programming and to make selections of programming using conversational speech. The system includes a speech recognizer that recognizes spoken requests for television programming information. A speech synthesizer generates spoken responses to the spoken requests for television programming information. A user may use a voice user interface as well as a graphical user interface to interact with the system to facilitate the selection of programming choices. |
| US08374871B2 |
Methods for creating a phrase thesaurus
The invention enables creation of grammar networks that can regulate, control, and define the content and scope of human-machine interaction in natural language voice user interfaces (NLVUI). More specifically, the invention concerns a phrase-based modeling of generic structures of verbal interaction and use of these models for the purpose of automating part of the design of such grammar networks. |
| US08374870B2 |
Methods and systems for assessing and improving the performance of a speech recognition system
A method for assessing a performance of a speech recognition system may include determining a grade, corresponding to either recognition of instances of a word or recognition of instances of various words among a set of words, wherein the grade indicates a level of the performance of the system and the grade is based on a recognition rate and at least one recognition factor. An apparatus for assessing a performance of a speech recognition system may include a processor that determines a grade, corresponding to either recognition of instances of a word or recognition of instances of various words among a set of words, wherein the grade indicates a level of the performance of the system and wherein the grade is based on a recognition rate and at least one recognition factor. |
| US08374868B2 |
Method of recognizing speech
A method for recognizing speech involves reciting, into a speech recognition system, an utterance including a numeric sequence that contains a digit string including a plurality of tokens and detecting a co-articulation problem related to at least two potentially co-articulated tokens in the digit string. The numeric sequence may be identified using i) a dynamically generated possible numeric sequence that potentially corresponds with the numeric sequence, and/or ii) at least one supplemental acoustic model. Also disclosed herein is a system for accomplishing the same. |
| US08374867B2 |
System and method for standardized speech recognition infrastructure
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for selecting a speech recognition model in a standardized speech recognition infrastructure. The system receives speech from a user, and if a user-specific supervised speech model associated with the user is available, retrieves the supervised speech model. If the user-specific supervised speech model is unavailable and if an unsupervised speech model is available, the system retrieves the unsupervised speech model. If the user-specific supervised speech model and the unsupervised speech model are unavailable, the system retrieves a generic speech model associated with the user. Next the system recognizes the received speech from the user with the retrieved model. In one embodiment, the system trains a speech recognition model in a standardized speech recognition infrastructure. In another embodiment, the system handshakes with a remote application in a standardized speech recognition infrastructure. |
| US08374866B2 |
Generating acoustic models
This document describes methods, systems, techniques, and computer program products for generating and/or modifying acoustic models. Acoustic models and/or transformations for a target language/dialect can be generated and/or modified using acoustic models and/or transformations from a source language/dialect. |
| US08374863B2 |
Mass-scale, user-independent, device-independent voice messaging system
A mass-scale, user-independent, device-independent, voice messaging system that converts unstructured voice messages into text for display on a screen is disclosed. The system comprises (i) computer implemented sub-systems and also (ii) a network connection to human operators providing transcription and quality control; the system being adapted to optimize the effectiveness of the human operators by further comprising 3 core sub-systems, namely (i) a pre-processing front end that determines an appropriate conversion strategy; (ii) one or more conversion resources; and (iii) a quality control sub-system. |
| US08374859B2 |
Automatic answering device, automatic answering system, conversation scenario editing device, conversation server, and automatic answering method
An automatic answering device and an automatic answering method for automatically answering to a user utterance are configured: to prepare a conversation scenario that is a set of input sentences and replay sentences, the input sentences each corresponding to a user utterance assumed to be uttered by a user, the reply sentences each being an automatic reply to the inputted sentence; to accept a user utterance; to determine the reply sentence to the accepted user utterance on the basis of the conversation scenario; and to present the determined reply sentence to the user. Data of the conversation scenario have a data structure that enables the inputted sentences and the reply sentences to be expressed in a state transition diagram in which each of the inputted sentences is defined as a morphism and the reply sentence corresponding to the inputted sentence is defined as an object. |
| US08374858B2 |
Scalable lossless audio codec and authoring tool
An audio codec losslessly encodes audio data into a sequence of analysis windows in a scalable bitstream. This is suitably done by separating the audio data into MSB and LSB portions and encoding each with a different lossless algorithm. An authoring tool compares the buffered payload to an allowed payload for each window and selectively scales the losslessly encoded audio data, suitably the LSB portion, in the non-conforming windows to reduce the encoded payload, hence buffered payload. This approach satisfies the media bit rate and buffer capacity constraints without having to filter the original audio data, reencode or otherwise disrupt the lossless bitstream. |
| US08374856B2 |
Method and apparatus for concealing packet loss, and apparatus for transmitting and receiving speech signal
A method and apparatus for concealing frame loss and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving a speech signal that are capable of reducing speech quality degradation caused by packet loss are provided. In the method, when loss of a current received frame occurs, a random excitation signal having the highest correlation with a periodic excitation signal (i.e., a pitch excitation signal) decoded from a previous frame received without loss is used as a noise excitation signal to recover an excitation signal of a current lost frame. Furthermore, a third, new attenuation constant (AS) is obtained by summing a first attenuation constant (NS) obtained based on the number of continuously lost frames and a second attenuation constant (PS) predicted in consideration of change in amplitude of previously received frames to adjust the amplitude of the recovered excitation signal for the current lost frame. Speech quality degradation caused by packet loss can be reduced for enhanced communication quality in a packet network environment with continuous frame loss. |
| US08374855B2 |
System for suppressing rain noise
A voice enhancement logic improves the perceptual quality of a processed signal. The voice enhancement system includes a noise detector and a noise attenuator. The noise detector detects and models the noise associated with rain. The noise attenuator dampens or reduces the rain noise from a signal to improve the intelligibility of an unvoiced, a fully voiced, or a mixed voice segment. |
| US08374853B2 |
Hierarchical encoding/decoding device
A system for coding a hierarchical audio signal, comprising, at least, a core layer using parametric coding by analysis by synthesis in a first frequency band, a band extension layer for widening said first frequency band into a second frequency band, or wideband. The system also comprises a wideband audio coding quality enhancement layer based on transform coding using a spectral parameter obtained from said band extension layer. Application to transmitting speech and/or audio signals over packet networks. |
| US08374849B1 |
Multi-language relevance-based indexing and search
Indexing and querying in multiple languages is accomplished using an ordered chain of filters and/or other such components. When receiving information to be indexed or for a query, the information can be tokenized and typed based at least in part on the language of each token. The character types can be adjusted if appropriate for the languages, and the tokens can be further segmented using a dictionary for the respective language types. Once appropriate tokens are determined, relevant synonyms in each appropriate language can be determined and typed accordingly. If necessary the case of the tokens and synonyms can be adjusted and further segmented based on punctuation. The terms and synonyms then can be used as part of the index or as part of the search query to include other terms or phrases based on relevance to the original information. |
| US08374848B1 |
System and method for using data and derived features to automatically generate a narrative story
A system and method for automatically generating a narrative story receives data and information pertaining to a domain event. The received data and information and/or one or more derived features are then used to identify a plurality of angles for the narrative story. The plurality of angles is then filtered, for example through use of parameters that specify a focus for the narrative story, length of the narrative story, etc. Points associated with the filtered plurality of angles are then assembled and the narrative story is rendered using the filtered plurality of angles and the assembled points. |
| US08374845B2 |
Retrieving apparatus, retrieving method, and computer program product
A word coinciding with a key word input by speech and a word related to the word are set as retrieval candidate words based on a word dictionary in which words representing formal names and aliases of the formal names are registered in association with a family attribute indicating a familiar relation among the words. Content related to any one of retrieval words selected out of the retrieval candidate words and a word related to the retrieval word is retrieved. |
| US08374842B2 |
Device emulation support apparatus, device emulation support method, device emulation support circuit and information processor
An access monitoring section (11) obtains access information including an address conforming to an address stored in a monitoring address setting section (10) from an access signal output from a CPU (1) to a peripheral device (3). An access judging section (13) compares the access information received from the access monitoring section (11) and the last access information stored in an access storing section (12), and stores the obtained access information in the access storing section (12) and requests the transmission of an exception generation notification to an exception generating section (14) when the received access information is different from the last access information while excluding the last access information stored in the access storing section (12) from access information to be compared when the received access information is the same as the last access information. By this construction, throughput can be reduced at the time of emulation and the peripheral device can be efficiently emulated. |
| US08374841B2 |
Precise detection of triggers and trigger ordering for asynchronous events
A method of trace collection in a data processor begins trace data collection even if a trace trigger is received during an interval when a central processing unit is stalled. Trace data collection is deferred if a trace trigger is received during an interval of an invalid instruction boundary until a valid instruction boundary. |
| US08374840B2 |
System and method for feedback-guided test generation for cyber-physical systems using monte-carlo
A system and method for generating test vectors includes generating traces of a system model or program stored in memory using a simulation engine. Simulated inputs are globally optimized using a fitness objective computed using a computer processing device. The simulation inputs are adjusted in accordance with feedback from the traces and fitness objective values by computing a distance between the fitness objective value and a reachability objective. Test input vectors are output based upon optimized fitness objective values associated with the simulated inputs to test the system model or program stored in memory. |
| US08374838B2 |
Method for identifying a compound that modulates telomerase activity
The present invention relates to a method for identifying compounds that modulate the activity of telomerase. Compounds of the invention are identified by designing or screening for a compound which binds to at least one amino acid residue of the TRBD, “thumb,” “finger,” and/or “palm” domain of telomerase and testing the compound for its ability to modulate the activity of telomerase. |
| US08374831B2 |
Process for generating bidirectional reflectance distribution functions of gonioapparent materials with limited measurement data
A computer-implemented process for generating a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of a gonioapparent material containing effect flake pigments in a solid medium using limited measurement data, comprising the following steps: (A) acquiring and inputting into a computing device (1) photometric data and (2) the refractive index of the solid medium of the gonioapparent material; (B) converting any non-linear photometric data from step A) above to linear photometric data; (C) using the illumination angle and the reflective scattering angle associated with the linear photometric data and the refractive index of the medium to calculate corresponding effect flake angles; (D) fitting the linear photometric data and the effect angle data with an equation; (E) calculating the corresponding effect flake angle needed to calculate the BRDF being generated in step (F); and (F) generating the BRDF from the corresponding effect flake angle from step (E) and the equation developed in step (D). |
| US08374828B1 |
Computer implemented system for protein and drug target design utilizing quantified stability and flexibility relationships to control function
The computerized method, software, and product of this invention implements a process for computationally designing proteins and/or associated molecular targets with desired quantitative stability/flexibility relationships (QSFR). QSFR is an innovative, high dimensional metric calculated using an improved Distance Constraint Model (DCM). This invention includes three distinct aspects: (i.) utilizing QSFR in computational molecular design of protein sequences, or variations of molecular structures, to have specific stability and flexibility relationships deemed important for biochemical function for specified thermodynamic and solvent conditions; (ii.) utilizing QSFR to optimize thermodynamic and/or solvent conditions necessary for a specified molecular system to exhibit protein function characteristics, such as improved catalytic efficiency; and (iii.) utilizing QSFR to computationally screen or design small molecules and/or design its putative receptor so as to exhibit a desired affect on protein function. |
| US08374826B2 |
System, apparatus and method for calibrating a delay along a signal path
The present disclosure teaches a calibration system, a calibration apparatus and a method for calibrating a signal path and a method for calibrating a delay. The calibration system comprises an injector, a calibration signal generator, a correlator, a detector unit, a polygon former and a pattern classifier unit. The calibration system is adapted to calculate a fraction of a delay from a set of polygons. The delay is being accumulated along a signal path. The fraction of the delay is indicative of an accuracy of the delay at a fine sampling rate as if the delay was measured at the fine sampling rate being an integer multiple of the coarse sampling rate. The method for calibrating of the signal path uses a calibration signal sampled at a coarse sampling rate. Correlation techniques are used in order to detect a fraction of the delay from a set of polygons. |
| US08374820B2 |
Test circuit for network interface
A first output pin of a microcontroller is connected to a control pin of a high speed switch chip. A second output pin of the microcontroller is connected to two control pins of first and second switch chips. Two output pins of the high speed switch chip are connected to two input pins of the first switch chip. Two input pins of a third switch chip are connected to two output pins of the second switch chip. Two control pins of the third switch chip are connected to a third output pin of the microcontroller. Three input pins of a bus switch chip are connected to fourth to sixth output pins of the microcontroller. A load board is connected to six output pins of the bus switch chip and four switch pins of the first and second switch chips. |
| US08374807B2 |
Method and apparatus that detects state of charge (SOC) of a battery
A method and apparatus are provided for estimating a state of charge (SOC) of a battery. Curves are generated to expresses a relationship between a first parameter and an SOC over a region of interest. A voltage and a current of the battery during a period of time are measured to create a set of voltage and current data, which is then processed to create a set of processed data. The processed data is then combined with the generated curves to generate processed data as a function of SOC. A curve is generated that evaluates each SOC for accuracy and chance likelihood of fit. An SOC that minimizes both the error and chance is selected and output for display to the user on a user interface. |
| US08374806B2 |
Ultrasonic phase-shift detection device
An ultrasonic phase-shift detection device includes a clock generator, a divider, a first counter, a comparator, a phase detector and a second counter. The divider is provided for dividing the clock signal to generate ultrasonic signals. The comparator is provided for comparing the counting value of the first counter and a predetermined number. The phase detector is provided for comparing the phase shift between different ultrasonic signals. The second counter is provided for counting to generate the digital result signal. |
| US08374803B2 |
Damage detection apparatus, damage detection method and recording medium
A damage detection apparatus and method which detect a damage occurring in a specimen include energizing an inspection area on a specimen into a predetermined energized condition, measuring a potential difference at predetermined intervals in the inspection area, and analyzing an existence or otherwise of a damage, and a shape thereof, based on a plurality of items of potential difference data. Parameters specifying a hypothetical damage are hypothesized in advance and, based on the potential difference data, calculation is executed using a maximum likelihood estimation method on a double body in which hypothetical specimens are doubled by bringing together their front surfaces, and furthermore on a quadruple body quadrupled by bringing rear surfaces of hypothetical specimens together, a maximum likelihood estimation value of the parameters is calculated. |
| US08374801B2 |
Automation of ingredient-specific particle sizing employing raman chemical imaging
A system and method for determining at least one geometric property of a particle in a sample. A sample is irradiated to thereby generate Raman scattered photons. These photons are collected to generate a Raman chemical image. A first threshold is applied wherein the first threshold is such that all particles in the sample are detected. A particle in the sample is selected and a second threshold is applied so that at least one geometric property of the selected particle can be determined. At least one spectrum representative of the selected particle is analyzed to determine whether or not it is a particle of interest. The step of determining a second threshold may be iterative and automated via software so that candidate second thresholds are applied until a satisfactory result is achieved. |
| US08374798B2 |
Apparatus, method, and computer program product for determining gene function and functional groups using chromosomal distribution patterns
A method, apparatus, and computer program product for analyzing gene expressions is presented. An operation is performed for determining a gene expression pattern for a condition, wherein the gene expression pattern comprises a gene expression. Next, a spatial-expression pattern is formed by selecting a chromosomal region having an exon; and associating the gene expression within the gene expression pattern with its corresponding exon. A further operation may be performed, where in the forming of the spatial-expression pattern, a spatial-expression pattern signal is created as a representation of the spatial-expression pattern. The magnitude of the spatial-expression pattern signal at any point is determined by an expression level of the corresponding exon. Spatial patterns may be identified in the signal by means of various signal processing techniques such as Fourier or Wavelet transforms. Also, multiple regions and/or conditions may be tested and their reaction patterns compared to determine related genetic regions. |
| US08374793B2 |
Reducing error contributions to gyroscopic measurements from a wellbore survey system
A method reduces error contributions to gyroscopic measurements from a first gyroscopic sensor and a second gyroscopic sensor. The method includes receiving a first set of measurement signals and a second set of measurement signals indicative of at least one substantially perpendicular component and indicative of a substantially parallel component of the Earth's rotation. The method further includes receiving one or more measurement signals generated by a plurality of accelerometers and calculating a first and second mass unbalance offset error for the first gyroscopic sensor and the second gyroscopic sensor, respectively. |
| US08374791B2 |
Method of operating a navigation system to provide route guidance
A method of operating a navigation system to provide a route guidance message for traveling a route is performed by a navigation system. A preferred name of a feature visible from a road segment is obtained in a native language from a geographic database associated with the navigation system. The parts-of-speech of the preferred name are identified and converted into a target language text providing the preferred name in a target language. A guidance message includes the target language text in the target language. |
| US08374790B2 |
Method and apparatus for guiding a vehicle
A device for aligning a vehicle with a next pass through a field comprises a camera which takes a corresponding natural picture. A receiver is provided for receiving a navigational signal from a navigational satellite system. A central processing unit is connected to the camera for receiving the natural picture and the receiver for receiving the natural satellite signal. The CPU generates a master signal comprising a video signal of the navigational picture, an actual indicator signal representing the actual position of the vehicle, and a desired indicator signal representing the desired position of the vehicle. A display is connected to the CPU for receiving the master signal and generating a master image comprising a natural picture image, an actual indicator image, and a desired indicator image. The vehicle is driven to cause an alignment of the actual indicator image with the desired indicator image. |
| US08374789B2 |
Systems and methods for using marking information to electronically display dispensing of markers by a marking system or marking tool
Marking information relating to the use of a marking system or a marking tool configured to dispense one or more markers to mark, on ground, pavement, or other surface, a location of an underground utility, is used to control a display device so as to visually display a dispensing of the one or more markers on an electronic representation of an area that is marked and includes the location of the underground utility. |
| US08374784B2 |
System and method for determining the geographic location of a device
A method and apparatus for estimating a location of a device. For each of a plurality of locations of a device, a set of positional data is determined from signals received from a plurality of satellites. The positional data is filtered and compared with data from a road network database. This comparison may be a function of a distance from at least one point defined by a set of the filtered positional data to a road in the road network database and an angle between a line representing a best fit for plural points defined by corresponding plural sets of the filtered positional data to a line defined by a road in the road network database. |
| US08374783B2 |
Systems and methods for improved position determination of vehicles
Systems and methods for determining a position of a vehicle are described. The system includes at least one GNSS sensor mounted to the vehicle for receiving GNSS signals of a global positioning system and at least one physical sensor mounted to the vehicle for generating physical data indicative of a physical parameter of at least a part of the vehicle. The system also includes a recursive statistical estimator, such as a Kalman Filter, in communication with the GNSS sensor(s) for seeding the recursive statistical estimator with an output of the GNSS sensor(s) to determine an estimated position of the vehicle. A data fusion module combines the estimated position and velocity of the vehicle with the physical data thus generating combined data, which is used to seed the recursive statistical estimator to determine an updated estimated position of the vehicle. |
| US08374780B2 |
Open area maps with restriction content
Open area maps and related systems and methods are disclosed. For example, one method includes receiving an image of a layout corresponding to a real-world area in which a person walks about. A restriction associated to a passageway within the image is generated. The image is used to generate a routable map for point-to-point routing. Routing through or around the restriction is based on whether or not criteria for passing the restriction is met. |
| US08374778B2 |
Systems and methods for providing geographical information to a mobile communications device
A system for providing a tailored route to a mobile communications device over a wireless communications network. The system includes a map server including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to make the map server operable to prepare a basic route from a route origin to a route destination and obtain information regarding characteristics of the wireless communications network along the basic route. The processor is further made operable to prepare the tailored route using the basic route and the network characteristics information and provide the tailored route to the mobile communications device over the wireless communications network. |
| US08374771B2 |
Method for operating a hybrid vehicle drive and a device for carrying out said method
The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle drive comprising at least one internal combusting engine (10), at least one electric machine (20) mechanically coupled to said internal combustion engine (10) and at least one power storage battery actively connectable to said electric machine (20) and to the internal combustion engine (1) in an on-board electric network, wherein said internal combustion engine (10) and electric machine (20) produces a nominal required drive torque (M) in a substantially common manner, the instant electromotive torque reserve (MEres) of the electric machines(s) (20) is determined and the internal combustion engine torque reserve is taken into account as a minimum reference torque reserve of the internal combustion engine for at least one or several internal combustion engines (10). |
| US08374770B2 |
Method and device for adapting an injection characteristic curve
When the internal combustion engine is in an injection-free operating mode, a selected injector is open for injecting a small fuel amount, whereby at least one working cycle with injector control follows or precedes one cycle without control, a differential of two subsequent segment times of the cylinder associated with the selected injector or another variable, that reproduces a temporal crankshaft angle speed modification, is determined as a measurement value respectively for the cycle with and without control, and a relation is formed between the values of the cycles with or without control and used to correct the injection characteristic curve. The engine operates with active ignition and the value for the cycle with control is tested by taking into account ignition faults and the relation is only used to correct the curve if the value in the cycle with control significantly deviates from the one without control. |
| US08374769B2 |
Control apparatus and control method for variable valve operating mechanism
A control apparatus and a control method for a variable valve operating mechanism are employed for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine including the variable valve operating mechanism and a valve stop mechanism. The variable valve operating mechanism includes a variable mechanism portion that changes a valve characteristic of an engine valve, and an actuator that drives the variable mechanism portion. The valve stop mechanism stops opening/closing of the engine valve in at least one cylinder. A controlled variable for the actuator is set so that an actual value of the valve characteristic matches a target value. A control characteristic value used to set the controlled variable, and used to make the actual value match the target value, is set such that when a reduced-cylinder operation is performed, the control characteristic value is different from the control characteristic value when an all-cylinder operation is performed. |
| US08374767B2 |
Method for operating a glow plug
The invention relates to a method for operating a glow plug with running engine, with the engine having a crankshaft and at least one cylinder. An effective voltage is generated from a vehicle electrical system voltage, with the effective voltage being applied to the glow plug. A plurality of measurement values of the combustion chamber pressure prevalent in the cylinder is measured during each working cycle of the cylinder, with the angular position of the crankshaft being determined for each individual measurement value. A characteristic value of the combustion process is determined from the evolution of the combustion chamber pressure measured in relation to the angular position of the crankshaft, and the determined characteristic value is compared with a setpoint value, and the effective voltage is set to a minimum value required for reaching the setpoint value. |
| US08374762B2 |
Travel speed limiting apparatus
