| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08555169B2 |
Media clip auditioning used to evaluate uncommitted media content
A computer readable medium (CRM) storing a media editing application for creating media presentations is described. The application includes a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI has (1) a display area for displaying a composite presentation that the application creates by compositing a plurality of media clips, (2) a composite display area for displaying graphical representations of a set of media clips that are part of the composite presentation, (3) an audition display area for displaying graphical representations of a set of media clips that are candidates for adding to the composite presentation at a particular location, and (4) an audition tool for creating an audition set for a particular location in the composite display area, where the audition set is a user modifiable set of clips, each of which is for individual placement at the particular location for inclusion in the composite presentation. |
| US08555164B2 |
Method for customizing avatars and heightening online safety
The present invention, a method for a customizing and determining how a multimedia character or avatar is animated. The method provides a user with interaction with the avatar that involves animation of the face of the multimedia character. In addition, the method further comprises offering the multimedia character or avatar with a default setting for a mechanism of muscle movement and interacting with the mechanism of muscle movement. Further, the method is preferably used in a stand-alone mode and with multimedia communication, such as Internet, email and wireless applications. Furthermore, the method comprises a set rules and intelligent systems for analyzing, displaying and capturing messages and alerting the user to these messages in real time. |
| US08555160B2 |
Apparatus and methods for creating and/or editing color-image processing files
A file editing apparatus is provided that edits a color-image processing file in which limitations can be imparted on the display of edit history information that corresponds to a new shooting mode. The apparatus includes an editing unit that edits a color processing file; a display control unit; and a storage unit that stores the color-image processing file including edit history information of the color processing file edited by the editing unit, and edit history display control information for the display control unit to control display of the edit history information. |
| US08555157B1 |
Document update generation
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for document update generation. In one aspect, a method includes identifying pairs of content nodes where a first content node in each pair is in a first hierarchical representation of a first document and a second content node in each pair is in a second hierarchical representation of a second document, in which the content nodes represent visible content and in which identifying comprises selecting the first and second content nodes such that a cost based on structural differences between the first and second hierarchical representations and a content difference between the first and second content nodes is minimized; associating rendered layout information related to the first content node with the second content node; and determining whether to generate a snippet for the content difference between the first and second content nodes based on the rendered layout information. |
| US08555155B2 |
Reader mode presentation of web content
Methods and apparatuses that automatically detect availability of a reader mode for article content in a web page addressed by a URL are described. Availability detection may be progressively performed such that cheap operations are performed first to reduce the need to perform more expensive ones. A retrieval status of the web page may be detected to determine when enough content has been retrieved to initiate a detection of the reader mode for the web page. A reader indicator may be presented in a user interface of a browser if the availability of the reader mode is detected. A user of the browser may be noted with an alternative presentation of the article content from the web page in addition to a presentation of the whole web page by the browser. If the reader mode of the web page is not available, no reader indicator may be present in the browser. |
| US08555148B2 |
Methods and apparatus to generate multiple CRCs
Methods and apparatus for generating cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs). In one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of cyclic redundancy checks are calculated based upon a plurality of bits by using a selected cyclic redundancy check generator polynomial, at least one cyclic redundancy check is calculated based upon a first subset of the plurality of bits with a certain bit ordering, and at least another cyclic redundancy check is calculated based upon a second subset of the plurality of bits with a different bit ordering. The second subset of bits may overlap with the first subset of bits. In another aspect, a plurality of cyclic redundancy checks are calculated based upon a plurality of bits by using a plurality of different cyclic redundancy check generator polynomials. A first cyclic redundancy check generator polynomial is used for calculating a first cyclic redundancy check based upon a first plurality of bits, and a second cyclic redundancy check generator polynomial is used for calculating a second cyclic redundancy check based upon a second plurality of bits. |
| US08555145B2 |
Systems and methods of encoding using a reduced codebook with adaptive resetting
To feedback MIMO channel conditions, a codeword from a codebook is selected. To reduce signalling, the codewords are organized into codeword subsets. The receiver signals an index of a codeword into a current codeword subset previously made known to the transmitter. The current codeword subset is adaptively selected based on a threshold criterion. For example, if the best codeword from the current codeword subset is not sufficiently similar to the best codeword in the full codebook, a switch in the codeword subset is made. |
| US08555144B2 |
Memory system, memory system controller, and a data processing method in a host apparatus
A memory system includes code data generating section which generates code data based on write data. A nonvolatile semiconductor memory stores the write data and the code data for the write data and outputs read data and the code data for the read data. An error correcting section is configured to correct an error bit included in the read data using the read data and the code data for the read data, and outputs the read data which includes the error bit in accordance with a setting. An interface section receives the write data from outside of the memory system, and outputs the read data to outside of the memory system. |
| US08555142B2 |
Verifying integrity of data stored in a dispersed storage memory
A method for verifying integrity of data stored in dispersed storage memory begins by a processing module retrieving integrity information of the data that is stored as a set of forward error correction (FEC) encoded words in the dispersed storage memory and continues with the processing module receiving FEC encoded words of the set of FEC encoded words from the dispersed storage memory to produce received FEC encoded words and decoding a unique subset of the received FEC encoded words to produce recovered data. The method continues with the processing module generating recovered integrity information from the recovered data and comparing the recovered integrity information with the integrity information. The method continues with the processing module indicating that at least one of the received FEC encoded words of the unique subset of the received FEC encoded words is corrupt when the recovered integrity information compares unfavorably with the integrity information. |
| US08555141B2 |
Flash memory organization
A flash-memory system is organized into a plurality of blocks and a plurality of pages in each block, each page having 2N data locations and K spare locations. At least one page in the memory has 2M user data sectors and each sector has 2N-M+L locations therein. Because L is at least 1 but less than 2N-M, user data is stored in the spare memory locations. By storing user data in spare locations that were previously off-limits to user data, enterprise-sized sectors can be efficiently stored in flash memories with little wasted memory, thereby making flash-memory systems compatible with existing hard-drive storage systems in enterprise system applications. |
| US08555138B2 |
Symbol error detection method
The invention disclosed in this application describes an error detection method that can be used to identify an OFDM symbol that is interfered with. The method is based on computing a symbol by symbol path error metric from error correction code and by comparing the statistics of each individual symbol to the mean and the variance of the metric computed from the whole data packet. |
| US08555135B2 |
Incremental redundancy with resegmentation
Different transmissions based on different content blocks which were segmented from the same digital content according to different segmentation schemes, where each of the content blocks has any substring in common with at least one of the other content blocks, are received by a receiving radio communication station, for example a mobile telephone or a mobile network base station. Certain encoded received bits derived from different ones of the transmissions are combined into combined bits. Other encoded received bits derived from one or more of the different transmissions are provided together with the combined bits to a decoder. |
| US08555133B2 |
Rate matching apparatus and rate matching method thereof
Provided is a rate matching apparatus. The rate matching apparatus includes interleavers, dummy bit removers, a bit collector, a memory and a selector. The interleavers interleave code blocks, respectively. The dummy bit removers remove dummy bits of the interleaved code blocks, respectively. The bit collector collects code blocks with the dummy bits removed by bit units, and divides a collected data bit stream into systematic data and parity data. The memory stores the systematic data and the parity data in parallel. The selector outputs in parallel a plurality of data bits which are selected from the systematic data and parity data of the memory. |
| US08555131B2 |
Techniques to control power consumption in an iterative decoder by control of node configurations
A method for controlling power consumption of an iterative decoder based on one or more criteria is described. The method may include progressively enabling and disabling nodes of the iterative decoder to perform iterative decoding on a demodulated signal to provide a decoded signal with minimal variation of a supply voltage. |
| US08555129B2 |
Error-floor mitigation of layered decoders using non-standard layered-decoding schedules
A layered decoder that uses a non-standard schedule, where a non-standard schedule is a schedule where the frequency of one or more layers in the schedule is greater than one. When the layered decoder converges on a near codeword using an initial schedule, the layered decoder identifies the layer Lmaxb of the near codeword, which layer contains the greatest number of unsatisfied check nodes, and selects a subsequent non-standard schedule from a schedule set. The non-standard schedules in the schedule set are sorted by key layer, where the key layer is a layer that appears in the non-standard schedule with the greatest frequency. The layer decoder selects a non-standard schedule from the schedule set where the key layer of selected non-standard schedule is equal to the identified Lmaxb value. |
| US08555125B2 |
Transmitting apparatus and wireless communication method
A transmitting apparatus and a wireless communication method are provided. The transmitting apparatus is capable of transmitting, together with transmission data, retransmission data in response to an HARQ from a receiving apparatus, according to an MCS determined based on a request from the receiving apparatus and includes a storage portion which stores information indicating a transition of an FER with respect to a communication quality for each MCS in both cases in which an HARQ response is enabled and disabled, an HARQ switching portion which switches whether to enable or disable the HARQ response in accordance with a QoS class of data to be transmitted, and an MCS switching portion which switches an MCS in accordance with the switching of whether to enable or disable the HARQ response, while referring to the information stored in the storage portion. |
| US08555123B2 |
Test device and method for the SoC test architecture
A test device for an SoC test architecture has a test input port, a test output port, a plurality of cores, a register, and a plurality of user defined logics. The register has a plurality of bits corresponding to the cores. Each of the user defined logics is connected to a corresponding bit of the register and a corresponding one of the cores. Each of the user defined logic receives a plurality of test control signals, and receives the corresponding bit of the register to change values of the test control signals. Outputs of each of the user defined logics are connected to the corresponding core to determine whether a test instruction of the corresponding core is or is not needed to be updated. |
| US08555122B2 |
Interface device and method
An interface device is adapted to: in a first mode, in reaction to test signals and corresponding to a test standard, output signals corresponding to the test standard via at least one signal line. In a second mode it is adapted to, in reaction to test signals and corresponding to the test standard, output signals that do not correspond to the test standard via the at least one signal line. |
| US08555120B2 |
Target device providing debugging function and test system comprising the same
A test system for debugging a target device includes a switch unit configured to transfer a test signal to the target device, the target device including a first intellectual property (IP) block supporting a debugging operation at a normal mode and a second IP block supporting a debugging operation at a power saving mode. The switch unit is configured to form a first signal transfer path for transferring the test signal to the first IP block at the normal mode and to form a second signal transfer path for transferring the test signal to the second IP block at the power saving mode. |
| US08555118B2 |
System and method for processing network data of a server
In a system and method for processing network data of a server, the server includes a timer, a switch and a storage system. The server determines whether the storage system includes overtime information of the timer when server is powered on. If the storage system includes the overtime information, the overtime information is deleted. If an operating system is started, a predetermined initial value is written into the timer to start timing, and a first network port and a second network port are disconnected through the switch. If the server works normally, a predetermined reset command is sent to the timer to reset the timer at regular intervals. If the server does not work normally, the first network port and the second network port are connected through the switch. If the timer times out, the overtime information is written into the storage system. |
| US08555111B2 |
Method and apparatus for offline diagnosis based on prioriyu level setting
An information processing apparatus includes a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to collect information including a diagnosis history regarding a plurality of components of the information processing apparatus in application processing by the information processing apparatus, determine priority level settings from among a plurality of offline diagnoses with regard to each of the components, prioritize offline diagnosis of the information processing apparatus based on the information and the priority level settings, and perform the plurality of offline diagnoses with regard to the components at a time of the offline diagnosis of the information processing apparatus based on the priority level settings. |
| US08555110B2 |
Apparatus, method, and program configured to embed a standby unit based on an abnormality of an active unit
An information processing apparatus includes active units and a standby unit. In the active units and the standby unit, CPUs and DIMMs are divided into a plurality of logical partitions, which are controlled to be diagnosed respectively by diagnosing units. A scheduling unit periodically diagnoses the CPUs and the DIMMs of the standby unit in each of the partitions in turn. If a fault occurs on the active units side, a switching controlling unit controls a partition not being diagnosed in the standby unit to be embedded in an active unit system of the information processing apparatus. The scheduling unit instructs a diagnosis with a smaller number of diagnosis items as a diagnosis performed at reboot after the standby unit is embedded. |
| US08555102B2 |
Method for managing the operation of a remote information sensor, and associated sensor
A method for managing the operation of an information sensor for a meter, includes putting the sensor into a deep standby mode, in which a battery of the sensor does not supply electrical power in particular to a module for demodulating signals from the meter; connecting the sensor to the meter; detecting, using a detection module of the sensor, an information signal from the meter; removing the sensor from the deep standby mode in order to put same into an operative mode in which the battery supplies electrical power in particular to the demodulation module. |
| US08555100B2 |
Selective low power management prioritization in a mobile device
A device may include an output device to provide information to a user. The device may further include logic configured to receive an input that identifies an activity to enable while in a low power condition, monitor a power condition of the device, determine that the power condition is the low power condition, and deactivate or disable activities other than the identified activity when the power condition is the low power condition. |
| US08555098B2 |
Semiconductor circuit with load balance circuit
A circuit block operates while receiving a clock from an external circuit. A load balance circuit is connected to a shared power supply terminal together with the circuit block, and provides predetermined power consumption. A clock detection unit detects input of the clock from an external circuit. When the clock detection unit detects stopping of input of the clock, the load balance circuit is switched to the active state. |
| US08555094B2 |
System and method for managing power consumption of an information handling system based on the information handling system power state and battery status
An AC-to-DC power adapter provides DC power to an information handling system at a first higher DC voltage or a second lower DC voltage based upon a power state of the information handling system. For example, approximately 19 Volts DC power is provided if the information handling system is in an on state or if the information handling system is charging a battery. Approximately 13 Volts DC power is provided if the information handling system is in a reduced power state, such as an ACPI S3 state, with a battery having a substantially full charge. |
| US08555090B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method of controlling power thereof
Backup control means controls processing for backing up data in storage means. In a state in which the storage means is not being supplied with power from the main power supply, a backup power supply supplies power to the storage means in order that backup processing by the backup control means will be performed. A timer measures power-supply time, which is the length of time the backup power supply supplies a voltage equal to or greater than a rated voltage to the storage means in order that backup processing will be performed. Determination means determines whether the power-supply time counted by the timer is shorter than length of a reference backup time. Notification of result of backup processing is given by alert means in accordance with the result of the determination made by the determination means. |
| US08555089B2 |
Program execution apparatus, control method, control program, and integrated circuit
Information processing apparatus (100) ensures confidentiality of encryption and reduces overhead associated with processing not directly related to the encryption. The information processing apparatus (100) includes: application program (A158) that includes an instruction for encryption which uses a key; tampering detection unit (135x) that detects tampering of the program; CPU (141) that operates according to instructions and outputs a direction for encryption upon detecting the instruction for encryption; data encryption/decryption function unit (160) that controls switching to the protective mode according to the direction; and protected data operation unit (155) that stores a key in correspondence with the program, outputs the key in the protective mode, and controls switching to the normal mode, and the data encryption/decryption function unit (160) executes the encryption in the normal mode using the received key. |
| US08555081B2 |
Cryptographic multi-shadowing with integrity verification
A virtual-machine-based system that may protect the privacy and integrity of application data, even in the event of a total operating system compromise. An application is presented with a normal view of its resources, but the operating system is presented with an encrypted view. This allows the operating system to carry out the complex task of managing an application's resources, without allowing it to read or modify them. Different views of “physical” memory are presented, depending on a context performing the access. An additional dimension of protection beyond the hierarchical protection domains implemented by traditional operating systems and processors is provided. |
| US08555080B2 |
Methods and systems for protect agents using distributed lightweight fingerprints
The present invention provides methods and systems to protect an organization's secure information from unauthorized disclosure. The present system uses protect agents installed across various egress points (e.g., email server, user's computer, etc.) to monitor information disclosed by a user. The present system also provides the use of lightweight fingerprint databases (LFD) to maintain a database of fingerprints associated with the organization's secure data. In one embodiment, the LFD is stored locally at the site of each protect agent such that the organization's secure information can be protected even when a protect agent is disconnected from the network. Methods and systems to compress fingerprints to achieve the lightweight fingerprint databases are also provided. In one embodiment, a combined approach, utilizing both the local lightweight fingerprint database and a remote fingerprint server comprising registered fingerprints is used to achieve overall protection of the organization's secure information. |
| US08555074B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing information, and computer program product
A data acquiring unit acquires electronic data. A tamper-resistant chip includes a storing unit that stores a confidential key specific to a device, and a collecting unit that collects device information that is internal information of the device. An attaching unit attaches collected device information to acquired electronic data. An encrypting unit encrypts the electronic data with the device information attached, using the confidential key stored in the storing unit. |
| US08555073B2 |
Motor vehicle display apparatus, motor vehicle electronic system, motor vehicle, method for displaying data, and computer program product
The invention relates to a motor vehicle display apparatus with an electronic device, comprising: a first memory area (117) for storing data (109), a second memory area (119) for storing at least a first certificate (178), a first interface (103) for receiving the data, a signature of the data and of the at least first certificate from a sender (107), means (123) for checking validity of the signature of the data by using the first certificate, wherein the data is only stored in the first memory area if the signature is valid, means (127) for driving a display apparatus for displaying the data stored in the first memory area, and comprising the display apparatus (136), wherein the display apparatus and the electronic device form a structural unit. |
| US08555069B2 |
Fast-reconnection of negotiable authentication network clients
Modern network communications often require a client application requesting data to authenticate itself to an application providing the data. Such authentication requests can be redundant, especially in the case of stateless network protocols. When a full authentication is performed, a conversation identifier and one or more encryption keys can be agreed upon. Subsequent authentication requests can be answered with a fast reconnect token comprising the conversation identifier and a cryptographically signed version of it using the one or more encryption keys. Should additional security be desirable, a sequence number can be established and incremented in a pre-determined or a random manner to enable detection of replayed fast reconnect tokens. If the recipient can verify the fast reconnect token, the provider can be considered to have been authenticated based on the prior authentication. If an aspect of the fast re-authentication should fail, recourse can be had to the original full authentication process. |
| US08555063B2 |
Method for establishing a wireless link key between a remote device and a group device
Disclosed is a method for establishing a wireless link key between a remote device and a group device. In the method, the remote device obtains a group identifier from the group device, and determines whether the group device is associated with a group having a trust association with the remote device. When the group device is determined to be associated with a group having an established trust association with the remote device, the remote device forwards a link setup request to the group device for virtually pairing with the group device using the trust association to establish the wireless link key. When the group device is determined not to be associated with a group having an established trust association with the remote device, the remote device forwards a pairing request to the group device for pairing with the group device to establish the wireless link key. |
| US08555059B2 |
Secure local update of content management software
This document describes tools that enable a computing device to receive an update to content management software. The tools also enable the computing device to generate new public and private keys without the use of a key server. |
| US08555057B2 |
System and method for securing a network
A secure network is disclosed. The secure network includes a residential gateway to communicate with a remote network and a local network. At least one trusted local device is configured to send communications including data packets with authentication information to the residential gateway to request access to resources of the remote network. The residential gateway inhibits a request received from the local network to access resources on the remote network until the residential gateway uses authentication information to authenticate data packets associated with the request as originating from the at least one trusted local device. |
| US08555056B2 |
Method and system for including security information with a packet
A method and system for including security information with a packet is disclosed. A packet is detected as it exits a first network and enters a second network. The first network is configured to support a network security technique, and the second network is not configured to support the network security technique. Network security information associated with the network security technique is included with the packet. A network device is configured to include network security information in overhead of a packet. A method for identifying a first network device in a network is also disclosed. Identification information of the first network is communicated to a second network device. |
| US08555052B2 |
Data hiding based messages and advertisements
A steganographic message/advertisement embedding method is presented that can be used for contextual and targeted advertising supporting unobtrusive and on-demand message/advertisement delivery. The present invention presents over two client devices, the method includes receiving, on a first client device, a primary multimedia presentation with a plurality of steganographic codes embedded therein; whereby the steganographic code is not perceivable during a rendering of the multimedia presentation and the steganographic code is associated with at least one secondary multimedia presentation. Next; the primary multimedia presentation is rendered on the first client device. The first client device receives a user selection to select at least one of the steganographic codes. In response to the user selection, a secondary multimedia presentation is presented to the user in response to receiving the user selection, wherein the second multimedia presentation is presented over a second client device which is distinct from the first client device. |
| US08555051B2 |
Computer facilitating BIOS setting
A computer includes a mother board, a standby power source, a BIOS display, and a BIOS user input. The mother board includes a storage unit. The storage unit stores BIOS software and BIOS settings of the computer. The standby power source is configured for providing a standby voltage when the computer is powered but not started up. The controller is configured for reading the BIOS software and the BIOS settings from the storage unit, driving the BIOS display to display a BIOS UI based upon the BIOS software and the BIOS setting, and editing the BIOS settings based upon inputs from the BIOS input unit upon the condition that the controller, the BIOS display, and the BIOS input unit receive the standby voltage. |
| US08555041B2 |
Method for performing a return operation in parallel with setting status flags based on a return value register test
Various embodiments include methods and related media for performing operations including a return operation. One such method includes testing a content of a return value register and setting status flags. Testing the content of the return value register and setting the status flags are performed in response to a single instruction. |
| US08555039B2 |
System and method for using a local condition code register for accelerating conditional instruction execution in a pipeline processor
A method of executing a conditional instruction within a pipeline processor having a plurality of pipelines, the processor having a first condition code register associated with a first pipeline and a second condition code register associated with a second pipeline is disclosed. The method saves a most recent condition code value to either the first condition code register or the second condition code register. The method further sets an indicator indicating whether the second condition code register has the most recent condition code value and retrieves the most recent condition code value from either the first or second condition code register based on the indicator. The method uses the most recent condition code value to determine if the conditional instruction should be executed. |
| US08555033B2 |
Extending operations of an application in a data processing system
A method, an apparatus, and computer instructions are provided for extending operations of an application in a data processing system. A primary operation is executed. All extended operations of the primary operation are cached and pre and post operation identifiers are identified. For each pre operation identifier, a pre operation instance is created and executed. For each post operation identifier, a post operation instance is created and executed. |
| US08555030B2 |
Creating multiple versions for interior pointers and alignment of an array
A device identifies array accesses of variables in a program code that includes multiple arrays, and identifies array access patterns for one of the array accesses. The device also determines an order of the array access patterns identified for the array accesses, and calculates, based on the order, distances between the array access patterns. The device further shares address calculations amongst the array accesses associated with array access patterns with one or more of the distances that are equivalent. |
| US08555027B2 |
Semiconductor memory controlling device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory controlling device includes a write control unit that writes a predetermined number of pieces of first data and redundant information calculated by using the predetermined number of pieces of the first data and used for correcting an error in the first data into different semiconductor storage drives, respectively; a constructing unit that constructs a storage area for storing therein a table by using driver information, the table showing an association between a logical address and a physical address of the first data and identification information for associating the predetermined number of pieces of first data with the redundant information; and a table controlling unit that stores, into the storage area, the table associated with the identification information, the physical address and the logical address of the predetermined number of pieces of the first data, and a physical address of the redundant information. |
| US08555023B2 |
Method and system for managing large write-once tables in shadow page databases
Methods and systems for managing large write-once tables are described. In some embodiments, a relational database management system includes a space allocation module that utilizes both a logical space allocation scheme, as well as a physical space allocation scheme, to allocate space in units (e.g., pages) having two different sizes—small pages and big pages. For instance, small pages are logically allocated with a conventional converter module, which manages a converter table for mapping logical pages to physical pages, while big pages are physically allocated with an object directory manager, which manages big objects comprised of big pages. |
| US08555022B1 |
Assimilation of foreign LUNS into a network storage system
A storage system provides highly flexible data layouts that can be tailored to various different applications and use cases. The system defines several types of data containers, including “regions”, “logical extents” and “slabs”. Each region includes one or more logical extents. Allocated to each logical extent is at least part of one or more slabs allocated to the region that includes the extent. Each slab is a set of blocks of storage from one or more physical storage devices. The slabs can be defined from a heterogeneous pool of physical storage. The system also maintains multiple “volumes” above the region layer. Each volume includes one or more logical extents from one or more regions. A foreign LUN can be assimilated into the system by defining slabs as separate portions of the foreign LUN. Layouts of the extents within the regions are not visible to any of the volumes. |
| US08555021B1 |
Systems and methods for automating and tuning storage allocations
Methods and systems are disclosed that relate to identifying an appropriate logical unit for a requested application storage allocation. An exemplary method includes receiving a request for storage allocation comprising a plurality of storage attributes including capacity and at least one performance and/or availability criterion. The method further includes identifying a logical unit having at least one designated storage characteristic that satisfies the at least one criterion and having an available storage space that satisfies the capacity and allocating at least a portion of the identified logical unit for storage associated with the request. |
| US08555011B1 |
Apparatus and method for a synchronous multi-port memory
A method of and apparatus for arbitrating a memory access conflict to a memory array. The apparatus may include selection logic coupled with a plurality of ports and a memory array to arbitrate among a plurality of contending memory access requests and to conditionally block write data from accessing the memory array when write data arrives late in time. |
| US08555007B2 |
Storage system with journal disks dynamically assigned
A storage system includes a plurality of storing unit and a data processing unit configured to store data into the plurality of storing unit. The data processing unit includes: a storage destination setting unit configured to set a journal storing unit configured to store a journal showing a data processing status of the storage system from among the plurality of storing unit, and set the plurality of storing unit other than the set journal storing unit as fragment storing unit configured to distributedly store a plurality of fragment data forming storage target data, respectively; and a distribution storage controlling unit configured to store the journal into the storing unit set as the journal storing unit by the storage destination setting unit, and distribute and store the plurality of fragment data into the plurality of storing unit set as the fragment storing unit, respectively. |
| US08555006B2 |
Memory arbitration system and method having an arbitration packet protocol
A memory hub and method for transmitting a read response on a data path of a memory hub interposed between a transmitting memory hub and a receiving memory hub. An arbitration packet including data indicative of a data path configuration for an associated read response is received at the memory hub. The arbitration packet is decoded, and the data path is configured in accordance with the data of the arbitration packet. The associated read response is received at the memory hub and the associated read response is coupled to the configured data path for transmitting the same to the receiving memory hub. |
| US08555002B2 |
Asymmetric memory migration in hybrid main memory
Main memory is managed by receiving a command from an application to read data associated with a virtual address that is mapped to the main memory. A memory controller determines that the virtual address is mapped to one of the symmetric memory components of the main memory, and accesses memory use characteristics indicating how the data associated with the virtual address has been accessed, The memory controller determines that the data associated with the virtual address has access characteristics suited to an asymmetric memory component of the main memory and loads the data associated with the virtual address to the asymmetric memory component of the main memory. After the loading and using the memory management unit, a command is received from the application to read the data associated with the virtual address, and the data associated with the virtual address is retrieved from the asymmetric memory component. |
| US08555001B2 |
Cache memory, including miss status/information and a method using the same
A cache memory includes: a plurality of MSHRs (Miss Status/Information Holding Registers); a memory access identification unit that identifies a memory access included in an accepted memory access request; and a memory access association unit that associates a given memory access with the MSHR that is used when the memory access turns out to be a cache miss and determines, on the basis of the association, a candidate for the MSHR that is used by the memory access identified by the access identification unit. |
| US08554999B2 |
Methods for providing a response and systems thereof
A method, computer readable medium, and system for generating a response includes determining from which of a plurality of levels of cache to retrieve a response. The determination is based on a number of matches between current user session data associated with a current request and stored user session data rewritten into each of one or more metadata data variables for the response when a current request for the response matches at least one prior stored request for the response. The response from the determined level of the plurality of levels of cache is provided. |
| US08554991B2 |
High speed interface for dynamic random access memory (DRAM)
An interface for a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) includes an interface element coupled to a DRAM chip using a first attachment structure, a first portion of the first attachment structure being used to form a wide bandwidth, low speed, parallel interface, a second portion of the first attachment structure, a routing element and a through silicon via (TSV) associated with the DRAM chip being used to form a narrow bandwidth, high speed, serial interface, the interface element configured to convert parallel information to serial information and configured to convert serial information to parallel information. |
| US08554989B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for analyzing monitor data information from a plurality of memory devices having finite endurance and/or retention
A method according to one embodiment includes gathering information about monitor data from a plurality of memory devices having finite endurance and/or retention, the monitor data being (i) data of known content stored in dedicated memory cells of known write cycle count, and (ii) write protected for preventing the monitor data from being overwritten with user data; analyzing the monitor data information; and taking an action relating to at least one of the devices based on the analyzing. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also disclosed. |
| US08554988B2 |
Flash memory module and storage system
A storage controller manages address conversion information denoting the correspondence relationship between a logical address and a physical address of storage area (for example, a physical block) inside a flash memory. The storage controller uses the above-mentioned address conversion information to specify a physical address corresponding to a logical address specified by an I/O request from a higher-level device, and sends an I/O command including I/O-destination information based on the specified physical address to a memory controller inside a flash memory module. The memory controller carries out the I/O with respect to a storage area inside a flash memory specified from the I/O-destination information of the I/O command from the storage controller. |
| US08554986B2 |
Device and method of controlling flash memory
Disclosed is a flash memory controlling method and controlling device. The flash memory controlling method including calculating a cost for each of available block recycling schemes based on a multi-block erase function when the multi-block erase function is supported, the multi-block erase function being a function that simultaneously erases data stored in a plurality of blocks of a flash memory and selecting at least one scheme from among the available block recycling schemes based on the calculated cost, and managing at least one block using the at least one method selected from among the available block recycling schemes. |
| US08554985B2 |
Memory block identified by group of logical block addresses, storage device with movable sectors, and methods
In an embodiment, a non-volatile memory has erasable blocks of memory cells. The one or more of the erasable blocks include a particular block to be identified by a particular group of logical block addresses corresponding to a predetermined group of sectors. |
| US08554984B2 |
Memory system
A memory system in which speed of processing for searching through management tables is increased by providing a forward lookup table for searching for, respectively in track and cluster units, from a logical address, a storage device position where data corresponds to the logical address, and a reverse lookup table for searching for, from a position of the storage device, a logical address stored in the position. These forward and reverse lookup tables are linked. |
| US08554981B2 |
High availability virtual machine cluster
One embodiment of the present invention is a system including: (a) plural virtualization systems configured in a cluster; (b) storage accessible to each virtualization system of the cluster, wherein for each virtual machine operative in a virtualization system of the cluster, the storage maintains a representation of virtual machine state that includes at least a description of a hardware system virtualized and an image of virtualized memory state for the virtual machine; and (c) a failover system that, responsive to an interruption of, or on, a particular one of the virtualization systems, transitions at least one affected virtual machine to another virtualization system of the cluster and resumes computations of the transitioned virtual machine based on state encoded by a corresponding one of the virtual machine states represented in the storage. |
| US08554980B2 |
Triggered notification
In one embodiment, a virtual frame director may receive association data regarding a virtual server and a physical server, send instructions to a management module based on the received association data, send a control command to the physical server based on the received association data, and send a notification regarding completion of an association between the virtual server and the physical server. A management module may configure the virtual server and/or a gateway according to the instructions received from the virtual frame director. In one embodiment, a virtual frame director may receive a request message for a server, determine whether the request message for the server meets a policy implemented in the virtual frame director, and perform an action directed by the policy when the request message meets the policy. |
| US08554978B2 |
Automation appliance and method for accelerated processing of selected process data
An automation appliance (6) having at least one field bus interface (12) for connection to a field bus (2) and transmission of data packets (DP) with process data (PD) via the field bus (2) and having at least one local bus interface (21) for connection to a local bus (7) and transmission of process data (PD) between field devices (9a, 9b, 9c) connected to the local bus (7) and the automation appliance (6), and having means for converting the data packets (DP) coming from the field bus (2) into a data stream (DS) for the local bus (7) and for converting the data stream (DS) sent from the local bus (7) to the automation appliance (6) into data packets (DP) for the field bus (2) is described. The automation appliance (6) has an acceleration unit (10) for selecting process data (PDS) that are to be converted in accelerated fashion and for separately converting the selected process data (PDS), which acceleration unit is set up such that the selected process data (PDS) are output at an earlier time than unselected process data (PDN) which are transmitted as well in combination with the selected process data (PDS). |
| US08554976B2 |
Single pipe non-blocking architecture
A method for processing an incoming command destined for a target is provided, comprising: determining if the incoming command is a data command or a management command; forwarding the incoming command to a storage management component of the target when the incoming command is a management command; when the incoming command is a data command: determining if a disk command queue on the target is full; sending the incoming command to the disk command queue when the disk command queue is not full; when the disk command queue is full: starting a timer, the timer having a predetermined length; sending the incoming command to the disk command queue when the disk command queue becomes not full prior to the expiration of the timer; and sending a rejection of the incoming command to the host only if, upon expiration of the timer, if the disk command queue is still full. |
| US08554972B2 |
Logic chip, method and computer program for providing a configuration information for a configurable logic chip
A logic chip has a plurality of individually-addressable resource blocks, each comprising logic circuitry. The logic chip also has a bus comprising a plurality of bus information lines. A first of the resource blocks has a coupling between a first strict sub-set of the bus information lines and the logic circuitry of the first resource block. A second of the resource blocks, which is adjacent to the first resource block, has a coupling between a second strict sub-set of the bus information lines and the logic circuitry of the second resource blocks. The first and second sub-sets have different bus lines. |
| US08554971B2 |
Universal peripheral connector
