| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08429761B2 |
Photon induced near field electron microscope and biological imaging system
A method of obtaining PINEM images includes providing femtosecond optical pulse, generating electron pulses, and directing the electron pulses towards a sample. The method also includes overlapping the femtosecond optical pulses and the electron pulses spatially and temporally at the sample and transferring energy from the femtosecond optical pulses to the electron pulses. The method further includes detecting electron pulses having an energy greater than a zero loss value, providing imaging in space and time. |
| US08429759B2 |
Theft management system and method
Methods and apparatus for theft management are described. In an embodiment an out-of-band notification is received, indicative of theft of a computing device. In response, a theft message is delivered to the computing device using a wireless wide area network. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed. |
| US08429757B1 |
Controlling use of computing-related resources by multiple independent parties
Techniques are described for managing access to computing-related resources that, for example, may enable multiple distinct parties to independently control access to the resources (e.g., such that a request to access a resource succeeds only if all of multiple associated parties approve that access). For example, an executing software application may, on behalf of an end user, make use of computing-related resources of one or more types that are provided by one or more remote third-party network services (e.g., data storage services provided by an online storage service) —in such a situation, both the developer user who created the software application and the end user may be allowed to independently specify access rights for one or more particular such computing-related resources (e.g., stored data files), such that neither the end user nor the software application developer user may later access those resources without the approval of the other party. |
| US08429753B2 |
Controlling access to documents using file locks
Examples are related to systems and methods for controlling access to document files on a document server. One example system includes document files stored on a document server, at least one of the document files referencing a file lock, and a document access processing module. The example document access processing module includes a file sharing processing module that determines a coauthoring status of a software application of a client computer requesting access to the document file, and a file lock processing module that stores one or more file locks and that controls the setting and resetting of file locks. The example document access processing module uses the coauthoring status of the software application and the file lock status of a document file to determine whether a software application is permitted to have write access to the document file. |
| US08429752B2 |
System and method for digital rights management of digital media
A system and accompanying method for Digital Rights Management (DRM) are disclosed that permit arbitrary forms of digital media to be vended in a networked environment. Special purpose renderers are distributed with each particular instance of digital media. Each renderer may include a tailored set of controls allowing the owner of the digital media to restrict the use thereof. |
| US08429747B2 |
Method and device for detecting flood attacks
Disclosed is a flood attack detection method, wherein the total number of keywords of a source packet is acquired, and the number of feature parameters corresponding to the source packet is acquired. A ratio of the number of feature parameters to the total number of keywords is compared with a preset threshold, and if the ratio is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, it is determined that a flood attack occurs. |
| US08429744B1 |
Systems and methods for detecting malformed arguments in a function by hooking a generic object
A computer-implemented method to detect malformed arguments in a function by hooking a generic object, is described. A predetermined argument to monitor is identified. An activity associated with a calling of a function to produce a called out function is detected. The called out function is mapped to a class identification of an object. An argument in the called out function is compared with the predetermined argument. When a match exists, a virtual method table identification is recorded for the called out function. The match between the argument in the called out function and the predetermined argument is reported. |
| US08429742B2 |
Detection of a denial of service attack on an internet server
An apparatus and method to detect a denial of service attack on an internet server by a hacker or malevolent software while effectively distinguishing an attack from a spike in demand by legitimate users of the server. In preferred embodiments, the kernel's TCP implementation is modified to hold back sending a reset (RST) to terminate the connection and to make an entry into a dead connection list when a connection attempt is dropped off of an overflowing accept queue. The entries are removed from the dead connection list when they become stale or an ACK is received corresponding to the entry. Additional TCP kernel parameters include a monitor enable to turn on or off the DoS monitor, a monitor threshold to determine when to send an alarm, and a stale time that is a timeout value to determine when to remove entries from the dead connection list. |
| US08429740B2 |
Search result presentation
A data presentation system for a search engine may use classified or tagged elements in a resulting document to create a search result document that has portions redacted, modified, or changed based on the tags or classifications of elements within the document. The document may be rebuilt from the search engine database at presentation time with one or more elements changed or modified. The permission settings for a user or other factors may be used to determine which elements within the document are permitted to be accessed. |
| US08429734B2 |
Method for detecting DNS redirects or fraudulent local certificates for SSL sites in pharming/phishing schemes by remote validation and using a credential manager and recorded certificate attributes
Certificate information associated with a received certificate, such as a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate is stored in a trusted local cache and/or in one or more remote trusted sources, such as a single remote trusted source and/or a trusted peer network. When a site certificate is received on a host computer system, certificate information associated with the received site certificate is obtained and compared with the stored certificate information to determine whether or not the site certificate indicates malicious activity, such as a malicious DNS redirection or a fraudulent local certificate. When a site certificate is not found indicative of malicious activity, the site certificate is released. Alternatively, when a site certificates is found indicative of malicious activity protective action is taken. In some embodiments, a user's log-in credentials are automatically obtained from a trusted local cache and automatically submitted to a web site. |
| US08429733B2 |
Authentication system, terminal and information processing device, having function of performing stable authentication
To provide an authentication system allowing stable determination as to whether a user is a registered user while saving user's trouble, an information processing device capable of data communication with a plurality of image forming apparatuses extracts an image forming apparatus connected to an IC card reader from the plurality of image forming apparatuses, based on reply signals transmitted from the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and transmits user account information of registered users to the extracted image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus connectable to the IC card reader performs, if it is determined that the IC card reader is connected to the image forming apparatus, the authentication process based on the user account information of registered users received from the information processing device and on the information read by the IC card reader. |
| US08429732B2 |
Data communication method and data communication system
A first server in a system includes confirmation requesting unit 110 that receives an authentication request from a predetermined apparatus 400 coupled through a public line and that sends a user confirmation request to a second server in the case where user authentication is successful. A second server includes a user facility identifying unit 210 that receives the user confirmation request from the first server and identifies location information of the user facility of the user and a confirmation result notifying unit 211 that receives a utilization request from a measuring apparatus linked through a dedicated line and identifies disposition location information of the measuring apparatus and that sends a notification of success of user confirmation including the identification information of the user to the first server 100 if the disposition location information of the measuring apparatus is identical to the user facility location information. |
| US08429728B2 |
Pre-registration security support in multi-technology interworking
Pre-registration security support in a multiple access technology environment is disclosed. For example, a method is disclosed for use in a computing device of a communication system. The communication system supports two or more access technologies for permitting a communication device to access the communication system, and at least part of a first security context is generated at the computing device for a given communication device permitting the given communication device to access the communication system via a first access technology. The method comprises generating at the computing device at least part of at least a second security context for the given communication device such that the given communication device is pre-registered to access the communication system via at least a second access technology while maintaining the first security context such that the given communication device continues to access the communication system via the first access technology and is pre-registered to subsequently access the communication system via the second access technology. |
| US08429726B2 |
Service provider invocation
A service provider may provide one or more services to and/or for a client. Providing a service may involve receiving a service request including a security token at the service provider and determining whether the security token is valid. Providing the service may also involve determining a session security token if the security token is valid and generating a service response including the session security token. Providing the service may further involve receiving a service request including the session security token, determining whether the session security token is valid, and, if the session security token is valid, generating a second service response. |
| US08429723B2 |
Method and system for role-based access control to a collaborative online legal workflow tool
A computer system and method for distributed legal workflow security provides role-based access control to a collaborative online workflow tool. The system includes a computer network having one or more computers operably programmed and configured to receive input defining computer system access privileges for a plurality of distributed legal workflow participants. The system receives input associating one or more legal workflow role types defined by users with one or more of the distributed legal workflow participants to define the role-based access. Permission privileges are input and associated with a plurality of legal workflow graphical interface functions based on the one or more legal workflow role types. Based on the permission privileges associated with the role type of the participant, the system provides legal workflow graphical interface functionality to the one or more distributed legal workflow participants. |
| US08429718B2 |
Control production support access
A device creates a group for accessing a front door program that enables access to a secure resource, assigns, to the group, one or more permissions to perform one or more tasks associated with the secure resource, and adds a user to the group using identification information associated with the user, wherein the user is permitted to perform the one or more tasks based on the addition of the user to the group. |
| US08429708B1 |
Method and system for assessing cumulative access entitlements of an entity in a system
A method and system is provided for assessing the cumulative set of access entitlements to which an entity, of an information system, may be implicitly or explicitly authorized, by virtue of the universe of authorization intent specifications that exist across that information system, or a specified subset thereof, that specify access for that entity or for any entity collectives with which that entity may be directly or transitively affiliated. The effective system-level access granted to the user based upon operating system rules or according to access check methodologies is determined and mapped to administrative tasks to arrive at the cumulative set of access entitlements authorized for the user. |
| US08429707B2 |
Method and apparatus for interacting with a set-top box based on sensor events from a user device
An approach is provided for controlling a set-top box based on sensor triggered events on a user device. A set-top box receives a control message from a user device, wherein the control message specifies an event corresponding to one or more sensors of the user device. The set-top box maps the event to an activity associated with an application that is executed by the set-top box. Also, the set-top box presents media content provided by the application according to the mapped activity. |
| US08429705B2 |
System and method for transmitting interactive services associated with broadcast contents, in real time or off line
A system is dedicated to the transmission of additional contents (CA) accessible in interactive mode and associated with contents (CP) broadcast to primary communication terminals (TP1, TP2), connected to a broadcasting network (R1) and associated with programming information (PI). This system comprises i) an equipment (ST) required to associate a data set (ES) with each additional content (CA), including a content definition, an address to access it and a broadcast date, depending on programming information (PI), and to transmit each set (ES) through the broadcasting network before the broadcast date contained in it, ii) primary communication terminals (TP1, TP2) required to store each transmitted set (ES) and to enable loading of the definition and the address contained in it during a time interval including the broadcast date contained in it, and iii) secondary communication terminals (TS11-TS23) each being capable of loading each definition and the associated address, stored by a neighboring primary communication terminal (TP1, TP2), during the associated time interval so as to immediately display and/or broadcast it and thus enable its user to select it to request transmission of the additional content associated with it to the associated address through a communication network (R2). |
| US08429703B2 |
Video distribution apparatus, viewer apparatus, video distribution system including these apparatuses, control method for the video distribution apparatus, control method for the viewer apparatus, and computer program for the apparatuses
A video distribution system which is enhanced in flexibility in distribution mode switching. In a camera server connected to a viewer via a network, a video capture board captures a video image. A CPU processes the captured video image according to an electronic PTZ mode for cutting out a part of the captured video image and a mechanical PTZ emulation mode for cutting out parts of the captured video image and interpolating the cut-out images. The CPU distributes the processed video image to the viewer via the network. The CPU performs mode switching between the electronic PTZ mode and the mechanical PTZ emulation mode based on control information transmitted from the viewer. |
| US08429700B2 |
Delivering an audio video asset
A method of delivering an audio video asset is described. The method includes: receiving an order specifying an audio video asset to be delivered and a delivery destination for the audio video asset, wherein a delivery destination represents one or more physical delivery recipients; determining delivery paths representing different delivery technologies that could be used to deliver the audio video asset to the delivery destination; retrieving a set of path capacity timelines for the delivery paths, wherein path capacity timelines in the set of path capacity timelines each model a quantity of available capacity varying over time; processing the path capacity timelines to yield delivery path capacities; applying an allocation algorithm to the delivery path capacities to yield candidate delivery allocations, wherein candidate delivery allocations each includes one or more time periods during which one or more time periods a defined quantity of capacity can be allocated for delivery of the audio video asset; applying a cost function to the candidate delivery allocations to yield cost values, wherein the cost values each represent a cost of delivering the audio video asset according to the candidate delivery allocations; calculating scores for the candidate delivery allocations in dependence on a cost value for that candidate delivery allocation and one or more other objectives; selecting a candidate delivery allocation having a lowest score to yield a selected candidate delivery allocation; and delivering the audio video asset according to the selected candidate delivery allocation. Related apparatus and methods are also described. |
| US08429698B2 |
Digital broadcast transmission device and digital broadcast reception device
A digital broadcast transmission device generates channel combination information associating a plurality of physical channels. The digital broadcast transmission device divides a bit stream into a plurality of bit streams, the bit stream including program-related information having added thereto channel combination information, and transmits the divided bit streams on the plurality of physical channels, respectively. A digital broadcast reception device selects the plurality of physical channels using a plurality of front ends based on the channel combination information, and demodulates broadcast waves received on the plurality of physical channels, respectively. The digital broadcast reception device combines bit streams obtained from the demodulation, and outputs the combined bit stream. The digital broadcast reception device also simultaneously transmits a light bit stream on a different single physical channel, the light bit stream being a bit stream smaller in amount of information than the combined bit stream. |
| US08429696B2 |
Multimedia presentation resumption within an environment of multiple presentation systems
With at least one implementation described herein, one or more viewers are able to watch the same source multimedia content at multiple locations within an environment (e.g., a household). With at least one implementation described herein, a viewer is able to resume watching such content at a new location (or “locus”) from the point that she bookmarked the content at an original location. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims. |
| US08429689B2 |
Program data processing method and apparatus
A process for performing video recording and the like after obtaining electronic program data is optimized. According to the process, only program data relating to one or more predetermined preset channels of the channels which are broadcast by a broadcast service are separated from program data which guide programs broadcast by a predetermined broadcast service. Only program data relating to a predetermined channel are stored, and processes of video recording and the like can be performed according to the stored program data. |
| US08429688B1 |
Broadcast programming guide
A system and method for generating a broadcast programming guide. Based on either designation by or a habit of a user, a programming guide comprising one or more favorite channels of the user is created by a microcomputer of a receiver. The programming guide comprises programming information. Preferably, the programming information is obtained from one or more external sources. The programming guide preferably also comprises one or more suggested channels based on the favorite channels. The programming guide is presented to the user when the receiver is powered on or when the programming guide is requested by the user. |
| US08429684B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for determining preferred content using a temporal metadata table
A broadcast system, method and apparatus providing content on demand. Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatuses for rating content to be broadcast or to be broadcast potentially from a server. Additional aspects of particular embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for automatically managing storage resources of client systems. For one embodiment of the present invention, a user consumes a number of data files each having an associated temporal metadata table (TMDT). Each TMDT contains a plurality of time-indexed entries, each entry containing metadata describing a segment of the corresponding data file. The TMDT and user interaction during consumption of a one or more data files are used to create a preference profile table (PPT) for the user. The PPT is stored at the client system and is used to evaluate subsequent content. Such evaluation is used to determine broadcast schedules or automatically manage storage resources. |
| US08429683B2 |
Program viewing history
A method may include tracking program viewing information via a set-top box and storing the tracked program viewing information. |
| US08429680B2 |
Disk device including disk conveyance mechanism and disk installment mechanism
There is provided a disk device having a buffer portion capable of relatively moving at least a rack at the beginning of meshing with a drive gear in an opposite direction to a moving direction of a slide cam member moved by conveyance of a disk, when the disk is conveyed to a replayable position by a disk conveyance mechanism and the slide cam member moves so that the drive gear and the rack are meshed with each other. |
| US08429678B1 |
Redirecting video to a remote client using a service processor
Technologies are provided herein for redirecting video data from a host computer to a remote client using a service processor. The service processor exposes a virtual display adapter to the host computer so that the host computer can send video data to the service processor. The service processor includes a processor, a random access memory, and a device endpoint configured to communicate with the host computer. The service processor also includes a non-volatile memory that stores a firmware that executes on the processor to expose a virtual display adapter to the host computer by way of the device endpoint. Upon exposing the virtual display adapter to the host computer, the service processor receives video data directed to the virtual display adapter from the host computer and sends the video data to a remote client. |
| US08429677B2 |
Composite solid state drive identification and optimization technologies
Technologies for an operating system identifying SSD and CSSD devices based on a corresponding descriptor, and for optimizing operating system functionalities with respect to the SSD/CSSD device. Optimizations include disabling non-SSD/CSSD functionalities, such as HDD defragmentation, and by enabling SSD/CSSD specific functionalities, such as write optimization storage functionalities. |
| US08429675B1 |
Virtual machine communication
Two or more virtual machines may be co-located on a same physical machine, and the virtual machines may communicate with each other. To establish efficient communication, memory mapping information for respective virtual machines can be exchanged between the respective virtual machines. An instance of a virtualized network interface can be established, and a direct communications channel can be mapped between respective virtualized network interfaces. Data packet routing information can be updated, such that data packets transferred between two of more co-located virtual machines can be transferred using the virtualized network interface communications channel. |
| US08429672B2 |
Method for carrying out the data transfer between program elements of a process, buffer object for carrying out the data transfer, and printing system
For implementation of a transfer of data between two program elements, a buffer object is provided between and linking the program elements. One of the program elements writes data into the buffer and the other program element reads data from the buffer, thus driving data transfer. The program element writing the data causes the buffer to call the reading program element. The program element reading the data causes the buffer object to call the writing program element. |
| US08429669B2 |
Virtual machine switching control by prefetching information out of and updating a set of processor control information based on a bitmap having update status
Provided is a virtual machine including a first virtualization module operating on a physical CPU, for providing a first CPU, and a second virtualization module operating on the first CPU, for providing second CPU. The second virtualization module includes first processor control information holding a state of the first CPU obtained at a time of execution of the user program. The first virtualization module includes second processor control information containing a state of the physical CPU obtained at the time of the execution of the second virtualization module, third processor control information containing a state of the physical CPU obtained at the time of the execution of the user program, and prefetch entry information in which information to be prefetched from the third processor control information is set, and, upon detection of a event, the information set in the prefetch entry information is reflected to the first processor control information. |
| US08429668B2 |
Workflow task re-evaluation
An occurrence of a workflow re-evaluation event during execution of tasks in a workflow is identified. In response to the workflow re-evaluation event, it is determined for each task previously executed in the workflow whether such task needs to be executed again. Those tasks in the workflow for which it was determined that the corresponding task needs to be executed again are executed again, while the tasks in the workflow that were previously executed and for which it was not determined that the corresponding task needs to be executed again are skipped. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described. |
| US08429665B2 |
Cache performance prediction, partitioning and scheduling based on cache pressure of threads
A method is described for scheduling in an intelligent manner a plurality of threads on a processor having a plurality of cores and a shared last level cache (LLC). In the method, a first and second scenario having a corresponding first and second combination of threads are identified. The cache occupancies of each of the threads for each of the scenarios are predicted. The predicted cache occupancies being a representation of an amount of the LLC that each of the threads would occupy when running with the other threads on the processor according to the particular scenario. One of the scenarios is identified that results in the least objectionable impacts on all threads, the least objectionable impacts taking into account the impact resulting from the predicted cache occupancies. Finally, a scheduling decision is made according to the one of the scenarios that results in the least objectionable impacts. |
| US08429664B2 |
Job scheduling apparatus and job scheduling method
When allocating an unallocated queued job, by using a CDA having a mesh structure to which active jobs are allocated, a job scheduling apparatus scans an event list that includes information about allocation events and release events for jobs, determines the coordinates and the time at which submeshes corresponding to the queued jobs are reserved, and arranges the submeshes by overlapping them on the CDA. |
| US08429663B2 |
Allocating task groups to processor cores based on number of task allocated per core, tolerable execution time, distance between cores, core coordinates, performance and disposition pattern
Even if a multiprocessor includes an uneven performance core, an inoperative core or a core that does not satisfy such a performance as designed but if the contrivance of task allocation can satisfy the requirement of an application to be executed, the multiple processors are shipped. In a task group allocation method for allocating, to a processor having a plurality of cores, task groups included in an application for the processor to execute, a calculation section measures performances and disposition patterns of the cores, generates a restricting condition associating the measured performances and disposition patterns of the cores with information indicating whether the application can be executed, and, with reference to the restricting condition, reallocates to the cores, the task groups that have previously been allocated to the cores. |
| US08429656B1 |
Thread count throttling for efficient resource utilization
Methods and apparatuses are presented for graphics operations with thread count throttling, involving operating a processor to carry out multiple threads of execution of, wherein the processor comprises at least one execution unit capable of supporting up to a maximum number of threads, obtaining a defined memory allocation size for allocating, in at least one memory device, a thread-specific memory space for the multiple threads, obtaining a per thread memory requirement corresponding to the thread-specific memory space, determining a thread count limit based on the defined memory allocation size and the per thread memory requirement, and sending a command to the processor to cause the processor to limit the number of threads carried out by the at least one execution unit to a reduced number of threads, the reduced number of threads being less than the maximum number of threads. |
| US08429649B1 |
Systems and methods for data management in a virtual computing environment
Systems and methods are disclosed for performing operations on a host system with one or more virtual machines without persistently storing an agent or daemon thereon. In certain examples, a management server is configured to inject dependencies, such as binary data, over a network to the host system for performing a requested operation. For instance, systems and methods can establish a secure shell (SSH) port forwarding connection through which dependencies stored on the management server are injected into a service console of the host system. The injected dependencies can then be executed and/or used to perform the requested operation, such as a backup or compression operation on virtual machine data. Once the requested operation has completed, the injected binaries are preferably removed from the host system so as to conserve system resources. |
| US08429648B2 |
Method and apparatus to service a software generated trap received by a virtual machine monitor
A software generated trap is received by a virtual machine monitor running on a computer system, wherein the software generated trap was caused by a process or a guest operating system of a virtual machine hosted by the computer system. The virtual machine monitor performs a service in response to receiving the software generated trap. |
| US08429647B2 |
Virtual machine migration across network by publishing routes to the associated virtual networks via virtual router after the start of migration of the virtual machine
Methods, systems and computer programs for migrating a virtual machine (VM) executing on a first host to a second host are presented, where the first host and the second are on different networks. One embodiment of a method includes assigning to the VM a VM address (VMA) belonging to a VM network and publishing a first route to an associated network (AN) via a first virtual router executing on the first host. The method further includes migrating the VM from the first host to the second host, the VM maintaining the assigned VMA after migrating, and publishing a second route to the AN via a second virtual router executing on the second host. The first and second virtual routers have addresses belonging to the VM network, and network packets to and from the VM flow through the virtual router where the VM is executing. A temporary tunnel between the virtual routers allows traffic to flow to the VM while the new route to AN is propagated throughout the network. The use of the associated network, which is associated with the VM, and the publishing of a new route to the VM allow the VM to keep the original VMA network address after the migration. |
| US08429644B2 |
Image forming apparatus, and web application installing method
A web application processing method, the web application processing method including: receiving web application information regarding a web application; accessing a web page for the web application using the web application information; reading contents from the web page; generating a virtual application corresponding to the web application using the read contents; and installing the generated virtual application in an image forming apparatus. Therefore, it is possible for a user to easily install a web application using uniform resource locator (URL) information, thereby increasing user convenience. |
| US08429642B1 |
Viral updating of software based on neighbor software information
A computer-implemented method for virally updating software in a networked computer including performing neighbor computer discovery using the networked computer to ascertain neighbor computers and ascertaining, using the networked computer, whether any of the neighbor computers possesses an update package configured for updating the software. If a neighbor computer of the neighbor computers possesses the update package, the method includes retrieving the update package to the networked computer and updating the software in the networked computer using the update package. |
| US08429637B2 |
System and method for conditional expansion obfuscation
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for obfuscating code through conditional expansion obfuscation. The method includes identifying a conditional expression in a computer program, identifying a sequence of conditional expressions that is semantically equivalent to the conditional expression, and replacing the conditional expression with the semantically equivalent sequence of conditional expressions. One option replaces each like conditional expression in the computer program with a diverse set of sequences of semantically equivalent conditional expressions. A second option rearranges computer instructions that are to be processed after the sequence of conditional expression is evaluated so that a portion of the instructions is performed before the entire sequence of conditional expressions is evaluated. A third option performs conditional expansion obfuscation of a conditional statement in combination with branch extraction obfuscation. |
| US08429635B2 |
Controlling compiler optimizations
In an embodiment, a conditional branch is detected that selects between execution of a first alternative block and a second alternative block. A first count and a second count are saved, where the first count is a number of times the first alternative block was executed, and the second count is a number of times the second alternative block was executed. If the first count is greater than a threshold and the second count equals zero, the first alternative block is compiled into first alternative block object code and the second alternative block is not compiled. If the first count is not greater than the threshold, the first alternative block is compiled into the first alternative block object code and the second alternative block is compiled into second alternative block object code. |
| US08429634B2 |
Semiconductor device, memory circuit, and machine language program generation device, and method for operating semiconductor device and memory circuit
A semiconductor device has an arithmetic processing circuit provided with an arithmetic circuit and a control circuit and a memory circuit provided with a ROM and a RAM, where the arithmetic processing circuit and the memory circuit are connected to each other through an address bus and a data bus, a machine language program executed using the arithmetic processing circuit is stored in the ROM, the RAM has a plurality of banks, processing data obtained by executing the machine language program is divided into a plurality of stacks to be written to the plurality of banks, and the arithmetic processing circuit is operated in accordance with the machine language program so that, in the plurality of stacks stored in the plurality of banks, a stack of which data is not used until the machine language program is terminated is omitted and contiguous stacks are written to the same bank. |
| US08429632B1 |
Method and system for debugging merged functions within a program
A method for debugging the object code of a program is disclosed. While executing an object code segment on an information processing device, a debugger receives a location identifier associated with the object code segment and identifies a call site within a call stack of the program using the location identifier. The call site is responsible for invoking the execution of the object code segment. Next, the debugger scans a call table for an entry of the call site that includes information for locating a debugging information entry within a compilation unit of the program. The debugger retrieves the debugging information entry from the compilation unit using the location information and identifies a unique one of multiple different source code segments as the one corresponding to the object code segment using a source code segment identifier in the debugging information entry. |
| US08429629B2 |
In-kernel virtual machine for low overhead startup and low resource usage
Embodiments of the present invention provide an architecture for efficiently loading and executing byte code generated from a general programming language. In particular, a byte code interpreter implements a virtual machine that executes the byte code and is divided into a kernel component and one or more user components. The kernel component of the virtual machine is integrated into the operating system kernel. The user component runs in the same virtual address space as the applet, provides support for executing an applet and couples the applet to the operating system. In addition, the kernel component of the virtual machine may share code with multiple user components. |
| US08429623B2 |
Processing engine for enabling a set of code intended for a first platform to be executed on a second platform
A mechanism is disclosed for enabling a set of code intended to be executed on a first platform (intended platform) to be executed on another platform (target platform). In one implementation, this mechanism takes a significantly different approach than that taken by current techniques. Rather than duplicating, augmenting, or changing a platform to accommodate the set of code, this mechanism alters the set of code to accommodate the platform. By altering the set of code, the mechanism causes the set of code to compensate for the difference(s) between the intended platform and the target platform. By compensating for the difference(s) in the two platforms, the set of code, when executed on the target platform, is able to produce the same result or results as it would have produced had it been executed on the intended platform. Thus, the set of code is able to execute properly on the target platform. |
| US08429621B2 |
Component lock tracing by associating component type parameters with particular lock instances
Methods for lock tracing at a component level. The method includes associating one or more locks with a component of the operating system; initiating lock tracing for the component; and instrumenting the component-associated locks with lock tracing program instructions in response to initiating lock tracing. The locks are selected from a group of locks configured for use by an operating system and individually comprise locking code. The component lock tracing may be static or dynamic. |
| US08429618B2 |
Parametric regular object types with comprehensions for automated generation of software test fixtures
A system and method for creating abstract descriptions of general applications includes creating a library of code primitives and expressing skeletal code structures in terms of parametric regular tree types including parameterized declarations of the code primitives. Parametric values are generated using set comprehensions. The set comprehensions are applied to the skeletal code structures to generate a working application such that a parametric, regular object type system is combined with a comprehension syntax for creating abstract descriptions of a general application. |
| US08429617B2 |
Systems and methods for debugging an application running on a parallel-processing computer system
A runtime system implemented in accordance with the present invention provides an application platform for parallel-processing computer systems. Such a runtime system enables users to leverage the computational power of parallel-processing computer systems to accelerate/optimize numeric and array-intensive computations in their application programs. This enables greatly increased performance of high-performance computing (HPC) applications. |
| US08429613B2 |
Stepping and application state viewing between points
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing stepping and state viewing in a debugger application. A start and end breakpoint are assigned. Source code execution begins, and upon reaching the start breakpoint, a logging feature begins storing one or more values that may be impacted upon execution of code between the start breakpoint and an end breakpoint. More lines of source code are executed until the end breakpoint is reached. When the end breakpoint is reached, the debugger is put into break mode. While in break mode, a playback feature is provided to allow a user to play back a path of execution that occurred between the start breakpoint and the end breakpoint. The playback feature uses at least some of the values that were stored with the logging feature to show how each referenced variable changed in value. |
| US08429608B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing implicit variability rules for component model and architecture design
A method and apparatus for providing variability rules for component model and architecture design are provided. The apparatus includes a category-determination unit which determines a category of implicit variability rules with respect to variability-set component model elements and elements associated with the variability-set component model elements; and an implicit-variability-rule-application unit which applies the implicit variability rules, which are given to the category, to the elements associated with the variability-set component model elements. |
| US08429607B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing variability points
Provided are a method and apparatus for managing variability points that represent variability of components of software. The method includes connecting variability points of components to each other and also connecting at least one variability point of the components to a corresponding variability point of at least one of source code and build script; receiving an input having a predetermined value and setting the predetermined value to a variability point of the components; reflecting corresponding values of the predetermined value to the connected variability point of at least one of the source code and build script. |
| US08429605B2 |
Finite state machine architecture for software development
A system for developing an application program having functionality that corresponds to a finite state machine (FSM) model includes a visual interface that generates a graphical environment on a display for displaying an FSM model representing functionality of the program, a dynamic state machine processor that uses XML descriptions associated with the FSM model to generate the program executed at run-time, and an extensible graphic user interface that provides the end-user interface features to the end-user as generated during run-time by the processor based on the FSM model. |
| US08429596B2 |
Method, and aggregation component for aggregating application components
A method and system for aggregating two or more templated components using an aggregation component is provided. Each templated component has at least one configurable element. The aggregation component comprises at least one configurable element, and an extraction mechanism operable to identify configurable elements of the components selected for aggregation. The aggregation component further comprises a mapping mechanism for mapping configurable elements of the selected components to configurable elements of the aggregation component; a storage mechanism for storing data identifying aggregated components and the corresponding mappings of the configurable elements; and a management mechanism for managing data identifying configuration settings of the aggregated selected components. |
| US08429592B2 |
N/P configurable LDMOS subcircuit macro model
A process of operating a computer system to create a subcircuit model of an N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor in which the subcircuit model includes an npn bipolar transistor and a pnp bipolar transistor which correspond to current paths through n-channel drift lanes and p-channel drift lanes during dual mode operation. A process of operating a computer system to simulate the behavior of an electronic circuit including a N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor in which a subcircuit model of the N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor includes an npn bipolar transistor and a pnp bipolar transistor which correspond to current paths through n-channel drift lanes and p-channel drift lanes during dual mode operation. A computer readable medium storing an electronic circuit simulation program that generates a simulation output of the behavior of an electronic circuit including a N/P configurable extended drain MOS transistor. |
| US08429590B2 |
System-level method for reducing power supply noise in an electronic system
In one embodiment, a method for reducing power supply noise within an electronic system that includes an integrated circuit (IC), a package, and a printed circuit board (PCB) connected by a plurality of power delivery networks (PDN) is disclosed. Power supply noise within the system is reduced by defining a voltage compression limit for each PDN of the electronic system; determining a voltage compression for each PDN of the electronic system during a plurality of switching events; comparing the voltage compression of each PDN of the electronic system to the voltage compression limit for each switching event; and in response to the voltage compression of each PDN of the electronic system exceeding the limit, modifying the electronic system to reduce the voltage compression below the limit. |
| US08429587B2 |
Method for decomposing a designed pattern layout
A method for decomposing a designed pattern layout and a method for fabricating an exposure mask using the same. After the designed pattern layout is automatically decomposed to obtain a plurality of mask layouts, a problematic region is determined through simulation of the mask layout, and fed back to correct the designed pattern layout. As a result, problems can be detected in each process and corrected to reduce the process time. |
| US08429585B2 |
Three dimensional integrated circuits
A three-dimensional semiconductor device, comprising: a circuit block located in a first module layer; and a configuration circuit to control the circuit block further comprising a configurable element in a second module layer positioned above the first module layer. |
| US08429583B2 |
Circuit design and retiming
Methods and apparatuses to hierarchically retime a circuit. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a module of a circuit is designed with a plurality of different latencies to have a plurality of different minimum clock periods (e.g., through retiming at the module level). In one example, the minimum clock periods are determined from detailed timing analyses after the placement and routing for the module; and, in retiming the circuit that contains the module, a data flow graph representation of the module is constructed based on the target clock period of the circuit and the correlation between the latencies and the minimum clock periods. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, hierarchical retiming is performed in which portions of the circuit is retimed to generate results (e.g., for different latencies), which are selectively used for the retiming of the entire circuit based on the target clock period. |
| US08429582B1 |
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for smart pattern capturing and layout fixing
Various embodiments are directed at methods and systems for implementing automatic fixing of a layout, implementing fuzzy pattern replacement, and implementing pattern capturing in a layout of an electronic circuit design. Various processes or modules comprise the act or module of identifying a first pattern from within an electronic circuit layout. The processes or modules also comprise identifying a fixing process or a replacement pattern for the first pattern and the act of performing pattern replacement or pattern fixing on the first pattern. The processes or modules may further comprise the act or module of searching the layout for patterns that match the first pattern, and the act or module of performing pattern replacement of pattern fixing on the patterns that match the first pattern. Some embodiments are also directed at articles of manufacture embodying a sequence of instructions for implementing the processes described here. |