A travel speed limiting apparatus including: a travel speed measurement device which measures a travel speed of a vehicle; a speed limit memory device which stores a speed limit set by an operator; a first driving force limit value calculation device which calculates a first driving force limit value based on a deviation of the travel speed from the speed limit; a requested driving force calculation device which calculates a requested driving force based on an operator's acceleration operation; and a second driving force limit value calculation device which calculates a second driving force limit value based on the requested driving force, wherein the driving force limiting device sets an eventual driving force limit value to the smaller of the first driving force limit value and the second driving force limit value, and controls the driving force of the vehicle to be less than the eventual driving force limit value. |
| US08374761B2 |
Driving force distribution control method and device for four wheel drive vehicle
A driving force distribution control device for a four wheel drive vehicle having a mechanism that distributes the torque of an engine, which is transmitted to a main drive wheel, to a secondary drive wheel determines a first torque to be distributed to the secondary drive wheel on the basis of the engine torque, and corrects the determined first torque on the basis of a yaw rate deviation between a target yaw rate and an actual yaw rate of the vehicle. When an absolute value of the yaw rate deviation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the mechanism is controlled on the basis of the corrected torque. |
| US08374760B2 |
Control of multi-speed transmission
Apparatus and method for efficiently controlling an automatic transmission in an electric vehicle. The method may be implemented by selection of one of at least two belt clutches having different ratios. The timing for disengagement and engagement of each clutch and the proper sequencing of the disengagement and engagement of the clutches is determined to optimize the efficiency of the transmission. A direct drive motor is directly coupled to the transmission's output shaft to provide momentary power to maintain a nearly constant rate of acceleration during shifting. The method may further be applied for shifting an electric vehicle with a first motor coupled to an output shaft through a single belt clutch and a direct drive motor. |
| US08374759B2 |
Method and code for controlling powertrain with lockup torque converter
A method of controlling a vehicle powertrain having an automatic transmission coupled to an engine through a lock-up torque converter includes determining when a torque converter unlock is imminent during a deceleration fuel shut-off event, and delaying the resumption of fuel flow to the engine for a calibratable time period to reduce the likelihood of an undesirable increase in engine output torque when the torque converter has not fully transitioned to an unlocked state. The method also includes determining whether one or more breakout conditions exist that require enabling fuel flow to the engine and, perhaps, triggering an active unlocking of the lock-up torque converter. |
| US08374757B2 |
Control system and method to inhibit automatic transmission downshifting during trailer sway
A control system for a vehicle that is towing a trailer, the control system including a lateral acceleration sensor coupled to the vehicle for determining a lateral acceleration of the vehicle caused by the trailer swaying and generating a lateral acceleration signal based on the lateral acceleration of the vehicle and a transmission controller for receiving the lateral acceleration signal from the lateral acceleration sensor, comparing the lateral acceleration signal to a threshold, and prohibiting a gear switch signal from being transmitted to a transmission of the vehicle when the lateral acceleration signal exceeds the threshold. |
| US08374755B2 |
Machine with task-dependent control
A control system for a machine is disclosed. The control system may have a power source, an operator input device configured to generate a first signal indicative of a desired mode of power source operation, and a work implement driven by the power source. The control system may also have a controller in communication with the power source and the operator input device. The controller may be configured to classify a currently performed work implement task and select an output map based on the classification of the currently performed work implement task and the first signal. The controller may further be configured to control the power source operation using the output map. |
| US08374753B2 |
Starting device of occupant protective system
A starting device of an occupant protective system includes an angular velocity or acceleration sensor 11 for detecting the behavior of a vehicle, processing sections 131 and 132 for performing two or more computations using different subtrahends on a physical quantity based on the output from the sensor 11, a comparing section 133 for comparing absolute values of outputs from the processing sections 131 and 132, a selecting section 134 for selecting the output value of the processing sections 131 and 132 with the minimum absolute value, and a decision section 135 for making a decision as to the necessity for starting the occupant protective system in accordance with the output value selected. |
| US08374751B2 |
Automotive impact sensing system
A motor vehicle impact sensing system for a vehicle that includes a controller that is connected to a pressure sensor that cooperates with a discrete deformable vessel. The pressure sensor is operatively positioned relative to the deformable vessel such that changes in the vessel generate a signal indicative of a pressure change. The signal associated with the pressure change is communicated from the pressure sensor to the controller. If the signal exceeds a threshold, such as where there is a rapid pressure increase in the vessel, the controller initiates one or more safety measures, such as deploying airbags or the like, to reduce the effects of an undesired impact. The deformable vessel and pressure sensor form a sensor assembly that can be located in one or more of various locations throughout the vehicle including its front end, its doors, quarter panels, side panels, and/or its rear end. |
| US08374748B2 |
Land vehicles and systems with controllable suspension systems
The land vehicle includes a body, a power plant and a plurality of land engagers, the land engagers for engaging land and propelling the land vehicle across land. The land vehicle includes a controllable suspension system, the controllable suspension system for controlling suspension movements between the body and the land engagers. The land vehicle includes a computer system and suspension sensors located proximate the land engagers for measuring suspension parameters representative of suspension movements between the body and the land engagers and outputting a plurality of suspension sensor measurement output signals. The land vehicle includes controllable force suspension members located proximate the land engagers and the suspension sensors, the controllable force suspension members applying suspension travel forces between the body and the land engagers to control the suspension movements. The land vehicle computer system includes controllable suspension system algorithms for controlling the controllable force suspension members to control vehicle body motion and the suspension movements between the body and the land engagers and inhibit the driver from crossing into an identified impending driver vehicle safety margin. |
| US08374744B2 |
Tire pressure monitor signal processing
System for processing tire pressure monitor (TPM) signals. The system include capabilities to support amplitude shift key (ASK) modulation of TPM data signals transmitted from TPMs included within one or more tires of a vehicle. The system may include a receiver and controller to process the TPM signals. |
| US08374742B2 |
Turbocharger launch control
A method for launching a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises, during operation with an idle engine speed prior to a pedal tip-in, increasing alternator and boost pressure while maintaining the idle engine speed, and decreasing alternator load responsive to the pedal tip-in. In this way, increased turbocharger output may be used to quickly accelerate the vehicle. |
| US08374741B2 |
Sectional electric drive vehicle
A sectional electric drive vehicle includes a first motorcycle having a master electric control unit, a second motorcycle detachably connected to the first motorcycle in tandem by a connection mechanism and the second motorcycle including a slave electric control unit, and a system connector detachably connecting the master electric control unit and the slave electric control unit, to allow signals transmission between the master and slave electric control units. When the first and second motorcycles are combined and connected together via the connection mechanism and the system connector, the slave electric control unit relinquishes control to the master electric control unit, and the master electric control unit controls the cooperative motion of the first and second motorcycles. When the first and second motorcycles are detached, the first and second motorcycles are independently operable. |
| US08374740B2 |
Self-learning satellite navigation assisted hybrid vehicle controls system
A self-learning assisted hybrid vehicle system that includes a main power source for providing power to the vehicle, a supplemental power source for providing supplemental power for providing power to the vehicle and an electric motor or other mechanical system for driving the vehicle. The system also includes a self-learning controls unit that receives and stores information from a plurality of inputs associated with the vehicle. The self-learning controls unit uses the information to make predictions about future driving conditions of the vehicle to efficiently utilize the power sources of the hybrid vehicle. |
| US08374737B2 |
Low visibility landing system and method
A low visibility landing system is provided for guiding aircraft on landing approaches. The low visibility landing system may aid a pilot during landing in low visibility conditions such that an aircraft may descend to lower altitudes without visual contact with the runway than is possible with other landing systems. The system may use various navigational systems to produce a hybrid signal that may be more stable than individual signals of those navigational systems. The hybrid signal is compared to a predetermined landing approach plan to determine the deviation of the aircraft from the landing approach plan and to provide guidance to the pilot to get the aircraft back onto the landing approach plan. The system may also use multiple navigational systems to perform checks on an operation of a primary navigational system to ensure that the primary navigational system is operating accurately. |
| US08374736B1 |
Runway slope compensation for an automatic landing system
An automatic landing system (ALS) includes an automatic landing module. The automatic landing module receives a radio altitude from a radio altimeter and any other sensor inputs for use by the automatic landing module and generates an ALS elevator command. The ALS also includes a runway slope compensation (RSC) module. The runway slope compensation module receives the ALS elevator command, the radio altitude and an inertial vertical speed from an inertial reference unit and generates an aircraft elevator command and at least one symmetric wing surface command. The aircraft elevator command and the at least one symmetric wing surface command are useable by an aircraft for runway slope compensation. |
| US08374735B2 |
Method and device for reducing actual loads generated on airplane by an aerodynamic disturbance
A method and device for reducing actual loads generated on airplane by an aerodynamic disturbance is provided, the device including means for determining a load exceeding envelope and means for determining deflection orders of airplane control surfaces to reduce loads applied on the latter, when the airplane flies inside the load exceeding envelope. More specifically, a flight envelope of the airplane is determined and used with theoretical loads applied to the aircraft to produce the load exceeding envelope based on couples of the flight envelope with theoretical loads that equal or exceed a load threshold. |
| US08374729B2 |
Smart electrical outlets and associated networks
A control system (300) allows recognized standard premise electrical outlets, for example NEMA, CEE and BS, among others to be remotely monitored and/or controlled, for example, to intelligently execute blackouts or brownouts or to otherwise remotely control electrical devices. The system (300) includes a number of smart receptacles (302) that communicate with a local controller (304), e.g., via power lines using the TCP/IP protocol. The local controller (304), in turn, communicates with a remote controller (308) via the internet. |
| US08374721B2 |
Robot system
A power-saving robot system includes at least one peripheral device and a mobile robot. The peripheral device includes a controller having an active mode and a hibernation mode, and a wireless communication component capable of activation in the hibernation mode. A controller of the robot has an activating routine that communicates with and temporarily activates the peripheral device, via wireless communication, from the hibernation mode. In another aspect, a robot system includes a network data bridge and a mobile robot. The network data bridge includes a broadband network interface, a wireless command interface, and a data bridge component. The data bridge component extracts serial commands received via the broadband network interface from an internet protocol, applies a command protocol thereto, and broadcasts the serial commands via the wireless interface. The mobile robot includes a wireless command communication component that receives the serial commands transmitted from the network data bridge. |
| US08374720B2 |
Method and apparatus for sorting articles by way of storage regions
An apparatus and a method for sorting articles, in particular flat mail items. The sorting plant has a feed transport path, a lead-away transport path, a plurality of connecting transport paths, a plurality of storage regions, and a sorting plan. Each connecting transport path branches off from the feed transport path and issues into the lead-away transport path. The feed transport path or the lead-away transport path is configured as a storage transport path which contains the storage regions, in the form of a sequence of successive storage regions. The sorting plan assigns a storage region, to each possible feature value of a sorting feature. The sorting plant selects a storage region for each article, using the sorting plan and as a function of the measured feature value. When the sorting plant has selected for a first article a first storage region and for a following second article a second storage region which comes after the first storage region in the sequence, the sorting plant temporarily stores the first article in the first storage region and transports the second article, using the overtaking transport path, past the first article stored in the first storage region to the second storage region. |
| US08374718B2 |
Numerical control method and apparatus therefor
A preceding-check processing sequence is provided separately from a machine-control processing sequence for an actual machine control, to make it possible to perform a collision check at an accurate position from an operation restart time of a machining program even when an operator interrupts an operation in the middle of the machining program or when the operator interrupts the operation as having detected a collision. This preceding-check processing sequence performs a collision possibility check ahead of an actual machine control. In this arrangement, there is provided a control-state synchronizing unit that matches a state of the preceding-check processing sequence with a state of the machine-control processing sequence during a period from when a machine stops until when the machine restarts an operation. |
| US08374714B2 |
Local enforcement of accuracy in fabricated models
The systems and methods disclosed herein employ a combination of digital three-dimensional modeling and rapid fabrication technologies to provide pre-indexed, pre-registered, and/or precut components for articulated dental models. Dental articulators and components of dental models as described herein use a positioning key to encode positional information for components of the dental model, and/or a reference grid on mounting surfaces to enforce local accuracy of fabricated parts against a fixed reference array. |
| US08374705B2 |
Implantable medical lead with housing integrity indicator
An implantable medical lead has at least one electric conductor running along a lead body and electrically interconnecting at least one electrode at the distal portion of the lead with at least one lead terminal at the proximal portion of the lead. The lead also has at least one closed channel running along at least a portion of the lead body. The closed channel contains an extracorporeally detectable detection substance. A rupture to the lead will cause the detection substance to leak out of the channel and outside of the lead body. Lead damage can be confirmed by the absence of or a reduced amount of said detection substance inside the lead. |
| US08374704B2 |
Polyisobutylene urethane, urea and urethane/urea copolymers and medical leads containing the same
The present invention provides medical devices that contain polyisobutylene urethane copolymers, polyisobutylene urea copolymers and polyisobutylene urethane/urea copolymers. More particularly, the present invention provides medical leads that contain such copolymers. |
| US08374702B2 |
Drug delivery
A method and apparatus (100) of treating tissue adjacent a bodily conduit using thermotherapy, while preventing obstructions of the bodily conduit due to edema, includes injection of a drug-encapsulated within a heat-sensitive carrier, such as a liposome, within a region of tissue to be treated. The heat produced by the energy-emitting source (110) heats a portion of the tissue surrounding the bodily conduit to a temperature of approximately 43° C. for a time sufficient to destroy the heated portion of the tissue. In addition, the heat produced by the energy-emitting source (110) activates the heat-sensitive carrier to activate the release of the encapsulated drug and the drug targets the tissue to be heated. The focused energy of the energy-emitting source together with the compression acting on the target area can assist in delivering drugs to the target area so that a natural stent has a long term efficacy. |
| US08374696B2 |
Closed-loop micro-control system for predicting and preventing epileptic seizures
The invention provides a micro-control neuroprosthetic device and methods for predicting and controlling epileptic neuronal activity. The device includes a detection system that detects and collects electrophysiological information comprising action potentials from single neurons and ensembles of neurons in a neural structure such as an epileptogenic region of the brain in a subject. An analysis system included in the neuroprosthetic device evaluates the electrophysiological information and performs a real-time extraction of neuron firing features from which the system determines when stimulus intervention is required. The neuroprosthetic device further comprises a stimulation intervention system that provides stimulus output signals having a desired stimulation frequency and stimulation intensity directly to the neural structure in which abnormal neuronal activity is detected. The analysis system further analyzes collected electrophysiological information during or following stimulus intervention to assess the effects of the stimulation intervention and to provide outputs to maintain or modify the stimulation intervention. |
| US08374691B2 |
Methods and systems for determining if an arrhythmia initiated in an atrium or a ventricle
Validated atrial and/or ventricular interval decreases are used to discriminate between VT and SVT. Atrial and/or ventricular intervals are monitored in order to detect decreases in such intervals (which are indicative in increases in rate). The atrial intervals can be, e.g., AA intervals, and the ventricular intervals can be, e.g., VV intervals. A detected atrial and/or ventricular interval decrease can be a decrease that is greater than an interval decrease threshold. Detected atrial and/or ventricular interval decreases can be validated by examining atrial and/or ventricular intervals before and after a detected atrial and/or ventricular interval decrease. The use of the validated atrial and/or ventricular interval decreases to classify an arrhythmia as SVT or VT can be called arrhythmia initiation analysis, since it is believed to determine whether the initiation of the arrhythmia is in an atrium or a ventricle. |
| US08374690B2 |
Apparatus for determining health of an individual
A method and apparatus for obtaining data relevant to the state of health of an individual by measuring the signal spectra at various points on the individual's body. Illustratively, the measurements are at points on the individual's hand, implemented with a glove that includes numerous electrical point contacts. |
| US08374688B2 |
System and methods for wireless body fluid monitoring
An adherent device to monitor a tissue hydration of a patient comprises an adhesive patch to adhere to a skin of the patient. At least four electrodes are connected to the patch and capable of electrically coupling to the patient. Impedance circuitry is coupled to the at least four electrodes to measure a tissue resistance of the patient, where the circuitry is configured to determine the tissue hydration in response to tissue resistance. The circuitry may comprise a processor system and the tissue resistance may correspond to a change in patient body fluid. The impedance circuitry is configured to measure the hydration signal using at least one low measurement frequency, which may be in the range of 0 to 10 kHz. Multiple measurement frequencies may be used and the hydration signal may include a tissue reactance measurement. |
| US08374687B2 |
Rapid serial visual presentation triage prioritization based on user state assessment
A method and system are provided that prioritize the output of an image triage that is based on rapid serial visual presentation. User responses and estimates of the effectiveness with which each image is likely to have been processed by a user are employed for post triage image prioritization of potential targets. Images associated with a user response, processed during optimal user states, are assigned the highest priority for post triage examination, as targets are likely. Images without a user response that are processed during optimal user states are assigned the lowest priority, as these are unlikely to contain targets. Images with a user response that are processed during suboptimal states are assigned a medium priority, as these are likely to contain a high number of false positives. Images without a user response, processed during suboptimal user states are flagged for reprocessing as these may contain targets that the user may not have detected. |
| US08374679B2 |
System and methods for determining the orientation and position of a bone-implanted anchor
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for determining the position and orientation of an anchor attached to the skull of a patient from a topographic image of the anchor acquired therefrom. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of simulating an image of the anchor that matches the acquired topographic image of the anchor, determining the position and orientation of the anchor from the simulated image of the anchor, and determining the position and orientation of the anchor in the acquired topographic image of the anchor from the position and orientation of the anchor determined from the simulated image of the anchor. The simulating step comprises the step of modeling the anchor with an object that has a geometric shape simpler than that of the anchor. |
| US08374674B2 |
Nerve treatment system
A method of treatment includes delivering an agent into a patient, and providing energy inside the patient so that the energy can interact with the agent to treat a nerve. A system for treatment includes a source of agent for delivery into a patient, and an energy source for providing energy inside the patient so that the energy can interact with the agent to treat a nerve. |
| US08374671B2 |
Health indicator
A device for determining a person's health that uses a body scanner to obtain a three-dimensional model of a person. The device calculates the volume of at least a first part of the person's body and a second part of a person's body from the three-dimensional model. An indication of the person's health is calculated based on the volume of the first part and volume of the second part of the person's body. |
| US08374670B2 |
Catheter having a force sensing distal tip
A mapping and ablation catheter with contact force sensing capabilities at a distal end, includes a catheter body, a deflectable section, and a tip distal section which has a tip electrode and a contact force sensor for sensing a 3D contact force vector applied to the tip electrode. In contact with the tip electrode, the contact force sensor has a body and has at least one sensor with an electrical characteristic that is responsive to deformation of the body resulting from force vector. The sensor is adapted to receive an electrical current and to output an electrical signal indicative of a change in the electrical characteristic. In one embodiment, the sensor is a strain gage responsive to tension and compression of at least a portion of the body of the force sensor and the electrical characteristic of the strain gage that is monitored is electrical resistivity. In another embodiment, the sensor is responsive to strain and stress of at least a portion of the body, and the electrical characteristic being monitored is inductance or hysteresis loss. |
| US08374669B2 |
Needle electrode with displaceable cover and method of using said needle electrode
A needle electrode (1) comprising a base element (4), a needle element (3) mounted on said base element and connection means (5) for connecting said needle element to external electronic equipment. The needle electrode further comprises a cover element (2) which is displaceable between at least two positions: an “active” position where the tip of the needle element (3) is exposed and a “secure” position where the tip of the needle element (3) is hidden within the cover element (2). In this way, the needle electrode (1) is provided with a shield (2) whereby the needle element (3) can be shielded after use whereby the user of the needle electrode (1) is protected from infection. A method of using a needle electrode (1) is also presented. An adjustable length needle electrode (80) is also presented. |
| US08374660B1 |
Apparatus and method for reducing the electromagnetic interference between two or more antennas coupled to a wireless communication device
An apparatus for reducing the electromagnetic interference between two or more co-located antennas is described herein. In one embodiment, the apparatus is positioned proximate to a second antenna for intercepting electromagnetic energy radiated from a first antenna during transmission of a signal. To reduce interference at the second antenna, the apparatus includes a plurality of resonant circuit elements, each being configured to resonate at or near a carrier frequency of the transmitted signal for redirecting at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy away from the second antenna. A method for reducing the electromagnetic interference between two or more antennas coupled to a wireless communication device is also disclosed herein. |
| US08374659B2 |
Sliding mechanism with changeable paths and cellular phone having the same
A sliding mechanism with changeable paths and a cellular phone are disclosed. The sliding mechanism comprises a sliding plate, a V-shaped resilience device, and a fixed plate. The sliding plate is fixed to a sliding portion of the cellular phone, and the fixed plate is fixed on a holding base of the cellular phone. When the sliding plate is pushed to move a predetermined distance, the sliding plate can be driven by the resilient force of the V-shaped resilience device to automatically slide with respect to a V-shaped support having a turning ring and along guiding slots and guiding edges on the fixed plate. The sliding plate can automatically slide through a remaining portion of a path when the sliding plate is first pushed to move a predetermined distance, thereby enabling answering or hanging up of the cellular phone semi-automatically. |
| US08374657B2 |
Finger holder for handheld communication units
An apparatus having a loop device fastened to a communication unit that permits a user to securely hold the unit using one or more fingers inserted through a loop device for efficient and stable operation of a keyboard, touch screen, trackball or the like using the user's thumb. |
| US08374655B2 |
Mobile communication device and method for controlling mobile communication device
An openable/closable mobile phone has a function of locking external keys disposed on an external surface of a main body of the mobile phone, whereby the lock function can be temporarily cancelled without opening the main body. A user holds down a side key (203) provided on a main body lateral surface (202). When a judging unit (307) detects the hold-down, a temporary cancellation unit (308) instructs a lock unit (306) to temporarily cancel the external key operation disablement setting, and instructs a resumption unit (309) to initiate a timer. The resumption unit (309) initiates the timer, and reinitiates the timer when an external key operation signal is received from an operation unit (305). When a given time period elapses, the resumption unit (309) instructs the lock unit (306) to terminate the temporary cancellation. An opened/closed detection unit (310) detects an opened or closed state of a folding part (103), and notifies the detected state to the lock unit (306). The lock unit (306) terminates the temporary cancellation when the folding part is in an opened state. |
| US08374654B2 |
Buffer protection structure and mobile communication device having the same structure
A buffer protection structure is provided in a mobile communication device which includes a housing and a flat light-emitting element having plural light tubes. The buffer protection structure is an elastic material and is provided between each inner wall of the housing and outer peripheries of the flat light-emitting element. Outer peripheries of the buffer protection structure are abutted respectively at each inner wall of the housing and inner peripheries of the buffer protection structure are abutted elastically by the outer peripheries of the flat light-emitting element to buffer an external force or impact, such that the light tubes can be prevented from being ruptured. |
| US08374652B2 |
Method and system for early termination of receive correlation window for bluetooth communication
