最新美国发明专利
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US08549223B1 Systems and methods for reclaiming storage space on striped volumes
A computer-implemented method for reclaiming storage space on striped volumes may include: 1) identifying a volume striped across a set of storage devices, 2) identifying a reclamation request to reclaim storage space allocated to the striped volume and then, for at least one device in the set of storage devices, 3) identifying stripes of storage on the device that are covered by the reclamation request, 4) creating a consolidated reclamation request for the device that identifies each stripe of storage on the device that is covered by the reclamation request, and then 5) issuing the consolidated reclamation request to the device. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08549221B2 RAID management apparatus, RAID management method, and computer product
In a first management unit for a redundant array of independent disks (RAID management unit), a shared-class setting unit receives a shared-class setting command, for example, from a host computer. If the shared-class setting command includes information about the first RAID management unit and a second RAID management unit, a shared management-information creating unit creates shared management information, writes the created shared management information onto a first disk, notifies the second RAID management unit corresponding to a second disk about the shared management information, and gives an instruction to write the shared management information onto the second disk. The second RAID management unit then writes the notified shared management information onto the second disk.
US08549216B2 Memory management using packet segmenting and forwarding
Systems, devices and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide for memory management techniques and systems for storing data. Data is segmented for storage in memory. According to one exemplary embodiment, each fragment is routed via a different memory bank and forwarded until they reach a destination memory bank wherein the fragments are reassembled for storage. According to another exemplary embodiment, data is segmented and stored serially in memory banks.
US08549207B2 Crossbar circuitry for applying an adaptive priority scheme and method of operation of such crossbar circuitry
Crossbar circuitry has an array of data input and output paths where the data output paths are transverse to the data input paths. At each intersection between a data input path and a data output path, a crossbar cell is provided which includes a configuration storage circuit programmable to store a routing value, a transmission circuit, and an arbitration circuit. In a transmission mode of operation, the transmission circuit is responsive to the routing value being a first value, indicating that the data input path should be coupled to the data output path, to detect the data input along the data input path, and to output an indication of that data on the data output path at the associated intersection. In an arbitration mode of operation, the arbitration circuitry is operable to selectively modify the voltage on said plurality of bit lines in order to apply an adaptive priority scheme.
US08549204B2 Method and apparatus for scheduling transactions in a multi-speed bus environment
Systems and methods schedule periodic and non-periodic transactions in a multi-speed bus environment that includes in a downstream hub a data forwarding component, such as a USB transaction translator, which accommodates communication speed shifts at the hub. The method may comprise receiving a split packet request defining a transaction with a device, tagging the request with an identifier allocated to the data forwarding component, storing the request in a transaction list associated with the identifier, initiating transfer of payload data, and updating a counter associated with the identifier to reflect an amount of payload data for which transfer was initiated. The identifier may have associated therewith a counter for tracking a number of bytes-in-progress to the data forwarding component and one or more transaction lists configured to store a plurality of split packet requests awaiting execution and state information regarding an execution status of the requests.
US08549201B2 Interrupt blocker
A method comprises maintaining, in a first electronic device, a list of one or more electronic devices associated with a user, receiving, in the first electronic device, a first command, in response to the first command, forwarding a command to block interrupts on one or more electronic devices on the list of electronic devices. Other embodiments may be described.
US08549199B2 Data processing apparatus and a method for setting priority levels for transactions
A data processing apparatus and method for setting priority levels for transactions is provided. The data processing apparatus has a shared resource for processing transactions, and at least one master device for issuing the transactions to the shared resource. The at least one master device provides a plurality of sources of the transactions, and each of the transactions has a priority level associated therewith. Arbitration circuitry is used to apply an arbitration policy to select a transaction from amongst multiple transactions issued to the shared resource, the arbitration policy using the priority level associated with each of the multiple transactions when performing the selection. Adaptive priority circuitry is associated with at least one of the sources, the adaptive priority circuitry monitoring throughput indication data for previously issued transactions from the associated source, and for each new transaction from the associated source, setting the priority level to one of a plurality of predetermined priority levels dependent on the throughput indication data. Through such a mechanism, the adaptive priority circuitry sets the lowest priority level from amongst the plurality of predetermined priority levels that will enable a specified target throughput to be achieved. The adaptive priority circuitry hence uses a feedback mechanism to control the priority level assigned to each new transaction from a source in order to target a specified throughput for the source, and through this mechanism finds the lowest priority necessary to achieve the throughput objectives independent of the activity of other sources within the system.
US08549197B2 Method and system for communicating displayport information
A system and method for communicating DisplayPort information is provided. The system includes: a local unit comprising a local controller operable to produce a request packet in response to a DisplayPort request received by the local unit from a DisplayPort source unit and to transmit the request packet to a remote unit of the system via a first simplex channel of a dual simplex communications link; and the remote unit comprising a remote controller operable to produce a reply packet in response to a DisplayPort reply received by the remote unit from a DisplayPort sink unit and to transmit the reply packet to the local unit via a second simplex channel of the communications link. The system allows distances between the source and sink greater than otherwise possible under the DisplayPort specification, and can communicate DisplayPort and non-DisplayPort signals via a variety of types of communications links.
US08549189B1 Flexible input/output translation system and method
The present invention is a flexible input/output translation system and method that facilitates conservation of chip pin resources while permitting flexible and dynamic changes to processor support operations on the fly. A present invention input/output translator includes a consolidated indication port, translation logic, a plurality of translated indication ports and an initialization port. The consolidated indication port receives a consolidated indication signal (e.g., indicating a desired voltage level) from a general purpose input/output port of a processor. The translation logic translates the consolidated indication signal into a plurality of translated indication signals. The plurality of translated indication ports communicate the plurality of translated indication signals. The initialization port receives an initialization signal. In one exemplary implementation, an synchronization port receives a synchronization signal that controls the operations of the translation logic and determines the timing of an output on the plurality of translated indication ports.
US08549187B1 System and method of MAC address assignment using IP addresses
A hypervisor is described herein that hosts a virtual machine (VM) having a virtual network interface controller (VNIC). The hypervisor is configured to construct a MAC address for the VNIC by combing a organizationally unique identifier (OUI) preconfigured for the hypervisor, the last two bytes of the IP address of the hypervisor, and a unique byte generated for the VNIC.
US08549183B2 PCI express enhancements and extensions
A method and apparatus for enhancing/extending a serial point-to-point interconnect architecture, such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is herein described. Temporal and locality caching hints and prefetching hints are provided to improve system wide caching and prefetching. Message codes for atomic operations to arbitrate ownership between system devices/resources are included to allow efficient access/ownership of shared data. Loose transaction ordering provided for while maintaining corresponding transaction priority to memory locations to ensure data integrity and efficient memory access. Active power sub-states and setting thereof is included to allow for more efficient power management. And, caching of device local memory in a host address space, as well as caching of system memory in a device local memory address space is provided for to improve bandwidth and latency for memory accesses.
US08549181B2 Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the semiconductor memory device
A method of operating a semiconductor memory device includes receiving a timeout index signal corresponding to a master of the first master group based on a residual capacity of a data buffer of the first master, setting a first timeout value in response to the timeout index signal, and changing an execution order of commands stored in a queue of the semiconductor memory device based on a result of counting the first timeout value and counting a second timeout value corresponding to a master of the second master group.
US08549178B2 Using provider backbone bridged network to reduce the number of media access control addresses visible to core bridges in the data center
A system comprising a backbone core bridge (BCB) in a provider backbone bridged network (PBBN), and a backbone edge bridge (BEB) coupled to the BCB via a provider network port (PNP) and to a customer bridge in a customer bridged network via a C-tagged service interface, wherein the C-tagged service interface maps a service instance from the customer bridged network that is identified by a customer-virtual local area network identifier (C-VID) to a backbone service instance on the PBBN that is identified by a service instance identifier (I-SID).
US08549174B2 Routing method for network and sensing system
A routing method for a network is provided. The routing method includes the steps of a) selecting one of a plurality of basic nodes as a cluster head; b) broadcasting a first message by the cluster head; c) continuing to broadcast the first message by any of the plurality of basic nodes which receives the first message, until all the plurality of basic nodes receive the first message; and d) selecting a corresponding father node by each of the plurality of basic nodes based on an information associated with the first message.
US08549172B2 Distribution of software based on scheduled time to deploy software dynamic resource state of systems involved in deployment of software and based upon environmental conditions
A method, computer program product and network management server for distributing software. The network management server receives a request to deploy an application on a designated target client station at a designated scheduled time. The network management server determines whether to deploy the application on the designated target client station at the designated time based on the resource state of the systems involved in the deployment of the software (e.g., processor usage of the network management server, processor usage of the target client station) as well as the environmental conditions (e.g., bandwidth usage, time of day pricing for connectivity at scheduled time, work orders on the target client station). By taking into consideration the dynamic resource state of the systems involved in the deployment of the software as well as the environmental conditions, software may be deployed on the client stations by the network management server more effectively.
US08549165B2 Processing devices and methods for transmitting and receiving data
Processing devices and methods for transmitting and receiving data are provided. By performing multiple checks on the downloaded control data packets and the decompressed control data, the data status of each process can be known during the processes from the data packets downloading to decompression. And the correct processing can be performed, thus avoiding loading and running failure caused by incomplete data.
US08549164B2 Media transmission system and method
A media transmission system and method having a server for selecting a video frame having an image number nearest to play position information and a high compression ratio, and for transmitting the video frame to a user terminal when the user terminal transmits desired play position information to the server while media data streaming is being performed from the server to the user terminal, thereby moving to the scene desired by a user and playing the scene in a simple manner with the media transmission system comprising a user terminal for receiving, from a user, desired position information for the media data being streamed and played, receiving the video stream matched to the position information for playing the video stream; and a media server for searching for the video stream having a high compression ratio among the video streams nearest to the position information, and streaming the searched video stream to the user terminal when the position information is received from the user terminal after streaming media data to the user terminal.
US08549158B2 Method and system for conducting communications over a network
A method and system for conducting communications over a network is provided. An embodiment includes a server that is connectable to a client machine via a virtual private network that includes a VPN concentrator. The client machine and the VPN concentrator are configured to delay renegotiation of the VPN link in the event that an important stream is being carried over the VPN link.
US08549157B2 Transparent secure socket layer
Various systems, apparatus, and methods include an apparatus comprising a transparent proxy coupled to a plurality of non-configured clients and coupled to one or more servers, the transparent proxy operable to intercept a request for a secured connection to a first server of the one or more servers, the request from a first non-configured client of the plurality of non-configured clients and including a server name indication extension, and to supply a proper certificate to the first non-configured client including the server name indication extension as a common name in the proper certificate.
US08549151B2 Method and system for transmitting a multimedia stream
A method is described for transmitting a multimedia stream from a first end-terminal to a second end-terminal. The first and second end-terminal are connected to at least one gateway for enabling the multimedia stream to be transmitted from the first end-terminal to the second end-terminal. The method comprising the steps of: the first end-terminal inviting the gateway to set up a first multimedia session between the first end-terminal and the gateway, the first multimedia session being controlled by a first protocol; the gateway notifying—in response to the invitation—the second end-terminal of the pending invitation; the second end-terminal setting up—in response to the notification—a second multimedia session between the second end-terminal and the gateway, the second multimedia session being controlled by a second protocol; the gateway setting up—in response to the invitation—the first multimedia session; and transmitting a multimedia stream from the first end-terminal to the second end-terminal. The first protocol may be SIP, the second protocol may be RTSP.
US08549149B2 Systems and methods for providing client-side accelerated access to remote applications via TCP multiplexing
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for dynamically deploying and executing acceleration functionality on a client to improve the performance and delivery of remotely accessed applications. In one embodiment, the client-side acceleration functionality is provided by an acceleration program that performs a transport layer connection multiplexing technique for improving performance of communications and delivery of a remotely-accessed application. The acceleration program establishes a transport layer connection from the client to the server that can be used by multiple applications on the client, or that is otherwise shared among applications of the client. The acceleration program multiplexes requests from one or more applications via the same transport layer connection maintained by the acceleration program. As such, the acceleration program can utilize the idle time of one application in using the transport layer connection to service a request of a second application through the same transport layer connection.
US08549147B2 Dividing cloud computing service into individual jobs such that legal auditing requirements are satisfied and presenting plan for distributed execution of individual jobs
A computer network connects to a first computer, a second computer, other multiple computers, and a job category database A service to be executed by any of the other multiple computers is divided into multiple jobs; the job category is associated with each of the divided jobs; a region code and an instruction to execute the service are received from the first computer; and for each of the multiple jobs, the job category database is searched with the received region code and the associated job category as keys to acquire the operation identifier list corresponding to the job; the operation identifier list is transmitted to at least one of the other multiple computers; and a combination of the job, the identifier of that other computer and the identifier list are transmitted to the first computer.
US08549146B2 Stateless forwarding of load balanced packets
A load balancer dynamically load balances packets for network connections between clients and servers. When receiving a packet from a client that requests a new connection, the load balancer checks the current load of all the servers and selects the server most suitable to handle the new connection. The load balancer then forwards that packet to the selected server. If the server accepts the request for the new connection, then the server responds with an acknowledgement packet. The acknowledgement packet also includes the server's blade identification that the client uses for all subsequent packets on the accepted connection. When the load balancer receives a packet containing the blade identification, the load balancer forwards the packet to the server corresponding to the blade identification. Backup load balancers can therefore continue packet forwarding services in a smooth and efficient manner.
US08549144B2 Common configuration framework for applications to configure database objects and resources
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for a common configuration framework for applications to configure database objects and resources. configuration interfaces are maintained for a plurality of different database types, wherein each configuration interface implements a database configuration operation with respect to a database of one database type. A configuration request is received from an application indicating a database type, database name, and a database configuration operation. A determination is made of one of the configuration interfaces for the requested database type to implement the requested configuration operation with respect to the database having the database name. The determined configuration interface is invoked with the requested database name to perform the requested configuration operation with respect to the database name.
US08549142B2 Replicated state machine utilizing view change protocol resilient to performance attacks
A network of replicated servers providing a service includes a plurality of server replicas. A leader is elected from among the plurality of server replicas for coordinating ordering of operations among the plurality of server replicas. A view change protocol is executed by the plurality of server replicas after the election of the leader. Each iteration of the view change protocol corresponds to a unique view number. The server replicas are directed by the view change protocol to cooperate to order operations by exchange of information associated with particular view numbers. The information is prioritized in accordance with the view numbers. The non-leaders monitor the response time of the leader and elect a new leader when it is determined that the monitored length of time is greater than a threshold value that is dependent upon current network conditions.
US08549138B2 Web test generation
Technologies are described herein for generating a suite of web tests that are then combined into a load test. A log file is received. The log file may contain one or more requests received at a web server. Relevant information is extracted from the log file into a data file. A web test template is retrieved. The web test template is populated with the relevant information from the data file to generate the web test.
US08549135B1 Method and apparatus for performing quality of service in secure networks
A method is provided for performing control functions in a secure network where security prohibits the transmission of control information beyond secure networks and/or their associated systems. A method is provided for permitting proxy servers to communicate within full DBRA schemes without compromising security. According to various embodiments, methods for IPsec communication are provided that permit systems to move information across secure gateways. In one embodiment, IPsec communication and full DBRA bandwidth/QoS control is provided without compromising security. Although various aspects relate to satellite networks, it should be appreciated that aspects relate to other types of secure networks.
US08549134B1 Network event indicator system
A network event indicator system and corresponding method are described. The system includes an event rate classifier and an indicator drive state machine. The event rate classifier receives an event signal representing timing of a network event during a predetermined sample period and transmits an event rate signal. The indicator drive state machine receives the event rate signal and generates a drive indicator signal based on the received event rate signal.
US08549133B2 Systems and methods for tracking the reliability of communications networks
A system for monitoring the reliability of a network includes a network management system that gathers information relating to modules, nodes and paths in the network. The information includes the configuration, history and status of the modules and paths, and the failure states of the paths and the modules responsible for any failed paths. Based on the information, a reliability monitoring tool produces output that includes the condition of network paths and the actual reliability of one or more paths. Embodiments of the invention include storage arrangements that store the module and path information, in which case the output may include time-based reliability of network paths. The output may be available via the Internet. Methods of monitoring the reliability of a network are also provided.
US08549131B2 Method and apparatus for inexpensively monitoring and controlling remotely distributed appliances
A method and associated apparatus are described that enables unattended, remotely distributed appliances, such as vending machines, utility meters, thermostats and kitchen appliances (ovens, washing machines, refrigerators, etc.) to be connected inexpensively to each other and to a centrally located server. The apparatus 1) uses relatively simple “personality” modules to adapt the apparatus to the application in combination with a sophisticated core module that provides the intelligence needed to process data locally, to format that data and to transfer it to a remote server and 2) uses existing Internet-based communication links, thereby avoiding the costly proprietary links used with current state-of-the-art solutions.
US08549130B2 Discovery and management mechanism for SAN devices
Exemplary method, system, and computer program embodiments for managing a network are provided. In one embodiment, at least one of an available plurality of network components is polled, including devices, hosts and virtual devices, an interconnected plurality of communication paths, and quality of service (QoS) information in a discovery process for network information. A graphical representation of the at least one of the available plurality of network components is created for presentation by a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user. Based on a selection of the user of at least one attribute of the at least one of the available plurality of network components as displayed by the GUI to the user, a zone is created for the at least one of the available plurality of network components.
US08549129B2 Live migration method for large-scale IT management systems
Migrating services and clients from a legacy topology to a new topology. A method includes receiving user input selecting a first client managed by a first configuration management system to migrate to a second configuration management system. Dependencies of the first client are determined, including determining services on which the first client depends to function in a topology. The dependencies of the first client including services and their data on which the first client depends to function in a topology are migrated to a second configuration management system or an administrator is alerted to the dependencies of the first client including services and their data on which the first client depends to function in a topology.
US08549125B2 Environmentally sustainable computing in a distributed computer network
Implementation of environmentally sustainable computing in a distributed computer network is provided. A method includes receiving a request from a node in the network to perform a computational task and identifying nodes in the network having resources to facilitate performance of the task. Using an environmental impact rating for each of the identified nodes, selecting one or more transmission paths in the network and/or at least one of the identified nodes to facilitate performance of the task based on corresponding environmental impact ratings and applied performance efficiency criteria. Selected identified nodes represent those having the lowest environmental impact rating while meeting the applied performance efficiency criteria. The method further includes executing the task on the node via the transmission paths and/or selected identified nodes.
US08549123B1 Logical server management
A logical-server manager provides for deployment of a logical server to a real server so a network identity of said logical server and a network identity of said real server are conformed.
US08549120B2 System and method for location based address assignment in the distribution of traffic in a virtual gateway
A method for location based address assignment for the distribution of traffic is provided that includes receiving a request for service from a host. A location of the host within a network environment is identified. A selected one of a plurality of gateway devices is assigned to service the host based on the location of the host within the network environment and the location of the selected one of the gateway devices within the network environment. A forwarding address associated with the selected one of the gateway devices is transmitted to the host for subsequent use by the host in forwarding network traffic.
US08549116B2 PCRF triggered rules cleanup
Various embodiments relate to a system and related method of handling a plurality of user messages originating from a user device in a communications network. Various embodiments relate to a Policy Charging and Rules Node (PCRN) receiving an initial message from a first device, while anticipating a complementary message from a second device. Upon receipt of the complementary message, the PCRN may pair the messages and generate a rule from the paired message. If the PCRN does not receive the complementary message, the PCRN may generate the rule from only the initially-received message or may ignore the message. The PCRN may treat each received message independent from each other so that lack of receipt of a complementary message does not affect the creation of rules from another paired message.
US08549115B2 Apparatus and method for upgrading firmware on internet sharing device
An apparatus and method for upgrading firmware on an internet sharing device. The apparatus includes a memory that stores information for getting access to a firmware server, a lookup part that gets access to the firmware server and looks up a new version of firmware using the information stored in the memory, and an upgrade notice part that gives notice of firmware upgrade to at least one terminal interworking with the internet sharing device when the new version of firmware is looked up. Thus, since the internet sharing device looks up a new version of firmware, and then automatically gives notice of a need for firmware upgrade to a user, the user can easily recognize whether or not the firmware upgrade is needed, and easily upgrade the firmware with no need to check a kind of the internet sharing device, a version of firmware, location of the firmware server, and the like.
US08549113B2 Transactional independent persister cloning system
A computer program product, including a computer readable storage medium to store a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed by a processor within a computer, causes the computer to perform operations for moving data stored on a transactional semantic independent persister in a distributed environment. The operations include: receiving an indicator to move data stored by the persister at a first node of the distributed environment to a second node of the distributed environment, wherein the data corresponds to a source; and cloning the persister at the first node to a cloned persister at the second node in response to receiving the indicator, wherein the cloning includes: moving data stored by the persister at the first node to the cloned persister; and moving remaining data in a data stream between the source and the persister at the first node to the cloned persister.
US08549112B2 Computer-readable medium storing access control program, access control method, and access control device
An access control device causes an information processing device to execute access control between a client device and two or more server devices. The device receives an open request for causing the information processing device to open the port of a port number that is a port number to be transmitted to the client device according to completion of one process of a plurality of processes to be executed on a first server device which is one of the two or more server devices. The device generates information for data transfer for opening the port of the port number based on information for identifying the first server device which transmitted the open request, which is included in the received open request. The device transmits the generated information for data transfer to the information processing device.
US08549110B2 Method for transmitting data
Disclosed is a method for transmitting data between a subscriber terminal (MT) and at least one service providing component (MMS-Server 1, MMS-Server 2, MMS-Server 3) associated with a service provider, which are connected to each other by a network (UTRAN, SGSN, GGSN). According to said method, when a communication link is set up between the subscriber terminal and the service providing component, access information for the at least one service providing component is requested by a storage means associated with the subscriber terminal. By providing exclusively specific access information for specific service providing components on said storage means associated with a subscriber or a subscriber device, such as a SIM card or a USIM application on a UICC card, the network operator can prevent a subscriber from using other service providing components of other specific service providers different from those prescribed thereto when a specific data service is requested.
US08549108B2 Optimized prefetching of compound data
Access to compound data over a wide-area network is optimized by analyzing metadata within compound data to identify internal and external data streams to be prefetched. Upon receiving or intercepting a network packet including an access request for a data resource, metadata in this data resource is analyzed to identify associated data streams and their storage locations within and/or outside of the data resource. Data streams may be proactively or reactively prefetched. Proactive prefetching identifies and retrieves data streams or portions thereof likely to be accessed by a client based on attributes associated with the data resource. Reactive prefetching identifies portions of data streams associated with received access requests and retrieves additional portions of these data streams. Prefetched data streams or portions thereof are stored in a data storage on the same local network or near to the local network including the client.
US08549103B2 Multisided audience-related hybrid measurements
The present invention provides techniques for use in audience-related measurements, including hybrid techniques which include use of panel-based audience-related measurement information and census-based audience-related measurement information. Techniques are provided in which panel-based audience-related measurement information is obtained from multiple providing entities, and census-based audience-related measurement information is obtained one or more providing entities. The obtained information is stored in a database. The stored information may be provided to the information-providing entities, and may be used in calibrating or improving the accuracy of audience-related measurements.
US08549102B2 Method and apparatus for managing bookmark information for content stored in a networked media server
A method and apparatus for managing bookmark information of a media server through a network based on the UPnP AV standard is disclosed. If a request for bookmarking a content item is made, a bookmark item is created and the created bookmark item is linked to the content item by adding the ID of the created bookmark item to the property information of the content item and recording the ID of the content item to be bookmarked in the created bookmark item.
US08549101B2 Portable embedded local server for write-through cache
A method of facilitating, via an embedded local server, dynamic responses to requests originating from an application and directed to a server is disclosed. An intermediary intercepts requests responds to the requests with locally stored data. The intermediary may also forward requests to an embedded local server for processing based on local data.
US08549099B2 Methods and systems for javascript parsing
The present invention relates to systems, apparatus, and methods of parsing a script within an HTML page. The method includes receiving a script object, where the script object includes text. The method further includes parsing the text of the script object for tokens and comparing the parsed tokens with a valid tokens list to determine locations within the text of the script object that include potential universal resource locators (URLs). The method includes parsing before and after the determined locations until complete URLs are constructed, and forwarding the complete URLs to a detector. The detector then determines whether the complete URLs are valid. The method then sends object retrieval requests to websites associated with the valid complete URLs.
US08549094B2 Facilitating communication between isolated memory spaces of a communications environment
Automatically converting a synchronous data transfer to an asynchronous data transfer. Data to be transferred from a sender to a receiver is initiated using a synchronous data transfer protocol. Responsive to a determination that the data is to be sent asynchronously, the data transfer is automatically converted from the synchronous data transfer to the asynchronous data transfer.
US08549093B2 Updating a user session in a mach-derived system environment
Methods, apparatus, systems and computer program product for updating a user session in a terminal server environment. Transfer of display data corresponding to an updated user interface can occur via a memory shared between an agent server and an agent client in a terminal server environment. Access to the shared memory can be synchronized via token passing or other operation to prevent simultaneous access to the shared memory. Token sharing and synchronized input/output can be performed using FIFOs, sockets, files, semaphores and the like, allowing communications between the agent server and agent client communications to adapt to different operating system architecture.
US08549091B1 RDMA based real-time video client playback architecture
A client playback architecture for a media content distribution system is provided. In the preferred embodiment, the client playback architecture is a Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) based architecture. The RDMA based architecture enables the client playback device to obtain media content from a central server in real-time or in substantially real-time as the media content is needed for playback at the client playback device. More specifically, the playback device includes RDMA enabled playback circuitry operating to perform RDMA transfers for select media content, buffer the media content received as a result of the RDMA transfers, and provide the media content for presentation to one or more associated viewers via one or more audio/video interfaces.
US08549090B2 Messaging tracking system and method
One embodiment of the invention includes a message tracking system. The system comprises a message agent programmed to detect messages transmitted from one application to at least one other application. The system also comprises a detector programmed to determine a protocol that is associated with a given message of the messages detected by the message agent. The system further comprises a tracking manager programmed to generate tracking information for the given message based on the protocol determined by the detector and to store the tracking information in memory.
US08549086B2 Data clustering
A method and apparatus of a device that creates message affinity groups uses the affinity groups to relate messages and threads is described. In an exemplary method, the device receives messages, where the messages include message addresses. The device determines multiple affinity groups of message addresses based on a probability that a message including one of the message addresses also includes one or more of the other message addresses in the affinity group. In addition, the device presents one or more of the affinity groups.
US08549082B2 Electronic mail server with function for preventing reception of spams by improved white list system
The invention provides an e-mail server, with which e-mails are communicated between a member belonging to the server and a communication mate of the member under the protection of function or performance for preventing SPAMs from being received by an improved white list system and e-mail addresses can be surely prevented from undesirably leaking out. The server comprises received e-mail filtering means for forming destruction judgment and delivery judgment on a received e-mail for causing the received e-mail to be delivered in accordance with a delivery permitting decision and transmission e-mail filtering means for conducting processing on a transmission e-mail by which a group of letters representing an e-mail address discordant with an addressee's e-mail address contained in the transmission e-mail is replaced with another group of letters representing an open e-mail address or eliminated.
US08549072B2 Markup language for incorporating social networking system information by an external website
A social networking system contains information describing information about users of the social networking system and about various connections among the users. When a user of the social networking system accesses an external website, the external website may send the user a web page containing markup language with instructions to retrieve information associated with a user from a social networking system. The client device processes the annotations and sends a request for social information related to the user to a social networking system, subject perhaps to privacy settings in the social networking system. The user's browser uses the information obtained from the social networking system in response to the request to render the markup language document for display on the user's computer system. This process allows the external website to use information from the social networking system to enhance the user's experience on the external website.
US08549068B2 Apparatus and method for displaying service information corresponding to service zone
A terminal includes: a wireless communication unit configured to receive service information; a controller configured to provide control to perform re-searching or display a menu for searching for service information after the terminal enters a service zone; and a display unit configured to visually display service information under the control of the controller.
US08549067B2 Networkable electrical power distribution plugstrip with current display and method of use
A power management device can include a power management device housing, a power input associated with the power management device housing, and a plurality of power outputs associated with the power management device housing. At least certain power outputs can be connectable to one or more electrical loads external to the power management device housing and to the power input. In some embodiments, a communications bus can be associated with the power management device housing and one or more power control sections can also be associated with the power management device housing. In some embodiments, one or more power control sections can communicate with the communications bus and with one or more corresponding power outputs among the plurality of power outputs. In some embodiments, a power information display can communicate with the communications bus. If desired, a power information determining section can be associated with the power management device housing and in communication with the communications bus. The power information determining section may communicate power-related information to the power information display.
US08549066B1 Service provider interface for deploying and managing applications on a cloud
A system is provided to deploy a computing application on a cloud using a service provider interface. The system comprises a launch request detector, a service provider interface selector, and a launcher. The launch request detector may be configured to detect a request to launch a server computer system within a virtualization service. The server computer system, in one example embodiment, comprises a computing application and a service provider interface layer. The service provider interface selector may be configured to determine an implementation of the virtualization service and access a service provider interface associated with the implementation of the virtualization service. The launcher may be configured to complete launching of the server computer system within the virtualization service, utilizing the selected service provider interface.
US08549061B2 Social media system with multiple profiles
A social media and social networking system accessible on the Internet, mobile devices, smartphones, cell phones, and tablet computers. Users in the social media and social networking system may be enabled to have one, two, or multiple customized profiles, thereby allowing for multiple identities on the Internet and the system. The social media and social networking system may be configured to display full, partial, or customized profile information based on the individual or groups viewing the social data. The social media system may provide access to multiple groups or sub social networks based on match between profile data such as an email address domain name and an access control list. The social media and social networking system may personalize websites and search result content based on a user's profile.
US08549058B2 Multi-dimensional transform for distributed memory network
An information processing system for performing a transform of a multidimensional matrix in a distributed memory network. The method includes storing a multidimensional matrix of side N in a distributed memory network with a plurality of nodes and distributing work associated with a calculation of a transform of the matrix among N2 of the plurality of nodes. The system further includes a receiver for receiving results of the calculation of the transform of the matrix by the nodes.
US08549051B2 Unlimited file system snapshots and clones
The invention relates to a system that includes a file system configured to create a snapshot of a hierarchical block tree (HBT) and a storage pool. After the snapshot has been created, the storage pool includes a snapshot, where the snapshot includes a copy of a first version of a root block and the HBT, where the HBT includes a second version of the root block. Further, the copy of the first version of the root block is created prior to overwriting the first version of the root block with the second version of the root block, the second version of the root block comprises references to a first block and a second block, and the copy of the first version of the root block comprises a reference to the first block and no reference to the second block.
US08549050B2 Method and system for collecting performance data for storage network
In a storage network including at least a computer system, at least an external storage and at least a network system for communication of input/output data between the computer system and the external storage, a method of collecting the performance data on the network system and the software operated on the network system, in which the range or degree of data collection is automatically adjusted as required based on the performance data collected.
US08549046B2 Test data generation and scale up for database testing using unique common factor sequencing
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for test data generation using unique common factor sequencing. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for test data generation using unique common factor sequencing is provided. The method includes loading a table for population with test data in a test data generation tool executing in memory of a computer. A column set of multiple columns in the table associated with a key to the table is selected for processing and different cardinality sequence values are assigned to the columns in the set such that the cardinality sequence values do not share a common factor except for unity as in the case of prime numbers.
US08549045B2 Test data generation and scale up for database testing using unique common factor sequencing
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and computer program product for test data generation using unique common factor sequencing. In an embodiment of the invention, a computer program product for test data generation using unique common factor sequencing is provided. The computer program product includes loading a table for population with test data in a test data generation tool executing in memory of a computer. A column set of multiple columns in the table associated with a key to the table is selected for processing and different cardinality sequence values are assigned to the columns in the set such that the cardinality sequence values do not share a common factor except for unity as in the case of prime numbers.
US08549041B2 Converter traversal using power of two-based operations
A system includes reception of a request for a page location corresponding to a logical page number, determination of a difference between the logical page number and a smallest logical page number of each of a plurality of converter leaf pages descending from a parent converter inner page, determination of a smallest number 2x that is greater than the number of logical page number-to-page location mappings within each one of the plurality of converter leaf pages, right-shifting of a binary representation of the difference x positions to determine a branch index, identification of one of the plurality of converter leaf pages based on the branch index and on an indexed list of converter page identifiers within the parent converter inner page, logically ANDing of the binary representation of the difference with a binary representation of 2x−1 to determine a mapping index of the identified converter leaf page, identification of a mapping of the identified converter leaf page based on the mapping index, and determination of the page location corresponding to the logical page number based on the mapping.
US08549040B2 IP multimedia subsystem service configuration
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating an XML Document Management Server in an IP Multimedia Subsystem. The method comprises receiving a message from a user terminal requesting an XML document, the XML document conforming to a given structure and containing one or more service rules relating to a service, retrieving an XML document containing said service rules from a data storage entity. If the structure of the retrieved XML document differs from said given structure, adapting a rule or rules of the retrieved XML document such that the XML document conforms to said given structure, and sending the adapted XML document to the user terminal.