| US08429580B2 |
Method for preparing for and formally verifying a modified integrated circuit design
A method for preparing an IC design that has been modified to be formally verified with a reference IC design. Because some formal verification tools cannot handle the complexity often associated with sequential equivalence checking at the top level of a circuit, the modified IC design may be instantiated into a number of different design versions, each having different levels of modification complexity. In addition, the reference IC design and the modified versions may be decomposed into a datapath and control path. The reference IC design and each of the modified IC design versions may also use wrappers to encapsulate various levels of hierarchy of the logic. Lastly, rather than having to verify each of the modified versions back to the reference IC design, the equivalence checking may be performed between each modified IC design version and a next modified IC design version having a greater modification computational complexity. |
| US08429567B2 |
Organizational tools on a multi-touch display device
A process for enabling objects displayed on a multi-input display device to be grouped together is disclosed that includes defining a target element that enables objects displayed on a multi-input display device to be grouped together through interaction with the target element. Operations are invoked that establish a relationship between a particular displayed object and a position on the target element and that causes transformations applied to the target element also to be applied to the particular displayed object while maintaining the relationship between the particular displayed object and the position on the target element. |
| US08429565B2 |
Direct manipulation gestures
The present disclosure describes various techniques that may be implemented to execute and/or interpret manipulation gestures performed by a user on a multipoint touch input interface of a computing device. An example method includes receiving a multipoint touch gesture at a multipoint touch input interface of a computing device, wherein the multipoint touch gesture comprises a gesture that is performed with multiple touches on the multipoint touch input interface, and resolving the multipoint touch gesture into a command. The example method further includes determining at least one physical simulation effect to associate with the resolved multipoint touch gesture, and rendering a unified feedback output action in a graphical user interface of the computing device by executing the command, wherein the unified feedback output action includes at least a graphical output action incorporated with the at least one physical simulation effect in the graphical user interface. |
| US08429564B2 |
Controlling method of three-dimensional user interface switchover and mobile terminal using the same
The exemplary embodiment relates to a method of controlling a three-dimensional user interface, which controls a three-dimensional user interface to follow a user's motion, and a mobile terminal using the same. The method comprising: displaying a plurality of three-dimensional menu icons; sensing movement of a user; and rotating at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional menu icons according to the sensed movement such that at least one reference face of the at least one of the plurality of three-dimensional menu icons follows the user's movement. |
| US08429554B2 |
Method and system for displaying an image instead of data
Displaying graphical indicators, instead of data, based on user-defined conditions. The user can specify conditions for displaying graphical indicators instead of actual data by specifying a test, values, and an image. The graphical indicators can be pre-assigned images that are dynamically applied based on the underlying text or numeric data values. Graphical indicators allow the user to visually represent data types or categories with graphics, based on the user's conditions. Different conditions can be specified for a given data field and each condition can be associated with a particular graphical indicator. Prioritized processing of data conditions allow for complex control of which indicator will be displayed to visually represent the data. When the underlying data in a field changes, the criteria can be reapplied and the field dynamically updated to the appropriate indicator. |
| US08429553B2 |
Debugging in a multi-processing environment by providing debugging information on computer process nodes and messages in a GUI
Technology is described for debugging in a multi-processor environment. An example system can include a plurality of process icons representing processes executing on compute nodes. A plurality of relationship arc icons between the process icons can represent messages being sent between source processes and destination processes on the compute nodes. A tabular display control can have rows to display attributes for relationship arc icons representing the messages being sent. In addition, a grouping module can be used to identify groups of messages that are related and to highlight relationship arc icons which are part of a group. |
| US08429550B2 |
Image processing apparatus that can be remotely controlled and control method therefor
An image processing apparatus that enables to distinguish whether an execution of a process in the image processing apparatus needs a user's operation on the image processing apparatus. A storage unit stores setting information for executing a function of the image processing apparatus. An execution unit executes the function according to the setting information. A determination unit determines whether a user's operation to the image processing apparatus is required when the execution unit executes the function according to the setting information. An addition unit adds attribute information, which shows whether to permit to automatically execute the function according to the setting information based on an instruction from the information processing apparatus, to the setting information according to a determination result. A sending unit sends the setting information to which the additional unit has added the attribute information to the information processing apparatus. |
| US08429549B2 |
System and method for automated color scheme transformation
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, computer-readable medium and a method for transforming a color scheme. A processor is configured to retrieve from storage data including content elements defining a user interface screen in response to a user selection of a source color and a replacement color. For each content element of the user interface screen, a color of the content element is compared the source color. Based on the comparison, if the color of the content element falls within a predetermined threshold distance of the source color along a color palette, the color of the content element can be converting to the replacement color. After the processing of the content elements, the user interface is displayed on a display device, including the converted color element(s). |
| US08429542B2 |
Switching of emails in a conversation thread
A method is disclosed for rendering messages in an email application on a client computer. A plurality of email messages is received from a server computer, including a first email message, a second email message and a third email message. The first email message is rendered on the client computer with a first conversation icon that identifies the first email message as being part of an email conversation thread. When the first conversation icon is selected on the first email message, a view is rendered showing one or more email messages in the conversation thread. When the second email message is selected, the second email message is rendered on the client computer with a second conversation icon. When the second conversation icon is selected on the second email message, the view showing the one or more email messages in the conversation thread is rendered. |
| US08429541B1 |
Method and system for video sharing between users of an application
A method for video sharing between users of an application. The method involves generating a textual based document. Generating the textual based document includes, for each action performed by the assisting user using the application, detecting the action, identifying an action identifier uniquely identifying the action, and storing a step that includes the action identifier in the textual based document. The method further includes receiving a help request from a perplexed user, obtaining the textual based document matching the help request, generating the support video from the textual based document. Generating the support video includes, for each step in the textual based document, obtaining the action identifier from the step in the textual based document, identifying an action for the perplexed user mapped to the action identifier, and rendering the action for the perplexed user into the support video. The method further includes presenting the support video to the perplexed user. |
| US08429535B2 |
Client utility interaction analysis
A client-side user action analysis engine (“analysis engine”) identifies user interactions with a client-side utility and provides data representing the interactions to a server side online resource analytics system (“analytics system”). The analysis engine represents user interactions with the client-side utility as network addresses for presentations of online resources to a user in a browser. The analysis engine provides the network addresses to the analytics system and statistics for the user interactions with the client-side utility are computed based on the network addresses. Reporting data specifying the statistics are received from the analytics system for presentation on a display device. The statistics provide information about user interactions with features of the client-side utility. |
| US08429532B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for managing reproduction of text subtitle data
In one embodiment, the method includes, receiving at least one text subtitle stream from an external source. Each text subtitle stream includes a style segment and at least one presentation segment associated with the style segment. The style segment includes at least one set of style information, and each set of style information provides region positioning information for positioning a region in an image and a text box including information for positioning a text box in the region. The presentation segment includes at least one region subtitle information, and the region subtitle information includes text subtitle data and a region style identifier. The region style identifier identifies one of the sets of style information in the style segment to apply to the text subtitle data. The text subtitle stream is decoded using style information including region positioning information and text box positioning information. |
| US08429530B2 |
User interface for media playback
A graphical user interface made up of icons representing individual files and collectively forming the shape of a “v” is described along with methods of using and creating the graphical user interface. The v-shaped interface is useful to display detailed information about many of the items in a list and facilitates manipulation of list order and selection of the active file in the list. The interface further permits the use of a representative icon associated with the list as a whole. Manipulation of the representative icon can cause modification or replacement of the entire playlist represented by the icon. |
| US08429529B2 |
Proofreading device, method for proofreading document, and computer readable recording medium storing proofreading control program
Provided is a proofreading device capable of accepting proofreader's marks, which includes: a user attribute identification section configured to identify an attribute of a user; a storage section configured to store proofreader's mark sets and attributes of users in association with each other and to store intermediate mark set to be used to place the proofreader's marks having the same meaning among the proofreader's sets in correspondence to each other; a proofreader's-mark-set selection section configured to a proofreader's mark set corresponding to the attribute of the user; a proofreader's mark conversion section configured to convert the proofreader's marks, added to a document by a first proofreader, into intermediate marks, to convert the intermediate marks into the proofreader's marks of the proofreader's mark set selected on the basis of the attribute of a second user, and to cause a display section to display the converted proofreader's marks together with the document. |
| US08429527B1 |
Complex data merging, such as in a workflow application
Merging data for use in a workflow application may include providing a user interface that facilitates collecting information from a user such as an indication of a first document and a second document that each include multiple records, a selection of a key indicator field common to both documents, and some indication of which of the two documents is a controlling document. Without the need for the user providing programming instructions, the workflow application joins information from both documents by identifying whether any of the records from the non-controlling document has a key indicator value that matches the key value of a select record from the controlling document. Based on this identifying, the workflow application dynamically generates a merged document which it can then use to perform one or more actions. |
| US08429522B2 |
Correlation, association, or correspondence of electronic forms
Determining correspondence, association, and/or correlation between nodes of electronic forms based on schemas of those forms is described. Importing, merging, and/or annotating data from one electronic form into another electronic form based on correspondence, association, and/or correlation between nodes is also described. |
| US08429521B2 |
Scrolling in large hosted data set
A computer-implemented method of presenting an electronic document via a web browser includes maintaining on a computing device a client data model of the electronic document, the client data model comprising data that defines content of the electronic document and formatting of the content of the electronic document, and rendering a first sub-portion of content of the electronic document from the client data model to a document object model (DOM) for the web browser. The method also includes providing the DOM to the web browser, for the web browser to display a view of the electronic document from the DOM. |
| US08429520B2 |
Citation record extraction system and method
A citation record extraction system is provided for extracting citation records from publication list pages having different layouts and contents. An HTML rendering engine receives a publication list web page, parses the publication list web page to obtain layout information of the web page. A web page sequence builder generates a web page characteristic sequence for the web page according to the layout information. A web page repeated pattern analyzer analyzes repeated patterns presented in the web page characteristic sequence, screens out non-citation records therefrom, and obtains a citation record of the publication list web page. |
| US08429517B1 |
Generating and rendering a template for a pre-defined layout
Examples directed to methods and systems for generating and rendering a template for a pre-defined layout. For example, an underlying graph structure of a pre-defined layout comprising at least one pre-placed object is determined. Information from the underlying graph structure is placed into a plurality of matrices. One or more pre-placed object parameters of the pre-defined layout are also determined. The plurality of matrices are utilized in conjunction with the one or more pre-placed object parameters to determine location coordinates and size information for the one or more pre-placed objects. In so doing, a template based on the location coordinates and size information for the one or more pre-placed objects is rendered. |
| US08429516B1 |
Media player feedback
Example configurations herein include a media player that initiates playback of content (e.g., play back of a movie in a web browser). Based on input from a respective user, the media player receives selections of playback commands (e.g., play, pause, stop, rewind, fast forward, etc.) applied to the content being played back by the media player. Based on the selections, the media player creates a log report. The log report records the selections of the playback commands applied to the content and indicates, for example, a corresponding time when the playback commands were applied. According to one configuration, the media player initiates distribution of the log report to notify a publisher associated with the content which playback commands were selected during playback of the content on the media player. |
| US08429514B1 |
Dynamic load balancing of distributed parity in a RAID array
A parity pattern defines a repeated distribution of parity blocks within a distributed parity disk array (“DPDA”). The parity pattern identifies on which disks the parity block or blocks for a stripe are located. When a new disk is added to the DPDA, the parity pattern is modified so that the distribution of parity blocks within the parity pattern is even. Parity blocks within the DPDA are then redistributed to conform with the modified parity pattern. |
| US08429512B2 |
Reduced complexity LDPC decoder
To decode a manifestation of a codeword in which K information bits are encoded as N>K codeword bits, messages are exchanged between N bit nodes and N−K check nodes. During computation, messages are expressed with a full message length greater than two bits. In each iteration, representations of at least some of the exchanged messages are stored. For at least one node, if representations of messages sent from that node are stored, then the representation of one or more of the messages is stored using at least two bits but using fewer bits than the full message length, and the representation of one other message is stored with full message length. Preferably, the messages that are stored using fewer bits than the full message length are messages sent from check nodes. |
| US08429511B2 |
Equipment protection method and apparatus
Equipment protection of a switch matrix (SM) in a network node, which contains a number of matrix modules (M1.1-M4.4, E1.5-E4.6) is achieved by slicing an input signal into k parallel signal slices (x(0)-x(3)) with k>2; coding the k signal slices into a number of n coded signal slices (x(0)-x(5)) with n>k+1 using an error correcting code to add redundancy to said input signal; switching said n coded signal slices through the switching matrix (SM) via n distinct matrix modules; and decoding the n coded signal slices into k decoded signal slices to correct errors introduced while passing through said switch matrix. Preferably, the switch matrix (SM) contains a first number of matrix boards (MB1-MB4, EB5, EB6), each carrying a second number of matrix modules (M1.1-M4.4, E1.5-E4.6). The n coded signal slices are switched via matrix modules on n distinct matrix boards. |
| US08429503B2 |
Encoding device and decoding device
Disclosed are an encoding device and a decoding device which can effectively reduce the decoding failure frequency in LDPC encoding/decoding. A loss correction encoding device (120) includes a padding unit (121) which adds a padding packet to an information packet sequence; an interleave unit (122) which rearranges the padding packet and the information packet; and a loss correction encoding unit (123) which performs loss correction encoding for the packet string after the interleave. The interleave unit (122) rearranges the padding packet and the information packet according to variable nodes constituting a minimum stopping set of the inspection matrix which defines a low-density parity inspection code. The interleave unit (122) uses such a rearrangement pattern that avoids a loss correction failure by the minimum stopping set of the LDPC inspection matrix so as to reduce the probability of the loss correction failure by the minimum stopping set. |
| US08429499B2 |
Disk drive and method for data conversion process in a disk drive
A disk drive for encrypting user data. A motor configured to rotate a disk which stores encoded user data and an encryption flag which has not been encoded. An encoder/decoder processor configured to encode the user data that is written into the disk without encoding the encryption flag, and decodes the user data that is read out from the disk without decoding the encryption flag that is read out from the disk. An encryption processor configured to encrypt the user data at the encryption flag, wherein the encryption flag indicates encryption before the encoder/decoder processor starts encoding, and wherein the encryption processor obtains an encryption flag read out from the disk before the encoder/decoder processor completes decoding of the user data read out from the disk, commencing decryption of decoded data where the encryption flag indicates encryption before decoding of the user data is complete. |
| US08429498B1 |
Dual ECC decoder
A decoding apparatus includes a decoder and a control unit. The decoder includes circuitry that is configured to decode an Error Correction Code (ECC) by operating in one of a first operational mode having a first power consumption, and a second operational mode, in which at least part of the circuitry that is active during the first operational mode is deactivated and which has a second power consumption that is lower than the first power consumption. The control unit is configured to evaluate a criterion with respect to an input code word, to select one of the first and second operational modes responsively to the criterion, and to invoke the decoder to decode the input code word using the selected operational mode. |
| US08429497B2 |
Method and system of dynamic data storage for error correction in a memory device
A method of dynamic data storage for error correction in a memory device is disclosed. Data for storage is received, and the received data is then encoded and associated error correction code (ECC) is generated. The encoded data is stored in a portion of a data partition of the memory device, wherein percentage of the stored data in the data partition is determined according to an amount of corrected errors associated with the data partition or is predetermined. |
| US08429492B2 |
Error correcting code predication system and method
In memory devices that degrade with use, a memory controller may monitor and record a usage history of portions of the memory. The memory controller can then vary a strength of error correction coding to protect information written to various portions of the memory having different usage histories. More specifically, and memory can receive information to be stored in the memory, select a portion of memory to store the information, and store the information in the selected portion of the memory with an error correction coding having a strength that is based on a usage history of the selected portion of the memory. |
| US08429491B1 |
Methods and apparatus for error checking code decomposition
Methods and apparatus are provided for more efficiently implementing error checking code circuitry on a programmable chip. In one example, Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) exclusive OR (XOR) circuitry is decomposed to allow efficient implementation on lookup tables (LUTs) of various sizes on a device. XOR cancellation factoring is used to break up wide CRC XORs into blocks that fit in various LUTs while maintaining focus on minimizing logic depth and logic area. Simulated annealing is used to further reduce logic area cost. |
| US08429490B2 |
Method for a general near optimal turbo code trellis termination
A method of terminating two or more constituent encoders of a turbo encoder employing a turbo code, comprising the steps of: generating tail input bits at each of two or more constituent encoders, including deriving the tail input bits from each of the two or more constituent encoders separately from a contents of shift registers within each of the two or more constituent encoders, after an encoding of information bits by the two or more constituent encoders; puncturing one or more tail output bits such that 1/R output tail bits are transmitted for each of a plurality of trellis branches, wherein R is a turbo code rate employed by the turbo encoder during an information bit transmission. In yet another variation, the step of puncturing the tail output bits further comprises the step of: transmitting, during trellis termination, the tail output bits, only if they are sent from an output branch of one of the two or more constituent encoders that are used during information bit transmission. |
| US08429478B2 |
Method of supporting data retransmission in a mobile communication system
A method of supporting packet transmission in a mobile communication system is disclosed according to the present invention. A method of transmitting packets at a user equipment in a mobile communication system comprises transmitting a first packet to a network and transmitting a second packet to the network regardless of a reception status signal for the first packet, when control information for the second packet is received from the network. |
| US08429476B2 |
Systems and methods for transmitting data over lossy networks
An encoder/decoder system usable to decrease the probability of a failed transmission over a lossy wireless network. In one embodiment, data packets unsuccessfully sent over the wireless network may be retransmitted a particular number of times, depending on how important the data in the lost packet is. In another embodiment, when a number of transmission failures is determined to exceed a predetermined threshold, it may be signaled that multiple reference frames should be used for encoding predictions. |
| US08429475B2 |
State dependent advanced receiver processing in a wireless mobile device
A method for receiver processing in a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) receiver processing chain in a wireless mobile device is provided. LTE initial sub-frame transmitted from a base station is received on a LTE signalling channel. The sub-frame is received using a basic receiver. An integrity check is performed to determine if the sub-frame was demodulated and decoded correctly by the basic receiver. An advanced receiver is enabled prior to receiving an expected retransmission sub-frame based upon the integrity check failing and a hybrid-acknowledgement request (HARQ) negative acknowledgement (NAK) being sent by the wireless mobile device. The retransmission sub-frame is received using the advanced receiver. The basic receiver is enabled when the integrity check of the retransmission sub-frame passes and a acknowledgement (ACK) is by the wireless mobile device or a new data indicator (NDI) is set in a control channel indicating that the transmission is an initial transmission. |
| US08429473B2 |
Increasing PRPG-based compression by delayed justification
An improved compression technique can increase PRPG-based compression by modifying test generation so that justification of certain decision nodes, called xheadlines, is delayed and merged with PRPG seed computation. Xheadlines are defined by gate modification restrictions, dynamic value considerations, and fanout allowance. Before mapping, the xheadlines can be preprocessed. This preprocessing can include transforming XOR xheadlines having shared inputs, augmenting AND/OR xheadlines, and reducing AND/OR xheadlines with common inputs. Mapping can include determining which xheadlines are satisfied by a current seed, which xheadlines can be satisfied by a future seed, and which xheadlines can opportunistically be satisfied by the current seed. |
| US08429472B2 |
Generating device, generating method, and program
Provided are a generation device to reduce launch switching activity, yield loss risk, and power consumption of testing, even in the at-speed scan testing, even with a small number of don't-care (X) bits in input bits as in test compression, without any impact on test data volume, fault coverage, performance, and circuit design, by putting focus on internal lines in the circuit. The generation device includes a target internal line selection unit, a target internal line distinction unit, an identification unit that identifies a bit to be an unspecified bit and a bit to be a logic bit in the input bits, and an assignment unit that assigns a logic value 1 or a logic value 0 to unspecified bits in the input bits. The identification unit includes an unspecified bit identification unit and an input logic bit identification unit. |
| US08429471B2 |
Microprocessor apparatus and method for securing a programmable fuse array
An apparatus for precluding the use of extended JTAG operations, including a JTAG control chain, a feature fuse, a level sensor, an access controller, and a blow controller. The JTAG control chain enables/disables the extended JTAG operations. The feature fuse indicates whether the extended JTAG features are to be disabled. The level sensor monitors an external voltage signal, and indicates that the external voltage signal is at a legal level. The access controller determines if the feature fuse is blown, and directs the JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations if the feature fuse is blown, and directs the JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations if the external voltage signal is at an illegal level regardless of whether the feature fuse is blown. The blow controller receives a voltage, and blows a selected fuse within a fuse array responsive to a valve of the voltage. |
| US08429465B2 |
Method, device and system for managing resources in networks
A method, device and system for managing resources in networks are provided, which relate to the field of data communication. The method includes the following steps. A resource manager (RM) sends a first request message according to a received resource request message, to request an access node (AN) to perform admission control. After receiving an admission control result indicating whether a resource requested by the resource request message is admitted, the RM sends a response message of the resource request message. Therefore, when multicast/unicast connection admission control (CAC) that supports shared bandwidth is realized, flow fusions of user line configuration between the AN and a broadband remote access system (BRAS, and policy distribution between a resource and admission control subsystem (RACS) and the BRAS are guaranteed; and sharing of bandwidth resources is realized to avoid waste of the bandwidth resources. |
| US08429464B2 |
Background memory validation for gaming devices
Various embodiments are directed to a gaming device including a background memory validation system. The background memory validation system includes a background kernel thread that validates read-only pages on the gaming device. Additionally, the background kernel thread also minimizes potential timing problems because this process only validates page content in memory that is fully-loaded and functional. |
| US08429462B2 |
Storage system and method for automatic restoration upon loop anomaly
A storage system has a controller and a plurality of storage devices connected to a pair of loops, the controller diagnoses storage devices and performs automatic high-speed restoration of the loops. A storage system has a controller, a plurality of storage devices, and switch circuits having a plurality of switches to connect each of the plurality of storage devices to loops. When a loop anomaly is detected, a restoration instruction is issued to a switch circuit, the plurality of switches are operated in parallel, storage devices are diagnosed, and according to the diagnosis results, a storage device judged to be anomalous are bypassed from the loop by operating the switches. When a loop anomaly is detected, diagnosis of the disk drives connected to the loop can be performed in parallel, so that the time until automatic restoration of the loop can be greatly reduced. |
| US08429458B2 |
Method and apparatus for system analysis
A system analyzing method for analyzing a transaction system includes firstly extracting a transaction, which is processed by a plurality of servers cooperating with each other in the transaction system, from a message log in which parameters of messages have been subjected to name merge, by using a transaction model which is generated from a set of messages transmitted between the servers during processing of the transaction, and secondly extracting a transaction from a message log from which no transaction is extracted in the firstly extracting, by using a value of a parameter inherited between the servers among parameters in messages included in the message log. |
| US08429455B2 |
Computer system management method and management system
There is provided a failure analysis function capable of reducing the time required to resolve a failure in a piece of equipment to be monitored. When the failure analysis function senses that the status of a piece of equipment which had been abnormal has returned to normal, it displays, of failure analysis results, one based on an equipment abnormality which has been resolved in a GUI separately from the other analysis results. If a failure analysis result is derived based on a plurality of failure events, the failure analysis function displays the failure analysis result in the GUI separately from the other failure analysis results when all of the failure events are confirmed to be resolved (see FIG. 16). |
| US08429453B2 |
Management system for outputting information denoting recovery method corresponding to root cause of failure
A management server includes a meta rule for identifying an event to be a root cause and a failure recovery method that corresponds to the meta rule for an event capable of occurring in a plurality of node apparatuses, and also displays a cause event to be a root cause of an event detected by the management server, and a method for recovering from this cause event. |
| US08429451B2 |
Method of handling a message
A method of handling a message in a messaging system is provided. The messaging system comprises a message source, a message receiver and a message service. The message service is intermediate of the message source and message receiver, wherein a compensation component is established at the message source. The method comprises the steps of, transmitting a one way message, as part of a business transaction, from the message source, the transaction comprising a plurality of one way messages, receiving the message at the message service, transmitting the message from the messaging service, receiving the message at the message receiver, processing the message at the message receiver, transmitting a communication from the message receiver, the communication indicating success or failure of the processing of the message, receiving the communication at the messaging service, and responsive to receiving an indication of a failure of part of the transaction when the communication indicated that processing of the one way message succeeded, causing compensation logic defined by the compensation component to execute. |
| US08429446B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing virtual ports on storage systems
A storage system is configured to create and manage virtual ports on physical ports. The storage system can transfer associations between virtual ports and physical ports when a failure occurs in a physical port or a link connected to the physical port so that a host can access volumes under the virtual ports through another physical port. The storage system can also change associations between virtual ports and physical ports by taking into account the relative loads on the physical ports. When a virtual machine is migrated from one host computer to another, the loads on the physical ports in the storage system can be used to determine whether load balancing should take place. Additionally, the storage system can transfer virtual ports to a remote storage system that will take over the virtual ports, so that a virtual machine can be migrated to remote location. |
| US08429445B1 |
System and method for managing group policy backup
A method, system and program product for group policy backup management in a network having a plurality of domains including components and modules for steps of retrieving a list of group policy objects for a domain, generating a configuration initialization file including a domains section identifying a plurality of domains that are to be backed up and a setup section specifying a plurality of values that control the backup of each policy object in each domain, determining a digital signature for each policy object on a list of policies for the domain, comparing the digital signature for each policy object with a corresponding previous digital signature for each policy, determining if a current digital signature for each policy object matches the corresponding previous digital signature for a policy, and backing up a policy object having a current digital signature that does not match the corresponding previous digital signature. |
| US08429444B2 |
Multipurpose storage system based upon a distributed hashing mechanism with transactional support and failover capability
A multipurpose storage system based upon a distributed hashing mechanism with transactional support and failover capability is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a system comprises a client system in communication with a network, a secondary storage system in communication with the network, and a supervisor system in communication with the network. The supervisor system assigns a unique identifier to a first node system and places the first node system in communication with the network in a location computed by using hashing. The client system stores a data object on the first node system. |
| US08429442B2 |
Deriving accurate media position information
Various embodiments utilize different counters or clocks, working in concert, to smooth out position information that is derived for a rendering/capturing device. Specifically, in at least some embodiments, each counter or clock has a different speed. A faster counter or clock is used to determine intra-transition position offsets relative to a slower counter or clock. |
| US08429438B2 |
Method and apparatus for transferring data between asynchronous clock domains
An invention is provided for transferring data between asynchronous clock domains. The asynchronous clock domains include a source clock domain operating with a source clock signal and a receiving clock domain operating with a receiving clock signal. The invention includes determining a phase shift relationship between the source clock signal and a signal. When the phase shift relationship is below a predetermined threshold the data is transferred between the source clock domain and the receiving clock domain using a first plurality of stage operations. When the phase shift relationship is above the predetermined threshold, the data is transferred between the source clock domain and the receiving clock domain using a second plurality of stage operations that delay data transfer an additional half period of the source clock signal. |
| US08429433B2 |
Dynamically adjusting an operating state of a data processing system running under a power cap
A mechanism is provided for dynamically power capping one or more units. A power capping mechanism sets a counter value corresponding to an initial energy budget assigned to a unit for a given interval. Responsive to the unit receiving an operation to perform during the given interval, the power capping mechanism decrements the counter value by a decrement value. Responsive to the given interval expiring, the power capping mechanism sends the counter value to a power control loop in the data processing system, receives a new energy budget from the power control loop, and resets the counter value to a value corresponding to the new energy budget assigned to the unit for a next interval. |
| US08429431B2 |
Methods of achieving cognizant power management
A system and method of increasing the efficiency of overall power utilization in data centers by integrating a power management approach based on a comprehensive, dynamic model of the data center created with integrated environmental and computational power monitoring to correlate power usage with different configurations of business services utilization, with the techniques of CPU level power management. |
| US08429422B1 |
Method and apparatus for an improved access system
A method and apparatus to enable a user to send an action message including secure credential. The system comprises a receiving logic to receive the action message from a user, a repository including encrypted user-specific data, and an agent to access a resource through a network, the agent directed as specified by a connector object invoked by the action message. The agent further comprises logic to utilize the encrypted user-specific data from the repository to log into the resource through the network, and in one embodiment action logic to perform one or more actions as instructed by the connector invoked by the action message. The agent further comprises, in one embodiment, extraction logic for extracting information resulting from of the agent's access to the data resource specified by the connector, and communication logic to communicate a result to the user or to another agent for further use. |
| US08429420B1 |
Time-based key management for encrypted information
A method and apparatus are utilized to manage keys associated with encrypted stored information. Sensitive information is stored in an encrypted form, and by creating and deleting the keys needed to decrypt information according to a time-based policy, the convenient expiration of stored data can be realized. By periodically erasing old keys and creating new keys, information that has not been written recently becomes virtually deleted. A refresh policy can be utilized to cause information that is read to be re-encrypted using a newer key, thereby extending the time before it will become inaccessible. |
| US08429419B2 |
Method for securing authorized data entry and the device to perform this method
A method and device for authorized data entry and securing the authenticity of such data when entering cryptographic operations in a computer requiring authorized data entry, sends a specific command to an STM module which defines a template of input data intended to be cryptographically processed. The STM module is switched over to a secure typing mode, the STM module autonomously controls the typing of required data items of the data template by recording characters typed on the connected entry device, and the recorded characters are arranged by the STM module in its internal memory in requested data structures defined by the input data template, and such created data are sent by the STM module directly to a token where the requested cryptographic operation is called, the result of which is sent to the computer by the STM module, and subsequently the STM module switches back to the transparent mode. |
| US08429415B1 |
User-selectable signatures
Computer login may comprise any user-determined submission. A user may select among different devices for input, select the signal content, and as well select the types of signals used for a login signature. Account identification may be inferred by signature rather than explicitly stated. A plurality of discontiguous data blocks in a plurality of files may be employed for validation. The paths to data used in validation may be multifarious, regardless of the prospects for successful authorization. |
| US08429410B2 |
System and method of installing software applications on electronic devices
In at least one embodiment, there is provided a mobile wireless device comprising: a microprocessor and memory, the memory comprising a set of control settings used to control a plurality of device operations; wherein the microprocessor is configured to: receive a first digital signature key for verifying digital signatures on software applications to be installed on the device; determine if any digital signature keys for verifying digital signatures on software applications to be installed on the device exist on the device, and if not, store the received first digital signature key in the memory; receive a software application for installation on the device; verify a digital signature on the received software application using the first digital signature key; and install the software application on the device if the digital signature on the received software application is successfully verified. |
| US08429407B2 |
Digital handshake between devices
This is directed to a digital handshake for establishing a secure communications path between two electronic devices. Each device can capture an image of the other device using a camera (e.g., a front facing camera or a back facing camera) and extract, from the captured image, a key or seed associated with the other device. For example, each device can display a seed to be identified from an image taken by the other device. Using the extracted keys or seeds, each device can generate, using a same process, an identical digital handshake key. The digital handshake key can then be used to define a secure communications path between the two devices and share information securely. In some embodiments, a digital handshake key can be shared among several devices to create a multi-device secure communications path. Once a communications path has been established, the devices in the path can be identified and authenticated from the digital handshake key to receive access to secured goods, services or information. |
| US08429401B2 |
Method and apparatus for virtually erasing data from WORM storage devices
A storage device capable of selectively rendering certain data irretrievable is disclosed. The storage device includes Write Once Read Many (WORM) storage medium, a key generator, an encrypted write component, an erasable storage medium and a key deleter. The WORM storage medium is capable of storing data, and the data stored in the WORM data storage medium are unerasable and unrewritable. The key generator provides a generated key that can be stored in the erasable storage medium. The encrypted write component writes a set of sensitive data encrypted by using the generated key to the WORM storage medium. In response to a request for deleting the set of sensitive data from the WORM storage medium, the key deleter deletes the generated key from the erasable storage medium. |
| US08429400B2 |
VPN processing via service insertion architecture
In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) sending a request to join a group to a service broker; (ii) receiving from the service broker a list of key servers servicing the group; and (iii) sending registration information to a selected one of the key servers in the list. |
| US08429394B1 |
Reconfigurable computing system that shares processing between a host processor and one or more reconfigurable hardware modules
A reconfigurable computing system for enabling high performance computing includes a host platform running an operating system (OS), a reconfigurable processing kernel module, a plurality of drivers interacting with the OS, one or more reconfigurable hardware modules, and a software stack interacting with the OS and providing access to the reconfigurable hardware. The reconfigurable processing kernel module manages reconfigurable processes and coordinates data transfer to and from host. In addition, the reconfigurable processing kernel modifies the OS to utilize the software stack, thereby enabling the use of reconfigurable hardware modules through the use of hardware specific driver instructions. |
| US08429392B2 |
Function expansion apparatus for connecting an information processing apparatus to an external storage apparatus
A disclosed function expansion apparatus for expanding a function of an information processing apparatus by connecting the information processing apparatus to an external storage apparatus via a first interface includes a first storage unit that stores first setup information used for connecting the information processing apparatus to the external storage apparatus, a connection module unit that is operated based on the first setup information and connects the information processing apparatus to the external storage apparatus via the first interface, a control unit that is connected to the first storage unit, and the connection module unit or a second storage unit, and stores second setup information stored in the second storage unit into the first storage unit, wherein the second storage unit is exchangeable with the connection module unit and stores the second setup information in connecting to the connection module unit. |
| US08429391B2 |
Boot partitions in memory devices and systems
The present disclosure includes boot partitions in memory devices and systems, and methods associated therewith. One or more embodiments include an array of memory cells, wherein the array includes a boot partition and a number of additional partitions. Sequential logical unit identifiers are associated with the additional partitions, and a logical unit identifier that is not in sequence with the sequential logical unit identifiers is associated with the boot partition. |
| US08429387B2 |
Method and system for remote configuration of a computing device
A method and system for remote configuration of a computing device includes generating initialization code configured to initialize a memory and/or processor of the computing device dependent on initialization data. The initialization data is generated based on platform data, which is validate based on predetermined criteria. The platform data identifies platform-specific parameters and may be received over a network from a platform manufacturer. In response to validation of the platform data, the initialization data is generated and transmitted to the platform manufacturer for incorporation into the computing device. Upon a processor reset, the initialization code is configured to use the initialization data to perform initialization procedures to initialize the memory and/or processor of the computing device. The platform data may be updated periodically by an end-user of the computing device. |