A system for terminating a receive correlation window of a receiving wireless device includes a radio frequency receiver configured to open a receive correlation window having a predetermined duration and an energy measurement circuit configured to measure a radio frequency energy level ambient to the wireless receiver. A comparator is included that is configured to determine, based on the measured radio frequency energy level, whether or not a signal is being transmitted from a nearby wireless device. The receiver is further configured to close the receive correlation window before the predetermined duration is reached in response to a determination by the comparator that no signal is being transmitted by a nearby device. If a signal is being transmitted, then the receive correlation window is allowed to proceed uninterrupted. |
| US08374650B2 |
Methods for optimal collaborative MIMO-SDMA
A system and method for collaboratively designing optimized beamforming vectors is disclosed for a wireless multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) space division multiple access (SDMA) communication system to optimize an aggregate SNR performance metric across the different users, thereby permitting the flexibility to trade off computational requirements and size of control information exchanged with performance. Using adaptive vector space search methods, the space of all receive beamformers is searched to find the set which maximizes either the sum or product of SNRs of the users. |
| US08374649B2 |
Portable terminal having mounted IC chip, application area control method, and application area control program
A portable terminal in which an application area in a contactless IC chip can be shared by a plurality of users. The portable terminal is provided with the IC chip that has a contactless communication function enabling use of a plurality of services. In addition, the portable terminal is provided with an application area information storage unit that stores application area information for associating users, application identifiers for identifying applications corresponding to services to be used, and plural application areas provided in the IC chip; and an application area control unit that puts into a useable state an application area of a user corresponding to the identification information in the IC chip, based on the application area information and the identification information for identifying the users, read from a loaded storage medium; wherein the plurality of services that use the contactless communication function can be used by each user. |
| US08374648B2 |
Method for performing communication function in wireless terminal
A method for performing a communication function after a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is withdrawn from a wireless terminal is provided. The method includes, if the SIM card is inserted into the wireless terminal, copying information stored in the SIM card into a memory of the wireless terminal; and if the SIM card is withdrawn, performing the communication function by using the information of the SIM card, copied into the memory of the wireless terminal, during a predetermined time. |
| US08374647B2 |
Mobile terminal device, contact-less card function management system and contact-less card function acquisition system
A mobile terminal is provided which is capable of managing contact-less card function content, while acquiring and deleting the contact-less card function content with ease. The mobile terminal according to the present invention has a terminal operating system (OS) that executes various functions of the mobile terminal, a Felica application manager (FAM), a Felica device driver that drives a Felica OS according to control of the FAM, and a Felica chip that stores Felica content. The FAM operates a Java applications manager that manages Java applications having the network computing function, API to start a browser, that executes API, and other applications such as a the browser, a menu and a Felica viewer. |
| US08374646B2 |
Mobile device visual input system and methods
Systems and methods for processing an image on a mobile device, including a mobile device with a camera for capturing a digital image, a display for displaying the captured image, and an image processing module configured to detect one or more types of information contained in said captured image. The image processing module is configured to overlay the detected information as a separate layer over the captured image for view on the display. The system further includes a wireless connection coupling the mobile device to the remote server such that the captured image and detected information may be uploaded to the remote server for further processing. |
| US08374641B2 |
Mobile user terminal, mobile communication system, base station, and communication method
A method for using a mobile user terminal includes a receiving a signal and a measuring downlink channel quality based on the signal; wherein downlink channel quality information and an uplink pilot signal simultaneously is not transmitted at a period which the mobile user terminal is a state of transmission off in an intermittent fashion. |
| US08374638B2 |
System and method for providing a proxy in a short message service (SMS) environment
According to a particular embodiment, a method for distributing messages is provided that includes receiving one or more short message service (SMS) messages. The method also includes distributing one or more of the messages to a selected one or a plurality of short message service center (SMSC) servers. |
| US08374635B2 |
Method for selective page cancelling in an asynchronous environment
A method includes transmitting a paging request message to a plurality of asynchronous base stations (102a-g) where a paging message is sent within its respective cell at any time within a given paging interval (202). The method continues by receiving notification that paged mobile station (106) has responded to a paging message. The page cancelling message indicates to the base stations do not need to send the paging message within their respective cells during the current paging interval and that the paging process is cancelled. |
| US08374633B2 |
Muting indication to enable improved time difference of arrival measurements
A method, a user communication device, and a base station are disclosed. A transceiver 302 may receive a serving transmission from a serving base station. A processor 304 may make a status determination of a muting status of a neighbor base station based on the serving transmission. |
| US08374631B2 |
Provision of location information in a communication system
The invention relates to a mechanism for providing location information regarding mobile terminals, especially regarding WLAN terminals. In order that the known mechanism for locating users of a mobile cellular network could be utilized for locating WLAN terminals, a location service request concerning a WLAN terminal is received and routed by the same network elements that receive and route location service requests concerning users of a mobile cellular network. However, in the case of a WLAN terminal the location service request is diverted to a predetermined network element, where the access point currently serving the WLAN terminal is identified. The location information corresponding to the said access point is then determined, and the location information is returned as the location of the terminal. The location of the serving WLAN access point thus represents the location of the WLAN terminal. |
| US08374617B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving DRX functionality
A method for improving a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) functionality in a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes steps of configuring a timer for controlling the DRX functionality, which indicates the UE a time length to monitor a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH); and excluding a duration corresponding to a measurement gap from calculation of the time length when a running time of the timer is overlapped with the measurement gap. |
| US08374615B2 |
Large cell base station and communication control method
When a radio terminal (200) receives interference from a small-cell base station (300), a large-cell base station (100) sends, to the small-cell base station (300), band use restriction information indicating a band with restricted use which is a frequency band, in which the use thereof needs to be restricted by the small-cell base station (300). In this instance, the large-cell base station (100) sets the upper and lower limit for the band with restricted use so that the upper and lower limit thereof match the limit of an S-CQI measured unit band. |
| US08374613B2 |
Method of creating and utilizing diversity in a multiple carrier communication system
In many cellular systems, reusing spectrum bandwidth, creates problems in boundary regions between the cells and sectors where the signal strength received from adjacent base stations or adjacent sector transmissions of a single base station may be nearly equivalent. The invention creates a new type of diversity, referred to as multiple carrier diversity by utilizing multiple carriers, assigning different power levels to each carrier frequency at each base station, and/or offsetting sector antennas. The cell and/or sector coverage areas can be set so as to minimize or eliminate overlap between cell and/or sector boundary regions of different carrier frequencies. Mobile nodes traveling throughout the system can exploit multiple carrier diversity by detecting carriers and selecting to use a non-boundary carrier based on other system criteria in order to improve performance. Boundary carriers may, but need not be, identified and excluded from consideration for use by a wireless terminal. |
| US08374611B2 |
Method for compulsorily performing handover in broadband wireless communication system
Methods and apparatus are provided for performing a handover by a serving base station in a communication system. A handover request message is received from a mobile station. A first handover response message is transmitted to the mobile station. The first handover response message includes a list of at least one neighbor base station. A handover indication message including a value of a handover indication type field is received. The value is determined by the mobile station from among at least two values individually indicating at least one of a handover cancel and the handover rejection. The value representing the handover cancel indicates that the mobile station intends to cancel a handover procedure, and the value representing the handover rejection indicates that the mobile station intends to reject performing handover with any of the at least one neighbor base stations in the list. |
| US08374608B2 |
Method for estimating reception quality of communication area, apparatus thereof, and program thereof
A reception quality estimating method estimates reception quality of a wireless communication area for estimating success or failure of handover processing occurring in a service area of a wireless communication system including a plurality of base stations. The method includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, the reception qualities of radio waves from the plurality of base stations are grasped at a given location within the service area. In the second step, the start point and end point of the handover processing are estimated by referring to time required for the handover processing, moving speed of a mobile terminal, which are previously input, and the reception qualities, and then success or failure of the handover processing is estimated by referring to the reception qualities of radio waves from the base stations at the start point and end point of the handover processing. |
| US08374607B2 |
Data processing in intra-site handover
The technology involves data processing during intra-site handover procedures. At least two directional antennas of a base station receive user data carrying signals originating from a mobile units positioned in an intra-site handover area defined by the overlapping radio coverage of the antennas. The directional antennas performs an initial data signal detection of the received data signals resulting in detected user data, which typically results in a loss of radio performance of the antenna. The detected user data from the directional antennas is then jointly processed to generate processed user data. The performance loss is compensated by providing differential antenna gain of the directional antennas within the handover area. As a result, a similar radio coverage in this area as prior art solutions is obtained but with a less complex antenna-related design. |
| US08374601B2 |
Circularly polarized antennas for a wireless sensor system
A wireless sensor system for an aircraft including a central access point and a plurality of slave nodes arranged in a star network in which the central access point wirelessly exchanges data with the slave nodes in a bidirectional manner. At least one of the antenna at the central access point and the antenna of each of the slave nodes is circularly polarized. |
| US08374596B2 |
Method and apparatus for deriving pathloss estimation values
A method for deriving pathloss estimation values within a cellular communication network. The method comprises receiving pathloss data obtained from a plurality of wireless communication units located within the cellular communication network, receiving location information corresponding to the plurality of wireless communications units, associating received pathloss data with individual sectors within a coverage area of the cellular communication network based at least partly on the location information for the respective wireless communications unit, and deriving pathloss estimation values for individual sectors within the cellular communication network based at least partly on the received pathloss data. |
| US08374595B2 |
Handheld electronic device and operating method thereof
A handheld electronic device and an operating method thereof are provided, in which at least two sets of sound outputting modules and sound receiving modules are disposed in the handheld electronic device. The operating method detects an orientation of the handheld electronic device by a motion detecting module and enables different sets of the sound outputting modules and the sound receiving modules according to a variation of the orientation of the handheld electronic device, so as to change a direction of a call operation, and thus a user can successfully make a phone call, even if the handheld electronic device is held upside down. Furthermore, the operating method can control the sound outputting modules and the sound receiving modules individually or collectively according to actual demands to achieve a multifunctional product design. |
| US08374593B2 |
Method of providing mobile application
A method of providing a mobile application is disclosed. In accordance with the method of the present invention, a transmission time and a loading time of the mobile application, and a limitation on a number and a size of the mobile application are minimized, and providing the personalized mobile application is possible. |
| US08374592B2 |
Exchanging identifiers between wireless communication to determine further information to be exchanged or further services to be provided
A server exchanges information between one or more wireless devices. The server receives second device identifier information from a first wireless device using a wide area wireless network The second device identifier information was previously provided to the first wireless device via short range wireless communication. The server then uses the second device identifier information to determine additional information concerning an entity or object located in proximity to the second device, and then delivers information to the first wireless device or the second wireless device based at least in part upon the second device identifier and feedback ratings relevant to an entity associated with either the first wireless device or the second device identifier. |
| US08374591B2 |
Method and system for providing notification message in a mobile broadcast system
A method for providing a notification message in a transmitter of a mobile broadcast system supporting an interaction channel is disclosed. Upon an occurrence of a notification event, a first means generates a notification message, and generates at least one delivery request message including a target address based on subscription information of the corresponding terminal, using the generated notification message. A second means determines a channel over which it will deliver a notification message to the corresponding terminal based on the target address, and delivers the notification message over the determined channel. |
| US08374586B2 |
Method and system for transmission of images from a monitored area
A system and method including one or more cameras or other sensors to monitor an area, and to transmit such images or sensory data to a local hub that may include a cellular modem. The hub may transmit images or data to a remote cellular handset, where a user may view the images or data, and may transmit a signal back to the hub to take an action in or relating to the area being monitored or relating to the camera or sensor monitoring the area. |
| US08374583B2 |
Message format conversion in communications terminals and networks
A method in a communications terminal, including generating a message in a message format that requires transmission of the message in separate transmissions and packaging the message in a message format other than the message format that requires transmission of the message in separate transmissions if a number of separate transmissions required to transmit the message exceeds a threshold. |
| US08374582B2 |
Access method and system for cellular mobile communication network
A method and system for accessing a cellular mobile communication network, the method includes: after a terminal and a base station complete a ranging process, the terminal carrying out a basic capability negotiation with the base station, the base station and the terminal carrying out a WAPI access authentication process; and the terminal carrying out a subsequent access flow to access the cellular mobile communication network; wherein the WAPI access authentication process includes: the terminal sending an access authentication request packet, including a certificate and a signature of the terminal, to the base station; the base station authenticating the signature of the terminal, including the certificate into a certificate authentication request packet to send to an authentication server to perform validation; the base station sending an access authentication response packet to the terminal, and carrying out a unicast session key negotiation with the terminal to obtain a unicast session key. |
| US08374570B2 |
Harmonic reject receiver architecture and mixer
Receiver architectures and methods of processing harmonic rich input signals employing harmonic suppression mixers are disclosed herein. The disclosed receivers, mixers, and methods enable a receiver to achieve the advantages of switching mixers while greatly reducing the mixer response to the undesired harmonics. A harmonic mixer can include a plurality of mixers coupled to an input signal. A plurality of phases of a local oscillator signal can be generated from a single local oscillator output. Each of the phases can be used to drive an input of one of the mixers. The mixer outputs can be combined to generate a frequency converted output that has harmonic rejection. |
| US08374565B2 |
Antenna diversity receiver
An antenna diversity receiver includes a plurality of antennas, an antenna selector unit, an RF module unit, a logic gate unit, a power detector unit, and a selection controller unit. The antenna selector unit selects one of the antennas. The RF module unit converts an RF RX signal received from the antenna selector unit into a baseband RX signal. The logic gate unit controls a power detection mode for detecting the power levels of RX signals and an operation mode for selecting one of the antennas. The power detector unit detects the power level of the RX signal. The selection controller unit controls the antenna selector unit to sequentially select the antennas in the power detection mode, and controls the antenna selector unit to select the antenna with a relatively good RX sensitivity among the antennas. |
| US08374561B1 |
Non-foster impedance power amplifier
A non-Foster impedance power amplifier has a current amplifying device coupled in either an emitter-follower or source-follower configuration with a reactive load such as an antenna load. A negative impedance circuit is provided upstream of a gate or base or other control element of said current amplifying device. |
| US08374560B2 |
Method and system for processing signals in a high performance receive chain
Aspects of a method and system for processing signals in a high performance receive chain may include amplifying a plurality of radio frequency signals in one or more respective one or ones of a plurality of amplifier chains in a multistandard radio frequency front-end, which may comprise one or more shared processing stages. The plurality of radio frequency signals may be compliant with a plurality of radio frequency communication standards and may be received concurrently. The one or more shared processing stages may be shared between two or more of the plurality of amplifier chains. Each of the two or more of the plurality of amplifier chains may be operable to amplify signals compliant with different radio frequency communication standards. |
| US08374559B2 |
Transmitter, RF transmitter signal processor and method for operation of transmitter
An internal operation of RF IC is adjusted so that the level of an RF transmitter signal is substantially stopped from rising, or made to descend in course of ramp-up of the RF transmitter signal. This adjustment is enabled by ramp-up adjustment data Last 4 symbols contained in preamble data precedent to real transmission data transmitted after completion of ramp-up. The ramp-up adjustment data and real transmission data are supplied from a baseband LSI. The RF transmitter signal contains phase and amplitude modulation components according to the EDGE system. RF IC includes phase and amplitude modulation control loops PM LP and AM LP. Ramp-up of RF power amplifiers PA1 and PA2 is performed by controlling the gain of the first variable amplifier MVGA included in the AM LP according to ramp information. Thus, unwanted radiation's level is reduced during ramp-up of the RF transmitter signal of the RF power amplifiers. |
| US08374557B2 |
Radio frequency front end circuit with antenna diversity for multipath mitigation
A front end circuit for selectively coupling a first antenna and a second antenna to a transmit chain and a receive chain of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver is disclosed. There is a first power amplifier having an input connectible to the transmit chain of the RF transceiver, a first low noise amplifier having an output connectible to the receive chain of the RF transceiver, and a second low noise amplifier with an input connectible to the second antenna, as well as an output connectible to the receive chain of the RF transceiver. A first matching and switch network is connected to the first antenna, the output of the first power amplifier, and the input of the first low noise amplifier. Transmit signals from the first power amplifier and receive signals from the first antenna are selectively passed to the first antenna and the first low noise amplifier. |
| US08374551B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication system, wireless communication method and program
A wireless communication apparatus is provided that performs wireless communication using a specified wireless channel and forms part of an ad hoc wireless network. The device includes a recording portion that records country ID information and recording-time information in to a storage medium, where the recording-time information indicates the time at which the country ID information was recorded in to the storage medium, a time determination portion that uses the recording-time information to determine whether a predetermined time period has elapsed from the time at which the country ID information was recorded, and a channel setting portion that, when the predetermined time period has not elapsed from the time at which the country ID information was recorded in the storage medium, sets a wireless channel to a frequency channel that can be used in the country indicated by the country ID information recorded in the storage medium. |
| US08374548B2 |
Method for closing a communication link
A system for controlling the operation of a remote device via wireless communication. The remote device includes resources for communication via at least two different short-range wireless mediums with different operational ranges. The sensing of a scanning communication signal from a first wireless medium may trigger the disconnection of the remote device from an already established connection, through a second wireless communication medium, to the scanning device. The remote device may provide a remote device ID to the scanning device. As a result of this transaction, one or both devices may experience a mode change, which may be signaled by a audible, visual or tactile confirmation to a user. |
| US08374534B2 |
Heating device and image forming apparatus
A heating device includes: a heating member that heats a recording medium; a pressure member that forms a heating pressure portion between the pressure member and the heating member by coming into pressure contact with the heating member, the heating pressure portion passing through the recording medium; a tensioning member that is placed to face the pressure member with the heating member interposed therebetween, and that provides a tension to the heating member; and a guide member that guides the recording medium having passed through the heating pressure portion, and that is movable between a first secure position and a second secure position. |
| US08374533B2 |
Method to automate a transfer assist blade device timing adjustment
When calibrating a transfer assist blade (TAB) in a printer, toner patches are formed on a photoreceptor belt in the printer at locations between sheets of paper. The TAB is partially deployed between paper sheets to pick up toner, and then deployed normally or with a delay to mark the back sides of the sheets. A processor evaluates distances between TAB touchdown and liftoff points and leading and trailing edges of the sheets, and calibrates the TAB to optimize the TAB timing. Additionally, test prints can be generated, each having slightly varied TAB calibration settings that are stored in a non-volatile memory (NVM) table. A user enters an identification number for a test print with the best calibration settings. The processor looks up calibration settings corresponding to the entered identification number and moves NVM settings from the table into operational locations in the system NVM to calibrate the printer. |
| US08374532B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger, an irradiator, a developing member, a transfer device, and a surface potential equalizer. The transfer device includes an intermediate transfer member comprising a high-resistivity body having a surface resistivity of 1013Ω/□ or more under dark conditions, a primary transfer member that transfers the toner image from the latent image bearing member onto the intermediate transfer member at a primary transfer nip, and a secondary transfer member that transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer member onto a recording medium at a secondary transfer nip. The surface potential equalizer includes a surface potential equalizing member that equalizes a surface potential of the intermediate transfer member at a predetermined positive or negative potential. The surface potential equalizer is provided on a migration path of the intermediate transfer member from the secondary transfer nip to the primary transfer nip. |
| US08374531B2 |
Developer bearing member and developing device with outer electrode including separated portions, and inner electrode for creating electric field
An developer bearer conveys developer to a developing station under influence of an electric field created by an electric flux line. The developer bearer includes plural kinds of electrodes that receive different voltages from each other and collectively creates the electric flux line. The plural kinds of electrodes are arranged on different layers in a normal line of the developer bearer. The developer bearer includes an insulation layer that insulates the plural kinds of electrodes. |
| US08374526B2 |
Transfer unit and image forming apparatus having the same
Disclosed are a transfer unit and an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a main body frame on which one or more image carrying bodies are is supported and a transfer unit coupled to the main body frame. The transfer unit receives one or more images respectively from the one or more image carrying bodies, and may include, for example, an intermediate transfer belt for receiving thereon the one or more images, a transfer roller corresponding to an image carrying body and movable between a first position at which the transfer roller contacts the image carrying body and a second position at which the transfer roller is spaced apart from the image carrying body, an elastic member elastically biasing the transfer roller toward the first position and a guide structure that guides the movement of the transfer roller in a manner opposing the elastic force of the elastic member so as to reduce the speed at which the transfer roller moves from the second position to the first position and to thereby reduce the force of impact with which the transfer roller makes contact with the image carrying body. |
| US08374523B2 |
Developing cartridge, process unit, and image forming apparatus
A developing cartridge includes a frame, a developer carrying member, a developer supplying member, and an electrode member. The developer carrying member has a first rotational axis defining an axial direction. The developer supplying member has a second rotational axis parallel to the first rotational axis. Both of the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis lie in a first plane. The electrode member is provided on the frame, and configured to receive an electrical power from an external power supplying member. The electrode member has a contact portion that is configured to contact with the external power supplying member. The contact portion has a linear shape and lies in an imaginary plane that extends parallel to the first rotational axis. The first plane intersects with the imaginary plane at an angle between 45 degrees and 90 degrees. |
| US08374522B2 |
Printing apparatus and printing method
A printing apparatus performs print processing on a plurality of sheets according to print data input by an input unit, and sets the printing unit to a first operation state in which monochromatic print processing is capable of being performed or to a second operation state in which color print processing is capable of being performed. The printing apparatus enables selection between a first print mode and a second print mode. In the first print mode, a sheet is conveyed at a defined speed in the monochromatic print processing and is conveyed at a speed lower than the defined speed in the color print processing. In the second print mode, a sheet is conveyed at a speed lower than the defined speed both in the monochromatic print processing and in the color print processing. |