A universal connector apparatus for a mobile device and in communication with the mobile device, the apparatus comprising: at least one universal serial bus (USB) connector providing at least one connection; at least one USB host controller configured to control the at least one USB connection; a microprocessor configured to control the at least one USB host controller, the microprocessor having an operating system; a USB device control interface on the mobile device configured to communicate and control the universal connector apparatus; and a USB driver configured to operate within the operating system to enable the mobile device to connect to one or more peripherals via the at least one USB connector. |
| US08554970B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program product for creating a wireless docking group
Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to enable simplified configuring of a wireless docking group for wireless devices by allowing a wireless device to communicate its capabilities and characteristics of one or more wireless devices within a wireless docking group, using a new Wireless Docking Protocol, to a wireless docking station that will use that information and the Wireless Docking Protocol to define an optimal set of connections for wireless devices in the wireless docking group. |
| US08554969B2 |
Electronic device with expansion card
An electronic device includes an enclosure and a motherboard arranged at a middle portion in the enclosure. A first conversion card and a second conversion card are electrically connected to the motherboard. A first expansion card is electrically connected to the first conversion card and above the motherboard. A second expansion card is electrically connected to the second conversion card and below the motherboard. |
| US08554967B2 |
Flow control mechanisms for avoidance of retries and/or deadlocks in an interconnect
Flow control mechanisms avoid or eliminate retries of transactions in a coherency interconnect. A class of transaction (CoT) framework is defined whereby individual transactions are associated with CoT labels consistent with chains of dependencies that exist between transactions initiated by any of the cooperating devices that participate in a given operation. In general, coherency protocols create dependencies that, when mapped to physical resources, can result in cycles in a graph of dependencies and deadlock. To support architectural mechanisms for deadlock avoidance, CoT labels are applied to individual transactions consistent with a precedence order of those transactions both (i) with respect to the operations of which such transactions are constituent parts and (ii) as amongst the set of such operations supported in the coherency interconnect. CoT labels applied to respective transactions constitute a CoT framework that may be used by coherency managers to efficiently support concurrent in-flight transactions without retry. |
| US08554960B2 |
Input device
In an input device, a controller for controlling an input portion and acquiring data is connected to a bus. The bus can be connected with an external expansion device via an expansion connector. The connection of the bus from the expansion connector to the controller is switched on and off by a switcher. Data acquired from a sensor having a function equivalent to that of the external expansion device is transmitted to the controller via the bus by a sensor controller which is connected to each of a side of the controller and a side of the expansion connector of the bus without interposing the switcher. The sensor controller switches the connection of the switcher off when an access to itself is made from the controller. |
| US08554955B2 |
Systems and methods for avoiding host level busy and retry latencies
In one embodiment, a system includes logic adapted for receiving a command from a first system, logic adapted for determining which resources are required to process the command, logic adapted for checking for the required resources before receiving data associated with the command, logic adapted for receiving the data from the first system, logic adapted for checking for the required resources after receiving the data when the checking for the required resources before receiving data indicated that the required resources were not available before receiving the data, logic adapted for sending a status to the first system if the required resources are not available after receiving the data, and logic adapted for processing the command if the required resources are available either before receiving the data or after receiving the data. In more embodiments, a method and computer program product for processing a command are also presented. |
| US08554954B1 |
System and method for improving cache performance
A method, computer program product, and computing system for determining at least one LUN that was being controlled by a host prior to a crash event concerning the host, thus define at least one target LUN. A Mode Select command is prepared for the at least one target LUN, wherein the Mode Select command defines control information and host identifier information concerning the host. The Mode Select command is processed to determine if the control information and host identifier information included within the Mode Select command matches control information and host identifier information included within a buffer associated with the at least one target LUN. If the control information and host identifier information included within the Mode Select command matches the control information and host identifier information included within the buffer, control of the at least one target LUN is granted to the host. |
| US08554952B1 |
Fused data center fabrics
Efficient and highly-scalable network solutions are provided that each utilize deployment units based on Clos networks, but in an environment such as a data center of Internet Protocol-based network. Each of the deployment units can include multiple stages of devices, where connections between devices are only made between stages and the deployment units are highly connected. In some embodiments, the level of connectivity between two stages can be reduced, providing available connections to add edge switches and additional host connections while keeping the same number of between-tier connections. In some embodiments, where deployment units (or other network groups) can be used at different levels to connect other deployment units, the edges of the deployment units can be fused to reduce the number of devices per host connection. |
| US08554949B2 |
Customer traffic forwarding continues while control plane is reset
A method and apparatus selectively resetting a control plane in a network element is described. One embodiment of the invention is a network element with a selective reset controller that can reset the control plane of the network element without interrupting the data traffic processing of the data plane of the network element. |
| US08554944B2 |
Mechanism for supporting user content feeds
In one embodiment, for each one of one or more content producers, access a content-producing rate at which the content producer produces one or more items of content; and for each one of one or more content consumers, access a content-consuming rate at which the content consumer consumes one or more items of content. For each one of a plurality of consumer-producer pairs, wherein the consumer-producer pair comprises one of the content consumers and one of the content producers, and the content consumer follows the content producer, select between a push strategy and a pull strategy for delivering one or more items of content from the content producer to the content consumer based on the content-consuming rate of the content consumer and the content-producing rate of the content producer. |
| US08554941B2 |
Systems and methods for distributing video on demand
A method of providing content comprises making the content available on a central server, and surveying a plurality of peers for a portion of the content. The portion of the content from one of the peers is obtained when the portion of the content is available from the one of the peers, and obtained from the central server when the portion of the content is not available from the plurality of peers. |
| US08554937B2 |
Method and system for transmitting and receiving data using multicasting
A system and method for transmitting and receiving data using multicasting are provided. The system and method enables Internet Protocol (IP) communication between a server and a client that do not know IP information about the other party. The system includes an information management unit storing information about a client and a group the client belongs to, a packet generation unit generating a packet to be transmitted to the client, a packet transceiver transmitting the packet to and receiving a packet from the client through a multicast socket, and a data transmitter transmitting data to the client using the information about the client contained in the packet received from the client. |
| US08554936B2 |
Redistribution of operating environments for the redeployment of grid clients
A client-server network environment is temporarily transformed into a grid computing environment through the deployment of a network-booted grid operating system to each of a plurality of network clients. Each participating client operates in the client-server mode under a local operating system. At an appropriate time, a server transmits to each client a thin-client boot image (a dynamically built customized image or an image obtained from a store of predefined boot images) along with a grid application for which the thin-client has been optimized for peak performance. Each client re-boots using the thin-client image, thereby entering the grid mode and allowing substantially all of its computing resources to be dedicated to executing the grid application. At a later time, the server directs that each client terminate the grid application and re-boot in its respective local operating system, reverting again to the client-server mode. |
| US08554931B1 |
Method and system for coordinating network resources for blended services
A method and system for coordinating allocation of network resources requested by a user for blended services. A plurality of service request messages are received by a network entity, the request messages corresponding to a plurality of services requested by the user. The total network resource requirements for the plurality of services is determined at the network entity, and a resource request is sent from the network entity to a resource management element in the network. If the total network resource requirements are successfully reserve, then the network entity proceeds with processing the request, for example by sending service initiation requests to one or more network servers on which the services are hosted. The network entity may thus keep a tally of all network resource requirements concurrently allocated to a user during delivery of the requested services. |
| US08554928B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing origin routing at a diameter node
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing origin routing at a Diameter node are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving, at a Diameter message processor associated with a DSR, a Diameter message from a first Diameter node. The method further includes accessing, using the Diameter message processor, Diameter peer routing information that includes Diameter origination information to determine a second Diameter node that is a peer of the DSR and to which the Diameter message is to be forwarded. The method also includes forwarding the Diameter message to the determined second Diameter node. |
| US08554925B2 |
Method and device for the bidirectional address conversion in SIP-controlled data streams between IPv4 and IPv6 data terminals
The invention relates to a method and to a device for the bidirectional address conversion in SIP-controlled data streams between IPv4 data devices (T2) and IPv6 data terminals (T1) in mixed IPv4 and IPv6 data networks using an address converter (AU) and an address converter (AU) integrated in a SIP server (S1 or S2). |
| US08554923B2 |
Method of processing data in internet protocol television receiver and internet protocol television receiver
A method of processing data in an IPTV receiver and such an IPTV receiver are disclosed. The method includes receiving location information necessary to acquire a content corresponding to a content reference identifier (CRID) by using the CRID, requesting an Internet protocol multimedia subsystem Gateway (IG) to transmit a session description protocol (SDP) file of the content, wherein the content is identified by the CRID and an instance metadata identifier (IMI), receiving the requested SDP file from the IG, and controlling a session setup for processing the content by using the received location information and the received SDP file. |
| US08554920B2 |
Linked equivalent cell header-based approach and protocol for organizing an ad-hoc network
Establishing and maintaining a moving ad-hoc network is provided. The ad-hoc network includes a plurality of equivalent cells communicationally linked together to form a linked equivalent cell network. An equivalent cell header manages each equivalent cell. Additionally, regular nodes, scattered throughout the equivalent cell network, may be provided. Regular nodes have restricted communication privileges compared to the equivalent cell headers. However, equivalent cell headers can be demoted to regular nodes and regular nodes can be promoted to equivalent cell headers as required by equivalent cell network. |
| US08554919B2 |
Automatic preemption in multiple computer systems
Placing an application on a node in a cluster. A method includes determining that a first application cannot be placed on a first node in the first node's current running state. The method further includes determining that the first application may be able to be placed on the first node by shutting down or moving one or more other applications running on the first node. The method further includes attempting to shut down or move the one or more other applications on the first node to place the first application. |
| US08554915B2 |
Management of communication among network devices having multiple interfaces
A network element or server that manages name, address and identifying information of network devices that contain at least one Bluetooth interface is described. A Bluetooth Device Address may be queried by a first network device of a second network device to the server and the server may provide additional name, address and identifying information on the queried second network device to the first network device such that the first network device may establish a preferred connection with the second network device. |
| US08554913B2 |
Testing policies in a network
A device may include first logic configured to receive a data unit and to receive a network policy. The device may include second logic configured to identify how the data unit will be handled by the network policy and to generate a result that includes information about how the data unit will be handled by the network policy. |
| US08554909B2 |
Reducing messaging in a client-server system
A detection that a client-server system, which is operating in a first state mode, has switched from a first use case to a second use case for accessing a property of an object associated with a server. The first state mode during the first use case reduces messaging in the client-server system as compared to using a second state mode. A determination is performed as to whether using the second state mode during the second use case would reduce messaging in the system as compared to using the first state mode. The client-server system is transitioned to the second state mode, if operating in the second state mode would reduce messaging in the client-server system as compared to operating in the first state mode for the second use case. |
| US08554899B2 |
Agile network protocol for secure communications using secure domain names
A secure domain name service for a computer network is disclosed that includes a portal connected to a computer network, such as the Internet, and a domain name database connected to the computer network through the portal. The portal authenticates a query for a secure computer network address, and the domain name database stores secure computer network addresses for the computer network. Each secure computer network address is based on a non-standard top-level domain name, such as .scom, .sorg, .snet, .snet, .sedu, .smil and .sint. |
| US08554896B2 |
Protocol adapter for transferring diagnostic signals between in-vehicle networks and a computer
A protocol adapter for simultaneously communicating with one or more remote computers over any one of a plurality of protocols. The adapter includes a motherboard having an integrated CPU, a plurality of interface modules, a plurality of device drivers and a plurality of daughter-board module slots. The protocol adapter further includes at least one daughter-board interface module mounted in one of the plurality of daughter-board slots. The at least one daughter-board modules expands the number of protocols of the adapter beyond those protocols being run by the motherboard. |
| US08554895B2 |
Systems and methods for providing dual-control functionality in a networked digital media device
Described herein are systems and methods for providing dual control functionality in a networked digital media device. In overview, a networked digital media device advertises a standard digital media device, which is discoverable and controllable by a standard control device in accordance with a standard media control protocol (also referred to as a Device Control Protocol, or DCP). The networked digital media device also advertises a non-standard digital media playback device, the non-standard device being discoverable and controllable by a non-standard control device in accordance with a non-standard media control protocol. These two devices are manifested in the same device hardware, essentially allowing the device to implement dual-control such that it is able to be controlled both as a standard device and a non-standard device. |
| US08554890B2 |
Method of deploying a production environment using a development environment
Provided is a computer system, including: at least one storage system providing at least one logical volume, at least one host computer including an I/O device, and a management computer, in which the management computer creates a virtual computer within a network segment to which the management computer belongs, the virtual computer including an I/O device that is the same as the I/O device of the host computer in number and type, defines a connection between the logical volume and the virtual computer, stores a program in the logical volume connected to the virtual computer, sets identification information on the host computer in the virtual computer, releases the connection between the logical volume that stores the program and the virtual computer, and defines a connection between the logical volume whose connection has been released and the host computer. |
| US08554888B2 |
Content management system for searching for and transmitting content
A communication system including a first apparatus having a first storage medium, and a second apparatus for transmitting data to the first apparatus. The second apparatus has a second storage medium for storing management information of data to be transferred to the first storage medium, a communicator for communicating data with the first apparatus, an editor capable of editing the management information and a controller for making a control to transfer data stored in the second storage medium to the first storage medium by way of the communicator based on the management information edited by the editor. |
| US08554886B2 |
Wireless communication terminal and communication system selection method
A wireless communication terminal and a communication system selection method are capable of selecting a communication system having high battery usage efficiency by keeping battery remaining time long and satisfying throughput required by the application depending on scenes. The wireless communication terminal 100 capable of selecting plural communication systems comprises an application information acquisition unit 170 for acquiring a type of used application;an evaluation amount calculation unit 166 for changing a communication system selection criterion in response to the type of application thus acquired and calculating an evaluation amount with respect to time adding predetermined time to communication system switching time; and a system selection unit 167 for comparing the evaluation amounts thus calculated and selecting any one of communication systems. Therefore, it is possible to select/switch to the communication system having high battery usage efficiency among plural systems in response to a real-time requirement of the application. |
| US08554884B2 |
Setting and modifying method of user operating interface for use in digital audio/video playback system
A setting and modifying method of a user operating interface is used between a user device and a digital audio/video signal receiving and processing device through a network. The setting and modifying method includes the following steps. Firstly, the user device acquires a first user operating interface setting information from the digital audio/video signal receiving and processing device. Then, the contents of the first user operating interface setting information are modified to generate a second user operating interface setting information. Afterwards, the second user operating interface setting information is transmitted from the user device to the digital audio/video signal receiving and processing device through the network for setting the user operating interface. |
| US08554882B2 |
Method, apparatuses and computer program for parental control over children's activities in an IMS network
The present invention faces the issue of exercising a parental control over children's activities in the IMS network, in terms of registering into the IMS network as well as in terms of call establishment, and provides for a new IMS subscription model supporting a hierarchy of IMPI's, so-called ‘primary’ IMPI's and so-called ‘secondary’ IMPI's, whereby only the primary IMPI's are allowed to register themselves, whereas the secondary IMPI's can only register themselves after having been previously registered by a primary IMPI. To this end, the present invention provides for a new method and an enhanced HSS to allow the implicit registration of one or more ‘secondary’ IMPI's upon the explicit registration of an IMS subscriber with a given IMPI/IMPU pair, wherein the given IMPI is a ‘primary’ IMPI and the given IMPU is associated with a registration set of IMPI's which includes said one or more ‘secondary’ IMPI's. |
| US08554871B2 |
Method and system for exchanging location content data in different data formats
A method and system for exchanging location content data in different data formats is disclosed. A third-party system makes a request to retrieve, add, modify, or delete location content. The request is made in a first data format. A data exchange system receives the request, converts the request to a second data format supported by a location reference system, and sends the request to the location reference system. The location reference system prepares a response to the request and sends the response to the data exchange system. The data exchange system converts the response to the first data format and sends the response to the third-party system. |
| US08554868B2 |
Simultaneous sharing communication interface
A user can share (show) multimedia information while simultaneously communicating (telling) with one or more other users over a network. Multimedia information is received from at least one source. The multimedia information may be manually and/or automatically annotated and shared with other users. The multimedia information may be displayed in an integrated live view simultaneously with other modes of communication, such as video, voice, or text. A simultaneous sharing communication interface provides an immersive experience that lets a user communicate via text, voice, video, sounds, music, or the like, with one or more other users while also simultaneously sharing media such as photos, videos, movies, images, graphics, illustrations, animations, presentations, narratives, music, sounds, applications, files, and the like. The simultaneous sharing interface enables a user to experience a higher level of intimacy in their communication with others over a network. |
| US08554867B1 |
Efficient data access in clustered storage system
Methods and/or systems for efficiently handling a request from a client for a target component (e.g., file) stored on a remote or secondary node in a clustered storage system are provided. In response to a request from the client for the target component, a first node to which the client is locally connected retrieves a list of one or more logical interfaces (LIFs) and generates a response comprising an indication that the requested target component is not covered by this first node and a list of one or more internet protocol (IP) addresses that correspond to the retrieved LIFs for accessing the secondary node. This allows the client to connect locally to the secondary node so that the target component can be retrieved locally and thus more efficiently regardless of where (e.g., upon which node) the file is stored within the cluster. |
| US08554861B2 |
Method and apparatus for displaying information during an instant messaging session
A method and an apparatus are provided for controlling a graphical user interface to display information related to a communication session. Information relating to data produced by a first participant to the communication session is displayed on a first display unit, wherein the information produced by the first participant is displayed at a first position on the first display unit. Data is received from a second participant to the communication session, and information relating to the data received from the second participant is displayed on the first display unit, wherein the information received from the second participant is displayed at a second position on the first display unit. The first and second positions are horizontally spaced apart. |
| US08554860B1 |
Traffic segmentation
An apparatus and method for forwarding message packets over a network having at least one dedicated priority route. The priority messages are identified and only those priority messages having a length less than or equal to a threshold message length are transmitted over the priority route. |
| US08554852B2 |
System and method for targeting advertisements or other information using user geographical information
A request for information items may include content information associated with one or more electronic messages and geographical information associated with the requesting user. A set of information items is identified based on the user geographical information and the message content of the one or more electronic messages. In some embodiments, at least one of the information items is identified based on both the user geographical information and the message content. In some embodiments, if the user geographical information is different from the user's default geographical information, at least one of the information items is identified based on the user geographical information, but not the message content. A subset of the identified information items may be selected in accordance with a scoring or ranking function. The selected information items are transferred to the requesting client and displayed concurrently with (e.g., next to) the electronic messages. |
| US08554847B2 |
Anti-spam profile clustering based on user behavior
A user can be assigned to one of a plurality of filtering profiles to filter the user's incoming email messages. Each filtering profile in the plurality of filtering profiles filters the incoming emails according to a different set of filtering rules. The filtering profiles are applied to incoming emails, and the emails are delivered according to the rules of the currently-assigned filtering profile. The user's actions on the received email is tracked to determine a first performance score for how accurately the first filtering profile is filtering incoming emails of the user, and if the first performance score is less than a score value, the user might be assigned to a different filtering profile. |
| US08554840B1 |
Live stream detection and notification service
Systems, apparatus and methods are provided to detect live video data satisfying user specified criteria and consolidate live broadcasting management, analysis of detected video data, and notification of potential viewers. |
| US08554838B1 |
Collaborative communication platforms
A collaborative communication system is disclosed. The collaborative communication system integrates a number of electronic communication tools to meet the collaborative communication needs for an enterprise, family members or friends. The collaborative communication system allows a group of users to participate in communications including chatting and accessing files among the specified users. When a users uploads a file to a file store, each of the users gets notified of the availability of the file for accessing, wherein the file is not sent to any of client machines respectively used by the users, and is downloaded to a client machine when one of the specified users associated with the client machine accesses the file in the file store, thus avoiding to distribute copies of the file to each of the users regardless they need it or not. |
| US08554837B2 |
Automatic moderation of media content by a first content provider based on detected moderation by a second content provider
In one embodiment, a method comprises registering content providers, each content provider having a corresponding independent moderation policy configured for selectively providing network access to a media content item supplied by a user; receiving, from a first of the content providers, a first notification that a first media content item has been moderated by the first content provider; and sending a second notification to at least a second of the content providers, the second notification identifying that the first content provider has moderated the first media content item, the second notification enabling the second content provider to moderate the first media content item based on the second notification and according to the corresponding independent moderation policy of the second content provider. |
| US08554834B2 |
Short message alert (SMA)
The present description refers in particular, to a method, a system, and a computer program product for processing messages in an Outsourcing (BPO) Environment. The method may comprise installing and executing one or more computer programs. The method may also comprise obtaining messages from a shared folder using a network interface. The method may further comprise displaying messages using a display interface. In addition, the method may comprise providing access control, including controlling access to messages and dissemination of messages. The BPO environment may comprise at least one user computer. The network interface and the display interface may be executed separately on the user computer. |
| US08554827B2 |
Virtual peer for a content sharing system
The present invention relates to a virtual peer for a peer-to-peer (P2P) content sharing system. In general, the virtual peer is a logical construct enabling a number of virtual peer members to appear as a single peer node in the P2P content sharing system. In operation, a sponsoring agent creates the virtual peer and registers the virtual peer with the P2P network. Once registered, the virtual peer appears as a new peer node in the P2P network. In order to provide efficient content sharing, the sponsoring agent operates to obtain metadata describing all or a portion of a number of digital assets shared by the virtual peer members and aggregate the metadata into a single collection of metadata, referred to herein as a metadata catalog, for the virtual peer and may cache all or a portion of the digital assets shared by the virtual peer members. |
| US08554826B2 |
Method and system for XML message based transactions on a medical diagnostic system
A method and system for sending and receiving XML message based transactions between a client and software components of a medical imaging system comprises forming a message with a client. The message comprises a header section and a data section and is sent to a first component. The first component receives the message and executes a transaction based on the message. |
| US08554823B2 |
Technique for optimization and re-use of hardware in the implementation of instructions used in viterbi and turbo decoding, using carry and save arithmetic
The present invention provides a means for optimization and re-use of hardware in the implementation of Viterbi and Turbo Decoders using carry save arithmetic. Successful provision for each target application requires that two main issues be confronted. These are: merging the computation of summation terms (a2−b2+c2) with (x2+y2+z2); and (a3+b3−c3) with (x3+y3+z3); implementing an efficient method of computing (a4−b4−c4); and merging this computation with (x4+y4+z4). The invention solves both of these issues and successfully merges the Viterbi instructions with a complete reuse of the hardware that is required for the implementation of Turbo instructions. The hardware required by both classes of instructions is optimized by efficiently employing carry save arithmetic. |
| US08554821B2 |
Expanded scope incrementor
An incrementor circuit and method for incrementing is provided that computes an output data word by increasing an input data word magnitude by one of several integer values. The incrementor circuit includes a mode increment signal circuit providing a designation of one of the integer values for increasing the input data word magnitude. A single constant incrementor is connected to the mode increment signal circuit and the input data word and provides an intermediate sum by selectively adding a constant to the input data word. A multiplex circuit logically combines selected input data word bit position values with the mode increment signal circuit designation forming logical bit position values and directs selected input data word bit position values, selected logical bit position values, and selected bit position values of the intermediate sum to form the output data word. |
| US08554820B2 |
Optimized corner turns for local storage and bandwidth reduction
A block matrix multiplication mechanism is provided for reversing the visitation order of blocks at corner turns when performing a block matrix multiplication operation in a data processing system. By reversing the visitation order, the mechanism eliminates a block load at the corner turns. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a corner return is referred to as a “bounce” corner turn and results in a serpentine patterned processing order of the matrix blocks. The mechanism allows the data processing system to perform a block matrix multiplication operation with a maximum of three block transfers per time step. Therefore, the mechanism reduces maximum throughput and increases performance. In addition, the mechanism also reduces the number of multi-buffered local store buffers. |
| US08554815B1 |
Frequency generation using a single reference clock and a primitive ratio of integers
A system and method are provided for synthesizing signal frequencies using a single reference clock and a primitive ratio of integers. The method accepts a plurality (k) of reference frequency values (fri), where 1≦i≦k, associated with a corresponding plurality of synthesized frequency values (foi). For each synthesized frequency value, a raw ratio of integers Nprawi and Dprawi is calculated, such that: f o i = Np raw i Dp raw i × f r i . A greatest common divisor (GCD) of Nprawi and Dprawi and a primitive ratio of integers Np i Dp i is found for each raw ratio of integers, such that: N p i = Np raw i GCD ( Np raw i , Dp raw i ) ; and , D p i = Dp raw i GCD ( Np raw i , Dp raw i ) . Using the common clock frequency value (fcr), each primitive ratio of integers, each reference frequency value, and each GCD, a final ratio of integers Ncri and Dcri, C · ( N cr i D cr i ) , is calculated for each synthesized frequency value, where C is an integer value. |
| US08554814B2 |
Random signal generator using quantum noise
Systems and methods for generating a random signal, based on quantum noise in the phase of two or more input signals. The generated output random signal has random variation in its intensity based on the quantum noise in the phases of the input signals. |
| US08554805B2 |
Methods and systems for importing source data
Systems and methods are disclosed for importing source data. The disclosed systems and methods may include uploading the source data from at least one source system and translating the source data into command language commands. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include checking the command language commands for completeness or consistency and executing the command language commands to generate import data for at least one destination. |
| US08554804B2 |
System and method for monitoring and analyzing internet traffic
Systems, methods and apparatus for analyzing Internet traffic. In an aspect, a method receives at a server from a client device a report request for a report related to web site traffic; in response to the report request, sends from the server web site traffic data and application code to the client device, the application code comprising instructions that cause the client device to: generate a report to display the web site traffic data, time the display of the web site traffic data, periodically request updated web site traffic data according to the time of the display, and update the report with the updated web site traffic data; and the method sends from the server to the client device the updated web site traffic data in response to the request for updated web site traffic data. |
| US08554799B2 |
Blocks of time with metadata
A method of adding and analyzing metadata to discrete variables, such as time intervals and a system to implement to method is disclosed. The metadata can be aggregated and analyzed using analysis operations such as intersection, union, subtraction and inversion. |
| US08554795B2 |
Method for writing data and applications into identification media
A method of writing data into identification media of various types (IM-X, IM-Y) via assigned write/read stations WR in accordance with an embodiment of the present application includes a step wherein, a virtual, identification media-independent reference file system RFS is defined. All access keys RKi are replaced by a file system key FSK and all access rights ACi of subsections Bi are suspended and a file system FS, corresponding to the reference file system RFS, is initialized or written into the identification media: (FS(IM-X), FS(IM-Y)). In doing so, a file system starting point (FS-S(IM-X), FS-S(IM-Y)) is defined in the identification media (IM(FS) and in the assigned read/write stations WR(RFS) so that applications (App(RFS) corresponding to the virtual reference file system RFS can be written into the identification media and executed. The method allows for the writing into or execution of generally defined applications (App(RFS) into initialized identification media of various types (IM-X(FS), IM-Y(FS)) without adapting them. |
| US08554793B2 |
Methods and systems for providing custom settings in an on-demand service environment
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for providing custom settings in an on-demand service environment. In an embodiment and by way of example, a method providing custom settings in an on-demand service environment is provided. The method embodiment includes naming the custom object, creating fields for the custom object, assigning a behavior for each field, setting the custom object to a specified type, and if the custom object is of a hierarchical type, then assigning permissions to users with regarding the created fields. |
| US08554787B2 |
Second search engine utilizing selected results from first search engine
The invention provides a method of processing data including, receiving a URL at a server computer system, utilizing the URL at the server computer system to extract a plurality of server search results from a data store, and transmitting the server search results from the server computer system to the user computer system. |
| US08554784B2 |
Discovering peer-to-peer content using metadata streams
Discovering peer-to-peer content using metadata streams involves capturing, for each of a plurality of devices, a content and metadata stream that describes a context of the content. The metadata streams are sent to a metadata repository contemporaneously with the capture of the content by the respective devices. Network queries of the streaming metadata are enabled via the metadata repository, and, in response to the network queries, peer-to-peer access of the content is facilitated from one or more of the devices. |
| US08554783B2 |
Computer object tagging
Methods for classifying computer objects. The methods may comprise receiving a tag for a first computer object. The tag may comprise at least two nested categories describing the first computer object. The methods may also comprise updating a hierarchy of categories for computer objects to include the at least two nested categories describing the computer object. In addition, the methods may comprise displaying a graphical representation of the hierarchy of categories, and displaying an indication of computer objects having tags comprising a first category when an indication of the first category is received. |
| US08554781B2 |
Shorthand for data retrieval from a database
A method and apparatus for convenient and fast entry of a search string for searching a database. A subset of the alphabet (such as the vowels) is used for entry of a search string, and database matches are determined according to the appearance of the subset characters in the search fields of the database records. The use of the alphabet subset reduces the size of the entry keypad and simplifies user entry of the search string. |
| US08554780B2 |
Search apparatus and search method
When an output request is received, a tree generating unit of a search apparatus generates, based on an output item included in an output request tree-structure data from hierarchical-structure data (described as search target data with reference to FIG. 1) to be searched. A tree scanning unit searches for data corresponding to the output item by scanning the tree-structure data generated by the tree generating unit. An output unit outputs the data searched by the tree scanning unit. |
| US08554778B2 |
Systems and methods for correlating meta-data model representations and asset-logic model representations
Systems and methods for correlating meta-data model representations and asset-logic model representations in a system model. The system model may be deployed in conjunction with a production allocation application, whereby data pertaining to allocation changes to a production system might be more readily identified for different purposes such as, for example, technical and/or fiscal allocation. |
| US08554773B2 |
Method for indexing images and for reading an index of an image
The present invention relates to a method for generating an index of Data Units of a Variable Length Coded (VLC) image. The method comprises categorizing Data Unit lengths, DU-lengths, as non indexed DU-lengths, categorizing DU-lengths not categorized as non-indexed DU-lengths as indexed DU-lengths, generating a value indicating the number of subsequent DU-lengths categorized as non-indexed in a sequence of subsequent DU-lengths categorized as non-indexed, generating a value indicating the number of subsequent DU-lengths categorized as indexed in a sequence of subsequent DU-lengths categorized as indexed, generating data representing the DU-length of each DU in the sequence of DU-lengths categorized as indexed, storing said generated values and data in the index of Data Units, and associating said index of Data Units with the VLC image. Further the invention relates to a method for retrieving Data Unit lengths, DU-lengths, from an image associated with an index of DU-lengths. This method comprises linearly reading data from the index, when the data is a value indicating a number of subsequent Data Units categorized as not having indexed DU-lengths then these Data Units is sequentially processed from the image for retrieving the length of each data unit, and when the data is a value indicating a number of subsequent Data Units categorized as having indexed DU-lengths then the corresponding number of DU-lengths are retrieved from the index. |
| US08554768B2 |
Automatically showing additional relevant search results based on user feedback
This disclosure describes various exemplary application user interfaces, methods, and computer program products for information retrieval or search technology by automatically showing additional relevant search results based on user feedback. The search describes receiving a submitted query from a user, identifying multiple query search results in a relationship to the submitted query, and presenting the multiple query search results in a single structured presentation with a thumbs-up icon, a thumbs-down icon, or an unmarked status to enhance the user experience. Furthermore, the search results illustrate the relationships between each of the multiple query search results and the submitted query in a textual description. |
| US08554767B2 |
Context-based interests in computing environments and systems
Techniques for determining an interest in an object of interest in a given situation are disclosed. Multiple situation-based interest rating components can be provided for various situations. Each situation-based interest rating component can include an interest value indicative of interest in an object of interest in one of the situations. An input situation can then be obtained. One of the situation-based interest rating components can be identified matching an input situation. The relevance of one or more of the other situation-based interest rating components to the identified matching component can then be determined. This can, for example, be done by computing one or more distances between only the respective situation-based portions of the matching situation-based interest rating component and one or more of the other components, or based on the interest value-based portion of each component, or both. |
| US08554764B2 |
Algorithm and implementation for fast computation of content recommendations
In various example embodiments, a system and associated method for fast computation content recommendation is provided. A dynamic user profile for a user is determined. The dynamic user profile is based on one or more fingerprints of viewed documents by the user. One or more relevant documents are determined based on the dynamic user profile and the fingerprints of documents in the system. A list of the one or more relevant documents is then provided to the user. |
| US08554763B2 |
Apparatus and method for selecting and performing at least one data function
A method for displaying data items in a mobile terminal includes receiving a user search request, automatically identifying data items which individually comprise the search request, and displaying a distinct number in association with each of the identified data items, wherein each of the identified data items are individually selectable responsive to a corresponding number input by a user. |
| US08554759B1 |
Selection of documents to place in search index
A system may identify a collection of documents, predict a utility score for each document in the collection of documents, and create a ranked list of the documents based on the predicted utility scores for the documents. The system may also select a number of the documents in the ranked list of documents, index the selected documents, and store the index. |
| US08554758B1 |
Method and apparatus for monitoring and maintaining health in a searchable data service
Method and apparatus for monitoring and maintaining group health and membership in a searchable data service. The searchable data service may provide a searchable index to a backend data store, and an interface to build and query the searchable index, that enables client applications to search for and retrieve locators for stored entities in the backend data store. Embodiments of the searchable data service may implement a group health mechanism that may allow one or more components of the searchable data service to identify sets of nodes that the components may monitor. A group health component may be queried by the other components for automatically-refreshed health information about those nodes. The group health component may perform as a node failure detection mechanism. Node health information may be communicated among nodes at least in part using a gossip protocol. |
| US08554757B2 |
Determining a score for a product based on a location of the product