| US08429383B2 |
Multi-processor computing system having a JAVA stack machine and a RISC-based processor
A system comprises a first processor, a second processor coupled to the first processor, memory coupled to, and shared by, the first and second processors, and a synchronization unit coupled to the first and second processors. The second processor preferably comprises stack storage that resides in the core of the second processor. Further, the second processor executes stack-based instructions while the first processor executes one or more tasks including, for example, managing the memory via an operating system that executes only on the first processor. Associated methods are also disclosed. |
| US08429374B2 |
System and method for read-while-write with NAND memory device
System, method, and program to perform simultaneous read and write operations in a NAND-type memory device, including: assigning a first partition in a NAND-type memory device, wherein the first partition is configured to perform read operations on high priority read content; assigning a second partition in the NAND-type memory device, wherein the second partition is configured to perform read operations and write operations, wherein the read operations are performed on non-high priority read content; and controlling the first partition and second partition to operate in a simultaneous manner. |
| US08429371B2 |
System and method for robust and efficient free chain management
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for managing free chains of compute resources. A system configured to practice the method divides a free chain of compute resources into a usable part (UP) which contains resources available for immediate allocation and an unusable part (UUP) which contains resources not available for immediate allocation but which become available after a certain minimum number of allocations. The system sorts resources in the UP by block number, and maintains a last used object (LUO) vector, indexed by block number, which records a last object in the UP for each block. Each time the system frees a resource, the system adds the freed resource to a tail of the UUP and promotes an oldest resource in the UUP to the UP. This approach can manage free chains in a manner that is both flaw tolerant and has relatively high performance. |
| US08429368B2 |
Providing an administrative path for accessing a writeable master storage volume in a mirrored storage environment
A technique provides an administrative path for accessing a writeable master storage volume in a mirrored storage environment. Illustratively, a writeable master storage volume stores a master set of data addressable by a corresponding pathname, and zero or more read-only (e.g., load-balancing) mirrored storage volumes are configured to store a mirrored set of the master set of data, the mirrored set also addressable by the corresponding pathname. Clients may read data from either the master storage volume or one of the mirrored storage volumes (e.g., according to a configured access location, such as a local mirrored volume if one exists) by issuing read requests having the corresponding pathnames. Also, each client may specifically access the master set of data from the master storage volume by issuing an access (e.g., read/write) request having a specified master storage volume pathname prefix prepended to the corresponding pathname. |
| US08429366B2 |
Device and method for memory control and storage device
A memory control device according to an example of the invention comprises an allocation section allocating a plurality of memory regions of a memory module, an available space storage section storing data in available space of a first memory region that is one of the plurality of memory regions and, when no more space becomes available in the first memory region, store data in available space of a following second memory region, and a copying section copying a plurality of items of to-be-copied data that is stored in the first memory region but not in the second memory region to the second memory region after no more space becomes available in the first memory region in such a manner that a copying operation is divided into a plurality of times. |
| US08429363B2 |
Multiple incremental virtual copies
Provided are techniques for, in response to establishing each incremental virtual copy from a source to a target, creating a target change recording structure for the target. While performing destage to a source data block at the source, it is determined that there is at least one incremental virtual copy target for this source data block. For each incremental virtual copy relationship where the source data block is newer than the incremental virtual copy relationship and an indicator is set in a target inheritance structure on the target for a corresponding target data block, the source data block is copied to each corresponding target data block, and an indicator is set in each target change recording structure on each target for the target data block corresponding to the source data block being destaged. |
| US08429361B2 |
Information-storage system
An information-storage system storing information includes, an information-storage unit configured to store data, an encoding/decoding unit configured to encode and store input data in the information-storage unit, and decode and output the encoded data stored in the information-storage unit upon receiving a request for an information output, a transmission unit configured to output the encoded data stored in the information-storage unit, the encoded data being left undecoded, and store the encoded data in a backup spot different from the information-storage unit, a status-monitoring unit configured to monitor an unusual status of the information-storage system, and a selection unit configured to select the transmission unit between the encoding/decoding unit and the transmission unit when the status-monitoring unit confirms the unusual status of the information-storage system. |
| US08429358B2 |
Method and data storage device for processing commands
A data storage device for processing a command includes a host interface and a controller. The host interface stores program information sent within the command from a host. The controller decodes the program information that indicates a memory type to be accessed for the command. In addition, the controller determines whether the specified memory type can be accessed according to the command. The controller performs the command by accessing the memory type when the memory type specified by the program information is available for access. |
| US08429356B2 |
Write data mask method and system
A method and system for performing byte-writes are described, where byte-writes involve writing only particular bytes of a multiple byte write operation. Embodiments include mask data that indicates which bytes are to be written in a byte-write operation. No dedicated mask pin(s) or dedicated mask line(s) are used. In one embodiment, the mask data is transmitted on data lines and store in response to a write_mask command. In one embodiment, the mask data is transmitted as part of the write command. |
| US08429354B2 |
Fixed length memory block management apparatus and method for enhancing memory usability and processing efficiency
A fixed length memory block management apparatus has a plurality of processors which execute applications, a memory which is shared by the plurality of processors, an application program, an initialization program, and an access right allocation program being stored in the memory. The apparatus has an application execution unit which starts up the application program to execute the application, an initialization unit which starts up the initialization program to set a memory block management area including a plurality of sub-blocks at the memory, and an access right allocation unit which starts up the access right allocation program to allocate an access right of a memory block of the sub-block set by the initialization unit to the application execution unit. |
| US08429353B2 |
Distributed home-node hub
A method and a system for processor nodes configurable to operate in various distributed shared memory topologies. The processor node may be coupled to a first local memory. The first processor node may include a first local arbiter, which may be configured to perform one or more of a memory node decode or a coherency check on the first local memory. The processor node may also include a switch coupled to the first local arbiter for enabling and/or disabling the first local arbiter. Thus one or more processor nodes may be coupled together in various distributed shared memory configurations, depending on the configuration of their respective switches. |
| US08429350B2 |
Cache line use history based done bit modification to D-cache replacement scheme
A method of providing history based done logic includes receiving a cache line in a L2 cache; determining if the cache line has a history of access at least three times on a previous call into the L2 cache; providing the cache line directly to a processor if the history of access was less then the at least three times; and loading the cache line into an L1 cache if the history of access was the at least three times. |
| US08429349B2 |
Techniques for cache injection in a processor system with replacement policy position modification
A technique for performing cache injection includes monitoring, at a cache, addresses on a bus. Ownership of input/output data on the bus is then acquired by the cache when an address on the bus (that is associated with the input/output data) corresponds to an address of a data block stored in the cache. A replacement policy position of the data block is then modified (to increase a probability that the data block is consumed prior to ejection from the cache). |
| US08429340B2 |
Storage system comprising flash memory modules subject to plural types of wear-leveling processes
A storage system uses a plurality of flash memory modules and a storage controller. Each of the plurality of flash memory modules comprises a memory controller and at least one flash memory chip. The memory controller manages a plurality of blocks provided with the at least one flash memory chip and controls a first wear-leveling process for leveling erase counts between the plurality of blocks. The storage controller, coupled to the plurality of flash memory modules, controls data sent from a host computer to be sent to a flash memory module of the plurality of flash memory modules. The storage controller controls a second wear-leveling process exchanging data between at least one block of a first flash memory module of the plurality of flash memory modules and at least one block of a second flash memory module of the plurality of flash memory modules. |
| US08429332B2 |
Multi-channel hybrid density memory storage device and control method thereof
The present invention discloses a control method of a multi-channel hybrid density memory storage device for access a user data. The storage device includes a plurality of low density memories (LDM) and high density memories (HDM). The steps of the method comprises: first, determining where the user data transmitted; then, using one of two error correction circuits which have different error correction capability to encode or decode the user data. |
| US08429327B2 |
Mapping apparatus and method for non-volatile memory supporting different cell types
Present invention relates to a mapping apparatus and method for a non-volatile memory supporting different cell types, and more particularly, to a mapping apparatus and method for a non-volatile memory supporting different cell types capable of mapping a logical address to a physical address in the non-volatile memory supporting different cell types in which bits represented by unit cells are different from each other.A mapping apparatus for a non-volatile memory supporting different cell types according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a user request unit used for a user to request a predetermined operation by using a logical address; a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of memory areas having different cell types; and a mapping management unit determining a physical address to be mapped to the logical address of one of the plurality of memory areas on the basis of the logical address used for the requested operation. |
| US08429323B2 |
Memory mapped input/output bus address range translation
In an embodiment, a north chip receives a secondary bus identifier that identifies a bus that is immediately downstream from a bridge in a south chip, a subordinate bus identifier that identifies a highest bus identifier of all of buses reachable downstream of the bridge, and an MMIO bus address range that comprises a memory base and a memory limit. The north chip writes a translation of a bridge identifier and a south chip identifier to the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, and the MMIO bus address range. The north chip sends the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, the memory base, and the memory limit to the bridge. The bridge stores the secondary bus identifier, the subordinate bus identifier, the memory base, and the memory limit in the bridge. |
| US08429321B2 |
Request controller, processing unit, method for controlling requests and computer program product
A request controller for controlling processing of requests by one or more semiconductor data processing unit. The resource controller includes a controller input for receiving a request for the processing unit to switch a context of the processing unit or to switch the processing unit from a current an operation to another operation. The resource controller includes a resource budget memory in which one or more budget value can be stored. The budget value represents an amount of a resource of the processing unit. The resource controller further has a budget controller which includes a first budget controller input connected to the request controller input. A second budget controller input is connected to the memory. A comparator is connected to the first budget controller input and the second controller input, for comparing a consumption value associated with the request with the budget value. The comparator includes a comparator output for outputting a request grant signal when the comparison satisfies a predetermined grant criterion and outputting a request reject value when the comparison meets a predetermined reject criterion. A data controller is connected to the resource budget memory and the comparator output, for adjusting the budget value when the request grant signal is outputted. |
| US08429320B2 |
Method and system for dynamically programmable serial/parallel bus interface
Aspects of a method and system for dynamically programmable serial/parallel bus interface may include performing in a first communication device coupled to a communication bus, attaching communication protocol information to a data signal for each data transaction with one or more other communication devices communicatively coupled to the communication bus. The one or more other communication devices may be controlled utilizing the attached communication protocol information. The communication protocol information may be dynamically adjusted and/or adaptively adjusted. The communication bus may be a serial or parallel communication bus. The serial communication bus may be a two-wire, three-wire, or four-wire bus. The attached communication protocol information comprises a multi-wire protocol, a 3-wire protocol, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) protocol, a System Power Management Interface (SPMI), or an RF Bus protocol. |
| US08429317B2 |
Serial communication device with MAC that conforms to serial media independent interface (SMII) in order to reduce power consumption
A serial communication device has: a MAC (Media Access Control), a mask circuit and a buffer. The MAC conforms to Serial Media Independent Interface specification and outputs an identical segment data for plural times within a unit period. The mask circuit is configured to mask a predetermined segment data out of the plurality of identical segment data and to output the other segment data out of the plurality of identical segment data. The buffer is configured to receive the segment data output from the mask circuit and to output the received segment data to a physical layer device in synchronization with a clock signal. |
| US08429313B2 |
Configurable ready/busy control
A memory unit has a busy control system that includes a busy control register that may be written by a controller. The contents of the busy control register determine whether a signal is sent from the memory unit to the controller and, if so, which of a plurality of signals is sent. A signal may automatically be sent from a selected memory unit and masked from an unselected unit. |
| US08429304B2 |
Information processing apparatus and communication control method
Logical partitions in an information processing apparatus share an IP address and are assigned different MAC addresses. A representative logical partition communicates with an external entity on behalf of the other logical partitions. A driver is provided with a virtual interface and a physical interface. Internal communication between the logical partitions is done via the virtual interface and communication with an external entity is done via the physical interface. If a packet received from an external destination is destined to one of the other logical partitions, the protocol stack of the representative logical partition replaces the destination MAC address by the MAC address of the destination logical partition. The protocol stack provides the packet in which the destination MAC address has been replaced to the virtual interface. The virtual interface transfers the packet provided by the protocol stack to the destination logical partition. |
| US08429301B2 |
Method and apparatus for resource locator identifier rewrite
A method and apparatus for resource locator identifier rewrite have been presented. A security device receives from a resource host over a non-secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) session a response to a request received from a client over a secure HTTP session. The response includes a uniform resource locator (URL) that is supposed to be for a resource host, but the URL does not designate a secure resource access protocol and the resource host requires the secure resource access protocol. The URL is located in the response and modified to designate the secure resource access protocol. After modification, the response is transmitted via the secure resource access protocol session to the client. |
| US08429292B2 |
Scheduling events from electronic messages
Scheduling an event on an electronic communications device configured for sending and receiving electronic messages over a communications network, including extracting information from an electronic message at the communications device; displaying on a display of the communications device an event scheduling interface for scheduling an event, the event scheduling interface having a plurality of input fields for receiving information about the event; and automatically populating at least one of the input fields in dependence on the extracted information. |
| US08429290B2 |
Broadband transmission system and method
Disclosed is a system that optimizes transmission bandwidth of a broadband transmission system such as a cable television, satellite system, or wireless information service. Requests for content items from users are employed to add or delete content items from a list. Content items in the list are ranked relative to the number of requests received or by rate of request. Package groups are created with most requested content items being broadcast more frequently than less requested content items. Transmit groups are produced from package groups and placed in a broadcast queue. A transmit process transmits groups retrieved from the queue. |
| US08429287B2 |
Network audio distribution system and method
Audio content distribution from audio sources to client terminals through a network. An audio source interface receives raw audio from an audio source, and converts it into a digital audio clip in a digital audio packet, containing a timestamp and a channel identity corresponding to the audio source. A network audio server formats the digital audio packet into a network compliant digital audio file, which is stored at a network address. The network audio server generates a directory packet including the address of the digital audio file, the channel identity, and the timestamp, and, couples the directory packet to a directory server located on the network. The directory server outputs a directory stream to a client terminal on the network, which selects a directory packet and sends an audio file request through the network for the digital audio file. The audio file is then sent to the client terminal. |
| US08429284B2 |
Method of transmitting/receiving digital contents and apparatus for receiving digital contents
A method of transmitting/receiving digital contents and an apparatus for receiving the digital contents are disclosed. In a system connected with an Internet protocol (IP) network, service event information may be included in a service discovery record and transmitted/received. Accordingly, the apparatus for receiving the digital contents can receive a service using the service event information in a service discovery step when receiving the service including the digital contents. Since the service event information can be processed independence of the digital contents included in the service, the service can be rapidly provided and unnecessary service event information does not need to be parsed. |
| US08429282B1 |
System and method for avoiding system overload by maintaining an ideal request rate
A computer system that provides services to clients may adaptively throttle incoming service requests in order to reach and then maintain operation at an ideal request rate. An ideal request rate may be a maximum rate at which incoming service requests can be serviced such that client-specified quality of service (QoS) expectations are met for most or all incoming service requests, or a rate within a range of rates defined by that maximum rate. Determining whether the system is operating at an ideal request rate may include determining the minimum difference between the expected and actual QoS for a group of recently serviced requests. The system may gradually modify a throttle multiplier value in order to reach or maintain an ideal request rate. Maintaining operation at an ideal request rate may allow the system to avoid entering an overloaded state, and/or oscillating between an overloaded state and a non-overloaded state. |
| US08429271B2 |
Method and system for remote diagnostic, control and information collection based on various communication modes for sending messages to users
A method, system, and program product for communicating with machines and end users connected to a network. Information sent to or from the machines is transmitted using electronic mail or a via a direct connection. The electronic mail may be transmitted over the Internet to a service center or from a service center to a resource administrator, but also may remain within a local or wide area network for transmission between a machine and an end user or a resource administrator. E-mail messages may be transmitted from a computer which is attached to a device which is being monitored or controlled and include information regarding the status, usage or capabilities of the attached device. The device may send status messages and usage information of the device by an end user to either a resource administrator or to a service center on the Internet through a firewall. |
| US08429268B2 |
Mechanism for detecting and reporting traffic/service to a PCRF
A method implemented by a policy server operating on a network to which is connected a device that performs a data packet inspection function, the method involving: sending a first message over the network from the policy server to the device, the first message instructing the device to detect an occurrence of a particular network traffic or service taking place over a connection on the network and to send a notification to the policy server upon detecting the occurrence of that particular network traffic or service; at the policy server receiving a notification from the device that the device has detected the occurrence of that particular network traffic or service; and in response to receiving the notification, sending a second message over the network from the policy server to a network component, the second message containing information associated with the notification. |
| US08429265B2 |
Managing resource consolidation configurations
Systems and methods for monitoring the performance associated with fulfilling resource requests and determining optimizations for improving such performance are provided. A processing device obtains and processes performance information associated with processing a request corresponding to two or more embedded resources. The processing device uses the processed performance information to determine a consolidation configuration to be associated with a subsequent request for the content associated with the two or more embedded resources. In some embodiments, in making such a determination, the processing device assesses performance information collected and associated with subsequent requests corresponding to the content associated with the two or more embedded resources and using each of a variety of alternative consolidation configurations. Aspects of systems and methods for generating recommendations to use a particular consolidation configuration to process a subsequent request corresponding to the content associated with the two or more embedded resources are also provided. |
| US08429264B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for managing computer processes
Methods, systems and apparatuses for managing computer processes in a computing environment may be described. An exemplary method may include the defining of a plurality of computer processes; the defining of a sequence that dictates the starting and stopping of the plurality of computer processes; the Defining of any process dependencies for the plurality of computer processes; the defining of a first networked environment where the plurality of computer processes run; the determining of an action to take following a system event; and the executing of the action. |
| US08429254B2 |
Method for networkable device communication
A networkable device-to-networkable device communication method in Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Embodiments include auto-configuration of IPv6 address and automatic commencement of communication among Fire Panels and other types of wired or wireless networkable devices. Each networkable device obtains its IPv6 address in a number of ways including from the first or any particular networkable device in a network. A designated networkable device instills IPv6 address to its neighboring networkable device, and subsequently the neighboring networkable device instills IPv6 address to its neighboring networkable device dynamically. Embedded Gateways are created dynamically in the network. Each networkable device uses its and its neighboring networkable devices' Embedded Gateways in order to transmit and receive IPv6 multicast, anycast or unicast packets. Embodiments obviate the need to use conventional Ethernet network backbone, networking and routing devices like switch or router, or manual configuration. |
| US08429251B2 |
Method for the consistent provision of configuration data in an industrial automation system comprising a plurality of networked control units, and industrial automation system
For the consistent provision of configuration data in an industrial automation system comprising a plurality of networked control units, components of a service are combined by a local service configuration unit using a standard configuration interface to form a service. Services are configured by configuration data and activated, where the configuration data comprise information relating to the attribution of services to control units and dependencies between services. The configuration data are accepted from a control and monitoring unit in the industrial automation system by a system configuration service, checked and transmitted to destination control units. The transmitted configuration data are checked by local service configuration units associated with the destination control units for changes in comparison with previously used configuration data. The local service configuration units use detected changes in the configuration data to ascertain lists of operations for performing configuration changes, where the lists are optimized to minimize service downtimes. |
| US08429250B2 |
Transcodeless on-the-fly ad insertion
Systems and methods for enabling dynamic advertisement insertion into media files without transcoding are disclosed. The techniques disclosed involve retrieving files of the media and advertisement(s) and converting the files to an MPEG-2 transport stream (MPEG-2 TS) format. The MPEG-2 TS streams are then joined to insert the advertisement at a desired point in the media file. The resulting MPEG-2 TS stream is then converted back to a media file, which can be provided for downloading, or optionally reindexed. Because it does not require transcoding, this process can be performed on-the-fly to provide dynamic insertion of advertisements into media files. Other media file manipulation, including the insertion of non-advertisement media, is contemplated. |
| US08429248B1 |
Distributed file system including multicast retrieval
A distributed file system intelligently allocates portions of a file system from a server to one or more clients on a network. File system data used during power-on of a client may be stored on the client. A retrieval of the file system may subsequently be made to the extent the client has capacity to store the file system. A multicast operation, performed as a background operation on the client, may be used to retrieve the file system. For portions of the file system not allocated to the client, the client may still access the file system from the server. Network bandwidth may thus be reduced and client access to the file system may generally be more efficient. |
| US08429247B1 |
Method and apparatus for fulfilling browser requests from a local cache
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates intercepting browser communication protocol requests at a client. In addition, the system optionally fulfills the requests with content which is locally cached on the client rather than with content from a web server, which is located externally from the client. During operation, the system receives a communication protocol request at a browser's communication protocol stack. In response to the request, the system identifies a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the request. The system also determines if an item of content identified by the URL can be retrieved from a local cache. If so, the system fulfills the request from the local cache. |
| US08429246B2 |
Computer program and method for biometrically secured, transparent encryption and decryption
A computer program for secure encryption and decryption provides a user interface that allows a user to drag and drop files into and out of a secure repository, wherein the program automatically encrypts files transferred into the repository and automatically decrypts files transferred out of the repository. The user can transfer file folders into the repository, wherein the program encrypts all of the files within the folder and retains the original file/folder structure, such that individual files can be moved within the repository, moved out of the repository, and opened or executed directly from the repository. The program requires the user to submit biometric data and grants access to the secure repository only if the biometric data is authenticated. The program generates an encryption key based at least in part on biometric data received from the user. Additionally, the program destroys the key after termination of each encryption/decryption session. |
| US08429244B2 |
Alerting users to items of current interest
Disseminating to a participant an indication that an item accessible by the participant via a network is of current interest is disclosed. An indication that the item is of current interest is received in real time. The indication is processed. The participant is informed that the item is of current interest. |
| US08429240B2 |
Data transfer device and data transfer system
According to one embodiment, a data transfer device is provided. The data transfer device is configured to transfer data between a plurality of data transceivers and at least one memory having a first memory area. When one of the data transceivers has acquired an exclusive access right to the first memory area of the memory, the data transfer device stores address information corresponding to the first memory area. |
| US08429238B2 |
Method for providing feedback to a publisher
A computer implemented method for providing feedback to a publisher, comprising: responsive to receiving a published message from the publisher comprising an option requesting feedback, comparing the message with subscriber data; and responsive to the publish operation and responsive to determining a matching subscriber associated with the published message, selecting a notification for transmission to the publisher. |
| US08429237B2 |
Managing an electronic mail in a communication network
A method, a system and a computer program product for managing an electronic mail in a communication network is disclosed. A plurality of recursive parameters in a command list of a communication protocol associated with the electronic mail is provided. At least one of the recursive parameters is a DATA parameter specifying information of the electronic mail. The command list is partitioned into a plurality of command sub-lists using the plurality of recursive parameters. At least one property corresponding to each of the command sub-lists is preserved. An interface for selecting each of the command sub-lists is provided and at least one of the command sub-lists is selected. At least one property corresponding to each of the command sub-lists is identified. |
| US08429234B2 |
Methods and systems for providing an electronic account to a customer
An electronic account is provided to a customer to enable the customer to access electronic services, such as e-mail and electronic transactions. The electronic account links an electronic address of the customer to a physical address of the customer. Using the electronic account, electronic services can be provided to the customer at either the electronic or physical address, or both. The services can be both secure and non-secure and can be provided by any service provider, such as an online merchant, a government agency, or a bank. |
| US08429232B1 |
Message authentication using signatures
Systems and methods are provided for using digital signatures to help distinguish legitimate email from known or trusted organizations from unsolicited email or forged email. Digital signatures may be used in an email body, mail header, or embedded links. The signatures may be verified by a recipient or internet service provider and may be used in conjunction with spam filtering applications. |
| US08429224B2 |
Gaming browser manager client system and method
A browser manager server is able to initialize and configure one or more browser windows on a gaming device display screen. The browser manager has the ability to configure specific URLs for each browser window, configure and Z-order depth for each window, set window size and position, and call functions on the browser pages. A browser client side application on a gaming device is capable of creating multiple windows on an electronic gaming device and responding to said server configuration or browser message commands. |
| US08429223B2 |
Systems and methods for facilitating group activities
Methods and systems for providing a lifestyle companion system are provided. The lifestyle companion system can provide a platform to conduct a user interview. Based on the user interview responses, the system can suggest activities, references, and/or plug-in modules. During performance of activities, the system can provide audio and/or visual cues related to the activities and collect data indicative of the user's performance. Based on the collected data, the system can dynamically adapt the user's goals and/or activities the user is performing or will perform. In some embodiments of the present invention, the lifestyle companion system of the present invention can be applied to fitness, nutrition, and/or medical modules. The system also can be used to facilitate synchronous group activities. |
| US08429221B2 |
Content request routing method
A method of redirecting content requests among content distribution network peers. In operation, a client sends a request for content to a content distribution network (CDN). When this CDN does not currently have the capacity to deliver the content, the CDN refers to one or more content distribution tables to see if the neighbor peers are able to provide this content. The content distribution table is populated at the time of distribution of the content. When the neighbor peer has this content, the request is redirected to the neighbor peer. In redirecting request, an address of the neighbor peer is appending to the previous address such that each peer receiving the request knows where the request came from and where it has been previously. |
| US08429215B2 |
Adaptive filter for channel estimation with adaptive step-size
A receiving apparatus for a digital mobile communication system comprises an adaptive filter for filtering an input signal. A step-size parameter chosen for the adaption of filter coefficients of the adaptive filter is computed from a variation of the filter coefficients used by the adaptive filter. This facilitates an indirect measure for the channel variation so that a good reception quality over a wide range of user velocities may be enabled in contrast to a system design based on a compromise step-size parameter being optimum for one velocity only. |
| US08429213B2 |
Method of forcing 1's and inverting sum in an adder without incurring timing delay
A summing circuit for an adder decodes control signals to determine that the result should be manipulated, and generates a half-sum output which is used to produce a manipulated result based on the control signals. The half-sum output is combined with a previous carry bit to complete the sum operation. The control signals can invert the adder result, or force the result to be all 1's. These functions can be effectuated in a 3-way multiplexer that combines the operand inputs and control signals. For inversion, two separate logic circuits produce true and complement half-sums in parallel, and the appropriate half-sum is selected for the half-sum output. For a result of all 1's, a force_1 control signal pulls the half-sum output node to electrical ground and the final output is manipulated by gating the carry signals with the force_1 signal. The two functions are implemented without introducing additional delay. |
| US08429212B1 |
Training scoring models optimized for highly-ranked results
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for training scoring models. One method includes storing data identifying a plurality of positive and a plurality of negative training images for a query. The method further includes selecting a first image from either the positive group of images or the negative group of images, and applying a scoring model to the first image. The method further includes selecting a plurality of candidate images from the other group of images, applying the scoring model to each of the candidate images, and then selecting a second image from the candidate images according to scores for the images. The method further includes determining that the scores for the first image and the second image fail to satisfy a criterion, updating the scoring model, and storing the updated scoring model. |
| US08429206B2 |
Method and apparatus for rule-based transformation of policies
A logical expression of a policy is generated from another logical expression of a policy, for example, via a set of transformations, each of which comprises an input sub-expression and an output sub-expression. Any sub-expression of the input expression which matches an input sub-expression of a transformation rule is replaced with the output sub-expression of that transformation rule to form a sub-expression of the output expression. |
| US08429205B2 |
Associating data with media signals in media signal systems through auxiliary data steganographically embedded in the media signals
A reference to auxiliary data is steganographically encoded within a media signal. The auxiliary data is stored in a metadata database that maps the reference encoded in the media signal to its corresponding metadata. Various application programs and devices can access the metadata by extracting the reference from the media signal, and querying the database for metadata corresponding to the reference. The metadata database may be implemented in a network server to make metadata readily available to devices and applications distributed throughout a network. This steganographic link to metadata may be used to retrieve metadata across media management systems. In one configuration, for example, media management systems have metadata servers that maintain metadata for a collection of media signals. The metadata server is responsible for responding to requests for metadata associated with media titles in its collection. In the event that a metadata server does not have metadata associated with a particular media title, it forwards the reference extracted from the media signal to a metadata router, which in turn, re-directs the request to the appropriate metadata server. |
| US08429204B2 |
Short point-of-interest title generation
Short POI titles are generated by removing unnecessary administrative area prefixes from existing POI titles and replacing necessary administrative area prefixes with shorter aliases. Administrative area prefixes are identified and analyzed to determine whether they are necessary. The analysis includes determining (1) whether the remainders with the prefixes excluded include a common suffix as a prefix, and (2) whether the remainders are unique in an applicable metropolis area. If a remainder does not include as a prefix a common suffix and is unique in the applicable metropolis area, the corresponding prefix is determined unnecessary and removed from the existing POI title to generate a short POI title. Otherwise, the corresponding prefix is determined necessary and replaced with a shorter alias to generate a short POI title. |
| US08429200B2 |
Using a separate process in an interactive computer programming environment as a database
Some embodiments of a system and a method to use a separate process in an interactive computer programming environment as a database have been presented. For instance, both server and client may run in an interactive computer programming environment, such as Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL) environment. The server may receive data manipulating instructions written in a generic programming language and data from the client. The server can execute the instructions to manipulate the data. The server may further act as a database for the client by maintaining persistence of the data. |
| US08429197B1 |
Systems and methods for maintaining group membership records
A method for maintaining group membership records includes 1) maintaining a record of group memberships for a membership hierarchy, the membership record identifying a direct relationship between a first object and a second object in the membership hierarchy, 2) receiving a membership update indicating that, as of a first point in time, a direct relationship between the second object and a third object changed, 3) updating the record of group memberships to reflect the change in the relationship between the second object and the third object, 4) deducing, based on the membership update and the record of group memberships, a change in an indirect relationship between the first object and the third object as of the first point in time, and 5) providing a view of object relationships within the membership hierarchy as the object relationships exist at the first point in time and a historical record of object relationships. |
| US08429196B2 |
Fast extraction of scalar values from binary encoded XML
Techniques are provided for efficiently extracting scalar values from binary-encoded XML data. Node information is stored in association with binary-encoded XML data to indicate whether one or more nodes of an XML document are simple or complex. A node is simple if the node has no child elements and no attributes. The node information of a particular node is used to determine whether a particular node, identified in a query, is simple or complex. If the particular node is simple, then the scalar value of the particular node is identified without performing any operations other than possibly converting the scalar value to a non-binary-encoded format or converting the scalar value to a value of a different data type. |
| US08429189B1 |
Computer method for in-memory (CO-PA) clients and corresponding computer system
A method includes generating at a client, operating on a user computer, a URL request having URL parameters according to a representational state transfer (REST) protocol, transmitting the URL request from the client to a gateway, which is operating on a server computer, and extracting via the gateway the URL parameters according to the REST protocol. The method further includes generating via the gateway a query for hosted content identified by the URL parameters, transmitting the query to the database, generating a search report for the query, and transmitting the search report from the database to the gateway. The method further includes encoding via the gateway the search report in an XML representation according to the REST protocol, and transmitting the search report in the XML representation from the gateway to the client where the client decodes the search report in the XML representation via the REST protocol for display. |
| US08429184B2 |
Generation of refinement terms for search queries
A computer-implemented method includes receiving from a user a first search query consisting of one or more first query terms, and receiving from the user an indication of a desired level of personalization of refinement options for the first search query. Responsively to the first search query, a set of one or more refinement terms is generated at least in part responsively to the indication, and is presented to the user. Responsively to a selection of at least one of the refinement terms by the user, the selected at least one refinement term is added to the first search query to generate a second search query. Search results are presented to the user responsively to the second search query. |
| US08429179B1 |
Method and system for ontology driven data collection and processing
Systems and method to aid in the collection, representation and mining of data are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments as disclosed may utilize a unifying format to represent data obtained or utilized by a system to facilitate linking between data from different sources and the commensurate ability to mine such data. Specifically, embodiments may represent data as graphs that comprise the concepts and relationships between those concepts. In this manner, concepts in graphs that represent distinct groupings of data may be mapped and knowledge mining with respect to these graphs facilitated. |
| US08429178B2 |
Reliability of duplicate document detection algorithms
In a single-signature duplicate document system, a secondary set of attributes is used in addition to a primary set of attributes so as to improve the precision of the system. When the projection of a document onto the primary set of attributes is below a threshold, then a secondary set of attributes is used to supplement the primary lexicon so that the projection is above the threshold. |
| US08429176B2 |
Extending media annotations using collective knowledge
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for extending media annotations using collective knowledge. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving a plurality of content items and associated annotations. The method further normalizes the plurality of associated annotations and calculates pair frequencies for the plurality of associated annotations. The method then retrieves a plurality of alternative annotations and provides the plurality of alternative annotations. |
| US08429173B1 |
Method, system, and computer readable medium for identifying result images based on an image query
Methods, systems and apparatus for identifying result images for a query image. One or more labels that are associated with the query image are obtained. Candidate images matching the query labels are identified. Visual similarity scores are generated for the candidate images. Each visual similarity score represents the visual similarity of a respective candidate image to the query image. Relevance scores are generated for each of the candidate images based on the visual similarity scores. Each relevance score represents a measure of relevance of the respective candidate images to the query image. The candidate images are ranked based on the relevance scores, a highest ranking subset of the candidate images being identified as result images and referenced by image search results. The result images can be candidate images that satisfy a similarity condition relative to the query image and other result images. |
| US08429172B2 |
Mobile communication terminal and method for recommending content item