| US08374518B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus includes a receiver to receive image information from an external device, a movable intermediate transfer member, a plurality of latent image bearing members on which a latent image is formed based on the image information, a plurality of developing devices, each of which disposed in proximity to the latent image baring member, to develop the latent image on the latent image bearing member with toner to form a toner image thereon, a transfer bias application mechanism to apply a transfer bias to the intermediate transfer member and halt temporarily and periodically application of the transfer bias in a continuous output mode in which a plurality of images are continuously formed on different recording media sheets based on the image information of the plurality of images received continuously by the receiver, and a secondary transfer member to transfer the superimposed toner image onto a recording medium. |
| US08374517B2 |
Image forming device with an intermittent driving unit and computer-readable recording medium executed by the image forming device
An image forming device includes an image support object, a charging unit, an exposure unit, and a developing unit. The image forming device further includes a monitoring unit that sequentially updates a count value to a new count value according to a rotation state and a stop state of the image support object, and an intermittent driving unit that intermittently rotates the image support object according to the new count value generated by the monitoring unit after an image formation operation to form the toner image on the image support object surface is completed. |
| US08374509B2 |
Product, method and equipment for remote communication using chromogenic materials
The invention relates to products, methods and devices for remote communication or control using chromogenic materials. Several samples including at least one kind of chromogenic materials are simultaneously irradiated or radiated together by an appropriate entangled radiation, e.g, gamma, X, ultraviolet or visible radiation, provided by a cascade from an atomic source, or by the target of a linear particle accelerator or by a non-linear crystal. When the samples are separated, one of them, qualified as the master, is stimulated by a traditional method that uses infrared or white radiation or by heating, and a signal is measured that represents the partially correlated excess variation of opacity or coloration of the other sample(s), qualified as slave(s). There is no known method of interference between the master and the slaves. The slave(s) are the only ones capable of instantaneously receiving the signal from the master through all media and from any distance. The method and the equipment are particularly intended for communication or control applications. |
| US08374507B2 |
Digital multimeter having remote display with automatic communication binding
An electrical test instrument comprising a base unit having a first communication address. A remote display unit separate from the base unit and having a second communication address is also provided. Communication circuitry is operative to provide electrical communication in a first RF mode between the base unit and the remote display unit as a bound communication pair based on the first and second communication addresses. The communication circuitry is further operative to operate selectively in a second secure communication mode. The first and second communication addresses are exchanged in the second secure communication mode to establish the bound communication pair for subsequent communication in the first RF mode. In some exemplary embodiments, the second communication mode is an optical communication mode (e.g., an IR communication mode). |
| US08374504B2 |
Optical communication system
A transmitting apparatus includes a plurality of code spreaders different in spreading code, a reception processing unit that selectively distributes transmission data to the plurality of code spreaders, a plurality of optical transmitters each of which that transmit a code-spread signal to an optical fiber as a CDMA optical signal of a carrier wavelength different from that of the other optical transmitters, and a signal multiplexing unit that selectively supplies outputs of the plurality of code spreaders to the plurality of optical transmitters. A receiving apparatus includes an optical receiver that receives a wavelength-division-multiplexed CDMA optical signal from the optical fiber, and a plurality of despreaders connected to the optical receiver and different in spreading code, wherein each of the despreaders reproduces a CDMA signal corresponding to its spreading code from an output signal of the optical receiver. |
| US08374503B2 |
Passive optical network system and optical line terminal
In order to be able to moderate the inclination of the PON burst reception characteristics and to improve the FEC effect, a first offset is used in a ranging window field, and a second offset, which is lower than the first offset value, is used in a burst data field other than the ranging window field. |
| US08374491B2 |
Methods for reading watermarks in unknown data types, and DVD drives with such functionality
To prevent playback of pirated, non-encrypted video, a DVD-based system examines data read from a DVD disk for MPEG-like characteristics. If such attributes are detected, the data is examined for the presence of a video usage-control watermark. The presence of such watermark indicates that the video should be distributed only in encrypted form, so playback of video from the disk is prevented. |
| US08374487B2 |
Information processing for generating an information list of video contents
An information processing apparatus and method are adapted for facilitating management of recorded programs and contents information thereof. The information processing apparatus includes a retrieval unit operable to retrieve first information with an identifier attached thereto; a decision unit operable to decide whether there exists a list corresponding to the identifier; a registration unit operable to register the first information on the list when the list exists; and a forming unit operable to form second information by rearranging a plurality of the first information registered on the list. |
| US08374486B2 |
Recording medium storing a text subtitle stream, method and apparatus for a text subtitle stream to display a text subtitle
The method includes receiving a text subtitle stream from an external source. Text subtitle streams include a style segment defining a group of region styles and a plurality of presentation segments, where presentation segments have a region of text being linked to a selected region style. The style segment defining palette information, and the presentation segments having a palette update flag which indicates whether to use the palette information defined in the style segment or use new palette information when reproducing each presentation segment. The text subtitle stream is decoded using the style segment defining a group of region styles, where the presentation segments include the palette update flag. |
| US08374478B2 |
Fiber optic dust cap and connector for terminating multi-fiber optical cables
A dust cap is adapted to cover an end of a fiber optic connector that includes a release sleeve. The dust cap includes a sleeve with an open end and a closed end, at least one resilient latch, a connector stop, and a sealing face. The dust cap is installed on the fiber optic connector by placing the open end of the sleeve over the end of the fiber optic connector. The resilient latch retains the dust cap on the fiber optic connector by latching to a second end of the release sleeve. The sealing face of the dust cap is adapted to abut a first end of the release sleeve, and the connector stop is adapted to abut a connector body of the fiber optic connector when the dust cap is fully installed. |
| US08374473B2 |
Tight-buffered optical fiber having improved fiber access
Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for providing tight-buffered optical fiber having improved fiber access. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method for making a tight buffer upcoated optical fiber having a predetermined buffer stripping force is provided. The method includes controlling residual acrylate unsaturation (RAU) and oxygen in at least an outer surface of un-buffered optical fiber to achieve a predetermined buffer stripping characteristic, applying a tight buffer composition comprising acrylate to the un-buffered optical fiber, and curing the tight buffer composition. |
| US08374467B2 |
Optical device having a plurality of Mach-Zehnder modulators
There is provided an optical device including a plurality of Mach-Zehnder modulators; and an input branching waveguide to split an input light so as to direct the resulting light to the plurality of Mach-Zehnder modulators; the Mach-Zehnder modulator comprising: a splitter coupled to the input branching waveguide; pair of waveguides coupled to the splitter; a combiner coupled to the pair of waveguides; and a signal electrode to apply signals to the pair of waveguides; wherein the splitters are disposed in a different orientation to each other. |
| US08374464B2 |
Method, apparatus and program for enhancement of image resolution
In super-resolution processing in which a plurality of low resolution images are synthesized to generate a high resolution image, a high-quality high-resolution image is to be generated with suppression of the noise ascribable to motion estimation error. Motion estimating means 11 estimates motion of pixels between a basis image selected out of plural low resolution images and remaining reference images, and outputs a result of motion estimation. Motion estimation reliability evaluating means 12 evaluates reliability of the result of motion estimation output from the motion estimating means 11, based on such as analogy in luminance of pixels, correlated by the results of the motion estimation, and outputs a motion estimation reliability value indicating the degree of reliability. High resolution image estimating means 16 synthesizes the respective pixels of the input low resolution images with weighting conforming to the motion estimation reliability value output from the motion estimation reliability evaluating means 12 to generate a high resolution image. |
| US08374461B2 |
Digital radiography plate identification system
Systems, devices, and methods for facilitating the automatic identification, sorting, and positioning of radiographic images. According to one embodiment of the subject invention, phosphorous plates for intra-oral imaging are encoded for automated image set identification, location, and orientation. In certain embodiments, a processing system is able to process encoded identifiers on the phosphorous plates with digitized images depicted on the phosphorous plates to automatically identify, sort, and rotate the digitized images into proper orientations for user viewing. |
| US08374456B2 |
Method for synthesizing a virtual image from a reduced resolution depth image
A virtual image is synthesized from a reduced resolution depth image storing depth values at each pixel location. The reduced resolution depth image is scaled up to produce an up-scaled depth image. Then, at least one filter is applied to the up-scaled depth image to produce a reconstructed depth image, and the virtual image is synthesized using the reconstructed depth image. |
| US08374455B2 |
Method of analyzing an image of hydrides in a metal alloy, notably in a nuclear fuel cladding alloy
The original image composed of pixels representing a sample of the alloy, the hydrides being represented by groupings of pixels (21), the method comprises steps of processing the image (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) to obtain the skeleton of the groupings of pixels (21′) contained in the image, the skeletonization step (5) being followed by a step (6, 10) of analysis pertaining to the groupings thus skeletonised. The analysis step allows the determination of the hydrogen content as well as the morphological study of the hydrides so as to determine their danger. |
| US08374454B2 |
Detection of objects using range information
A system and method for detecting objects and background in digital images using range information includes receiving the digital image representing a scene; identifying range information associated with the digital image and including distances of pixels in the scene from a known reference location; generating a cluster map based at least upon an analysis of the range information and the digital image, the cluster map grouping pixels of the digital image by their distances from a viewpoint; identifying objects in the digital image based at least upon an analysis of the cluster map and the digital image; and storing an indication of the identified objects in a processor-accessible memory system. |
| US08374452B2 |
Method and apparatus for fast cell search
The GCL sequence index of each cell/sector is assigned so that a difference of the indices between adjacent cells/sectors is more than N, where N≧1. During GCL index detection, the adjacent N−1 indices of an index with the largest magnitude can be deleted from handoff candidate cell indices. |
| US08374451B2 |
Image processing device and image processing method for reducing the circuit scale
The present invention enables a circuit configuration to be simplified. An image encoding device (100) receives an input image (91) that is line-scanned in units of MBs as scan blocks, each constituted by a plurality of 4×4 blocks, while being scanned in units of 4×4 blocks as encoding blocks, each constituted by a plurality of pixels. The image encoding device (100) selects a VLC (variable length) table corresponding to a table selection index nC, which is an average value of the numbers nB and nA of nonzero coefficients as encoding values on which variable-length encoding is performed in upper-adjoining and left-adjoining 4×4 blocks of a 4×4 block as an encoding target in quantization coefficients as encoding target data based on the input image (91). At this time, in a case where the 4×4 block as an encoding target is at an upper end of an MB, the image encoding device (100) equates the number nB of nonzero coefficients of the upper-adjoining 4×4 block with the number nA of nonzero coefficients of the left-adjoining 4×4 block. The image encoding device (100) performs variable-length encoding on the number of nonzero coefficients of a 4×4 block as an encoding target in quantization coefficients using the selected VLC table. |
| US08374450B2 |
Method for data compression using local cosine transform
Methods for compression of two-dimensional data arrays which are piece-wise smooth in one direction and have oscillating events in the other direction. In one embodiment, a wavelet transform is applied in the piece-wise smooth direction and a local cosine transform (LCT) is applied in the direction with oscillatory events, both producing respective transform coefficients. The LCT coefficients are reordered to mimic a wavelet transform coefficient order, and both wavelet transform and reordered LCT coefficients are quantized and entropy coded to obtain a compressed 2D image. In some embodiments with oscillatory events in both directions, a LCT is applied in both directions and all the LCT coefficients in each direction are reordered before the quantization and entropy coding. |
| US08374448B2 |
Image data optimization systems and methods
An exemplary method includes an image data optimization control subsystem subjecting data representative of an image to an image data optimization cycle and repeating the subjecting of data representative of the image to the image data optimization cycle in response to a determination that output data representative of the image produced in conjunction with the previous subjection is optimized by at least the predetermined optimization threshold, wherein the repeat subjection of data representative of the image includes submitting the output data from the previous subjection as new input to the image data optimization cycle. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed. |
| US08374445B2 |
Method for the compression of data using a run-length coding
The invention relates to a method for the compression of data comprising values to be coded, in particular grey values or prediction errors using a run-length coding. A bit sequence of a bit plane which represents at least one item of partial information of at least one value to be coded is thereby coded coherently. This method is particularly used in connection with medical image data. |
| US08374444B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing higher resolution images in an embedded device
A method and apparatus to providing higher resolution images on an embedded device by performing a super resolution technique on a compressed image sequence and one or more motion vectors are described. In one example, the method includes compressing an image sequence using a video compression technique, wherein the image sequence comprises a plurality of lower resolution images and applying a super resolution technique to the compressed image sequence to generate a higher resolution image. |
| US08374442B2 |
Linear spatial pyramid matching using sparse coding
Systems and methods are disclosed to classify an input image by determining a spatial-pyramid image representation based on sparse coding; determining a descriptor for each interest point in the input image; encoding the descriptor; and applying max pooling to form the spatial pyramid representation of images. |
| US08374439B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program, and computer-readable print medium
An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an inputting unit for inputting photography information of an image, a judging unit for judging whether or not information of a major subject in the image is stored in the photography information, a detecting unit for detecting the major subject in the image, a comparing unit for comparing an area of the major subject detected by the detecting unit with an area of the major subject stored in the photography information when it is judged by the judging unit that the information of the major subject in the image is stored in the photography information, and a correcting unit for determining an area of the major subject in accordance with the result of the comparison by the comparing unit to make a correction to the area of the major subject. |
| US08374438B1 |
Visual template-based thermal inspection system
An imaging device and system include integration of an imaging camera (visible-light or near-infrared) with a thermal infrared sensor, capturing a baseline image from this camera simultaneously with acquisition of baseline thermal infrared data, which may correspond to a known good condition or part, automatic generation of an edge version of the baseline image for use as an alignment template, and on subsequent thermal infrared inspections, superposition of the alignment template on a live video image from the visible camera, so as to facilitate highly repeatable alignment of the thermal infrared sensor to an object being inspected. |
| US08374436B2 |
Method for detecting layout areas in a video image and method for generating an image of reduced size using the detection method
The invention relates to an automatic detection method in a source image, of at least one area called a layout area comprising at least one layout, such as a logo and/or a score. According to the invention, the layout areas of a source image are detected using the salience of source image pixels. The detection is carried out in specific areas of the source image saliency map, usually in the areas corresponding to the corners of the image or to the bands in the upper part and lower part of the image. In these areas, two points are sought having maximum salience values and distant by at least p points from each other. These two points corresponding to the beginning and end of a layout area. The window bounding these two points then corresponds to a layout area. |
| US08374432B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, image processing method, and computer program product
An image processing apparatus includes a scanner that receives image data, an area extracting unit that extracts image data of visually different image areas from the received image data, an HDD that stores therein the extracted image data, a criterion storage unit that stores a plurality of criteria for identifying each of the image areas as one of processing areas, a device interface unit that receives a selection of an image segmentation mode from a user, a selecting unit that selects a criterion from the criteria stored in the criterion storage unit based on the selected image segmentation mode, and a processing unit that identifies each of the image areas as one of the processing areas based on the selected image segmentation mode and performs image processing corresponding to the identified processing area. |
| US08374430B2 |
Apparatus and method for feature-based dynamic contrast enhancement
A feature-based contrast enhancement apparatus comprises a histogram calculator, a feature value calculator, a first combining circuit, a histogram equalizer and a remapper. By keeping the hardware cost as low as a picture-based contrast enhancement apparatus, the invention has an advantage of suppressing the background noise and enhancing the image details. |
| US08374427B2 |
Image processing method and image processing system
An image processing method and an image processing system adapted to processing image information with multiple process pixels are disclosed. The image processing method includes steps of: setting a group of parameters; establishing a luminance lookup table; establishing a chrominance-luminance lookup table; retrieving the image information; determining a format of the image information; and if the format of the image is a first format, utilizing the chrominance-luminance lookup table to generate an adjusted chrominance and a first adjusted luminance corresponding to one of the process pixels; if the format of the image is a second format, utilizing the chrominance-luminance lookup table and the luminance lookup table to generate an adjusted chrominance, a first adjusted luminance, and a second adjusted luminance corresponding to one of the process pixels. |
| US08374426B2 |
Apparatus and method for adjusting auto white balance using effective area
An apparatus and method for auto white balance adjusting using an effective area. The auto white balance adjusting apparatus may extract a grey area from an input image, and select an effective area from the grey area according to color temperature and luminance, thereby performing white balance using the effective area. The auto white balance adjusting apparatus may perform white balance of the input image using image information of the effective area which is a more precise grey area, thereby improving the white balance. |
| US08374424B2 |
Method and apparatus for making multiple copies of a mosaic
The creation of multiple copies of unique and individualized mosaics is performed by creating a pattern from an image using a computer and inserting colored sticks into a frame to match the rows or columns of the pattern. After gluing the sticks of a row or column together while the sticks are still in the frame, the rows or columns are removed and joined together to form assemblies which are sliced to provide near identical copies of each assembly. The slices are then adhered to separate substrates, again in conformance with the pattern, to make multiple copies of the mosaic. |
| US08374416B2 |
Device and method for localization of a tissue variation for a biopsy
In a device and associated method for localization of a tissue variation for a biopsy, a first tissue variation within a first image of a stereo exposure is marked after limitation of a biopsy-capable region within an overview image. The search region for this localized first tissue variation in the second image of the stereo exposure is predetermined by a search corridor in the second image. |
| US08374415B2 |
Shape modeling and detection of catheter
A method and system for detecting and modeling a catheter in a fluoroscopic image is disclosed. Catheter tip candidates and catheter body candidates are detected in the fluoroscopic image. One of a plurality of trained shape models is fitted to the catheter tip candidates and the catheter body candidates in order to model a shape of the catheter in the fluoroscopic image. |
| US08374413B2 |
Method for prior image constrained image reconstruction
A method for reconstructing a high quality image from undersampled image data is provided. The image reconstruction method is applicable to a number of different imaging modalities. Specifically, the present invention provides an image reconstruction method that incorporates an appropriate prior image into the image reconstruction process. Thus, one aspect of the present invention is to provide an image reconstruction method that requires less number of data samples to reconstruct an accurate reconstruction of a desired image than previous methods, such as, compressed sensing. Another aspect of the invention is to provide an image reconstruction method that imparts the signal-to-noise ratio of a prior image to the desired image being reconstructed. Another aspect of the invention is to provide an image reconstruction method that, when practiced in the field of x-ray imaging, allows for exposing a subject to substantially less radiation dose than is required in conventional x-ray imaging techniques. |
| US08374407B2 |
Live finger detection
A live finger detection system and method includes a drive plate configured to inject radio frequency signals into an object proximate the drive plate. The injected radio frequency energy causes the object to radiate an electric field. A pickup plate is configured to detect an intensity associated with the electric field radiated by the object. A sensor coupled to the pickup plate is configured to determine whether the object is a live finger based on the detected intensity of the electric field radiated by the object. |
| US08374401B2 |
Biometric authentication device, authentication accuracy evaluation device and biometric authentication method
A biometric authentication device includes a verification-image generation probability calculation unit for calculating a verification-image generation probability using a verification-image generation probability model, a change probability calculation unit for calculating a change probability of a set of a registration image and a verification image using a change probability model, a dissimilarity calculation unit for calculating the degree of dissimilarity on the basis of the verification-image generation probability and the change probability and an authentication unit for determining whether the verification image belongs to an authentication target by comparing the degree of dissimilarity with a predetermined authentication threshold. |
| US08374400B1 |
Scoring items
A system identifies an image and determines whether the image contains inappropriate content based on first data associated with the image, second data associated with a document that contains the image or refers to the image, and/or third data associated with a group of documents with which the image is associated. |
| US08374398B2 |
Linear image lift array for transported material
The subject matter presented herein relates to a method, system and program product for performing image capture of items. In particular the image capture occurs during transport of the items by a high-speed transport device. The image is captured by a linear array imaging sensor as a face of the item is transported at a continuous production speed in near proximity to the linear array imaging sensor. |
| US08374397B2 |
Depth-varying light fields for three dimensional sensing
A method for mapping includes projecting onto an object a pattern of multiple spots having respective positions and shapes, such that the positions of the spots in the pattern are uncorrelated, while the shapes share a common characteristic. An image of the spots on the object is captured and processed so as to derive a three-dimensional (3D) map of the object. |
| US08374396B2 |
Augmented reality method and devices using a real time automatic tracking of marker-free textured planar geometrical objects in a video stream
Methods and devices for the real-time tracking of an object in a video stream for an augmented-reality application are disclosed herein. |
| US08374392B2 |
Person tracking method, person tracking apparatus, and person tracking program storage medium
A person tracking method capable of obtaining information representing a correspondence between a shot image and a three-dimensional real space, without actual measurement, thereby enabling lighter processing is provided. The method includes: calculating a statistically average correspondence between a size of person's head and a position representing a height of the head on the shot image, the camera looking down a measured space and taking the measured space; detecting a position and a size of a head on each of measured frame images; calculating, based on positions and sizes of heads on plural past measured frame images and the correspondence, a movement feature quantity representing a possibility that a head on a current measured frame image is of the same person on the past measured frame images; and determining that the head on the current measured frame image is of the same person on the past measured frame images. |
| US08374387B2 |
Video entity recognition in compressed digital video streams
A method and system for detection of video segments in compressed digital video streams is presented. The compressed digital video stream is examine to determine synchronization points, and the compressed video signal is analyzed following detection of the synchronization points to create video fingerprints that are subsequently compared against a library of stored fingerprints. |
| US08374386B2 |
Sensor fingerprint matching in large image and video databases
Several promising techniques have been recently proposed to bind an image or video to its source acquisition device. These techniques have been intensively studied to address performance issues, but the computational efficiency aspect has not been given due consideration. Considering very large databases, the efficiency of the sensor fingerprint based source device identification technique is described. Novel schemes that improve search complexity as compared to a conventional approach are described. |
| US08374385B2 |
Method of embedding information in input image, method of extracting information from input image, and related apparatus
A method of embedding information in an input image, wherein the information includes a plurality of characters, includes: utilizing a processing circuit to receive the information and convert each character included in the information into a corresponding symbol according to a conversion look-up table; setting a position of the corresponding symbol of each character in a data block according to a sequence look-up table to generate the data block; and adding at least the data block to the input image. |
