| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08504680B1 |
Automatically adjusting polling intervals based on remote administrative activity
It is detected when an administrator begins or finishes performing remote administrative activity. In response, the polling interval is modified. When the level of remote administrative activity increases, the polling interval is decreased, thereby directing the managed clients to poll the server more frequently. When the level of remote administrative activity decreases, the polling interval is increased, thereby directing the managed clients to poll the server less frequently. By dynamically adjusting the polling interval based on remote administrative activity, a balance is struck between scalability and usability. |
| US08504677B2 |
System and method for managing registration of services for an electronic device
The present disclosure described herein relates to a wireless electronic device and method for managing access to a server. The method comprises: receiving from the wireless electronic device a message identifying one or more requested services; accessing a database to identify a plurality of services from a plurality of servers available in the network; analyzing the database to identify a server of the plurality of servers that provides a requested service of the requested services; generating and sending an access request to the server for the wireless electronic device; receiving from the server information relating to the server; and generating and sending a response message to the wireless electronic device providing the information. |
| US08504672B2 |
Discovery of electronic devices in a combined network
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to discovery of electronic devices in a combined network. An embodiment of a method includes determining an identifier for a first device in a combined network according to a first network protocol, the combined network including a first network using the first network protocol and a second network using a second network protocol, where the identifier is determined based on a unique designation for the first device, and determining addressing information for the first device according to the second network protocol, where determining the addressing information includes establishing a physical address and a logical address for the first device. The method further includes broadcasting one or more messages containing identification information and capabilities of the first device to devices in the first network and to devices in the second network. The first device records and processes information from messages received by the first device, the messages being one or more messages under the first network protocol and one or more message under the second network protocol. |
| US08504671B1 |
Systems and methods for rating a current instance of data based on preceding and succeeding instances of data
A computer-implemented method for rating a current instance of data is described. An activity occurring on a computing system is monitored. The activity includes the current instance of data. A rating is assigned to the current instance of data. A determination is made as to whether the activity includes at least one additional instance of data. When the activity includes at least one additional instance of data, the rating assigned to the current instance of data is updated. The updated rating is based on the content of the at least one additional instance of data. |
| US08504670B2 |
Virtualized data storage applications and optimizations
Virtual storage arrays consolidate branch data storage at data centers connected via wide area networks. Virtual storage arrays appear to storage clients as local data storage, but actually store data at the data center. Virtual storage arrays may prioritize storage client and prefetching requests for communication over the WAN and/or SAN based on their associated clients, servers, storage clients, and/or applications. A virtual storage array may transfer large data sets from a data center to a branch location while providing branch location users with immediate access to the data set stored at the data center. Virtual storage arrays may be migrated by disabling a virtual storage array interface at a first branch location and then configuring another branch virtual storage array interface at a second branch location to provide its storage clients with access to storage array data stored at the data center. |
| US08504667B2 |
Distribution of data to multiple recipients
In a trading system market data from a matching engine is distributed by a broker to a plurality of trading floors repeatedly every T seconds, typically one second. This one second distribution period is divided into a plurality of time slots and each trading floor is randomly assigned to a slot. Data for a given trading floor is calculated and distributed during the time slot assigned to that floor. The position of a trading floor relative to others is varied by swapping a pair of adjacent time slots every J distribution periods. |
| US08504656B2 |
Systems and methods for collecting and storing network traffic data
Systems and methods are disclosed for collecting network traffic logs from a plurality of network servers, such as DNS name servers, and storing extracted data from the logs in a central repository. In one implementation, a system includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions that cause the processor to retrieve PCAP files from a plurality of servers and extract data from the PCAP files. The data comprises header data and digest data. The processor stores the header data and the digest data in a header/digest pair. In another aspect, the processor retrieves a sample of the PCAP files from each of the plurality of servers rather than retrieving all PCAP files. |
| US08504653B1 |
Online shared data environment
An online data storage arrangement (or a collection of “digital lockers”) allows online users to share data with other online users. Digital lockers may include a number user created content objects and view objects. A content object comprises a link to one or more data objects that a user may wish to share with others. Such a content object may specify a plurality of permissions that manage what a user can or cannot do with the content object. A content object's permissions may dictate use of the content object when it is shared with other users. A view object is a medium that may be used to share content objects. A user may create a view object that references or includes one or more content objects. Users having authorized access to the view object may use the referenced/included content objects. |
| US08504646B2 |
Data transfer between motors
A method for transferring existing data from a source motor to a target motor includes retrieving the existing data from the source motor, optionally converting the existing data into a new format, and at least one of storing, erasing, writing, overwriting, or replacing software and/or data on the target motor such that the existing data is stored on the target motor in a format compatible with the target motor. |
| US08504645B2 |
Internet messaging notification methods and systems
The disclosed methods and systems can employ internet messaging protocols to transmit an alphanumeric message to one or more destination addresses in response to a telephone service customer's notification service request. The request can include a string having a feature code trigger and one or more digits. The destination address can be an electronic mail address, an instant messaging address, a pager number, and/or a telephone number. |
| US08504644B2 |
Configurable continuous web service invocation on pervasive device
A client computer is provisioned with interdependent list of web services comprising list information identifying a plurality of web services, wherein further, the list information relates information received from a first web service of the plurality of web services with a subsequently requested second web service. Results of a web service request are provided to another web service request by the client computer utilizing the relationship provided by the list information. Preferably the list information and web service messages from the client computer are XML metadata. A cooperating Generic Mobile Web Services Manager configures and forwards communication between the client and respective web services. |
| US08504642B2 |
Systems and methods for invoking commands across a federation
Some embodiments provide different frameworks for seamlessly issuing and executing commands across servers of different federation participants. Each framework facilitates issuance and execution of a command that originates from a first federation participant and that is intended for execution at servers of a second federation participant. In some embodiments, a framework implements a method for enabling command interoperability between distributed platforms that each operate a set of servers on behalf of content providers. The method involves receiving a command targeting a particular configuration that a first distributed platform deploys to a server that is operated by a second distributed platform. The method identifies the server of the second distributed platform that is deployed with the particular configuration. The method communicably couples to a command invocation system of the second distributed platform and issues the command to the command invocation system for issuance of the command to the identified server. |
| US08504632B2 |
Electronic apparatus, presence communication system, and computer-readable recording medium
An electronic apparatus includes a plurality of communication units including a first communication unit which communicates via a first communication network and a second communication unit which communicates via a second communication network. The electronic apparatus acquires presence information indicating a communication state of a communication apparatus from a presence server managing a communication state of a communication apparatus on a communication network, via at least one communication network. The electronic apparatus acquires presence information of an alternative communication apparatus being as a communication apparatus which communicates via the second communication network in place of the second communication unit included in itself. The electronic apparatus determines as to whether the alternate communication apparatus is in an online state, based on the acquired presence information. The electronic apparatus suppresses electric power to be consumed by the second communication unit, when the alternate communication apparatus is in an online state. |
| US08504625B2 |
Method for transmitting messages using the multimedia message service (MMS)
The invention relates to a method for transmitting messages from a user application of a subscriber to a user application of another subscriber with the aid of the Multimedia Messaging Service MMS, the message being in the format of an external application and is identified as such by an application identifier that is transmitted along with the message. According to the invention, the multimedia message service is used by the external application as a transport system for transmitting the message. The message is identified by a network element of the Multimedia Messaging Service using the application identifier and is transmitted in an unmodified state via the Multimedia Messaging Service and forwarded to the external application. The invention also relates to a subscriber terminal and a communication system for carrying out said method. |
| US08504624B2 |
Stroke and image aggregation and analytics
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art with a system for stroke and image aggregation and analytics. The system is particularly advantageous because it provides a system for distributing page images such as worksheets, examinations or forms to multiple devices. The system allows independent paging and writing on the distributed materials; collection of the strokes added to the distributed pages images; and aggregating and displaying those strokes or summary information in a useful manner. For example, an instructor might receive the current work of the students for a particular examination question and view those strokes in a parallel manner or a combined manner. |
| US08504621B2 |
Facilitating a decision-making process
Systems and methods for facilitating a decision-making process are disclosed. In one aspect of the present disclosure, in response to receiving a request to facilitate a decision making process, the decision-making agent participates in a communications thread where users are attempting to reach a decision regarding a business to frequent and/or an activity to partake. Since group activities are oftentimes scheduled via common communication threads, the decision-making agent can intervene in such communication threads, when requested, and assist the participating users in making a decision or making informed suggestions toward reaching an agreement. |
| US08504620B2 |
Dynamic subject information generation in message services of distributed object systems
A system, method and medium of sending messages in a distributed data processing network is described, and contemplates receiving a message that includes subject information that is generated based on one or more pre-selected portions as the message is generated. A message delivery system in a client-server environment is also described. The message delivery system includes a server configured to receive a message that includes subject information that is generated based on one or more pre-selected portions as the message is created and configured to forward the message based on the subject information. |
| US08504614B2 |
Systems and methods for verification of IP device location
This application discloses systems and methods for associating the geographic location of VoIP devices and monitoring and updating these locations such that emergency personnel can be directed to a caller's location based on the stored geographic-location information. |
| US08504611B2 |
System and method for digital picture frame syndication
A system and method for synchronizing feeds for multiple digital picture frames. Pictures are received. Each of the pictures is associated with one or more feeds. One or more of a number of digital picture frames are designated to receive each of the one or more feeds. User preferences are received for delivering the one or more feeds. The one or more feeds are communicated to the one or more digital picture frames designated to receive the one or more feeds. |
| US08504609B2 |
System and method for facilitating secure integration and communication of cloud services and enterprise applications
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are disclosed for facilitating integration and communication of cloud services and enterprise applications. The disclosed aspects include identifying a port opened by an integration device within an on-premise system to communicate with a cloud system. A persistent connection with the cloud system is maintained via this port so as to provide on-premise access to the cloud system via the integration device, including access to at least one different device within the on-premise system. Aspects for facilitating a bidirectional communication of distributed objects between an on-premise system and a cloud system are also disclosed. Here, on-premise objects residing within the on-premise system are abstracted, and requests from the cloud system to invoke the on-premise objects are facilitated. Similarly, cloud objects residing within the cloud system are abstracted, and requests from the on-premise system to invoke the cloud objects are facilitated. |
| US08504604B2 |
Multimeter with filtered measurement mode
A multimeter with filtered measurement mode is disclosed. The multimeter includes a signal conditioning circuit, a low-pass filter, a microprocessor, a measurement circuit, a root-mean-square (RMS) converter, a display unit, and an external rotary switch. The signal conditioning circuit receives a control signal to select an operation mode of the multimeter. The low-pass filter is electrically connected to the signal conditioning circuit. The microprocessor is electrically connected to the signal conditioning circuit. The measurement circuit is electrically connected to the microprocessor and the RMS converter to measure a signal outputted from the RMS converter. The display unit is electrically connected to the microprocessor and the measurement circuit. Also, the external rotary switch is optionally connected to the microprocessor. Whereby rotating the external rotary switch to generate the control signal and perform a low-pass filtering mode to communicate the low-pass filter with the RMS converter. |
| US08504602B2 |
Modular multiplication processing apparatus
A modular multiplication processing apparatus is provided that can process modular multiplication of data exceeding a bit length which a coprocessor can readily process, by using the coprocessor based upon Montgomery multiplication In the modular multiplication processing apparatus, data to be subjected to modular multiplication is decomposed, and the decomposed data elements are transformed into a form suitable for Montgomery multiplication, respectively. Further, after respective data elements are transformed to have sizes that can be inputted into a coprocessor, Montgomery multiplication is repeatedly performed in the coprocessor. A remainder of Montgomery multiplication of an original bit length is restored from the obtained remainder. |
| US08504601B2 |
FIR filter with reduced element count
A finite impulse response (FIR) filter having a differential output and capable of having negative coefficients, and a method of designing the filter, is disclosed. In contrast to the prior art, in which two output signals requires the use of two identical sets of impedance devices corresponding to the Fourier coefficients that create the desired response of the filter, the described method and system uses only a single set of impedance devices, and thus approximately one-half of the number of impedance devices used in the prior art. This is accomplished by appropriately selecting which resistors contribute to which output, so that a differential output may be obtained that is substantially the same as if impedance devices corresponding to all of the coefficients were used for each signal. |
| US08504600B2 |
Mathematical expression entry
Aspects of the present disclosure include a user interface system for allowing a user to quickly and easily change modes of entry and display of mathematical expressions on a math program. The user interface is configured to switch between modes based on a user's entries in order to reflect the user's desired entry format. The user interface contains additional shortcuts and display features which enable a user to enter mathematical expressions quickly and easily, with less confusion. |
| US08504599B1 |
Intelligent system for database retrieval
An intelligent system for database retrieval includes a computing device, an input device, a display device, and a storage device. A user initiates a free-form or structured inquiry of the storage device and the system executes a search for the free-form or structured inquiry and additionally for related knowledge if a free-form inquiry was initiated. The related knowledge search is system initiated and based upon the sensory information of the user and the user's behaviors. The free-form or structured inquiry and related knowledge results are returned to the computing device for formatting in a manner compatible with the user, the user's behavior, and the operating environment. The free-form or structured inquiry and related knowledge results are then displayed on the display device. |
| US08504597B2 |
Distributed file system consistency mechanism extension for enabling internet video broadcasting
The consistency callback mechanisms employed by local file systems such as NTFS and distributed file systems such as DDS, NFS and CIFS are extended to provide a shared memory foundation for efficiently broadcasting real-time high definition video from a source object to large numbers of viewers via the Internet. Distributed applications such as video viewing client applications establish connections to a common distributed file system object, and then each application registers with the underlying distributed file system to receive notifications whenever the video source modifies the source object. The data required to update images maintained by viewing clients is included in notification messages. The distributed file system employs a network of proxy cache nodes. Proxy cache nodes receive notification messages (complete with image update data) and update their cached images of the source object and then retransmit the notification messages towards the viewing clients using IP multicast techniques. In this manner, the distributed file system's consistency mechanism efficiently employs network resources to enable the real-time distribution of video content streams. |
| US08504595B2 |
De-duplication for a global coherent de-duplication repository
Example methods and apparatus associated with data de-duplication for a global coherent de-duplication repository are provided. In one example a request related to data de-duplication is transmitted to a plurality of nodes associated with the global coherent de-duplication repository. Responses to the request are received from at least a subset of nodes in the plurality of nodes. Affinity scores are assigned to nodes of the subset of nodes based, at least in part, on affinity data from the responses. A node is selected to perform the request related to de-duplication from the subset of nodes of the plurality of nodes based, at least in part, on the affinity score assigned to the nodes. |
| US08504593B2 |
Server directory schema comparator
The embodiments generally relate to systems and methods for determining changes in a directory schema. In embodiments, directory changes are recorded in a change log. The change log may have one or more entries. A determination is made as to which change log entries should be retrieved. Once retrieved, the directory schema changes are determined. In embodiments, the directory changes are then interpreted for presentation to a user. |
| US08504590B2 |
Methods of encapsulating information in records from two or more disparate databases
In a method of encapsulating information in records from two or more disparate databases into an encapsulated database, one or more of the disparate databases having dissimilar field structures, each record is partitioned into a plurality of object class entries within the encapsulated database, an object class pointer is generated for each of a first subset of the plurality of object class entries, each generated pointer pointing to a different one of the plurality of object class entries. The plurality of object class entries are stored in non-adjacent storage locations within the database, with each of a second subset of the plurality of object class entries stored in association with one of the generated pointers, the second subset being different from the first subset. No data mapping or translator application is employed to account for the dissimilar field structures. |
| US08504589B2 |
Categorical filtering of data
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to retrieve a dataset from a data source, where the dataset includes a first set of categories. A data structure that represents the dataset is built. A first set of merit values for the first set of categories is calculated. The first set of categories is ordered based on a criterion. The first set of categories is returned. |
| US08504588B2 |
Automatic study linking for hybrid imaging
A method and an apparatus are disclosed for automatically linking at least two medical studies which are associated to different acquisition modalities (CT/PET) and which are subject of post-processing in the context of hybrid imaging. In a preparation phase of at least one embodiment, there is defined a classification scheme according to pre-definable rules, conditions and attributes. In an execution phase for a selected source study of a first modality there is looked for at least one target study of a second modality of the same type according to the rules. Then, the source study is automatically linked to the at least one target study. |
| US08504583B1 |
Multi-domain recommendations
Methods, computer systems, and computer-readable storage media for generating and presenting multi-domain recommendations to a user viewing a Web page are provided. A topic-of-interest is identified on the Web page being viewed by the user. The topic-of-interest is mapped to an entity ID in a multi-domain recommendation data structure. The multi-domain recommendation data structure is used to identify entities, uniform resource locators, and search queries mapped to the entity ID. Multi-domain recommendations are generated using the entities, uniform resource locators, and search queries; the multi-domain recommendations are presented on the Web page being viewed by the user. |
| US08504578B2 |
System and method for near and exact de-duplication of documents
A system, method and computer program product for identifying near and exact-duplicate documents in a document collection, including for each document in the collection, reading textual content from the document; filtering the textual content based on user settings; determining N most frequent words from the filtered textual content of the document; performing a quorum search of the N most frequent words in the document with a threshold M; and sorting results from the quorum search based on relevancy. Based on the values of N and M near and exact-duplicate documents are identified in the document collection. |
| US08504573B1 |
Management of smart tags via hierarchy
Embodiments herein include presenting smart tags describing characteristics of image content in a hierarchy, and performing operations on the hierarchy to find particular image content within a larger amount of image content. Image content and corresponding tags are maintained. The corresponding tags associated with the image content are presented in a hierarchy. Each tag type in the hierarchy represents a characteristic associated with the image content. Each tag in the hierarchy is derived based on image-based processing applied to the image content. In response to receiving a selection of at least one tag in the hierarchy, display of the image content associated with the at least one tag is initiated. A user is able to quickly and easily find desired image content by using the hierarchy to look at tags, select a type of tag from the hierarchy, and thereafter view any content tagged with the selected tag type. |
| US08504571B2 |
Directed placement of data in a redundant data storage system
A data processing apparatus, comprising a metadata store storing information about files that are stored in a distributed data storage system, and comprising a class database; one or more processing units; logic configured for receiving and storing in the class database a definition of a class of data storage servers comprising one or more subclasses each comprising one or more server selection criteria; associating the class with one or more directories of the data storage system; in response to a data client storing a data file in a directory, binding the class to the data file, determining and storing a set of identifiers of one or more data storage servers in the system that match the server selection criteria, and providing the set of identifiers to the data client. |
| US08504561B2 |
Using domain intent to provide more search results that correspond to a domain
Techniques are described herein for using intent to access a domain (i.e., domain intent) to provide more search results that correspond to the domain. For example, a rule may specify a maximum number of search results that are allowed to be provided from a domain (or a host that corresponds to the domain) in response to a search query. Each search query may include any number of ngrams. An ngram is a subsequence of elements in a sequence (e.g., a search query). An intent to access a domain may be determined based on one or more of the ngrams in a search query. A number of search results that correspond to a domain may be increased to be greater than the maximum number based on one or more of the ngrams that are included in the search query being associated with the intent to access the domain. |
| US08504557B2 |
System, method and computer program product for querying data relationships over a network
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for querying data relationships over a network. These mechanisms and methods for querying data relationships over a network can enable embodiments to provide the capability to query for more than a single entity at a time. The ability of embodiments to query for more than a single entity at a time can enable improved network throughput, faster response time and more efficient utilization of resources. |
| US08504555B2 |
Search techniques for rich internet applications
A computing device includes one or more rich internet application (RIA) client engines. Each RIA client engine includes a corresponding private RIA storage area. The computing device also includes a per-RIA public storage area for each RIA. The per-RIA public storage area including a subset of data items in the private RIA storage area of the corresponding RIA client engine. A search engine of the computing device may search the data items in the one or more per-RIA public storage areas and link to content in the private RIA storage area of the corresponding RIA client engine at a given data item matching a search request. |
| US08504553B2 |
Unstructured and semistructured document processing and searching
A method for analyzing and indexing an unstructured or semistructured document according to one embodiment includes receiving an unstructured or semistructured document; converting the document to one or more text streams; analyzing the one or more text streams for identifying textual contents of the document; analyzing the one or more text streams for identifying logical sections of the document; associating the textual contents with the logical sections; indexing the textual contents and their association with the logical sections; and saving a result of the indexing in a data storage device. |
| US08504551B2 |
Serving advertisements based on content
Advertisers are permitted to put targeted ads on page on the web (or some other document of any media type). The present invention may do so by (i) obtaining content that includes available spots for ads, (ii) determining ads relevant to content, and/or (iii) combining content with ads determined to be relevant to the content. |
| US08504549B2 |
Method for improving search efficiency in enterprise search system
A search system with a search engine applies a user search query to an index of the documents stored in a document repository for returning a result set of matching documents to a user. In order to more efficiently access, search and retrieve documents stored in document repositories, one of a document repository and an index thereof or both are partitioned in one or more dimensions, and a partition is configured in a specific dimension according to two or more document attribute values selected from one and the same attribute category. This shall enable a search application to access significantly less data in order to determine a search result and shall specifically improve the efficiency of enterprise search systems in a high degree. |
| US08504548B2 |
System and method for dynamically managing data centric searches
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for dynamically managing data-centric searches. The method includes receiving information associated with an event related to domain-specific searches to a database, identifying data at a first memory location in the database, the data being data identified in response to the domain-specific searches, duplicating the data at least once to at least one new memory location, and distributing processing more domain-specific searches amongst the at least one of the new memory location and the first memory location. The system can distribute the processing for more or additional domain-specific searches randomly, serially or using any other approach. The method optionally includes an expanded search space made up of the first memory location and at least one memory location and can identify a reduction event related to the domain-specific searches, and collapse the expanded search space by removing duplicate data from one or more memory location and adjusting the distribution of processing amongst at least one remaining memory location. The method can optionally include organizing multiple events by network segment, identifying a network segment associated with domain-specific searches, and duplicating the data to at least one new memory location in close proximity to the identified network segment. The method can measure proximity by one or more of geographic distance, network latency, number of intermediate network hops, temperature, and cost. |
| US08504537B2 |
Signature distribution in a document registration system
A document accessible over a network can be registered. A registered document, and the content contained therein, is not transmitted undetected over and off of the network. In one embodiment, the invention includes a manager agent to maintain signatures of registered documents and a match agent to detect the unauthorized transmission of the content of registered documents. |
| US08504535B1 |
Erasure coding and redundant replication
Disclosed are various embodiments for employing an erasure coding storage scheme and a redundant replication storage scheme in a data storage system. Data objects that are greater than a size threshold and accessed less frequently than an access threshold are stored in an erasure coding scheme, while data objects that are sized less than a size threshold or accessed more often than an access threshold are stored in a redundant replication storage scheme. |
| US08504529B1 |
System and method for restoring data to a storage device based on a backup image
A system for restoring data to a storage server generates a lookup data structure based on a backup image, where the lookup data structure defines a correspondence between individual block identifiers and individual data blocks of a plurality of data blocks in the backup image. The system then generates a directory structure on the storage server based on the backup image. After generating the directory structure, the system generates an empty restored file in the directory structure based on the backup image. The system then populates file contents of the restored file based on the lookup data structure. |
| US08504528B2 |
Duplicate backup data identification and consolidation
The various embodiments herein include operate to identify, consolidate, and reduce redundant backup data storage. One embodiment includes storing data blocks and first signatures of data chunks of each stored data block, the first signature of each data chunk including a reference to a storage location of the data chunk within a stored data block, the stored data blocks including data blocks of previous and recent backup sessions. Some embodiments further include storing second signatures in a second signature repository, where the second signatures are calculated based on determined boundaries of the first signatures from previous backup sessions. At least one of the second signatures is calculated based on at least two first signatures, and in the range of 32 to 64 first signatures in some embodiments. Some embodiments may identify data chunks of the recent backup session present in the stored data blocks prior to the recent backup session. |
| US08504527B2 |
Application-based backup-restore of electronic information
Systems and methods for storing and restoring backup data. One method includes receiving, while a current view of an application is displayed in a user interface, a first user input requesting a history view associated with the current view of the application. The history view is displayed in response to the first user input, the history view including at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the current view of the application, the earlier version including a first element. A second user input is received while the history view is displayed. The second user input requesting that the current view of the application be modified according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element. The current view of the application is modified in response to the second user input according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element. |
| US08504523B2 |
Database management system
A multi-user, elastic, on-demand, distributed relational database management system. The database is fragmented into distributed objects called atoms. Any change to a copy of an atom at one location is replicated to all other locations containing a copy of that atom. Transactional managers operate to satisfy the properties of atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability. |
| US08504522B2 |
Automated topology-based statistics monitoring and performance analysis
A computer is programmed to parse a network that interconnects databases in a distributed database system, into a number of paths, wherein each path starts in a source database that is a source of changes and ends in a destination database that uses the changes to replicate the source database. The computer identifies databases that occur within each path in the network, and queries the identified databases to obtain statistics for each path. Statistics along each path are analyzed automatically, to identify a component in each path as a candidate for further investigation. The identified component may be marked as a bottleneck e.g. if there are no other paths connected to it. Alternatively the identified component may be a source of changes for another path that has a bottleneck or that has another candidate for further investigation. The identified bottleneck is displayed to the user with recommendations for improvement. |
| US08504521B2 |
Distributed data management system
A distributed data management system has multiple virtual machine nodes operating on multiple computers that are in communication with each other over a computer network. Each virtual machine node includes at least one data store or “bucket” for receiving data. A digital hash map data structure is stored in a computer readable medium of at least one of the multiple computers to configure the multiple virtual machine nodes and buckets to provide concurrent, non-blocking access to data in the buckets, the digital hash map data structure including a mapping between the virtual machine nodes and the buckets. The distributed data management system employing dynamic scalability in which one or more buckets from a virtual machine node reaching a memory capacity threshold are transferred to another virtual machine node that is below its memory capacity threshold. |
| US08504518B1 |
Systems and methods for replicating data
A system that facilitates the distribution and redistribution of chunks of data among multiple servers, may identify servers to store replicas of the chunks based on at least one of utilization, prior data distribution, and failure correlation properties, and place the replicas at the identified servers. The system may monitor total numbers of replicas available in the system, identify chunks that have a total number of replicas below one or more thresholds, assign priorities to the identified chunks, and re-replicate the identified chunks based on the assigned priorities. The system may monitor utilization of the servers, select one or more of the replicas to redistribute based on the utilization of the servers, select one or more of the servers to which to move the one or more replicas, and move the one or more replicas to the selected one or more servers. |
| US08504515B2 |
Stubbing systems and methods in a data replication environment
Stubbing systems and methods are provided for intelligent data management in a replication environment, such as by reducing the space occupied by replication data on a destination system. In certain examples, stub files or like objects replace migrated, de-duplicated or otherwise copied data that has been moved from the destination system to secondary storage. Access is further provided to the replication data in a manner that is transparent to the user and/or without substantially impacting the base replication process. In order to distinguish stub files representing migrated replication data from replicated stub files, priority tags or like identifiers can be used. Thus, when accessing a stub file on the destination system, such as to modify replication data or perform a restore process, the tagged stub files can be used to recall archived data prior to performing the requested operation so that an accurate copy of the source data is generated. |
| US08504511B2 |
System and method for providing localization of radiological information utilizing radiological domain ontology
The present invention is directed in general to a system and method that employs radiological localization ontology to localize specified and modeled radiological domain knowledge. A system and method are provided that allows for consulting the ontology in the context of the model the ontology fulfills. The result of consulting the ontology will be localized radiological information based on information provided in the consultation. Even further, such result is validated, identified and classified radiological information that is based on information provided in the consultation. By consulting the ontology the system is also able to translate designated radiological information from one localized representation to another and consult a language independent radiological domain knowledge. |
| US08504507B1 |
Inferring demographics for website members
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing content based on an estimated actual age. A set of related members is identified for a first member of a social networking website. Each member in the set of related members is connected to the first member in the social network website. Age information for members in the set of related members in the set of related members is examined. When a threshold number of members in the set of related members have an estimated actual age within a certain age range, an actual age of the first member is estimated based on the estimated actual age of the members in the set of related members. Content is provided to the first member based on the first member's estimated actual age. Techniques for performing a sentiment analysis based on an estimated actual age are also described. |
| US08504505B2 |
System and method for controlling an autonomous worksite
A control system is disclosed for providing a control decision to an autonomous worksite. The control system may include a communication interface configured to collect information related to an index of the autonomous worksite. The control system may also include a storage device configured to store the collected information and a plurality of constraint models. Each constraint model may characterize the mathematical relationship between the index and at least one control variable. The control system may further include a processor coupled to the communication interface and the storage device. The processor may be configured to build an optimization model for optimizing the index, based on the plurality of constraint models and the collected information. The processor may be further configured to determine the at least one control variable associated with the autonomous worksite by solving the optimization model. The processor may also be configured to make a control decision based on the determined control variable, and provide the control decision to the autonomous worksite. |
| US08504503B1 |
Pulse modulated neural integrator circuit
A pulse modulated neural integrator circuit is comprised of discrete analog electronic components and has a plurality of discrete stable states. In some embodiments, the pulse modulated neural integrator circuit is fabricated in whole or in part on an integrated circuit substrate using analog VLSI techniques. A phase locked loop circuit can use the pulse modulated neural integrator circuit in place of some conventional phase locked loop circuits. |
| US08504492B2 |
Identification of attributes and values using multiple classifiers
A body of text comprises a plurality of unknown attributes and a plurality of unknown values. A first classification sub-component labels a first portion of the plurality of unknown values as a first set of values, whereas a second classification sub-component labels a portion of the plurality of unknown attributes as a set of attributes and a second portion of the plurality of unknown values as a second set of values. Learning models implemented by the first and second classification subcomponents are updated based on the set of attributes and the first and second set of values. The first classification sub-component implements at least one supervised classification technique, whereas the second classification sub-component implements an unsupervised and/or semi-supervised classification technique. Active learning may be employed to provide at least one of a corrected attribute and/or corrected value that may be used to update the learning models. |
| US08504489B2 |
Predictive coding of documents in an electronic discovery system
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for improved electronic discovery. More specifically, embodiments relate to computer program products for predictive and automated coding of identical or highly similar documents for the purpose of limiting the volume of documents requiring review and thereby increasing the overall efficiency of the document review process. |
| US08504485B1 |
Adaptive regionalization for transit characteristic prediction
A method and system for transit characteristic prediction. In one embodiment, a method may include determining respective transit latencies from a source location to a number of destination locations, and grouping the destination locations according to a fitness function into a number of subsets corresponding to respective geographical regions. The grouping may involve a series of divisions and combinations of potential regions to form a plurality of sets of potential regions. Each set of potential regions may be evaluated using the fitness function, and the set with the better fitness score may be selected. The method may also include dynamically updating the respective transit characteristic, regrouping the regions, and reselecting a set of potential regions based on empirical transit data. |
| US08504480B2 |
Creation of signatures for authenticating applications
A method and system for authenticating applications. The system includes a plurality of portable electronic devices, at least one process organizer, at least one module developer, at least one task performer and a workflow server. The process organizer generates an application. The process organizer can request modules from module developers that are incorporated into the application. Alternatively, the process organizer makes an agreement with a task performer to perform tasks to complete the application. The application is transmitted to the workflow server, which includes an online marketplace for displaying and selling the applications. A user purchases the application through the store. A routing module generates a signature and compares the signature to application, module or document metadata and a secret to determine consistency of the data before the application, module or document is routed. |
| US08504478B2 |
Systems, methods and computer program products for performing mass transit merchant transactions
Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for enabling access to mass transit systems using a financial transaction instrument including reading an identifier including financial payment information from the financial transaction instrument and determining whether the identifier is stored in a database. Access to a holder of the financial transaction instrument is provided based on the determining. |
| US08504477B1 |
Systems, methods and computer program products for automating financial institution client positive pay return decisions
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for automatically processing positive pay return decisions. Positive pay return decisions are financial client decisions that authorize return of a pay item, such as a check, in the event that the client determines that the pay item warrants return, such as in the instance in which the check has been fraudulently altered or the like. Automated processing provides for deleting pay status from a service management system, creating a credit transaction to credit an appropriate demand deposit account and creating a return file that identifies the item and the reason for return. |
| US08504474B2 |
Consolidated payment account system and method
The present invention provides a system and method for providing and/or facilitating complete on-line payment services while protecting the privacy of the transaction participants. The comprehensive payment service is based upon a consolidated account used to store value acquired through on-line transactions. The invention provides private payment numbers for protecting the identities of the participants and includes processes for authenticating participants, authorizing transactions, and settling payments. Thus, the present invention enables merchants to effectively accept non-standard forms of payment without changing their current payment infrastructures and enables the provision of value for purchases at any network merchant using any source of value. |
| US08504469B2 |
Detecting credit misuse