According to one embodiment, a mobile communication terminal comprises a storage device which stores rule information including at least one pair of condition information and content information, wherein the condition information is composed of a plurality of condition labels, a condition estimator which generates condition estimation data indicating accuracy data regarding a condition of the terminal for each of a plurality of condition labels based on sensed data, wherein the each condition label is fallen into one of a plurality of condition items, a priority decision section which estimates the rule information and determines priority data for the pair, an estimator which generates an estimation value indicating a summation the accuracy data from the condition estimator and the priority data, and a selection section which provides a shortcut button to run a program with a display device based. |
| US08429168B1 |
Learning semantic image similarity
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying similar images. In some implementations, a method is provided that includes receiving a collection of images and data associated with each image in the collection of images; generating a sparse feature representation for each image in the collection of images; and training an image similarity function using image triplets sampled from the collection of images and corresponding sparse feature representations. |
| US08429166B2 |
Density-based data clustering method
A density-based data clustering method executed by a computer system is disclosed. The method includes a setup step, a clustering step, an expansion step and a termination step. The setup step sets a radius and a threshold value. The clustering step defines a single cluster on a plurality of data points of a data set, and provides and adds a plurality of first boundary marks to a seed list as seeds. The expansion step expands the cluster from each seed of the seed list, and provides and adds at least one second boundary mark to the seed list as seeds. The termination step determines whether each of the data points is clustered, wherein the clustering step is re-performed if the determination is negative. |
| US08429165B1 |
Systems and methods of partitioning data for synchronous parallel processing
Methods and systems for partitioning data for processing in a plurality of data centers are disclosed. For each of a plurality of data centers, a time period required for the data center to process an amount of information may be estimated. The plurality of data centers may be ordered based on the time period for each data center. Data may be received from one or more sources. A data center having a smallest time period from the ordered plurality of data centers may be selected to be added to a set of data centers. An overall execution time for the set of data centers to process the data may be determined. The selecting and determining operations may be repeated until the overall execution time satisfies one or more threshold criteria. The data may be transmitted to the set of data centers. |
| US08429164B1 |
Automatically creating lists from existing lists
A system automatically creates a list from items in existing lists. The system receives one or more example items corresponding to the list and assigns weights to the items in the existing lists based on the one or more example items. The system then forms the list based on the items and the weights assigned to the items. |
| US08429163B1 |
Content similarity pyramid
A method of presenting a plurality of content includes receiving measurements of similarity distances between content of the plurality of content; mapping the content to a two-dimensional surface based on the similarity distances; and partitioning the content of the two-dimensional surface into k levels of a similarity pyramid, wherein each of the k levels includes 4^k−1 cells, and wherein each content of the plurality of content is separately mapped to one of the cells on one of the k levels of the similarity pyramid. |
| US08429158B2 |
Method and system for unified searching and incremental searching across and within multiple documents
A user-interface system and method for searching among multiple documents and searching for subsections within individual documents using a single search interface on an input-constrained user device having a screen and a keypad. |
| US08429157B2 |
Sponsored search results re-ranking based on linking associations
A computer-implemented system and methods of re-ranking sponsored search results by a search engine in response to a search query include: retrieving one or more organic search results and a plurality of sponsored search results (“search results”), along with their respective rankings, associated with a search query; determining a degree of association between each sponsored search result and the other search results through analyzing web links between the plurality of sponsored search results, the one or more organic search results, and other web documents to or from which the search results are at least indirectly linked; re-ranking the plurality of sponsored search results based on the degree of association between each respective sponsored search result and the other search results; and storing in memory the plurality of re-ranked sponsored search results in relation to the search query. |
| US08429154B2 |
Document search device, imaging forming apparatus, and document search system
A search device is provided that extracts and stores field data from document data and displays a search result in a two-dimensional coordinate system whose axes are freely chosen by a user. The search device has a data input unit for inputting input data to the search device, a field extraction unit for extracting field data from the input data, a data storage unit for storing the field data and the input data associated with the field data, a search word input unit for inputting a search word, a search processing unit for searching the field data in the data storage unit based on the inputted search word and for retrieving the input data associated with the found field data, and a display unit for displaying an icon, representing the input data found by the search processing unit, at a position in a coordinate system. |
| US08429148B1 |
Method and apparatus for automatically generating headlines based on data retrieved from a network and for answering questions related to a headline
Disclosed is a web server that includes a headlines module for automatically generating headlines based on data retrieved from a network (e.g., World Wide Web). The web server also includes an interactive agent for generating responses to inquiries relating to the headlines based on the data. |
| US08429145B2 |
Syndicating humor
A method and apparatus for altering a page presenting search results is provided. The query dispatcher receives one or more query terms. Based on the query terms, the search engine generates a set of search results and advertisements. A parallel search dispatched by entertainment rating and selection engine generates a set of content items based on the one or more query terms and an additional one or more constraint terms. The entertainment item rating and selection engine selects a content item from the set of content items. The selection may be random, based on past user responses, or responses of users belonging to particular clusters. The entertainment item injector then replaces one of the search results or advertisements with the content item. The content item is presented to the user on a search results page. The content item contains a feedback mechanism to collect user responses. The entertainment item rating and selection engine then derives the quality of the entertainment item from the collected user responses. |
| US08429144B2 |
Interprocess communication using a single semaphore
A method to enable communication between software processes includes initiating a plurality of processes, the processes including both attachment processes and target processes. A single semaphore is created and initialized for use by the plurality of processes such that each of the target processes wait on the semaphore. An attachment process writes a message file, identifying a specific target process, to a location accessible by the target processes. The attachment process then increments the semaphore by the number of target processes, thereby unblocking the target processes and allowing them to check the message file. When the specific target process determines that the message file is intended for that target, a connection is established between the attachment process and the specific target process. The attachment process then decrements the semaphore to zero to block the target processes. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also disclosed herein. |
| US08429142B2 |
Mechanisms to support object-oriented version control operations
Mechanisms to support object-oriented version control operations are provided. A user manipulates and views a project from an object viewpoint and within an object module. The user performs version control operations using object handles. The object handles are resolved to specific file references and the specific file references are used to process legacy version control commands utilizing a legacy version control system in a manner that is transparent to the user. |
| US08429140B1 |
System and method for representing application objects in standardized form for policy management
Described herein are systems and methods for providing data policy management over application objects in a storage system environment. An application object may comprise non-virtual or virtual objects (e.g., non-virtual-based applications, virtual-based applications, or virtual storage components). An application object manager may represent application objects by producing mapping graphs and/or application object data that represent application objects in a standardized manner. A mapping graph for an application object may describe a mapping between the application object and its underlying storage objects on a storage system. Application object data may describe a mapping graph in a standardized format. Application object data representing application objects may be received by an application policy manager that manages data policies on the application objects (including virtual applications and virtual storage components) based on the received application object data. Data policies may include policies for backup, service level objectives, recovery, monitoring and/or reporting. |
| US08429139B2 |
Method for processing a digital file notably of the image, video and/or audio type
A method for processing a digital file of the images, video and/or audio type which comprises a phase for putting into line per color layer and/or per audio channel, digital data of any audio, image and video file, a compression phase using algorithm in which each compressed value VCn of position N is obtained by subtracting from the value Vn of same position N of the original file, a predetermined number of successive compressed values (VCn-1, VCn-2, . . . ) calculated previously, and a restoration phase using an algorithm in which each restored value VDn of position N is obtained by adding to the value VCn, of the same position of the compressed file, a predetermined number of successive compressed values (VCn-1, VCn-2, . . . ). |
| US08429137B2 |
Enterprise data duplication identification
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for identifying duplicate data. In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a method for identifying duplicate data. The method may include identifying one or more reference fields that include one or more data values. The method may include retrieving the one or more reference fields and one or more data values. The method may also include transforming the one or more reference fields into one or more reference fingerprint patterns. The method may also include identifying one or more target fields that include one or more target field values. The method may also include retrieving the one or more target fields. The method may also include transforming the one or more target field values into one or more target fingerprint patterns. The method may also include comparing the one or more reference fingerprint patterns with the one or more target fingerprint patterns. The method may further include determining an overlap between the one or more reference fingerprint patterns and the one or more target fingerprint patterns. |
| US08429135B1 |
Processor fault tolerance through translation lookaside buffer refresh
Techniques are provided herein to provide a processor device that has tolerance for faults associated with operations of a translation lookaside buffer. In a processor device, contents of a translation lookaside buffer are stored in a memory that is protected by an error correction code (ECC) to provide an ECC-protected backup copy of the contents of the translation lookaside buffer. When a miss exception of the translation lookaside buffer is triggered during execution of a processor function, the contents of the translation lookaside buffer is refreshed with the ECC-protected backup copy. Future operations of the processor are made using the refreshed contents of the translation lookaside buffer. |
| US08429131B2 |
Systems and methods for preventing digital asset restoration
Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system. |
| US08429128B2 |
System and method of data security in synchronizing data with a wireless device
A system is disclosed. The system includes a server, a client application, and a first database. The first database is associated with the client application. The system further includes a second database to store data in an encrypted format, and a replicator to synchronize the data stored in the first and second databases. The system also includes a synchronizer to synchronize the data stored in the second database and the server based on a current security level. |
| US08429124B2 |
On demand multi-location large database synchronization system
Systems and method for distributing updates on demand to synchronize a remote client database with a source database are provided. A client can request an online update from the database content provider and the database provider can stream database updates to the client over a network connection in real time, or the database content provider can stream database updates to the client at scheduled times based on a licensing agreement with the client. This allows the client database to be kept in synch with the source database without requiring that the database provider generate a set of database updates on physical media and ship the physical media to the client for processing. |
| US08429123B2 |
Synchronization improvements
Synchronization architectures, methods, systems, and computer readable media are described. In one embodiment, a synchronization session is initiated between a first data processing system and a second data processing system. First data, representing changes to a first data class, is transmitted from the first data processing system to the second data processing system. Second data, representing changes to a second data class, is transmitted from the first data processing system to the second data processing system. Transmission of the second data begins before transmission of the first data is complete. The first data may comprise structured data such as contacts information, to do information, calendar information, or web browsing bookmarks. |
| US08429121B2 |
Apparatus and method for creating a real time database replica
A method of processing data includes identifying a capture redo byte address, initiating a capture process at the capture redo byte address, creating a clone of a source database to a logical change number, and initiating an apply process at a target database. |
| US08429111B1 |
Encoding and compression of statistical data
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating or using augmentation queries. In one aspect, statistical model of statistical data is used to support lossless predictive compression. Data instances are identified in statistical data and classified into one of a plurality of data types. Each data type is associated with a corresponding compression process that is used to compress data instances of that type. |
| US08429110B2 |
Pattern tree-based rule learning
A pattern tree is constructed based on a plurality of key-value pairs representing portions of a data set. In some implementations, the pattern tree may be used for learning one or more rules for interacting with a source of the data set. |
| US08429108B2 |
Fast computation of compact poset isomorphism certificates using position weights
Two methods and systems for fast construction of poset isomorphism certificates are provided. Posets (partially-ordered sets) generalize graphs. The invented certificates are number sequences such that two posets are isomorphic if and only if their corresponding certificates coincide. The first method yields the (Omicron,Iota) poset isomorphism certificate. The minimal Phi-isomorphism certificate can be constructed by partitioning vertices of the graphs into Phi-ranked symmetry clusters and constructing a topological Phi-vertex ranking. Thus, symmetries in posets are detectable at low cost. In addition, the Phi-vertex ranking and a poset isomorphism certificate provide a pair of separate one-dimensional keys for poset encoding. Data objects representable as posets, which are commonly used in automated design, safety and security applications, biocomputing, management of semi-structured data, and other fields, can be stored, analyzed, indexed, and accessed using the isomorphism certificates requiring much less storage and computation time. |
| US08429105B2 |
Concurrent two-phase completion genetic algorithm multi-processor instance system
A genetic algorithm architecture implements a two-stage completion genetic algorithm with respect to an evolving current population data set. The two-stage completion genetic algorithm that includes genotype and phenotype completion loops. The genotype completion loop operates to compete the current population data set based on genotype field fitness scores. The genotype completion loop also implements a phenogenesis operator used to generate a current phenotype set. The phenotype completion loop operates, concurrently with the genotype completion loop, to evaluate the current phenotype set, constrained relative to the current population data set, against a fitness function to produce phenotype fitness scores. The phenotype completion loop implements a genotype reduction operator that then determines corresponding genotype fitness scores for use as the basis for competition in the genotype completion loop. |
| US08429102B2 |
Data driven frequency mapping for kernels used in support vector machines
Frequency features to be used for binary classification of data using a linear classifier are selected by determining a set of hypotheses in a d-dimensional space using d-dimensional labeled training data. A mapping function is constructed for each hypothesis. The mapping functions are applied to the training data to generate frequency features, and a subset of the frequency are selecting iteratively. The linear function is then trained using the subset of frequency features and labels of the training data. |
| US08429097B1 |
Resource isolation using reinforcement learning and domain-specific constraints
Systems and methods for providing resource isolation in a shared computing environment using reinforcement learning (RL) techniques are disclosed. A resource isolation mechanism may be applied in a shared storage system, or database service, that limits the resource utilization of each namespace to its specified allocation. For example, the mechanism may be used to limit the I/O utilization of database applications in a shared computing system to a specified limit, and may apply RL techniques, along with domain-specific constraints, to the system to automatically control the rate of queries made by an application. RL techniques, such as those based on the State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) method, may be effective in controlling resource utilization for different workloads, and may be enhanced by their application in conjunction with domain-specific business rules. RL techniques may be applied globally by the service, or may be applied to particular subscribers, applications, shared resources, namespaces, or query types. |
| US08429096B1 |
Resource isolation through reinforcement learning
Systems and methods for providing resource isolation in a shared computing environment using reinforcement learning (RL) techniques are disclosed. A resource isolation mechanism may be applied in a shared storage system, or database service, that limits the resource utilization of each namespace to its specified allocation. For example, the resource isolation mechanism may be used to limit the I/O utilization of database applications in a shared computing system (e.g., a system supporting a database service) to a specified limit. In such embodiments, RL techniques may be applied to the system to automatically control the rate of queries made by an application. RL techniques, such as those based on the State-Action-Reward-State-Action (SARSA) method may be effective in controlling the I/O utilization of database applications for different workloads. RL techniques may be applied globally by the service, or may be applied to particular subscribers, applications, shared resources, namespaces, or query types. |
| US08429090B1 |
Methods and systems for controlling access to relationship information in a social network
Systems and methods for controlling access to relationship information in a social network are described. One described method comprises receiving a request from an observer for relationship information indicating at least a first relationship between a target in a social network and a second entity in the social network, identifying at least a first privacy rule for the first relationship, and outputting at least part of the relationship information to the observer if the first privacy rule is satisfied. |
| US08429089B2 |
Technology valuation and transaction system and related method capable of conducting on-line technology valuation and transaction
A technology valuation and transaction system and related method are proposed for connecting to at least one terminal device via a network unit. The method allows members to login to the system and provides related technology for conducting technology valuation and transaction online. The system at least includes a web server having installed therein a technology valuation and transaction interface for users to store technology related data and conduct technology valuation and transaction online, an expert database for storing related data of experts providing services of technology valuation in all fields, a technology supply database for allowing a supplier to store technology supply data, a technology demand database for a demander to store related data of a required technology, and at least one terminal device having installed therein a browser for allowing users to execute the technology valuation and transaction interface for technology valuation, matches and transaction. |
| US08429087B2 |
System and method of optimal time for product launch an withdraw in e-commerce
The present disclosure introduces a technique for achieving the optimal time to launch or withdraw products on a webpage. In one aspect, a method includes: storing information to be collected from a webpage for one or more items corresponding to a first product; collecting data related to the one or more items in each time section of a plurality of time sections; calculating a respective value score for each time section of the plurality of time sections based on a respective number of occurrences of the one or more items in each time section; determining the optimal time to launch or withdraw the first product based on value scores of the first product for the plurality of time sections; and rendering launch or withdrawal of the first product on the webpage in the optimal time. Implementation of the technique will conveniently allow a merchant's product website to automatically complete a product launch or withdrawal in the optimal time. |
| US08429084B1 |
Confirming local marketplace transaction consummation for online payment consummation
Exemplary embodiment of the present invention would provide systems, including Internet-based systems, and computer-implemented methods, for providing online Buyers and Sellers who physically transact an exchange of an item at a local meeting place, indicia of confirmation of the exchange on which to base a background online payment. In particular, exemplary embodiments of the present invention would provide a way for Buyers and/or Sellers to input an identifier for online authentication to confirm that a physical exchange of an item sold had been transacted and that would accordingly provide an online system with a basis to charge the relevant Buyer's account for a sale amount and pay the Seller for the item sold. |
| US08429081B1 |
Techniques for securely delivering media data
Techniques are provided for securely delivering media data. A requestor is directed to a secure streaming portal after being authenticated. A requesting application contacts the secure streaming portal and requests media data. A configuration header having a key for decrypting the media data is sent to the requesting application using secure communications. The media data is dynamically encrypted using the key and streamed to the requesting application. The requesting application uses the key and decrypts the encrypted media data for consumption. |
| US08429076B1 |
System and method for funding a collective account
A system and method for funding a collective account such as a charitable account includes issuing a plurality of financial instruments, linking the financial instruments to the collective account, aggregating individual financial instrument usage, calculating a bonus or other reward based on the aggregate financial instrument usage and funding or distributing the reward to the collective account. According to the invention, members of a civic, charitable, political or other entity may generate collective rewards or other benefits which may be attributed to the designated organization. |
| US08429075B2 |
System and method for instant issue of personalized financial transaction cards
In a method for instantly issuing a personalized financial transaction card to a customer a bank employee receives customer information and card information from the customer at a branch location. The card information may include a card personal identification number (PIN) selected by the customer. The operator inputs the customer information and at least some the card information into a data processing terminal at the branch. The customer information and the card information are communicated from the branch across a network to a card services provider. At the card services provider, the PIN is entered into a PIN database and a reference number associated with the customer and a PIN offset is generated. The reference number and at least some of the customer data and card data may be stored in a card file associated with the customer. The reference number is used to retrieve the PIN from the PIN database. The retrieved PIN is then used to apply calculations to the card file. The card file is securely sent from the card services provider across the network to the branch location. Using information from the card file, the financial transaction card is printed for the customer at the branch location. In a preferred embodiment, the personalized card is instantly issued while the customer is present at the branch location. |
| US08429071B2 |
Mobile device credit account
Providing for a mobile communication device (MCD) credit account and credit transactions by way of such an MCD is described herein. As an example, a credit account sponsored by a financial or commercial entity can be associated with a unique ID of an MCD. The MCD can interface with another electronic device and initiate credit transactions, such as commercial purchases, credit transfers, currency conversions, and the like, via the interface. Further, rules provided by the sponsoring entity can guide such transactions, enforcing credit limits, for instance. A management component can then synchronize transactions conducted by the device with a server of a financial institution over a remote communication interface, such as the Internet or a cellular/mobile communication network. Accordingly, a mobile device can replace a traditional credit card in transacting credit business. |
| US08429063B2 |
Management of business processes
A method and apparatus for managing business processes. First business process data obtained from a first trading participant includes a set of transaction messages having a first data format in accordance with a first protocol for conducting business transactions used by the first trading participant. A virtual trading participant receives fictitious business process data from the first trading participant and acknowledging the fictitious business process data and replying to the first trading participant that the fictitious business process data has been acknowledged. Operational characteristics and a connectivity of a currently trading participant connected to a process management platform accessible via an interconnection fabric are tested, by utilizing the virtual trading participant to determine if the data defining individual business processes is in a uniform format understood by a process management platform. The virtual trading participant is utilized to ensure compatibility with an identified version of the uniform format. |
| US08429062B2 |
Method and interface for consolidating price levels on a trading screen
A trading screen may display price and quantity information for price levels in a static axis of prices. The static axis of prices may be divided into two or more different regions. The price and quantity information for one or more of the regions may be consolidated from price and quantity information from plurality of un-consolidated price levels. |
| US08429061B2 |
Bicycle suspension control apparatus
A bicycle suspension control apparatus is provided with a power supply sensor and a controller. The power supply sensor detects a power level of a power supply being supplied from the power supply to an electrically adjustable suspension. The controller selectively changes a setting state of the suspension between at least a lockout state and a non-lockout state. The controller is operatively coupled to the power supply sensor to receive a power level signal from the power supply sensor. The controller prohibits changing of the suspension from the non-lockout state to the lockout state upon the power supply sensor detecting the power level of the power supply being below a first prescribed power level. The controller permits changing of the suspension from the lockout state to the non-lockout suspension state while the power level of the power supply is below the first prescribed power level. |
| US08429059B2 |
Method and system for providing electronic option trading bandwidth reduction and electronic option risk management and assessment for multi-market electronic trading
A method and system for providing electronic option trading bandwidth reduction and risk management and assessment for multi-market electronic trading. Data streams including electronic option trading information are split into plural individual data streams by a server network device and/or one or more network interface cards (NICs). The individual data streams are made available to target network devices using less network bandwidth and fewer processing cycles that would be required to process the whole data including the electronic option trading information. The option trading risk assessment and management information includes an “integrated viewpoint” that aggregates an option trader's activities across all their electronic option trading accounts, their current and historical option trades and option trade locations on all option trading exchanges. |
| US08429058B2 |
Paired basis swap risk and credit mitigation system and collateral minimization system
A paired basis swap risk and credit mitigation system and collateral minimization system. In swaps used to hedge forward contracts a system authority interposes itself and forms paired basis swaps with each of the paired swap participants and itself together with a Swaption to allow it to maintain a level book in the event of a default by any counterparty. In the event of a default the system authority has the ability to either terminate a swap and pay the non-defaulting counterparty an agreed upon termination payment, terminate the non-defaulting counterparty's swap and exercise the swaption to substitute a correlated swap with appropriate correlated termination payment; or substitute a new counterparty with an identical swap as the paired swap participant. Paired basis swap control through delivery can be enabled to continue the risk and credit mitigation benefits of the system. |
| US08429051B1 |
Investment guidance system which enables individuals to rate and select assets based on personal investment preferences
An investment guidance system which enables individuals to rate and select assets based on personal investment preferences. The system comprises a method for receiving a request to rate a plurality of assets, providing two or more criteria associated with the assets for a user to evaluate, receiving a relative weight of importance for the two or more criteria, and determining a rating for each asset based on the relative weights assigned to the two or more criteria. The system then ranks the plurality of assets based on the rated value for each asset, provides a list of the ranked assets and receives requests to execute trades for the ranked assets. The assets can comprise mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and/or other investment vehicles. |
| US08429050B2 |
Method for detecting ineligibility of a beneficiary and system
A method and system are presented for identifying improper benefit payments to an ineligible beneficiary. Record data may be accessed from a financial institution and may be analyzed to identify patterns within the banking transactions. Deviations may be identified between a pre-benefit pattern and a post-benefit pattern by applying one or more rules, which may be ranked. The deviations that are identified may be determined to be either in compliance, in noncompliance, or within some acceptable level of compliance. A level of noncompliance outside of a range of acceptable noncompliance may result in generating a request for an action to be taken, such as an audit of the beneficiary. The aforementioned methods may be carried out using a computerized device. |
| US08429043B2 |
Financial data processor system and method for implementing equity-credit linked investment vehicles
A novel investment vehicle comprises a synthetic corporate exchangeable note linked to the equity return and credit of select third parties. A computer system creates, tracks and implements the investment vehicle in accord with program-controlled processing. A highly flexible, cost-efficient security is created having enhanced risk/return characteristics. |
| US08429042B2 |
Methods for performing data processing operations associated with securities and security structures
The present disclosure relates to methods for performing data processing operations associated with securities and security structures. More particularly, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a computer implementable method for performing data processing operations associated with a security, comprising: structuring the security to include a convertible note, which convertible note is convertible into a fixed number of shares of common stock of the issuer, which convertible note has associated therewith a maturity and which convertible note pays interest; and calculating whether a price of a share of common stock of the issuer is less than a predetermined threshold percentage of a conversion price associated with the note so that the note is not convertible if the price of the share of common stock of the issuer is less than the predetermined threshold percentage of the conversion price associated with the note. |
| US08429039B1 |
Method and apparatus for tax refund allocation
Method and apparatus for tax refund allocation in tax programs. A tax program may include a tax refund allocation component and user interface that allows a taxable entity to allocate portions of a refund from one tax authority to pay taxes due to another tax authority. The component and user interface may also be used to allocate portions of tax refunds to other institutions than tax authorities. Once the tax refund allocation process is completed, a message or messages indicating the allocation instructions may be sent to a financial institution that acts as an intermediary between the taxable entity, the tax authority(s), and the other institutions. The financial institution may receive the tax refund from the tax authority and distribute the portions of the refund to the other tax authorities and/or institutions as directed by the received allocation instructions. |
| US08429038B1 |
Receipt visualization and receipt data applications
Visually presenting spending behavior, spending patterns, and spending activity to a consumer across of their all receipt based purchase transactions. Receipt data is received at a first or host computer from respective transaction processing devices or host systems of respective merchants, or received from self-service action of the consumer, and identifies respective goods or services purchased by the consumer. A user interface is displayed to the consumer and comprises a thumbnail arrangement of discrete objects, each of which represents respective receipts generated by respective transaction or transaction processing devices. A discrete object may comprise data of one or multiple goods or services and includes category indicators that visually inform the consumer about the type of good or service. Embodiments may also involve requesting receipt data utilizing a mobile communication device, searching receipt data collected by the computer and responding to the request with requested receipt data. |
| US08429037B2 |
Accounts payable process
Techniques for performing an accounts payable process may include receiving transaction data including at least one of invoice data, purchase order data, and vendor data; and verifying a transaction by matching a dynamic data set of client-specified multi-dimensional criteria to the transaction data. An accounts payable system may include a host system in communication with one or more client systems. The host system may include a matching database configured to receive an accounts payable file including at least one of invoice data, purchase order data, and vendor data; and verify a transaction by matching a dynamic data set of client-specified multi-dimensional records to attributes of the accounts payable file. |
| US08429036B2 |
Digital media usage in response to impact data
Aspects provide digital media content as a function of embedded environmental impact data. When a digital multimedia item is received, an embedded environmental impact value is decoded and the item is utilized as a function of the decoded embedded environmental impact value. Some aspects account for amounts and types of energy used in creating the item to calculate an environmental impact value for the item, and the calculated environmental impact value is embedded within digital data of the item. |
| US08429035B1 |
System and method of solving large scale supply chain planning problems with integer constraints
A system and method is disclosed for solving supply chain planning problems. The system includes a database that stores data representing a planning problem of a supply chain network and a computer configured to access the planning problem of the supply chain network stored in the database and model the planning problem as a network of nodes and edges. The computer is further configured to generate a hierarchical linear programming solution of the planning problem and apply advanced heuristics to the generated hierarchical linear programming solution. The computer is still further configured to formulate a mixed integer program to generate an optimized global hierarchical solution and store the generated optimized global hierarchical solution in the database. |
| US08429030B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing supplementary product sales to a customer at a customer terminal
A system for providing supplementary product sales is provided in which a central controller receives a purchase from a card authorization terminal. The purchase includes at least one purchase parameter, such as a customer account identifier, product identifiers for specifying items purchased or product price. The central controller determines a supplementary product to offer that is based on the at least one purchase parameter. A product identifier for specifying the supplementary product is transmitted to the card authorization terminal, where the customer chooses whether to accept the offered supplementary product. The card authorization terminal generates and transmits to the central controller a selection signal indicative of whether the supplementary product is accepted. If the selection signal indicates that the supplementary product is accepted, the central controller adjusts a balance of a financial account in dependence on an adjustment value associated with the supplementary product. |
| US08429029B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing supplementary product sales to a customer at a customer terminal
A system for providing supplementary product sales is provided in which a central controller receives a purchase from a card authorization terminal. The purchase includes at least one purchase parameter, such as a customer account identifier, product identifiers for specifying items purchased or product price. The central controller determines a supplementary product to offer that is based on the at least one purchase parameter. A product identifier for specifying the supplementary product is transmitted to the card authorization terminal, where the customer chooses whether to accept the offered supplementary product. The card authorization terminal generates and transmits to the central controller a selection signal indicative of whether the supplementary product is accepted. If the selection signal indicates that the supplementary product is accepted, the central controller adjusts a balance of a financial account in dependence on an adjustment value associated with the supplementary product. |
| US08429027B2 |
Mobile-based real-time food-and-beverage recommendation system
Particular embodiments extract a plurality of users, a plurality of establishments, and a plurality of items from dining information provided by at least one of the plurality of users, each of the plurality of establishments sells food or beverage; construct a user-establishment matrix, a user-item matrix, and an establishment-item matrix using the plurality of users, the plurality of establishments, and the plurality of items; generate a user latent representation for the plurality of users, an establishment latent representation for the plurality of establishments, and an item latent representation for the plurality of items; and compute one or more correlations using the user latent representation, the establishment latent representation, or the item latent representation, wherein each of the one or more correlations is between two users, two establishments, two items, one user and one establishment, one of user and one item, or one establishment and one item. |
| US08429023B2 |
Revenue raising auction processes for public goods
A computer system for a pricing and auction process allows private enterprise firms to establish an individual price for each consumer paying in to support delivery of the same units of a public good. The process solicits bids from individuals who value a public good, while reducing each individual's incentives to free ride, thereby increasing their incentives to bid or offer a payment that approaches their full value for each, successive unit of the good. Examples include farmers selling the services of land for wildlife habitat, farmers altering production processes to reduce pesticides and nutrients and increase local water quality, particularly during transition from technologically intensive farming to organic farming, or businesses established to help neighborhoods and communities become carbon neutral in a global economy. The process benefits profit or non-profit organizations supporting conservation such as wetland and salt marsh restoration or restoration of endangered species habitat. |
| US08429021B2 |
Method and system for receiving an item during a precious stone and metal appraisal
A method for appraising at a retail location an item having one of a precious stone, a semi-precious stone, a precious metal, or a semi-precious metal includes the step of providing a variety of food products at the retail location. Then, by a transaction point computer at the retail location, the item to be appraised is received, along with the consumer's selection of a food product. The item's composition is determined using an evaluating device, and an exchange value is associated with the item using data obtained by the evaluating device and market data obtained over a network. The exchange value of the item is relayed to the consumer after the food product selected by the consumer has been delivered. |
| US08429020B2 |
Currency weighted cross border listing exposure
A method and a system for currency weighted cross border listing exposure utilize a favorability factor that may be determined between a first and a second currency. A search may be executed that returns listings in both currencies. A subset of those listings in the second currency may then be presented in accordance with the favorability factor. |
| US08429017B2 |
Sales apparatus, sales method and program
A sales apparatus for selling content to a purchaser wearing a communication terminal is provided. The apparatus includes a content selection section allowing selection of content for sale; a communication section built in the content selection section for communicating with the communication terminal; a detection section detecting a selection operation of the purchaser pressing the content selection section; an identifying section identifying content selected by the purchaser based on a detection result; a settlement section executing a settlement process for the content identified by the identifying section, with the communication terminal via the communication section and the human body of the purchaser who is depressing the content selection section; and a supply section adapted to supply the communication terminal with data of the content identified by the identifying section, via the communication section and the human body of the purchaser who is depressing the content selection section. |
| US08429016B2 |
Generating an alert based on absence of a given person in a transaction
Techniques for generating an alert based on absence of a given person in a transaction are provided. The techniques include monitoring, via video, a transaction, wherein the transaction includes presence of a given person in the transaction, relating the video of the transaction to a corresponding portion of a transaction log (TLOG), using the video and corresponding portion of the TLOG to detect if the given person in the transaction is present, and generating an alert if the given person is not present at the transaction. |
| US08429012B2 |
Using estimated ad qualities for ad filtering, ranking and promotion
A system obtains a first parameter (QP1) associated with a quality of an advertisement among multiple advertisements, where the first quality parameter (QP1) does not include a click through rate (CTR). The system functionally combines the first quality parameter (QP1) with at least one other parameter and uses the functional combination to filter, rank or promote the advertisement among the multiple advertisements. |
| US08429009B2 |
Universal affinity system
An improved universal affinity system and method is uniquely configured to be implemented and operated with a reduced impact on existing merchant point of sale and affinity systems. The improved system and method also enables merchants to provide highly targeted incentives and advertising to users of the universal affinity system. |
| US08429006B1 |
System and method for offer targeting
A system and method for offer targeting is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method for offer targeting may comprise: providing a plurality of offers and a plurality of groups, wherein each group comprises one or more accounts; maintaining an offer counter for each of the plurality of groups; and assigning the plurality of offers, in a predetermined order, to the plurality of groups by repeating the following steps: (1) assigning an offer to one or more groups, wherein the one or more groups are selected from groups that are pre-qualified for the offer based on a plurality of business rules, and the selection of the one or more groups is based at least in part on the offer counters of the one or more groups; (2) incrementing offer counters associated with the one or more groups; and (3) sorting the plurality of groups based on the incremented offer counters. |
| US08429003B2 |
Methods, technology, and systems for quickly enhancing the operating and financial performance of energy systems at large facilities; interpreting usual and unusual patterns in energy consumption; identifying, quantifying, and monetizing hidden operating and financial waste; and accurately measuring the results of implemented energy management solutions-in the shortest amount of time with minimal cost and effort
Certain examples relate to computer implemented methods and systems including at least three modules whose combined functionality provides for interpretation and optimization of usual and unusual patterns in energy consumption; the identification, quantification, and monetization of hidden operating and financial waste and the accurate measurement of the results of implemented energy management solutions. The first, “Expert Module”, provides information that assists with the accurate interpretation of the information provided in the Operations module. The second, “Costs Module”, allows users to modify consumption and price components and derive the resulting operating costs based on the facility's applied or available rate structures. The third, “Operations Module”, charts and evaluates the current operating performance of a facility down to 15-minute intervals in comparison to the operating performance of a pre-selected “base year”. Comparisons are synchronized over intervals in a manner that allows users to compare and comment on individual graphs interactively. |