US08549039B2 Method and system for categorizing items in both actual and virtual categories
Systems and a method are described. The method includes identifying and presenting a plurality of data items comprised of receiving a selection that identifies a parent category; identifying a first plurality of categories based on the parent category, the first plurality of categories including a first category, the plurality of data items not being user-classifiable under the first plurality of categories; identifying the plurality of data items based on a link from the first category to a second category, the second category being included in a second plurality of categories that are respectively associated with the first plurality of categories, the plurality of data items being user-classified under the second category; and communicating, over a network, a user interface response to the receiving the selection, the user interface including the plurality of data items.
US08549038B2 Pluggable session context
A method and apparatus are described for sharing a session to access a database. A database server receives, in a session, a session context identifier and a command. The session context identifier identifies a session context to use for the session. The session context is a set of information or commands that plug into a session state and specify how commands in the session are to be performed for a particular user or privilege level. In response to receiving the identifier, the database server associates the session context with the database session for the connection. The database server uses the session context to process the command. The session context may then be detached from the session, allowing another user to attach to the session via another session context.
US08549037B2 Forensic system, forensic method, and forensic program
Embodiments of the inventive concept reduce the burden of creating litigant sources of evidence or other evidentiary materials in connection with litigation in a court of law. Designation of at least one document file included in digital document information is accepted and designation of a language into which the designated document file is translated is accepted. The document file, the designation of which is accepted, is translated into the language the designation of which is accepted. A common document file representing the same content as that of the designated document file is extracted from digital document information recorded in a recording unit. Translation-related information representing that the extracted common document file is translated by invoking a translated content of the translated document file is generated, and, based on the translation-related information, a litigant-related document file is output.
US08549034B2 Method and system for enabling a user to get information about entities of predefined categories
A method for enabling a user of a communication network to get information about entities is presented. The entities are classified in an entity database according to a plurality of characteristics, and the user is associated with a list of contacts, each contact being associated with a log of communication sessions the contact has been involved in through the communication network. For each communication session the log includes an indication of parties involved in the communication session.
US08549033B2 Using location-specific price and/or performance information in an ad system
The usefulness and the performance of advertisements are improved by allowing businesses to better target their ads to a responsive audience. Location information is determined (or accepted) and used. For example, location information may be used in a relevancy determination of an ad. As another example, location information may be used in an attribute (e.g., position) arbitration. Such location information may be associated with price information and/or ad performance information. Ad performance information may be tracked on the basis of location information. The content of an ad creative, and/or of a landing page may be selected and/or modified using location information. Finally, tools, such as user interfaces, may be provided to allow a business to enter and/or modify location information, such as location information used for targeting and location-dependent price information. The location information used to target and/or score ads may be, include, or define an area.
US08549027B2 Computer-implemented systems and methods for efficiently selecting data in multi-dimensional hierarchical space with multiple constraints
Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for reducing a number of options presented to a user where the options have characteristics that are arranged in a multi-dimensional hierarchical space. A system and method can be configured to identify common dimensions using dimension nodes in dimensional points and identify compatible nodes for each dimension in the multi-dimensional hierarchical space by determining whether an association exists. Compatible pairs of surviving points are generated after applying each of the compatible nodes from the common dimensions. Greatest lower bounds (GLBs) are computed for each of the generated compatible points, and a set of options is generated comprising points from the generated compatible points and the computed GLBs.
US08549025B2 Information retrieval method and apparatus
An information retrieval method includes inputting a symbol string, specifying an arbitrary position in the input symbol string, changing a symbol in the specified position in the symbol string and changing the symbol string into a symbol string which is positioned before or after in a specified arrangement order.
US08549023B2 Method and apparatus for resorting a sequence of sorted strings
A method and apparatus for resorting a sequence of sorted strings, wherein the sequence of sorted strings is obtained by sorting a plurality of strings based on a first character collation standard and the resorting is based on a second character collation standard. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes: comparing the first character collation standard with the second character collation standard to obtain a change of the character collation standard; and resorting the sequence of sorted strings based on the change of the character collation standard. The method of the present invention takes the change of the character collation standard and its affection to the sequence of sorted strings into consideration, and can resort the sequence of sorted strings quickly and thus save time for resorting.
US08549019B2 Dynamically generating aggregate tables
A method and system dynamically create aggregate tables. An aggregate table manager is instantiated that receives a plurality of aggregate table definitions, and generates aggregate tables based on the received aggregate table definitions. The aggregate table manager creates a view corresponding to each of the aggregate tables. The aggregate table manager creates and updates data entries in the aggregate tables based on their corresponding aggregate table definitions and data extracted from web site log files.
US08549018B1 Systems and methods for predictive responses to internet object queries
A computer-implemented method for predictive responses to internet object queries may include receiving a query from a client to evaluate a first internet object. The computer-implemented method may also include analyzing the query to predict a set of additional internet objects for which the client may subsequently request an evaluation. The computer-implemented method may further include transmitting an evaluation of the first internet object and of each additional internet object in the set of additional internet objects to the client. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08549016B2 System and method for providing robust topic identification in social indexes
A computer-implemented method for providing robust topic identification in social indexes is described. Electronically-stored articles and one or more indexes are maintained. Each index includes topics that each relate to one or more of the articles. A random sampling and a selective sampling of the articles are both selected. For each topic, characteristic words included in the articles in each of the random sampling and the selective sampling are identified. Frequencies of occurrence of the characteristic words in each of the random sampling and the selective sampling are determined. A ratio of the frequencies of occurrence for the characteristic words included in the random sampling and the selective sampling is identified. Finally, for each topic, a coarse-grained topic model is built, which includes the characteristic words included in the articles relating to the topic and scores assigned to those characteristic words.
US08549015B2 Method and system for distinguishing nociceptive pain from neuropathic pain
A method of distinguishing nociceptive pain from neuropathic pain includes providing a series of questions for answering by the patient. Each of the answers by the patient are given a numerical value within a nociceptive pain category and a neuropathic pain category. The values within the two categories are then summed, with the resultants potentially modified using a series of one or more equations. The ratio of the neuropathic pain to the nociceptive pain is then calculated. The ratio provides a value for the physician to diagnose the patient as suffering from nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, or both nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. Embodiments of the present invention include a system for assisting a physician to identify whether a patient's pain is nociceptive pain or neuropathic pain.
US08549014B2 Document scoring based on document content update
A system may determine a measure of how a content of a document changes over time, generate a score for the document based, at least in part, on the measure of how the content of the document changes over time, and rank the document with regard to at least one other document based, at least in part, on the score.
US08549013B1 Systems and methods for determining interest in an item or category of items
Systems and methods are provided for determining customer interest associated with an item or category of items. In some embodiments, one or more discussion forums associated with each of a plurality of items may be determined. For each item, interest criteria associated with the item may be determined based at least in part on the one or more discussion forums associated with the item. The interest criteria may include the number of user posts in the one or more discussion forums and/or the number of users who have participated in the one or more discussion forums. An interest score associated with each item may be determined based at least in part on the interest criteria. In some embodiments, interest ranking information for an item or category may be generated by comparing the interest score associated with an item or category and interest scores associated with other items or categories.
US08549012B2 Processing exception handling
In accordance with an embodiment, a method for exception handling comprises accessing an exception type for an exception, filtering historical data based on at least one defined criterion to provide a data train comprising data sets, assigning a weight to each data set, and providing a current control parameter. The data sets each comprise a historical condition and a historical control parameter, and the weight assigned to each data set is based on each historical condition. The current control parameter is provided using the weight and the historical control parameter for each data set.
US08549011B2 Identifying and recommending experts using shared queries and interactions
When a user enters an information retrieval query, a topic feed is generated for publication or distribution to a set of followers or recipients who have elected to receive the topic feed from the user or based on the subject matter content of the query. The topic feed is distributed and includes the query. Experts in subject matter can be identified based on the user's queries and other text in the topic feed that the followers interact with.
US08549010B2 Method and apparatus for providing distributed key range management
An approach is provided for providing distributed key range management. A key management platform determines to rebalance a node for storing a key value range by splitting at least one other node from the node, wherein the at least one other node stores at least a portion of the key value range. The key management platform also causes, at least in part, a creation of one or more node lists for the node, the at least one other node, or a combination thereof. The key management platform further causes, at least in part, a storage of the one or more node lists at the node and the at least one other node, wherein any one of the one or more node lists can be used to initiate a routing of one or more requests between the node and the at least one other node to operate on the key value range.
US08549000B2 Methods and systems for compressing indices
Systems and methods for compressing indices are described. In one aspect, a plurality of items are selected where each item has an entry in an inverted index and each item entry comprises a listing of articles that the item appears in. At least a first item entry and a second item entry are determined for compression and the second item entry is compressed into the first item entry resulting in a compressed first item entry.
US08548997B1 Discovery information management system
A discovery information management system, which can be easily configured, instantly reset, and run by project managers, is disclosed for use in discovery processes. The system allows users to post information on a discussion board, exchange email between members, add information to plural configurable database tables, validate information in different routes by different methods, move information between tables, share real-time information by using local search method, project-wide search method, and interactive data retrieving tools. The system also allows the users to process information by using interactive server pads, investigative identity data search algorithm, identity data processing algorithm, configurable interactive data entry tool, and phrase construction tool.
US08548989B2 Querying documents using search terms
Techniques are disclosed for searching a set of documents using search terms. In one embodiment, a summary is provided for each document in the set. Search terms are received, and the set of documents are parsed using the received search terms. A first relevance value is calculated using only the summary of each document. A subset of documents having the highest relevance is provided by using the first relevance value. The subset of documents is parsed using the received search terms, to calculate a second relevance value for each document using the respective document. Query results are provided, the query results including documents having the highest relevance according to the second relevance value.
US08548987B2 System and method for efficiently providing a recommendation
A system and method for applying a first filter and a second filter, such as a recommendation and a constraint filter, to a plurality of items, including determining a cost of applying the first filter and the second filter to the plurality of items, and determining an order of applying the first and second filters based on the cost of applying the first and second filters.
US08548985B2 Method and process of query optimization to a given environment via specific abstraction layer domain knowledge
Methods and apparatus for optimizing an abstract query are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention allow an abstract database to optimize an abstract query composed from a set of logical fields. Each logical field includes a field name and an access method used to map the logical field to an underlying physical representation of the data. After a user composes an abstract query and submits it for execution, a runtime component and optimization component may be configured to resolve the abstract query to a physical query of the underlying physical data source using an access method associated with each logical field. In addition, as the runtime component builds a query consistent with the schema of the underlying database, an optimizing component may modify the query using any suitable optimization techniques. Different optimization techniques include optimizations based on logical field metadata, optimizations based on the underlying physical data repositories referenced by an access method and optimizations based on the relationships between logical fields or underlying data structures.
US08548983B1 Technique of decorrelation of lateral views
Methods, computer-readable media, and machines are provided for transforming a query by removing a correlated predicate from a lateral view in an initial query. A query processor may transform the lateral view into a regular view such that a transformed query with the regular view is semantically equivalent to the initial query. The transformed query may support a larger set of access paths, join methods, and join permutations, may qualify for other transformations or optimizations, or may otherwise be executed or optimized differently from the initial query. The lateral view may reference an aggregation function, and the query processor may add a GROUP BY operator to the transformed query to preserve, after the correlated predicate has been pulled out of the lateral view, an interaction that was present between the aggregation function and the correlated predicate when the correlated predicate was in the lateral view.
US08548980B2 Accelerating queries based on exact knowledge of specific rows satisfying local conditions
A method, computer program product, and system are provided for accelerating a query in a database system. For example, an embodiment of the method may include generating a data structure identifying a set of rows that satisfy conditions local to a table prior to an evaluation of a query and modifying the query based on the data structure. In addition, the method may include repeating the steps with respect to generating the data structure and modifying the query, if one or more additional local conditions are inferred from modifying the query based on the data structure.
US08548978B2 Network video guide and spidering
A system and method that provides a hosted network video guide application. The guide application is provided as a service to web portals and other websites that wish to expose access to the video content available on a public network such as the Internet. The operation of the guide includes mechanisms for search application hosting and processes for content gathering. Video index information can be derived from random content owners, guide affiliates, proactively gathered public domain content, and proactively harvested video content from the network via a video spidering mechanism. The video index information can be collected and maintained in a hosted, centralized repository and made available via an application interface, which can be customized, to users of the network. The video spidering mechanism generates an index of each accessed video, and the index is committed to the guide repository along with the URL information of the video being indexed.
US08548977B2 Embedding a media hotspot within a digital media file
A computer-related and/or business type method is presented for embedding one or more media hotspots within a digital media file and, in response to interaction from a separate target entity, such as via an associating request, associating one or more resultant actions with the media hotspot(s). In exchange for associating the one or more resultant actions with the media hotspot(s), an interactive media service entity being affiliated with a web site displaying the digital media file and/or a user being affiliated with the digital media file itself is compensated based upon at least one compensation plan.
US08548970B2 Systems, computer-readable media, and methods of operating a target computer system to answer a query
A query may be answered when a compound result URL including a target page identifier and the query is received at a target computer system. The target page identifier may be used to identify a target page on the target computer system. A call script may then be automatically executed and cause receipt of a plurality of suggestions based on the query by the target computer system. The suggestions may include a text of the suggestion and a suggestion URL. A placement script may then be automatically executed that, for example, places the text of each suggestion on the target page. The text of each suggestion may have an associated suggestion URL. Selection of the text of the suggestion may cause redirection of the user computer based on the suggestion URL.
US08548969B2 System and method for clustering content according to similarity
Systems and methods for clustering content according to similarity are provided that identify and group similar content using a set of tags associated with the content. A topic model of a group of content is built, producing a probability distribution of topic membership for the content. Individual items of content are then clustered using a clustering algorithm, and a distance matrix from the probability distribution is built. Based on the distance matrix, individual items of content are labeled as “must-link” or “cannot-link” pairs with the group of content. The topic model is then embedded into successively smaller dimensions using a kernel method, until the clustering is stable with respect to both the behavioral and content domains.
US08548967B1 System for visual query and manipulation of configuration management records
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and processes for enabling querying of one or more data stores of CM applications using a graphical user interface (GUI) by which a user (e.g., a developer, supervisor, or project team leader) may select search terms. The GUI may offer one or more types of categories of search terms illustrated at a high level, such that a user may select search terms without knowledge of the underlying data structure of the data store(s). In some embodiments of the invention, when search results are presented to the user issuing a query, the search results are presented in a GUI that permits the users to make edits to the data without opening other windows to make the changes. For example, in some embodiments of the invention, the user may be permitted to select one or more results and “drag” the results, using the GUI, to another element of the GUI to make a change to the data, or may perform any other graphical operation with the results.
US08548966B2 Asynchronous assertions
A snapshot of an application executing on a processor is taken in response to detecting an assertion in a running application. The assertion is evaluated based on the snapshot asynchronously while allowing the application to continue executing. The results of the assertion evaluation are returned to the application.
US08548965B2 Changed files list with time buckets for efficient storage management
There is provided, in a computer processing system, an apparatus for managing object data. The apparatus includes a changed objects manager for creating and managing a changed objects list that at least identifies the objects that have changed based on time of change. The changed objects list is associated with a plurality of time buckets. Each of the plurality of time buckets is associated with a respective date and time period and with object change records for objects having a timestamp falling within the respective date and time period. Each of the object change records is associated with a unique object identifier and the timestamp for a corresponding one of the objects. The timestamp specifies a date and a time corresponding to a latest one of a creation time or a most recent update time for the corresponding one of the objects.
US08548964B1 Delegation of data classification using common language
An information management system delegates information classification to an external computing resource, or classifier. The intelligence required to perform classification, including a series of logic and/or rules, is provided to the classifier. The logic and/or rules are translated from a first format to a second format understandable to the classifier. The information management system discovers objects of an entity and identifies them for the classifier. The classifier collects information about the objects, applies the logic and rules to the objects, and assigns one or more categories to each object. This classification information is translated from the second format to the first format and reported back to the information management system, which may use the assigned categories to identify and map service level objectives to available service levels. After service levels are selected, the corresponding actions can be orchestrated such that the objects of the entity receive the selected services.
US08548962B2 Data compression and decompression using relative and absolute delta values
A data compressor has a delta value calculator which receives data items and determines if a related data item to a received data item is stored in a data store. If the related item is stored, the delta value calculator retrieves the related data item from the data store and calculates a delta value from the received data item and the related data item. If the related item is not stored, then the delta value is calculated from the received data item and a predetermined value. A data store controller accesses the data store in response to receipt of a data item and determines if a storage location is allocated to the data item. If there is an allocated storage location for the data item, the data item is stored in the allocated storage location; and if not then a storage location is allocated to the data item.
US08548961B2 System and method for fast file tracking and change monitoring
Embodiments are directed towards a dynamic change evaluation mechanism, whereby items having a detected possible change are scheduled for re-evaluation for possible changes at a higher frequency than items detected to not have previously changed, while those items detected as not to have changed are dynamically scheduled for re-evaluation based on an evaluation backlog that may be in turn based, in part, on a time from when an item is assigned an expiration time to when the item is evaluated. In one embodiment, a possibly changed item may be assigned a new expiration time independent of the evaluation backlog. In another embodiment, if no change is detected, then the item may be assigned a new expiration time as a function of a previous expiration time and on the evaluation backlog.
US08548958B2 Service oriented architecture related smart mediation
In one embodiment, a service mediator provides a service that is a composite of atomic services and executes a recovery pattern in the event that a service is not available. More particularly, in an initial phase of operation, the service mediator determines one or more recovery patterns for each atomic service offered in the composite service and stores in a database an identity of each such recovery pattern for each atomic service. In subsequent operation, the service mediator monitors the availability of each atomic service. When a user inquires of a composite service, the service mediator determines if any of its atomic services is unavailable. If an atomic service is unavailable, the service mediator selects a recovery pattern and executes it.
US08548957B2 Method and system for recovering missing information at a computing device using a distributed virtual file system
A method of recovering information missing from a virtual file system is implemented at a computing device that is communicatively connected to one or more storage devices. Upon receipt of a request for a file associated with an instance of the virtual file system, the computing device retrieves a set of blocks associated with the file from one of the storage devices and identifies one or more of the set of blocks as missing blocks after failing to retrieve the missing blocks from the storage devices. For each missing block, the computing device retrieves one or more parity blocks from one of the storage devices and computes the missing block by applying a predefined recovery scheme to the retrieved parity blocks. Finally, the computing device reconstructs the requested file using the computed missing blocks and other blocks associated with the requested file.
US08548956B2 Automated computing appliance cloning or migration
A system and method for automatically cloning or migrating a computing appliance while maintaining its operational state. A configuration bundle that includes configuration data, software revision level and a list of system updates is used to recover or duplicate a device's operation state. The system and method can also be utilized to migrate a computing appliance between different operating system while maintaining or replicating the previous operational state.
US08548955B1 System and method for automating disaster recovery of a mainframe computing system
The present invention relates to a system and method for determining whether databases in a mainframe computing system have updated image copies. A list of all databases in a mainframe computing system is received and backup data for each of the databases is received. From the backup data it is determined whether each of the databases has a current image copy. If each of the databases does not have a current image copy the databases without a current image copy are identified. The present invention also relates to a method for automatically creating control cards and job control language (JCL) for restoring a mainframe computing system.
US08548951B2 Method and system for unified information representation and applications thereof
Method, system, and programs for information search and retrieval. A query is received and is processed to generate a feature-based vector that characterizes the query. A unified representation is then created based on the feature-based vector, that integrates semantic and feature based characterizations of the query. Information relevant to the query is then retrieved from an information archive based on the unified representation of the query. A query response is generated based on the retrieved information relevant to the query and is then transmitted to respond to the query.
US08548946B2 Content package for electronic distribution
Defining a content package having media files and table of contents (TOC) data. The content package includes physical representation data and logical representation data for the media files (e.g., stored in the TOC data). Computing devices store, download, and play back the media files based on the data in the content package. Presentations (e.g., collections of files) within the content package are available for extraction based on a configuration of a media player. The media files are provided for presentation to a user of the computing device, or for storage by the computing device.
US08548938B2 Business rules for configurable metamodels and enterprise impact analysis
A metadata management system for importing, integrating and federating metadata, including a configurable metamodel, a metadata repository for storing metadata whose structure reflects the metamodel, at least one external metadata source, which is able to persist metadata in accordance with the structure of a meta-schema, a mapping module for mapping the meta-schema to the metamodel, and a transformation module, operatively coupled to the metadata mapping module, for translating specific metadata from the at least one external metadata source to the metadata repository, for use in import, export or synchronization of metadata between the external metadata source and the metadata repository. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.
US08548936B2 Property extraction apparatus and method
According to one embodiment, a property extraction apparatus includes a state transition machine conversion unit, storage unit, state transition machine contraction unit, and property conversion unit. The state transition machine conversion unit converts an input property into a state transition machine configured by a plurality of transition functions expressed using a plurality of transition labels. The storage unit stores contraction rules that allow to remove a non-input transition. The state transition machine contraction unit contracts the state transition machine by converting a transition label corresponding to a signal to be ignored into a non-input transition in the state transition machine in accordance with contraction instruction information which represents the signal to be ignored, and rewriting the transition functions by applying the contraction rules that allow to remove the non-input transition. The property conversion unit which converts the state transition machine after the contraction processing into an output property.
US08548933B2 Objective decision making application using bias weighting factors
A method and system for implementing a weighted belief network that assists collaborative users in making decisions. A belief network structure is employed that further includes user controlled weighting and biasing factors to adjust the probabilities for the various nodes. The various participants have the opportunity to make adjustments to the weighting and credibility of the evidence and participants in the decision making process in order to arrive at what may be perceived as a more objective outcome. As the collaborative environment is established and the belief network is built, each user can apply various weighting and bias scenarios from their own perspective thereby allowing each discrete user to work out their various suspicions regarding the bias of other participants or the actual weight of a discrete piece of supporting evidence in the context of the entire belief network.
US08548931B2 System and method for electronic transaction verification
A system and method for authenticating a physical address submitted in an online communication is disclosed. An online communication comprising a physical address to be verified is received. A verification identification (VID) is requested and received. A transaction verification document (TVD) comprising an indicia indicative of the VID is generated. An electronic copy of the TVD is transmitted. Verification data produced in response to dispatch of a physical embodiment of the TVD is received, wherein the physical embodiment is generated from the electronic copy. The physical address is authenticated based at least in part on the verification data.
US08548930B2 Institutional provided data share platform
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for an institution provided data share platform. The institution provided data share platform allows customers and commercial partners to access data the institution may have. Specific platform data access may be limited and/or monitored by the institution to ensure customer safety and privacy compliance. Allowing access to the institution data provides a customer the means to create customized applications utilizing the data in combination with data provided by the customer. In return for access to the platform, the institution may recover assessments based on the application the customer creates.
US08548929B1 Methods and systems of employment candidate data management
A method and system for managing employment candidate data utilizes a pre-screen application to enable pre-screening of employment candidates who log on to a website and are prompted to enter additional information and schedule pre-employment tests via the website. The method and system for managing employment candidate data also uses a tracking and testing application to handle screening of candidates' paper-based applications, administration of interviews, hiring pool management, job offer support, and scheduling of training, and is integrated with an applicant tracking system. A resume tracking application of the method and system for managing employment candidate data automatically identifies and merges duplicate resume information to create a single unique resume in the tracking system.
US08548917B1 Detection of child frames in web pages
Methods and systems for framing detection are disclosed. A web page comprising a child frame is generated. The child frame comprises an instruction to load a component from a merchant. The child frame comprises a header option restricting a loading of the component from within a parent frame associated with a domain external to the merchant. The web page is sent from the merchant to a client browser. It is determined that the web page is loaded within the parent frame in the client browser if a request for the component is not received by the merchant. It is determined that the web page is not loaded within the parent frame in the client browser if a request for the component is received by the merchant.
US08548915B2 Method and computer program product for providing a response to a statement of a user
A method for providing a response to a statement of a user, the method includes: receiving user input that comprises a portion of a user statement; selecting, before receiving a whole user statement, an answerable statement response between an answerable statement, multiple answerable statements and a response to an answerable statement; wherein the selecting is responsive to user input and to structured representations of answerable statements answerable by an answering entity; and sending to the user information representative of response to the user statement.
US08548913B2 Method and apparatus to secure an electronic commerce transaction
A method begins by a processing module receiving data content. The method continues with the processing module embedding the data content into a data stream to produce a stream of data. The method continues with the processing module sequentially encoding data segments of the stream of data in accordance with an error coding dispersed storage function to produce pluralities of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module outputting the pluralities of encoded data slices to a plurality of dispersed storage units for storage therein.
US08548912B2 Transaction pre-processing with mobile device for a currency dispensing device
A system and method of pre-processing a transaction using a mobile device are presented. The system and method may include beginning a transaction at a mobile device. Beginning the transaction may include receiving transaction information at the mobile device. The transaction information may include a transaction identifier, type of transaction, method of payment, and the like. In some examples, the transaction information may be stored at the mobile device. A network associated with a merchant or ATM associated with a financial institution may be detected at the mobile device. The mobile device may connect to the detected network and the transaction may be completed.
US08548910B1 Address change notification
A notification about an address change request to a customer may be generated by processing account information. An address change request for an account is received, and account information is compared to threshold information. If balance information exceeds threshold limits, the account holder is notified at the address or telephone number of record. Different threshold limits may be applied to different types of accounts. When the new address for a change request matches on-line banking information or information from a national change of address (NCOA) database, the change request may be excluded from further processing so that a notification is not generated. Only one notification to the account holder may be generated when the account holder has more than one account with a financial institution. Processing parameters may be adjusted based on exclusions and inclusions by modifying threshold limits from previously determined notifications.
US08548907B1 System for converting paper money orders to electronic money orders
A system and method for converting any and all types of paper money orders into electronic money orders, for retrieval subject to authorization. It allows a customer to make online purchases of goods and services, or pay bills, with an electronic money order. Electronic money orders can be used by a customer online to purchase goods and services from online vendors. The customer will be able to keep his or her electronic money order account active by adding any and all types of paper money orders to the account.
US08548906B1 Method and apparatus for automatic savings upon event detection
Method and apparatus for automatic savings upon event detection. An electronic transfer of funds from one financial account to another financial account is performed in response to selection of a user interface element to a computer software program. For example, a user may initiate the transfer of a fixed, relatively small amount from a checking account to a savings account by selecting a user interface element configured to initiate a funds transfer transaction. Each time the user selects the user interface element, a new funds transfer transaction is generated and transmitted to a financial institution's computer system(s) via a network. Thus, for example, a user may quickly and easily transfer relatively small, fixed amounts of funds from checking into savings without changing the current context of the computer software program.
US08548895B2 Method, system and computer program product for facilitating an auction behavior and automatic bidding in an auction
One or more proxy bidders is associated with a rule which determines a time to place a bid. The proxy bidder places a bid at the determined time, instead of immediately after the bidder's prior bid is exceeded. Such rules may be selected for all proxy bidders to encourage a desired auction behavior. By controlling the placement of bids based on rules associated with the desired auction behavior, bids may be placed in a manner that seems natural and competitive to bidders in the auction when, in fact, they are placed in accordance with the selected rules. The desired auction behavior may be selected statically for an auction or dynamically during the auction. Historical auction data maybe analyzed to characterize the behavior of an auction, such as the average period of time between bids and the average increment between bids. Rules may be generated to correspond to a behavior so as to provide the same average time and increment between bids.
US08548894B2 Computer system and method for calculating margin
The present invention relates to a computer system, computerized method and computer program product for calculating margin requirements in a more efficient way. In particular it relates to margin calculations for being used by clearing house in order to optimize calculation of margin requirements.
US08548889B1 Method and system for graphically differentiating user preferred securities from one another
A system for graphically differentiating user preferred securities from one another is disclosed. The system comprises a server system (12) and a client system (14). The server system (12) is in communication with a security data source (26) that provides security data on a plurality of securities. The client system (14) is in communication with the server system (12) and provides M user specific criteria to the server system (12). The server system (12) then analyzes the security data based upon the M user specific criteria and identifies user preferred securities from the plurality of securities. The server system (12) provides the client system (14) with data relating to the user preferred securities. The client system (14) uses N user specific parameters received from an input device (16, 18) to generate an N dimensional graph that is populated with icons representing the user preferred securities, thereby graphically differentiating the user preferred securities from one another on a display device (20).
US08548888B2 Method and apparatus for computing and displaying a risk-return profile as a risk measure for financial assets
A method and apparatus for displaying a financial asset risk-return profile is disclosed. The method includes determining the length of a period; computing an integer number of intervals in a date range set, an interval being an integer multiple of the length of the period; for each interval, computing the number of interval sub-sets in the date range set, each interval sub-set spanning the time spanned by a corresponding interval; for each interval, computing a metric of the interval sub-sets; and for each interval, displaying the computed metric. The displayed financial asset risk-return profile includes a total return component and a hold time component of risk.
US08548883B2 System and method for providing a loan to a taxpayer
A system and method for providing to a taxpayer a loan in an amount based on the taxpayer's estimated tax refund amount due for a current year, the loan being provided to the taxpayer prior to year end of the current tax year and prior to completion and filing of the taxpayer's current year tax return forms with a taxing authority. The taxpayer's estimated tax refund may be based on historical tax refund data as well as current year income data. A loan granting entity may consider the level of tax refunds that the taxpayer has received in previous years as well as income data for the first three quarters of the year to determine a reasonable estimate of the tax refund amount that the taxpayer will likely receive for the current tax year.
US08548878B1 Aggregating product information for electronic product catalogs
A product catalog includes information regarding products for sale online by various merchants. An analysis software module can collect information regarding new product offers and associate that information with existing product information in the catalog. The module can identify one or more potential product matches in the catalog based on identical or similar strong identifier information between the offer and the potential match, and/or based on query search result relationships between the offer and the potential match. The analysis module can evaluate each potential match by performing an image comparison between one or more product images provided with the offer and one or more representative images selected by the analysis module for the potential matching product. If the analysis module confirms a match, the analysis module can add information regarding the new product offer to the product catalog, associating the new product offer with the confirmed matching product.
US08548875B2 Methods for assisting a person in transitioning from one disposable absorbent product to another
The present disclosure generally relates to methods for assisting consumers in transitioning from a current absorbent product to a future absorbent product. Also described are transition aids for assisting in this transition. In particular, the transition aids provide a consumer with a means for comparing different characteristics of their current absorbent product with characteristics of a future absorbent product.
US08548874B2 Integrated online and physical location merchandizing
An on-item tag displays information about an item in a fixed retail location. The on-item tag is associated with an online collage tag for the same item on a web page of a web site associated with a retail location. The on-item tag has an ornamental appearance substantially the same as an online collage tag for the same item displayed on a web page of the web site. The on-item tag has a first part that includes a user review. An online item includes an online collage tag that includes the first part of the on-item tag along with additional information for the product that includes, but is not limited to, user reviews, product cost, product description, product status, and product availability. The on-item tag includes the first part along with a second part that provides additional product information.
US08548873B2 System and method for configuring a configurable product
Product configuration selections automatically cross-over between plural product types based upon end user component selections. If end user component selections initiate a cross-over trigger, the end user is presented with an option to cross over from an initially-selected product type to a product type associated with the cross-over trigger. Upon selection of the cross-over product type, the product configuration is automatically reconfigured to update components selected by the end user for the initially-selected product type to components associated with the cross-over product type.
US08548867B2 Product configuration server for efficiently displaying selectable attribute values for configurable products
A computer-implemented system leverages binary decision diagram (BDD) structures to provide selectable attribute values for one or more configurable products. The BDD structures may define offering attribute nodes and non-offering attribute nodes. The offering attribute nodes may represent product attribute values selectable by the user based on product configuration rules, and the non-offering attribute nodes may represent product attribute values not selectable by the user based on the product configuration rules. The computer-implemented system may further include at least one memory storage device that stores one or more product configuration rules used to define permissible product configurations and attributes of the products. By evaluating the BDD structures and the product configuration rules, the computer-implemented system may prepare a customized set of product records for transmission to a user, wherein the customized set of product records contains product attribute values corresponding to the offering attribute nodes.
US08548863B2 System and method for selecting services from multiple cloud vendors
A system and method permits the selection of services from multiple cloud vendors. The system receives parameters relating to a plurality of services offered by a plurality of vendors in a plurality of cloud computing environments. The parameters relate to an actual cost charged by each of the vendors and a cost relating to an environmental impact of each of the vendors. The system calculates a value for each of the vendors as a function of the received parameters, and selects one or more vendors as a function of the calculated value. The system outputs to a display device one or more of the selected vendors and the calculated values for each of the vendors. In another embodiment, the system establishes a communication connection with one or more of the cloud computing environments, and invokes one or more applications or services from the one or more cloud computing environments.
US08548855B2 User generated ADS based on check-ins
Systems and methods are disclosed for generating and utilizing photo advertisements (“ads”). In one embodiment, a photo check-in process is performed for a user located within a geographic check-in zone which results in a photo advertisement that is utilized as a photo check-in for the user. In another embodiment, a photo advertisement is posted as a status update for a user via a social networking service. In another embodiment, photo advertisements are created by users and stored for subsequent use in serving ad requests.
US08548853B2 Peer-to-peer advertisement platform
A peer-to-peer advertisement platform is provided to ubiquitously promote products or services supplied by advertisers across content-based applications executing on nodes in a peer-to-peer network. The peer-to-peer advertisement platform may include a registration component to register nodes in the peer-to-peer advertising platform, an advertisement submission component to receive advertisement data from the advertisers, and a distribution component to distribute the advertisement data to the nodes registered in the peer-to-peer advertisement platform. The peer-to-peer advertisement platform also includes a money sharing component to reward nodes based on a contribution level assigned to the node. Accordingly, the peer-to-peer advertisement platform stores the advertisement data locally at the plurality of nodes registered in the peer-to-peer advertising platform and shares a portion of the revenue generated from the advertisement data with the nodes registered in the peer-to-peer advertising platform.
