| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08590056B2 |
Trusted infrastructure support systems, methods and techniques for secure electronic commerce electronic transactions and rights management
An integrated, modular array of administrative and support services are provided for electronic commerce and electronic rights and transaction management. These administrative and support services supply a secure foundation for conducting transaction-related capabilities over electronic networks, and can also be adapted to the specific needs of electronic commerce value chains. In one embodiment a Distributed Commerce Utility having a secure, programmable, distributed architecture provides these administrative and support services. The Distributed Commerce Utility may comprise a number of Commerce Utility Systems. These Commerce Utility Systems provide a web of infrastructure support available to, and reusable by, the entire electronic community and/or many of its participants. Different support functions can be collected together in hierarchical and/or networked relationships to suit various business models or other objectives. Modular support functions can be combined in different arrays to form different Commerce Utility Systems for different design implementations and purposes. |
| US08590055B2 |
Method and apparatus for importing content having plurality of parts
A digital content protection apparatus and method for digital rights management (DRM) are provided in which a content file including a plurality of content parts is imported such that a header is included which stores location information required for decoding each of the content parts. Therefore, the number of content parts constituting the content file can be recognized, and a license that is required for the use of each of the content parts can be acquired by analyzing header information without necessitating the parsing of the transport packets of the content file. Accordingly, preparation time for using content can be reduced. |
| US08590050B2 |
Security compliant data storage management
An embodiment of the invention is a program for dynamically managing files to comply with security requirements. In one embodiment, changing security requirements require that the computer system identifies the current storage locations of files along with the files' respective security levels. Files containing changed security levels due to the changed security requirements are relocated to storage locations clustered with storage locations containing files of the same security level. In another embodiment, the computer system receives a file having a certain security level, identifies current storage locations of files with the files' respective security levels, and finally allocates the new file to a storage location clustered with storage locations containing files of the same security level. |
| US08590048B2 |
Analyzing the security of communication protocols and channels for a pass through device
A security analyzer includes a single software application that both sends test messages to a device under analysis (DUA) and receives response messages generated by the DUA in response to the test messages. In this way, synchronization of which response messages correspond to which test messages can be reduced or avoided. The software application further determines whether the DUA operated correctly by analyzing the received response messages. |
| US08590047B2 |
System and method for management of vulnerability assessment
A system and method for an optimization of fulfillment workflow includes receiving application data and determining that an application is in scope for vulnerability assessment based at least in part on the application data. Assessment information related to an assessment identifying at least one vulnerability is received from an assessor. The information regarding the assessment is communicated to a remediator. One or more remediation tasks designed to remedy the at least one vulnerability is received, and an indication of performance of a remediation task is received. An indication that a remediation task has been completed based at least in part on the indication of performance of the remediation task is communicated, and an indication of whether the remediation task remedied the at least one vulnerability is received. |
| US08590042B2 |
Storage system, and encryption key management method and encryption key management program thereof
A user no longer needs to restore key information upon restoring data. Proposed is a storage system having a storage apparatus, a tape library apparatus for backing up data stored in the storage apparatus, and a management terminal for managing the storage apparatus and the tape library apparatus. The management terminal identifies a key of a tape to be restored and restores a management Information file based an a tape management file, a tape group information file and a key information file upon restoring data stored in the tape in the tape library apparatus, and commands the restoration of the tape based on the restored management information file. |
| US08590039B1 |
System, method and computer program product for sending information extracted from a potentially unwanted data sample to generate a signature
A system, method and computer program product are provided for sending information extracted from a potentially unwanted data sample to generate a signature. In use, information is extracted from a portion of a sample of potentially unwanted data. Further, the information is sent to generate a signature. |
| US08590037B2 |
Managing host application privileges
A method and system of controlling access to a hardware or software feature provided by a host is disclosed. An application seeking authorization to access a feature transmits a credential and an index to a host agent within the host. The index is associated with the requested feature. The host agent reads credential validation data from a storage location corresponding to the index in a non-volatile storage device in communication with the host. The validity of the credential is determined based on the credential validation data, and an authorization is transmitted if the credential is valid. A third party can control the outcome of the validity determination by sending an instruction to the host to replace the credential validation data with invalid data that causes the validity test to fail. The third party can also control the non-volatile storage device data used by the application to calculate the credential. |
| US08590035B2 |
Network firewall host application identification and authentication
Systems for providing information on network firewall host application identification and authentication include an identifying and transmitting agent on a host computer, configured to identify each application in use, tag the application identity with a host identity, combine these and other information into a data packet, and securely transmit the data packet to the network based firewall. The embodiment also includes an application identity listener on the network based firewall, configured to receive the information data packet, decode the data packet and provide to the network based firewall the identity of the application. The network based firewall is provided with an application-awareness via an extension of firewall filtering or security policy rules via the addition of a new application identity parameter upon which filtering can be based. Other systems and methods are also provided. |
| US08590031B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for access control services using a transparent firewall in conjunction with an authentication server
Access control methods include receiving an access authorization message from an authentication server computer at a blocking device that connects a first network to a second network, modifying access criteria of a transparent firewall at the blocking device responsive to the received access authorization message and operating the transparent firewall according to the modified access criteria to control transfer of messages between the first and second networks. The invention may also be implemented as apparatus and computer readable media. |
| US08590029B2 |
Management of access authorization to web forums open to anonymous users within an organization
A mechanism is provided for managing access authorization to forums open to anonymous users within an organization. A token distributor application provides a unique token to each member of a community or organization. The application is trusted by all members to not store an association between the authenticated user and the token when a token is assigned. The only control exerted by the token distributor is to block users who have already obtained a token from receiving another token. The communication tool or collaboration space may accept creation of a new anonymous identity, such as a nickname, to any individual supplying a token assigned by the token distributor application. An administrator may ban users by token. A banned user cannot access the communication tool or collaboration space using a nickname associated with a banned token. |
| US08590025B2 |
Techniques for accessing a backup system
A technique accesses a backup system. The technique involves receiving a logon command to logon a user to a website of the backup system. The backup system includes (i) a backup server and (ii) a web server which hosts the website to enable the user to control settings of the backup server. The technique further involves, sending, in response to receiving the logon command, a token request to the backup server through a pre-established secure data pathway to the backup server. Data is periodically backed up to the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway. The technique further involves acquiring, in response to sending the token request, a logon token from the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway. When the website receives the logon token during a logon operation, the website communicates with the backup server to determine whether the logon token is authentic. |
| US08590023B2 |
Mobile device and method for automatic connectivity, data offloading and roaming between networks
Embodiments of a mobile device and methods automatically connecting to a Wi-Fi Hotspot 2.0 are generally described herein. In some embodiments, subscription information for one or more service providers (SP) that operate Wi-Fi networks is stored in a subscription data object of the mobile device. The subscription information includes home service provider information, policy information and pre-provisioned credentials. The mobile device may be configured to determine, without user interaction, if the subscription information is applicable to an available Wi-Fi network and perform without user interaction, an extensible authentication protocol (EAP) based authentication using the pre-provisioned credentials with the available Wi-Fi network to establish a Wi-Fi connection with the available Wi-Fi network. This automatic connectivity may allow a mobile device to roam across Wi-Fi hotspots of Wi-Fi networks and offload traffic to Wi-Fi networks. |
| US08590020B1 |
Authentication system and method using arrangements of objects
A system and method is presented for authentication, so as to control access to a resource. A set of objects (for example, a set of images) is established in advance between the user and the service for which the user is to be authenticated. During the authentication, the user, instead of inputting an alpha-numeric password, will be sent several sets (e.g., tables) containing the previously specified objects (e.g., images) in some arrangement (e.g., spatial pattern) among other objects (images). In order to authenticate, the user is shown additional tables, and must determine, as to each, whether it contains the same set of specified objects in the same spatial relationship as in the first table shown. After the user has correctly identified which tables reflect the specified objects in the requisite pattern, the user will be considered authenticated, and will then be granted access to the requested resource (for example, a bank account). |
| US08590018B2 |
Transaction authentication management system with multiple authentication levels
An operating system of an information handling system (IHS) initializes a security tool to provide security management during user-to-user transactions. The security tool may determine the user's type and invokes a user personal profile and application profile information that pertains to the transaction. The security tool may use the user personal profile and application profile information during user authentications. The security tool determines an initial authentication level and may modify that authentication level during user-to-user transaction operations. The security tool may perform substantially continuous user authentication during transaction operations by employing learned behavior, historical knowledge, and other information that the security tool maintains in a security information store. |
| US08590010B2 |
Retention based intrinsic fingerprint identification featuring a fuzzy algorithm and a dynamic key
A random intrinsic chip ID generation employs a retention fail signature. A 1st and 2nd ID are generated using testing settings with a 1st setting more restrictive than the 2nd, creating more fails in the 1st ID bit string that includes 2nd ID bit string. A retention pause time controls the number of retention fails, adjusted by a BIST engine, wherein the fail numbers satisfy a predetermined fail target. Verification confirms whether the 1st ID includes the 2nd ID bit string, the ID being the one used for authentication. Authentication is enabled by a 3rd ID with intermediate condition such that 1st ID includes 3rd ID bit string and 3rd ID includes 2nd ID bit string. The intermediate condition includes a guard-band to eliminate bit instability problem near the 1st and 2nd ID boundary. The intermediate condition is changed at each ID read operation, resulting in a more secure identification. |
| US08590007B2 |
Method and system for authenticating internet user identity
A method and system for authenticating an internet user identity by cross-referencing and comparing at least two independent sources of information. A first IP address of an internet user is identified and the geographical location of the first IP address is traced to determine a first location. The geographical-location of a communication voice device of said internet user is identified to determine a second location. The first and second locations are compared for geographical proximity to confirm the identity of the internet user. Based upon geographical proximity of said locations, a score is assigned to the internet user, and access to a website is allowed or limited based upon said score. Alternatively, additional authentication information can be required or access can be terminated. |
| US08590000B2 |
Wireless digital video recorder
Various embodiments of the invention provide methods and systems for receiving and recording video content on a wireless phone. Merely by way of example, one set of embodiments provides a wireless phone with the capability to receive a broadcast video signal and to decode, digitize and record the broadcast video signal. In other embodiments, the wireless phone has the capability to receive broadcast video signals and/or video signals streamed over a network and to record these signals. In still further embodiments, the wireless phone may receive video content transmitted over a wireless network and may format and/or encode the video content and record the video content. In some embodiments the wireless phone comprises a video player for playing video content. |
| US08589999B1 |
Methods and systems for splicing between media streams
A media processing unit, the media processing unit including: (i) an input interface, configured to receive a second media stream, wherein the second media stream includes first access units and second access units; wherein each second access unit lacks decoding parameters sufficient for full decoding of the second access unit; wherein each first access unit includes decoding parameters required for full decoding of at least one first access unit and of at least one second access unit; (ii) a media-processor, configured to select a selected access unit of the second media stream, and to process the second media stream to provide a processed second media stream by writing into the selected access unit decoding parameters that are responsive to decoding parameters of a previous first access unit; and (iii) a transmitter, configured to transmit the processed second media stream to a splicer. |
| US08589997B2 |
CATV entry adapter and method for remotely enabling and disabling CATV service at a subscriber's premises
A community access or cable television (CATV) entry adapter interfaces a CATV network to subscriber devices at a subscriber premises. The CATV entry adapter is remotely disabled or enabled through the CATV network to prevent or allow downstream CATV signals from reaching subscriber devices connected to the adapter. The CATV entry adapter is also adapted to function as a hub in a MoCA network independently of whether the CATV entry adapter is disabled or enabled. |
| US08589996B2 |
Method and system for federated over-the-top content delivery
A method is provided for managing over-the-top delivery of content through a plurality of content delivery networks (CDN). The method provided works transparently with standard HTTP servers supporting an initial request for content from a client to a first preferred CDN. If the first CDN does not have the content, the method includes provisions for the first CDN to acquire the content from a second CDN, or for the client to request the content from a second CDN directly. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server infrastructure in accordance with the provisions of the method. |
| US08589993B2 |
Distributing on-demand multimedia content
A disclosed method of distributing multimedia content to end users in a multimedia content distribution network includes segmenting time in a series of intervals referred to herein as limited-chain relay (LCR) intervals. The LCR intervals may have a duration of time T although an LCR interval may be terminated before the duration expires. During any interval, the LCR distribution method includes responding to a first request for a program of multimedia content (PMC) from a first requestor by delivering the PMC from a video server to the customer premises equipment (CPE) of the requestor and storing the PMC on the CPE of the first requestor. The method further includes responding to subsequent requests for the PMC that occur before the time T and before the interval terminates otherwise from subsequent requestors by delivering at least some portion of the PMC to the subsequent requestors from the CPE of at least one previous requestor. |
| US08589992B2 |
Video workflow automation platform for publishing a video feed in multiple formats
A method and system for a video workflow automation platform (VWAP) for publishing a video feed in multiple formats is described. |
| US08589987B1 |
Conserving bandwidth by restricting videos communicated in a wireless telecommunications network
A system and method for managing bandwidth used by videos in a wireless telecommunications network is provided. In one embodiment, the videos originate at mobile devices generating videos of a single event such as a concert, sporting event, graduation, or other event attended by multiple users. The mobile devices may communicate the videos to social networking websites where the videos may be viewed by multiple users. Embodiments of the present invention conserve bandwidth by selecting one or more of the videos of the single event to send to each of the destinations specified by all of the videos capturing the event. An instruction is then sent to each of the mobile devices generating nonselected video streams to discontinue transmission of the video streams. |
| US08589984B1 |
In-show product advertisement and purchase system
An in-show product advertisement and purchase system is disclosed. The system effectively promotes product advertisement as well as enables customers to conveniently purchase the desired products directly from a displaying medium during the advertisement. The system establishes a linkage between show content and advertised products such that customers have practical impression and experience about what the advertised products embody in real life. The system is a TV version of an online store. The system is an interactive and listable method for advertisement. The in-show products are updateable. |
| US08589982B2 |
Video searching using TV and user interfaces therefor
Using a TV, a viewer watching broadcast TV or Internet video content on a display can select a “Video Search” application indicating viewer desire to obtain information about a currently playing video program. The application is invoked to send a name of the currently playing video program to a server on the Internet and associated with a database to cause the server to execute a search only of the database associated with the Internet server and not to execute a search of the Internet. The server returns metadata related to the currently playing vided program, which is presented on the display along with the currently playing video program. |
| US08589981B2 |
Method for providing widgets and TV using the same
A method for providing widgets and a TV using the same are disclosed. The method for providing widgets includes searching for widgets related to a certain keyword or a broadcast program among widgets provided by a plurality of content providers, and displaying the searched widgets on a widget search list classified according to content provider. A user can thereby search for and use the widgets provided from various content providers more easily. |
| US08589977B1 |
Methods and apparatus for improving scrolling through program channel listings
Methods and apparatus for improving channel browsing experience for users by control scroll rates in guide listings are described. A user can scroll through channel listings arranged according to program genre at a high maximum scroll rate. The scroll rate is automatically reduced, and in some embodiments scrolling is temporarily paused, when listings corresponding to a new genre are displayed. In this way a high maximum scroll rate can be supported but without the risk of a user unintentionally scrolling through an entire genre of programs of interest even if the genre only includes one or a few programs in total. Thus, in various embodiments a scrolling rate is decreased when a change in the genre of programs from a first genre of programs being displayed to a second genre of programs being displayed occurs as part of said scrolling. |
| US08589976B2 |
Program guide system with real-time data sources
A program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide that is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, and the like. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide, so that the program guide may access the stored real-time data at a later time. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data. A controllable ticker may be displayed on top of a television program on the user television equipment. The controllable ticker may be sponsored. Different types of real-time data may be assigned different expiration times. When data has expired it may be removed from the database. |
| US08589974B2 |
Electronic advertising using distributed demographics
In one embodiment, at least one portion of a request for an electronic advertisement is received. The request includes an indicator indicative of one of a plurality of demographic servers. The at least one portion is analyzed. The at least one portion includes data of a user. Demographic information is identified as a function of the user data. A request for a selection of the electronic advertisement as a function of the demographic information is transmitted. |
| US08589973B2 |
Peer to peer media distribution system and method
A method is disclosed that includes receiving a multimedia data stream comprising audio data, video data, and text data at a first electronic device of a plurality of electronic devices responsive to a network. A content structure of the multimedia data stream is automatically determined at least partially based on the text data. The portion of multimedia data stream is stored in a local media database and the associated content structure is stored in a local content index. A network index alert is generated to update a centralized content index of available media content via the network. |
| US08589972B2 |
Information processing device, video playback method, program, and video playback system
A video playback system includes a video distribution server and at least one information processing device. The video distribution server includes a video distribution portion that performs streaming distribution of a video stream, an alternative video distribution portion that distributes an alternative video, and a control information distribution portion that distributes control information. The information processing device includes a receiving portion that receives the video stream, the alternative video, and the control information, a storage portion that stores the alternative video and the control information, a video stream playback portion that performs streaming playback of the video stream, an alternative video playback portion that plays back the stored alternative video, and a playback switching control portion that, based on the stored control information, controls switching between the streaming playback and the playback of the alternative video. |
| US08589970B2 |
Content transmitter and receiver apparatus and content transmitting and receiving method