| US08429002B2 |
Approaches for enforcing best practices and policies through computerized processes
Approaches for employing computerized processes to conform the behavior of users to a set of best practices and policies is provided. In an approach, a tool for use in performing a desired task may be identified. A plurality of characteristic values is stored, on a machine-readable medium, for each of a plurality of tools. Each of the plurality of characteristic values identifies a number that reflects how much the tool associated with the characteristic value supports a particular characteristic. A score for each of the plurality of tools is computed. The score for each tool is the sum of the characteristic values that are associated with each tool. Thereafter, display data that describes how to render a pictorial representation, which uses the scores in depicting a relative measure of how appropriate each of the plurality of tools is for the desired task, may be transmitted to a client. |
| US08428994B2 |
System and method for managing facilities
A system allowing a user to answer a series of questions to generate survey data, associating system data with the survey data to generate a highly accurate report. The report allows, for example, for targeted assessment of select facilities systems including a time frame within which work to be performed on select facilities systems and/or a cost associated with work to be performed. |
| US08428990B2 |
Method for allocating resources to jobs using network flow algorithms
A resource allocation system is described in which resources and jobs are arranged as a network flow graph. In the system, resources are allocated to jobs using a network flow algorithm applied to the graph. The algorithm is applied from a graph source to a graph sink by finding a solution progressively for each time interval. |
| US08428976B1 |
Infrastructure method and system for managing deductibles for insurance policies
A method of determining a renewal deductible for an insurance policy includes providing a computer having a processor, determining that a default deductible is less than a current deductible, and determining that a new deductible indicator is negative. The method includes retrieving, using the processor and an available deductible key reference, a plurality of available deductibles from a third table and determining, using the processor, that the plurality of available deductibles does not include the current deductible. The method further includes setting the renewal deductible equal to the available deductible of the plurality of available deductibles higher than and closest to the current deductible if the next higher deductible indicator is in a positive state and setting the renewal deductible equal to the available deductible of the plurality of available deductibles less than and closest to the current deductible if the next higher deductible indicator is in a negative state. |
| US08428975B2 |
Insurance product model-based apparatus and method
An insurance product model comprising insurance policy metadata is provided (101) in a computer memory. The insurance policy metadata may comprise, at least in part, data that describes information that comprises a given corresponding insurance policy. A computer then serves to substantively interpret (102) this insurance product model to facilitate obtaining supplemental policy-specific data. The supplemental policy-specific data and the insurance policy metadata comprise separate and discrete data models and may, if desired, be stored (103) separately from one another. So configured, these teachings further support using (104) the insurance product model and the supplemental policy-specific data to facilitate an insurance-related action. |
| US08428973B1 |
Systems and methods for automatically disabling mobile device usage while driving
A system implemented on one or more processors for automatically disabling mobile device usage while driving may comprise at least one subsystem configured for determining whether a mobile device is traveling at a speed greater than a predetermined threshold and at least one subsystem configured for disabling a functionality of the mobile device if it is determined that the mobile device is traveling at a speed greater than the predetermined threshold. The at least one subsystem configured for determining whether a mobile device is traveling at a speed greater than a predetermined threshold may comprise at least one subsystem configured for receiving output data from an accelerometer on the mobile device and at least one subsystem configured for using said data to determine a current speed of the mobile device. |
| US08428964B2 |
System and method for matching healthcare providers with consumers
A system and method for providing both healthcare service providers and healthcare product providers a forum for marketing their services directly to healthcare consumers with the system facilitating the payments from the consumers to the providers. |
| US08428961B2 |
Method and system for data aggregation for real-time emergency resource management
A system and method for providing information about resource availability, especially during an emergency such as a natural disaster, is herein proposed. The system stores resource information about multiple facilities, across cities, counties, states and even countries. Such information can be provided to designated users based on specified access levels for the user and the resource information. Further, the system is able to exchange the resource availability information with external systems and databases. The resource information is also automatically updated to reflect the most current information. The system is useful in directing resources to participate in an emergency. Further the system aggregates resource information based on one or more attributes, such as region, hospital, city, state, etcetera, that is associated with the resource information. |
| US08428956B2 |
Audio encoding device and audio encoding method
There is provided an audio encoding device capable of effectively encoding a stereo audio even when a correlation between channels of the stereo audio is small. In the device, a monaural signal generation unit (110) generates a monaural signal by using a first channel signal and a second channel signal contained in the stereo signal. An encoding channel selection unit (120) selects one of the first channel signal and the second channel signal. An encoding unit including a monaural signal encoding unit (112), a first channel encoding unit (122), a second channel encoding unit (124), and a switching unit (126) encodes the generated monaural signal to obtain core-layer encoded data and encodes the selected channel signal to obtain extended layer encoded data corresponding to the core-layer encoded data. |
| US08428954B2 |
Environmental condition detector with validated personalized verbal messages
An environmental condition detector emits only safe, validated verbal messages recorded in a user's voice to help occupants of a building respond safely to sensed environmental conditions. The message emitted in the user's voice is generally a familiar voice to other building occupants to better capture their attention, and only certain, safe, user messages are validated for use thereby eliminating the chance that the user may unknowingly record an unsafe message to be emitted during a sensed environmental condition. The verbal message is recorded by a user and is analyzed through speech recognition to determine if the user-recorded message can be validated as containing safe content. A user-recorded message found to match manufacturer preprogrammed message content is validated and selected to be audibly emitted in the user's voice when an environmental condition is sensed. Various embodiments include single station units, interconnected units, or centrally controlled security systems. |
| US08428953B2 |
Audio decoding device, audio decoding method, program, and integrated circuit
An audio decoding device of the present invention includes: a decoding unit decoding a stream to a spectrum coefficient, and outputting stream information when a frame included in the stream cannot be decoded; an orthogonal transformation unit transforming the spectrum coefficient to a time signal; a correction unit generating a correction time signal based on an output waveform within a reference section that is in a section that overlaps between an error frame section to which the stream information is outputted and an adjacent frame section and that is a section in the middle of the adjacent frame section, when the decoding unit outputs the stream information: and an output unit generating the output waveform by synthesizing the correction time signal and the time signal. |
| US08428949B2 |
Apparatus and method for classification and segmentation of audio content, based on the audio signal
An apparatus for classifying an input audio signal into audio contents of a first and second class, comprising an audio segmentation module adapted to segment said input audio signal into segments of a predetermined length; a feature computation module adapted to calculate for the segments features characterizing said audio input signal; a threshold comparison module adapted to generate a feature vector for each of said one or more segments based on a plurality of predetermined thresholds, the thresholds including for each of the audio contents of the first class and of the second class a substantially near certainty threshold, a substantially high certainty threshold, and a substantially low certainty threshold; and a classification module adapted to analyze the feature vector and classify each one of said one or more segments as audio contents of the first class, of the second class, or as non-decisive audio contents. |
| US08428947B2 |
Automatic sound level control
In one or more embodiments, one or more methods and/or systems described can perform determining two or more words of a written language from first data, determining at least one of a noise level external to a mobile device and a location of the mobile device, determining a sound output level based on the at least one of the noise level external to the mobile device and the location of the mobile device, and generating sound data based on the two or more words of the written language and the sound output level. The first data can include, for example, portable document format data that can include first text and/or an image that can include second text. In one or more embodiments, the location can be determined by using at least one of a global positioning system receiver and a location of an access point communicating with the mobile device. |
| US08428946B1 |
System and method for multi-channel multi-feature speech/noise classification for noise suppression
An architecture and framework for speech/noise classification of an audio signal using multiple features with multiple input channels (e.g., microphones) are provided. The architecture may be implemented with noise suppression in a multi-channel environment where noise suppression is based on an estimation of the noise spectrum. The noise spectrum is estimated using a model that classifies each time/frame and frequency component of a signal as speech or noise by applying a speech/noise probability function. The speech/noise probability function estimates a speech/noise probability for each frequency and time bin. A speech/noise classification estimate is obtained by fusing (e.g., combining) data across different input channels using a layered network model. Individual feature data acquired at each channel and/or from a beam-formed signal is mapped to a speech probability, which is combined through layers of the model into a final speech/noise classification for use in noise estimation and filtering processes for noise suppression. |
| US08428939B2 |
Voice mixing device, noise suppression method and program therefor
A voice mixing device for mixing a plurality of voice signals, comprises: a speaker selection unit selecting at least one voice signal among said plurality of voice signals; a full signal adder unit adding all of at least one voice signal selected by said speaker selection unit; respective subtractor unit subtracting only one of said selected voice signals from an addition result of said full signal adder unit; a common noise suppression unit suppressing noise of a common voice signal, being an addition result of said full signal adder unit; individual noise suppression unit suppressing noise of respective individual voice signals, being subtraction results of said subtractor unit; and memory switching unit copying information of noise suppression obtained in said common noise suppression unit based on a selection result of said speaker selection unit, to information of noise suppression in said individual noise suppression unit. |
| US08428937B2 |
Beamforming codebook generation system and associated methods
A codebook generation system and associated methods are generally described herein. For instance, a codebook generation agent (CGA) may implement techniques for generating one or more matrix codebooks from vector codebooks. The CGA may be implemented in mobile devices (e.g., stations, subscriber units, handsets, laptops, etc.). In this regard, the dynamic generation of matrix codebooks rather than having them stored on the mobile device enables the mobile device to utilize the memory normally consumed by the matrix codebooks in support of other features and/or services. |
| US08428933B1 |
Usage based query response
It is possible to provide meaningful responses to queries using systems which consider usage of words in the queries when analyzing those queries and determining what information is possibly relevant. This approach can be applied in online shopping systems by identification of nouns or noun phrases reflecting products available through the system. |
| US08428923B2 |
Method system and program storage device for simulating a multilayer reservoir and partially active elements in a hydraulic fracturing simulator
A method is disclosed including simulating a hydraulic fracture in an Earth formation, the formation including a multilayered reservoir, wherein a mesh overlays the hydraulic fracture thereby defining a plurality of fracture elements. The method further includes calculating and determining an influence coefficient matrix having spatially related indices, wherein the spatially related indices relate influence coefficient matrix elements to corresponding fracture elements. The mesh overlays the hydraulic fracture in more than one layer of the multilayered reservoir. In one embodiment, the method is executed on a program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable to perform the method. |
| US08428915B1 |
Multiple sources of data in a bayesian system
Data for a transaction is modeled by receiving a source set of data. The source set of data comprises data representing a plurality of transactions stored in a source transaction database. An estimation model for modeling data for a transaction is received. A mapping between the source set of data and a model parameter database is received. The model parameter database comprises a plurality of model parameters for the estimation model. The parameters extracted from the model parameter database and the source set of data in a Bayesian framework are combined using a parameter estimation engine to obtain an updated set of model parameters. The updated set of model parameters is stored in the model parameter database. |
| US08428913B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for locating and tracking objects
A system for locating and tracking an object is provided. The system includes a measuring device configured to determine a property of a paving-related material, a locating device configured to determine a location of the measuring device, a tracking system configured to store tracking information associated with the measuring device and one or more properties determined by the measuring device, and a communications system configured to transfer, to a remote device, the location of the measuring device and the tracking information associated with the measuring device. |
| US08428911B2 |
Testing method and computer device and computer testing system using thereof
A testing method for carrying out an accuracy testing operation on a system time signal of a computer device under test includes the following steps. First, first and second clock cycle parameters of an operation clock signal (CPU clock) are respectively recorded in response to first and second triggering edges triggered by an external reference time signal. Next, a reference clock cycle parameter is determined according to the first and second clock cycle parameters. Then, third and fourth clock cycle parameters of the operation clock signal are respectively recorded in response to third and fourth triggering edges triggered by the system time signal. Next, a to-be-measured clock cycle parameter is obtained according to the third and fourth clock cycle parameters. Thereafter, error information of the system time signal is obtained according to the to-be-measured clock cycle parameter and the reference clock cycle parameter. |
| US08428909B2 |
Use of statistics to determine calibration of instruments
The present invention relates generally to statistics and calibration of instruments. More particularly, the invention encompasses the use of statistics to determine calibration of instruments. The present invention is also directed to a remote system for determination of re-calibration of instruments. The present invention also teaches the use of multiple statistical tests to determine need for calibration. The invention also includes a novel use of tests, such as, the F-Test, the Z-Test, to determine need for calibration. Furthermore, this invention relates to an alternate instrument scheme consisting of the use of redundant sensors and statistical analysis to avoid unnecessary calibrations and to detect sensors that are starting to drift before they go out of calibration. With this invention reduced calibration cost, increased data integrity, and reduced off-spec uncertainty is achieved. |
| US08428899B2 |
Apparatus for testing a conducted energy weapon
Apparatus for testing a conducted energy weapon includes analyzer to produce characteristic signals representative of characteristics of electrical current pulses delivered by the weapon into a resistive load when the weapon is discharged. Risk estimation device responsive to the characteristic signals produces a risk estimate representative of a risk of injury to a targeted subject due to electrical stimulation, or alternatively representative of a risk of failure to incapacitate the targeted subject. Indicator device responsive to the risk estimate indicates the risk of injury, or alternatively the risk of failure to incapacitate, and warns the user of the apparatus when the risk exceeds a predetermined threshold. |
| US08428897B2 |
Method and apparatus for spectral cross coherence
The present invention relates to a machine implemented method for spectral analysis that determines a measure of cross coherence between application of two spectral estimation filters to data; and identifies a spectral feature of the measure of cross coherence. One example embodiment of the present invention provides a complete statistical summary of the joint dependence of the Bartlett and Capon power spectral statistics, showing that the coupling is expressible via a 2×2 complex Wishart matrix, where the degree coupling is determined by a single measure of cross coherence defined herein. This measure of coherence leads to a new two-dimensional algorithm capable of yielding significantly better resolution than the Capon algorithm, often commensurate with but at times exceeding finite sample based MUSIC. |
| US08428890B2 |
Device for measuring load and deflection of materials
A system for measuring normal load and deflection of a material that includes a portable load deflection device and a method of using the same is disclosed. The system includes a support arm having a first end and a second end opposite said first end. The first end can be attached to a base surface. The support arm can provides at least three degrees of freedom of movement and includes at least one sensor for determining a position of the second end. A uniaxial load cell can be operably attached to the second end. The system can also include a processing system operable to receive position data and corresponding force data when the support arm is used to apply a non-normal compression force to the test surface. The data can be used to calculate normal force versus deflection data for the test surface. |
| US08428889B2 |
Methods of automated spectral peak detection and quantification having learning mode
There is provided a method of automatically identifying and characterizing spectral peaks of a spectrum generated by an analytical apparatus comprising the steps of: receiving the spectrum generated by the analytical apparatus; automatically subtracting a baseline from the spectrum so as to generate a baseline-corrected spectrum; automatically detecting and characterizing the spectral peaks in the baseline-corrected spectrum; reporting the detected and characterized spectral peaks to a user; receiving a list of adjustments to be made to the detecting and characterizing step from the user; and adjusting exit values used in the detecting and characterizing step, based on the list of adjustments. |
| US08428885B2 |
Virtual screening of chemical spaces
The present invention relates to the screening of molecules, for example for candidates for the development of new drugs. In more detail, the invention relates to a method for searching molecules among a number of molecules to be screened that are similar to a given set of query molecules. |
| US08428884B1 |
Protein synthesis modulators
The invention provides a high resolution three-dimensional structure of a deacylated transfer RNA protein synthesis modulator in association with a large ribosomal subunit. The protein synthesis modulator binds at least a portion of the E-site of a large ribosomal subunit. The invention provides methods for designing and/or identifying analogs of candidate molecules, for example, analogs or derivatives of the protein synthesis modulator, that bind and/or modulate the protein biosynthetic activity of the ribosome. |
| US08428882B2 |
Method of processing and/or genome mapping of diTag sequences
There is provided a method and system for processing and/or mapping ditag nucleotide sequence(s) to a genome, the ditag sequence comprising the 5′ terminal tag and the 3′ terminal tag of a nucleic acid molecule or fragment thereof or genomic fragment. The method of processing comprises preparing a database or file comprising at least one ditag sequence. The method of mapping comprises preparing a database or file of ditag(s), and mapping the ditag sequence(s) to the genome, comprising matching the 5′ and the 3′ terminal tags of the ditag sequence to at least a portion of the genome. |
| US08428879B2 |
Downhole drilling utilizing measurements from multiple sensors
A system and method for controlling a downhole portion of a drill string is provided. The method includes receiving signals from a first sensor package mounted at a first position to the downhole portion, the signals indicative of an orientation of the first sensor package. The method also includes receiving signals from a second sensor package mounted at a second position to the downhole portion, the signals indicative of an orientation of the second sensor package. The method further includes calculating a first amount of bend between the first and second sensor packages in response to the signals and transmitting control signals to an actuator which responds by adjusting the downhole portion to have a second amount of bend between the first and second sensor packages. |
| US08428877B2 |
Navigation system with vehicle retrieval reservation mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: receiving a retrieval reservation having an exit time; generating an alert with the exit time for retrieving a vehicle from a parked location; and identifying a pick-up location based on the alert for parking the vehicle at the pick-up location. |
| US08428874B2 |
Method for searching destination of tree structure and system thereof
A destination retrieving method including: analyzing map data to define a relation between points of interest (POIs) as a POI relation; and providing a search result in the tree structure based on the POI relation when retrieving a destination name is provided. |
| US08428871B1 |
Using routing symbols to describe a driving maneuver
Driving directions are presented where a maneuver in the driving directions includes a road symbol and an action symbol. A road symbol identifies the road involved in the particular maneuver, and an action symbol identifies an action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver. In one example, a road symbol, an action symbol and narrative text may be presented in displayed or printed driving directions. In another example, a road symbol and an action symbol may be used to describe a maneuver presented by an on-board or mobile navigation system when the vehicle in which the navigation system is present approaches the point at which the maneuver is to be taken. The road symbol and the action symbol may be presented with, or without, narrative driving directions. |
| US08428870B2 |
Module supply chain
A system and method of fabricating and assembling of large-sized modules remote from a heavy industrial hydrocarbon processing plant site, and overland transportation thereof to the plant site. The method may rely on a computer-based heavy-haul transportation logistics system. |
| US08428869B2 |
Context enabled address selection
A system allows a user to select an individual address from the multiple addresses for additional information on that particular address. Multiple addresses can be viewed together on a map for selection purposes. Selection of a particular address can trigger new GUIs for presentation of context information for a particular location to a user. Context information can include differing map views, e.g., map view, satellite view, terrain view, etc., landmarks, photos taken from that particular address, local businesses, telephone numbers for that particular address, etc. Presentation of context information can assist a user in making a more informed decision as to which addresses from multiple presented possible addresses to select. Context information provide criteria to select and/or rule out a particular address. |
| US08428867B2 |
Configuring and using multi-dimensional zones
A method to define a three-dimensional geographical zone that is utilized with a movable entity having at least one attached transponder is disclosed. The method comprises allowing a user to enter at least one waypoint, and loading at least one waypoint on at least one transponder. In one or more embodiments, a waypoint is defined by a geographical coordinate and a radius. The geographical coordinate is represented by a latitude value, a longitude value, and an elevation value. And, the radius is represented by a distance magnitude. In some embodiments, the method further comprises regulating the movable entity by monitoring, controlling, and/or visualizing the movement, non-movement, or position of the movable entity. The transponder determines whether the transponder is located inside the three-dimensional geographical zone by obtaining global positioning coordinates, and calculating whether or not the global positioning coordinates are located inside at least one waypoint. |
| US08428854B2 |
Internal EGR control system for internal combustion engine
There is provided an internal EGR control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of ensuring an excellent combustion state by properly controlling an internal EGR amount. The internal EGR control system is comprised of a variable valve operating mechanism 60 for controlling an internal EGR amount of combustion gases caused to remain in cylinders 3a by changing valve-closing timing CAEXVC of exhaust valves 9, target internal EGR amount-setting means 2 for setting a target internal EGR amount of the internal EGR amount EGRINC according to detected operating conditions NE, PMCMD of the engine 3, valve-closing timing-calculating means 2 for calculating valve-closing timing of the exhaust valves 9 based on the set target internal EGR amount EGRINC, valve-closing timing-correcting means 2 for correcting the calculated valve-closing timing of the exhaust valves according to the acquired wall surface temperature parameter TW indicative of wall surface temperature of the cylinder 3a, and control means 2 for controlling the variable valve operating mechanism based on the corrected valve-closing timing of the exhaust valves 9. |
| US08428852B2 |
Implementing a computational fluid dynamics model using a plurality of computation units
An apparatus includes a parallel computation unit including an input port and an output port and a one-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model. The input port is configured to sample at a time t1 a boundary condition signal for the one-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model and the output port is configured to provide an output signal before the boundary condition signal is sampled at a time t2. |
| US08428851B2 |
Control device for a vehicle
There are provided an accelerator grip, a biasing unit connected to the accelerator grip, the biasing unit biasing the accelerator grip to rotate in one circumferential direction, and a restricting unit restricting rotation of the accelerator grip against the biasing unit for placing the accelerator grip to a predetermined opening degree, wherein the restricting unit releases restriction of the accelerator grip when a predetermined operational force or more in one circumferential direction is applied to the accelerator grip so as to excessively rotate the accelerator grip in one circumferential direction beyond the predetermined opening degree. |
| US08428849B2 |
Engine control program, method and apparatus
Setting values of a fuel injection quantity for an engine having an exhaust gas recirculator (EGR) and variable nozzle turbo (VNT), and an engine speed, and measurement values of a manifold air pressure (MAP) and a mass air flow (MAF) are obtained. According to a combination of the reference values of an EGR valve opening degree and a VNT nozzle opening degree, which correspond to the setting values, or a combination of a control value of the EGR valve opening degree by a MAF controller and a control value of the VNT nozzle opening degree by a MAP controller, which correspond to the measurement values, a mode that the MAF and MAP controllers, a first interference compensator from the MAF controller to the MAP controller and a second interference compensator for the reverse direction are enabled and a mode that the MAF or MAP controller is enable are dynamically switched. |
| US08428848B2 |
Combustion control systems and methods
A combustion control system for a direct injection engine includes a mean effective pressure (MEP) determination module, a coefficient of variation (COV) determination module, a spark timing module, and a fuel control module. The MEP determination module determines a MEP for a first combustion event of a cylinder based on cylinder pressure measured by a cylinder pressure sensor during the first combustion event. The COV determination module determines a COV for the cylinder based on the MEP. The spark timing module selectively sets a spark timing for a second combustion event of the cylinder based on the COV. The second combustion event is after the first combustion event. The fuel control module that selectively provides fuel for the second combustion event based on the COV. |
| US08428847B2 |
Ignition module having a bus line
The invention relates to a portable hand-guided work apparatus having an internal combustion engine (10) for driving a work tool (5). A combustion chamber (12) is formed in a cylinder (11) of the engine (10) and is delimited by a piston (13) which drives a crankshaft (14) in rotation. A spark plug (16) is held in the cylinder (11) and is driven by an ignition module (20) to ignite a compressed air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber (12) to drive the piston (13). A short circuit line (21) is provided on the ignition module (20) for switching off the ignition. The short circuit line (21) is configured as a bus line (30) in order to make available, in a simple manner, a plurality of further operating parameters to the ignition module. An external control apparatus (23, 24) and/or sensors (25, 26) are connected to the bus line (30). The ignition module (20), as master, controls data traffic on the bus line (30) and permits a data communication on the bus line (30) only when a minimum crankshaft angular distance (A, B) is present at an ignition time point (Z1, Z2) of the ignition module (20). |
| US08428845B2 |
Vehicle control apparatus
Provided is a vehicle control apparatus which can prevent drivability from being deteriorated. The vehicle control apparatus comprises an ECU adapted to determine whether or not a brake is “off” or the state of the hysteresis width of an accelerator opening degree exceeding a predetermined hysteresis width is continued for a predetermined period of time during the execution of an engine torque reduction control process. When the ECU determines that the brake is “off” or that the state of the hysteresis width of an accelerator opening degree exceeding a predetermined hysteresis width is continued for a predetermined period of time, the ECU performs an engine torque restoration process of the engine. Therefore, the vehicle control apparatus can allow the continued execution and non-execution of the reduction control to be switched therebetween in accordance with the driver's travel intention, thereby making it possible to prevent the drivability from being deteriorated. |
| US08428842B2 |
Speed control device for vehicle
A speed control device for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed obtaining means obtaining a vehicle speed, a shape obtaining means obtaining a curve shape, a position obtaining means obtaining a positional relationship between a curve and the vehicle, a target vehicle speed determining means determining a target vehicle speed based on the curve shape and the positional relationship, a vehicle speed controlling means controlling the vehicle speed based on the target vehicle speed and the vehicle speed, and an acceleration operation quantity obtaining means obtaining an operation quantity of an acceleration operating member operated by a driver, wherein the target vehicle speed determining means includes a modification means modifying the target vehicle speed based on the operation quantity so that the target vehicle speed obtained when the operation variable is greater than zero becomes a greater value than the target vehicle speed obtained when the operation quantity is zero. |
| US08428838B2 |
Driving-force transmitting apparatus for four-wheel-drive vehicle
A transmitting apparatus includes a disengaging device that disengages a driving force from a front-wheel differential device to a first driving-force transmitting direction converting unit and a multi-plate clutch mechanism provided between an output of a rear-wheel differential device and a right-rear wheel and capable of successively adjusting a fastening force. Drag torque when the fastening of the multi-plate clutch mechanism is released is set smaller than friction torque of a rear-wheel drive system between the first driving-force transmitting direction converting unit and a second driving-force transmitting direction converting unit. A controller unconnects the disengaging device and releases the fastening of multi-plate clutch mechanism when switching to a two-wheel drive mode, thereby stopping the rotation of the rear-wheel drive system. |
| US08428835B2 |
Method for controlling the operation of a power unit group
A method for controlling operation of a power unit group of a vehicle including at least one driving engine, a manual gearbox with plural gears and a clutch, in which a control system with a computer determines the target power to be supplied by the power unit group depending on information corresponding to an intention of the driver and displayed on an input of the computer. During a gear change, the information on the driver's intention is frozen during the clutch opening time so that the control system does not take into account a potential disturbing information, such as a quick foot release, displayed on the input between the clutch opening moment and the clutch closing moment to determine the target power to be supplied. The method can be applied particular to a manual gearbox having a system for displaying the recommended gear ratio on the dashboard. |
| US08428828B2 |
Adaptive control system for automated vehicle applications
An apparatus is provided for controlling an automated closure panel in a vehicle. The apparatus includes a command module configured to generate a control signal. A motor is configured to actuate the automated closure panel based upon the control signal. A motor sensor is configured to measure an output characteristic of the motor, with the motor sensor having a motor sensor output signal. An adaptive logic module is coupled to the command module and to the motor sensor. The adaptive logic module is configured to provide an output to the command module to thereby adjust the control signal, wherein the adaptive logic module is configured to determine when the automated closure panel is obstructed by an obstacle based upon the motor sensor output signal. |
| US08428826B1 |
Method of actuating external active safety system for vehicle
A method of actuating an external active safety system for a vehicle is used for cushioning the impact on the vehicle generated in an accident to effectively reduce injury and death as well as vehicle damage rates after an accident. The present invention mainly installs multiple sets of shock absorption devices (for example, airbags) outside the vehicle, for example, on front and rear bumpers, respectively, and the sets of shock absorption devices is able to function in advance in a segmental manner, so that the shock absorption devices installed outside the vehicle function before and during a collision in a segmental manner, so as to cushion an impact on the vehicle body when impacting or being impacted, and the shock absorption devices have an automatic release function, which, when activated, automatically releases an inflated condition of airbags in a very short time. |
| US08428824B2 |
Angle control method and apparatus, and automatic parking system using the same
The present invention relates to a technology related to angle control and automatic parking, and more particularly to an angle control method and apparatus for improving angle control quality so as to make the movement of a steering handle smooth, and an automatic parking system using the same. |
| US08428821B2 |
Operating method and system for supporting lane keeping of a vehicle
A system and an operating method are provided for supporting lane keeping of a vehicle equipped with a steering device. The system and operating method include providing vehicle related information; providing environment related information; combining vehicle and environment related information; predicting a future trajectory of the vehicle based on vehicle and environment related information; estimating a desired lateral lane position of the vehicle and/or a guiding force; comparing the future trajectory and the desired lateral lane position; deciding if a guiding force is to be provided to the steering device; and, if guiding force is to be provided, defining an amount of said guiding force depending on a hierarchically ordered set describing a predetermined driving behavior of the vehicle, adapting the amount of guiding force depending on the direction in which the vehicle is intended to move and activating one or more actuators for supplying the adapted amount of guiding force to the steering device. |
| US08428816B2 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring software and signal integrity in a distributed control module system for a powertrain system
A method to monitor integrity of a signal generated and communicated in a distributed control module system for a hybrid powertrain system includes generating and verifying signal within an originating control module. A message is generated based upon the signal. The message is transmitted and received at a receiving control module. The signal is extracted from the message and its integrity is verified. |
| US08428814B2 |
Method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system
A method of verifying regulatory compliance of a vehicle having a vehicle diagnostic system includes providing a vehicle unit having an adapter that is configured to connect with a vehicle diagnostic port of the vehicle diagnostic system. The vehicle unit further includes a vehicle wireless transceiver and a memory. The adapter is connected with the vehicle diagnostic port and receives vehicle data including exhaust emission parameters. The vehicle data is stored in the memory. A communication network is provided for two-way wireless communication with the vehicle unit. The communication network is made up of a plurality of geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. The vehicle wireless communication transceiver is activated with one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers when the vehicle wireless communication transceiver is in a vicinity of that geographically dispersed wireless communication transceiver to communicate the stored vehicle data to that one of the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A host computer system with access to the communication network receives vehicle data from the geographically dispersed wireless communication transceivers. A database accessed by the host computer system collects environmental regulatory compliance data. Environmental authority is provided access to the database to verify regulatory compliance. |
| US08428803B2 |
Hybrid vehicle and method for controlling hybrid vehicle
An EV priority switch is configured to allow a user to request a change between an EV priority mode and an HV mode. If an SOC of a power storage device is less than a first threshold value when the change to the HV mode is requested from the EV priority switch during the EV priority mode, an ECU changes the running mode to attain the HV mode and controls the SOC to be close to the SOC at the moment of a request for the change to the HV mode. If the SOC is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the ECU maintains the EV priority mode. If the SOC reaches a second threshold value less than the first threshold value, the ECU forcefully changes the running mode to attain the HV mode. |
| US08428791B2 |
Control system for a remote control work machine
Control system for a remote-controlled working machine provided with tracks, the control system including a remote control, the remote control being connected wirelessly or by a cable to at least one electronic unit in the machine, and having at least one control stick or joystick and a number of buttons, levers and/or knobs for operating the different travel and working functions of the machine. The machine furthermore has one or more different setting modes or positions, wherein its control sticks and/or certain buttons have different functions in different modes. |
| US08428783B2 |
Method and system for distributed energy generator message aggregation
A method and system for aggregating messages. In one embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of distributed generators (DGs) and a controller, communicatively coupled to the plurality of distributed generators, for (i) receiving a plurality of messages from the plurality of DGs, (ii) correlating at least two messages in the plurality of messages based on at least one time parameter, and (iii) generating a summary message based on the at least two messages. |
| US08428781B2 |
Systems and methods of coordination control for robot manipulation
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for controlling robotic apparatus having several movable elements or segments coupled by joints. At least one of the movable elements can include one or more mobile bases, while the others can form one or more manipulators. One of the movable elements can be treated as an end effector for which a certain motion is desired. The end effector may include a tool, for example, or represent a robotic hand (or a point thereon), or one or more of the one or more mobile bases. In accordance with the systems and methods disclosed herein, movement of the manipulator and the mobile base can be controlled and coordinated to effect a desired motion for the end effector. In many cases, the motion can include simultaneously moving the manipulator and the mobile base. |
| US08428768B2 |
Method and device for composite machining based on tool-path pattern types with tool axis orientation rules
Computer-enabled methods and devices allow for the ready set-up for machine instruction generation by addressing various combinations of machining patterns and tool axis orientations via the selection or designation of a machining pattern and the selection or designation of a tool axis orientation via exemplary separate menus of a user interface. |
| US08428763B2 |
Management apparatus, exposure method, and method of manufacturing device
A management apparatus obtains a list of a plurality of lots for which exposure processes are reserved, an initial value of an aberration of a projection optical system before start of the exposure processes of the plurality of lots, and an allowable value of the aberration of the projection optical system for each of the plurality of lots, generates candidates for an order of the plurality of lots based on the obtained list, calculates a time from start of an exposure process of the first lot until end of an exposure process of the last lot while adjusting time intervals between the lots so that the aberration of the projection optical system in the exposure process of each of the plurality of lots falls below the allowable value, and determines a processing order of the plurality of lots based on the calculated time. |
| US08428759B2 |
Predictive pre-recording of audio for voice input
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing predictive pre-recording of audio for voice input. In one aspect, a method includes establishing, as input data, state data that references a state of a mobile device and sensor data that is sensed by one or more sensors of the mobile device, applying a rule or a probabilistic model to the input data, inferring, based on applying the rule or the probabilistic model to the input data, that a user of the mobile device is likely to initiate voice input, and invoking one or more functionalities of the mobile device in response to inferring that the user is likely to initiate voice input. |
| US08428757B2 |
Reproducing apparatus and reproducing method
Disclosed herein is a reproducing apparatus including: an interface section configured to have a plurality of ports each connectable with a portable player including a storage medium; an integrated content management data creation section configured to identify the portable players; a reproduction content designation section configured to designate the content data to be reproduced in accordance with the integrated content management data; a content access section configured to gain access through the interface section; and a reproduction section configured to reproduce the accessed content. |
| US08428755B2 |
Systems and methods for increasing feedback controller response times
A device for adjusting a signal normally provided by a proportional plus integral (PI) control module to a process system includes a processing circuit configured to modify the signal of the PI control module by exaggerating the rate of change of the signal and an output for providing the modified signal to the process system. |
| US08428751B2 |
Electrode delivery system
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic external defibrillator configured to deliver electrical pulses and/or shocks to a heart of a patient during a cardiac emergency is provided and includes a housing supporting an electrical connector; a defibrillator electrode delivery system supported on the housing; and a pair of defibrillation electrode pads supported by the defibrillator electrode delivery system. Each of the pair of defibrillation electrode pads is pre-connected to the electrical connector of the housing. A hydrogel layer of each defibrillation electrode pad is retained by the defibrillator electrode delivery system in such a manner so as to reduce a moisture vapor transmission rate thereof. |
| US08428750B2 |
Implantable medical electrode device
A medical, implantable electrode device, in particular a cardiological electrode device, comprises an elongate electrode body (2) having a proximal and a distal end (1) for insertion into the body of the patient and multiple strut-like anchoring elements (4), which are attached laterally to the electrode body (2) before the distal end (1) for fixing the electrode device in the patient and are distributed around the circumference, which each project having their longitudinal axis (SL) at an acute angle (W1) opening in the direction of the proximal end in relation to the electrode body axis (KL). The anchoring elements have a preferred direction around the circumference in such a way that upon engagement of the anchoring elements (4) in a body part of the patient, a rotation of the electrode body (2) is opposed by a greater resistance in one rotational direction than in the opposite direction. |
| US08428749B2 |
Nerve cuff, method and apparatus for manufacturing same