| US08374384B2 |
Watermark embedding and detecting methods, systems devices and components
Method determining lookup table (“LUT”) for embedding watermark. For each quantization cell, calculating probabilities that signal point falls into cell. Selecting cell by probabilities. Setting LUT value to watermark value with largest probability, subject to run constraint. For remaining cells, repeating selecting and setting steps. Other method determining quantization ensemble by calculating probability density function for signal points where the watermark value to be embedded. Distortion and robustness functions are formulated. Given robustness or distortion is selected. Functions optimized, and ensemble of quantizers determined with parameters that comply. Other method quantizing in association with lossy compression. Strength of compression determined. Adapting strength of watermark with strength of compression by a mapping. Other method selecting points for embedding watermark. Determine threshold between large and small signal points using statistical method. Select signal points for embedding according to threshold. Also, processors, computer programs, and systems. |
| US08374375B2 |
Earphone device with bi-stable conchal wall stabilizer
An earphone device (1) comprising a main body (14) to be inserted in the outer ear (28) of a user, a conchal wall stabilizer (4) extending from the main body (14) and adapted to engage the conchal wall (24) of the ear (28), the conchal wall stabilizer (4) being able to assume different positions in relation to the main body (4). The conchal wall stabilizer (4) is a bi-stable mechanism, which is movable from a first stable position via a dead point to a second stable position. Spring means (32) biases the conchal wall stabilizer (4) towards the first stable position, when the conchal wall stabilizer (4) is positioned on a first side of the dead point, and towards the second stable position, when the conchal wall stabilizer (4) is positioned on a second side of the dead point. |
| US08374374B2 |
Headset with a pivoting microphone arm
In one embodiment, a headset includes a body housing a pivot coupling, a speaker capsule operably coupled to the body, and an arm operably coupled to the body. The arm is capable of pivoting open and close about the pivot coupling for accessing a microphone at a free end of the arm. A method for accessing a headset microphone is also provided. Advantageously, the apparatus and method of the present disclosure provide for improved headset use and speech clarity. |
| US08374372B2 |
Headset
Provided is a headset including a main housing and a speaker housing that are integrally formed with each other and a rear-side sound-leakage preventing section to shield sound emitted towards a rear side of a speaker. To this end, the headset includes a main housing integrally formed with a speaker housing that protrudes from the main housing, at least one rear-side sound-leakage preventing unit engaged with an inner side of the speaker housing to shield sound emitted towards a rear side of a speaker, and a mounting unit to sequentially couple the speaker and the at least one rear-side sound-leakage preventing unit to the inner side of the speaker housing and mount the at least one rear-side sound-leakage preventing units in the inner side of the speaker housing. |
| US08374367B2 |
Hearing aid with a flexible elongated member
A hearing aid includes a shell for accommodation of a signal processor for processing an audio signal into a processed audio signal, and a receiver that is connected to an output of the signal processor for converting the processed audio signal into an acoustic sound signal, and a flexible elongated member with a first end attached to the shell, and a second free end, wherein the flexible elongated member comprises a lumen for housing a wire that is for providing current to an electronic device, the flexible elongated member having a shape for stabilizing the shell relative to a user's ear. |
| US08374364B2 |
Acoustic sensor and method of manufacturing the same
An acoustic sensor lengthens the portion of the beam portion not fixed with the anchor without lowering the strength of the beam portion and the supporting strength of the diaphragm. On an upper surface of a silicon substrate, a beam portion made of polysilicon is formed through a second sacrifice layer made of silicon dioxide film on an extended portion of a first sacrifice layer made of polysilicon. The extended portion is formed under a region excluding a distal end of the beam portion. The extended portion is removed by etching from a back chamber arranged in the silicon substrate to form a hollow portion in a region excluding the distal end of the lower surface of the beam portion, and then the second sacrifice layer is removed by etching. The second sacrifice layer remaining on the lower surface of the distal end of the beam portion forms an anchor. |
| US08374357B2 |
Audio output device
An audio output device includes: a main unit including a terminal configured to connect an external speaker; a speaker unit configured to be detachably attached to the main unit while the terminal is covered with the speaker unit; and an amplification unit configured to amplify an audio signal so that the amplified audio signal is input to the terminal and the speaker unit. |
| US08374354B2 |
System and method to pass a private encryption key
A method includes receiving, via a network, a request to provision and provide a private key, the private key being for use with a public and private key system. The method further includes identifying a requester that has made the request via the network and initiating a secure session with the requester. The method also includes providing the private key using the secure session, and provisioning the private key. A system is provided including a distribution location providing access to a network, a terminal selectively connected to the network via the distribution location. The system further includes a network authority selectively connected to the network and the terminal, and a certificate authority selectively connected to the network. The certificate authority is configured to provide and provision a private key, and the network authority is configured to selectively provide a secure session between the terminal and the certificate authority. |
| US08374353B2 |
Method and apparatus for updating a group key
A method and apparatus for updating a group key of a group corresponding to a binary tree are provided. The method includes updating keys of leaf nodes that correspond to new members, in response to a join of at least two new members joining the group; determining whether both of two child nodes of a single ancestor node are updated when updating a key of the single ancestor node of the leaf nodes; establishing one of the two child nodes as an update use node when both the two child nodes are updated; and updating a key of the ancestor node using the updating node. Thus, the group key may be effectively updated with respect to multi-join. |
| US08374349B2 |
Image encryption apparatus and image decryption apparatus
In an image encryption apparatus, an input processor inputs data of an input image. An encryptor encrypts a part or whole of the data of the input image. A marker generator generates data of a marker indicating an encrypted area. An image saver saves data of a marker-covered image covered with the marker. A marker sticker sticks the marker. An output processor outputs an encrypted image. In an image decryption apparatus, an input processor inputs data of an input image. A marker detector detects a marker and identifies an encrypted area. A decryptor decrypts data in the encrypted area. An image restorer restores data in an area covered with the marker by sticking data of a marker-covered image. An output processor outputs data of a decrypted image. |
| US08374347B2 |
Method and apparatus for modifying a subsequently generated control command in a content control system
In record or content control management systems, various selected reference, record control, copy protection or control information signals, or other signifiers, are used to identify control signals, for example, bits, to provide control of subsequent use of data, audio and video signals in the analog and digital domain. Method and apparatus are disclosed for modifying the effects of a content control system as well as for modifying an effect of a copy protection signal. To this end, the reference, record control, copy protection signals, or other control information signals, e.g., content control signals, may be modified to cause an erroneous or unintended reading subsequently of the reference or control signals which in turn correspondingly alters the control command of the record or content control system. Also, included are unique methods for synthesizing a copy protection signal, such as, for example, reducing the amplitude of a portion of a color burst envelope to provide a sporatic color distortion and fluctuating color reproduction on a recording played back from a video recorder. |
| US08374341B2 |
Hash function using a cue sports game process
In the computer data security field, cryptographic hash function processes embodied in a computer system and which are typically keyless, but are highly secure. The processes are based on the type of randomness exhibited by well known table “cue sports” games such as billiards, snooker, and pool played on a billiards table involving the players striking one of a plurality of balls with a cue, the struck ball then hitting other balls, the raised sides of the table, and in some cases one or more balls going into pockets in the corners and/or sides of the table. Computation of the hash value (digest) is the result of providing a model (such as expressed in computer code) of such a game algorithm and using the message as an input to the game algorithm, then executing the game algorithm. A state of the game after one or several “shots” gives the hash digest value of the message. |
| US08374338B2 |
Transport packet decryption testing in a client device
In a method for testing a transport packet decrypting module of a client device, a first decryption operation of the transport packet decrypting module is implemented on a test encrypted control word using a content decryption key ladder to derive a test control word, a second decryption operation of the transport packet decrypting module is implemented on one or more test transport packets using the test control word via a predetermined content decryption algorithm, the KIV is derived from the decrypted transport packets, and the derived KIV is compared with a value stored in the client device to verify whether the transport packet decrypting module of the client device is functioning properly. |
| US08374336B2 |
Portable terminal
This portable terminal includes an operating portion-side housing having an operating portion-side guide portion, a display portion-side housing having a display portion-side guide portion, a sliding plate arranged between the display portion-side housing and the operating portion-side housing, a first sliding member, and a second sliding member. The operating portion-side guide portion is engaged with the sliding plate through the first sliding member, and the display portion-side guide portion is engaged with the sliding plate through the second sliding member. |
| US08374326B2 |
Method and system for intelligent routing
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for intelligent routing. An intelligent routing processing module sets at least one intelligent routing trigger condition and at least one corresponding intelligent routing policy in advances and an incoming call or message is processed according to intelligent routing contact manners in the intelligent routing policy. The intelligent routing trigger condition includes relevant information of the incoming call or message and the intelligent routing policy may include more than one intelligent routing contact manner. The embodiments of the present invention may provide more intelligent routing contact manners and intelligent routing policies for communication routing technology and may make full use of subscriber presence information. |
| US08374325B2 |
Bilingual communication system
Embodiments of the present invention include a system, apparatus and method for addressing the need of remotely providing live interpretation to location-specific sites in a timely manner. The system for bilingual communication includes a means to allow a first communicating party and a second communicating party to electronically communicate where the first party and second party communicate in different languages for a group consisting of all spoken languages and sign language. Either or both parties may be more than one person. Communication is made in at least a first location-specific site and is made in a timely manner through a remote third party live interpreter. |
| US08374324B2 |
Methods of using biometric data in a phone system and apparatuses to perform the methods
A phone system can include a phone terminal that includes a biometric data input device. Methods of using the phone terminal can include receiving biometric data of a user at the phone terminal and comparing the biometric data to saved biometric data. A comparison of the received and saved biometric data can be performed to locate one or more configuration files for a user, to authenticate or otherwise confirm the identity of a party, perform another activity, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the biometric data, other data, or a combination thereof can be used to access one or more configuration files that can be used to configure a phone terminal or a data processing system outside of the phone terminal. In another embodiment, the identity of a calling party, a called party, one or more other parties, or any combination thereof can be authenticated or otherwise confirmed. |
| US08374323B2 |
Availability notification system with inter-network capabilities
In a communication system comprising multiple networks, a system is provided for notifying a caller that a call destination who was initially unavailable is now available, involving subscribers of possibly different networks. The system, when installed in a network, can support destination availability notifications following failed call attempts in which at least one user is a user of the network, regardless to which network the other user subscribes. |
| US08374320B2 |
Environment information transmission method, service controlling system, and computer product
When changes occur in an environment of the service user terminal, a network operator terminal acquires hashed environment information indicative of the changes from the service user terminal. The network operator terminal sends the hashed environment information to an environment management authority terminal. The environment management authority terminal calculates an evaluation value based on the hashed environment information and transmits the evaluation value to a network operator terminal. The network operator terminal transmits status change information to the service provider terminal. The service provider terminal updates information about the user information previously stored and decides whether to provide the service to the service user terminal based on the updated information. |
| US08374319B1 |
Realtime call screening
The present invention is generally related to methods for use in connection with network-based messaging systems and related systems. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving a call at the network-based messaging system and providing a notification to a subscriber of the network-based messaging system that the call has been received and that a message for the subscriber is to be recorded. The subscriber is located remotely from the network-based messaging system. In accordance with another particular embodiment, the system includes a computer server and a notification module. The computer server is associated with the remote subscriber terminal and includes a voice message storage unit to store voice messages. The notification module is to notify the remote subscriber terminal when a call is received at the computer server and when a voice message is to be recorded. |
| US08374310B2 |
Method and system for contraband detection using photoneutrons and X-rays
A method and a system for contraband detection in an object using photoneutrons and x-rays includes an x-ray generator that generates an x-ray main beam including a first x-ray beam and a second x-ray beam, the first x-ray beam being directed to pass through the object. A photoneutron conversion target is arranged to receive the second x-ray beam so as to generate photoneutrons, the photoneutrons being directed to enter the object and react with the object to emit characteristic γ-rays. An x-ray detecting arrangement is arranged to receive the first x-ray beam that has passed through the object in order to perform x-ray imaging detection of the detected object. A γ-ray detecting arrangement is arranged to receive the characteristic γ-rays in order to perform neutron detection of the object based on the characteristic γ-rays. The x-ray imaging detection and the neutron detection are simultaneously performed. |
| US08374307B2 |
Nut assembly for connecting adjoining poles in a nuclear reactor
A nut assembly for connecting adjoining poles in a nuclear reactor may include an upper nut and a lower nut. The upper nut may include threads on an inner surface of the upper nut. The lower nut may include threads on an inner surface of the lower nut. The lower nut may include threads on an outer surface of the lower nut. The upper nut may rotate over the lower nut in order to lock the lower nut. |
| US08374303B2 |
Clock synchronization circuit and semiconductor device provided therewith
An object is to provide a clock synchronization circuit capable of stable communication even in the case where different clock signals are used in a plurality of circuits, and a semiconductor device provided therewith. Circuit for detecting a change point of received data, and outputting a reset signal; reference clock generating means for generating a clock signal; and circuit for counting the clock signals outputted from the reference clock generation means, and resetting a counter value obtained by counting the clock signals in the case where the reset signal is inputted are provided. |
| US08374302B2 |
Device for and a method of processing data signals
A method of data signal processing is provided, wherein the method comprises filtering a pre-filtered quadrature data signal by using an m×n filtering matrix, wherein m≠n. In particular, the filtering may be performed by using a rectangular matrix, i.e. a non-quadratic matrix. That is, the filtering may be performed by a matrix multiply in an image cancellation filtering unit. In general m relates to the 5 number of rows of the matrix while n relates to the number of columns of the matrix. In particular, the processing may form or may be a part of an image cancellation process. |
| US08374301B2 |
Wireless relay apparatus and wireless relay method
A wireless relay apparatus relaying wireless communication between a transmission station and a receiving station includes M (M is an integer >1) receiving antennas receiving a radio signal from the transmission station, a signal processing section performing orthogonal transformation and phase rotation on M received signals received by each of the receiving antennas as an input signal so as to obtain M output signals having a same average power level, and M transmission antennas individually transmitting the M output signals obtained by the signal processing section to the receiving station. |
| US08374295B2 |
Method of scaling input data and mobile device utilizing the same
A mobile device capable of scaling input data and a method thereof. The mobile device comprises a data segmentation module, a quality measure module, and a scaling module. The data segmentation module divides the input data into a plurality of subdata. The quality measure module, coupled to the data segmentation module, calculates signal quality of each subdata. The scaling module, coupled to the quality measure module, scales each subdata according to corresponding signal quality. |
| US08374293B1 |
Signal power estimation for cellular OFDM systems
Signal power of a received signal, which has a plurality of preamble sequences associated with sub-carrier signals received from a plurality of sub-carriers, in a cellular Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing system may be estimated by estimating as power for at least one preamble sequence of a signal received at a selected receive antenna. The preamble sequence is associated with a base station and a set of sub-carriers. A differential received signal developed for one of the set of sub-carriers is correlated with a normalized differential transmit signal for the preamble sequence, and the estimate of the power for the at least one preamble sequence is extracted based on the correlation. |
| US08374291B1 |
Methods for bit synchronization and symbol detection in multiple-channel radios and multiple-channel radios utilizing the same
A radio receiver including a memory storing a reference sample sequence and a synchronizer. The synchronizer receives a data packet, samples and modulates symbols from the data packet and then generates phase-information samples from the modulated samples. The phase-information samples are low-pass to generate a filtered phase-information sample sequence. Samples of the filtered phase-information sample sequence are selectively compared with samples of the reference sample sequence and bit synchronization is established when a selected number of samples of the filtered phase-information sample sequence match a selected number of samples of the reference sample sequence. |
| US08374289B2 |
Generation and detection of non-binary digital sequences
Method and apparatus for generating ternary and multi-valued Gold sequences, are disclosed. Also methods to detect ternary and multi-valued sequences are disclosed. The detection can be performed by a ternary or multi-valued LFSR descrambler when the sequences are generated by an LFSR based sequence generator. A wireless system which can assign additional sequences to designated users is also disclosed. The wireless system can also transfer information to user equipment that enables methods for sequence generation and sequence detection. |
| US08374284B2 |
Universal decoder
The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for decoding encoded data symbols. The invention is also directed to corresponding encoding methods. The decoder arrangement comprises an input for receiving encoded data and an identifier associated with a coding scheme used to create said encoded data. A processor in the decoding arrangement determines from the identifier, a mapping between said encoded data and the original data. A decoder uses the mapping to extract the original data from the encoded data. The operation of the decoder is independent of the coding scheme used in the encoding process. |
| US08374283B2 |
Local oscillator with injection pulling suppression and spurious products filtering
A single sideband mixer circuit includes a voltage controlled oscillator operable a tunable frequency f1. The mixer circuit outputs a frequency signal at a frequency f1±f2. A tracking filter operates to filter the frequency signal and generate a first output signal at the frequency f1±f2. A resonance frequency fr of the tracking filter is tunable to substantially match the frequency f1±f2 of the frequency signal. The output signal of the tracking filter may be processed by a phase lock loop circuit to generate a control signal for controlling the setting of the tunable frequency f1 and resonance frequency fr. Alternatively, the output signal of the tracking filter may be divided and the divided signal processed by a phase lock loop circuit to generate the control signal for controlling setting of the tunable frequency f1 and resonance frequency fr. |
| US08374275B2 |
Method and system for communication channel optimization in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system
A transmission method in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system, a transmitter in a MIMO communication system and a MIMO communication system are provided. The method comprises the steps of: receiving feedback data representing channel state information from respective receivers of the MIMO communication system; grouping the receivers into one or more groups based on the received feedback data; obtaining a precoding matrix for each group of receivers based on the received feedback data such that precoding vectors or sub-matrices in the precoding matrix associated with respective receivers of said each group of receivers are orthogonal to each other; and applying the precoding matrix to input signals for transmission to said each group of receivers. |
| US08374273B1 |
Method and apparatus for transmit beamforming
A rake receiver having a plurality of rake fingers is adapted based on a plurality of received signals. The plurality of received signals correspond to a single signal transmitted by a single antenna transceiver and received by a multiple antenna transceiver that includes the rake receiver. Each of a plurality of groups of rake fingers corresponds to a single-input, multiple output (SIMO) channel estimate. One coefficient from each of the plurality of SIMO channel estimates is selected, and a transmit steering vector is calculated based on the selected coefficients. The transmit steering vector is applied to a signal to be transmitted by the multiple antenna transceiver to the single antenna transceiver. |
| US08374272B2 |
Space-time coded OFDM system for MMDS applications
A communications system includes a base station that is configured to transmit a signal that is modulated according to a predetermined modulation scheme and an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme, wherein the signal is encoded using space-frequency coding. The base station includes a plurality of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transceivers. The system includes a terminal that is configured to receive the modulated signal. The above arrangement is particularly applicable to providing multichannel multipoint distribution services (MMDS) over a radio communications system. |
| US08374269B2 |
Odd interleaving only of an odd-even interleaver when half or less data subcarriers are active in a digital video broadcasting (DVB) system
A data processing apparatus is arranged to map input data symbols to be communicated onto a predetermined number of sub-carrier signals of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed OFDM symbols. The predetermined number of sub-carrier signals is determined in accordance with one of a plurality of operating modes and the input data symbols are divided into first sets of input data symbols and second sets of input data symbols. The data processing apparatus comprises an interleaver operable to perform an odd interleaving process which interleaves the first sets of input data symbols on to the sub-carrier signals of first OFDM symbols and an even interleaving process which interleaves the second sets of input data symbols on to the sub-carrier signals of second OFDM symbols. |
| US08374268B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing channel quality feedback in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communication system
In an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communication system, a user equipment reports channel quality information that is sufficient to construct a fading profile of a frequency bandwidth and that does not consuming the overhead resulting from the reporting of CQI for every sub-band of the frequency bandwidth. In the communication system, the frequency bandwidth may be represented by multiple sub-band levels, wherein each sub-band level comprises a division of the frequency bandwidth into a number of sub-bands different from the number of sub-bands of the other sub-band levels. The user equipment measures a channel quality associated with each sub-band of a sub-band level of the multiple sub-band levels, selects a sub-band of the sub-band level based on the measured channel qualities, and reports channel quality information associated with the selected sub-band to a radio access network. |
| US08374266B2 |
Iterative channel estimation method and apparatus for ICI cancellation in multi-carrier
A linear iterative channel estimation scheme and corresponding pilot allocation scheme are provided to perfect a channel model that cancels the Inter-Carrier Interference (ICI) for multi-carrier systems (e.g., OFDM, SC-FDMA, MC-CDMA, etc.) under high mobility conditions. Two issues of the linear iterative channel estimation scheme of the channel model, namely, overloaded pilots and increased Gauss noise are specifically addressed by exemplary embodiments. With the iterative channel estimation scheme provided by the present invention, the minimum pilot number is equal to the length of multi-path delay, and the Gauss noise is not increased. |
| US08374262B2 |
Method and device for determining an unabbreviated channel-impulse response in an OFDM transmission system
A method and a device for determining an unabbreviated channel-impulse response in an OFDM transmission system, of which the duration is greater than the length of the guard interval, estimates the channel-transmission factor at frequency-time positions of a relatively-coarse frequency-time raster, interpolates the channel-transmission factor at frequency-time positions of a relatively-fine frequency-time raster and calculates the unabbreviated channel-impulse response by means of inverse Fourier transform from the estimated or interpolated values of the channel-transmission factor at the frequency-time positions of the relatively-fine frequency-time raster. In this context, estimated values of the channel-transmission factor optimized at the individual frequency-time positions of the relatively-fine frequency-time raster are determined from received symbols and from transmitted symbols estimated by means of decision from the received symbols. |
| US08374246B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoder assisted-frame rate up conversion (EA-FRUC) for video compression
An Encoder Assisted Frame Rate Up Conversion (EA-FRUC) system that utilizes video coding and pre-processing operations at the video encoder to exploit the FRUC processing that will occur in the decoder in order to improve compression efficiency and reconstructed video quality is disclosed. One operation of the EA-FRUC system involves determining whether to encode a frame in a sequence of frames of a video content by determining a spatial activity in a frame of the sequence of frames; determining a temporal activity in the frame; determining a spatio-temporal activity in the frame based on the determined spatial activity and the determined temporal activity; determining a level of a redundancy in the source frame based on at least one of the determined spatial activity, the determined temporal activity, and the determined spatio-temporal activity; and, encoding the non-redundant information in the frame if the determined redundancy is within predetermined thresholds. |