A content transmitter apparatus is provided which decides whether to permit a content receiver apparatus at a content transmission destination to retransmit content to another content receiver apparatus located inside a house and transmits to the content receiver apparatus the content along with an identifier indicating a permission or prohibition of the content retransmission. A content receiver apparatus is also provided which, when it receives encrypted content from the content transmitter apparatus, checks an identifier received together with the content in executing the content retransmission to another content receiver apparatus located outside the house. If the identifier is found to permit the content retransmission, the content receiver apparatus encrypts and retransmits the content to the outside-house content receiver apparatus. If the identifier is found to not permit the content retransmission, the content receiver apparatus does not retransmit the content to the outside of the house. |
| US08589965B1 |
Method for stopping spindle motor of optical disc drive
A method for stopping a spindle motor of an optical disc drive includes the following steps. Firstly, in response to the receipt of a disabling command, the spindle motor of the optical disc drive is braked, so that a rotating speed of the spindle motor is reduced to be smaller than or equal to a predetermined rotating speed during a specified time period, wherein the predetermined rotating speed is greater than zero. Then, a preparatory stopping procedure of an optical pickup head is performed during the specified time period. Afterwards, the optical disc drive responds that the disabling command has been executed after the specified time period. |
| US08589963B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device comprises a main body and a limiting mechanism. At least one clasp is mounted on the inner surface of the main body. The limiting mechanism comprises a locking portion and a blocking portion. The at least one clasp is capable of being hooked to the opening and engaged with the locking portion to secure the limiting mechanism to the main body. The blocking portion abuts the at least one clasp for preventing the at least one clasp from disengaging from the locking portion after the at least one clasp is hooked to the locking portion. |
| US08589961B2 |
Disc changer for diverse recording media
A disc changer includes: a disc cartridge having a case body in which a plurality of disc-shaped recording media are storable by being arrayed in the axial direction of the center axis, and an information input medium to which at least information relating to pitch between disc-shaped recording media and the number of stored disc-shaped recording media is input; a disc holder configured to hold the disc cartridge, a portion of which is moveable in the center axial direction of the disc-shaped recording media; and a movement mechanism including an encoder, configured to determine a stop position in the center axial direction of the disc holder based on information input to the information input medium. |
| US08589960B2 |
Optical disc drive
A disc drive for suppressing warpage deformation of a disc tray generated as initial deformation during molding is provided. A supporting structure of a disc tray 4 provided to be inserted into and ejected from a drive housing 1′ through a tray insertion/ejection opening 15 is provided with guide mechanisms 12a and 12b which slidably support a tray body 4a in the depth direction as viewed from the tray insertion/ejection opening 15 in an interior space of the drive housing 1′, and a protrusion 21 which is slidably contacted to an upper end of the guide mechanism 12a on a lower surface of a wing part 4b protruding from the tray body 4a on the side where a disc protrudes in the width direction. |
| US08589955B2 |
System and method for building applications, such as customized applications for mobile devices
A system and method for building applications, such as applications that cause a mobile device to perform a task, is described. In some examples, the system provides one or more plugins, a framework for the plugins, and configures the plugins to build a customized application for a mobile device. The plugins may include code configured to perform a task, display one or more pages associated with performance of the task, perform a transaction during performance of the task, and so on. |
| US08589954B2 |
Method and program for selective suspension of USB network device
A method implemented in a computer system that includes a host computer having a non-transitory memory for storing a computer software program and a processor for executing the software program, wherein the program includes a program code configured to cause the host computer to execute a process for network devices coupled to the host computer to use a network device selective suspend feature of an operating system (OS) that does not allow a network device selective suspend feature on a specific network device driver, which process includes the steps of providing a first driver stack and a second driver stack in a kernel space of the OS, creating a virtual device for the specific network device driver in the first driver stack to interact with user applications in a user space of the OS, and providing a separate driver for a physical device in the second driver stack to interact with a network device coupled to the host computer, wherein the separate driver is not prohibited by the OS to use the network device selective suspend feature for selective suspension of the network device coupled to the host computer. |
| US08589948B2 |
Method and apparatus for message flow and transaction queue management
Management of transaction message flow utilizing a transaction message queue. The system and method are for use in financial transaction messaging systems. The system is designed to enable an administrator to monitor, distribute, control and receive alerts on the use and status of limited network and exchange resources. Users are grouped in a hierarchical manner, preferably including user level and group level, as well as possible additional levels such as account, tradable object, membership, and gateway levels. The message thresholds may be specified for each level to ensure that transmission of a given transaction does not exceed the number of messages permitted for the user, group, account, etc. |
| US08589947B2 |
Methods, systems, and media for application fault containment
Methods, systems; and media for application fault containment are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, a method for application fault containment is provided, the method comprising: determining a plurality of applications associated with a processing device; isolating each of the plurality of applications into an application container; receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of applications; and creating the application container of a container type for the user selected application in response to receiving the user selection; wherein, upon determining that the container type is a persistent container, configuring the created application container to maintain state information across executions of the user selected application, and wherein, upon determining that the container type is an ephemeral container, configuring the created application container to be removed after a single execution of the user selected application. |
| US08589942B2 |
Non-real time thread scheduling
A hard real time (HRT) thread scheduler and a non-real time (NRT) thread scheduler for allocating processor resources among HRT threads and NRT threads are disclosed. The HRT thread scheduler communicates with a HRT thread table including a plurality of entries specifying a temporal order for allocating execution cycles to one or more HRT threads. If a HRT thread identified by the HRT thread table is unable to be scheduled during the current execution cycle, the NRT thread scheduler accesses an NRT thread table which includes a plurality of entries specifying a temporal order for allocating execution cycles to one or more NRT threads. In an execution cycle where a HRT thread is not scheduled, the NRT thread scheduler identifies an NRT thread from the NRT thread table and an instruction from the identified NRT thread is executed during the execution cycle. |
| US08589940B2 |
On-line replacement and changing of virtualization software
In a virtualized system running one or more virtual machines on a first hypervisor, a second hypervisor is installed and control of the hardware resources of the physical computer supporting the virtualized system is migrated from the first hypervisor to the second hypervisor without interrupting the operation of the first hypervisor and the virtual machines. Initially a minimal set of hardware resources is hot-removed from control by the first hypervisor, and the second hypervisor is launched on the minimal set of hardware resources. Both the remaining hardware resources and the virtual machines are then migrated from the first hypervisor to the second hypervisor until all the virtual machines have been migrated over to the second hypervisor, while the virtual machines and the first hypervisor continue running largely unaffected by the migration process. |
| US08589939B2 |
Composite contention aware task scheduling
A mechanism is provided for composite contention aware task scheduling. The mechanism performs task scheduling with shared resources in computer systems. A task is a group of instructions. A compute task is a group of compute instructions. A memory task, also referred to as a communication task, may be a group of load/store operations, for example. The mechanism performs composite contention-aware scheduling that considers the interaction among compute tasks, communication tasks, and application threads that include compute and communication tasks. The mechanism performs a composite of memory task throttling and application thread throttling. |
| US08589931B2 |
Environment based node selection for work scheduling in a parallel computing system
A method, apparatus, and program product manage scheduling of a plurality of jobs in a parallel computing system of the type that includes a plurality of computing nodes and is disposed in a data center. The plurality of jobs are scheduled for execution on a group of computing nodes from the plurality of computing nodes based on the physical locations of the plurality of computing nodes in the data center. The group of computing nodes is further selected so as to distribute at least one of a heat load and an energy load within the data center. The plurality of jobs may be additionally scheduled based upon an estimated processing requirement for each job of the plurality of jobs. |
| US08589930B2 |
Determining whether to execute a new task by deleting task objects of existing tasks
It is possible to simultaneously obtain a task delay guarantee and an effective task execution. Each of tasks (A1, A2, A3) is divided into a guaranteed portion and a controllable portion. The controllable portion is handled as a portion which can be deleted. While virtually changing the processing level of the reserved tasks (A1, A2) between the case not containing any controllable portion and the case containing a controllable portion, it is judged whether a task (A3) newly requested for reservation can be executed and at the processing level when the execution is judged to be possible, tasks (A1, A2, A3) to be executed are selected. By adjusting the quality of the reserved tasks (A1, A2), it is possible to accept and execute the task (A3) newly requested for reservation. Thus, it is possible to simultaneously obtain the task delay guarantee and the effective task execution. |
| US08589926B2 |
Adjusting processor utilization data in polling environments
A method, system, and computer usable program product for adjusting processor utilization data in polling environments are provided in the illustrative embodiments. An amount of a computing resource consumed during polling performed by the polling application over a predetermined period is received at a processor in a data processing system from a polling application executing in the data processing system. The amount forms a polling amount of the computing resource. Using the polling amount of the computing resource, another amount of the computing resource consumed for performing meaningful task is determined. The other amount forms a work amount of the computing resource. Using the work amount of the computing resource, an adjusted utilization of the computing resource is computed over a utilization interval. The data of the adjusted utilization is saved. |
| US08589925B2 |
Techniques for switching threads within routines
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for switching threads within routines. A controller routine receives a request from an originating routine to execute a coroutine, and executes the coroutine on an initial thread. The controller routine receives a response back from the coroutine when the coroutine exits based upon a return statement. Upon return, the coroutine indicates a subsequent thread that the coroutine should be executed on when the coroutine is executed a subsequent time. The controller routine executes the coroutine the subsequent time on the subsequent thread. The coroutine picks up execution at a line of code following the return statement. Multiple return statements can be included in the coroutine, and the threads can be switched multiple times using this same approach. Graphical user interface logic and worker thread logic can be co-mingled into a single routine. |
| US08589924B1 |
Method and apparatus for performing a service operation on a computer system
One embodiment of the invention provides a method for performing a service operation on a computer system. The method includes submitting a request for performing a service operation on the computer system and providing an estimated duration of the service operation. The service operation is expected to render one or more resources of the computer system unavailable for the duration of the service operation. It is therefore determined whether or not to accept the requested service operation based on planned usage of the one or more resources for the duration of the service operation. |
| US08589923B2 |
Preprovisioning virtual machines based on request frequency and current network configuration
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for preprovisioning virtual machines is disclosed. The method includes analyzing requests for a plurality of different virtual machine (VM) configurations where each VM configuration has a plurality of configuration attributes. The method also includes determining a request frequency corresponding to each requested VM configuration, determining a configuration of each provisioned VM, and responsive to determining the configuration of each provisioned VM, determining a configuration for a preprovisioned VM based on a request frequency of the different VM configurations and the configurations of the provisioned VMs. The method further includes creating the preprovisioned VM. |
| US08589920B2 |
Resource allocation
A technique for executing a segmented virtual machine (VM) is disclosed. A plurality of core VMs is implemented in a plurality of core spaces. Each core VM is associated with one of a plurality of shell VMs. Resources of the core spaces are allocated among the core VMs. |
| US08589919B2 |
Traffic forwarding for virtual machines
In one embodiment, an apparatus configured for communication with a plurality of virtual machines includes a virtual switch in communication with one or more of the virtual machines, an interface in communication with one or more of the virtual machines and configured for communication with a hardware implemented switch, and a mode selector for assigning to each of the virtual machines, a mode of operation for forwarding data from the virtual machine and switching the assigned mode of operation at one or more of the virtual machines. The mode of operation is selected from a first mode wherein the data is forwarded by the hardware implemented switch and a second mode wherein the data is forwarded by the virtual switch. |
| US08589918B1 |
Multi-platform compatible portable virtual machine player
Systems and methods for detecting, selecting and running environments on a host device is provided. In general, in one aspect, a computer implemented method is provided. The computer implemented method includes detecting a device including a plurality of platform specific virtual machine monitors, identifying a virtual machine monitor that is compatible with a specified platform; and enabling a launch of the identified virtual machine monitor on the specified platform. In another aspect, a computer implemented method includes detecting a first device including one or more environments, launching an application on a second device, and using the application to collect a list of stacks, collect a list of environments, and determine environments capable of running on a stack. The method further includes receiving a selection of an environment and a stack, and running the selected environment on the selected stack. |
| US08589916B2 |
Deploying and instantiating multiple instances of applications in automated data centers using application deployment template
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions are provided for deploying and instantiating multiple instances of applications in automated data centers using an application deployment template. A first mechanism is provided to deploy multiple instances of applications using an application deployment plan template. The first mechanism uses deployment parameter sets to generate corresponding deployment plans based on the deployment template. A second mechanism is provided to instantiate multiple instances of applications using deployment plan templates. A service catalog that is exposed to consumers for selection of catalog items is built on top of the second mechanism. During the cataloging and order fulfillment process, the second mechanism instantiates multiple instances of applications using the generated deployment plans and an application model to deploy multiple application instances. An existing order may also be modified or terminated responsive to a user request or service term expiration. |
| US08589915B2 |
Apparatus and method for validating and repairing a software installation
A virtual installation map, and method involving installing a software functionality using the same, the virtual installation map including a first software installation map including a plurality of software elements representative of a related software file, the software elements also including at least one dependency to another software element. The virtual installation map further including a second software installation map also including a second plurality of software elements representative of related software file along with related dependencies. The first and second software installation maps may be hosted in separate databases and may relate to software products provided by different vendors. One or both software installation maps may include a pointer or other reference to the other installation map thereby providing a virtual installation map, in one example. |
| US08589908B2 |
Method for remotely upgrading the firmware of a target device using wireless technology
An embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for remotely upgrading the firmware of a target device using wireless technology from the Bluetooth-enabled PC or Laptop to another Bluetooth device e.g., mouse, Keyboard, headset, mobile phone etc. Existing solutions either may not have upgrade capabilities, or may require the use of proprietary cables. An embodiment of the solution proposed here extends the “Connecting without cables” concept of Bluetooth to firmware upgrades. The system comprises a host device for sending the firmware required for upgradation; and a target device containing a first code and a second code wherein said first code identifies details of the firmware; and said second code identifies the completion of the download operation when the firmware is successfully downloaded. |
| US08589902B2 |
Policy description technique in UEFI firmware
In a method of building a firmware component to execute a sequence of instructions in a device having a computer, a plurality of build files is processed to form a set of buildable statements of hardware policy. The buildable statements are decoded to form a Configuration Manager namespace. Contents of the Configuration Manager namespace are linked to a UEFI compatible kernel program having a Configuration Manager capability. Alternatively, a data stream representing the contents of the Configuration Manager namespace is encoded to form a Configuration Manager database readable by the UEFI compatible kernel program at a run-time. A plurality of UEFI device driver programs and the UEFI compatible kernel program are linked to form the firmware component. |
| US08589901B2 |
Speculative region-level loop optimizations
A system and method are configured to apply region level optimizations to a selected region of source code rather than loop level optimizations to a loop or loop nest. The region may include an outer loop, a plurality of inner loops and at least one control code. If the region includes an exceptional control flow statement and/or a procedure call, speculative region-level multi-versioning may be applied. |
| US08589899B2 |
Optimization system, optimization method, and compiler program
A system, method and article of manufacture of increasing access speed of frequently accessed variables (symbols) in a dynamic language program. The system includes a range identifying unit to identify a range for communizing symbol accesses in the program; an instruction generating unit to generate instructions to access a symbol table using a key, to get an address of a symbol entry, and to store the address; an instruction extracting unit to fetch instructions from the identified range; and an instruction judging unit to determine whether or not each of the fetched instructions is an instruction to access the symbol. If the fetched instruction is an instruction to access the symbol, and the symbol is present when generating an instruction to access the symbol by using an address of the stored symbol entry, an instruction is generated allowing access to the symbol without checking whether the symbol is present. |
| US08589898B2 |
Method and apparatus for analyzing software including a calibrated value
A computer-implemented method for evaluating a machine-executable software code specification includes using the computer to generate a system dependence graph corresponding to the software code specification. The system dependence graph includes elements including nodes and edges. The computer evaluates the system dependence graph including selecting a variable modified in the software code specification, providing a control operation node of the system dependence graph corresponding to a control statement in the software code specification with a preferred calibration state, traversing to selected elements of the system dependence graph wherein the selected elements are associated with the selected variable and the preferred calibration state of the control operation node, evaluating only the selected elements of the system dependence graph, and identifying ones of the selected elements whereat a state of the selected variable is modified. |
| US08589897B2 |
System and method for branch extraction obfuscation
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for obfuscating code. The method includes extracting a conditional statement from a computer program, creating a function equivalent to the conditional statement, creating a pointer that points to the function, storing the pointer in an array of pointers, replacing the conditional statement with a call to the function using the pointer at an index in the array, and during runtime of the computer program, dynamically calculating the index corresponding to the pointer in the array. In one aspect, a subset of instructions is extracted from a path associated with the conditional statement and the subset of instructions is placed in the function to evaluate the conditional statement. In another aspect, the conditional statement is replaced with a call to a select function that (1) calculates the index into the array, (2) retrieves the function pointer from the array using the index, and (3) calls the function using the function pointer. Calls can be routed through a select function before the function pointer is used to call the function evaluating the conditional statement. Each step in the method can be applied to source code of the computer program, an intermediate representation of the computer program, and assembly code of the computer program. |
| US08589896B2 |
Method and system for loading status control of DLL
Apparatus and methods are provided for controlling the loading status of DLLs. Specifically, a streaming program compiler is provided. The compiler includes operation modules for calling DLLs during streaming program execution; association table generating units for generating association tables according to user-defined rules, where the association table includes entries indicating (i) stream branches of the streaming program and (ii) an operation module corresponding to the stream branches; and a trigger generating unit for generating a trigger based on user-defined rules, where the trigger generating unit (i) determines which conditions for loading and unloading DLLs fit the streaming program, (ii) matches these conditions to a particular stream branch to identify a matched stream branch, and (iii) sends out triggering signals indicating the matched stream branch. This invention also provides a corresponding method and controller. |
| US08589889B2 |
Apparatus and method of detecting errors in embedded software