US08548852B2 Effective virtual reality environments for presentation of marketing materials
Effective virtual reality environments including in-store virtual reality environments such as supermarket aisles, store shelves, cooler displays, etc. are generated using frameworks and customer layout information. Marketing materials are integrated with the virtual reality environment while introducing imperfections and/or other cues of realism to create a virtual reality environment representation. Imperfections may include misaligned marketing materials, product label blemishes, packages placed slightly askew, etc. Sensory experiences output to the user via the virtual reality environment representation elicit interactivity with a user and user movements, motions, and responses are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing materials and/or the virtual reality environment representations.
US08548850B2 Providing consumers with incentives for healthy eating habits
A method, system, and program for providing consumer healthy habits incentives are provided. A consumable item, consumed by an individual, is detected. A health factor is detected for the consumable item. An electronic incentive is selected for the individual according to the health factor, such that the individual is encouraged to consume a healthy selection of consumable items. An electronic incentive may be further specified according to the personal health history, exercise history and consumption history of an individual.
US08548847B2 Method and system for generating real-time directions associated with product promotions
A method and system for generating customized incentives involving electronic distribution of coupons to remote personal computers based on proximity of the computer to a retail center are disclosed. A repository, such as an online service provider or a web site on the Internet, stores packages of incentive data for downloading automatically or on demand to a user's computer. A plurality of data fields is used to associate a user's location with a specific incentive. The incentive data corresponds to remote user computers in a predetermined geographic area. Means for identifying remote user computers in a predetermined geographic area and means for providing direction data, such as maps, etc. to the remote user computer are disclosed.
US08548846B2 System and method for online targeted billboard advertising
A system and method are provided for delivering a message while simultaneously promoting a brand in a trusted online environment. The system may include a sponsor selection mechanism for allowing a communicating user to select at least one sponsor from a list of provided sponsors. The system may additionally include a text input area for allowing the communicating user to input text for display in conjunction with the selected sponsor and a target user selection mechanism for allowing the advertising user to select at least one target user for receipt of the selected sponsor display and the input text in a billboard advertisement.
US08548843B2 Individual performance metrics scoring and ranking
A method for ranking the performance data of a plurality of employees. The method may include using a receiver to receive information relating to the performance, by each of the employees, of a plurality of tasks. Each of the plurality of tasks may be tasks completed during a predetermined time period. The method may also include using a processor to compute for each of the plurality of employees, based at least in part on the received data, a median cycle time score, an accuracy score, an escalation percentage score, a volume score and a client target date score. The method may further include using the processor to rank, using percentile ranking, the of the median cycle time scores, accuracy scores, escalation percentage scores, volume scores and client target date scores.
US08548838B1 Method, software and/or process for optimizing the distribution of labor in a manufacturing environment
A method for optimizing a workforce. The method includes the steps of: (A) querying a pool of workers to determine a first set of workers qualified to perform a particular task at a particular time, (B) querying the pool of workers to determine a second set of workers that are present to work at the particular time, (C) querying the pool of workers to determine a third set of workers that have not already been assigned a task at the particular time and (D) determining a fourth set of workers to perform the task at the particular time by selecting workers belonging to each of the first set, the second set, and the third set.
US08548836B2 Business driven learning solution particularly suitable for sales-oriented organizations
Disclosed is a business driven learning solution and related methods for managing the learning and training needs of a sales-oriented organization in a manner that is in responsive to dynamic business needs. The invention employs modules of interrelated and interdependent business processes for the identification and prioritization of learning needs, the selection of learning approaches, the development of learning content, the coordination and delivery of learning instruction, and the overall management and administration learning efforts. Embodiments of the inventions disclosed include sales training objects to provide a template for sales training that is focused on a solution, and how to position and sell the solution, rather than on the products that make up the solution. As a result, the sales force is educated, understands the customers' business requirements, and is able to craft specific value propositions to a given customer with respect to that solution. Thus, the training is customer-centric as opposed to product-centric.
US08548834B2 Information capture, processing and retrieval system and method of operating the same
An information capture, processing and retrieval (“ICPR”) system shared by multiple buyers, suppliers and workers concurrently and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the ICPR system includes an order documentation subsystem configured to document orders for the suppliers and the buyers with respect to the workers. Each of the orders specifies a different method of time capture for the workers assigned thereto. The ICPR system also includes a time capture subsystem configured to receive the different methods of time capture from the workers positioned in one of anchored and untethered locations assigned to the orders. In a related embodiment, the ICPR system further includes a time approval and buyer tagging subsystem configured to allow the buyers to label time worked by the workers corresponding to the buyers with one or more tags, thereby translating approved time of the workers into custom, internal terminology of the buyers.
US08548833B2 Insurance product, rating system and method
In the present invention, an insurance product, rating system and method generally relates to a rating and pricing system for quantifying the risk that the annual savings will not fall below specified levels associated with implementing and maintaining economic improvements. The product, system and method can be applied to various industries, including, power generation, petro-chemical, manufacturing and refining facilities. Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for determining optimal risk acceptance values associated with implementing an economic improvement plan for a facility.
US08548832B2 Business process automation in a health plan organization
The computer implemented method and system disclosed herein automates business processes of a health plan organization using a plurality of portals. The portals comprise a sales portal, a member portal, an employer portal, an administration portal, and a provider portal. Health plans are listed using the sales portal. A sales agent proposes at least one of the health plans to a consumer using the sales portal. The administration portal generates insurance quotes for the proposed health plans. The consumer enrolls for the proposed health plans using one of the member portal and the employer portal. The consumer is billed for the enrolled health plans based on the insurance quotes using the administration portal. The consumer pays a premium amount online for the enrolled health plans using the member portal or the employer portal. The administration portal then generates commissions for the sales agent for the enrolled health plans.
US08548831B2 System and method for tracking, monitoring and reporting extinguishment of a title insurance policy
A system for monitoring a title insurance policy including a processor and a memory in communication with the processor is disclosed. The system includes computer readable logic stored on the memory and executable on the processor. The computer readable logic configured to receive a title record including both owner identification information and property identification information, query a title record database to determine if the received title record has experienced an extinguishment event selected from the group consisting of: a loan modification; a foreclosure; a sale; an arms-length ownership change; and a change to a real-estate owned (REO) property, set an inactive indicator associated with the title insurance policy if an extinguishment event is determined to be associated with the owner identification and property identification information of the title record, set, in the absence of an inactive indicator, an active indicator associated with the title insurance policy if an extinguishment event is not determined to be associated with the owner identification and property identification information of the title record, and generate, if the active indicator is set, a monitoring flag associated with the received title record associated with the title insurance policy of interest.
US08548828B1 Method, process and system for disease management using machine learning process and electronic media
There is a dire need to reduce healthcare costs and appointment times with specialists. The instant mobile device method, process and the system addresses this need. The system and mobile application allows the user/patient to interact with health care providers who are certified to work in a particular geographical region without hesitation. In the instant application a novel mobile technology powered by unique image analysis software based on machine learning process to evaluate the submitted images for diagnostic purposes. The ease of approaching a health care provider by using the mobile device and getting matched to the right healthcare provider is another feature of this mobile application. The ease of providing case history and images for diagnosis and treatment is also novel.
US08548827B2 Computer-implemented method for medical diagnosis support
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for medical diagnosis support for patient data of a patient through a data processing system, wherein the data processing system comprises a graphical user interface and a database containing rules for calculating diagnosis risks.
US08548826B2 Prepopulating clinical events with image based documentation
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for protocol driven image acquisition are provided. In embodiments, a protocol is received by an image capturing device. The protocol comprises orders from a clinician, a workflow for capturing at least one image, or a combination thereof. At least one field for receiving metadata to be associated with the at least one image allows structured documentation to begin on the image capturing device. The at least one image and associated metadata are communicated to a medical information system. A patient is identified by the metadata or an existing patient to device association and the at least one image is associated with an electronic medical record for the patient.
US08548825B2 Method and system for extracting medical information for presentation to medical providers on mobile terminals
A system for providing medical providers with medical records accessible from a mobile terminal in one embodiment comprises reformatting the information in a medical record database to be used with large, ergonomic icons allowing easy transitions between pages of information in the medical record. Docking stations or wireless networks may enable the mobile terminal to access the medical records. Thus, the medical provider may have bedside access to the information in the medical records to make informed decisions about treatment regimens.
US08548824B1 Systems and methods for notifying of duplicate product prescriptions
Embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for notifying a prescriber or other entity of duplicate product prescriptions. According to one embodiment, a method for processing prescriptions is provided that may include the operations of: receiving a healthcare transaction that identifies a current prescribed product, a patient, and a current prescriber who prescribed the current prescribed product; retrieving patient history for the patient; determining the following based on the patient history: that the patient has previously received a previous equivalent product equivalent to the current prescribed product identified in the healthcare transaction and an identity of a previous prescriber of the previous equivalent product; and transmitting a notification to at least one of the previous prescriber or the current prescriber, wherein the notification identifies potential duplicate products.
US08548823B2 Automatically determining ideal treatment plans for complex neuropsychiatric conditions
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for modifying neuropsychiatric treatment plans based on efficacy of treatment. A current treatment plan comprising a first set of therapies to treat a set of neuropsychiatric conditions and portions of the medical literature associated with the set of neuropsychiatric conditions is retrieved. A set of brain scans of the patient is analyzed to determine a set of changes over time associated with the set of neuropsychiatric conditions. The portions of the medical literature and the set of changes are analyzed to determine a patient rate of response to the treatment plan. If the patient rate of response falls below a threshold expected rate, a set of alternative treatments for the patient is identified. A modified treatment plan is generated using the set of alternative treatments.
US08548812B2 Method and system for detecting a relevant utterance in a voice session
A method and apparatus for detecting use of an utterance. A voice session including voice signals generated during a conversation between a first participant and a second participant is monitored by a speech analytics processor. The speech analytics processor detects the use of an utterance. A speech recognition processor channel selected from a pool of speech recognition processor channels and is coupled to the voice session. The speech recognition processor provided speech recognition services to a voice-enabled application. The speech recognition processor channel is then decoupled from the voice session. The speech analytics processor continues to monitor the conversation for subsequent use of the utterance.
US08548811B2 Systems, methods, and programs for detecting unauthorized use of text based communications services
Systems, methods, and programs for generating an authorized profile for a text communication device or account, may sample a text communication generated by the text communication device or account during communication and may store the text sample. The systems, methods, and programs may extract a language pattern from the stored text sample and may create an authorized profile based on the language pattern. Systems, methods, and programs for detecting unauthorized use of a text communication device or account may sample a text communication generated by the device or account during communication, may extract a language pattern from the audio sample, and may compare extracted language pattern of the sample with an authorized user profile.
US08548804B2 Generating sample error coefficients
This invention relates to generation of a sample error coefficient suitable for use in an audio signal quality assessment system. The invention provides a method of determining a sample error coefficient between a first signal and a similar second signal comprising the steps of: determining a first periodicity measure from the first signal; determining a second periodicity measure from the second signal; generating a ratio in dependence upon said first periodicity measure and said second periodicity measure; and determining a sampling rate error coefficient in dependence upon said ratio.
US08548799B2 Methods and apparatus to help users of a natural language system formulate queries
Methods and apparatus provide the capability of receiving at least a portion of a message in natural language format from a user prior to submission of the message to an automated agent for a response, analyzing the at least the portion of the message, and providing a suggestion to the user, based upon the analyzed at least the portion of the message, for altering the message to improve ability of the automated agent to respond to the message.
US08548797B2 Short text language detection using geographic information
A content-providing entity receives a relatively short text from a user and attempts to determine, automatically, based on that short text (and on other available clues), a language that the user can read and understand. The content-providing entity may then provide, to the user, documents that are written in the determined language. The content-providing entity may determine a language of the input text based on several factors in combination: (a) the service provider's “market,” which is determined based on at least a portion of the URL of the Internet site to which the user directed his browser; (b) the user's “region,” which is determined based on the source Internet Protocol (IP) address of the IP packets that the user sends to the Internet site; (c) the “script” in which the short user-entered text is written; and (d) a statistical analysis of the frequency of the characters present in the short user-entered text.
US08548791B2 Validation of the consistency of automatic terminology translation
A method of determining the consistency of training data for a machine translation system is disclosed. The method includes receiving a signal indicative of a source language corpus and a target language corpus. A textual string is extracted from the source language corpus. The textual string is aligned with the target language corpus to identify a translation for the textual string from the target language corpus. A consistency index is calculated based on a relationship between the textual string from the source language corpus and the translation. An indication of the consistency index is stored on a tangible medium.
US08548784B2 Tar estimation
A method to predict tars and tar sands in petroleum exploration and production in a subsurface volume by building a viscoelastic property model of the volume using rock behavior including tars together with seismic inversion to derive a lithology volume identifying tars.
US08548782B2 Method for modeling deformation in subsurface strata
A method for modeling deformation in subsurface strata, including defining physical boundaries for a geomechanical system. The method also includes acquiring one or more mechanical properties of the subsurface strata within the physical boundaries, and acquiring one or more thermal properties of the subsurface strata within the physical boundaries. The method also includes creating a computer-implemented finite element analysis program representing the geomechanical system and defining a plurality of nodes representing points in space, with each node being populated with at least one of each of the mechanical properties and the thermal properties. The program solves for in situ stress at selected nodes within the mesh.
US08548778B1 Method and system for providing information from a patient-specific model of blood flow
Embodiments include a system for providing blood flow information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system including a touchscreen. The at least one computer system may be configured to display, on the touchscreen, a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of an anatomical structure of the patient based on patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may also be configured to receive a first input relating to a first location on the touchscreen indicated by at least one pointing object controlled by a user, and the first location on the touchscreen may indicate a first location on the displayed three-dimensional model. The at least one computer system may be further configured to display first information on the touchscreen, and the first information may indicate a blood flow characteristic at the first location.
US08548777B2 Automated recommendations from simulation
An industrial controller simulation system is provided. The system includes a simulation component that enables modeling of an industrial controller system. A suggestion component offers automated recommendations in accordance with the modeling of the industrial controller system.
US08548776B2 Parallel physics solver
A parallel physics solver may solve an equation to determine the characteristics of motion after a collision. In some embodiments, the physics solver solves the equation AX=B, where A is a sparse constrained matrix and B is the right hand vector. The sparse constrained matrix may be formed of 6×K blocks, where K is a tuning parameter that divides into the width of a single instruction multiple data processor used to implement the physics solver, without residue.
US08548767B2 Measuring device with serial digital interface
The invention relates to a measuring device having at least one first assembly and at least one second assembly. The first assembly and the second assembly each comprise an intermediate frequency interface or a complex baseband interface. The intermediate frequency interfaces or baseband interfaces are designed as serial digital interfaces.
US08548765B2 Dynamically self-adjusting sensor
A dynamically self-adjusting sensor is disclosed. In one embodiment, a sample module repeatedly generates an electronic signal related to a characteristic of an environment. A window module receives the electronic signal and provides an average signal for a pre-defined number of the electronic signals. A delta comparator module receives the electronic signal from the sample module and compares the electronic signal with a previously received electronic signal from the sample module to establish a change, wherein an output is generated if the change is greater than or equal to a threshold, the delta comparator module further receives the average signal from the window module and compares the average signal with a previously received average signal from the window module to establish an average change, wherein the output is generated if the change is greater than or equal to a threshold.
US08548763B2 Variable sensing using frequency domain
Embodiments of a method and apparatus for variable sensing using the frequency domain are taught herein. An exposure of a system to a physical variable is determined by periodically sensing the physical variable to produce a plurality of digital samples. The plurality of digital samples is converted to respective frequency domain representations. The exposure is calculated using the frequency domain representations.
US08548760B2 Detecting nonlinearity in a cable plant and determining a cable length to a source of the nonlinearity
An apparatus and a method for detecting a nonlinearity in a cable plant and for determining cable length to a source of the nonlinearity are disclosed. Upstream signal peaks are detected by averaging upstream signal waveforms. The upstream signal peaks are generated at the source of the nonlinearity from naturally occurring downstream signal peaks propagating in the cable plant. The downstream signal peaks occur due to constructive superposition of the downstream channel signals. Acquisition of the upstream signal waveforms is triggered by the downstream signal peaks. The cable length to the source of nonlinearity is determined from a time delay between the downstream signal peaks and the upstream signal peaks.
US08548759B2 Methods, apparatus, or systems for characterizing physical property in non-biomaterial or bio-material
Techniques (e.g., system, apparatus, method, machine-readable medium) can be configured for characterizing a rheological or other structural physical property of a sample of a substance. In an example, this can include acoustically bidirectionally deforming the portion of the sample over a deformation range about a neutral-deformation locus within the deformation range, measuring a deformation response of at least a portion of the sample to the insonification, and characterizing the physical property of the sample using the measured response of at least a portion of the sample to the insonification, even in the presence of a flowing substance.
US08548753B2 Velocity-enhanced flow measurement
A process fluid flow measurement device includes a fluid flow member having an inlet with a first diameter and a throat with a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter. A first process fluid pressure tap is disposed proximate the inlet and a second process fluid pressure tap is disposed proximate the throat. A differential pressure sensor is operably coupled to the first and second process fluid pressure taps. Differential pressure measurement circuitry is coupled to the differential pressure sensor to provide a differential pressure signal related to a difference in pressure between process fluid pressure at the first and second taps. A process fluid velocity measurement device is positioned in the throat to measure a velocity of process fluid flowing therethrough and provide a fluid velocity indication. The differential pressure sensor signal and the fluid velocity indication are used to provide a calculated indication of fluid flow. This calculated indication can be relative to multiphasic fluids such as two-phase or three-phase fluids.
US08548750B1 Path classification and estimation method and system for prognosticating asset life
Path classification and estimation method and system used in combination with a computer and memory for prognosticating the remaining useful life of an asset by classifying a current degradation path of a current asset as belonging to one or more of previously collected degradation paths of exemplary assets and using the resulting classifications to estimate the remaining useful life of the current asset.
US08548747B2 Optimizing genome-wide mutation analysis of chromosomes and genes
Provided is a method of genome-wide testing of gene copy number at the genetically most important loci to determine whether the gene and/or its selected larger surrounding chromosome region is rearranged to result in an unbalanced abnormality in one or more subjects. The method includes selecting multiple gene loci of the DNAs to be examined in the test, conducting the test, and comparing the number of copies at each locus tested by quantification of total gene target number to determine the relative number of each polymorphic sequence detected to assure that each important tested sequence is distinguished from the other alleles at the same locus. A method of detecting the highest number of abnormal patients possible based upon the number of test sites available in a protocol is also provided. Depending upon the state of the life cycle, both of the methods can be done together or in sequence.
US08548739B2 Navigation system with interactive accelerometer mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: detecting an accelerometer acceleration, having a magnitude and a direction, for monitoring a device; receiving a first location reading for locating the device with a remote location system; determining the first location reading as being invalid; and updating a device-location from the first location reading with the accelerometer acceleration for displaying on the device.
US08548738B1 Constructing paths based on a particle model
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to indoor localization, for example, where GPS or other localization signals are unavailable. More specifically, aspects relate to using a particle filter in conjunction with one or more orientation devices to identify a location of a client device with respect to a map of an indoor space. This location may then be used to identify the path of the client device through the indoor space.
US08548735B2 Location based tracking
Location information is used to build a database of locations having associated audio, video, image or text data. In some implementations, a device includes a touch-sensitive display and collects data associated with a geographic location of interest. The geographic location of interest can be displayed on a map using an indicator. A touch selection of the indicator provides access to the data through an interface displayed on the touch-sensitive display. One or more locations of interest can be displayed and grouped together by an attribute.
US08548734B2 System and method for real-time travel path prediction and automatic incident alerts
A path prediction method that uses a commuter's travel patterns to predict their route and destination, and transmit road advisories via a GPS-enabled device. Once the user's location data is transmitted via a GPS-enabled device it is then catalogued and stored in a GIS database. The user's current travel path is then compared to their path history and statistics and a destination is determined based on related spatial and time properties. A warning is then automatically delivered to the user if there is an accident along their predicted path, without requiring any request or input form the user.
US08548729B2 Radio apparatus mounted on a vehicle
A positional information acquiring unit acquires positional information of a vehicle. An intersection predicting unit predicts an intersection, which the vehicle will enter, by associating the positional information with map information. An entrance predicting unit acquires the positional information of another vehicle included in a packet signal from a transmitting apparatus mounted on the other vehicle and associates the positional information of the other vehicle with the map information, thereby predicting whether the other vehicle enters the intersection predicted by the intersection predicting unit. When entrance of the other vehicle is predicted, an effect predicting unit predicts whether travel of the other vehicle has an effect on this vehicle based on traveling direction information of the other vehicle acquired from the packet signal. The notifying unit notifies presence of the other vehicle when presence of the effect is predicted.
US08548727B2 Cognitive aircraft hazard advisory system (CAHAS)
Integrated surveillance systems and methods for processing multiple sensor inputs and determining a best route for avoiding multiple hazards. An example method performed on a first aircraft includes generating a plurality of routes for avoiding a previously determined alert from a first advisory system. Then, probability of success information is generated at other advisory systems for each of the plurality of routes. The best route of the plurality of routes is determined based on the generated probabilities and output to the flight crew or other aircraft. The probability of success information includes a previously defined uncertainty value. The uncertainty value corresponds to quality of data provided to or provided by the respective advisory system.
US08548725B2 Visual assessment of landmarks
Visual images may be used to detect, or verify the existence of, landmarks. In one example, the landmarks may be used to provide driving or walking directions. A set of records may be examined to identify the street addresses of businesses or other entities. Additionally, street-level images may be captured with a camera, and the locations at which the images were captured may be recorded. The images may be evaluated with an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) process to determine what words appear in the images. The words in the image are compared with the names of entities whose addresses are near where the image was captured. If the words match the entity name, then a sign identifying the entity is presumed to be visible along a particular route, and the entity may be used as a landmark in a set of walking or driving directions.
US08548717B2 Method for performing an intake manifold injection
A method for performing an intake manifold injection for at least one combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, at least one intake valve being connected to an intake port, at least one exhaust valve and at least one injector being assigned to at least one combustion chamber, fuel being injected into the at least one intake port by the at least one injector during an injection time, the injection time being started after the closing of the at least one exhaust valve and terminated before the closing of the at least one intake valve for performing the method.
US08548716B2 Variable cam control in an engine
A method for controlling variable camshaft timing is provided. In one example, an engine method comprises adjusting a variable cam actuator responsive to cam position feedback from even and uneven readings of a cam sensor. In this way, increased cam position feedback may be provided to improve cam positioning control.
US08548715B2 Method and system for controlling engine performance
Methods, systems, and computer readable storage media are provided for operating a vehicle including an engine that may be automatically shutdown in response to AESS conditions. In one example, the method comprises, determining an AESS emission credit corresponding to an amount of AESS operation; and adjusting an engine operating parameter based on the determined AESS emission credit. Further, in another example, the method comprises retarding injection timing in response to manifold air temperature, wherein an amount of retard is adjusted responsive to an amount of AESS operation.
US08548711B2 Control device of inverted pendulum type vehicle
Provided is a control device of an inverted pendulum type vehicle capable of adjusting a deviation of a tilt angle of a base body from a desired tilt angle so as to maintain the vehicle in a normal state where the tilt angle matches the desired tilt angle and the vehicle is in halt. When an update condition for updating a tilt offset adjusting variable θb_xy_offset is satisfied (STEP 21), a posture control calculator 80 performs a first mode arithmetic process (STEP 22) to update the tilt offset adjusting variable θb_xy_offset, and meanwhile determines imaginary wheel rotational angular acceleration commands ωwdot_x_cmd and ωwdot_y_cmd via a second mode arithmetic process (STEP 23) by using the tilt offset adjusting variable θb_xy_offset updated in the first mode arithmetic process.
US08548709B2 Drive assisting device
A radar sensor detects a traveling state of a host vehicle. An inter-vehicle control ECU gives the amount of operation for the predetermined amount of control of the host vehicle so that the traveling state of the host vehicle detected by the radar sensor becomes a predetermined state. The amount of operation given by the inter-vehicle control ECU is reduced as a kind of restriction when the amount of operation given by the inter-vehicle control ECU becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value. As a result, it is possible to reduce the dependence of the driver on the device.
US08548708B2 Brake system for a vehicle and method for operating a brake system for a vehicle
A brake system for a vehicle has a first and a second brake control device, four wheel actuator devices, and a first and a second signal line, the first signal line connecting the first brake control device to two of the four wheel actuator devices and the second signal line connecting the second brake control device to the two other wheel actuator devices, each of the four wheel actuator devices in the active state being additionally designed to detect whether a specified number of brake control devices and/or wheel actuator devices are in the inactive state, in which case a specified braking torque is exerted on the wheel of the vehicle associated with the brake control device.
US08548707B2 Braking system and method for braking a vehicle having a hybrid drive
In a braking system and a method for braking a vehicle having a hybrid drive, at least one wheel, preferably at least the wheels of one axle, is brakable by a regenerative brake and by a service brake. The braking system includes a vehicle stability control system, which ascertains state variables describing a driving dynamics of the vehicle, for which there exist threshold values and/or threshold value combinations. The vehicle stability control system is arranged such that when reaching, exceeding and/or undershooting one of the threshold values or one of the threshold value combinations a wheel-specific braking force control is effected. A predefined maximum regenerative braking force is determined on the basis of the state variables ascertained by the vehicle stability control system and the regenerative brake is controlled such that the regenerative braking force exerted on the at least one wheel does not exceed the determined predefined maximum regenerative braking force.
US08548705B2 Method for controlling an automated clutch
A method for controlling an automated clutch, which comprises a hydraulic clutch actuating system having a hydrostatic actuator, the pressure of which is detected. The method includes using the pressure of the hydrostatic actuator to adapt the characteristic curve of the clutch.
US08548703B2 Method and apparatus to determine clutch slippage in an electro-mechanical transmission
A method to determine excessive clutch slippage in a transmission coupled to an engine and an electric machine adapted to selectively transmit power to an output member through selective application of torque-transfer clutches includes monitoring rotational velocities of the electric machine, engine and output member, monitoring a transmission operating range state, determining a clutch slip based upon monitored rotational velocities for one of the torque-transfer clutches intended to be synchronized based upon the transmission operating range state, and indicating a runaway slip event if the clutch slip is in excess of a threshold slip level through a threshold slip duration.
US08548698B2 Main modulation calibration using control main valve
Various embodiments of methods, apparatus and systems that calibrate main modulation of an electro-hydraulic control system for a vehicle transmission are presented. Some embodiments calibrate regulator control signals that cause a main regulator valve to develop a main line pressure based upon status of a control main valve that develops a control main pressure based upon the main line pressure.
US08548697B2 Shift control device
There is provided a shift control device which is provided in a shift operation unit including: a plurality of shift positions corresponding to states of a transmission; a shift lever which selects one of the plurality of shift positions; a home position to which the shift lever automatically returns; and a shift position detecting unit which outputs a shift position signal when the shift lever is positioned in one of the plurality of shift positions, the shift control device detecting, when the shift position signal is input to the shift control device for more than a recognition time period set for the shift position where the shift lever is positioned, that the shift position is selected or that the shift operation unit has a failure, and including a deterioration state detecting unit which detects a deterioration degree of the shift operation unit, wherein the recognition time period is changed in accordance with the deterioration degree.
US08548695B2 Method for unlocking an automatic transmission in an emergency
A method is provided for emergency unlocking of an automatic transmission in a vehicle. The transmission may be unlocked from a blocked state for protection against unauthorized use, by an emergency unlocking unit. Upon actuation of the emergency unlocking unit, the automatic transmission cannot be operated in a forward driving mode.
US08548691B2 Blade control system, construction machine and blade control method
A blade control system includes a first open ratio setting part for setting a first open ratio of a proportional control valve based on a difference angle between a blade angle and a slope angle; a second open ratio setting part for setting a second open ratio of the proportional control valve based on a difference load between a blade load and a target blade load; and a lift controlling part for controlling the proportional control valve in accordance with the second open ratio when the blade load is out of a predetermined load range and for controlling the proportional control valve in accordance with the first open ratio when the blade load is within the predetermined load range.
US08548686B2 Automatic crash notification using WiMAX
An automatic crash notification system may include a crash detection system configured to detect a crash of a vehicle, a wireless communication system configured to wirelessly transmit a message to and wirelessly receive a message from a remote location in conformance with the IEEE 802.16 standard, and a processing system configured to transmit notice of a crash over the wireless communication system to the remote location in conformance with the IEEE 802.16 standard in response to detection of the crash by the crash detection system. The wireless communication may be configured to wirelessly transmit a message to and wireless receive a message from the remote location using WiMAX. The automatic crash notification system may include a memory system containing a first prerecorded message that includes one or more words that mean that the remote location has received notice of a crash and a user communication system configured to deliver words to an occupant of the vehicle. The processing system may be configured to cause the first prerecorded message to be communicated over the user communication system in response to receipt by the wireless communication system of an acknowledgement from the remote location that the remote location has received notice of the crash, but which does not include the first prerecorded message.
US08548684B2 Electric power steering control apparatus
To obtain an electric power steering control apparatus hard to generate vibration even when accuracy is not high enough for torque vibration of extremely small output of torque detecting means. An electric power steering control apparatus includes steering torque detecting means, a torque controller that computes an auxiliary torque current, a motor that generates a torque for assisting a steering torque, current steering component removing means for removing a component by steering, vibration velocity estimating means for estimating a vibration velocity in a rotational direction of the motor, and a damping controller that computes a damping current to be added to the auxiliary torque current, and the vibration velocity estimating means includes vibration acceleration computing means for computing vibration acceleration in the rotational direction of the motor by multiplication of a motor current output from the current steering component removing means, and rotational acceleration integrating means for computing the vibration velocity in the motor rotational direction by integrating the vibration acceleration computing means.
US08548681B2 Power steering device
A power steering device is mounted on a vehicle and includes a torque applying unit and an applied friction torque changing unit. The torque applying unit sets an applied friction torque applied to a steering wheel based on a real steering angle and a target steering angle, and performs a control of applying the applied friction torque to the steering wheel. The applied friction torque changing unit changes the applied friction torque based on a load condition of the vehicle.
US08548674B2 Cellular phone configured with off-board device capabilities and starter/charger and battery testing capabilities
The present invention is directed toward a cellular phone that connects to an existing vehicle data link to perform the functions of an off-board device, such as a scan tool, for displaying diagnostic information relating to vehicles. In addition, the cellular phone connects to a starter/charger system and/or a battery to perform the functions of a starter/charger/battery testing device. Such a device allows a user to connect the cellular phone to a data link connector located in a vehicle, download software to either an adaptor or the cellular phone, retrieve information relating to diagnostic tests on the vehicle and view the results on the cellular phone display, and/or communicate the results to another person or device.
US08548670B2 Fuel-saving driving diagnostic device, fuel-saving driving diagnostic system, travel control device, fuel-saving driving rating device, and fuel-saving driving diagnostic method
A shift lever position determining unit determines whether a shift lever position of a vehicle satisfies predetermined conditions. If the shift lever position is determined to satisfy the predetermined conditions, a travel distance adding-up unit adds up an optimum shift lever position travel distance. If the shift lever position is determined not to satisfy the predetermined conditions, the travel distance adding-up unit adds up an inappropriate shift lever position travel distance. A fuel-saving driving rating unit rates driving by a driver based on each added-up value added up by the travel distance adding-up unit. A fuel-saving driving advice generating unit notifies the driver of fuel-saving driving advice together with a rating result in accordance with the rating result. Therefore, it is possible to encourage the driver to select an optimum shift lever position with high fuel efficiency and thereby to improve the driver's knowledge and awareness of the fuel-saving driving.
US08548667B2 Hands on steering wheel detect in lane centering operation
A control system to determine a hands on wheel (HOW) condition is provided. The control system includes a sensor that monitors an amount of applied torque exerted upon a hand wheel, and a control module for monitoring the sensor. The control module includes a notch filter to attenuate a normal column mode frequency from the amount of applied torque to produce a filtered torque signal. The normal column mode frequency represents a range of vibrational modes of the hand wheel based on a hands off wheel condition. The control module includes a state detector to receive the filtered torque signal from the notch filter. The state detector determines if the HOW condition exists based on if the filtered torque signal exceeds an ON threshold torque value.
US08548665B2 Movable body system
A movable body system includes a movable body to which an image pickup apparatus is attached; an image analyzer that performs image matching between the image captured by the image pickup apparatus and an image, which is previously captured on the travel path of the movable body; a wall-surface detector that detects directions of the movable body with respect to wall surfaces, which are arranged along the travel path, and distances between the wall surfaces and the movable body; and a traveling-direction calculator that detects a shift of the movable body with respect to the travel path from an output of the image analyzer or the wall-surface detector, and calculates a traveling direction to cause the movable body to travel on the travel path.