| US08374245B2 |
Spatiotemporal prediction for bidirectionally predictive(B) pictures and motion vector prediction for multi-picture reference motion compensation
Several improvements for use with Bidirectionally Predictive (B) pictures within a video sequence are provided. In certain improvements Direct Mode encoding and/or Motion Vector Prediction are enhanced using spatial prediction techniques. In other improvements Motion Vector prediction includes temporal distance and subblock information, for example, for more accurate prediction. Such improvements and other presented herein significantly improve the performance of any applicable video coding system/logic. |
| US08374242B1 |
Video encoder using GPU
An apparatus includes a processor, a graphics processing unit and a memory. The memory stores computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions include a motion estimation kernel which when executed by the graphics processing unit performs motion estimation on a current frame using a reference frame. The current frame and the reference frame are stored in a globally shared memory of the graphics processing unit. |
| US08374241B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding video, and method and apparatus for decoding video
Disclosed is a method of encoding a video, the method including: splitting a current picture into at least one maximum coding unit; determining a coded depth to output a final encoding result according to at least one split region obtained by splitting a region of the maximum coding unit according to depths, by encoding the at least one split region, based on a depth that deepens in proportion to the number of times the region of the maximum coding unit is split; and outputting image data constituting the final encoding result according to the at least one split region, and encoding information about the coded depth and a prediction mode, according to the at least one maximum coding unit. |
| US08374238B2 |
Spatial scalability in 3D sub-band decoding of SDMCTF-encoded video
Techniques and tools are described for scalable video coding and decoding. For example, a 3D sub-band decoder receives video encoded using spatial-domain motion-compensated temporal filtering at a first spatial resolution. The decoder decodes at least part of the video for output at a second spatial resolution lower than the first spatial resolution. The decoder uses any of several techniques to improve performance by devoting extra computational resources to the decoding, devoting extra buffer resources to storing reference picture information, and/or considering spatial high-pass sub-band information. |
| US08374235B2 |
Digital broadcast system and data processing method
A digital broadcast system and a data processing method are disclosed. A data processing method of a digital broadcast transmission system includes delaying a reference time of a program clock reference (PCR) based on a size of mobile service data, when processing a broadcasting signal including main service data and the mobile service data, verifying a transport stream system target decoder (T-STD) model based on the PCR of the delayed reference time, and storing a packet of the main service data in an auxiliary buffer, when overflow of a buffer in the T-STD model is estimated as the verification result of the T-STD model. |
| US08374234B2 |
Digital scaling
Computer program products and arrangements to process digital data are contemplated. The digital data may contain values, representing quantities of a wave form over regions. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to process digital data by dividing one of the regions, where one of the values represents a quantity of a wave form over the region. The embodiments may include assigning a value to each of the subregions. The average of the values of the subregions, weighted by the measures of the subregions, may approximately equal the value of the region. The regions may comprise pixels and the values of the pixels may represent the intensity of light waves over the pixels. The embodiments may include the processing of digital data in cameras, televisions, audio players, seismic devices, and medical imaging devices. The subdivision of regions and the assignment of value to the subregions may utilize derivative migration. |
| US08374233B2 |
IQ-modulation system and method for switched amplifiers
An apparatus and methods for a baseband modulator configured to code amplitude signals into pulse width modulated time signals comprising at least two amplitude levels is disclosed. A pulse width modulator can receive a component signal of a baseband complex signal and generate a discrete-time pulse width modulated signal. This signal can be converted to a continuous time signal, such as a pulse-width modulated time signal and can be shifted to a carrier signal corresponding respectively to the component signal by a switch. Bursts sequences are generated to an input of a switched amplifier for driving operation of the amplifier therein. |
| US08374228B2 |
Geographic locating remote endpoint monitor device, system, and methodology thereof
A remote endpoint monitor device includes a remote endpoint device including a meter, a position locator, a frequency selector, and a communication unit. The meter is configured to measure a service parameter to provide a measured service parameter value. The position locator is configured to determine a position of the remote endpoint device. The frequency selector is configured to select a transmission frequency device based on the determined position. The transmitter is configured to transmit service information data including the service parameter value at the transmission frequency selected by the frequency selector. A method of a remote endpoint monitor device includes measuring a service parameter, determining a position of the remote endpoint device, selecting a transmission frequency of the remote end point device, and transmitting service information data at the transmission frequency. Thus, the remote endpoint monitor device is capable of handling an automatic frequency switchover without direction provided externally. |
| US08374226B2 |
Systems and methods for a multicarrier modulation system with a variable margin
A multicarrier modem has a plurality of carriers over which data is transmitted. By assigning, for example, one or more different margins to the individual carriers the data rate and impairment immunity can be increased. |
| US08374225B2 |
Voice/data/RF integrated circuit
A Voice-Data-RF IC includes a baseband processing module, an RF section, and an interface module. The baseband processing module converts an outbound voice signal into an outbound voice symbol stream, converts an inbound voice symbol stream into an inbound voice signal, converts outbound data into an outbound data symbol stream, and converts an inbound data symbol stream into inbound data. The RF section converts an inbound RF voice signal into the inbound voice symbol stream, converts the outbound voice symbol stream into an outbound RF voice signal, converts an inbound RF data signal into the inbound data symbol stream, and converts the outbound data symbol stream into an outbound RF data signal. The interface module provides coupling between the baseband processing module, the RF section, and with off-chip circuits. |
| US08374223B2 |
BOC signal acquisition and tracking method and apparatus
A BOC signal acquisition and tracking apparatus and method. In the present invention, at least a BOC signal, a BOC-cos signal and a PRN coded signal are generated for a received signal. Depending on application condition (e.g. acquisition mode or tracking mode), autocorrelation of the BOC signal is combined with cross-correlation of the BOC signal and one of the BOC-cos signal and the PRN coded signal to generate a proper combined correlation result. |
| US08374220B2 |
Low-cost and low-complexity inner communication receiver for receive diversity
A communication receiver includes first and second antenna elements for receiving first and second signals respectively representative of first and second symbols encoded with a first or second channel coefficient and first and second delay lines for delaying the first and second signals respectively. A master rake module up-samples a pilot channel sequence at chip rate to mix it with the second delayed signals to deliver correlated delayed signals and to determine first and second channel coefficient estimates from the first delayed signals and the correlated delayed signals. A slave rake module determines first and second auxiliary composite symbols from the first and second delayed signals, a scrambling code sequence and a spreading code sequence. Lastly the first and second auxiliary composite symbols combine with the first and second channel coefficient estimates to determine first and second output signals. |
| US08374218B2 |
Combining signals with a shuffled-hadamard function
A method can include receiving, at a transmitter, during a symbol time that comprises a plurality of chip times, a data value for each of a plurality of distinct data channel inputs. During each chip time, the method can include (a) indexing a different row of a matrix of data bits; (b) decoding one channel input using a first subset of one or more columns of the indexed row; (c) determining a code value for the decoded one channel from a second subset of one or more columns of the indexed row; and (d) providing the coded data value to a transmission circuit for transmission to a receiver. Actions (a) to (d) can be performed for each of the plurality of chip times in the symbol time. In some implementations, the matrix of data bits is a Hadamard matrix with randomly shuffled rows. |
| US08374212B2 |
Frequency hopping in license-exempt/shared bands
RRC signaling is used to configure a user device for N secondary cells SCells on license-exempt channels wi in a frequency hopping channel set W={wi} where i=1, 2, . . . N. Then cross-carrier scheduling is sent on a primary cell PCell to schedule a frequency hopping FH resource block hi on the ith license-exempt channel wi. Based on measurements of at least some of the license-exempt channels wi received from at least the user device, parameters for the frequency hopping are adapted. The FH resource block contains M physical resource blocks, scheduled for the SCell during a FH time interval Tu*L+j by a resource grant sent on a PDCCH of the PCell. In an embodiment the RRC signaling is sent by a micro access node/HeNB on the PCell, the cross carrier scheduling is sent also by the micro access node/HeNB on the PCell, and the PCell lies within an LTE licensed frequency band. |
| US08374211B2 |
Method for data transmission and communication system
A method for data transmission is provided for determining movement speed and/or location of a mobile communication device; selecting, based on the movement speed and/or the location of the mobile communication device a frequency hopping mode from a plurality of frequency hopping modes to be used for data transmission to or from the mobile communication device; and transmitting the data using the selected frequency hopping mode. |
| US08374210B2 |
Wide band transceiver and data receiving method using a tunable notch filter and pre-estimated optimal notch filter parameters
Data is received with a transceiver circuit with a receiver branch (14) that comprises a notch filter (140) and a digital Fourier transformer (146). Furthermore the transceiver circuit has a transmitter branch (16) comprising an inverse digital Fourier transformer (160). Prior to reception the transceiver circuit is switched to a calibration mode, wherein an output of the transmitter branch (16) is coupled to an input of the notch filter (140). The inverse digital Fourier transformer (160) of the transmitter is used to compute an inverse transform of a spectrum with a frequency component at a selected position. A signal derived from the inverse transform is applied to an input of the notch filter (140) in the calibration mode. The digital Fourier transformer (146) is used to Fourier transform an output signal of the notch filter (140). A control setting of the notch filter to suppress the frequency component from an output of the digital Fourier transformer (146) is determined. A parameter derived from said control setting is stored in a memory (149a). After the transceiver circuit is switched to a reception mode, a received interfering signal and an interference frequency of the received interfering signal are detected. The stored parameter to translate the detected interference frequency into a control setting of the notch filter (140). |
| US08374209B2 |
Multi-pass optical cell with actuator for actuating a reflective surface
A multi-pass optical cell with an actuator for actuating a reflective surface is provided. In one preferred embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a first reflective surface, a second reflective surface, and a support structure supporting the first and second reflective surfaces. The support structure positions the first and second reflective surfaces to create an optical cell. The apparatus also comprises a source and a detector, which are positioned such that light emitted from the source is reflected in the optical cell at least one time between the first and second reflective surfaces before reaching the detector. The apparatus further comprises an actuator coupled with and operative to actuate the first reflective surface. In some embodiments, the actuator rotates the first reflective surface. Also, in some embodiments, the multi-pass optical cell is an open path multi-pass optical cell, while, in other embodiments, the multi-pass optical cell is a closed path multi-pass optical cell. |
| US08374207B2 |
Semiconductor laser device
The present invention includes a semiconductor laser element, a lead, a first packaging member and a second packaging member. The lead includes a mount surface for supporting the semiconductor laser element. The first packaging member includes a first wall and a second wall. The first and the second walls are spaced from each other in a direction that is along the mount surface and crosses a laser beam emission direction of the semiconductor laser element, with the semiconductor laser element arranged between the first and the second walls. The second packaging member is pressed in between the first and the second walls and faces the mount surface and the semiconductor laser element. |
| US08374201B2 |
Preamble design for supporting multiple topologies with visible light communication
For use in visible light communication (VLC), methods for synchronization with multiple topology support and for transmitting an extended preamble. The method for synchronization includes transmitting a two-part preamble sequence. The preamble sequence includes one or more repetitions of a fast locking pattern (FLP) configured to be used for clock synchronization, and one or more repetitions of a topology dependent pattern (TDP) configured to be used to distinguish a plurality of VLC topologies. The method for transmitting an extended preamble includes generating an extended preamble and transmitting the extended preamble during a receive or idle mode for maintaining visibility support and for better synchronization performance. |
| US08374200B2 |
Methods and systems for processing overhead reduction for control channel packets
Various methods and systems receiving information from an access point over a wireless link in order to reduce processing and/or transmission overhead are disclosed. Such methods and systems may include the processing of a received packet using a descrambling operation on at least a portion of the packet's information based on a MAC-ID associated with an access terminal to produce at least a first processed packet, and determining whether the received packet is targeted to the access terminal based on the first processed packet. |
| US08374196B2 |
Methods and apparatus for a switchable balun for combined Bluetooth® and WLAN operation
Methods and apparatus for a switchable balun for combined BLUETOOTH® and WLAN operation. A switchable balun is provided that includes an input circuit for receiving an amplified signal, the input circuit comprising first and second coils connected at a center tap, an output circuit comprising a third coil that is inductively coupled to the first and second coils, the output circuit for outputting an adjusted version of the amplified signal for transmission in a selected transmission mode, and a switch coupled to the center tap, wherein the switch is configured to couple a first voltage to the center tap to select operation in a first transmission mode and to couple a second voltage to the center tap to select operation in a second transmission mode. |
| US08374194B2 |
Communication device and bandwidth allocation method
A communication device, which provides a bandwidth allocation opportunity to ONUs each having different data transmission rates, not depending on any specific bandwidth-request notifying method, thereby realizing fair upstream transmission data delay between data transmission rates of respective ONUs, includes a bandwidth-update-cycle division processor that divides the bandwidth update cycle into slots of each of the data transmission rates, a bandwidth-allocation-amount calculating unit that allocates a bandwidth to the slave station devices in a slot of the data transmission rate, and a transmission-start-time calculating unit that sets a transmission start time and a transmission time of data of the slave station devices, based on an overhead length of a data frame transmitted by the slave station devices. |
| US08374192B2 |
Power save enhancements for wireless communication
Techniques for improving power saving by stations in wireless networks are described. In an aspect, a source station sends a frame with a buffer status for a recipient station during an awake time for both stations and sends one or more data frames to the recipient station as indicated by the buffer status. The recipient station knows how many data frames to expect based on the buffer status and can go to sleep after receiving the expected number of data frames. In another aspect, a source station receives a frame with information on transmission opportunity (TXOP) bursting receive capability of a recipient station operating in a power save mode. The source station performs channel access at the start of a TXOP and sends multiple data frames in the TXOP to the recipient station based on the TXOP bursting receive capability of the recipient station. |
| US08374190B2 |
Wireless communication method and apparatus for providing high speed downlink packet access services
A method and wireless multi-cell communication system for providing high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) services. The system includes a radio network controller (RNC) in communication with a plurality of base stations. The RNC sends a control signal to at least one base station having a plurality of timeslots, e.g., in a time division duplex (TDD) system and/or frames including transmission timing intervals (TTIs), e.g., in a frequency division duplex (FDD) system assigned thereto for the establishment of HSDPA channels. The control signal indicates a maximum allowed HSDPA transmit power for each of the timeslots and/or TTIs. The base station sends a feedback signal to the RNC indicating the results of measurements of the power of the transmitted HSDPA timeslots and/or TTIs during a predetermined time period. |
| US08374188B2 |
Techniques to manage a relay server and a network address translator
Techniques to manage a relay server and a network address translator are described. A system may include a relay server having a first private network interface operative to communicate with a private client, a second private network interface operative to communicate with a network address translator, and an enhanced relay manager module operative to receive a message from the private client over the first private network interface or a remote client over the second private network interface and through the network address translator, the enhanced relay manager module further operative to retrieve a public transport address and a mapped port for the network address translator from a mapped address attribute stored by the relay server, and send a response to the message with the public transport address and the mapped port to the private client or the remote client. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08374183B2 |
Distributed virtual network gateways
Computerized methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for distributing virtualized gateway functionality to multiple nodes within a physical network. Initially, drivers that carry out the gateway functionality are provisioned to cooperate with endpoints instantiated on the network nodes, while a directory service is implemented to maintain a mapping between virtual internet protocol (IP) addresses and location-dependent addresses, as well as a table enumerating transformation actions according to known pathways connecting the endpoints within a network. In operation, the directory service replies to requests from the driver (carrying source and destination IP addresses of data packets) with the appropriate location-dependent addresses (utilizing the mapping) and the appropriate transformation action(s) (utilizing the table). The transformation action(s) include rewriting headers of the data packets to include the location-dependent addresses, encapsulating the data packets as inner data packets within respective outer data packets, or configuring the data packets with a tunneling protocol. |
| US08374182B2 |
Virtual local area network (VLAN)-based membership for multicast VLAN registration
A network node that includes a memory to store a multicast forwarding table that contains entries that govern how multicast traffic is to be forwarded from a multicast virtual local area network (MVLAN) associated with the network node, to receiver VLANs associated with the network node, where each entry includes a multicast group, that is associated with a group of ports on the multicast VLAN via which the multicast traffic is received, and information associated with the receiver VLANs to which the received multicast traffic is to be sent. The network node also includes a processor to receive multicast traffic associated with a particular multicast group, via a particular port on the multicast VLAN; perform, using the multicast forwarding table, a look up operation, based on the particular multicast group, to determine to which of the receiver VLANs the multicast traffic is to be sent; and transmit the multicast traffic, associated with the particular multicast group, to user devices, via the receiver VLANs, based on a determination that the entry, associated with the particular multicast group, includes information associated with the receiver VLANs. |
| US08374178B2 |
Apparatus and method for supporting NAT traversal in voice over internet protocol system
An apparatus and a method for operating an exchange in order to support Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system are provided. In the method, when a setup request signal is received from a calling Internet phone, first mapping of an IP address and a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port of the calling Internet phone to first embedded Media Proxy Solution (eMPS) IP address and UDP port is performed. A setup request of the calling Internet phone including the first eMPS IP address and UDP port information is relayed to a called Internet phone. A response signal including an IP address and an UDP port of the called Internet phone is received from the called Internet phone in response to the setup request. Second mapping of the IP address and UDP port of the called Internet phone to second eMPS address and UDP port is performed. A response signal including the second eMPS IP address and UDP port information is relayed to the calling Internet phone in response to the setup request. |
| US08374177B2 |
Network element for switching time division multiplex signals
In order to provide a network element for switching time-division multiplex signals in a transport network, which allows higher capacity at moderate equipment costs, the network element has a number of input ports (I; IO1-IO8), a number of output ports (O; IO1-IO8) and a switch fabric ( ) SF; 58) interconnecting the input and output ports (IO1-IO8). The switching fabric ( ) SF; 58) is a cell based switch comprising one or more switch modules ( ) SE1-SEn) which are adapted to switch fixed-length cells on the basis of addresses contained in cell headers of the cells. The input ports (I) contain a segmentation device (11) for segmenting an input time-division multiplex signal into fixed-length cells and assigning address information to each cell. The output ports (O) contain a reassembly device (14) for reassembling cells received from said switch fabric (SF; 58) into an output time-division multiplex signal. The address information contains a fabric address (H1, H2) and a TDM address (P0, P1). The switch fabric switches the cells in accordance with the fabric address (H1, H2) to a corresponding output port (O) and the reassembly device (14) reassembles the cells in accordance with the TDM address (P0, P1). |
| US08374172B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing communication sessions
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server operably couplable to an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network and an Interactive Television (ITV) system, where the server includes a controller to receive a session transfer request from a first communication device operably connected to the ITV system and presenting media content where the session transfer request includes identification information associated with a second communication device operably connected to the ITV system, and transmit an INVITE message to the second communication device and transmit a media adjustment message to a Media Resource Function Processor (MRFP) of the IMS network, where the media content is adjusted and transmitted to the second communication device based on receipt of the media adjustment message, where the adjusted media content is generated by the MRFP based on the identification information associated with the second communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08374166B1 |
Method and system for providing call waiting features in a SIP-based network
A method that includes receiving a first call request from a second user to a first user, establishing a first dialog between a network element and the first user, establishing a second dialog between the network element and the second user, establishing a third dialog between the network element and a third user in response to a second call request from a third user, establishing a fourth dialog between the network element and the first user as a result of establishing the third dialog, waiting for a response from the first user in the fourth dialog and receiving one or more indications of actions from the first user to manage the disposition of the second call request. |
| US08374161B2 |
Method and apparatus for sending data and control information in a wireless communication system
Techniques for sending control information in a communication system are described. In an aspect, control information may be sent in a first frequency location (e.g., a first set of subcarriers) if data is not being sent and in a second frequency location (e.g., a second set of subcarriers) if data is being sent. In another aspect, control information may be processed in accordance with a first processing scheme if data is not being sent and with a second processing scheme if data is being sent. In one design of the first scheme, a CAZAC sequence may be modulated with each modulation symbol for control information to obtain a corresponding modulated CAZAC sequence, which may be sent on the first set of subcarriers. In one design of the second scheme, modulation symbols for control information may be combined with modulation symbols for data, transformed to frequency domain, and mapped to the second set of subcarriers. |
| US08374156B2 |
Capacity increasing devices and methods for wireless communication
The present patent application improves DARP by allowing multiple users on one time slot (MUROS). It comprises means and instructions for sharing signals on a single channel, comprising setting up a new connection, allocating a new time slot if there is an unused time slot on a channel frequency, selecting an used time slot for the new connection to share with an existing connection if there is not an unused time slot on the channel frequency, and selecting a different training sequence code for the new connection if the used time slot on the channel frequency has been selected for the new connection to share with an existing connection. |
| US08374146B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing downlink acknowledgements and transmit indicators in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communication system
A communication system provides downlink acknowledgments corresponding to uplink transmission using hybrid automatic repeat request to multiple users in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing communication system, wherein a frequency bandwidth comprises multiple frequency sub-carriers, by spreading each acknowledgment of multiple acknowledgments with a selected spreading sequence of multiple spreading sequences to produce multiple spread acknowledgments, wherein each acknowledgment is intended for a different user of the multiple users, and distributing the multiple spread acknowledgments across the multiple frequency sub-carriers. |
| US08374140B2 |
Frame based, on-demand spectrum contention data frame acquisition
A method and system by which base stations in a Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN), and more generally transceivers in a cognitive radio (CR) system, can communicate to fairly share transmission and reception of scheduled use (“occupancy”) of frames on a single channel within a frame-based, on demand spectrum contention system. The method and system disclose how a base station can acquire the scheduled use of a share of the frames available in subsequent superframes of the CR system. The method and system assure fair and efficient access to the transmission channel by using a random number based contention process. |
| US08374124B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing IP mobility and IP routing in ad hoc wireless networks
The invention includes methods and apparatuses for supporting mobility management and packet routing in ad hoc wireless networks. A method for mobility management includes detecting, at a first base station, a request by a wireless device to establish an association with the first base station where the first base station comprises a mobile base station, updating an association table of the first base station to include an association of the wireless device to the first base station, and propagating, toward a second base station, a message adapted to update an association table of the second base station, wherein the second base station is a mobile base station, wherein the message is propagated toward the second base station wirelessly. The packet routing functions of the present invention may be used independent of, or in conjunction with, the mobility management functions of the present invention. |