A method and apparatus for detecting errors in an application software of an embedded system are provided. The method of detecting errors in an application software includes determining a development language of the application software and an operating system on which the application software is executed; replacing an error detection syntax inserted in order to examine an error in a predetermined function of the application software, with an error detection syntax according to the result of the determination; and performing exception handling for an error occurring in the function according to the result of the replacement, and logging error information according to the exception handling. According to the method and apparatus, an error can be automatically detected and logged irrespective of a development language and an operating system. |
| US08589886B2 |
System and method for automatic hardware and software sequencing of computer-aided design (CAD) functionality testing
The present invention relates to a system and a method for creating hardware and/or software test sequences and in particular, to such a system and method in which modular building blocks are used to create, sequence and schedule a large scale testing sequence using a matrix like platform. |
| US08589885B2 |
Debugger launch and attach on compute clusters
Launching a debugging process. A method includes at a compute node on a cluster private network, receiving a debug job via a scheduler of a head node from a client on a public network. The head node is connected to both the cluster private network and the public network. The public network is external to the cluster private network. The method further includes beginning processing the debug job, and as a result initiating debugging by starting one or more debugger remote agents at the compute node. The method further includes beginning processing a user job in the presence of the started debugger remote agents at the compute node. The client is informed that the one or more debugger remote agents are ready to debug the user job. A debugger client at the client is connected to the one or more debugger remote agents. |
| US08589882B2 |
Analyzing computer code development actions and process
A method that may include: monitoring over time, actions carried out by at least one programmer over a software development environment to yield development patterns; comparing the development patterns to best practice rules to yield a comparison results indicating deviations of the development patterns from the best practice rules; and analyzing the comparison results based at least partially on a likelihood of each action deviated from the respective best practice rule to result in a software bug, to yield an analysis of potential software bug prone code sections, wherein at least one of the monitoring, the comparing, and the analyzing is executed by at least one processor. |
| US08589881B2 |
Web-based software debugging apparatus and method for remote debugging
Provided is a web-based software debugging apparatus and method for remote debugging. The web-based software debugging apparatus may include: a web interface to provide a web browser that enables a user to make a request for a debugging service for software performed in a remote target system, and to verify a debugging result of the software; a debugger client to receive the debugging service request for the software via the web interface, and to provide the debugging result to the web interface; and a debugger server to receive the debugging service request from the debugger client, and to transmit the debugging result to the debugger client after debugging the software through a connection to the target system according to the debugging service request. |
| US08589878B2 |
Heuristics for determining source code ownership
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for using heuristics to determine source code ownership. A request is received to identify at least one owner of a particular source code unit. Initial ownership totals are calculated for the source code unit based upon a code contribution heuristic. The code contribution heuristic counts lines of code that were added and that were modified in the totals for contributing users. The initial ownership totals of the particular source code unit are adjusted based upon at least one other heuristic. The at least one owner of the particular source code unit is then output to an output device. The at least one owner is determined by selecting a contributing user that has a highest ranking total after adjusting the initial ownership totals. For example, there can be a primary owner and a backup owner selected based on the ranking of the ownership totals. |
| US08589874B2 |
Visual interface to represent scripted behaviors
Systems and methods for visually representing scripted behaviors are provided. A system is disclosed that includes an authoring program executable on a computing device and configured to display a visual scripting interface. The visual scripting interface may be configured to display a plurality of user-selectable graphical building blocks. Each graphical building block may represent a respective component of a script, and may be spatially arrangable within the visual scripting interface to visually represent a script for a target scripted object. Input selectors may be provided on the graphical building blocks to enable users to input script information, and status indicators and messages may also be displayed on the graphical building blocks to inform users whether script information has been properly inputted. Propagation tools may be provided to enable users to successively add new graphical building blocks to build a tree that represents a script sentence. |
| US08589873B2 |
Software engineering system and method for self-adaptive dynamic software components
There is disclosed a software engineering system and method for engineering software components. In an embodiment, the method comprises providing the software component with an input interface, an output interface, and a control interface, the control interface being configurable to receive external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain; and providing one or more externally modifiable adapters, the one or more externally modifiable adapters having environment-specific or domain-specific data, and being configurable to be dynamically bound to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed. |
| US08589866B2 |
Automatically generating capability-based computer peripheral device drivers
In an embodiment, a data processing system comprises device driver generation logic that is encoded in one or more computer-readable storage media for execution and which when executed is operable to perform receiving a first capability description from a computer peripheral device, wherein the first capability description describes one or more capabilities of the computer peripheral device; receiving a generic device driver file; receiving configuration data; automatically generating a device driver for the computer peripheral device and for a computer operating system based on the first capability description, the generic device driver file and the configuration data; device job processing logic that is configured to receive a request to use the computer peripheral device, to request and receive current first capability description from the computer peripheral device at the time of the request, to generate based on the current first capability description and send to the computer peripheral device job ticket data that describes a job for the computer peripheral device to perform, and to provide job data formatted in a page description language to the computer peripheral device. |
| US08589862B2 |
Application loading
Extensions or additional software programs that are requested by a computer application running on an application platform are handled in an efficient manner by, among other things, regulating and tracking extensions that are downloaded. This allows the size of the application platform upon which the application is running to remain relatively small so as to mitigate strain on resources when the platform is initially deployed over a network (e.g., the Internet), thus making it easier and more likely for a user to install the application platform (and/or updates thereto). Requested extensions are subsequently added to and/or removed from the (already deployed) application platform based on, among other things, download metrics. |
| US08589858B1 |
Requirement manager for UML and SysML application
A system for displaying relationships between data of one of a UML or a SysML application includes a machine readable storage medium and a processor. The machine readable storage medium is configured to store a plurality of data for a project designed using one of the UML or the SysML applications. The processor is in signal communication with the machine readable storage medium. The processor is configured to search the computer readable storage medium for a first model element, identify a requirement relationship between the first model element and a second model element, and display the first model element and the second model element on a monitor such that the requirement relationship between the first model element and the second model element is identifiable to a user. |
| US08589853B2 |
Total power optimization for a logic integrated circuit
A method of reducing total power dissipation for logic cells includes selecting a distribution of logic cells corresponding to at least one path, computing a dynamic to static power ratio for each logic cell in the distribution of logic cells and ranking the dynamic to static power ratio for each logic cell into a lower group, a middle group and an upper group of logic cells. Additionally, the method includes swapping the lower group of logic cells and the upper group of logic cells for a reconfigured middle group of logic cells and verifying path timing for the reconfigured middle group of logic cells. Methods of reducing total power dissipation using Boolean equations and for logic cell sets are also provided. |
| US08589844B2 |
Methods for analyzing design rules
Methods and apparatus are provided for analyzing impact of design rules on a layout. One exemplary method involves generating variants of the layout for different values for the rule, determining values of a device metric for each of the layout variants, and identifying the relationship between rule and the device metric based on the values for the device metric corresponding to the different values for the rule. In one embodiment, the layout variants are generated by using the different values for the rule to perform layout compaction on an initial layout generated in accordance with an initial value for the rule. |
| US08589843B2 |
Method and device for selectively adding timing margin in an integrated circuit
A method, system, and integrated circuit including selectively added timing margin. The method, for integrating statistical timing and automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) to selectively add timing margin in an integrated circuit, includes identifying, while a chip is in design, paths that are unable to be robustly tested “at speed” during manufacturing test, running statistical timing to calculate a margin to be applied to the paths, updating design specifications for margin to be applied to the paths, and optimizing chip logic based on updated design specifications. |
| US08589842B1 |
Device-based random variability modeling in timing analysis
An approach for performing device-based random variability modeling in timing analysis of a digital integrated circuit having a gate-level design and a device-level custom design is described. In one embodiment, an algorithm is derived from results of simulating the operational behavior of a representative digital integrated circuit. A timing analysis is performed on the device-level custom design part of the digital integrated circuit to obtain device-level random variability sensitivity values. A gate-level characterization is performed on the gate-level design part of the digital integrated circuit to obtain logic gate random variability sensitivity values. A timing analysis is performed on the digital integrated circuit as a function of both the device-level random variability sensitivity values and the logic gate random variability sensitivity values. |
| US08589840B2 |
Semiconductor chip design verification device
A disclosed device includes a verification unit which performs a data verification of chip design data, an obtaining unit which obtains encryption IP and a verification result output unit which outputs a result of the data verification. The chip design data is designed by using the box IP, the box IP being data which can be disclosed to a chip designer in hardware IP. The encryption IP is the IP including part or all of data of the hardware IP being encrypted. The verification unit decrypts the encryption IP to the hardware IP and replaces the box IP of the chip design data with the decrypted hardware IP so as to perform the data verification, in the storage area such as RAM where storage data is hidden from outside. |
| US08589838B1 |
M/A for performing incremental compilation using top-down and bottom-up design approaches
A method for designing a system on a target device includes merging a netlist for a first partition of the system generated from a bottom-up design flow with a netlist for a second partition of the system from a top-down design flow to form a combined netlist, and performing fitting on the combined netlist. |
| US08589835B2 |
System and method for inferring higher level descriptions from RTL topology based on naming similarities and dependency
A system and methods are disclosed for inferring higher level descriptions of circuit connectivity from register transfer level (RTL) netlists in order to provide more understandable and manageable design descriptions for complex System-on-Chip (SOC) designs. In particular, rule-based interface matching is automatically performed by analyzing actual port names on instances of functional elements and blocks to form signal groupings that comprise a higher-level abstracted description. An example syntax is provided for defining rules that are used to define how various analysis are performed. Data describing standard interfaces on common Intellectual Property (IP) blocks is optionally made available to facilitate interface matching. Also, a facility is included to allow user-guided mapping on instantiated interfaces with respect to actual port names in an RTL-level design. |
| US08589833B2 |
Method for the definition of a library of application-domain-specific logic cells
The present invention provides in one aspect a method of defining a logic cell library composed of complex functions and simple functions, with some of the complex functions obtained from identifying logic function patterns. In another aspect the present invention provides a method of designing a representation of an integrated circuit that uses complex functions and simple functions, with the complex functions including a plurality of non-standard complex Boolean logic functions that are determined to collectively provide for logic pattern minimization. |
| US08589831B1 |
Skew sensitive calculation for misalignment from multi patterning
Some aspects of the present disclosure provide for a method of accurately simulating variations in an operating parameter, due to processing variations caused by a multi-patterning exposure, by reducing the impact of layout sections having a large width and spacing. The method assigns a skew sensitive index to one or more sections of a multi-patterning layer formed with a first mask. Runlengths of the one or more sections are respectively multiplied by an assigned skew sensitive index to determine a skew variation for each of the one or more sections. The overall skew variation sum is then determined by summing the skew variation for each of the one or more sections. By separately determining the effects of processing variations (e.g., mask misalignment) for different sections of a multi-patterning layer, an accurate measurement of operating parameter variations is achieved. |
| US08589828B2 |
Reduce mask overlay error by removing film deposited on blank of mask
A method for reducing layer overlay errors by synchronizing the density of mask material in the frame area across the masks in a set is disclosed. An exemplary method includes creating a mask design database corresponding to a mask and containing a die area with one or more dies and a frame area outside the die area. Fiducial features within the frame area are identified, and from the fiducial features, an idle frame area is identified. A reference mask design, which corresponds to a reference mask configured to be aligned with the mask, is used to determine a reference density for the idle frame area. The idle frame area of the mask design database is modified to correspond to the reference density. The modified mask design database is then available for further use including manufacturing the mask. |
| US08589824B2 |
Gesture recognition interface system
A system and method is provided for a gesture recognition interface system. The interface system may comprise a first and second light source positioned to illuminate a background surface. The interface system may also comprise at least one camera operative to receive a first plurality of images based on a first reflected light contrast difference between the background surface and a sensorless input object caused by the first light source and a second plurality of images based on a second reflected light contrast difference between the background surface and the sensorless input object caused by the second light source. The interface system may further comprise a controller operative to determine a given input gesture based on changes in relative locations of the sensorless input object in the first plurality of images and the second plurality of images. The controller may further be operative to initiate a device input associated with the given input gesture. |
| US08589823B2 |
Application user interface with navigation bar showing current and prior application contexts
A graphical user interface for a portable electronic device includes an application display region that displays a current application context of an application and a navigation bar adjacent to the application display region. The navigation bar includes two horizontally adjacent regions, comprising a current context region for displaying an indicator of the current application context and a prior context region for displaying an indicator of an application context preceding the current application context. The application display region simulates shifting of the application display in a first direction upon detecting user selection of the prior context region, and simulates shifting of the application display in a second direction, opposite the first direction, upon detecting user selection of an application context different from the current application context and the prior application context. |
| US08589821B1 |
Storyboard method of end-user programming with natural language confirmation
A technique for end-user programming includes populating a template with graphically illustrated actions and then invoking a command to generate a screen element based on the template. The screen element is rendered within a computing environment and provides a mechanism for triggering execution of a sequence of user actions. The sequence of user actions is based at least in part on the graphically illustrated actions populated into the template. |
| US08589818B1 |
Moveable viewport for indicating off-screen content
An off-screen content indication system receives an identification of a geographic term, generates an off-screen content indicator that indicates a location of an off-screen entity associated with the identified geographic term, places the off-screen content indicator outside a viewport that currently displays a portion of a map to a user, and temporarily moves or shifts the viewport toward the general direction of the location of the off-screen entity to reveal the generated off-screen content indicator. |
| US08589814B2 |
System and method for visual presentation of information in a process control system
Various graphical displays used for visualization of control techniques in a process control system can be provided to an operator. For example, the graphical display could include an image associated with a portion of a process and icons that are associated with corresponding process variables. At least some of the icons include a symbol that represents a change of one value of the associated process variable relative to another value of the process variable. Another graphical display could include a pigeonhole display that includes visual elements associated with corresponding process variables. Selection of a visual element could present the operator with a peephole display that includes information associated with process variables associated with the selected visual element. Each visual element displays layers of information that are associated with its process variable. |
| US08589812B2 |
Prioritized user interface
Prioritized user interfaces are disclosed. A user interface may include a menu including a plurality of selectable items displayed in respective menu positions. A menu position of at least one of the plurality of selectable items is assigned based on a prioritization level of the at least one selectable item. The prioritization level is based at least partially on a selection metric for the at least one selectable item. The user interface may also include a menu locator indicating a location of a menu within a multi-level menu structure. The menu locator may include a first indicator of a position within a first level of the multi-level menu structure and a second indicator of a position within a second level of the multi-level menu structure. |
| US08589810B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for recording browser navigations
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for recording a navigational sequence. A selection is received to record the navigational sequence to a destination web page. A browser application requests a sequence of uniform resource locators and downloads the destination web page. The browser application records the sequence of uniform resource locators. Another selection is received that stops recording the navigational sequence. |
| US08589809B2 |
Methods and systems for conducting a meeting in a virtual environment
Systems and methods of conducting a meeting between a plurality of people in a virtual environment are provided. A display associated with each of the plurality of people outputs a virtual conference room that includes an avatar associated with each of the plurality of people, and a virtual display that displays a 3-D model of a manufacturing facility. A selection of an object of the 3-D model is received and the virtual display displays information associated with the selected object of the 3-D model. The display associated with each of the plurality of people outputs the virtual conference room and the virtual display with the information associated with the selected object of the 3-D model. |
| US08589805B2 |
Customizable constituent communication method, system, and computer readable medium
Systems and methods are described that facilitate users communicating information. The disclosed subject matter enables users to disseminate information to others, allows the recipients to incorporate significant amounts of custom information with minimal input, and send this personalized information to additional recipients easily via a mobile device. The disclosed subject matter also enables Organizations to target their members more accurately and easily engage in meaningful dialog. |
| US08589803B2 |
System and method for conducting a communication exchange
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an avatar engine having a controller to retrieve a user profile associated with a user, present the user an avatar having characteristics that correlate to the user profile, detect one or more responses of the user during a communication exchange between the user and the avatar, identify from the one or more responses a need of the user, establish a communication session with a second avatar engine responsive to the identified need of the user, engage in a communication exchange with the second avatar engine in relation to the identified need of the user, and identify one or more results from the communication exchange. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08589801B2 |
Display screen user identification card for access to secured databases
An identification card with a planar member having a plurality of apertures formed therein and a plurality of prisms, each respectively mounted in one of the apertures so as to produce a refraction of a selected color of light transmitted through the aperture different from the refraction of a color of light transmitted through the other prisms in the plurality of other apertures. |
| US08589800B2 |
Methods and systems for accessing and controlling a remote desktop of a remote machine in real time by a web browser at a client device via HTTP API utilizing a transcoding server
Examples of methods, systems, apparatus, and machine-readable storage media are provided to facilitate access and control of a remote desktop of a remote machine by a web browser at a client device through a transcoding server without installing proprietary plug-ins or protocols on the client device. A transcoding server may translate user input requests from a web browser into input calls compatible with a remote desktop display protocol. The transcoding server may receive remote desktop drawing commands from the remote machine and translate the remote desktop drawing commands into web browser drawing updates compatible with the web browser. A transcoding server may communicate with a web browser via HTTP and communicate with a remote machine via a remote desktop display protocol. A web browser may be an HTML5 browser. A transcoding server may send drawing coordinates to the web browser via an HTTP header and may use long polling. |
| US08589798B2 |
Information management systems and methods for heterogeneous data sources