A nerve cuff comprising a wall band member having an inner surface defining a lumen when the wall band member is in a closed configuration for receiving a nerve therethrough. At least one longitudinal and contiguous conductor extends within the lumen. The conductor is insulated and has at least one exposed portion thereby providing an electrode. When mounting the nerve cuff to a nerve, each electrode is in electrical communication with the nerve. A multi-channel nerve cuff further comprises a plurality of longitudinal ridges formed on the inner surface with each adjacent pair of ridges defining a longitudinal chamber. Each chamber comprises a respective conductor extending therein. When mounting the multi-channel nerve cuff to the nerve, the ridges abut the nerve providing for each chamber to isolate respective longitudinal portions of the nerve. A method and an apparatus for manufacturing such nerve cuffs are also disclosed. |
| US08428731B2 |
Sequenced therapy protocols for an implantable medical device
In one embodiment of the invention, a method comprises (a) implementing a first therapy in an implantable medical device (IMD) from a programmed sequence of therapies for a first time period, (b) implementing a second therapy from the sequence in the IMD for a second time period following the first time period, and repeating (a) and (b). |
| US08428730B2 |
Transvascular electrode system and method
A transvascular electrode system includes an expandable electrode-carrying anchor. The anchor is intravascularly advanced in a compressed position to a first site in a blood vessel. A first portion of the anchor expands to position an electrode against the vessel wall, while a second portion remains is compressed. Mapping is performed by delivering stimulation energy from the electrode and measuring the response (e.g. blood pressure, heart rate, and/or related parameters). The first portion is at least partially collapsed and the electrode system is moved to a second site. The first portion is expanded to position the electrode into against the vessel wall, while the second portion remains compressed. Additional mapping is performed. The process is repeated until the anchor electrode position is optimized, at which point the second portion of the anchor is expanded to chronically retain the electrode in the vessel. |
| US08428729B2 |
Cardiac stimulation apparatus and method for the control of hypertension
A method that electrically stimulates a heart muscle to alter the ejection profile of the heart, to control the mechanical function of the heart and reduce the observed blood pressure of the patient. The therapy may be invoked by an implantable blood pressure sensor associated with a pacemaker like device. In some cases, where a measured pretreatment blood pressure exceeds a treatment threshold, a patient's heart may be stimulated with an electrical stimulus timed relative to the patient's cardiac ejection cycle. This is done to cause dyssynchrony between at least two cardiac chambers or within a cardiac chamber, which alters the patient's cardiac ejection profile from a pretreatment cardiac ejection profile. This has the effect of reducing the patient's blood pressure from the measured pretreatment blood pressure. |
| US08428726B2 |
Device and method of neuromodulation to effect a functionally restorative adaption of the neuromuscular system
Described herein are methods and systems for improving or adapting a breathing pattern of a patient with disordered breathing toward a more helpful state, as well as systems and devices for adapting breathing. These methods and systems may be used for improving sleep in patients with sleep disordered breathing and a system by which to implement devices for performing these methods. |
| US08428721B2 |
Adapter, adapter retail unit and system of the adapter, an implantable medical electronic device and an electrode line
An adapter for temporary sterile electric connection of an implantable medical electronic device to an electrode line that is to be connected to the implantable medical electronic device during implantation for undistorted transmission of measured values detectable on the electrode line to the device. |
| US08428720B2 |
Posture-induced changes to physiological parameters
Methods and devices for analyzing posture-induced changes to physiological parameters of a patient (e.g., ejection time, heart rate, etc.) to provide an assessment of one or more conditions of the patient. |
| US08428715B2 |
Methods for treating the physiological electric conduction of the heart
Treating the physiological electric conduction of the heart includes methods that involve guiding an electrode to a location, near the His bundle of the heart, that is determined by pacing the heart and sensing signals in response thereto, and electrically bypassing a conduction abnormality of the heart by presenting extrinsic pacing signals to the location near the His bundle of the heart. The pacing electrode may then be fixed at the location, near the His bundle, to provide subsequent pacing of the heart such that the subsequent pacing exhibits electrical bypassing of the conduction abnormality. |
| US08428708B1 |
Self-test for analgesic product
Electrotransport drug delivery devices, system and methods of using configured to determine if a current is present between the anode and cathode when drug is not intended to be delivered by the device. These devices/systems may include an off-current module to determine that any current (e.g., which may be inferred by measuring potential difference between the anode and cathode of the device) flowing between the anode and cathode is below a threshold value when the device is not supposed to be delivering drug, thereby preventing unintended delivery of drug and/or alerting a user that unintended delivery of drug may occur. |
| US08428699B2 |
Apparatus, method and computer program for measuring properties of an object
An apparatus measures properties of an object such as a heart in a patient (2). The apparatus includes an antenna (3, 4) for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic waves to and/or from the object (2) for measuring a property of the object. The antenna (3, 4) includes an electrically conductive element for functioning as an electrode for measuring a further property of the object. The electromagnetic waves are reflected by the object, causing a Doppler shift. The apparatus uses this shift to provide mechanical information about the object and uses the electrode to provide electrical information about the object, such as an electrocardiogram. |
| US08428696B2 |
Ultra wideband monitoring systems and antennas
Apparatus for monitoring vital signs of one or more living subjects comprises a monitoring station and at least one sensor in communication with the monitoring station. The sensor comprises an antenna system, an ultra wideband radar system coupled to the antenna system, a signal processor and a communication system. The signal processor is connected to receive a signal from the ultra wideband radar system and configured to extract from the signal information about one or more vital signs of a person or animal in a sensing volume corresponding to the antenna system. The communication system is configured to transmit the information to the monitoring station. |
| US08428694B2 |
Methods for determination of parameters for a procedure, for estimation of cardiopulmonary function and for fluid delivery
Methods of determining at least one parameter for an injection procedure to be performed in combination with an imaging procedure may include injecting a test bolus of a contrast enhancement fluid having a contrast enhancing agent, scanning regions of interest with an imaging system as the test bolus flows therethrough to obtain therefrom a contrast time enhancement curve for each region of interest, extracting at least one discrete data point from each of the contrast time enhancement curves such that each of the discrete data points constitutes a pair of measurements on the contrast time enhancement curve corresponding thereto, substituting into a model the discrete data points extracted from the contrast time enhancement curves to obtain an estimate of values of physiological variables, and using the estimate to determine via the model the at least one parameter for the injection procedure to be performed in combination with the imaging procedure. |
| US08428688B2 |
Automatic femur segmentation and condyle line detection in 3D MR scans for alignment of high resolution MR
A method for automatic femur segmentation and condyle line detection. The method includes: scanning a knee of a patient with medical imaging equipment to obtain 3D imaging data with such equipment; processing the obtained 3D imaging data in a digital processor to determine two lines tangent to the bottom of the knee condyles in an axial and a coronal plane; and automatically scanning the patient in the defined plane. The processing includes: determining an approximate location of the knee; using the determined the location to define a volume of interest; segmenting the femur in the defined volume of interest; and determining a bottom point on the femur portion on a right side and a left side of the segmented femur in an axial and a coronal slice to determine the two lines. |
| US08428687B2 |
Systems and methods for matching and imaging tissue characteristics
Systems and methods for matching a characteristic of multiple sectors of a moving tissue to verify an overlap thereof are disclosed herein. In an exemplary method, tissue data for at least a first sector and a second sector of a moving tissue is acquired. A characteristic of at least a portion of the first and second sectors is estimated from the acquired tissue data, and the estimated characteristics are matched to verify whether a portion of the first sector overlaps with a portion of the second sector. Estimating can include estimating a displacement such as an axial displacement and/or lateral displacements. Estimating can further include estimating a strain, a velocity, a strain rate and/or a stiffness or equivalent. |
| US08428683B2 |
Wearable monitoring apparatus and driving method thereof
Disclosed are a wearable monitoring apparatus and a driving method thereof. The wearable monitoring apparatus comprises: a sensor unit for measuring a biological signal from a human body, wherein the sensor unit is adhered to a skin; and a control unit for searching a location of the sensor unit, supplying power to the sensor unit, and receiving and processing the biological signal from the sensor unit, wherein the control unit is formed to be wearable. |
| US08428680B2 |
Hybrid multichannel printed circuit board microdrive
A miniature microdrive system may be affixed to the skull and used to advance recording electrode bundles or injection cannula through the brain of freely moving test subjects, e.g., rodents. The microdrive may be constructed using a hybrid fabrication technique utilizing a printed circuit board and a small number of mechanical parts. The printed circuit board provides the base for both the electrical components and the mechanical components. The movement of a screw advances a shuttle that in turn moves an electrode bundle through the brain. Independently moving screws advance independent electrode bundles. The electrode wires are connected through the printed circuit board to a connector on the back of the board. Stainless steel cannulae are soldered to a grounding trace on the printed circuit board to guide the electrode bundle and provide a ground connection. With this system, multiple brain structures may be targeted simultaneously. The microdrive system or device is simple to mass produce, making fabrication simple with parts that can be recycled or discarded as needed. |
| US08428677B2 |
Retinopathy of prematurity determination and alarm system
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to determining a likelihood of possible retinopathy of prematurity and alerting a caregiver of such likelihood. According to certain embodiments, an apparatus for displaying an indication of a risk of retinopathy of prematurity in a patient may include a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to determine whether an oxygen saturation history of the patient places the patient at risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity. The apparatus may also include a display unit configured to present an indication of a risk of prematurity in the patient when the processing unit determines that the oxygen saturation history of the patient places the patient at risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity, the indication comprising at least one of a number associated with the risk, an audible alarm, or a visual alarm. |
| US08428674B2 |
Apparatus for spectrometric based oximetry
A spectrophotometric sensor assembly for non-invasive monitoring of a blood metabolite within a subject's body tissue is provided that includes a pad, a light source, and a light detector The light source is operative to emit light signals of a plurality of different wavelengths. The light detector is operative to detect light emitted by the light source and passed through the subject's body tissue. The light detector is at least partially enclosed in EMI shielding. In some embodiments, the light detector and EMI shielding are disposed in a detector housing that encloses the light detector and shielding. The housing is aligned with a detector aperture disposed in the pad. |
| US08428672B2 |
Medical ventilator with autonomous control of oxygenation
A portable critical care medical ventilator with autonomous control of oxygenation is provided. The system and method provide for significantly reducing the O2 required to maintain an adequate O2 concentration and as a result delivery of O2 to the body's tissues and does not require the clinician to enter initial values. |
| US08428670B2 |
Reception device, antenna, and junction cable
A reception device including a transmission part having transmission cables transmitting a signal and/or power of a main-body device, an antenna part provided along the transmission cables from main-body-device-side ends of the transmission cables to a point between the main-body-device-side ends and the other ends of the transmission cables so that a high-frequency-signal-transmission path is formed, a high-frequency-elimination circuit provided at the main-body-device-side ends, which eliminates entry of the high-frequency signal to the main-body device, and a tuner that connects one of ends of the antenna part, the end being provided on the main-body-device side, to an antenna-input terminal and that receives a broadcast wave falling within the first frequency band corresponding to the antenna part's length is provided. The other end of the antenna part is an open end. |
| US08428667B2 |
Portable terminal device
A potable terminal device comprises an upper housing including a display unit on the surface thereof and a lower housing including a hard key on the surface thereof and relatively slidably coupled to the upper housing. Bothe of the housings are movable between a closed position in which all hard keys of the lower housing is covered with the upper housing, at least one intermediate position in which part of the hard keys are uncovered with the upper housing, and a full open position in which all of the hard keys are uncovered with the upper housing. In the intermediate position, in response to pressing any of part of the hard keys which are uncovered, a soft key for complementing part of the hard keys which are uncovered is displayed in a position starting from the edge of the display unit adjacent to the hard keys. |
| US08428661B2 |
Speech intelligibility in telephones with multiple microphones
The present invention is directed to improved speech intelligibility in telephones with multiple microphones. Such a telephone includes a first microphone, a second microphone, a voice activity detector (VAD), a receiver module, and a signal processor. The first microphone outputs a first audio signal, which comprises a voice component when a near-end user talks and a background noise component. The second microphone outputs a second audio signal. The VAD generates a voice activity signal responsive to a ratio between the first audio signal and the second audio signal. The voice activity signal identifies time intervals in which the voice component of the near-end user is present in the first audio signal. The receiver module receives a third audio signal, which comprises a voice component of a far-end user. The signal processor modifies the third audio signal responsive to the voice activity signal. |
| US08428660B2 |
Sharing at least one functional block in a communication system
A communication system has an audio receiver path, and a digital transceiver path, wherein both paths are integrated on a single integrated circuit. The audio receiver path has a concealment device, and the communication system also has at least one functional block connected to and shared by the both paths. The communication system has a digital controller connected to both paths, the at least one functional block, and the concealment device. The digital controller is operable to schedule the operation of the digital transceiver path, and to inform the concealment device of start and end points of the activity of the digital transceiver path. The concealment device is operable to mask interruptions in the audio stream from the audio receiver path caused during periods of activity of the digital transceiver path. |
| US08428658B2 |
Method for displaying items in mobile terminal and mobile terminal using the same
A method for displaying items in mobile terminal and a mobile terminal using the same, the method comprising: storing a plurality of items in a memory of the mobile terminal; receiving a grouping command by a proximity touch on the plurality of items through a proximity sensor of the mobile terminal; and generating and displaying a classification menu including classified items with classifying the plurality of items by the grouping command and storing the classified items in the classification menu. |
| US08428656B2 |
Multi-mode terminal device
A mobile terminal device of the invention is a mobile terminal device capable of placing and receiving calls by first identification information, and of placing and receiving calls by second identification information, and is characterized by having a mode changing section that changes a mode among a first mode, a second mode and a common mode, and an outgoing call control section which places a call by the first identification information in the first mode, places a call by the second identification information in the second mode, and places a call by either the first identification information or the second identification information in the common mode. |
| US08428653B2 |
Hot-spot wireless access exploiting shadowing diversity of distributed antennas
The embodiments of the invention describe method and system for maximizing capacity of a distributed antenna system. A relaying antenna is selected to maximize a signal-to-leakage ratio (SLR) ratio of the distributed antenna system. Further, the capacity of the system is improved by allocating a signal power based on a pseudo-capacity criterion such that an average pseudo capacity of the distributed antenna system is maximized. |
| US08428652B2 |
User apparatus, base station, and method in mobile communication system
A disclosed user apparatus includes a random access channel generating unit configured to generate a random access channel; a control channel generating unit configured to generate a control channel in accordance with scheduling information received from a base station; and an uplink transmission signal generating unit configure to generate an uplink transmission signal including the random access channel or the control channel. Further, the purpose ID indicating at least whether there is a user ID uniquely allocated by the base station is included in the random access channel or the control channel. |
| US08428651B2 |
Radio base station apparatus
A shared transmission/reception apparatus (OF-TRX) includes: a transmission/reception processor section (TRX-B) for a mobile communication system B configured to perform frequency conversion processing on a transmission baseband signal for the mobile communication system B outputted from a signal converter section (E/O), and to output a transmission radio frequency signal for the mobile communication system B; a power level adjuster section (VA) configured to adjust a power level of a transmission radio frequency signal for a mobile communication system A inputted from a transmission/reception processor section (TRX-A) for the mobile communication system A; a combiner section (COM) configured to generate a transmission radio frequency signal by combining the transmission radio frequency signal for the mobile communication system A outputted from the power level adjuster section (VA) and the transmission radio frequency signal for the mobile communication system B outputted from the transmission/reception processor section (TRX-B) for the mobile communication system B; and a common amplifier section (PA) configured to amplify a power level of the transmission radio frequency signal outputted from the combiner section (COM) at a predetermined amplification rate, and to output the resultant signal. |
| US08428648B2 |
Compact removable voice handset for an integrated portable computer system/mobile phone
A compact removable voice handset for an integrated palmtop computer system/mobile phone is presented. The present invention is used in conjunction with a personal digital assistant (PDA). The PDA comprises electronics for wireless communications and a contact information database and a means for coupling the handset to the PDA. The present invention is compact such that when coupled to the PDA, there is minimal increase to the overall size and weight of the PDA. The present invention comprises a microphone and a speaker, and is communicatively coupled, via either a wireless connection or a wired connection, to the PDA. The handset comprises control elements such that the handset can be operated independent of the PDA. In one embodiment, the handset comprises a display and control elements configured for accessing the contact information database of the PDA, adjusting the volume of the handset, and for initiating or ending wireless communications. |
| US08428644B1 |
Integrated lighting accessory and case for a mobile phone device
This invention describes a protective mobile phone device case that provides a LED lighting solution integrated with the case. The LED lighting solution can be utilized with the functions of the mobile phone device to provide additional illumination for photography and videography purposes as well as to provide ornamental or decorative enhancements to the device. |
| US08428641B2 |
Transmission power control method, mobile communication system and radio base station
A transmission power control is disclosed, where the transmission power control includes transferring, from a second radio base station to a first radio base station, a second uplink signal received from a mobile station in a second cell, synthesizing, at the first radio base station, a first uplink signal received from the mobile station in a first cell with the second uplink signal transferred from the second radio base station, and generating and transmitting a transmission power control signal for controlling a transmission power of an uplink signal at the mobile station based on a reception quality of an uplink signal obtained by synthesizing the first uplink signal with the second uplink signal. |
| US08428639B2 |
Method for controlling an uplink power in a wireless communication system and an apparatus in the system
In a wireless communication system including a wireless terminal, a first wireless base station, a second wireless base station which supports a wireless channel which is not supported by the first wireless base station and an upper level apparatus which accommodates the wireless base stations, the upper level apparatus monitors interference power in the wireless base station and carries out, where a result of the monitoring exceeds a predetermined threshold value, suppression control of transmission power of the wireless terminal which communicates with the second wireless base station using the wireless channel which is not supported by the first wireless base station. |
| US08428638B2 |
Base station control
A method of controlling a base station, a network controller, a base station, a telecommunications network and a computer program product are disclosed. A method of controlling a base station (140; 150; 160) in a mobile telecommunications network (220) comprises the steps of: (i) determining whether a base station within the mobile telecommunications network is not supporting user equipment (110; 120; 130) and, if so, then (ii) signalling the base station to reduce its transmission power. An assessment is made as to whether a base station is currently supporting user equipment. If a base station is currently supporting user equipment, then that base station is unlikely to be a candidate to have its power reduced since support to that user equipment needs to be maintained. However, if a base station is not supporting user equipment, then that base station would appear to be a likely candidate for transmission power reduction, thereby saving power in the network at those locations where it is possible to do so. |
| US08428637B2 |
Extending access terminal battery life through search rate control
The method and apparatus as described are directed toward techniques and mechanisms to improve access terminal battery life through search rate control. Controlling the rate at which access terminals search for alternate networks in a cell, and more particularly reducing unnecessary attempts, significantly increases the battery life of the access terminal. |
| US08428630B2 |
Wireless communication system and related methods
A method of operating a wireless mesh network comprises generating a pseudorandom sequence element in a transmitting device and a receiving device of the network using information shared by the transmitting and receiving devices. The pseudorandom sequence element is then used to calculate a communication channel/timeslot assignment for communication between the transmitting wireless device and the receiving wireless device. |
| US08428621B2 |
Location-based audio service
Embodiments of the present invention provide a location-based audio service. According to one embodiment, a request for a desired audio stream having an inactive segment is received from a user operating a mobile device. Furthermore, geographic data may be monitored while the audio stream is being rendered on the mobile device. The location-based audio service is configured to determine relevant location-based information based on the geographic data, and then transmit the relevant information to the mobile device during the inactive segment of the desired audio stream. |
| US08428620B2 |
Mass transportation service delivery platform
Embodiments of the disclosed invention include an apparatus, method, and computer program product for providing location information for a mobile device associated with a passenger of a mass transportation vehicle. For example, in some embodiments, the location information of a mobile device of a passenger may be utilized to provide location-based services, such as, but not limited to, providing the passenger with updated information regarding a travel arrangement, enabling an airline crew to determine the whereabouts of a passenger, and enabling automatic check-in. In addition, certain ones of the disclosed embodiments provide a method for maintaining location-based services associated with a mobile device while the device is in transit on a mass transportation vehicle, such as, but not limited to, an airplane. |
| US08428619B2 |
Personal location code
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for receiving a request from a requestor to locate a user. The request identifies a personal location code (PLC) for the user. It is determined if the request is allowed based on the PLC. If the request is allowed, the current location of the user is obtained based on the location of one or more devices associated with the user. The current location of the device is then provided to the requestor. |
| US08428615B2 |
Method and device for determining a position of a communication apparatus
A method and a device for determining a position of a communication apparatus is provided. To determine a position of a first apparatus a first signal is transmitted from a second apparatus to the first apparatus. A second signal is then transmitted from the first apparatus to the second apparatus as a response to the first signal, the first signal and the second signal being transmitted by way of at least two different mediums. Signal strength of the second signal received by the second apparatus and a transfer time from a first time of transmission of the first signal to a second time of receipt of the second signal are measured. The position of the first apparatus is finally calculated as a function of the measured signal strength of the received second signal and the measured transfer time. |
| US08428614B2 |
Mobile phone mediated treasure hunt game
A system for providing a mobile phone based treasure hunt game including a system server including puzzle data pertaining to a plurality of geographic sites, at least one mobile phone, a plurality of geographically diverse mobile phone location identifiers, software executing on the system server for receiving location data pertaining to the at least one mobile phone, the location data indicative of a location of the at least one mobile phone relative to at least one of the location identifiers, software executing on the system server for determining at least one of the geographic sites within a predetermined distance of the location, and software executing on the system server for providing at least a portion of the puzzle data pertaining to the at least one geographic site to the at least one mobile phone. |
| US08428613B2 |
Wireless communication system, base station device and mobile station device
A wireless communication system comprises a mobile station and a base station, which use a plurality of communication channels and a pilot channel corresponding to at least one of the communication channels. The base station has a transmitting unit that employs at least one of the communication channels as a priority channel and transmits channel information of this priority channel and the other channels by use of a communication channel other than the pilot channel. The mobile station has a determining unit that determines a reception level of the pilot channel; an acquiring unit that acquires the channel information transmitted via the communication channel other than the pilot channel; and a deciding unit that decides, as an available communication channel, at least one of the communication channels based on both the channel information acquired by the acquiring unit and the reception level determined by the determining unit. |
| US08428610B2 |
Dynamic load balancing in a communication network
Methods and systems for providing a dynamic and real time load factor that can be shared with other network elements is disclosed. The load factor can be used in determining the relative load among a set of network elements and in distributing new sessions requests as well as existing session on the set of network elements. The load factor can also be used for determining to which network element a user equipment is handed off. The dynamic load factor can also be shared amongst network elements to determine how the load is balanced among the network elements, such as a mobility management entity (MME). |
| US08428609B2 |
System and method for managing communications in cells within a cellular communication system
A system and method for managing communication in a cellular communication system are provided. The method includes measuring communication conditions within at least one communication cell of the communication system and estimating congestion within the at least one communication cell of the communication system based on the measured communication conditions. The method further includes adjusting communication links within the at least one communication cell based on the estimated congestion. |
| US08428608B2 |
Method and system for resource allocation in relay enhanced cellular systems
A method and system for allocating resources for a relay enhanced cellular communication system including a base station, one or more mobile stations and one or more relay stations, is provided. Resource allocation involves allocating subcarriers to one or more access communication links between mobile stations and their serving stations, to meet proportional data rate constraints for the access communication links while improving subcarrier spectrum utilization, and allocating subcarriers to one or more relay communication links between the base station and relay stations to meet proportional data rate constraints for the relay communication links while improving subcarrier spectrum utilization. Further, communication periods are scheduled for access links in access zones and relay links in relay zones. Balancing of communication resources allocated to the access links and relay links may be performed by balancing both subcarrier allocation and scheduling periods. |
| US08428605B2 |
Adaptive broadband platforms and methods of operation
A subscriber platform for broadband communication, according to various aspects of the present invention, includes an antenna, a plurality of transceivers, and a processor. The antenna supports communication via a plurality of directional beams. The plurality of frequency agile transceivers operate simultaneously, each transceiver being coupled to the antenna for communication via a respective directional beam. The processor is coupled to the plurality of transceivers. And, the transceivers are coupled to the antenna to communicate data among the directional beams as directed by the processor, communication including directional diversity and frequency diversity. |
| US08428604B2 |
Content-based notification and user-transparent pull operation for simulated push transmission of wireless email
Exemplary system, method, software and apparatus embodiments provide for creating a content-based notification for a mobile device, as a simulated push operation, for devices which do not have push capability. The system comprises a database, a server, and may also include a second web server for user account configuration. The database is adapted to store user account configuration and preference information. The server is adapted to receive a first message having a first protocol, such as SMTP, and to determine whether the content-based notification for the first message should be provided. When the content-based notification is to be provided, the server is adapted to extract a subset of information from the first message, and using the subset of information, to create a second message having a second, different protocol, such as SMS. The second message is transferred to a wireless network for transmission to the mobile device, with the second message providing the content-based notification of the first message. The information extracted from the first message enables a user to determine whether they want to download the complete message, as a user-transparent pull operation, and typically includes the from, to, size, date, subject fields, and a portion of the body of the first message, up to the remaining capacity of the second message. |
| US08428603B2 |
Paging method in area where macro ASN and femto ASN are linked in mobile network, and system therefor
A system and method for performing paging in an area where a macro Base Station (BS) and a femto Access Services Network (ASN) are linked in a mobile network are provided. The method includes, during handover of a Mobile Station (MS) between a macro ASN and a femto ASN, a first gateway of a current ASN acquires paging group information of a previous ASN. Upon request for paging from the MS in the current ASN, the first gateway requests a BS of the previous ASN to transmit paging information to the MS based on the paging group information of the previous ASN. By doing so, paging success rate may be improved for an MS in coverage of a macro ASN linked to a femto BS, and the high paging success rate may be guaranteed regardless of whether the handover scheme is a controlled handover scheme or an uncontrolled handover scheme. |
| US08428602B2 |
Methods for enhancing performance of open-access and closed-access femtocells
In a system including one or more femtocells within a service area of a macrocell, a method includes: (a) receiving from a base station of each femtocell information regarding available resources at the femtocell; (b) measuring an signal-interference-to-noise ratio (SINR) at a mobile station relative to the macrocell and each femtocell; and (c) selecting for the mobile station one of the femtocells for a hand-off, wherein the femtostation is selected based on the combined capacity of the macrocell and the femtocells after the hand-off. When a hand-off to a femtocell is not allowed, a method for determining whether or not a spectral resource of the macrocell is reused includes (a) receiving from a base station of the macrocell a first set of spectrum-sensing data, the first set of spectrum-sensing data comprising spectrum-sensing data of mobile station of the macrocell; (b) receiving from one or more mobile stations associated with the femtocells a second said of spectrum-sensing data; and (c) based on the first set of the spectrum-sensing data and the second set of spectrum-sensing data, determining whether or not to reuse in a femtocell a portion of a spectrum used by the macrocell. The determining step may be carried out at a base station of a femtocell, and the method further requires sensing a spectrum at the base station of the femtocell to obtain a third set of spectrum-sensing data, which is also used in determining whether or not to reuse the portion of the spectrum used by the macrocell. |
| US08428593B2 |
Method and apparatus for soft handoff between base stations using different frame formats
A method of enabling soft handoff between base stations using different signaling frame formats allows soft handoff from an origination base station supporting a lower Protocol Data Unit revision format to an alternative base station supporting a higher Protocol Data Unit revision format, as well as soft handoff between an origination base station supporting a higher Protocol Data Unit revision format to an alternative base station supporting a lower Protocol Data Unit revision format. The base station using the higher Protocol Data Unit revision format downgrades to the lower Protocol Data Unit revision format for the duration of soft handoff. As all base stations use the same Protocol Data Unit revision format during soft handoff, the signals from all of the receive paths can be combined by a mobile station. |
| US08428587B2 |
Mobile communication system, position registration method, terminal, and home agent
A mobile communication system provided with a home address holding function unit storing one home address, as a representative home address, from among a plurality of home addresses and the rest as subordinate home addresses, a position registration request function unit creating a representative address set and subordinate address sets with the representative home address and subordinate home addresses, acquired from the holding function unit, and a corresponding representative care-of address and subordinate care-of addresses and further sending a position registration request by only the representative address set, and a position registration function unit receiving the representative home address and subordinate home addresses acquired from the holding function unit, creating subordinate address sets from the representative address set relating to the position registration request, and registering the position of the representative address set simultaneously with the registration of the positions of the subordinate address sets. |
| US08428580B1 |
Aviation cellular communications system and method
Disclosed are a system and method for controlling transmit power of a mobile node in air-to-ground communications to a fixed node. Power is controlled by taking into consideration the position of the mobile node, the ground position of a plurality of fixed nodes, and the RF pattern of an antenna. Preferably, a power level is selected that will excite the fewest number of the plurality of fixed nodes while still maintaining a stable connection with at least one of the fixed nodes. The system may also utilize a repeater to receive communication signals from one or more mobile phones. This repeater then pre-amplifies the signal with a gain control signal received from one of the plurality of fixed nodes. The repeater would then pass the pre-amplified signal to the power amplifier for further amplification as controlled by the power controller. |
| US08428578B2 |
System and method for enabling call originations using SMS and hotline capabilities
A method for handling call originations is provided. The method includes sending origination information from a mobile device to an application server in an enterprise network using Short Message Service (SMS) and determining whether a hotline feature is present in a subscriber profile associated with the mobile device. Data is then routed from the mobile device to a predetermined destination based on the hotline feature. |
| US08428572B2 |
Information processing apparatus
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus in which a plurality of multimedia functions are installed and which is capable of wireless communication a counterpart apparatus, including: a setting unit configured to start up a multimedia function from the plurality of multimedia functions in accordance with a remote-control command sent from the counterpart apparatus; and a control unit configured to control a startup of the multimedia function in accordance with a startup made by the setting unit if the control unit receives the remote-control command. |
| US08428571B2 |
Uninterrupted usage and access of physically unreachable handheld device
Techniques for uninterrupted usage and access to physically unreachable handheld devices are provided. A physically unreachable handheld device includes an automated agent that is configured to authenticate a message received without manual intervention and to forward information from the handheld device to another remote and different handheld device. |
| US08428570B2 |
Service provider activation
Systems and methods for activating a mobile device for use with a service provider are described. In one exemplary method, a mobile device having a currently inserted SIM card may be prepared for activation using a signing process in which an activation server generates a signed activation ticket that uniquely corresponds to the combination of the device and SIM card, and that is securely stored on the mobile device. In another exemplary method the mobile device may be activated in an activation process in which the device verifies an activation ticket against information specific to the device and SIM card, and initiates activation when the verification of the activation ticket is successful. |
| US08428565B2 |
Managing web services data and presence data
Interfacing a wireless device with web services is described, including social networking web services. For example, a system for interfacing a wireless device with a plurality of web services comprises a web service proxy having an API to allow other modules to interface with the web service proxy; a plurality of web services adapters interfaced with the web services proxy through the API, each one of the web services adapters to communicate with a particular web service using the specific communication formats for the web service; where the web services adapters and the web services proxy convert between the communication formats employed to communicate with each of the web services and a wireless communication format, the wireless communication format being a different format than the communication formats for each of the web services, thereby enabling bi-directional communication between the wireless device and the plurality of web services. |
| US08428562B2 |
Systems and methods for retrieving voicemail account information
A provisioning system configured to retrieve a voicemail password and/or a pilot number for a voicemail account, create a first service request directed to an over-the-air system, and send the first service request to the over-the-air system, if the provisioning system determines that the voicemail account has been initialized. The first service request instructs the over-the-air system to format a first message including the voicemail password and/or the pilot number for delivery to a mobile device. The provisioning system is further configured to create a second service request directed to the over-the-air system and send the second service request to the over-the-air system, if the provisioning system determines that the voicemail account has not been initialized. The second service request instructs the over-the-air system to format a second message including a default voicemail password and/or a default pilot number for delivery to the mobile device. |
| US08428558B2 |
System and method for routing in a wireless mesh network
A system and method for routing in a wireless mesh network providing a first device, which includes a first device transceiver, a first device memory unit that includes a first device first queue, a first device second queue and a first device table of neighboring devices, and a first device central processing unit. Such a system also includes a second device that includes a second device transceiver, a second device memory unit that includes a second device first queue, a second device second queue and a second device table of neighboring devices, and a second device central processing unit. |
| US08428552B1 |
System and method of wireless communication device provisioning for prepaid service
A system is provided comprising processor, memory, and a provisioning application that receives a first message from a rating engine, the first message providing a first rating of a prepaid subscription account associated with a portable electronic device. The system also configures a first setting to a first index wherein the first setting is based on the first rating and wherein the first setting is associated with the device receiving access to services without further contact with the rating engine. The system also receives a second message from the rating engine, the second message providing a second rating of the account. The system also configures a second setting to the first index based on the second rating wherein the second setting replaces the first setting and the second setting is associated with contacting the rating engine before receiving access to services. |
| US08428546B2 |
Baseband signal processing technique
A baseband processing technique is described that permits to process in an analog signal domain a complex-valued baseband signal to laterally remove interference components resulting, for example, from in-band blocking signals. In an exemplary device implementation, the baseband processing device is configured to receive a baseband signal having a designated signal bandwidth defined by two opposite band edges, wherein a first frequency shift in a first direction toward a first band edge is impressed on the baseband signal. The device comprises a first filter stage adapted to filter the baseband signal exhibiting the first frequency shift to remove interference components behind the first band edge, a frequency shifter stage adapted to shift the filtered baseband signal by a second frequency shift in a second direction opposite the first direction towards a second band edge, and a second filter stage adapted to filter the baseband signal exhibiting the second frequency shift to remove interference components behind the second band edge. |
| US08428535B1 |
Receiver dynamic power management
A controller in a receiver monitors RSSI and AGC gain levels to determine signal conditions and adjust filter performance accordingly to optimize power consumption while providing acceptable signal quality. When RSSI level is high and AGC gain is low, a strong signal-of-interest is present. In this case, adaptive filter bias currents may be reduced raise the noise floor and degrade intermodulation to reduce power consumption because the strong signal-of-interest can tolerate the higher noise and distortion. When the RSSI level is low and AGC gain is high, a weak signal is present a low noise mode may be effected by increasing bias current to filters used to lower the noise floor, but intermodulation effects may still be tolerated so those filters may be cut back. Other cases are supported. RSSI and AGC gain level thresholds may be dynamically altered based on relative RSSI and AGC levels. |
| US08428534B1 |
Accuracy power detection unit
Techniques are disclosed relating to radio frequency (RF) power detection. In one embodiment, a power detection unit is disclosed that includes a multiplier circuit configured to receive a first voltage of a voltage differential signal at gates of a first transistor pair and a second voltage of the voltage differential signal at gates of a second transistor pair. The first multiplier is configured to output a current that varies proportionally to a square of a voltage difference between the first and second voltages. In some embodiments, sources of the first transistor pair are coupled to sources of the second transistor pair, and the sources of the second transistor pair are coupled together. In some embodiments, the power detection unit is configured to compensate for mismatched transistors by applying offset voltages to bodies of transistors in the first and second transistor pairs. |
| US08428533B2 |
Techniques for optimizing gain or noise figure of an RF receiver
Techniques for optimizing gain or noise figure of an RF receiver are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment a controller controls a capacitor bank between an LNA and a mixer of the RF front end of the receiver. For a given center frequency a first set of capacitors is switched to the mixer and a second set of capacitors is switched to ground. The ratio of capacitance of the second set to the first set of capacitors affects either gain of the RF FE or noise figure of the receiver. Therefore, the RF FE of the receiver may be controlled in such a way as to optimize for either RF FE gain or for receiver noise figure. |