A method, computer-readable storage medium, and computer system are provided. In an embodiment, a request is received from a requestor. The request specifies a search term and a plurality of weights of a plurality of criteria. A plurality of products are found that satisfy the search term. A plurality of locations where the plurality of products are located are determined. A plurality of scores of the plurality of locations are calculated based on the plurality of weights of the plurality of criteria and a plurality of ratings of the plurality of criteria at the plurality of locations. A best product of the plurality of products located at a best location with a best score of the plurality of scores is selected. In an embodiment, a supplier of the product that is not selected as the best product is notified of the score. |
| US08554753B1 |
Maintaining database transaction priority between web pages in the absence of direct communication between the pages
Systems and methods for managing database transactions communicated from a browser-based software application to a database by a database management system in order to avoid or ameliorate transaction latency. According to one embodiment, the system or method comprises foreground and background processes, each generating database transactions. The foreground processes can submit an unlimited number of transactions to the database while background processes can only submit a limited, predetermined number of transactions to the database. To accomplish this, the background processes are associated with an in-memory queue of transactions that are then submitted to the database in a quantity no greater than the predetermined number. As a result, the database transactions sent by the foreground process will not have to wait behind more than the predetermined number of background transactions, thereby resulting in lower latency and avoiding or ameliorating delays to the user. |
| US08554751B2 |
Image forming apparatus, method of controlling the image forming apparatus, and storage medium
An image forming apparatus which is capable of performing more appropriate control of access to files which grant different access rights on a versions basis. The image forming apparatus is communicably connected to a file server. In a system controller of the image forming apparatus, a reading control section reads an original to thereby generate image data. The reading control section extracts version information on the original from the generated image data. Then, the system controller identifies, out of at least one version of an original file stored in the file server as electronic data corresponding to the original, a version that permits the image forming apparatus to perform image formation, based on the extracted version information on the original. |
| US08554750B2 |
Normalization engine to manage configuration management database integrity
Data is often populated into Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs) from different sources. Because the data can come from a variety of sources, it may have inconsistencies—and may even be incomplete. A Normalization Engine (NE) may be able to automatically clean up the incoming data based on certain rules and knowledge. In one embodiment, the NE takes each Configuration Item (CI) or group of CIs that are to be normalized and applies a rule or a set of rules to see if the data may be cleaned up, and, if so, updates the CI or group of CIs accordingly. In particular, one embodiment may allow for the CI's data to be normalized by doing a look up against a Product Catalog and/or an Alias Catalog. In another embodiment, the NE architecture could be fully extensible, allowing for the creation of custom, rules-based plug-ins by users and/or third parties. |
| US08554748B1 |
Method and apparatus for differential file based update for embedded systems
A system is provided including a host processing system and a remote management module coupled to it. The host processing system is configured to receive an update package. The remote management module is configured to determine one or more modified files from the update package and update its current embedded system by replacing, with the one or more modified files, only those files associated with the current embedded system that correspond to the one or more modified files. |
| US08554746B2 |
Multiple-source data compression
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for compressing data generated by multiple data sources. The method includes steps of partitioning data generated by the multiple data sources into data partitions, the data included in each data partition containing inter-data-source redundancies and, for each data partition, compressing the data in the data partition to remove the inter-data-source redundancies. |
| US08554745B2 |
Nearstore compression of data in a storage system
A storage server is configured to receive a request to store a data block from a client. The request to store the data block is serviced by the storage server by compressing the data block into a compression group, which includes a number of compressed data blocks. The storage server stores the compression group in a non-volatile memory and flushes the compression group from the non-volatile memory to a physical storage device in response to reaching a consistency point. By compressing data to be stored in system memory of a storage server, the amount of data that can be processed during a given time period by a data storage system is increased. Furthermore, an increase in performance can be achieved at a lower cost, since the cost of additional physical system memory modules can be avoided. |
| US08554742B2 |
System and process for record duplication analysis
A system and process for record duplication analysis that relies on a multi-membership Bayesian analysis to determine the probability that records within a data set are matches. The Bayesian calculation may rely on objective data describing the data set as well as subjective assessments of the data set. In addition, a system and process for record duplication analysis may rely on the predetermination of probabilistic patterns, where the system only searches for patterns exceeding a chosen threshold. Work flow may include selecting which fields within each record should be analyzed, normalizing the values within those fields and removing default data, calculating possible patterns and their match probabilities, analyzing record pairs to determine which have patterns exceeding a chosen threshold to determine the presence of duplicates, and merging duplicates, closing transactions reflecting non-duplicates, identifying records having insufficient data to determine the existence or lack of a match, and/or rolling back accidental merges. |
| US08554739B2 |
Systems and methods for IED design templates
Disclosed herein are a variety of systems and methods that may be utilized to facilitate the configuration of intelligent electronic devices using design templates. A design template may be configured to make available to the user only particular inputs that might need to be modified for a specific application of the intelligent electronic device. Use of templates, as disclosed herein, may simplify the task of configuring an intelligent electronic device. Data entered by the user may be utilized to generate a plurality of intelligent electronic device settings. According to various embodiments, the data entered by a user may be stored on the intelligent electronic device in an archive file. The archive file may also include other design information that a user may desire to store on the intelligent electronic device. |
| US08554737B2 |
Dynamic consistency group formation and systems using the same
In one embodiment, a system, includes logic for creating a snapshot of first data stored on a source storage system, wherein the snapshot is a logical copy of the first data stored on the source storage system with respect to data content and data structure; logic for copying the snapshot to a target storage system; logic for copying the first data represented by the snapshot from the source storage system to the target storage system; logic for detecting one or more write operations affecting data on the source storage system; logic for detecting one or more collisions affecting the first data on the source storage system, logic for setting a consistency group interval; and logic for altering the consistency group interval to minimise collisions affecting data on the source storage system. Other systems and computer program products for dynamic consistency group formation are also described. |
| US08554735B1 |
Systems and methods for data upload and download
Systems and methods which provide a hybrid network based solution for digital data file backup are shown. Embodiments utilize a transport mass storage system to provide transmission of digital data files between user equipment and a network based mass storage system. The transport mass storage system for physically transporting digital data files may be used in combination with other techniques for communicating digital data files, such as transmission of digital data files through a network link. A manifest and/or other information may be used to manage transporting, storage, and/or synchronization of digital data files. User equipment may then access the digital data files stored to the network mass storage system for various purposes using a network link. Subsequent, incremental backups and other transfers of relatively small amounts of digital data files are preferably accomplished using a network link for the transfer. |
| US08554734B1 |
Continuous data protection journaling in data storage systems
Technologies for providing block-level continuous data protection can operate without additional external devices. I/O operations to a storage volume may be logged to a sequential journal volume. The logging can occur in parallel to the I/O operation thereby having little, or no, impact on the performance of the storage system. Previous data need not be backed up; instead only new I/O operations may be recorded in the journal or log. Snapshot events may also be recorded to the logging journal. When a volume is to be recovered, a snapshot can be mounted and I/O operations after the snapshot creation, but prior to the recovery point, can be played back onto the snapshot. Operators may be provided with a flexible mechanism for reviewing and recovering data after a data loss. Using snapshots and I/O journals, a volume can be rolled back to a desired point nearly instantaneously. |
| US08554733B2 |
Disaster recovery method, disaster recovery system, remote copy method and storage system
A disaster recovery technology capable of achieving the high-speed FO and correctly reading the logs even if the unit of logs written in the main site is large is provided. In the disaster recovery system comprising a main site and a sub-site, when the writing in units of a log block consisting of a plurality of log records is performed in the main site and the logs are applied in the sub-site, the log blocks are read from the sub-storage to verify the consistency, and it is determined whether the reading process conflicts with the writing process through the remote copy operation when reading the logs. Then, only the log blocks in which the reading process does not conflict with the writing process as a result of the determination are applied to the database. Thereby, the logs are applied in the sub-site independently to recover the database. |
| US08554731B2 |
Creating and propagating annotated information
Content may be collected, annotated, and propagated in a unified process. In one example, a mobile device such as a smart phone is used to collect information. The information may be text, video, audio, etc. The information may be sent to a reaction service, which may return an annotation of the information. The annotation may be attached to the information to create an annotated document. The annotated document may be communicated to other users. Additionally, the annotated document may be stored in a way that associated the annotated document with the user who created or captured the information. The ability to capture information, obtain annotations to the information, and propagate the annotated information may facilitate the creation of social media, such as social network postings or online photo albums. |
| US08554726B2 |
Systems and methods for reslicing data in a relational database
Systems and methods for reslicing data in a representation of a relational database are disclosed. In one embodiment, the database includes a representation including a first slice. The database system creates a plurality of new slice and to create a plurality of write queues. The database system copies units of data in the first slice to the new slices according to a distribution function. The distribution function determines, for each unit of data in the first slice, one of the new slices into which to copy the unit of data. The database system asynchronously writes one or more actions of a set of one or more asynchronous database transactions to the first slice when copying the data in the first slice to the new slices. The database asynchronously enqueues the one or more actions of the set of asynchronous database transactions in the write queues according to the distribution function. |
| US08554721B2 |
Systems and methods for replicating values from multiple interface elements
Systems and methods presented herein allow a user to select multiple interface elements, simultaneously copy the selected elements, and simultaneously replicate the data values from the multiple interface elements into existing corresponding interface elements. The user selection includes first and second interface elements presented on a display device, each of the selected interface elements comprising metadata and a data value. The selected elements can be copied by creating and storing a data template that includes the metadata and data values of the first and second interface elements. The data template can then be compared against other existing interface elements to identify corresponding interface elements, such that the data values of the copied interface elements can be replicated into the identified corresponding interface elements. |
| US08554720B2 |
Processing, browsing and extracting information from an electronic document
The present invention relates to methods, apparatus and systems for processing an electronic document and its corresponding device. It provides methods for browsing an electronic document and its corresponding browser, and methods for extracting information segments from an electronic document and its corresponding system for the same. An example of a method for processing an electronic document comprises extracting one or more information segments of the domains to which the electronic document relates from the electronic document being written by an author, and correspondingly storing said extracted information segments with said document. Wherein one or more information extraction patterns are used to extract information segments of different domains to which the electronic document relates from said document. And the extracted information segments are verified by the writer so as to ensure its correctness, reliability and readability. |
| US08554717B2 |
Risk assessment for tools
A method for creating a risk estimate for a tool includes creating a plurality of source patterns from tool data and maintenance data related to a plurality of tools. The method also includes creating a risk model from the plurality of source patterns, the risk model including a plurality of example stressors each having an associated risk value. The method also includes creating at least one stress pattern from tool data related to the tool and comparing the at least one stress pattern to the risk model to create a risk estimate for the tool. |
| US08554715B2 |
Electronic document classification apparatus
The apparatus computes classification scores based on parameters that have been determined from documents. Each score is compared with a first and second threshold. Definite classifications are assigned when the score is above the highest threshold or below the lowest threshold and the documents are processed accordingly. If the score is between the thresholds the document is singled out for further inspection, for example by a human arbitrator, to assign a class. The first and second threshold are adapted automatically based on specified a minimum accuracy level for the classification and a training set. The apparatus uses this specified accuracy in a search for a combination of threshold values that optimizes classifier yield, in terms of a maximized fraction of patterns in a training set that need not be turned over for further inspection without definite classification. The search is subject to the condition that the combination of thresholds results in at least the specified accuracy over the training set. |
| US08554713B2 |
Method and system for connecting analytic network process model (ANP) with feedback throughout the ANP model between sub-networks
A computer-implemented system is provided for an analytic network process (ANP) control structure with feedback throughout the ANP control structure. The computer-implemented system includes an ANP control structure storage unit that stores an ANP control structure with feedback throughout the ANP control structure. Also included is a synthesizer that performs a BOCR calculation on the ANP control structure with feedback throughout the ANP control structure, to yield a result which is proper according to ANP theory when values are non-trivial. Also disclosed is a computer-implemented method for an analytic network process (ANP) control structure with feedback through the ANP control structure, and a related computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program. |
| US08554707B2 |
Method for the computer-assisted control and/or regulation of a technical system where the dynamic behavior of the technical system is modeled using a recurrent neural network
A method for the computer-assisted control and/or regulation of a technical system is provided. The method includes two steps, namely modeling the dynamic behavior of the technical system with a recurrent neural network using training data, the recurrent neural network includes states and actions determined using a simulation model at different times and learning an action selection rule by the recurrent neural network to a further neural network. The method can be used with any technical system in order to control the system in an optimum computer-assisted manner. For example, the method can be used in the control of a gas turbine. |
| US08554706B2 |
Power plant control device which uses a model, a learning signal, a correction signal, and a manipulation signal
A gas concentration estimation device of a coal-burning boiler adapted to estimate the concentration of the gas component included in an exhaust gas emitted from a coal-burning boiler using a neural network, including: a process database section adapted to store process data of a coal-burning boiler; a filtering processing section adapted to perform filtering processing for extracting data suitable for learning of a neural network from the process data stored in the process database section; a neural-network learning processing section adapted to perform learning processing of the neural network based on the data extracted by the filtering processing section and suitable for learning of the neural network; and a neural-network estimation processing section adapted to perform estimation processing of the CO concentration or the NOx concentration in the exhaust gas emitted from the coal-burning boiler based on the learning processing of the neural-network learning processing section. |
| US08554700B2 |
Answer model comparison
This patent application pertains to answer model comparison. One implementation can determine a first frequency at which an individual answer category appears in an individual slot on a query results page when utilizing a first model. The method can ascertain a second frequency at which the individual answer category appears in the individual slot on the query results page when utilizing a second model. The method can calibrate the second model so that the second frequency approaches the first frequency. |
| US08554699B2 |
Method and system for detecting anomalies in time series data
A server system stores time series data for a data source. The time series data comprises a plurality of time-value pairs, each pair including a value associated with an attribute of the data source and a time. For a particular attribute, the server system generates a plurality of forecasting models for characterizing the time-value pairs, each model including an estimated attribute value and an associated error-variance. For a time-value pair, the server system determines a plurality of differences between the value of the time-value pair and respective estimated attribute values of the plurality of forecasting models and tags the time-value pair as an anomaly if the differences for at least a first subset of the forecasting models are greater than the corresponding error variances. In response to a request from a client application, the server system returns at least a subset of the time-value pairs tagged as anomalies. |
| US08554698B2 |
Configuring state machines used to order and select matching operations for determining whether an input string matches any of at least one regular expression using lookahead finite automata based regular expression detection
State machines are used to order and select matching operations for determining whether an input string matches any of at least one regular expression by (1) accepting the set of regular expression(s), and (2) for each of the regular expression(s) of the set accepted, (A) identifying any look-ahead type strings within the given regular expression, (B) identifying any sequential type strings within the given regular expression, (C) partitioning the regular expression based on any identified simple strings, any identified look-ahead type variable strings, and any sequential type variable strings to generate partitioned parts, (D) reordering the partitioned parts of the regular expression using optimization policies to generate reordered partitioned parts, and (E) configuring nodes of a state machine corresponding to the given regular expression. Once configured, the state machines check for a match between the input string accepted and the regular expression using the configured nodes of the state machine. |
| US08554696B2 |
Efficient computation of ontology affinity matrices
In one embodiment, generating an ontology includes accessing an inverted index comprising a plurality of inverted index lists. An inverted index list may correspond to a term of a language. Each inverted index list may comprise a term identifier of the term and one or more document identifiers indicating one or more documents of a document set in which the term appears. The embodiment also includes generating a term identifier index according to the inverted index. The term identifier index comprises a plurality of sections and each section corresponds to a document. Each section may comprise one or more term identifiers of one or more terms that appear in the document. |
| US08554694B1 |
Computer system and method for community-based shipping
Computer system and method for providing community-based shipping of items may provide mechanisms that allow customers of an network service to participate in a community shipping program that provides customers that are members in a community with free and/or reduced-rate shipping for at least some items ordered via the network service for delivery to a target location (e.g., receiving/distribution site) for the community. The Web site may provide user interface elements that may provide one or more shipping and possibly other options to customers that participate in a community shipping program. Community shipping programs may include commercial shipping programs and locality shipping programs. In a commercial shipping program, a primary subscriber purchases a subscription to a commercial shipping program and shares the subscription with one or more occupants of the commercial property. A locality shipping program may be provided to members of a particular geographic region or locality. |
| US08554690B2 |
Techniques for using media keys
Techniques for processing media data. Techniques are provided for using media keys that have been created for media data. A media key may be used to access media data for which the media key has been created. A media key has information associated with it that may be used to access the media data corresponding to the media key. Various operations may be performed using the accessed media data. |
| US08554685B2 |
Method and system using universal ID and biometrics
A universal ID and biometrics systems and methods are disclosed. A method includes receiving an authentication request message originating from a user. The authentication request message includes a first identifier and a second identifier, where the second identifier includes biometric data. The method further includes determining a third identifier based on the first identifier and sending the second and third identifiers to a first server computer to determine if the second and third identifiers have a predetermined correlation. The method further includes receiving confirmation of user authentication if the identification system determines that the second and third identifiers have the predetermined correlation. |
| US08554683B2 |
Content security for real-time bidding
A real-time-bidding process that includes security mechanisms that limits access to various aspects of the bidding process including communications between bidders, the user browser, and the auctioneer, and the content of bids received and utilized by the user browser. |
| US08554682B2 |
Device verification system and method
A method is disclosed for authenticating a gaming device, wherein the gaming device includes a plurality of components, one of which is a storage device. The method includes: starting up the gaming device; authenticating a data file stored on the storage device, wherein the authenticating comprises: opening and reading a file allocation structure in a storage device using a file allocation reader; processing the file allocation structure using a processor to provide access to files stored in the storage device, wherein the files in the storage device include installed identification data from one or more selected gaming units as to components actually installed on the selected gaming units, and wherein the files also include registered identification data for components supposed to be installed on the selected gaming units, each component including hardware components and software components, and each gaming unit including multiple components with identification data; and examining the installed identification data and registered identification data to determine enablement of the gaming units. |
| US08554679B1 |
Payment system for transactions benefitting charities
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for presenting offers and processing payment transactions. A method includes receiving current location information from a mobile device associated with the user; providing a list of merchants that are in an immediate proximity to the user and receiving a selection of one of the merchants. The method further includes providing to the user for presentation on the mobile device a charge authorization form for the merchant; providing to the user a final authorization form that includes an area for a password that is associated with an account of the user; authorizing the transaction based at least in part on the receipt of the password; and providing a code for presentation on the user device to enable the user to complete the transaction with the merchant. |
| US08554678B2 |
Transaction processing using a global unique identifier
A Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID) is used to match an authorization request with an authorization response for a transaction between a merchant and a consumer upon an account within a payment processing system where the payment amount is unknown until after the merchant receives the authorization response that includes the GUID. After receiving the authorization response and when the payment amount is known, the merchant forms a transmission that has information for delivery to an issuer of the account. This information is sufficient for the issuer to forward the payment amount from the account to pay the merchant for the transaction. While including the GUID and the payment amount, the information does not include an identifier of the account. |
| US08554676B2 |
Purchasing alert methods and apparatus
Systems and techniques for receiving transaction information at an authentication system. The transaction information may be processed using different rule sets, based on the financial instrument used for the transaction (for example, a particular credit card, debit card, bank account, brokerage account, and the like). One or more alerts may be generated and communicated to the user. The alerts may be formatted based on user device configuration information, such as a cell phone type, email type, and the like. |
| US08554674B1 |
Transfer caller into speech make-a-payment transaction
A user calling a payment center has the option of using an automated speech recognition payment system or a human representative to make the payment. If the user selects to make a payment using a human representative, the representative may, at some point, transfer the user into the automated speech recognition payment system. If the user has already been authenticated, he may not need to re-authenticate himself to the system. If the user selects to make a payment the automated system, and then gets transferred to a human representative during the payment process, the representative may, at some point, transfer the user into the automated speech recognition payment system. Again, if the user has already been authenticated either by the system initially or by the representative, he may not need to re-authenticate himself to the system. |
| US08554666B2 |
Total structural risk model
The present invention generally relates to financial data processing, and in particular it relates to credit scoring, consumer profiling, consumer behavior analysis and modeling. More specifically, it relates to risk modeling using the inputs of credit bureau data, size of wallet data, and, optionally, internal data. |
| US08554664B2 |
System and method for selectively displaying market information related to a plurality of tradeable objects
A graphical interface and method are provided for selectively displaying market information corresponding to a plurality of tradeable objects. According to one example method, a scanning feature is provided in relation to a number of tradeable object indicators. Upon detecting a predefined movement of a user input device in relation to the plurality of indicators, a graphical interface dynamically displays market information corresponding to the tradeable objects as a predefined movement of the user input device is detected in relation to the tradeable object indicators. |
| US08554661B2 |
Methods and systems for retrieving data stored in a database
A computer-implemented, transaction-making, municipal bond trading system having a capability to conduct a private electronic auction of bid wanteds between a central brokers' broker and multiple prospective remote bidders and to maintain a reference database of accurate individual bond lot descriptions and identifications, including CUSIP (trademark) numbers. |
| US08554659B2 |
System for trading commodities and the like
A system for trading commodities and the like comprising a computer, a communications link between the computer and the Internet, a database, accessible by the computer, containing a plurality of user files wherein each of the user files contains a plurality of transaction parameters corresponding to one or more indications associated with the user file. The transaction parameters govern the presentation and acceptance of indications associated therewith. The system further includes a database, accessible by the computer, containing a plurality of indications wherein each of the indications contains information corresponding to open bids or offers for commodities, and an indication selection submitted by a user over the communications link. Software executing on the computer receives the indication selection, retrieves an indication corresponding to the indication selection from the indication database, queries a user file in the user database corresponding to the indication to determine transaction parameters associated with the indication, and presents the indication to the user in accordance with any determined transaction parameters. |
| US08554658B2 |
Method and system of trading a standardized contract
A system, method, and corresponding computer program product facilitates trading of a standardized contract. The terms of the contract may be such that it provides a payout from one party to the other based on the price, yield, level or other measure of an asset, basket, index, financial contract, other financial instrument or some economically significant variable observed at or around two specified times, both such times being after the time that the standardized contract is first available for trading. Alternatively, the terms of the contract may be such that it provides that one party has the right but not the obligation either to purchase or to sell some asset at a price which is determined at a first specified time, such right to be exercised at some time not later than the second specified time, both such times being after the time that the standardized contract is first available for trading. These and other related contracts are described. |
| US08554656B2 |
Computerized investor advisement and investment management system
A system and method for evaluating, substituting and optimizing investment asset portfolios based on performance history to facilitate the investment process. An analyzed investment portfolio is compared to a dynamically composed reference portfolio of exchange-traded products whose periodic returns best approximate periodic returns of the analyzed portfolio. Excess periodic returns of the analyzed portfolio over those of the reference portfolio are discounted in time by a risk-adjusted rate, and the resulting normalized measure is used to rate and rank the analyzed portfolios. The analyzed portfolio is substituted with the reference portfolio through a periodic execution of adjustment trades in the latter, so that returns are closely tracked over time. The analyzed portfolio is optimized by using a lag fit of the reference portfolio, which smoothes out suboptimal market timing and macro-based investment decisions of the analyzed portfolio manager. |
| US08554655B2 |
Integration of gift card services for mobile devices and social networking services
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for social networking services integrated with gift card services. In general, a profile of a member of a social networking service may be presented with one or more merchant credit services for prepaid merchant account credit, data characterizing a request to provide a credit service from the merchant credit services and a mobile phone number associated with an intended recipient of the first credit service may be received, and a message may be caused to be sent to the mobile phone number, where the message characterizes provision of the first credit service to the intended recipient. Interest in the credit service may be tracked and associated with a loyalty indicator associated with the member. |
| US08554654B1 |
Apparatus for computing indexing parameters for indexed reversionary annuity
A computer-based apparatus for representing and acting on an indexed reversionary annuity, including a memory unit for at least one specially programmed computer configured to store computer readable instructions and an initial income amount, and a processor for the at least one specially programmed computer configured to execute the computer readable instructions to determine a set of indexing parameters P and generate an updated income amount at an end of a specified indexing term T based in part on performance of at least one index and the set of indexing parameters P. |
| US08554650B1 |
Importable template
An importable electronic template and methods of creating and utilizing the importable template. The template includes an alphanumeric field created by a template creation entity and a response field created by the template creation entity. Data is electronically entered into the response field by a responding entity. The importable electronic template is incorporated into a general purpose electronic template. |
| US08554648B2 |
Information model for property records management
An information model for a party and property records management system includes a legal party role object for maintaining relationships between objects, such as legal party objects and revenue-object objects, within the information model. A legal party object could have several associated objects, such as an identification number object or a legal party communication object. |
| US08554644B1 |
Method and system for managing inventory information using a mobile device
A method for managing inventory information that includes displaying the inventory information in a graphical user interface of a mobile device, and adding an item as part of the inventory information, using the mobile device, where adding the item includes adding descriptive metadata about the item to the inventory information. |
| US08554641B2 |
Merchandising items of topical interest
Various embodiments are described herein that provide one or more of a systems, methods, software, and data structures within an Internet marketplace context that are useful to promote products that may be associated with an event occurrence. Some embodiments further utilize collaborative filtering to augment event-based product recommendations. |
| US08554640B1 |
Content completion recommendations
User content access events pertaining to a content item, such as an eBook, audio, video file, and so on, are collected and analyzed to determine progress data, including completion information about when the content item, or a portion thereof, has been completed. Once determined, further information or recommendations that have some relation to the completed content item may be presented to the user. |
| US08554636B1 |
Method and system for facilitating the transfer of intellectual property
A method and system for facilitating the transfer of intellectual property are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method of facilitating the transfer of intellectual property includes obtaining at a computer system of a first entity information concerning intellectual property in which an interest is available for transfer (the “available intellectual property”) from a second entity. The method further includes transferring the interest in the available intellectual property by concluding an agreement between the first and second entities. The agreement is representative of an acceptance of an offer concerning the transferring of the interest in the available intellectual property and consideration for the transferring of the interest. At least a portion of the interest in the available intellectual property that is transferred to the first entity is intended to be transferred from the first entity to a third entity. |
| US08554633B2 |
System and method to prevent termination of on-line transactions
An apparatus includes a processor configured to initiate an on-line transaction during a transaction session. The apparatus can identify an attempt to terminate the transaction session prior to completion of the on-line transaction. The apparatus can provide a notification in response to the identified attempt. The notification can include an indication of at least one selection made during the transaction session prior to the completion of the on-line transaction. |
| US08554630B2 |
Methods and systems for processing and displaying content
Methods and systems are described for processing and display content. Web page data for a first web page is received from a remote system, wherein the web page is to be displayed on a terminal associated with a user. An automatic identification is performed of a first content in the first web page data. A user-defined profile is accessed. A second content is automatically selected based at least in part on the user profile. The first content is replaced with the second content so that if the first web page is displayed on the terminal associated with the user, the second content is displayed and the first content is not displayed. |
| US08554624B2 |
System and method for advertising and negotiating services for commercial and general aviation
A system and method for advertising and negotiating services for commercial and general aviation are provided. A pilot of an aircraft may enter into a computing device specific information about a desired service the pilot wishes to have available upon arrival at an airport. This information is transmitted to an airport bartering system that barters with fixed based operator (FBO) computing systems at the airport for the desired services. The airport bartering system ranks the latest quotes from the FBOs based on criteria identified by the pilot in the original request. Advertisements for the top ranked FBOs are generated and transmitted to the aircraft computer system. The advertisements are displayed for viewing by the pilot. The pilot selects an advertisement, which generates an order for the desired service. The order is transmitted to the airport bartering system, which forwards the order to the FBO computer system associated with the selected advertisement. |
| US08554623B2 |
Method and apparatus for social network marketing with consumer referral
A service provider facilitates consumption of goods, brands, or services on an interactive network using characterizations of consumers, behavior, brands, consumable goods, advertisers, and advocates to determine a three-way match between a consumable good, a consumer, and an advocate. The matching method determines one or more likely consumers by maximizing the estimated contextual value of personalized advocacy. Further, the service provider captures the value of the personalized advocacy in each match, and distributes that value in the form of various marketing incentives. |
| US08554620B1 |
High volume call advertising system and method
Disclosed is a method and system for providing third party advertisements with the use of a delayed call connection system, comprising an answering system configured to play an advertisement message after answering a call to a business; a plurality of advertisers' messages stored in memory and accessible by said answering system, whereby at least one of the advertisers is not related to the business; and a communication system configured to connect the telephone caller to the business after the plurality of advertisers' messages have been played. |
| US08554619B2 |
Multi-campaign content allocation
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for creating experiment content distribution campaigns (“experiment campaign”) and allocating content in accordance with the experiment campaign. In one aspect, a control campaign or an experiment campaign are selected as an available campaign for providing content in response to receiving a content request. The selection can be a probability constrained selection where the probability with which the experiment campaign is selected is specified as a portion of a total number of requests received during an experiment period for which the experiment campaign is available to provide content. Content is provided in response to the request, where the provided content being content corresponding to the selected campaign. |
| US08554617B2 |
Systems and methods to provide alternative connections for real time communications
Methods and apparatuses to provide options for alternative connections in response to customer requesting for connections to advertisers for real time communications. One embodiment includes: providing an advertisement of a first advertiser for presentation to a customer, the advertisement including a reference to be used to request a connection server to provide a telephonic connection between the first advertiser and the customer; receiving a request made via the reference included in the advertisement for a telephonic connection between the first advertiser and the customer; determining a status of the first advertiser at a time of the request; and presenting an option to make an alternative connection for the customer based on the determined status. |
| US08554616B2 |
Remotely configurable media and advertisement player and methods of manufacture and operation thereof
For use with a computer network, a media and advertisement player, a method of manufacturing the player and a method of playing media and advertisements and reporting the playing of the media and advertisements to a remote system. In one embodiment, the player includes: (1) a media player that receives media from a remote system via the computer network and plays the media in response to customer requests, (2) an advertisement player that receives advertisements and a corresponding advertising schedule from the remote system via the computer network and plays the advertisements according to the advertising schedule and (3) a tracking subsystem that generates as-run logs containing records of a playing of the media and the advertisements and transmits the as-run logs to the remote system via the computer network. |
| US08554612B1 |
Web based domino tournament system with prize incentives
An online domino tournament system with prize incentives, including the steps of surfing the Internet with a computer to identify a website of a desired vendor; identifying a desired product to play for in the website; obtaining relevant information pertaining to the desired vendor and the desired product; logging into a server of an administrator; providing the relevant information to the server; categorizing a player according to the desired product by the administrator; accepting playing category and paying ticket price by the player to proceed, otherwise starting over; playing an online domino tournament and proceeding to end if the player loses, otherwise the player becomes a winner; ordering the desired product from the desired vendor by the administrator on behalf of the winner; sending the desired product to the winner; and paying the vendor. |
| US08554609B1 |
Paperless coupon card
A paperless coupon system and method are provided that facilitate encouraging and rewarding consumer use of coupons, and decreasing the costs associated with coupon distribution and redemption for commercial entities. The system and method involve issuing a machine readable article such as a card, for example, to a user or offeree and registering the card on a website or other communication network to associate the card with an offeree user account, generating and displaying paperless coupons from which the user or offeree can select, and allowing the user to link their selected coupons to their machine readable article and redeem them in an electronic and automatic manner at, and/or after purchase of the related item(s) through their use of the card during the purchase transaction. |
| US08554608B1 |
Driver controlled automated taxi service and devices
An embodiment of the disclosed technology is an in-taxi customer selection system. The selection system is placed in a plurality of taxis in the form of a device which includes a touch-screen display map of a surrounding location of each taxi. An indicator of at least one future rider desiring a taxi is exhibited anonymously on each display map. The indicator exhibits only a location, and thus, lacks destination data or information about the potential rider other than his or her location of pickup. In this manner, all picked up riders are anonymous to the driver and discrimination against the rider is actually less than in the prior art, since the appearance of the rider cannot be judged before the ride is accepted. Sensors within the touch-screen display receive a selection of an indicator on one of the display maps from a driver of one of the taxis using this system. The selected indicator is then removed from all other display maps, if shown on any at the time, and the driver is sent a confirmation of said selection. In this manner, only drivers actively looking for rides see who is looking, and such drivers only see riders who are waiting for a taxi ride. |
| US08554607B2 |
Method and system for securing network-based electronic voting
A method and system for securely voting over a network, such as a global computer network, involves a system which delivers an electronic ballot from a server with the server's private key and a vote serial number on the ballot to an individual terminal connected to the network. The ballot may be filled in and a subset of the filled-in ballot is created with a digital signature created from the individual's secret key on the subset of the ballot corresponding to the ballot choices. The subset of the filled-in ballot together with the individual's electronic signature, and a vote serial number is then delivered to the server. A data element is then created to record a subset of the ballot in a data store at the server, in which the ballot vote information is retained as a vote. |