Systems and methods integrate disparate backup devices with a unified interface. In certain examples, a management console manages data from various backup devices, while retaining such data in its native format. The management console can display a hierarchical view the client devices and/or their data and can further provide utilities for processing the various data formats. A data structure including fields for storing both metadata common to the client device data and value-added metadata can be used to mine or process the data of the disparate client devices. The unified single platform and interface reduces the need for multiple data management products and/or customized data utilities for each individual client device and provides a single pane of glass view into data management operations. Integrating the various types of storage formats and media allows a user to retain existing storage infrastructures and further facilitates scaling to meet long-term management needs. |
| US08589797B2 |
Image forming apparatus, operation-screen changing method, and computer-readable recording medium
In an image forming apparatus, a plurality of sets of flow definition data and screen definition data are stored in associated manner in a storage unit. A client device selects one of the sets of the flow definition data. Screen definition data corresponding to a process defined by the selected flow definition data is acquired from the storage unit and an editing screen is created from this screen definition data. The editing screen is sent to the client device and a predetermined operation with respect to a component of the editing screen is received from the client device. Screen definition data is created based on the changed editing screen in accordance with the predetermined operation, and the new screen definition data is stored in the storage unit so as to be associated with the flow definition data. |
| US08589794B2 |
View confirmation using a challenge
A computer implemented method and system is provided for confirming viewing of multimedia content on a client device. A challenge generator generates a challenge stream comprising multiple challenges, random in content. The challenge stream and the multimedia content stream are integrated in real time to generate a challenge in real time. The challenge is random in content and new each time the same multimedia content is played on one or more client devices. The challenge is presented to a viewer at random times during and/or after play of the multimedia content, and/or presented at random physical locations on the multimedia content, by overlaying the challenge on the multimedia content. A response for the presented challenge is invoked from the viewer, based on which a response report is generated. The viewer is credited with an item of value, if the response report confirms that the viewer viewed the multimedia content. |
| US08589792B2 |
Multi-instance, multi-user virtual reality spaces
A multi-instance, multi-user animation platform includes a plurality of modeled parallel dimensions in a computer memory. Each of the parallel dimensions may be an independent model of a physical, three-dimensional space having corresponding features such that the parallel dimensions are recognizable as counterparts to each other. Avatars are located within corresponding ones of the parallel dimensions so as to prevent over-population of any one of the parallel dimensions by avatars. Avatars are animated within different ones of the parallel dimensions using input from respective users to provide virtual-reality data. The virtual-reality data may be configured to cause remote clients to output an animated display of a corresponding one of the parallel dimensions and avatars therein. |
| US08589783B2 |
Systems and methods for processing color information in spreadsheets
Methods to facilitate the processing of color information in spreadsheets described using markup languages are presented. In some embodiments, a method for storing color information for objects in a spreadsheet document described in a markup language may comprise obtaining distinct color values from a plurality of spreadsheet color table objects. The color values in the plurality of spreadsheet color table objects are referenced by spreadsheet objects through a plurality of indexes and each index corresponds to a distinct color table object. The distinct color values are stored in a color palette table object and are accessed using a color palette index. Index values in each of the plurality of color tables are mapped to the color palette index, if the index value and the color palette index value point to the same color value. The mapping permits objects to reference color values in the color palette object table. |
| US08589781B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, program, and information processing system
In a case where a link to jump to a destination page is included within a source page, when movement information indicating that the link is moved to a predetermined position while being selected is input via an input section, a control section determines whether or not the link is moved to a predetermined region within a display surface based on the movement information and region information, and, when determining that the link is moved to the predetermined region within the display surface, the control section acquires from a storage section and causes a display section to execute processing of displaying on the source page, a page analysis result associated with the region information for specifying the predetermined region of a movement destination of the link. |
| US08589779B2 |
Event-sensitive content for mobile devices
Computer program products, methods and systems for accepting content that defines an event handler. The content is provided to a media player configured to render the content. The event handler is configured to receive an event from an operating system on which the media player runs, the operating system executing on a mobile device having an integrated display and an integrated telephone. The content is presented by the media player on the display. The event is received from the operating system and providing the event to the event handler. And the presentation of the content is modified by the media player based on processing of the event by the event handler. |
| US08589777B1 |
Method and system for calculating cost of a compilation of content
A web-based system, method and program product are provided for adding content to a content object stored (e.g., a custom compilation or prepublished work) in a data repository as a group of hierarchically related content entities. Each noncontainer content object is preferably stored as a separate entity in the data repository. Each content entity is also stored as a row in a digital library index class as a collection of attributes and references to related content entities and containers. As the user selects desired objects for inclusion in a content object, the system arranges the objects hierarchically, e.g., into volumes, chapters and sections according to the order specified by the user. The system then creates a file object (e.g., a CBO) defining the content object that contains a list or outline of the container and noncontainer entities selected, their identifiers, order and structure. This file object is stored separately in the data repository. An aspect of the invention is the calculation of the compilation's cost by estimating the amount of content it contains and determining a content cost based upon the content estimate. Optionally, a cost is assigned to each content entity in the data repository and these actual costs are summed as part of the cost estimation procedure. |
| US08589776B2 |
Translation between a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol
Translating between a first communication protocol used by a first network component and a second communication protocol used by a second network, where translating includes: receiving, by a network engine adapter operating independently from the first and second network components, data packets from the first and second network components; and performing, by the network engine, a combined communication protocol based on the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol, including manipulating data packets of at least one of the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol, thereby offloading performance requirements for the combined communication protocol from the first and second network components. |
| US08589772B2 |
Digital broadcasting receiver and method for controlling the same
A reception system and a method for processing data in the reception system are disclosed. The reception system includes a baseband processor receiving a broadcasting signal including mobile service data and main service data, the mobile service data including first service data and second service data having a format different from that of the first service data, the second service data configuring a Reed Solomon (RS) frame, and the RS frame including a table which describes the second service data and signaling information of the second service data, a table handler parsing the table from the RS frame and extracting the signaling information of the second service data, and service handlers parsing the second service data from the RS frame on the basis of the extracted signaling information of the second service data. Accordingly, it is possible to transmit/receive service data having a format different from that of the existing method in a single MH system. |
| US08589771B2 |
NAK-to-ACK error detection and recovery
According to one embodiment, a system is provided that allows a receiver to determine that an initial error message (such as a NAK message) was not correctly received by a transmitter, and to cause the transmitter to continue transmitting information corresponding to data that has not yet been successfully decoded by the receiver. In accordance with another embodiment, the receiver can generate a message (e.g., a continue previous packet message) to correct the transmitter and initiate full recovery at the physical layer. |
| US08589766B2 |
Codeword remapping schemes for non-volatile memories
Systems and methods are disclosed for remapping codewords for storage in a non-volatile memory, such as flash memory. In some embodiments, a controller that manages the non-volatile memory may prepare codeword using a suitable error correcting code. The controller can store a first portion of the codeword in a lower page of the non-volatile memory may store a second portion of the codeword in an upper page of the non-volatile memory. Because upper and lower pages may have different resiliencies to error-causing phenomena, remapping codewords in this manner may even out the bit error rates of the codewords (which would otherwise have a more bimodal distribution). |
| US08589760B1 |
Defect scan and manufacture test
A method for detecting a defect in a portion of a storage device is disclosed. Reference data and data read from the portion are compared to determine a number of error bits and a number of error symbols. An error ratio is computed, wherein the error ratio comprises a ratio of the number of error bits to the number of error symbols. A defect is detected based on whether the error ratio exceeds a threshold. In some embodiments, the reference data and the read data are compared to determine an error vector, wherein a bit in the error vector with a value one indicates a bit error in the read data. For each of a plurality of windows of the error vector, a corresponding number of error bits is determined. A defect is detected based on whether any of the numbers of error bits exceeds a threshold. |
| US08589754B2 |
Method for encoding or decoding LDPC code with variable length, device, encoder, and decoder
A method for encoding or decoding an LDPC code with variable code lengths is provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The method includes: obtaining a base exponential matrix of an LDPC code and grouping code lengths during construction of the base exponential matrix; correcting the base exponential matrix according to a grouping correction factor to obtain an exponential matrix of the group corresponding to the grouping correction factor; extending the exponential matrix by using an extension factor of a code length in the group to obtain an LDPC matrix corresponding to the code length; and implementing encoding or decoding by using the LDPC matrix. |
| US08589752B2 |
Method of and transmitting device for transmitting a data block
A method of transmits a data block of a type from a transmitting device (for example a transmitting network node) to a receiving device (for example a receiving network node), in particular during a temporary block flow. A transmitting device is capable of receiving at least two different types of positive/negative acknowledgements for data blocks of said type from said receiving device and the reaction of the transmitting device to the positive/negative acknowledgements depends on the type of the said received positive/negative acknowledgement. |
| US08589750B2 |
Methods and apparatus for providing a built-in self test
A built-in self test (BiST) system is described. The BiST system includes a circuit-under-test. The BiST system also includes one or more embedded sensors. Each of the embedded sensors includes one or more switches connected to one or more nodes within the circuit-under-test. The BiST system further includes a signal generator. The BiST system also includes a bus interface. The bus interface provides for external access of the BiST system. |
| US08589749B1 |
Memory content protection during scan dumps and memory dumps
A method and apparatus for preventing the overwriting of memory contents during certain scan operations is disclosed. An integrated circuit (IC) may include a memory and a scan chain having a number of serially coupled scan elements. A number of the scan elements may be coupled to circuitry for inputting signals to or receiving signals output from the memory. An inhibit circuit may also be coupled to the circuitry for inputting signals to the memory. During scan shifting operations commensurate with a scan dump mode or a memory dump mode, the inhibit circuit may de-assert one or more control signals that otherwise enable access to the memory in order to prevent shifted data from overwriting the contents stored in the memory. The apparatus may also include a bypass unit coupled to a memory read port, which can be activated to prevent unauthorized access to protected data stored in the memory. |
| US08589747B2 |
Position independent testing of circuits
Scan distributor, collector, and controller circuitry connect to the functional inputs and outputs of core circuitry on integrated circuits to provide testing through those functional inputs and outputs. Multiplexer and demultiplexer circuits select between the scan circuitry and the functional inputs and outputs. The core circuitry can also be provided with built-in scan distributor, collector, and controller circuitry to avoid having to add it external of the core circuitry. With appropriately placed built-in scan distributor and collector circuits, connecting together the functional inputs and outputs of the core circuitry also connects together the scan distributor and collector circuitry in each core. This can provide a hierarchy of scan circuitry and reduce the need for separate test interconnects and multiplexers. |
| US08589745B2 |
On-die logic analyzer for semiconductor die
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a semiconductor die such as a system on a chip (SoC) that includes a logic analyzer with a built-in trace buffer to store information communicated between on-die agents at speed and to provide the information to an off-die agent at a slower speed. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08589743B2 |
Double data rate signal testing assistant device
A DDR signal testing assistant device includes a body. The body is detachably locked to a motherboard integrated with a DDR connector. The DDR connector defines a plurality of pins. The body defines a plurality of testing holes corresponding and mating with the pins. Each testing hole of the body is marked with characters. The characters indicate the denomination or property of each corresponding pin of the DDR connector. |
| US08589740B2 |
System, method and computer program product for testing an aspect of a user interface determined from a database dedicated to the testing
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for testing an aspect of a user interface determined from a database dedicated to the testing. These mechanisms and methods for testing an aspect of a user interface determined from a database dedicated to the testing can provide a testing dedicated database of aspects of a user interface. The ability to provide a testing dedicated database of aspects of a user interface can enable testing of the user interface without the limitations otherwise associated with a database of aspects of the user interface that is utilized when publishing the database. |
| US08589738B2 |
Program trace message generation for page crossing events for debug
A data processing system has a trace message filtering circuit. A method includes: receiving a current page address corresponding to a current instruction in a sequence of instructions; determining that the current page address is for a different page of memory than a previous page address corresponding to a previous instruction in the sequence of instructions; comparing the current page address with a plurality of page addresses stored in a message filtering circuit; and when the current page address is determined to be different than any of the plurality of page addresses, storing the current page address in the message filtering circuit. |
| US08589737B2 |
Memory system with redundant data storage and error correction
A system comprises at least two random access memory (RAM) elements arranged to store data redundantly. The system further comprises RAM routing logic comprising comparison logic operably coupled to the at least two RAM elements and arranged to compare redundant data read from the at least two RAM elements, and check and validation logic, independent of the RAM routing logic, operably coupled to the at least two RAM elements and arranged to additionally detect an error in the redundant data read from the at least two RAM elements and provide an error indication signal to the RAM routing logic in response thereto. The RAM routing logic further comprises selection logic arranged to dynamically select redundant data from one of the at least two RAM elements based on the comparison of the redundant data and the error indication signal. |
| US08589735B2 |
Creating randomly ordered fields while maintaining the temporal ordering based on the value of the fields
A mechanism for verifying order of entities being processed by a device under test (DUT) is provided. The mechanism includes arranging the entities into a temporal order, and encoding the entities to maintain the temporal order of the entities and produce encoded entities with each being a random value. The encoded entities each have a one-to-one mapping to their corresponding one of the entities in the temporal order. The encoded entities are input into the DUT to verify its output, and responsive to detecting an error in the output corresponding to one encoded entity, the one encoded entity is decoded into a current decoded error entity. It is determined which is lower in the temporal order between the current decoded error entity and a previous decoded error entity. Responsive to the current decoded error entity being lower than the previous decoded error entity, the current decoded error entity is stored. |
| US08589734B2 |
Verifying correctness of processor transactions
An operation of a processor in respect to transactions is checked by simulating an execution of a test program, and updating a transaction order graph to identify a cycle. The graph is updated based on a value read during an execution of a first transaction and a second transaction that is the configured to set the memory with the read value. The test program comprises information useful for identifying the second transaction. |
| US08589723B2 |
Method and apparatus to provide a high availability solid state drive
A method and apparatus to use Solid State Drives (SSD) in a high availability enterprise system is provided. Concurrent redundant paths are provided to the SSD to at least two storage controllers via a serial system bus using a non-storage bus protocol. |
| US08589722B2 |
Methods and structure for storing errors for error recovery in a hardware controller
Methods and structure for providing methods and structure for recovering errors in a hardware controller after an overwrite event, such as the detection of another error. In this regard, a link layer of the hardware controller is configured with a register that persistently stores errors until a processor can address them. The link layer is adapted to establish a connection between an initiator and a target and detect errors associated with the connection. As each detected error is overwritten by a subsequently detected error, the link layer register persistently stores the detected errors associated with the connection for recovery after the detected error has been overwritten in the link layer at least until the error can be handled. |
| US08589716B2 |
Clock integrated circuit
The clock circuit of an integrated circuit operates with variations such as temperature, ground noise, and power noise. Various aspects of an improved clock integrated circuit address one or more of the variations in temperature, ground noise, and power noise. |
| US08589714B2 |
Falling clock edge JTAG bus routers
The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for allowing a controller to access a bus router using a communication occurring in response to one edge of a clock to select one or more devices for access using a communication occurring on the opposite edge of the clock. Additional embodiments are also provided and described in the disclosure. |
| US08589712B2 |
Determining a power saving mode based on a hardware resource utilization trend
Techniques are disclosed for managing the amount of power consumed by server components of a computer system, each server component having multiple power modes. The utilization of each server component is monitored. Based on the monitored utilization, a time period is determined in which to apply a selected power mode to the respective server component. The respective server component is configured to operate in the selected power mode for at least the determined time period. |
| US08589708B2 |
Reducing power consumption in clock and data recovery systems
Some embodiments provide a clock and data recovery (CDR) system to recover clock and data information from an analog signal. The CDR system may include an integral path and a proportional path that are part of an integral-proportional control loop. The integral path may be used to track frequency changes in a clock signal that is embedded in the analog signal, while the proportional path may be used to track phase changes in the clock signal that is embedded in the analog signal. The proportional path may be executed at a first clock frequency, while the integral path may be executed at a second clock frequency that is lower than the first clock frequency to reduce the power consumption of the CDR system. |
| US08589707B2 |
System and method for optimizing electrical power consumption by changing CPU frequency including steps of changing the system to a slow mode, changing a phase locked loop frequency register and changing the system to a normal mode
A system and a method for optimizing power in an electronic device are described. The system may be used to implement low power techniques to achieve maximum performance with low battery utilization. A processing load level monitor monitors load(s) on processors. Processor frequencies are updated through the driver until the load is close to 100%, which means that the core frequency is changed to the load processor around 100% at the minimum possible frequency. |
| US08589705B2 |
Method, storage medium and host computer for managing pulse-width modulation using the host computer
A host computer and a method for managing pulse-width modulation (PWM) include detecting a signal of a powerGD port. The management system further includes confirming a first state according to a first signal of the powerGD port. The management system further includes enabling the PWM port if the first state is in a power-on state, and disabling the PWM port if the first state is a power-off state. |
| US08589703B2 |
Tamper respondent covering
Disclosed is a tamper respondent covering. The tamper respondent covering has a cover-shaped structure to cover an electronic part which is exposed. This covering protects electronic parts embedded inside or exposed outside a product, such as ICs that contains data concerning security and certification, communication connectors that transmit data, etc. from a tempering operation or an alternating operation. The tamper respondent covering protects data from a tampering operation or an altering operation by erasing the data or disabling operation of the electronic part containing the data in response to an act of attempting to remove the covering from a printed circuit board of the electronic part or to drill a hole in the covering. |
| US08589697B2 |
Discarding sensitive data from persistent point-in-time image
A network storage server implements a method to discard sensitive data from a Persistent Point-In-Time Image (PPI). The server first efficiently identifies a dataset containing the sensitive data from a plurality of datasets managed by the PPI. Each of the plurality of datasets is read-only and encrypted with a first encryption key. The server then decrypts each of the plurality of datasets, except the dataset containing the sensitive data, with the first encryption key. The decrypted datasets are re-encrypted with a second encryption key, and copied to a storage structure. Afterward, the first encryption key is shredded. |