| US08428530B1 |
Increasing the robustness of channel estimates derived through sounding for WLAN
A plurality of training signal sets are transmitted. Each training signal set includes information sufficient to determine a channel estimate corresponding to a communication channel from a first station to a second station. A refined channel estimate is determined based on reception of the plurality of training signal sets. |
| US08428527B2 |
RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including direct cartesian 2-branch embodiments
Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion. |
| US08428524B2 |
Adaptive transmission and receiving method and device in wireless communication system with multiple antennas
Disclosed is an adaptive transmit and receive method and device in a multiple-antenna wireless communication system. A transmit mode comprises different main transmit modes each of which includes one or both of a sub-transmit mode based on STBC and a sub-transmit mode based on SM. A receiver calculates an STBC performance parameter and a SM performance parameter, and a transmitter uses the parameters to determine a main transmit mode with maximum data rates and select a sub-transmit mode for minimizing power consumption. The transmitter channel-encodes, modulates and antenna-maps input data according to the selected transmit mode, and outputs results to the receiver. The receiver antenna/symbol-demodulates and channel-decodes the received data. |
| US08428521B2 |
Control for uplink in MIMO communication system
In a wireless communication network that performs Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication, uplink power control signals are provided to a user equipment (UE) via a base station signaled power allocation scheme responsive to a determination of whether or not the uplink transmission is in a interference limited condition relative to a neighboring cell. |
| US08428519B2 |
Inter-carrier interference management in dedicated channel femtocell networks
In one embodiment, a method of mitigating uplink inter-carrier interference (ICI) from macrocell mobile stations at a dedicated channel femtocell base station is provided that includes: determining a timing offset for a femtocell uplink symbol timing that reduces the ICI based upon an expected spatial distribution for the macrocell mobile stations with respect to the femtocell base station; communicating the timing offset to at least one femtocell mobile station; and at the femtocell base station, receiving an uplink symbol transmission from the at least one femtocell mobile station according to the timing offset. |
| US08428515B1 |
RFID tags having a rectifier circuit including a dual-terminal rectifier device
Apparatus and method for generating a rectified output signal in a RFID tag from first and second alternating signals. A dual-terminal rectifier device has first and second input terminals to which the first and second alternating signals are applied, and further has a gate configured to form a conductive channel to electrically couple the first and second input terminals to the output terminal in response to a gate voltage. The dual-terminal rectifier device is configured to rectify a combination of the alternating input signals applied to the input terminals of the semiconductor device to generate a rectified output signal at an output terminal. |
| US08428511B1 |
System and method for a high available and survivable communication system
A network architecture for underground communication using redundant interconnected communication systems utilizes an aboveground master control station to send a status request message to a belowground gateway. The gateway may then, in turn, broadcast a status request message to a plurality of communication hubs located throughout an underground region using each of a plurality of potentially available communication systems. In the event that one of the communication hubs fails to respond over the then-current communication system, the master control station may switch the current communication system being used to a truly available system. |
| US08428508B2 |
Sweeping mode of jamming system
A system includes a generator and at least one device. The generator includes a waveform oscillator and a blanking pulse generator. Each device includes a transmit antenna, a receive antenna, an antenna unit, a mixer and a detector. The antenna unit includes a receiver coupled to the receive antenna, an amplifier coupled to the receiver and a transmitter coupled to the transmit antenna and the blanking pulse generator. The mixer has inputs coupled to the amplifier and the waveform oscillator. The detector is coupled to the mixer. |
| US08428506B2 |
Assist mechanism and image forming apparatus
An assist mechanism aids movement of a retractable unit reciprocally moving between an open and a closed position and includes a pressing device, a stopper mechanism, an engagement member, a catch portion, and a release member. The pressing device presses the retractable unit toward the open position in which the unit is extended. The stopper mechanism controls and releases retraction of the retractable unit to the closed position in which the unit is retracted, and includes a stopper and a blocking member. The engagement member is provided in the retractable unit. The catch portion engages the engagement member. The release member releases a force pulling the retractable unit when the retractable unit is moved to the closed position. |
| US08428505B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A controller controls transportation of the recording medium such that a first distance between a trailing edge of an image area of a preceding page of the two successive pages and a leading edge of an image area of a following page is equal to or longer than a second distance between the nip at a most upstream one of the image forming sections and the nip at a most downstream one of the image forming sections. Control may also be performed such that a first distance between a trailing edge of a preceding page of the two successive pages and a leading edge of a following page is equal to or longer than a second distance between the nip at a most upstream one of the plurality of image forming sections and the nip at a most downstream one of the plurality of image forming sections. |
| US08428504B2 |
Medium clamping device and image forming device
A medium clamping device includes: a first circularly-moving body having a circumferential surface harder than a recording medium, a longer length in a direction orthogonal to a circularly-moving direction than the recording medium in a first direction; a second circularly-moving body where the recording medium passes between the surfaces of the two circularly-moving bodies in a second direction crossing the first direction; a load applying section applying a load to at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies to clamp the recording medium; a belt member surrounding the surface of at least one of the two circularly-moving bodies, at a place outside an area touching the recording medium when the recording medium passes; and a belt-member-protecting member which is aligned with the belt member in a recording-medium-passing direction, includes a portion closer to a recording-medium-passing path than the belt member to protect the belt member from contacting the recording medium. |
| US08428501B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
In a fixing device, a nip formation member is provided inside a loop formed by a fixing member rotating in a predetermined direction of rotation. A pressing member is pressed against the nip formation member via the fixing member to form a nip between the fixing member and the pressing member through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. The fixing member and the pressing member rotate and convey the recording medium bearing the toner image through the nip. The heat conduction member faces an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member to guide the fixing member sliding over the heat conduction member and to transmit heat to the fixing member. The heat conduction member includes a plurality of convex portions provided on an outer circumferential surface of the heat conduction member and contacting the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member. |
| US08428498B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus including same
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a contact member, and a heater. The fixing member is provided in a width direction of a recording medium and to heat and fuse a toner image on the recording medium. The pressure member is to press against the fixing member. The contact member is provided inside the fixing member and to contact the pressure member through the fixing member to form a nip portion between the pressure member and the fixing member. The heater includes a heating element and is to heat the contact member. The heating element of the heater is a mold member of a relatively thin plate extending in a width direction of the fixing member and includes a flat surface that faces the contact member. An image forming apparatus for forming an image includes the fixing device. |
| US08428496B2 |
Wet type developing apparatus
A wet type developing apparatus in which liquid developer is fed onto a developing roller from a liquid developer supply roller immersed in the developing liquid within a liquid developer tank and an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor drum and developed into a toner image by the developing roller is improved to enable the liquid developer to be fed an appropriate amount of feed from the liquid developer supply roller onto the developing roller without residual air in the surface region of the liquid developer supply roller, where a partition plate is disposed generally under the liquid developer supply roller within the liquid developer tank for partitioning the liquid developer tank in the rotational direction of the liquid developer supply roller, the partition plate having its upper end juxtaposed with a peripheral surface of the liquid developer supply roller over its total axial length across a gap spacing. |
| US08428489B2 |
Image forming apparatus component positioning mechanism
An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a latent-image forming device; a developing device; a latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism; and a developing device contacting/separating mechanism, and the latent-image forming device contacting/separating mechanism allows the latent-image forming device to be movable to the latent-image forming device contacting position in a state where the developing device is moved to the developing device contacting position. |
| US08428481B2 |
Long life cleaning system with reduced stress for start of cleaning blade operation
According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus and method to manage the contact of a cleaning blade and a moving surface to increase the useful life of the blade. For example, a cleaning apparatus for a photoreceptor surface comprises a cleaning unit with a blade holder that rotates about a pivot point, a cleaning blade that is coupled to the blade holder and is positioned to chisel excess toner from the photoreceptor surface, and which cleans excess toner from the photoreceptor surface. The apparatus further comprises a sensor that senses the start and the end of an operational procedure, and an actuator that rotates the blade holder about the pivot point to selectively advance or retract the blade during the start-up procedure and the shut-down procedure. After the cleaning surface has begun to move or reached operating speed, blade contact is increased to bring the blade load up to operational level. By making this change to the conventional static cleaning blade, the peak stress at start-up and shut-down is much reduced and cleaning blade life and reliability are much improved. |
| US08428480B2 |
Fixing device, image forming apparatus incorporating same, and method of dimensioning fixing device
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a temperature detector, and a heater. The pressing member contacts an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a fixing nip between the fixing member and the pressing member through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. The heater heats the fixing member to a predetermined temperature based on a detection result provided by the temperature detector. A circumferential distance A between the temperature detector and the heater along a circumference of the fixing member is defined by the following formula: A≧v×(T1+T2) where v is a circumferential velocity of the fixing member rotating in a predetermined direction of rotation, T1 is a response time of the temperature detector, and T2 is a response time of the heater. |
| US08428479B2 |
Imaging device and image forming apparatus
An imaging device includes an image carrying member; a developing unit for forming a toner image by developing an electrostatic latent image that has been formed on the image carrying member in a charged state; a cleaning unit for cleaning a toner that remains on the image carrying member after the toner image has been transferred from the image carrying member onto a transfer material; a lubricant applying unit for applying a lubricant on the image carrying member; and a control unit for performing drive control of the image carrying member, the developing unit, the cleaning unit, and the lubricant applying unit. Before the imaging device starts an imaging operation, the control unit controls the image carrying member, the developing unit, and the cleaning unit to perform respective operations; while controls the lubricant applying unit to repeat performing and suspending the operation in an intermittent manner. |
| US08428473B2 |
Stable millimeter wave source for broadband wireless signal transmission using optical fibre
An apparatus and method for generating a millimeter-wave carrier signal for optical data transmission is disclosed. The apparatus includes stimulated Brillouin scattering source (101) that generates a variable stoke line multi-wavelength optical signal, optical amplifiers (102, 108), an optical splitter (103) that splits the amplified output of the SBS source (101) into two identical optical signals of the same magnitude, frequency, phase and electromagnetic mode, identical optical tuneable band-pass filters (104, 105) with the same band-pass, an optical coupler (107) that combines the optical signals emitted from the output of the optical filters (104, 105) such that the output of the coupler (107) is a dual wavelength optical signal with a wavelength separation equivalent to the desired millimeter wave frequency, a photo-detector (109) that converts the optical signal to an electrical signal by heterodyning process, and a controller circuit (106) that controls the gain of the optical amplifiers (102, 108), the tuning of the optical band-pass filters (104, 105) independently and the number of stoke lines produced by the stimulated Brillouin scattering source (101) depending on the electrical millimeter wave output. |
| US08428471B2 |
Optical access system for dual service network
The present invention relates to an optical access system for dual service network, which mainly comprises an optical modulation device which is used to receive on-off keying (OOK) signal from cable network and radio frequency (RF) signal from wireless network, the optical modulation device then modulates the OOK signal and the RF signal to an optical signal and send out an output optical signal. Lastly, the output optical signal is being delivered to an optical receiving device through an optical fiber transmission channel, and the optical receiving device can access the OOK signal and RF signal from the output optical signal. In addition, the present invention does not require remote nodes (receiver side) to use any optical filter to discern on-off keying signal from cable network and RF signal from wireless network. The present invention can also apply to the field of wavelength-division multiplexing system. |
| US08428470B2 |
Waveform shaping apparatus, optical transmission system, and waveform shaping method
A waveform shaping apparatus includes a quantum dot optical amplifier in which an amplification factor of input signal beams saturates if the optical power of the signal beams is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and a quantum dot saturable absorber in which an absorption factor of the input signal beams saturates if the optical power of the signal beams is under a predetermined value. The quantum dot optical amplifier and the quantum dot saturable absorber are connected in series with a transmission path of the signal beams, and shape the waveform of the signal beams. Voltages applied to the quantum dot optical amplifier and the quantum dot saturable absorber, respectively, are adjusted based on the optical power of the signal beams. |
| US08428469B2 |
Visible light communication method and apparatus
A method and an apparatus are provided for guaranteeing terminal mobility in a time division visible light communication system. In resource assignment in a position where the visible light communication terminal changes a cell, the terminal is assigned a resource to be used in a next cell in a cell boundary area from a communication coordinator, thereby guaranteeing the continuous mobility. The visible light communication system informs the terminal of cell boundary notice information for easily informing the terminal of the cell definition so that the terminal can recognize that the terminal is currently located in the cell boundary and is necessary to change the resource. |
| US08428462B2 |
Self-healing repeater node
A device may include a component, a first switch, a repeater, and a second switch. The component may configure optical paths between ports. The component may comprise a first pair of optical ports connected to a first pair of optical fibers, and a second pair of optical ports connected to a second pair of optical fibers. The first switch may be configured to output one of two optical signals received by the first pair of optical ports from the first pair of optical fibers. The repeater may reshape or amplify the outputted optical signal. The second switch may be configured to direct the reshaped or amplified signal to one of the second pair of optical ports. |
| US08428458B2 |
Multi-chassis router with multiplexed optical interconnects
A multi-chassis network device includes a plurality of nodes that operate as a single device within the network and a switch fabric that forwards data plane packets between the plurality of nodes. The switch fabric includes a set of multiplexed optical interconnects coupling the nodes. For example, a multi-chassis router includes a plurality of routing nodes that operate as a single router within a network and a switch fabric that forwards packets between the plurality of routing nodes. The switch fabric includes at least one multiplexed optical interconnect coupling the routing nodes. The nodes of the multi-chassis router may direct portions of the optical signal over the multiplexed optical interconnect to different each other using wave-division multiplexing. |
| US08428448B2 |
Walking beam type heat treatment apparatus
A walking beam type heat treatment apparatus including a heating furnace having a heating body to heat a substrate by radiation, a pair of first beams that are rod-like and provided in the heating furnace and a second beam disposed between the pair of the first beams, one of the pair of the first beams and the second beam relatively moving alternately in longitudinal and vertical directions repeatedly to the other of the pair of the first beams and the second beam, to cause to deliver and receive the substrate between the pair of the first beams and the second beam, and accordingly, to convey the substrate through the heating furnace, includes a side edge support protrusion that protrudes from each of the pair of the first beams such that the side edge support protrusion can horizontally support the substrate in abutting contact with a side edge of the substrate; and a front edge support protrusion and a rear edge support protrusion that protrude from the second beam such that the front edge support protrusion and the rear edge support protrusion can horizontally support the substrate in abutting contact with a front edge and a rear edge of the substrate. |
| US08428447B2 |
Flash vapor generator and assembly comprising a flash vapor generator
A device is disclosed for generating a decontamination agent vapor, in particular hydrogen peroxide vapor. The device includes an evaporator body, a heating unit for heating the evaporator body, and a plurality of feed channels for feeding decontamination liquid to the evaporator body. The decontamination liquid is evaporated by the evaporator body. In one embodiment, the liquid contains hydrogen peroxide. In some embodiments, a plurality of blind holes are provided in a single- or multi-part evaporator body, and at least one of the feed channels is assigned to the blind holes. |
| US08428446B1 |
Snow and ice melting device
The snow and ice melting device consists of a power generator contained within a housing, which includes wheels and a handle to make mobile. A heater deck is suspended above the ground in front of the housing, and includes a heating element and a blower, which directs heated air towards the ground in order to melt snow or ice. The heater deck is connected to the housing by a pivoting arm and a winch cable that enables the heater deck to hover above the ground or to fold vertically next to the housing when not in use. |
| US08428440B2 |
Information recording apparatus and method for the same
Entry points are managed so they are easy for users to understand. The data recording apparatus has a receiver unit that receives a stream of encoded digital data; an analyzer that detects change in an attribute of the received stream and that outputs the detection information; a controller that generates management information containing the detection information output by the analyzer and time information indicating detection time of the change as a first entry point; a drive that records the management information and the received stream to a data storage medium; and an input unit that defines a second entry point. This second entry point is set relative to the playback path of the stream and is used to access and read from a particular point in the stream. The controller further generates the management information containing the first entry point and the second entry point separately identified. |
| US08428439B2 |
Broadcast program recording/reproducing device and broadcast program recording/reproducing method
A broadcast program recording/reproducing device is provided that is capable of continuously reproducing a program recorded so as to be distributed between a plurality of devices. A reception level detection unit (105) detects the reception level of the received broadcast electric wave. When the reception level is equal to or lower than a predetermined reception level, a recording request transmission unit (106) generates a recording start request packet, and transmits it to a server (20). A management information write unit (107) writes management information into a terminal storage unit (104). A continuous reproduction control unit (108) determines whether the program is recorded so as to be distributed between storing means and an external device based on the management information. When the program is recorded so as to be distributed, the continuous reproduction control unit (108) obtains an appropriate part of the program from the terminal storage unit (104) and a server (20) based on the management information and continuously reproduces it, and when the program is not recorded so as to be distributed, the continuous reproduction control unit (108) obtains the program from the terminal storage unit (104) and reproduces it. |
| US08428434B2 |
Video reproducing apparatus, video display system and record medium
Provided herein are: a data acquiring unit which acquires a plurality of angle video data equal or less than the angle video data and relative display position information from a recording unit which records the plurality of angle video data corresponding to the plurality of angle videos taken at a plurality of taking angles different from one another in which a taken object is taken and records the relative display position information indicating a relative display position of each angle video in consideration of each taking angle; a video signal output unit which outputs a plurality of angle video signals corresponding to the plurality of angle videos to display units based on the plurality of angle video data; and an arrangement determining unit which determines a display position arrangement of the plurality of angle videos based on the relative display position information. |
| US08428433B2 |
Storage medium storing multimedia data for reproduction of AV data and programming function, and reproducing apparatus and method thereof
A storage medium storing multimedia data for the reproduction of audio-visual (AV) data and a programming function, and a reproducing apparatus and method thereof. The storage medium includes: reproduction mode data for reproducing audio-visual (AV) data; program data including a plurality of program applications for providing interactive functions with a user and/or additional functions using the AV data; system data for controlling the execution of the reproduction mode data and the program data; and application objects for managing the execution of the program data and information on the reproduction mode data to be reproduced along with the execution of the program data. Accordingly, various user interfaces and/or various additional functions can be provided, as well as simple reproduction of AV data. Also the program application can be prevented from using malicious intent, and program applications having the same function can be reused without modification or recompilation. |
| US08428430B2 |
Image processing system, image processing method, and program
An image processing system for simultaneously displaying one or more images includes an obtaining unit, a playback unit, and a display control unit. The obtaining unit obtains an information presentation level specified by a viewer. The playback unit plays, at a predetermined playback speed, the one or more images recorded on a predetermined recording medium. The display control unit changes, in according with the information presentation level, an amount of information of the one or more images to be displayed on a predetermined display unit. |
| US08428417B1 |
Modular solar collector system and method
A modular solar collector system (MSCS) and modular solar collector method (MSCM) utilizing one or more solar/optical radiation waveguides (SOWs) having radiation input, radiation output, and radiation injection ports is disclosed. The MSCS permits individual SOWs to be cascaded in a modular fashion to permit collection and transmission of incident solar radiation in combination with radiation received from adjacent SOWs. The collection/summation nature of the SOWs may be utilized in vector and/or array configurations to permit collection and transmission of arbitrary areas of incident solar radiation to a focal point, vector, and/or area for the purposes of utilizing the collected radiation for a variety of purposes. The SOWs may optimally incorporate optically reflective areas on surfaces not comprising the radiation input, radiation output, and radiation injection ports to maximize the overall collection and transmission of radiation from the radiation input and radiation injection ports to the radiation output port. |
| US08428416B2 |
Device and method for transmitting light signals
A device for transmitting light signals includes two electrode plates, a spacing structure, a cladding fluid, and a core fluid. The spacing structure, the cladding and core fluids are disposed between the electrode plates. The refractive index of the core fluid is higher than that of the cladding fluid. The core fluid is located on an electrode of one of the electrode plates, and its shape corresponds to the shape of that electrode. The shape and position is changeable and programmable by the electrodes of one of the electrode plates. The core fluid is further surrounded by the cladding fluid, forming an optical waveguide. Via these arrangements, the interface between the core and cladding fluids is much smoother than that between a fluid and a solid, so that the light signals are less likely to scatter while transmitted, in the core fluid. Therefore, the attenuation and reduction of the intensity of the light signals can be decreased. A method for transmitting light signals is also provided. |
| US08428415B2 |
Bend insensitive optical fibers with low refractive index glass rings
An optical fiber includes a silica-based glass portion having an outer diameter of less than about 120 μm. The glass portion comprises a core, an inner cladding and a low index ring. The core comprises an index of refraction n1, and a relative refractive index percent Δ1% relative to pure silica glass. The inner cladding surrounds the core and comprises an index of refraction n2, a radial thickness of less than about 40 μm and a relative refractive index percent Δ2% relative to pure silica glass, wherein Δ1%>Δ2% and the difference between Δ1% and Δ2% is greater than 0.1%. The low index ring surrounds the inner cladding and comprises boron and fluorine, a radial thickness of less than about 20 μm, an index of refraction n3 and a third relative refractive index percent Δ3% relative to pure silica glass, wherein Δ2%>Δ3% and Δ3% is less than −0.5%. |
| US08428413B2 |
Stretcher fiber and module
A stretcher fiber has a core region, inner trench region, ring region, outer trench region, and outer cladding region. The fiber regions are structured to provide the stretcher fiber with a relationship between dispersion and wavelength, such that the second and third derivatives of the stretcher fiber's propagation constant with respect to angular frequency have a shape and wavelength range matching those of a selected compressor module. |
| US08428412B2 |
Optical fiber
An optical fiber includes a cladding with a material having a first refractive index and a pattern of regions formed therein. Each of the regions has a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index. The optical fiber further includes a core region and a core ring having an inner perimeter, an outer perimeter, and a thickness between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter. The thickness is sized to reduce the number of ring surface modes supported by the core ring. |
| US08428408B2 |
Optical pulse reshaping device, optical pulse light source, super-continuum light generator and method for super-continuum light generation
Regarding an optical pulse reshaping device of CPF type, there are subjects to reduce the number of stages by enhancing a compression efficiency as extremely higher for one stage of the CPF with maintaining a quality of an output pulse as high, and to be able to improve a degree of multiplexing by obtaining an output pulse having a Gaussian function for both of a time waveform therefor and a frequency waveform therefor. By using a normal dispersion HNLF in place of a zero dispersion HNLF, which configures the conventional CPF, it becomes able to overcome the above mentioned subjects. Moreover, it becomes able to reduce the number of fusion splice for a fiber, and to reduce a propagation loss of the CPF, by enhancing the compression efficiency as higher. |
| US08428406B2 |
Armor for a fiber optic assembly
Armor, configured for use with a fiber optic assembly, includes a dielectric tube having an armor profile and a length, where the dielectric tube has at least one layer formed from a rigid material. The armor profile is undulating along the length, and the armor profile has a band thickness and a web thickness. The band thickness is between about 0.5 millimeters and about five millimeters. The web thickness is less than the band thickness, and the web thickness is greater than or equal to 0.1 times the band thickness. |
| US08428403B2 |
Optical sensor module
An optical sensor module is provided which reduces variations in optical coupling loss between a core in an optical waveguide unit and an optical element in a substrate unit and which reduces the optical coupling loss. The optical waveguide unit including vertical groove portions for fitting engagement with the substrate unit and the substrate unit including fitting plate portions for fitting engagement with the vertical groove portions are produced individually. The fitting plate portions in the substrate unit are brought into fitting engagement with the vertical groove portions in the optical waveguide unit, so that the substrate unit and the optical waveguide unit are integrated together. The vertical groove portions in the optical waveguide unit are in an appropriate position relative to a light-transmissive surface of the core. The fitting plate portions in the substrate unit are in an appropriate position relative to the optical element. |
| US08428402B2 |
Optical transmission module, electronic device, and method for manufacturing optical transmission module
This invention provides an optical transmission module that is of low cost and that can be mounted even in a narrow space. An optical transmission module of the present invention includes a light reception processing section for converting an optical signal transmitted by an optical wiring to an electric signal, a reception side substrate part including an electric wiring for transmitting the electric signal, and a reception side connector section for providing the electric signal to the light reception processing section and the reception side substrate part. The light reception processing section and the reception side connector section are mounted on a same substrate surface of the reception side substrate part, and the reception side substrate part includes a bending portion bent so that the substrate surfaces oppose each other at the back in the normal direction. |
| US08428396B2 |
Image interpolation method and apparatus, and method for obtaining interpolation coefficients
An image interpolation method includes: obtaining pixel values of integer pixel points and/or sub-pixel points in the row, column or any other directions of pixel points; obtaining pre-calculated interpolation coefficients, and interpolating the pixel points. A method for obtaining image interpolation coefficients includes: solving a one-dimensional Wiener-Hopf equation to obtain needed interpolation coefficients in different directions. An image interpolation apparatus performs interpolation filter processing on pixel points by using a first obtaining module, a second obtaining module, and a first calculating module. With the image interpolation method and apparatus, and the method for obtaining interpolation coefficients, the interpolation filter accuracy of the pixel points may be improved, the search accuracy of pixel points may be improved, and thus a more accurate matching block may be obtained in a reference image. |
| US08428395B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image display apparatus, image forming apparatus, image processing method and storage medium
With the use of a vector quantization technique, an index image, which is obtained by replacing an image on a block-by-block basis, each block consisting of a predetermined number of pixels, with any of a plurality of different pixel patterns and representing the pixel patterns by index values of the respective pixel patterns, is decoded by referring to a code book containing the pixel patterns and the index values of the pixel patterns in association with each other. When decoding an index image on the block-by-block basis into pixel patterns corresponding to the index values, the pixel pattern of each block is scaled, and additionally pixels near a contour in the pixel pattern after scaling are redrawn based on contour vector information corresponding to the pixel pattern. |
| US08428394B2 |
System and method for resolving spatial orientation using intelligent optical selectivity
The present invention provides a method and system for resolving complete free space orientation of an active receiving device at high speed using simple optics, trigonometry, simple circuitry, and using minimal processing power. The rapid triangulation of distance from the emitters, as well as resolution of rotational orientation, are determined by changing the contrast level in an infrared spectrum and by using wide angle lenses with greater than 180 degree hemispherical viewing angles. Furthermore, the system consists of an optional accelerometer, resident on the receiver, to dynamically adjust the image sensor frame rate. |
| US08428388B2 |
Image generating apparatus and method for emphasizing edge based on image characteristics
An image generating apparatus and method for emphasizing an edge, based on image characteristics by extracting an edge region from an input original image, and an edge gain indicating a degree for emphasizing the edge region and an edge threshold indicating a degree of complexity between pixels are calculated for each of a plurality of image regions of the original image. The extracted edge region is combined with the calculated edge gain. Thresholding is performed by adjusting the calculated edge threshold for the edge region combined with the edge gain, and the thresholding-applied edge region is combined with the original image to output a final image. By adaptively adjusting an edge gain and an edge threshold for a portion where an edge needs to be emphasized and the other portions in an image having multiple image characteristics, both edge emphasis and noise cancellation can be achieved together. |
| US08428387B2 |
Edge evaluation method, edge detection method, image correction method, and image processing system
An image processing system of this invention includes a variation calculator for calculating a variation in pixel value of each pixel relative to adjacent pixels, and an edge degree calculating device for calculating, for one arbitrary pixel, an edge degree which expresses numerically a probability of the one pixel being an edge, based on variations of a peripheral pixel group consisting of the one pixel and surrounding pixels. According to the image processing system constructed in this way, whether edges or not can be evaluated with high accuracy even when the pixels undergoing noise. |
| US08428385B2 |
Non-uniformity error correction with a bilateral filter
Correction of spatial nonuniformities among detectors in a focal plane array. Incoming image data is incident on the array, and the resulting image signals are corrected with a bilateral filter. The bilateral filter accounts for edge effects by filtering based both on spatial separation between image points and photometric separation between image points. |
| US08428384B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing an in-painting process on an image
A method and apparatus of in-painting an image using prioritized graph cut optimization is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes examining an image comprising a plurality of pixels that form a source region and a target region, wherein the source region comprises pixel information partitioning the source region into blocks, defining boundary areas comprising a portion of the source region and a portion of the target region, computing a plurality of energy values for the source region and the boundary areas, wherein energy values represent intensity comparisons between the boundary areas and neighboring blocks of the source region and assigning labels to the boundary areas using on a graph-cut technique, wherein each label is associated with a neighboring block and an minimal energy value for each boundary area and storing pixel information based on the pixel information of the neighboring blocks associated with the minimal energy values. |
| US08428382B2 |
Hair image display method and display apparatus
A hair image display method comprises the steps of: selecting a hair area from a hair image; performing an edge detection on the hair area to calculate an edge image; performing representation processing on the edge image to calculate a representative value image; calculating direction differences between the edge image and the representative value image; and rendering the direction differences of respective pixels in color or grayscale to display a direction difference image, or rendering the correlation lengths of respective pixels in an edge direction image in color or grayscale to display a bundle width image, or determining the curvatures of the respective pixels in the edge direction image to form a curvature image. This makes it possible to display directions straying from a flow, bundles of hairs in the same flow, and the state of curls in hair styling clearly, and to facilitate evaluations of the hair styling. |
| US08428379B2 |
Method for distributed source coding of wavelet coefficients in zerotrees
A method for encoding a source image, wherein the source image includes a set of bitplanes of pixels, is disclosed. For each bitplane in a most to least significant order, the method include obtaining a list of significant pixels (LSP), a list of insignificant pixels (LIP), and a list of insignificant sets (LIS) according to a hierarchical ordering of the source image pixels; synchronizing the LSP, LIP and LIS of the source image with the LSP, LIP and LIS of a key image; constructing a temporary list of insignificant sets (TLIS) for the source image; and applying syndrome encoding to the LSP, LIP, and TLIS of the source image to obtain syndromes corresponding to magnitudes and signs of pixels in the source image, wherein the steps are performed in a processor. |
| US08428377B2 |
Device and method of processing image data to be displayed on a display device
In an image data processing device, a selection unit receives a block of original image data of a current image, a block of compressed and reconstructed image data of the current image, and a block of compressed and reconstructed data of a previous image that precedes the current image. A comparison unit compares the block of compressed and reconstructed image data of the current image with the block of compressed and reconstructed data of the previous image. An output unit, in the event that the comparison of the comparison unit results in a match, outputs the block of original image data of the current image as first output data, and, in the event that the comparison of the comparison unit does not result in a match, outputs the block of compressed and reconstructed data of the previous image as the first output data. |
| US08428376B2 |
Predictive-transform source coding with subbands
A method, system, and apparatus are directed towards computing minimum mean squared error (MMSE) predictive-transform (PT) source coding integrated with subband compression to further improve the performance of low bit rate MMSE PT source coders. A desirable byproduct of the advanced scheme is that the incorporation of joint optimum prediction and transformation from subband to subband is ideally suited to its integration with JPEG2000 to yield even higher compression levels while producing an outstanding objective as well as subjective visual performance. |
| US08428375B2 |
System and method for data compression and decompression in a graphics processing system
Methods and systems for data compression and decompression in a graphics processing system are provided. For example, in at least one embodiment, a method comprises distributing the graphics data values of a pixel block about zero to minimize redundancy, and the pixel block includes a plurality of quadrants. The method further comprises determining whether to encode the distributed graphics data values, and responsive to a determination to encode the distributed graphics data values, encoding at least one graphics data value of one of the quadrants depending on an encoding indicator. The encoding includes determining an entropy parameter and dividing each positive data value by the entropy parameter yielding an entropy part and a noise part. |
| US08428374B2 |
Skip macroblock coding
Various techniques and tools for encoding and decoding (e.g., in a video encoder/decoder) binary information (e.g., skipped macroblock information) are described. In some embodiments, the binary information is arranged in a bit plane, and the bit plane is coded at the picture/frame layer. The encoder and decoder process the binary information and, in some embodiments, switch coding modes. For example, the encoder and decoder use normal, row-skip, column-skip, or differential modes, or other and/or additional modes. In some embodiments, the encoder and decoder define a skipped macroblock as a predicted macroblock whose motion is equal to its causally predicted motion and which has zero residual error. In some embodiments, the encoder and decoder use a raw coding mode to allow for low-latency applications. |
| US08428367B2 |
System and method for electronic document classification
A system and method for electronic document classification are provided. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: converting a candidate electronic document comprising character data to a candidate image; obtaining a representation of a degree of visual similarity of the candidate image to a reference image, the reference image having been obtained by identifying a reference electronic document containing character data representative of a specified classification; and converting the reference electronic document to a reference image. |
| US08428365B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method and computer program product
An image processing apparatus includes: an image transformation parameter calculation device which calculates an image transformation parameter for matching an acquired first image and a second image with each other among detected plurality of corresponding points; an image transformation device which transforms the second image using the calculated image transformation parameter and acquires the transformed image as a third image; and a feature point existing region determination device which determines whether or not the feature point extracted from the first image is positioned in an invalid image region at an edge of the image, the invalid image region being generated by execution of a predetermined filtering process on the first image, wherein the corresponding point detection device tracks the feature point determined that the feature point extracted from the first image is positioned in the invalid image region, using the first image and the third image. |
| US08428362B2 |
Scene matching reference data generation system and position measurement system
A scene matching reference data generation system inputs a set of probe data. The set of the probe data includes captured images sequentially obtained by a plurality of probe cars and the vehicle positions of the probe cars. The system temporarily stores the captured images, evaluates image similarity degrees of the captured images, and assigns the similarity degrees to the captured images. The system selects, as a plurality of processing target captured images, a plurality of the captured images having similarity degrees equal to or higher than a first predetermined degree, determines a representative image-capturing position that is a representative of the image-capturing positions of the plurality of the processing target captured images, generates image feature point data based on the plurality of the processing target captured images, and generates the reference data for scene matching by associating the image feature point data with the representative image-capturing position. |
| US08428357B2 |
Systems and methods for performance training
Systems and methods for movement and position training of a human body are provided. An image capture device such as a still camera or video camera captures an image or video of a human body in a selected position or sequence of positions relating to a movement. The position or movement may relate to a physical activity, such as running, jumping, throwing or swinging. The image is then presented to a user on a display, where the user may select one or more positions of the human body for analysis. Upon selecting a position, an angle of the position is determined and then compared to a desired angle determined through known biomechanical measurements. The difference between the two angles is calculated, and the user is then presented with feedback, such as a corrective action, to aid the user in reducing the difference between the measured angle and the desired angle. |
| US08428352B1 |
Post processing for improved generation of intrinsic images
An automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. The method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, generating a material intrinsic image corresponding to the image and modifying the material intrinsic image by identifying artifacts by comparing derivatives for the material intrinsic image with derivatives for the image, modifying the derivatives for the material intrinsic image to conform the derivatives for the material intrinsic to the derivatives of the image and integrating the modified derivatives for the material intrinsic image to calculate a modified material intrinsic image. |
| US08428350B2 |
Color correction apparatus, method and computer program
The present invention relates to color correction of video signals from a plurality of cameras. The apparatus has a correction order that defines a plurality of camera pairs and an order of the camera pairs, where each camera pair specifies a reference camera and a target camera. In the correction order, each camera is treated as a target camera at least one time, and the reference camera is treated as the target camera in a previous camera pair except for the first camera pair. The apparatus corrects a value of each pixel in a target image captured by the target camera based on a reference image captured by the reference camera, and replaces the target image by the corrected target image, for each camera pair in accordance with the order of the camera pairs. |
| US08428345B2 |
Meta-classifier system for video analytics