Behavior associated with credit misuse is referred to herein as “intentional misuse of credit” (IMOC) behavior and individuals who exhibit IMOC behavior are referred to herein as IMOC individuals. Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for reviewing, on a daily basis, financial-transaction data taken across a plurality of individual consumers, identifying individual consumers whose financial-transaction data indicates IMOC behavior, and flagging those individual consumers as IMOC individuals. To enhance financial institutions' ability to make accurate credit-approval decisions, other embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for reviewing a particular credit applicant's most recent financial-transaction data and, based thereon, determining whether that credit applicant, who otherwise has a good credit history, exhibits recent IMOC behavior and thereby possesses the propensity to misuse the applied-for credit. |
| US08504466B2 |
Computerized auction software method for providing a discount off a high bid before a bid is placed
A method and system for conducting an auction. The auction system provides a criteria for a seller to offer an item for sale with a discount off the bid that is displayed before a bid is made by the bidder, and/or a discount that is advertised from a minimum discount up to a maximum discount off the bid amount that is declared and displayed after the auction is closed. The discount(s) apply to the bidders initial bid and each raised bid and are not contingent on or to another condition. The auction system provides a mechanism to conduct an auction that allow persons to pay a bid fee to register as a bidder, register an opening bid with a discount that is stated before a bid is made by the bidder and a means for when the auction opens at a later date, to accept the registered opening bids. |
| US08504465B2 |
Fuel offering and purchase management system
The present disclosure is directed to facilitating pricing, sales and delivery of a commodity. In one embodiment, a Fuel Offer Generator facilitates the purchase and management of fuel offerings. The Fuel Offer Generator allows Customers interested in securing fuel to obtain an offer for fuel at lock-in prices for various tenors. Fuel Customers may later exercise the fuel offers so their fuel costs are locked-in at desired levels The Fuel Offer Generator may generate hedges to counteract fuel related risks stemming from fuel offer purchases. Ultimately, a customer that purchases a fuel offering can exercise their fuel offering order at a specified price and redeem any difference between the market price for their purchased fuel and the price specified in their fuel offering order. While the Fuel Offer Generator may place various constraints on redemption, it will employ various consumer behavior metrics to establish the pricing of fuel offerings. |
| US08504463B2 |
Bidding for energy supply
An auction service is provided that stimulates competition between energy suppliers (i.e., electric power or natural gas). A bidding moderator receives offers from competing suppliers specifying the economic terms each is willing to offer to end users or resellers for estimated quantities of electric power or gas supply (separate auctions). Suppliers receive feedback from the moderator based on competitors' offers and have the opportunity to adjust their own offers down or up, depending on whether they want to encourage or discourage additional energy delivery commitments in a particular geographic area or to a particular customer group. Each supplier's offers can also be changed to reflect each supplier's capacity utilization. The moderator selects one or more suppliers to provide electric power or natural gas to each end user or reseller, with each supplier providing at least a portion of the electric power or natural gas needed by each end user or reseller during a specific future time interval. |
| US08504460B2 |
System and method for providing a financial instrument utilizing a liability ratio
One embodiment of the invention is a method for providing a financial instrument including determining a current account balance for a financial account, calculating a liability ratio for the financial account, and determining whether to transfer at least a portion of the account balance from a variable sub-account to a low-risk sub-account based on the liability ratio. |
| US08504457B1 |
Dynamic electronic insurance policy branding and associated delivery documents-displayed via the web/internet to various participants in the distribution chain from the insurance manufacture through wholesale brokerage channels, retail insurance agent and the policy applicant
A software based process which includes marketing and additional documents created dynamically from templates specific to the audience reviewing and approving the policy package for further distribution, and in one non-limiting example eventually reaching the insured. In non-limiting examples, a typical distribution chain could include (1) an Insurance Provider (Carrier) to Wholesale Brokerage Agency or Broker to an Agent or Retail Agency to an Insured; (2) Insurance Provider (Carrier) to an Insured; or (3) Insurance Provider (Carrier) to a Direct Marketer to an Insured or any combination of the above. |
| US08504453B1 |
Method and system for providing mandatorily convertible securities with associated call options
The present invention relates to a method and system for offering mandatorily convertible securities (e.g., DECS) with associated forward purchase contracts and call options. Each mandatorily convertible security combines a forward purchase contract, a mandatory portable remarketable security, and a call option to form a single investment unit. The call option provides additional capital to the issuer of the investment unit and profits to the remarketing agent handling the mandatory portable remarketable security. |
| US08504452B2 |
Method and system for auditing internal controls
The present invention provides a computer-implemented method and system for assessing internal controls. The method includes: presenting internal control items; processing an input set associated with at least some of the internal control items; and (c) generating a set of assessment information based on the processed input set. The method may further include one or more of: (d) prior to presenting, automatically grouping and presenting a subset of the plurality of internal financial control items based on a user input related to an assessment of risk; (e) prior to presenting, automatically presenting a previously identified risk associated with one or both of an audit area and a transaction class associated with a subset of the plurality of internal financial control items; (g) receiving a user test input designating an internal financial control item for testing and presenting a set of test procedures associated with the designated internal financial control item; (h) documenting assessments with the set of test procedures; and (i) receiving from a user a plurality of inputs representing user assessment of the effectiveness of internal financial control items and presenting a summary of the effectiveness assessments. |
| US08504451B2 |
Method and system using candidate dynamic data elements
A method and computer readable medium for conducting a transaction, comprising receiving a verification value and a portion of a dynamic data element, determining candidate dynamic data elements using the portion of the dynamic data element, calculating candidate verification values using candidate dynamic data elements, and determining if the received verification value matches any of the candidate verification values, wherein the transaction is thereafter authenticated if a candidate verification value matches a candidate verification value. |
| US08504450B2 |
Mobile remittances/payments
A method and a system for mobile remittance and/or payment are provided. Example embodiments may include receiving a request, at a financial entity and from a first party, to remit an amount from an account, associated with the first party to a mobile account associated with a phone number of a second party; notifying the second party of the amount to be remitted and an identity of the first party; receiving a personal identification component from the second party; accessing the mobile account based on the personal identification component; and depositing the amount into the mobile account. A request may be received from the second party to transfer a portion of the amount to a third party. |
| US08504448B2 |
Outgoing returns processing
Methods, systems, apparatuses and/or computer program products are directed to outgoing returns processing. The outgoing returns processing includes receiving outgoing returns data files, where the outgoing returns data files may be of a plurality of different file formats and received from a plurality of different channels. The outgoing returns processing further includes converting the outgoing returns data files to a platform file format and retrieving image files based on the outgoing returns data files. The outgoing returns are then settled. |
| US08504445B2 |
Method and apparatus for central accounting and billing system for enterprise employing mobile field service inventories
A central accounting and billing system for enterprises providing service and supply operations for business machines located in a plurality of customer locations employing a fleet of vehicles each carrying a trunk inventory of frequently required repair parts and supplies. An ERP system at a central location generates machine-readable identification tags which are applied to parts and services carried in each of the trunk inventories and are applied to the machines to be serviced. Smart handheld devices such as cell phones contain programs which allow the identification tags to be read and communications to be established to the central ERP system relating to transfer of goods and supplies into and out of the trunk inventory and to the businesses and also the time involved in servicing particular machines at particular businesses in order to generate bills from the central enterprise to such businesses. |
| US08504442B2 |
Bidding on a plurality of products or services with contingencies
Bidding on a plurality of items with contingencies. Input may be received from a buyer over a wide area network. The input may specify a plurality of offers for purchase of a respective plurality of items and the offers may be included in a collection of offers. One or more contingencies may be associated with the collection of offers, e.g., in response to user input. The one or more contingencies may specify cancellation of one or more of the plurality of offers within the collection of offers. Input may be received from a seller over the wide area network, specifying an acceptance of a first offer of the plurality of offers in the collection of offers. At least one of the plurality of offers within the collection of offers may be automatically canceled based on the one or more contingencies and possibly the acceptance of the first offer. |
| US08504441B2 |
Services for providing item association data
A service is disclosed for enabling web sites and other entities to provide item recommendations and other behavior-based content to end users. The service can be implemented as a web service that is remotely accessible over the Internet. Web sites use the web service's interface to report events descriptive of item-related actions performed by end users (e.g., item views, item purchases, searches for items, etc.). The web service analyzes the reported event data on an aggregated basis to detect various types of associations between particular items, and stores resulting datasets that map items to associated items. The web service's interface also provides various API calls for enabling the web sites to request item recommendations and other behavior-based content, including but not limited to personalized recommendations that are based on the event history of the target user. Advantageously, the web sites need not host the infrastructure for providing such content. |
| US08504439B1 |
Method for generating sales of a conversational voice response system
In one aspect, the invention provides a method for generating a sales lead for the sale of a CVR system. The method comprises initiating a call in which a human calls an organization and interacts with an interactive voice response (IVR) system that defines an interface to a database for an organization in order to obtain information from the database; generating a first audio file comprising a recording of the interaction; generating a second audio file comprising a recording of an interaction of the caller with a CVR system in order to obtain the same information from the database; presenting the first and second audio files to a decision maker in the organization who has some influence on a decision to purchase the CVR system; tracking when the decision maker accesses the audio files; and initiating contact with the decision maker once access of the audio files is established. |
| US08504437B1 |
Dynamically selecting and presenting content relevant to user input
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media are provided. One example method includes receiving a textual input that forms a part of a user request, the textual input in the form of a prefix that when complete constitutes the request. The method further includes identifying completions based on the prefix, determining one or more content items associated with each completion, computing initial scores including a score for each content item-completion pair including determining a likelihood that a given completion represents the request and a quality of the content item as compared to the completion, computing final scores including scores for each prefix-content item pair using the initial scores, computing a bid for each content item, running an auction to select a content item based on the bids and final scores, and identifying display data associated with the selected content item. |
| US08504436B2 |
Systems and methods for generating a manufacturer tier product rollup
Computer-implemented methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for generating a tier rollup record perform the steps of: receiving a request for one of a product record and a plurality of product records having a determined attribute value; querying a first data set for product records corresponding to the request; receiving one or more unique record identifiers corresponding to the request; querying a second data set for a product record and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; receiving the product record and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; identifying a most representative product record from the product records and associated product attribute values corresponding to each unique identifier; rolling up the most representative product record; and transmitting the rolled up most representative product record. |
| US08504431B2 |
Method and system for monitoring forestry products
A method and system for monitoring forestry products are provided in the present invention, wherein at least one active communicating device is disposed on a forestry product, and reading and transmitting devices are also disposed in specific locations for building a monitoring and management mechanism to protect the forestry products from stealing. By means the method and system of the present invention, it is capable of providing real-time monitoring information and collecting evidence of illegal actions immediately so that the management staff can control the situation and status of the forestry products, which is useful for improving the efficiency of forestry management. Meanwhile, the present invention may also help to find those lawless persons who steal and fell illegally the forestry resources so as to ensure the safety of working environment for forest managing staff and sustainable management of forest and natural resources. |
| US08504430B2 |
System and method of displaying information by an electronic price label
A system and method of displaying information by an electronic price label which uses thresholds to minimize the number of messages to an electronic price label. The system includes a record for an item associated with the electronic price label which contains the thresholds. The thresholds divide the information into a number of ranges including a first range of information and a second range of information. The system further includes a computer for scheduling messages for transmission to the electronic price label, wherein the computer obtains first information associated with the first range and displayed by the electronic price label, obtains second information which is more recent than the first information, determines whether the first information equals the second information, and if the first information does not equal the second information, obtains the second range, determines whether the first information is within the second range, and sends a message to the electronic price label containing the second information and a command to display the second information instead of the first information if the first information is outside the second range. |
| US08504429B2 |
System and method of displaying information by an electronic price label
A system and method of displaying information by an electronic price label which uses thresholds to minimize the number of messages to an electronic price label. The system includes a record for an item associated with the electronic price label which contains the thresholds. The thresholds divide the information into a number of ranges including a first range of information and a second range of information. The system further includes a computer for scheduling messages for transmission to the electronic price label, wherein the computer obtains first information associated with the first range and displayed by the electronic price label, obtains second information which is more recent than the first information, determines whether the first information equals the second information, and if the first information does not equal the second information, obtains the second range, determines whether the first information is within the second range, and sends a message to the electronic price label containing the second information and a command to display the second information instead of the first information if the first information is outside the second range. |
| US08504424B2 |
Advertising system supporting multi-advertiser system remote advertisement posting
A system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption provides customers making online purchases to automatically retrieve and redeem all applicable rebates and coupons during an online purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system makes purchases from merchants or manufacturers using all applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system automatically retrieves coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site and to retrieve manufacturer's and merchant's coupons prior to an online purchasing activity for subsequent submission to an online merchant during a subsequent purchasing activity. |
| US08504417B2 |
Credit referral
A social networking system leverages information obtained regarding user interactions with applications hosted through the social networking system as well as information obtained regarding purchases of application-related digital items and digital currencies to provide insight into user behavior. The social networking system can use these insights to enhance the user's experience of the applications, purchases, and the social networking system generally. For example, the social networking system can customize transaction flows, provide credit referrals, and provide users with aggregated yet personally tailored sales information. |
| US08504415B2 |
Electronic toll management for fleet vehicles
Toll transaction payment processing includes accessing image data for a vehicle, the image data corresponding to at least one image of the vehicle engaging in a transaction with a toll facility. The image data is processed to determine one or more vehicle identifiers for the vehicle. A fleet vehicle company associated with the vehicle is electronically identified based on the one or more vehicle identifiers. Billing information for the transaction between the vehicle and the toll facility is electronically communicated to the fleet vehicle company. |
| US08504413B1 |
Generating container plans for multi-item orders
Technologies are described herein for generating container plans for multi-item orders. The items of the order are divided into zones, where the zones may determine the picking zone and/or packaging requirements for the item. Zone-based container plans are generated for the items in the order associated with each individual zone. The container plan includes an assignment of each item to one or more logical shipping containers. A mixed container plan is also generated for all the items in the order regardless of the associated zone. If the number of logical shipping containers in the mixed container plan is less than the total number of logical shipping containers in the zone-based container plans, then a final container plan for the order is generated from the mixed container plan. Otherwise, the final container plan is generated by combining the zone-based plans for each zone associated with items in the order. |
| US08504412B1 |
Audit automation with survey and test plan
A system automatically executes surveys and control test plans for an audit and consolidates the results for audit issue creation. The system may provide issue remediation workflow. In embodiments, the system allows a user to design an audit, including defining audit task and related surveys and test plans. The user may browse a catalogue of previously defined audit tasks, surveys, and test plans. |
| US08504409B2 |
System and method for evaluating banking consumers as a function of aggregated residual lifetime values and potential lifetime values
The present disclosure describes novel systems and methods that can be utilized to evaluate and/or direct an interaction with a consumer database and/or evaluate a consumer database, where the consumer database contains information about consumers and particular products and/or services held or used by the consumers. The interactions may be, for example, determining a strategy for sales, marketing, cross-selling, and/or retaining one or more of the consumers. The evaluations may include, for example, hierarchically ranking the consumers and/or determining a clustering of the consumers. |
| US08504407B2 |
Economic impact analysis and supplier interface system
A method, apparatus and program product may measure the economic impact of a business venture on a targeted area. An organization's expenditure data may be automatically analyzed in conjunction with supplier survey data indicative of how the initial project budget investment is re-spent. Correspondence prompting payees to upload the survey data may be automatically generated and sent. A multiplier or other economic indicator useful in analyzing economic impact may be automatically generated using the original investment figure, as well as the expenditure and survey data. Program code may enable modeling of different scenarios to optimize money allocation. |
| US08504406B2 |
Method of product ordering and inventory repositioning for a promotion
A computer implemented method of product ordering and inventory repositioning for a promotion in a supply chain management system utilizing a network is provided. The method comprises obtaining via the network from a plurality of stores in a first region, each store associated with a respective distribution center within the first region, point of sale data for a short period of time relative to a length of time allotted for a current product sales promotion. A computer calculation is caused of a product demand level for stores associated with at least one distribution center for the current product sales promotion based on an outlook model and the point of sale data. A computer calculation is caused of a product amount for the at least one distribution center based at least in part on the product demand level for stores associated with the at least one distribution center. An electronic action is taken based on the product amount for the at least one distribution center. |
| US08504403B2 |
Labor resource decision support system
A labor resource decision support system, in which labor resource data is maintained across multiple units within an organization using a standardized data record format. A demand measurement for a first type of labor resource having a unique combination of values for fields of the standardized data record format is determined based on input describing forecasted demand for the first type of labor resource within the organization and a supply measurement for the first type of labor resource is determined based on input describing forecasted supply for the first type of labor resource within the organization and the labor resource data. A gap measurement is calculated based on the determined demand measurement and the determined supply measurement and an output is provided based on the calculated gap measurement. |
| US08504396B2 |
Flexible maintenance planning
A method and apparatus directed to receiving maintenance demands and historical maintenance data associated with maintenance items are presented. A plurality of models that each define locations, maintenance items, resources, cycles, and average performance is generated, wherein each model represents a hypothetical scenario adjustable by a user so that a model representing one scenario may be compared alongside another model to view the differences in result for various hypothetical scenarios. One or more plans are generated for each model and take into account the received maintenance demands and historical maintenance data. A work package is generated in view of the received maintenance demands and historical maintenance data and the plan. |
| US08504394B2 |
System and method for processing of data related to requests for quotes for property and casualty insurance
This invention relates generally to a computer system and method for integrating insurance policy underwriting. In one aspect it integrates the older legacy insurance policy generating systems to on line systems where users access the system through browsers. The computer system to perform the process of underwriting, rating, quoting, binding, and booking an insurance policy includes browsers, data bases, processors and a dispatcher that parses the information to select an insurance process. Suitable software programs review messages received from users to determine if certain messages are less than a prescribed limit. If a message is greater than the limit, then the message is parsed into a header information and one or more data fields whereby the header information is provided to a legacy processor and to policy generation software for further creation of policy related information and documentation. |
| US08504391B2 |
Person centric infection risk stratification
Invoking of one or more clinical orders for a particular patient is driven by an infection risk stratification. According to an associated method, infection risk factors for a patient are assessed. The method also includes determining correlations between patient data and two or more particular categories of infection risk associated with the infection risk factors, stratifying infection risk for the patient based on the correlations determined, and determining specific clinical orders relevant for the particular patient based on the stratification. |
| US08504388B2 |
Method and apparatus for fulfilling requests for perishable items
Apparatuses, methods, and computer readable medium, for fulfilling a need for at least one perishable item, the method including reserving a plurality of perishable items with at least partially unknown attribute profiles from a supplier; receiving values for at least some of the reserved at least partially unknown attribute profiles, wherein the received values are determined by tests conducted after the reserving step; determining based on the received values which of the plurality of perishable items satisfy the need for the at least one perishable item; and if at least one of the plurality of perishable items does not satisfy the need for the at least one perishable item, unreserving the at least one perishable item of the plurality of perishable items determined not to satisfy the need for the at least one perishable item. |
| US08504383B1 |
Methods and systems for generic opportunity scoring
A computer implemented method and/or computer system determines a Generic Opportunity Score (GOS) and/or a generic drug's performance demonstrating how a generic utilization can be better identified and improved relative to the total overall generic opportunity, which can provide savings information relative to a clinically appropriate generic alternative. In some embodiments, the process and/or system determines the GOS as the proportion of generic prescriptions dispensed relative to the maximum number of prescriptions that have a generic equivalent or a clinically-appropriate generic alternative. In some embodiments, the process determines the GOS as the number of generic claims dispensed over the total number of generic claims plus the brand claims that have a generic equivalent or generic alternative. In some embodiments, the data utilized will be provided through a prescription claims database, which can be segmented into three distinct groups: Generic Code Number (GCN), Brand/Generic Code, and Channel, i.e. retail or mail. |
| US08504382B2 |
Identifying trusted providers
A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request from a consumer associated with a first medical service provider to engage in real time with a medical service provider over the Internet. The method also includes in response to the received request, displaying a list of medical service providers to the consumer on a user interface. The method also includes providing an indicator associated with a particular medical service provider in the list of medical service providers if the particular medical service provider is a trusted medical service provider identified by the first medical service provider. |
| US08504381B2 |
Structured data authoring and editing system
The present invention offers an extensive suite of tools that facilitate and enhance the capability within a healthcare institution to establish and maintain an evidence-based best practice approach to providing patient care. Using evidence, term vocabulary and default structured content (order sets) embodiments of the invention enable the localization of said content in a well structured environment. |
| US08504378B2 |
Stereo acoustic signal encoding apparatus, stereo acoustic signal decoding apparatus, and methods for the same
Disclosed is a stereo acoustic signal encoding apparatus in which the signal quality does not deteriorate if there are a plurality of sound sources. A peak tracing unit (401) splits frames of a right channel signal and a left channel signal into a plurality of sub frames; detects the peaks of wave shapes of the split sub frames; and estimates a frame delay time D for each frame of the right channel signal and the left channel signal by comparing the positions of the detected peaks. A time adjusting unit (402) adjusts the time of the right channel signal on the basis of the frame time delay D. A down-mix operation is carried out using the right channel signal which has been subjected to the time adjustment and the left channel signal to generate a mono signal and a sub signal. A mono signal encoding unit (403) encodes the mono signal. A sub signal encoding unit (404) encodes the sub signal. The time delay encoding unit (405) encodes the frame time delay D. |
| US08504374B2 |
Method for recognizing and interpreting patterns in noisy data sequences
This invention maps possibly noisy digital input from any of a number of different hardware or software sources such as keyboards, automatic speech recognition systems, cell phones, smart phones or the web onto an interpretation consisting of an action and one or more physical objects, such as robots, machinery, vehicles, etc. or digital objects such as data files, tables and databases. Tables and lists of (i) homonyms and misrecognitions, (ii) thematic relation patterns, and (iii) lexicons are used to generate alternative forms of the input which are scored to determine the best interpretation of the noisy input. The actions may be executed internally or output to any device which contains a digital component such as, but not limited to, a computer, a robot, a cell phone, a smart phone or the web. This invention may be implemented on sequential and parallel compute engines and systems. |
| US08504371B1 |
Script compliance and agent feedback
Systems and methods are provided for using automatic speech recognition to analyze a voice interaction and verify compliance of an agent reading a script to a client during the voice interaction. In one aspect of the invention, a method may include conducting the voice interaction between the agent and a client, wherein the agent follows the script via a plurality of panels. From there, the voice interaction is evaluated via the plurality of panels employing panel-by-panel playback with an automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the voice interaction. As such, it may be determined, via generating a score using confidence level thresholds of an automatic speech recognition component such that confidence level thresholds are assigned to each of the plurality of panels and evaluating the score against at least one of a static standard and a varying standard, whether the agent has adequately followed the script. |
| US08504369B1 |
Multi-cursor transcription editing
A device, for use by a transcriptionist in a transcription editing system for editing transcriptions dictated by speakers, includes, in combination, a monitor configured to display visual text of transcribed dictations, an audio mechanism configured to cause playback of portions of an audio file associated with a dictation, and a cursor-control module coupled to the audio mechanism and to the monitor and configured to cause the monitor to display multiple cursors in the text. |
| US08504368B2 |
Synthetic speech text-input device and program
A synthetic speech text-input device is provided that allows a user to intuitively know an amount of an input text that can be fit in a desired duration. A synthetic speech text-input device 1 includes: an input unit that receives a set duration in which a speech to be synthesized is to be fit, and a text for a synthetic speech; a text amount calculation unit that calculates an acceptable text amount based on the set duration received by the input unit, the acceptable text amount being an amount of a text acceptable as a synthetic speech of the set duration; and a text amount output unit that outputs the acceptable text amount calculated by the text amount calculation unit, when the input unit receives the text. |
| US08504367B2 |
Speech retrieval apparatus and speech retrieval method
Disclosed are a speech retrieval apparatus and a speech retrieval method for searching, in a speech database, for an audio file matching an input search term by using an acoustic model serialization code, a phonemic code, a sub-word unit, and a speech recognition result of speech. The speech retrieval apparatus comprises a first conversion device, a first division device, a first speech retrieval unit creation device, a second conversion device, a second division device, a second speech retrieval unit creation device, and a matching device. The speech retrieval method comprises a first conversion step, a first division step, a first speech retrieval unit creation step, a second conversion step, a second division step, a second speech retrieval unit creation step, and a matching step. |
| US08504364B2 |
Differential dynamic content delivery with text display in dependence upon simultaneous speech
Differential dynamic content delivery including providing a session document for a presentation, wherein the session document includes a session grammar and a session structured document; selecting from the session structured document a classified structural element in dependence upon user classifications of a user participant in the presentation; presenting the selected structural element to the user; streaming presentation speech to the user including individual speech from at least one user participating in the presentation; converting the presentation speech to text; detecting whether the presentation speech contains simultaneous individual speech from two or more users; and displaying the text if the presentation speech contains simultaneous individual speech from two or more users. |
| US08504359B2 |
Method and apparatus for speech recognition using domain ontology
A speech recognition method using a domain ontology includes: constructing domain ontology DB; forming a speech recognition grammar using the formed domain ontology DB; extracting a feature vector from a speech signal; modeling the speech signal using an acoustic model. The method performs speech recognition by using the acoustic model, the speech recognition dictionary and the speech recognition grammar on the basis of the feature vector. |
| US08504355B2 |
Joint disambiguation of syntactic and semantic ambiguity
Ambiguities in a natural language expression are interpreted by jointly disambiguating multiple alternative syntactic and semantic interpretations. More than one syntactic alternative, represented by parse contexts, are analyzed together with joint analysis of referents, word senses, relation types, and layout of a semantic representation for each syntactic alternative. Best combinations of interpretations are selected from all participating parse contexts, and are used to form parse contexts for the next step in parsing. |
| US08504354B2 |
Parallel fragment extraction from noisy parallel corpora
Machine translation algorithms for translating between a first language and a second language are often trained using parallel fragments, comprising a first language corpus and a second language corpus comprising an element-for-element translation of the first language corpus. Such training may involve large training sets that may be extracted from large bodies of similar sources, such as databases of news articles written in the first and second languages describing similar events; however, extracted fragments may be comparatively “noisy,” with extra elements inserted in each corpus. Extraction techniques may be devised that can differentiate between “bilingual” elements represented in both corpora and “monolingual” elements represented in only one corpus, and for extracting cleaner parallel fragments of bilingual elements. Such techniques may involve conditional probability determinations on one corpus with respect to the other corpus, or joint probability determinations that concurrently evaluate both corpora for bilingual elements. |
| US08504352B2 |
Community translation on a social network
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for translating text in a social network. In one embodiment translations of text phrases are received from members of the social network. These text phrases include content displayed in a social networking system, such as content from social networking objects. A particular member is provided with content including a text phrase in a first language, and the member requests translation into another language. Responsive to this request, a translation of the text phrase is selected from a set of available translations. The selection is based on actions by friends of the member in the social network, the actions being associated with the set of available translations. These actions can the viewing of or approval of translations by the friends, for example. The selected translation is then presented to the member requesting the translation. |
| US08504344B2 |
Interface between a verification environment and a hardware acceleration engine
The present invention allows a verification environment to be used to control and coordinate interaction with a design running on an accelerator or emulator without significant speed penalty. For example, an interface capable of communicating with test software running on an embedded processor is used to control and monitor the flow of data into the external interface of the design. Thus, a connection is made between the verification environment and the design under test running on the accelerator/emulator via a connection formed directly between the verification environment and embedded software running on the emulator for simulation and monitoring purpose at a very low frequency so that high-speed acceleration may still be achieved. |
| US08504342B2 |
Modeling and designing of well drilling system that accounts for vibrations
A method and apparatus associated with the production of hydrocarbons is disclosed. The method, which relates to modeling of drilling equipment, includes constructing one or more design configurations for at least a portion of a bottom hole assembly (BHA) and calculating results from each of the one or more design configurations. The calculated results of the modeling may include one or more performance indices that characterize the BHA vibration performance of the design configurations for operating parameters and boundary conditions that are substantially the same or may be different. These results are then simultaneously displayed for a user to facilitate design selection. The selected BHA design configuration may then be utilized in a well construction operation and thus associated with the production of hydrocarbons. |
| US08504339B2 |
Method for door side intrusion simulation with progressive failures
A method for simulating deformation of a body element of a motor vehicle that occurs during an impact event includes providing a model of the body element that includes an initial load distribution pattern. A first simulation output is generated during a first portion of the impact event using the initial load distribution pattern and includes data indicative of the deformation of the body element. Whether a portion of the body element is in a failure condition is determined based on the first simulation output. If a failure condition is determined, the load distribution pattern of at least a portion of the body element is updated, and a second simulation output including data indicative of the deformation of the body during a second portion of the impact event is generated using the updated load distribution pattern. |
| US08504338B2 |
Method for measuring shafting mechanical fatigue of turbine generator set
A method for measuring a shafting mechanical fatigue of a turbine generator set, which involves determining a lumped mass model of a turbine generator set and its parameters; calculating a model frequency and a mode shape of the turbine generator set; acquiring an angular velocity change at a machine end; calculating a torque at a calculating section of shafting based on the model frequency, a mode shape curve and an equivalent rigidity of the lumped mass model, so as to obtain a torque-time history curve at the calculating section of the shafting; calculating a fatigue damage accumulative value for a dangerous section of a set shafting under a certain malfunction or disturbance, that is, the shafting mechanical fatigue of the turbine generator set. |
| US08504337B2 |
Method and system for analyzing three-dimensional linkages
A method for analyzing a mechanical system is disclosed. The method includes, using a computer program product, importing from an engineering design software program data related to a mechanical assembly. The method further includes, using the computer program product, selecting two or more points and one or more connections associated with the mechanical assembly. The method additionally includes based on the selected two or more points, the selected one or more connections, and the imported data, determining one or more three-dimensional model solutions. The method also includes presenting the one or more three-dimensional model solutions to a user, and selecting one of the presented three-dimensional model solutions. |
| US08504335B2 |
Robust optimization-based decision support tool for reservoir development planning
A robust optimization-based decision support tool for reservoir development planning can comprise a source of input data, an optimization model, a high fidelity model for simulating the reservoir, and one or more solution routines interfacing with the optimization model. The optimization model can consider unknown parameters having uncertainties directly within the optimization model. The model can systematically address uncertain data, for example, comprehensively or even taking all uncertain data into account. Accordingly, the optimization model can provide flexible or robust optimization solutions that remain feasible over an uncertainty space. Once the reservoir model is optimized, final development plans may be generated. |
| US08504332B2 |
Computer product, design support apparatus, and design support method
A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores therein a program that causes a processor to execute inputting a driving capability value, a lumped-constant capacitance value, and an input capacitance value included in the lumped-constant capacitance value, respectively defined in a circuit model, and further inputting a first delay time of the circuit model, based on the driving capability value and the lumped-constant capacitance value; setting in the circuit model, the driving capability value, the lumped-constant capacitance value, and the input capacitance value; acquiring a second delay time of the circuit model, by providing to a simulator, the circuit model having values set therein; calculating a relative evaluation value for the first delay time and the second delay time; and storing to a storage apparatus and as a delay time correcting coefficient, the relative evaluation value correlated with the driving capability value, the lumped-constant capacitance value, and the input capacitance value. |
| US08504328B2 |
Designing lenses using stress birefringence performance criterion
A method for designing an imaging lens having reduced susceptibility to thermally-induced stress birefringence, the imaging lens having first and second groups of lens elements located either side of an aperture stop, the method comprising: defining a set of lens design attributes; defining a set of lens performance criteria including a thermally-induced stress birefringence performance criterion; defining a first set of candidate glasses having a negligible susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence and a second set of candidate glasses having at most a moderate susceptibility to thermal stress birefringence; selecting glasses for lens elements that are located adjacent to the aperture stop from the first set of candidate glasses; selecting glasses for the remaining lens elements from the first or second sets of candidate glasses; and using a computer processor to determine a lens design for the imaging lens. |
| US08504326B2 |
Multilevel timestamp detection circuit and method
Disclosed are methods and circuits for detecting and recording timestamps for multiple events (222/322, 224/324) using a single input pin (252, 352) on a real time clock (RTC) (250, 350). Signals associated with each of the events are modulated to create a multiple level composite signal (240). The RTC includes a multiple signal level detection circuit to distinguish from among the various signal levels so that each event can be separately flagged and timestamped. For example, the opening of two or more covers (112, 114) on the housing (110) of an electronic device (100) can be monitored, distinguished, and separately flagged using a single RTC input port. |
| US08504323B2 |
Emergency patient medication system
A computer based system is disclosed for providing emergency medical personnel with a means for rapidly ascertaining an accurate estimated weight for a non-responsive and potentially critically ill patient. The system acquires the gross weight of the patient, the support upon which the patient is lying and all life support equipment that may be on that support. From data stored in a data base, and from information input into the system by the personnel on hand, the weights of everything except the patient are deducted by the system to arrive at the patient's weight. That weight is then resident in the system and serves to allow the system to accurately calculate the correct dosages of medications to be administered to the patient while warning the personnel if dangerous interactions are possible. The system includes protocols for treating a wide variety of emergency medical conditions in both hospital and military environments. |
| US08504322B2 |
Likelihood map system for localizing an emitter
A system and a method for displaying an emitter location are disclosed. The system includes a plurality of receivers at different locations in a field. Each receiver generates a receiver signal that depends on the magnitude of a signal from the emitter. The system also includes a processor that receives the receiver signal and generates a likelihood map indicative of an approximation of a probability as a function of position in the field of the emitter location. The likelihood map includes a plurality of receiver maps. Each receiver map includes a probability as a function of position in the field of the emitter location based on the signal magnitude for at least one of the receiver signals. Each receiver map may depend on a ratio of the signal magnitudes from a corresponding pair of the receivers, or on one of the signal magnitudes from a corresponding one of the receivers. |
| US08504320B2 |
Differential SR flip-flop
A differential SR flip-flop 100 receives a set signal S and a reset signal R, and generates a differential output pair Q and #Q. A first flip-flop FF1 generates a non-inverted output signal Q1 and an inverted output signal #Q1. A second flip-flop FF2 generates a non-inverted output signal Q2 and an inverted output signal #Q2. An averaging circuit 10 averages one output signal (Q1) of the first flip-flop FF1 and one output signal (Q2) of the second flip-flop FF2 so as to generate a first output signal Q3, and averages the other output signal (#Q1) of the first flip-flop FF1 and the other output signal (#Q2) of the second flip-flop FF2 so as to generate a second output signal #Q3. As a differential output pair, the differential SR flip-flop 100 outputs a signal that corresponds to the first output signal Q3 and a signal that corresponds to the second output signal #Q3. |
| US08504319B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for reflective maintenance