| US08589695B2 |
Methods and systems for entropy collection for server-side key generation
Systems and methods for providing a multiple source entropy feed for a PRNG that is used to generate server-side encryption keys are disclosed. A data recovery manager may collect additional entropy sources that feed into the PRNG between each key generation. The entropy may be collected from a variety of sources, for example, high-resolution timer intervals between input/output interrupts, hard disk access operations, and the like. The number of bits of entropy collected may be configured for each key generation. |
| US08589694B2 |
System, method, and apparatus for graduated difficulty of human response tests
A server to implement human response tests of graduated difficulty can suppress access by spambots. The server includes a network interface and a test controller. The network interface connects the server to a network and facilitates electronic communications between the server and a client computer coupled to the network. The test controller is coupled to the network interface. The test controller implements a human response test with a level of difficulty on the client computer in response to an access request by the client computer. The level of difficulty of the human response test is dependent on a determination whether the access request is deemed to originate from a spambot. |
| US08589693B2 |
Method for two step digital signature
The invention relates to a method for the digital signature of a message by a signer having an identity and holding a signature device, in which a public key cryptographic scheme is used. The signer has a public key and two private keys, the second private key being deposited at a reliable third party. For each signing operation, two additional steps are respectively carried out with a separate private key, i.e.: the calculation by the signer of a pre-signature of the message using the first private key, and transmitting the message and the pre-signature to the reliable third party; and the verification by the reliable third party of the pre-signature followed by the calculation by the reliable third party of a signature of the message using the second private key deposited at the reliable third party as well as the pre-signature previously calculated by the signer. |
| US08589692B2 |
Method and apparatus for verifying CGA signature
A method and apparatuses for verifying Cryptographically Generated Address (CGA) signature are provided. The method includes: receiving a message sent by a CGA address owner, wherein a RSA public key, a first RSA public key signature, a second public key, and a second public key signature are carried in the message, the first RSA public key binds one or more second public keys, and a part protected by the first public key signature includes the one or more second public keys; verifying the first RSA public key signature according to the message; extracting the second public key, and verifying the second public key signature. According to the method and apparatuses of the embodiment, the effect of supporting other public key can be achieved, the change of the IP address can be omitted, and public key deployment and computing resources are saved. |
| US08589687B2 |
Architecture for supporting secure communication network setup in a wireless local area network (WLAN)
In a communication network, an architecture for supporting secure communication network setup in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is provided. The architecture may be utilized in a configurator station or in a client station for establishing a secure communication setup between the client station and the corresponding WLAN. The architecture may comprise an input interface that may be configured by a user to interface with the user's hardware or software configuration buttons. The architecture may also comprise a finite state machine (FSM), a packet processor, and a Diffie-Hellman (DH) generator. The input interface, the FSM, the packet processor, and the DH generator may be associated with the secure communication setup process. The architecture may also comprise interfaces to communicate with a wireless driver and/or an Ethernet driver, and interfaces to communicate with persistent storage, such as non-volatile ready access memory (NVRAM). |
| US08589686B2 |
Vehicle control system and authentication method
A vehicle control system has a plurality of electronic control devices that are included in a vehicle, a radio wave transmitting body that transmits operation information operating a device included in the vehicle and unique radio-wave-transmitting-body identification information using a radio signal, a first electronic control device that transmits and receive the radio signal to and from a second electronic control device and the radio wave transmitting body, and the second electronic control device that transmits and receive the radio signal to and from the first electronic control device and the radio wave transmitting body. The first electronic control device includes a first storage in which the radio-wave-transmitting-body identification information on the radio wave transmitting body or identification information on the second electronic control device is stored, and a first transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives the radio signal. |
| US08589683B2 |
Authentication of a secure virtual network computing (VNC) connection
A secure Virtual Network Computing (VNC) connection between a server and a client is authenticated using a series of message exchanges. A server receives a request from a client to establish a VNC connection. If the request indicates that the client supports an encryption scheme, the server provides a first set of mechanisms for a subsequent authentication process. If the request indicates that the client does not support the encryption scheme, the server provides the client a second set of mechanisms for the subsequent authentication process. The second set contains fewer mechanisms than the first set. The client chooses an authentication mechanism from the first set or the second set provided by the server. The server and the client then perform the subsequent authentication process, using the authentication mechanism chosen by the client, with a series of message exchanges. |
| US08589681B1 |
Selective authorization of the loading of dependent code modules by running processes
Systems and methods for selective authorization of dependent code modules are provided. According to one embodiment, responsive to a monitored file system or operating system event initiated by an active process, a real-time authentication process is performed or bypassed on a code module to which the monitored event relates with reference to a multi-level whitelist. The multi-level whitelist includes a global whitelist database remote from the computer system, maintained by a trusted service provider and which contains cryptographic hash values of approved code modules; and a local whitelist database that includes cryptographic hash values of a subset of the approved code modules. The active process is allowed to load the code module when the authentication process is bypassed or when the cryptographic hash value of the code module matches one of the cryptographic hash values of approved code modules within the multi-level whitelist. |
| US08589679B2 |
Identifier-based signcryption with two trusted authorities
Identifier-based signcryption methods and apparatus are disclosed both for signing and encrypting data, and for decrypting and verifying data. The signcryption methods use computable bilinear mappings and can be based, for example, on Weil or Tate pairings. A message sender associated with a first trusted authority carries out integrated signing/encryption processes to send a signed, encrypted message to an intended recipient associated with a second trusted authority. The recipient then carries out integrated decryption/verification processes to recover the original message and verify its origin. |
| US08589677B2 |
System and method for retrieving related certificates
A system and method for searching and retrieving certificates, which may be used in the processing of encoded messages. In one embodiment, all certificates related to an identified certificate are retrieved from the certificate servers automatically by the certificate synchronization application, where the related certificates comprise at least one of one or more CA certificates and one or more cross-certificates. Embodiments described herein facilitate at least partial automation of the downloading and establishment of certificate chains, thereby minimizing the need for users to manually search for individual certificates. |
| US08589676B2 |
Communication system and method in public key infrastructure
In a communication system wherein a device and a client communicate data with each other through a network, the device holds a root certificate including a public key in a pair of the public key and a private key and signed with the public key. When data is sent, a certificate creator creates a second certificate including the root certificate designated as a certificate authority at a higher level and signed with the root certificate, and the second certificate is sent to the client. In the client, the root certificate has been stored beforehand, and a verifier verifies the signature of the second certificate with the root certificate. |
| US08589672B2 |
Method for securely merging multiple nodes having trusted platform modules
Method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for operating a plurality of computer nodes while maintaining trust. A primary computer node and at least one secondary computer node are connected into a cluster, wherein each of the clustered computer nodes includes a trusted platform module (TPM) that is accessible to software and includes security status information about the respective computer node. Each clustered computer node is then merged into a single node with only the TPM of the primary computer node being accessible to software. The TPM of the primary computer node is updated to include the security status information of each TPM in the cluster. Preferably, the step of merging is controlled by power on self test (POST) basic input output system (BIOS) code associated with a boot processor in the primary node. |
| US08589671B2 |
Security implementation within a browser
Techniques for implementing security within a browser of a data processing system are described herein. According to one embodiment, first data representing a user interaction with a Web page presented by a browser application is encrypted at an application level by a cipher module communicatively coupled to the browser application running at a local client. A JavaScript module embedded within the browser application is configured to transmit the encrypted first data over a network to a remote server for updating the Web page. In response to second data received from the remote server, the cipher module is configured to decrypt the second data at the application level and the decrypted second data is then rendered by the browser application to update the Web page without having to reload the entire Web page. Other methods and apparatuses are also described. |
| US08589670B2 |
Adjusting system configuration for increased reliability based on margin
A system provides a mechanism for increasing reliability by allowing margins to be evaluated and if one or more margins of a current configuration are too small, system configuration is modified to increase the margin. A computing device determines through training a first operating point of at least one operational characteristic of the system and a first margin associated therewith. The first margin is compared to a predetermined threshold margin and if the first margin is less than the predetermined threshold margin, the configuration of the system is adjusted to provide a configuration with greater margin for the operational characteristic. The system is retrained with the new configuration to determine a second operating point and a second margin associated therewith and compares the second margin to the threshold margin to determine if the second margin is more than the threshold margin, to satisfy reliability requirements. |
| US08589665B2 |
Instruction set architecture extensions for performing power versus performance tradeoffs
Mechanisms are provided for processing an instruction in a processor of a data processing system. The mechanisms operate to receive, in a processor of the data processing system, an instruction, the instruction including power/performance tradeoff information associated with the instruction. The mechanisms further operate to determine power/performance tradeoff priorities or criteria, specifying whether power conservation or performance is prioritized with regard to execution of the instruction, based on the power/performance tradeoff information. Moreover, the mechanisms process the instruction in accordance with the power/performance tradeoff priorities or criteria identified based on the power/performance tradeoff information of the instruction. |
| US08589656B2 |
Queuing of conflicted remotely received transactions
Queuing of received transactions that have a resource conflict is disclosed. A first node receives a first transaction from a second node, where the first transaction relates to a resource of the first node. The transaction may be a request relating to a memory line of the first node, for instance. It is determined that a second transaction that relates to this resource of the first node is already being processed by the first node. Therefore, the first transaction is enqueued in a conflict queue within the first node. The queuing may be a linked list, a priority queue, or another type of queue. Once the second transaction has been processed, the first transaction is restarted for processing by the first node. The first transaction is then processed by the first node. |
| US08589652B2 |
Reorganization of a fragmented directory of a storage data structure comprised of the fragmented directory and members
A directory and members are allocated to store a data set, wherein the directory stores pointers to the members to allow data stored in the members to be accessed. The directory is expanded to accommodate an expansion of the data set, causing the directory to be stored in non-contiguous pages and becoming fragmented. A computational device determines that a threshold that measures a level of fragmentation of the directory relative to an amount of storage allocated for the data set has been exceeded. The computational device reorganizes the fragmented directory, into a reorganized directory that is stored in contiguous pages at the end of the data set, in response to determining that the threshold has been exceeded. |
| US08589651B2 |
Method for supporting migration destination decision and management system
Each time data is migrated, a management system stores information denoting a migration history related to the migration of the data, in history management information. The management system receives an input of an administrator-desired attribute condition combination for a migration-destination storage device, identifies all device attribute combinations conforming to this attribute condition combination, and calculates multiple migration trends based on each device attribute combination and the history management information. The management system identifies, from among the multiple migration trends, a migration trend to which a specified migration-source storage device belongs, and displays information denoting at least this identified migration trend. |
| US08589643B2 |
Arbitration system and method for memory responses in a hub-based memory system
A memory hub includes a local queue that stores local memory responses, a bypass path that passes downstream memory responses, and a buffered queue coupled to the bypass path that stores downstream memory responses from the bypass path. A multiplexer is coupled to the local queue, buffered queue, and the bypass path and outputs responses from a selected one of the queues or the bypass path responsive to a control signal. Arbitration control logic is coupled to the multiplexer and the queues and develops the control signal to control the response output by the multiplexer. |
| US08589642B2 |
Computer system duplicating writes by synchronous remote copy with multiple host computers using heterogeneous operating systems
A computer system having a plurality of host computers and a storage system is provided which allows any one host computer to perform a global copy operation on any arbitrary or all storage areas in the storage system. To this end, storage areas provided by the disk devices are grouped into groups by allocating group numbers to a plurality of specified storage areas. The copy operation can be performed by specifying desired groups. Each of the groups is made up of sub-groups and the sub-groups are defined for each computer to assure a consistency of copy order of the sub-groups. |
| US08589640B2 |
Method for maintaining multiple fingerprint tables in a deduplicating storage system
A system and method for managing multiple fingerprint tables in a deduplicating storage system. A computer system includes a storage medium, a first fingerprint table comprising a first plurality of entries, and a second fingerprint table comprising a second plurality of entries. Each of the first plurality of entries and the second plurality of entries are configured to store fingerprint related data corresponding to data stored in the storage medium. A storage controller is configured to select the first fingerprint table for storage of entries corresponding to data stored in the data storage medium that has been deemed more likely to be successfully deduplicated than other data stored in the data storage medium; and select the second fingerprint table for storage of entries corresponding to data stored in the data storage medium that has been deemed less likely to be successfully deduplicated than other data stored in the storage medium. |
| US08589638B2 |
Terminating barriers in streams of access requests to a data store while maintaining data consistency
A memory controller includes a comparison circuitry configured to compare the barrier context value of each write request to be issued to the memory with the barrier context values of at least some pending read requests, the pending read requests being requests received at the memory controller but not yet issued to the memory and, in response to detecting at least one of the pending read requests with an earlier barrier context value identifying a barrier transaction that has a corresponding barrier transaction in the stream of requests on the write channel that is earlier in the stream of requests than the write request, stalling the write request until the at least one pending read request has been performed; and, in response to detecting no pending read requests with the earlier barrier context value, issuing the write request to the memory. |
| US08589634B2 |
Processor extensions for accelerating spectral band replication
Enhancements to hardware architectures (e.g., a RISC processor or a DSP processor) to accelerate spectral band replication (SBR) processing are described. In some embodiments, instruction extensions configure a reconfigurable processor to accelerate SBR and other audio processing. In addition to the instruction extensions, execution units (e.g., multiplication and accumulation units (MACs)) may operate in parallel to reduce the number of audio processing cycles. Performance may be further enhanced through the use of source and destination units which are configured to work with the execution units and quickly fetch and store source and destination operands. |
| US08589633B2 |
Control apparatus
A control apparatus, control method and computer readable article of manufacture for controlling data. The control apparatus includes a data storage unit; a plurality of entry storage units, and a plurality of registration units. The data storage unit stores data. Each of the entry storage units stores an entry for registering a pointer to data. If each of the registration units receives an instruction for registering data, then each registration unit (i) searches the entry storage units for an entry storage unit having an empty entry, (ii) registers a pointer to the data to be registered in the retrieved entry storage unit and (iii) stores the data to be registered and identification information of the retrieved entry storage unit in the data storage unit in such a manner that the data to be registered and the identification information is associated with each other. |
| US08589630B2 |
Methods and apparatus for handling a cache miss
In a first aspect, a first method is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) providing a cache having a plurality of cache entries, each entry adapted to store data, wherein the cache is adapted to be accessed by hardware and software in a first operational mode; (2) determining an absence of desired data in one of the plurality of cache entries; (3) determining a status based on a current operational mode and a value of hint-lock bits associated with the plurality of cache entries; and (4) determining availability of at least one of the cache entries based on the status, wherein availability of a cache entry indicates that data stored in the cache entry can be replaced. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US08589628B2 |
Hybrid active memory processor system
In general, the present invention relates to data cache processing. Specifically, the present invention relates to a system that provides reconfigurable dynamic cache which varies the operation strategy of cache memory based on the demand from the applications originating from different external general processor cores, along with functions of a virtualized hybrid core system. The system includes receiving a data request, selecting an operational mode based on the data request and a predefined selection algorithm, and processing the data request based on the selected operational mode. The present invention is further configured to enable processing core and memory utilization by external systems through virtualization. |
| US08589626B2 |
Hybrid RAID controller having multi PCI bus switching
Embodiments of the present invention provide a hybrid RAID controller with multi PCI bus switching for a storage device of a PCI-Express (PCI-e) type that supports a low-speed data processing speed for a host. Specifically, embodiments of this invention provide a hybrid RAID controller having multiple (e.g., two or more) sets of RAID circuitry that are interconnected/coupled to on another via a PCI bus to enable real-time switching. Each set of RAID circuitry is coupled to a one or more (i.e., a set of) semiconductor storage device (SSD) memory disk units and/or HDD/Flash memory units. Among other things, the SSD memory disk units and/or HDD/Flash memory units adjust a synchronization of a data signal transmitted/received between the host and a memory disk during data communications between the host and the memory disk through a PCI-Express interface and simultaneously support a high-speed data processing speed for the memory disk, thereby supporting the performance of the memory to enable high-speed processing in an existing interface environment at the maximum. |
| US08589624B2 |
Systems and methods for background destaging storage tracks
A system includes a write cache configured to store a plurality of storage tracks and configured to be coupled to one or more hosts, and a processor coupled to the write cache. The processor includes code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method below. One method includes monitoring the write cache for write operations from the host(s) and determining if the host(s) is/are idle based on monitoring the write cache for write operations from the host(s). The storage tracks are destaged from the write cache if the host(s) is/are idle and are not destaged from the write cache if one or more of the hosts is/are not idle. |
| US08589618B2 |
Memory system comprising nonvolatile memory device and controller
A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory device and a controller. The controller includes a working memory and is configured to control the nonvolatile memory device. The nonvolatile memory device is configured to store drive data required to access the nonvolatile memory device. When an initialization operation of the memory system is performed, the controller activates an operation standby signal after loading a portion of the drive data stored in the nonvolatile memory device into the working memory. |
| US08589616B2 |
Storage system group including scale-out storage system and management method therefor
A management system is coupled to a storage system group including a scale-out storage system (a virtual storage system). The management system has storage management information, which includes information denoting, for each storage system, whether or not a storage system is a component of a virtual storage system. The management system, based on the storage management information, determines whether or not a first storage system is a component of a virtual storage system, and in a case where the result of this determination is affirmative, identifies, based on the storage management information, a second storage system, which is a storage system other than the virtual storage system that includes the first storage system, and allows a user to perform a specific operation only with respect to this second storage system. |
| US08589614B2 |
Network system with crossbar switch and bypass route directly coupling crossbar interfaces
A network system includes a crossbar switch, and a plurality of crossbar interfaces having ports connected to the crossbar switch. A bypass route directly connects crossbar interfaces forming a group in which a frequency of use of the ports is greater than or equal to a predetermined value amongst the plurality of crossbar interfaces. |