| US08554606B2 |
System and method for managing sponsorships
A system and method for managing sponsorships by a sponsor, in which the party requesting the sponsorship requests to use content owned and protected by the sponsor, such as trademarks, logos, and copyrighted material. An embodiment of the method involves receiving, at a computer network site, a request for sponsorship from a requestor and responding to the request by sending either an approval or a rejection. If an approval is sent, the method further involves providing the requestor with access to content of the sponsor through the site. As part of providing this access, the method can involve requiring the requestor to accept an agreement posted on the site. The method can also include monitoring the requestor's actual use of the content. |
| US08554605B2 |
Evaluating a worker in performing crowd sourced tasks and providing in-task training through programmatically generated test tasks
Systems and methods for evaluating a worker in performing crowd sourced tasks and providing in-task training are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for selecting a job distributed through a job distribution platform for workers to work on, for use to generate a test task, the job being associated with a known correct result, associating a manipulated result, known to be an incorrect result for the job, with the job to generate the test task, and/or presenting the job with the manipulated result as the test task to a worker for evaluation of work quality of the worker. The job distribution platform crowd sources tasks online to workers to work on via their respective computing devices. |
| US08554604B2 |
Method and apparatus for modeling a business processes
A method of determining the behavioral outcome resulting from a business rule includes the step of defining at least one player, business rules, and an environment that defines actions that the player can take in accordance with the business rules. The definitions are translated into a codified script. The behavioral outcome resulting from player-selected actions during execution of the codified script are determined. |
| US08554599B2 |
Work item rules for a work item tracking system
Work item rules for a work item tracking system are provided. Work item rules may be accessible, usable and subject to interpretation by multiple software entities. Further, work item rules may be configured to be subject to creation and change by users, for example, by exposure to users through a user interface. A work item rule may specify an identifier by which the abstraction can be identified and/or a name, and may specify, or be indicative of, a condition and an action to be taken if the condition is satisfied. In response to a first user action affecting a first work item rule, one or more work item rules corresponding to the first user and/or the first work item may be determined. The one or more work item rules then may be interpreted, and the user action responded to based on the interpretation. |
| US08554598B2 |
Universal shopping center for international operation
An international transaction system for operation over the internet/intranet provides a pre-transactional calculation of all charges involved in any international transaction. Upon the option of the customer, the goods can be viewed on catalogue sheets translated to a language of the customer's choice, and the price provided in a currency selected by the customer. The customer also has the option of initiating the order with automatic credit authorization, generation of an electronic title or commercial invoice and arrangements and payment of shipping charges and any taxes and import/export duties. |
| US08554591B2 |
Electronic commerce system
An electronic commerce system includes a client computer and a server computer interconnected by a public packet switched communications network. The client computer is programmed to transmit to the server computer an order acceptance request that includes a plurality of terms or conditions of a proposed offer for a purchase, including multiple options of at least one of the terms or conditions of the offer. The server computer is programmed to process the order acceptance request based on pre-programmed criteria and, based on the processing of the order acceptance request, to transmit to the client computer an order acceptance response that includes a plurality of amendments to the proposed offer for the purchase, including selection of an option of the at least one of the terms or conditions. The processing of the order acceptance request is performed by a controller module that handles processing of the order acceptance request that is primarily not specific to a particular application of the electronic commerce system to which the order acceptance request pertains, and that initiates a plurality of calls to a plurality of plug-in modules. The server can handle fraud-avoidance processing of the order acceptance request. The server can initiate a call to a database of a virtual warehouse in which merchants store virtual inventories of items, to ensure that a sufficient virtual inventory exists for a purchase. |
| US08554586B2 |
Managing consistent interfaces for business objects across heterogeneous systems
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. In some operations, software creates, updates, or otherwise processes information related to a budget availability control register, a financial accounting view of work order, a funds commitment document, an insurance contract, and/or a project cost estimate business object. |
| US08554585B2 |
Method and system for providing an insurance policy having dormancy features
An insurance policy having a dormancy provision is provided in which the dormancy provision enables a policyholder to activate and deactivate benefits provided under the insurance policy. Also provided is a method for enabling a holder of an insurance policy with a dormancy provision to activate and deactivate benefits of an insurance policy, and includes purchasing an insurance policy having a dormancy provision and a set of associated benefits, paying premiums to maintain the set of benefits in an active state, deactivating the set of benefits; paying dormancy premiums to maintain the set of deactivated benefits in a deactivated state, and reactivating the set of deactivated benefits. |
| US08554584B2 |
Interactive credential system and method
The interactive credential system and method has a database containing employee-employer-applicant surveyed information, industry specific criteria, such as insurance loss history and account performance, an authorization code for authorizing access to the database and a control device, operatively associated with the database, for presenting weighted scores. The system further includes a surveyed party processor operatively associated with the control device, and wherein the surveyed party processor is capable of transmitting the authorization code to view the surveyed information. The system also has a participant processor that is capable of requesting authorization to download the employee-employer-applicant information, including weighted scores computed from the system's algorithms processed from industry specific parameters. |
| US08554582B2 |
Data management apparatus and method thereof
The present invention provides a data management apparatus (i-Win (trademark)) which carries out centralized management of data containing data on each product during the management of product data having different data items to be handled and which has increased maintenance-ability in system and program(s).A data storage part 13 stores transaction data (contract data) including class ID (logic key) and data contents ID (variable). A data definition part 17 records data contents IDs and data contents (clause data) for each clause ID. A data processing means 15 acquires combination data of a data contents ID and data content from the data definition part 17 (definition body) in accordance with a class ID recorded in the data storage part 13 and performs processing which relates to data contents of a predetermined data item (contract condition). In this way, centralized management of plurality of product data having different product features from its clause and prospectus and the like can be carried out. |
| US08554581B2 |
System and methods of providing pharmacy services
System and methods for processing a drug prescription transaction are configured to identify and resolve any issue or problem associated with the transaction during one or more early stages of processing. System and methods of processing the transaction handle prescription and customer data entry, pharmacy inventory check, prescription refill authorization check and/or insurance adjudication review well in advance of production and quality assurance stages by identifying and resolving any issue or problem. Prescription fulfillment is prioritized and estimated prescription pick-up times are predicted based on one or more outcomes of such early stage processing. Customers can be provided with realistic and relatively accurate prescription pick up times that a pharmacy can efficiently and consistently meet as a result of fulfillment prioritization. Further, system and methods for determining a staffing schedule for a workflow process requiring different skill levels during different operation times is provided. |
| US08554575B1 |
System and method for processing flexible spending account transactions
A system and method are provided for processing flexible spending account transactions involving a plurality of pharmacies, a service provider, one or more pharmacy benefits managers (“PBMs”), and individuals having flexible spending accounts (“FSAs”) and stored value cards for debiting their FSAs. The service provider maintains a PBM transaction database; receives from a pharmacy an authorization request at the time of purchase; queries the PBM transaction database for a matching transaction in response to the authorization request; and authorizes payment of the patient responsible balance to be automatically debited against the respective FSA at the time of purchase. |
| US08554571B1 |
Fundraising system, method and device for charitable causes in a social network environment
A charitable organization or cause is verified. Once verified, the cause is selected so that a portion of the proceeds from certain transactions are shared with the cause. Integration of fundraising with a web browser toolbar that features real-time dollar counters, communication opportunities, news feeds/tickers, and user-ranking of an item's popularity further enhances the fundraising's appeal, especially in the context of a social network environment. |
| US08554565B2 |
Speech segment processor
According to one embodiment, a speech synthesizer generates a speech segment sequence and synthesizes speech by connecting speech segments of the generated speech segment sequence. If a speech segment of a synthesized first speech segment sequence is different from the speech segment of a synthesized second speech segment sequence having the same synthesis unit as the first speech segment sequence, the speech synthesizer disables the speech segment of the first speech segment sequence that is different from the speech segment of the second speech segment sequence. |
| US08554564B2 |
Speech end-pointer
A rule-based end-pointer isolates spoken utterances contained within an audio stream from background noise and non-speech transients. The rule-based end-pointer includes a plurality of rules to determine the beginning and/or end of a spoken utterance based on various speech characteristics. The rules may analyze an audio stream or a portion of an audio stream based upon an event, a combination of events, the duration of an event, or a duration relative to an event. The rules may be manually or dynamically customized depending upon factors that may include characteristics of the audio stream itself, an expected response contained within the audio stream, or environmental conditions. |
| US08554562B2 |
Method and system for speaker diarization
A method and system for speaker diarization are provided. Pre-trained acoustic models of individual speaker and/or groups of speakers are obtained. Speech data with multiple speakers is received and divided into frames. For a frame, an acoustic feature vector is determined extended to include log-likelihood ratios of the pre-trained models in relation to a background population model. The extended acoustic feature vector is used in segmentation and clustering algorithms. |
| US08554561B2 |
Efficient indexing of documents with similar content
A computer system comprising one or more processors and memory groups a set of documents into a plurality of clusters. Each cluster includes one or more documents of the set of documents and a respective cluster of documents of the plurality of clusters includes respective cluster data corresponding to a plurality of documents including a first document and a second document. The computer system determines that the second document includes duplicate data that is duplicative of corresponding data in the first document, identifies a respective subset of the respective cluster data that excludes at least a subset of the duplicate data, and generates an index of the respective subset of the respective cluster data. |
| US08554552B2 |
Apparatus and method for restoring voice
An apparatus and a method for restoring voice are provided. The apparatus reduces noise included in a voice signal input to a microphone and outputs a voice signal having reduced noise, detects harmonic frequencies from the voice signal having reduced noise, and restores the voice signal having reduced noise approximate to its original state before being input to the microphone according to detected harmonic frequencies of the voice signal having reduced noise. |
| US08554550B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for context processing using multi resolution analysis
Configurations disclosed herein include systems, methods, and apparatus that may be applied in a voice communications and/or storage application to remove, enhance, and/or replace the existing context. Particularly, certain embodiments contemplate suppressing the context component from the digital audio signal to obtain a context-suppressed signal; generating an audio context signal that is based on a first filter and a first plurality of sequences, each of the first plurality of sequences having a different time resolution and mixing a first signal that is based on the generated audio context signal with a second signal that is based on the context-suppressed signal to obtain a context-enhanced signal, wherein generating an audio context signal includes applying the first filter to each of the first plurality of sequences. |
| US08554546B2 |
Apparatus and method for calculating a fundamental frequency change
A logarithmic frequency spectrum within a predetermined time range is calculated from a speech signal. The logarithmic frequency spectrum has a frequency element at equal intervals along a logarithmic frequency axis. A logarithmic frequency spectrogram is calculated by connecting a plurality of logarithmic frequency spectrums. A value of the frequency element along a straight line on the logarithmic frequency spectrogram is voted onto a Hough plane. The Hough plane has a voted value in correspondence with a gradient of the straight line. The voted value above a threshold and the gradient corresponding to the voted value are extracted from the Hough plane. A fundamental frequency change is calculated using the voted value and the gradient extracted. |
| US08554539B2 |
Method for analyzing morpheme using additional information and morpheme analyzer for executing the method
A method of performing a morpheme analysis by utilizing additional information is provided. The method includes acquiring an analysis target phrase and additional information associated with the target phrase. A term is obtained form the additional information. And the phrase is analyzed to extract a key term or keyword by using the term extracted from the additional data. |
| US08554538B2 |
Generating a unique name for a data element
Operations for generating a unique name for at least one of several data elements include receiving a definition of a data element for which a unique name is to be created. The unique name is to comply with a predefined name format. The definition comprises human-understandable descriptive language. The data element is to identify an information category in an electronic communication. A noun phrase and a verb phrase are identified in the definition, and the unique name is generated using a first noun obtained from the noun phrase and a second noun obtained from the verb phrase. A computer system includes a repository having the data elements stored therein, and a name generating module that receives at least one of the definitions that is associated with one of the data elements and generates a unique name for the data element. |
| US08554536B2 |
Information operations support system, method, and computer program product
A system, method and computer program product are provided for creation of a network training environment that simulates a large network as a training target and using simulation and virtual network technologies together with actual network resources to teach computer network exploitation and computer network attack techniques in training exercises for persons responsible for safeguarding networks and for probing and attacking others' networks. The system, method, and computer program product further support integration of real hosts for more realistic exercises. |
| US08554534B2 |
Virtualized policy tester
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to testing policy changes associated with a production network. A virtual network that represents at least a portion of the production network can be generated. A first transaction log based on a first execution of the virtual network using test traffic and a first set of policies that are implemented in the production network can be obtained. A second transaction log based on a second execution of the virtual network using the test traffic and a second set of policies to be implemented in the production network can be obtained. Based on a comparison of the first and second transaction logs, it can be determined whether the second set of policies has a desired effect in the virtual network. |
| US08554526B2 |
System and method for physics interactions in a simulation
Systems and methods are provided to implement a technique for managing physics interactions in a computer simulation, such as the interactions of objects in an online computer game. Objects in the simulation are or can become physics objects that then behave according to the rules of the physics simulator in operation. Different implementations can use different rules for how items become physics objects and for what rules are used to manage physics objects. Since physics object interactions are determined on the basis of their physical properties rather than adherence to predefined interactions, the resulting interactions are emergent and not scripted. |
| US08554522B2 |
Detection of design redundancy
Augmented-domain simulation, such as ternary-based simulation may be utilized to approximate a reachability analysis of a model being model checked. The approximated reachability analysis may be utilized to detect design redundancies and modify the model to remove such redundancies. Design redundancies may include unobservable variables, mergeable variables and utilization of surplus domains. |
| US08554513B2 |
Method of testing and proving fuel efficiency improvements
A method of testing and proving fuel efficiency improvements includes installing a telematic device in each of a first plurality of vehicles and a second plurality of vehicles. The telematic devices collect baseline fuel consumption data during a first time period and collect test fuel consumption data during a second time period. Between the first and second time periods, at least one operating parameter of the second plurality of vehicles is modified such that the baseline fuel consumption data and the test fuel consumption data can be analyzed to determine any fuel efficiency improvements caused by the modified operating parameter. To ensure reliable and statistically-significant results, each plurality of vehicles may include 15 vehicles and each time period may include 60 days. |
| US08554511B2 |
Apparatus, method and program for vehicle mass estimation
An apparatus, method and program for estimating the mass of a vehicle uses periodically detected tire rotation speed information of the vehicle wheels, calculated tire rotation acceleration information, calculated driving force of the vehicle, and estimated mass of the vehicle as a regression coefficient when the rotation acceleration information and the driving force information are subjected to linear regression. With regard to an error in calculated driving force information, a ratio is calculated between the dispersion of the error obtained one time before and an error at the current moment, and an update adjustment parameter is calculated by adding a stabilization parameter to thus obtained ratio. The calculated update adjustment parameter is used to calculate a Kalman gain so that the mass is sequentially estimated so as to reduce an update width of the regression coefficient when the error ratio is higher. |
| US08554509B2 |
System and method for measuring the linear and rotational acceleration of a body part
A system and method for determining the magnitude of linear and rotational acceleration of and direction of impact to a body part. In one version, protective sports equipment is worn by a player engaged in a sporting activity. The equipment includes a padding assembly that resides against the player during the sporting activity; a band removably positioned within the padding assembly, the band including a control unit having a plurality of sensing devices, a processor and a wireless transmitter that collectively interact to transmit data detected by the sensing devices, the control unit further having an encoder that encodes data from the sensing devices with a unique identifier prior to transmission. |
| US08554508B2 |
Method and apparatus for inspecting internal pressure of can of canned goods
In order to judge the acceptability of internal pressure of a can accurately based on the displacement of the can, a pair of displacement sensors (2, 3) facing each other coaxially are arranged perpendicularly to the carrying direction of a carton case (C) such that the center of an encased can (K) being carried matches the center of the pair of displacement sensors (2, 3), measurement data of the displacement sensors (2, 3) is taken in at the timing that the center of the can (K) passes through the center of the pair of displacement sensors (2, 3), a total depth (Ds=Dt+Db) of a top depth (Dt) from the upper end of the can (K) to the open tab and a bottom depth (Db) from the lower end of the can (K) to the bottom panel is calculated, and then the calculation result is applied to a criterion for judging the acceptability of the total depth corresponding to the internal pressure of acceptable can. |
| US08554507B2 |
Combinatorial process optimization methodology and system
A method for obtaining an optimized process solution from a set of design of experiments in a cost effective manner is provided. An actual experiment is performed and data from the experiments is obtained. Through statistical analysis of the data, coefficients are obtained. These coefficients are input into an experiment simulator where input parameters and conditions are combined with the coefficients to predict an output for the input parameters and conditions. From simulated results, conclusions can be drawn as to sets of input parameters and conditions providing desired results. Thereafter, physical experiments utilizing the input parameters and conditions may be performed to verify the simulated results. |
| US08554504B2 |
Positioning apparatus, positioning method and storage medium for positioning of pedestrian by autonomous navigation
Disclosed is a positioning apparatus including: an autonomous navigation sensor which is held by a pedestrian and which outputs periodic oscillation and direction information; a step length data storage section which stores step length data; a movement distance calculating section which calculates movement distance; a traveling direction calculating section which calculates a traveling direction; and a movement direction calculating section which calculates a movement direction for each step, wherein the movement distance calculating section includes a taken step angle calculating section which calculates a taken step angle from the movement direction for each step with respect to the traveling direction; and the movement distance calculating section corrects a value of the step length data so that the step length is larger as the taken step angle becomes larger to calculate a movement distance for each step. |
| US08554503B2 |
Method for calibrating a thickness gauge
A method for calibration of a thickness gauge is provided in which the thickness gauge measures the thickness of a measured object in a stipulated measurement direction with at least one displacement sensor, operating contactless or by scanning, a reference object with known thickness and shape being brought into at least one partial area of the measurement field of the at least one displacement sensor. |
| US08554501B2 |
Method and device for the non-intrusive determination of the electrical power consumed by an installation, by analysing load transients
A method and device for the non-intrusive determination of the electrical power consumed by a subscriber installation. From the sampled values of the supply current and supply voltage that are delivered to the installation, constituting a consumption signal, the sampled values are grouped in successive observation time windows; the poles and residues of the consumption signal are discriminated in each current window using the pencil method, the set of poles and residues associated with at least one singular value representing a combination of signatures of separate electrical loads; at least the active power consumed by a subset of electrical loads in operation is calculated, over at least the duration of the current observation window, the sum of the active powers consumed by each electrical load satisfying a consumed power function linking these poles and residues. |
| US08554499B2 |
Methods, device and installation for locating a defect in an electric link
A method for detecting a defect in an electric link, which transmits, at a first moment, an electric signal having a predetermined propagation speed from an end of the electric link, and detects, at a second moment, reception of an echo of the electric signal. The method further establishes a model of the variation of the electric signal propagation speed in the electric link on the basis of the length of the link through which the signal flows, and estimates a first location of the defect based on the difference between the first and second moments, on the predetermined propagation speed at the start, and on the speed variation model in the link. |
| US08554497B2 |
Fire hose testing apparatus and method
A method for testing a plurality of fire hoses having respective service test pressures and the test apparatus therefor wherein each hose is required to maintain a test pressure for a specified duration to pass the test. The test pressure is proportional to the service test pressure. Each hose is coupled to a respective hose fitting of a respective branch test conduit. Each branch test conduit includes an isolation valve, a pressure transducer, and a hose fitting downstream of the isolation valve. A variable frequency-variable speed controls a motor which drives a positive displacement water pump supplying water to and pressurizing a water header conduit and a plurality of branch test conduits interconnected therewith. An algorithm applied to the error signal for a respective hose line generates a pump speed command limited by the controller to regulate the rate of increase of pump output pressure. |
| US08554495B2 |
Head impact analysis and comparison system
Systems and methods for head impact injury prediction. A computer implemented method is provided for event based injury predictions. The computer implemented method receives an indication of sensor data related to an impact of a user. The received sensor data is compared to previously stored sensor data in a data store. Each instance of the previously stored sensor data is associated with a medical diagnosis. If the received sensor data matches any of the previously stored sensor data based on the comparison, then an injury risk indicator is generated based on at least one of the medical diagnosis associated with the matching previously stored sensor data or an impact history of the user. The generated indicator is presented. |
| US08554490B2 |
Automatic vascular model generation based on fluid-structure interactions (FSI)
A computer system and method are disclosed for automatically generating a vascular model of a blood vessel to support, for example, identification of mechanical factors corresponding to the blood vessel. The method includes interpolating data points corresponding to a contour of the blood vessel; generating a structural model representing three-dimensional structural characteristics of the blood vessel based on interpolated contours; generating a fluid model representing three-dimensional characteristics of fluid flow within the vessel; and generating a vascular model based on the structural model and the fluid model. The method may also include performing a mechanical analysis of the vascular model to identify a mechanical factor associated with the vessel, for example, a factor associated with a potential plaque rupture within the vessel. Embodiments of the invention are applicable to the diagnosis, assessment, or treatment of cardiovascular diseases. |
| US08554488B2 |
Determining a probabilistic diagnosis of autism by analysis of genomic copy number variations
The present invention provides methods and compositions related to genomic profiling, and in particular, to assigning probabilistic measure of clinical outcome for a patient having a disease or a tumor using segmented genomic profiles such as those produced by representational oligonucleotide microarray analysis (ROMA). |
| US08554486B2 |
Method, computer program product, and apparatus for selective memory restoration of a simulation
The present invention is directed to a method, apparatus, and computer program product for performing selective memory restoration of a simulation based on an indexing scheme. The present invention executes a block diagram model of a biological process to generate simulations results using a simulation engine. An indexing scheme is used for registering memory locations used by a simulation context for a subsystem in the block diagram model. Experimental data is gathered from an in situ experimental device. A simulation environment is used to compare expected simulation results with experimental data. The block diagram model is then updated based on the results of the comparison to create a modified block diagram model, which is then used to selectively restore the simulation to a steady-state. |
| US08554483B2 |
Methods and apparatus to process measurements associated with drilling operations
Methods and apparatus to process measurements associated with drilling operations are described. An example method of modifying processing results during a subterranean formation drilling operation includes identifying a plurality of parameters and processing measurements associated with the subterranean formation obtained while drilling and the plurality of parameters to generate first results. Additionally, the example method includes processing measurements associated with the subterranean formation obtained while drilling is temporarily suspended and the plurality of parameters to generate second results and comparing the first and second results. Further, the example method includes, in response to the comparison of the first and second results, modifying the first results based on the second results to improve a quality of the first results. |
| US08554482B2 |
Monitoring reservoirs using array based controlled source electromagnetic methods
Electrical property contrast difference maps of the subsurface formations may be produced using surface and/or near surface array of transmitters and receivers tuned to emit and receive electromagnetic (EM) signals. The electrical property may be resistivity or conductivity. The maps may be time based. A time based trend change may be used to predict the location and movement of fluids within the hydrocarbon bearing or any other subsurface zones where resistivity and/or conductivity values of the fluids within these zones change over time. |
| US08554479B2 |
Navigation system and method for supporting destination input in a navigation system
A possibility for simplifying the inputting of the destination in a motor vehicle navigation system by providing the user with useful additional items of information for the specification of ambiguous destination indications. Such a navigation system includes means for destination input, a navigation module for route planning, and means for displaying information, in particular indications of location, additional items of information concerning the indications of location, and route information, the means for destination input supporting a hierarchical, interactive inputting of the destination, by providing the user, in the case of ambiguous textual destination indications, with a choice of destination alternatives, including additional items of specifying information, until an unambiguous destination indication is made. The textual destination indications are stored together with corresponding geographic coordinates. The geographic coordinates are used for the determination of the additional items of information for the specification of destination alternatives. |
| US08554478B2 |
Correlation position determination
Methods and apparatus for navigating with the use of correlation within a select area are provided. One method includes, storing data required to reconstruct ranges and associated angles to objects along with statistical accuracy information while initially traversing throughout the select area. Measuring then current ranges and associated angles to the objects during a subsequent traversal throughout the select area. Correlating the then current ranges and associated angles to the objects to reconstructed ranges and associated angles to the objects from the stored data. Determining at least one of then current location and heading estimates within the select area based at least in part on the correlation and using the least one of the then current location and heading estimates for navigation. |
| US08554477B2 |
Meeting notification and modification service
Techniques are described for providing a meeting notification and automatic modification service. A system may be configured to identify an appointment in a calendar application, identify a geographic location of the appointment, and identify, before the appointment time, a geographic location of a first participant of the appointment. Based on the geographic information, the system may identify a route extending from the geographic location of the first participant to the geographic location of the appointment, and may identify a travel time associated with the route. Based on the travel time and the appointment time, the system may determine whether the first participant is estimated to arrive at the appointment on time and, based on the determination, the system may send a message to participants of the appointment or dynamically reschedule the appointment. |
| US08554470B2 |
Communication system and movable terminal
A movable terminal stores previously a travel time schedule in a regular travel state of a public transportation. The movable terminal executes a route retrieval from candidates containing route sections traveled by using the public transportation and route sections traveled by using different transportation (i.e., foot, vehicle) other than the public transportation. As a result of the route retrieval, when it is determined that the route using the public transportation is more suitable, a request for a multi-modal retrieval based on actual present travel state of the public transportation is transmitted to a center. A center route received thereafter from the center is recorded as a guidance route used for executing route guidance. |
| US08554467B2 |
Travel time determination
The present invention relates to travel time determination, for example, determining a predicted travel time between locations based on historical data. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a method for determining a predicted amount of time required to travel from one location to another that includes dividing a region into multiple grid portions and designating each grid portion that contains at least one address of interest as a departure grid, a destination grid, or both. The method can further include generating a searchable data arrangement that includes travel times associated with traveling from selected departure grids to selected destination grids, and updating the travel times using historical data. |
| US08554465B2 |
Device and method for the supported parking of a vehicle
A device for the supported parking of a vehicle in a parking space is disclosed. The device includes at least one sensor device allowing the detection of at least one object at a near range from the vehicle. The device is implemented for numerically determining the presence of at least one object at a far range from the vehicle, such that the numerical determining of the object in the far range takes place on the basis of the object detected in the near range. |
| US08554464B2 |
Navigation using portable reading machine
Navigation techniques including map based and object recognition based and especially adapted for use in a portable reading machine are described. |
| US08554462B2 |
Unmanned aerial vehicle and method for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle
In a method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a digital image is obtained by an image capturing device of the UAV. The method detects an object in the digital image, determines a distance between the detected object and the UAV, and obtains a flight direction of the UAV if the distance is less than a preset value. The method further calculates a relative position and a relative angle between the detected object and the UAV, determines a flight limiting range of the UAV according to the relative position and the relative angle, and controls the flight direction of the UAV according to the flight limiting range. |
| US08554461B2 |
System and method for pre-deploying restraints countermeasures using pre-crash sensing and post-crash sensing
A system and method for deploying a restraint system in a vehicle that is in a pre-collision state with an object is provided. The system includes a pre-crash sensing system and a controller. The pre-crash sensing system is adapted to transmit pre-crash signals. The controller is configured to determine a closing velocity between the vehicle and the object. The controller is further configured to determine a predicted collision time based on the closing velocity and deploy the restraint system at a predetermined deployment time prior to the predicted collision time in response to the pre-crash signals. |
| US08554445B2 |
Method and system for controlling fuel usage
Methods and systems are provided for improving fuel usage while addressing knock by adjusting the use of spark retard and direct injection of a knock control fluid based on engine operating conditions and the composition of the injected fluid. One or more engine parameters, such as EGR, VCT, boost, throttle position, and CMCV, are coordinated with the direct injection to reduce torque and EGR transients. |
| US08554441B1 |
Phasing of traction control based on vehicle speed and road slope
A traction control system and methodology that utilize a phase-out and phase-in of maximum drive torque and/or a regenerative brake torque based on vehicle speed and road slope. |
| US08554440B1 |
Electronic traction control
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for performing vehicle traction control. Time intervals between points of rotation of a rotating vehicle output shaft are measured. Indicators of shaft rotation rate are generated using, for each generated indicator, a set of one or more of the time intervals. The generated indicators of shaft rotation rate are used to determine a value indicative of a rate of change of shaft rotation rate. An indicator of a maximum allowable output shaft rotation rate is computed. A current indicator of output shaft rotation rate is determined to exceed the maximum allowable output shaft rotation rate. In response to determining that the current indicator exceeds the maximum allowable output shaft rotation rate, a signal to trigger application of a traction control mechanism is output. |
| US08554439B2 |
Slip suppression control for a motorcycle with an on/off input device
A slip suppression control system for a vehicle, includes a controller configured to execute traction control for reducing a driving power of a drive wheel when a predetermined start condition is satisfied, and an ON/OFF input device which is configured to switch between a permission state in which the traction control is enabled and an inhibiting state in which the traction control is disenabled. The controller is configured to restrict switching from the permission state to the inhibiting state, in response to a command for switching from the permission state to the inhibiting state which is input to the ON/OFF input device, when a first condition including a condition that the traction control is being executed is satisfied. |
| US08554438B2 |
Vehicular lane departure prevention control apparatus
A vehicular lane departure prevention control apparatus calculates first and second departure amounts based on lane line position information and obstacle position information, sets braking forces for lane departure prevention control based thereon, and outputs the braking forces to a brake control unit, the braking forces for generating a yaw moment and a deceleration to a subject vehicle and preventing the vehicle from departing with respect to the lane line and obstacle, while setting a departure level for target pump motor rotation speed setting based on a vehicle speed, a difference of the steering wheel angle from a crossing angle and the first departure amount, setting a target rotation speed for a pump motor of a hydraulic unit in a brake control unit based thereon, and then outputting the target rotation speed to the brake control unit so as to variably control the rotation speed of the pump motor. |
| US08554437B2 |
Electronic passcode key for varying operational parameters of a vehicle
An electronic passkey system enables modification of operating profiles of a vehicle. When the passkey is connected to the vehicle controller, the system determines if the passkey has been used previously. If so, the operating profile cannot be modified. If not, the vehicle profile can be modified. In other configurations the passkey can be used to modify the operating profile of multiple vehicles. |
| US08554435B2 |
Control device for controlling drive force that operates on vehicle
A control device for controlling a drive force that operates on a vehicle includes a first controller for controlling the drive force, and a second controller for sending to the first controller a limit of the drive force. The second controller has an input unit for inputting the drive force outputted from the first control means, and a calculation unit for computing in a first mode a limiting drive force for limiting the drive force. In a case that a first difference between the drive force and the limiting drive force is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the calculation unit calculates the limiting drive force in a second mode instead of the first mode so that the first difference is limited from becoming greater. |
| US08554430B2 |
Method for anticipating downshifting and for monitoring an automatic transmission
A method for anticipating downshifting upon uphill driving on a vehicle including an automatic transmission and including change laws imposing a change to a lower gear based on pre-established downshifting curves. The method imposes a change to the lower gear to the transmission independently from the gear set point established by the change laws when the acceleration that can be reached at the maximum torque on the current gear is lower than an acceleration threshold necessary for maintaining the vehicle speed. |
| US08554429B2 |
Control system in a vehicle
A control system in a vehicle in which at least one pair of driving power transmission members are engaged with each other with a slack on a driving power transmission path, comprises an input shaft rotational speed detector for detecting a rotational speed of an input shaft located upstream of engaged portions of the driving power transmission members in a direction in which the driving power is transmitted, a determiner for determining whether or not the driving power transmission members are in a non-contact state at the engaged portions for a period of time based on a change rate of the detected input shaft rotational speed, and a controller for controlling the vehicle to reduce a rotational speed difference between the input shaft and an output shaft located downstream of the engaged portions, when the determiner determines that the driving power transmission members are in the non-contact state. |
| US08554424B2 |
Forage harvester with a chopping mechanism and a reworking device located downstream from the chopping mechanism
A forage harvester is provided with a chopping arrangement and a reworking device downstream from the chopping arrangement. The reworking device having two rolls between which the harvested crop chopped by the chopping mechanism can be passed through and whose spacing and/or compressive force is adjustable by a unit that is actuated by an external force and is connected with a control device. The control device is acted upon by information with regard to the cut length of the chopping arrangement and directs the unit as a function of the cut length. |
| US08554419B2 |
Control of a vehicle powertrain in response to brake pedal input
In the event that the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are depressed simultaneously, powertrain output is decreased monotonically with brake pedal input. In a lower range of brake pedal input, the brakes are prevented from actuating or are allowed to actuate minimally. In a higher range of pedal input, the powertrain output continues to be decreased and the brakes are allowed to actuate. In yet another higher range of pedal input, the powertrain output is substantially decreased such that a minimal powertrain output is achieved. The powertrain may include an internal combustion engine and/or an electric motor. The brake pedal input is determined based on a sensor associated with the brake pedal, the brake booster, or the master cylinder. |
| US08554418B2 |
Electric power steering apparatus and control method for current thereof
An electric power steering apparatus includes a temperature sensor measuring a temperature at a starting of a vehicle, a motor position sensor detecting a relative steering angle of a motor, a cumulative transfer calculation unit calculating a cumulative transfer quantity of a rack bar by information detected in the motor position sensor, a counter calculating an elapsed time from a starting time of the vehicle, a friction coefficient determination unit determining a friction coefficient according to information inputted from the temperature sensor, the cumulative transfer quantity calculation unit, and the counter, respectively, by using a setting map of a friction coefficient, and a target current calculation unit calculating a compensation quantity for a friction by using the friction coefficient determined in the friction coefficient determination unit and determining a target current. |
| US08554417B2 |
Narrow-frequency-band feedback control of steering pinion torque in an electric power steering system
A narrow band feedback control system is provided to mitigate a disturbance within a predetermined bandwidth that is received by an electric power steering (EPS) system within a vehicle. A torque sensor calculates a torque value associated with the disturbance applied to the EPS system, the torque sensor outputs a torque signal related to the torque value. A filter receives the torque signal, filters the torque signal to the bandwidth associated with the external disturbance, and outputs a filtered torque signal. An amplifier receives the filtered torque signal, adjusts the gain of the filtered torque signal, and outputs a filtered, amplified torque signal. A logic module receives the filtered, amplified torque signal, generates a counter torque signal that is an inverse of the filtered, amplified torque signal and outputs the counter torque signal to the EPS system to mitigate the torque received from the external source. |