US08548660B2 Integrated hybrid vehicle control strategy
A method for allocating energy within a vehicle comprises calculating an energy forecast for the vehicle based upon a plurality of strategy variables in a vehicle controller. The plurality of strategy variables includes driver profile information, GPS information, ESS information, environment information, accessory information, and system default parameters. The controller calculates a charging strategy based upon the energy forecast and the plurality of strategy variables and determines a control strategy for energy allocation based upon the strategy variables, energy forecast, and charging strategy. The energy is allocated to the vehicle systems based upon the control strategy.
US08548658B2 Method for the fail-safe operation of a hybrid vehicle for the controlled initiation of a substitute measure allowing an operation of the vehicle under emergency conditions, and device for implementing this method
A method for the fail-safe operation of a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and additional vehicle assemblies. A substitute measure that then still allows the vehicle to be operated under emergency running conditions is initiated if a vehicle assembly fails. A performance quantity that is characteristic of the driving-dynamics situation in which the vehicle finds itself is recorded prior to initiating the substitute measure, and is compared to at least one limit value. The substitute measure is initiated if the limit value is exceeded or not attained. A device which includes a device for implementing such a method is also provided.
US08548653B2 Method and system for aiding the piloting of an airplane during an approach
A system for aiding piloting of an airplane during a final approach includes current roll angle sensors that measures a current roll angle of the airplane, and a maximum roll angle calculation device that calculates a limit roll angle corresponding to a maximum roll angle at which an end point of the airplane will not strike the ground. The system also includes a display for automatically presenting on a single screen a first characteristic sign illustrating the current roll angle and a second characteristic sign illustrating the limit roll angle. If a potential ground collision is presented by too high of a current roll angle, an alarm may be emitted or automatic control of the airplane may occur to correct the roll angle.
US08548652B2 System for reducing carbon brake wear
A brake monitoring system is described for use on aircraft having carbon brakes. The system displays the number of times the brakes have been applied in a preselected counting interval such as during each takeoff and landing cycle. By raising the pilot's awareness of the number of times the brakes have been applied, a more efficient brake use is encouraged in view of the knowledge that carbon brake wear is substantially a function of the number of applications rather than the total energy that is converted thereby. Additionally, the monitoring system provides an indication of the temperature of the brakes which encourages the pilot to maintain a minimum temperature therein beyond which wear is reduced.
US08548649B2 GNSS optimized aircraft control system and method
A GNSS system in combination with a hydraulically-actuated, airborne dispenser for a dry material crop dusting system to optimize the distribution of dry materials over a particular tract of land. A GNSS subsystem is included using at least one GNSS antenna and one GNSS receiver located on the aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with an electronic/hydraulic crop dusting subsystem connected to a GNSS CPU. The GNSS ranging signals received by the antennas are processed by a receiver and processor system for determining the vehicle's position and dynamic attitude in three dimensions (3D). A graphical user interface (GUI) placed in the vehicle will give the driver a real-time view of his or her current bearing as well as a calculated “optimal path” based on calculations and variable data, such as wind speed and direction, material moisture content, altitude, air speed and other conditions. The system is adapted for operation in a differential GNSS (DGNSS) mode utilizing a base station at a fixed location.
US08548643B2 Information providing device for vehicle
An information providing device for a vehicle is provided in which when the subject vehicle (VA) transmits to a base station (20) subject vehicle information including the position, speed of travel, and direction of travel of the subject vehicle (VA), moving object information including the position, speed of travel, and direction of travel of a detected vehicle (VB), and time information including the time at which the above has been obtained, the base station (20) calculates the probability of the presence of the detected vehicle (VB) on map data based on each of the above-mentioned pieces of information and transmits to the subject vehicle (VA) prediction information about the detected vehicle (VB) present in an intersection, including the subject vehicle position, based on the subject vehicle position and the probability of the presence of the detected vehicle (VB). This enables the avoidance of an intersection collision with the detected vehicle (VB) by issuing an alert or warning to an occupant of the subject vehicle (VA) based on the prediction information. During this process, since it is unnecessary for the detected vehicle (VB) to include the same equipments with the subject vehicle (VA), it is possible for the subject vehicle (VA) to avoid an intersection collision with all the detected vehicle (VB) including a vehicle which has no device such as inter-vehicle communication means and, moreover, since it is unnecessary to provide infrastructure for each intersection, realization is possible at a low cost.
US08548642B2 Control device for controlling drive force that acts on vehicle
A control device for controlling a drive force that acts on a vehicle includes a first controller for controlling the drive force, and a second controller for sending to the first control means a limit of the drive force. The second controller has an input unit for inputting the drive force outputted from the first controller, and a calculation unit for calculating a limiting drive force for limiting the drive force. In the case that a first value obtained by subtracting the drive force from the limiting drive force is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the calculation unit outputs a second value that is greater than the limiting drive force.
US08548640B2 Home heating server
A server computer may be located at a home or business and may be used for heating the home or business. The server computer may operate a distributed cloud based application and may generate heat in response to application load. The server computer may have an air or water based heat exchanger that may integrate into various heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to use the heat generated by the server. In some embodiments, a thermostat may regulate the application load on the server computer as controlled by a cloud based controller.
US08548638B2 Energy management system and method
An energy management system manages energy consumption of managed device(s) disposed to receive energy via a meter connected to an energy supply, the energy supply. A system controller has a computer processor that instructs the managed device(s) to employ an operational mode based on the priority, the energy need, the demand state, and whether the energy consumption rate of the managed device(s) exceeds energy available from at least one of the external energy source and internal energy source.
US08548628B2 System and method for aligning and for controlling the position of a robot tool
The invention relates to a method and to a system for aligning and controlling the position of a robot tool, wherein a monitoring device is equipped with a detection unit and processing unit which co-operates with the control device of the robot and automatically determines the alignment of the robot tool by means of the detection unit by taking into account at least one pre-determined reference direction of the robot tool, in addition to at least one predetermined tolerance angle which defines a tolerance range for the at least one reference direction of the robot tool. The processing unit compares the determined alignment to the predetermined reference direction and/or to the tolerance values predetermined by the defined tolerance range and/or of the at least one tolerance range is not respected, the respective robot tool is disconnected and/or deactivated in co-operation with the control device of the robot.
US08548627B2 Method and system for automatically organizing and achieving a pre-given task by means of robot functionalities
Systems and methods for automatically organizing and achieving a pre-given task by means of plurality of robots, each robot having a robot specific set of functionalities, are described. In an example implementation, a method can include the following steps: providing and exposing, for each robot, a semantic description of the robot's robot specific functionalities by respective semantic web services; providing a semantic description of the pre-given task; matching the semantically described task with the semantic web services describing the robot specific functionalities; and combining automatically a coordinated set of the plurality of robots according to the matching result, such that the task is achieved when the robots are sequentially working upon invocation.
US08548623B2 Storage and dispensing devices for administration of oral transmucosal dosage forms
Dispensing devices and systems for oral transmucosal administration of small volume drug dosage forms to the oral mucosa are provided. The dispensing device may be a single dose applicator (SDA), or an electromechanical device comprising a means for patient identification such as a wrist worn RFID tag and annular bidirectional antenna together with a lock-out feature.
US08548618B1 Systems and methods for creating narration audio
Systems and methods are provided for processing narration audio data. In some embodiments, a portion of transcript text comprising words to be narrated by a user may be displayed. Initial narration audio data comprising words of the displayed transcript text may be received. In some embodiments, an indication of a portion of the transcript text to be re-recorded may be received. Replacement narration audio data corresponding to the portion of the transcript text to be re-recorded may be received, and the replacement narration audio data may be incorporated into the initial narration audio data.
US08548615B2 Encoder
An encoder for encoding an audio signal comprising at least two channels, the encoder configured to generate an encoded signal comprising at least a first part, a second part and a third part, wherein the encoder is further configured to: generate the first part of the encoded signal dependent on at least one combination of first and second channels of the at least two channels; generate the second part of the encoded signal dependent on at least one difference between the first and second channels of the at least two channels; and generate the third part of the encoded signal dependent on at least one energy ratio of the first and second channels of the at least two channels.
US08548612B2 Method of generating a footprint for an audio signal
Method of generating a footprint for a useful signal, wherein the useful signal represents the evolution of a spectrum comprising useful signal frequencies, for example audio frequencies, over time, which allows automatic detection of identical or similar useful signals in a cost-efficient way and where the footprint is robust against modifications of the useful signal not perceptible to human users, wherein at least one data set comprising a part of the useful signal is processed by an analyzer according to a predetermined analyzing instruction, where the analyzer outputs as a result of the processing a footprint data vector depending on and identifying the processed data set.
US08548611B2 Fantasy sports depth chart system and associated methods
The present invention is a data processing system for monitoring, recording and modifying information relating to fantasy sports teams and fantasy sports lineups, and making calculations, necessary for assisting fantasy owners in managing their teams, notifying them of injuries related to their teams, and in setting their lineups. In particular, the data processing system gathers data from external sources such as news, blogs, social networks sites, injury reports, and other user and system administrator configurable sources. This information is then analyzed and utilized by the system enabling it to help users more effectively manage their team. In certain embodiments the system can manage the team for the fantasy owner in their absence or under other circumstances such as lack of user activity.
US08548610B1 Universal system, method and computer program product for determining a tennis player rating and ranking
Systems, methods and computer program products for objectively determining tennis player rankings and rating levels for a broad range of tennis players, from novice amateurs to top-ranked professionals, on a single continuum are disclosed. Player-specific match outcome data stored in an electronic archive database are communicated to an electronic processing element that calculates player rankings and rating levels. Updated player-specific data is then communicated back to the electronic archive database for storage. The disclosed ranking and rating process evaluates each player's body of work, including the results of his/her most recent match. The disclosed ranking and rating process uniquely provides a methodology for objectively factoring in, and applying different ranking-calculating weight to, various match characteristics that influence the reliability of match results, such as match format, the number of times a player has played the same opponent, and the reliability of the accuracy of the opponent's ranking.
US08548608B2 Sensor fusion algorithm
Sensor fusion algorithm techniques are described. In one or more embodiments, behaviors of a host device and accessory devices are controlled based upon an orientation of the host device and accessory devices, relative to one another. A combined spatial position and/or orientation for the host device may be obtained based on raw measurements that are obtained from at least two different types of sensors. In addition, a spatial position and/or orientation for an accessory device is ascertained using one or more sensors of the accessory device. An orientation (or position) of the accessory device relative to the host computing device may then be computed based on the combined spatial position/orientation for the host computing device and the ascertained spatial position/orientation for the accessory device. The relative orientation that is computed may then be used in various ways to control behaviors of the host computing device and/or accessory device.
US08548607B1 Automation system network management, architectures, and methods and applications thereof
An automation system including a plurality of peripheral devices, each configured to perform at least one function relating to energy consumption in a facility and an automation controller in communication with the plurality of peripheral devices and providing for the control of the performance of the function by each device. An external network resource such as at least a virtual private network server is configured to enable communication with the automation controller. The automation controller is configured, such as by executing virtual private network software, to establish and maintain a secure data link with the virtual private network server and to enable oversight and/or control of the automation controller via the virtual private network server.
US08548605B2 Apparatus and system for implanting an autonomous intracardiac capsule
A system of an autonomous intracardiac capsule and its implantation accessory. The autonomous capsule (10) includes a tubular body (12) with an anchoring screw (14) for penetrating the wall of a cavity of the heart, and at least one coupling finger (20, 22) radially projecting outwards. The implantation accessory (26) includes a lead body (28) with a sheath (30, 32) of deformable material supporting on the distal side a helical guide (36, 52), for guiding and driving by rotation the capsule. This helical guide is integral with the lead body, and its inner diameter is homologous to the outer diameter of the cylindrical body of the capsule so the latter can be housed it in, the coupling fingers protruding between the coils of the guide. The helix direction of the helical guide (36) is opposite to that of the anchoring screw (14). The helical guide is resiliently compressible in axial direction, and its helix pitch (38) is increased in the free distal end portion (40).
US08548601B2 Lead connection system for an implantable electrical stimulation system and methods for making and using the systems
A lead connection system includes a connector housing. A plurality of lead retainers disposed in the connector housing are configured and arranged to removably attach to a proximal end of one of a received plurality of leads. The plurality of lead retainers include at least one of a slidable drawer and at least one pivotable hinged panel. A plurality of connector contacts are configured and arranged for making electrical contact with one or more of the terminals of one or more of the plurality of received leads. A single connector cable has a distal end that is electrically coupled to the plurality of connector contacts and a proximal end that is configured and arranged for insertion into a trial stimulator. A cable connector is electrically coupled, via the connector contacts, to at least one terminal of each of the received plurality of leads.
US08548600B2 Apparatuses for renal neuromodulation and associated systems and methods
Methods and apparatus are provided for renal neuromodulation using a pulsed electric field to effectuate electroporation or electrofusion. It is expected that renal neuromodulation (e.g., denervation) may, among other things, reduce expansion of an acute myocardial infarction, reduce or prevent the onset of morphological changes that are affiliated with congestive heart failure, and/or be efficacious in the treatment of end stage renal disease. Embodiments of the present invention are configured for percutaneous intravascular delivery of pulsed electric fields to achieve such neuromodulation.
US08548599B2 Methods and systems for subcutaneous treatments
Methods for focused remodeling and downsizing the volume of subcutaneous lipid-rich cells, body contouring, and tightening skin tissue, using controlled heating of the targeted areas on the body. The electromagnetic energy heats the subcutaneous tissues which provides the desired effect. The electromagnetic energy is applied via an applicator without touching the skin. A spacer of insulating or dielectric material may be provided between the applicator and the skin.
US08548595B1 Methods and systems for managing cochlear implant fitting software features
An exemplary method of managing cochlear implant fitting software includes a cochlear implant fitting subsystem maintaining data representative of a cochlear implant fitting software package comprising a plurality of cochlear implant fitting features, maintaining data representative of a plurality of independent licensing heuristics corresponding to the plurality of cochlear implant fitting features, and selectively enabling or disabling each cochlear implant fitting feature within the plurality of cochlear implant fitting features in accordance with the corresponding independent licensing heuristic. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.
US08548594B2 Stimulation system and method treating a neurological disorder
According to one aspect, a stimulation system is provided for electrically stimulating a predetermined site to treat a neurological condition. The system includes an electrical stimulation lead adapted for implantation into a subcutaneous area in communication with a predetermined site, wherein the site is neuronal tissue that is associated with C2/C3 dermatome area, or stimulating cervical nerve roots and/or stimulating cranial nerves and/or stimulating any area associated with the occipital area. The stimulation lead includes one or more stimulation electrodes adapted to be positioned in the predetermined site. The system also includes a stimulation source that generates the stimulation pulses for transmission to the one or more stimulation electrodes of the stimulation lead to deliver the stimulation pulses to the predetermined site to treat a neurological disorder or condition.
US08548593B2 Distal end converter for a medical device lead
A system for delivering signals between a pulse generator and tissue includes a lead having a lead body and one or more lead electrodes at a distal end of the lead body. The one or more electrodes are electrically connectable to the pulse generator at a proximal end of the lead body via one or more conductors extending through the lead body. A converter, which is removably securable to the distal end of the lead body, includes one or more converter electrodes. Each converter electrode is connected to an electrical contact that is arranged on the converter to electrically connect the converter electrode to at least one of the one or more lead electrodes.
US08548592B2 Ultrasonic transducer for a metallic cavity implanted medical device
Implantable medical devices including an ultrasonic transducer and methods of optimizing an ultrasonic transducer of an implantable medical device are disclosed. The implantable medical device can include a housing, an ultrasonic transducer disposed within an interior of the housing, and a limiting structure configured to constrain deformation of the ultrasonic transducer. The limiting structure can include a separate structure coupled to the housing, or can comprise a resonant portion of the housing itself. During operation, the ultrasonic transducer is configured to communicate at a frequency at or near a resonant frequency of the housing.
US08548584B2 Defibrillator with implantable medical device detection
In general, the invention is directed to techniques for using an external defibrillator to detect a presence of an implantable medical device (IMD) implanted within a patient, and providing therapy to the patient through communication between the external defibrillator and the IMD. An external defibrillator provides prompts to a user of the external defibrillator to determine the presence of an IMD implanted within the patient. For example, the external defibrillator may prompt the user to visually inspect the patient's chest for signs that an IMD was implanted, such as a scar or raised portion of skin near the patient's clavicles. As another example, the external defibrillator may prompt the user to place a detection device on the patient's chest. The detection device may be coupled to the external defibrillator, and may employ a magnet to initiate telemetry by the IMD to detect the presence of the IMD.
US08548582B2 Systems and methods for electrically disconnecting components of implantable electrical systems
An implantable electrical stimulation system includes a control module electrically coupleable to a lead. The control module includes a housing, an electronic subassembly disposed in the housing, and a connector assembly for receiving the lead. The connector assembly includes a port for receiving a proximal end of the lead. Connector contacts are disposed in the connector assembly housing and electrically couple to the electronic subassembly. The connector contacts align with terminals disposed on the lead to form an electrical connection between the connector contacts and the terminals when the proximal end of the lead is disposed in the port of the connector assembly. A disconnecting feature includes a switch for electrically disabling, or at least significantly reducing, the electrical connection between the connector contacts and the electronic subassembly when the switch is opened.
US08548572B2 Determining inserted catheter end location and orientation
Catheterization device and method of using are provided for uniquely illuminating the distal end of the device in order to visualize the end-point location and orientation and to track the movement of the catheterization device within passageways in the body. Use of the present invention by tracking in real time with an imaging device sensitive to visible to near infrared light. The invention allows the insertion and tracking of substantially any catheterization type device, for substantially any procedure requiring vascular access, such as in the placement of a PICC line, for heart catheterization or angioplasty, or for urinary track catheterization, or other bodily access procedure. The invention permits a technician to determine placement, orientation and movement of the device noninvasive equipment, without subjecting the patient to the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, radio frequency energy or significant thermal energy.
US08548571B2 Devices and methods for predicting and preventing restenosis
The present invention relates to methods and devices for predicting restenosis, and for treating atherosclerosis to prevent or reduce the incidence of restenosis. Methods of predicting restenosis in a stenosed peripheral artery may include quantitative histology of the vessel. For example, a method of treating a stenosed artery (and particularly a peripheral artery) may include the steps of determining a level of hypercellularity and one or more of the lipid-richness and extent of inflammatory cell inclusion in the tissue. An index of restenosis based on the hypercellularity and lipid richness and/or extent of inflammatory cell inclusion in the tissue may be determined. Systems for treating or preventing restenosis may include one or more imaging modalities for imaging tissue regions and determining the level of hypercellularity and one or more of the degree of lipid-richness and the extent of inflammatory cell inclusion in the tissue region.
US08548569B2 Head fixation assemblies for medical procedures
A head fixation assembly includes a head fixation frame, a plurality of upper head fixation members, a plurality of lower head fixation members, and at least one drive mechanism. The head fixation frame includes a pair of upwardly extending spaced-apart arms defining a free space therebetween. At least one upper head fixation member extends from each of the respective arms of the head fixation frame, with each upper head fixation member adjustable relative to the head fixation frame and adapted to engage a patient's head within the free space of the head fixation frame. The lower head fixation members extend from the head fixation frame between the pair of arms, with each member adjustable relative to the head fixation frame and adapted to engage an underside of the patient's head within the free space of the head fixation frame. The at least one drive mechanism is in communication with the lower head fixation members, and is externally accessible so as to allow a user to be able to directly or indirectly advance and/or retract the lower head fixation members while the patient's head resides in the free space of the head fixation frame.
US08548560B2 Adaptive data rate control
A data rate controlling feedback loop evaluates an actual instantaneous available quality of service of a communication link for transmitting data and controls the data rate based on an evaluation result, Feedback control may both be local to a device for acquiring examination data, such as a magnetic resonance imaging coil, or over the communication link by reducing the data rate at least momentarily to fit the communication link's performance over time, enabling a graceful degradation of an image quality at lower data rates.
US08548559B2 Method and apparatus for computer-assisted femoral head resurfacing
A method for locating a guide wire axis on a femoral neck comprises the steps of tracking a position and orientation of a femur; registering a frame of reference with respect to the position and orientation of the femur from a first registration probe mounted onto the femur in a predetermined configuration, the frame of reference having preoperative planned data pertaining to the femoral neck; digitizing femoral neck data with respect to the position and orientation of the femur from a second registration probe positioned onto the femoral neck at desired orientations; calculating a position and orientation of the guide wire axis with respect to the position and orientation of the femur as a function of the preoperative planned data and the femoral neck data.
US08548557B2 Medical electrodes
The present disclosure provides electrodes that possess hydrogels for contacting skin. In embodiments, an electrode of the present disclosure may include a substrate and a conductive composition on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate, the conductive composition including at least one hydrogel and at least one component capable of providing either a cooling or warming sensation upon contact with tissue of a patient. Methods for forming these hydrogels and electrodes are also provided.
US08548556B2 Bioelectrical impedance measuring apparatus
The present invention provides a bioelectrical impedance measuring apparatus for determining composition data of a human body, the apparatus including a plurality of electrodes and measuring circuitry which inject, through two electrodes, alternating current into the body, and which determine, with two other electrodes on different limbs, the resulting voltages, and which determine therefrom the impedance of body segments. In one apparatus, two hand contact bodies are disclosed, each of which includes a hand seating surface for placement of a hand inner surface thereon, each hand seating surface includes an electrically insulating separating wall extending over a part of the length of the hand seating surface, the separating wall being adapted to project into the space between middle and ring finger when a hand is placed on the hand seating surface, and on both sides of the separating wall an electrode is included.
US08548548B2 Physiological measurement communications adapter
A sensor interface is configured to receive a sensor signal. A transmitter generates a transmit signal. A receiver receives the signal corresponding to the transmit signal. Further, a monitor interface is configured to communicate a waveform to the monitor so that measurements derived by the monitor from the waveform are generally equivalent to measurements derivable from the sensor signal.
US08548547B2 Aviation physiological health monitoring system and method
An aircraft cockpit with health monitoring system and method enables an occupant (e.g. a pilot) and/or a ground station to monitor the physical condition of the occupant during a flight. A sensor such as a pulse oximetry sensor is in predetermined location to an occupant seat (e.g. an aircraft cockpit seat), within the field of reach of a person seated in the seat. The sensor is supported in the predetermined location in a stable manner that provides sufficient reaction to insertion of a finger to enable insertion of a finger in the sensor while the person is in a seated position, and the sensor is in communication with a control box that processes data from the sensor, and presents the data, e.g. at a the multi functional display in an aircraft cockpit. During a flight, a pilot seated in the aircraft cockpit seat will be prompted to insert a finger into the pulse oximetry sensor to produce output at the multi functional display.
US08548544B2 System, method and article for controlling the dispensing of insulin
A system and method for automatically adjusting parameters for predicting blood glucose levels and/or controlling the dispensing of insulin. In one embodiment, the system is a stand-alone system. In one embodiment, the system is part of a system for controlling the dispensing of insulin.
US08548534B2 Wireless headset switching system
A wireless headset system including a switching unit having a detection circuit coupled to a wireless adapter. The detection circuit provides a first output signal to the wireless adapter upon detection of a triggering event, such as activation of a manual switch or detection of voltage of an audio output signal from a mobile communications device. The first output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into an active audio channel mode. The detection circuit also provides a second output signal to the wireless adapter when no triggering event is detected, and the second output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into a standby mode. Placing at least the wireless adapter in a standby mode saves battery life of the system.
US08548532B1 Head unit to handset interface and integration
A method of communicatively coupling a handheld mobile device and a head unit comprising monitoring, by the handheld mobile device, a port of the handheld mobile device; sending, by the handheld mobile device, an application to the head unit when the head unit device contacts the handheld mobile device via the port of the handheld mobile device; and conducting, by the handheld mobile device, an operation of the handheld mobile device, using the head unit device as the user interface for the handheld mobile device.
US08548529B1 Method and apparatus of processing data displayed based on a mobile station interface based on user preferences
A method and apparatus of modifying user content data on a mobile station are disclosed. One example method of displaying customized content data on a mobile station may include receiving the content data at the mobile station, and modifying the content data for a user of the mobile station to view the content data based on predefined viewing preferences of the user. The modified content may then be displayed on a display interface of the mobile station allowing the user to view the content based on their specified preferences.
US08548526B2 Multiple-TRX PICO base station for providing improved wireless capacity and coverage in a building
One embodiment is directed to a system for providing wireless coverage and capacity for a public land mobile network within a building. The system comprises a pico base station comprising multiple transceiver units. The pico base station is installed in the building. The system further comprises a plurality of antennas located within the building. The plurality of antennas are located remotely from the pico base station. The pico base station is communicatively coupled to the public land mobile network. The pico base station is communicatively coupled to the plurality of antennas.
US08548510B2 Method and apparatus for receiving messages under first and second network coverage
A method and apparatus are provided wherein a mobile device operates some of the time on a first network and some of the time on a second network, and wherein while handling traffic of a defined type over the first network, the mobile device selectively tunes away to the second network to see if there are any messages. The method and apparatus allow a mobile device with a single transceiver to receive CMAS alerts transmitted over a 1xRTT network while minimizing disruption to ongoing delay sensitive data applications operating on a 1xEV-DO network.
US08548506B2 Wireless station location detection
A technique for locating a device uses connectivity to find a distance between an access point (AP) and a device. The AP transmits a frame to a device and receives an acknowledgement frame from the device. The amount of time for a signal to pass between the AP and the device is estimated and multiplied by the speed of light to find the distance between the AP and the device.
US08548501B2 System having Doppler-based control of a mobile device
Embodiments of the present invention recite a system having Doppler-based control of a mobile device. In one embodiment, at least one measured Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Doppler frequency shift measurement corresponding to a GNSS signal measured at a mobile electronic device is received. The speed of the remote device is then determined based at least in part upon the GNSS Doppler frequency shift measurement. An operation of the remote device is then controlled from the base station when the speed of the remote device exceeds a speed threshold.
US08548500B2 Method and apparatus for supporting location services with roaming
Techniques for supporting location services with roaming are described. A method of supporting location services (LCS) for a mobile station roaming from a home network and communicating with a visited network includes receiving a domain name system (DNS) query at a DNS of the home network from a packet data serving node (PDSN) of the home network. The method also includes sending to the mobile station from the DNS of the home network an address of a serving position determining entity (S-PDE) in the visited network.
US08548491B2 Method and system for internet protocol initial positioning through calibrated ranging
A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) enabled mobile device comprising an Internet protocol (IP) interface may be operable to determine a reference position based on a registered public IP address associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device and range uncertainty for the registered public IP address. The GNSS enabled mobile device may identify the registered public IP address associated with the GNSS enabled mobile device and a packet travel time to reach the registered public IP address utilizing a network trace test. The GNSS enabled mobile device may be operable to determine the range uncertainty for the identified registered public IP address and validate the registered public IP address for a reference position based on the determined range uncertainty. The GNSS enabled mobile device may be operable to acquire a latitude/longitude associated with the validated registered public IP address for the reference position.
US08548490B2 Multi-objects positioning system and power-control based multiple access control method
The present invention provides a multi-objects positioning system and power-control based multiple access control method. The multi-objects positioning system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of tag devices carried by multiple objects and one or more positioning devices for determining the positions of the objects, wherein each of the tag devices includes a positioning device list for recording status information of the positioning devices. According to the present invention, tag device broadcasts Channel Request Packet (CRP) intermittently; positioning device, which is idle and receives the CRP, broadcasts Channel Allocation Packet (CAP) in its coverage range to allocate a channel to the tag device that is the sender of the CRP and inform information of the positioning device to other tag devices; tag device, which receives the CAP, updates its positioning device list according to the contents of the CAP; and the tag device adjusts transmission power of the CRP by referring to the positioning device list. With the present invention, the EN and HN problems existing in the prior arts can be solved effectively, and it is helpful to solve signal collision and improve spatio-temporal reuse capacity of the system.
US08548488B2 Automated configuration of a wireless location system
In an overlay, network-based Wireless Location System, Location Measurement Units (LMUs) are used to collect radio signaling both in the forward and reverse channels for use in TDOA and/or AoA positioning methods. Information broadcast from the radio network and by global satellite navigation system constellations can be received by the LMUs and used to reduce the difficulty of initial system configuration and reconfiguration due to radio network changes.
US08548484B2 Method of resource reservation request and resource reservation in wireless communication system
A method of resource reservation request and resource reservation in a wireless communication system is disclosed. A method of resource reservation request of a mobile station in a wireless communication system with femto cells comprises transmitting a resource reservation request message to a macro base station to request a femto cell base station not to use resource used by the mobile station if interference from the femto cell base station is over a threshold; and receiving a resource reservation response message from a macro base station.
US08548482B2 Radio communication device and method for controlling frequency selection
A radio communication device and a method for controlling frequency selection. In an embodiment of the invention, a radio communication device may include a first radio modem circuit, a first medium access control circuit assigned to the first radio modem circuit, a second radio modem circuit, a second medium access control circuit assigned to the second radio modem circuit, and a control interface circuit configured to control the first medium access control circuit and the second medium access control circuit.
US08548480B2 Radio resource usage optimisation in a packet network
A method of optimizing the use of radio resources in a mobile radio communication system during a combinational multimedia session involving circuit switched and packet switched sessions between user terminals, the method comprising: disabling an in-sequence delivery option of packets between radio network control nodes of the radio access network(s) serving the user terminals for said packet switched session.
US08548479B2 Apparatus and method for transmitting inter-working signal in wireless communication system
A Base Station (BS) includes an apparatus and method for transmitting cell information. The BS is in the a communication system of a small cell size in a wireless communication environment in which a communication system of a large cell size and the communication system of the small cell size are hierarchically constructed in the same area. The method includes confirming reference signal transmission information for transmitting a reference signal including its own cell information, if a reference signal transmission interval arrives according to the reference signal transmission information, transmitting the reference signal through an operation frequency of a macro BS of the large cell size including the BS itself, and, if it is not the reference signal transmission interval, providing service through its own operation frequency or operating in a power saving mode.
US08548478B2 Method and system for facilitating handover from a third generation (3G) cellular communication system to a wireless local area network (WLAN)
A method for facilitating inter-system handover by a multi-mode wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is disclosed. The WTRU is capable of communicating in multiple wireless communication systems using different wireless communication protocols. A first wireless communication system provides a hot spot within the coverage area of a second wireless communication system. A base station in a cell in the second wireless communication system generates and transmits a message to inform the WTRU of the existence of the hot spot located in the vicinity of the cell. The WTRU receives the message and is therefore informed of the existence of the hot spot in the vicinity of the cell.
US08548476B2 Method of managing X2 interface, handover method, interference coordination method and apparatus
Disclosed is a method of managing an X2 interface, a handover method, an interference coordination method and an apparatus for LTE and LTE-Advanced system. X2 interface management includes: finding by a first eNB, a new neighboring cell, i.e., a second cell corresponding to a second HeNB; determining by the first eNB, an access mode of the second cell; and establishing a first X2 interface between the first eNB and the second HeNB when the access mode of the second cell is an open mode or a hybrid mode. The X2 interface may be managed dynamically and the mode for establishing the X2 interface, such as direct X2 interface or gateway-proxied X2interface, may be selected. The expansible problem and system overhead due to the X2interface in the LTE and LTE-Advanced system may be reduced effectively to better support handover and interference coordination.
US08548475B2 Method for optimizing power consumption in wireless devices using data rate efficiency factor
An electronic device has wireless communications circuitry that supports communications using multiple radio access technologies. The electronic device may gather information such as data rate values, power consumption values, and other data for a currently active radio access technology and an alternative radio access technology. The electronic device may automatically switch between the currently active radio access technology and the alternative radio access technology based on a value of a data rate efficiency metric. The data rate efficiency metric may represent how efficiently each radio access technology is capable of using power to convey a given amount of data per unit time. The data rate efficiency metric may be evaluated using measured power consumption data, measured data rate values, and operating parameters such as signal strength and transmitted power parameters.
US08548470B2 Mechanism for the conveyance and management of device mobility in an IMS network
A network element is disclosed. The network element has a processor programmed to promote sending an event mechanism to promote a handoff between disparate telecommunications networks. The event mechanism comprises a mobility event comprising a mobility information element and a mobility state element. The mobility information element comprises a type element and a mobility parameters element.
US08548469B1 Apparatus and method of attaching a wireless device to a wireless network
An apparatus and method for attaching a wireless device to a wireless network. The apparatus comprises a processor arranged to, responsive to receipt of a reject message from a network control apparatus, cause the wireless device to: transmit a first attach request to the network control apparatus using a first communication layer and an existing connection between the wireless device and the network control apparatus; and responsive to a notification of a failure of the first attach request originating from a second communication layer which is lower than the first communication layer, transmit a second attach request to the network control apparatus using the first communication layer and a new connection between the wireless device and the network control apparatus, wherein transmission of the second attach request is effected independently of a timer started on receipt of the notification of a failure.
US08548467B2 Ticket-based configuration parameters validation
Aspects describe spectrum authorization, access control, and configuration parameters validation. Devices in an ad-hoc or peer-to-peer configuration can utilize a licensed spectrum if the devices are authorized to use the spectrum, which can be determined automatically. Aspects relate to distribution of authorization tickets by an authorization server as a result of validating a device's credentials and services to which the device is entitled. An exchange and verification of authorization tickets can be performed by devices as a condition for enabling a validated wireless link using the spectrum.