| US08589613B2 |
Method and system to improve the operations of an integrated non-transparent bridge device
A method and system to improve the operations of an integrated non-transparent bridge device (NTB) that is coupled to another NTB device or Root Port device. The integrated NTB device has logic to maintain ordering of interrupts to be sent to the remote Root Port or NTB device. The integrated NTB device allocates a contiguous portion of the memory for both the primary Base Address Register 0 associated with the integrated NTB device and the secondary BAR0 associated with the remote NTB device. The integrated NTB device has logic to report the size of the primary BAR0 as the combined size of the primary BAR0 and the size of the secondary BAR0. The integrated NTB device facilitates the dynamic modification of a mapping of each bit of a doorbell register with a respective one of a plurality of interrupt vectors based on a mapping register. |
| US08589612B2 |
Computer system including an interrupt controller
A computer system which shortens standby time of CPUs and improves CPU processing efficiency of a performance mode upon switching from the performance mode (parallel operation) to a safety mode (master/checker operation) is provided. In a computer system including: at least two CPUs; a programmable interrupt controller for interrupting the CPUs; and a comparator for mutually comparing outputs of the CPUs, switching between the performance mode of executing mutually different processes by the CPUs, respectively, to improve performance and the safety mode of executing mutually the same processes by the CPUs and collating results by the comparator to detect failure can be carried out; CPUs to be interrupted can be set for each interrupt factor; and whether the performance mode is to be executed or the safety mode is to be executed can be set for each interrupt factor. |
| US08589603B2 |
Delaying acknowledgment of an operation until operation completion confirmed by local adapter read operation
A request to perform an operation, such as a remote direct memory access (RDMA) write operation or a send operation that writes to memory, is sent from a sending input/output (I/O) adapter (e.g., an RDMA-capable adapter) to a receiving I/O adapter. The receiving I/O adapter receives the request and initiates performance of the operation, but delays sending an acknowledgment for the operation. The acknowledgment is delayed until the operation is complete (i.e., until the memory is updated and the data is visible to the remote processor), as determined by a read operation initiated and performed by the receiving I/O adapter transparent to the sending I/O adapter. |
| US08589601B2 |
I/O controller and descriptor transfer method
An I/O controller and method are provided. The I/O controller to which an I/O device can be connected, and instructs the I/O device to execute a process includes a descriptor transfer device that transfers a descriptor indicating contents of a process to be executed, and execution instruction unit that instructs the I/O device to execute the process, based on the descriptor transferred from the descriptor transfer device, wherein the descriptor transfer device includes a memory for storing the descriptor; descriptor reading unit that reads, according to an indication regarding a descriptor read source from a processor, an indicated descriptor from a main memory or said memory which stores the descriptor, and descriptor transfer unit that transfers the read descriptor to the execution instruction unit. |
| US08589595B2 |
Communications device and system for implementing a management system remote from devices
A communication device for implementing a system for remotely managing at least one item of equipment by a management application able to communicate via a telecommunication network with an application embedded in the item of equipment. The device includes a first communication interface allowing implementation of a local communication link with the embedded application, a second communication interface allowing access to the telecommunication network, and a communication management device configured to communicate with the embedded application via the first interface and with the management application via the second interface, serving as communication relay between the embedded application and the management application, and configured to transmit to one of the two applications a message received from the other application, according to predefined transfer rules and as a function of at least one parameter received with the message. |
| US08589593B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing protocol messages for multiple protocol instances
The invention includes a method and apparatus for processing protocol messages for multiple protocol instances. In one embodiment, a method for processing protocol messages includes receiving a plurality of messages for a plurality of processors where each received message is associated with one of the protocol instances, generating a processing request for each message, queuing the processing requests, and servicing the queues in a manner for arbitrating access by the queues to the processors for processing the messages. A processing request generated for a received message identifies one of the protocol instances with which the message is associated. The processing requests are queued using a plurality of queues associated with the respective plurality of protocol instances, where each processing request is queued in one of the queues associated with the one of the protocol instances with which the processing request is associated. The servicing of each queue includes reading a processing request from the queue, if the queue has at least one processing request queued therein, and causing the one of the processors with which the processing request is associated to process one of the messages associated with the protocol instance identified by the processing request. The queues may be serviced in a round-robin manner for arbitrating access by the queues to the processors, thereby enabling atomic processing of the messages. |
| US08589592B2 |
Efficient object distribution
A method and apparatus for distributing objects over a network. In one embodiment, the method comprises sending a request from a first network entity to a second network entity, the request including a compressed representation of deployed objects that are currently deployed at the first network entity. The method further comprises the first network entity receiving from the second network entity a difference between the deployed objects and objects to be deployed on the first network entity as indicated by the second network entity. |
| US08589589B2 |
Method and system for creating an overlay structure for management information bases
A method, a system, and an apparatus are provided for organizing management information bases (MIB) in a network. A table, associated with an overlay MIB structure, is populated with entries. Each entry defines an object identifier (OID) of a mount point and an OID of a mount target. A selection is made between the existing OIDs and OIDs corresponding to a MIB overlay. When management communication refers to managed objects, they can be referred to in terms of OIDs defined by the MIB overlay, as an alternative to their existing OIDs. An agent infrastructure is defined to support the MIB overlay structure. |
| US08589588B2 |
Method of identifying domain-to-domain link based on automatically switched optical network
A method of identifying domain-to-domain link based on ASON (Automatically Switched Optical Network), including: storing, by a node in ASON, a route control ID of an abstract node each high layer network; obtaining, by the node, the route control ID of the abstract node in each network layer stored in an opposite terminal node with an exchanging method; comparing, by the node, the route control ID of the abstract node in each network layer stored locally with the route control ID of the abstract node in a corresponding network layer stored in the opposite terminal node respectively, and determining whether the link between the node and the opposite terminal node is a domain-to-domain link according to the comparing result. With the invention, the control domain of each layer in a hierarchical ASON can identify the domain-to-domain link between the nodes in the present layer. |
| US08589587B1 |
Protocol offload in intelligent network adaptor, including application level signalling
A host is coupled to a network via an intelligent network adaptor. The host is executing an application configured to receive application data from a peer via the network and the intelligent network adaptor using a stateful connection according to a connection-oriented protocol. The intelligent network adaptor performs protocol processing of the connection. Application data is copied from host memory not configured for access by the application (possibly OS-associated host memory) to host memory associated with the application (application-associated host memory). The application data is received from the peer by the intelligent network adaptor and copied to host memory not configured for access by the application. The operating system selectively provides, to the intelligent network adaptor, information of the memory associated with the application. At least one portion of the application data for the connection is provided directly from the intelligent network adaptor to the memory associated with the application. |
| US08589585B2 |
Adaptive file delivery system and method
An adaptive file delivery system and method transmits a data file, such as an audio-video file, over a network or collection of networks in segments, each segment transmitted during a different time period. Each time period has a transmission portion to transmit its associated file segment and a wait portion in which no further interaction with the network occurs regarding the transmitted segment. In some implementations, the duration of the transmission portion of each time period is sufficient to reach a steady-state throughput condition, which allows the traffic load status of the network or networks to be determined from rate measurements of file segment transmissions. The duration of the wait portion of each time period is at least long enough to limit the average rate of file segment transmission to adapt to network traffic load variations while causing the entire file to be delivered in a predetermined delivery deadline. |
| US08589584B2 |
Pipelining protocols in misaligned buffer cases
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for effecting a desired collective operation on a parallel computing system that includes multiple compute nodes. The compute nodes may pipeline multiple collective operations to effect the desired collective operation. To select protocols suitable for the multiple collective operations, the compute nodes may also perform additional collective operations. The compute nodes may pipeline the multiple collective operations and/or the additional collective operations to effect the desired collective operation more efficiently. |
| US08589581B2 |
Weather forecast data distributing system and method
Broadcast signal c is transmitted from a broadcast transmitter 5 to an artificial satellite 1 for predetermined signal conversion, whereby broadcast signals al to an are transmitted to all of Japan. On-earth stations 6-1 to 6-n are installed for weather forecast data. These on-earth stations receive the broadcast signals al to an, respectively, transmitted from the artificial satellite 1, and transmit receiving state data b1 to bn, respectively, based on receiving level data to the artificial satellite 1. The receiving state signals are changed with variations of their radio wave attenuation according to whether it is cloudy, rainy, snowy, the cloud density, etc. The receiving state data are collectively sent back to a weather forecast center 9. Weather forecast data e obtained by analysis in the weather forecast center 9 is transmitted to the artificial satellite 1, which in turn sends weather forecast data f back to all of Japan. |
| US08589580B2 |
Method and apparatus for geofiltering by content
Methods, apparatuses, articles of manufacture, and memory structures for selective delivery of content based on geolocation are disclosed. |
| US08589577B2 |
Transmission of IP packets of contents by addition to those IP packets of information data relating to the contents
IP encapsulation equipment encapsulates, into bursts, IP packets representing sets of multimedia data delivered by at least one multimedia content server. The bursts are accompanied beforehand by information data at least partly defining the set of data that is integrated into those IP packets and/or the content of which that set of data forms part, with a view to the broadcasting thereof to receiver equipments via a communication network. The information data added to the received IP packets is analyzed to instruct the encapsulation means to encapsulate at least some of those IP packets in selected positions in the bursts as a function of the corresponding information data. In this manner, all the IP packets including, the data of a set, are encapsulated in a single burst. |
| US08589572B2 |
Replenishing a user account with more access resources needed for accessing network services
A network access server (NAS) determines the status of availability (e.g., how much more quota is unused) of an access resource, and sends a notification embedded in a point-to-point protocol (PPP) packet. The format of the packet is chosen such that definition/use of higher layers (e.g., HTTP) is not required to communicate the status to a client system. As a result, the user may be notified even if software such as web browser is not being executed on the client system. |
| US08589569B2 |
Method and apparatus for invoking a plug-in on a server
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for invoking a plug-in that is dynamically associated with a database operation. During operation, a client sends a request to a database system to perform an operation on the database, wherein the request includes a control-message which specifies a plug-in which needs to be executed. Next, the system executes the plug-in at a plug-in server to obtain a plug-in result. Then, the system determines if the plug-in result is an error identifier. If so, the system sends the error identifier to the client. On the other hand, if the plug-in result is not an error identifier, the system performs the operation to obtain an operation result. The system then sends the operation result to the client. |
| US08589568B2 |
Method and system for secure handling of electronic business transactions on the internet
Disclosed is a computer-based technology for handling end-to-end business transactions in a TCP/IP-environment. A managing instance enables logon and provides a pool of IP addresses available for allocation. The managing instance allocates an IP address from the pool and establishes a tunneling IP connection between the managing instance and a user's device. The user's IP address together with any attributes relevant for accounting, authentication and authorization (AAA) are stored during the session time. The correlation between a user's authentication name and an IP address assigned to that name as well as the book-keeping of the validity of that correlation is handled using a session context. Any identification process for a user/subscriber who would like to use any service offered by an e-Service provider will be conducted solely using the assigned IP address. |
| US08589566B2 |
Multiple voice communication sessions through a client device
Methods and client devices are provided for supporting a plurality of separate voice communication sessions. According to an exemplary method, a first voice communication session is initiated from the first client device to a second client device. The first client receives a request for establishing a second voice communication session from a third client device, and then establishes the second voice communication session from the third client device to a fourth client device. The second voice communications session may be established through the first client device and may include streaming communication between the third client device and the fourth client device. The second voice communication session continues through the first communications device, even after the first voice communication session has been terminated. |
| US08589565B2 |
Client-server session parallelism
Using client-server session parallelism (CSSP), a client device establishes multiple network communication sessions with different remote servers and requests the same unsegmented data item from each server. Whichever copy of the unsegmented data item is received earliest at the client device is provided to an application. The CSSP software may be part of a network stack, or it may be part of a particular application such as a browser or a media player. The servers are not necessarily CSSP-aware, but when they are, sessions may be load-balanced. CSSP sessions may also be transferred to other CSSP-aware servers in view of server loads, imminent server reboots, or other events. A CSSP client may notify a CSSP server of status information describing session(s) established at the client with other server(s), allowing the server to reallocate bandwidth to other clients when the CSSP client has sufficient alternate data sources. |
| US08589562B2 |
Flexible failover configuration
A method is described that involves offering a user different persistent scope choices including: a) internal to a computing system that the deployment descriptor is to be sent to; and, b) external to the computing system that the deployment descriptor is to be sent to. The method also involves offering a user different persistence frequency choices including: a) persisting per request; and, b) persisting per session state information attribute change. The method also involves generating a deployment descriptor that reflects the user's choice of the persistence scope and persistence frequency. |
| US08589559B2 |
Capture of content from dynamic resource services
Methods are described which enable processing of resources originally accessed by a content access operation. An identifier is generated and used to augment all requests for resources which relate to a particular content access operation. A proxy stores the resources associated with the identifier and then sends the resources to the application that requested them (e.g. a browser). The resources may be requested from the proxy by applications using the identifier so that they can be processed (e.g. thumbnail generation, textual analysis) and the processed data may be stored and/or presented to the user. |
| US08589558B2 |
Method and system for efficient deployment of web applications in a multi-datacenter system
A system for computing an optimal deployment of at least one web application in a multi-datacenter system comprising a collector for collecting performance measurements with regard to a web application executed in the multi-datacenter system and grouping the performance measurements according to locations of a plurality of clients accessing the web application; a data repository for maintaining at least a performance table including at least the performance measurements grouped according to the plurality of client locations and a service level agreement (SLA) guaranteed to clients in the plurality of client locations; and an analyzer for processing at least information stored in the performance table for generating a recommendation on an optimal deployment of the web application in at least one combination of datacenters in the multi-datacenter system by computing an expected SLA that can be guaranteed to the clients in each combination of datacenters. |
| US08589557B1 |
Automatic provisioning of resources to software offerings
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates the deployment and execution of a software offering. During operation, the system obtains a service definition of the software offering. Next, the system creates a work-breakdown structure based on a set of policies from the service definition. Finally, the system uses the work-breakdown structure to automatically provision a set of resources for use by the software offering without requiring manual configuration of the resources by a user. |
| US08589555B2 |
Virtualization and consolidation analysis engine for enterprise data centers
A method and apparatus for consolidating a plurality of applications into one or more servers. The method and apparatus organizes consolidation constraints representing preferences about placing applications into the one or more servers, and allocates the applications into the one or more servers in a manner that maximally satisfies the consolidation constraints. |
| US08589554B2 |
Intelligent and elastic resource pools for heterogeneous datacenter environments
Disclosed are methods and systems for intelligent resource pool management of heterogeneous datacenter resources. In one embodiment, intelligent resource pool management is utilized to assist in application provisioning performed based upon a blueprint and deployment model defining requirements of the provisioned application. In other embodiments, intelligent resource pool managers are configured to work in concert with other intelligent resource pool managers and/or a centralized provisioning engine. Resource pools may also be configured in a hierarchical manner whereby higher level resource pools may automatically draw resources from lower level resource pools as directed by one or more intelligent resource pool managers. |
| US08589545B2 |
Job execution system, job execution apparatus, counter data administration method thereof and recording medium
A job execution system comprises a job execution apparatus and a server apparatus interconnected via a network. The server apparatus stores in itself, counter data defining the range of using the job execution apparatus, which is allowed for a user who logs in the job execution apparatus by authentication. The job execution apparatus obtains entirely or partially the counter data of the login user from the server apparatus; returns the counter data that is reduced by job execution to the server apparatus when the user logs out thereof; judges according to conditions set on the job execution apparatus itself, whether or not the counter data returning operation should be suspended; and suspends the counter data returning operation if judges that it should be suspended. |
| US08589544B2 |
System and method for providing a script-based collection for devices in a network environment
A method is provided in one example and includes verifying a storage capacity of a network element coupled to an end device over a network connection. The method also includes executing script provided in the network element, which is configured for exchanging packets in a network environment. The script initiates a collection of data being retrieved from the end device. The data can be Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security (FCAPS) data associated with the end device. The data collected from the end device is communicated to a next destination. |
| US08589543B2 |
Virtual data center monitoring
Techniques are provided for monitoring the state or status of virtual data centers. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving state information representing the state of hardware devices supporting instantiations of virtual data centers operating within a physical data center. The state information is mapped to hardware devices supporting a selected instantiation of a virtual data center to identify state information for the selected instantiation of a virtual data center. An assessment is then made, based on the state information for the selected instantiation of a virtual data center, regarding a degree to which the selected instantiation of a virtual data center is operating in accordance with predetermined policy. A user is then notified of the assessment via, e.g., a color-coded dashboard representation of the selected instantiation of a virtual data center or a color-coded aspect of the selected instantiation of a virtual data center. |
| US08589542B2 |
First application receiving text script or application program interface (API) call from second application and executing applications in independent memory spaces
Communications-network data processing methods include receiving a request to perform an action involving data associated with a configuration of a communications network or a behavior of the communications network and in response to the receiving of the request, performing the action. Communications-network data presentation methods include receiving information indicating a source of data characterizing a communications network and a desired presentation format of the data, accessing the source to obtain the data characterizing the communications network, and presenting the data according to the desired presentation format. |
| US08589535B2 |
Maintaining service performance during a cloud upgrade
Systems, methods, and computer storage media for upgrading a domain in a distributed computing environment are provided. Upgrading of the domain includes preparing for the upgrade, upgrading, and finalizing the upgrade. The preparation of the domain includes ensuring predefined quantities of role instances are available in domains other than the upgrade domain. The preparation also includes ensuring that a predefined number of extent replicas are available in domains other than the upgrade domain. The preparation may also include checkpointing partitions within the upgrade domain to facilitate faster loading once transferred to a domain other than the upgrade domain. The finalization may include allowing nodes within the upgrade domain to resume functionality that was suspended during the upgrade. |