Methods, systems, and products maintain reflective maintenance records for a network. Test results are mirrored from different testing applications to a centralized testing database. The test results are associated to circuit identifiers. A work order is received that identifies trouble associated with a customer. A circuit identifier associated with the customer is retrieved and, prior to performing a test of a circuit to resolve the trouble, the centralized testing database is queried for the circuit identifier. A test result associated with the circuit identifier is retrieved and the work order is updated with the test result. |
| US08504311B2 |
Method and mass flow controller for enhanced operating range
A mass flow controller (MFC), a method for calibrating an MFC, and a method for operating an MFC are disclosed. The method for calibrating the MFC includes obtaining data relative to two signals from a thermal mass flow sensor when operating the mass flow controller at different flow rates with a calibration gas, and storing the data relating to the two signals in connection with corresponding flow-rate values. The method for operating the MFC includes obtaining data relative to the two signals from the thermal mass flow controller and accessing the calibration data to determine an unknown flow rate for a process gas that may be the same gas as the calibration gas or may be another gas that is different from the calibration gas. |
| US08504309B1 |
Systems and methods for evaluation of object condition
A condition of an object is evaluated with improved uniformity as compared to conventional schemes. For example, flaw types and severities associated with flaws potentially present in a certain category of objects are predefined, along with rules for evaluating the condition of objects of the certain category based at least on the flaw types and severities. In this manner, any user, expert or not, can uniformly evaluate the condition of an object merely by identifying and inputting the flaws according to the predefined flaw types and severities. In addition, the predefined flaw types, severities, and rules can be changed by a user or otherwise at any time, and different sets of predefined flaw types, severities, and rules can be generated for each of a plurality of different categories of objects, thereby providing a fully configurable and flexible evaluation system. |
| US08504308B2 |
System and method for fatigue analysis of a bottom hole assembly
A system and a method analyze fatigue damage of a bottom hole assembly (“BHA”), and more specifically, use a multi-scale approach for fatigue analysis of a BHA. Three length scales may be used in modeling of a BHA, namely the BHA scale, the component scale and the feature scale. Loading conditions for each collar/tool of the BHA may be determined, such as by use of a beam model, and may be applied to the finite element models for the collar/tool to determine the fatigue damage of each fatigue susceptible feature of each collar/tool. A cumulative fatigue damage of each critical feature may be determined, and the weakest component of the BHA may be identified. Prognostic and diagnostic implementation with well survey and drilling data may monitor fatigue damage of critical components of the BHA. |
| US08504304B2 |
Protein-ligand NOE matching for high-throughput structure determination
A method of enhancing the throughput and applicability of NMR-based structure determination of protein-ligand complexes is disclosed. The method circumvents the need for protein sequence-specific resonance assignments and combines NMR data analysis and ligand docking methods into an integrated process. In one embodiment, NMR data is used to filter docking results to identify the most consistent binding modes, thereby providing structural information in a high-throughput fashion without the need for assigning protein resonances. Trial assignments for protein-ligand nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) interactions are also produced by the method. |
| US08504303B2 |
System and methods for optimized drug delivery and progression of diseased and normal cells
System for recommending an optimal treatment protocol for a specific individual are disclosed. The systems comprise generally a system model, a plurality of treatment protocols, a system model modifier, wherein said system model is modified by the system model modifier based on parameters specific to the individual; and a selector to select an optimal treatment protocol from said plurality of treatment protocols based on the modified system model. Systems embodying the above techniques but for a general patient are also disclosed. Systems for a general patient and an individual for various specific diseases are disclosed. Methods and computer program products embodying the above techniques are also disclosed. |
| US08504292B1 |
Indoor localization based on ultrasound sensors
In one embodiment, a technique for determining a position of a user inside of a structure is disclosed. Acceleration and orientation data is captured by an inertial motion unit (IMU) affixed to the user. Range data is captured by one or more range finders affixed to the user. An estimate of the user's relative displacement is produced based on the acceleration and orientation data captured by the IMU. A cloud of particles is generated within a model of the structure based on the estimated relative displacement. One or more particle filters are applied to the cloud of particles to eliminate any particles of the cloud of particles that violate physical constraints and to eliminate any particles of the cloud of particles that are inconsistent with the range data. Then a statistical function is applied to the cloud of particles to determine a calculated position of the user. |
| US08504291B2 |
Method for clinician house calls utilizing portable computing and communications equipment
Mobile clinicians conduct in-home patient visits utilizing on-site diagnostic and treatment equipment, where service is enhanced by the use of portable computing and communications equipment. A mobile care entity provides mobile clinicians preprogrammed portable computers. Each portable computer updates patient data in the local storage utilizing a wireless communications device to download updates from a central storage facility. The entity selects a mobile clinician and dispatches him/her to the patient's premises. The clinician visits the patient's premises accompanied by an assortment of electronic diagnostic and treatment devices. The mobile clinician utilizes various diagnostic devices to prepare machine-readable reports of related aspects of the patient's condition. The clinician directs the portable computer to perform follow-up tasks including: (1) electronically collecting the prepared reports and graphically presenting them in human-readable form, (2) storing a machine-readable medical record, and (3) utilizing the wireless device to transmit the reports and records. |
| US08504288B2 |
Quality control of mapping data
Aspects of the disclosure relate to quality control of survey data used to generate and or supplement map information. A device may be walked through an indoor space in order to collect survey data (accelerometer, gyroscope, wireless network identifiers, etc.). The survey data is then transmitted to a server for further processing to identify the path (or the various locations) of the device in the indoor space. The path may be determined by referring to a map of the indoor location and a localization algorithm, for example, a particle filter or least squares optimizer. The path may be compared to other survey data and paths from the same indoor space as well as the map in order to provide an estimate of the quality of the localization produced for the survey data. Low quality survey data may be flagged for further review or used to make changes to the map. |
| US08504287B2 |
Navigation systems and methods
An embodiment of the invention provides a navigation system. A global positioning device outputs location information. A map database provides map information according to the location information. An active area recorder determines a viewing-area, and sketches a first active area according to the viewing-area and a first moving track of a positioning pattern corresponding to the location information. An image processing unit receives the map information and the first moving track and generates display data displayed on a display device. |
| US08504286B2 |
Providing results to parameterless search queries
In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a parameterless search request, which was provided to a mobile computing device, for information that is relevant to a user of the mobile computing device. The method also includes, in response to the received parameterless search request, identifying with a digital computer system one or more results that are determined to be relevant to the user of the mobile computing device based upon a current context of the mobile computing device. The method further includes providing the results for display to a user of the mobile computing device. |
| US08504284B2 |
Navigation system for determining and utilizing monetary cost information
A navigation system for a vehicle is presented that provides and utilizes monetary cost-related information. The navigation system may include a database system, calculation module, and comparison module. The database system stores path data and related monetary cost-related data, which include monetary costs that are route-depend and those that are not route-dependent. The calculation module determines routes to a destination, the monetary costs associated with the routes, and may determine the fastest, longest, and least expensive routes. The comparison module enables the determination of an optimal route based on various criteria, including monetary cost. The navigation system further includes methods for determining the monetary costs associated with a route, the travel time associated with a route, determining an optimal route, and for guiding the vehicle according to the monetary cost-related information. |
| US08504276B2 |
Gas turbine engine controls for minimizing combustion dynamics and emissions
Embodiments for controlling a gas turbine engine to minimize combustion dynamics and emissions are disclosed. Methods and an apparatus are provided for controlling the gas turbine engine where a compressor inlet temperature is measured and a turbine reference temperature is calculated in real-time and utilized to determine the most-efficient fuel splits and operating conditions for each of the fuel circuits. The fuel flow for the fuel circuits are then adjusted according to the identified fuel split. |
| US08504274B2 |
Adaptive cruise control method on incline
Adaptive cruise control method improves traveling performance and stoppage maintenance performance on an incline. During adaptive cruise control, a gradient of a road is estimated based on a vehicle acceleration and longitudinal acceleration to enable compensation of a resistance torque with respect to the gradient of the road, which prevents deterioration of a traveling speed of a vehicle on an incline. Also, compensating for a brake torque to prevent the vehicle from being pushed rearward when the vehicle stops or starts to go on an incline may prevent deterioration of performance on an incline. |
| US08504271B2 |
System and method for assisting the braking system of a vehicle
A system for assisting the braking system of a vehicle includes a processor, a global position system receiver in communication with the processor, and an antenna for receiving global positioning system signals. The processor may be configured to determine the braking efficiency of the vehicle, collecting global positioning system information from the global position system receiver, determine a distance to an end of a grade of a road the vehicle is traveling based on the global positioning system information, determine if there is a possibility of failure of the braking system of the vehicle based on the braking efficiency of the vehicle and the distance to the end of the grade of the road the vehicle is traveling on, and execute a mitigating action to prevent braking failure. |
| US08504270B2 |
Traffic broadcast system
A traffic broadcast system includes a traffic broadcast module, a traffic receiver module, and a display module. The traffic broadcast module includes a traffic database module for gathering traffic data and an electronic device capable of transmitting broadcast signals of the traffic data across a broadcast area. The vehicle having a traffic receiver module that receives and analyzes broadcast signals having traffic data relevant to the vehicle with respect to the vehicle's position and direction. The display module having a key for a speedometer that informs a user of the vehicle a speed range to maintain a right of way through a next upcoming light. |
| US08504268B2 |
Method and arrangement for applying a parking brake of a vehicle depending on the roadway conditions
In a method for applying a parking brake of a vehicle depending on the roadway conditions, at least one electromechanical braking system has a parking brake and an operational brake function. An operational brake force is produced on each wheel to slow the vehicle down to a standstill. A parking brake force is generated on at least two wheels of the vehicle. The parking brake forces have an amount that corresponds to the total of the previous parking brake forces applied to all of the wheels and subsequently the stopping of the vehicle is tesste. When the vehicle is maintained in the stop position, the amount of the parking brake force on the at least two wheels is reduced and simultaneously, the service brake forces that are reduced by a certain amount corresponding to the parking brake forces are built up at least on the other wheels. |
| US08504267B2 |
Control system and method for synchronization control in dual clutch transmissions
A control system includes a pressure control solenoid and a flow control solenoid having an input in fluid communication with the pressure control solenoid. A piston adjusts a position of a shift fork and includes a first area in fluid communication with the pressure control solenoid and a second area in fluid communication with the flow control solenoid. A fork sensor senses a position of a shift fork. A slip sensing module estimates slip acceleration between an input shaft and a gear. A flow determining module generates a flow command for the flow control solenoid. A sync control module determines a slip acceleration profile including an estimated slip acceleration, adjusts the estimated slip acceleration based on the measured slip acceleration, and generates a pressure command for the pressure control solenoid based on the adjusted slip acceleration. |
| US08504266B2 |
Method for controlling a transmission of a motor vehicle
A method for controlling a motor vehicle transmission (11) is disclosed in which a sensor (18) used to produce an indication of position of a selector (17) is calibrated such that positioning the selector (17) at a peak force feedback position produced by a peak and trough force feedback mechanism (24) connected to the selector (17) will always result in the selection of a drive mode of the transmission (11). |
| US08504265B2 |
System and method for decreasing acceleration disturbance during transmission upshifts
A control system for an engine includes a torque phase detection module, a torque request generation module, and an engine torque control module. The torque phase detection module detects a start of a torque phase of an upshift of a transmission coupled to the engine. The torque request generation module generates an engine torque request at the start of the torque phase of the transmission upshift. The engine torque control module controls engine torque during the torque phase of the transmission upshift based on the engine torque request. |
| US08504264B2 |
Control device and control method for vehicle
A target gear ratio calculation unit calculates a target gear ratio TGR of a transmission. A setting unit sets a target gear TG according to target gear ratio TGR. A multi-speed transmission control unit controls the transmission according to target gear TG. A target driving force calculation unit calculates target driving force TF of a vehicle. A correction unit corrects target driving force TF according to a gear ratio of the transmission. A conversion unit converts target driving force TF into target engine torque TTE. An engine control unit controls an engine according to target engine torque TTE. Modules used for the engine control unit, the target driving force calculation unit, the conversion unit, and the target gear ratio calculation unit are used in common in a case where the transmission is a multi-speed transmission and in a case where the transmission is a continuously variable transmission. The setting unit and the correction unit are implemented when the transmission is a multi-speed transmission. |
| US08504263B2 |
Accumulator working volume management and adaptation
A dual clutch transmission (DCT) control module includes a pressure determination module that determines a measured pre-charge pressure of an accumulator. A motor control module determines an actual pre-charge pressure based on the measured pre-charge pressure, stored previous pre-charge pressures, and ambient temperature, and controls a pump motor based on the actual pre-charge pressure. |
| US08504262B2 |
Control apparatus for automatic transmission
A control apparatus for an automatic transmission includes a torque calculator configured to calculate a torque required during a speed change for a hydraulic clutch at a target speed stage based on an output torque of an engine. A supply fluid pressure calculator is configured to obtain, from the calculated torque, a supply fluid pressure to be supplied to the hydraulic clutch by using a clutch friction coefficient. A fluid supplier is configured to supply the obtained supply fluid pressure to the hydraulic clutch to perform the speed change for an output of the engine through a gear corresponding to the target speed stage. A clutch plate temperature estimating device is configured to estimate a plate temperature of the hydraulic clutch. A fluid pressure correcting device is configured to correct the supply fluid pressure based on the estimated plate temperature. |
| US08504261B2 |
Powertrain control systems and methods with parameter transfer between an ECM and a TCM for ECM and TCM based control
A control system includes an engine control module and a transmission control module. The transmission control module communicates with the engine control module via a network. The transmission control module generates at least one of a back torque signal and a first engine acceleration signal. The transmission control module transmits the at least one of the back torque signal and the first engine acceleration signal to the engine control module via the network. The engine control module controls operation of an engine based on the at least one of the back torque signal and the first engine acceleration signal. |
| US08504257B2 |
Work vehicle and method of controlling the same
In a work vehicle, a control unit is configured to control a lock-up hydraulic pressure for controlling switching of a lock-up clutch. The control unit is configured to execute a lock-up slippage control for switching the lock-up clutch into a slippage state when the work vehicle starts moving. The control unit is configured to control the lock-up hydraulic pressure based on work instrument load information, pertaining to a load of a work instrument during execution of the lock-up slippage control. |
| US08504255B2 |
Controlling a digging operation of an industrial machine
Systems, methods, devices, and computer readable media for controlling the operation of an industrial machine including one or more components. A method of controlling the industrial machine includes determining a position of at least one of the one or more components of the industrial machine during a digging operation, determining a hoist bail pull setting based on the position of the at least one of the one or more components and a relationship between component position and hoist bail pull, and setting a level of hoist bail pull to the hoist bail pull setting. The level of hoist bail pull early in the digging operation is greater than the level of hoist bail pull later in the digging operation. |
| US08504250B2 |
Momentary activation of mechanical front wheel drive
A work vehicle comprises a mechanical front wheel drive (MFWD) and a MFWD switch associated with the MFWD for selectively activating the MFWD. The MFWD switch may be a 3-position switch comprising a momentary-ON position, a maintain-ON position, and a maintain-OFF position. The MFWD switch may be, for example, a 3-position rocker switch. |
| US08504248B2 |
Vehicle and its control method
To provide a vehicle having high operability and its control method. A vehicle includes a passenger seat on which a passenger rides on, a chassis that support the passenger seat, wheels that move the chassis, a force sensor that outputs a measurement signal according to a force exerted on a seat surface of the passenger seat, a drive unit that drives the passenger seat so as to change an angle of the seat surface of the passenger seat, and a control calculation unit that calculates a reference input used to drive the wheels and the drive unit based on a drive amount of the drive unit, a balanced position posture of the passenger seat, and the measurement signal from the force sensor. |
| US08504245B2 |
System for selecting and displaying a pulling out mode of a car from a carport
A vehicle system for selecting and displaying a pulling out mode includes a memory for storing predetermined pulling out modes, each pulling out mode stored in association with one or more corresponding parking modes, the pulling out modes indicating manners of pulling a vehicle out of a parking space in accordance with the parking modes. The system further includes a unit that determines a parking mode, a detector for detecting an instruction from a driver, and a selection and display unit for determining a subset of the pulling out modes for displaying as choices for selection by the operator. The system determines a parking mode not only when a vehicle is parked with automatic steering but also when the vehicle is parked with manual steering. By only displaying an appropriate pulling out mode corresponding to a parking mode, selecting an inappropriate pulling out mode can be avoided. |
| US08504244B2 |
Method for improving the driving stability of a vehicle
A method for improving the driving stability of a vehicle, including ascertaining a trajectory to be followed by the vehicle in a situation-specific manner, an active steering system and/or a braking device being set in the vehicle in such a way that at least one transverse dynamic state variable is within an associated limiting value. |
| US08504232B2 |
Electrically powered vehicle and method for controlling the same
A charging state estimation unit estimates a remaining capacity of a power storage device. A charge/discharge control unit controls charging and discharging of the power storage device based on the remaining capacity estimate value. The charge/discharge control unit includes a charge instruction unit for, in the case where the remaining capacity estimate value falls below a predetermined lower limit value, controlling the internal combustion engine to be in the load operation state to generate charge power and controlling the internal combustion engine to be in the no-load operation state when it is determined that a prescribed charge termination condition is satisfied. The charge instruction unit sets the charge termination condition such that the charging time for the power storage device is shortened as the charge power that can be received by the power storage device in the present state is decreased. |
| US08504223B2 |
Systems and methods for presenting and obtaining flight control information
Systems and methods for presenting and obtaining flight control information are disclosed. In one embodiment, information corresponding to a vertical motion of the aircraft can be displayed between information corresponding to a lateral motion of the aircraft and information corresponding to an airspeed of the aircraft. The information displayed can include a current mode for controlling the motion of the aircraft, a current target to which the aircraft is being directed and, at least proximate to both the current mode and the current target, a subsequent target to which the aircraft will be directed after attaining the current target. |
| US08504220B2 |
Systems and methods for providing an in-trail procedure speed director
Embodiments of the present invention enhance existing ITP (In-Trail Procedure) algorithms by providing additional information to the flight crew. The additional information may enable the flight crew to appropriately modify own aircraft airspeed, and thereby, ground speed, in order to qualify for ITP procedures. |
| US08504219B2 |
Telematics device for electric vehicle and remote air-conditioning control method thereof
A telematics device for an electric vehicle and a remote air-conditioning control method thereof are provided. A vehicle driver remote adjusts an indoor temperature of the electric vehicle by driving an air-conditioning unit of the vehicle during the battery charging, so that a travelable distance based on the battery life can be maximized. |
| US08504217B2 |
System and method for providing dynamic power management
A power management system suitable for dynamically allocating power provided by a selected power source among one or more associated loads and methods for manufacturing and using same. In a normal operation mode, the power source provides power to one or more enabled loads. The selection of loads that are enabled, and therefore the provided power, can dynamically vary over time. If an undesired power condition arises, a power limiting mode is entered, wherein at least one of the enabled loads is disabled. The resultant power provided by the power source to the remaining enabled loads is measured, and the power limit mode is maintained until the undesired power condition is resolved. As needed, further corrective action, such as disabling additional enabled loads, can be applied to resolve the undesired power condition. The power management system thereby can comprise a hierarchical system for dynamically resolving undesired power conditions. |
| US08504216B2 |
DSM enabling of electro mechanically controlled refrigeration systems
A system for reducing the peak power consumption by a refrigeration system is provided. The system comprises a first electromechanical cold control calibrated to a first temperature setpoint, a second electromechanical cold control calibrated to a second temperature setpoint, said first and second cold controls each having a setpoint selector member operatively linked such that adjustment of one results in a corresponding adjustment of the other, a DSM module responsive to demand state signals from an associated utility indicative of at least a peak demand and an off peak demand state, and a DSM switching device responsive to the DSM module and operative to selectively render one or the other of the cold controls effectively operative to control the cooling system depending upon the demand state signal. |
| US08504207B2 |
Electronic device and method for controlling motions of mechanical arm using the electronic device
A method controls motions of a mechanical arm using an electronic device. The mechanical arm includes an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. The method sets a step angle of a motor installed in line with the z-axis, and predefines angles of rotation as reference points regarding orientation of the rotating arm when rotated. The method further calculates a rotation angle of the rotating arm in a polar coordinate system, calculates coordinate motions of the x-axis and the y-axis if a free end of the rotating arm orientates to one of the reference points, and calculates an offset correction value of a pole origin position of the polar coordinate system. After correcting each of the coordinate motions and the pole origin position, the method controls the mechanical arm to move, and drives the rotating arm to reach another reference point according to a multiple of the step angle. |
| US08504202B2 |
Autonomous mobile robot apparatus and a rush-out collision avoidance method in the same apparatus
An autonomous mobile robot apparatus and a method for avoiding collision due to rush-out, being applicable under the circumstances where persons and robots come and go each other, comprises an obstacle detector unit 3, which detects an obstacle, a route producer unit 7, which determines a route for reaching to a destination while avoiding the obstacle detected by the obstacle detector unit upon basis of a predetermined avoiding method, as well as, a velocity thereof, and a moving unit 2, which loads the obstacle detector unit and the route producer unit thereon and moves, thereby operating under circumstances mixing with a human being(s), wherein the obstacle detector unit, further, detects a terminal point of an article lying in an advancing direction of the autonomous mobile robot apparatus, and a distance between the terminal point and the autonomous mobile robot apparatus, and the route producer unit, when the obstacle detector unit detects the terminal end of said article, controls at least either one of the route and the velocity thereof, so as to avoid to collide on the obstacle, which rushes out from the terminal point, in the advancing direction of the autonomous mobile robot apparatus, centering around said terminal point, and thereby enabling quick movement while avoiding collision due to rush-out. |
| US08504200B2 |
System and method for managing and controlling robot competition
A system and method for operating robots in a robot competition. One embodiment of the system may include operator interfaces, where each operator interface is operable to control movement of a respective robot. A respective operator interface may be in communication with an associated operator radio, where each radio may have a low power RF output signal. A robot controller may be coupled to each robot in the robot competition. A robot radio may be coupled to a respective robot and in communication with a respective robot controller and operator radio. The robot radios may have a low power RF output signal while communicating with the respective operator radios. Alternatively, the radios may be short range radios, where a distance of communication may be a maximum of approximately 500 feet. |
| US08504199B1 |
Robot control system
A robot control system includes a start position storage that stores a start position or orientation in a manual operation, a redundancy trajectory storage that successively stores a position or orientation of optimized redundancy during the manual operation, and a reverse movement controller which performs movement control for changing the position or orientation of a robot hand, which have been changed by the manual operation, in a reverse direction from the current position or orientation to the start position or orientation. The reverse movement controller also performs movement control for reversely changing the position or orientation of the redundancy by following the position or orientation of the redundancy that have been successively stored in the redundancy trajectory storage. |
| US08504195B2 |
Method and apparatus for radio-controlled friction drive conveyor system
A conveyor system having a conveyor path and friction drive spaced along the path to drive carriers along the path. Each friction drive is controlled by a drive controller, which communicates tracking, routing, and other information directly to other drive controllers within range via a wireless signal. The drive controllers may also directly communicate wirelessly with a central controller. If the central controller or a desired destination drive controller is out of range of a particular drive controller, that drive controller may communicate through other drive controllers until the desired destination drive controller is reached, or a drive controller that is within range of the central controller is reached. |
| US08504192B2 |
Method of sorting mailpieces by using a process for dynamically allocating sorting outlets
A method of sorting mailpieces amongst N logical sorting destinations with a sorting machine including a mailpiece conveyor that serves M sorting outlets, each of which is provided with a removable mailpiece storage tray that is handled by a tray conveyor, where M is less than N, consists in detecting that a current mailpiece to be sorted has a certain logical destination that is said to be “overbooked” and that is not associated with a sorting outlet, and in dynamically allocating to said overbooked logical destination a certain sorting outlet of the machine that is occupied by another logical destination. In said certain sorting outlet, a tray change is made and the tray extracted from said certain sorting outlet is put on standby on a loop of the tray conveyor. |
| US08504191B2 |
Method for picking up work pieces
The method for picking up work pieces includes: storing a representative partial shape, at least one of holding positions in the representative partial shape, and a preference rank for each of the holding positions; obtaining an image information by sensing the work pieces which are accumulated; recognizing exposed portions in the work pieces by performing an edge detection on the image information; selecting at least one of the exposed portions including the representative partial shape as a selected portion; detecting at least one of coinciding portions coinciding with the representative partial shape in the selected portions; determining an optimal holding position from at least one of the holding positions included in the coinciding portion as a determined holding position, based on the preference rank; and transmitting a holding command to hold the determined holding position. |
| US08504190B2 |
Apparatus and method for inventory management and automated discharge of treated sewage sludge to trucks
A method and apparatus is provided for the automated discharge of treated sewage sludge to trucks, via inventory management by tracking the flow of sludge from bins in which it is located to trucks, on a first-in/first-out basis, including automated truck positioning, automated precision truck loading and monitoring and controlling the various interrelated components via a PLC computer program. |
| US08504189B2 |
Device and method for transporting produce over a vertical distance
The invention provides a device for transporting produce. The device comprises a chute, and a flexible panel that is positioned within tracks of the chute and defines a movable “front” wall of the chute. The flexible panel has a lower section that terminates in a platform section. The flexible panel is operatively connected to a motor or other actuator which allows the flexible panel to be raised and lowered within the tracks of the chute. The platform section of the chute is connected to an actuator which can move the platform from a closed position to an open position. When the platform is in the closed position, the platform defines the bottom of the chute and collects and holds the produce delivered into the chute. When the platform is moved into the open position, the produce is allowed to flow out of the bottom of the chute into the container the chute is positioned in. The device can also comprise a fill sensor indicating when the chute is full. A central processing unit (CPU) and/or control relays are operatively connected to the fill sensors as well as to the motor and the actuator, such that the CPU can determine when to raise and lower the flexible panel and open and close the platform based on the sensor signals to coordinate transporting produce from the top of the chute to the bottom of the chute. |
| US08504185B2 |
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 obtaining sensor data from one or more sensors of a mobile device while the mobile device is operating in an inactive state, determining that a user of the mobile device is interacting with the mobile device based on the sensor data, invoking voice input functionality of the mobile device in response to determining that the user of the mobile device is interacting with the mobile device, detecting a voice input, and activating the mobile device in response to detecting the voice input. |
| US08504183B2 |
Web browser based remote control for programmable multimedia controller
A web browser-equipped device, such as a personal digital assistant, tablet, notebook or other computer, wireless telephone handset or other device, to function as a remote control unit for a programmable multimedia controller. Web pages served by the multimedia controller to the web browser-equipped device present a user interface which may include programmable background motifs, colors and indicators. The user interface also typically includes one or more user-operable buttons whose functionalities are programmable. A method is provided for automatically converting a user interface device configuration for the multimedia controller into web pages suitable for a browser-equipped device. |
| US08504177B2 |
Assembly for diagnosing a device with moving parts
The invention is based on refining and developing an arrangement such that reliable diagnosis of the state and/or of the operating parameters of an apparatus can be performed inexpensively. |
| US08504176B2 |
CPU unit of PLC, system program for PLC, and recording medium storing system program for PLC
A system includes a first execution control instruction to start execution of a first control program every first execution cycle of the same period as a control cycle period and a second execution control instruction to start execution of a second control program every second execution cycle whose period is an integral multiple of at least twice the control cycle period. The second execution control instruction includes an instruction to start, in a control cycle in which a second execution cycle starts, execution of the second control program after the end of execution of the first control program, and if the second control program is not completed before the end of the control cycle, to start execution of an unexecuted part of the second control program after the end of execution of the first control program in the next control cycle. |
| US08504174B2 |
Upgradeable automation devices, systems, architectures, and methods
A multi-level automation control architecture, methods, and systems are disclosed, which provide enhanced scalability, functionality, and cost effectiveness for energy, access, and control. The systems include various combinations of automation controllers, remote controllers and peripheral devices that are used to provide monitoring and control functionality over the various systems in a structure, such as HVAC, water, lighting, etc. In various embodiments, the automation controller and various peripheral devices are implemented to provide an integrated energy management system for the structure. The system allows the user to manage energy based on the day, time, the presence of people, and the availability of natural lighting and heating, as well as prioritize and participate in demand-response program. The system can be implemented using a remote controller and expanded through the addition of automation controllers, remote controllers, and peripheral devices to enable the system to be tailored to specific user requirements. |
| US08504172B2 |
Operating room lead connector
An operating room connector is used in conjunction with a multiple electrode SCS system which can easily detach and connect to an external trial stimulator (ETS). By connecting the electrode SCS system to a stylet handle, and then locking the stylet handle within a slot of the connector platform, a user is able to minimize the required steps in connecting the ETS to the implanted SCS lead system. The ETS can then be used to readjust the position of the electrode array(s) previously implanted to deliver an optimal stimulation therapy. |
| US08504167B2 |
Living tissue stimulation circuit
A living tissue stimulation circuit includes: an H-bridged circuit that includes a first series section in which a first semiconductor switch connected to a power source side and a third semiconductor switch connected to a ground side are connected to each other in series, and a second series section in which a second semiconductor switch connected to the power source side and a fourth semiconductor switch connected to the ground side are connected to each other in series, the first series section and the second series section being connected to each other in parallel; a stimulation electrode connected to a first node between the first and third semiconductor switches; a counter electrode connected to a second node between the second and fourth semiconductor switches; and a current adjusting circuit configured to determine a current value output from the stimulation electrode. |
| US08504165B2 |
Clock synchronization in an implantable medical device system
This disclosure is directed to the synchronization of clocks of a secondary implantable medical device (IMD) to a clock of a primary IMD. The secondary IMD includes a communications clock. The communications clock may be synchronized based on at least one received communications pulse. The secondary IMD further includes a general purpose clock different than the communications clock. The general purpose clock may be synchronized based on at least one received power pulse. The communications clock may also be synchronized based on the at least one received power pulse. |
| US08504162B2 |
Automatic fitting for a visual prosthesis
The invention is a method of automatically adjusting an electrode array to the neural characteristics of an individual patient. By recording neural response to a predetermined input stimulus, one can alter that input stimulus to the needs of an individual patient. A minimum input stimulus is applied to a patient, followed by recording neural response in the vicinity of the input stimulus. By alternating stimulation and recording at gradually increasing levels, one can determine the minimum input that creates a neural response, thereby identifying the threshold stimulation level. One can further determine a maximum level by increasing stimulus until a predetermined maximum neural response is obtained. |
| US08504158B2 |
Phrenic nerve stimulation during cardiac refractory period
A method includes estimating a cardiac signal of a patient, estimating a length of a cardiac refractory period based in part on the cardiac signal and selectively adjusting the length of phrenic nerve electrical stimulation to be delivered to the patient based on the estimated length of the cardiac refractory period. In some examples the method includes delivering phrenic nerve stimulation for approximately the entire refractory period. The phrenic nerve stimulation may be used to treat a variety of breathing disorders. |
| US08504155B2 |
Dynamic device therapy control for treating post myocardial infarction patients
A cardiac rhythm management system includes an implantable device executing a dynamic pacing algorithm after an myocardial infarction (MI) event. The dynamic pacing algorithm dynamically adjusts one or more pacing parameters based on a person's gross physical activity level. Examples of the one or more pacing parameters include atrioventricular pacing delays and pacing channels/sites. The dynamic pacing algorithm provides for improved hemodynamic performance when a person's metabolic need is high, and post MI remodeling control when the person's metabolic need is low. |
| US08504148B2 |
Neural device having via-hole connection and using at least one nano-wire
Provided is a neural device including at least one nano-wire. The neural device includes a nano-wire formed on a base formed on a first surface of a substrate, and an electrode pad formed on a second surface different from the first surface of the substrate and configured to output an electrical signal gained from a neural fiber through the nano-wire or apply a signal for an electric stimulus to the nano-wire. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the nano-wire from becoming embedded in an encapsulation and maximize a contact between the nano-wire and a nerve. |
| US08504144B2 |
Systems and methods for employing multiple filters to detect T-wave oversensing and to improve tachyarrhythmia detection within an implantable medical device
Techniques for detecting tachyarrhythmia and also for preventing T-wave oversensing use signals filtered by a narrowband bradycardia filter in combination with signals filtered by a narrowband tachycardia filter. A separate wideband filter may also be used. |
| US08504135B2 |
Traveling-wave antenna
Embodiments of endfire aperture-based traveling-wave antennas are described. For example, an embodiment, including a Vivaldi antenna, may have a director incorporated into the aperture region of the antenna to provide enhanced radiation directivity. The director may be a shaped dielectric that interacts with an electromagnetic field to reduce the divergence of the resultant beam as it exits the antenna. Additional dielectric substrate layers may be stacked on both sides of the antenna in order to balance the dielectric loading between the different conductors. The dielectric substrates may also eliminate contact between the antenna metallization and the lossy environment. Certain disclosed Vivaldi antennas may be used in tissue screening applications. |
| US08504134B2 |
Laterally fenestrated cannula
A cannula provides access to a surgical site for a camera instrument and one or more minimally invasive surgical instruments. The cannula may include a curved or flexible section when used with flexible surgical instruments. A service port is defined in a sidewall between proximal and distal ends of the cannula, the service port being large enough to allow an object to be transferred between the instruments and a location outside the cannula. An end effector of the surgical instrument may be positioned within the cannula adjacent the service port. The camera instrument may be positioned to place the end effector within a field of view of the camera. An object may be transferred between a service instrument and the surgical instrument within the field of view of the camera. |
| US08504131B2 |
Transdermal analyte sensor assembly and methods of using the same
A transdermal test sensor assembly adapted to determine an analyte concentration of a fluid sample is disclosed. The assembly comprises a sensor support including at least one reservoir adapted to hold a liquid. The assembly further comprises a test sensor being coupled to the sensor support. The test sensor forms at least one aperture therein. At least a portion of the at least one aperture is adjacent to the at least one reservoir. The assembly further comprises a hydrogel composition positioned on the test sensor. The hydrogel composition is linked to the at least one reservoir via the at least one aperture. |
| US08504130B2 |
Non-interfering physiological sensor system
A system includes a light source, a photodetector in optical communication with the light source, and a processor in communication with said photodetector and configured to output a signal representing oxygen saturation independent of an interfering signal from an interfering source. The system may further include an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the processor that is configured to digitize a signal from the photodetector by oversampling and output oversampling data to the processor. The processor may include an averaging filter that averages the oversampling data received from said analog-to-digital converter prior to decimation to generate an oversampling number. |
| US08504129B2 |
Systems, devices, and methods including enhanced dark field detection of hemozoin nanoparticles
Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing a monitor/treatment device configured to, for example, detect hemozoin, as well as to monitor or treat a malarial infection. |
| US08504128B2 |
Method and apparatus for coupling a channeled sample probe to tissue
Sampling is controlled in order to enhance analyte concentration estimation derived from noninvasive sampling. More particularly, sampling is controlled using controlled fluid delivery to a region between a tip of a sample probe and a tissue measurement site. The controlled fluid delivery enhances coverage of a skin sample site with the thin layer of fluid. Delivery of contact fluid is controlled in terms of spatial delivery, volume, thickness, distribution, temperature, and/or pressure. |
| US08504126B1 |
Mobile phone case and mobile phone and case combination
A mobile phone case and a mobile phone case in combination with a mobile phone includes a compartment for receiving a card having magnetic media, and a door covering the compartment. The door is made from a material capable of blocking a magnetic field emitted by a mobile phone to be received in the case. |
| US08504125B2 |
Configuration sensing for a mobile computing device
Techniques for configuration sensing for a mobile computing device are described. A mobile computing device may comprise a housing having a sliding structure arranged to allow a first housing portion and a second housing portion to move relative to each other to form a first configuration or a second configuration. The mobile computing device may include a magnetic sensor disposed in the first housing portion, the magnetic sensor operative to measure a magnetic field strength for a magnet, and output a position signal indicative of the first configuration or the second configuration based on the measured magnetic field strength. The mobile computing device may include a speaker with the magnet disposed in the second housing portion. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08504123B1 |
Telephone ringing signal-based notification method for mobile devices