US08548466B1 Smart antenna for interference rejection with enhanced tracking
A smart antenna system is provided for communicating wireless signals between a mobile device and a plurality of different fixed base stations using one or more channels and one or more beams. The smart antenna system includes a control subsystem, a radio transceiver and an antenna subsystem coupled to each other and adapted to perform scanning of one or more combinations of base stations, channels and beams using one or more test links established with one or more of the fixed base stations where the test links use at least some of the channels and the beams. A first combination of base station, channel and beam is selected based on the scanning; and a first operating link is established for transmitting a wireless signal to the selected base station using the selected channel and beam.
US08548462B2 User equipment cellular identification
A method and apparatus for determining user equipment cell identification examines the age of the cell identification known to the user equipment when determining whether to use that cell identification or to obtain the cell identification through alternate means. The age of the cell identification known to the user equipment is examined by the user equipment, the communication system, or both by comparing the age to a predefined value. The age indicator can be transmitted by the user equipment to a network. If the age exceeds a predefined value, then the cell identification is obtained through network procedures. If the age is less than a predefined value then the cell identification known to the user equipment is accepted as current. Position information for the user equipment can be based upon the cell identification known to the user equipment or as obtained through network procedures.
US08548456B1 Adaptive mobility measurement for continuous packet connectivity
The present disclosure provides a method for making mobility measurements in a cellular telephone network that includes assessing the quality of the downlink signal from an active cell during multiple discontinuous operation time periods. If the quality metric exceeds a threshold, the method calls for performing a mobility measurement on the downlink signal during a first time interval. If the quality metric is less than the threshold, the method calls for performing the mobility measurement on both the downlink signal from the identified cells and a downlink signal from a previously un-identified cell during a second time interval that is greater than the first time interval.
US08548455B2 Method and system for installation and configuration of a femtocell
Aspects of a method and system for installation and configuration of a femtocell are provided. In this regard, information for configuring a femtocell to operate in a specified location may be received by the femtocell and may be utilized to configure one or more parameters of the femtocell. Once the femtocell is operational the parameters may be updated and/or optimized based on one or both of characterizations of cellular signals and/or information received from a femtocell registry. In this manner the femtocell may be reconfigured utilizing the updated and/or optimized parameters. The one or more parameters may be configured based on attributes of the location in which the femtocell is to operate. The one or more parameters may be configured based on a location, number, and/or coverage area of other femtocells. The parameters may comprise one or more of: power levels, frequency of operation, and/or antenna beam pattern.
US08548454B2 Methods, mobile network node and mobile terminal for reducing the number of unsuccessful service change requests performed by the mobile terminal
A method for reducing the number of unsuccessful service change attempts of a first mobile terminal is presented. The mobile terminal (1, 1a, 1b, 420) is connectable via a mobile network to a further terminal by establishing a call connection for providing a first service or by establishing a call connection for providing a second service. The method comprises the following steps performed by the first mobile terminal (1, 1a, 1b, 420): receiving (S21) a first indication signal (202) indicating that a service change towards the second service is temporarily unavailable from a mobile network node (31, 310) administrating an established call connection for providing the first service, and in response to receiving the first indication signal (202) refraining (S22) from requesting a service change towards the second service until reception of a further indication signal (204) from the mobile network node (31, 310) indicating that a service change is available again.
US08548452B2 System and method for controlling device usage
Mobile device usage may be monitored and restricted by pushing enabling/disabling events from an administrator the device. The events impose a certain set of rules that can “lock” certain features provided by the device, according to permissions and pre-established policies, for a certain period of time. Such restricted periods may coincide with meetings or other events in which distractions should be kept to a minimum or be during regular, predetermined time periods. Preferably, the rules include conditional locks that allow a user to use a feature a reasonable number of times before the lock is activated to place the onus on the user for minimizing such distractions, while enabling the user to maintain access to such a vital communication tool. Cancel packets may also be used to not only control but to monitor the application of the rule sets and when certain conditions are breaches, which provides an employer with sufficient information to use in auditing device usage or in reprimanding users for misuse of a privilege such as the use of mobile data communications devices.
US08548449B2 Mobile contact notes
Systems and methods for managing contact information on mobile devices is provided. When a telephone call is initiated or received, a contact record associated with the call is accessed to determine if it includes notes to be displayed during the call. If there are notes to be displayed, they are displayed for the user during the call. Notes may include display tags indicating they should be displayed as well as action tags specifying actions to take for calls with the contact. An option to dismiss the note(s) can be provided, as well as an option to edit the note. When calls complete, the system provides options to the user to create and save a new note for the contact record. In some embodiments, the system provides options for the user to record audio from telephone conversations. The recording is translated to text and optionally stored in a contact record.
US08548448B2 Managing communications utilizing communication categories
Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for managing communications on telecommunication devices utilizing communication categories are provided. A subset of contacts accessible by a telecommunication device are associated with one or more communication categories. Each communication category can be associated with a set of communication activities. Based on a selection of a specific contact, a telecommunication device can generate a display having display objects representative of communication categories associated with the selected contact. Additionally, based on a selection of a communication category, the telecommunication device can further generate a display including display objects representative of a set of communication activities corresponding to the selected communication category.
US08548446B2 Device forming a shared telephone address book, associated telephone terminal and method
A device for forming a shared telephone address book is provided. The device may be associated with a mobile telephony terminal to form a shared telephone address book also provided is a method for sharing contacts.
US08548445B2 Abbreviated dialing
An intelligent abbreviated dialing feature can use a portion of a phone number as a shortcut to dialing. Any portion of a phone number can be input into a communications device such as by pressing buttons on the keypad or speaking into a microphone. A processor in the communications device or on a network accessible by the communications device can generate the phone number register from frequently dialed numbers. The processor can compare the input into the communications device against the phone number register. For each digit of the phone number that is input into the communications device, the processor can search the phone numbers and provide search results with the corresponding numbers. A phone number can be selected from the search results and dialed.
US08548443B2 System and method for selectively restricting portable information handling system features
Wireless telephones retrieve feature restrictions from a wires telephone network, the feature restrictions having associated predetermined conditions. A wireless telephone applies the feature restrictions if the predetermined conditions are met to disable functions at the wireless telephone as defined by the feature restrictions. For example, a wireless telephone disables camera operations if the position of the wireless phone is in an academic testing location during an academic testing period.
US08548439B2 Interactive property communication system
Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for interactive property communication. In various embodiments, an interactive property communication system includes two or more property communication nodes (PCNs) each adapted for coupling to an electrical service. PCNs include a radio transceiver for communications with a broker service adapted for controlling communications with one or more PCNs.
US08548438B2 Systems and methods for providing enhanced voicemail services
A method for managing incoming voicemail messages at a visual voicemail (VVM) system can include receiving a new voicemail message for a voicemail account associated with a mobile device, generating a deposit notification message at the VVM system in response to receiving the new voicemail message, sending the notification message to the mobile device, and receiving a request for voicemail message header information from the mobile device. The method can further include sending the voicemail message header information to the mobile device. The mobile device uses the voicemail message header information to determine a status for each voicemail message presently stored on the mobile device to identify the new voicemail message. The method can further include the VVM system receiving a request for the new voicemail message, and sending the new voicemail message to the mobile device for storage and playback on the mobile device.
US08548436B2 Avoiding redundant transmissions of data during multimedia mobile phone communications
A method, apparatus, and computer product for avoiding redundant data transmissions during communication via multimedia mobile phones. In operation, a sending party inquires whether intended for transmission data already resides in a mobile phone of a receiving party Depending on a content of the response from the receiving party, the sending party transmits the data or a request for displaying the already available data.
US08548427B2 System and method for peer-to-peer transfer of multimedia content and reconciliation thereof
A system and method to enable a transfer of multimedia content between mobile telecommunication devices while maintaining the multimedia traffic within a wireless local network. Multimedia content may be sent from one of the mobile telecommunication devices and delivered to another one or more of the mobile telecommunication devices. The multimedia transfer is facilitated and monitored by a secure agent located within the local network. The secure agent maintains a record of the multimedia content sessions and transmits such information to a billing component. The billing component utilizes the record of content transfer to assess a fee or other charge on the sending device, the receiving device(s), or both sending and receiving devices. In some embodiments, such a charge may include a credit or other reward that is provided to sending devices or receiving devices for implementing a local transfer of multimedia content.
US08548423B2 Mobile based neighborhood watch system capable of group interactions, anonymous messages and observation reports
A mobile based neighborhood watch system capable of group interactions, anonymous messages and observation reports. Employing a downloadable mobile client application in their mobile device, members of a local neighborhood watch group can send messages to each other, wherein messages can include voice recorded on their mobile devices and photos taken using their mobile devices. They can also provide comments on messages received, and make observation reports regarding a task they have conducted, something they have noticed, a situation they have witnessed, etc. The membership of the local neighborhood watch group is maintained by a server, and such membership typically includes people staying in a neighborhood, local law enforcement officials, local fire department workers, etc. The server makes it easy to create such groups and manage the membership.
US08548422B2 Versatile personal medical emergency communication system
A versatile personal emergency, especially medical emergency, communication system includes a user-carried portable communication unit having a single button, which when depressed by the user, wirelessly sends a call request signal to a base unit. The base unit initiates a telephone call through a dial-up network to an emergency response center and places an operator at the emergency center in wireless voice communication with the portable unit when the call is connected. The telephone number of the emergency responder to be called is stored in the system. A program is used to set up the system to a selected one of a central monitoring station and a 911 operator. Voice messages are stored in the system and are used to advise the user of the status of the call, and to provide the user with verbal confirmation that functional systems of the base unit are operating properly. The units are programmable selectively by phone, voice or computer.
US08548421B2 Battery charge reservation for emergency communications
A wireless communications device and method for establishing a voltage threshold at which to turn off electronics of a wireless communications device includes determining a power threshold level at which a device is to be shut off when a battery of the device reaches or drops below the power threshold level. The determined power threshold level may be offset. The amount of power remaining for the battery in the communications device may be measured. The communication device may be shut off based on the offset power threshold level so as to preserve enough power for an emergency message to be generated and sent in the case of an emergency.
US08548417B2 Secure control for desktop secure video teleconferencing
Method, system, and computer program product example embodiments of the invention are disclosed to provide multi-network secure video teleconferencing (VTC) for VTC endpoints. The embodiments of the invention include a sequencer that controls the sequence of operations when moving a video teleconferencing terminal between secure networks. The sequencer receives commands to initiate the operation from an initiator, such as a user-initiated button press from a control console or a user-initiated request from an Internet interface, or for a scheduled operation from a scheduling interface. The sequencer then issues commands to a secure database of terminal configuration data and a control isolator to both transfer a video teleconferencing terminal to a new secure network to begin a conference and to remove a video teleconferencing terminal from a secure network to end a conference.
US08548415B2 Carbon nanotube devices and method of fabricating the same
An imaging system includes an RF source, a focal plane array and device for focusing the RF signal from the RF source. The focal plane array includes a plurality of carbon nanotube mixers for capturing RF signals and down-converting the signals to a selected bandwidth and output an output signal. The device focuses the RF signal output from said RF source onto the focal plane array.
US08548412B2 Apparatus and method for eliminating outband interference signal
Provided is an apparatus and method for eliminating an outband interference signal. An apparatus for eliminating an interference signal includes a first mixer, a filter unit, a second mixer, and an operation unit. The first mixer downconverts a received signal containing an outband interference signal. The filter unit extracts the downconverted outband interference signal from the downconverted received signal. The second mixer upconverts the downconverted outband interference signal to restore the outband interference signal to the original frequency band. The operation unit subtracts and eliminates the restored outband interference signal from the received signal.
US08548411B2 Low-complexity diversity reception
A system may comprise a plurality of signal processing paths, a bin-wise combiner, an inverse transformation block, and a DAC. Each signal processing path may comprise a transformation block that is operable to transform a first time-domain digital signal to an associated frequency-domain signal having a plurality of subband signals. The bin-wise combiner may be operable to combine corresponding subband signals of the plurality of signal processing paths. The inverse transformation block may be operable to transform output of the bin-wise combiner to an second time-domain signal. The DAC may be operable to converts the second time-domain signal to a corresponding analog signal.
US08548405B2 Individually phase controlled RF oscillators for antenna beam steering
A method of controlling the phases of RF output signals from a number of radio transmitters. A given radio has at least one synthesizer as a source of its RF output signal, and the synthesizer produces an output the phase offset of which relative to a reference signal is controlled by a phase offset command. A path from an antenna port of the radio obtains a fed back RF output signal and a phase difference between the reference signal and the fed back RF output signal is measured. A value of a zero degree phase offset command for the synthesizer is determined such that the phase difference between the reference signal and the fed back RF signal is nominally zero, and the value is stored. A phase offset command for providing a desired phase offset for the RF output signal is then determined based the stored value of the zero degree phase offset command.
US08548399B2 Adaptive antenna transmission and antenna calibration
The present invention relates to a method for adapting transmission parameters in a transmitter Tx in communication with at least one antenna 27; 38; 47; 57; 77, 88. The method comprises: transmitting a signal from the transmitter Tx measuring at least one reflection coefficient S11 of said signal for each antenna 27; 38; 47; 57; 77, 88, and adapting the transmission parameters based on the measured reflection coefficient S11. The antenna could be a transmit antenna and/or a receive antenna. In a preferred embodiment antenna calibration may be performed by measuring propagation time for each individual transmitter chain 481, 482; 781, 782, and compensate for differences in time delay between the individual transmitter chains 481, 482; 781, 782 to assure that the signal is transmitted simultaneously from all transmit antennas.
US08548397B1 Mobile wireless communications device including a power module coupled to a wireless module and associated methods
A mobile wireless communications device includes a power module with a first housing, at least one power cell carried by the first housing, and a first plurality of contact pads coupled to the at least one power cell and exposed on the first housing. A wireless module is adjacent the power module and includes a second housing having an opening therein, and wireless communications circuitry carried by the second housing and comprising a second plurality of contact pads aligned with the opening. A connector is in the opening and has a dielectric body, and a plurality of spring contacts carried by the dielectric body and exposed on opposite sides thereof coupling respective ones of the first and second pluralities of contact pads together.
US08548395B2 Push-to-talk switch
A push-to-talk switch can have a switch that does not produce an audible sound when actuated. For example, the push-to-talk switch can comprise a membrane switch or a capacitive switch that produces less than 0 dB(A) of wideband sound when actuated. The switch can be actuated by pushing a diaphragm. Sound damping material can be used to mitigate audibility of the switch. Because the push-to-talk switch is substantially silent, it can be used in applications such as covert operations and battle situations where the sound of actuating the switch could have life threatening consequences.
US08548394B2 Antenna for a wireless controller in oral cavity
An intraoral cavity control system having a shape adapted to be positioned between the palate in the roof of the mouth and the tongue comprising, a control interface to receive control input from an organ of the mouth, a wireless transmitting and/or receiving means for transmitting an electrical output signal from the control system and/or for receiving an electrical input signal from an external unit, a control element for processing the control input from the control interface into said electrical output signal transmitted by the transmitting means and for processing said electrical input signals establishing a communication between the external unit and the control element, a power source for providing electrical power to said control system wherein the wireless transmitting and receiving means are further provided with an antenna that is arranged to extend from within a first volume of the oral cavity bound by the medial surface of the teeth and being arranged within a second volume of the oral cavity bound between the medial surface of the teeth and the lateral boundaries of the vestibule of the oral cavity.
US08548385B2 Device, system and method of wireless communication via multiple antenna assemblies
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication via multiple antenna assemblies. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit to transmit and receive signals via one or more quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, wherein the wireless communication unit is to transmit, via each quasi-omnidirectional antenna assembly, a plurality of first transmissions, to receive, in response to the first transmissions, a plurality of second transmissions from another device via one or more of the quasi-omnidirectional antenna assemblies, and, based on the second transmissions, to select at least one selected transmit antenna assembly for transmitting to the other device and a selected receive antenna assembly for receiving transmissions from the other device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08548376B2 Operation method and apparatus of relay and base station
A method of operating a relay station is provided. The method includes: receiving a beacon signal transmitted by a user equipment; measuring the beacon signal and transmitting a measurement result to a base station; and receiving routing information for the user equipment determined based on the measurement result, wherein the routing information indicates whether the user equipment communicates with the base station via the relay station or communicates with the base station directly. Accordingly, data can be transmitted through a proper path according to a channel state between the user equipment and the base station or the relay station in a wireless communication system employing the relay station, and thus cooperative transmission can be easily achieved between the base station and the relay station, which results in increase of efficiency of using radio resources.
US08548375B2 Gain control metric computation in a wireless repeater
A wireless repeater includes a gain control metric computation block to compute a gain control metric for use in controlling the variable gain of the repeater. The gain control metric is computed by downsampling the gain control input signal to the gain control metric computation block and also downsampling the computed correlation and normalization terms. The gain control metric may be further enhanced by filtering the computed metric values using linear or non-linear filtering.
US08548372B2 Method for making combination prints with pleasing appearance
Methods for operating a printer to form a combination print with improved appearance are provided. In one aspect first receiver is provided with a first thickness at a first edge and having a first toner image on a first side with toner in an overlap area proximate the first edge. The first edge and overlap area are overlapped with a second receiver having a second thickness at a second edge; and the first receiver and second receiver are fused to cause any toner thereon to fuse such that the toner in the overlap area bonds the first receiver to the second receiver. The first toner image includes an edge concealment toner pattern positioned confronting the second edge with the edge concealment toner pattern having toner that reduces the visual impact of artifacts created by the overlapping second edge. Printed articles are also provided.
US08548370B2 Image forming apparatus and control method thereof
Disclosed herein is an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. According to the control method of the image forming apparatus, entry and exit of a recording medium can be sensed without a register sensor by sensing current change of a press roller used to apply a constant pressure to the recording medium and a transfer belt so as to allow the recording medium and transfer belt to come into close contact with each other. In the case of a model provided with a register sensor, the presence of malfunction of the register sensor can be recognized.
US08548365B2 Image forming apparatus
The image forming apparatus includes an endless and movable transfer material bearing belt, a transfer member, an opposing member and a belt guide member, wherein a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a first area is substantially the same as a conveyance direction of the transfer material in a second area, the first area corresponding to a nip area formed by the opposing member and the transfer member and the second area corresponding to an area in which the belt guide member bringing the transfer material bearing belt and the image bearing belt come into contact with each other. By the virtue of the present invention, a transfer material is restrained from scraping off the leading end of a toner image before the leading end of the toner image enters a transfer nip portion, while suppressing spattering of the toner image on the upstream of the transfer nip portion.
US08548363B2 Developing device and process cartridge
A developing device includes a developer accommodating chamber containing a developer; a developer carrying member for carrying the developer to develop an electrostatic image; a feeding belt for feeding the developer toward the developer carrying member by rotation of the driving roller in a stretched state in which the feeding belt is stretched by a driving roller and a follower roller; and a switching mechanism for switching the feeding belt from a loosened state in which the feeding belt is looser than in the stretched state to the stretched state.
US08548359B2 Charging member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus
A charging member is provided which can not easily cause vibration and can stably charge a photosensitive member, even where a high-frequency alternating-current voltage is applied thereto. It is a charging member having an electrically conductive substrate, an electrically conductive elastic layer and a surface layer, and the elastic layer has, in the order from the substrate side, a first rubber layer and a second rubber layer laminated to the first rubber layer, and, where the natural vibration frequency of the first rubber layer is represented by f1 and the natural vibration frequency of the second rubber layer is represented by f2, has a natural vibration frequency ratio, f2/f1, of from 2.35 or more to 10.0 or less.
US08548358B2 Systems and methods for remanufacturing imaging components
A drive gear for a generally cylindrical imaging component. The drive gear includes a body for engaging the generally cylindrical imaging component; a cylindrical shaft attached to the body, the cylindrical shaft having an end surface; and three prongs extending longitudinally outward from the end surface.
US08548353B2 Developer cartridge
A developer cartridge is provided, which includes a toner cartridge, a developer stirring device located in the toner cartridge, a supply roller for supplying a developer to a developer roller, a developer roller for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor, and a power receptor for driving only one of gear sets of the above means to receive a power. The power receptor is rotatably fixed at two or more predetermined positions. An initial position of the power receptor is a power receiving position. A power receptor moving device includes a press block, a baffle block, a spring, and a torsion spring. The power receptor moving device is controlled by the press block. When the press block of the power receptor moving device is pressed downwards, the power receptor is rotated to another power receiving position due to the action of the torsion spring. The present invention is applicable to various types of machines.
US08548344B2 Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus include an image bearing member, a developing container receiving a developer, a developer carrying member for carrying and conveying the developer, a developer feed member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, a detection device for detecting an amount of developer in the developing container by detecting an electrostatic capacitance between the developer carrying member and the developer feed member, and a control device for changing a rotational speed of the developer feed member into a plurality of speeds corresponding to the plurality of image forming speeds. The control unit controls the rotational speed of the developer feed member prior to the execution of a detection operation of the detection device so as to be faster than the slowest speed of said plurality of speeds.
US08548340B2 Image-forming device configured to identify a charger at which an abnormal discharge is occurring
In an image-forming device, each of the N chargers charges the opposed photoconductor with a discharge. The voltage applying unit applies voltages to the N chargers, individually. The abnormal discharge detecting unit detects an occurrence of an abnormal discharge at least one of the N chargers. The voltage detecting unit detects first voltages applied to the N chargers before the occurrence of the abnormal discharge is detected, and second voltages applied to the N chargers after the occurrence of the abnormal discharge is detected. The calculating unit calculates a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage for each of the N chargers. The identifying unit identifies one charger as a charger at which the abnormal discharge is occurring. The difference between the first voltage and the second voltage applied to the one charger is the greatest among the differences.
US08548336B2 Closed loop optical modulation amplitude control
Systems and methods are provided for an optical modulation feedback circuit. The feedback circuit includes a low frequency comparison circuit configured to receive a monitoring signal generated by an optical detector, the monitoring signal being proportional to an amount of light generated by an optical transmission device that transmits based on a data signal that is received by an optical driver. The comparison circuit is further configured to generate a modulation control feedback signal that is transmitted to the optical driver based on a comparison of a low frequency component of the monitoring signal and a low frequency component of the data signal.
US08548334B2 Dynamic intelligent bidirectional optical access communication system with object/intelligent appliance-to-object/intelligent appliance interaction
Reduced Rayleigh backscattering effect enables a longer-reach optical access communication network-thus it eliminates significant costs. Furthermore, a wavelength to an intelligent subscriber subsystem can be dynamically varied for bandwidth on-Demand and service on-Demand. A software module renders intelligence (and context awareness) to a subscriber subsystem and an appliance. An object can sense/measure/collect/aggregate/compare/map and connect/couple/interact (via one or more or all electrical/optical/radio/electro-magnetic/sensor/bio-sensor communication network(s) within and/or to and/or from an object) with another object, an intelligent subscriber subsystem and an intelligent appliance utilizing an Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) and its subsequent versions.A construction of a near-field communication (NFC) enabled intelligent micro-subsystem and/or intelligent appliance with key applications (e.g., an intelligent, location based and personalized social network and an intelligent, location based and personalized direct and peer-to-peer marketing) are also described.
US08548333B2 Transceiver photonic integrated circuit
The present invention provides for a transceiver comprising a transmitter portion and a receiver portion. The transmitter portion includes a laser, the laser providing an optical signal having one of a plurality of wavelengths. The optical signal from the laser is modulated to create a first wavelength-division multiplexed signal at an output of the transceiver. The optical signal from the laser is also used by a demultiplexer to demultiplexer a second wavelength-division multiplexed signal at an input of the transceiver. The use of the optical signal from the laser in both modulation and demodulation of wavelength-division multiplexed signals results in a transceiver having fewer discrete components resulting in a compact design and reduced costs.
US08548331B1 Optically interleaved electronic analog to digital converters
An analog signal receiver includes photonic sampling and electronic quantization. The receiver includes timing control circuitry configured to receive a series of optical pulses and output a plurality of timing signals based on the series of optical pulses to synchronize optical switches that receive a sampled optical signal to time deinterleave the optically sampled signal. The time deinterleaved signals are then sent to a plurality of demodulators wherein each demodulator receives at least one time deinterleaved optically sampled signal and at least one time deinterleaved optical reference signal to produce electrical signals based on the demodulated optical signals.
US08548330B2 Sectorization in distributed antenna systems, and related components and methods
Embodiments disclosed provide sectorization in distributed antenna systems, and related components and methods. The antenna units in the distributed antenna systems can be sectorized. In this regard, one or more radio bands distributed by the distributed antenna systems can be allocated to one or more sectors. The antenna units in the distributed antenna systems are also allocated to one or more sectors. In this manner, only radio frequency (RF) communications signals in the radio band(s) allocated to given sector(s) are distributed the antenna unit allocated to the same sector(s). The bandwidth capacity of the antenna unit is split among the radio band(s) allocated to sector(s) allocated to the antenna unit. The sectorization of the radio band(s) and the antenna units can be configured and/or altered based on capacity needs for given radio bands in antenna coverage areas provide by the antenna units.
US08548325B2 System, device, and method for supporting cut-through paths in an optical communication system
A system, device, and method for supporting cut-through pats in an optical communication system involves obtaining hop count and quality of service information by an initiating device and using the hop count and quality of service information by the initiating device to make decisions relating to a cut-through path. The hop count and quality of service information is provided in a reply message that is sent by a terminating device and modified by intermediate devices between the initiating device and the terminating device. The terminating device sends the reply with a hop count equal to one and quality of service information for a first link (hop) toward the initiating device. Each intermediate device increments the hop count in the reply and adds quality of service information for a next link (hop) into the reply.
US08548322B2 Channel power estimation means
A channel power estimator for estimating the power of each channel in a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal, comprising filter means to select and output a sub-band of an incoming WDM signal, function application means to apply a weighting function at least once to the output from the filter means and then output the weighted signal to reconstruction means, storage means for storing optical characteristic data on at least the function application means, wherein the reconstruction means calculates an estimation of the power distribution of the incoming WDM signal using the weighted signal and the optical characteristic data.
US08548303B2 Reconciling digital content at a digital media device
In one embodiment, a method includes initiating recording a program at a digital media device, identifying at the digital media device, a missing portion of the program, generating and transmitting a request for the missing portion, receiving a media file containing the missing portion of the program in response to the request, and merging the missing portion with a recorded portion of the program. An apparatus is also disclosed.
US08548299B2 Portable information terminal apparatus, information processing method, computer-program storage medium, and computer-program
A portable information terminal apparatus connected to a recording/reproducing apparatus, including a first generating element for generating a first signal for causing the recording/reproducing apparatus to acquire program information about a program, the generation of the first signal being based on an operation performed by a user, a first transmitting element for transmitting to the recording/reproducing apparatus the first signal generated by the first generating element, second generating element for generating a second signal for causing the recording/reproducing apparatus to display the acquired program information, the generation of the second signal being based on an operation performed by the user, second transmitting element for transmitting to the recording/reproducing apparatus the second signal generated by the second generating element, third generating element for generating a third signal for causing the recording/reproducing apparatus to preset the program for unattended recording, the generation of the third signal being based on an operation performed by the user, and third transmitting element for transmitting to the recording/reproducing apparatus the third signal generated by the third generating element.
US08548290B2 Dynamic apertured waveguide for near-eye display
A near-eye display of a type having an image generator for generating a succession of angularly related beams and waveguide for propagating the angularly related beams to an eyebox within which a virtual image is visible includes a controllable output aperture for such purposes as reconstructing a better defined pupil within the eyebox while also preserving the possibility for viewing the ambient environment from the eyebox through the controllable output aperture.
US08548288B2 Efficient inter-chip optical coupling
In an MCM, an optical signal is conveyed by an optical waveguide disposed on a surface of a first substrate to a first optical coupler. This first optical coupler redirects the optical signal out of the plane of the optical waveguide. Then, an optical interposer guides the optical signal between the first optical coupler and a second optical coupler on a surface of a second substrate, thereby reducing spatial expansion of the optical signal between the optical couplers. Moreover, the second optical coupler redirects the optical signal into a plane of an optical waveguide disposed on a surface of the second substrate, which then conveys the optical signal.
US08548282B2 Fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) device
A fiber-inline MZI device for temperature sensing or refractive index (RI) sensing, the device comprising: a section of a Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) having at least two air holes infiltrated with a liquid analyte to form a waveguide channel, the liquid analyte forming rods in the PCF; wherein the rods leave an interference fringe pattern in the transmission spectrum when light is injected into the PCF, and fringe dips are tracked over a wide wavelength range in order to sense the temperature or refractive index.
US08548280B2 Systems and methods for replacing non-image text
Systems and methods for replacing non-image text are provided. One method for replacing non-image text includes padding a first data representing an image of text to create an image segment. The method includes replacing a second data representing non-image text with the image segment.
US08548278B2 Image capture and identification system and process
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object.
US08548276B2 Image search apparatus, image scanning apparatus, image search system, database creation method, and database creation program
An image search apparatus capable of communicating with an image scanning apparatus includes: a common area extraction portion to compare a plurality of registration images stored in the storage portion and to extract a common area including an identical or similar image among a plurality of registration images; a search area determination portion to determine a non-common area excluding the common area, as a search area; a transmission request portion to request transmission of a document image if, as a result of comparison by the comparison portion, a registration image in which the reference image is identical or similar to the partial image does not exist in the plurality of registration images; and a registration portion to, in response to a request by the transmission request portion, store a document image received from the image scanning apparatus as a registration image into the storage portion.
US08548275B2 Image processing device and image processing method
An image processing method applied to an image processing device is capable of implementing bitstream stitching technique after interrupting image processing process. The image processing method includes steps of processing the i-th slice of N slices in an image to generate a plurality of first processed data; storing the first processed data in a memory unit; once an interrupting request is generated according to a requested process, storing stitching information associated with the last first processed data after processing the i-th slice; stopping processing the image and executing the requested process according to the interrupting request; continuing to process the (i+1)-th slice of the N slices to generate a plurality of second processed data after the requested process is finished; and storing the second processed data after the last first processed data in the memory unit according to the stitching information.
US08548274B2 Systems and methods for efficient storage of image transformations
Systems and methods for generating efficient transformed input image address sets for producing a multi-pane output image from an input image are disclosed. The input address sets may be generated by applying a first transformation corresponding to one pane of the output image to output pixel addresses to create first transformed input addresses, applying a second transformation corresponding to another pane to the output image pixel addresses to create second transformed input addresses, and storing, for one output pixel address, a first transformed image pixel address and a second transformed input pixel address and, for another output pixel address, including a first transformed input pixel address, but no second transformed address.
US08548273B2 Image display apparatus and image display method
An image display apparatus which displays an image includes: an image input unit which accepts an input of an image used for display; an image processing unit which carries out image processing including sharpness processing to uniformly sharpen an entire image area and super-resolution processing to selectively sharpen an image enlarged by interpolation of pixels, on the image accepted by the image input unit; an image display unit which displays the image processed by the image processing unit; and a sharpness setting unit which reduces the intensity of the sharpness processing in accordance with an increase in the intensity of the super-resolution processing and increases the intensity of the sharpness processing in accordance with a reduction in the intensity of the super-resolution processing.
US08548270B2 Time-of-flight depth imaging
Techniques are provided for determining depth to objects. A depth image may be determined based on two light intensity images. This technique may compensate for differences in reflectivity of objects in the field of view. However, there may be some misalignment between pixels in the two light intensity images. An iterative process may be used to relax a requirement for an exact match between the light intensity images. The iterative process may involve modifying one of the light intensity images based on a smoothed version of a depth image that is generated from the two light intensity images. Then, new values may be determined for the depth image based on the modified image and the other light intensity image. Thus, pixel misalignment between the two light intensity images may be compensated.
US08548260B2 Learning apparatus and object detecting apparatus
Feature values calculated from a peripheral image area of feature points extracted in a detection target object in a training image each are labeled with a label indicating a class of the detection target object, feature values calculated from a peripheral image area of feature points of a non detection target object in the training image each are labeled with a label indicating the non detection target object, voting positions in a parameter space are calculated by relative positions of the feature points of the detection target object from the detection target object on the training image, and a first classifier is learned using the labeled feature values extracted in the training image so that a class distribution is concentrated and the voting positions in the parameter space are concentrated.
US08548257B2 Distinguishing between faces and non-faces
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for evaluating image data. In one aspect, a method includes accessing an image that includes a candidate face, such as a face detected during a face detection operation. The method further includes generating a sharpness measure based on image data corresponding to the candidate face, evaluating the sharpness measure to determine a confidence score representing a likelihood that the candidate face corresponds to a human face, and accepting the candidate face when the confidence score compares in a predetermined manner to a confidence threshold. Additionally, the method can be implemented to include generating a skin tone measure based on image data corresponding to the candidate face and evaluating the sharpness measure in combination with the skin tone measure to determine the confidence score.
US08548256B2 Method for fast scene matching
A method for identifying digital images having matching backgrounds from a collection of digital images, comprising using a processor to perform the steps of: determining a set of one or more feature values for each digital image in the collection of digital images, wherein the set of feature values includes an edge compactness feature value that is an indication of the number of objects in the digital image that are useful for scene matching; determining a subset of the collection of digital images that are good candidates for scene matching by applying a classifier responsive to the determined feature values; applying a scene matching algorithm to the subset of the collection of digital images to identify groups of digital images having matching backgrounds; and storing an indication of the identified groups of digital images having matching backgrounds in a processor-accessible memory.