| US08589534B2 |
Device information management apparatus, device information management method, and storage medium which operates during a failure
A device information management apparatus for processing a report from a device management client during a failure of a transaction system is disclosed. The device information management apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive the report from the device management client; a determining unit configured to determine whether to process the report based on an importance level of the report and a load (workload) level of the device information management apparatus; a processing unit configured to process the report if the determining unit determines to process the report; and a discarding unit configured to discard the report if the determining unit determines not to process the report. |
| US08589531B2 |
Network difference reporting
A network difference reporting method and system categorizes the differences between two networks, and provides an output report structured by these categories. The preferred categories include objects common to both networks that have different attributes; objects found only in the first network; objects found only in the second network; and objects common to both networks that have similar attributes. A user-interface is provided to allow a user to identify objects or attributes that are to be included or excluded from the identified differences. Preferably, the output reports includes a graphic display of differences that uses the same hierarchical object attribute structure as the networks, to facilitate a rapid understanding of the reported differences between the networks. |
| US08589525B2 |
Enhanced reboot command
A method and system allows a computer system to perform a network reboot in response to an enhanced reboot command. The computer system receives a command to load an operating system and interprets the command to determine whether a physical machine or a virtual machine is to be rebooted. In response to a determination that the command indicates the use of a network option, the computer system loads the operating system from a networked server, and perform rebooting according to the interpreted command with the use of the operating system. |
| US08589524B1 |
Adjusting network service level based on usage
A user of a network service (such as an Ethernet e-line) can specify rules defining changes to the network service under particular usage conditions (for example threshold bandwidth utilization). The network's usage is monitored. When particular usage conditions are detected, the network service is evaluated to determine what switches need to be configured and how to configure them. The switches are configured accordingly. When the usage conditions no longer exist, the switches are re-configured to their original service level. |
| US08589521B2 |
Method for testing connectivity of software applications hosted on networked computers
A method for verifying the connectivity of software applications hosted on networked computers. The connectivity of hosted function applications to be loaded into networked computers is verified and validated using quasi-hosted function applications that simulate the communications functions (i.e., connectivity) of those hosted function applications. The quasi-hosted function applications are run on the same hardware that the real hosted function applications will be run on. Furthermore, the connectivity of a real hosted function application loaded into one computer can be verified and validated by simulating communications of that real hosted function application with a multiplicity of quasi-hosted function applications running on the networked computers. |
| US08589519B2 |
Method and device for uniform resource identifier handling of user device
A user device (110) is connected to a web server (120) via a network (130). An owner (140) communicates with the web server and has a communication channel (141) to the user device. The owner initiates an URI assignment request to the user device and obtains the device credentials via the communication channel (141). The owner provides the credentials to the web server via a communication channel (121). The web server sends the credentials to the user device which compares the credentials with its memory (110a) and replies with the URI status. The web server sends the URI assignment to the user device which accepts and confirms back to the web server which sends a locking message to the user device. The owner can revoke the URI using a password that is verified by the user device, which deletes the URI. An advantage is that the owner can acquire the URI without being the owner of domain. |
| US08589516B2 |
Method and system for intermediating content provider website and mobile device
In one embodiment, a method of facilitating communication between a first content provider website and a mobile device includes obtaining first information from the content provider website via a first network at a web server, the first information not including any email message, where the obtaining includes pulling by way of a back end portion of the web server the first information from the content provider website. The method also includes processing in at least one of the back end portion and a front end portion of the web server the first information so as to provide processed first information, and transmitting a notice of new content in the first information from the front end portion of the web server onto a push channel established on either the first network or a second network for receipt by the mobile device. |
| US08589513B1 |
Remote mirroring of group name services
Described are techniques used in defining and maintaining group data used by multiple host systems. Group data is stored in a distributed fashion on one or more data storage systems. If a device of a data storage system belongs to a group, group data for that group is stored on that data storage system. Group data changes made by one host are communicated to the other hosts by accessing a common data area on each data storage system using a daemon executing on each host. Remotely mirrored groups may be defined on a remote data storage system. A remote mirror of a group includes group data modified in accordance with a point of view of the remote data storage system and a remote host. |
| US08589512B2 |
Application launcher systems, methods, and apparatuses
An exemplary method includes detecting a request to launch an application on a device, accessing metadata associated with the application over a network, using the metadata to determine whether sufficient resources are available to launch the application on the device, and performing at least one action based on said determination. The at least one action may include launching the application on the device when sufficient resources are available or blocking a launch of the application on the device when sufficient resources are not available. In certain embodiments, the method is performed by the device. In certain embodiments, the device includes a set-top box configured to access a media service over the network. Corresponding methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08589510B2 |
Method and system of synchronizing accounting objects between a client and server
A method and system of synchronizing accounting objects between a client and server are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for use on a server of synchronizing data between a client accounting database on a client computer and the server accounting database on the server, the client computer and server being connected over a communication network by a persistent connection, each of the client accounting database and server accounting database comprising a number of tables, wherein accounting objects are defined by a group of one or more related records in one or more tables in the client accounting database and server accounting database. |
| US08589506B2 |
Information distributing system, information processing terminal device, information center, and information distributing method
The invention relates to an information distributing system for distributing data to at least one information processing terminal device from an information center storing data. The information distributing system of the invention is structured such that character data, audio data, and both the character data and the audio data are selectively downloaded from the information center to the information processing terminal device on the basis of request information from the information processing terminal device, so that a user makes selection according to a congested state of communication, and effective information collection becomes possible. |
| US08589503B2 |
Prioritizing network traffic
Methods and systems for operation upon one or more data processors for prioritizing transmission of communications associated with an entity based upon reputation information associated with the entity. |
| US08589499B2 |
Real-time storage area network
A cluster of computing systems is provided with guaranteed real-time access to data storage in a storage area network. Processes issue request for bandwidth reservation which are initially handled by a daemon on the same node as the requesting processes. The local daemon determines whether bandwidth is available and, if so, reserves the bandwidth in common hardware on the local node, then forwards requests for shared resources to a master daemon for the cluster. The master daemon makes similar determinations and reservations for resources shared by the cluster, including data storage elements in the storage area network and grants admission to the requests that don't exceed total available bandwidth. |
| US08589491B2 |
Automated aging of contacts and classifying relationships
One or more interactions between a first user and a second user of a social networking system are identified. Each respective interaction of the one or more interactions is scored based on a group score and a time penalty. The group score is based on the number of users in the respective interaction and the time penalty is based on a time between a current time and a time of a last interaction between the first user and the second user. A relationship ranking that measures the first user's affinity towards the second user is determined, where the relationship ranking comprises one or more interaction scores. An indicator representing the relationship ranking is sent to a client for display. |
| US08589488B2 |
System and method for creating content for an event using a social network
A system and method for creating content such as artificial reality (AR) messages at an event, particularly among members on a social network, thereby enhancing and expanding the event experience. Typically, a participant shares an event with spectators, such as friends or a subset of friends in the participant's social network. The AR message may include geo-referenced artificial reality words, products or symbols and appear in a perspective view of the event to the participant or spectators. In addition to creating an active gallery for an event, messages, audio and video can be exchanged among participants and spectators, and virtual goods, money, bets, applause, other feedback, and donations exchanged. |
| US08589483B2 |
System and method for delivering remotely stored applications and information
The computerized method and apparatus for mobile device interactivity includes hosting a network application on a server. The method and apparatus further includes receiving, at the network application on the server, an event message from a mobile application executing on a mobile device, the mobile application having executable code embedded therein for communicating with the network information for presenting a user interface for the network application on the mobile device, the event message reporting an action taken via the user interface. The method and apparatus further including executing application logic within the network application to generate data values based on the action reported in the event message and mobile device information and sending to the mobile device an update message with at least some of the generated data values and instructions for use by the executable code to present the data values within the user interface at the mobile device. |
| US08589475B2 |
Modeling a cloud computing system
A method for modeling a cloud computing system services performed by a physical computing system includes assigning, with the physical computing system, a unique index value from a number sequence to a number of objects of the cloud computing system; creating, with the physical computing system, a number of configuration values, each configuration value based on a combination of index values, each configuration value representing a unique combination of the objects associated with the cloud computing system; and associating, with the physical computing system, a number of sub-index values to each configuration value, the sub-index values being based on a characteristic of the unique combination of the objects indicated by the configuration value. |
| US08589474B2 |
Systems and methods for software and file access via a domain name
Systems and methods of the present invention allow for a thin client which may be provided with a domain name in a partnership between a hosting provider, an ISP and/or a thin client retailer. The client may be used to access a remote computer or server in the hosting provider's data center. |
| US08589472B2 |
Agent system for reducing server resource usage
A method, data processing system, and computer program product for processing information. A server-side agent running on a server data processing system monitors for a selected event for processing by the server-side agent. In response to detecting the selected event for processing by the server-side agent, the server-side agent requests information to process the selected event from a client-side agent running on a client data processing system. The server-side agent performs a subset of functions performed by the client-side agent. In response to receiving a response with the information to process the selected event from the client-side agent, the server-side agent performs a set of steps to process the selected event using the information received from the client-side agent. |
| US08589469B2 |
Bandwidth efficient instruction-driven multiplication engine
Multiplication engines and multiplication methods are provided for a digital processor. A multiplication engine includes multipliers, each receiving a first operand and a second operand; a local operand register having locations to hold the first operands for respective multipliers; a first operand bus coupled to the local operand register to supply the first operands from a compute register file to the local operand register; a second operand bus coupled to the plurality of multipliers to supply one or more of the second operands from the compute register file to respective multipliers; and a control unit responsive to a digital processor instruction to supply the first operands from the local operand register to respective multipliers, to supply the second operands from the compute register file to respective multipliers on the second operand bus and to multiply the first operands by the respective second operands in the respective multipliers, wherein one or more of the first operands in the local operand register are reused by the multipliers in two or more multiplication operations. |
| US08589468B2 |
Efficient matrix multiplication on a parallel processing device
The present invention enables efficient matrix multiplication operations on parallel processing devices. One embodiment is a method for mapping CTAs to result matrix tiles for matrix multiplication operations. Another embodiment is a second method for mapping CTAs to result tiles. Yet other embodiments are methods for mapping the individual threads of a CTA to the elements of a tile for result tile computations, source tile copy operations, and source tile copy and transpose operations. The present invention advantageously enables result matrix elements to be computed on a tile-by-tile basis using multiple CTAs executing concurrently on different streaming multiprocessors, enables source tiles to be copied to local memory to reduce the number accesses from the global memory when computing a result tile, and enables coalesced read operations from the global memory as well as write operations to the local memory without bank conflicts. |
| US08589465B1 |
Digital signal processing circuit blocks with support for systolic finite-impulse-response digital filtering
Digital signal processing (“DSP”) block circuitry on an integrated circuit (“IC”) is adapted for use (e.g., in multiple instances of the DSP block circuitry on the IC) for implementing finite-impulse-response (“FIR”) digital filters in systolic form. Each DSP block may include (1) first and second multiplier circuitry and (2) adder circuitry for adding (a) outputs of the multipliers and (b) signals chained in from a first other instance of the DSP block circuitry. Systolic delay circuitry is provided for either the outputs of the first multiplier (upstream from the adder) or at least one of the sets of inputs to the first multiplier. Additional systolic delay circuitry is provided for outputs of the adder, which are chained out to a second other instance of the DSP block circuitry. |
| US08589461B1 |
Dynamically re-configurable signal decimation system using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter
A signal decimating system decimates an initial data signal having an initial data rate R to a final data signal having a final data rate R″ in two stages, using a base decimation factor N and a decimation multiplier factor P. In the first stage, N FIR filters having coefficients corresponding to the final data rate R″ condition the initial data signal using the final data rate coefficients and thereafter decimate the initial data signal, as conditioned, by a base decimation factor of N to generate an intermediate data signal having an intermediate data rate R′, where R ′ = R N . In the second stage, a sub-sampling unit includes a switch that sub-samples the intermediate data signal at a sub-sampling rate P to generate a final data signal having a final data rate R″, where R ″ = R ′ P = R ( NxP ) . |
| US08589459B1 |
Privacy and security enhanced internet geolocation
The present invention provides a security and privacy enhanced method for geolocation. The system works by creating a space called the N−4Tk space on top of the Internet by locating N geographically dispersed servers in the Internet and computing as the coordinate for any computing device on the Internet, its distance to the N servers. The distance is computed as the 4Tk distance which is the time taken by a message of size k to travel between two points at a particular time of day. The system can also be used iteratively where each iteration uses a different set of Slaves in order to close in on the user with finer granularity. Interesting benefits of the system include the difficulty for an attacker to misrepresent the location, and also while the system can hone in on a locale for the user it does not violate the user's privacy. |
| US08589456B2 |
Prompt large object reclamation
The present disclosure describes garbage collection that provides prompt reclamation of large objects. A heap space is divided into Young regions, Old regions, and Humongous regions. A remembered set is created and maintained, during the execution of one or more programs, for each region that specifies where there are references from outside the region to inside the region. A garbage collection list is generated specifying regions to perform garbage collection on. All Young regions and at least one Humongous region are included in the garbage collection list. If it is determined to include Old regions, the Old regions are selected and included in the garbage collection list. Then, a garbage collection is performed on the regions specified in the garbage collection list. During the garbage collection, the indication for each region is utilized to determine reachable objects in the region, ensuring that reachable objects are not deallocated. |
| US08589455B2 |
Methods and apparatus for content-aware data partitioning
The systems and methods partition digital data units in a content aware fashion without relying on any ancestry information, which enables one to find duplicate chunks in unrelated units of digital data even across millions of documents spread across thousands of computer systems. |
| US08589449B2 |
System and method of handling file metadata
A network storage system comprises data storage, one or more file system APIs, and a metadata handler. The data storage can comprise file data and associated metadata. The file system APIs can be configured to read and write file data and metadata to and from the data storage. The metadata handler can have a library of functions for handling the metadata. The library can include a metadata blob creation function and a metadata blob extraction function. The metadata blob creation function cooperates with the file system APIs to read source metadata associated with specified file data and creates and populates a metadata blob from which a substantial copy of the source metadata can be generated. The metadata blob extraction function receives at least a metadata blob, extracts information from the metadata blob, and cooperates with the file system APIs to generate destination metadata, a substantial copy of the source metadata. |
| US08589447B1 |
Efficient file system scan for shared data blocks
A technique for efficiently scanning various datasets in a storage system to generate metadata for shared data blocks is provided. In one embodiment, data containers in an active file system of a storage object are first scanned. Remaining images (e.g., snapshots of the file system) are arranged in a chronological order based on the age of such images in the storage object. In some instances, to perform a metadata scan of a given image, the storage server compares each data container in the given image to a corresponding data container in a prior image (from the chronological order) to identify any non-identical data blocks (i.e., blocks that are not common between the data containers of the two images) in each data container. The metadata scanner then generates metadata only for the non-identical data blocks in each data container and skips metadata generation for any remaining data blocks. |
| US08589446B2 |
Graphical user interface (GUI) to associate information with an object
Provided is a graphical user interface (GUI) to associate information with an object. Different views are maintained providing different hierarchical arrangements of a set of objects. Selection is received of one view and one object in the selected view. Information is associated with the selected object, wherein the associated information is accessible in all views in which the object with which the information is associated is accessible. |
| US08589444B2 |
Presenting information from heterogeneous and distributed data sources with real time updates
Receiving from each of a plurality of low level monitor models an outbound event comprising information associated with a respective data source. The information received in each of the outbound events can be collected to a global monitoring context in which the information is automatically aggregated. Via a global cube associated with the global monitoring context, the information can be presented in a report. At least one new outbound event can be received. The new outbound event can include updated information associated with at least one of the data sources. Responsive to receiving the new outbound event, the information presented the report can be updated in real time to reflect the updated information. |
| US08589443B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing anonymization of data
A method and apparatus for providing an anonymization of data are disclosed. For example, the method receives a communications graph that encodes a plurality of types of interactions between two or more entities. The method partitions the two or more entities into a plurality of classes, and applies a type of anonymization to the communications graph. |
| US08589442B2 |
Intersystem single sign-on
Techniques for intersystem Single Sign-On use intersystem user ID mapping to map user IDs of multiple systems. In one implementation, a method obtains a user's ID information associated with a first system, and obtains the user's ID information associated with a second system from the user's ID information associated with the first system according to the intersystem user ID mapping table. The first system sends the user's ID information associated with the second system to the second system, which may allow the user to automatically log on upon successful user ID verification. The user ID information communicated between the systems may be encrypted and decrypted using digital signature techniques. Systems for accomplishing the method are also provided. |
| US08589441B1 |
Information processing system and method for controlling the same
An information processing system includes a plurality of edge nodes to provide services relating to files, and a core node communicatively coupled to each of the edge nodes and configured to send or receive data of the files to or from the edge nodes and to manage the data of the files. Any one of the edge nodes is granted a first access right permitting update of the files, whereas any two or more of the edge nodes are granted a second access right to prohibit update of the files. The core node stores the access right granted to each of the edge nodes. When detecting that a failure has occurred in the edge node granted the first access right, the core node sends one of the edge nodes granted the second access right a first instruction to take over the first access right granted to the failed edge node. |
| US08589440B1 |