A mobile communication device enables improved connectivity and power management. The device includes a first wireless network interface configured for connection to a first network and a second wireless network interface configured for connection to a second network. The first interface has an active mode of operation and a sleep mode. The device places the first interface in the sleep mode when not needed for communications. An external system such as a messaging server calls the device when it is unable to access the device through the first interface. The second network, which can be a cellular network, handles the call request and transmits a ringing signal to the second interface of the device. A notification handler, upon receipt of the ringing signal, wakes the first interface, permitting normal communications through the first interface. Power management logic can be more pro-active in placing the first interface into the sleep mode. |
| US08504122B2 |
Communication terminal apparatus, power supply control method, and non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing power supply control program
A communication terminal apparatus (separate type portable telephone) separated into a first communication apparatus (parent device) and a second communication apparatus (child device), the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus in a separated state being wirelessly connected through direct communication. The communication terminal apparatus includes a joining detecting unit and a power supply control unit. The joining detecting unit detects joining between the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus. The power supply control unit performs control for conforming a power control state of the second communication apparatus to a power control state of the first communication apparatus if the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus are joined while the power control states are different between the first communication apparatus and the second communication apparatus. |
| US08504121B1 |
Method and apparatus for reducing power consumption in a portable device
A method and apparatus for reducing power consumption of a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, other mobile phones, or other portable devices when in sleep mode. A small software agent, or a low power mode core, operates so that, while the electronic device is in sleep mode, the low power mode core may be kept alive. When implemented in a smartphone, for example, the low power mode core may react to an incoming call so that at least part of the external memory of the smartphone may be powered down. When there is an incoming call, the low power mode core may acknowledge the call and provide a user interface (UI) for answering the call before the operating system is resumed, so as to keep the same or similar phone usage experience as when the operating system is processing the incoming call. At the same time, the low power mode core may wake up the operating system. The same approach is applicable in monitoring devices, where the entire device need not be running. |
| US08504114B1 |
Intelligent notifications with dynamic escalations
A method includes executing instructions recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media using at least one processor. The method includes receiving, at a device, at least two communications from a sender of the communications using at least two different communication modes, determining a notification mode for the device based on an identity of the sender and at least two of the communication modes being different from one another and providing a notification on the device using the determined notification mode. |
| US08504105B2 |
Simultaneous interface use
In a portable data carrier (1) having a contact-type interface device (2, 3) and a contactless interface device (4, 5) a sequencing device (6) coordinates competingly occurring contact-type and contactless data communications (16, 19) in such a way that the two data communications (16, 19) can be carried out sequentially step-by-step and without data loss. The processing of the first data communication via the first interface (4) is interrupted in order to start a second data communication via the second interface (2). After the step of starting, the interrupted processing of the first data communication is continued while at the same time the started second data communication is maintained. |
| US08504101B2 |
Multimode wireless communication apparatus and wireless communication method
A multimode wireless communication apparatus that supports plural wireless communication systems and switches wireless communication systems to communicate. The apparatus includes a signal processor capable of switching wireless communication systems by plural manners; and a controller that directs to the signal processor a combination of manners of switching wireless communication systems according to a communication environment. The signal processor switches wireless communication systems according to the combination of manners of switching wireless communication systems directed from the controller. |
| US08504099B2 |
Communication methods and apparatus relating to cooperative and non-cooperative modes of operation
Methods and apparatus for selecting and switching between cooperative and non-cooperative modes of communications device operation are described. Switching between modes may be, e.g., in response to a signal received form another device or in response to another device leaving the area. In cooperative mode operation the communications device acts in a manner that takes into consideration the effect of signal transmissions on other devices, e.g., the device may respond to interference control signaling, resource allocation signals and/or implement other interference management techniques. In the non-cooperative mode the device seeks to optimize its own communications performance without regard to the effect on one or more communications devices which may be in the area, e.g., devices with which it is not communicating. In the non-cooperative mode the device may ignore interference management control signals or transmit signals intended to cause another devices to reduce their transmissions or power output. |
| US08504098B2 |
Method of precoding with a codebook for a wireless system
A quantized multi-rank beamforming scheme for multiple-antenna systems such as a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless downlink. User equipment (UE) estimates downlink channel and transmit power and determines rank and power allocations. A quantized beamforming matrix is then determined by the UE using successive beamforming. The UE also determines channel quality indices (CQI) which it feeds-back to the wireless downlink base station along with the index of the quantized beamforming matrix. The base station uses the CQI information to select a UE for scheduling of downlink transmission and the quantized beamforming matrix index received from the selected UE to beamform the downlink transmission to the UE. Base station overhead and is minimized while providing near-optimal performance given the constraints of a limited feed-back channel and computational complexity of the UE. |
| US08504094B2 |
Methods and apparatus for selecting a base station transceiver system based on service communication type
Techniques for use in selecting a base station transceiver system for communication with a mobile station are described. The mobile station is connected to a first base station transceiver system, and scans to identify a second base station transceiver system for communication. The mobile station further identifies that the second base station transceiver system provides a predetermined communication service, and that the first base station transceiver system fails to provide the predetermined communication service. In response to identifying, the mobile station causes the second base station transceiver system to be selected for communication over the first base station transceiver system even if the signal quality of the second base station transceiver system is worse than that of the first base station transceiver system. Identifying whether the first and second base station transceiver system provide the predetermined communication service is based on parameters transmitted from the first and second base station transceiver systems. |
| US08504093B2 |
Adjusting power of a control channel based on a characteristic of a message in the control channel
An entity, such as a base station, in a wireless communications network performs power control of a control channel based on one or more characteristics of a message in the control channel. For example, the control channel can be a paging channel. The one or more characteristics include, as examples, the size and/or the type of message in the control channel. |
| US08504089B2 |
Providing a map indicating locations of users in a social network
Systems, methods, apparatus and software have been discovered for use by individual users to monitor the geographic location of other people or assets with some relationship to the user. Once some manner of location information is determined, users have the ability to describe that location in various ways and control how that information is shared with other users. |
| US08504082B2 |
Increasing system capacity via utilization of end user equipment knowledge
A method and information processing system are provided for dynamically encoding a control channel for transmitting messages to a wireless device based on performance capability information associated with the wireless device. The method includes determining that a wireless device (104) has registered with a base station (116). A device profile (128) associated with the wireless device (116) is retrieved from a register (122). A set of performance capabilities associated with the wireless device is determined (408) in response to the retrieving. A coding type for a control channel for sending messages to the wireless device (104) is determined (410) based on the set of performance capabilities associated with the wireless device (104). |
| US08504081B2 |
Systems and methods for providing communications services using assigned codes
A communications service (and components thereof) have one or more communication addresses (e.g. short codes, telephone numbers, IM names/domains, IP addresses, etc.) for receiving text-based messages, a service platform for carry out a number of communication services, and a database of registered subscribers. Subscribers access the database preferably through a web-enabled interface. A subscriber associates a selected communications service with a unique alphanumeric code and conveys the alphanumeric code to other individuals as desired. The individual enters the alphanumeric code as part of a text-based message communicated to the communications address of the service. The service includes logic that receives the text-based messages over the diverse messaging formats and processes the text embedded in each message to extract the alphanumeric code therein. The logic accesses the database to identify the subscriber and communication service that is uniquely associated with the particular alphanumeric code received as part of a given text-based message. The logic then controls the service platform to carry out the communication service that is associated with the alphanumeric code and subscriber. The plurality of communications services supported by the service platform and alphanumeric codes preferably include at least one of voice call functions, voice mail functions, text message functions, text broadcast functions, and media delivery functions. |
| US08504079B1 |
Correction of timing errors to enable long sleep times
A mobile user equipment includes a user equipment clock and a dual mode time tracker. The clock periodically wakes up the user equipment. The dual mode time tracker uses a serving cell reference signal to correct timing errors of the user equipment clock with respect to a network clock while timing errors remain minimal and otherwise uses a serving cell synchronization signal to correct timing errors of the user equipment clock. The dual mode time tracker also sets a next wakeup time as a function at least of the size of the timing errors. |
| US08504078B2 |
Method for ensuring the accessibility of mobile radio devices using an optimized paging mechanism
The invention relates to a method for performing a paging call in a cellular mobile communications system, wherein a terminal device is operated in a first radio cell of the mobile communications system provided with radio signals from a radio transmission device, said terminal device being in an idle state, and data to be transmitted to the terminal device are present in a data transmission device of the mobile communications system. The invention is characterized in that upon detection of a loss of service or fault in the radio transmission device, measures for handling the loss of service/fault in said radio transmission device are taken, with the goal of restoring the accessibility of the mobile radio device for which said radio transmission device is the last known radio transmission device. |
| US08504075B2 |
System, method and apparatuses for providing a filtered localized information service
A system for providing a localized information service using an infrastructure of a cellular communication network, the system comprising at least one service source terminal arranged for transmitting a network upload message to the cellular communication network, said network upload message comprising a payload part, a reflection entity of said cellular communication network arranged for receiving said network upload message, for generating one or more reflection messages comprising said payload part, and for sending said reflection messages to a group of service destination terminals that have a predetermined spatial relationship with said service source terminal, and a filter arranged for blocking a further network upload message that has a predetermined context relationship with said network upload message from being sent to the group of service destination terminals. |
| US08504071B2 |
Apparatus and method for use in location determination
An apparatus is provided that includes circuitry configured for location determination arranged to obtain a geographic location of the apparatus; circuitry configured receiving connection point identification data, the connection point identification data useable in providing a wireless communication path to a remote circuitry providing a connection point, and wherein the connection point identification data is associated with a geographic location of the remote circuitry; and circuitry configured for associating one or more instances of the geographic location of the apparatus, as provided by the circuitry configured for location determination, with corresponding instances of the connection point identification data. This associating may be used to cross-check/validate the geographical location provided by the circuitry configured for location determination. |
| US08504066B1 |
Reducing power consumption of mobile device through automated environment awareness
A computer-implemented method is provided for reducing power consumption of a power source used by a mobile device. The mobile device monitors aspects of its environment to determine if some or all of the device's computing functionality can be handled seamlessly by another nearby device. For example, phone calls can be directed to a landline phone nearby the mobile device. A device usage policy defines how certain functions are to be handled by the mobile device, for example, at a given location or amongst two devices. The mobile device can then disable functionality that is being handled by nearby devices, thereby reducing power consumption by the mobile device. |
| US08504065B2 |
System and method for tracking a mobile telecommunication apparatus
A system and a method for tracking a mobile telecommunication apparatus are provided. The system includes a first mobile telecommunication apparatus and a second mobile telecommunication apparatus. The first mobile telecommunication apparatus has a Global Positioning System (GPS) module to provide position information of the first mobile telecommunication apparatus. The second mobile telecommunication apparatus transmits a query instruction to the first mobile telecommunication apparatus by the Short Message Service (SMS). The first mobile telecommunication apparatus transmits the position information back to the second mobile telecommunication apparatus by the SMS in accordance with the query instruction. |
| US08504063B2 |
Anonymous directional peer-to-peer wireless communication
A method and system are provided in which a first device may directionally transmitting signals to a second device utilizing beamforming operations on multiple antennas. The first device may receive signals from the second device to establish an anonymous directional peer-to-peer wireless communication link with the second device. The transmitted signals may comprise a request-to-send (RTS) signal and the received signals may comprise a clear-to-send (CTS) signal. In some instances, the direction in which the transmitted signals are sent may be adjusted by changing the weights in the beamforming operation and/or by rotating the plurality of antennas. The transmitted signals may comprise an association identification (ID) corresponding to the first device, which may be embedded in a preamble or other portion of a frame structure. When the link is established, user information, such as profile information, for example, and/or messages may be sent from one device to the other. |
| US08504062B2 |
System and method for aggregating and associating mobile device location data
A computer-implemented method for processing mobile device location data is provided. Location data is filtered based on age and accuracy or precision of location coordinates. Location data is partitioned based on the location coordinates into a plurality of clusters including a plurality of location data instances. The plurality of clusters are filtered based on a number of data instances in a particular cluster and a period of time over which data instances of the particular data cluster are generated. A distance is determined from a location coordinate corresponding to the data instances of one or more of the plurality of clusters to a particular predetermined location, and the one or more of the plurality of clusters are correlated with the particular predetermined location in response to the distance being less than a predetermined distance. The invention further provides a location data processing system. |
| US08504059B2 |
Location filtering using mobile country code
Methods, program products, and systems for location filtering using mobile country code (MCC) is described. A mobile device can determine its geographic location using locations of access points of a wireless communications network to which the mobile device is connected. The mobile device can wirelessly receive identifiers of one or more access points of the wireless communications network and a current MCC through a cellular network. The mobile device can identify a polygon that is a bounding box of a geographic area that corresponds to the current MCC. The mobile device can select a set of access point locations from a location database using the received identifiers, where the access point locations are inside the identified polygon. The mobile device can determine a current location of the mobile device based on an average location of the selected set of access point locations. |
| US08504054B2 |
System and method for multilevel scheduling
A method and apparatus for determining multilevel scheduling of a reverse link communication. An embodiment includes estimating capacity on the reverse link based on the sector load. An embodiment includes estimating load contribution based on an estimated signal-to-noise ratio. An embodiment includes estimating capacity available to schedule based on a ratio of measured other-cell interference over thermal noise, and based on sector load. An embodiment includes a method of distributing sector capacity across a base station (BS) and a base station controller (BSC). An embodiment includes determining priority of a station based on the pilot energy over noise plus interference ratio, the soft handoff factor, the fairness value, and the fairness factor α. |
| US08504050B2 |
Communication system and method of performing multi-cell common operation
A common operating set including a plurality of cells may be set, and common radio resources may be allocated to enable the plurality of cells to perform a multi-cell common operation. Unique uplink radio resources may be allocated to each of terminals in the common operating set within the common radio resources, and each of the terminals may transmit corresponding uplink feedback information to a plurality of base stations based on corresponding unique uplink radio resources. Accordingly, each of the base stations may recognize information associated with a wireless environment between each of terminals and a corresponding base station. |
| US08504040B2 |
Wireless/wired backhaul-aware cell selection mechanism
A method for selecting a cell in a wireless communication system includes performing a cell selection process in a mobile terminal, which includes receiving, in the mobile terminal, information from each of at least one cell, each information including a preference value, where each preference value indicates a congestion level of a corresponding one of the at least one cell, and selecting, in the mobile terminal, one of the at least one cell according to the received preference value. The method for selecting a cell a wireless communication system further includes attempting, by the mobile terminal, to connect with the selected cell by performing a random access procedure with the selected cell. |
| US08504039B2 |
Efficient reselections in the presence of closed subscriber group cells
A mobile station and a method therein for avoiding interference to restricted access cells, including detecting presence of a restricted access cell, determining that a measured path-loss is larger than a path-loss threshold, determining that the mobile station is not allowed to access the restricted access cell, and barring a carrier frequency on which the restricted access cell is deployed when the measured path-loss is larger than the path-loss threshold and when the mobile station is not allowed access to the restricted access cell. |
| US08504036B2 |
Automatic selection of a background image for a display on a mobile telephone
A method for providing a background image on a display of a mobile telephone, whereby the data of one or more background images are stored in at least one memory accessible for the mobile telephone, comprises an automatic selection of a background image to be displayed, a retrieving of the data of the automatically selected background image from the memory, and a displaying of the retrieved background image on the display of the mobile telephone. |
| US08504034B2 |
System and method for population tracking, counting, and movement estimation using mobile operational data and/or geographic information in mobile network
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed herein for population tracking, counting and/or movement estimation. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving mobile phone operational data indicative of user equipment location, where the event data includes location area update messages and periodic registration messages; and performing travel estimation based on the mobile phone operation data, including performing interpolation on data associated with one or more individuals in a population to estimate intermediate positions of a trajectory of each of the one or more individuals for a specified time period based on a shortest path mesh sequence estimation algorithm. |
| US08504031B2 |
Transmission of channel quality indications
Indications of desired radio communications downlink characteristics are transmitted via a radio communications uplink from a user equipment to a node of a cellular wireless network, the indications each relating to one or more components of a radio communications link from the node to the user equipment. The indications are transmitted successively at different cycles, and at each different cycle a first parameter is determined, indicating a more preferred number of components and a second parameter is determined, indicating a less preferred number of components. First additional parameters are calculated and transmitted relating to the desired radio communications link quality corresponding to the first parameter and second additional parameters are calculated and transmitted relating to the desired radio communications link quality on the basis of the second parameter. The first and second parameters are each parameters which are variable between different cycles. |
| US08504027B2 |
Data-communication system scanning method and apparatus of a dual mode mobile device
A data-communication system scanning method and apparatus of a dual mode mobile device. The method includes acquiring a mobile communication system and storing a local time used by the acquired mobile communication system. The method also includes identifying a local time used by a data communication system sensed and determining whether the local time used by the acquired mobile communication system is identical to the local time used by the sensed data communication system. The method further includes scanning, when the local time used by the acquired mobile communication system differs from the local time used by the sensed data communication system, data communication systems by excluding the sensed data communication system from target systems to be scanned. The system scanning method and apparatus can provide precise time information to users and prevents the dual mode mobile device from malfunctioning. |
| US08504024B2 |
Method for implementing an intelligent service and communications system
The present application discloses a method for implementing an intelligent service and a communications system and relates to the communications technology field, so that an intelligent service may be performed in a wireless intelligent network (WIN). The method includes: a home mobile switch center (MSC) receives a call routed by a serving MSC, where the call carries a WIN configuration parameter that a home home location register (HLR) delivers to the serving MSC; after determining, according to the WIN configuration parameter of the serving MSC, that the call is a WIN OVERLAY call, the home MSC obtains an intelligent service parameter through a home first network entity; the home MSC implements WIN intelligent service processing according to the intelligent service parameter. The embodiments of the present invention are mainly applied in a WIN. |
| US08504022B1 |
Identifying outbound-roaming locations in a wireless-communications network
Methods, systems, and media for identifying areas of outbound roaming on a wireless network are disclosed. A roaming-network event record listing roaming events of subscribers of a home network is received. A home-network event record listing network events on a home network is also received. The two records are correlated to identify roaming events and network events having matching caller identifiers and time stamps within a predetermined range. Location data of a network event is adopted as location data for a matching roaming event. A home-network wireless-communications antenna, tower, or station having a service area in which a concentration of roaming events have occurred is identified. The distance of the roaming events from the antenna is determined and distance bands corresponding to that distance are plotted on a map to aid in identifying locations at which outbound roaming has occurred. |
| US08504016B2 |
System and method for speeding call originations to a variety of devices using intelligent predictive techniques for half-call routing
A mobile application gateway configured to interconnect mobile communication devices on a cellular network with an enterprise network is provided. The mobile application gateway includes a voice and data signaling gateway configured to provide routing functionalities, service functionalities and admission control. A gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) is configured to establish a secure data session between one or more of the mobile communication devices and the enterprise network by establishing a GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) tunnel between a carrier-hosted serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and the GGSN. |
| US08504010B2 |
Distributed power allocation method under service quality constraint
A method of power allocation in a wireless telecommunication system including at least a first couple of terminals, including a first transmitting terminal and of a first receiving terminal, and of a second couple of terminals, including a second transmitting terminal and a second receiving terminal. After a phase of initialization of the allocated powers, a plurality of iterations are carried out, each iteration including a first half-iteration, which is the task of the first couple of terminals, and a second half-iteration which is the task of the second couple of terminals. Each half-iteration includes a step of estimating the signal-to-noise and interference-to-noise ratios by the receiving terminal, and a step of calculating the minimum output power compatible with the treatment of the interference, for the prescribed throughput of the call in question. |
| US08504005B2 |
Controlling and mitigating dropped communications
Aspects relate to temporarily disabling a message or a set of messages based on the detection that an uplink transmission power is reaching maximum power or is at maximum power. The detection can be based on observing that one or more uplink transmissions are near, or at, the maximum power. The message or set of messages that are disabled can be a non-call critical message(s), such as a non-signaling radio bearer related message(s). Disabling the message or set of messages can conserve resources, which can be utilized for call critical messages, which can include signaling radio bearer related messages, call maintenance messages, voice communications, and so forth. Disabling the message or set of messages can also mitigate the chances of a call being disconnected due to power demands that exceed the maximum power available. |
| US08504004B2 |
Automatic control of rate of notifications for UMTS and other simultaneous voice/data networks
A system and method for automatically controlling the rate of updates for data applications running on a mobile device. The method includes monitoring the data applications running on the mobile device, determining the data applications that receive updates to the mobile device, detecting the set-up of a voice call, and adjusting the time between updates based on the detecting step. The detecting step may include detecting an input by a user, detecting a call set-up request by the mobile device, or detecting that the mobile device is positioned near a head of a user. The determining step may include measuring the time between updates to the data application or detecting a signal from the data application indicating that updates may occur or detecting a signal from the data application indicating that automatic updates of the data application are enabled. The adjusting step may include lengthening the time between updates or suspending updates to the data application during a voice call. |
| US08504003B2 |
Mobile terminal including a plurality of user identification module and server controlling operation of the mobile terminal
Provided is a mobile terminal including a plurality of user identification modules. The mobile terminal includes a first user identification module configured to be assigned with a first identification number and receive a service from a first service network, a second user identification module configured to be assigned with a second identification number and receive a service from a second service network, and a controller configured to request the second service network to perform a predetermined service using the second identification number when a user requests the predetermined service using the first identification number and when the first user identification module is in an inactive state and the second user identification module is in an active state. |
| US08503998B2 |
Wireless communication terminal and wireless communication method
A wireless communication terminal includes a first wireless communication section configured to wirelessly communicate with a first wireless communication terminal via a base station, a second wireless communication section configured to transmit and receive data to/from a second wireless communication terminal though a short-range wireless communication link, and a controller configured to, while the wireless communication terminal itself is communicating with the first wireless communication terminal, upon detection of the existence of the second communication terminal, create a call request for requesting the second wireless communication terminal to initiate a phone call to the wireless communication terminal itself, further, cause the second wireless communication section to transmit the call request to the second wireless communication terminal, and upon receipt of the phone call which the second wireless communication terminal initiated in response to the call request, transmit a request for switching to a three-party call mode to the base station. |
| US08503994B1 |
Automated reply to incoming communications while in motion
An automated reply system may automatically reply to incoming communications to wireless mobile communication devices while the devices are moving in conformance with one or more predetermined criteria, such as moving faster than a threshold speed. A communication module may receive auto reply settings, including an auto reply setting indicative of whether automated replies should be sent in response to incoming communications to each device while it is moving in conformance with the criteria. A security module may permit who can change the auto reply settings for each device to be restricted to a person that is not a primary user of the device. An auto reply module may automatically provide a reply communication to each incoming communication to each device that have been set to automatically reply, only while the device is moving in conformance with the criteria. |
| US08503993B2 |
Method and system for payment through mobile devices
Processing payment through a mobile device includes: receiving a command; using an upper layer application program on the mobile device to generate a payment request based on the command and send the payment request to localhost address of the mobile device via a predetermined port; using a lower layer payment program on the mobile device to monitor the payment request sent from the localhost address of the mobile device via the predetermined port; in response to the payment request, using the lower layer payment program to provide an input interface for payment information in and receive the input payment information; using the lower layer payment program to connect with a payment server and pass the payment information over a network to the payment server; and using the lower layer payment program to transfer a payment processing result received from the payment server, to the upper layer application program. |
| US08503990B2 |
Method and system for controlling the operation of movable wireless networks
The invention can provide a movable wireless network that is capable of operating in a multiple network environment. The movable wireless network has a coverage area and includes a detector that detects a network event when the coverage area of the movable wireless network overlaps with a coverage area of another wireless network. The invention can further include a controller that changes an operational state of the movable wireless network when the detector detects the network event so that the movable wireless network is able to operate within the coverage area of the other wireless network. |
| US08503989B2 |
Dynamic contact list
In one embodiment, a system receives a user calling attribute and determines current information of a telephone. The user calling attribute may be derived from a calling routine of a user such as dates and/or times that the user has previously called particular contacts. The system generates a dynamic contact list based on the user calling attribute and the current information. |
| US08503986B2 |
Audio content distribution control system
A system for providing access to audio files at multiple locations via a telecommunications network is described. The system includes an interface by which an end user can access at least one audio file from an online database; a system for selecting at least one audio file from the online database for inclusion in a playlist; a plurality of playback devices located in multiple locations; and a system for transmitting the at least one audio file for playing on the plurality of playback devices in multiple locations. |
| US08503981B1 |
Data service upgrade with advice of charge
A method of providing network access notification is provided. The method can include receiving an identification for a wireless device at an access gateway and determining that the wireless device is not authorized to access a communication network based on the received identification. The method can further include sending a rejection notification to a messaging node indicating that the wireless device is not authorized to access the communication network and sending an access notification from the messaging node to an authorization device when the rejection notification is received at the messaging node. The access notification can include network access information to enable the wireless device to access the communication network. The authorization device is determined based on the identification. The method can also include receiving a response from the authorization device based on the network access information, and enabling access from the wireless device to the communication network. |
| US08503978B2 |
Real time data usage metering on a mobile station and reconciliation with billable usage measured by a mobile network
A data meter client on a mobile station meters data usage by one or more applications and communicates with a network element to reconcile the metered data usage with the current data usage as measured in the network. The client determines whether the metered data usage may be out-of-sync. When it is determined that the locally metered amount may be out-of-sync, the client sends to the network element a query requesting an estimate data current usage, as measured in the network, receives a response containing the current estimate data usage, and reconciles data usage information in its local database. The client updates information displayed in a graphical user interface for a user of the mobile station. The network element can send a notification to the mobile station containing the current data usage so that the client can update and display the current data usage measured in the network. |
| US08503977B2 |
Billing system, billing-information generation apparatus, billing-information generation method, computer readable recording medium recording billing information generation program
An information distribution apparatus creates data to be simultaneously distributed, further adding to the data an identifier which indicates that the data is distributed by a broadcast service, and adding billing class information in accordance with the data amount, and transmits it; a mobile terminal receives the data, creates a reception confirmation message if it is determined from the identifier added to the received data that the received data is distributed by a broadcast service, and further adds the identifier and the billing class information added to the data to the reception confirmation message to transmit it to a billing-information generation apparatus and the information distribution apparatus; and the billing-information generation apparatus generates billing information based on the billing class information added to the reception confirmation message if it is determined from the identifier added to the reception confirmation message that the data is distributed by a broadcast service. |
| US08503976B2 |
Method and apparatus for handling emergency calls
A method and apparatus for providing location information for subscribers connected to a packet-switched mobile access network in connection with emergency calls made over a multimedia service network. An emergency request is received at the multimedia service network from a subscriber containing the calling number of the subscriber. In response thereto, a media gateway control function in the multimedia service network sends a location query including said calling number to a mobile positioning center in the mobile access network, which then can retrieve location information for the subscriber. After receiving location information from the mobile positioning center, the media gateway control function selects an emergency center and sends a location indication for the subscriber thereto in a circuit-switched control message for initiating an emergency call, according to prevailing standards. |
| US08503975B2 |
Determination of non-voice emergency service availability
Determining if non-voice emergency services (NOVES) are available is accomplished via an indicator provided via a control channel and/or via a query to a network entity. For example, a NOVES indicator can be provided, via a control channel message, to a communications device, indicating whether non-voice emergency services (NOVES) are available or not available. Additionally, capabilities of public safety answering points (PSAPs) providing NOVES can be included. For example, the indicator can include information as to whether an identified PSAP can receive a text based emergency message, an emergency message comprising a image, and emergency message comprising audio, and/or an emergency message comprising video. In another example configuration, a communications device can query a communications network to determine the availability of NOVES and PSAP capabilities. A response to the query can include an indication as to whether non-voice services are available, and, if appropriate, the types of NOVES services available. |
| US08503974B2 |
Wireless communication device with password protection and related method
A wireless communication device (and its related method of operation) includes, if invoked, password protected access to data stored therewithin and/or to normal device operations and further includes duress password checking logic that automatically causes a duress message to be sent if a duress password has been entered. The duress message is preferably sent without maintaining any user accessible indication of such sending. It is also preferred that the password checking logic automatically cause an end-of-duress message to be sent if a normal password is entered after a duress password has been entered. A plurality of different duress passwords may be entered into a duress password portion of data memory in the device. |
| US08503969B2 |
Radio receiver power management systems and methods
According to some embodiments, an analog radio receiver circuit is configured alternatively in a full-power mode when the receiver is situated in a cradle and connected to an external power source, and in a power-saving mode when the receiver is not connected to the external power source. In the power-saving mode, a scaled-down power level is supplied to an analog radio signal processing circuit component such as an amplifier, filter, oscillator, or mixer. Scaling down the power supplied to analog circuit components allows reducing their power consumption, at the expense of degraded circuit performance (e.g. increased non-linearity and intermodulation, decreased filter selectivity). Switching between full-power and power-saving modes may be achieved by controlling the connection of internal nodes of the signal processing circuit to a power source, and/or inserting circuit components (e.g. resistors, active devices, filter poles) into the signal processing circuit. |
| US08503968B2 |
Method and system for power saving in wireless communications
A method and a system for wireless communication is provided which involves maintaining a data communication module in a power saving mode, detecting channel reservation for communication on a wireless data channel during one or more reserved time periods, and upon successful data channel reservation, transitioning the data communication module from the power saving mode to an active mode for data communication on the reserved data channel. Preferably, the data communication module is transitioned back to the power saving mode upon completion of data communication on the data channel. |
| US08503967B2 |
Amplifier and associated receiver
An amplifier is arranged to receive an input signal and provide an output signal in response, and includes a main amplifier core and an auxiliary circuit. The main amplifier core includes an input node, an output node and a sum node with the input node coupled to the input signal, and is arranged to provide an interior signal to the sum node and output the output signal at the output node in response to signals provided to the sum node. The auxiliary circuit is coupled between the input node and the sum node, and is arranged to match an impedance of the input node and provide a cancelling signal to the sum node in response to the input signal. An associated receiver is also disclosed. |
| US08503966B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit and receiving apparatus
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit has a transconductance circuit, a first load circuit, and a second load circuit. The transconductance circuit has a first current generator configured to generate a first current depending on an input voltage, and a second current generator configured to generate a second current depending on the input voltage. The first load circuit has a first load configured to output a first output voltage depending on the first current from a first output terminal. The second load circuit has a second load configured to output a second output voltage depending on the second current from a second output terminal. At least one of the transconductance circuit, the first load circuit and the second load circuit comprises an impedance adjusting module configured to adjust impedance. |
| US08503961B1 |
Active resistive summer for a transformer hybrid
A system includes a transceiver configured to receive a composite signal. The composite signal is a composite of a transmit signal and a receive signal. A replica transmitter is configured to generate a replica transmit signal based on the transmit signal. A transmit canceller is configured to recover the receive signal at least in part by resistively summing the composite signal and the replica transmit signal. |
| US08503959B2 |
Mobile wireless communications device with diversity wireless local area network (LAN) antenna and related methods
A mobile wireless LAN communications device may include a portable, handheld housing, and a wireless LAN transceiver carried by the housing. A polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna may be included for cooperating with the wireless LAN transceiver to communicate over a wireless LAN. The polarization diversity wireless LAN antenna may include a first antenna element coupled to the wireless LAN transceiver having a first shape and a first polarization, and a second antenna element coupled to the wireless LAN transceiver having a second shape different from the first shape. The second antenna element may also have a second polarization different from the first polarization. |
| US08503955B2 |
Apparatus and method for detecting signal in common frequency band
An apparatus for detecting a signal in a common frequency band includes: a signal processor configured to extract a selected band signal from received wireless signals by filtering the received wireless signal based on a frequency selection control signal, convert the extracted signal to a baseband signal, and detect a predetermined signal; a sensing signal determiner configured to determine existence of the signal, output a determination result, and outputs a frequency selection generating signal when the predetermined signal is absent; and a frequency selection controller configured to output the frequency selection control signal by selecting a target band among a plurality of previously decided bands. |
| US08503952B2 |
Compensation of an asymmetric frequency response of a radio
A method and apparatus of compensating for an asymmetric frequency response of a radio are disclosed. One method includes estimating a slope control signal, the slope control signal indicating a slope of a frequency response of an amplifier chain of the radio. A difference between gain at positive frequencies and gain at negative frequencies of a complex baseband signal is adjusted with the slope control signal, wherein the complex signal includes an I component and a Q component. The adjusted complex baseband signal is frequency up-converted into a radio signal. The radio signal is amplified by the amplifier chain. The amplified radio signal is transmitted. |
| US08503950B1 |
Circuit and method for crest factor reduction
Approaches for crest factor reduction in a multiband transmitter. An input data signal is placed on a first frequency band, and a second frequency band that is inactive is selected. The second frequency band is out-of-band from the first frequency band. A peak-reducing waveform placed on the second frequency band is generated. The peak-reducing waveform is configured to reduce a plurality of peaks in the data signal. The peak-reducing waveform and the data signal are combined to produce a crest-factor-reduced signal. The crest-factor-reduced signal is transmitted from the multiband transmitter. |
| US08503948B1 |
Mobile phone interconnect to telephone
An interface for connects a mobile phone and a plain old telephone service (POTS) phone. The interface detects a ring tone from a speaker output of the mobile phone and in response places a POTS ring signal on a ring line of the POTS phone. The connector also connects and then disconnects a microphone input of the mobile phone and a ground input of the mobile phone when a user activates the POTS phone in response to the ring signal on the ring line of the POTS phone. |
| US08503947B2 |
Multi-radio test method and test fixture