| US08374120B2 |
Base station apparatus based on switch fabric in broadband wireless communication system
A base station (BS) apparatus in a broadband wireless communication system is provided. The base station apparatus includes at least one function board for processing a baseband digital signal; at least one processor board for controlling the at least one function board; and at least one switch for routing a signal between the at least one function board and the at least one processor board. |
| US08374119B2 |
Method for signaling of resource allocation to adjust granularity in cellular multi-carrier system
A method for adjusting a granularity of resource allocation in a wireless mobile communication system supporting a compact scheduling is discussed. A resource indication value (RIV) corresponds to a start index (S) of one set of consecutive virtual resource blocks (VRBs) and a length of the VRBs. The start index (S) is selected from among ‘s’ values (where s=P+mT |
| US08374118B2 |
Efficient control signaling over shared communication channels with wide dynamic range
Embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems for efficient control signaling over shared communication channels with wide dynamic range. Some embodiments includes a gateway configured to encode and to transmit multiple physical layer headers, including a first physical layer header and a second physical layer header. The first physical layer header may span a first length and represent a first modcode; the second physical layer header may span a second length and represent a second modcode. The second length may be longer than the first length. Embodiments may include multiple terminals in wireless communication with the gateway via satellite, including a first terminal configured to decode the first physical layer header and to determine the first modcode. Embodiments may include a second terminal configured to decode the second physical layer header and determine the second modcode. |
| US08374117B2 |
Apparatus and method for setting up radio bearer in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus of setting up a radio bearer (RB) in a wireless communication system is provided. At least one UnRB is set up based on a quality of service (QoS) guaranteed between a relay node and a base station. The relay node sets up a connection with a user equipment, and selects a UnRB of which a QoS corresponds to a QoS of the service request from the at least one UnRB according to a service request from the user equipment. A UuRB which is to be mapped to the selected UnRB is set up between the relay node and the user equipment. |
| US08374115B2 |
Methods and apparatus for cellular broadcasting and communication system
In a cellular wireless network, methods and apparatus are disclosed for a signal broadcasting scheme that can be individually augmented for users with poor reception. The network employs a first downlink channel for broadcasting data to all mobile stations, a second downlink channel for sending signals to a specific mobile station in a cell, and an uplink channel for feeding back information to the base station. To achieve a certain user reception quality, the system adjusts its broadcasting parameters based on the statistical analysis of the feedback data. If some users still require better reception, the system individually augments their broadcast signals via the second downlink channels. Methods and apparatus are also disclosed for synchronization of data distribution by base stations, which, in part, allows the receivers to combine the receiving signals and improve their reception quality. |
| US08374111B2 |
Digital signage with on-demand power wake up
A technique for on-demand power wake up for digital signage includes providing 400 a detector operable to detect an envelope of a digital signal, receiving 402 an extended length packet by the detector, wherein the packet consists of a same, repeated data symbol, detecting 404 the extended length packet in the detector to provide an output signal, comparing 406 the output signal against a reference threshold, and providing 410 a wake up signal if the output signal exceeds the reference threshold. This can then be followed by receiving 416 information to display on the sign. |
| US08374107B2 |
Communication apparatus and transmission line communication chip for adjusting transmission timing
A communication apparatus which may include a power supply that acquires a supply voltage from a power line connected from outside, a transmission control unit that transmits a pilot signal and signals subsequent to the pilot signal to the power line, a pilot signal detection unit that detects pilot signals transmitted to the power line by other apparatuses, and a timing adjustment unit that adjusts transmission timing of the pilot signal of the communication apparatus in accordance with that of the pilot signals transmitted by the other apparatuses. |
| US08374100B2 |
Method and system for multiband rate scaling
A system and method for multiband rate scaling for communication, particularly wireless communication. A band is used as a parameter for wireless communication performance when a wireless communication channel has a plurality of available bands for communication. A selected communication band may be switched to another available communication band, where the switching may be based on a desired performance determination. |
| US08374099B2 |
Communication system, base station, mobile station, communication method, and program
A base station (2) receives paging information for a mobile station (8) from gateway device (1), transmits the paging information after changing the amount of the radio resource of a paging channel, and measures a statistic associated with the completion of communication processing including at least a response of the paging information. The base station (2) then calculates a reception error rate of the paging information, based on the statistic. When receiving the paging information, the mobile station (8) transmits a response signal to the base station (8). |
| US08374093B2 |
Repeater monitor system and repeater monitor method
A monitor terminal transmits a monitor request command to monitor a repeater station designated by an operator to a monitor server via the Internet. The monitor server detects a monitor station located in the communication range of the designated repeater station from the content of the received monitor request command, and transmits a monitor instruction command to the detected monitor station via the Internet. The monitor station intercepts a radio signal during transmission from the repeater station to a radio communication device or vice versa. Upon reception of the monitor instruction command, the monitor station transmits the intercepted radio signal as monitor data to the monitor server. The monitor server transfers the monitor data to the monitor terminal. Upon reception of the monitor data transferred from the monitor server, the monitor terminal radio-transmits the received monitor data using a radio wave format receivable by the radio communication device. |
| US08374092B2 |
Technique for protecting against failure of a network element using multi-topology repair routing (MTRR)
A technique protects against failure of a network element using Multi-Topology Repair Routing (MTRR) in a computer network. According to the novel technique, a protecting node (e.g., a router) maintains Multi-Topology Routing (MTR) databases for a first topology and at least a second topology. The protecting node determines whether any acceptable repair paths are available in the first topology for a protected network element (e.g., node, link, etc.) of the first topology. If not, the protecting node may establish a repair path (e.g., for Fast ReRoute, FRR) in the second topology for the protected network element. |
| US08374090B2 |
System and method for routing data on a packet network
A system and method routing content over a packet network. A call request is received at a call control manager to communicate data packets including real-time over a packet network. A determination is made of at least one network node through which a call path for a call is to be routed, the network performance information including real-time bandwidth usage and non-real time bandwidth usage. Network performance information associated with communications are accessed over the at least one network node. An automatic determination is made whether the at least one network node is impaired or congested. The real time bandwidth usage and the non-real time bandwidth usage is determined from the network performance information if the at least one network node is determined to be impaired or congested. The communications of the data packets are altered including the non-real-time content to modify the real-time bandwidth usage by decreasing the non-real time bandwidth usage based on the network performance information if the at least one network node is determined to be impaired or congested. Otherwise, the call is established through the at least one network node. |
| US08374088B2 |
Managing hierarchically organized subscriber profiles
Methods are provided for managing hierarchically organized subscriber profiles. According to one embodiment, a connection for a subscriber is created based on a service context of the subscriber. A connection request is received from a subscriber of a network service delivery environment. The subscriber is associated with a first-level profile identifier indicative of a service context for the subscriber. One or more other subscribers can be associated with the first-level profile identifier. Lower-level profile identifiers are determined using the first-level profile identifier. The lower-level profile identifiers indicate a set of services that is available to the subscriber during the connection. Creating a connection for the subscriber that enables forwarding of packets based on the lower-level profile identifiers. |
| US08374087B2 |
Reliable audio-video transmission system using multi-media diversity
A system and method for switching data packet traffic distribution across diverse transmission medium according to detected quality of service characteristics for a given data packet rate from server to client. It should be recognized that diverse medium are not interdependent with regard to fading or signal strength considerations. Two general modes of switching are described, switching all the data packets, and switching according to a media-time coding mechanism. In one embodiment the data is encoded using Fountain encoding prior to transmission. The data packet transmissions preferably comprise audio-video data packet streams, such as MPEG-2 streams. By way of example, the diverse transmission medium may comprise a wireless connection (i.e., WiFi) used in combination with a power-line network connection, such as within a home network. |
| US08374083B2 |
Methods and systems for priority-based service requests, grants for service admission and network congestion control
A method for priority-based network congestion control may be implemented by a network entity. The method may include determining one or more priorities associated with a service request that is being processed by the network entity. The method may also include determining resource availability. The method may also include determining whether to grant the service request based on the one or more priorities associated with the service request and the resource availability. |
| US08374081B2 |
Controlling subscriber usage in a telecommunications network
In a telecommunications network including a gateway network element in communication with a control system and a user device, a system and method of controlling a data consumption rate of the user device including: a first control system node periodically transmitting a command to a second control system node, the message including information relating to a user's data usage, received from the gateway network node; in response to each command, the second control system node transmitting a reply message to the first control system node; controlling the transmission of the periodic commands according to a variable time interval; and the second control system node using the data usage information received in the periodic reply messages to control the data consumption of the user device. Preferably the control system conforms to a 3GPP Policy Charging Control Architecture and the first node is a PCEF and the second node is a PCRF. It is also preferable that the command is a DIAMETER protocol Accounting Request (ACR) command and the reply message is a DIAMETER protocol Accounting Answer (ACA) message. |
| US08374078B2 |
Active fault management for metro Ethernet service over MPLS network
In one embodiment, a technique for detecting a break in a pseudowire and automatic shutting down user network interface (UNI) ports affected by the break is provided. In response to the loss of connectivity on the shut down ports, customer edge devices may automatically switch over to redundant circuits (e.g., other UNI ports not affected by the break in the pseudowire) and establish a different pseudowire. |
| US08374076B2 |
Method and apparatus of transmitting scheduling request in wireless communication system
A method and an apparatus of transmitting scheduling request (SR) in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes configuring a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for a SR in a subframe, the subframe comprising a plurality of single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols, wherein one SC-FDMA symbol on the PUCCH is punctured and transmitting the SR on the PUCCH in the subframe. |
| US08374074B2 |
Phase rotation method for reducing PAPR
A method of reducing a signal peak to average power ratio (PAPR) for a transmission channel in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The transmission channel is divided into a plurality of channel segments, and the method includes calculating PAPRs corresponding to the plurality of channel segments by a plurality of phase rotation vectors; selecting a plurality of specified phase rotation vectors from the plurality of phase rotation vectors according to the calculated PAPRs; and using one of the plurality of specified phase rotation vectors to rotate a phase of a signal to be transmitted. |
| US08374048B2 |
Method and system for providing magnetic tunneling junction elements having a biaxial anisotropy
A method and system for providing a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device are described. The magnetic junction includes a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer has a magnetic anisotropy, at least a portion of which is a biaxial anisotropy. The magnetic junction is configured such that the free layer is switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. |
| US08374047B2 |
Dynamic random access memory device and method for self-refreshing memory cells
A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device having memory cells is operated in a self-refresh mode and a normal mode. A mode detector provides a self-refresh mode signal in the self-refresh mode of operation. It includes a free-running oscillator for generating an oscillation signal independent of the self-refresh mode signal. In response to the oscillation signal, a self-request controller provides a self-refresh request signal in the self-refresh mode. The self-refresh signal is asynchoronized with the self-fresh mode signal and is provided to an address circuit to select a wordline for refreshing the memory cells thereof. The self-refresh request controller includes logic circuitry for arbitrating timing between initial active edges of the oscillation signal and the self-refresh mode signal and providing the self-refresh request and ceasing it, regardless of conflict between the self-refresh mode signal and the oscillation signal upon self-refresh mode entry and exit. The DRAM devices perform and achieve reliable self-refresh for variable DRAM cell retention time. |
| US08374039B2 |
Multi-port memory array
A multi-port memory array is disclosed. The memory array includes a plurality of memory subblocks and an output network. Each memory subblock includes a plurality of single-read-port memory cells. The output network is configured to redirect information read for a first read port to a second read port on a condition that an equivalence signal indicates that read addresses for the first read port and the second read port are the same. The latching and multiplexing operation may be integrated. The memory cells may be 6-transistor synchronous random access memory (SRAM) cells, 8-transistor SRAM cells, or any type of memory cells. |
| US08374036B2 |
Method of operating nonvolatile memory device
A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device comprises reading erase number information which is updated and stored whenever erasure is performed, setting program start voltages and step voltages based on the erase number information, and performing a program operation based on the program start voltages and the step voltages. |
| US08374032B2 |
Non-volatile semiconductor memory device
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device including: a NAND string having multiple memory cells connected in series and first and second select gate transistors disposed on the both ends; word lines coupled to the memory cells; and first and second select gate lines coupled to the first and second select gate transistors, wherein a data read mode is defined by the following bias condition: a selected word line is applied with a read voltage; one adjacent to the selected word line within first unselected word lines disposed on the first select gate line side is applied with a first read pass voltage while the others are applied with a second read pass voltage lower than the first read pass voltage; and second unselected word lines disposed on the second select gate line side are applied with a third read pass voltage higher than the first read voltage. |
| US08374031B2 |
Techniques for the fast settling of word lines in NAND flash memory
In non-volatile memory devices, a write operation typically consists of an alternating set of pulse and verify operations. After a pulse is applied, the device must be biased properly for an accurate verify, with a selected word-line settled at the desired voltage level. The techniques described here address the problem of a relatively large waiting time at the start of a verify phase of a write operation when the selected word line is moving to its first verify level, while at the same time the non-selected word lines of a NAND type array are ramping up to a read pass level. For the non-selected word lines, during the program pulse, these are set at a first voltage above ground and then, during the verify operation, then are set at the read pass level. Rather than take the non-selected word lines to ground in between, they are instead moved directly from their voltage in the pulse phase directly into their read pass level. This helps to reduce the amount of movement in the selected word line due to capacitive coupling, allowing the preparation of the verify level of a selected word line settings earlier. |
| US08374028B2 |
Sense operation in a memory device
Methods for sensing and memory devices are disclosed. One such method for sensing determines a threshold voltage of an n-bit memory cell that is adjacent to an m-bit memory cell to be sensed. A control gate of the m-bit memory cell to be sensed is biased with a sense voltage adjusted responsive to the determined threshold voltage of the n-bit memory cell. |
| US08374027B2 |
Data path for multi-level cell memory, methods for storing and methods for utilizing a memory array
Memories, data paths, methods for storing, and methods for utilizing are disclosed, including a data path for a memory using multi-level memory cells to provide storage of multiple bits per memory cell. One such data path includes a bit mapping circuit and a data converter circuit. Such a bit mapping circuit can be configured to map bits of the original data to an intermediate arrangement of bits and such a data converter circuit can be configured to receive the intermediate arrangement of bits and convert the intermediate arrangement of bits into intermediate data corresponding to a memory state to be stored by memory cells of a memory cell array. |
| US08374025B1 |
Spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) with laminated free layer
A spin-torque transfer memory random access memory (STTMRAM) element includes a fixed layer having a magnetization that is substantially fixed in one direction and a barrier layer formed on top of the fixed layer and a free layer. The free layer has a number of alternating laminates, each laminate being made of a magnetic layer and an insulating layer. The magnetic layer is switchable and formed on top of the barrier layer. The free layer is capable of switching its magnetization to a parallel or an anti-parallel state relative to the magnetization of the fixed layer during a write operation when bidirectional electric current is applied across the STTMRAM element. Magnetic layers of the laminates are ferromagnetically coupled to switch together as a single domain during the write operation and the magnetization of the fixed and free layers and the magnetic layers of the laminates have either in-plane or perpendicular anisotropy. |
| US08374022B2 |
Programming phase change memories using ovonic threshold switches
A phase change memory using an ovonic threshold switch selection device may be programmed from one state to another by first turning on the ovonic threshold switch. After the voltage across the cell has fallen, the cell may then be biased to program the cell to the desired state. |
| US08374021B2 |
Random number generator
According to an aspect of embodiments, there is provided a random number generating circuit including at least one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and a control circuit. The MTJ element comes into a high resistance state corresponding to a first logical value and also comes into a low resistance state corresponding to a second logical value different from the first logical value. The control circuit supplies the MTJ element with a first current for stochastically reversing the MTJ element from the high resistance state to the low resistance state when the MTJ element is in the high resistance state, and supplies the MTJ element with a second current for stochastically reversing the MTJ element from the low resistance state to the high resistance state when the MTJ element is in the low resistance state. |
| US08374020B2 |
Reduced switching-energy magnetic elements
A system includes a continuous thin-film ferromagnetic layer, N magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices, and N write structures. The continuous thin-film ferromagnetic layer includes N modified regions. Each of the N modified regions is configured to stabilize a magnetic domain wall located in the continuous thin-film ferromagnetic layer. Each of the N MTJ devices includes one of N portions of the continuous thin-film ferromagnetic layer. Adjacent MTJ devices of the N MTJ devices are separated by one of the N modified regions. Each of the N write structures is configured to receive current and generate a magnetic field that magnetizes a different one of the N portions of the continuous thin-film ferromagnetic layer. N is an integer greater than 2. |
| US08374017B2 |
Ferroelectric memory device and method with reference potential correction capacitor(s)
A semiconductor storage device includes: a plurality of memory cell arrays, each having a memory cell arranged therein, the memory cell including a ferroelectric capacitor and a transistor; a dummy capacitor operative to provide a reference potential corresponding to a potential read from the memory cell; a sense amplifier circuit including an amplifier circuit to compare and amplify potentials between a pair of bit lines; a reference potential correction capacitor connected to the pair of bit lines together with the dummy capacitor; and a control circuit configured to output a correction signal based on shift information to correct the reference potential, the shift information being retained in at least one of the plurality of memory cell arrays. The reference potential correction capacitor shifts the reference potential by changing the amount of accumulated electric charges according to the correction signal. |
| US08374011B2 |
Method and apparatus for boosting DC bus voltage
A power converter includes at least two power conversion sections operating in parallel. The power converter receives a variable input power and generates an AC output voltage. When the power source is generating enough power to supply a DC voltage to the power converter greater than or equal to the peak magnitude of the desired AC voltage output, each power conversion section operates in parallel, converting the DC voltage to the desired AC voltage output. When the power generated by the variable power source results in a DC voltage having a magnitude less than the peak magnitude of the desired AC voltage output, the power conversion sections operate in series. One power conversion section operates as a boost converter to boost the DC voltage level to a suitable level for the second power conversion section, which generates the desired AC output voltage. |
| US08374010B2 |
Power supply circuit and control method thereof
A power supply circuit for receiving an input voltage to drive a plurality of loads is disclosed. The power supply circuit comprises a plurality of switch circuits, a plurality of power conversion circuits and a phase delay circuit. The plurality of switch circuits are connected with the plurality of loads, respectively. The plurality of power conversion circuits are connected with the plurality of loads and the plurality of switch circuits, respectively, for converting the input voltage into a plurality of driving voltages and transmitting the plurality of driving voltages to the plurality of loads, respectively, when the plurality of switch circuits are conducted. The phase delay circuit is connected with the plurality of switch circuits and a system circuit for generating a plurality of delay signals in response to a switch signal from the system circuit and transmitting the plurality of delay signals to control terminals of the plurality of switch circuits, respectively, so as to make the plurality of switch circuits be conducted or shut off. The plurality of delay signals are converted into an enabling status from a disabling status at different time points so that the plurality of switch circuits are conducted at different time points. |
| US08374008B2 |
Power converter
The present invention relates to power converters of the type known generally as switch mode power converters (SMPCs). In particular, the present invention addresses the problem of reducing thermal stress across the phases of a multi phase converter. Specifically, a method of controlling a multi-phase switch mode power arrangement is provided. The multi-phase arrangement comprises a plurality of phases configured to deliver DC power to a common load. The method comprises the steps of: determining the thermal stress of each phase along with at least one other stress for each phase and controlling the share of DC power provided by the individual phases in an effort to equalize the thermal and other stress across the individual phases. |
| US08374006B2 |
Method and apparatus to regulate an output voltage of a power converter at light/no load conditions
An example controller for a primary side control power converter includes a feedback circuit, a driver circuit, and an adjustable voltage reference circuit. The feedback circuit is coupled to compare a feedback signal representative of a bias winding voltage of the power converter with a voltage reference. The driver circuit is coupled to output a switching signal to control a switch of the power converter to regulate an output of the power converter in response the feedback circuit. The adjustable voltage reference circuit is coupled to adjust the voltage reference such that the bias winding voltage is adjusted nonlinearly in response to a load condition at the output of the power converter. The adjustable voltage reference circuit is further coupled to detect the load condition in response to the switching signal. |
| US08373999B1 |
Gripping PWB hex standoff
A standoff device and a concomitant method of attaching the same to a printed wiring board, comprising inserting into an opening in the printed wiring board a standoff device comprising a threaded body, a neck region narrower and atop the body, and a hexagonal head atop the neck and comprising one or more anti-turn features, and threading a nut onto the body to contact a side of the printed wiring board opposite that contacted by the hexagonal head. |
| US08373997B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a structure in which a semiconductor element (chip) is mounted in a cavity formed in a wiring board with an adhesive interposed between the chip and a bottom surface of the cavity, and electrode terminals of the chip are connected via wires to wiring portions formed on the board around the cavity. The chip is mounted in close contact with a side wall of the cavity, the side wall being near a region where a wiring for higher frequency compared with other wirings within the wiring portion is formed. A recessed portion is provided in a region of the bottom surface of the cavity, and a thermal via extending from the bottom surface of the recessed to the outside of the board is provided, the region being near a portion where the chip is in close contact. |
| US08373995B2 |
Expansion card mounting apparatus
An expansion card mounting apparatus includes an enclosure, a slot cover of an expansion card, and a retaining member. The enclosure includes a side wall which defines an expansion card slot. A support plate is formed on the side wall and located above the slot. The slot cover includes a fixing portion. A recess is defined in the fixing portion. The slot cover shields the expansion card slot with the fixing portion placed on the support plate. The retaining member is pivotably mounted on the side wall. The retaining member includes a pressing plate and a boss formed on the pressing plate. The pressing plate presses the fixing portion on the support plate, and the boss located in the recess. |
| US08373994B2 |
Electronic apparatus including at least two electrically-connectable connectors
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing, a circuit board in the housing, a module, a holder, and a buffer. The housing includes a wall. The circuit board includes a first connector. The module includes a second connector configured to engage with the first connector. The holder holds the module. The buffer is configured to be interposed between the wall and the holder such that a gap remains between the first connector and the second connector in a range in which the first connector is electrically connected to the second connector. |
| US08373990B2 |
Electronic assembly and casing therefor