A system for meta-classification having a training phase mechanism and an operational phase mechanism. The training phase mechanism may have a detection and tracking module, a classifier section connected to the detection and tracking module, a feature synthesis module connected to the classifier section, a labeling module connected to the feature synthesis module and a training data module connected to the labeling module. The operational phase mechanism may have a detection and tracking module, a classifier section connected to the detection and tracking module, a feature synthesis module connected to the classifier section and a meta-classification module connected to the feature synthesis module and the training module. The training phase mechanism may provide parameters and settings to the operational phase mechanism. |
| US08428342B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing three dimensional media content
A system that incorporates teachings of the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, means for generating a disparity map based on a depth map, means for determining accuracy of pixels in the depth map where the determining means identifies the pixels as either accurate or inaccurate based on a confidence map and the disparity map, and means for providing an adjusted depth map where the providing means adjusts inaccurate pixels of the depth map using a cost function associated with the inaccurate pixels. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08428340B2 |
Screen space plane identification
A method of finding and defining a plane includes screen-space scanning a plurality of rows of a depth image and interpolating a straight depth line through at least two depth values for each row. A pair of straight boundary lines are then fit to the endpoints of the straight depth lines, and a plane is defined to include these straight boundary lines. |
| US08428337B2 |
Apparatus for detecting micro-cracks in wafers and method therefor
A method and apparatus for wafer inspection is disclosed. The method and apparatus involve directing light substantially along a first axis towards a first surface of a wafer to thereby obtain light emanating along the first axis from a second surface of the wafer, wherein the first and second surfaces of the wafer are substantially outwardly opposing and substantially extending parallel to a plane. The method and apparatus further involve directing light substantially along a second axis towards the first surface of the wafer to thereby obtain light emanating along the second axis from the second surface of the wafer, the first axis being angled away from the second axis about a reference axis extending along the plane. More specifically, the orthographic projection of the first axis on the plane is substantially parallel to the orthographic projection of the second axis on the plane, and each the orthographic projections of the first and second axes on the plane is substantially orthogonal to the reference axis. |
| US08428335B2 |
Combining feature boundaries
A method of forming a combined feature boundary based on boundaries of first and second overlapping features includes dividing the boundaries of the first and second overlapping features into line segments of known shape, identifying crossing points formed by the line segments, calculating parametric coordinates of the crossing points, and determining a sequence of crossing point evaluation based on the parametric coordinates. The method also includes calculating first and second cross products based on the line segments forming first and second crossing points in the determined sequence, and choosing first and second paths of the combined feature boundary according to mathematical signs of the cross products, wherein the combined feature boundary includes the first and second crossing points and portions of at least one of the first and second feature boundaries defining the first and second paths. |
| US08428333B2 |
Apparatus for performing repetitive operations
The invention pertains to a apparatus for performing operations, in particular cutting, embossing, creasing, folding and/or sealing, on a moving web provided with a series of identical images, which apparatus comprises a sensor for at least partially detecting the images on the web, and a processing unit which, dependent on a comparison of the data obtained with the sensor and a reference, generates an output signal to be used for one or more of the said operations. The processing unit comprises a memory and is arranged to select at least part of the detected data, store the selected data in the memory, and utilize the selected data as the reference. The invention further pertains to module for performing operations on a moving web and method of generating an output signal. |
| US08428329B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable medium
A target region extracting unit configured to extract a target region used in acquiring feature information from each frame of a moving image includes a plurality of image analyzing units (first and second image analyzing units) configured to execute image analyzing processes in parallel for extraction of the target regions on each frame of the moving image in different manners, and an information transmission processing unit configured to execute a process of transmitting result information of the image analyzing processes among the plurality of image analyzing units. |
| US08428324B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing digital mammographic images with parallel multi-scale decomposition and recombining in an optimized multi-scale reconstruction
A method and apparatus for processing digital mammographic images. The method and apparatus providing comparable mammographic images regardless of the imaging device generating the raw mammographic images. The processed mammographic images may be displayed with optimal global and local contrast, enhanced sharpness, and without the need to apply window level settings or data from lookup tables. A second mammographic image is generated out of a processed first mammographic image in such a way that the projected object, the breast, is more perceptible and obvious for a physician or other medical professional reviewing the mammographic image. |
| US08428321B2 |
Medical image processing apparatus and method, as well as program
An analysis purpose of first and second medical images, which are obtained by carrying out dual energy imaging using two types of radiations having different energies, is determined. A composition ratio of the first and second medical images depending on the determined analysis purpose is determined with referencing a composition ratio table, which indicates different composition ratios of the first and second medical images associated with different analysis purposes. Then, the first and second medical images are combined at the determined composition ratio to generate a composite image. |
| US08428320B2 |
Method of reconstituting cellular spectra useful for detecting cellular disorders
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides improved methods for determining the presence of abnormalities in exfoliated cells. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides methods for reconstructing cellular spectrum of a cell sample by creating a spectral map of the cellular sample, generating a binary mask of the spectral map, removing edge artifacts from each cell, and co-adding spectral data of each pixel corresponding to the cell to reconstruct the spectrum of each cell. |
| US08428319B2 |
Automatic measurement of morphometric and motion parameters of the coronary tree from a rotational X-ray sequence
Automatic measurement of morphometric and motion parameters of a coronary target includes extracting reference frames from input data of a coronary target at different phases of a cardiac cycle, extracting a three-dimensional centerline model for each phase of the cardiac cycle based on the references frames and projection matrices of the coronary target, tracking a motion of the coronary target through the phases based on the three-dimensional centerline models, and determining a measurement of morphologic and motion parameters of the coronary target based on the motion. |
| US08428318B2 |
Motion compensated image averaging
A method is provided for averaging a sequence of image frames. A noise-reducing filter is applied to the image frames to generate filtered frames. A deconvolution filter is applied to the filtered frames to generate corresponding deconvolved frames. The filtered frames are transformed by an affine transformation to align them, generating aligned frames. The aligned frames are motion corrected by non-linear transformation based on intensity rank matching, generating a sequence of motion-corrected frames. The motion-corrected frames are averaged to generate a resultant frame. |
| US08428316B2 |
Coronary reconstruction from rotational X-ray projection sequence
A method for three-dimensional reconstruction of a branched object from a rotational sequence of images of the branched object includes segmenting the branched object from each image of the sequence, extracting centerlines of the branched object, performing symbolic reconstruction via a stereo correspondence matching between the centerlines from different views of the sequence of images using a graph cut-based optimization, and creating a three-dimensional tomographic reconstruction of the branched object compensated for motion of the branched object between the images of the sequence. |
| US08428315B2 |
Method and system for pre-operative prediction
A system and method for pre-operatively obtaining a prediction of a post-operative image of at least part of a body is disclosed. A 3D pre-operative description is determined of at least part of a body, and a pre-operative 2D photograph is acquired of the at least part of the body from any viewing position. The 3D pre-operative description is matched with the pre-operative 2D photograph, and a deformation field is determined for deforming the 3D pre-operative description. A predicted post-operative image of a 3D post-operative description of the at least part of the body is derived by means of the deformation field and the pre-operative 2D photograph. |
| US08428314B2 |
Fingerprint-initiated navigating method, method for linking a fingerprint and a navigation destination, and navigating device
A fingerprint-initiated navigating method is to be implemented using a navigating device, and includes the steps of: associating a kth set of fingerprint data with corresponding destination information, where k is an integer ranging from 1 to n, and n is not less than 1; receiving a fingerprint signal conforming with the kth set of fingerprint data; and showing a destination indicated by the destination information corresponding to the kth set of fingerprint data. |
| US08428307B2 |
Process for the automatic determination of speed limitations on a road and an associated system
An automatic process is provided for automatically determining a current speed limitation on a road being used by a motor vehicle, in which by means of a first system, making use in particular of a GPS aerial and cartographical details, a first set of information is established, in which at least one likely speed limitation is associated with a confidence index; by means of a second system, involving the use of a camera and image processing applications capable of identifying roadside speed limitation panels, a second set of information is established comprising at least one probable speed limitation, wherein the basis of the first and second sets of information, the current speed limitation is determined along the road in question. |
| US08428304B2 |
Retrieving scenes from moving image data
A computer system, method and computer program that retrieves, from at least one piece of moving image data, at least one scene that includes moving image content to be retrieved. The computer system includes a storage unit that stores a locus of a model of the moving image to be retrieved and velocity variation of the model; a first calculation unit that calculates a first vector including the locus and the velocity variation of the model; a second calculation unit that calculates a second vector regarding the moving image content to be retrieved included in the at least one piece of moving image data; a third calculation unit that calculates a degree of similarity between the first and second vectors; and a selection unit that selects, at least one scene which includes the moving image content to be retrieved, on the basis of the degree of similarity. |
| US08428302B2 |
Automatic spine creation for book cover images that do not have spines
A method for automatically creating spine image areas for book covers that were originally created for books without spines includes adding image areas between the front and back cover images to make a single image with the spine being a user-specified solid color or bitmap image. |
| US08428299B2 |
Method of processing images to combat copying
The invention relates to a method of processing source images which is intended to combat their copying by a camcorder or a camera during their display, for example in a cinema hall. The source image sequence represents a scene. According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps: detection, in the said scene, of at least one zone corresponding to an object of the scene, selection of the entirety of the pixels of the said at least one zone in at least one source image of the sequence; and processing of the said at least one source image to modify the color of the selected pixels or the spectral composition of the light emitted by the selected pixels so that the perceived color of the selected pixels is unchanged in the processed source image with respect to the source image. |
| US08428292B2 |
Vehicle audio system having portable powered speaker for connecting a portable entertainment device
A vehicle audio system includes an interior trim panel having an opening with a speaker module removably secured therein and having a speaker electrically connected to the vehicle audio system when the speaker module is positioned within the opening. The speaker module includes an interface for receiving an audio signal from a linked portable electronic device for playing the audio signal through the speaker when the speaker module is removed from the interior trim panel opening and electrically disconnected from the vehicle audio system, and for playing the audio signal through the vehicle audio system when the speaker module is positioned within the interior trim panel. The speaker module may include an energy storage device and/or generator, such as a dynamo or solar cell, to power the speaker and play audio from a linked digital media player and/or recharge an electronic device, such as a media player or cell phone. |
| US08428287B2 |
Earbuds with electrostatic discharge protection
To avoid undesirable electrostatic discharge events while maintaining low leakage currents, earbuds may be provided with controlled electrostatic discharge paths. The discharge paths may include discrete components such as resistors or more distributed resistive components such as resistive elastomers. A resistive elastomer may be incorporated into an interior portion of an earbud between an earbud housing structure and a ground path. A resistive elastomer may also be used in forming an ear bud tip. |
| US08428285B2 |
Microphone screen with common mode interference reduction
A microphone assembly includes a microphone composed of a case having an open end and a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board is disposed in the open case end. The microphone assembly further includes a metal screen coupled to the case over the printed circuit board for shielding the microphone from electromagnetic interference. The metal screen includes several apertures. |
| US08428283B2 |
Manufacturing method of paper making part for loudspeaker, paper making part for loudspeaker, diaphragm for loudspeaker, sub cone for loudspeaker, dust cap for loudspeaker and loudspeaker
A manufacturing method of a paper making part for a loudspeaker has freedom of adjusting a characteristic and a sound quality, and has a higher productivity. Accordingly, a fibrillating step of a paper making material is achieved by an explosive crushing step. Alternatively, the step is achieved by a mixing step of a paper making material and a liquid, a material micro-fabricating step of applying a pressure to a mixed solution obtained by the mixing step so as to pass through an orifice and thereafter run into a device wall, and a paper making step including the micro-fabricated material. |
| US08428282B2 |
Method and apparatus for modular hearing aid
A method and apparatus for a modular hearing aid for a user having a hearing canal, including a microphone connected to signal processing electronics and a power supply, a housing shaped for use in at least a portion of the hearing canal and including at least one opening and a microphone hood detachably connected to the opening in the housing, wherein the microphone hood includes one or more external ports linked to an internal port such that air may flow between the one or more external ports and the internal port. In various examples, a microphone housing is adapted to mount to the housing and to fit within the at least one access port, and to connect to the microphone, the signal processing electronics and the power supply. In one variant, the apparatus includes a receiver connected to the signal processing electronics, and a fastener as a unitary connector of the cover and microphone housing to the housing. Other variations are presented herein. |
| US08428275B2 |
Wind noise reduction device
In a wind noise reduction device that reduces wind noise contained in an input sound signal to generate a corrected sound signal, when a predetermined band including the band of the wind noise is a first band and a predetermined band higher in frequency than the first band is a second band, the wind noise reduction device includes: a first corrector that has a signal generator generating, based on a sound signal (i) contained in the input sound signal and lying in a band higher in frequency than the first band, a sound signal (ii) lying in the first band and different from a sound signal (iii) contained in the input sound signal and lying in the first band, and that generates a first corrected sound signal based on the sound signal (ii) generated by the signal generator; a second corrector that reduces the signal level of a sound signal (iv) contained in the input sound signal and lying in the second band to thereby generate a second corrected sound signal as a sound signal (v) having the wind noise reduced and lying in the second band; and a corrected sound signal outputter that outputs the corrected sound signal based on the first and second corrected sound signals. |
| US08428274B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting acoustic feedback
An acoustic-feedback detection apparatus includes: a first level detecting section configured to detect a signal level of sound signals obtained from a position in a sound-signal system in which a microphone and speaker are connected; a first extracting section configured to extract, from the sound signals of which the signal level is detected, signals in a band having a bandwidth predetermined for each of at least one predetermined center frequency; a second level detecting section configured to detect a signal level of the signals in each band, the signals being extracted by the first extracting section; and a determining section configured to determine whether or not acoustic feedback is occurring, on the basis of a threshold determined according to the signal level detected by the first level detecting section and a waveform of each signal level detected by the second level detecting section. |
| US08428266B2 |
Method and terminal for implementing hot-plug of smart card
A method and terminal for implementing hot-plug of a smart card are disclosed. The method includes: during the process of playing mobile multimedia, a descrambling library sending request information for obtaining a program key to a smart card driving module, which judges whether a smart card is in a plug-in state or a pull-out state after receiving the request information: if in the plug-in state, the smart card driving module forwarding the request information to the smart card, receiving response information returned by the smart card, forwarding the response information to the descrambling library, and meanwhile forwarding the response information to a virtual smart card module to save; if in the pull-out state, the smart card driving module forwarding the request information to the virtual smart card module, which returns the saved response information to the smart card driving module, which forwards the response information to the descrambling library. |
| US08428263B2 |
Wireless LAN device, wireless LAN system, and communication method for relaying packet
A wireless LAN device which performs wireless communication in a wireless network comprises: a communication section for performing the wireless communication such that a packet can be relayed in the wireless network; and a setting section for obtaining first identification information from another wireless LAN device present in a communicable state within a radio wave arrival range of the wireless LAN device, which first identification information can identify the other wireless LAN device, and setting a role for executing an asymmetric protocol asymmetric between the wireless LAN device and the other wireless LAN device, the role being set based on the first identification information, and second identification information, stored in the wireless LAN device, that can identify the wireless LAN device. The wireless LAN device shares an encryption key, based on the set role, and relays a packet by encrypting the packet by using the encryption key. |
| US08428259B2 |
Apparatus and method for all-optical encryption and decryption of an optical signal
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the encryption and decryption of optically transmitted data, and more particularly to the encryption and decryption of optical data transmitted and received using only optical components. Because only optical components are used, the encryption and decryption is independent of the data rate of the optical signal. The apparatus may include an encryption device that operates by receiving and combining both an unencrypted optical signal as well as a delayed optical signal that is based on the unencrypted optical signal. An optical delay may be configured in a number of different ways and may be used for delaying the unencrypted optical signal. The apparatus may further include a decryption device that receives and combines an encrypted optical signal as well as a delayed optical signal that is based on the encrypted optical signal. An optical delay may be configured in a number of different ways and may be used for delaying the encrypted optical signal. To properly work together, the apparatus and method require that the optical delay on the encryption side perfectly match the optical delay on the decryption side in both the length of delay and arrangement. |
| US08428258B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing content control via detection of modifications to a signal
A method and apparatus is provided for generating or providing any of various types of modifications purposely made to generally known signals, waveforms, conditions, functions, etc. The modifications are sensed, read, detected or interpreted to provide a content control command indicative of the difference between the original signal, waveform, condition, functions, etc., and the modified signal, waveform, condition, function, etc. The content control command may be used to provide content control for a content control system, which in turn may provide control of a selected compliant device. |
| US08428257B2 |
Display window control system and method
An embodiment of a method for rendering an item of media content includes obtaining a media presentation having a media-content portion and a display-window-configuration component. The display-window-configuration component is recovered from the media presentation and causes a defined display window to be presented contemporaneously with rendering the media content of the media-content portion. And an embodiment of a method for rendering an item of media content having an action-indicator associated with an action includes analyzing the media content to detect the action-indicator and executing the associated action. For example, the action-indicator may be a watermark, which may be visible while an image portion of the media content is displayed. |
| US08428255B2 |
Selective switching between data sources
A sink may be to used to process multimedia digital data. The sink may include a plurality of input ports, an output port, a switchably-enabled selector to select an input port from a plurality of HDMI input ports to couple to an output port, a control circuit to detect encrypted data in a channel of the input ports; and a plurality of decryption engines. Each of the decryption engines may be coupled to respective input ports to synchronize with a corresponding encryption engine of a data source after the control circuit detects encrypted data in the channel of the respective input port. Additional circuitry may be included to operate the sink in a power saving mode. Also, methods for processing the data in both power saving and non-power saving modes. |
| US08428251B2 |
System and method for stream/block cipher with internal random states
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for performing data encryption and decryption using a stream or block cipher with internal random states. The method includes splitting the input data into a predetermined number of blocks and processing each block. The processing includes creating sub-blocks, permuting the sub-blocks, replacing bytes using a lookup table, rotating bits, performing expansion and combining sets of bits. The element of randomness employed in this process allows for the same input to yield the same output, with differing internal states. |
| US08428250B2 |
Pivot braking structure of relative sliding device
A pivot braking structure includes a sliding-guided frame, a sliding seat, a pivot-shaft assembly and a movable cover. The sliding seat slides along a sliding rail of the sliding-guided frame and connected to a shaft hole of the sliding seat. The pivot-shaft assembly is provided with a pivot shaft passing through the shaft hole of the sliding seat. The movable cover is pivotally jacketed to the pivot shaft. Recesses are provided on a positioning member and protrusions are provided on the movable cover, so that the movable cover is positioned at a predetermined opening angle relative to the sliding seat by pivoting the protrusions of the movable cover to embed in the recesses of the positioning member. The movable cover is provided with a clip portion having an accommodation portion jacketed to the edge of the sliding-guided frame when the movable cover is attachably received to the sliding seat. |
| US08428246B2 |
Unified customer service interactions
A server device configured to receive first-information associated with a call that was received by a first server device; receive second-information associated with the call, where the second-information is associated with processing of the call by the first server device and at least one second server device; generate a unified record associated with the call, where the unified record includes at least some of the first-information and at least some of the second-information; determine, based on the unified record, that a condition exists with respect to the call; and send an instruction to perform a customer operation with respect to the call when the condition is determined to exist, where the customer operation includes increasing a priority for handling of the call by a customer service agent. |
| US08428245B2 |
Customer service agent assisted social networks
The present invention comprises a method for: (i) receiving information from a caller C1 and indexing the caller C1 into a first group based, at least in part, on the received information, (ii) transmitting to a participant P1, a first message requesting that the participant P1 assist the caller C1 indexed in the first group, (iii) establishing a conference call between the participant P1 and the caller C1 in response to the participant P1 responding to the first message, (iv) transmitting the first message to a participant P2 when the participant P1 does not respond to the first message, (v) establishing a conference call between the participant P2 and the caller C1 in response to the participant P2 responding to the first message, and (vi) connecting the caller C1 with an agent A1 when a response to the first message is not received from the participant P1 and the participant P2. |
| US08428244B2 |
Cross-call agent extension mobility with call admission control and emergency calling
A system for cross-registration of a phone device is provided. The system includes a local call processing system that stores phone device information for a local phone that is operable to be used by a user; and a remote call processing system that stores a user phone profile for the user, the remote call processing system being operable to generate a visitor registration for the local phone device. The phone device is operable to use the visitor registration to register with the remote call processing system. |
| US08428241B2 |
Semi-supervised training of destination map for call handling applications
A method of semi-supervised synonym inference for a call handling application, such as automated directory assistance or call routing, is described. In one embodiment the method comprises examining a database of caller interaction results from a directory assistance system that includes an automated directory assistance engine, detecting a specified characteristic in the caller interaction results, and using the detected characteristic to automatically train a destination map, where the destination map is for use by the automated directory assistance engine in automatically mapping human speech to a destination. The detecting of the specified characteristic in the caller interaction results may include a statistical analysis of the caller interaction results for each of one or more speech recognition strings. |
| US08428234B2 |
Method and system for managing conferencing resources in a premises
A conferencing system for an enterprise is disclosed. The conferencing system includes a management apparatus for managing conferencing resources in a premises. The management apparatus includes a communications link for communicating with a proximity announcing system, which indicates whether a portable communications device is near a conferencing device within the premises. The management apparatus can transmit a message to a proximate portable communication device indicating that a conferencing device is nearby. The proximity announcing system can include wireless transmitters and receivers associated with the premises and with portable communication devices used within the premises for tracking the location of the portable communication devices throughout the premises. |
| US08428233B2 |
Internet protocol for IP private branch exchanges
An Internet protocol query for Internet protocol private branch exchanges including a private branch exchange that is connected to the public switched telephone network for receiving a call setup request, the private branch exchange not being enabled for receiving calling name delivery information from a telecommunications circuit; at least one of an incumbent local exchange carrier switch and a competitive local exchange carrier switch in communication with the private branch exchange, the at least one of the incumbent local exchange carrier switch and the competitive local exchange carrier switch having the telecommunications circuit not enabled for calling name delivery information retrieval; a network in communication with the private branch exchange; and a calling name delivery database in communication with the network for receiving calling name delivery queries from the private branch exchange based on the call setup request. Methods for routing calls based on ENUM information is also included. |
| US08428230B2 |
Communication apparatus performing communication via network using phone number, control method for the same, and storage medium
A communication apparatus that enables to appropriately perform IP filtering even when communication via a network is performed by a user inputting a destination phone number. An IP filter permits or rejects communication on the basis of a set IP address. An input unit inputs a phone number. An acquisition unit acquires an IP address corresponding to the phone number inputted by the input unit from a server connected to the network. A setting unit sets the IP filter so that communication using the IP address acquired by the acquisition unit is permitted. |
| US08428229B2 |
Flagged messages in an automatic integrated unified messaging escalation system
An automatic message escalation system includes attaching an acknowledgement flag to a message after it is received in the message mailbox of an identified message recipient. The status of the acknowledgement flag indicates whether or not the message has been retrieved. After a given or specified period of time, the acknowledgement flag is checked to see if the message was retrieved. If the message was retrieved, the message will not be escalated. If the message was not retrieved, the message will be sent to the next message recipient on an escalation list. |
| US08428227B2 |
Certified communications system and method
The certification system and method acquires, records and then authenticates a voice communication between communicating parties by a service provider in a telecommunication system. The system acquires, maintains custody over, controls access to, and permits modification, supplementation and deletion of recorded communications session, and distributes a reproduction of an authenticated recording. The authenticated record includes the authenticated identity AU-ID of the parties which is ascertained and documented at the time of acquisition, upon any access, modification or supplementation to the recording and at the time of authentication. AU-ID is adjunct data to the recording. The supplemented recording may include a translation, a transcription and an emotional characteristic. |
| US08428226B2 |
Method of call trace on media gateway of next generation network
The present invention discloses a method of call trace on a next generation network (NGN) media gateway (MG). According to the present invention, a softswitch device adds an extended trace indication to an H.248 message related to the call to be traced; the MG determines whether the received H.248 message needs to be traced according to the extended trace indication; and if the H.248 message needs to be traced, trace the call to which the transaction in the H.248 message belongs. By the method, the MG can trace the entire calling process of a call. |
| US08428224B2 |
Method for transmission line analysis
The present invention concerns methods for estimating one or more transmission properties of a telecommunications transmission line. Estimates of the line input impedance, Zin at a frequency ƒ, and the line capacitance Ĉ are made. An estimate is then made in dependence of Ĉ, the frequency ƒ and a value Γ, where Γ satisfies the relationship Γ coth (Γ)=Zin·jωĈ, and ω=2πƒ. Accuracy may be improved by least squares fitting a curve to a set of intermediate values and then generating an estimate from the coefficients of the curve. |
| US08428223B2 |
High availability architecture for computer telephony interface driver
A method of providing communication services includes configuring a primary computer telephony interface driver to interface a computer telephony interface server with an application for transmitting client information between the application and the computer telephony interface server and configuring a secondary computer telephony interface driver to redundantly interface the same computer telephony interface server with the same application for transmitting the same client information between the same application and the same computer telephony interface server. |
| US08428216B2 |
Method for reconstruction of a three-dimensional image data set and x-ray device
A method for reconstruction of a three-dimensional image data set from projection images of an object captured with an X-ray device from different projection angles is proposed. At least one sub-area of the object is outside the coverage of the X-ray device, or as a result of strong attenuation by a metal so that no projection data is present in the sub-area. Filter lines are determined n the projection images. A first local transformation is performed along the filter lines on the projection images. The missing projection data on the transformed projection data is augmented. A non-local transformation is performed on the transformed projection data for determining of filtered, augmented projection data. The non-local transformation is different from a ramp filter which is created by the first local transformation and the non-local transformation. The three-dimensional image data set is determined by back-projection of the filtered, augmented projection data. |
| US08428212B2 |
Frequency synthesis using upconversion PLL processes
Techniques for frequency synthesis using upconversion PLL processes are described herein. |
| US08428210B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling a master/slave system via master device synchronization
A method of operating a master/slave system includes the step of identifying a master receive data phase value to coordinate the transfer of data from a slave device without phase alignment circuitry to a master device with a universal phase aligner. Data is transferred from the slave device to the master device in accordance with the master receive data phase value. The master device characterizes a master transmit data phase value to coordinate the transfer of data from the master device to the slave device. Subsequently, the master device routes data to the slave device in accordance with the master transmit data phase value. |
| US08428209B2 |
System, apparatus, and method of frequency offset estimation and correction for mobile remotes in a communication network
A frequency offset estimation and correction apparatus including a frame averaging unit to average a plurality of frequency offset values to obtain a frame offset average for each of a plurality of frames, a re-sampling unit to produce a plurality of interpolated frequency offset values uniformly distributed over a time period of a frame of the plurality of frames based on the frame offset average of the frame and a frame offset average of at least one frame that precedes the frame, and an exponential averaging unit to calculate the estimated frequency offset based on the plurality of interpolated frequency offset values weighted by an exponential averaging coefficient. |
| US08428204B2 |
Recovering distorted digital data
In one aspect, a method to recover digital data includes receiving a distorted digital data stream and processing the distorted digital data stream to remove distortions. The processing includes detecting state changes, removing noise and identifying valid pulses. The processing also includes forming an undistorted data stream based on the processing. |
| US08428203B1 |
Integrated tunable RF notch filter
Large interfering signals (interferers) with spectra near a desired signal can cause distortion in a wireless receiver due to a non-linear signal path. It is typically a performance advantage to attenuate these interferers earlier in the signal path, rather than later in the signal path, because these interferers can cause saturation of amplifying stages. In certain situations, the frequency offset of an interfering signal, with respect to the desired signal, can be on the order of 10 megahertz (MHz), whereas the center frequencies can be on the order of several gigahertz (GHz). Thus, a filter with “baseband” precision would be needed at radio frequency to notch out the interferer, which is relatively difficult to do. Disclosed is a technique to estimate the relative strength and center frequency of the interferer and to place the center frequency of a notch filter adaptively and precisely at the interferer location. |
| US08428198B2 |
Frequency tracking which adapts to timing synchronization
A frequency tracking method and apparatus is provided. A receiver receives OFDM symbols and determines associated frequency offset. A frequency error estimator selects a cross correlation window for determining frequency offset based on timing offset. A symbol timing estimator is used to determine the timing offset. |
| US08428192B2 |
Adaptive interference canceling system and method
A communication system adaptively cancels noise and/or interference from signals communicated through a communication channel, such as signals communicated by a telecommunication network. The system, based on a common mode signal of a received signal, generates an estimate of noise or interference within a differential mode signal of the received signal. The system then subtracts the estimate from the differential mode signal in an effort to remove noise from the differential mode signal thereby providing a differential mode signal that is substantially free of the estimated noise or interference. |
| US08428191B2 |
DC offset suppression circuit for a complex filter
The present invention relates to a direct current (DC) offset suppression circuit to suppress DC offsets occurring when a communication circuit where a complex filter is adopted performs self-mixing. The DC offset is suppressed by a DC feedback circuit adopted by a filter which is substituted for a complex filter in the communication circuit. But, the DC offset cannot be suppressed when a complex filter is used in the communication circuit. It is because phase changes of the complex filter cause output signal fed back to the input of the complex filter to generate phase differences. The present invention includes a phase compensation unit and a DC feedback unit. The phase compensation unit compensates a change in frequency between input and output of the complex filter for phase compensation. The DC feedback unit inverses and feeds back the compensated phase to an input of the complex filter. |
| US08428190B2 |
Radio receiving apparatus and radio receiving method
In-phase channels and quadrature-phase channels of carrier waves are calculated from a reception signal obtained by receiving the multi-carrier signal. Transmission channel characteristics of the carrier waves are calculated from a known signal section of the reception signal. Transmission channel equalization processing for compensating for an amplitude change and phase rotation in the in-phase channels and the quadrature-phase channels caused by a transmission channel is performed. A region on a complex plane in which output data after transmission channel equalization is present is determined. An estimation value of a phase rotation angle used in performing the transmission channel equalization processing is corrected based on information concerning the determined region. |
| US08428184B2 |
Transmitter, receiver, data transmission method and data reception method
A method is provided which improves reliability of channel estimation in a digital communication system by reducing the ambiguity in the recognition of received symbols evaluated for the channel estimation. A data word transmitted according to a first mapping of data word values to modulation states is re-transmitted at least once with a second, re-arranged mapping of data word values to modulation states. The second mapping and possible further mappings are generated from the first mapping in a way that the number of different results which can be obtained from combining the transmitted original data symbol and the re-transmitted counterpart data symbol(s) is lower than the number of original modulation states in the first mapping. |
| US08428182B2 |
Communication method and radio communication apparatus
A multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) transmission apparatus includes a modulation signal generating section and a MIMO transmitting section. The modulation signal generating section generates: (i) a first OFDM modulation signal, in which a plurality of subcarriers include a subcarrier carrying a pilot symbol and a subcarrier carrying a data symbol, in both a first time period and a second time period; and (ii) a second OFDM modulation signal, in which the plurality of subcarriers include a subcarrier carrying a pilot symbol and a subcarrier carrying a data symbol in the first time period, while in the second time period an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component of every subcarrier included in the plurality of subcarriers are zero. The MIMO transmitting section transmits the first OFDM modulation signal from a first antenna and transmits the second OFDM modulation signal from a second antenna. |
| US08428177B2 |
Method and apparatus for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmit beamforming
A wireless communications network is provided. The wireless communications network comprises a plurality of base stations. Each one of said base stations is capable of wireless communications with a plurality of subscriber stations. At least one of said plurality of base stations comprises a processor configured to select a codeword from a codebook and precode data with the selected codeword, and a transmitter configured to transmit the precoded data. Rank 1 of the codebook is selected from the following algorithm: Codebook Matrix Index (CMI)Base MatrixRank 1 1V8(:, :, 3)V8(:, 1, 3) 2 V8(:, 2, 3) 3 V8(:, 3, 3) 4 V8(:, 4, 3) 5 V8(:, 5, 3) 6 V8(:, 6, 3) 7 V8(:, 7, 3) 8 V8(:, 8, 3) 9 V8(:, 9, 3) 10 V8(:, 10, 3) 11 V8(:, 11, 3) 12 V8(:, 12, 3) 13 V8(:, 13, 3) 14 V8(:, 14, 3) 15 V8(:, 15, 3) 16 V8(:, 16, 3). |
| US08428172B2 |
Method of transmitting and receiving a midamble for channel estimation of multiple antennas
A method of transmitting a midamble for channel estimation of multiple antennas performed by a base station in a system having segregated uplink and downlink frequency bands is provided. The method includes transmitting midamble information indicating presence of the midamble within a downlink frame to a user equipment (UE), and transmitting the midamble on a single downlink subframe among at least one downlink subframe included in the downlink frame or on a common zone to the UE by using the multiple antennas. A scheduling overhead of a base station and other overheads can be reduced by decreasing the number of transmissions of a midamble on one downlink frame, and thus limited radio resources can be effectively used. |
| US08428166B2 |
Method for transmitting sounding reference signal in multiple antenna wireless communication system and apparatus therefor
A method for transmitting a sounding reference signal from a user equipment in a MIMO antenna wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises receiving sounding reference signal setup information from a base station, the sounding reference signal setup information including an initial cyclic shift value nSRScs and an initial transmissionComb parameter value kTC; setting an interval between cyclic shift values corresponding to each antenna port based on the initial cyclic shift value, to reach a maximum interval; setting a transmissionComb parameter value corresponding to a specific one of the antenna ports to a value different from the initial transmissionComb parameter value if the initial cyclic shift value is a previously set value and the number of antenna ports is 4; and transmitting the sounding reference signal to the base station through each antenna port by using the set cyclic shift value and transmissionComb parameter value. |
| US08428165B2 |
Method and system for decoding OFDM signals subject to narrowband interference
A method estimates a wireless channel at a receiver. The signal is transmitted using narrowband orthogonal frequency division demultiplexing (OFDM) and frequency subcarriers, and the signal includes a set of data tones and a set of pilot tones. The channel and pilot tone interference are estimated based on all the pilot tones extracted from the signal and a channel model. The set of data are equalized based on the channel estimate. Data interference is detected according to the pilot interference and the equalized data tones. Subcarrier interference-to-noise ratios are determined based on the data interference. Signal strengths of the data tones are determined based on the equalized data tones, log-likelihood ratios of bits represented by the data tones are determined based on the subcarrier interference-to-noise ratios and the signal strength of the data tones. |
| US08428162B2 |
System and method for distributed input distributed output wireless communications
A system for compensating for in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) imbalances for multiple antenna systems (MAS) with multi-user (MU) transmissions (defined with the acronym MU-MAS), such as distributed-input distributed-output (DIDO) communication systems, comprising multicarrier modulation, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). For example, one embodiment of the system comprises one or more coding modulation units to encode and modulate information bits for each of a plurality of wireless client devices to produce encoded and modulated information bits; one or more mapping units to map the encoded and modulated information bits to complex symbols; and a MU-MAS or DIDO IQ-aware precoding unit to exploit channel state information obtained through feedback from the wireless client devices to compute MU-MAS or DIDO IQ-aware precoding weights, the MU-MAS or DIDO IQ-aware precoding unit precoding the complex symbols obtained from the mapping units using the weights to pre-cancel interference due to I/Q gain and phase imbalances and/or inter-user interference. |
| US08428158B2 |
Method for channel estimation using recursive filtering and multicarrier receiver with interference-aware demodulation
Embodiments of a multicarrier receiver with interference-aware demodulation and methods for channel estimation using recursive filtering in wireless networks are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, orders of a recursive filter are allocated to track a main channel and one or more interfering channels to generate channel estimates. |