A method for testing characteristics of a communication device that includes a plurality of modules using a test fixture includes the steps of connecting the communication device to the test fixture, determining if tests to be performed on the plurality of modules can be simultaneously performed, performing the tests to be performed on the plurality of modules for any tests that are determined can be simultaneously performed, calculating a numerical value for each of the plurality of modules if it is determined that the tests to be performed cannot be simultaneously performed, selecting one of the tests based on the calculated numerical value, and performing the selected one of the tests based on the calculated numerical value and suspending the test or tests on the remaining modules of the plurality of modules other than the selected one of the tests. |
| US08503946B2 |
Method and system and device for CQI estimation disturbance cancellation
The current invention relates to a method of determining a quality of a received signal, wherein the method comprises receiving a signal comprising a first part and a second part and wherein at least the second part of the received signal comprises a scrambling sequence period; and determining a first noise-and-interference power of the first part of the received signal by removing a second noise-and-interference power of the second part of the signal, wherein the scrambling sequence period is utilized in the removal. The invention further relates to a corresponding device and system. Thereby, the invention is able to, among other things, reduce neighbor cell reference symbol interference in a dense network. |
| US08503945B1 |
Measuring signal strength in a multiple-input multiple-output antenna environment
A wireless communication device is operated in a M by N multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mode. M is the number of antennas transmitting to the communication device from a first base station. N the number of receiving antennas and receivers. M and N are integers greater than one. The wireless communication device is operated in an M by N-1 MIMO mode while a first one of the N receiving antennas and a first one of the N receivers receives wireless communication from a second base station. |
| US08503941B2 |
System and method for optimized unmanned vehicle communication using telemetry
In one embodiment a communications system includes an unmanned vehicle and a communications station located remote from the unmanned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle has a first wireless communications system and a first directional antenna for wirelessly communicating with the remote communications station. A first antenna control system tracks the remote communications station and aims the first directional antenna, in real time, at the remote communications station during wireless communications with the remote communications station. The remote communications station has a second wireless communications system having a second directional antenna for wirelessly communicating with the unmanned vehicle. A second antenna control system of the remote communications station tracks the unmanned vehicle and aims the second directional antenna at the unmanned vehicle, in real time, during wireless communications with the unmanned vehicle. |
| US08503937B2 |
Method and system for selecting, transmitting, and receiving an unused carrier frequency and transmitting over the unused carrier frequency
Some embodiments concern a method of transmitting electrical signals. The method can include: using a global positioning satellite receiver to determine a first location of a first electrical device; using a first transmitter to transmit the first location to a first server; using a receiver to receive information identifying at least one first unused frequency at the first location from the first server; selecting a first transmission frequency from the at least one first unused frequency; and communicating the first transmission frequency to a user. Other embodiments are disclosed in this application. |
| US08503936B2 |
System and method for navigating between user interface elements across paired devices
A method is provide that comprises detecting an incoming or outgoing call; and sending data to a paired device for displaying a plurality of elements associated with the call in a user interface on the paired device prior to connecting the call, the plurality of elements having been obtained from a plurality of sources accessible to the mobile device. Another method is provided, which comprises receiving data from the mobile device for displaying a plurality of elements associated with the call in a user interface on a paired device prior to connecting the call, the plurality of elements having been obtained from a plurality of sources accessible to the mobile device; and displaying the plurality of elements in a user interface on the paired device using the data received from the mobile device. |
| US08503935B2 |
Terminal and method for controlling function using short-distance communication
A method, apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium allows a terminal to concurrently receive control input from multiple secondary devices through a short distance communication mode. The terminal is connected with at least two secondary devices in the short distance communication mode. A key map is applied to the connected secondary devices. When a key signal is received from at least one of the connected secondary devices, the secondary device that transmitted the key signal is identified. And a function mapped to the key signal is executed according to the key map applied to the identified secondary device. |
| US08503934B2 |
Multi-mode communications system
A communications device includes a first radio (106, 300) configured to support wireless communications with a second radio (104) using a plurality of communications modes. The device includes a switch element (118, 326) configured to cause the first radio to transmit when actuated. The device also includes a control element (306, 324) for detecting one or more actuations of the switch element and configured to select a one of the plurality of communications modes based on a sequence of the actuations of the switch element detected by the control element during a pre-defined time interval and to cause a wireless transmission from the first radio to the second radio according to the one of the plurality of communications modes. |
| US08503930B2 |
Signal transmission via body conduction
Methods and apparatus for signal transmission via body conduction are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received data and/or audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Data and/or audio signals may be encoded and transmitted or received along or through the user's body to an oral appliance contained within or along the user's mouth. Alternatively, information may be transmitted between various other devices over the user's body aside from an oral appliance. The encoded signals may be decoded and the auditory signals may be transmitted via vibrational conductance to the user. |
| US08503927B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for utilizing a repeating function to improve quality of service
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for utilizing a repeating function to improve quality of service. According to embodiments, a method for utilizing a repeating function to improve quality of service is provided. According to the method a first mobile cellular device is selected. An instruction is transmitted to the first mobile cellular device instructing the first mobile cellular device. The instruction causes the first mobile cellular device to relay communications between the second mobile cellular device and the cellular service provider. The first mobile cellular device thereby provides the repeating function for the second mobile cellular device. |
| US08503926B2 |
IQ imbalance compensation in interference cancellation repeater using a zero-IF radio architecture
An interference cancellation repeater employing zero-IF or direct conversion radio architecture implements IQ imbalance compensation using a metric and an adaptive algorithm. The metric is based on the image rejection ratio of the repeater and is indicative of the level of spectral image caused by the repeater's receiver or transmitter IQ imbalance. |
| US08503920B2 |
Image forming apparatus having cleaning blade and method for selecting material of cleaning blade
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member which carries an image composed of a developer, a lubricant application device which applies a lubricant onto the image carrying member, and a cleaning blade which abuts against the image carrying member to scrape the developer. The cleaning blade is formed of a material whose tensile stress-elongation test shows that the definite integral of a tensile stress with respect to an elongation percentage on an interval between the elongation percentage of zero and the elongation percentage at which the stress is a predetermined value is a predetermined upper limit value or less. |
| US08503919B2 |
Image forming apparatus for controlling image clarity using clear toner
There is provided an image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit which forms a chromatic toner image and a clear toner image on a recording material, and a fixing unit which fixes these toner images on the recording material, the image forming apparatus including a specifying unit, into which a level of image clarity and a level of gloss including a glossiness of an image are input for image formation; and a control unit that controls an adhesion amount of clear toner per unit area on the recording material based on input information on the image specified by the specifying unit. |
| US08503917B2 |
Roller component with non-constant size of cells and image forming apparatus
A roller component includes a layer composed of a foamed rubber material including plural cells formed by gas, the layer being formed into a substantially cylindrical body, wherein a volume of the cells decreases from an inner side of the substantially cylindrical body toward the outside. |
| US08503916B2 |
Developing roller, process cartridge, and electrophotographic image forming apparatus
The present invention can provide a developing roller which can form a stable image in wide ranging environments from a low temperature/low humidity environment to a high temperature/high humidity environment. The developing roller includes a surface layer including a silicon oxide film containing at least a carbon atom chemically bonded to a silicon atom, an oxygen atom chemically bonded to a silicon atom, and a fluorine atom chemically bonded to a silicon atom and/or a carbon atom. The silicon oxide film has an abundance ratio of the fluorine atom to the silicon atom (F/Si), an abundance ratio of the oxygen atom forming a chemical bond to the silicon atom to the silicon atom (O/Si), and an abundance ratio of the carbon atom forming a chemical bond to the silicon atom to the silicon atom (C/Si) have values in particular ranges, respectively. |
| US08503909B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An color image forming apparatus 1 has photosensitive units 5 and developing units 6 that can be drawn out of an apparatus main body along a direction of a photosensitive drum 15 and has an intermediate transfer unit 7 that can be drawn out of the apparatus main body along a moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt 10. The color image forming apparatus 1 includes a pressing release mechanism 41 that releases pressing against the photosensitive drum 15 by a primary transfer roller 8 in conjunction with an operation required at a time of drawing out any of the photosensitive unit 5, the developing unit 6, and the intermediate transfer unit 7. |
| US08503906B2 |
Process cartridge and assembling, disassembling remanufacturing method therefor
An assembling method for a process cartridge the assembling method includes a step of preparing a drum unit supporting a electrophotographic photosensitive drum; a step of preparing a developing unit supporting a developing roller for developing a electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photosensitive drum a developer supplying roller for supplying a developer to the developing roller and a developer accommodating portion having a developer supply opening; a unit coupling process of coupling the drum unit and the developing unit with each other; a first-end developing-device spacing member mounting step after the unit coupling process of engaging with a opening provided at a first end portion of the drum unit a first-end developing-device spacing member provided rotatably about a shaft at a first end portion of the developing unit to regulate rotation of the developing unit relative to the drum unit; and a second-end developing-device spacing member mounting step of engaging, with a projection provided at a second end portion of the drum unit, a second-end developing-device spacing member provided rotatably about a shaft at a second end portion of the developing unit to regulate rotation of the developing unit relative to the drum unit. |
| US08503904B2 |
Developing device, imaging unit and image forming apparatus
A developing device develops a latent image on an image carrier by using a developer. The device includes a developer carrier that faces the image carrier and is configured to rotate while magnetically holding developer on its outer circumferential surface. The device also includes a magnetic member elongated along a rotational direction of the developer carrier to form a gap that surrounds the outer circumferential surface. The magnetic member overlaps an end of a developing region in a direction of a rotational axis of the developer carrier, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis. When a side of the magnetic member close to a center of the developer carrier is divided into first and second sides and located downstream and upstream in the rotational direction, respectively, the first side is set back further from the center than a position where the first and second sides meet. |
| US08503903B2 |
Developer collecting device and image forming apparatus
A developer collecting device includes a housing provided with an opening opposed to a developer carrying member, a collecting member provided on a support member and capable of coming into contact with and separating from the developer carrying member, a suction path provided between the opening and a suction member for sucking developer removed from the developer carrying member, an opening-closing plate that opens or closes the suction path, an urging member that urges the opening-closing plate, a retaining member that retains the opening-closing plate, and an opening-closing unit including a rotating member and an elastic member whose ends are connected to the rotating member and the support member. The elastic member is pulled so as to rotate the rotating member in association with a movement of the collecting member, thereby rotating the opening-closing plate so as to open or close the suction path. |
| US08503900B2 |
Power supply unit and image forming device having the same
There is provided a power supply unit, comprising: a converter transformer; a first low voltage generation unit to generate a first voltage on a secondary side of the converter transformer and output the first voltage; a first controller that controls an activation state of a primary side of the converter transformer based on the first voltage; an inactivation unit to inactivate operation of the first controller based on the first voltage to let the first low voltage generation unit to suspend output of the first voltage; a high voltage supply unit to output a high voltage higher than the first voltage by using the first voltage; a detection unit to detect an anomalous state concerning output of the high voltage of the high voltage supply unit. The high voltage supply unit inactivates the operation of the first controller through the inactivation unit when the anomalous state is detected. |
| US08503897B2 |
Electrophotographic image forming apparatus with improved image transfer
An image forming apparatus may includes an image carrying body, a intermediate transferring unit which includes an intermediate transferring belt to which a visible image on the image carrying body is transferred, a driving roller to drive the intermediate transferring belt, and a first roller support unit to support a rotation shaft of the driving roller. The image-forming apparatus also includes a medium transferring unit to transfer a visible image on the intermediate transferring belt to a printing medium and includes a transferring roller to move between a pressing position pressing the driving roller to interpose the intermediate transferring belt therebetween and a separated position separated from the pressing position, and a second roller support unit to support a rotation shaft of the transferring roller. The pressing position of the transferring roller can be regulated by a contact of the first roller support unit and the second roller support unit. |
| US08503894B2 |
Fixing apparatus, printing apparatus, and computer readable medium storing a program for detecting twine
The present invention provides a fixing apparatus including: a pair of rotating bodies that transports a recording medium on which an image is formed by using an image forming material, by sandwiching the recording medium; a heating section that heats at least one of the pair of rotating bodies; a moving section that moves the pair of rotating bodies between a position at which they mutually contact and a position at which they are mutually separated; a temperature detecting section that detects a surface temperature of at least one of the pair of rotating bodies without contacting the rotating bodies; and a twine generation determining section that determines whether the recording medium has twined around either one of the pair of rotating bodies based on a rate of temperature increase after a temperature decrease of the surface temperature detected by the temperature detecting section. |
| US08503892B2 |
Developing unit, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge
A developing unit includes: a developer carrier; a toner supplying member having a porous surface layer; a toner storage storing therein toner; a stirring member that is rotated to stir the toner; a toner amount detecting unit that detects an amount of the toner; a toner supplying unit that supplies new toner to the toner storage based on a detection result; and a toner removing member that removes the toner carried in the porous surface layer, wherein the toner removing member is arranged in a separable and contactable manner from and with the porous surface layer, and the developing unit has a stirring mode in which the toner removing member is brought into contact with the porous surface layer, and the toner supplying member is rotated while the stirring member is rotated to stir the toner. |
| US08503889B2 |
Filter-based DPSK receiver
A filter-based method of demodulating differentially encoded phase shift keyed (DPSK) optical signals, such as commonly used binary-DPSK (DBDPSK) and quadrature DPSK (DQPSK) signals, that can achieve optimal receiver sensitivity is described. This approach, which combines filtering and differential phase comparison, can reduce the complexity and cost of DPSK receivers by obviating delay-line interferometer-based demodulation. This can improve receiver stability and reduce size, weight, and power, while maintaining the ability to achieve optimal communications performance. |
| US08503884B2 |
Bidirectional optical transceiver
A bidirectional optical transceiver is disclosed. In the bidirectional optical transceiver, by implementing, as a stacked structure, an optical bench in which an optical system and an optical-transmitting module are installed and a multi-layer substrate with good thermal, electrical and high-resistance characteristics in which an optical-receiving module and a driving circuit for driving the optical-transmitting module are installed, thermal, electrical or optical crosstalk is prevented, high-speed transmission of transmission signals is possible through high-speed modulation thereof, and miniaturization is achieved. |
| US08503882B2 |
Optical receiver and control apparatus
An optical receiver that can receive WDM signal light in which first and second wavelength bands are combined. Within optical reception units corresponding to each channel is respectively provided tunable dispersion compensator (TDC) modules in which one wavelength band is made a design standard. When known, based on signal light channel information (wavelength, frequency, channel number) notified from outside, that signal light of the second wavelength band is being input to the receiver, then in the TDC module that performed chromatic dispersion compensation of the signal light, control is performed to shift the center frequency of the dispersion compensation range by a predetermined amount corresponding to the wavelength of the signal light. When the signal light of the first wavelength band is input, shift control of the dispersion compensation range is not performed, and the dispersion compensation range at the time of designing is maintained. As a result, chromatic dispersion compensation of signal light of respective wavelength bands can be performed with high accuracy by one type of TDC. |
| US08503877B2 |
Imaging device housing
A main body component of a video camera includes a main frame. The main frame has a upper wall and a lower wall. The upper wall has an upper wall main body disposed opposite the lower wall, and projections that protrude from the upper wall main body on the opposite side from the lower wall. The rear wall is molded integrally with the upper wall and the lower wall, and links the upper wall and the lower wall. |
| US08503872B2 |
Digital imaging method and apparatus
A digital imaging apparatus and method by which an auto-focus (AF) operation may be effectively performed during capture of a moving image. The apparatus performs the AF operation during the capture of the moving image when it is determined that a lens is appropriate for capturing the moving image based on received lens information and stops the AF operation during the capture of the moving image when it is determined that the lens is inappropriate for capturing the moving image. When the lens inappropriate for capturing the moving image is mounted, the AF operation may be performed using an additional switch or a manual-focus (MF) operation may be performed. |
| US08503870B2 |
Method and device for supplying hot water
The invention relates to a method for preparing drinks by supplying hot water for a hot drinks dispenser by means of a liquid transport circuit (2) comprising a heating element (8) provided with a heating resistance, and a pump (14). According to the invention, once a control means (7) has been actuated by a user, a liquid is heated by feeding the heating resistance at a pre-defined average electrical power, the heating of the liquid is maintained, and as soon as the measured temperature is higher than a first pre-determined temperature threshold, the liquid is circulated in the heating element (8), at a constant nominal rate of between 0.5 and 1.5 cl/second, and the average electrical power of the heating resistance (12) is such that the ratio of said power expressed in Watts divided by the nominal rate in centiliters per second is higher than 2000. |
| US08503869B2 |
Stereoscopic video playback device and stereoscopic video display device
A video plane generation unit decodes stream data into a pair of left-view and right-view video planes, and outputs the pair alternately in a 3D display mode and either of the pair repeatedly in a pseudo 2D display mode. An image plane generation unit generates a pair of left-view and right-view image planes having an OSD at different horizontal locations according to its depth to be perceived, and alternately output the pair of image planes. A pseudo 2D display control unit instructs the video plane generation unit to operate in the 3D display mode and the pseudo 2D display mode in periods where the image plane generation unit does not and does output the image planes, respectively. The adder unit combines a video plane and an image plane generated by the video plane generation unit and the image plane generation unit, respectively, onto a frame, and outputs the frame. |
| US08503866B2 |
Wish list for television recording
A viewer can enter into a wish list a show listed on an electronic program guide (EPG) that is being shown on a channel not subscribed to by the viewer. Should the show later become available on a subscribed-to channel, it is automatically recorded. |
| US08503865B2 |
Display device and method for timer recording a broadcast program
A method of recording using a timer recording function in a display device is disclosed. More specifically, the display device receives an input data which is a user inputted instruction information for executing a timer recording function. Thereafter, the display device stores the instruction information which includes an instruction for a display recording device to begin and end recording a broadcast program of a certain designated channel at a specified time period in the future. Then, the device determines whether at least two display recording devices are connected to the display device and selects the display recording device for recording the broadcast program. Lastly, the display device transmits control data to the selected display recording device. |
| US08503864B2 |
Encoded data recording apparatus and mobile terminal
In a mobile terminal provided with an encoded data recording function, there is assumed a condition in which a picture frame transmitted from the terminal of a communication partner is reproduced by means of decoding processing and is displayed on a LCD (34) during wireless TV phone communication. In this condition, when a user carries out a picture recording start operation, display picture data reproduced by means of decoding processing in the multimedia processing section (24) to be displayed on the LCD (34) are recorded in a main recording section (26). |
| US08503862B2 |
Systems and methods for identifying scenes in a video to be edited and for performing playback
Various embodiments described herein provide users with a fast and efficient way for identifying scenes for editing purposes. At least one embodiment is a method for editing video. The method comprises receiving a video with scenes to be edited, receiving a scene selection for editing, and partitioning the selected scene into subscenes based on the presence of subtitles, audio analysis, or a combination of both. The method further comprises identifying subscenes of interest, receiving editing commands for the subscenes of interest, and associating the editing commands with the video for future playback, wherein the video is left unmodified. |
| US08503857B2 |
Recordable downloadable video audio wedding and photo album and accessories
A system to record videos and take still photographs of special events, which can be placed into a photo album; the electronic recording and video displaying device as a tablet being preferably built into the cover of the album. The system allows consumers to view segments of their weddings while looking through their wedding photos. Further, the electronic recording and video displaying device can be removed from the photo album and connected to a charger or hooked up to a computer for downloading event footage such as that of a wedding. Users may erase the recorded video and replace it with new footage or an entity may control content. Alternate embodiments may be placed into a corresponding box or a card as a remote means for sending personalized greetings. |
| US08503850B2 |
Hybrid connector tool for integrated cleaving
A hybrid optical fiber connector tool is capable of cleaving an optical fiber inserted into the connector tool. The connector tool includes an inner housing, an outer housing that is rotatable with respect to the inner housing, and an optical fiber cutting component. The connector tool is useful for connecting and cutting optical fiber in the field. |
| US08503848B2 |
Waveguide arrays
A waveguide array can comprise a base portion having a metalized inner surface, an outer surface, and a clean end surface. The inner surface can include a plurality of waveguide channels that are metalized. The clean end surface can be prepared by breaking the base portion along a groove positioned on the outer surface prior to breaking, where the groove is oriented to intersect the waveguide channels. A metalized cover portion is attached to the inner surface of the base portion to close the waveguide channels. |
| US08503844B2 |
Imaging catheter with integrated reference reflector
In part, the invention relates to a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a micro-lens; a beam director in optical communication with the micro-lens; and a substantially transparent film. The substantially transparent film is capable of bi-directionally transmitting light, and generating a controlled amount of backscatter. In addition, the film surrounds a portion of the beam director. |
| US08503841B2 |
Device for coupling an optical fiber and a nanophotonic component
The invention relates to a device for coupling an optical fiber and a nanophotonic component formed on a first substrate, wherein the device comprises: an intermediate component formed on a second substrate including a first wave guide adapted for receiving light from the optical fiber and for transmitting the same to a first diffraction grating independently from the polarization of the incident light; second and third diffraction gratings formed on the first substrate and coupled to the nanophotonic component, the first diffraction grating being adapted to provide the first and second light beams respectively towards the second diffraction grating and the third diffraction grating, the first and second beams having perpendicular polarizations. |
| US08503839B2 |
Composite subwavelength-structured waveguide in optical systems
A waveguide cores consisting of a subwavelength grating permits transmission of light without diffraction in a discontinuous manner, wherein the energy is provided by field hopping between subwavelength material segments of higher index. The use of alternating segments permits design of waveguides having desired effective index, mode confinement factor, birefringence, polarization mode or mode dispersions, polarization dependent loss, thermal sensitivity, or nonlinear optical coefficient. An optical system comprises a waveguide having such a core, clad on at least one side, extending between two ends, and wavelength-limiting optical components in optical communication with the ends. |
| US08503838B2 |
Two-part optical coupling system having an air gap therein for reflecting light to provide optical feedback for monitoring optical output power levels in an optical transmitter (TX)
A two-part optical coupling system is provided for use in an optical transmitter (TX) module. The two-part optical coupling system has first and second optical parts and an air gap at the interface between the two optical parts. A portion of the light produced by a laser diode of the optical TX module is refracted at the air gap and is coupled by the optical coupling system into an end of an optical fiber. A second portion of the light produced by the laser diode is reflected by the air gap and is coupled by the optical coupling system onto a monitor photodiode of the optical TX. The electrical signal produced by the monitor photodiode may be used to monitor and adjust the optical output power level of the laser diode. Because the air gap is formed at the interface between the first and second optical parts, the process of forming the air gap can be incorporated into the optical coupling system manufacturing process without increasing the cost of the manufacturing process. |
| US08503834B2 |
Apparatus for pressure sensing
The present invention provides an apparatus for distributed pressure sensing. The apparatus comprises a series of Bragg gratings, a light guide incorporating the series of Bragg gratings and a plurality of moveable wall portions. The moveable wall portions are coupled to respective Bragg gratings so that the movement of one of the moveable wall portion causes a force on the respective Bragg grating resulting in a change in strain of the respective Bragg grating. The apparatus also comprises at least one rigid member that is attached at attachment regions between which a sensing region of at least one Bragg grating is defined. The rigid member is arranged so that a strain in the sensing region is not directly influenced by a change in strain of the light guide outside the sensing region. |
| US08503829B2 |
Method for providing real-time service of huge and high quality digital image on internet
A method for providing real time service of huge and high quality digital image on internet is disclosed, wherein data relevant to a general life such as a general photo, an advertising leaflet, and a pamphlet and professional image data exhibited in an art gallery, exhibition grounds, a pavilion are made into huge and high quality digital image or scanned and photographed to be digital, thereby processing real time service as an interactive browsing form. In the present invention, data are directly made, edited, constructed, and uploaded on internet, thereby providing various additional information with image through hyperlink and processing high quality digital image service on network without speed delay for huge image. |
| US08503827B2 |
Apparatus and method for decoding image data
An image processing device includes: a controller configured to receive information for displaying at least a portion of an image, and in response thereto to generate a scale ratio K for scaling compressed image data corresponding to the image; a partial image decoder configured to receive the compressed image data and the scale ratio and in response thereto to decode and scale the compressed image data by the scale ratio K and to output a portion of the decoded and scaled image data, wherein the portion corresponds to an area of the image to be displayed on a display device; a frame buffer configured to store the portion of the decoded and scaled image data output by the partial image decoder; and a video processor configured to receive the data from the frame buffer and to further scale the data for display on the display device. |
| US08503825B2 |
Method and system for aligning and classifying images
In one embodiment, L dimensional images are trained, mapped, and aligned to an M dimensional topology to obtain azimuthal angles. The aligned L dimensional images are then trained and mapped to an N dimensional topology to obtain 2N vertex classifications. The azimuthal angles and the 2N vertex classifications are used to map L dimensional images into O dimensional images. |
| US08503824B2 |
Rolled fingerprint acquisition apparatus and method using registration and synthesis
Provided are a rolled fingerprint acquisition apparatus and method for accurately registering and synthesizing fingerprints. The rolled fingerprint acquisition apparatus selects a reference frame from among rolled fingerprint frames that are sequentially acquired, calculates the central locations of fingerprints included in the rolled fingerprint frames, sets an order in which the reference frame and rolled fingerprint frames are performed based on the central locations of the fingerprints, and registers and synthesizes the reference frame with the rolled fingerprint frames according to the set order. |
| US08503823B2 |
Method, device and display system for converting an image according to detected word areas
An image conversion method, a conversion device, and a display system are provided in the embodiments of the present invention. The image conversion method includes: performing word area detection on an image to acquire a detected word area; and performing conversion processing on the image according to the word area to acquire a converted image that has an aspect ratio different from that of an unconverted image. The conversion device includes: a detection unit, configured to perform word area detection on an image to acquire a detected word area; and a conversion unit, configured to perform conversion processing on the image according to the word area to acquire a converted image that has an aspect ratio different from that of an unconverted image. In this way, an important content area of the image may be retained and clearly displayed. |
| US08503821B2 |
Scene based non-uniformity correction systems and methods
Systems and methods provide scene-based non-uniformity correction for infrared images, in accordance with one or more embodiments. For example in one embodiment, a method of processing infrared images of a scene captured by an infrared image sensor comprising a plurality of sensor elements includes receiving a first frame comprising a first plurality of pixel data of a first infrared image; receiving a second frame comprising a second plurality of pixel data of a second infrared image; determining frame-to-frame motion between the first frame and the second frame, wherein the frame-to-frame motion identifies portions of the first and second pixel data corresponding to identical scene coordinates captured by different sensor elements for the first and second frames; determining irradiance differences between the first and second portions of pixel data; and determining pixel offset information for scene based non-uniformity correction terms based on the irradiance differences and the frame-to-frame motion. |
| US08503816B2 |
Methods for determining mixedness of batch material and for obtaining substantially consistent mixedness of batch material
The disclosure relates to methods for determining mixedness of batch material for making ceramic ware, and methods for obtaining substantially consistent mixedness of batch material for making ceramic ware. |
| US08503812B2 |
Method and system for motion compensated temporal filtering using both FIR and IIR filtering
Certain aspects of a method and system for motion compensated temporal filtering using both finite impulse response (FIR) and infinite impulse response (IIR) filtering may include blending at least one finite impulse response (FIR) filtered output picture of video data and at least one infinite impulse response (IIR) filtered output picture of video data to generate at least one blended non-motion compensated output picture of video data. A motion compensated picture of video data may be generated utilizing at least one previously generated output picture of video data and at least one current input picture of video data. A motion compensated picture of video data may be blended with at least one current input picture of video data to generate a motion compensated output picture of video data. The generated motion compensated output picture of video data and the generated non-motion compensated output picture of video data may be blended to generate at least one current output picture of video data. |
| US08503810B2 |
Image compression using partial region determination
An image processing system that can reduce the amount of operations for compression processing includes a characteristic region detecting section that detects a characteristic region from an image and a compressing section that compresses the image by compressing each prescribed partial region. The compressing section compresses an image of a partial region included in a characteristic region by using pixel values of pixels, the number of which is larger than the number of pixels used for compressing an image of a partial region included in a region other than the characteristic region. |
| US08503801B2 |
System and method for classifying the blur state of digital image pixels
A blur classification module may compute the probability that a given pixel in a digital image was blurred using a given two-dimensional blur kernel, and may store the computed probability in a blur classification probability matrix that stores probability values for all combinations of image pixels and the blur kernels in a set of likely blur kernels. Computing these probabilities may include computing a frequency power spectrum for windows into the digital image and/or for the likely blur kernels. The blur classification module may generate a coherent mapping between pixels of the digital image and respective blur states, or may perform a segmentation of the image into blurry and sharp regions, dependent on values stored in the matrix. Input image data may be pre-processed. Blur classification results may be employed in image editing operations to automatically target image subjects or background regions, or to estimate the depth of image elements. |
| US08503797B2 |
Automatic document classification using lexical and physical features
An automatic document classification system is described that uses lexical and physical features to assign a class ciεC{c1, c2, . . . , ci} to a document d. The primary lexical features are the result of a feature selection method known as Orthogonal Centroid Feature Selection (OCFS). Additional information may be gathered on character type frequencies (digits, letters, and symbols) within d. Physical information is assembled through image analysis to yield physical attributes such as document dimensionality, text alignment, and color distribution. The resulting lexical and physical information is combined into an input vector X and is used to train a supervised neural network to perform the classification. |
| US08503789B2 |
Method and system for measuring deflection angle of a camera lens
A system for measuring lens deflection of an electronic device includes a first shape, an image processing module, a first angle calculation module, and a second angle calculation module. The first shape is formed by edges of an ideal image captured that corresponds to a correctly mounted lens in the electronic device. The image processing module processes a currently captured image to acquire a second shape formed by edges of the present image. The first shape and the second shaped are imposed on each other. The first angle calculation module computes a first angle according to a rotation angle of the second shape relative to the first shape. A second angle calculation module computes a second angle according to a translating distance of the second shape relative to the first shape. |
| US08503788B2 |
Input-handwriting automatic transformation system and method
An input-handwriting automatic transformation system capable of automatically transforming handwriting input to a font most similar to the input handwriting, the system including a recognizing unit recognizing handwriting input via an input pad; an extracting unit extracting a font most similar to the input handwriting from fonts stored in a memory; and a transforming unit comparing the font extracted by the extracting unit and the input handwriting and automatically transforming the extracted font to be most similar to the input handwriting. |
| US08503784B2 |
Image recognition apparatus, image recognition method, and storage medium recording image recognition program
An image recognition apparatus recognizes the correspondence between character strings and logical elements composing a logical structure in an image in which the character strings are described as the logical elements to recognize each logical element. The image recognition apparatus includes outputting means for outputting the recognized logical elements when the correspondence is recognized or re-recognized; first determining means for determining a certain logical element to be correct when input of a determination request to determine the logical element is received from a user; second determining means for determining the correctness of all the logical elements output before the logical element determined by the first determining means and is positioned according to confirmation by the user; and re-recognizing means for re-recognizing the correspondence between logical elements that have not been determined to be correct and the character strings on the basis of the determination content for each logical element. |
| US08503783B2 |
Optimization of multi-label problems in computer vision
A method of labeling pixels in an image is described where the pixel label is selected from a set of three or more labels. The pixel labeling problem is reduced to a sequence of binary optimizations by representing the label value for each pixel as a binary word and then optimizing the value of each bit within the word, starting with the most significant bit. Data which has been learned from one or more training images is used in the optimization to provide information about the less significant bits within the word. |
| US08503782B2 |
Using extracted image text
Methods, systems, and apparatus including computer program products for using extracted image text are provided. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes receiving an input of one or more image search terms and identifying keywords from the received one or more image search terms. The method also includes searching a collection of keywords including keywords extracted from image text, retrieving an image associated with extracted image text corresponding to one or more of the image search terms, and presenting the image. |
| US08503781B2 |
Finding text regions from coloured image independent of colours
Methods (1200), apparatuses, and computer program for finding a region containing text in a color bitmap image comprising pixels are provided. Connected components (CCs) are generated (1200) from the color bitmap image by grouping substantially similarly colored and adjacent pixels. Independently of color, which of the connected components are text connected components are determined (1212) dependent upon attributes of the generated connected components. For each text CC) a value is assigned (1214) to each tile that comprises at least a portion of the text connected component. The value indicates the presence of text overlapping the tile. Each tile comprises pixels of the color bitmap image. The region containing text in the color bitmap image is determined (1216) dependent upon the assigned values of the tiles. |
| US08503779B2 |
Method, apparatus, and medium used in processing an image in a unit of a generated band area, the height of which is determined based on a transfer amount and transfer unit image date
A method and apparatus is used in processing an image in a unit of a band area by dividing image data of a target image into a plurality of band areas, when processing image data by referring to reference data. The method includes and the apparatus performs the steps of setting a first transfer unit of the image data, obtaining a second transfer unit of the reference data to process the image data in the first transfer unit, determining a first transfer amount of the image data based on the obtained second transfer unit of the reference data so that both of the image data and the reference data can be buffered in a buffer used in image processing, and determining a height of a band area to be generated, based on the first transfer amount and the first transfer unit of the image data. |
| US08503777B2 |
Geometric feature based image description and fast image retrieval
An apparatus and method for processing pictures (images, graphics or video frames) for image representation and comparison on the basis of a geometric feature description built from histograms of pseudo-color saturation. The feature description can also include normalized centroid variance, as well as an intensity map. The descriptions allow various matching comparisons to be performed between an input image and a set of comparison images, such as to find matching (or mismatching, or other relationship) images. The comparison can be sped using staged comparisons, whereby an image failing one level of comparison need not be considered in subsequent phases. A set of efficient image feature descriptors are described for use in a fast image retrieval scheme, which is efficient for searching of images spanning different image types, rotations and scales. |
| US08503772B2 |
Image processing unit, image processing method, and device for adjusting tone of monotone images by reducing color as a function of brightness
An image processing unit is configured to include a monotone image generator which generates a monotone image from a color image and a color reducer which reduces a color of an image by reducing chroma of the image in accordance with brightness of the image. The color reducer adjusts a tone of the monotone image generated by the monotone image generator by reducing a color of a high brightness portion of the image at a higher level than a low brightness portion of the image. |
| US08503763B2 |
Image signatures for use in motion-based three-dimensional reconstruction
A family of one-dimensional image signatures is obtained to represent each one of a sequence of images in a number of translational and rotational orientations. By calculating these image signatures as images are captured, a new current view can be quickly compared to historical views in a manner that is less dependent on the relative orientation of a target and search image. These and other techniques may be employed in a three-dimensional reconstruction process to generate a list of candidate images from among which full three-dimensional registration may be performed to test for an adequate three-dimensional match. In another aspect this approach may be supplemented with a Fourier-based approach that is selectively applied to a subset of the historical images. By alternating between spatial signatures for one set of historical views and spatial frequency signatures for another set of historical views, a pattern matching system may be implemented that more rapidly reattaches to a three-dimensional model in a variety of practical applications. |
| US08503758B2 |
Image measurement device, method for image measurement, and computer readable medium storing a program for image measurement