US08548254B2 Image direction judging device, image direction judging method and image direction judging program
Up and down directions of an image are to be precisely judged without a special equipment installed in an image pickup device. An object candidate detecting means detects object candidates from an input image and their angles in the input image. A similarity calculation means calculate the degree of similarity between each detected object candidate and each object stored in advance. An input image angle calculating means judges up and down directions of the input image based on the calculated similarity of each object candidate and the angle of the input image. The input image angle calculating means carries out weighting for the angle of each object candidate in the input image based on its similarity and calculates slant angles with respect to the up and down directions of the input image by using the weighted angles.
US08548253B2 Fast line linking
Disclosed is a computer implemented method (200) of processing a bitmap image (110) including at least one shape defined by at least one line (113-115). The method processes the image to form a plurality of boundaries, each boundary representing an enclosed path (410-424). The boundaries also define at least one enclosed region (425-429) representing a graphical object. Line elements are detected (310) together with associated regions (430-465) in the graphical object. The method determines line statistics (325) corresponding to at least one of the boundaries of the object based on the detected line elements and performs shape recognition (1010) on at least one of the boundaries based on said line statistics. The method recognizes (1020,1045) at least one part of the object as a shape and stores a description of the shape.
US08548251B2 Defining a border for an image
Some embodiments provide a method for selecting a portion of an image. The method identifies edges in the image. The method defines a border about the portion of the image by using the identified edges. The method represents the border as a deformable curve. In some embodiments, defining the border includes detecting a cursor moving over the image and defining the border along identified edges in the vicinity of the cursor. In some embodiments, the method searches for edges in the vicinity of the cursor and snaps the border to the edges. Identifying the edges of the image includes performing an edge detection algorithm in some embodiments. Identifying the edges further includes performing a de-noise algorithm in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the parametrizable curve is a bezier spline.
US08548250B2 Information processing apparatus and information processing method
An information processing apparatus is disclosed, including: a reading part reading vector information included in an electronic file; a first line segment extraction part extracting line segment parameter information of a line object from the vector information; a second line segment extraction part extracting polygon parameter information of a polygon object from the vector information and extracting the line segment parameter information of line segments forming the polygon object from the extracted polygon parameter information; a rectangle extraction part extracting rectangle parameter information based on the line segment parameter; a minimum rectangle determination part determining whether or not a rectangle formed based on the rectangle parameter information is a minimum rectangle which does not connote other rectangles; and a minimum rectangle output part outputting the minimum rectangle.
US08548245B2 Image capture and identification system and process
A digital image of the object is captured and the object is recognized from plurality of objects in a database. An information address corresponding to the object is then used to access information and initiate communication pertinent to the object.
US08548240B2 Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer readable medium
An apparatus comprises: unit configured to divide input document data into a body region, a caption region, and an object region; unit configured to acquire text information included in each of the body region and the caption region; unit configured to search the text information in the body region for an anchor term, to extract an anchor term from the text information in the caption region, and to generate a bi-directional link between a portion corresponding to the anchor term in the body region and a portion of the object region to which the caption region is appended; and unit configured to convert the input document data into digital document data in which the portion corresponding to the anchor term in the body region and the portion corresponding to the object region to which the caption region is appended are bi-directionally linked based on the link.
US08548239B1 Integrated document editor
Methods for interacting with an electronic document are provided wherein: a) positional input information and its associated data such as symbols or commands that communicate operations that can be applied to elements, such as a selection or an addition of characters or graphics lines, at locations within the electronic document, along with b) relevant insertion locations as variables or pointers associated with executable operations indicative of a plurality of potential locations in the electronic document, potential locations which are accessible by executable operations and at which the communicated operations can be applied to elements, are utilized to: 1) correlate values of the positional input with locations in the electronic document at which to apply the communicated operations to elements, 2) edit the electronic document, and 3) group a plurality of input data into consolidated operations and the locations at which to apply them to elements.
US08548235B2 Signal processing apparatus and still image generation method
A signal processing apparatus includes a first image memory that stores input moving images, a noise reduction section that outputs noise-free images, an image switching section that selects and outputs one image of the input moving image and the output of the first image memory, and a freeze control section that reads, images corresponding to two or more screens including the screen with the smallest amount of blur of each screen of the input moving image based on a separated luminance signal and necessary to remove noise from the first image memory, causes the image switching section to output the images, and causes noise-free images using the images corresponding to the two or more screens including the screen with the smallest amount of blur to be consecutively outputted.
US08548234B2 Method and apparatus for simultaneously reducing various kinds of noises from image
Provided are a method and apparatus for simultaneously reducing various kinds of noises in an image output from an image sensor equipped to a camera. The image noise reducing method includes: determining a color reference value, which corresponds to a corrected value of the color value of a current pixel, based on the difference values between the color value of the current pixel among pixels of an image and the color values of neighboring pixels around the current pixel; determining unified filter kernel coefficients, which represent the weights of the current pixel and the neighboring pixels, based on the similarities between the determined color reference value and the color values of the neighboring pixels; and reducing a noise in the color value of the current pixel by weighted-averaging the color value of the current pixel and the color values of the neighboring pixels using the unified filter kernel coefficients.
US08548233B2 Image processing apparatus and compression method therefor
An input image is divided into a plurality of predetermined sized image pieces, and code data indicating an arrangement pattern of color data included in each image piece and color data for the number of colors included in each image piece are output as first output data. When the first output data has a size greater than or equal to a predetermined data size, according to the number of image pieces by counted number of colors and priority of a pattern for color reduction, a pattern for color reduction relating the plurality of image pieces is determined. Among the divided image pieces, color-reduction processing is performed on an image piece corresponding to the determined pattern. Then, code data indicating an arrangement pattern of color data included in each image piece and code data for the number of colors included in each image piece are output as second output data.
US08548227B2 Image processing apparatus and computer program
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for compressing image data used in an image generating apparatus for generating a free-viewpoint image. According to the invention, the apparatus has a selecting unit that selects one image as a first image, and defines other images as second images, a projective transformation unit that generates a projected depth map of a second image from a depth map of the first image, a subtracting unit that creates a difference map of the second image, and a storage unit that stores the depth map of the first image and the difference map of the second image. Here, the difference map is a difference between a depth map of the second image and the projected depth map of the second image, and the depth map indicates a depth value of each pixel of a corresponding image.
US08548225B2 Point selection in bundle adjustment
In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving a set of three dimensional (3D) points estimated from a plurality of images; selecting a subset of the 3D points that, as a group, provide at least a desired amount of constraint on each of a plurality of camera parameters; and performing non-linear optimization over the selected subset of 3D points to recover the plurality of camera parameters and the 3D points. The selected subset excludes one or more 3D points in the set.
US08548212B2 Fingerprint recognition apparatus and method thereof
The present invention provides a fingerprint recognition apparatus and a fingerprint recognition method adapted for the apparatus. The method includes steps of: performing an image processing function for fingerprints of a user and generating an image formed by a number of ridges; scanning the image according to a scanning frequency and selecting a number of scanning lines; acquiring a cross point formed between each ridge of fingerprint and each scanning line; acquiring a tangent line; generating a graph between each cross point and each corresponding slope value; determining whether the graph is similar to one of the stored at least one graph to obtain a determination result; and outputting a recognition result of the fingerprints of the user associated with the determination result.
US08548211B2 Indicating a correspondence between an image and an object
Indicating an object is disclosed. Indicating an object includes receiving an indication associated with selecting an image and providing a second indication that a set of one or more objects correspond to the image, wherein the objects have been detected from the image. Indicating an image is disclosed. Indicating an image includes receiving an indication associated with selecting an object, wherein the object has been detected from an image and displaying the image such that a correspondence between the selected object and the image is conveyed.
US08548203B2 Sequential event detection from video
Human behavior is determined by sequential event detection by constructing a temporal-event graph with vertices representing adjacent first and second primitive images of a plurality of individual primitive images parsed from a video stream, and also of first and second idle states associated with the respective first and second primitive images. Constructing the graph is a function of an edge set between the adjacent first and second primitive images, and an edge weight set as a function of a discrepancy between computed visual features within regions of interest common to the adjacent first and second primitive images. A human activity event is determined as a function of a shortest distance path of the temporal-event graph vertices.
US08548195B2 Tracking method and device adopting a series of observation models with different life spans
The present invention relates to a tracking method and a tracking device adopting multiple observation models with different life spans. The tracking method is suitable for tracking an object in a low frame rate video or with abrupt motion, and uses three observation models with different life spans to track and detect a specific subject in frame images of a video sequence. An observation model I performs online learning with one frame image prior to the current image, an observation model II performs online learning with five frames prior to the current image, and an observation model III is offline trained. The three observation models are combined by a cascade particle filter so that the specific subject in the low frame rate video or the object with abrupt motion can be tracked quickly and accurately.
US08548194B1 System and method for determining altitude
An altitude estimating system for use in a movable device, comprising: (i) circuitry for detecting, for each frame of a plurality of time frames, a set of present features external from the movable device; (ii) circuitry for providing, from a set of present features detected in a first frame, a set of predicted features that represent a prediction of location of the set of present features for a second frame that follows in time the first frame; (iii) circuitry for creating a set of correlated features by correlating a set of the predicted features for the second frame with a set of present features detected for the second frame; and (iv) circuitry for providing an estimated altitude in response to the set of correlated features.
US08548193B2 Method and apparatus for navigating an electronic magnifier over a target document
A method for electronically magnifying a target object with an imaging device. The method includes obtaining a full view image of the target object, where the full view image is focused. The method further includes moving the imaging device in proximity to a portion of the target object and obtaining a key image of the portion of the target object. The method further includes matching the key image to a corresponding portion of the full view image. The method further includes magnifying the corresponding portion of the full view image and displaying the magnified portion of the full view image.
US08548192B2 Method for extracting a fingerprint data from video/audio signals
A method for extracting a fingerprint data from video/audio signals, comprising the steps of sending a series of video frame images into a fingerprint extractor; extracting a fingerprint data through the fingerprint extractor; and storing the fingerprint data into a fingerprint database, characterized in that, in the fingerprint extractor, said method further comprises the sub-steps of storing the video frame images in a frame buffer which accepts a new video frame image and discards the oldest video frame image in a first in first out (FIFO) fashion; sampling the video images by a sub-sampler which operates on one video frame image at a time, so that the output of the sub-sampler contains data samples obtained from multiple video frame images while the video image content itself is discarded, and after each video frame image is sampled at the head of the frame buffer, it is discarded after the sampling; making the data samples to go through a divider which divides the data samples into groups of video frames so as to be organized as one fingerprint segment after another one; incorporating optional information by a formatter to the fingerprint segment so as to form the fingerprint data, at the output of the formatter, the video image content is discarded, only the fingerprint data and the associated optional information remain; and transferring the fingerprint data and the associated optional information by a transfer buffer to the fingerprint database. According to the present invention, the method for extracting a fingerprint data from video/audio signals facilitates the automatic identification, archiving and search of video content without the need for human visual inspections.
US08548191B2 Loudspeaker magnet having a channel
A transducer magnet for a low profile loudspeaker transducer is provided having a voice coil, surround suspension, diaphragm, and top plate. The transducer magnet may include a first magnet assembly, including an annular outer magnet having an outer perimeter, an outer diameter and an inner diameter. The inner diameter defines a vacant circular center within the annular outer magnet, and the difference in length between the diameter of the circular inner magnet and the inner diameter of annular outer magnet define an annular first magnet assembly air gap. The annular outer magnet includes one or more channels extending inwardly from the outer perimeter of the annular outer magnet to the first magnet assembly air gap, which is configured to receive the voice coil. The channels are configured to pass hookup wires from the voice coil to an external device from the transducer magnet.
US08548186B2 Earphone assembly
An earphone assembly for an in-ear listening device is disclosed. The earphone assembly has an inner housing comprising a nozzle, configured to receive a sleeve for placement into a user's ear, and a balanced armature motor assembly. The balanced armature motor assembly is mounted in the inner housing so as to form an acoustical seal between the inner housing and the balanced armature motor assembly. The earphone assembly also includes an outer housing configured to receive the inner housing. The inner housing can comprise a recess for receiving a paddle of the balanced armature motor assembly. Alternatively, the outer housing can be formed with a nozzle for receiving a sleeve for placement into a user's ear canal, and the inner housing can comprise a spout, which is received in a recess in the outer housing.
US08548184B2 Constant coverage waveguide
This invention provides an acoustic waveguide with a continuous least-energy-surface formed from an upper vertical control curve, a lower vertical control curve, right horizontal control curve and a left horizontal control curve. In addition, a circular throat end and a non-elliptical closed control curve form a mouth such that the continuous least-energy-surface is coincident with the six control curves.
US08548181B2 Inflatable ear mold connection system
An inflatable ear piece is formed for insertion and placement in an external auditory canal. The ear piece has an inflatable balloon that may be selectively inflated and deflated. When the balloon is inflated, it expands and braces against the walls of the auditory canal. The ear piece has a receiver module with a sound generator and a connection to an exterior device. The sound waves generated in the receiver module are guided to the ear drum via a carrier which also holds the balloon. A pump and valve is provided for inflating, or selectively deflating, the balloon. The pump is connected by way of a micro tube that projects centrally inside the sound channel of the balloon carrier and its tip projects into a radial projection or a bridge across the sound channel. The receiver and balloon modules may be connected in any rotational orientation.
US08548180B2 System, method, program, and integrated circuit for hearing aid
To provide a hearing aid system (1000) performing dichotic-listening binaural hearing aid processing which improves the clarity of speech and maintains the spatial perception ability. Each of first and second hearing aid devices (1100, 1200) includes a sound pickup unit (1110, 1210) and an output unit (1120, 1220) outputting a sound indicated by a suppressed acoustic signal. The hearing aid system (1000) includes: a first band suppression unit (1300) generating the suppressed acoustic signal indicating the sound outputted from the output unit (1120), by suppressing a signal in a first suppression-target band out of the acoustic signal outputted from the sound pickup unit (1110); and a second band suppression unit (1400) generating the suppressed acoustic signal indicating the sound outputted from the output unit (1220), by suppressing a signal in a second suppression-target band out of the acoustic signal outputted from the sound pickup unit (1210). The suppressed acoustic signals indicating the sounds outputted respectively from the output units (1120, 1220) include, in common, a signal in a non-voice band included in the acoustic signal.
US08548179B2 Hearing aid fitting device
This hearing aid fitting device (1) comprises a client data storage section (10) that stores a plurality of hearing ability data and hearing adjustment result data for each of hearing ability data, a close user determination section (11) to which the client data storage section (10) and a hearing ability input section (12) are connected on the input side, a clustering section (13) that is connected to the output side of the close user determination section (11), a representative characteristic determination section (14) that is connected to the output side of the clustering section (13), an initial adjustment candidate selector (15) that is connected to the input side of the representative characteristic determination section (14), and a fine tuner (16) that is connected to the output side of the representative characteristic determination section (15).
US08548178B2 Comb sense microphone
A miniature microphone, comprising a diaphragm, supported for displacement in response to acoustic waves, from which a plurality of projections extend; a plurality of projections extending from a surface; a body, supporting the surface to maintain the plurality of projections from the diaphragm and the plurality of projections from the surface in close proximity; and an electromagnetic sensor adapted to sense an electromagnetic interaction between the plurality of projections from the diaphragm and the plurality of projections from the surface and produce an electrical signal in response thereto. The interaction may be detected substantially without inducing a force which tends to substantially displace the diaphragm, since the electrostatic force is substantially parallel to the diaphragm surface.
US08548174B2 Modular electronic biosensor with interface for receiving disparate modules
A modular electronic biosensor includes a housing configured for hand-held manipulation and a base module comprising a module interface configured to receive one of a multiplicity of disparate detachable modules, such as a transducer module and an output module. A transducer of the transducer module is configured to sense a property of the human body and the output module is configured to output a signal comprising transducer signal information. The module interface includes a module connector for receiving a connector of the detachable module to facilitate signal transmission therebetween, a mechanical retention mechanism configured to retentively engage the detachable module, and a sealing arrangement disposed to provide sealing between the base module and the detachable module when attached to the base module. A processor is coupled to the module connector and configured to communicatively couple with each of the detachable and interchangeable modules when attached to the base module.
US08548168B2 Security module for securing an encrypted signal with system and method for use therewith
A security module includes a signal interface for receiving an encrypted signal and a host interface that is coupleable to a host. A processing module is operable to receive encrypted decryption code from the host via the host interface, decrypt the encrypted decryption code to form decrypted decryption code that is operable to decrypt the encrypted signal, send the decrypted decryption code to the host via the host interface, monitor the security of the decrypted decryption code via security signaling sent between the host and the security module via the host interface to detect potential tampering with the decrypted decryption code, transfer the encrypted signal to the host via the host interface, and discontinue transfer of the encrypted signal when the security signaling indicates the potential tampering with the decrypted decryption code.
US08548157B2 System and method of managing incoming telephone calls at a call center
A method of managing incoming calls is disclosed and includes receiving a telephone call. Further, the method includes offering a caller a bypass option to bypass an automated help application and placing the telephone call in a queue for a next available customer service agent. The method can also include prompting the caller for payment when the caller selects the bypass option. Further, the method can include indicating a current wait time when the bypass option is declined. Moreover, the method can include offering the caller an instant service option to directly connect the caller to a customer service agent. The method can also include prompting the caller for payment when the caller selects the instant service option and directly connecting the telephone call to a customer service agent.
US08548155B2 Dynamic message context driven application assembly for customer service agent productivity applications
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to message response systems for customer service environments and provide a method, system and computer program product for dynamic message context driven application assembly in a customer service agent productivity suite of applications. In one embodiment of the invention, a message context driven application assembly method for a customer service agent productivity suite can be provided. The method can include determining a context of an inbound message in a message list of an agent user interface for the customer service agent productivity suite; selecting at least one application based upon the determined context; providing an activatable reference to the at least one application in the agent user interface; and, displaying the agent user interface to provide access to the at least one application through the activatable reference.
US08548153B2 Incoming and outgoing call control customization
Customer communications can be controlled in accordance with customized rules. An initial menu includes options to modify an existing rule or create a new rule for controlling customer communications. An initial selection criteria menu includes options to indicate whether the new customized rule will be built using a preexisting template or starting from initial blank rule criteria. A list of preexisting templates for creating new customized rules can be provided, and input to populate a selected template can be accepted. Initial blank rule criteria for creating new customized rules can also be provided, including initial criteria and rule conditions for selected initial criteria. Communications are processed in accordance with the stored new customized rule.
US08548152B2 System and method for handling toll free number telephone calls
A system and method for processing toll free telephone calls by a telecommunications service provider may include receiving, by the telecommunications service provider, a telephone call request for a telephone call being placed to a toll free telephone number from a telephone within a service area of the telecommunications service provider. The telecommunications service provider may determine that the toll free telephone number is one operated by the telecommunications service provider. The telephone call may be routed via a network of the telecommunications service provider to a telephone associated with the toll free telephone number to connect the telephone call.
US08548151B1 Method for migrating from an old communication switch to a new communication switch
A method for migrating from an old communication switch to a new communication switch is provided according to the invention. The old communication switch interfaces between a packet telephony network and a circuit switched telephony network. The method includes configuring the old communication switch to signal the new communication switch and swinging one or more logical links from the old communication switch to the new communication switch until all logical links between the circuit switched telephony network and the old communication switch have been swung.
US08548143B2 Inbound call identification and management
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for inbound call identification and management. One of the systems includes one or more repositories that can include data representing call action policies and data representing attributes associated with the caller devices and the callee devices; and one or more computing devices that include a call identifier (“IDer”) configured to characterize the attributes of the caller devices to form characterized attributes, a call management system controller configured to match the characterized attributes against routing criteria specified in the data representing the call action policies, and a call management system router configured to route calls from the caller devices to the callee devices responsive to a match between the characterized attributes and the routing criteria.
US08548134B2 Digital photo frame with dial-a-tag functionality
A digital photo frame, including a memory for storing a plurality of digital photos, and tags associated with the digital photos, where a tag for a digital photo corresponds to an object appearing in the digital photo, a screen for displaying the digital photos, an interface for making connection with a communicator, wherein the communicator includes a storage for storing a contact list of phone numbers for objects, and a controller, coupled with the memory and the interface, for rendering one of the plurality of digital photos on the screen, and for instructing the communicator via the interface (i) to identify the phone number of a selected object, and (ii) to dial the identified phone number, in response to user activation of a tag associated with the rendered digital photo and corresponding to the selected object.
US08548133B1 Managing electronic consent for calling campaigns
A hosted list service provider (“HLSP”) provides list management services for compliance purposes. The HLSP receives electronic consent information from an enterprise that may comprise a telephone number and stores the same in at least one database, to facilitate retrieving the electronic consent information for a particular telephone number. A telephone number list is provided to a call center, which can originate calls for a calling campaign using the telephone numbers on behalf of the enterprise. After the campaign is completed, the call center may provide data to the HLSP indicating which callers have requested to opt-out, and the HLSP updates its databases appropriately. The HLSP may process the telephone number data against other databases, and may inform the enterprise of called parties that have requested a change of status. Follow up communication can occur to the called party to confirm or re-establish consent for subsequent calls.
US08548128B2 Telephone apparatus, image display method and image display processing program
A telephone apparatus includes a storage unit, a display unit, a retrieving unit and a display control unit. The storage unit is configured to store a plurality of images therein. The display unit is configured to display at least one of the plurality of images. The retrieving unit is configured to retrieve a relating image from the images stored in the storage unit when an outgoing call is made to or an incoming call is received from other telephone apparatus through a telephone line. The relating image relates to a corresponding image associated with the other party of the outgoing or incoming call. The display control unit configured to perform control to display at least one of the corresponding image and the retrieved relating image on the display unit.
US08548127B2 System and method to search a media content database based on voice input data
A method includes initiating a call from an interactive voice response (IVR) system to a first device associated with a user in response to a request. The method includes receiving voice input data at the IVR system via the call. The method also includes performing a search of a media content database based at least partially on the voice input data. The method further includes sending search results identifying media content items based on the search of the media content database to a second device associated with the user.
US08548124B2 Electron source and cathode cup thereof
An embodiment of the invention relates to a cathode cup (20) comprising a receptacle for holding an electron emitter (21), wherein the cathode cup is provided at least in the area facing the electron emitter (21) with a surface comprising a plurality of cavities (23). Further, the invention provides an electron source and an x-ray system comprising such a cathode cup (20).
US08548114B2 Method and apparatus for repairing a jet pump line support
A jet pump sensing line support clamp may be used for sensing line repair, replacement, and damage prevention or reduction. The clamp may affix to jet pump sensing line supports and confine the individual jet pump sensing lines. The clamp may provide for further access or securing of the lines in the support through the clamp. Methods of installing the clamp may include attaching and tightening the clamp against the sensing lines.
US08548113B2 Debris mitigation upper tie plates and fuel bundles using the same
Example embodiments are directed to upper tie plates for debris mitigation and fuel bundles that use the upper tie plates. Example embodiment tie plates may include a plurality of debris capture elements that overlap each other so as to create debris traps for particulate debris that would fall onto the fuel bundle. Example embodiment fuel bundles may use the upper tie plates for debris mitigation.
US08548112B2 Spent fuel basket, apparatus and method using the same for storing high level radioactive waste
A fuel basket apparatus, system and method for storing high level radioactive waste. In one aspect, the invention is an apparatus suitable for transporting and/or storing spent nuclear fuel rods comprising: a basket formed from a honeycomb-like gridwork of plates arranged in a rectilinear configuration, the gridwork of plates forming a plurality of cells for receiving spent nuclear fuel rods; the basket comprising one or more flux traps that regulate production of neutron radiation; and wherein the plates are constructed of a metal matrix composite material. In another aspect, the invention is an apparatus suitable for transporting and/or storing spent nuclear fuel rods comprising: a basket formed from a honeycomb-like gridwork of plates arranged in a rectilinear configuration, the gridwork of plates forming a plurality of cells for receiving spent nuclear fuel rods; the basket being formed by a plurality of segments arranged in a stacked assembly; each segment comprising a honeycomb-like gridwork of plates arranged in the rectilinear configuration, wherein each segment comprises a plurality of top and bottom slots arranged so that when the segments are arranged in the stacked assembly, the top slots of each segment intersect with the bottom slots of the adjacent segment; and wherein the entire basket is formed of plates having no more than three different configurations.
US08548110B2 Receiver with clock recovery circuit and adaptive sample and equalizer timing
A receiver is equipped with an adaptive phase-offset controller and associated timing-calibration circuitry that together shift the timing for a data sampler and a digital equalizer. The sample and equalizer timing is shifted to a position with less residual inter-symbol interference (ISI) energy relative to the current symbol. The shifted position may be calculated using a measure of signal quality, such as a receiver bit-error rate or a comparison of filter-tap values, to optimize the timing of data recovery.
US08548109B2 Dynamic memory and I/O management in a GPS receiver
Clock compensation for GPS receivers. A receiver in accordance with the present invention comprises a Radio Frequency (RF) portion, and a baseband portion, coupled to the RF portion, wherein the baseband portion comprises a crystal, an oscillator, coupled to the crystal, wherein the oscillator generates a clock signal based on a signal received from the crystal, a counter, coupled to the oscillator via the clock signal, a comparator, coupled to the counter, a controller, at least one logic gate, coupled to the comparator and the controller, and a combiner, coupled to the at least one logic gate, the controller, and the counter and producing an accurate clock signal therefrom.
US08548105B2 Joint time-frequency automatic gain control for wireless communication
Techniques for performing joint time-frequency automatic gain control (AGC) by a receiver are described. In an aspect, the receiver may transform time-domain samples with a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to obtain frequency-domain symbols and may detect for saturation of the frequency-domain symbols. The receiver may adjust a gain based on whether saturation is detected and may apply the gain prior to the FFT. In one design, the receiver may use a nominal value for a setpoint if saturation is not detected and may reduce the setpoint if saturation is detected. The receiver may adjust the gain based on the setpoint, which may determine the average power of the time-domain samples. In another design, the receiver may determine the gain based on a gain offset and may vary the gain offset based on whether saturation is detected. For both designs, the receiver may apply the gain on digital samples and/or an analog signal prior to the FFT.
US08548097B1 Coarse phase estimation for highly-spectrally-efficient communications
Methods and systems are provided for coarse phase estimation for highly-spectrally efficient communications. An example method may include, equalizing, in a receiver, a received inter-symbol correlated (ISC) signal to generate an equalized ISC signal. A phase adjustment signal may be generated based on an ISC feedback signal. The ISC feedback signal may be generated using a sequence estimation process and a non-linearity function. A phase of the equalized ISC signal may be adjusted using the generated phase adjustment signal, to generate a phase adjusted partial response signal. The phase adjustment signal may be generated based on a phase difference between the equalized ISC signal and the partial response feedback signal. At least one ISC vector may be generated by buffering samples of the phase adjusted ISC signal.
US08548085B2 Multi-carrier peak power reduction in frequency hopping systems
Peak power reduction in transmit chains of frequency hopping, multi-band radiocommunication devices is performed. Filtering and, optionally, interpolation of a signal being processed for peak power reduction can be performed only in an error signal path or in both an error signal path and a primary signal path. Alternatively, a sufficiently high sample rate can be used in support of error signal generation.
US08548083B2 Method and apparatus for mapping/demapping resource in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for mapping/demapping a resource efficiently in a wireless communication system are provided. A resource mapping method of a transmitter in a wireless communication system includes precoding pairs of symbols, arranging the pairs of precoded symbols adjacently in a resource block, and transmitting the pairs of precoded symbols in the resource block.
US08548082B2 Contention-based access channel design in MIMO OFDM/OFDMA systems
A contention-based multi-antenna access request transmission/receiving procedure in MIMO OFDM/OFDMA systems is provided to reduce access latency. A mobile station encodes and transmits an access request over a shared access channel using multiple transmitting antennas, while a base station receives and decodes a number of access requests using multiple receiving antennas. Each access request comprises an access indictor and an access message. In a first MIMO scheme, the mobile station transmits the access indicator as preambles, while the access message is encoded by SFBC/STBC to obtain spatial diversity. At the receive side, the access indicator is exploited as pilots for channel estimation. The access message is decoded using SFBC/STBC decoding algorithm. In a second MIMO scheme, the mobile station performs precoding/beamforming for each of the transmitting antenna to obtain beamforming gain, while the base station performs virtual beam matching based on the detection results of the access indicators.
US08548073B2 Method, apparatus and system for using guard tones in OFDM systems for increasing data rates and improving robustness
The present disclosure provides a method, apparatus, and system for increasing data rates and improving robustness in a wireless communication system. The method comprises identifying a set of guard tones for wireless Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signals, encoding data for OFDM transmission, identifying a preferred puncture pattern to puncture the encoded data, puncturing the encoded data with the preferred puncture pattern, and transmitting the punctured encoded data, wherein a portion of the punctured encoded data is transmitted on a portion of the set of guard tones.
US08548071B2 Integrated circuit enabling the communication of data and a method of communicating data in an integrated circuit
An integrated circuit enabling the communication of data is described. The integrated circuit comprises an input/output port; a plurality of data converter circuits; and programmable interconnect circuits coupled between the input/output port and the plurality of data converter circuits, the programmable interconnect circuits enabling a connection of the plurality of data converter circuits to the input/output port of the integrated circuit. A method of enabling the communication of data in an integrated circuit is also described.
US08548062B2 System for low resolution power reduction with deblocking flag
A system for encoding and decoding video that uses power reduction techniques.
US08548052B2 Method and apparatus for encoding video, and method and apparatus for decoding video
Disclosed are a video encoding method and apparatus and a video decoding method and apparatus. The method of encoding video includes: producing a first predicted coding unit of a current coding unit, which is to be encoded; determining whether the current coding unit comprises a portion located outside a boundary of a current picture; and producing a second predicted coding unit is produced by changing a value of pixels of the first predicted coding unit by using the pixels of the first predicted coding unit and neighboring pixels of the pixels when the current coding unit does not include a portion located outside a boundary of the current picture. Accordingly, a residual block that is the difference between the current encoding unit and the second predicted encoding unit, can be encoded, thereby improving video prediction efficiency.
US08548048B2 Video source rate control for video telephony
The disclosure relates to techniques for video source rate control for video telephony (VT) applications. The source video encoding rate may controlled using a dual-buffer based estimation of a frame budget that defines a number of encoding bits available for a frame of the video. The dual-buffer based estimation technique may track the fullness of a physical video buffer and the fullness of the virtual video buffer. The source video encoding rate is then controlled based on the resulting frame budget. The contents of the virtual buffer depend on constraints imposed by a target encoding rate, while the contents of the physical buffer depend on constraints imposed by varying channel conditions. Consideration of physical video buffer fullness permits the video source rate control technique to be channel-adaptive. Consideration of virtual video buffer fullness permits the video source rate control technique to avoid encoding excessive video that could overwhelm the channel.
US08548045B2 Method and apparatus for video encoding
A method for encoding a video sequence of video frames. Each video frame includes a plurality of macro blocks. One video frame of the video sequence is encoded based on a first quantization parameter value for generating a first bit stream of encoded macro blocks (12). Transmission of a subset of the encoded macro blocks from the first bit stream is initiated (13). It is determined if the first bit stream exceeds a bit budget. If the first bit stream is determined to exceed the bit budget, a second quantization parameter value, which is larger than the first quantization parameter value, is generated. Otherwise, the second quantization parameter value, which is smaller than the first quantization parameter value, is generated. At least a part of the video frame is encoded based on the second quantization parameter value for generating a second bit stream of encoded macro blocks (15, 15a). The first bit stream and the second bit stream are then merged (17, 17a). An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.
US08548044B2 Rate control in a video encoder according to a bit count estimate
Described herein is a rate controller in a video system. The rate controller is comprised of a bit count estimator and a quantization selector. The bit count estimator receives an input to an encoder and generates a bit count estimate. The bit count estimate is an approximation of a bit count at an output of the encoder. The quantization selector sets a quantization value based on the bit count estimate.
US08548040B2 Coding method, decoding method, coding apparatus, decoding apparatus, program, and integrated circuit
A coding method includes: defining an access unit; and coding each of the pictures included in the access unit, for each access unit. The defining includes: determining a unit of coding for determining whether the pictures included in the access unit are to be uniformly coded on a per-field basis or on a per-frame basis; and determining a field type for determining whether the pictures are to be uniformly coded as top fields or bottom fields when it is determined that the pictures included in the access unit are to be coded on a per-field basis. In the coding, each of the pictures is coded for each access unit in a format determined in the determining of a unit of coding and in the determining of a field type.
US08548038B2 Pattern detector for serializer-deserializer adaptation
In described embodiments, a Serializer-Deserializer (SerDes) receiver includes a pattern detector that allows for detection of insufficiently randomized pattern periods and low activity periods. A freeze of equalization adaptation during these periods might occur by embedding disqualifying patterns into adaptation data. Some embodiments also allow for detection of long intervals of freeze, and so delay a freeze de-assertion in order for a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit of the receiver to regain lock to the serial data. Embedding freeze information in the receive data allows for precise synchronization of receive data and freeze.
US08548034B2 Methods and apparatus for intelligent power reduction in communications systems
Methods and apparatus for power control in a communications device are described. Bonding of channels in a modem may be dynamically adjusted responsive to user activity or demand for bandwidth. Bonded channel configurations may be adjusted to single channel configurations for low power operation. Modem configuration may be dynamically adjusted so as to maintain only required synchronization and system information to facilitate rapid data transfer resumption upon demand.