A secure control unit is provided with a completely sealed casing (22) of which at least one wall (24) forms a heat sink. The circuit board provided in the casing (22) is designed such that all of the heat generating components (16-20) which require cooling are located on the lower side of the circuit board (10) and in thermal connection with the heat sink wall (24). Components which do not generate excessive heat are located on the upper side of the circuit board (10). Raised conductive blocks (32-36) couple thermally the components (16-20) to the wall (24). With this arrangement it is not necessary to provide cooling internally of the casing (22) and it is possible nevertheless to use high powered components of the type which are found in modern computers. The casing remains secure and thus suitable for high security applications. |
| US08373986B2 |
Enclosure of electronic device
An enclosure includes a bracket with a bottom wall, a circuit board mounted to the bottom wall but spaced from the bottom wall, an electronic element mounted to the circuit board, a fan arranged on the bottom wall and facing the space between the circuit board and the bottom wall, and a guiding member attached to the circuit board to block the space between the circuit board and the bottom wall. |
| US08373985B2 |
Molded assembly
Electronic device comprising frame and trim. Trim wrapped around at least three sides of the frame. Trim comprising an outer piece and an inner assembly. Outer piece of substantially continuous flexible tactile material comprising a substantially elongate first side portion, a substantially elongate second side portion substantially parallel to the first side portion, and at least one substantially elongate cross portion connecting the first and second side portions. The inner assembly comprising a substantially rigid first side inner piece substantially coextensive with the outer piece first side portion; a substantially rigid second side inner piece substantially coextensive with the outer piece second side portion; and at least one substantially rigid inner cross piece. Each cross piece substantially coextensive with the short dimension of the outer piece cross portion, and shorter than the long dimension of the outer piece cross portion, thereby creating at least one gap in the inner assembly. |
| US08373978B2 |
Electronic device with fixing element
An electronic device includes an enclosure and a fixing assembly attached to the enclosure. The fixing assembly includes fixing portion rotatably attached to the enclosure, a resilient element fixed to the fixing portion and an adjusting portion non-rotatably fixed to the enclosure. The fixing portion and the enclosure cooperatively define a receiving room to receive the adjusting portion and the resilient element. The resilient element includes a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion. The adjusting portion is substantially circle-shaped and defines a plurality of positioning teeth configured on a peripheral circumference of the adjusting portion. Friction between the positioning teeth of the adjusting portion and the first and second engaging portion of the resilient element causes the first engaging portion and a second engaging portion tightly engage with the plurality of positioning teeth to non-rotatably position the enclosure at different angles relative to the fixing assembly. |
| US08373977B2 |
Movable touch module and electronic device using the same
A movable touch module and an electronic device using the same are provided. The movable touch module is disposed at a main body. The movable touch module includes a movable element, a touch unit, a plurality of elastic elements, at least four movement sensing elements, and at least two rotation sensing elements. The movable element is disposed at the main body and is movable relative to the main body on a plane. The touch unit is fastened to movable element. The elastic elements are fastened to the main body and are against the periphery of the movable element. The movement sensing elements are fastened to the main body and are located around the movable element. The rotation sensing elements are fastened to the main body. |
| US08373969B2 |
Energy storage system with a protective device that chemically binds decomposition products of a solvent of an electric component
An energy storage system includes an electric component, a solvent, and a protective device which chemically binds the decomposition products of the solvent. Any damage to the surroundings, which could be caused by the decomposition products of the solvent, can be prevented using the novel energy storage system. |
| US08373968B2 |
Hexagonal type barium titanate powder, producing method thereof, dielectric ceramic composition and electronic component
Dielectric ceramic composition includes a hexagonal type barium titanate as a main component shown by a generic formula (Ba1-αMα)A(Ti1-βMnβ)BO3 and having hexagonal structure wherein an effective ionic radius of 12-coordinated “M” is −20% or more to +20% or less with respect to an effective ionic radius of 12-coordinated Ba2+ and the A, B, α and β satisfy relations of 0.900≦(A/B)≦1.040, 0.003≦α≦0.05, 0.03≦β≦0.2, and as subcomponents, with respect to the main component, certain contents of alkaline earth oxide such as MgO and the like, Mn3O4 and/or Cr2O3, CuO, Al2O3, rare earth element oxide and glass component including SiO2. According to the present invention, it can be provided the hexagonal type barium titanate powder and dielectric ceramic composition which are preferable for producing electronic components such as a capacitor and the like showing high specific permittivity, having advantageous insulation property and sufficient reliability. |
| US08373966B2 |
Structural body, capacitor, and method of fabricating the capacitor
A structural body which includes a first dielectric layer formed on a first substrate and including first conductive particles, each surface of the first conductive particles being entirely covered with a first dielectric film; and a second dielectric layer formed on the first dielectric layer wherein a volume ratio of a dielectric in the second dielectric layer is higher than a volume ratio of a dielectric in the first dielectric layer. |
| US08373962B2 |
Charged seed cloud as a method for increasing particle collisions and for scavenging airborne biological agents and other contaminants
A system and method is provided for increasing interaction between seed particles in a seed cloud and target particles to be neutralized, detected or knocked down to the ground. This is achieved by applying a charge to the seed particles so that the seed cloud formed by release of the seed particles at altitude is highly charged, which in turn produces a strong electric field between the seed cloud and ground. The relatively strong electric field causes the seed particles to move downward (toward the ground) at a velocity sufficient to increase interaction (collisions) between the seed particles and the target particles. |
| US08373958B2 |
Combined power meter and outlet device
An receptacle device with power-meter is provided. The receptacle device includes a power supply conversion unit configured to convert input power supply so as to measure a current value or a voltage value of the input power supply; an analog-to-digital conversion unit configured to convert an analog output from the power supply conversion unit into a digital signal, a control unit configured to output a control signal to control operation of the receptacle device by comparing the digital signal input from the analog-to-digital conversion unit to a predefined reference value; a switch unit configured to be turned on or off in response to the control signal from the control unit; and a display unit configured to display values of current, voltage, power, zero phase, and power factor of the input power supply, and display a menu that is controllable by a user. |
| US08373947B1 |
Magnetic head slider including protective film for head-to-medium spacing detecting element
A magnetic head slider includes a magnetic recording part and/or a reproducing part. The magnetic head slider includes a resistance film having temperature dependence of electrical resistance, the resistance film being positioned in the vicinity of an air bearing surface or on the air bearing surface, separately from the magnetic recording part and the reproducing part. The magnetic head slider further includes a first protective film with a smaller milling rate than the resistance film, the first protective film contacting a lower surface of the resistance film in a lamination direction of the magnetic head slider and on the air bearing surface, and/or a second protective film with a smaller milling rate than the resistance film, the second protective film contacting an upper surface of the resistance film in the lamination direction of the magnetic head slider and on the air bearing surface. |
| US08373945B1 |
Magnetic writer having a split yoke
A method and system for providing a magnetic transducer are described. The magnetic transducer includes a first pole, a write gap, a second pole, a first coil, and a second coil. The first pole has a front portion on which at least a portion of the write gap resides. The second pole includes a split yoke that includes a first portion and a second portion. At least a portion of the first coil resides between the first portion of the split yoke and the first pole. At least a portion of the second coil resides between the second portion of the split yoke and the first pole. |
| US08373944B2 |
Low friction tape head and system implementing same
A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes outer modules each having a tape bearing surface and an array of transducers selected from a group consisting of readers and writers; and an inner module positioned between the outer modules, the inner module having a tape bearing surface and an array of transducers selected from a group consisting of readers and writers, wherein portions of edges of the tape bearing surface of the inner module are non-skiving in regions not aligned with the array of transducers in a direction of media travel thereacross, wherein an outer edge of the tape bearing surface of each of the outer modules are adapted for skiving air from the magnetic medium when the magnetic medium travels in a direction from the respective outer module towards the inner module. |
| US08373943B2 |
Magnetic head having a multilayer magnetic film and method for producing the same
According to one embodiment, a method for producing a magnetic head includes depositing a first film above a substrate, etching a pattern into the first film, depositing a second film on the etched portion of the first film, and depositing a third film above the first and second film to form a multilayer magnetic film, wherein the second film is embedded between the first and third film in a portion of the first film that is removed. In another embodiment, a differential magnetic read head includes a magnetic multilayer film comprising a stack of a first magnetic sensor film and a second magnetic sensor film which are not magnetically connected and a hard magnetic film provided on both sides in a track width direction of the magnetic multilayer film for controlling a magnetic domain of the magnetic multilayer film. The hard magnetic film is a laminated structure as described above. |
| US08373941B2 |
Automatic unthread to secure tape from sticking to the head
A system and method for automatically unthreading a tape. The system and method determine whether the drive being at the stop state could cause the tape sticking condition in future after a defined dwell time (e.g., 20 minutes). The tape sticking tends to increase with time and humidity. Moreover, it is known that worn tape is stickier than new tape. With a plurality of attempts (e.g., four attempts) of moving tape (e.g., every 5 minutes), the drive is able to identify whether the tape needs to be unthreaded. Such a system allows a tape drive to handle the tape in safety at severe condition for the sticking tape, and minimize the penalty for the response to the command in normal condition. |
| US08373940B2 |
Magnetic head having a facing electrode pair for generating an electromagnetic field and applying energy to the magnetic recording layer
According to one embodiment, a magnetic head for recording magnetic data by changing the magnetization direction of a magnetic recording layer of a magnetic medium comprises a magnetic pole for generating a magnetic field to change the magnetization direction of the magnetic recording layer, and a facing electrode pair for generating an electromagnetic field and applying energy to the magnetic recording layer to assist the change of the magnetization direction of the magnetic recording layer caused by the magnetic field from the magnetic pole. Other embodiments are also presented. |
| US08373935B2 |
Fixed-focus lens
A fixed-focus lens disposed between an enlarged side and a reduced side is provided. An f-number of the fixed-focus lens is smaller than or equal to 2. The fixed-focus lens includes a first lens group and a second lens group. The first lens group includes a first lens, wherein the first lens is an aspheric lens. The second lens group, disposed between the first lens group and the reduced side, has a positive dioptre. The second lens group includes a second lens, wherein the second lens is an aspheric lens. The fixed-focus lens focuses by moving the first and the second lens group and satisfies 0.1<|f/f1|<1, 0.2<|f/f2|<1.5, and 1.5 |
| US08373933B2 |
Optical system and optical apparatus including optical system
Provided are an imaging optical system in which chromatic aberrations are excellently corrected across the entire screen to realize high optical performance, and an optical apparatus including the imaging optical system. In an imaging optical system of which a back focus is longer than a focal length, a lens unit located in a reduction-conjugate side of an aperture stop includes at least one positive lens. A partial dispersion ratio and an Abbe number of the positive lens are set such that a refractive index, a position, and a power satisfy a suitable relationship. |
| US08373926B2 |
Differentiation of power and channel count changes in optically amplified links
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are drawn to a method and apparatus for the differentiation of power and channel count changes in optically amplified links. Additionally, configuration of a corresponding optical amplifier can be based on the determination of the power and channel count changes. |
| US08373923B2 |
Illuminator having a spatial light modulator
The present invention relates to an illuminator (10, 30, 40) comprising a spatial light modulator (14) including an array of elements (16) each adapted to selectively transmit incoming light without altering the direction of the light, or alter the direction of incoming light; a lamp (12) arranged to illuminate the modulator; a lens (20, 42) for directing unaltered light from the modulator onto an illumination surface (24); and means for forwarding essentially all light altered in direction by the modulator towards the illumination surface. |
| US08373921B2 |
Methods and systems for modulating and demodulating millimeter-wave signals
A system comprises an optical processor comprising a sideband generator, an optical filter, and a phase-shift-keying (PSK) modulator, wherein: the sideband generator generates optical frequency sidebands about a carrier frequency of an optical signal; the optical filter discriminates between the optical frequency sidebands and the optical carrier frequency such that optical sidebands of interest can be used to generate an optical millimeter-wave signal; the PSK modulator comprises an optical splitter, an optical phase delay unit, two or more optical gates, and an optical combiner; the optical splitter divides the optical millimeter-wave signal into two or more intermediate signals; the optical phase delay unit delays one or more of the intermediate signals to create distinct phase relationship between them; the optical gates modulate each intermediate signal individually, based on a control input; and the optical combiner combines the gated intermediate signals into a single, PSK-modulated optical millimeter-wave signal. |
| US08373915B2 |
Optical scanning device
An optical scanning device for scanning a photoreceptor surface with a beam, said optical scanning device having: a light source for emitting the beam; an optical system for causing the beam emitted from the light source to converge; and a deflector that includes a polygon mirror with a plurality of reflecting surfaces and that deflects the beam that has passed through the optical system by rotations of the polygon mirror. Between the deflector and the photoreceptor surface, no optical system for causing the beam to converge or diverge is disposed. The optical system for causing the beam emitted from the light source to converge generates spherical aberration depending on which part of the optical system in a main-scanning direction the beam passes through. The beam enters into three or more adjacent reflecting surfaces of the polygon mirror at a time. |
| US08373913B2 |
Image scanning apparatus and method thereof
An image scanning apparatus includes a light source unit having a plurality of lamps. A converter supplies power to the plurality of lamps and adjusts the power according to a desired light intensity of each the plurality of lamps. A controller controls the converter such that at least one of the lamps is overdriven for a predetermined amount of time when lamp warm-up is initiated. Thus, the length of time required to wait until an operational light intensity is reduced. |
| US08373911B2 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus is provided. The image reading apparatus includes a main unit and a conveyer unit swingably coupled to the main unit via a hinge. The conveyer unit includes a lower cover with an opening, which extends orthogonally to a swing axis of the conveyer unit, and an attachable member. The attachable member includes a main part and an auxiliary part and is fixed to the lower cover by the main part and to a rotatable fixing section of the hinge by the auxiliary part. |
| US08373907B2 |
Image processing apparatus including a usage-log managing unit for managing usage log information about a processed image data and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes an image receiving unit, an image processing unit, an image storage unit, a usage-log managing unit, an operation display unit, and a control unit. The usage-log managing unit manages processing contents used for image data processed by the image processing unit in association with the processed image data as usage log information. When the operation display unit receives a request for an output process, the control unit acquires a processing content of the output process from the usage log information and displays information about the acquired processing content in association with image data processed based on the acquired processing content via the operation display unit. |
| US08373905B2 |
Semantic classification and enhancement processing of images for printing applications
A printing system enables the printing of enhanced documents using a semantic classification scheme. A printing system receives an image to be printed. The system classifies the image according to the semantic classification scheme and, based on this classification, performs enhancement processing on the image. Depending on the desired application, the printing system may recognize and classify any number of image types and may then perform various enhancement processing functions on the image, where the type of enhancement processing performed is based on the classification of the image. |
| US08373902B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and program
Banding can be prevented and image-quality degradation can be reduced. An image processing apparatus includes first creation means configured to distribute density of image data to a pixel on another scanning line on the basis of a difference between an actual print position of the image data and a reference position and to create position-corrected image data, second creation means configured to correct the image data using a correction value corresponding to a position of the image data and to create density-corrected image data, and generation means configured to generate output image data using the position-corrected image data created by the first creation means and the density-corrected image data created by the second creation means. |
| US08373900B2 |
Image reading apparatus and method for adjusting same
An image reading apparatus which approximates the MTF characteristics on the front and back surfaces of the original to each other, in reading a double-sided original, to thereby prevent a density difference and a color difference from being caused between the front and back surfaces of the original. A CCD line sensor and a CIS read front and back surfaces of the double-sided original to output image data. The filter coefficients of first and second MTF correction filters are set for use in a plurality of areas arranged by dividing respective reading ranges of the CCD line sensor and the CIS. The first and second MTF correction filters correct the MTF characteristics of the image data output from the CCD line sensor and the CIS, using the set filter coefficients for associated areas. |
| US08373899B2 |
Color image forming apparatus and color adjustment method
A color image forming apparatus specifies print mode (media), forms a test image based on gradation levels of a plurality of colors according to the specified print mode (media), and detects the test image with a color sensor. The color image forming apparatus performs gray axis correction calculation based on detection result obtained by the color sensor. |
| US08373897B2 |
Method of and system for predicting print colors
A method and a system for predicting print colors are provided. A profile generator determines standard density spectral reflectances of a color chart printed under standard density conditions, first changed density spectral reflectances of a color chart printed with only the density of one of colors C, M, Y, K being changed by a given amount, and second changed density spectral reflectances of a color chart printed with the densities of the colors C, M, Y, K being changed by the same amount. The profile generator generates a print predicting profile for obtaining desired target densities, using the standard density spectral reflectances, the differences between the standard density spectral reflectances and the first changed density spectral reflectances, and corrective coefficients for obtaining the second changed density spectral reflectances, and predicts highly accurately colors of the print where the density of a desired color is changed, using the print predicting profile. |
| US08373895B2 |
Prevention of unauthorized copying or scanning
A method for embedding “no-scan” or “no-copy” information in a document border includes encoding information as a plurality of data carrying dot pair patterns. For each page of a document to be rendered, the method includes determining whether the border area is blank. If found not blank the border area is cleared. Each of the plurality of data carrying dot patterns is embedded in the blank border area of the document page. The document page with the embedded data carrying dot patterns is then rendered, where each data carrying dot is too small to be visually noticeable. |
| US08373893B2 |
Image forming apparatus, control device, computer readable medium and computer data signal
An image forming apparatus includes a light emission element, a lighting signal generation section, a storage section, a communication line, a control section and an electromagnetic noise generation source. The storage section stores data used when the lighting signal generation section generates a lighting signal. The lighting signal generation section and the storage section transmit and receive the data therebetween through the communication line. The control section that controls the transmitting and receiving of the data between the lighting signal generation section and the storage section. The control section controls so as to start the transmitting and receiving of the data between the storage section and the lighting signal generation section in a state where a magnitude of the electromagnetic noise, at a position where the lighting signal generation section is disposed, generated by the electromagnetic noise generation source is smaller than a predetermined value. |
| US08373890B2 |
Printing processing apparatus, method, and system, and computer readable recording medium for processing at various resolutions
A printing processing device that includes an analyzing unit that analyzes the components of print data. Based on the analysis results, a first raster processing unit performs raster processing at a first resolution for the print data of a portion of the components of the print data other than an optically read printing portion. Similarly, based on the analysis results, a second raster processing unit that performs raster processing at a second resolution higher than the first resolution, for the print data of the optically read printing portion of the components of the print data. Further, the printing processing device includes a resolution conversion unit that converts the print data that has been processed by the first raster processing unit into the second resolution and a synthesizing unit that synthesizes the print data that has been converted into the second resolution by the resolution conversion unit and the print data that has been processed by the second raster processing unit. |
| US08373889B2 |
Method, system, and program of extending a function of an application
In plug-in software capable of creating a sheet size to be set in an application based on an output size and sheet sizes allowed to be set in the application, when the plug-in software supports a plurality of applications, if there is a difference in sheet size among the applications, it is necessary to change setting in terms of the size when data is shared by the applications. This necessity of changing the setting in terms of the size is avoided by detecting a smallest sheet size from maximum sheet sizes usable in the respective applications and determining the sheet size for common use by the applications based on the detected smallest size. |
| US08373887B2 |
Image processing apparatus including an image processing unit, a memory, a determination unit, a dividing unit, and non-transitory computer readable medium
An image processing apparatus includes an image processing unit, a memory, a determination unit, and a dividing unit. The image processing unit dynamically changes a configuration thereof, and executes image processing in accordance with the changed configuration. The memory includes a pre-processing information memory area, an ongoing-processing information memory area, and a post-processing information memory area. The determination unit determines a division position of printing information used for image processing to be executed by the image processing unit, at which an amount of printing information, an amount of intermediate information corresponding to the printing information, and an amount of image information corresponding to the printing information are less than or equal to memory capacities of the pre-processing information memory area, the ongoing-processing information memory area, and the post-processing information memory area, respectively. The dividing unit divides the printing information in accordance with the division position determined by the determination unit. |
| US08373886B2 |
Image processing device
An image processing device comprises an image data input means 2, an image data storage means 12 for storing the image data being input, an image data processing means 6 having multiple processing modes for outputting the stored image data, and a image data erasing means for erasing the image data stored in the storage means 12. The device further comprises erase count control means 8, 14 for controlling the number of times for erasing image data capable of having the number of times of erase set arbitrarily according to the security level required for each mode, and capable of having the set number of times of erase changed in mid-flow. Confidentiality is protected by performing erase operations repeatedly to the region storing the unnecessary image data according to the security level. |
| US08373885B2 |
Printer and image processing apparatus
An input unit inputs RAW data. An image generating unit generates an image from the RAW data using a demosaicing processing. A print unit that prints the image. |
| US08373882B2 |
Mobile document imaging and transmission
A wireless communication device can send and receive realtime facsimile transmissions over a data channel available to the device. The device can implement a real time facsimile protocol over the data channel, which can generally be a packet switched network connection, such as an IP connection. An image capture device can be employed to obtain an image of a document that can be facsimile transmitted from the wireless device over the data channel. The document image may be converted to a format generally usable with facsimile transmissions. The wireless device can be configured to transmit immediately following image capture, or after a desired number of images are captured. A contact list that may be included with the wireless device may be used to select a destination address for facsimile transmission. A printing device can be the destination address to permit wireless or mobile printing. |
| US08373881B2 |
Image formation apparatus, recording medium, image formation method, and consumables management system
An image formation apparatus, which includes: a detector unit that detects a status of consumables; a prediction unit that predicts a run-out timing of the consumables on the basis of the status detected by the detector unit; a transmission unit that transmits the status detected by the detector unit to a management apparatus as consumables information; a reception unit that receives run-out timing information indicating a run-out timing predicted by the management apparatus on the basis of the consumables information transmitted by the transmission unit; and a notification unit that notifies the run-out timing of the consumables on the basis of the run-out timing information received by the reception unit if communication with the management apparatus is possible, or notifies the run-out timing of the consumables on the basis of the run-out timing predicted by the prediction unit if communication with the management apparatus is not possible. |
| US08373880B2 |
Technical documents capturing and patents analysis system and method
Disclosed is a system and method for capturing technical documents and reading and commentating captured documents thereof. The system may comprise a capturing system and a reading with commentating system. The capturing system selects related drawings from a group of technical documents. It then provides important information and the related drawings onto an image for the readers' review. The reading with commentating system allows the readers to process technical classification, management and export/import for the group of technical documents. Readers may make comments on an information sharing platform after reviewing the technical documents. Besides, other materials collected or generated from the technical analysis on the technical documents may be attached to the information sharing platform. |