| US08554414B2 |
Rollover suppression control apparatus and rollover suppression control method
A rollover suppression control apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes a rollover state value detection unit which detects a rollover state value indicating that a vehicle is under rollover tendency, a braking force applying unit which performs a rollover suppression control of applying braking force to a wheel of the vehicle to suppress the rollover thereof when the detected rollover state value is greater than the control threshold value, a understeer state detection unit which detects whether a traveling state of the vehicle is a understeer state or a non-understeer state, and a setting unit which sets a first control threshold value as the control threshold value when the traveling state is detected as the non-understeer state, and which sets a second control threshold value greater than the first control threshold value as the control threshold value when the traveling state is detected as the understeer state. |
| US08554412B2 |
Electric power steering apparatus, control method thereof and program
Provided are: an electric motor that applies steering assist force to a steering wheel; a target current determination unit 25 that calculates a target current to be supplied to the electric motor on the basis of steering torque of the steering wheel; and a correction unit 27 that, when a rotation speed of the electric motor is less than a predetermined rotation speed, corrects the target current calculated by the target current determination unit 25 to be reduced on the basis of an actual current supplied to the electric motor and a time during which the actual current is supplied. Thereby a technique is provided to suppress a failure of the electric motor due to an excessive current flowing through the electric motor with higher accuracy. |
| US08554410B2 |
Route guidance assistance by moment support at the steering wheel
A device and a method for route guidance assistance in a vehicle that is connected to a navigation system. In order to make it easier for the driver to follow a route calculated by a navigation system, an assisting device is provided for route guidance. The assisting device includes a control unit for generating a control signal for haptic feedback to the driver of the vehicle. As haptic feedback, the control unit can output an additional moment on the steering system of the vehicle, for example, the additional moment being negative when the vehicle departs from the travel route while being positive when the vehicle follows the calculated direction of the navigation route. |
| US08554407B2 |
Bypass valve and coolant flow controls for optimum temperatures in waste heat recovery systems
Implementing an optimized waste heat recovery system includes calculating a temperature and a rate of change in temperature of a heat exchanger of a waste heat recovery system, and predicting a temperature and a rate of change in temperature of a material flowing through a channel of the waste heat recovery system. Upon determining the rate of change in the temperature of the material is predicted to be higher than the rate of change in the temperature of the heat exchanger, the optimized waste heat recovery system calculates a valve position and timing for the channel that is configurable for achieving a rate of material flow that is determined to produce and maintain a defined threshold temperature of the heat exchanger, and actuates the valve according to the calculated valve position and calculated timing. |
| US08554395B2 |
Method and system for facilitating autonomous landing of aerial vehicles on a surface
A system for facilitating autonomous landing of aerial vehicles on a surface. A beam emitter is directed downwards. A control module is configured to govern the vehicle. A processor processes image data. The beam emitter is arranged to emit simultaneously at least four beams directed towards the surface in order to project a pattern thereon. One beam emitter of the at least four beam emitters is placed in the center. An image capturing module captures subsequent images of the pattern. |
| US08554390B2 |
Free cooling solution for a containerized data center
A heat exchanger system having an IT container having an inner chamber containing the media from which heat is to be pulled, and further having an outer surface to which is attached corrugated columns of thermally conducting material, cooling water pipes through the corrugated columns supplied with cooling water, at least the outer surface of the container and the corrugated columns is composed of metal and the outer surface of the container is separated from the inner surface by insulator material. It also contains a temperature monitor and controller for controlling the cooling system based upon the environment temperature to save energy. |
| US08554388B2 |
Power intervening and management panel, system and method for a power control panel
A power intervening and management panel has a low voltage power supply electrically coupled to a low voltage circuit, a power module array having a plurality of power contactor modules where each has a power contactor with a power load input and a power load output switchable between a closed and an open position and a low voltage switch operably connected thereto for switching between the closed and the open position, a low voltage signal relay module for transmitting a low voltage output signal to one of a direct digital controller and a digital timer, and an enclosure containing the low voltage power supply, the power module array and the low voltage signal relay module. |
| US08554386B2 |
System and method for self-powered communications networks
Techniques for providing localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure are disclosed. A transportable system for providing localized power infrastructure and data infrastructure can include: a data network service engine configured to function as a local data network service provider; a power generation engine configured to function as a local power service provider that generates and distributes power locally; a deployment engine configured to assist in deploying one or more components of the transportable system; and a maintenance engine configured to maintain operation and security of the transportable system. In some embodiments, multiple transportable systems can be deployed and then centrally monitored or controlled as a single, utility system and/or a single data delivery infrastructure. |
| US08554385B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling electrical system stability
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for monitoring and controlling an electric power delivery system to mitigate against voltage instability. According to various embodiments, one or more stability thresholds may be compared to one or more stability estimates. Stability estimates may be generated based on electrical conditions in an electric power delivery system. Upon the occurrence of the contingency, one or more control actions specified by a contingency index may be executed in order to mitigate against voltage instability. A plurality of stability estimates may be generated, each of which may be compared to a respective stability threshold. According to various embodiments, stability estimates and stability thresholds may be based on a reactive power to voltage margin, an incremental reactive power cost, an incremental load cost, and a power import margin. |
| US08554381B2 |
Method and system for monitoring and analyzing energy consumption in operated chemical plants
A computer-implemented method for monitoring and analyzing energy consumption of a chemical plant in operation. Plant type specific theoretical energy consumption optimum value based on a corresponding modeled plant are determined, parameters contributing to increased energy consumption are identified and grouped. Energy consumption of a plant is periodically graphed starting from the theoretical energy consumption optimum value and getting up as an energy cascade to a current energy consumption, by adding the provided, partly retrieved single energy consumption rates of the respective parameters in groups such that the resulting energy cascade allows to monitor at least a part of the individual parameters and to automatically compare the current energy consumption of the at least one plant with an energy consumption of another plant and/or with a previous energy consumption of the at least one plant with respect to the individual parameters. Furthermore, an appropriate system is provided. |
| US08554373B2 |
Preparation and use of alkylating agents
The present disclosure provides methods of synthesizing alkylating agents and methods of use. |
| US08554370B2 |
Machine learning approach for predicting humanoid robot fall
A system and method is disclosed for predicting a fall of a robot having at least two legs. A learned representation, such as a decision list, generated by a supervised learning algorithm is received. This learned representation may have been generated based on trajectories of a simulated robot when various forces are applied to the simulated robot. The learned representation takes as inputs a plurality of features of the robot and outputs a classification indicating whether the current state of the robot is balanced or falling. A plurality of features of the current state of the robot, such as the height of the center of mass of the robot, are determined based on current values of a joint angle or joint velocity of the robot. The current state of the robot is classified as being either balanced or falling by evaluating the learned representation with the plurality of features of the current state of the robot. |
| US08554366B2 |
Legged mobile robot and method of controlling the same
When a swinging leg (e.g., the leg link LR) lands on road surface, a control unit 14 included in a robot 100 controls an actuator 15 driving an ankle joint 122 to make the ankle joint 122 in a leg link LR soft and changes a real angle of the ankle joint 122 according to road profile, not to follow a prespecified trajectory of target angle. Further, after the leg link LR lands, the control unit 14 corrects the trajectory of the target angle of the ankle joint 122 to cancel out a difference between the real angle of the ankle joint 122 and the target angle. Moreover, the control unit 14 controls the actuator 15 to make the ankle joint 122 hard, so that the real angle of the ankle joint 122 of the leg link LR, a supporting leg, follows the corrected trajectory of the target angle. |
| US08554358B2 |
Device for storing substrates
The invention relates to a device for storing platelike substrates, particularly wafers or test wafers, like those, in particular, used for manufacturing electronic components. The aim of the invention is to make a reliable access to the substrates possible even when storage elements, which can be separated from one another, of the device are affected by manufacturing mistakes. For such a device that, for each substrate, has a number of storage elements, which follow one another in a direction of stacking and which can move relative to one another, in which the storage elements have a stacking area, which is provided for placing the respective storage element inside a stack of storage elements, compensating means are therefore provided in order to compensate for stacking errors in the direction of stacking. |
| US08554354B1 |
Method for adaptive guiding of webs
A method of adaptive guiding of a web on a roller is disclosed. The method includes computing an output of a reference model, reading an output of a sensor that indicates a web position, determining a difference between the output of the reference model and the output of the sensor, and updating a set off controller parameters for the roller based on the difference. |
| US08554346B2 |
Method of displaying product and service performance data
An entertaining and informative method of displaying competitive product performance data is disclosed. The various embodiments include a method for displaying product performance data by use of animated contests between animated representatives of competing products. The contest results are relative to selected product test results. The relationship between the test results and the contest results is a mathematical approximation. Thus, a gross disparity in the displayed animated contest is indicative of a gross disparity in the performance of the products on the test. Likewise, a closely fought contest in the displayed animated contest is indicative of close performance of the products on the test. |
| US08554339B2 |
Anchor assembly for use in occipital nerve stimulation
A system that includes an anchor assembly, the anchor assembly including: at least one anchoring structure configured to be anchored in a head of a patient; and at least one lead anchoring structure; and b. at least one lead, the at least one lead including a lead body extending from a distal end to a proximal end; at least one electrode located on or in the distal end of the lead body; and at least one lead anchor located on or in the lead body proximal to the electrode, wherein the at least one lead anchor of the lead and the lead anchoring structure are configured to cooperate to secure the at least one lead to the anchor assembly. |
| US08554335B2 |
Method and apparatus for disconnecting the tip electrode during MRI
A medical device includes a pulse generator, a lead, and an electrode. The lead includes an electrode and a lead conductor connecting the pulse generator with the electrode via first and second conductive paths. The medical device includes first and second switches. The first switch is disposed along the first conductive path and includes an open state in the presence of a magnetic field and a closed state in the absence of the magnetic field. The second switch is disposed along the second conductive path and includes an open state when a voltage applied across the second switch is at or below a threshold voltage and a closed state when the voltage applied across the second switch exceeds a threshold voltage. |
| US08554332B2 |
Method and apparatus for integrating implantable medical device data
Methods and systems for constructing a comprehensive history for an IMD are disclosed. The method includes interrogating an implantable medical device (IMD) with an interrogating external programmer device (EPD), and comparing a unique signature associated with the interrogating EPD to a stored signature, associated with a particular programmer device that most immediately previously programmed the IMD, in memory of the IMD. If the unique signature of the interrogating programmer device is not the same as the stored signature, the method includes recording the stored signature in the interrogating EPD. The method may optionally include replacing the stored signature in the IMD memory with the unique signature of the interrogating EPD if the interrogating EPD programs the IMD. A comprehensive history for the IMD may be constructed by tracing the values in the IMD and the programmer databases. |
| US08554330B2 |
Cochlear implants
The invention relates to a method of generating a place-frequency map for accurate positioning of a cochlear implant whereby the place-frequency map is used to relate a physical position of the cochlear implant to a tonotopic map of the basilar membrane/spiral ganglion. The invention also relates to a method of electrically positioning of an already inserted cochlear implant within the cochlea to provide stimuli to only the parts of the cochlea that have reduced or no residual hearing. |
| US08554329B1 |
Percutaneous cochlear implant systems and methods
A percutaneous cochlear implant system includes a cochlear stimulator configured to be coupled to an electrode lead, the electrode lead comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to be in communication with a plurality of stimulation sites within a cochlear region of a patient, a sound processor communicatively coupled to the cochlear stimulator and configured to control the cochlear stimulator to generate and apply electrical stimuli representative of an audio signal to at least one of the stimulation sites via at least one of the electrodes, a power source configured to provide power to at least one of the cochlear stimulator and the sound processor, and a percutaneous port configured to be percutaneously implanted within a head of the patient. The percutaneous port may be configured to house at least one of the power source, sound processor, and cochlear stimulator. Additionally or alternatively, the percutaneous port is configured to facilitate programming, recharging of a rechargeable power source (e.g., implanted battery), control of, and/or access to at least one of the power source, sound processor, and cochlear stimulator. |
| US08554321B2 |
Identifying heart failure patients suitable for resynchronization therapy using QRS complex width from an intracardiac electrogram
Methods and systems are disclosed for determining whether a patient is a responder to cardiac resynchronization therapy. The beginning and ending of the intrinsic ventricular depolarization are determined through signals measured from one or more electrodes implanted in the patient's heart. An interval between the beginning and ending of the intrinsic ventricular depolarization is computed and is compared to a threshold. The threshold may be determined empirically. The pacing parameters of a heart stimulation device, such as a pacemaker, may then be configured, for example, by setting the paced atrio-ventricular delay based on whether the patient responds positively to cardiac resynchronization therapy. |
| US08554320B2 |
Medical implantable lead
The invention relates to a medical implantable lead for monitoring and/or controlling an organ inside a human or animal body. The lead comprises a conducting arrangement having a first conducting coil of at least one electrically conducting wire for connecting a first electrode electrically to a connector to receive and/or transmit electric signals from and to the tissue, respectively. The lead is tapered in a distal portion and has a smaller cross sectional dimension at the distal portion than at the rest of the lead. The first conducting coil is terminated at a termination point on a distance from the distal end. The conducting arrangement has a first end conductor in the form of a non-coiled electric conductor or an eccentrically positioned small diameter coil which connects the first electrode electrically with the coil. |
| US08554317B2 |
Microneedle arrays and methods of use thereof
A method of treating a patient with a microneedle array having an active agent disposed on at least a portion of one or more of the microneedles, wherein the array with active agent is characterized by a first optical response when probed with a selected incident light spectrum. The array with active agent is applied to a skin surface, optionally allowed to remain on the skin surface for a specified time, and removed. The used array is probed with the selected incident light spectrum, a second optical response is sensed, and the difference between the first optical response and the second optical response is determined and compared to a predetermined threshold value. |
| US08554314B2 |
Device and method to detect the severity of ischemia and heart attack risk
A device and method of detecting the severity of myocardial ischemia and heart attack risk is provided. The method includes obtaining an electrogram signal, determining T-wave measurements based on the electrogram signal, and determining ST segment measurements based on the electrogram signal. The method also includes identifying T-wave alternans based on the T-wave measurements and identifying ST segment changes based on the ST segment measurements. The method further includes correlating the T-wave alternans with the ST segment changes in order to detect a severity of ischemia. |
| US08554305B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing pulses inhalation of 17O2 for magnetic resonance imaging of cerebral metabolism
Prior approaches have delivered 17O2 to a subject by inhalation, but the relationship between local signal changes and metabolism has been complicated by H217O created in non-cerebral tissues. During a brief pulse of 17O2 inhalation, this arterial input function for H217O is negligible due to convective transport delays. Additional delays in the arterial input function due to restricted diffusion of water makes pulsed inhalation of 17O2 even more effective. Accordingly, ventilator system are provided to deliver 17O2 as a brief pulse to a subject. Subsequent MR imaging demonstrates delayed appearance of H217O in the cerebral ventricles, suggesting that the arterial input function of H217O is delayed by restricted water diffusion in addition to convective transit delays. Delivery as a brief pulse therefore offers significant advantages in relating MR signal changes directly to metabolism. |
| US08554301B2 |
Magnetic resonance system and method for obtaining magnetic resonance images of a body region with a flowing medium therein
A method to create magnetic resonance images of a predetermined imaging volume within an examination subject with a magnetic resonance system includes the following steps: Localize an inflow that supplies the imaging volume. Form a specific volume that at least partially includes the predetermined imaging volume and that is adapted to the inflow such that the specific volume has a recess into the specific volume at the inflow, via which recess at least a partial segment of the inflow is removed from the specific volume. Saturate or invert the magnetization of the specific volume by means of the magnetic resonance system. Detect measurement signals from the imaging volume. Create the MR images of the imaging volume by means of the measurement signals. |
| US08554298B2 |
Medical ventilator with integrated oximeter data
This disclosure describes systems and methods for managing the ventilation of a patient being ventilated by a medical ventilator. The disclosure describes a novel approach of displaying ventilator information integrated with oximeter information. The disclosure further describes a novel approach of alarming based on the integration of ventilator information with oximeter information. |
| US08554297B2 |
Body-worn pulse oximeter
The invention provides a body-worn system that continuously measures pulse oximetry and blood pressure, along with motion, posture, and activity level, from an ambulatory patient. The system features an oximetry probe that comfortably clips to the base of the patient's thumb, thereby freeing up their fingers for conventional activities in a hospital, such as reading and eating. The probe secures to the thumb and measures time-dependent signals corresponding to LEDs operating near 660 and 905 nm. Analog versions of these signals pass through a low-profile cable to a wrist-worn transceiver that encloses a processing unit. Also within the wrist-worn transceiver is an accelerometer, a wireless system that sends information through a network to a remote receiver, e.g. a computer located in a central nursing station. |
| US08554294B2 |
Low-noise cooling apparatus
A low-noise cooling apparatus is provided. The cooling apparatus includes an outer container and an inner container. A thermal insulation layer in a vacuum state is disposed between the outer container and the inner container. The inner container includes a Dewar containing a liquid refrigerant, a prepolarization coil arranged inside the inner container and immersed in the liquid refrigerant, a pick-up coil immersed in the liquid refrigerant, and a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) electrically connected to the pick-up coil and immersed in the liquid refrigerant. The prepolarization coil is made of a superconductor. |
| US08554292B1 |
Wristband for an electronic device
The wristband for an electronic device provides for the convenient storage and transport of a small electronic device, such as a cell phone, calculator, etc. The wristband has a swivel connector attached thereto. A two-part holder assembly is attached to the swivel connector. An electronic device may be installed in the inner holder. The inner holder extends from the outer holder for use, and retracts into the outer holder for storage. The holder and electronic device are normally oriented with their major axes normal to the circumference of the wristband, i.e., generally aligned with the arm of the wearer of the device. The holders are swiveled to align their major axes across the arm of the wearer and the inner holder is extended from the outer holder in order to access the electronic device therein. This procedure is reversed for storage of the electronic device. |
| US08554289B2 |
Portable apparatus having a slide mechanism for an upper casing and a lower casing
A portable apparatus, having a slide mechanism by which an upper casing can be made to slide with respect to a lower casing, comprises: an assist mechanism, disposed between the upper casing and the lower casing, and assisting sliding of the upper casing. The assist mechanism comprises: a first support member attached pivotably to the upper casing or to a member fixed to the upper casing; a second support member attached pivotably to the lower casing or to a member fixed to the lower casing; at least one first elastic spring biasing the first support member; at least one second elastic spring biasing the second support member; and a holding case that holds the first and second elastic springs in a serially arrayed state with a direction of extension and contraction of the first elastic spring forming a prescribed angle to that of the second elastic spring, the first support member being slidably inserted in the direction of the first elastic spring, and the second support member being slidably inserted in the direction of the second elastic spring. |
| US08554288B2 |
Portable terminal equipment and thin-type housing reinforcing structure for use in same
A front case at a display section side of frame shape is formed of metal material having strength and a bathtub-shaped draw frame formed by drawing metal plate is fixed at the external side of the front case at the display section side by heat adhesive to be integral with the front case at the display section side. Two L-shaped frames formed by bending metal plate materials are fixed at the internal side of the front case at the display section side by two heat adhesives to be integral with the front case at the display section side. The front case at the display section side, the two L-shaped frames, and the bathtub-shaped draw frame are integral with each other to have sandwich structure. |
| US08554284B2 |
Mobile device with a smart battery having a battery information profile corresponding to a communication standard
Various embodiments are described for a mobile communication device having a main processor for controlling the operation of the mobile communication device; a device memory coupled to the main processor for storing a plurality of battery information profiles; and a smart battery coupled to the main processor for providing supply power. The smart battery includes a battery processor for controlling the operation of the smart battery and communicating with the main processor; and a battery memory coupled to the battery processor for storing a Battery ID indicating the model of the smart battery. The main processor is configured to communicate with the battery processor to obtain the Battery ID and to select one of the battery information profiles based on the Battery ID. |
| US08554283B1 |
Locating software for smartphone and PC
The locating software for smartphone and PC is a software application that lets people know other people's job during walking outside the house. The present software can be downloaded by a client or App store. All people can use it. It helps people to access nearby emergency services. Doctors, police, firemen and the like are immediately accessible using the present software. The present software may also be used for quickly seeking friends. The present software works with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS, and the like. The present software integrates with other communication technology that is used in smartphones and PCs. It works within Bluetooth range (about 100 feet), in homes, malls, parks, theaters, and the like. |
| US08554282B2 |
Methods, devices and computer program products for presenting screen content
Screen content from a first telecommunication device, such as a smartphone, is cast wirelessly and received by a second telecommunications device. The received screen content is formatted for presentation on the second telecommunications device. Screen content from among the received screen content may be selected for transmitting to a third telecommunications device. The selected screen content is transmitted to the third telecommunications device for presentation on a virtual screen of the third telcommunications device. |
| US08554271B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing neighbor scans on a wide area network in a mobile communication device operating a personal area network
A mobile communication device (102) includes both a wide area network (WAN) radio modem (122), and a personal area network (PAN) radio modem (134), which operate on similar frequencies. When the both the WAN and PAN modems are operating and carrying time-sensitive data, the WAN modem disables transmission by the PAN modem when the WAN modem is due to receive data from a WAN base station (406), including neighbor scans. The duration and frequency of disabling the PAN modem is controlled so that the retransmission is successful. |
| US08554270B2 |
Systems and methods for enabling coexistence of multiple wireless components operating in the same frequency band
Methods and systems for enabling coexistence of multiple potentially interfering wireless components in a device are provided. A device may include a wireless module using a proprietary protocol and one or more modules using standardized protocols. The device further includes a coexistence arbitration module configured to arbitrate access to a shared communication medium among the wireless modules based on assertion of medium access requests by the modules and the associated priority of the asserted medium access requests. When multiple medium access requests have the same priority, precedence for access to the shared medium is determined based on additional criteria. The coexistence arbitration module may be a separate module or may be integrated into another module or distributed among the modules. The device may include a host processor for altering transmission characteristics of a module to increase the likelihood that another module can receive data within a reasonable time period. |
| US08554267B2 |
Broadband input frequency adaptive technique for filter tuning and quadrature generation
A method for tuning a filter is provided. The amplitude of a first signal (I1) is compared with the amplitude of a comparison signal. The first signal is generated with a first filter, which receives a first input signal, and there is a phase difference between the first signal (I1) and the comparison signal. A tuning signal is then generated based on differences between the amplitudes of the first signal (I1) and the comparison signal. The tuning signal compensates for any phase and/or amplitude offset in the first signal (I1). |
| US08554264B1 |
Systems and methods for optimizing broadcasts
Optimizing a power level for a transmission so that the transmission is receivable at or near a destination, but no farther, is useful for reduced-power transmissions. Taking into account known distance for the transmission as determined by onboard GPS and geographic databases, a power level may be set more precisely. Accounting for atmospheric conditions which may impact transmission as determined by onboard or received measurements of temperature, solar or other conditions may also permit a power level to be set more precisely. An obstruction database may be consulted to determine whether transmissions will degrade due to objects in between the transmitter and receiver, permitting power level, frequency, bandwidth or transmit/receive location to be adjusted accordingly. The techniques may be implemented in any signal transmission scenario including mobile telephones, aircraft, marine or other vehicle radios, mobile devices with Wi-Fi radios for network computing, stationary radios, and other situations requiring communications. |
| US08554262B2 |
Radio station apparatus, radio resource control method, recording medium storing radio station control program, and radio communication system
To suppress, when communication is performed between two radio stations, interference on other radio stations located in the vicinity of them. A femto base station 1 communicates with a femto mobile station 3-1. The femto base station 1 includes a radio transmission/reception unit 11 and a radio resource control unit 15. The radio transmission/reception unit 11 measures reception quality of an uplink signal that is transmitted from a macro mobile station 3-2, which connects to and communicates with a macro base station 4, to the macro base station 4. The radio resource control unit 15 calculates an estimated loss value LE relating to a propagation loss LP between the macro mobile station 3-2 and the femto base station 1 by using a measured value of reception quality by the radio transmission/reception unit 11. Further, the radio resource control unit 15 determines a radio parameter relating to radio communication between the femto base station 1 and the femto mobile station 3-1 based on the estimated loss value LE. |
| US08554260B2 |
Power consumption control method of a communication system and related communication system
A communication system includes a first network device and a second network device. A power consumption control method applied to the communication system includes the steps of: checking a receiving capability of the first network device to generate a first checking result; and selectively notifying the second network device to adjust a transmitting capability of the second network device according to the first checking result. When the first checking result indicates that the receiving capability of the first network device is greater than a first threshold, transmit a first notice signal to notify the second network device. When receiving the first notice signal, lower the transmitting capability of the second network device. |
| US08554259B2 |
Method and apparatus to improve the robustness of a wireless communication link
A method and apparatus to improve the robustness of a wireless communication link between a base station and a mobile communication device. The method increases power selectively on portions of an uplink communication signal transmitted from the mobile communication device to the base station. The method monitors a quality metric value at the mobile communication device and sets the transmit power level of the first portion of an uplink communication signal to the first power level, if the monitored quality metric value is in a first range of quality values, or sets the transmit power level of the first portion of the uplink communication signal to a second power level, if the monitored quality metric value is in a second range of quality values. The first portion of the uplink communication signal includes control signals used by a base station to maintain connection of the wireless communication link. |
| US08554256B2 |
Radio base station and communication method
A radio base station includes: an acquiring unit which acquires a pilot signal that is discretely included in a transmission signal to be transmitted from a mobile terminal and is referenced to adjust a transmission timing of the transmission signal in the mobile terminal; an adjusting unit which adjusts the transmission timing of the transmission signal in the mobile terminal based on the pilot signal; and a changing unit which changes an adjustment period in which the transmission timing is adjusted by the adjusting unit based on a transmission cycle of the pilot signal. |
| US08554250B2 |
Remote object recognition
The invention concerns a method of accessing information using a wireless mobile device (1) having a display (3), and video capturing unit, the method comprising: establishing a video call with a remote server (6) such that said remote server receives video images captured by said mobile device during the video call; performing image recognition to identify at least one first object (4) in said captured video; and generating a signal for transmission to said mobile device, said signal comprising information relating to said first object. |
| US08554244B2 |
Configuration of mobile communication devices
A communication system and method is disclosed. The communication system comprises: a mobile communication device configurable to communicate using one of a plurality of communication protocols; and a configuration server. The configuration server is adapted to determine the location of the mobile communication device and to configure a service of the mobile communication device based upon the determined location of the mobile communication device. |
| US08554241B2 |
Method for avoiding inter-cell interference in a multi-cell environment
A method for avoiding an inter-cell interference (ICI) in a multi-cell environment is disclosed. The method includes restricting the use of a PMI in an interfering cell so as to improve a reception performance of a mobile station located at an interfered cell edge. The mobile station measures a restricted-PMI of the interfering cell, which is prohibited from use in the interfering cell, and transmits the measured restricted PMI to the interfering cell. The use of the restricted PMI is prohibited from use in a mobile station in the interfering cell. |
| US08554238B2 |
Idle-to-active state shift apparatus in carrier aggregation environment
Provided is a technology that enables a terminal to quickly perform an idle-to-active state shift and to quickly perform a handover using a carrier aggregation characteristic. The terminal may attempt a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection establishment using a plurality of carrier components. When the RRC connection establishment using one of the carrier components succeeds, the terminal may transmit an RRC reconfiguration complete message to a base station. |
| US08554233B2 |
Mobility management method, serving GPRS support node or mobility management entity, and terminal
The present invention discloses a mobility management method, a serving GPRS support node or mobility management entity (SGSN/MME), and a terminal to solve the problem of setting or dynamically modifying the mobility management frequency of a particular terminal among numerous terminals. The technical solution of the present invention includes: obtaining subscription data of a terminal, where the subscription data carries periodic routing area update or tracking area update (RAU/TAU) setting information; obtaining a periodic RAU/TAU timer of the terminal according to the periodic RAU/TAU setting information; sending the periodic RAU/TAU timer of the terminal to the terminal; and setting a value that is a little longer than the periodic RAU/TAU timer of the terminal as a mobile reachable timer for monitoring the periodic RAU/TAU of the terminal. The embodiments of the present invention may be applied in low-mobility machine-type communication. |
| US08554232B2 |
Method and system for a wireless multi-hop relay network
A Point to Multipoint (PMP) multi-hop relay network includes a base station, one or more relay stations and one or more subscriber stations. Active service flows in a PMP multi-hop relay network have a 16-bit connection identifier (CID). A CID defines the connection that a packet is servicing. Before traffic can be transmitted, the path through the network, and the association of CIDs with respective hops needs to be established. The CID mapping relationship from the ingress air link to the egress air link at each relay station is first set up, which is then followed by a traffic phase where the CID mapping relationship is used to route traffic from a base station to a subscriber station. |
| US08554229B2 |
Method, system of performing hand over without adding information of femto base station to peripheral base station announcement information in a wireless communication network
A communication system in which a primary base station or a secondary base station communicates with a mobile terminal. The primary base station sends the mobile terminal and the secondary base station an announcement signal which includes identification information for identifying a cell of the primary base station. When receiving the announcement signal, the secondary base station sends the mobile terminal a pseudo announcement signal which includes the identification information and adjacent cell information which includes information for a cell of the secondary base station. When receiving the announcement signal and the pseudo announcement signal, the mobile terminal compares a reception power of the signal received from the primary base station with that of the signal received from the secondary base station, and performs communication with one of the base stations which has higher power. |
| US08554223B2 |
Base station, femtocell and handover monitoring method thereof
A base station, a femtocell, and a handover monitoring method thereof are provided. A wireless network system comprises a server, a mobile device, the base station, and the femtocell. The base station transmits a monitoring signal to the femtocell after it obtains a piece of information corresponding to the mobile device from the server. The femtocell keeps detecting whether a signal is transmitted by the mobile device after it receives the monitoring signal. The femtocell transmits a response signal corresponding to the monitoring signal to the base station after it detects the signal transmitted by the mobile device. The base station transmits a handover signal to the mobile device after it receives the response signal so that the mobile device handovers from the base station to the femtocell. A handover monitoring from the base station to the femtocell for the mobile device is provided by the hand monitoring method. |
| US08554222B2 |
Method, system and device for maintaining user service continuity
A method, a system and a device for maintaining user service continuity are provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The method includes prohibiting a UE from accessing a forbidden network before handover is complete when the UE needs to perform network handover if the UE adopts a SIM access technology, thus avoiding service interruption of a SIM user due to access to an incorrect network. A system and a device for maintaining user service continuity are provided in an embodiment of the present invention. |
| US08554220B2 |
Mobile terminal and network device for providing handover service
A mobile terminal and a network device for providing a handover service are provided. A mobile terminal includes a transmission unit to transmit a request message for handover information to a network device, and a receiving unit to receive a response message including the handover information from the network device, wherein the request message and the response message are transceived by an application layer protocol. |
| US08554219B2 |
Method of selecting a network by a mobile apparatus
A method is provided for selecting an available network by a mobile apparatus, such as a mobile phone. As a subscriber moves from country to country he needs to switch from network to network, with limited control over the network chosen and the services provided by the network. The mobile phone is provided with parameter sets, providing connection parameters for more than one network based upon the geographic location that the mobile phone is in. The mobile phone may provide for automatic selection of an available network. |
| US08554213B2 |
Apparatus and method for performing cell selection to home cell or private network in a mobile communication system
An apparatus and method for performing cell selection to a Home cell or a Private network in a mobile communication system are provided, in which a User Equipment (UE) determines a candidate cell by measuring a serving cell and neighbor cells, receives an indicator indicating a Home cell or a Private network in system information from the candidate cell, determines whether the candidate cell is included in a Home cell or Private network list set in the UE, and selects the candidate cell if the candidate cell is included in the Home cell or Private network list. |
| US08554212B1 |
Method and system for selecting neighboring sector scanning frequencies
A mobile station that is being served by a current sector receives a neighbor list that identifies a plurality of neighboring sectors and a respective priority for each neighboring sector. For each neighboring sector, the mobile station scans for the sector's pilot signal at a respective scanning frequency during a measurement interval. The scanning frequency for a sector defines how frequently the mobile station scans for the sector's pilot signal during the measurement interval. The mobile station selects a scanning frequency for a neighboring sector based on at least a signal strength of the current sector and the neighboring sector's priority. When the current sector's signal strength is high, the mobile station scans for high-priority sectors more frequently than low-priority sectors. When the current sector's signal strength is low, the mobile station scans for low-priority sectors more frequently than high-priority sectors. |
| US08554200B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing interference measurements for device to-device communication
An approach for providing interference measurements for device-to-device communication is disclosed. A logic generates a control signal to instruct a plurality of stations to perform measurement relating to interference or path loss by the stations. The logic then receives measurement information from the stations and determines, based on the measurement information, whether resources are to be scheduled to provide direct communication between two of the stations. |
| US08554197B2 |
System and method to interrupt a component of a mobile communication device responsive to a mute command
A system and method to interrupt a component of a mobile communication device based on a mute command and a monitored operating condition is disclosed. In another particular embodiment, the method includes receiving a mute command at a mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is performing audio content processing. The method also includes monitoring an operating condition of the mobile communication device in response to receiving the mute command. The method includes determining whether to interrupt a component used to perform the audio content processing based on the monitored operating condition. |
| US08554193B2 |
Apparatus for reporting an exception and method thereof
A mobile terminal for reporting an exception or error and a method thereof, by which an exception of the mobile terminal can be transmitted to a server in a transmission mode appropriate for a status of a network. Exception information, such as information of a register of the mobile terminal if the exception is generated, information of a task performed by the mobile terminal before the generation of the exception, and history information before the generation of exception, are stored in a memory. The exception information is transmitted to the server. |
| US08554190B2 |
Mobile application system
A particular method includes accessing a webpage at a web server from a mobile application executing at a mobile device. A mobile application tag may be identified in the webpage, where the mobile application tag is independent of a device type of the mobile device. The method also includes determining that the mobile application tag corresponds to a native device function of the mobile device and accessing the native device function. |
| US08554180B2 |
System to dynamically authenticate mobile devices
The present invention provides a secure, dynamic and customizable system and method for authenticating a mobile device in a wireless network, in accordance with the security policies associated with the wireless network. The system and method involve a trusted authentication and device management application stored on the SIM card of the mobile device in a memory space that is protected and only accessible by the network operator. Moreover, authentication is based, at least in part, on information that relates to the environment of the mobile device, the information being available to the authentication application through the operating system of the mobile device. |
| US08554179B2 |
Managing mobile device applications
Methods, systems, and computer programs for managing mobile device applications are described. In some aspects, a mobile device application is prevented from accessing resources of a wireless network. For example, a wireless network operator system can determine that one or more mobile device applications are disapproved for use in the wireless network. In some implementations, the wireless network operator denies the disapproved mobile device applications access to the wireless network resources. In some implementations, mobile devices disable access to the wireless network by the disapproved mobile device applications. |