US08548033B2 Automatic frequency control under low signal-to-noise conditions
Carrier frequency offset is determined by sample-to-sample phase shifts of a digital radio signal. The CFO range is divided into a number of intervals and creates as many parallel derived streams as there are interval endpoints by pre-compensating (“back rotating”) the input by the sample-to-sample phase shift corresponding to the particular endpoint. Magnitude and phase values are computed of the correlation of a preamble pattern period with the preamble segment of each derived stream in parallel. The largest resulting magnitude value(s) are used to zoom in on the actual CFO present in the input stream. Improved accuracy in the presence of noise may be obtained by repeating the search for a shorter interval centered on the prior CFO value. Final CFO and phase values from corresponding correlation computations then determine the actual CFO and corresponding sample-to-sample phase shift to be applied for pre-compensation (“back rotation”) in an open-loop AFC.
US08548029B2 Monitoring of an antenna system
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring an antenna system comprising at least two antenna branches providing antenna diversity. At least a first signal branch measure and a second signal branch measure are repeatedly generated in response to a first signal branch and a second signal branch received by a respective one of the at least two antenna branches, thus generating a first plurality of second signal branch measure values in a manner so that the first and second pluralities reflect the quality of the first and second signal branches, respectively, at different points in time. The first and second pluralities are analysed in order to distinguish any differences in the performance of the first and second antenna branches.
US08548026B2 Enhanced uplink packet transfer
An enhanced spread-spectrum uplink technique provides more efficient packet transfer in a wireless network. A mobile station requests to utilize an uplink channel, typically, a physical dedicated channel. If the network will grant access, a base station sends back a channel-request-granted message, which specifies a transmission start time and length. The base station starts related downlink transmissions at the start time, and at a time thereafter, the mobile station starts sending packet data over the uplink physical dedicated channel. After a transmission of no more that the specified length, the mobile station ceases its uplink transmission on the dedicated channel, and the base station and/or the mobile station can immediately release one or more channel resources. The grant message and/or the subsequent signaling communications from the base station may also specify a modulation scheme and a channelization code for the uplink channel.
US08548025B2 Methods and systems for distributing broadcast messages on various networks
Methods and systems for sending a broadcast message in frequency hopping and other systems. Instead of sending a complete message separately to each device, a relatively small packet or “chirp” is sent. These chirps are either targeted at known devices or sent in a manner to sweep the RF band. Devices that hear the chirps get information about the channel and/or time that the broadcast data will be sent. These devices then listen for the broadcast data as instructed, e.g., at the specified time on the specified channel. A system may alternatively, or in addition, use a scheduled hopping sequence break as a broadcast moment. Such a broadcast moment can be scheduled to periodically interrupt the node hopping sequences so that, at such times, many or all nodes are scheduled to be on the same channel for potential broadcasts.
US08548020B2 Group-III nitride semiconductor laser device, and method for fabricating group-III nitride semiconductor laser device
A III-nitride semiconductor laser device includes a laser structure including a support base, a semiconductor region, and an electrode. The support base includes a hexagonal III-nitride semiconductor and a semipolar primary surface. The semiconductor region includes first and second cladding layers and an active layer arranged along an axis normal to the semipolar primary surface. A c-axis of the hexagonal III-nitride semiconductor is inclined at an angle ALPHA with respect to the normal axis toward an m-axis of the hexagonal III-nitride semiconductor. The laser structure includes first and second fractured faces that intersect with an m-n plane defined by the normal axis and the m-axis of the hexagonal III-nitride semiconductor. A laser cavity of the laser device includes the first and second fractured faces. Each of the first and second fractured faces have a stripe structure on an end face of the support base.
US08548018B2 Command apparatus in a gas laser oscillator, capable of command at high speed and with high precision
A command apparatus (10) for a plurality of laser power supplies (11, 12) comprises: a command generating section (5) generating commands for the laser power supplies; and a separating section (36) separating the generated commands into a bias command, an output command, an offset command and a gain command, wherein the bias command and the output command are common to the laser power supplies, the offset command and the gain command are defined at least in accordance with the discharge tubes corresponding to the laser power supplies respectively, wherein the command apparatus further comprises a transmitting section (37) transmitting, to the laser power supplies, the bias and the output command which are common to the laser power supplies and, transmitting the offset and the gain command defined at least in accordance with the discharge tubes corresponding to the laser power supplies respectively, corresponding to the laser power supplies.
US08548017B1 Amplitude combining method for phase locking fiber lasers
A method for implementing a coherent laser beam combining system in which a master laser oscillator output is split into N signals, fed through N phase adjusters and N amplifiers and combined in a coherent power combiner. The output of the combiner is sampled and sent to a processor. The processor selects one of the N phase adjusters, sweeps the phase in small steps over a 2π range, and locks the phase of that adjuster to the phase that corresponds to the maximum value of the combiner sample for that sweep cycle. The process is repeated for all the remaining phase adjusters resulting in maximizing the combiner output. The sweep cycles are repeated continuously to correct any phase errors that may occur over time. A similar method can be used in which both the polarizations and the phases of the N signals are maximized to thereby maximize the output of the coherent power combiner.
US08548016B2 Tunable laser system having fine and coarse wavelength discrimination
A tunable laser system having fine and coarse wavelength discrimination is provided. The tunable laser system includes a first filter having a first free spectral range (FSR) and a second filter having a second FSR different from the first FSR. The first filter provides a first series of pulses from a first portion of a laser output, and a second filter provides a second series of pulses from a second portion of the laser output. A processing system compares the first series of pulses and the second series of pulses to identify a series of markers, in which the markers are separated by a beat period of the first series of pulses and the second series of pulses. Advantageously, the series of markers may be used for mode-hop detection and/or for wavelength referencing.
US08548010B2 Method and apparatus for event-based synchronization of information between communication devices
Methods and apparatus for synchronizing contact information between a first communication device associated with a first user and a second communication device associated with a second user are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises monitoring the occurrence of a trigger on the first communication device and transferring, in response to the trigger, a first data object to the second communication device, the first data object comprising data relevant to two or more contact entries associated with the first communication device and an invitation to synchronize. In response to the first data object, a response data object is received from the second communication device, the response data object comprising either more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object, or a request for more recent data associated with at least one of the contact entries indicated in the first data object, or both.
US08548007B2 Method of determining transmission rate of control response frame for acknowledging data receipt in wireless LAN
A method is provided for determining a transmission rate of a control response frame for acknowledging data receipt in a wireless local area network. The method includes obtaining transmission parameters of a transmitting station from a data transmission frame received from the transmitting station, searching a receiving station for transmission parameters which correspond to the transmission parameters of the transmitting station, determining the transmission rate of the control response frame according to transmission parameters of the receiving station if the transmission parameters corresponding to the transmission parameters of the transmitting station are found in the receiving station, and determining a maximum rate among a set of basic transmission rates to be the transmission rate of the control response frame if the transmission parameters corresponding to the transmission parameters of the transmitting station are not found in the receiving station.
US08548006B2 Data transmission method using STBC scheme
A data transmission method using a space time block code (STBC) scheme is provided. The method includes generating a modulation symbol by performing coding and constellation mapping on an information bit, generating a frequency-domain symbol by performing discrete Fourier transform (DFT) on the modulation symbol, generating a single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbol by performing inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) after mapping the frequency-domain symbol to a subcarrier, and transmitting the SC-FDMA symbol on a slot basis.
US08548005B2 Technique for switching between 1x and 2x oversampling rate in a TD-SCDMA receiver
A TD-SCDMA receiver is provided that includes a joint detection (JD) block receiving a first input signal from a channel estimation block for signal detection. A short channel detection (SCD) block receives the first input signal and detecting the presence/absence of an AGWN-like channel based on the first input signal from the channel estimation block. The SCD block switches the JD block between 1× and 2× oversampling rates by sending to the JD block a second input signal.
US08547994B2 Point to multipoint crosslink
A communication network comprises a first central digital subscriber line (DSL) unit having at least one application port and a plurality of DSL ports; a first remote DSL unit having at least one application port and at least one DSL port, wherein the first remote DSL unit is communicatively coupled to the central DSL unit via a first single independent DSL pair having a first EOC channel; and a second remote DSL unit having at least one application port and at least one DSL port, wherein the second remote DSL unit is communicatively coupled to the central DSL unit via a second single independent DSL pair having a second EOC channel; wherein the at least one application port in the central DSL unit is communicatively coupled to an application port in at least one of the first remote DSL unit and the second remote DSL unit.
US08547993B1 Asynchronous interface for communicating between clock domains
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for performing asynchronous communications involving using an asynchronous interface to send signals between a source device and a plurality of client devices, the source device and the plurality of client devices being part of a processing unit capable of performing graphics operations, the source device being coupled to the plurality of client devices using the asynchronous interface, wherein the asynchronous interface includes at least one request signal, at least one address signal, at least one acknowledge signal, and at least one data signal, and wherein the asynchronous interface operates in accordance with at least one programmable timing characteristic associated with the source device.
US08547991B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting an overhead message
The present disclosure discloses a method and an apparatus for transmitting an overload message. By detecting, after determining a latest transmit slot for an overhead message to be transmitted, whether there is an idle paging slot between a current slot and the latest transmit slot, the method transmits the overhead message to be transmitted in the idle paging slot or in the latest transmit slot, such that, when scheduling overhead messages, a paging scheduling module of the base station system not only can meet the requirement of transmitting each overhead message at least once in one overhead message period as required in CDMA2000 protocol, but also automatically schedule the next overhead message when there is an idle slot in the paging channel, thus making the best use of the idle slots of the paging channel and shortening the actual transmission period for overhead messages, without affecting the transmission of other messages in the paging channel.
US08547989B2 Methods and systems for LTE-WIMAX coexistence
Methods and apparatus for supporting coexistence between two different radio access technologies (RATs), such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard and one of the IEEE 802.16 standards, are provided. To accomplish this coexistence, a multi-mode base station (BS) may replace transmission gaps in a frame of a first RAT with subframes or symbols of the second RAT and transmit the resulting dual-RAT frame. In this manner, a single BS may support and communicate according to two different RATs simultaneously.
US08547981B2 Self-routed layer 4 packet network system and method
The embodiment discloses a connection oriented packet network using an MPLS-type label switching technology. The network uses a very fast hardware-oriented self-routing protocol that can expose a path right-of-way and program a connection between a calling and called party at wire speed. The embodiment requires no provisioning and is well suited for mobile and ad-hoc networks. The system and method taught can be applied to other data networks where performance guarantees are important.
US08547979B2 IP fragmentation in GTP tunnel
For improved IP fragmentation and transmission, user payload is transmitted through a transmission path enabled by at least a first established tunnel (17,18) and a second (17,18) established tunnel. The tunnels connect a first node (11, 13) and a second (11,13) node in a Packet Core Network (PCN). A method comprises the first node fragmenting (19) at least one received payload packet (15) into fragments (16) on the basis of a minimum Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) for an upper IP layer of the transmission path; encapsulating (20) the fragments at the entry of the first tunnel, and, determining (21) the MTU for the upper IP layer of the transmission path on the basis of an MTU of a lower IP layer of the transmission path and on the basis of the size of at least one additional tunnel header for the encapsulated fragments (16).
US08547976B2 Upstream label allocation on Ethernets for MP2MP LSPS
An apparatus or method for upstream label allocation on LANs for multipoint (MP) label switched paths (LSPs). In one embodiment of the method, a first router receives a first incoming labeled data packet, wherein the first incoming labeled data packet comprises a first data packet and one or more first labels. The first router creates a first outgoing labeled data packet, wherein creating the first outgoing labeled data packet includes the step of swapping the one or more first labels of the first incoming labeled data packet with a context label and a forwarding label, wherein the first outgoing labeled data packet comprises the first data packet, the context label, and the forwarding label. Ultimately, the first router transmits the first outgoing labeled data packet to second and third routers via a LAN.
US08547974B1 Generating communication protocol test cases based on network traffic
A packet capture is received from actual network traffic, the traffic including a multiple protocol message exchange. A scenario may be generated based on an analysis of the received packet capture, the scenario modeling the multiple protocol message exchange. The scenario is used to generate tests, for example protocol mutation tests.
US08547970B2 Receiver, reception method and program
The present disclosure provides a receiver including a demodulation circuit adapted to demodulate data and control information attached to the data, and an extraction circuit adapted to extract some data from entire control information, wherein the demodulation circuit performs demodulation according to the extracted some data.
US08547969B2 Method and apparatus for providing non-packet switched service in a target radio access technology network
A method and apparatus are described for providing non-packet switched service to a target radio access technology (RAT) network. A circuit switched (CS) service notification message is received by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). If the WTRU has been allocated a valid temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI), a paging response message including the valid TMSI is transmitted after an inter-system change is performed from a source RAT network to a target RAT network. The CS service notification message is for terminating a CS call request. The source RAT network may be a long term evolution (LTE) network, and the target RAT network may be a third generation partnership project (3GPP) network. Alternatively, if the WTRU has not been allocated a valid TMSI, a paging response message including an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) that identifies the WTRU is transmitted after the inter-system change.
US08547967B2 Method and apparatus for PSTN-based IP active call recovery and re-routing
A method for rerouting IP (Internet Protocol) telephony call information includes, during an active IP telephony call made by a first IP telephony phone for originating IP telephony calls over an IP network, with a boundary element, actively detecting a network failure condition in the IP network which indicates a switchover to a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) network and generating a failure notification; and with a server for receiving the failure notification, generating a dynamic switchover instruction generated that is sent to the first IP telephony phone, the dynamic switchover instruction initiating automatic switchover of the active IP telephony call to a PSTN network. A method for rerouting IP (Internet Protocol) telephony call information includes, with a server, monitoring an IP network for route failures; and with the server, generating a switchover instruction when an active IP telephony call is interrupted by a route failure. The switchover instruction initiates automatic switchover of the active IP telephony call to a fallback call routed through a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The switchover instruction includes information which identifies the fallback call as a replacement for the active IP telephony call.
US08547966B2 Method and apparatus for configuring IP multimedia subsystem network elements
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for receiving initial filter criteria from a home subscriber server, transmitting information obtained from the initial filter criteria to a domain name system, receiving a multicast IP address from the domain name system, and transmitting a message to a plurality of IP multimedia subsystem network elements according to the multicast IP address. The message can be used for configuring the plurality of IP multimedia subsystem network elements. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08547964B2 Automatic termination path configuration
There is provided herein a system and method for automatic configuration of data routings for use with electronic data such as phone calls, faxes, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, when more than one carrier might potentially terminate the transmission, the carriers are ordered based on some screening criterion (e.g., transmission price). Data transmissions are then assigned to the carriers based on the sorting order, with the second place and lower carriers (e.g., the higher priced carriers) not being selected unless the first carrier cannot complete the transaction. The switch instructions necessary to implement this scheme may be generated automatically.
US08547957B2 Method and apparatus for providing security in a radio frequency identification system
A part can receive a communication that originates externally of the part, that conforms to a predetermined communications protocol, and that contains payload information consistent with the protocol but subject to a security provision supplemental to the protocol. The part extracts the payload information from the security provision.
US08547956B2 Selection system for a quality of service flow and selection method employing the same
A customer-premises equipment (CPE) communicates with an element management system (EMS) via a base station (BS) includes a signal transceiver unit and a signal processing unit. The signal transceiver unit transmits predetermined request information to the EMS. The signal processing unit determines a maximum sustained rate (MSR) of an extended real-time polling service (ERTPS) flow according to the request information. The signal processing unit determines whether or not the MSR enables support multiway calls, if the MSR cannot support multiway calls, the signal processing unit creates a quality o service (QoS) flow as an OFOC mode. If the MSR enables the multiway calls, the signal processing unit compares load values of the BS with a threshold value, and sets the QoS flow to the OFOC mode or to an OFAC mode according to the comparison.
US08547954B2 Methods and apparatus of adapting number of advertised transmit antenna ports
Systems and methodologies of intelligently selecting and advertising antenna ports to UEs (e.g., advertising a number of antenna ports to legacy UEs, and another number of antenna ports to new UEs). Such adaptive feature in adjusting the number of antenna ports, enables the base station(s) to intelligently balance requirements of legacy UEs and new UEs (e.g. LTE-A) for an overall efficient operation of the wireless system take as a whole—(e.g., performance gain for new users is deemed an offset for performance degradation for legacy users.) Accordingly, resources that are typically reserved for a Reference Signal (RS) associated with an antenna port, can be freed when such antenna ports are not advertised to the UEs as part of wireless system operation.
US08547951B2 Channel structures for a quasi-orthogonal multiple-access communication system
A channel structure has at least two channel sets. Each channel set contains multiple channels and is associated with a specific mapping of the channels to the system resources available for data transmission. Each channel set may be defined based on a channel tree having a hierarchical structure. To achieve intra-cell interference diversity, the channel-to-resource mapping for each channel set is pseudo-random with respect to the mapping for each remaining channel set. In each scheduling interval, terminals are scheduled for transmission on the forward and/or reverse link. The scheduled terminals are assigned channels from the channel sets. Multiple terminals may use the same system resources and their overlapping transmissions may be separated in the spatial domain. For example, beamforming may be performed to send multiple overlapping transmissions on the forward link, and receiver spatial processing may be performed to separate out multiple overlapping transmissions received on the reverse link.
US08547950B2 Squaring loss inhibition for low signal levels in positioning systems
Embodiments related to acquisition, detection, and processing of a high-frequency signal in a global positioning system are described and depicted.
US08547946B2 Efficient creation of WLAN connections
A method for communication includes receiving at a wireless access point (AP) a directed probe request from a client specifying a service set identifier (SSID) for which the AP was not configured prior to receiving the directed probe request. In reply to the directed probe request, the AP transmits a probe response to the client using the specified SSID.
US08547934B2 Radio communication method, radio controller, network device, radio base station and concentrator
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes a step of monitoring, by a radio base station 201 connected to a user network, certain traffic in the user network, step of notifying, by the radio base station 201, a mobile communication network of communication quality information indicating that communication quality therein is not assurable when the radio base station 201 detects that the certain traffic exceeds a predetermined threshold, step of transmitting, by a mobile station 300, a communication start request which requests start of specific communication, to the mobile communication network, step of selecting, by the mobile communication network upon receipt of the communication start request, a radio base station to which the mobile station is connected at the time of performing the specific communication, the selection being made on the basis of the communication quality information, and step of starting, by the mobile station 300, the specific communication through the selected radio base station.
US08547932B2 Handover architecture for non-integrated radio access technologies
An apparatus to support handover for non-integrated radio devices is presented. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a peer interface and radio resource control logic. The radio resource control logic includes a proxy commutatively coupled to a second proxy via the peer interface. The second proxy is a part of other radio resource control logic. The proxies are operable to support handover between different radio access technologies.
US08547930B2 Base station apparatus, mobile communication system and priority setting method
A problem is to provide a base station apparatus, a mobile communication system and a priority setting method for easing abrupt decrease of the transmission speed when performing handover between wireless systems in which transmission speeds are different, and the problem is solved by providing priority higher than normal to a terminal that comes from a second wireless system, by handover, in which transmission speed is greater than a first wireless system.
US08547927B2 Method for user equipment to perform random access to base station in wireless communication system that supports multiple uplink and downlink carriers
A method for a user equipment to perform random access to a base station in a wireless communication system that supports multiple uplink and downlink carriers is provided. In the method, system information including cell identifier information of each of the downlink component carriers and PRACH TF slot and preamble sequence information which is common to all downlink component carriers, the system information being broadcast through each downlink component carrier corresponding to the cell identifier information, is received. A PRACH preamble is transmitted through one uplink component carrier linked to the downlink component carriers using the received PRACH TF slot and preamble sequence information. An RACH response is received through each of the downlink component carriers. The cell identifier information is used to transmit a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request signal and cell identifier information of a downlink component carrier, which the user equipment desires to access among the downlink component carriers.
US08547924B2 Communications apparatus and communications system using multicarrier transmission mode
A communications system for exchange of information between communications apparatuses by a multicarrier transmission mode using a plurality of subcarriers, includes a transmission data generator configured to generate frequency band information indicating which frequency band is to be used for transmission of data information between said communication apparatuses; a transmitter configured to transmit the frequency band information by using a specific frequency band which is set from among a plurality of frequency band assigned to the communications system, and to transmit data information by using at least one frequency band set from among said plurality of frequency bands; a receiver configured to receive the frequency band information by using the specific frequency band, whereby the specific frequency band among said plurality of frequency bands and at least one frequency band set among the plurality of frequency bands, other than the specific frequency band, are made variable to avoid overlap.
US08547920B2 Directional discovery protocol with coordinated channel selection
A method and system for communication device discovery and coordination of data channel selection between a first device and a second device in a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). The method includes transmitting a set of discovery beacon blocks by the first and second devices in a discovery channel using an asynchronous contention based medium access mechanism; scanning the discovery channel by the first and second devices; and coordinating between the first and second devices to select a data channel by exchanging channel selection command frames in the discovery channel using the asynchronous contention based medium access mechanism.
US08547913B2 Apparatus and methods for signal reception based on network load estimations
Methods and apparatus for correcting quantization errors in signal reception based on estimated network loading including solutions for preserving cellular network performance in low noise, high interference environments. In one embodiment, a data channel is amplified with respect to other signals based on network load during periods of relatively low network utilization. Dynamic modification of the data channel's power level is configured to overcome quantization errors, rather than the true noise floor (which is insignificant in low noise environments). Such solutions provide both the fidelity necessary to enable high degrees of unwanted signaling rejection, while still preserving data channel quality.
US08547911B2 Method and system for channel scanning in a wireless communications system
A method is provided for channel scanning in a wireless communications system, for the identification of one or more narrow-band channels present in a certain frequency band and which can be used for connection between a wireless communications device and a communications network. The method includes: applying a FFT function to at least one signal corresponding to a given frequency band, providing for a set of coefficients each being representative of a frequency, analyzing the coefficients so as to detect at least one frequency region having at least one predetermined feature, and determining at least one channel position, by considering that each of the at least one frequency region having at least one predetermined feature is a guard band of one of the at least one channel.
US08547910B2 Fair resource sharing in wireless communications
Providing for fair resource sharing among wireless nodes in a wireless communication environment is described herein. By way of example, fairness can comprise establishing a set of resource sharing credits for wireless nodes. By expending credits, a node can borrow a resource of another node, to enable or enhance operation of the borrowing node. Credits for the borrowing node are decreased based on consumption of a shared resource, or credits for the lending node are increased based on such consumption, or both. Once an amount of credits expires, a node can be restricted from borrowing further resources until enough resources are lent to build up a suitable amount of credits. Accordingly, fairness can comprise correlating shared resource consumption with shared resource provisioning, to encourage participation in cooperative wireless communications.
US08547901B2 Method and apparatus for ordered partial detection with MIMO cooperation
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receiving a MIMO (multiple-input multiple output) encoded symbol vector, the symbol vector encoding a plurality of streams of a source node; estimating channel matrix between the source node and the apparatus; re-ordering columns in said channel matrix; determining a plurality of feedback bits based at least in part on the re-ordered channel matrix, wherein each bit of the feedback bits indicates detection or no detection of the corresponding antenna streams of the source node; and transmitting the feedback bits.
US08547899B2 Wireless network throughput enhancement through channel aware scheduling
A channel aware scheduler (CAS) is disclosed that takes advantage of changing wireless channel conditions in order to maximize aggregated system throughput. The CAS is aware of the different channel conditions for one or more stations and adjusts its scheduling of packet transmissions in light of the same. A related CAS algorithm may take advantage of that knowledge in order to increase aggregated system throughput while concurrently addressing other potential fairness constraints.
US08547896B2 Signal transmitting/receiving method for a relay node and relay node using the method
Disclosed is a method in which a relay node transmits/receives signals via a specific downlink subframe and a specific uplink subframe. The relay node may consider the propagation delay in accordance with the distance between a base station and the relay node to set a subframe timing for transmitting/receiving signals to/from the base station. The relay node may further consider the delay time of 0.5 symbol, 1 symbol or the like in addition to said propagation delay in the event of setting a downlink receiving timing. Setting an uplink subframe timing of the relay node can be divided into the event the timing is set on the basis of a backhaul link and the event the timing is set on the basis of an access link. In the event the timing is set on the basis of the access link, the propagation delay can be double that of the event the timing is set on the basis of the backhaul link, which should be considered in setting the timing.
US08547895B2 Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving signal in relay station
A method of a Relay Station (RS) transmitting and receiving a signal in a wireless communication system including the RS, comprising receiving frame configuration information about an RS frame from a Base Station (BS), configuring a downlink (DL) access zone in which a signal is transmitted to a relay Mobile Station (MS) connected to the RS and a DL relay zone in which a signal is received from the BS in the RS frame on the basis of the frame configuration information, comparing a time necessary to switch an operation from the DL access zone to the DL relay zone and a propagation delay time taken to receive the signal from the BS, configuring some symbols of the DL access zone or the DL relay zone as a transition time according to a result of the comparison, transmitting the signal to the relay MS in the DL access zone, and receiving the signal from the BS in the DL relay zone.
US08547892B2 Method for transmission of MBMS control information in a radio access network
The present invention relates to multimedia broadcast and multicast services, MBMS, in a cell wherein variable transmission bandwidth is employed. In particular the invention relates to transmission of MBMS control information relating to broadcast and multicast services. According to the method and arrangement of the invention the manner in which the transmission of MBMS control information is performed and/or the content of the MBMS control information is determined based on the amount and the portion of the cell bandwidth that is used for MBMS transmission.
US08547891B2 Systems and methods for improving multicasting over a forward link
A method for improving link efficiency in multicast transmissions is described. A data packet is sent to a multicast server. The data packet is processed. A copy of the data packet is transmitted from the multicast server to a multicast internet protocol (IP) address associated with one or more access terminals. The copy of the data packet is multicast to each of the one or more access terminals using a channel dedicated for multicast traffic that is associated with each of the one or more access terminals.
US08547889B2 Method of exchanging messages for transmission power control between devices in a wireless network, and devices for the same
A method of exchanging messages for link recommendation in a receiving device of a wireless network comprises receiving a first data packet from a transmitting device; and transmitting link recommendation information to the transmitting device, the link recommendation information including transmit power control (TPC) information for controlling transmission power to be used for a second data packet in the transmitting device.
US08547888B2 Mesh network node service in a sleeping mesh network
A set sleep period is coordinated among a plurality of mesh network nodes to conserve power, and a temporarily reduced sleep period is coordinated among the plurality of nodes to facilitate mesh network node service or installation activity. The reduced sleep period comprises scheduling a period of time during which the sleep period is reduced, or reverting from the temporarily reduced sleep period to the original set sleep period after predetermined period of time. Temporarily reducing the sleep period includes distributing a message throughout the mesh network when the mesh network nodes are awake.
US08547887B2 Wireless interface control to reduce power consumption
A wireless mobile unit includes a first wireless interface configured to at least receive communication over a first wireless network. A second wireless interface is configured to provide for bidirectional communication over a second wireless network. An interface control is operative to control activation of the second wireless interface from an off state to an on state in response to a predefined radio frequency (RF) stimulus, the first wireless interface remaining in an on state regardless of the state of the second wireless interface.
US08547882B2 Wireless communication apparatus, mobile wireless communications control method, and wireless station
A wireless communication apparatus for performing transmission and reception by using a Time Division Duplexing method is disclosed. The wireless communication apparatus includes a receiving part configured to output a timing signal based on a received timing signal, a transmitting part configured to transmit a timing signal based on the timing signal received by the receiving part, a control part configured to increase a reception opportunity for the receiving part to receive the timing signal and decrease a transmission opportunity for the transmitting part to transmit the timing signal as the accuracy of the timing signal received by the receiving part becomes lower.
US08547879B1 Systems and methods for setting up a collaborative communication system
A collaborative communication system comprises a highly flexible architecture that facilitates connecting communication devices and networks to establish multimedia collaboration sessions in a manner that allows distribution of various services and features throughout the collaborative communication system to provide scalability and selectable combination of cost, resource usage, and performance.
US08547878B2 Modularized scheduling engine for traffic management in a network processor
Described embodiments provide for scheduling packets for transmission by a network processor. A traffic manager generates a scheduling hierarchy having a root scheduler and N scheduler levels. The network processor generates tasks corresponding to received packets. A finite state machine (FSM) enqueues the received task in the associated queue. The queue has a corresponding scheduler level M, with a corresponding parent scheduler at each of M−1 levels in the scheduling hierarchy, where M is a positive integer less than or equal to N. Nodes at each of the N scheduling levels send messages only with one node at a relative next higher level and with one or more nodes at a relative next lower level. Each node in the scheduling hierarchy updates corresponding statistics and control indicators based on messages received from the node at the next higher level and the one or more nodes at the next lower level.
US08547876B1 Intermediate functional device and method
A wireless intermediate functional device (IFD) for wireless communication between reduced functional devices in a star topology network having a central coordinator capable of operating as a network access device (NAD), and with fully functional devices in a mesh topology network also capable of operating as a NAD is described. The IFD is a wireless system that executes IEEE 802.15.4 standard compliant operations and operates as an intermediary between non-compatible devices. Various communication and protocol handshaking and management is facilitated by the IFD, allowing end devices in heterogeneous networks to communicate.
US08547875B2 Network layer topology management for mobile ad-hoc networks and associated methods
The approach for managing the topology in a MANET includes, at the network layer of a wireless mobile node, operating a link state or other routing protocol to discover routes from the at least one wireless node to other wireless nodes within the MANET. The routing protocol includes the use of a global topology database storing global network topology information. The method also includes, at the network layer, providing the global network topology information from the global topology database of the routing protocol to the MAC sublayer. Also, at the data link layer, the MAC sublayer is controlled to perform neighbor connection management based upon the global network topology information from the global topology database. The approach may provide enhanced QoS, latency and resistance to link and node failures within MANETs.
US08547868B2 Cross-layer approach to virtualized overlay on ad hoc networks
Methods and apparatus to a cross-layer approach to virtualized overlay on ad hoc networks are described. In one embodiment, a virtual address may be used to search for a (key,value) pair in a virtual overlay. Other embodiments are also described.
US08547866B2 Route calculating system
A route calculation system includes a collection unit that collects a current link traffic volume and a link power consumption for each link included in a network; a link cost calculation unit that estimates, for each link, an increase in the link power consumption due to the request flow based on the current link traffic volume, the link power consumption, the request flow, and the characteristic, and calculates a link cost value based on the increase in the link power consumption; and a route determination unit that determines, as a route for the request flow, a route that has the smallest sum of the link cost values of each route connecting between any nodes, thereby reducing the power consumption in the entire network for a request flow.
US08547864B2 Layer one path delay compensation
A network component comprising a forwarding physical layer (PHY) unit comprising a source queue (SQ), wherein the forwarding PHY unit is configured to measure a one-way physical layer delay between the forwarding PHY unit and a destination node. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a forwarding PHY unit configured to send a plurality of symbols at a network physical layer to a destination node and receive the symbols at a network physical layer from the destination node, and a SQ configured to queue the symbols returned from the destination node, wherein the forwarding PHY unit is further configured to process the queued symbols to calculate a half round-trip delay based on a virtual delay time.
US08547862B2 Integrating white space support into a network stack
Described is incorporating white space networking components into a network stack. A user mode spectrum access control component determines which white space channels are currently allowed for use based upon policy, current operating status and availability information obtained from one or more sources. A white space service (e.g., in the WLAN service) receives the availability information. The white space service includes a discovery module that discovers other nodes, and a channel migration module that changes from the current channel to another channel if the current channel is no longer allowed for use. A kernel mode (NDIS layer) white space driver through a miniport driver controls the channel in use as the current channel. An automatic configuration module is provided that switches to Wi-Fi network communication when a Wi-Fi network is present, and switches back when a Wi-Fi network is not present.
US08547857B2 Opportunistic uplink scheduling
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate scheduling uplink transmissions. For instance, a time sharing scheme can be utilized such that differing mobile devices can be scheduled to transmit during differing time slots; however, it is also contemplated that a static scheme can be employed. Pursuant to an illustration, an interference budget can be combined with a time varying weighting factor associated with a base station; the weighting factor can be predefined and/or adaptively adjusted (e.g., based upon a load balancing mechanism). Moreover, the weighted interference budget can be leveraged for selecting mobile devices for uplink transmission (e.g., based at least in part upon path loss ratios of the mobile devices). Further, disparate interference budgets can be utilized by differing channels of a sector at a particular time. Also, for example, a base station can assign a loading factor to be utilized by wireless terminal(s) for generating channel quality report(s).
US08547855B1 Method and apparatus to schedule multiple probes for active or passive monitoring of networks
An apparatus and method for scheduling multiple probes for monitoring of a network is disclosed. The method comprises identifying a group of multiple probes to be deployed over an IP network, each of the multiple probes measuring different performance metrics in the network. A schedule period is also identified, in which to schedule the deployment of the multiple probes in the group. An even or random mode of scheduling may be specified. In response the even mode of scheduling, the apparatus may schedule the deployment of the multiple probes in the defined group periodically in the schedule period and/or schedules the group of probes periodically. Alternatively, in response to the random mode of scheduling, the scheduling apparatus may schedule the deployment of each of the multiple probes in the defined group at random intervals and/or schedules the group of probes randomly.