An image measurement device capable of recognizing a relative position and easily identifying a measurement result is provided, the device including: a measurement configuration data storage section that holds characteristic amount information, information for portions to be measured, and setting value information; a placement state detection section that detects a position and a posture of each workpiece; an edge detection section that detects an edge of portions to be measured; a pass-fail determination section that calculates size values of the portions to be measured and performs pass-fail determination of the portions to be measured and the workpiece; a measurement result display section that displays a result of the pass-fail determination of the workpiece over the workpiece image; and a workpiece selection section for selecting any of the workpieces. The measurement result display section displays the result of the pass-fail determination for the portions to be measured of the selected workpiece. |
| US08503754B2 |
Parallel process for level set segmentation of volume data
A parallelized sparse field method for segmenting a volume dataset is provided. Using a processor a level set field within a multi-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of voxels is initialized in parallel operation. The multi-dimensional dataset is indicative of an object. An initial set of active voxels is then generated in parallel operation in dependence upon the initialized level set field. New active voxels are determined in parallel operation. Duplicate active voxels are then removed in parallel operation, followed by compacting the active voxels in parallel operation. The process is repeated until a quantitative stopping criterion is met and level set segmentation data indicative of a feature of the object are determined in dependence upon the level set field. |
| US08503752B2 |
Correction of distortions in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging
In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for correction of image distortions that occur in acquisition of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images of an examination subject, a reference image is acquired without diffusion weighting, a first diffusion-weighted image is acquired for a diffusion direction, a second diffusion-weighted image is acquired for the same diffusion direction, with a different diffusion weighting or a different diffusion gradient polarity than the first diffusion-weighted image. The first diffusion-weighted image is deskewed with a first set of deskewing parameters, and the second diffusion-weighted image is deskewed with a second set of deskewing parameters. The deskewing parameters are correlated and determined by simultaneous minimization of differences between the deskewed first image and the reference image and differentiation between the deskewed second image and the reference image. |
| US08503751B2 |
Method and apparatus for implementing fat-water separation in a magnetic resonance system
In a magnetic resonance (MR) method and apparatus for implementing fat-water separation, MR data acquired representing one in-phase image and two out-of-phase images, phase differences between the two out-of-phase images are calculated, and the phases caused by the inhomogeneity of a magnetic field in the two out-of-phase images are calculated by using the phase differences; correcting linear phase differences in the in-phase image caused by eddy currents, by using the two corrected out-of-phase images. Calculations are then made on the basis of the three corrected images to obtain water and fat images. This method and apparatus effectively eliminate the adverse effects caused by the eddy currents in the currently available implementing process of the three points Dixon method. |
| US08503747B2 |
Image analysis for cervical neoplasia detection and diagnosis
The present invention is an automated image analysis framework for cervical cancerous lesion detection. The present invention uses domain-specific diagnostic features in a probabilistic manner using conditional random fields. In addition, the present invention discloses a novel window-based performance assessment scheme for two-dimensional image analysis, which addresses the intrinsic problem of image misalignment. As a domain-specific anatomical feature, image regions corresponding to different tissue types are extracted from cervical images taken before and after the application of acetic acid during a clinical exam. The unique optical properties of each tissue type and the diagnostic relationships between neighboring regions are incorporated in the conditional random field model. The output provides information about both the tissue severity and the location of cancerous tissue in an image. |
| US08503746B2 |
Medical image processing device, medical image processing method, and medical image processing program
A medical image processing device etc. which supports work for precisely identifying the area of a diagnosis object from a medical image scanned by a medical imaging apparatus is provided.A CPU (11) of the medical image processing device (1) inputs image data and stores the same in a main memory (12) (S101).Next, the CPU (11) subjects the inputted image data to threshold processing (S102).Next, the CPU (11) stores, in the main memory (12), data obtained by separating the area of the high signal values of the binarized image data into a bone region and an angiographically scanned region (S103).Next, the CPU (11) identifies the contact area of the bone region and the angiographically scanned region from the data stored in the main memory (12) (S104).Next, the CPU (11) emphasizes the contact area stored in the main memory (12) at the S104 and displays the contact area on a display device (15) (S105). |
| US08503745B2 |
System and method for automatic registration between an image and a subject
A patient defines a patient space in which an instrument can be tracked and navigated. An image space is defined by image data that can be registered to the patient space. A tracking device can be connected to a member in a known manner that includes imageable portions that generate image points in the image data. Selected image slices or portions can be used to register reconstructed image data to the patient space. |
| US08503742B2 |
Method for mass candidate detection and segmentation in digital mammograms
A basic component of Computer-Aided Detection systems for digital mammography comprises generating candidate mass locations suitable for further analysis. A component is described that relies on filtering either the background image or the complementary foreground mammographic detail by a purely signal processing method on the one hand or a processing method based on a physical model on the other hand. The different steps of the signal processing approach consist of band-pass filtering the image by one or more band pass filters, multidimensional clustering, iso-contouring of the distance to centroid of the one or more filtered values, and finally candidate generation and segmentation by contour processing. The physics-based approach also filters the image to retrieve a fat-corrected image to model the background of the breast, and the resulting image is subjected to a blob detection filter to model the intensity bumps on the foreground component of the breast that are associated with mass candidates. |
| US08503736B2 |
Registration device and registration method for biometric authentication, authentication device and authentication method for biometric authentication
A registering device, a registering method, an authentication device and an authentication method that can perform authentication with high speed while reducing an increase in the storage capacity are proposed. From a living-body image for authentication, a feature area included in the living-body image is detected. Further, a part having the same shape and the same size as those of the feature area is cut out from each of a plurality of living-body information items that are stored in a storage means based on position information associated with the living-body information item. A candidate for verification against the living-body image for authentication is selected from the plurality of living-body information items based on the resemblance between each of these cut-out parts and the feature area of the living-body image for authentication, and it is determined whether or not a registered person based on the result of verification of a living body indicated by a selected living-body information item against a living body shown in the living-body image for authentication. |
| US08503731B2 |
Sign language recognition system and method
A sign language recognition method includes a depth-sensing camera capturing an image of a gesture of a signer and gathering data about distances between a number of points on the signer and the depth-sensing camera, building a three dimension (3D) model of the gesture, comparing the 3D model of the gesture with a number of 3D models of different gestures to find out the representations of the 3D model of the gesture, and displaying or vocalizing the representations of the 3D model of the gesture. |
| US08503729B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method
An image processing apparatus: detects an object position included within an overlapping region of a first image corresponding to a vehicles's traveling direction and a second image corresponding to a direction crossing the traveling direction; assigns the first image a first value when the object is in a first position, and a second value smaller than the first value when the object is in a second position more distant from a traveling direction axis of the vehicle than the first position, and assigns the second image a third value when the object is in the first position, and a fourth value larger than the third value when the object is in the second position; and determines a boundary so that the object is included within an image having a larger value than the other; and joins the first and second images. |
| US08503726B2 |
Image processing device, object tracking device, and image processing method
An edge extracting unit of a contour image generator generates an edge image of an input image using an edge extraction filter, etc. A foreground processing unit extracts the foreground from the input image using a background image and expands the foreground to generate an expanded foreground image. The foreground processing unit further generates a foreground boundary image constructed of the boundary of the expanded foreground region. A mask unit masks the edge image using the expanded foreground image to eliminate edges in the background. A synthesis unit synthesizes the masked edge image and the foreground boundary image to generate a contour image. |
| US08503723B2 |
Histogram-based object tracking apparatus and method
An apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store an attribute of each pixel existing inside a tracking target area set on an image and an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel, an allocation unit configured to allocate an evaluation value to a pixel to be evaluated according to a result of comparison between an attribute of the pixel to be evaluated and an attribute of a pixel existing inside the tracking target area and a result of comparison between an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel to be evaluated and an attribute of a pixel existing adjacent to the pixel existing inside the tracking target area, and a changing unit configured to change the tracking target area based on the allocated evaluation value. |
| US08503722B2 |
Method and system for determining how to handle processing of an image based on motion
A mobile multimedia device may be operable to initiate capture of a series of image samples of a scene, where the scene may comprise one or more objects that may be identifiable by the mobile multimedia device. An image for the scene may be determined by the mobile multimedia device utilizing the captured image samples based on motion associated with the identifiable objects. As soon as the image for the scene has been determined, the capture of the series of image samples may be terminated. The image may be determined when the amount of motion associated with the identifiable objects is below a particular threshold value. The identifiable objects may comprise one or more faces. The motion may be due to a gesture such as a wink or a smile received from one or more of the faces. The image may be determined when the gesture is detected. |
| US08503720B2 |
Human body pose estimation
Techniques for human body pose estimation are disclosed herein. Depth map images from a depth camera may be processed to calculate a probability that each pixel of the depth map is associated with one or more segments or body parts of a body. Body parts may then be constructed of the pixels and processed to define joints or nodes of those body parts. The nodes or joints may be provided to a system which may construct a model of the body from the various nodes or joints. |
| US08503719B2 |
Article-processing device having a system for monitoring the quality of images of the articles in real time, a sorting machine, and a method
The invention relates to an article-processing device comprising a conveyor (2) for moving articles (1) in series and on edge, a camera (3) for taking a digital image (4) of each article (1), a data processor unit for performing processing on the pixels of the digital image (4), and means for inspecting/monitoring the quality of the digital images (4), said article-processing device being characterized in that: said conveyor has a back wall (9) of a dark color; said camera (3) takes a digital image (4) within which the article (1) lies against a background (7) corresponding to said back wall (9); and said inspection/monitoring means scan rows of pixels in order to extract, for each scanned row, a pixel having a light intensity extremum, and detect contrast indicative of degradation of the quality of the digital images (4). The invention also relates to a sorting machine including such a device, and to an inspection/monitoring method. |
| US08503706B2 |
Hearing device with user control
The hearing device comprises a battery door (20); a connector (2) having N≧1 electrical contacts (6); and a user control (8). The user control (8) consists of a) an elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto b) a contact changing member (12), which can be different from or identical with the elastic actuation member (14); and operationally connected thereto c) at least one of the N electrical contacts (6). At least a portion of the elastic actuation member (14) forms at least a portion of the battery door (20). The connector (2) is a connector for providing a communication connection to the hearing device. The user control(8) can be a pushbutton switch. The elastic actuation member (14) comprises a body substantially made of elastomeric material and can hold the contact changing member (12). The contact changing member (12) is provided for changing the state of contacting of said at least one electrical contact (6), e.g., to establish or interrupt an electrical connection. Very small-size hearing devices can be realized. |
| US08503701B2 |
Optical sensing in a directional MEMS microphone
A microphone having an optical component for converting the sound-induced motion of the diaphragm into an electronic signal using a diffraction grating. The microphone with inter-digitated fingers is fabricated on a silicon substrate using a combination of surface and bulk micromachining techniques. A 1 mm×2 mm microphone diaphragm, made of polysilicon, has stiffeners and hinge supports to ensure that it responds like a rigid body on flexible hinges. The diaphragm is designed to respond to pressure gradients, giving it a first order directional response to incident sound. This mechanical structure is integrated with a compact optoelectronic readout system that displays results based on optical interferometry. |
| US08503700B2 |
Piezoelectric acoustic transducer
A piezoelectric speaker includes: a chassis having a wall surface including an opening; a plurality of diaphragms including at least a first piezoelectric diaphragm and second piezoelectric diaphragms which vibrate in phases opposite to each other when a voltage is applied; and a joint member which connects the first and second piezoelectric diaphragms in a positional relationship such that the diaphragms are located at positions different from each other in a thickness direction. One of the diaphragms is provided, in the opening of the chassis, to have one surface facing an outside of the chassis and another surface facing an inside of the chassis. The diaphragm functions as a radiation plate which radiates a sound wave by vibrating at an amplitude generated by synthesizing amplitudes of the first and second piezoelectric diaphragms. |
| US08503699B2 |
Plate, transducer and methods for making and operating a transducer
A plate, a transducer, a method for making a transducer, and a method for operating a transducer are disclosed. An embodiment comprises a plate comprising a first material layer comprising a first stress, a second material layer arranged beneath the first material layer, the second material layer comprising a second stress, an opening arranged in the first material layer and the second material layer, and an extension extending into opening, wherein the extension comprises a portion of the first material layer and a portion of the second material layer, and wherein the extension is curved away from a top surface of the plate based on a difference in the first stress and the second stress. |
| US08503698B2 |
Mixing apparatus
Signal of a channel selected in accordance with a cue instruction is supplied to a cue bus. Cue signal processing section provided in the cue bus can perform one or more signal processing operations, selected from among a predetermined plurality of different signal processing operations, such as “Delay”, “Insert” and “Equalizer”. For each of a plurality of channel types, a set of setting information is stored which contains information for setting ON or OFF of individual ones of the plurality of different signal processing operations. The set of setting information corresponding to the type of the channel selected via the cue instruction is referenced, and one or more signal processing operations is determined in such a manner that each signal processing operation set in an ON state in the setting file in correspondence with the type of the selected channel is performed on the signal supplied to the cue bus. |
| US08503697B2 |
Pickup signal processing apparatus, method, and program product
According to one embodiment, a pickup signal processing apparatus includes microphones, a sound determining unit, a signal level calculating unit, a setting unit, and a calculating unit. The sound determining unit determines whether pickup signals picked up by the microphones are signals from a neighboring sound source or a background noise signal. The signal level calculating unit calculates the signal levels for the microphones. The setting unit sets a gain value of at least one microphone and reduces a difference between the signal levels for the microphones on the basis of the signal levels for the microphones, when determined that the pickup signal is the background noise signal. The calculating unit multiplies the pickup signal of the at least one microphone by the gain value set by the setting unit. |
| US08503696B2 |
Equalizer interface for electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus such as an audio apparatus, television signal receiver, or other apparatus provides an equalizer interface that enables equalizer settings to be adjusted via acoustic user feedback. According to an exemplary embodiment, the electronic apparatus includes a sound generator for generating a first tone for a first frequency band. A processor enables a user to adjust a first volume level of the first tone. A memory stores the first volume level for the first frequency band. A volume controller applies the first volume level to output signals in the first frequency band. |
| US08503694B2 |
Sound capture system for devices with two microphones
The perceptual sound quality of desired audio signals (e.g., human voice) captured by an electronic device (e.g., cell phone) are improved by reducing ambient noise according to an algorithm that acts upon audio signals captured from a front and rear direction. More particularly, audio signals captured by two directional microphones pointing in opposite directions (e.g., a front microphone which receives audio signals from a forward direction and a rear microphone which receives audio signals from a rear direction) are classified and subsequently enhanced (e.g., unwanted signals are suppressed) according to a probability of their source (e.g., front, rear, or noise) thereby providing an improved perceptual sound recording than each microphone individually. The resultant signals provide decreased noise since the contribution of the front and rear microphones are taken into consideration and the signal from the more relevant (e.g., in the direction from which sound is coming) microphone is utilized. |
| US08503693B2 |
Biology-inspired miniature system and method for sensing and localizing acoustic signals
A system and method for sensing acoustic sounds is provided having at least one directional sensor, each directional sensor including at least two compliant membranes for moving in reaction to an excitation acoustic signal and at least one compliant bridge. Each bridge is coupled to at least a respective first and second membrane of the at least two membranes for moving in response to movement of the membranes it is coupled to for causing movement of the first membrane to be related to movement of the second membrane when either of the first and second membranes moves in response to excitation by the excitation signal. The directional sensor is controllably rotated to locate a source of the excitation signal, including determining a turning angle based on a linear relationship between the directionality information and sound source position described in experimentally calibrated data. |
| US08503692B2 |
Forming virtual microphone arrays using dual omnidirectional microphone array (DOMA)
A dual omnidirectional microphone array noise suppression is described. Compared to conventional arrays and algorithms, which seek to reduce noise by nulling out noise sources, the array of an embodiment is used to form two distinct virtual directional microphones which are configured to have very similar noise responses and very dissimilar speech responses. The only null formed is one used to remove the speech of the user from V2. The two virtual microphones may be paired with an adaptive filter algorithm and VAD algorithm to significantly reduce the noise without distorting the speech, significantly improving the SNR of the desired speech over conventional noise suppression systems. |
| US08503687B2 |
System identification device and system identification method
The system identifying device preferably includes adaptive and dependent filters which receive a signal supplied through a first input terminal, a dependent filter factor updating unit for updating the filter factor of the dependent filter according to the filter factor of the adaptive filter, a first subtracter for subtracting the output signal outputted from the adaptive filter from the signal supplied through a second input terminal, a first output error mean computing section for computing a first output error mean from the output signal outputted from the first subtracter, a second subtracter for subtracting the output signal outputted from the dependent filter from the signal supplied through the second input terminal, a second output error mean computing section for computing a second output error mean from the output signal outputted from the second subtracter, and a compactor for comparing the first and second output error means. |
| US08503682B2 |
Head-related transfer function convolution method and head-related transfer function convolution device
A head-related transfer function (HRTF) convolution method arranged, when an audio signal is reproduced acoustically by an electro-acoustic conversion unit disposed in a nearby position of both ears of a listener, to convolute an HRTF into the audio signal, which allows the listener to listen to the audio signal such that a sound image is localized in a perceived virtual sound image localization position, the method including the steps of: measuring, when a sound source is disposed in the virtual sound image localization position, and a sound-collecting unit is disposed in the position of the electro-acoustic conversion unit, a direct-wave direction HRTF regarding the direction of a direct wave, and reflected-wave direction HRTFs regarding the directions of selected one or more reflected waves, from the sound source to the sound-collecting unit, separately beforehand; and convoluting the obtained direct-wave direction HRTF, and the reflected-wave direction HRTFs into the audio signal. |
| US08503679B2 |
Short message encryption
A method and system for securely communicating information via a low bandwidth channel uses encryption that adds comparatively little overhead to the size of the transmission. This method and system efficiently take advantage of the properties of public key cryptography, a shared secret, a traffic key from the shared secret, an abbreviated initialization vector, and an abbreviated whole message signature. The information and the whole message signature are encrypted using the traffic key with a stream cipher. |
| US08503678B2 |
Suppressing power supply noise using data scrambling in double data rate memory systems
Embodiments are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for suppressing power supply noise using data scrambling in double data rate memory systems. In some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes a transmit data path to transmit data to one or more memory devices. The transmit data path may include scrambling logic to generate, in parallel, N pseudo random outputs that are uncorrelated with each other. The output data and the pseudo random outputs are input to XOR logic. The transmit data path transmits the output the of XOR logic which has a substantially white frequency spectrum. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08503676B2 |
Subscriber authentication
To provide reliable and customized authentication, a parameter to be used in authentication is defined for the operator. A secret which may be stored e.g. in a subscriber identity module is calculated from the operator parameter and a subscriber key. An authentication response is calculated from the secret and the challenge to be used in authentication with a one-way function. |
| US08503673B2 |
Method and system for secret key exchange using wireless link characteristics and random device movement
A new methodology to exchange a random secret key between two parties. The diverse physical characteristics of the wireless medium and device mobility are exploited for secure key exchange. Unique physical characteristics of wireless channels between the two devices are measured at different random locations. A function of these unique characteristics determines the shared secret key between the two devices. |
| US08503670B2 |
Parallelizable integrity-aware encryption technique
The present disclosure provides a parallelizable integrity-aware encryption technique. In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a parallelizable integrity-aware encryption method comprises whitening at least one message block with a first mask value, encrypting the whitened at least one message block using a block cipher and a first key, and whitening the encrypted at least one message block with a second mask value to generate at least one corresponding output ciphertext block. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a parallelizable integrity-aware encryption method comprises applying a XOR function to all blocks of a message to compute a XOR-sum, applying a first mask value to the XOR-sum; encrypting the masked XOR-sum using a block cipher and a first key, and applying a second mask value to the encrypted XOR-sum to generate an integrity tag. |
| US08503658B2 |
Call notification with rich caller identification
Communication systems and methods are described that include call notification with rich caller identification. Components of the communication systems are configured to receive a call for a user via an enterprise voice channel. A call request is automatically generated in response to event data of the received call. The call request includes caller data from enterprise databases or directories. The caller data provides identifying information of the caller to the user via the call request. The call request can include response options by which the user can participate in the call. The call request is routed to a target device of the user via a data channel of the host enterprise. The target device provides the user with multiple action or response options via the call request. The response options include for example accepting the call, delaying the call, forwarding the call, ignoring the call, and ignoring the caller. |
| US08503656B2 |
System and method for determining a telecommunications address
Disclosed is a method and system for determining a telecommunications address of a location. A telephone call from a caller located at the location is received. Location data associated with the received telephone call is then obtained. The telecommunications address can then be determined from the location data. |
| US08503655B2 |
Methods and arrangements for group sound telecommunication
A method of audio scene management in a teleconference or other group sound telecommunication is presented, in which teleconference at least a first transmitting party, a second transmitting party and a receiving party participates. The method comprises receiving of signals representing sound of the first transmitting party and sound of the second transmitting party. The method further comprises obtaining of measures of sound activity for the first and second transmitting parties, respectively and selecting a first angle and/or a second angle based on the obtained measures of sound activity. The method further comprises processing of the received signals into processed signals such that sound from the first transmitting party is experienced by the receiving party as emanating from the first angle while sound from the second transmitting party is experienced as emanating from the second angle, with respect to the receiving party. Finally signals representing the processed signals are outputted. |
| US08503652B2 |
Telephone conference call management
Conference calls are managed using a permanent or default password associated with a particular call-in phone number and at least one temporary, dynamically-generated password for that same call-in phone number. The temporary passwords are preferably applicable for a particular time period or interval. If a temporary password is not defined for the time period in which a conference call takes place, the default password may be used. Conference call access is restricted to participants who provide the proper password—namely, the temporary password during a time period for which a temporary password has been generated, and the default password otherwise. |
| US08503648B2 |
Telephone number use optimization for blocks of telephone numbers
A method may include determining a count of excess telephone numbers (TNs) for removal from a block of TNs associated with a customer. The method may further include determining an order of priority for removing the excess TNs from the block of TNs and marking the excess TNs for removal from the block of TNs in the determined order of priority. |
| US08503643B2 |
Location- and presence-based media session routing
A method includes defining multiple recipient candidates for a media session request; identifying a geographic location of a communication device that initiates the media session request; identifying a geographic location of each of the recipient candidates at the time of the media session request; determining the optimal recipient candidate for the media session request based on the geographic location of the communication device that initiates the media session request and the geographic location of each of the recipient candidates; and automatically routing the media session request over a network to the determined optimal recipient candidate. |
| US08503642B2 |
System and method for managing a telecommunications network
A system and method for managing a telecommunications network and which may let a user monitor and control the user's network telephone services is disclosed. The system may include a CEO Dashboard, a Migration Module, and a Trouble Ticket Wizard. Additionally, the system may include backend processes that periodically run, ensuring that everything is being done to retrieve, and store, the user's available resources on the network. The system may be provided by an integrated platform that is available through online web access and that includes functions such as provisioning, billing, line management, and account management. |
| US08503640B1 |
Extension monitoring in a distributed telephony system
A telephony system is presented that enables one user to monitor another user's extension and perform functions on calls destined for the other user's extension. The system includes a server with a telephony management software (TMS) unit, a telephony application programming interface (TAPI) unit, and an application unit. The application unit includes a control module, association module, presentation module, park module, monitoring device interface module, and storage interface module. A server sends information to a monitoring device regarding the status of a monitored extension and calls offering on that extension. A server also enables a user to navigate through multiple calls offering and park a selected call. |
| US08503639B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive message and call notification
Methods and systems for providing a user's preferred device with a notification of an incoming communication for one of a plurality of a user's devices. Notification of an incoming communication is provided to the user's preferred device via a communications service. The communications service receives, from a data or voice network, information representing an incoming communication intended for one of a plurality of a user's devices. The service then provides a notification of the incoming communication to the user's preferred device. |
| US08503638B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying a customized caller line identification
A method and apparatus for a customized CLI comprise receiving, by a network element, a first SET-UP message from a transmitting device during a call set up. The network element then retrieves an identification of the transmitting device from the first SET-UP message and obtains a first Caller Line Identification (CLI) of the transmitting device corresponding to the retrieved identification. Further, the network element determines whether the first SET-UP message includes a first indicator and retrieves a data message from the first SET-UP message when the first SET-UP message includes a first indicator. The network element then adds the data message, the first CLI, and a second indicator to a second SET-UP message and transmits the second SET-UP message to a receiving device during the same call set up, for displaying a customized CLI on the receiving device, thereby alerting a user of the receiving device of an incoming call. |
| US08503637B1 |
Methods and systems for creating a dynamic call log and contact records
The present invention is related to telecommunications, and in particular, to methods and systems for processing call signaling data. In an embodiment, a call processing system receives a first message from a switch while the switch is processing a call for a calling party, wherein the first message is initiated at least partly in response to a firing of a call event trigger configured within a switch. The first message includes call signaling information, including the calling party's phone number. The calling party's phone number is stored in the call processing system. A communication channel is established over a network between the call processing system and a computer associated with the called party. A message is transmitted to the networked computer, the message including the calling party's phone number, wherein the calling party's phone number is intended to be displayed on the networked computer associated with the called party. |
| US08503636B1 |
Systems and methods for blocking an outgoing request associated with an outgoing telephone number
A computer-implemented method to block an outgoing request associated with an outgoing telephone number is described. A device is monitored for an outgoing request associated with an outgoing telephone number. The outgoing request is intercepted. The outgoing telephone number associated with the outgoing request is extracted. Upon determining that the extracted outgoing telephone number matches a telephone number stored in a database, the outgoing request is blocked. |
| US08503633B2 |
Providing called number characteristics to click-to-dial customers
A system and method to provide content and call attributes for a destination phone number using a click-to-dial connection includes accepting a query, retrieving links to a document, and searching through cached data using the query to identify relevant or destination number information. If no match is found, the method continues with accessing the document identified by the link for identifying relevant number information and creating a click-to-dial icon to link to the relevant numbers included in the relevant phone number information identified by the query. Next, a popup box for content relevant to the click-to-dial icon and a click feature on the popup box are created to retrieve call destination attributes for viewing by a user. Further, computer instructions create at least one communication connection between two communication devices after viewing call destination attributes. |
| US08503632B2 |
Controlling a test load throttle
A device includes a traffic load profile containing information for regulating rates of routing calls and a controller. The controller may be configured to access the traffic load profile, obtain network calls from a traffic load producer, and route the network calls to a system under test based on the traffic load profile. |
| US08503629B2 |
Computing device with remote contact lists
In one implementation a computer-implemented method includes generating a group of telephone contacts for a first user, wherein the generating includes identifying a second user as a contact of the first user based upon a determination that the second user has at least a threshold email-based association with the first user; and adding the identified second user to the group of telephone contacts for the first user. The method further includes receiving a first request to connect a first telephone device associated with the first user to a second telephone device associated with the second user. The method also includes identifying a contact identifier of the second telephone device using the generated group of telephone contacts for the first user, and initiating a connection between the first telephone device and the second telephone device using the identified contact identifier. |
| US08503627B2 |
Communication device, method of operating the same, and communication system
A communication device includes a call unit, a transmitter, a network transmission unit and a display unit. The call unit can generate a call request based on a phone number of a phone device of a called party. The transmitter can send the call request to the phone device. The network transmission unit is responsive to the call request for acquiring current status information of the called party from at least one social network server through Internet. The display unit can render the current status information. |
| US08503625B2 |
Managing packet-based voicemail messages
Aspects of present invention provide a method, computer-readable medium, and system for saving and modifying a draft voicemail message. More specifically, a caller may create a draft voicemail message that is saved without being transmitted to a callee. Then the caller may access the draft voicemail message and generate events to modify the message. More specifically, when a modification event is generated, event data that describes the modification to the voicemail message requested by the caller is received. Then, the data included with the voicemail message is updated to reflect the input received from the caller. |
| US08503622B2 |
Selectively retrieving VoIP messages
Methods and arrangements to selectively retrieve Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) messages are contemplated. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to selectively retrieve VoIP messages by storing the VoIP messages, associating one or more descriptors with the VoIP messages, and displaying at least some of the VoIP messages. The display may include one or more of the descriptors associated with the displayed VoIP messages. The embodiments may include receiving a designation of a designated VoIP message from the VoIP messages. The embodiments may include retrieving the designated VoIP message. In some embodiments, the designated VoIP message may be played. In further embodiments, the designated VoIP message may be forwarded. In many embodiments, the descriptors associated with the displayed VoIP messages may consist of values of attributes of the displayed VoIP messages. In several embodiments, the attributes may have been received through a user interface. In some embodiments, the displaying may include receiving a change in state of a mouse button. In many embodiments, the designating may include receiving a change in state of a mouse button while a location of a pointer driven by the mouse is associated with the designated VoIP message. |
| US08503620B2 |
Advertisement based ringback system and method for use with a directory assistance system
A communication method includes the steps of receiving a call from a caller for connection to a subscriber, attempting a connection to the subscriber and retrieving a media file associated with the subscriber. The media file is played to the caller during a ring-back period of the attempted connection, playing of the media file to the caller is charged to the provider of the media file. |
| US08503619B2 |
Method and device for interacting with a contact
A system allows an agent to manage an interaction between the agent and a contact using a computer system. The agent may use the computer system to selectively interleave pre-recorded script segments that are part of a planned informational dialog with pre-recorded script interjections such that the selective playing of scripts or script segments mimics conversion between actual persons. |
| US08503618B2 |
Emergency call system between a telecommunication device and an emergency call center
For implementing an emergency call system between a telecommunication device and an emergency call center, the telecommunication device includes a log-in and log-out state via a switchable log-in function at a VoIP telecommunication service provider via an IP infrastructure consisting of at least one router. The emergency call center has a public IP number via which, in the log-out state of the telecommunication device, an emergency call connection diverting to the VoIP telecommunication service provider is safeguarded between the telecommunication device and the emergency call center. |
| US08503616B2 |
X-ray tube window
In one example embodiment, an x-ray transmissive window includes an inner surface and an outer surface. An x-ray beam emitted by the x-ray system defines a beam path area on the inner surface of the window and a beam path area on the outer surface of the window. The inner surface is arranged for contact with cooling fluid of the x-ray system and is configured to prevent bubbles present in the cooling fluid from accumulating on the inner surface in the beam path area of the inner surface. The outer surface is configured to prevent fluid droplets from accumulating on the outer surface in the beam path area of the outer surface. |
| US08503615B2 |
Active thermal control of X-ray tubes
The present embodiments relate to active thermal control of X-ray tubes. In one embodiment, a system includes an X-ray tube having an electron beam target, a rotary bearing supporting the target in rotation, and a coolant flow passage, at least a portion of the coolant flow passage being disposed in the center of the rotary bearing, and the coolant flow passage is configured to receive a coolant. The system also includes a coolant circulating system coupled to the coolant flow passage and configured to circulate the coolant thorough the coolant flow passage, and a control circuit coupled to the coolant circulating system and the rotary bearing, the control circuit being configured to control heat flow between components of the X-ray tube by regulating extraction of heat from the X-ray tube via the coolant and by regulating a rotation rate of the rotary bearing. |
| US08503605B2 |
Four sided imaging system and method for detection of contraband
The present invention provides a four-sided scanning system for vehicles that uses a combination of backscatter and transmission based X-ray imaging to achieve material discrimination. In one embodiment, the system is designed as a mobile, drive-through system, which can be folded and stowed in a truck and can be conveniently deployed at any place when required. |
| US08503601B2 |
Gate-on array shift register
A gate-on array shift register includes a signal-input unit, a control transistor and at least three stable modules. The signal-input unit receives and outputs a previous-stage output signal. The control terminal of the control transistor is electrically coupled to the signal-input unit for receiving the previous-stage output signal. The control transistor outputs corresponding output signal on output terminal of the shift register according to the previous-stage output signal. Each of the stable modules is electrically coupled to the control terminal of the control transistor and the output terminal of the shift register to stabilize voltage of the terminals. |
| US08503597B2 |
Method to decrease locktime in a phase locked loop
A method and mechanism for reducing lock time of a dual-path phase lock loop (PLL). The PLL comprises a dual-path low-pass filter (LPF). The LPF includes a first filter and a second filter. The first filter comprises a passive second-order lead-lag low-pass filter. The second filter comprises a first-order lag low-pass filter. During a lock-acquisition state, an impedance value within the second stage is bypassed, which increases the loop bandwidth of the PLL. In addition, a resistance within the first stage is increased in order to increase the gain of the first stage and maintain stability within the PLL. During a lock state, the impedance value may no longer be bypassed and the increased resistance may be returned to its original value. |
| US08503596B2 |
Wireless clock regeneration and synchronization
A method and apparatus are described for regenerating a local clock within a wireless module and synchronizing the local clock with a wireless host clock. For one embodiment, the wireless module generates a local clock, counts the cycles of the clock during a common timing reference period maintained wirelessly between the wireless module and the host, receives a count of the host clock during the same common timing reference period, and adjusts the local clock signal based upon a comparison of the two counts. For one embodiment, the wireless module further receives timing references from the host and, in addition, receives packets of audio samples from the host accompanied by a timestamp, the timestamp based upon the host timing reference, and outputs the audio sample at the time designated by the timestamp. |
| US08503594B2 |
Phase tracking in communications systems
The present invention includes a method of determining a phase estimate for an input signal having pilot symbols. The method includes receiving a plurality of pilot symbols, and then multiplying two or more pilot symbol slots by corresponding correlator coefficients to correct a phase estimate of the input signal. |
| US08503592B2 |
Symbol synchronization for communication
A communication system and method is disclosed that performs symbol boundary synchronization by generating a symbol alignment estimate from a partial signal correlation; and then refining the symbol alignment estimate via a carrier phase calculation. To generate the symbol alignment estimate, two methods are disclosed. After an estimate is determined, an embodiment provides for refining the symbol alignment estimate via a carrier phase calculation by determining a carrier phase of two adjacent carriers, determining a phase error as directly proportional to an offset from the start of a symbol, determining a phase difference contribution due to a communication channel and device hardware, and counter-rotating the determined carrier phase by an angle of a constellation point at a transmitter. |
| US08503591B2 |
Enhanced geran receiver using channel input beamforming
A method for suppressing interference in a wireless communication is provided. The method comprises receiving a burst of symbols, generating a plurality of timing hypotheses for the burst of symbols, and calculating, for each timing hypothesis, a plurality of weights for an interference suppression filter based upon a subset of the burst of symbols. The method further comprises, for each timing hypothesis, filtering the subset of the burst of symbols using the interference suppression filter with the corresponding plurality of weights, and selecting one of the plurality of timing hypotheses corresponding to a selection criteria. The method further comprises equalizing and decoding the filtered burst of symbols based upon the selected one of the plurality of timing hypotheses. |
| US08503588B2 |
Method and system for compensation of interference cancellation delay