| US08554178B1 |
Methods and systems for efficient deployment of communication filters
Methods and systems for efficient deployment of communication filters are presented. In an exemplary embodiment, a wireless communication device (WCD) attempts to register with a foreign agent and a home agent by using mobile IP. During this process, an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server receives a first message from the foreign agent, where the first message seeks to authenticate the WCD. The AAA server responds to the first message with a second message containing a filter to be applied to the WCD's communication. The AAA server than receives a third message containing the filter, and the AAA server responsively transmits a fourth message to the home agent, seeking to have the home agent apply the filter to the WCD's communication. In this way, communications between the home agent and the AAA server can be reduced because the home agent only communicates with the AAA server if the WCD is subject to a filter. |
| US08554177B2 |
Apparatus for unlocking mobile device using pattern recognition and method thereof
An apparatus and method for unlocking a mobile device using pattern recognition are provided. The apparatus includes a touch sensor unit sensing a predetermined pattern touch-input to a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit, a pattern recognition unit recognizing information about the input pattern sensed by the touch sensor unit, a pattern comparison unit comparing information about the input pattern recognized by the pattern recognition unit with information about a predetermined pattern set by a user, and a controller controlling supply of power to the LCD unit to enable the user to use the mobile device if the input pattern and the predetermined pattern are equal to each other as compared by the pattern comparison unit. |
| US08554171B2 |
Systems and methods for identifying a geographical area in a commercial mobile alert service message
Geographical locations can be encoded in alert messages and the encoded geographical locations can be processed are disclosed. Emergency alerts can be received from an emergency provider or governmental agency comprising a geographical code. The code can be evaluated to determine a geographical location by determining a primary location, such as a state or region, and a secondary location such as a county. This information can be used to determine the devices within a wireless network that should receive the alert message. |
| US08554165B2 |
Universal demodulation and modulation for data communication in wireless power transfer
The present invention provides a universal demodulation circuit, a load modulation circuit and associated method, and an associated power transfer system, all suitable for use in wireless power transfer. A power receiver with signal strength detection is also provided. Modulation of the impedance of the demodulation circuit is determinable by detecting the amplitudes of a first and a second electrical parameter, thereby demodulating data communicated by modulation of the impedance of the demodulation circuit. The modulation circuit has a communication modulator to modulate the impedance of the modulation circuit, to a predetermined minimum modulation depth, thereby to communicate data. |
| US08554161B2 |
Circuit and method for biasing a gallium arsenide (GaAs) power amplifier
A circuit for biasing a gallium arsenide (GaAs) power amplifier includes a reference voltage generator circuit implemented in a gallium arsenide (GaAs) material system, a field effect transistor (FET) bias circuit implemented in the gallium arsenide material system and adapted to receive an output of the reference voltage generator circuit and adapted to provide an output to a radio frequency (RF) amplifier stage. |
| US08554157B2 |
Method, apparatus and communication unit
A method, an apparatus and a communication unit for generating precoding feedback information in a multiple frequency radio transmission system are disclosed. A rank for precoding matrices, wherein the rank is constant over the multiple frequencies, is selected and a plurality of precoding matrices having the selected rank are selected. A different precoding matrix is selected for each frequency subset of the multiple frequencies. |
| US08554155B2 |
Matching circuit for a multi-band antenna and multi-band radio incorporating the same
A device for multiple band frequency communication may include a chassis, a transceiver for receiving and transmitting voice and data communications over any one of multiple frequency bands, an antenna assembly comprising a single radiator and an antenna matching unit, and an antenna connector provided on the chassis for mounting the antenna assembly to the device and connecting the antenna assembly to the transceiver via a transmission line, wherein the antenna matching unit is provided between the radiator and the antenna connector and comprises a reactive circuit to filter the communications and transform an impedance between the radiator and the antenna connector to match an impedance between the transceiver and the antenna connector for each of the multiple frequency bands. A method and system is disclosed for communicating voice and data communications over multiple frequency bands. |
| US08554154B1 |
Connector supporting integrated radio frequency and baseband data
An electronic device is provided. The device comprises a radio transceiver, a processor, a memory, a connector, and an application stored in the memory. The connector is for coupling a radio frequency signal between the radio transceiver and an external antenna and for coupling a baseband signal between the first processor and an external processor. The application, when executed by the processor, manages the radio transceiver based on baseband messages received over the connector from the external processor, wherein the application managing the radio transceiver comprises causing the radio transceiver to transmit the radio frequency signal over the connector to the external antenna and causing the radio transceiver to receive the radio frequency signal over the connector from the external antenna. |
| US08554153B2 |
Transmit power control in a random access scheme
A method and control device for generating a transmit power level for a communication apparatus for operation in a wireless communication network having a network node. The control device comprises a controller adapted to generate a request message for requesting access to a communication channel, to be transmitted to the network node. The control device is also adapted to determine whether access to the communication channel has been granted in response to the request message. A transmit power control unit is adapted to generate a transmit power level for the communication apparatus in dependence of whether access to the communication channel has been granted. |
| US08554151B2 |
Method and apparatus for data aided channel quality estimation
Methods and apparatuses for data aided channel quality estimation using both pilot and data information are disclosed herein. In one exemplary aspect, a method for estimating channel quality in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises estimating a pilot noise variance based on a pilot signal received from a base station on a downlink and estimating a data noise variance based on a data signal received from the base station on the downlink. The method also comprises combining the pilot noise variance and the data noise variance to obtain a combined noise variance, and estimating the channel quality based on the combined noise variance. |
| US08554150B2 |
Multi-wan module
Disclosed is a wide area network (WAN) module including plural radios, a power supply, and a switch configured so that one and only one of the radios may receive power at any one time. The switch may be electronically or manually operable; if electronically operable, the module may include a processor and a universal serial bus (USB) port for receiving power switching instructions. The WAN module may be incorporated into utility consumption measuring (metering) devices which may correspond to components in a consumption measurement and reporting automatic meter reading (AMR) system. |
| US08554149B2 |
Directivity control system, control device, cooperative station device, reception station device, and method of controlling directivity
A directivity control system includes a first reception station device which receives an interference signal and a desired signal; a cooperative station device disposed at a different place from the first reception station device, which receives a signal using an antenna; and a control device which controls the directivity of an antenna of the first reception station device, wherein the control device regards a combination of the antenna of the first reception station device and the antenna of the cooperative station device as one array antenna, and calculates a sum, using a weight, of a received signal received using the antenna of the first reception station device and a received signal received using the antenna of the cooperative station device to compose a directivity pattern having a null in an arrival direction of the interference signal in the array antenna. |
| US08554148B2 |
Data transmission/reception apparatus and method for wireless communication system
Provided are apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data for a wireless communication system. The method includes generating a first aggregation packet by controlling the number of preambles or by controlling a size of a packet according to a channel state of a channel formed to at least one reception terminal or according to a state of the reception terminal, and transmitting the first aggregation packet to the reception terminal. |
| US08554145B2 |
Server for allocating a frequency for wireless audio communications
A method is provided for allocating a frequency for wireless audio communications. A request is received for a frequency for wireless audio communications. The request contains the location, the time period, the quantity of required wireless communications paths and/or the available equipment for the wireless audio communications. This request is compared with information about frequency use which is stored in databases. Possible frequency ranges are outputted, and the possible frequency ranges are allocated to transmitting and/or receiving units of the requested audio communications. |
| US08554140B2 |
Method of pairing wireless devices
The invention relates to a method of pairing a first device with a second device, the first and second devices being adapted for wirelessly communicating with each other, the pairing of devices aiming at ensuring communication only between trusted devices. The invention further relates to a communication device, a system, a computer readable medium and a data processing system. The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and intuitive scheme for pairing two wireless devices. The problem is solved by providing in the first device an algorithm comprising at least the following states a) A STANDBY state where the first device is in a default state; b) A CONNECTED state where wireless communication between the first and second devices is established; c) A PAIRING state comprising a pairing search state where pairing inquiries are repeatedly issued by the first device; and further providing that when the first device is NOT in the STANDBY or CONNECTED states, the first device is automatically, repeatedly brought in the pairing search state. This has the advantage of providing an automatic scheme for pairing two wireless devices. The invention may e.g. be used for wireless communication devices, e.g. portable, low-power devices, such as listening systems. |
| US08554139B2 |
Transmission method and related apparatus for reducing radio resource overhead
The present invention provides a transmission method for reducing radio resource overhead for a slave device of the Bluetooth system. The transmission method includes the steps of setting an active time slot window on a communication time comprising at least a reception time slot and transforming the reception time slots in the active time slot window into transmission time slots. |
| US08554137B2 |
Method and system for short range and wireless LAN coexistence
A method and system for Bluetooth® and Wireless LAN coexistence may include controlling wireless local area network (WLAN) communication and Bluetooth® communication in a coexistence system that handles at least a WLAN communication protocol and a Bluetooth® communication protocol based on time division multiplexing (TDM) and adaptive frequency hopping (AFH). Switching may occur between the WLAN communication and the Bluetooth® communication based on the TDM and the AFH. In one embodiment of the invention, the switching may occur adaptively. Notwithstanding, in instances where it may be determined that AFH is disabled, switching to TDM may occur. WLAN communication and/or Bluetooth® communication may be disabled or enabled based on a state of at the WLAN communication and/or the Bluetooth® communication. Use of the AFH may be enabled or disabled based on a link status of the WLAN communication and/or the Bluetooth® communication. |
| US08554133B1 |
Method and apparatus for wireless digital audio and video playback
The present invention discloses methods and systems for providing very high quality audio and video playback using all-digital wireless paths from the source to the speaker transducers, video displays and headphones located anywhere within a distance allowed by the FCC. Each speaker has a separate digital amplifier dedicated to each transducer within it (e.g. woofer, tweeter). The present invention also discloses a system that provides a data link capable of sending an all-digital, full-bandwidth, signal from the original digital source material to each separate transducer in the system without using sound degrading lossy data compression. This system is designed to read, broadcast, and reproduce with accurate audio loudspeaker time-alignment (<100 uS) and low overall latency (less than 7 milliseconds) all popular audio and video formats in full-bandwidth and without data compression in the effort to maintain the integrity of the entire audio and video signal. |
| US08554132B2 |
Method of controlling connection establishment in a wireless network
A method of controlling connection establishment to transmit or receive audio/video (A/V) data in a wireless network is provided. The method of controlling connection establishment to transmit or receive A/V data in a first device of a wireless network that includes a coordinator and at least one device includes transmitting connection request information required to request connection establishment with a second device and a connection request message which includes capability information of the first device to the second device and receiving a connection response message from the second device in response to the connection request message. |
| US08554128B2 |
Sheet processing apparatus having a sheet insertion function, control method therefor, image forming apparatus, and program for implementing the control method
A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500. |
| US08554125B2 |
Image forming device and image forming method which prevents misalignment between front end of formed image and front end of sheet
An image forming device makes a sheet pass between first rotating member and separator in a pressed position, causes second rotating member pair to transport a sheet, transports the sheet from second rotating member pair with the sheet held between third rotating member and image carrier in a transfer position, transfers an image formed on image carrier onto the sheet, and suspends rotation of first rotating member when a portion of the sheet, which is distance L away from the sheet's rear end, passes the pressed position. Provided that length 1≧(M+L) and length 2<(M+L) where M is a distance from the pressed position to the transfer position, when the sheet has length 2 in a transport direction, the device delays image formation start and/or advances sheet transport start, by a predetermined time period as compared to when the sheet has length 1 in the transport direction. |
| US08554120B2 |
Image forming apparatus and computer readable medium storing program
An image forming apparatus includes a transfer member onto a front side of which an image is transferred, a rotary member around which the transfer member is wrapped, a guide member provided at an end portion of an axial direction of the rotary member, a regulating member, a first reference mark, a second reference mark, a first detector, a second detector, and a controller. The regulating member is located on a reverse side of the transfer member, and restricts skew of the transfer member by contacting the guide member. The first and second reference marks are on edge sides of the transfer member in the axial direction of the rotary member. The first and second detectors detect the first and second reference marks, respectively. The controller controls alignment of the image on the transfer member in accordance with a detection result of the first and second detectors. |
| US08554114B2 |
Rotating-body restraining device and image forming method
A rotating-body restraining device includes a first gear provided on a rotational shaft of a rotating body and rotated together with the rotating body, a second gear that meshes with the first gear, a third gear provided on a rotational shaft of the second gear and rotated together with the second gear, and a restraining member that is movable toward the third gear and that restrains the third gear from rotating by moving to a position where the restraining member meshes with the third gear. The numbers of teeth included in the first, second, and third gears are Za, Zb, and Zc, respectively. Zb is not equal to the product of Za and an integer n. Zc is an integral multiple of a value obtained by dividing the least common multiple of Za and Zb by Za. |
| US08554110B2 |
Image-forming device that separates developing units from photosentive members
A plurality of developing units is disposed beneath photosensitive drums for supplying toner to the photosensitive drums. A mounting member detachably mounts the developing units and is configured to be pulled out from the main casing. A supporting member has an upstream end portion in a pulling direction that the mounting member is pulled outward from the main casing and is pivotably supported on the main casing about the upstream end portion. The mounting member is slidably supported on the supporting member in the pulling direction. The supporting member is configured to pivot with the mounting member between a first position where the developing units are capable of supplying toner to the photosensitive drums and a second position where the developing units separate from the photosensitive drums. The mounting member is configured to be pulled out from the main casing if the support member is in the second position. |
| US08554100B2 |
Image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system
An image forming apparatus including, a plurality of image bearing members, a plurality of developing units which includes toner storage containers and a belt transferring toner images onto a transfer material, the image forming apparatus being capable of executing a first cleaning mode and a second cleaning mode to move the toner adhering onto the belt onto the image bearing members and to collect the adhering toner into the toner storage containers, wherein, in the first cleaning mode, the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container of the developing unit developing a black toner, and in the second cleaning mode, a portion of the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container corresponding to the image bearing member located at a most upstream position and a rest of the adhering toner is collected into the toner storage container of the developing unit developing the black toner. |
| US08554098B2 |
Fixing apparatus and image forming apparatus having the same
A fixing apparatus including: a cooling unit which cools a non-sheet-passing area for a small-sized sheet of a fixation area to suppress a temperature rise of the non-sheet-passing area; a temperature detecting unit which detects temperatures of a central portion of a sheet-passing area and the non-sheet-passing area; and a fixing-temperature controller which performs an early-heating, restart-control operation to decrease the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area by the cooling unit for a fixation operation of a large-sized sheet while the heat source is de-energized after a fixing operation of the small-sized sheet is completed, and thereafter restart the energization of the heat source during the cooling-down operation by the cooling unit when the temperature of the non-sheet-passing area is lowered to a set target value lower than a controlled fixing temperature for fixing a toner image to the sheet. |
| US08554096B2 |
Power source and image forming apparatus
A power source includes a charging voltage generation unit configured to generate a charging voltage to charge an image bearing member, a developing voltage generation unit configured to generate a developing voltage to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, a control unit configured to control an output from the developing voltage generation unit, and a correction unit configured to correct an operation of the control unit based on an output from the charging voltage generation unit. |
| US08554092B2 |
Image forming apparatus controlling a toner amount per unit area of a transparent toner image to be formed on a recording material
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion for forming a toner image of color toner and transparent toner on a recording material; a heating device for heating the toner image formed on the recording material; an execution portion for executing a mode in which the transparent toner is partly placed in an image formable region of the recording material; and a control portion for controlling, on the basis of an amount of the color toner to be placed in an adjacent region adjacent to a region in which the transparent toner is to be placed, the amount of the transparent toner so that the amount of the transparent toner to be partly placed on the recording material when glossiness in the adjacent region is high is larger than that when the glossiness in the adjacent region is low. |
| US08554088B2 |
Optical transmission apparatus, optical transmission system, and optical transmission method
An optical transmission apparatus in an optical transmission system that transmits an optical signal through a transmission fiber includes a measurement device that measures Raman gain efficiency of the transmission fiber; a level determiner that determines an input level of the optical signal based on Raman gain efficiency measured by the measurement device; and a controller that controls a level of the optical signal input to the transmission fiber to become the input level determined by the level determiner. |
| US08554087B2 |
System and method for imaging objects through turbid media
A method for imaging objects through turbid media includes generating a repetitive pulsed light beam under control of a pulse shaper, propagating the light beam through turbid media, and receiving and imaging the light beam at a sensor. Propagation through turbid media causes scattering of the light, and the sensor captures scattered pulses to produce an image. The pulse shaper controls pulse width, frequency, repetition rate and chirp of the generated light pulses according to a feedback signal received from the sensor, to improve image quality. A system for imaging objects through turbid media includes a laser for generating a light beam; a pulse shaper for controlling said light beam, and a sensor, in communication with the pulse shaper, for capturing the image of said light beam through a turbid medium. Pulse width is less than 250 femtoseconds to reduce attenuation of the light beam through the turbid medium. |
| US08554085B1 |
Method and apparatus for waveform generation
A spread spectrum waveform generator has a photonic oscillator and an optical heterodyne synthesizer. The photonic oscillator is a multi-tone optical comb generator for generating a series of RF comb lines on an optical carrier. The optical heterodyne synthesizer includes first and second phase-locked lasers, where the first laser feeds the multi-tone optical comb generator and the second laser is a single tone laser whose output light provides a frequency translation reference. At least one photodetector is provided for heterodyning the frequency translation reference with the optical output of the photonic oscillator to generate a spread spectrum waveform. A receiver pre-processor may be provided to operate on the spread spectrum waveform. |
| US08554083B2 |
Method for producing terahertz electromagnetic carrier waves
A method for producing an electromagnetic carrier wave in the frequency range between 0.1 and 10 terahertz that is suitable for the wireless transmission of data includes generating, by an electromagnetic pump wave, at least two mixing waves with a defined frequency difference, the pump wave being configured to constitute one of the mixing waves; and producing an electromagnetic carrier wave by frequency mixing the mixing waves. |
| US08554082B2 |
Ethernet passive optical network over coaxial (EPOC)
Embodiments of the present invention exploit the existing capabilities of the Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) MAC layer, designed for fiber optics communications, to provide a low cost MAC layer with upper layer connectivity over a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network. In particular, embodiments allow for the EPON MAC to be used end-to-end (i.e., from an optical line terminal (OLT) to a coaxial network unit (CNU)) in a HFC network, thereby fully leveraging the packet processing capabilities, QoS functions, and management features of the EPON MAC. Furthermore, embodiments enable unified provisioning and management for both fiber and coaxial network units in a HFC network. |
| US08554081B2 |
Optical add/drop multiplexer including reconfigurable filters and system including the same
An optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) and system incorporating the same for maintaining loading of WDM channels with loading signals or information signals when signals are added or dropped. The OADM may include reconfigurable band pass filters having a transmittance characteristic controllable using a command signal. Selective filtering of loading signals and/or information signals received from branch and trunk paths allows an output WDM signal including information signals on utilized channels and loading signals on all unutilized channels. |
| US08554077B2 |
Energy efficiency and cost efficient protection in passive optical networks
A network element implementing an optical network unit (ONU) that is configured to improve efficiency in a passive optical network (PON), the ONU connected to an optical line terminal (OLT) over an optical line, the ONU connected with an aggregating ONU (AG-ONU) in the PON through an alternate connection separate from the PON, the ONU improving protection (maintenance) cost and energy efficiency for the PON by entering a sleep mode that disables communication with the OLT over the optical line to reduce energy consumption when the ONU is idle, the ONU to restart communication with the OLT over the optical line upon receipt of data traffic, the ONU including an alternate connection module configured to communicate with the AG-ONU; and a network processor configured to execute a quality of service module, an AG-ONU monitor module, a traffic forwarding module and a power management module. |
| US08554074B2 |
Colorless, directionless, and gridless optical network, node, and method
An optical node includes an optical routing apparatus including N ports, N is an integer greater than 2, the optical routing apparatus configured to direct light that is input to each of the N ports to all of the other N ports, and a configurable optical blocking element located in line with at least one of the N ports. A method includes broadcasting a plurality of optical signals over a plurality of ports using a broadcast element, selectively receiving a desired signal from all of the plurality of optical signals at one of the plurality of ports, and blocking the plurality of signals via a blocking element in line with one of the plurality of ports thereby preventing a multiple path of the broadcast plurality of optical signals. |
| US08554073B2 |
Method and apparatus for migrating sub-network connection protection (SNCP) service
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for migrating a Sub-Network Connection Protection (SNCP) service. The method comprises: receiving a migration request of an SNCP service, wherein the migration request comprises one of: Permanent Connection (PC) to Soft Permanent Connection (SPC) migration, SPC to PC migration; respectively setting cross status control bits of a current operation connection and a correlative connection thereof according to the received migration request, and performing collective migration of the current operation connection and the correlative connection thereof according to the set cross status control bits; respectively modifying the cross status control bits of the current connection and the correlative connection thereof according to the migration result. The consistency of cross management authorities of a working connection and a protection connection of the SNCP service migration can be ensured by the present invention. |
| US08554072B2 |
Optical transceiver including a plurality of transmitter units and a process to control the same
An optical transceiver is disclosed in which the optical output thereof is controlled without degrading the signal quality. The optical transceiver of the invention includes a plurality of transmitter units and a controller that adjusts the bias current of respective transmitter units. The controller, receiving information to decrease/increase the output of the optical transceiver, decides a unique unit that has a largest margin to increase/decrease the bias current and provides a control signal only to the unique unit to increase/decrease the bias current. |
| US08554071B2 |
Optical transmission apparatus and continuity testing method
An optical transmission apparatus includes an amplifier, a first output port to select a wavelength from the wavelength-division-multiplexed signal light amplified and output signal light with the selected wavelength to an operation line, a second output port to output multiplexed light obtained by multiplexing any one of first spontaneous emission light and second spontaneous emission light to a preliminary line, the first and the second spontaneous emission light being parts of spontaneous emission light generated by the amplifier, the first spontaneous emission light being in a wavelength range that is not selected, and the second spontaneous emission light being in a wavelength range other than a range of the wavelength-division-multiplexed signal light, and a judger to judge a continuity state of the operation line by using the signal light output to the operation line and a continuity state of the preliminary line. |
| US08554068B2 |
Camera system
In a camera system according to the present invention, a lens controller obtains an exposure synchronizing signal that is generated by a camera controller from a camera body, causes a configuration formed of a first encoder, a second encoder and a counter to detect the position of a focus lens according to the obtained exposure synchronizing signal, and notifies the camera body of the detected position of the focus lens. The camera controller associates the position of the focus lens or the mechanism member obtained from the lens controller with an AF evaluation value based on the exposure synchronizing signal, and controls an autofocus operation of the camera system based on the position and AF evaluation value that are associated with each other. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the accuracy of an autofocus operation with a contrast system. |
| US08554067B2 |
Focus detection apparatus and focus detection method
An apparatus includes a monitor unit configured to monitor and output an accumulation state of a monitor area, which is apart of the detection area, a control unit configured to start an accumulation for focus adjustment in a detection area, and to determine whether the accumulation is ended based on the accumulation state, and to end the accumulation, when it is determined that the accumulation is to be ended, and an adjusting unit configured to use, for a focus adjustment, an output signal in a first area including the monitor area in priority to an output signal in a second area not including the monitor area. |
| US08554065B2 |
Shake detector
A shake detector includes: a shake detection unit that detects an amount of shake, and outputs a shake detection signal and a reference signal; a signal processing unit that amplifies and smoothes the shake detection signal and the reference signal, and outputs the shake detection signal as a signal used in subsequent processing; an adjustment unit that outputs an adjustment signal for adjusting an output signal from the signal processing unit; and a control operation unit that, in a first period for which there is no shake in the imaging apparatus, stores a control value for controlling the adjustment unit on the basis of the reference signal, and that, in a second period different from the first period, generates a control signal for controlling the adjustment unit on the basis of the reference signal and the stored control value and outputs the control signal. |
| US08554062B2 |
Accelerated access to frames from a compressed digital video stream without keyframes
A digital video recorder stores digital video streams having sequences of encoded frames that are predominantly non-keyframes. The digital video recorder synthesizes keyframes for the digital video stream by decoding the frames in sequence and occasionally capturing the state of the decoder as it decodes the frames. The decoder states are stored in a state index in association with the frames. During playback at normal or accelerated speeds, the digital video recorder is capable of random accelerated access of any frame in the digital video stream. A decoder state associated with the accessed frame is retrieved from the state index and used to begin decoding at or near the accessed frame. The decoder state initializes a playback decoder to the state that enables complete decoding and rendering of the accessed frame without having to decode multiple frames previous to the accessed frame, thereby minimizing time delays in playback. |
| US08554061B2 |
Video format for digital video recorder
Some embodiments provide a video camera. The video camera includes image sensing circuitry for capturing a sequence of video pictures, a user interface for allowing a user to select a video encoding format from a temporally compressed encoding format and non-temporally compressed encoding format, encoding circuitry for encoding the video pictures according to the format selected by the user, and random access storage for storing video clips.Some embodiments provide a video editing application for a computer. The application includes a first module for (i) receiving video clips stored on the video camera and (ii) storing a first set of video clips that are non-temporally compressed on the video camera in a storage of the computer, and a second module for (i) transcoding a second set of video clips that are temporally compressed on the video camera and (ii) storing the transcoded second set of video clips in the storage. |
| US08554060B2 |
Recording medium having data structure for managing recording and reproduction of multiple path data recorded thereon and recording and reproducing methods and apparatus
A method and apparatus for reproducing video data are discussed. According an embodiment, the apparatus includes a controller configured to receive a request of a path change, the controller configured to control the path change from a current path to the request path among the multiple reproduction paths by identifying path information in an entry point map, the path information associated with an entry point in the video data, and the entry point map having an entry point fine table including fine information of at least one entry point and an entry point coarse table including coarse information of the at least one entry point, the fine information and coarse information identifying a presentation time and an address for the at least one entry point. |
| US08554058B2 |
Electronic device and method for playing multimedia files
An electronic device for playing multimedia files includes a storage unit, an input unit, a control unit, and a play unit. The storage unit stores a number of multimedia files. The control unit determines whether two or more multimedia files are selected to play according to signals from the input unit, determines types of the selected multimedia files if two or more multimedia files are selected, and controls the play unit to play the selected multimedia files according to a priority each type of multimedia files is assigned if the selected multimedia files have different types. |
| US08554057B2 |
Information signal processing method and apparatus, and computer program product
There is provided an information signal processing method used when performing a special reproduction operation for digest reproduction of a video/audio information signal of a broadcast program. The method includes: a step for reading data from the video/audio characteristic data of each predetermined section of a predetermined video/audio information signal and additional information data concerning the video/audio information signal or a predetermined recording medium containing these data; a step for creating a predetermined first information meaning for each predetermined section of the video/audio information signal from the read data; a step for connecting a plurality of sections for which the first predetermined meaning has been created so as to perform creation of a predetermined second information meaning or a predetermined evaluation processing for a predetermined section according to the signal of the first meaning creation processing; and a step for setting a predetermined reproduction section or a predetermined reproduction time according to the signal subjected to the evaluation processing. |
| US08554055B2 |
Editing device, editing method and editing program, and data processing device, data processing method and data processing program
An editing device dubs stream data stored in a second recording medium. A recording unit records the specified range of stream data in a stream file in the first recording medium, based on management information recorded in the second recording medium. A stream information file in which a stream file and stream information are stored, and a playback list file in which playback section data and mark information indicating the playback point-in-time information can be stored, are recorded as management information. A management information is generated based on the relation between the specified range and the playback section data and stream information corresponding to the specified range. |
| US08554050B2 |
Method and system for controlling playing of monitoring video record
The present invention discloses a method and a system for controlling playing of monitoring video record. The controlling playing method includes the following steps: A. during the process of recording a monitoring video record, detecting a picture of a video record in real time and marking a time index for dynamic frame(s) in the video record; B. during the process of playing the monitoring video record, obtaining the lime index and playing the dynamic frame in the monitoring video record according to the time index. The controlling playing system includes: video record recording means, motion detecting means and video record playing means, wherein the video record recording means is configured to record a monitoring video record; the motion detecting means is configured to detect a picture of the video record in real time and mark a time index for a dynamic frame(s) in the video record during the process of recording the monitoring video record by the video record recording means; and the video record playing means is configured to obtain the time index from the motion detecting means and play the dynamic frame(s) in the monitoring video record according to the time index during the process of playing the monitoring video record. The present invention reduces the time of playing monitoring video record greatly without missing any effective information. |
| US08554049B2 |
Systems and methods for synchronizing playback at multiple locations
Embodiments provide methods and systems for synchronizing simultaneous media asset viewing for users at different geographical viewing locations. In some embodiments, a first user device receives a request to synchronize viewing of a media asset with a second user device. Control circuitry may automatically determine that the media asset is available to the second user device after becoming available so the first user device. Based on the determining, the control circuitry may automatically schedule the media asset for recording on the first user device. In some embodiments, control circuitry synchronizes viewing of the media asset when the media access becomes available to the second user device. The second user device may access a video feed transmitted by a media source, while the first user device accesses a video feed of a recorded media asset. |
| US08554047B2 |
Composite audio-video apparatus
In a composite audio-video apparatus, when a user operates a remote controller and sends a DVD reproducing command, a remote control receiving section receives the DVD reproducing command and outputs it into a VCR control section and DVD control section. The DVD control section controls a DVD reproduce section to reproduce a DVD, and the DVD control section sends a direction signal to the VCR control section. When the VCR control section receives the direction signal, the VCR control section sends an image changeover signal to an image output section, and the image output section is set its image inputting source to the DVD reproduce section. The image reproduced by the DVD reproduce section is outputted to a television set via the image output section. |
| US08554045B2 |
Docking station for portable entertainment devices
A docking station is configured to receive media in the form of audio and/or video from a portable entertainment device. The docking station transmits the received media to a remote playing device via a wired, wireless, or powerline connection. The media may include a control signal associated with the audio and/or video to control the remote playing device. In certain embodiments, the remote playing device transmits control signals to the docking station to control the portable entertainment device. In certain embodiments, the docking station electrically charges the portable entertainment device. |
| US08554044B2 |
Fiber optic splice tray
A splice tray includes a splice region and a fiber management region to facilitate splicing together two or more fibers. The splice tray can be pivotally coupled to one or more additional splice trays using pivot linkages to form a splice tray arrangement. A pivot linkage can include first and second laterally spaced coupling sections extending in opposite directions. A magnetic coupling arrangement can releasably secure the splice trays of a splice tray arrangement to one another. |
| US08554037B2 |
Hybrid waveguide device in powerful laser systems
A hybrid waveguide device includes a hollow core fiber having a core formed by a combination of solid material and gases. The hybrid nature of the core allows the hybrid device to transport a high energy high power laser beam having an ultra-short pulse width without damage to the hybrid device due to a higher tolerance of irradiance than single-matter cores. A waveguide device having a core with gases in addition to solid matter is characterized by a lower nonlinear refractive index coefficient (n2), lower numerical aperture, larger delivering laser beam size, and higher ionization potential of the gases. As a result, the hybrid waveguide fiber can transport ultra-short laser pulses having ablative energy levels and power levels, for example from a laser generating subassembly to a laser material-modification subassembly. |
| US08554033B2 |
Radio frequency identification overlay network for fiber optic communication systems
In this invention, a radio frequency identification overlay network that automates the discovery and configuration management of all physical fiber optic connections within a distributed communications network is disclosed. Miniaturized, low crosstalk RFID tags at a first fiber optic receptacle location and miniature, distributed, multiplexed reader antenna at a distant, second fiber optic receptacle location are joined by a fiber optic link which transmits both optical data and RF electronic signals. This electronic-fiber optic interface is comprised of two separated, miniaturized resonant antenna in communication with another through a resonant RF transmission line integral to the fiber optic cable. This RFID overlay network is comprised of multiplexed RFID readers, RF resonant fiber optic cables, and miniaturized RFID tags attached to the connector receptacles of network elements. The RFID overlay network interrogates tags automatically and remotely through the RF transmissive and optically transmissive fiber optic patch cords, eliminating the need for manual readout by technicians. |
| US08554031B2 |
Focusing multimodal optical microprobe devices
The present invention provides an optical microprobe device and method for focusing multimodal radiation with wavelength-scale spatial resolution and delivering the focused radiation to a specimen, including: a radiation source; and one or more of a plurality of optically transparent or semitransparent spheres and a plurality of optically transparent or semitransparent cylinders optically coupled to the radiation source; wherein the one or more of the plurality of optically transparent or semitransparent spheres and the plurality of optically transparent or semitransparent cylinders periodically focus radiation optically transmitted from the radiation source such that radiation ultimately transmitted to the specimen has predetermined characteristics. Preferably, the spheres or cylinders are assembled inside one of a hollow waveguide, a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber, a capillary tube, and integrated in a multimode fiber. Alternatively, the spheres or cylinders are assembled on a substrate. Optionally, the optical microprobe device also includes one or more of a waveguide, an optical fiber, a lens, and an optical structure disposed between the radiation source and the spheres or cylinders. Optionally, the spheres or cylinders are made from optically nonlinear or active materials that permit efficient nonlinear frequency generation and low-threshold lasing using the optical microprobe device. |
| US08554030B2 |
Optically coupled device and optical module including optically coupled device
An optically coupled device and an optical module including the optically coupled device are provided that can appropriately and efficiently perform position measurement of an optical surface, and allow a product having superior overall efficiency to be stably manufactured at a low cost.An optically coupled device main body 15 is formed having a shape that allows both first lens surface 5 and second lens surface 8 to be viewed simultaneously from a surface normal direction of at least one of a first surface portion 2a and a second surface portion 3a. |
| US08554029B2 |
Through-bore fiber optic slipring
The present invention is a limited rotation through-bore optical slip ring. This will enable one or more optical signals to pass across a rotational interface while leaving a center bore free. The present invention is passive, unlike many off axis or through bore optical slip rings and is low loss by nature. |
| US08554026B2 |
Light transmission assembly
A light transmission assembly includes a light circuit board and a light transmission module. The board is embedded with waveguide layers, the waveguides layers includes core wires and shielding lays sandwiching the core wires, the waveguide layers defines a second light port portion of which the core wires defines vertical end faces. The light transmission module includes a base and a first light port portion projecting from a first face of the base, the first light port portion defines vertical end faces, the base defines a slanting surface at a second face opposite to the first face thereof. The first and second light port portions are aligned with each other when the light transmission module is coupled with light circuit board so that light lines go directly from the core wires through the light transmission module and reflect at the slant surface. |