US08547852B2 Communicating device and method of controlling communicating device
A communicating device capable of transmitting packets to a destination device via any of a plurality of adjacent devices, has a first measuring unit for measuring a first quality of a link between the communicating device and the destination device for a first period of time, a second measuring unit for measuring a second quality of a link from the communicating device to the destination device for a second period of time shorter than the first period of time, a first selector for selecting an adjacent device from the plurality of adjacent devices based on the measured first quality when transmitting a new packet to the destination device, and a second selector for selecting an adjacent device from the plurality of adjacent devices based on the measured second quality upon failure of transmitting the new packet.
US08547847B2 Transparent quality of service
A method, computer program product, and device are provided for transparent separation of traffic. A communication interface is configured to transmit and receive traffic over a network. A stack is configured to dynamically identify the traffic as interactive traffic and non-interactive traffic. When the stack identifies the non-interactive traffic, the stack is configured to move the non-interactive traffic to a non-interactive queue.
US08547845B2 Soft error recovery for converged networks
Detecting and recovering from soft errors in a network comprising a first device. A first device receives a first data packet. Responsive to receiving a second data packet, the first device determines whether the two data packets are identical. Responsive to the determination that the two data packets are not identical, the first device discards the two data packets, and requests retransmission of the two data packets.
US08547841B2 Wireless LAN data rate adaptation
A WLAN communication system and algorithm that adaptively changes the data transmission rate of a communication channel based on changing channel conditions. The WLAN communication system or algorithm has two modes being a searching mode and a transmission mode. Furthermore, the WLAN communication system or algorithm incorporates an additive increase, multiplicative decrease (AIMD) function into the rate adaptation algorithm.
US08547840B1 Bandwidth allocation of bursty signals
Bandwidth is allocated by leveraging a bursty characteristic of data transmission signals to efficiently utilize network resources. Network performance is observed over a time period to identify patterns of data transmission rates as different signals are processed. To compensate for the fact that different jobs/tasks peak at different times, the total bandwidth limit may be increased by a scaling factor. The scaling factor is calculated using information obtained by observing network performance during the time period. The scaling factor is used to increase the total bandwidth available for all jobs/tasks executing during the time period without exceeding any bandwidth limits. The data transmission rate of each job/task may then be adjusted to utilize the newly available bandwidth.
US08547839B2 TCP congestion control for heterogeneous networks
A congestion control mechanism for TCP communication sessions is described. The congestion control mechanism adjusts the size of the congestion window based on a number, N, of parallel virtual connections. The number N of parallel virtual connections used to determine the congestion window is dynamically adjusted based on an estimation of the network condition.
US08547835B2 Controlling IP flows to bypass a packet data network gateway using multi-path transmission control protocol connections
A network element can include a proxy element that is configured to receive a request from a source node to establish a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection from a first network address of the source node through a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) to a destination node for an IP flow. The proxy element applies an IP flow offloading policy function to determine that the requested TCP connection for the IP flow should bypass the PDN GW. The proxy element responds to the determination by communicating to the destination node a request for TCP connection with a second network address substituted for the first network address of the source node to establish the TCP connection for the IP flow from the source node to the destination node through a broadband network without passing through the PDN GW.
US08547834B1 Quality of service optimizer for mobile device
A method, system, and medium are provided for improving communication between a mobile device and a wireless network in embodiment of the invention. Based in part on expected locations for a mobile device and network availability, predictions can be made regarding the future quality of service available for the mobile device. This prediction can allow actions to be taken to mitigate any change in the quality of service.
US08547828B2 Method and system for implementing network element-level redundancy
A first network element is coupled to a second network element via a first path of a first point-to-point network, the first network element is coupled to a third network element via a second path of the first-point-to-point network, the second network element is coupled to a fourth network element via a first path of a second point-to-point network, and the third network element is coupled to the fourth network element via a second path of the second point-to-point network. The paths of the first point-to-point network are configured as paths of a first linear protected switching connection and the paths of the second point-to-point network are configured as paths of a second linear protected switching connection such that traffic communicated between the first network element and the fourth network element via the first paths may be switched over to the second paths.
US08547823B2 OFDM/DMT/ digital communications system including partial sequence symbol processing
A method of managing a signal over a symbol period includes supplying samples of the signal at beginning and end portions of the symbol period. The method further includes suppressing the supply of samples of the signal at a middle portion of the symbol period.
US08547819B2 Computing device and crosstalk information detection method
A computing device and a method reads a circuit board layout file from a storage device, and selects a first signal transmission line from circuit board layout file as a target line. The computing device and method computes a distance between the target line and the aggressor line corresponding to each unit sample length. If the distance is more than or equal to a height of a sample region, the computing device and method defines the height of the sample region as a crosstalk space between the target line and the aggressor line corresponding to a unit sample length. Otherwise, if the distance is less than the height of the sample region, the computing device and method defines the distance as the crosstalk space between the target line and the aggressor line corresponding to the unit sample length.
US08547813B1 HD DVD wobble detection circuit
A circuit including a wobble signal phase imperfection detector configured to detect and correct a phase transition imperfection in a first scaled wobble signal sample. The wobble signal phase imperfection detector includes an integrator configured to integrate the first scaled wobble signal sample over substantially a half-period portion of the wobble clock signal, and a selector configured to select as an output either i) the first scaled wobble signal sample integrated over substantially one period of the wobble clock signal or ii) the first scaled wobble signal sample integrated over substantially the half-period portion of the wobble clock signal, wherein selection of the first scaled wobble signal sample integrated over substantially one period of the wobble clock signal indicates that the phase transition imperfection does not exist with the first scaled wobble signal sample.
US08547809B2 Optical disk device
There is a need to prevent a possible erroneous detection of an off-track condition during recording to an optical disk. The above need can be addressed by, for example, determining an off-track condition has occurred when a light spot is located at least half-way from the track being recorded toward another track adjacent the track being recorded, and stopping a recording operation. In another example, the above need can be addressed by determining that off-track has occurred based on an output of a first off-track detector which detects that the light spot is off the track based on a wobble signal, an output of a second off-track detector which detects that the light spot is off the track based on a tracking error signal, and an output of a zero-cross detector which detects that the tracking error signal crosses zero based on an output of the tracking error signal.
US08547807B2 Information processing apparatus and medium processing apparatus
A medium processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing on a medium introduced from an outside; a power supply that can supply a first power supply voltage to the medium processing apparatus while the information processing apparatus is operating, whereas being able to supply a second power supply voltage to the medium processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus is shut down; and a power supply controller that supplies the second power supply voltage from the power supply to the medium processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus is shut down while the medium is in the medium processing apparatus, whereas stopping the supply of the second power supply voltage to the medium processing apparatus once the medium is removed from the medium processing apparatus which has been supplied with the second power supply voltage, are provided.
US08547806B2 Optical disc apparatus and recording method
A recorded area is reproduced during a suspension of a recording operation; when degradation of the recorded signal is detected (S4, S5) by the signal quality detection means (16), a tilt adjustment is performed in the recorded area, the signal quality of the recorded signal is detected after the tilt adjustment (S6), and if it is still degraded, a recording parameter is altered (step S7). The need to obtain tilt adjustment values for tilt corrections at a plurality of radial positions in advance is eliminated, resulting in reduced apparatus overhead and better recording quality.
US08547805B1 Thermally-assisted magnetic recording head having temperature sensor embedded on dielectric waveguide
A thermal assisted magnetic recording head includes a dielectric waveguide that is configured to propagate propagation light a metal waveguide that is provided facing the dielectric waveguide and that couples to the propagation light propagating through the dielectric waveguide in a surface plasmon mode, thereby generating and propagating surface plasmon, a near-field light generator that is exposed on an air bearing surface facing a magnetic recording medium either at an end part of the metal waveguide or at a position facing the end part of the metal waveguide, and that generates near-field light from the surface plasmon, a magnetic pole for magnetic recording that is exposed on the air bearing surface, and a temperature sensor that is arranged inside the dielectric waveguide.
US08547801B2 Stop light go light timer
A timer device to induce and encourage a young child to manage time when engaged in daily activities, the timer device comprising visually comprehensible changes in time through the use of red and green lights for the start and end of activity period, respectively. The timer device can further include an audible alarm to signal the end of the activity. Further operational switches and buttons include a power button or switch, start/pause button to start time or pause time, engage buttons, hours buttons (+, −) and minutes buttons (+, −) to adjust time on a liquid crystal display (LCD). The timer device can be powered by AC power or battery power.
US08547799B2 Ultrasonic probe, ultrasonic imaging apparatus and fabricating method thereof
An ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus and a fabricating method thereof are provided. The ultrasonic probe includes a rear block, a flexible printed circuit board having wiring patterns formed thereon, a piezoelectric wafer, a ground electrode plate, an acoustic matching layer, an acoustic lens, and a plurality of slots. Holes are formed in at least one of the rear block, the piezoelectric wafer and the acoustic matching layer and wiring patterns are formed in the form of a matrix array, and thus vibration property and focusing can be improved to obtain clear images.
US08547794B2 Extending the coverage of VSP/CDP imaging by using first-order downgoing multiples
First-order free-surface multiples recorded in VSP data or reverse VSP data are processed using VSP/CDP method to produce an image of the subsurface. This image produces a larger coverage than that obtained in 3-C 3-D processing of reflection data acquired in the VSP.
US08547793B2 Correction of velocity cubes for seismic depth modeling
Systems and methods perform correction of velocity cubes for seismic depth modeling. An example system receives a velocity model defined in the time domain for seismic modeling of a subsurface earth volume and receives well depth data associated with the subsurface earth volume. The system updates an average velocity cube associated with the velocity model to correct depth-converted time horizons to accord with known well markers, thereby increasing the accuracy and correctness of the velocity model.
US08547789B2 Method for gas zone detection using sonic wave attributes
A method for determining on a real time logging while drilling (LWD) basis gas within earth formations traversed by a borehole. Continuous LWD acoustic measurements are recorded and processed including coherent energy and attenuation attributes to detect downhole gas zones and kick during drilling operations.
US08547787B2 System and technique to suppress the acquisition of torque noise on a multi-component streamer
A technique includes distributing particle motion sensors along the length of a seismic streamer. Each particle motion sensor is eccentrically disposed at an associated angle about an axis of the seismic streamer with respect to a reference line that is common to the associated angles. The sensors are mounted to suppress torque noise in measurements that are acquired by the particle motion sensors. This mounting includes substantially varying the associated angles.
US08547786B2 Estimating and using slowness vector attributes in connection with a multi-component seismic gather
A technique includes determining at least one attribute of a slowness vector associated with a seismic gather based on pressure data and an indication of particle motion that is measured by at least one seismic sensor while in tow.
US08547781B2 Enhanced wide area seabed analysis
A seabed region (18) that lies under a seabed surface area of at least one square meter, is analyzed by an acoustic analysis of the region. Locations of the generation and detection of sound are precisely correlated to the location of a vertical drill hole in the sea bed by mounting an acoustic imaging apparatus (16) that holds acoustic transducers (44, 46), on a carriage (26) that is positioned with respect to the drill hole, using the drill hole as the horizontal position reference. The carriage of the acoustic imager apparatus is clamped to a post that lies in the drill hole. An arm (30 and/or 32) is supported on the carriage through a frame (28), with at least one acoustic generator (44) and one acoustic echo detector (46) mounted on the arm. The arm can be rotated to positions lying about the hole axis (14) to accurately scan a wide area.
US08547775B2 Semiconductor memory device and information processing system including the same
The semiconductor memory device includes plural core chips that are allocated with different chip identification information from each other and an interface chip that controls the plural core chips. The interface chip receives address information to specify memory cells and commonly supplies a part of the address information as chip selection information for comparison with the chip identification information to the plural core chips. As a result, since the controller recognizes that an address space is simply enlarged, the same interface as that in the semiconductor memory device according to the related art can be used.
US08547768B2 Verifying multi-cycle self refresh operation of semiconductor memory device and testing the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a tag information register, a refresh control circuit and a DQ pin. The memory cell array includes multiple memory cells divided into first cells and second cells according to corresponding data retention times. The tag information register stores refresh cycle information for each wordline connected to the first cells and the second cells. The refresh control circuit is configured to generate a refresh enable signal and a refresh address based on the refresh cycle information. The DQ pin is configured to output the refresh enable signal, the refresh address and data stored in the memory cell array.
US08547763B2 Memory cell, methods of manufacturing memory cell, and memory device having the same
A memory cell includes a selection transistor on a substrate and an antifuse on the substrate. The selection transistor includes a first gate connected to a read word line, a first gate insulation layer that insulates the first gate from the substrate, a first source region connected to a bit line, and a first drain region, an impurity concentration of the first drain region being lower than an impurity concentration of the first source region. The antifuse includes a first electrode connected to a program word line and a second electrode connected to the selection transistor.
US08547762B2 Repair circuit and control method thereof
A semiconductor memory apparatus including a repair circuit may comprise: a fuse set block configured to store a repair address, compare the repair address with an input address, and generate a primary repair signal; and a redundancy control block configured to receive the primary repair signal, determine whether a repair cell in a repair memory designated by the primary repair signal is failed or not, and generate a secondary repair signal which repair the failed repair cell with another repair cell in the repair memory.
US08547760B2 Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system
Memory access alignment in a double data rate (‘DDR’) system, including: executing, by a memory controller, one or more write operations to a predetermined address of a DDR memory module, including sending to the DDR memory module a predetermined amount of data of a predetermined pattern along with a data strobe signal; executing, by the memory controller, a plurality of read operations from the predetermined address of the DDR memory module, including capturing data transmitted from the DDR memory module; and determining, by the memory controller, a read adjust value and a write adjust value in dependence upon the data captured in response to the read operations.
US08547758B2 Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a page buffer configured to store data received from selected memory cells in response to a read command, a first register configured to store first data received from the page buffer in response to a first control signal, a second register configured to store second data received from the page buffer in response to a second control signal, a data I/O circuit configured to, while the first or second data is outputted from the first register or the second register, respectively, input third data received from the page buffer to the other one of the first and second registers, and a control logic configured to sequentially supply the first control signal and the second control signal in outputting the first and second data.
US08547754B2 Charge pump operation in a non-volatile memory device
A charge pump in a memory device is activated to produce a programming voltage prior to data loading during a programming operation. During an initial programming cycle, first and second load voltages are charged from the charge pump. The first load is removed from the charge pump during a verify operation. The first load voltage is subsequently recharged by charge sharing from the second load voltage so that the charge pump is not initially necessary for recharging the first load voltage.
US08547753B2 Semiconductor device
It is an object to provide a semiconductor device in which power consumption can be reduced. It is another object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device using a programming cell, such as a programmable logic device (PLD). In accordance with a change in a configuration of connections between basic blocks, power supply voltage furnishing to the basic blocks is changed. That is, when the structure of connections between the basic blocks is such that a basic block does not contribute to a circuit, the supply of the power supply voltage to this basic block is stopped. Further, the supply of the power supply voltage to the basic blocks is controlled using a programming cell formed using a field effect transistor whose channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor, the field effect transistor having extremely low off-state current or extremely low leakage current.
US08547751B2 Non-volatile storage device
There is provided a non-volatile storage device including: a bit line that is connected to a non-volatile storage element and is applied with a voltage of magnitude corresponding to the logic value stored in the storage element; a charging section that charges the bit line to a voltage of equivalent magnitude to the reference voltage; a voltage generation section that is connected between the reference voltage line and the bit line, comprises a capacitance load for generating coupling charge when charging by the charging section has been performed, and employs the capacitance load to generate a voltage according to a difference between the magnitude of the voltage of the reference voltage line and the magnitude of the voltage of the bit line as a voltage expressing the comparison result; and a charge absorbing section for absorbing the coupling charge generated by the capacitance load.
US08547750B2 Methods and devices for memory reads with precharged data lines
Methods and devices for memory reads involving precharging adjacent data lines to a particular voltage for a read operation. During the operation, a data line associated with a selected memory cell is selectively discharged from the particular voltage depending upon the data value of the selected memory cell while the adjacent data line is maintained at the particular voltage. Various embodiments include the array architecture to facilitate precharging the adjacent pair of data lines to a particular voltage and maintaining the unselected data line at the particular voltage during a sensing phase of a read operation.
US08547747B2 Non-volatile memory device
A non-volatile memory device is provided, including a substrate formed of a single crystalline semiconductor, pillar-shaped semiconductor patterns extending perpendicular to the substrate, a plurality of gate electrodes and a plurality of interlayer dielectric layers alternately stacked perpendicular to the substrate, and a charge spread blocking layer formed between the plurality of gate electrodes and the plurality of interlayer dielectric layers.
US08547744B2 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes memory cells storing data in a nonvolatile manner, word lines connected to the memory cells and including a first word line and a second word line which is n-th (n is an integer of 1 or more) from the first word line, and a control circuit configured to control a voltage of a word line to write data to a memory cell so that data are written in order from the first word line to the second word line. In a write sequence of the first word line, the control circuit applies a writing voltage to the second word line before writing a memory cell connected to the first word line.
US08547743B2 Read error recovery for solid-state memory based on cumulative background charges
A read error is determined that affects a page of solid-state, non-volatile memory. The page is associated with a selected word line that crosses a plurality of NAND strings coupled to respective grounds and bit lines. Word lines of the memory are ordered from a lower end proximate the ground to a higher end proximate the bit lines. Cumulative background charges each associated with one of the memory cells of the page are determined. The cumulative background charges are based on charge levels of respective cells of a plural subset of the word lines that are lower in order than the selected word line. A recovery operation is performed on the page using the cumulative background charges.
US08547742B2 Storage at M bits/cell density in N bits/cell analog memory cell devices, M>N
A method for data storage includes accepting data for storage in a memory that includes multiple analog memory cells and supports a set of built-in programming commands. Each of the programming commands programs a respective page, selected from a group of N pages, in a subset of the memory cells. The subset of the memory cells is programmed to store M pages of the data, M>N, by performing a sequence of the programming commands drawn only from the set.
US08547739B2 Methods, devices, and systems relating to a memory cell having a floating body
Methods, devices, and systems are disclosed for a memory cell having a floating body. A memory cell may include a transistor over an insulation layer, the transistor including a source, and a drain. The memory cell may also include a floating body including a first region positioned between the source and the drain, a second region positioned remote from each of the source and drain, and a passage extending through the insulation layer and coupling the first region to the second region. Additionally, the memory cell may include a bias gate at least partially surrounding the second region and configured for operably coupling to a bias voltage. Furthermore, the memory cell may include a plurality of dielectric layers, wherein each outer vertical surface of the second region has a dielectric layer of the plurality adjacent thereto.
US08547736B2 Generating a non-reversible state at a bitcell having a first magnetic tunnel junction and a second magnetic tunnel junction
A method of generating a non-reversible state at a bitcell having a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and a second MTJ includes applying a program voltage to the first MTJ of the bitcell without applying the program voltage to the second MTJ of the bitcell. A memory device includes a bitcell having a first MTJ and a second MTJ and programming circuitry configured to generate a non-reversible state at the bitcell by applying a program signal to a selected one of the first MTJ and the second MTJ of the bitcell.
US08547734B1 Method of reading from and writing to magnetic random access memory (MRAM)
A method of writing to a magnetic memory cell that includes selecting a magnetic memory cell having a pair of MTJs, and based on whether the selected magnetic memory cell is an ‘odd’ magnetic memory cell or an ‘even’ magnetic memory cell and a state to which the selected magnetic memory cell is being written, setting a distinct bit line (BL), coupled to a first MTJ of the pair of MTJs or a second MTJ of the pair of MTJs, to a voltage level indicative of a certain state that causes current to flow through the pair of MTJs in a manner that causes the direction of current flow through one of the first or second MTJs to be in a direction opposite to that of the other one of the first or second MTJs to program the first and second MTJs in opposite states.
US08547733B2 Magnetic random access memory
A magnetic random access memory according to the present invention is provided with: a magnetic recording layer including a magnetization free region having a reversible magnetization, wherein a write current is flown through the magnetic recording layer in an in-plane direction; a magnetization fixed layer having a fixed magnetization; a non-magnetic layer provided between the magnetization free region and the magnetization fixed layer; and a heat sink structure provided to be opposed to the magnetic recording layer and having a function of receiving and radiating heat generated in the magnetic recording layer. The magnetic random access memory thus-structured radiates heat generated in the magnetic recording layer by using the heat sink structure, suppressing the temperature increase caused by the write current flown in the in-plane direction.
US08547731B2 Memory device having a magnetic layer with a perpendicular direction of magnetization relative to a direction of magnetization of a fixed magnetization layer
Disclosed herein is a memory device, including: a memory element including a memory layer for holding therein information in accordance with a magnetization state of a magnetic material, a fixed magnetization layer which is provided on the memory layer through a non-magnetic layer and whose direction of a magnetization is fixed to a direction parallel with a film surface, and a magnetic layer which is provided on a side opposite to the fixed magnetization layer relative to the memory layer through a non-magnetic layer and whose direction of a magnetization is a direction vertical to the film surface; and a wiring through which a current is caused to flow through the memory element in a direction of lamination of the layers of the memory element.
US08547728B2 Non-volatile memory device and methods for manufacturing the same
A variable and reversible resistive element includes a transition metal oxide layer, a bottom electrode and at least one conductive plug module. The bottom electrode is disposed under the transition metal oxide layer. The conductive plug module is disposed on the transition metal oxide layer. The conductive plug module includes a metal plug and a barrier layer. The conductive plug is electrically connected with the transition metal oxide layer. The barrier layer surrounds the metal plug, wherein the transition metal oxide layer is made by reacting a portion of a dielectric layer being directly below the metal plug and a portion of the barrier layer contacting the portion of the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is formed on the bottom electrode. Moreover, a non-volatile memory device and methods for operating and manufacturing the same is disclosed in specification.
US08547724B2 Nonvolatile memory device comprising one-time-programmable lock bit register
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a one-time-programmable (OTP) lock bit register. The nonvolatile memory device comprises a variable-resistance memory cell array comprising an OTP block that store data and a register that stores OTP lock state information indicating whether the data is changeable. The register comprises a variable memory cell. An initial value of the OTP lock state information is set to a program protection state.
US08547723B2 Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device with a memory unit of which the variations in the operation timing are reduced is provided. For example, the semiconductor device is provided with dummy bit lines which are arranged collaterally with a proper bit line, and column direction load circuits which are sequentially coupled to the dummy bit lines. Each column direction load circuit is provided with plural NMOS transistors fixed to an off state, predetermined ones of which have the source and the drain suitably coupled to any of the dummy bit lines. Load capacitance accompanying diffusion layer capacitance of the predetermined NMOS transistors is added to the dummy bit lines, and corresponding to the load capacitance, the delay time from a decode activation signal to a dummy bit line signal is set up. The dummy bit line signal is employed when setting the start-up timing of a sense amplifier.
US08547722B2 Integrated circuit device and electronic instrument
An integrated circuit device includes first to Nth circuit blocks CB1 to CBN, a first interface region disposed along a fourth side and on the D2 side of the first to Nth circuit blocks CB1 to CBN, and a second interface region disposed along a second side and on the D4 side of the first to Nth circuit blocks CB1 to CBN. A local line LLG formed using a wiring layer lower than an Ith layer is provided between the adjacent circuit blocks as at least one of a signal line and a power supply line. Global lines GLG and GLD formed using the Ith or higher wiring layer are provided along the direction D1 over the circuit block disposed between the nonadjacent circuit blocks as at least one of a signal line and a power supply line.
US08547718B2 Power converter apparatus
A power converter apparatus having a configuration of a plurality of unit cells, including a DC capacitor and semiconductor devices, connected in cascade, includes a variable voltage source that is connected with a DC link, and a unit having a function that initially charges up the DC capacitor in the unit cell alone selected at a time of an initial charge.
US08547716B2 Power converting apparatus, grid interconnection apparatus and grid interconnection system
A power converting apparatus comprises a DC-DC converter circuit that steps up or steps down an input voltage from a DC power supply, a DC-AC converter circuit that converts an intermediate voltage outputted by the DC-DC converter circuit to an alternate current, and a control circuit that controls the DC-DC converter circuit and the DC-AC converter circuit. The control circuit is provided with a circuit control unit that controls the DC-DC converter circuit so that the modulation factor, which is the amplitude ratio between a signal wave for manipulating the DC-AC converter circuit and the carrier wave therefor, will become a target modulation factor.
US08547714B2 Output inverter for single phase and output current detecting method thereof
There are provided an output inverter for single phase which can detect a current with high precision through a smaller number of components, and an output current detecting method thereof. A first current detector (6) is disposed between a positive electrode P side of a DC power supply and a parallel connector (1) in a first arm (8), a second current detector (7) is disposed between a negative electrode N side of the DC power supply and a parallel connector (4) in a second arm (9), a current in a first convection mode is detected by the first current detector (6), a current in a second convection mode is detected by the second current detector (7), and an output current is detected from signals output from the first current detector (6) and the second current detector (7).
US08547710B2 Electromagnetically shielded power module
An electromagnetically shielded power module and data center including such a module are disclosed. In one example, the electromagnetically shielded power module includes an electromagnetically shielded enclosure including a shell and at least one door, the enclosure surrounding and providing electromagnetic shielding for an interior volume. The electromagnetically shielded power module also includes a power delivery control module positioned within the interior volume and configured to monitor filtered power received into the interior volume of the electromagnetically shielded enclosure. The electromagnetically shielded power module further includes a plurality of power distribution units positioned within the interior volume and configured to receive filtered power from the power delivery control module and route power to one or more computing systems. The electromagnetically shielded power module also includes a stored energy system positioned within the interior volume and configured to deliver energy to the power distribution unit upon detection of an interruption of filtered power to the power delivery control module.
US08547706B2 Electronic component, board unit, and information-processing device
An electronic component includes: an electronic component body; and a lead secured to the electric component and including a projection portion defined by first and second inclined portions facing each other. The solder wettability of the first inclined portion is smaller than the solder wettability of the second inclined portion.
US08547700B2 Sliding module for electronic device
A sliding module includes a first section, a second section, a sliding member, at least one elastic member and a pivot body. The sliding member is slidably engaged with the first section, and is rotatably connected to the second section. One end of the at least one elastic member is fixed to the first section, the other end is fixed to the sliding member. Two ends of the pivot body are respectively connected to the first section and the second section. When the sliding member slides relative to the first section, the pivot body brings the second section to move and rotate relative to the first section in a tilted orientation.
US08547697B2 Fixing structure and fixing method of circuit board with embedded electronic parts to cooler
In a fixing structure of a circuit board to a cooler, the circuit board includes a wiring part, electronic parts electrically connected to the wiring part and an insulating base material embedding the wiring part and the electronic parts therein. The insulating base material includes embedding portions in which the electronic parts are embedded and a bent portion having flexibility between the embedding portions. The cooler has fixing parts arranged in a first direction. The circuit board is fixed to the cooler while bending the bent portion. The bent portion is opposed to an end portion of one of the fixing parts, and each of the embedding portions is held between adjacent two fixing parts such that opposite surfaces of the embedding portion are closely in contact with surfaces of the adjacent two fixing parts.
US08547692B2 Heatsink allowing in-situ maintenance in a stackable module
A modular processing module allowing in-situ maintenance is provided. The modular processing module comprises a set of processing module sides. Each processing module side comprises a circuit board, a plurality of connectors, and a plurality of processing nodes. Each processing module side couples to another processing module side using at least one connector in the plurality of connectors such that, when all of the set of processing module sides are coupled together, the modular processing module is formed. The modular processing module comprises an exterior connection to a power source and a communication system and at least one heatsink that couples to at least a portion of the plurality of processing nodes on one of the processing module sides and is designed such that, when a set of heatsinks in the modular processing module are installed, an empty space is left in a center of the modular processing module.
US08547691B2 Mounting clamp for USB device and motherboard assembly incorporating the same
A motherboard assembly includes a motherboard, a universal serial bus (USB) interface arranged on the motherboard. Also included is a USB device, a mounting seat and a cover. The USB device engages with the USB interface. The mounting seat is attached to the motherboard and enclosing the USB interface, and the cover is mounted to the mounting seat and resists against a top of the USB device to fasten the USB device to the USB interface.
US08547690B2 Retention device for data storage module
A retention device includes a holder and an extractable casing mounted to the holder. The retention device includes a base, a cover opposite to the base, and a lateral plate extending from the base and interconnecting the base and the cover. The base, the side plates, and the cover cooperatively define a rectangular first cavity with an opening at a lateral side. The casing and the holder cooperatively define a second cavity. A size of the second cavity is less than that of the first cavity.
US08547689B2 Reconfigurable computer
A portable computer system is provided having a first unit with touch-sensitive LCD display screen and a detachable second unit having a keyboard. The first unit includes a support structure movable between a stowed position and a deployed position, which can support the first unit in an inclined position on a planar surface. The support structure can help support the first unit when mounted on the second unit, standing alone, or both.
US08547688B2 Resin overcap provided with IC tag
A resin overcap with an IC tag used as an overcap being on a metal cap and having an IC tag so that the transmission and reception of signals will not be disturbed by the metal cap, comprising a top panel and a cylindrical side wall hanging down from the circumferential edge of the top panel and in which the metal cap is fitted, wherein a step or a protrusion is formed on an upper portion on the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall to prevent the upward motion of the metal cap fitted in the cylindrical side wall, and an IC tag provided with an IC chip is mounted on the top panel to maintain a predetermined distance D to a top plate of the metal cap fitted into the cylindrical side wall.
US08547680B2 Ignition system, gas generating device for airbag, and gas generating device for seatbelt pretensioner
There is provided an ignition system which is capable of surely operating by electric energy stored in a capacitor for ignition while separating an igniter from electric circuits for communication and ignition without producing improper operation through static electricity and noise and is compact and excellent in the productivity.
US08547677B2 Method for making internally overlapped conditioners
The application discloses novel internal structures of energy conditioners, assemblies of external structures of energy conditioners and mounting structure, and novel circuits including energy conditioners having A, B, and G master electrodes.
US08547671B2 Electronic device for protecting against a polarity reversal of a DC power supply voltage, and its application to motor vehicles
The electronic device for protecting against a polarity reversal of a DC power supply voltage comprises, produced within one and the same integrated circuit, an N-channel main transistor (TP) mounted on the line of expected positive polarity of the power supply voltage and command means (MCM) for the main transistor comprising a charging pump circuit (CP), associated with a dynamic biasing circuit (MCTRL) for the substrate regions of active components connected to the main transistor.
US08547660B2 Magnetic write head manufactured by an enhanced damascene process producing a tapered write pole with a non-magnetic spacer and non-magnetic bump
A magnetic write head having a tapered trailing edge and having a magnetic layer formed over a trailing edge of the write pole at a location recessed from the ABS, the magnetic layer being separated from the trailing edge of the write pole by a thin non-magnetic layer. The thin non-magnetic layer is preferably sufficiently thin that the magnetic layer can function as a portion of the write pole in a region removed from the ABS. A trailing magnetic shield is formed over the write pole and is separated from the write pole by a non-magnetic trailing gap layer. A non-magnetic spacer layer can be formed over the magnetic layer to provide additional separation between the magnetic layer and the trailing magnetic shield.
US08547657B1 Disk drive detecting defective microactuator
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk surface comprising a plurality of tracks, each track comprising a plurality of servo sectors. The disk drive further comprises a head coupled to a distal end of an actuator arm, and a voice coil motor (VCM) and a microactuator operable to actuate the head over the disk surface. The head is first servoed in response to the servo sectors, and after first servoing the head, a manufacturing procedure is executed by controlling the VCM and the microactuator to servo the head while accessing the disk surface. After executing the manufacturing procedure, the head is second servoed in response to the servo sectors, and the microactuator is evaluated in response to the first and second servoing.
US08547654B2 Lens device
A lens device includes a fixed lens, a rotatable lens barrel, and a base. The fixed lens includes at least one cam groove which has an opening portion. The rotatable lens barrel is sleeved within the fixed lens. The rotatable lens barrel includes at least one cam follower. The cam follower enters the cam groove through the opening portion and moves along the cam groove. The base is assembled to the fixed lens. The base includes at least one protruding structure. The protruding structure extends to the cam groove through the opening portion.
US08547652B2 Monolithic optical mount
The invention relates to a monolithic optical mount, which is divided by a plurality of cutouts into a stationary outer mount ring, a laterally adjustable inner mount ring, and manipulator units that are arranged with uniform offset from each other and formed by the remaining material connections. The cutouts have a uniform constant width and can therefore advantageously be produced by milling. The manipulator units have a simple geometrical design in the form of T- or L-shaped webs.
US08547647B2 Lens barrel
A lens barrel of the present invention includes: a fixing frame having a plurality of cam grooves that are formed an inner circumferential surface of the fixing frame and also having a protrusion provided between any adjacent two of the cam grooves among a plurality of the cam grooves; and a drive frame having cam followers that are provided to an outer circumferential surface of drive frame, are engaged with the cam grooves, and are movable along the cam grooves. With this configuration, when an external force is applied to the drive frame, an end portion of the drive frame comes into contact with the protrusion to prevent the cam followers from coming out of the cam grooves.
US08547643B2 Optical element and imaging apparatus
An optical element is disclosed. The optical element may include a container having a holding chamber, a polar or conductive first liquid filled in the holding chamber, a second liquid filled in the holding chamber and not mixing with the first liquid, first and second electrodes for applying an electric field to the first liquid, and voltage application means for applying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.
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