Aspects of a method and system for compensation of interference cancellation delay are provided. In this regard, a wireless communication device may receive one or more signals and may be operable to select, whether dynamically or statically, a processing path for processing the one or more received signals. The selected processing path may comprise one of an interference cancellation processing path and a pass-through processing path. A delay introduced by the pass-through processing path may be approximately equal to a processing delay introduced by the interference cancellation processing path. The one or more received signals may comprise HSDPA signals. The selection of processing path may be based on a measure of interference present in the one or more received signals. |
| US08503586B2 |
Receiving apparatus and method with clock drift estimation and compensation
The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus for receiving signals in a communication system in which the signals are transmitted on the basis of frames. Each frame includes a data part having data blocks, wherein the data blocks are respectively separated by a guard sequence. The receiving apparatus performs a correlation on the guard sequences of a received signal and performs a clock drift estimation in the frequency domain on the basis of the correlation results. The receiving apparatus also compensates the clock drift of the received signal on the basis of the clock drift estimation. |
| US08503585B2 |
Decoding method and associated apparatus
A decoding method for determining a preferred survivor path in a decoding process is provided. The method includes calculating a first determination value of a first survivor path at a first time point, the first determination value being determined by a first sub determination value and a second determination value at a second time point, and the second time point being prior to the first time point; calculating a third determination value of a second survivor path at the first time point, the third determination value being determined by a second sub determination value and a fourth determination value at the second time point; and when a difference between the first determination value and the third determination value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, determining the preferred survivor path at the first time point according to the second and the fourth determination values, or the first and the second sub determination values. |
| US08503584B2 |
Efficient implementation of M-algorithm based on QR decomposition for higher-order constellations
A method of detecting received data in a communication system includes the steps of: performing a QR decomposition on a received input vector as a function of one or more characteristics of a communication channel over which the input vector was transmitted; generating a subset of best symbol candidates from a symbol constellation by comparing an input sample (corresponding to an element of the input vector) with one or more prescribed thresholds; identifying at least one symbol satisfying prescribed minimum Euclidian distance criteria among multiple ambiguity symbols in the subset of best symbol candidates; and generating a subset of best symbols including a prescribed number of symbols from the symbol constellation determined to be closest to the input sample. The subset of best symbols is used in a subsequent iteration of the steps of generating the subset of best symbol candidates and identifying at least one symbol satisfying the prescribed minimum Euclidian distance criteria. |
| US08503579B2 |
Channel estimator
The channel estimator includes a plurality of correlating sections configured to calculate a plurality of time correlation values between the signal and a plurality of known pattern signals having different code lengths, an analyzing section configured to output a control signal representing a selected period for extracting a preferable correlation output from the output from each of the plurality of correlating sections, and a delay profile generating section configured to output a delay profile obtained by adaptively selecting or combining parts of the outputs from the plurality of correlating sections based on the output from the analyzing section. |
| US08503574B2 |
Methods for carrier frequency offset detection and compensation and transmitters and receivers utilizing the same
A transmitter includes an encoding module, an adaptive hierarchical signal mapping module and a transceiver module. The encoding module receives an input signal and encodes the input signal. The input signal includes data to be transmitted. The adaptive hierarchical signal mapping module modulates the encoded signal according to one or more hierarchical level distance ratios to obtain modulated symbols. The hierarchical level distance ratio defines distances between the modulated symbols. The transceiver module generates a radio frequency signal according to the modulated symbols and transmits the radio frequency signal to an air interface. |
| US08503572B2 |
Antenna virtualization in a wireless communication environment
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate performing antenna virtualization in a wireless communication environment. A set of physical transmit antennas can be partitioned into a plurality of groups of physical transmit antennas. Further, a precoding vector for a particular group of physical transmit antennas from the plurality of groups of physical transmit antennas can be formulated. Moreover, the particular group of physical transmit antennas can form a particular virtual antenna. By way of another example, a disparate precoding vector for a disparate group of physical transmit antennas from the plurality of groups of physical transmit antennas can be formulated, and the disparate group of physical transmit antennas can form a disparate virtual antenna. The precoding vector can be applied to a signal for transmission over the particular virtual antenna, and the disparate precoding vector can be applied to a disparate signal for transmission over the disparate virtual antenna. |
| US08503571B2 |
Dual purpose modulator
The present invention provides a single modulator capable of transmitting an input according to a first and a second modulation technique. The first modulation technique represents changes in the input using a first set of carrier waveform parameters, such as phase variations, whereas the second modulation technique represents changes in the input using a second set of carrier waveform parameters, such as alternative phase variations. The present invention performs both modulation techniques by expressing the 10 second set of carrier waveform parameters as a subset of the first set of carrier waveform parameters. In a preferred embodiment, the first and second modulation techniques comprise the π/2-offset 2PSK (a good approximation of differential GMSK) and 3π/8-offset 8PSK (also known as EDGE) modulation techniques. |
| US08503570B2 |
System and method for transmitting seamless wireless data in real time
A system and method for transmitting seamless wireless data in real time are disclosed. The system includes a transmission device for transmitting wireless data to a reception device in real time. The transmission device includes a packet transmission unit, a communication efficiency detection unit, and a transmission cycle adjustment unit. The packet transmission unit transmits a data packet to the reception device. The communication efficiency detection unit detects communication efficiency of the packet transmission. The transmission cycle adjustment unit adjusts a cycle of the packet transmission according to the detected communication efficiency. It is possible to efficiently transmit seamless wireless data in real time even in a wireless space of a communication environment which varies continuously by continuously monitoring the communication environment of the wireless space where the wireless data is transmitted and adjusting the setting of a communication system to be suitable for the monitored wireless environment. |
| US08503562B2 |
Method and apparatus to select coding mode
Briefly, an apparatus and method to transmit data stream by using a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) transmitters receivers system. The MIMO transmitters receivers system may include a coding mode selector to select a coding mode of each orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) sub-carrier symbol of a first and second sub-carriers of a data stream according to a feedback data packet having coding information of the OFDM subcarrier symbol. The coding mode may be selected from a diversity coding mode and a multiplexing coding mode. |
| US08503561B2 |
Method and apparatus of transmitting reference signal for uplink transmission
A method and apparatus of transmitting a reference signal in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes generating a precoded reference signal or a non-precoded reference signal in accordance with a rank, and transmitting the generated reference signal. Uplink transmission using multiple transmit antennas is supported through reference signal design and related control signaling. |
| US08503558B2 |
Signal modulating device, signal transmitting method, and code generating method
The present invention relates to a signal modulation device, a transmission method, and a code generation method. The signal modulation device includes a code storage unit including a plurality of n-bit members and storing a code with a number n or n−1 of different bits between two neighboring members, and a mapper for mapping data on symbols according to the code. |
| US08503557B2 |
Apparatus, and associated method, for communicating a data block in a multi carrier modulation communication scheme
Apparatus, and an associated method, for sending a data block in an OFDM, or other MCM, communication system with reduced PAPR is provided. The data block is combined with a random scrambling sequence. An IDFT operation is performed upon the combined sequence, and its PAPR, peak-to-average power ratio, is calculated. The PAPR is compared against a threshold. If the PAPR is smaller than a threshold, the transformed, combination sequence is transmitted. Otherwise, a different scrambling sequence, if available, is used to form a new combination sequence, and the process iterates until either a PAPR smaller than the threshold is obtained, or a pre-defined maximum number of iterations is reached. If the maximum number of iterations is reached and no combination sequence is created that leads to an acceptable PAPR, then the transformed, combination sequence that exhibits the smallest PAPR level is selected for transmission. |
| US08503551B2 |
Apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal and method of transmitting and receiving a signal
The present invention relates to a method of transmitting and a method of receiving signals and corresponding apparatus. One aspect of the present invention relates to an efficient L1 signaling method for an efficient transmitter and an efficient receiver using the efficient L1 signaling method for an efficient cable broadcasting. |
| US08503546B1 |
Multiple layer overlay modulation
The present invention provides for a communication system and method that overlays signals which are simultaneously mutually orthogonal in both the time and frequency domains, thereby enhancing spectral efficiency. Whereas commonly used sinusoids provide only two mutually orthogonal functions (sine and cosine), certain polynomials provide multiple orthogonal functions, which are also finite in both time and frequency. Using multiple orders of the orthogonal functions allows overlaying signals within a symbol to generate a modulated signal carrying more information than with traditional QAM. Correlating a received signal with locally generated replicas of the orthogonal functions allows demodulation of the signal. This modulation is applicable to twisted pair, cable, fiber, satellite, broadcast and all types of wireless access. The method and system are compatible with many current and future multiple access systems, including EV-DO, UMB, WiMax, WCDMA (with or without MBMS/MIMO), HSPA Evolution, and LTE. |
| US08503545B2 |
I/Q imbalance compensation
A ZIF direct-conversion OFDM receiver capable of estimating and correcting an I/Q imbalance in a baseband signal. A complex down-conversion is performed on a received signal r(t). The received signal r(t) is divided into an In-phase signal (I) and Quadrature-phase signal (Q). An I/Q imbalance is introduced by the local oscillator such that the I/Q imbalance includes an amplitude imbalance factor (ρ) and phase imbalance factor (φ). The I and Q signals are amplified, filtered and digitized. The digitized I and Q signals are processed via a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). An I/Q compensation algorithm estimates the values of the amplitude imbalance factor (ρ) and, the phase imbalance factor (φ) based on a time expectation calculation. The imbalance factors are applied to the baseband signal to recover the signal of interest x(t). The OFDM receiver outputs the signal of interest x(t) to an information display device. |
| US08503544B2 |
Techniques for decoding transmitted signals using reactive taboo searches (RTS)
Techniques for enabling an estimate of a transmitted signal vector, given a received signal vector and a channel matrix to be computed, are provided. An initial solution signal vector for the estimate is calculated, and based on the initial estimate, a pool of possible solutions is generated. Methods described herein may be iterative in nature, and may cycle through possible estimates of the transmitted signal vector so as to continually improve the estimates and the pool of possible estimates. The methods may terminate once stopping criteria are reached. In some example methods, solutions may be marked at taboo and a taboo period can be established that indicates a number of subsequent iterations for which the current solution signal vector cannot be considered. |
| US08503542B2 |
Methods and apparatus to reduce blocking noise and contouring effect in motion compensated compressed video
Method and system for removing artifacts, such as blocking noise and contouring effects, from a block-encoded video signal. One method for removing blocking artifacts includes but is not limited to decoding the block-encoded signal to obtain a decoded sequence of video frames and one or more associated motion vectors. By using the motion vector, the location of one or more blocking artifacts may be identified within at least one of the frames. The location identified by the motion vector is filtered to remove at least some of the blocking artifacts. Another method for removing contouring effects comprises decoding the block-encoded signal to obtain a decoded sequence of video frames, detecting a contouring effect by evaluating the macroblock mode and DCT coefficient information from the decoded signal, and filtering one or more blocks correlating to the detected contouring effect. |
| US08503538B2 |
Method, apparatus, system, and program for content encoding, content distribution, and content reception
There are provided a system, an apparatus, and a method for suppressing increase in an amount of distribution data when performing content distribution via a network, improving reliability of the data received by a receiver in the distribution through an unstable transmission path such as a wireless transmission path, enabling provision of the content with a stable quality, and realizing the provision of the content with an optimal quality for the reception environment of content receiver, while suppressing an increase in an amount of processing for improving reliability of the distribution data on both of reception side and a transmission side. A content distribution apparatus 101 includes first through Nth image encoded data transmitting units 105 to 107, and multiplexes a plurality of data in a predetermined layer in accordance with a scalable encoding system using a plurality of sessions or a same session, for transmission by providing a preset time difference for each of the data or interleaving the data. The content distribution apparatus 101 sets compression rates of second and subsequent data to be the same or higher than that of first data, suited to a state of the transmission path, thereby suppressing an increase in a band. A content receiving apparatus 111 includes first through Nth image encoded data receiving units 113 to 115, an encoded data reconstruction unit 116, and a decoder 117. The content receiving apparatus 111 selects encoded data based on the compression rate, for reconstruction, and decodes the reconstructed encoded data. |
| US08503530B2 |
Temporal classified filtering for video compression
Temporal classified filtering encodes image data by applying filters assigned to classes of pixels in a target frame to predict values for the pixels. The pixels are classified based on their associated motion vectors and the motion vectors are used to position the filters on the reference frame. Prediction error values are also calculated. The filters, motion vectors, and prediction errors represent the pixels in the encoded image data. The reference frame may be a past or future frame of the image data, and multiple reference frames of various combinations of past and future frames may be used. The filters for multiple reference frames are three-dimensional comprising a two-dimensional filter for each reference frame. The filters may be pre-determined or generated as the frames are encoded. The image data is recreated by applying the filters to the reference frames and correcting the resulting predictions with the prediction error values. |
| US08503529B2 |
Interpolation of video compression frames
Coding techniques for a video image compression system involve improving an image quality of a sequence of two or more bi-directionally predicted intermediate frames, where each of the frames includes multiple pixels. One method involves determining a brightness value of at least one pixel of each bi-directionally predicted intermediate frame in the sequence as an equal average of brightness values of pixels in non-bidirectionally predicted frames bracketing the sequence of bi-directionally predicted intermediate frames. The brightness values of the pixels in at least one of the non-bidirectionally predicted frames is converted from a non-linear representation. |
| US08503522B2 |
Video encoding/decoding apparatus and adaptive overlapped block motion compensation method and apparatus employing adaptive weights therefor
The present disclosure provides an adaptive overlapped block motion compensation apparatus employing adaptive weights including: an RBMC(x,y) calculator for calculating residual signal RBMC(x,y) in block motion estimation; a DN(x,y) calculator for calculating differential pixel value DN(x,y) between a motion compensated block generated by a motion vector of an adjacent block and a currently motion compensated block; a unit for updating and setting additional information for performing an adaptive overlapped block motion compensation based on RBMC(x,y) and DN(x,y); and an adaptive overlapped block motion compensation operating on respective pixels in certain pixel units based on the additional information, progressing to subsequent pixels if an absolute value of RBMC(x,y) is not greater than the additional information, and if the absolute value of RBMC(x,y) is greater than the additional information, calculating an ROBMC(x,y) with an HN(x,y) selectively signed so that an absolute value of ROBMC(x,y) is smaller than the absolute value of RBMC(x,y). |
| US08503521B2 |
Method of digital video reference frame compression
The digital video referencing frame image is compressed block by block by applying lossless compression algorithm to pixel components with full length, or 1 bit, 2 bits, 3 bits or 4 bits LSB bits truncation. If a sub-block has high complexity which results in more than 3 bits error for most pixel components, a transfer algorithm with quantization and VLC coding is applied to compress this sub-block. Should the complexity is higher than a threshold or at least one sub-block having error of more than 3 bits for most pixel components, truncating 1 LSB bit of sub-block with simple pattern to save more bits to be allocate to code the sub-block with highest complex pattern. |
| US08503519B2 |
Detecting residual ISI components using two data patterns
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing an input signal from a receiver that includes a series of bits and further comprising residual boundary intersymbol interference (ISI). The method includes identifying a first bit sequence in the input signal and identifying a second bit sequence in the input signal that differs from the first bit sequence with respect to one or more data values of one or more bits in the first and second bit sequences corresponding to particular residual boundary ISI for measurement. The method includes determining a difference between first boundary error in the first bit sequence and second boundary error in the second bit sequence and measuring the particular residual boundary ISI by the difference for use in adaptive equalizer control. |
| US08503518B2 |
Voice/Data/RF integrated circuit
A Voice-Data-RF IC includes a baseband processing module, an RF section, and an interface module. The baseband processing module converts an outbound voice signal into an outbound voice symbol stream, converts an inbound voice symbol stream into an inbound voice signal, converts outbound data into an outbound data symbol stream, and converts an inbound data symbol stream into inbound data. The interface module provides selective coupling between the baseband processing module, the RF section, and with off-chip circuits. |
| US08503517B2 |
System and method of an in-band modem for data communications over digital wireless communication networks
A system is provided for transmitting information through a speech codec (in-band) such as found in a wireless communication network. A modulator transforms the data into a spectrally noise-like signal based on the mapping of a shaped pulse to predetermined positions within a modulation frame, and the signal is efficiently encoded by a speech codec. A synchronization sequence provides modulation frame timing at the receiver and is detected based on analysis of a correlation peak pattern. A request/response protocol provides reliable transfer of data using message redundancy, retransmission, and/or robust modulation modes dependent on the communication channel conditions. |
| US08503514B2 |
High speed switch with data converter physical ports
A high-speed switch that includes a switch fabric, and both high-speed serial ports and data converter physical ports. A first set of data converter physical ports may perform analog-to-digital conversions, such that an external analog signal may be converted to a digital input signal on the switch. The converted digital input signal may then be routed through the switch fabric in accordance with a serial data protocol. A second set of data converter physical ports may perform digital-to-analog conversions, such that an internal digital signal received from the switch fabric may be converted to an analog output signal on the switch. The converted analog output signal may then be transmitted to an external destination in accordance with a serial data protocol. |
| US08503513B2 |
System and/or method for detecting multi-tone jamming
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for processing a signal received from a satellite positioning system (SPS) in the presence of a multi-tone jammer. In one particular implementation, processing of a signal may be altered in response to detection of one or more conditions. |
| US08503511B2 |
Method and receiver apparatus for determining a correlation value considering frequency correction
A receiver apparatus for determining a correlation value of a predetermined repetitive chip sequence in a receive signal, the chip sequence having a chip sequence duration and a chip sequence duration cycle. The receiver apparatus has a receive unit for receiving the receive signal and a segmenter for providing receive signal segments from the receive signal, two receive signals representing the same chip sequence in different repetition cycles and having at least one repetition cycle time spacing. |
| US08503505B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving data in a communication system
An apparatus and a method for transmitting/receiving data generate main service data of broadcasting data, generate additional data of the broadcasting data, transform the additional data into a parallel type, generate pseudo-random noise sequences as a spreading code of the additional data, select polarities of the pseudo-random noise sequences using any one additional data bits in the additional data in the transformed parallel type, map the remaining additional data bits excluding the one additional data bit from the additional data in the transformed parallel type to a single sequence, multiply a single sequence to which the remaining additional data bits are mapped by pseudo-noise sequences of which the polarities are selected, control mean power of the additional data multiplied by the sequences, couple the additional data of which the mean power is controlled with the main service data, and then, transmit the broadcasting data. |
| US08503503B1 |
Agile frequency synthesizer scheme for fast hopping, low phase noise applications
A system and method for frequency hopping precalibrates a subset of a plurality of channels, storing the channels' associated curves in a computer readable medium. Before hopping to a new channel, decision making circuitry can access the precalibrated curves. If the destination channel has an associated curve, then the system can use the values from that curve when hopping to a new channel. If the destination channel does not have an associated precalibrated curve, then the system can identify a closely situated channel with a precalibrated curve and use an offset value to settle at the destination channel. According to another aspect of the present invention, the offsets can be updated. According to a further aspect of the invention, the updated can be done dynamically. |
| US08503500B2 |
Alternating current light emitting device
A light emitting device and the fabrication method includes forming one or more light emitting modules on a substrate. The light emitting module receives an alternating current input and has at least two micro diodes. Each micro diode has at least two active layers and is electrically connected by a conductive structure so as to allow the active layers of the micro diodes to alternately emit light during positive and negative cycles of the alternating-current input. |
| US08503497B2 |
Protection device for solid state laser
Embodiments provide systems, devices, and methods for controlling a laser. The system includes a controller to control a laser, a ramp generator to ramp down laser power, the ramp generator electrically coupled with the controller and coupleable with the laser, and a hardware protection system electrically coupled with the ramp generator, wherein the ramp generator monitors signals sent from the controller and the hardware protection system to the ramp generator to detect signal failure and ramps down the laser power upon signal failure detection. The method includes sending a control status signal from a controller for a laser to a ramp generator, monitoring the control status signal for missing pulses, sending a hardware interlock status signal from a hardware protection system to the ramp generator, monitoring the hardware interlock status signal for signal failure, and ramping down laser power upon detection of missing pulses or signal failure. |
| US08503496B2 |
Device for judging state of semiconductor laser and method for judging state of semiconductor laser
A device includes: a providing unit that provides a driving electric current to a semiconductor laser, the electric current being superimposed a first alternating current signal having a first frequency at a low side of an operational range of the semiconductor laser and a second alternating current signal having a second frequency at a high side of the operational range; a first filter that extracts a first component corresponding to the first frequency from a voltage to be applied to the semiconductor laser; a second filter that extracts a second component corresponding to the second frequency from the voltage to be applied to the semiconductor laser; and a judge circuit that judges a state of the semiconductor laser based on a first differential resistance obtained from the result of the extracting by the first filter and a second differential resistance obtained from the result of the extracting by the second filter. |
| US08503495B2 |
Laser device
The laser device includes: a seed light source that outputs seed light; a pumping light source an amplification optical fiber as the amplifier that amplifies the seed light with an element pumped by the pumping light source; a monitor unit that is provided between the seed light source and the amplification optical fiber, and monitors the intensity of the light output from the amplification optical fiber; and a light source controller that controls the seed light source. In this laser device, when the light input to the monitor unit has an intensity equal to or higher than a predetermined intensity while the seed light is not input to the amplification optical fiber, the light source controller forces to output the seed light from the seed light source. |
| US08503481B2 |
Processing extension type system information blocks (SIBs)
A method for determining an extension type of a system information block segment is described. A system information block segment of type extension is received in a system frame number. A byte in a system information block extension type lookup table corresponding to the system frame number of the system information block segment is calculated. A bit position in the system information block extension type lookup table corresponding to the system frame number is calculated. The extension type expected at the system frame number for the system information block segment is determined using the byte and the bit position. |
| US08503477B2 |
16E1/T1 media gateway
An apparatus, method and system of a 16E1/T1 media gateway are disclosed. In one embodiment, a 16E1/T1 media gateway includes two set of 8E1/T1 interfaces connected through RJ45 connectors to create 16 E1/T1 interface in a media gateway equipment to run a multiple applications simultaneously such as voice services such as voice dialers including OBD, IBD, CRBT, IVRS, and video services such as Video IVRS, Video dialing, 3G services, and Data services such as SMSC, USSD, SIP terminal, and other special services like WAP, LBS services, remote monitoring, GSM A interface value added services in a single hardware based solution. Each 8E1/T1 setup consists of a CPU board, a framer board, a DSP board, HDD, power supply unit with dual power inputs, LED board, fans, to provide above said services. |
| US08503475B2 |
Random access method based on number of messages
A base station calculates the number of terminals which have transmitted messages at ith frame, and calculates the number of messages to be transmitted at (i+1)th frame by using the number of terminals which have transmitted the messages in the ith frame. The base station calculates a transmission probability by using the number of messages to be transmitted in the (i+1)th frame and the number of random access slots, and transmits the number of messages to be transmitted in the (i+1)th frame and the transmission probability to the plurality of terminals. The base station receives a message transmitted by a pertinent terminal, whose number of messages to be transmitted in the (i+1)th frame is greater than the number of random access slots, among the plurality of terminals, according to the result obtained by comparing the transmission probability and a random number. |
| US08503469B2 |
Network access device with shared memory
A technique for providing network access in accordance with at least one layered network access technology comprising layer 1 processes and layer 2 processes is described. In a device implementation, the technique comprises a shared memory adapted to store at least layer 1 data and layer 2 data as well as a memory access component coupled to the shared memory and comprising a first client port adapted to receive memory access requests from a layer 1 processing client and a second client port adapted to receive memory access requests from a layer 2 processing client. The memory access component is configured to serve a memory access request from the layer 1 processing client with a lower priority than a memory access request from the layer 2 processing client. In particular, the memory access component may be adapted to prioritize reading of layer 1 data by the layer 2 processing client over writing of layer 2 data by the layer 1 processing client. |
| US08503464B2 |
Techniques for efficiently updating routing information
Techniques for efficiently updating routing information in a network device such as a router. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the routing information is updated upon creation or deletion of an overlay tunnel without the network device having to regenerate a Shortest Path Tree (SPT) by performing full Shortest Path First (SPF) processing. |
| US08503462B2 |
Method and apparatus for remote access to a local network
A method and apparatus for enabling remote access to a local gateway (302) of a local network from a remote device (300) located outside the local network. Capabilities and credentials of the remote device and of the local gateway are configured independently in an IMS core (304) for the remote access. One or more users are also authorized for remote access to the local network by adding an IMS identity of each authorized user to an IMS based ACL (Access Control List). An access request to the local gateway from the remote device will be accepted if the IMS identity of the remote device user is present in the IMS based ACL. A remote access connection can then be established by means of the configured capabilities and credentials of the remote device and the local gateway. |
| US08503458B1 |
Methods and apparatus for characterizing adaptive clocking domains in multi-domain networks
An apparatus and method for managing and characterizing clock domains in multi-domain networks are disclosed. A process of clock domain management is capable of receiving a data packet or data stream traveling across CES circuit. Upon obtaining a clock domain hierarchy stored in a storage location, the process identifies a clock frequency in the clock domain hierarchy in accordance with the CES circuit. The clock domain hierarchy, in one embodiment, is a searchable database containing information relating to clock domains. The clock frequency is subsequently assigned to a packet processing unit for data processing. |
| US08503456B2 |
Flow based path selection randomization
Methods and apparatus for randomizing selection of a next-hop path/link in a network are disclosed. An example method includes receiving, at the network device, a data packet. The example method further includes generating a first hash key based on the data packet and generating a first hash value from the first hash key using a first hash function. The example method also includes generating a second hash key based on the data packet and the first hash value and generating a second hash value from the second hash key using a second hash function. The example method still further includes selecting a next-hop path based on the second hash value. |
| US08503455B2 |
Method for forwarding packets a related packet forwarding system, a related classification device and a related popularity monitoring device
The present invention relates to a method and related system and related devices for forwarding packets of a plurality of multimedia streams where the packets of the plurality of multimedia streams being forwarded from a multimedia source towards a plurality of multimedia endpoints over a communications network, where the method comprises a step of classifying the packets of the plurality of multimedia streams based on the usage of each of the multimedia streams. |
| US08503451B2 |
Limited automatic repeat request protocol for frame-based communication channels
In a frame-switched network, a sender sends frames to a receiver over a possibly unreliable channel. Sent frames include frame identifiers that can be used for a limited automatic repeat request. Upon receipt of a frame, the receiver determines, from the frame identifier, if frames prior to the received frame were lost in transit. If the receiver determines that it missed a prior frame, the receiver sends the sender a negative acknowledgment (nack) for the missed prior frame or frames. Otherwise, if the receiver receives a frame correctly, it does not acknowledge the frame. The frame identifiers can be a set of sequential integers with frames transmitted in sequential frame order. In some embodiments, when a receiver receives a frame out of order, the receiver buffers the out of order frame in a receiver buffer for a receive buffer period until preceding frames are received or a receive buffer period expires. The sender can send a reminder frame to the receiver to allow the receiver to detect a missed prior frame missing from an end of a frame sequence. The channel between the sender and the receiver can be a bidirectional channel over a telephone wire, a cable, a radio frequency link or a power wire. Multiple logical channels might be set up between a given sender-receiver pair, to allow for traffic of varying priorities. |
| US08503449B2 |
Method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture for providing distributed convergence nodes in a communication network environment
A system, apparatus, article of manufacture, and method provides one or more distributed convergence nodes referred to as “Supernodes”, each of which is embodied as a functional technology component within an application that automatically determines whether said component should become “active” and assume the responsibility of forwarding IP multicast data present on a LAN (which supports IP multicast communication) to a “Routing Supernode” via a WAN (which does not support IP multicast communication). The Routing Supernode, in turn, is responsible for forwarding that traffic to other Supernodes present on other LANs. The traffic sent to and from the Routing Supernode is sent via unicast communication. All Supernodes are responsible not only for forwarding traffic present on their respective LAN across the WAN to a Routing Supernode, but they are also responsible for forwarding traffic received over the WAN from the Routing Supernode onto their own respective LANs. An election process determines which device in a LAN is to operate as a SuperNode. |
| US08503444B2 |
Transmission device, transmission method, and program for the same
A transmission apparatus is provided, including a combination determination unit configured to determine combinations of data packets so that when a data packet in a first frame is missed in transmission, a recover packet (FEC packet) for recovering the missing data packet is generated based on data packets in the first frame and data packets in a second frame, and an error correction coding unit configured to generate a recover packet based on the determination made by the combination determination unit. |
| US08503442B2 |
Transmission information transfer apparatus and method thereof
A transmission information transfer apparatus for realizing the MAC VLAN function with low latency includes: a VLAN table memory that manages a VID and a VLAN membership; a VLAN cache which is a cache memory that manages a VLAN Cache Index and VLAN membership in association with one another; an FDB that manages the VID, DA, and output port information in association with one another and further manages the VID, SA, and VLAN Cache Index in association with one another; an extraction section that extracts the VID, DA, and SA included in an input packet; an FDB search section that acquires output port information associated with the VID and DA, as well as the VLAN Cache Index associated with the VID and SA; a table controller that acquires the VLAN membership associated with the VLAN Cache Index; and an output port determination section that determines an output port of a packet. |
| US08503439B2 |
Frame switching device
A frame switching device for an AFDX network, the device including a first port, configured to be connected to a frame switch of the network or else to a terminal, for example a computer, and a plurality of second ports configured to be respectively connected to on-board pieces of equipment. Each frame incident on the first port is replicated on each of the second ports. The second ports are periodically polled in turn, each frame present on a second polled port being transferred onto the first port. |
| US08503436B2 |
Method of triggering status report in wireless communication system and receiver
A method and apparatus of triggering a status report in a wireless communication system is provided. A duplicated data block is received. A triggering of a status report is suspended if the duplicated data block requests the status report and a sequence number (SN) of the duplicated data block is equal to or greater than a maximum status transmit state variable. Even if a duplicated data block requests a status report, the status report is triggered after hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) reordering is complete. |
| US08503435B2 |
Method for controlling IP phone and application program for the same
A method for controlling an IP phone and an application program for the same are disclosed. The application program is installed in a computer for connecting the computer and a proximal IP phone via a wired or wireless network. A subscriber sends data and commands to the proximal IP phone via application programs in the computer for controlling the proximal IP phone. The computer establishes connection with a remote phone via an expanded function of the proximal IP phone controlled by the application program. |
| US08503434B2 |
Method and system for inserting a new node into a communications path between two existing nodes without disruption
Techniques for inserting a new node into a communications path of existing nodes of a 3GPP network are described herein. According to one embodiment, state information is captured within a transport protocol layer of a first node. The state information pertains to an existing communications session between a second node and a third node, while the first node routing packets exchanged between the second and third nodes via the existing communications session. The transport protocol layer of the first node is then configured using the captured state information to enable the transport protocol layer of the first node to independently communicate with a transport protocol layer of the second node and the third node respectively without terminating the existing communications session. |
| US08503433B2 |
Routing methods and systems using ENUM servers
A method of processing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call is disclosed. The method includes receiving a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) associated with a destination telephone number from a telephone number mapping (ENUM) server associated with a third service provider. The method also includes receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) server associated with a second service provider in response to a query by a first service provider to a Domain Name Service (DNS) server. The query is based on the URI. Additionally, the method includes contacting the SIP server using the IP address of the SIP server to set up a bearer path of the VoIP call. |
| US08503431B2 |
Mobile phone related indirect communication system and method
An indirect communication system and a method of indirect communication include a mobile phone as either a calling device or receiving device. The mobile phone calls another device to set up a prospective communication, and then uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to communicate with the other device over the Internet. The receiving device receives a generated signal notifying the receiving device of a proposed communication with the calling device. A server sets up a meeting point channel after the calling device has connected to the server. The server receives outgoing VoIP packets from the calling device and redirects the outgoing VoIP packets to the receiving device. |
| US08503430B2 |
Dynamic operational mode management for a wireless terminal
An operational mode of a terminal is dynamically configured to allow the terminal to receive services of interest to the terminal while potentially conserving battery power. The terminal operates in a first mode (e.g., an HRPD-only mode) and monitors only a first radio network (e.g., an HRPD network) for pages from a first data network (e.g., and IMS network) if all services from a second data network (e.g., an ANSI-41 network) of interest to the terminal is obtainable via the first radio network. The terminal operates in a second mode (e.g., an 1X-HRPD mode) and monitors the first radio network and a second radio network (e.g., a 1X network) for pages from the first and second data networks, respectively, if at least one service from the second data network of interest to the terminal is not obtainable via the first radio network. The terminal may dynamically select the first or second mode. |
| US08503426B2 |
Technique for performing a random access procedure over a radio interface
The invention relates to a technique for performing a random access procedure over a radio interface, for example between a mobile terminal and a radio base station of a mobile network. A method aspect of the invention comprises the steps of transmitting a synchronization request for synchronization information; receiving synchronization information in response to the synchronization request; and transmitting, based on at least one transmission parameter adjusted in accordance with the synchronization information, a resource request for data transmission resources. |
| US08503424B2 |
Apparatus and methods for managing operator information
Apparatus and methods for managing operation information include determining a home network for a wireless device and receiving a call with a number identifying a calling party and a network identification identifying the network for the calling party. The apparatus and methods also include determining whether the received network identification corresponds to the home network for the wireless device. In addition, the apparatus and methods include displaying a notification based upon the determination; and accepting and/or rejecting the call based upon the notification. |
| US08503423B2 |
Method and apparatus for versatile MAC multiplexing in evolved HSPA
Methods and apparatuses for versatile medium access control (MAC) multiplexing in evolved HSPA are disclosed. More particularly, methods for downlink optimization of the enhanced high speed MAC (MAC-ehs) entity and uplink optimization of the MAC-i/is entity are disclosed. Apparatuses for using the optimized downlink and uplink MAC entities are also disclosed. |
| US08503419B2 |
Adaptive rate and reach optimization for wireless access networks
A method controls a wireless local area network, which includes a centralized performance management controller and a plurality of network elements. The method includes determining interference between each network element and every other network element of the plurality of network elements, and populating an interference matrix identifying the interference between each combination of two network elements of the plurality of network elements. The method also includes generating an adjacency matrix based on the interference matrix indicating each combination of the two network elements of the plurality of network elements that has an unacceptable level of interference. The method further includes improving overall performance of the wireless local area network by reducing the unacceptable levels of interference indicated by the adjacency matrix. |
| US08503418B2 |
Method and system for accountable resource allocation in cellular and broadband networks
A method includes receiving information flows between users into a basestation of a cellular network, applying a usage accountability framework responsive to predetermined user fairness metrics, bandwidth resources on the network and a history of channel bandwidth variations by the users, and executing bandwidth allocation for the flows between the users responsive to the applying an accountability framework for improving user experience on the network by the users. |
| US08503416B2 |
Method and system for efficient homeless MPLS micro-mobility
A method performed by a network element for providing micro-mobility in a network to a mobile node including the steps of receiving a registration request message at the mobility anchor point from an access router that is currently coupled to the mobile node, wherein the registration request message includes an endpoint identifier of the mobile node and a local care-of address of the mobile node, establishing a label switch path (LSP) between the mobility anchor point and the access router, storing the endpoint identifier in a binding entry along with the local care-of address, a regional care-of address, the label switch path and an egress interface, advertising the endpoint identifier with associated regional or local care-of address of the mobile node, and forwarding data packets, received at the mobility anchor point from a corresponding node that have the regional or local care-of address, to the mobile node using the LSP. |
| US08503412B2 |
Process method about the service connection between the wireless local area network and user terminal
Disclosed is a method for processing the service connection between a user terminal and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) applicable to a WLAN interactive network that at least comprises: a WLAN user terminal, a WLAN access unit, a service control unit and a user information storage unit. The method comprises: setting flags that represent the attached or detached status of the service connection between the user terminal and the WLAN in the WLAN user terminal and the service control unit respectively; establishing or canceling the connection between the user terminal and the network through the interaction between the WLAN user terminal and the WLAN, meanwhile modifying the corresponding flags. The method can clarify the service connection status of the current WLAN user terminal so as to implement effective interaction and control between the WLAN user terminal and the service control unit, keep the user information in the user information storage unit and service control unit consistent, avoid redundant messages, and further improve the working efficiency of the system. |