| US08554024B2 |
Tilted grating sensor
The present invention relates to a sensor using a tilted fiber grating to detect physical manifestations occurring in a medium. Such physical manifestations induce measurable changes in the optical property of the tilted fiber grating. The sensor comprises a sensing surface which is to be exposed to the medium, an optical pathway and a tilted grating in the optical pathway. The grating is responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating in the optical pathway to generate a response conveying information on the physical manifestation. |
| US08554021B2 |
Finding similar content in a mixed collection of presentation and rich document content using two-dimensional visual fingerprints
Visual fingerprinting is used to provide a robust and highly effective method of finding similar content in a large document collection of rich document content composed of multiple text, line-art, and photo image objects. The visual fingerprints capture unique two-dimensional localized aspects of document appearance. The visual fingerprints are highly distinctive; fast for lookup; compact for storage requirements; and scalable to large document collections. |
| US08554015B2 |
Methods and apparatus for generating a continuum of image data
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for generating a continuum of image data. The continuum can include image data representing a street level view of a geographic area. The image data can be captured at multiple disparate points along another continuum. Each continuum of image data can include a ribbon of data representing the geographic area. In some examples, image data can be simultaneously captured which represents multiple continuums of image data. |
| US08554014B2 |
Robust fast panorama stitching in mobile phones or cameras
A camera that provides for a panorama mode of operation that employs internal software and internal acceleration hardware to stitch together two or more captured images to create a single panorama image with a wide format. Captured images are projected from rectilinear coordinates into cylindrical coordinates with the aid of image interpolation acceleration hardware. Matches are quickly determined between each pair of images with a block based search that employs motion estimation acceleration hardware. Transformation are found, utilizing regression and robust statistics techniques, to align the captured images with each other, which are applied to the images using the interpolation acceleration hardware. A determination is made for an optimal seam to stitch images together in the overlap region by finding a path which cuts through relatively non-noticeable regions so that the images can be stitched together into a single image with a wide panoramic effect. |
| US08554007B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable storage medium for computer program
An image processing apparatus includes a storage that stores, therein, edge position data indicating the position of a first edge image that represents a first edge of a first object image representing an object in a first image, a determination portion that detects a second edge image based on the edge position data and a specific scaling factor, the second edge image representing a second edge of a second object image that represents the object in a second image, the second image being obtained by modifying the size or the resolution of the first image by increasing the number of pixels by α times (α>1) corresponding to the scaling factor, the second edge having a width equal to that of the first edge, and a removal portion that performs a process for deleting an edge of an inner area surrounded by the second edge image. |
| US08554003B2 |
Image data processing apparatus, image data processing method, and computer readable medium
An image data processing apparatus includes the following elements. A lossless compression device performs lossless compression. A configuration controller performs control so that a first configuration including a first line memory set and a decompression circuit set and a second configuration including a second line memory set are selectively set in a reconfigurable circuit. A maximum size determining device determines the maximum size of lines of the compressed image data. An output controller performs control so that, when the maximum size is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold, the first configuration is set and the compressed image data is output to an image processing circuit via the first line memory set, and so that, when the maximum size is greater than the predetermined threshold, the second configuration is set and the non-compressed image data is output to the image processing circuit via the second line memory set. |
| US08554001B2 |
Image encoding/decoding system using graph based pixel prediction and encoding system and method
An encoding system may generate an edge map based on a pixel value difference between neighboring pixels in an inputted image, generate a graph by connecting pixels using the generated edge map, select a prediction value for at least one pixel based on the generated graph, and encode an image based on the selected prediction value. |
| US08554000B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method
An image forming apparatus and an image forming method thereof are provided. An image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept comprises a decoder to decode a compressed image to convert the compressed image into image data, a pure black determining unit to determine whether the image data is pure black by using information of the converted image data, a section classifying unit to classify the image data into a text section and an image section by using a result of the pure black determination, and a color coordinate converter to perform color coordinate conversion on the image section of the classified sections. Therefore, it is possible to improve readability of black text. |
| US08553994B2 |
Compressive sampling for multimedia coding
An apparatus comprising a decorrelator, a compressive sampler coupled to the decorrelator, and an encoder coupled to the compressive sampler, wherein the compressive sampler is configured to receive sparse data and compress the sparse data using compressive sampling. Also included is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising decorrelating sparse data or data including sparse data, compressing the sparse data using compressive sampling, and encoding the data. Also included is a method comprising receiving a data stream comprising a sparse data portion, compressing the sparse data portion using compressive sampling, and compressing the remaining data portion without using compressive sampling. |
| US08553993B2 |
Method and system for aided input especially for computer management tools
A method of aided input especially for a computer management tool, the management tool being executed in a computer system possessing an operating system furnished with instrumentation services, the method including the following steps: (a) entering raw data from an exterior source, (b) extracting relevant data from the raw data, (c) using the instrumentation services to transcribe the extracted data to corresponding fields of a preexisting input interface belonging to the management tool, within a view to allowing further inputs and overall validation. Application in particular to the semi-automated input of accounting items such as supplier invoices and the like. |
| US08553992B2 |
Determination of class, attributes, and identity of an occupant
Disclosed herein is a method and system for determining class, attributes, and identity of an occupant in an occupancy space. An infra-red image of the occupant in the occupancy space is captured. The infra-red image information of the captured image is digitized to obtain a thermal signature of the occupant. The thermal signature of the occupant is compared with thermal signatures, characteristics, and attributes common to a class of occupants stored in a thermal signature database to determine the class, the attributes, and the identity of the occupant. The determination of the class and the attributes may, for example, comprise distinguishing between an animate occupant and an inanimate occupant, analyzing gait of the animate occupant for distinguishing between human motion and non-human motion, and enumerating occupants in the occupancy space using an edge detection algorithm. |
| US08553991B2 |
Clustering processing apparatus and clustering processing method
A clustering processing apparatus comprises: N clustering units that group samples included in the data block into clusters, each clustering unit sequentially taking each sample as a target, grouping the target sample into one of the clusters within the data block, storing cluster information including identification on each cluster into which the samples are grouped within the data block, and storing sample assignment information indicating the cluster to which the target sample belongs; a cluster information transferring unit that selects cluster information on a cluster to be integrated from the cluster information when a predetermined condition is met, and transfers the selected cluster information to a third storage unit; and an updating unit that integrates clusters selected based on the cluster information stored in the third storage unit into an integrated cluster, and updates the sample assignment information based on information of the integrated clusters. |
| US08553990B2 |
Image classifying device, image classifying system, image classifying method, and recording medium
An image classifying device comprises: a pathway data input unit for inputting a plurality of pathway data, the pathway data including person information, pathway information that is continuous location information, date information and time information; an image data input unit for inputting image data which contains imaging date/time information; a pathway data comparison unit for comparing the pathway data; an event date/time decision unit for determining an occurrence of an event and the date/time of the event based on a comparison result; and an image data classifying unit for classifying image data containing the imaging date/time information corresponding to the determined date/time of event as event image corresponding to the determined date/time of the event, the event date/time decision unit determining the occurrence of event based on a difference in the location information corresponding to a time when the time information of the compared pathway data agree. |
| US08553987B2 |
Method and apparatus for recognizing characters using autofocus of a camera
A method and an apparatus for recognizing characters using an image are provided. A camera is activated according to a character recognition request and a preview mode is set for displaying an image photographed through the camera in real time. An auto focus of the camera is controlled and an image having a predetermined level of clarity is obtained for character recognition from the images obtained in the preview mode. The image for character recognition is character-recognition-processed so as to extract recognition result data. A final recognition character row is drawn that excludes non-character data from the recognition result data. A first word is combined including at least one character of the final recognition character row and a predetermined maximum number of characters. A dictionary database that stores dictionary information on various languages using the first word is searched, so as to provide the user with the corresponding word. |
| US08553986B2 |
Method for processing image and system processing the same
An image processing method and a system for processing the same are provided. The image processing method includes the following steps. A first image having several first areas and a second image having several second areas are provided. Each first area has a first feature point having the largest or the smallest grey value in the first area. Each second area has a second feature point having the largest or the smallest grey value in the second area. A first relationship between the first feature points and a second relationship between the second feature points are created. The first and the second feature points are paired by a microprocessor according to the first and the second relationship. |
| US08553982B2 |
Model-based play field registration
A method, apparatus, and system are described for model-based playfield registration. An input video image is processed. The processing of the video image includes extracting key points relating to the video image. Further, whether enough key points relating to the video image were extracted is determined, and a direct estimation of the video image is performed if enough key points have been extracted and then, a homograph matrix of a final video image based on the direct estimation is generated. |
| US08553980B2 |
Method and apparatus extracting feature points and image based localization method using extracted feature points
Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for extracting feature points using hierarchical image segmentation and an image based localization method using the extracted feature points. An image is segmented using an affinity degree obtained using information observed during position estimation, new feature points are extracted from segmented areas in which registered feature points are not included, and position estimation is performed based on the new feature points. Accordingly, stable and reliable localization may be performed. |
| US08553976B2 |
Differential image enhancement
Techniques for differentially enhancing selected areas within a digital image are disclosed. In certain embodiments, one or more attributes of a selected pixel or a group of pixels is determined. Examples of such attributes include color properties, grayscale properties, and/or multi-pixel properties, such as texture. In certain embodiments, the attribute may be used in conjunction with the properties of a modification tool, such as a brush, to selectively modify pixels having the attribute value or a similar attribute value. |
| US08553971B2 |
Method and system for measuring object
A method and system for measuring three-dimensional coordinates of an object are provided. The method includes: capturing images from a calibration point of known three-dimensional coordinates by two image-capturing devices disposed in a non-parallel manner, so as for a processing module connected to the image-capturing devices to calculate a beam confluence collinear function of the image-capturing devices; calibrating the image-capturing devices to calculate intrinsic parameters and extrinsic parameters of the image-capturing devices and calculate the beam confluence collinear function corresponding to the image-capturing devices; and capturing images from a target object by the image-capturing devices so as for the processing module to calculate three-dimensional coordinates of the object according to the beam confluence collinear function. In so doing, the method and system enable the three-dimensional coordinates and bearings of a target object to be calculated quickly, precisely, and conveniently. Hence, the method and system are applicable to various operating environments. |
| US08553970B2 |
System and method for generating spatial signatures
A system and method for performing spatial signature analysis, the system including a memory unit for storing wafer defect density maps of multiple resolutions, derived from a defect map obtained by an inspection tool; an analyzer for analyzing the wafer defect density maps to identify zones of interest; and a spatial signature generator for generating spatial signatures in response to relations between zones of interest of different density resolution. |
| US08553967B2 |
System and method for a digital X-ray radiographic tomosynthesis user interface
A system and method for an improved digital X-ray radiographic tomosynthesis user interface and workflow. The system comprising a user interface providing a tomosynthesis reconstruction preference edit tool; a dose preference edit tool; a scout acquisition edit tool; a tomosynthesis acquisition edit tool; a retrospective reconstruction image processing edit tool; a slice image change auto forward edit tool; and an image annotation propogation edit tool. |
| US08553964B2 |
Unifying reconstruction and motion estimation in first pass cardiac perfusion imaging
Methods and a system to unify reconstruction and motion estimation steps in first pass cardiac perfusion MRI include a global objective function that meets data consistency, spatial smoothness, motion and contrast dynamics constraints. The global objective decomposed into simpler sub-problems which include low pass filtering of a deformed object, TV shrinkage, analytical Fourier replacement and an l2 minimizing problem. A registration tool based on the local cross-correlation similarity measure and enabled to perform both rigid and flexile deformations, is applied. Registration parameters are tuned by rigid, semi rigid and flexible models at different stages of iterations. A system to perform the methods is also disclosed. |
| US08553961B2 |
Automatic pre-alignment for registration of medical images
In image registration, a similarity measure is computed of first and second images (4, 6) offset at a plurality of relative axial offsets (30). A starting relative axial offset (40) between the first and second images is identified based on the computed similarity measures. An iterative image registration process is performed to relatively register the first and second images (4, 6) using the identified starting relative axial offset between the first and second images as an initial condition for the iterative image registration process. A starting relative in-slice offset (42) may also be identified as an in-slice offset effective to align corresponding slices of the first and second images (4, 6) offset at the starting relative axial offset (40), the identified starting relative in-slice offset also being used as an initial condition for the iterative image registration process. |
| US08553955B2 |
Image processing apparatus, X-ray computed tomography apparatus, and image processing method
According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus comprises a storage unit configured to store a plurality of volume data acquired by imaging a predetermined part of an object, the plurality of volume data corresponding to a plurality of phases, a calculation unit configured to calculate a spatial motion vector of each voxel included in each volume data by performing registration between the plurality of volume data, an image generation unit configured to generate an image representing a local motion of the diagnosis part using the motion vector of each voxel, and a display unit configured to display the image representing the local motion of the diagnosis part. |
| US08553952B2 |
Method and system for automated interpretation of computer tomography scan data
Disclosed is a method for interpreting image data that represents variations in density of matter inside a subject. For instance, a data processing system may receive image data from a scan of a subject. The data processing system automatically discerns one or more bones, one or more arteries, and one or more organs of the subject, based at least in part on the image data. The data processing system may also automatically identify one or more of the discerned bones, arteries, and organs. The data processing system may also produce output that depicts one or more of the identified bones, one or more of the identified arteries, and/or one or more of the identified organs, for use by a radiologist or other user. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08553949B2 |
Classification and organization of consumer digital images using workflow, and face detection and recognition
A processor-based system operating according to digitally-embedded programming instructions performs a method including identifying a group of pixels corresponding to a face region within digital image data acquired by an image acquisition device. A set of face analysis parameter values is extracted from said face region, including a faceprint associated with the face region. First and second reference faceprints are determined for a person using reference images captured respectively in predetermined face-portrait conditions and using ambient conditions. The faceprints are analyzed to determine a baseline faceprint and a range of variability from the baseline associated with the person. Results of the analyzing are stored and used in subsequent recognition of the person in a subsequent image acquired under ambient conditions. |
| US08553948B2 |
System and method for iris data acquisition for biometric identification
A system and related method for acquiring high quality images of the iris of an unconstrained subject comprising a camera; a controllable focusing component; a focus controller component that controls the lens to focus at successively different points within a focus range, such focus control performed without any input from measurement of whether the image is in focus or out of focus, be it based from measurements of the image or other distance metrics to the subject; and a sharpness detection component that rejects the most out-of-focus images based on measurement of focus on the image is disclosed. |
| US08553947B2 |
Biometric identification and verification
In real biometric systems, false match rates and false non-match rates of 0% do not exist. There is always some probability that a purported match is false, and that a genuine match is not identified. The performance of biometric systems is often expressed in part in terms of their false match rate and false non-match rate, with the equal error rate being when the two are equal. There is a tradeoff between the FMR and FNMR in biometric systems which can be adjusted by changing a matching threshold. This matching threshold can be automatically, dynamically and/or user adjusted so that a biometric system of interest can achieve a desired FMR and FNMR. |
| US08553945B2 |
Methods and systems for analyzing the quality of digital signature confirmation images
Methods and systems for evaluating an imager that produces bi-chrome images from a scanner or a digital imaging device, the bi-chrome images having pixels of a first and second color. In one embodiment, a method for evaluating an imager includes generating an image that contains pixels of a first color and a second color. The image may be analyzed to determine information about particles of the first and second color. The particles may be described as contiguous pixels of the same color, and the particle information may relate to the size and quantity of the particles of each color. The method may further include determining if the image is unacceptable based on the particle information compared to predefined objective criteria. |
| US08553944B2 |
Removing leakage from a double-sided document
Aspects of the present invention include systems and methods for mitigating the effects of leakage when duplicating an image from a double-sided document. In embodiments, a device is calibrated by computing a leakage function. The leakage function is used to obtain a leakage mitigation function. Given the leakage function and the leakage mitigation function, an estimate of a true version of the document image can be obtained using as inputs only the images of the front-side and back-side of the double-sided document. |
| US08553942B2 |
Reimaging based on depthmap information
One or more systems, devices, and/or methods for emphasizing objects in an image, such as a panoramic image, are disclosed. For example, a method includes receiving a depthmap generated from an optical distancing system, wherein the depthmap includes position data and depth data for each of a plurality of points. The optical distancing system measures physical data. The depthmap is overlaid on the panoramic image according to the position data. Data is received that indicates a location on the panoramic image and, accordingly, a first point of the plurality of points that is associated with the location. The depth data of the first point is compared to depth data of surrounding points to identify an area on the panoramic image corresponding to a subset of the surrounding points. The panoramic image is altered with a graphical effect that indicates the location. |
| US08553940B2 |
Formation of a time-varying signal representative of at least variations in a value based on pixel values
A method of forming a time-varying signal representative of at least variations in a value based on pixel values from a sequence of images, the signal corresponding in length to the sequence of images, the method includes acts of obtaining the sequence of images. A plurality of groups of sub-sets of pixel values are formed by selecting a sub-set of at least one pixel value from each of at least two images defining an interval to form a group of associated sub-sets. For any pair of groups with only sub-sets from the same images, the sub-sets from more than one image are different. Groups of sub-sets are selected to form the signal in accordance with at least one selection criterion. The selected groups of sub-sets cover different intervals, shorter than a length of the sequence. |
| US08553938B2 |
Information processing program, information processing system, information processing apparatus, and information processing method, utilizing augmented reality technique
An exemplary embodiment provides an information processing program. The information processing program includes image obtaining instructions, search target detection instructions, distance calculation instructions, event occurrence instructions, virtual image generation instructions, and display control instructions. The search target detection instructions cause a computer to detect a search target from an image of a subject. The event occurrence instructions cause the computer to cause an event to occur in a virtual space in accordance with a distance between an image pick-up apparatus and the search target. The virtual image generation instructions cause the computer to generate a virtual image by shooting the event with a virtual camera. The display control instructions cause a display to display the virtual image such that the virtual image is visually recognized by a user as superimposed on the image of the subject or on the subject seen through a screen of the display. |
| US08553937B2 |
Controller for an image stabilizing orthogonal transfer charge-coupled device
An apparatus includes a video sensing device, a velocity vector estimator (VVE) coupled to the video sensing device, a controller coupled to the velocity vector estimator, and an orthogonal transfer charge-coupled device (OTCCD) coupled to the controller. The video sensing device transmits a plurality of image frames to the velocity vector estimator. The controller receives a location of an object in a current frame, stores locations of the object in one or more previous frames, predicts a motion trajectory and the predicted location of the object on it in a subsequent frame as a function of the locations of the object in the current frame and the one or more previous frames, and transmits the predicted location of the object to the OTCCD. The OTCCD shifts its image array of pixels as a function of the predicted location of the object. |
| US08553935B2 |
Computer interface employing a manipulated object with absolute pose detection component and a display
A system that has a remote control, e.g., a wand, equipped with a relative motion sensor that outputs data indicative of a change in position of the wand. The system also has one or more light sources and a photodetector that detects their light and outputs data indicative of the detected light. The system uses one or more controllers to determine the absolute position of the wand based on the data output by the relative motion sensor and by the photodetector. The data enables determination of the absolute pose of the wand, which includes the absolute position of a reference point chosen on the wand and the absolute orientation of the wand. To properly express the absolute parameters of position and/or orientation of the wand a reference location is chosen with respect to which the calculations are performed. The system is coupled to a display that shows an image defined by a first and second orthogonal axes such as two axes belonging to world coordinates (Xo,Yo,Zo). The one or more controllers are configured to generate signals that are a function of the absolute position of the wand in or along a third axis for rendering the display. To simplify the mapping of a real three-dimensional environment in which the wand is operated to the cyberspace of the application that the system is running, the third axis is preferably the third Cartesian coordinate axis of world coordinates (Xo,Yo,Zo). |
| US08553932B2 |
Optical scanning-based system for detecting position and/or orientation of objects
The optical device for determining position and orientation of an object comprising a fixed part comprises a laser beam projector with sequential scan and a projection centre (O), defining the centre of a reference frame (R) in space. The projector emits, in a zone comprising at least four sensors fixed to the said object, the four sensors having a known disposition on the object. The instants at which each of the sensors provides an electrical pulse determine the angular directions of the said sensors in the reference frame, the four straight lines passing through the origin and through each of the sensors intercepting an image plane of the fixed part at four projected points. The positions in the image plane of the mappings of the four points determine a geometric shape making it possible to calculate the position and the orientation of the object in space. |
| US08553927B2 |
Image processing device and method for determining image data processes based on additional information
An image processing device extracts additional information from image data and includes an input unit to input a plurality of image data items, an additional information extracting unit to extract an additional information item from each image data item, and a determining unit to determine a process to be performed for each image data item based on the extracted additional information item. The determining unit is configured to determine a process to be performed for an image-data group containing the plurality of image data items, based on a plurality of additional information items extracted from the plurality of image data items, and determine a process to be performed for each image data item based on one of the plurality of additional information items. |
| US08553926B2 |
Speaker and electronic device
A speaker includes a diaphragm formed as an elongated box-shaped five face body having one open face; an edge for supporting the diaphragm so as to enable vibration of the diaphragm; a voice coil wound around and fixed to four side faces which are among the five faces of the diaphragm and which are adjacent to the open face; and a magnetic circuit for supplying a drive force to the voice coil. The diaphragm is configured such that a height from the open face to an upper face opposed to the open face is greater than or equal to twice a thickness of the voice coil, and a length of a long side of the upper face is greater than or equal to twice a length of a short side of the upper face, and the upper face and two side faces of the diaphragm define a long side direction of the diaphragm. Additionally, reinforcing ribs are formed as recessed and projecting shapes on the upper face and the two side faces of the diaphragm. |
| US08553925B2 |
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker includes a movable diaphragm, a resilient centering device for centering and guiding the movement of the diaphragm, and a magnet system for controlling the movement of the diaphragm, where the diaphragm is positioned between the magnet system and the resilient centering device. |
| US08553921B2 |
Miniature microphone, protection frame thereof and method for manufacturing the same
A miniature microphone is provided. In one embodiment, the miniature microphone comprises: a circuit board substrate at the upper part of the miniature microphone, wherein a plurality of contact pads are configured at prescribed positions on one side of the circuit board substrate and one or more electrical components are installed on the other side thereof; a protection frame with a cavity in the central portion thereoftherein, wherein one or more components are installed inside the cavity, the outer side of the protection frame forms the body portion, a first metal shielding layer is provided on the inner surface of the body portion, and an insulating mechanism is provided on the inner side of the first metal shielding layer, which enables the one or more components to be electrically insulated from the first metal shielding layer; and a bottom plate, wherein one or more sound holes are provided in the central portion thereoftherein for passing sound, and a second metal shielding layer is provided on the whole surface of the side of the bottom plate coming into contact with the protection frame. |
| US08553920B2 |
Arrangement comprising a microphone
An arrangement includes a circuit carrier and a housed microphone. A mounting side of the housed microphone is mounted on a top side of the circuit carrier. The housed microphone includes solderable contacts on the mounting side and a sound entry opening facing the circuit carrier. An acoustic channel connects the sound entry opening and surroundings above the circuit carrier. |
| US08553918B2 |
Battery contact for a hearing apparatus
A hearing device or another hearing apparatus is to be made smaller in terms of its dimensions. It is proposed for this purpose to develop a battery contact at least in one section as an induction coil. The current produced by the battery can thus compensate for an interference field of a telephone coil, said interference field being produced for example by a hearing device earpiece, and no separate coils need to be provided. |
| US08553917B2 |
Method for actively reducing occlusion comprising plausibility check and corresponding hearing apparatus
Adaption of signal processing for actively reducing occlusion in hearing apparatuses, and in particular in hearing aids, is to be automated further. For this purpose, a transducer transmission function, which is defined for the transmission path from the input of a receiver via the auditory canal to the output of a microphone, be subjected to an automatic plausibility check. An adjustable filter via which the microphone signal is fed back is only altered if the transducer transmission function is plausible according to a predefined criterion. |
| US08553910B1 |
Wearable computing device with behind-ear bone-conduction speaker
Apparatuses that provide a bone-conduction speaker arranged to be located behind the ear are described herein. An exemplary apparatus may include: (a) a glasses-style support structure comprising a front section and at least one side section; (b) at least one bone-conduction speaker; and (c) a member having a proximate end and a distal end, wherein the proximate end is attached to the at least one side section, and wherein the at least one bone-conduction speaker is attached to the member at or near the distal end; wherein the member is arranged on the at least one side section such that when the glasses-style support structure is worn the member: (a) extends to the anterior of the at least one side section and (b) locates the bone-conduction speaker posterior to an ear. |
| US08553908B2 |
Amplification apparatus
An amplification apparatus comprises: an amplifier circuit that amplifies an input audio signal and outputs an output audio signal; a first signal level determining unit that determines whether or not a signal level of the output audio signal outputted from the amplifier circuit is lower than a silence determination reference value; and a power-supply control unit that shifts the amplification apparatus from a power-on state to a power-off state, when it is determined that the signal level of the output audio signal outputted from the amplifier circuit is lower than the silence determination reference value. |
| US08553902B2 |
Multi-channel broadcasting system using digital matrix amplifier and method of controlling the same
A multi-channel broadcasting system using a digital matrix amplifier performing the setting of respective equipment is provided to control the model equipment through a digital master controller. An 8-channel audio input unit 66 is electrically connected to a digital audio mixer. Sound source equipment connection terminals are electrically connected to the sound equipment. A data converter unit 46 converts each data and a contact point signal. An audio matrix IC 60 outputs an input sound source signal to an arbitrary channel. A pair of audio output terminals transmits the output signal of the audio matrix IC. |
| US08553900B2 |
Noise reduction circuit with monitoring functionality
A noise reduction circuit 200 for a headphone 100 is disclosed herein. In a described embodiment, the headphone 100 includes a speaker driver 110 and the circuit 200 comprises a microphone 112 configured to convert ambient sound into a corresponding electrical ambient signal and which is disposed adjacent to the speaker driver's diaphragm. The circuit 200 further includes an active noise reduction path configured to provide active noise reduction of the ambient sound based on the corresponding electrical ambient signal and a vocal signal compensation path configured to restore attenuated signals within the vocal range of the corresponding electrical ambient signal to increase audibility of vocal signals of the ambient sound. The circuit 200 also includes a switching device 204,210 arranged to selectively deliver the corresponding electrical ambient signal to the active noise reduction path or to the vocal signal compensation path. |
| US08553892B2 |
Processing a multi-channel signal for output to a mono speaker
Systems, methods, and devices for processing an audio signal with two or more channels into a monaural signal are provided. For example, an electronic device configured to perform such techniques may include audio signal processing circuitry, which may receive a first audio channel signal and a second audio channel signal. Based on these signals, the audio signal processing circuitry may output a monaural signal as a sum or a difference of the first and second audio channel signals, or as a combination thereof, depending at least in part on a phase relationship between the first and second audio channel signals. Additionally or alternatively, the audio signal processing circuitry may adjust a timing relationship between the first and second audio channel signals depending at least in part on the phase relationship, before combining a proportion of the first and second audio channel signals. |
| US08553889B2 |
Mix-net system
Each participant apparatus (103) encrypts a plaintext by using a secret key of secret key cryptography, encrypts the encryption key by a public key, and sends the plaintext and public key to a substitution/decryption apparatus (112). With this processing, the limitation on the length of a ciphertext to be processed can be eliminated. In this invention, a verifiable proof text using a public key by each substitution/decryption apparatus is verified by a verification apparatus (109) by using the public key. If one of a plurality of organizations to decrypt and shuffle ciphertexts has not correctly executed the operation, a third party can specify it and prove that the specified organization is unauthorized. |
| US08553883B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing subscription credentials in a wireless communication device
According to the teachings presented herein, a wireless communication device reverts from subscription credentials to temporary access credentials, in response to detecting an access failure. The device uses its temporary access credentials to gain temporary network access, either through a preferred network (e.g., home network) or through any one of one or more non-preferred networks (e.g., visited networks). After gaining temporary access, the device determines whether it needs new subscription credentials and, if so, uses the temporary access to obtain them. Correspondingly, in one or more embodiments, a registration server is configured to support such operations, such as by providing determination of credential validity and/or by redirecting the device to a new home operator for obtaining new subscription credentials. |
| US08553881B2 |
Composite masking system and method for improving invisibility of high-definition video watermarking
A composite masking system and method for improving the invisibility of high-definition video watermarking. The composite masking system includes a watermark generation module, a mask generation module, and watermark embedment means. The watermark generation module generates a basic watermark pattern using a private key, and generate a watermark pattern by repeatedly extending the basic watermark pattern. The mask generation module generates a Noise Visibility Function (NVF) mask using NVF masking means, an adaptive dithering mask using adaptive dithering masking means, and a contour mask using contour masking means. The watermark embedment means generates a composite mask by multiplying the NVF mask, the adaptive dithering mask and the contour mask together, multiplying the composite mask and the extended watermark pattern together, and embedding the result of the second multiplication in the luminance channel of an original image. |
| US08553873B1 |
Revising outbound forecasts and corresponding schedules based on performance data
Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for generating an outbound forecast. In particular embodiments, campaign parameters are defined for at least two outbound call campaigns that include for each campaign a time period over which the campaign is to be carried out, a target value identifying a number of an outbound communication result to occur over the time period, and sources for handling outbound communications. Further, a historical dataset is selected that includes historical data on the corresponding outbound communication result for each campaign based on past outbound communications. In various embodiments, an outbound forecast is generated based on the historical dataset and campaign parameters for the outbound call campaigns. The forecast provides a number of the outbound communication result forecasted to be achieved over the time period for each campaign in an attempt to meet the target value for the corresponding campaign. |
| US08553870B2 |
Computer telephony integration (CTI) complete healthcare contact center
Methods, systems, and products enable a healthcare facility to process incoming communications. |
| US08553868B2 |
Intelligent outbound calling
A method, system, and computer program product for providing Intelligent Outbound Calling provides enhanced calling services even when the called party is not a customer to such a service. A method for providing calling services may comprise storing contact information for a customer, the contact information comprising information relating to a plurality of contacts associated with the customer and for each contact, a plurality of contact telephone numbers, receiving an indication of a contact selected from among the plurality of contacts, and dialing a plurality of calls to the plurality of contact telephone numbers for the selected contact. |
| US08553866B2 |
System and method to provide dynamic call models for users in a network
A system and method provisions dynamic call models within a network having a serving node for providing session control for user endpoint (UE) devices. A user endpoint device (UE) with agent logic, expresses dynamic context of the UE in a message and sends said dynamic context message to a serving node. The dynamic context includes a subset of devices that could be used as UEs or associated devices, network connections that terminate or emanate from said devices that could be used as UEs or associated devices, and capabilities of said devices that could be used as UEs or associated devices. The serving node logic receives said context message from the UE and constructs a dynamic call model in response. The dynamic call model having filter codes to associate service codes with application servers (ASs) in communication with the network, and each AS having service logic to provide a service. |
| US08553853B2 |
Systems and methods for using the advanced intelligent network to redirect data network traffic
A method and system are disclosed for providing a low cost mechanism for remotely re-routing queries in a telecommunications network. A service control point (SCP) executes an application which causes a queries to be launched over a LAN or WAN to a remotely located data center. A primary and secondary data center are defined, in which the secondary data center operations on a ‘hot-standby’ basis. Based on a manually provided indication, maintenance personnel may telephone and interact with a voice response unit or a web-based interface, which indicates that the SCP or SCP application should route queries to the secondary data center. Similarly, the same mechanism can be used to indicate that queries should be re-routed back to the primary data center. This allows remote management for controlling the queries without having to extensively modify the related infrastructure. |
| US08553850B2 |
Method and system for providing information and advertising content in a telephone system
A method for operating a directory assistance process adapted to provide a targeted message to incoming callers totally or substantially free of one or more 411-type directory assistance calling charges. The method includes receiving a phone call from an incoming caller and receiving a voice based request for information associated with directory assistance from the caller. The method also includes determining phone number information in response to the request through one or more first databases and identifying a phone number associated with the incoming caller using a caller identification process. The method further includes querying at least one database to ascertain a match between the phone number associated with the incoming caller and at least one of a plurality of identifiers in the at least one database, determining at least one message, transmitting the determined message to the incoming caller, and transmitting the phone number information to the incoming caller. |
| US08553848B1 |
Preserving voltage on telephone line over hard reset during planned outage
Systems and methods can provide for preventing a false alarm generated during a planned network outage during a maintenance window. Security systems can generate and report alarms to a security center through a communications network. Intruders are known to disable the communication network thereby preventing reporting of an alarm to the security center. Security systems can generate local alarms upon detecting loss of the communications network. It is advantageous for a communications network operator to prevent false alarm generation during periods of planned network outages. |
| US08553845B2 |
Method for the status analysis of a subscriber loop to support broadband telecommunication services
A method for analyzing the status of a subscriber loop belonging to an access network portion of a fixed network infrastructure, the subscriber loop not supporting a broadband service wherein the access network portion includes further subscriber loops, a set of which support broadband services. The method includes the steps of collecting attenuation measures associated with said set of subscriber loops supporting said broadband services; and processing said attenuation measures to obtain an estimation of a maximum bit rate that can be offered on the subscriber loop to be analyzed. |
| US08553842B2 |
X-ray apparatus and control method thereof
An X-ray apparatus includes guide rails arranged along different axes, an X-ray tube movably mounted on at least one of the guide rails and adapted to be moved upon user force, motors provided at the guide rails to move the X-ray tube, a force detection unit to detect the user force, and a control unit to determine a direction of force and drive the motor provided at the guide rail on an axis corresponding to the determined direction. The X-ray apparatus may be easily moved based on force detection and velocity control of the motor, thereby achieving more precise and safe movement in a desired direction. Accordingly, the X-ray apparatus may provide rapid and efficient medical examination and treatment in hospitals. |
| US08553841B2 |
Compact, low noise power supply for advanced electronics applications, and X-ray analyzer applications thereof