| US08503407B2 |
Method for transmitting and receiving a signal to protect against erroneous feedback information
A method for providing precoding weights for data symbols of data control subframes includes generating a downlink frame having control subframes which individually correspond to one of a plurality of downlink data subframes, and inserting weight information into each of the control subframes, such that the weight information is to be applied to data symbols present in the corresponding one of the data subframes. The method further includes transmitting the control subframes and the inserted weight information to a receiving device. |
| US08503402B2 |
Method and arrangements for load balancing of power amplifiers
The present invention relates to a transmit unit, a control unit and a method in a transmit unit comprising at least two antennas for transmitting signals relating to a plurality of radio channels. The transmit unit transmit signals relating to a first subset of channels from the first antenna and pilot signals from the first antenna for use a reference for the first subset of channels. The transmit unit is further arranged to transmit signals relating to a second subset of channels from the second antenna using single antenna transmission. The transmit unit also transmits pilot signals on a second type of pilot channel such as the S-CPICH, different from the first type of pilot channel, from the second antenna for use as a reference for the second subset of channels, wherein the first and second type of pilot channels are substantially covering the same area. |
| US08503395B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting load indicator in a broadband wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for providing load state information of a Base Station (BS) in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. The method includes determining a ratio of a whole allocated resource compared to a whole resource of the BS and a ratio of a resource allocated for a rate requiring security compared to the whole resource, generating at least one load indicator for indicating a first value expressing the ratio of the whole allocated resource and a second value expressing the ratio of the resource allocated for the rate requiring security, and transmitting the at least one load indicator. |
| US08503392B2 |
Method for controlling access of terminal to home (e)NodeB
A method for controlling access of a terminal to a Home (e)NodeB by a network entity, the terminal accessed to the Home (e)NodeB operated in a closed access mode or a hybrid access mode by using a specific closed subscriber group (CSG) ID, the method comprises: recognizing by the network entity, that an allowed access timer of the specific CSG ID with respect to the Home (e)NodeB has expired; transmitting an Update Bearer Request message to other network entity in order to change a membership of the expired CSG ID; transmitting a Bearer Modify Request message to the Home (e)NodeB in order to change a membership of the expired CSG ID; and updating a bearer with said other network entity, and a bearer with the Home (e)NodeB. |
| US08503389B2 |
Transmitting apparatus, receiving apparatus, and communication method
A transmitting apparatus is capable of transmitting data at a first frequency and second frequency to a receiving apparatus. A transmitter of the transmitting apparatus transmits a predetermined wideband signal, in a first time period in a frequency band which does not include the first frequency and in a second time period in a frequency band which does not include the second frequency. A quality measuring unit of the receiving apparatus measures the quality of communication with the transmitting apparatus based on the wideband signal received in the first and second time periods. |
| US08503387B2 |
Radio telecommunications system and method of operating the same with polling
An apparatus or method for transmitting data blocks on a communications channel having a radio link between two stations including a user equipment comprises receiving first data blocks from the user equipment, and transmitting second data blocks to the user equipment. A polling interval is dynamically set for the transmission of polling messages to the user equipment after transmission of the second data blocks, the polling interval being set in accordance with at least one of: a size of one or more data blocks received by the apparatus from the user equipment, a size of one or more blocks transmitted from the apparatus to the user equipment, and a service to which the user equipment is subscribed. The apparatus may be used as a PCU in a cellular mobile telephone system. |
| US08503382B2 |
Method and system for a simplified user group selection scheme with finite-rate channel state information feedback for FDD multiuser MIMO downlink transmission
A method for processing signals in a communication system includes selecting, from a plurality of users, a first user having a channel gain that is greater than a channel gain corresponding to a remaining portion of the plurality of users. At least a second user may be selected from a portion of the remaining portion of the plurality of users, based on a feedback channel gain of the second user. The selected second user may have a channel direction that is approximately orthogonal to a channel direction of the first user. System capacity may be determined based on the selecting of the first user and the selecting of the second user. The channel gain may be defined by a quantized channel gain. A quantized channel direction of the selected first user may be determined for the selecting of the second user. |
| US08503378B2 |
Base station and transmission method
A disclosed base station in a multi-carrier system performs frequency scheduling in a frequency bandwidth including plural resource blocks each including one or more sub-carriers. The base station includes a frequency scheduler determining scheduling information for allocating one or more resource blocks to a communication terminal having good channel quality based on a channel quality indicator reported from plural of the communication terminals; a unit encoding and modulating a control channel transmitting the scheduling information; a multiplexing unit frequency-division multiplexing the control channel with a channel other than the control channel in accordance with the scheduling information; and a unit transmitting an output signal from the multiplexing unit in the multi-carrier system. |
| US08503376B2 |
Techniques for secure channelization between UICC and a terminal
The present invention is related to a wireless communication system. 3G UMTS mobile phone systems rely on a protected smart card called the UMTS integrated circuit card (UICC) that provides UMTS subscriber identity module (USIM) applications as a basis or root of various security measures protecting the communication path between the 3G mobile terminal and the UMTS wireless network (or UTRAN). Disclosed is a method by which the UICC exchanges information with a terminal, such as an Internal Key Center (IKC 1250) and a Bootstrapping Server Function (BSF 1270) enables a procedure where multiple local keys specific to applications and Network Application Functions (NAFs) (Ks_local) are used for authentication and to encrypt and decrypt messages. |
| US08503371B2 |
Link assignment messages in lieu of assignment acknowledgement messages
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate communication by supplying an immediate re-send of an assignment, when such assignment is not decoded by an access node (“AN”). In one embodiment, the assignment to AT can be re-sent immediately, hence mitigating a requirement for the AT to indicate that “Yes” the assignment was received, or “No” that the assignment was not received. Accordingly, if the AN does not decode the assignment, the assignment is re-sent, and a request latency can be removed. |
| US08503367B2 |
Wireless communication signaling for aggregate data units
Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes obtaining data for a transmission to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can be configured to process incoming transmissions based on an aggregate data unit format that specifies signaling for aggregating multiple medium access control (MAC) data units. The technique includes, in a physical (PHY) frame, an aggregate data unit that is based on the data and the aggregate data unit format, the aggregate data unit including a single MAC data unit. The technique includes, in the PHY frame, an indication to signal that the MAC data unit in the aggregate data unit is singular and to cause the wireless communication device to accept the aggregate data unit without a corresponding block acknowledgement agreement. |
| US08503360B2 |
Method and apparatus for facilitating multi-user joint transmit-receive beamforming
A method of wireless communication is disclosed that includes receiving detected channel information from a plurality of access terminals; selecting a set of access terminals from the plurality of access terminals based on the received channel information; creating a beamforming vector for each access terminal in the set of selected access terminals; and transmitting a signal using at least one of the created beamforming vectors. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed herein. |
| US08503359B2 |
Use of delayed clear-to-send and denial-to-send in directional wireless networks
For directional wireless communications, at least one new response to a Request-to-Send (RTS) message has been created to avoid a hidden-node problem that is particular to directional networks. In response to an RTS received during a NAV period, a Denial-to-Send (DTS) may be transmitted to indicate that the responding device cannot currently communicate further because its NAV is currently set, but it will be ready to communicate after expiration of the time period specified in the DTS. |
| US08503358B2 |
Wireless device registration, such as automatic registration of a Wi-Fi enabled device
A system for providing a wireless device with access to a computer network includes an access point that sets up a radio link with the wireless device and couples the wireless device to the network. The system also includes a server that receives data packets from the access point through the computer network. The data packets include at least one data packet that has a first identifier that uniquely identifies the wireless device and a second identifier that corresponds to at least one of a manufacturer code or a vendor code of the wireless device. The system further includes a database that is coupled to the server and stores data for associating a service plan with the first and second identifiers and basing the service plan, at least in part, on the second identifier. Other features and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08503357B2 |
Radio system, radio base station and radio terminal
One of a plurality of radio terminals that transmit radio signals to a radio base station under a space multiplexing scheme, including a receiving unit 42 that receives an access right request signal with respect to the radio base station from an other radio terminal, a prevention unit 43 that prevents transmission of radio signals when receiving radio signals directed to an other radio terminal, a cancellation unit 43 that cancels the prevention of transmission when receiving an access right assignment signal during the prevention of transmission and a transmitting unit 41 that transmits a data signal to the radio base station according to the assignment signal, wherein radio signals are transmitted to the radio base station simultaneously with the other radio terminals and under the space multiplexing scheme. |
| US08503355B2 |
Method, server, and system for managing “push-to-talk” session
A method, a server and a system for managing a session in walkie-talkie (“push-to-talk”) mode between terminals each of which has respective capacities for encoding and decoding voice and/or image signals. The terminals are logged onto the session via a server and a first wireless telecommunications network to which the terminals are connected and a second network to which the server is connected. The server comprises a data encoder/decoder. When a session is established at the request of a terminal, a sender terminal sends data encoded according to an initial type of coding to one or more receiver terminals that are connected via the server. The server receiving data encoded according to the initial type of coding then processes the data according to the respective capacities of the receiver terminals in order to ensure compatibility of the data encoded according to the initial type of coding and the data received by the receiver terminals, where applicable according to at least one type of coding other than the initial type of coding. The server then sends the processed data to the receiver terminals. |
| US08503353B2 |
Reverse link power and data rate control
Arrangements are presented for adjusting a power level and data rate at an access terminal. The access terminal may include a transmitter module configured to transmit data packets to a gateway. The access terminal may include a receiver module configured to receive control data generated at the gateway. The access terminal may also include a control module. The control module may evaluate the received control data. The control module may increase a transmit power level for data packets to be transmitted from the transmitter module when a first set of conditions is not satisfied. In the first set of conditions, the control data may include a first command. The control module may increase a data rate for data packets to be transmitted from the transmitter module when a second set of conditions is satisfied. In the second set of conditions, the control data may include a second command. |
| US08503350B2 |
Wireless communication system
A communication method in a wireless communication system includes receiving information to determine whether or not to permit a relay of a communication between a first wireless station and a second wireless station, and relaying the communication based on at least the received information. |
| US08503341B2 |
Client device
A client device is provided, including: a WiMAX access module for accessing a WiMAX network, and receiving a WiMAX wireless data from the WiMAX network; a switching module for being connected between the WiMAX access module and a network processor, and realizing transparent data transmission between the WiMAX access module and the network processor; the network processor for processing the WiMAX wireless data received from the switching module. |
| US08503340B1 |
WiFi phone system
A voice communication system over WiFi 802.11 network includes: WiFi phone devices, subscription servers and wireless access points. Through voice and data gateways the system can transfer both voice and data streams through WiFi; Phone devices with both wired and WiFi wireless interfaces can automatically switches between wired network and wireless network through WiFi access points. Subscription server maintains the current status of each device every time it changes location. Voice packets are prioritized over regular data packets and dispatched to different network interface by smart packet dispatcher. Quality of service for voice conversation over WiFi is achieved by various methods: piggy-tail method and ACK enhancements and other improvements to reduce delay and latency of real time voice packets. |
| US08503338B2 |
Optimized signaling of demodulation reference signal patterns
Orthogonality in cyclic shift (CS) and orthogonal cover code (OCC) selection for DMRS in MIMO is improved by new nDMRS to nDMRS(2) mapping patterns. Values in the mapping tables are arranged in sets, with minimum CS separation between the values in each set. Additionally, the semi-static nDMRS is independently configurable for each UL component carrier (CC) in the case of cross-CC scheduling in carrier aggregation, and the PHICH allocation formula that defines the allocation of the PHICH process relative to the kth codeword (CW) on the cth UL CC is a function of both the CS index nDMRS,k,c(2) that is dynamically assigned to a certain layer of the considered CW and the semi-static CS offset nDMRS,c(1) for the cth CC. |
| US08503332B2 |
Accelerating data communication using tunnels
Methods and systems are provided for increasing application performance and accelerating data communications in a WAN environment. According to one embodiment, packets are received at a flow classification module operating at the Internet Protocol (IP) layer of a first wide area network (WAN) acceleration device via a shared connection-oriented tunnel, which is operable to convey application layer data for connection-oriented applications between WAN acceleration devices. Packets that are classified as being associated with an existing connection-oriented flow are passed to a WAN socket operating at the transport layer. Based on the application protocol, the packets are passed to an application handler of multiple application handlers operating at the application layer each of which implements one or more application acceleration techniques for a particular poorly behaved WAN protocol. The existing connection-oriented flow is securely accelerated by performing one or more application acceleration techniques and applying one or more security functions. |
| US08503327B2 |
Radio frequency module supporting multiple carriers, base station and carrier distribution method
The present invention discloses a radio frequency module supporting multiple carriers, a base station, and a carrier distribution method. The radio frequency module supporting multiple carriers includes a carrier generating apparatus, a carrier distributor, a carrier synthesizer, and at least two transmit channel, where the carrier generating apparatus is connected to the carrier synthesizer, the carrier synthesizer is connected to the transmit channels, and the carrier distributor is separately connected to the carrier synthesizer and the transmit channels. |
| US08503326B2 |
Systems and methods to monitor and analyze customer equipment downtime in a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service network
Systems and methods to monitor and analyze customer premises equipment downtime in a Voice over Internet Protocol service network are disclosed. Example methods for a dynamic host configuration protocol server disclosed herein include assigning a replacement Internet protocol address to a residential gateway, the replacement Internet protocol address to replace a first Internet protocol address assigned to at least one of the residential gateway or customer premises equipment associated with the residential gateway, sending a first address change message to a session border controller, and sending a second address change message to a lost subscriber time server, the first and second address change messages to indicate that the first Internet protocol address has been replaced by the replacement Internet protocol address. |
| US08503325B2 |
Packet transfer device and packet transfer method
Packet transfer device and method have both a processing procedure for uninterruptible-switching desiring packets and a processing procedure for low-delay desiring packets, and process each user packet according to a desired one of the processing procedures. The uninterruptible-switching desiring packets are set to be in phase by a delay unit and written into an uninterruptible-switching memory. The low-delay desiring packets are written into a low-delay memory without passing trough the delay unit, that is, without being delayed. A read-out controller reads out a packet from the uninterruptible-switching memory. When the read-out packet is an uninterruptible-switching desiring packet, the packet is directly output, and when the read-out packet is a low-delay desiring packet, the packet is discarded, and a low-delay desiring packet is read out from the low-delay memory and output. |
| US08503323B2 |
Processing unit decoding packets with deadlines in communications channel
A method of processing first and second record packets of real-time information includes computing for each packet a deadline interval and ordering processing of the packets according to the respective deadline intervals. A single-chip integrated circuit has a processor circuit and embedded electronic instructions forming an egress packet control establishing an egress scheduling list structure and operations in the processor circuit that extract a packet deadline intervals, place packets in the egress scheduling list according to deadline intervals; and embed a decoder that decodes the packets according to a priority depending to their deadline intervals. |
| US08503321B2 |
Multifunctional control channel for pseudowire emulation
A system advertises a multifunctional control channel (MFCC) in an interface parameter sub-type-length-value (TLV) of an advertisement label mapping message that is dispatched to a network device. The system also processes a reply label mapping message that is transmitted from the network device in response to the advertisement label mapping message and updates a label information base to establish a pseudowire and a MFCC associated with the pseudowire. |
| US08503320B2 |
Available bandwidth estimation in a packet-switched communication network
A system and method for determining end-to-end available bandwidth of a path in a packet-switched communication network. A multi-rate packet chirp injector injects probe traffic packets at different probing rates, u, into the network utilizing a probe chirp. A receiver samples time separation of the probe traffic packets to generate time-separation samples, which are used to calculate relative inter-packet separation strain, ε, samples at different probing rates. An Expectation-Maximization, EM, analyzer utilizes an EM algorithm to identify useful strain ε samples and to estimate parameters of a line l2 representing a direct linear relationship between the probing rate and the inter-packet separation strain ε at probing rates greater than a break point. A filter such as, for example, a Kalman filter then determines the available bandwidth of the network path based on the estimated parameters of the line l2. |
| US08503309B2 |
Dynamic expelling of child nodes in directed acyclic graphs in a computer network
A parent node in a directed acyclic graph (DAG) in a computer network may detect congestion from its child nodes. In response, the parent node may determine particular child nodes to expel from the parent node based on the congestion, and notifies the expelled child nodes that they must detach from the parent node in response to dynamically detecting congestion (e.g., to find a new parent, excluding the parent node and optionally any nodes in the vicinity). In another embodiment, a child node receives a detach request packet from a current parent node that indicates that the child node is expelled from using the current parent node. In response, the child node triggers a new parent selection to select a new parent node that specifically excludes the current parent node (e.g., and optionally any nodes in the parent's vicinity). |
| US08503301B2 |
Relay device, state informing method, and computer program
A relay device which forwards a packet received from a first device to a second device, the relay device includes a detection unit that detects that the relay device has been in a specified state, a generation unit that generates a packet that contains information for identifying the relay device and information indicating that the relay device is in the specified state when the detection unit detects that the relay device has been in the specified state, and a transmission unit that transmits the generated packet to a specific transmission destination. |
| US08503300B2 |
Efficient messaging over internet protocol
A method for a client and server based messaging system efficiently exchanges messages over an IP connection in a wireless network. Also included is an automated method by which a messaging client can request intelligent and efficient presence updates from the wireless network by utilizing timers and adapt such timers based on load conditions in the wireless network. |
| US08503296B2 |
Optimized connection admission control for systems using adaptive modulation and coding techniques
A method and a connection admission control module are described herein for controlling the admission of a connection in a wireless communication system between a base station and a subscriber unit, in which a modulation and coding scheme of uplink and downlink communications can be varied over time. In addition, a base station is described herein that incorporates the connection admission control module. |
| US08503293B2 |
Health probing detection and enhancement for traffic engineering label switched paths
A method performed by a network device may include establishing performance-based Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) sessions for each link of a primary traffic engineering Label Switched Path (TE-LSP) and establishing performance-based BFD sessions for each link of a secondary TE-LSP. The method may also include, monitoring performance of the primary TE-LSP based on the performance-based BFD sessions for each link of the primary TE-LSP and monitoring performance of the secondary TE-LSP based on the performance-based BFD sessions for each link of the secondary TE-LSP. The method may further include determining that the performance of the primary TE-LSP is degraded based on the monitoring of the performance of the primary TE-LSP and automatically switching a flow of data unit traffic from the primary TE-LSP to the secondary TE-LSP when the performance of the primary TE-LSP is degraded. |
| US08503292B2 |
Data transfer system, a reception device of the data transfer system and a control method of the data transfer system
A data transfer system transfers data via a plurality of signal lines and controls to select the signal lines to adapt reduction and lane reversal. The signal line control unit has a signal creation unit that creates a first selection signal when the signal lines are reduced according to the abnormal detection from the abnormal detection unit, and a signal output unit that outputs a second selection signal when a connection of the second selection signal indicating that any one or both signal line of a second pair of signal lines is changed in case of a lane reversal that connects a plurality of signal lines in a down order from a highest bit to a lowest bit of a sending device side with a plurality of signal in a up order from a highest bit to a lowest bit of a reception device side. |
| US08503282B2 |
Communication system and method over local area network wiring
A device for enabling a local area network wiring structure to simultaneously carry digital data and analog telephone signals on the same transmission medium. It is particularly applicable to a network in star topology, in which remote data units (e.g. personal computers) are each connected to a hub through a cable comprising at least two pairs of conductors, providing a data communication path in each direction. Modules at each end of the cable provide a phantom path for telephony (voice band), signals between a telephone near the data set and a PBX, through both conductor pairs in a phantom circuit arrangement. All such communication paths function simultaneously and without mutual interference. The modules comprise simple and inexpensive passive circuit components. |
| US08503281B2 |
Optical recording disc and method for recording or reading data on the optical recording disc
An optical recording disc comprises: at least ten optical recording layers; a plurality of intermediate layers each interposed between adjacent optical recording layers; a base film configured to support the optical recording layers and the intermediate layers; a cover layer disposed opposite to the base film with the optical recording layers and the intermediate layers interposed therebetween. The optical recording disc is in the shape of a disc as a whole. The total thickness of the optical recording disc is not more than 300 micrometers, and the optical recording disc provides flexibility. |
| US08503270B1 |
Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head including a plasmon generator and a magnetic pole
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a magnetic pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. The plasmon generator and the magnetic pole are disposed to align in the direction of travel of a magnetic recording medium. The thermally-assisted magnetic recording head further includes an amorphous layer made of a nonmagnetic metal, the amorphous layer being interposed between and in contact with the plasmon generator and the magnetic pole. |
| US08503268B1 |
Fondue fork with timer
A fork for engaging and holding a food item while the food item is cooking includes an elongate fork body; a fork distal end including at least one tine; a fork proximal end with a fork handle; a stopwatch timer with a timer display mechanism and a timer actuating mechanism for timing the emersion of a food item within a fondue liquid to determine that the food item is cooked sufficiently but not excessively; and a timer power source connected to the timer. |
| US08503264B1 |
Reducing power consumption in a segmented memory
A memory structure can include a first memory block including a plurality of memory cells corresponding to a first subset of addresses of a range of addresses and a second memory block including a plurality of memory cells corresponding to a second subset of addresses of the range of addresses. The memory structure can include control circuitry coupled to the first memory block and the second memory block and configured to provide control signals to the first memory block and the second memory block. The first memory block and the second memory block can be configured to implement a reduced power mode independently of one another responsive to the control signals. |
| US08503262B2 |
Semiconductor device including memory cells that require refresh operation
A semiconductor device includes a first circuit that generates a self refresh signal in a predetermined cycle asynchronous with a cycle set externally, a second circuit that generates a refresh address in response to the self refresh signal and updates the refresh address and outputs the refresh address, a third circuit that retains a relief address, a fourth circuit that counts number of generation of the self refresh signal and activates an interrupt signal when a count of the number of generation reaches a predetermined count, a fifth circuit that specifies the refresh address when the interrupt signal is in an inactive state and specifies the relief address when the interrupt signal is in an active state, and a sixth circuit that performs a refresh operation on memory cells specified by the selected refresh address or the relief address. The second circuit temporarily stops updating the refresh address in response to activation of the interrupt signal. |
| US08503261B2 |
Semiconductor device
A method of testing a semiconductor device includes providing a first wafer that includes a first surface, a second surface that is allocated at an opposite side of the first surface, a first electrode penetrating the first wafer from the first surface to the second surface, and a pad formed on the first surface and coupled electrically with the first electrode, providing a second wafer that includes a second electrode penetrating the second wafer, stacking the first wafer onto the second wafer to connect the first electrode with the second electrode such that the second surface of the first wafer faces the second wafer, probing a needle to the pad, and supplying, in such a state that the first wafer is stacked on the second wafer, a test signal to the first electrode to input the test signal into the second wafer via the first electrode and the second electrode. |
| US08503259B2 |
Memory test method and memory test device
A memory test is performed by sequentially generating a number of n-bit addresses, whose first to k-th bits (1≦k≦n) are all set to one of two values, 0 or 1, and whose (k+1)th to n-th bits are all set to the other one of the two values, for all k's which range from 1 to n; writing first test data to each of the generated addresses in the memory; reading second test data from each of the addresses in the memory; and comparing the first test data with the second test data. |
| US08503253B2 |
Supply voltage generating circuit and semiconductor device having the same
A supply voltage generating circuit includes a first charge pump circuit that generates a first internal supply voltage, and second charge pump circuit that generates a second internal supply voltage. The absolute value of the second internal supply voltage is greater than that of the first internal supply voltage. The output terminal of the first charge pump circuit is connected to a secondary-side charging terminal of the second charge pump circuit. The secondary-side is an output-side of the corresponding charge pump circuit, and the charging terminal is an auxiliary charging terminal that supplies an auxiliary charge to a secondary-side output terminal of the corresponding charge pump circuit. The output terminal of the second charge pump circuit outputs a voltage value that is the result of adding a prescribed voltage value to the value of the first internal supply voltage applied to the charging terminal. |
| US08503252B2 |
Sense amplifier circuit
A sense amplifier circuit comprises a first inverter configured to provide a first trigger point during a pre-charge stage of a READ operation of a memory cell and provide a second trigger point either lower or higher than the first trigger point during a sense stage of the READ operation of the memory cell. The sense amplifier circuit further comprises a plurality of inverters coupled between an output of the first inverter and an output of the sense amplifier and a pre-charge device. The sense amplifier circuit having a dynamic trigger point can deliver faster data access time as well as less power consumption. |
| US08503251B2 |
Semiconductor memory device having pipe latch circuit for storing output data during read operation and method for operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory bank configured to output stored data in response to a column selection signal, a plurality of data latching units configured to latch the data outputted from the memory bank in response to an input control signal which is generated according to the column selection signal, and output the latched data in response to an output control signal, a time measurement unit configured to measure a time from an activation of the input control signal to an activation of the output control signal and generate a delay control signal, and an activation control unit configured to control an activation time of the column selection signal in response to the delay control signal. |
| US08503247B2 |
Semiconductor storage apparatus, and method and system for boosting word lines
A semiconductor storage apparatus includes: a word line coupled to a cell transistor; a first capacitor having a first end coupled to the word line; a boost driver coupled to a second end of the first capacitor; a voltage-drop circuit configured to generate a given voltage drop between a first voltage and a second voltage; and a boost-drive circuit configured to boost a voltage at the second end from the second voltage to the first voltage. |
| US08503242B2 |
Methods and devices for determining sensing voltages
The present disclosure includes methods and devices for determining sensing voltages. One such method includes comparing data associated with a number of template distributions to data associated with a first threshold voltage distribution and a second threshold voltage distribution associated with a number of memory cells programmed to particular adjacent program states, determining an intersection of the first and second threshold voltage distributions based on a template distribution of the number template distributions which most closely compares to the first and second threshold voltage distributions, and using the determined intersection to determine a sensing voltage used to sense the number of memory cells programmed to the particular adjacent program states. |
| US08503237B1 |
System and method for data recovery in a solid state storage device
Embodiments of solid-state storage system are provided herein include data recovery mechanism to recover data upon detection of a read error (e.g., an uncorrectable ECC error) in a storage element such as a page. In various embodiments, the system is configured to determine optimal reference voltage value(s) by evaluating the reference voltage value(s) of page(s) that are related to the page where the failure occurred. The related page(a) may include a page that is paired with the initial page where the failure occurred (e.g., the paired pages reside in a common memory cell), or a neighboring page that is physically near the page where the initial page, and/or a paired page of the neighboring page. In another embodiment, the system is configured to perform a time-limited search function to attempt to determine optimal reference voltage values through an iterative process that adjusts voltage values in a progression to determine a set of values that can retrieve the data. |
| US08503235B2 |
Nonvolatile memory with faulty cell registration
In response to a read command received by a system interface unit for accessing a plurality of blocks of data stored in said non-volatile semiconductor memory, a controller carries out selective read operations of blocks of data to two memories from the non-volatile semiconductor memory. The controller also carries out parallel operations of data transferring a first block of data, which has already been subjected to error detection and error correction operations by an error correction unit, from one of the two memories to a host system via said system interface unit and of data transferring of a second block of data to be subjected to the error detection and error correction operation, from said non-volatile semiconductor memory to the other of the two memories. |
| US08503232B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and programming method thereof
A programming method comprised of: classifying memory cells to be programmed into first, second and third levels; applying a program inhibition voltage to an unselected bit line, applying a ground voltage to bit lines, which are coupled with memory cells that are to be programmed into the third level, among selected bit lines, and applying a first voltage, which is lower than the program inhibition voltage but higher than a ground voltage, to bit lines coupled with memory cells that are to be programmed into the second level, and applying a second voltage, which is lower than the program inhibition voltage but higher than the first voltage, to bit line coupled with memory cells that are to be programmed into the first level; and supplying a program voltage, which gradually increases, to a selected word line coupled with the memory cells while applying the voltages to the bit lines. |
| US08503231B2 |
Multi-level cell flash memory device and read method
A method of reading data of a multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory device is disclosed. The method includes reading a least significant bit (LSB) and a most significant bit (MSB) of the data programmed to a plurality of memory cells. Reading each of the LSB and MSB includes; reading a MSB flag indicating whether or not the MSB for memory cells in a page of memory cells has been programmed, performing a first read with respect to a plurality of first bit lines, setting a target voltage in view of the read value of the MSB flag, applying the target voltage to a plurality of second bit lines, and performing a second read with respect to the plurality of second bit lines. |
| US08503227B2 |
Transient heat assisted STTRAM cell for lower programming current
A memory cell including magnetic materials and heating materials, and methods of programming the memory cell are provided. The memory cell includes a free region, a pinned region, and a heating region configured to generate and transfer heat to the free region when a programming current is directed to the cell. The heat transferred from the heating region increases the temperature of the free region, which decreases the magnetization and the critical switching current density of the free region. In some embodiments, the heating region may also provide a current path to the free region, and the magnetization of the free region may be switched according to the spin polarity of the programming current, programming the memory cell to a high resistance state or a low resistance state. |
| US08503226B2 |
Programmable phase-change memory and method therefor
A non-volatile memory is disclosed. A contiguous layer of phase change material is provided. Proximate the contiguous layer of phase change material is provided a first pair of contacts for providing an electrical current therebetween, the electrical current for passing through the contiguous layer of phase change material for inducing heating thereof within a first region. Also adjacent the contiguous layer is provided a second pair of contacts disposed for providing an electrical current therebetween, the electrical current for passing through the contiguous layer of phase change material for inducing heating thereof within a second region thereof, the second region different from the first region. |
| US08503225B2 |
Multibit cell with synthetic storage layer
Method for writing and reading more than two data bits to a MRAM cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction formed from a read magnetic layer having a read magnetization, and a storage layer comprising a first storage ferromagnetic layer having a first storage magnetization, a second storage ferromagnetic layer having a second storage magnetization; the method comprising: heating the magnetic tunnel junction above a high temperature threshold; and orienting the first storage magnetization at an angle with respect to the second storage magnetization such that the magnetic tunnel junction reaches a resistance state level determined by the orientation of the first storage magnetization relative to that of the read magnetization. The method allows for storing at least four distinct state levels in the MRAM cell using only one current line to generate a writing field. |
| US08503224B2 |
Spintronic devices with integrated transistors
The semiconductor industry seeks to replace traditional volatile memory devices with improved non-volatile memory devices. The increased demand for a significantly advanced, efficient, and non-volatile data retention technique has driven the development of integrated Giant-Magneto-resistive (GMR) structures. The present teachings relates to integrated latch memory and logic devices and, in particular, concerns a spin dependent logic device that may be integrated with conventional semiconductor-based logic devices to construct high-speed non-volatile static random access memory (SRAM) cells. |
| US08503213B2 |
Memory architecture of 3D array with alternating memory string orientation and string select structures
A 3D memory device includes a plurality of ridge-shaped stacks, in the form of multiple strips of conductive material separated by insulating material, arranged as bit lines which can be coupled through decoding circuits to sense amplifiers. Diodes are connected to the bit lines at either the string select of common source select ends of the strings. The strips of conductive material have side surfaces on the sides of the ridge-shaped stacks. A plurality of word lines, which can be coupled to row decoders, extends orthogonally over the plurality of ridge-shaped stacks. Memory elements lie in a multi-layer array of interface regions at cross-points between side surfaces of the semiconductor strips on the stacks and the word lines. |
| US08503209B2 |
Power conversion apparatus and cooling structure therefor
Technology leading to a size reduction in a power conversion apparatus comprising a cooling function and technology relating to enhancing productivity and enhancing reliability necessary for commercial production are provided. Series circuits comprising an upper arm and lower arm of an inverter circuit are built in a single semiconductor module 500. The semiconductor module has cooling metal on two sides. An upper arm semiconductor chip and lower arm semiconductor chip are wedged between the cooling metals. The semiconductor module is inserted inside a channel case main unit 214. A DC positive electrode terminal 532, a DC negative electrode terminal 572, and an alternating current terminal 582 of a semiconductor chip are disposed in the semiconductor module. The DC terminals 532 and 572 are electrically connected with a terminal of a capacitor module. The alternating current terminal 582 is electrically connected with a motor generator via an AC connector. |
| US08503207B2 |
Discontinuous pulse width drive modulation method and apparatus for reduction of common-mode voltage in power conversion systems
Control systems, methods and power conversion systems are presented for reducing common mode voltages in AC motor loads driven by inverter PWM control using switching sequences with only active vectors where a first vector of each switching sequence differs by one phase switching state from a last vector of a switching sequence of an adjacent sector, along with enhanced deadtime compensation and reflected wave reduction techniques in providing pulse width modulated switching signals to a switching inverter. |
| US08503204B2 |
Power converter circuit
A power converter includes a DC/AC converter with input terminals and output terminals. A DC/DC converter includes input terminals for receiving a DC input voltage and output terminals for providing a DC output voltage. The output terminals are coupled to the input terminals of the DC/AC converter. The DC/DC converter also includes a control circuit that is configured to control an output current of the DC/DC converter dependent on a reference signal. The reference signal has a frequency that is dependent on a frequency of the AC output voltage. |
| US08503198B2 |
High boost ratio DC converter
Disclosed is a high boost ratio DC converter, wherein the first and second switches are controlled by a control chip and the control chip controls the first and second switches in the following sequence: the first and second switches both conduct; the first switch conducts and the second switch is cut off; the first and second switches both conduct; the first switch is cut off and the second switch conducts thus making a first and second inductors and a first and second clamp capacitors charge to a first and second output capacitors. Then the first and second output capacitors discharge a load. Therefore, the load voltage output from the DC power supply will be boosted owing to the discharged load from the first and second output capacitors. The boost ratio is 4/(1−D). |
| US08503196B2 |
Feedback circuit and control method for an isolated power converter
A feedback circuit for an isolated power converter includes an opto-coupler and a reversed polarity regulator. The opto-coupler provides a current related to an output voltage of the isolated power converter. When the isolated power converter enters light load, the output voltage rises and the reversed polarity regulator reduces the current to decrease the power consumption and thus improve the light load efficiency of the isolated power converter. |
| US08503191B2 |
Shield cover, shield case, and circuit board module
The invention provides a shield cover adapted to cover at least a first electronic component mounted on a first surface of a circuit board. The first electronic component has a metal shell or has a ground/earth terminal on a lateral surface thereof. The shield cover has a contact portion being elastically contactable with a lateral surface of the metal shell or the ground/earth terminal of the first electronic component. |
| US08503190B2 |
Monitoring systems and backplane for a monitoring system
A first backplane for being electrically coupled to a second backplane, a system monitoring module, and at least one transducer monitoring module includes a system interface bus configured to be coupled to the system monitoring module and the second backplane. The intermediate backplane also includes at least one monitor interface bus configured to be coupled to the at least one transducer monitoring module and the second backplane and an intermediate backplane bus configured to be coupled to the at least one transducer monitoring module and the system monitoring module. |
| US08503188B2 |
Mountable electronic circuit module
A mountable electronic circuit module which produces appropriate characteristics without a complicated structure can be a DC-DC converter including a baseboard made of a magnetic material. A helical electrode is provided in the baseboard so as to function as a smoothing inductor device. Capacitor devices in addition to a DC-DC converter IC are mounted on a main surface of the baseboard. A circuit electrode arranged to connect the circuit devices is provided to enable the circuit devices to function as the DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter is mounted on a motherboard through external connection electrodes of the capacitor devices. |
| US08503187B2 |
Computer system having data transfer rate indication function of serial advanced technology attachment dual in-line memory module
A computer system includes a serial advanced technology attachment dual-in-line memory module (SATA DIMM) with a circuit board, a motherboard, and an indicating unit. An edge connector is set on a bottom edge of the circuit board to engage in a memory slot of the motherboard. A SATA connector is arranged on the circuit board and connected to a storage device interface of the motherboard. The indicating unit is connected to the motherboard for indicating the data transfer rates of the SATA DIMM module through two light emitting diodes. |