A shielded, low-noise, high-voltage power supply having a plurality of voltage multipliers, each having a toroidal transformer, and collectively producing a high DC output voltage from an AC voltage. A main conductor carries the AC voltage, and is positioned proximate each toroidal transformer of the plurality of voltage multipliers. A conductive shell is conductively connected to the main conductor, and substantially encloses the plurality of voltage multipliers and the main conductor, the conductive shell providing a return path for the AC voltage in the main conductor and providing EMI shielding of the voltage multipliers and the main conductor. Other features are provided, including an intermediate transformer for conditioning/isolating the AC voltages. |
| US08553840B2 |
Biometric diagnosis
The invention provides a method of detecting neoplastic or neurological disorders comprising exposing skin or nails to X-ray diffraction and detecting changes in the ultrastructure of the skin or nails, and also provides an instrument when used in the method of detection. |
| US08553838B2 |
High speed materials sorting using X-ray fluorescence
A system and process for classifying a piece of material of unknown composition at high speeds, where the system connected to a power supply. The piece is irradiated with first x-rays from an x-ray source, causing the piece to fluoresce x-rays. The fluoresced x-rays are detected with an x-ray detector, and the piece of material is classified from the detected fluoresced x-rays. Detecting and classifying may be cumulatively performed in less than one second. An x-ray fluorescence spectrum of the piece of material may be determined from the detected fluoresced x-rays, and the detection of the fluoresced x-rays may be conditioned such that accurate determination of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum is not significantly compromised, slowed or complicated by extraneous x-rays. The piece of material may be classified by recognizing the spectral pattern of the determined x-ray fluorescence spectrum. The piece of material may be flattened prior to irradiation and detection. The x-ray source may irradiate the first x-rays at a high intensity, and the x-ray source may be an x-ray tube. |
| US08553835B2 |
Computed tomography scanners, x-ray filters and methods thereof
A computed tomography scanner may include a component mounting assembly, an x-ray tube, a filter assembly, and a detector assembly. The filter assembly filters an x-ray fan or cone beam generated by the x-ray tube such that the x-ray beam comprises a high dose portion and one or more low dose portions. The filter assembly reduces the photon count of the low dose portions. The x-ray tube may be coupled to the component mounting assembly at a first end and the detector assembly coupled at a second end that is opposite from the first end. The component mounting assembly is rotatable about a rotation axis. The detector assembly includes an array of individual detector elements capable of detecting x-ray photons of the x-ray beam. The high dose portion strikes a high resolution region of the detector assembly and the low dose portion strikes a low resolution region of the detector assembly. |
| US08553824B2 |
MIMO slotted aloha (MSA) system
A method including receiving at a synchronizing node a first reference frame from a first reference node at a first time and storing a first time value representing the first time, and calculating a timing estimator by subtracting a minimum time value, representing the distance from the synchronizing node to the first reference node, from the first time value. The method includes receiving at the synchronizing node a second reference frame at a second time and transmitting from the synchronizing node to the first reference node a short timing contention time frame. The method includes receiving at the synchronizing node from the first reference node an arrival time value representing the time at which the first reference node received the short timing contention frame and calculating a time drift from the first arrival time value and the second time value and adjusting the timing estimator based on the time drift. |
| US08553820B2 |
Groupwise successive interference cancellation for block transmission with reception diversity
A plurality of data signals are received over an antenna array having a plurality of antenna elements. The data signals are transmitted over a shared spectrum in a wireless communication system. A signal having each of the data signals is received over each antenna element. The plurality of data signals are grouped into a plurality of groups. The received signals of the antenna elements are matched filtered for a first group of the plurality of groups, producing a matched filtered result. Data is jointly detected of the first group using the matched filtered result. An interference correction signal is constructed using the detected data for each antenna element. The interference cancelled result is subtracted from the received signal of each antenna element, producing an interference cancelled result for each antenna element. Data is successively detected for remaining groups using the interference cancelled result for each antenna element. |
| US08553816B2 |
Setting a transmission power level for a mobile unit
A spread signal is produced having an adjustable spread spectrum. A data signal is provided for transmission. The data signal is processed to have a first spread spectrum. The processed first spread spectrum data signal is filtered to have one out of a plurality of spread spectrums. The filtering capable of producing a signal having a spread spectrum of any of the plurality of spread spectrums. The filtered one spread spectrum data signal is transmitted. |
| US08553815B2 |
Gain control for a receiver in a multi-carrier communication system
A receiver in an OFDM communication system includes a power detector and a gain controller. The power detector detects for total received power of a received OFDM signal, e.g., by computing the power of the data samples from an ADC and averaging the power. The gain controller adjusts the gain of the receiver in discrete gain steps and in one direction, e.g., from the lowest gain state to the highest gain state, based on the detected total received power. The gain controller initializes the receiver to the lowest gain state. Thereafter, the gain controller detects for low total received power, e.g., by comparing the detected total received power against a predetermined threshold. The gain controller transitions to a higher gain state if low total received power is detected and maintains the current gain state otherwise. |
| US08553814B2 |
Rapid sampling phase recovery
In a communication receiver, timing recovery circuitry includes a loop filter associated with a timing recovery loop of a first communication device. The first communication device is in communication with a second communication device prior to a temporary power down/power up sequence in the first communication device. The loop filter is configured to: (i) temporarily disable at least a portion of the timing recovery loop after the temporary power down/power up sequence in the first communication device; and (ii) initiate a progression through a set of potential sampling phases to determine a given sampling phase at which the first communication device can recommence communication with the second communication device. |
| US08553808B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a signal in a frequency band using non-uniform sampling
A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of a signal in a frequency band using non-uniform sampling includes an analog to digital converter (ADC) (110) for sampling an analog input signal (105) to create discrete signal samples (115), an ADC exciter (120) for exciting the ADC to sample at non-uniform time periods, a digital filter (130) for converting the discrete signal samples into an energy versus frequency spectrum (300), and an energy comparator (140) coupled to an output of the digital filter. The energy comparator (140) detects the presence of any frequency bands exceeding an energy setpoint. |
| US08553803B2 |
Estimation of the signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems
An apparatus configured to receive a first signal and a second signal from a further apparatus, determine a third signal dependent on at least a first part of the first signal and a first part of the second signal, and generate a parameter value dependent on the third signal. |
| US08553801B2 |
System and method for dynamic output back-off
A device is provided for use with an input signal including a first packet of a first modulation type in series with a second packet of a second modulation type. The device includes a gain adjustment portion and a gain portion. The gain adjustment portion can output a first gain adjustment signal based on the first packet or can output a second gain adjustment signal based on the second packet. The gain portion can output a first signal corresponding to the first packet and can output a second signal corresponding to the second packet. The first signal is based on the input signal and a first gain factor. The second signal is based on the input signal and a second gain factor. The first gain factor is based on the first gain adjustment signal. The second gain factor is based on the second gain adjustment signal. |
| US08553798B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating pre-coding matrix codebook
This disclosure relates a method and apparatus for generating pre-coding matrix codebook. The method for generating pre-coding matrix codebook, comprising: acquiring a universal set of pre-coding matrixes in a first format; acquiring a universal set of pre-coding matrixes in a second format; selecting a first predetermined number of pre-coding matrixes in the first format from the universal set of pre-coding matrixes in the first format; and selecting a second predetermined number of pre-coding matrixes in the second format from the universal set of pre-coding matrixes in the second format, according to the selected first predetermined number of pre-coding matrixes in the first format. |
| US08553796B2 |
Distortion-aware multiple input multiple output precoding
Precoding parameters used for precoding of a source are selected to minimize distortion that would otherwise be induced in the source during encoding and transmission of the source over a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel. |
| US08553794B2 |
Full-rate, full-diversity space-time block code technique for multiple transmissions using simple linear decoding complexity
An embodiment of the present invention provides a space-time block code (STBC) transmission method for 4 transmit antennas, comprising adding two 2×2 orthogonal pre-coding before a two Alamouti transmission for a 4 transmit antennas scheme. |
| US08553793B2 |
Apparatus and method for transmitting feedback information in broadband wireless access system
An apparatus and method for transmitting feedback information are provided. In a method of operating a transmitter for transmitting feedback information in a broadband wireless access system, the method includes estimating a channel of a second path on the basis of information of a received downlink frame, obtaining a channel representative value corresponding to the estimated channel of the second path, modulating the channel representative value by spreading the channel representative value to a sounding symbol to be transmitted, and transmitting the modulated sounding symbol through a first path. |
| US08553792B2 |
Non-coherent space-time trellis-coded modulations for network-coded wireless relay communications
This invention provides a method for jointly optimizing network coding, channel coding, and signal constellations in non-coherent wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless relay networks for the case when transceivers cannot obtain any knowledge of channel state information (CSI) due to high-speed mobility of the transceivers. In the relay networks, two terminal transceivers simultaneously transmit data to an intermediate relaying transceiver, which in turn broadcasts mixed data using physical-layer network coding to both terminals. The embodiments of this invention exploit different blind space-time trellis-coded modulations (ST-TCM) for each user, whose codebook is jointly generated over a Grassmannian manifold. The method is provided by exponential mapping with affine-lattice convolution for joint optimization of channel coding, modulations, and network coding. The method is designed for fast fading channels with and without interleaving. The method significantly improves performance in non-coherent bidirectional relaying MIMO networks. |
| US08553791B1 |
Simultaneous use of multiple radio frequency channels
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for identifying data that is designated for wireless transmission to a remote computing device. A digital signal that encodes the data for transmission across a band of radio frequency channels is generated.Multiple radio frequency channels in the band that are available are determined. The digital signal is filtered to substantially reduce a power level of the digital signal at frequencies that correspond to channels in the band that have not been determined to be available. The filtered digital signal is converted to an analog signal. The analog signal is provided to an analog transmitter that isolates the band of channels to generate an isolated analog signal and that wirelessly transmits the isolated analog signal over the multiple available channels using one or more antennas. |
| US08553790B2 |
Low power ultra wideband transceivers
Low-power transmitter and/or receiver devices are provided by sacrificing time and/or frequency diversity in exchange for lower power consumption. When channel conditions indicate that time and/or frequency spreading are unnecessary for transmissions, a transmitter may enter into a power-conservation mode in which transmissions are performed using a time gating scheme or a time repetition scheme. In the time gating scheme, symbols are transmitting just once, rather than a plurality of times, but with increased transmission power. In the time repetition scheme, copies of the same symbol are transmitted a plurality of times on the same frequency on different symbol transmission periods, instead of being retransmitted on different frequencies on different symbol transmission periods. Consequently, the symbol can be generated once and stored for subsequent retransmission, thereby allowing some of the transmitter/receiver chain components can be operated at a lower duty cycle or processing speed to conserve power. |
| US08553784B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for random linear network coding
The present invention relates to network coding and discloses a method, an apparatus, and a system for random linear network coding to prevent the complicated and time-consuming process of network coding. The coding method for random linear network includes: splitting original data into at least two data blocks sequentially; determining at least two coefficient groups, wherein a length of each coefficient group is the same as the number of the data blocks, and the coefficient group comprises two elements; performing a bitwise-AND operation on the data blocks and coefficients corresponding to the data blocks to obtain code blocks; and performing a bitwise-XOR operation between the code blocks to obtain a code packet. The present invention is applicable to the network coding which requires a high efficiency of coding. |
| US08553782B2 |
Object archival systems and methods
Personal object based archival systems and methods are provided for processing and compressing video. By analyzing features unique to a user, such as face, family, and pet attributes associated with the user, an invariant model can be determined to create object model adapters personal to each user. These personalized video object models can be created using geometric and appearance modeling techniques, and they can be stored in an object model library. The object models can be reused for processing other video streams. The object models can be shared in a peer-to-peer network among many users, or the object models can be stored in an object model library on a server. When the compressed (encoded) video is reconstructed, the video object models can be accessed and used to produce quality video with nearly lossless compression. |
| US08553781B2 |
Methods and apparatus for decoded picture buffer (DPB) management in single loop decoding for multi-view video
There are provided methods and apparatus for decoded picture buffer (DPB) management in single loop decoding for multi-view video. An apparatus includes a decoder (200) for decoding a picture corresponding to at least one view of at least two views of multi-view video content. The picture is decoded in support of decoded picture buffer management for single loop decoding using inter-view prediction. |
| US08553776B2 |
Method and apparatus for motion vector assignment
A method for processing a plurality of motion vectors for a video frame to be interpolated using a first reference frame and a second reference frame, each reference frame having a content map, the method including partitioning the video frame to be interpolated into a plurality of areas; determining a number of motion vectors passing through one area of the plurality of areas based on the content maps of the first reference frame and the second reference frame; and generating a motion vector to assign to the one area based on the number of motion vectors passing through the one area. An apparatus for performing the method is also described. |
| US08553775B2 |
Method for predicting a bi-predictive block of a moving picture
In the method for predicting a bi-predictive block of a moving picture, first and second distinct motion-compensated blocks are obtained using first and second motion vectors respectively. The bi-predictive block of the moving picture is predicted using first and second variable weight factors associated with the first and second distinct motion-compensated blocks, respectively. |
| US08553772B2 |
Moving picture prediction system
To achieve an encoding system including a highly efficient prediction performed in response to the content of a scene, a significance, and a motion characteristic of a moving picture and the like, a reference memory, a motion compensator receiving a parameter representing the motion of a prediction picture segment for generating a predicted picture by using arbitrary data stored in the memory based upon the parameter, and memory update unit that updates picture data in memory and controls the capacity of the memory, are provided. |
| US08553766B2 |
Method and apparatus for coding image information, method and apparatus for decoding image information, method and apparatus for coding and decoding image information, and system of coding and transmitting image information
An image decoding apparatus for decoding a bit stream includes a receiving unit that receives the bit stream and a weight parameter that is added to a luma quantization parameter. Further, the image decoding apparatus includes a decoding unit that decodes the bit stream and generates a chroma component of quantized coefficients. The image decoding apparatus also includes a setting unit that sets a chroma quantization parameter calculated on the basis of the luma quantization parameter weighted by an addition operation that adds the weight parameter. Additionally, the image decoding apparatus includes a dequantization unit that performs dequantization on the chroma component of quantized coefficients using the chroma quantization parameter. In addition, the image decoding apparatus includes a transform unit that performs an inverse orthogonal transform. |
| US08553765B2 |
Method and apparatus for coding image information, method and apparatus for decoding image information, method and apparatus for coding and decoding image information, and system of coding and transmitting image information
A decoding method decodes a bit stream in an image decoding apparatus. The method includes receiving a luma quantization parameter and a weight parameter that is added to the luma quantization parameter as the bit stream. The method also includes decoding, in a decoding unit in the image decoding apparatus, the bit stream, and generating a luma component of quantized coefficients and a chroma component of quantized coefficients. Further, the method includes performing, in a dequantization unit in the image decoding apparatus, dequantization on the luma component of quantized coefficients using the luma quantization parameter and the chroma component of quantized coefficients using a chroma quantization parameter calculated on the basis of the luma quantization parameter weighted by an add operation of the weight parameter. |
| US08553764B2 |
Method and device for encoding moving picture and method and device for decoding moving picture
A device for encoding a picture included in moving picture data, through motion compensation, the device includes, a storage unit for storing a motion vector for motion compensation, the motion vector determined for each of a plurality of encoded pictures, a picture interval comparator for reading from the storage unit a first motion vector as a standard candidate vector, a co-located vector decider for calculating a co-located vector by setting the standard candidate vector to be the co-located vector of the first block, a direct motion vector calculator for calculating a first direct motion vector and a second direct motion vector with respect to the first block by dividing the co-located vector, a prediction image generator for generating a first motion compensation image, and an encoder for encoding an error signal representing a difference between the prediction image and a corresponding pixel on the first block. |
| US08553761B2 |
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. |
| US08553758B2 |
Motion parameter engine for true motion
Local motion estimation is described herein. Each picture of a video is partitioned into blocks for the local motion estimation. An extended-block FFT is calculated for each block, where the extended-block denotes that a certain area around the block is also included for applying FFT. Extending the block for FFT helps to account for the motion of objects that are moving into or out of the block. Phase correlation is applied to attain a set of Motion Vector (MV) candidates for the blocks, and a cost function is evaluated for each MV. If no MV candidate produces a cost function below a pre-defined threshold, a hierarchical variable block matching search is applied and the process is repeated with blocks for finer resolution. Also, predictive MV candidates are used during the block matching search along with temporal constraints tracking to select an MV that yields the minimum cost function. |
| US08553757B2 |
Forward error correction for media transmission
A “Media Transmission Optimizer” provides a media transmission optimization framework for lossy or bursty networks such as the Internet. This optimization framework provides a novel form of dynamic Forward Error Correction (FEC) that focuses on the perceived quality of a recovered media signal rather than on the absolute accuracy of the recovered media signal. In general, the Media Transmission Optimizer provides an encoder that optimizes the transmission of redundant frames of electronic media information encoded at different bit rates, and provides optimized playback quality by providing a decoder that automatically selects an optimal path through one or more available representations of each frame as a function of overall rate/distortion criteria. |
| US08553753B2 |
Clock-synchronized method for universal serial bus (USB)
A clock-synchronized method for universal serial bus (USB) is described. The method includes the following steps of: (a) a transmitter sends a periodic signal to a host unit during a first time interval; (b) the host unit transmits a first equalization training sequence signal to a receiver during a second time interval to train the receiver and the transmitter continuously sends the periodic signal to the host unit; (c) a clock and data recovery device extracts the first equalization training sequence signal during the second time interval to generate a extracted clock signal and a data signal; and (d) the transmitter sends a second equalization training sequence signal to the host unit based on the extracted clock signal during the third time interval to train the host unit and the receiver and the transmitter commonly utilize the extracted clock signal as a reference clock. |
| US08553750B2 |
Systems and methods for loop length and bridged tap length determination of a transmission line
Through the use of a least squares minimization concept, the loop length, the number of bridged taps and length of the bridged taps on a transmission line can be determined from readily available modem data. In particular, the loop length, the number of bridge taps and the length of bridged taps can be estimated by comparing a measured frequency domain channel impulse response of the transmission line to a model of a loop that is comprised of multiple sections and multiple bridge taps. |
| US08553746B2 |
Method and system for code reuse and capacity enhancement using null steering
The number of users and data capacity of wireless systems are increased by employing apparatus and method for increasing the number of spreading codes available in the system by providing a mechanism to reuse the already allocated spreading code or use the codes that may correlate to those already being used within the same sector/cell. This, in return, provides capacity improvement proportional to the number of added base station (BS) antennas for each cell. An antenna null steering technique for code allocation maintains the cross correlation properties of the codes only for the desired user and to obtain a gain in capacity improvement. |
| US08553745B2 |
Inter-pulse duty cycling
Low power wireless communication techniques may be employed in devices that communicate via a wireless body area network, a wireless personal area network, or some other type of wireless communication link. In some implementations the devices may communicate via one or more impulse-based ultra-wideband channels. Inter-pulse duty cycling may be employed to reduce the power consumption of a device. Power may be provided for the transmissions and receptions of pulses by charging and discharging a capacitive element according to the inter-pulse duty cycling. Sub-packet data may be transmitted and received via a common frequency band. A cell phone may multicast to two or more peripherals via wireless communication links. |
| US08553742B1 |
Laser chip package structure
A laser chip package structure includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible circuit board, a laser chip and a number of electronic elements. The PCB includes a supporting surface. The flexible circuit board is positioned on the supporting surface and electrically connected to the PCB. The laser chip is positioned on the flexible circuit board and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board. The laser chip is configured to emit a laser beam. The electronic elements are positioned on the flexible circuit board and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board. |
| US08553741B2 |
Integrated rare earth devices
The invention includes a single chip having multiple different devices integrated thereon for a common purpose. The chip includes a substrate having a peripheral area, a mid-chip area, and a central area. A plurality of FETs are formed in the peripheral area with each FET having a layer of single crystal rare earth material in at least one of a conductive channel, a gate insulator, or a gate stack. A plurality of photonic devices including light emitting diodes or vertical cavity surface emitting lasers are formed in the mid-chip area with each photonic device having an active layer of single crystal rare earth material. A plurality of photo detectors are formed in the central area. |
| US08553740B2 |
Method of driving GaN-based semiconductor light emitting element, method of driving GaN-based semiconductor light emitting element of image display device, method of driving planar light source device, and method of driving light emitting device
A method of driving a GaN-based semiconductor light emitting element formed by laminating a first GaN-based compound semiconductor layer having a first conductive type, an active layer having a well layer, a second GaN-based compound semiconductor layer having a second conductive type, includes the steps of: starting light emission by the start of the injection of carrier; and then stopping the injection of the carrier before a light emission luminance value becomes constant. |
| US08553738B2 |
Laser light source device
In a laser light source device having an optical element and a plurality of heat sinks on which the optical element is joined directly or through a sub mount, and obtained by joining the heat sinks to each other by means of a joining material such that optical elements are optically directly joined to each other, the laser light source device includes a groove portion extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to an optical axis of light in the laser light source device on any one of a joining surface of the optical element or the sub mount to join with the heat sink and a joining surface of the heat sink to join with the optical element or the sub mount. |
| US08553737B2 |
Laser emitter modules and methods of assembly
Embodiments are directed to laser emitter modules and methods and devices for making the modules. Some module embodiments are configured to provide hermetically sealed enclosures that are convenient and cost effective to assemble and provide for active alignment of optical elements of the module. |
| US08553736B2 |
Laser device and method for manufacturing same
A laser device includes: a semiconductor laser element having an output surface; an optical fiber having a leading end portion facing the output surface of the semiconductor laser element; and an optical fiber supporting member for supporting the optical fiber, the optical fiber supporting member being made from a non heat insulating material and having a bonding pad to which the optical fiber is fixed by use of solder. The optical fiber supporting member includes a contact portion thermally in contact with a base. The bonding pad is (i) spaced apart from the contact portion so as to be located on a side opposite from the contact portion so that a region to which laser light is applied from another laser element when the optical fiber is fixed to the bonding pad is sandwiched between the bonding pad and the base and (ii) separated spatially from the base. |
| US08553733B2 |
Light source device, observation device, and processing device
A light source device 1 includes a laser light source 10 and an optical phase modulator 15 or the like. The optical phase modulator 15 inputs coherent light output from the laser light source 10 and transmitted through a beam splitter 14, phase-modulates the light according to the position on a beam cross section of the light, and outputs the phase-modulated light to the beam splitter 14. When (p+1) areas sectioned by p circumferences centered on a predetermined position are set on a beam cross section of light input to the optical phase modulator 15, the more outside each of the (p+1) areas is, the wider the radial width of the area, the amount of phase modulation is constant in each of the (p+1) areas, and the amounts of phase modulation differ by π between two adjacent areas out of the (p+1) areas. |
| US08553729B2 |
Hierarchical wireless access system and access point management unit in the system
A hierarchical wireless access system includes terminals, access points, centralized access gateways and a plurality of master access point management units located at the access layer and adopting distributed architecture. The master access point management unit includes a communication interface interacting with the centralized access gateway and/or core networks, to which one or more access points are attached. The master access point management unit processes forwards the data and signaling among the attached access points, and provides the function of access gateway and local operation maintenance and network management. Construction of the master access point management unit and the access point in the system is also provided. |
| US08553726B2 |
Scheduling transmission of messages relating to multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS)
In a network, at least first and second messages (801, 802) are transmitted to a user equipment (UE) regarding multimedia point-to-multipoint services. The first messages comprise information regarding a first set of at least one service and the second messages comprise information regarding a second set of at least one service. The transmission of first messages is scheduled with a first periodicity (T1) and the transmission of second messages is scheduled with a second periodicity (T2), the first periodicity being independent from said second periodicity. Therefore, an overhead caused by transmitting of unnecessary information can be reduced. |
| US08553725B2 |
Super-channel assignment using a flexible grid
A node is configured to receive an instruction to establish a channel having a bandwidth that corresponds to an operating spectrum an optical fiber; obtain information that identifies a channel spacing and a pointer that identifies where, within the spectrum, to establish bandwidth allocations; identify a group of bandwidth segments based on the spectrum and the channel spacing; and generate bit words that correspond to the bandwidth allocations, where the bit words includes bits that, when set to a value, cause sets of segments to be reserved within the spectrum, and where the sets of segments identify where the bandwidth allocations begin and end, within the spectrum, relative to the pointer. |
| US08553723B2 |
Method and device for processing a DVB-H compliant transport stream
According to a first aspect, the invention proposes a method for processing a transport stream (TS) received as an input transport stream in a processing device (SDR), the transport stream comprising a plurality of elementary streams (ES), each elementary stream (ES) being a set of transport stream packets having the same Packet IDentifier (PID), at least one of these elementary streams being time-sliced so as to be sent in bursts, timing information indicating within a burst the time to the beginning of the next burst, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: applying a filtering operation to the input transport stream so as to filter out from the input transport stream part or all of one or more time-sliced elementary streams; modifying the bursts scheduling of the input transport stream so as to generate a DVB-H compliant output transport stream from the filtered input transport stream. The invention also relates to a device for processing a transport stream comprising a plurality of time-sliced elementary streams, said device means for performing the method according to the first aspect of the invention, and to a transport stream carrying in-band configuration messages intended to be interpreted by the device for determination of the filtering operation to be applied to the input transport stream. |
| US08553722B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing spatially selectable communications using deconstructed and delayed data streams
A sending device having a processing device and a plurality of transmitters performs a method for providing spatially selectable communications using deconstructed and delayed data streams. The method includes receiving a data stream, an indication of a target point for the data stream, and a target volume around the target point. The method further includes deconstructing the data stream into a plurality of data substreams and, based on a spatial relationship between a corresponding transmitter and the target point, determining a transmitter delay for each transmitter. Moreover, the method further includes determining, based on the target volume, a data interval spacing to apply between each data substream at transmission. In addition, the method includes sending, from the transmitters, the corresponding data substreams using the corresponding transmitter delays and the data interval spacing that confine reconstruction of the data substreams back into the data stream within the target volume. |
| US08553720B2 |
Adaptive speed control for MAC-PHY interfaces
Apparatus having corresponding methods and computer programs comprise a first first-in first-out buffer (FIFO) to receive and store data from a media access controller (MAC); a physical-layer device (PHY) to transmit a signal representing the data; and a control circuit comprising a read circuit to transfer the data from the first FIFO to the PHY, and a transmit pause circuit to transmit a pause frame to the MAC when an amount of the data stored in the first FIFO exceeds a predetermined threshold. |
| US08553719B2 |
Mobile station apparatus and method for receiving signal in a wireless communication system supporting a plurality of wireless communication schemes
A method and MS apparatus for receiving a signal in a wireless communication system supporting a plurality of wireless communication schemes are disclosed. The method for receiving a signal in a wireless communication system supporting both communication of a first MS using a first wireless communication scheme and communication of a second MS using a second wireless communication scheme includes receiving from a BS a downlink signal in a downlink subframe allocated to a second zone dedicated to communication of the second MS in a downlink zone of a specific frame by the second MS. The number of downlink subframes allocated to the second zone by the BS is one, the allocated downlink subframe is a first downlink subframe of the second zone, and the first downlink subframe of the second zone is a Type-2 subframe which consists of seven OFDMA symbols. |
| US08553718B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptive MAC layer fragmentation and HARQ channel identifier assignment
Systems and methods are disclosed for adaptively assigning a number of parallel Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) channels based on system parameters such as channel conditions and pending HARQ processes. The channel conditions may comprise at least one of a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) received from a User Equipment (UE), a number of retransmissions in one or more of the parallel HARQ channels, and a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR). |
| US08553716B2 |
Audiovisual signal routing and distribution system
An audiovisual signal is converted from a native format to a digital, packetized interchange format and transported between a capture node and a display node through a switch. The display node converts the audiovisual signal from the interchange format to a displayable format and causes display of the audiovisual signal. The use of a switch for video routing and distribution allows one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many distribution. The use of a device-independent interchange format allows concurrent distribution of multiple heterogeneous audiovisual signals. |
| US08553711B2 |
Association and resource partitioning in a wireless network with relays
Techniques for performing association and resource partitioning in a wireless network with relays are described. In an aspect, resource partitioning may be performed to allocate available resources to nodes and access/backhaul links of relays. In one design, a node computes local metrics for a plurality of possible actions related to resource partitioning. The node receives local metrics for the possible actions from at least one neighbor node and determines overall metrics for the possible actions based on the computed and received local metrics. The node determines resources allocated to a set of nodes and resources allocated to the access and backhaul links of at least one relay based on the overall metrics for the possible actions. In another aspect, association involving relays may be performed by taking into account the performance of the relays. In yet another aspect, association and resource partitioning may be performed jointly. |
| US08553709B2 |
Method and system for an asymmetric PHY operation for ethernet A/V bridging and ethernet A/V bridging extensions
Signals may be communicated with A/V Bridging services between an upstream link partner and a down stream link partner, each comprising an asymmetric multi-rate Ethernet physical layer (PHY). High bandwidth A/V signals may be transmitted from the upstream link partner and low bandwidth signals may be transmitted from the downstream link partner. One or more of a time stamp, a traffic class and/or a destination address may be utilized in generating PDUs as well as data rate request and a resource reservation messages via the asymmetric Ethernet PHY. The receiving link partner may register for deliver of the PDUs. An aggregate communication rate may be distributed evenly or unevenly among one or more links for transmission and aggregated upon reception via asymmetric multi-rate Ethernet PHY operations. Compressed, uncompressed, encrypted and/or unencrypted signals may be handled. Signal processing may comprise echo cancellation, cross talk cancellation, forward error checking and equalization. |
| US08553696B1 |
Method and system for processing a network packet
Method for and system validating a network packet is provided. The method includes receiving a network packet at a port of a network device, the packet including a first indicia value and a second indicia value; comparing the first indicia value of the packet with at least a first value stored at the network device; comparing the second indicia value of the packet with at least a second value stored at the network device; and processing the packet if the first indicia value matches with the first value and the second indicia value matches with the second value; wherein the first indicia value is a partition key that restricts communication between a packet source and at least one destination; and the second indicia value is one or more of a source address and a destination address, where a same physical port of a source is assigned more than one source address. |
| US08553695B2 |
TCP ACK packet transmission and reception method, and a device supporting the same
Disclosed is a broadband wireless network, and more particularly, to a method for transmitting and receiving a TCP ACK packet, and a device supporting the same, wherein the method for transmitting and receiving a TCP ACK packet receiving TCP ACK packets and data packets from an upper layer; creating a MAC PDU by unifying the TCP ACK packet and data packet buffered in the same queue among the received TCP ACK packets and data packets; and transmitting the MAC PDU to a physical layer. |
| US08553692B2 |
Generic UDP multiplexing for voice over internet protocol (VOIP)
In one embodiment, data for a plurality of sessions is received. For example, a plurality of packets for voice data may be received from a plurality of end points. A destination for each of the connections is then determined. For example, the voice data may be destined for different gateways (and other end points). In some cases, the voice data for the sessions may be destined for the same destination. In this case, a plurality of packets is multiplexed into a multiplexed packet. The multiplexed packet includes a layer three network header. Also, each of the packets in the multiplexed packet includes a transport packet header. The multiplexed packet is then sent to the single destination. Each of the packets in the multiplexed packet can be extracted and processed as if a single one of the packets was received individually. |
| US08553691B2 |
Efficient multicasting in a distributed system architecture
Embodiments of the invention are directed to multicasting packets in a system such as a data packet switch or router having a distributed architecture. A first device such as a line card receiving a packet that requires multicasting forwards the packet to a fabric switch where the packet is replicated to obtain one respective packet for each line card of the system. Each line card receives its respective packet from the fabric switch and further duplicates the packet to obtain a duplicate packet for each egress endpoint of a service associated with the packet that is eligible to receive such a duplicate packet. Replication and duplication of packets requiring multicasting performed in this manner efficiently uses bandwidth of the fabric switch and links connecting it to the line cards. |
| US08553689B2 |
Home agent acting as a proxy for a Mobile Node
In node management in a packet-switched network, a first node acts as a proxy for a second node. Both nodes have network-layer addresses at the network layer and link-layer addresses at the link layer. The first node receives a request to receive and forward packets addressed to the second node's network-layer address. The same network-layer address is associated with the first and the second node, and the first and the second node have distinct link-layer addresses. The first node advertises to nodes attached to the packet-switched network the first node's link-layer address as a destination address for the second node's network-layer address; the second node does not advertise. The first node receives in response to advertising, packets destined to the second node's network-layer address having the first node's link-layer address and forwards packets addressed to the second node's network-layer address to the second node using its link-layer address. |
| US08553687B2 |
Method and apparatus for injecting information assets into a content stream
A method and apparatus for transport encoded asset data and content data, multiplexing the transport encoded content data with a plurality of NULL transport packets to provide “place holder” for the asset data transport packets, and replacing the NULL transport packets with asset data transport packets prior to transmitting the multiplexed transport stream to a set top box. |
| US08553686B2 |
Performing actions on frame entries in response to receiving bulk instruction
Various example embodiments are disclosed. According to an example embodiment, a switch may comprise an instruction decode stage and a lookup stage. The instruction decode stage may be configured to receive a bulk instruction identifying an action to perform on frame entries of the lookup stage, and in response to receiving the bulk instruction, send, to the lookup stage, at least first and second frame entry instructions, each of the first and second frame entry instructions identifying the action and identifying a unique frame entry in the lookup stage upon which to perform the action. The lookup stage may be configured to receive the first and second frame entry instructions from the instruction decode stage, and in response to receiving each of the first and second frame entry instructions, perform the identified action on the frame entry identified by the respective frame entry instruction. |
| US08553682B2 |
Method and apparatus for supporting circuit switched interworking
A wireless transmit/receive unit communicates with a second wireless transmit/receive unit in a combined circuit switched (CS) session and an IP multimedia core network subsystem (IMS) session, where the second wireless transmit/receive unit uses VoIP. |
| US08553681B2 |
Telephone service via packet-switched networking
A system and method for providing telephone type services over the internetwork commonly known as the Internet. Public switched telephone networks utilizing program controlled switching systems are arranged in an architecture with the Internet to provide a methodology for facilitating telephone use of the Internet by customers on an impromptu basis. Provision is made to permit a caller to set-up and carry out a telephone call over the Internet from telephone station to telephone station without access to computer equipment, without the necessity of maintaining a subscription to any Internet service, and without the requiring Internet literacy or knowledge. Calls may be made on an inter or intra LATA, region or state, nationwide or worldwide basis. Billing may be implemented on a per call, timed, time and distance or other basis. Usage may be made of common channel interoffice signaling to set up the call and establish the necessary Internet connections and addressing. Calls may be made from telephone station to telephone station, from telephone station to computer or computer to telephone station. |
| US08553680B2 |
Service controlling in a service provisioning system
A method and a system is described for controlling a service in a service provisioning network. The method including the steps of: a serving network node associated with a user terminal receiving a registration message, the user terminal having one or more of services, preferably VoIP services; and, the serving network node retrieving in response to the registration message service routing information associated with the first user terminal, the service routing information being arranged to route service messages associated with the first user terminal via a stateless application server, the stateless application server being adapted to perform control actions on said service messages. |