Authentication mechanisms to enable sharing personal information via a networked computer system
System, method and apparatus having the capability of using various authentication mechanisms to share a first party's (user's) personal information stored in a server computer connected to the Internet with a second party (requester). The authentication mechanisms may include a biometric identifier, a single-use password, an expiration time on a password, or permit a second party (requester) to access authorized portions of a first party's (user's) credit/debit card information or likes or dislikes or personal health information from an online database. Also disclosed is a method of providing access to a first party's information using an authentication code that is valid for a predetermined number of access requests and attempting to access the first party's information beyond the predetermined number raises an alarm. |
| US08589437B1 |
De-identification and sharing of genetic data
A system for separating identifying data from personal data is disclosed. The system includes: a first set of stored data comprising a plurality of identifying data structures containing identifying data; a second set of stored data comprising a plurality of personal data structures containing personal data; a set of mapping data comprising a plurality of mappings, wherein each mapping is between an identifying data structure and a personal data structure; and an application configured to receive mapping data associated with a mapping, determine a mapping associated with the mapping data, and obtain a personal data structure based on the mapping. The set of mapping data is logically separate from the first set of stored data, the second set of stored data, and the application. |
| US08589433B2 |
Dynamic tagging
A method for dynamic tagging includes receiving input of a name of at least one tag into an information object implemented by an application that is executed by a computer system that is in communication with at least one tag repository external to the application; querying the at least one tag repository for the tag with the application executed by the computer system; and responsive to receiving at least one match from the at least one tag repository, incorporating the content into the information object with the application. |
| US08589427B2 |
Sensing and responding to service discoveries
A system and method of sensing and responding to service discoveries on a consumer's machine and, more particularly, to a system and method of sensing (discovering) service needs on a consumer's machine using a resident Daemon, and responding to the service discoveries using an extension of UDDI. The method comprises receiving a keyword from a local machine, locating a service associated with the keyword, and notifying the local machine about the service that matches the keyword. |
| US08589422B2 |
Identity propagation through application layers using contextual mapping and planted values
Mechanisms are provided for propagating source identification information from an application front-end system in an application layer to a data layer inspection system associated with a back-end system. An incoming user request is received, at the data layer inspection system, from a gateway system associated with the application front-end system. One or more outgoing statements targeting a back-end system are received at the data layer inspection system. The data layer inspection system accesses a mapping data structure based on the one or more outgoing statements to thereby correlate the one or more outgoing statements with the incoming user request. The data layer inspection system retrieves source identification information associated with the incoming user request based on the correlation of the one or more outgoing statements with the incoming user request. The data layer inspection system performs a data layer inspection operation based on the source identification information. |
| US08589416B2 |
System and method of performing data processing on similar forms
A form identification apparatus includes a form registration unit and a candidate registered form extracting unit. The form registration unit registers stylized forms as registered forms, and sets, for each of the registered forms, content of form processing and a threshold for determining a degree of difference in accordance with the content of the form processing. The candidate registered form extracting unit extracts, as a candidate registered form, the registered forms in which content of form processing executable on a to-be-processed form has been set, based on a degree of difference between an image of the to-be-processed form and an image of each of the registered forms and the threshold. |
| US08589413B1 |
Concept-based method and system for dynamically analyzing results from search engines
A method, system and computer program for identifying a relationship between concepts in an object includes (i) selecting the object for inclusion in an initial subset of objects obtained as an output of a search engine; (ii) storing the object in a database; (iii) creating an index of the object; (iv) analyzing the index to extract two concepts relating to the object; (v) highlighting the two concepts within object; (vi) calculating a strength of a relationship between the two concepts using a ratio; (vii) storing the two concepts and the strength of the relationships between the two concepts in a database; (viii) presenting the two concepts and the strength in an interface that has a concept matrix; and (ix) repeating steps vi through viii for every possible pairwise combination of concepts within the index. The relationship can be the two concepts both occur in the same object; the two concepts occur near each other within the same object; and the two concepts occur near each other and in a particular order within the same object. The ratio can be a support ratio; an occurrence ratio; and a combined ratio. An additional concept can be added to the index; all the concepts can be grouped in the index by concept type; and complex meta-structures can be created. The concept type can be a part of speech; a geographic region; a person; a group of persons; a business unit; an organization; an action; a process; a product; a service; a subject; and a category. |
| US08589412B2 |
Selecting a data element in a network
One embodiment of the disclosure can represent within a K-partite graph, weighting factors between a set of identifier elements and a set of data elements. The K-partite graph can also represent weighting factors between the set of identifier elements and a set of metadata elements. In the K-partite graph, the set of identifier elements, the set of data elements, and the set of metadata elements are independent and disjoint sets such that no two vertices within a same set are adjacent. A score vector can be calculated that ranks each data element in a set of data elements. The score vector can be calculated from the weighting factors. At least one data element from the set of data elements can be selected using the score vector and a predetermined selection criterion. |
| US08589411B1 |
Enhanced retrieval of source code
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products are provided for indexing tags in source code. Implementations provide an enhanced retrieval of source code, in which a score for each of a plurality of files is derived based on a quantity of references to each file in source code of the remaining plurality of files. A query is received identifying a source code tag. Matching files of the plurality of files that satisfy the query are identified, a ranking of the matching files is generated based on the derived scores, and the ranking is provided. |
| US08589405B1 |
Token stitcher for a content search system having pipelined engines
A content search system includes multiple pipelined search engines that implement different portions of a regular expression search operation. For some embodiments, the search pipeline includes a DFA engine, an NFA engine, and a token stitcher that combines partial match results generated by the DFA and NFA engines. The token stitcher can be configured to implement unbounded sub-expressions without utilizing resources of the DFA or NFA engines. A token stitcher may comprise an input line for receiving tokens that indicate a partial match between an input string and a regular expression, a flag bank that stores flags which, when activated, identify one or more of the sub-expressions that match the input string, a program memory that stores programs that each comprises instructions for processing tokens, and an engine configured to identify programs that are associated with a newly received token. |
| US08589398B2 |
Search clustering
In one example embodiment, a method is illustrated as including retrieving item data from a plurality of listings, the item data filtered from noise data, constructing at least one base cluster having at least one document with common item data stored in a suffix ordering, compacting the at least one base cluster to create a compacted cluster representation having a reduced duplicate suffix ordering amongst the clusters, and merging the compacted cluster representation to generate a merged cluster, the merging based upon a first overlap value applied to the at least one document with common item data. |
| US08589396B2 |
Cross-guided data clustering based on alignment between data domains
A system and associated method for cross-guided data clustering by aligning target clusters in a target domain to source clusters in a source domain. The cross-guided clustering process takes the target domain and the source domain as inputs. A common word attribute shared by both the target domain and the source domain is a pivot vocabulary, and all other words in both domains are a non-pivot vocabulary. The non-pivot vocabulary is projected onto the pivot vocabulary to improve measurement of similarity between data items. Source centroids representing clusters in the source domain are created and projected to the pivot vocabulary. Target centroids representing clusters in the target domain are initially created by conventional clustering method and then repetitively aligned to converge with the source centroids by use of a cross-domain similarity graph that measures a respective similarity of each target centroid to each source centroid. |
| US08589395B2 |
System and method for trail identification with search results
A system and method are disclosed for identifying and generating a potential user trail. The trail may be an anticipated browsing path for a user based on current and/or historical browsing data, including search logs, browsing histories, and other data. The trail may be displayed as a search result summary or with individual search results in response to receiving a search query. |
| US08589394B2 |
System and method for dynamically configuring a multi-model node table
A system and method are described for dynamically generating a table containing data from multiple model nodes. For example, a computer-implemented method according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: displaying a plurality of attributes from multiple different nodes of an application; providing a user interface allowing a user to select attributes from the plurality of attributes to be displayed as columns within a table; receiving an identification of a set of attributes within the plurality of attributes selected by the user; and storing the identification of the set of attributes as configuration data within local data storage, the local data storage being separate from a system data storage in which program code and data for the application is maintained. |
| US08589392B2 |
Indexing and searching dynamically changing search corpora
Tools and techniques for indexing and searching dynamically changing search corpora are provided. These tools may receive requests to upload documents over a network to an online document repository, and present a user interface to facilitate the upload. The user interface may include devices that are responsive to user activation to grant permission to at least one other user to search for content contained within the documents. Through the user interface, these tools may receive selections from the user related to granting the permission, with the documents being associated with share parameters that incorporate the user selections. Finally, the tools may receive identifications of the documents to be uploaded. |
| US08589388B2 |
Method, system, and software for transmission of information
A request to access a web page may be received from a user device. The web page includes a dynamic information portion and a static information portion. A filename is assigned to a static file that is associated with the static information portion of the web page. The filename may be formed at least in part from a timestamp associated with the static file. In response to the request, a dynamic file that is associated with the dynamic information portion of the web page may be sent to the user device. The dynamic file references the static file using the filename, and the timestamp included in the filename enables the user device to determine whether the static information portion of the web page is accessible at the user device. |
| US08589384B2 |
Methods and arrangements for employing descriptors for agent-customer interactions
Methods and arrangements for employing descriptors for agent-customer interactions are disclosed. Filtering the pooled records based on one or more predetermined criteria is done such that analyzing the filtered records and comparing one interaction between an agent and a customer with another interaction between an agent and a customer may occur. |
| US08589383B2 |
Media object query submission and response
Methods and systems for submitting media object queries and receiving suggested answers for the media object queries. In one aspect, a method includes receiving from a first user a first media object and a first query relating to content in the first media object, presenting the first media object and the first query to multiple second users, receiving a suggested answer to the first query from each of two or more second users of the multiple second users, where at least two of the suggested answers are distinct, ranking the suggested answers, and presenting one or more of the ranked suggested answers to the first user. |
| US08589379B2 |
Report generation support system
The report generation support system according to the embodiment comprises an input history recording part, operation history recording part, selection part, extraction part, and a display controller. The input history recording part records findings input at the time of generating a medical report and, by linking with an input start time and/or finish time of the findings. The operation history recording part records, as an operation history, the type of operation conducted on an image at the time of generating a report and the time when the operation was conducted by linking with the operated image. The selection part selects at least a part of findings in a report. The extraction part extracts a focus image in the selected findings, based on an input start time and/or finish time of the findings corresponding to the selected location, and the contents of the operation history of the corresponding time. |
| US08589378B2 |
Topic-oriented diversified item recommendation
A content recommendation system and method are provided in which content semantic topic analysis, user interest identification and per interest recommendations are used to deliver relevant and diversified content recommendations to the user. Semantic topic analysis is used to infer underlying topics in content items; for each content item, a topic distribution vector is derived with components that represent relevance of the content item to specific underlying topics. A user's long term and short term user interests are identified using the user's browsing history. Long term user interest(s) can be obtained by a weighted aggregation of topic distribution vectors of content items the user accessed. Short term interest can be represented by the topic distribution vector corresponding to a current content item. Using identified user's interests, relevant content items are selected for recommendations for the user. |
| US08589377B2 |
Associative search engine
This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlates the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user. |
| US08589375B2 |
Real time searching and reporting
A system arranged to search machine data to generate reports in real time. A search query is provided that includes a plurality of search commands. The search query is parsed to form a main search query and a remote search query. Machine data is collected from remote data sources and evaluated against one of the main and remote search queries to generate a set of search results. The main search query is then evaluated against at least a partial set of the search result to generate at least one report regarding the collected machine data. Initially a search window is pre-populated with historical machine data related to the search query. Over time the historical machine data is replaced with the collected machine data. |
| US08589372B2 |
Method and system for automated document registration with cloud computing
A method and system for automated document registration with cloud computing. The method and system described herein provide an automatic cloud document registration system that creates a secure cloud transformed electronic document with an unalterable time and date stamp stored in a cloud storage object. The cloud storage object comprises plural separate portions stored in plural separate secure storage locations on plural other different server network devices distributed across the cloud communications network but functions as a single secure cloud storage object. Target and server network devices cannot determine where on the cloud communications network the cloud storage object is stored thereby providing additional security and privacy for the secure cloud transformed electronic document. Multiple third-parties are provided an ability to view a given original document in the secure cloud transformed electronic document format from anywhere on the cloud communications network. |
| US08589369B2 |
Compression scheme for improving cache behavior in database systems
The apparatuses and methods described herein may operate to identify, from an index structure stored in memory, a reference minimum bounding shape that encloses at least one minimum bounding shape. Each of the at least one minimum bounding shape may correspond to a data object associated with a leaf node of the index structure. Coordinates of a point of the at least one minimum bounding shape may be associated with a set of first values to produce a relative representation of the at least one minimum bounding shape. The set of first values may be calculated relative to coordinates of a reference point of the reference minimum bounding shape such that each of the set of first values comprises a first number of significant bits fewer than a second number of significant bits representing a second value associated with a corresponding one of absolute coordinates of the point. |
| US08589362B1 |
Cluster metadata recovery
A method and apparatus are described for recovering a fully consistent file system stored in a cluster file system with multiple metadata servers using an epoch of undo records. The epoch consists of (i) a virtual instantaneous snapshot marking a consistent and valid file system image and (ii) a set of undo records that enable the file servers to roll-back to this fully consistent image associated with the file system. The file system is recovered by rolling back file transactions associated with undo records subsequent to the undo records associated with the epoch snapshot. In addition, the undo records are maintained by advancing the epoch value and purging unneeded undo records. |
| US08589361B2 |
Reduced disk space standby
A method and system for replicating database data is provided. One or more standby database replicas can be used for servicing read-only queries, and the amount of storage required is scalable in the size of the primary database storage. One technique is described for combining physical database replication to multiple physical databases residing within a common storage system that performs de-duplication. Having multiple physical databases allows for many read-only queries to be processed, and the de-duplicating storage system provides scalability in the size of the primary database storage. Another technique uses one or more diskless standby database systems that share a read-only copy of physical standby database files. Notification messages provide consistency between each diskless system's in-memory cache and the state of the shared database files. Use of a transaction sequence number ensures that each database system only accesses versions of data blocks that are consistent with a transaction checkpoint. |
| US08589358B2 |
Mechanisms to share attributes between objects
Mechanisms for sharing attributes between objects are provided. An object includes a special designation for at least one component, which is identified as a shared attribute. Data associated with the shared attribute is populated and managed from a central location within a processing environment. Multiple instances of a same object or of entirely different objects can reference, declare, and use the data from the central location. |
| US08589351B2 |
Computer program product and data backup method
Provided is a computer program product for backing up data, which are stored in a first storage device connected with a computer, into a second storage device connected with the computer. The computer program product includes: a computer-readable medium; and a computer program code stored on the computer-readable medium, wherein the computer program code includes: a program code for generating backup data based on at least part of the data stored in the first storage device; a program code for obtaining, as identification data, at least one of image data and sound data provided by a separate program code that is different from the computer program and is executed during the generation of the backup data; and a program code for correlating the generated backup data to the obtained identification data and storing the backup data correlated to the identification data into the second storage device. |
| US08589347B2 |
Systems and methods for performing data replication
Preparing source data to be replicated in a continuous data replication environment. Certain systems and methods populate a file name database with entries having a unique file identifier descriptor (FID), short name and a FID of the parent directory of each directory or file on a source storage device. Such information is advantageously gathered during scanning of a live file system without requiring a snapshot of the source storage device. The database can be further used to generate absolute file names associated with data operations to be replayed on a destination storage device. Based on the obtained FIDs, certain embodiments can further combine write operations to be replayed on the destination storage device and/or avoid replicating temporary files to the destination system. |
| US08589343B2 |
Systems and methods for digital file change monitoring
Systems and methods for monitoring changes to a digital file are described. Examples include a computer system for monitoring digital file changes that includes a processing unit that accepts a request to write an input data stream to a first file accessible within the computer system, and a storage device coupled to the processing unit and including a second file (the first file being a virtualized representation of the second file). The processing unit parses an input attribute from the input data stream, wherein the attribute includes an input identifier and an associated input value. The processing unit signals an event if the input attribute matches an identifier designated as a monitored attribute identifier of the second file. |
| US08589341B2 |
Incremental transparent file updating
A system and method to protect a target file from data damage wherein a wrapper application transparently intercepts a write call operative to affect the target file and stores the pertinent data in a delta file. Occasionally the target file is backed up in a temporary file and then updated. The wrapper application also intercepts a read call operative to access the target file and merges the update information with data from the target file in a temporary file. The resulting merged data is returned as read results data. |
| US08589340B2 |
Data synchronization via three or more paths
A server is used to send data records to clients. A client #1 may synchronize with the server using a first path and a first protocol. The client #2 may synchronize with the server using a second path and a second protocol. In addition to synchronizing with the server, client #1 and client #2 may synchronize data records with each other using a third path and a third protocol. When synchronizing through different paths and/or protocols, data record identifiers may be generated differently. Thus, devices may not be able to synchronize data records if the data records are identified differently by client #1, client #2, and/or the server. A universal identity is used to allow for synchronization through three paths and protocols. Thus, client #1 and client #2 may synchronize data records through the third path and third protocol using the universal identity for data records. |
| US08589338B2 |
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) management of data repository
A data repository includes information for multiple data systems, which can each control data in this and a number of other domains. A business process can be launched by one of the data systems to update the target data and any related data in the repository or any other related repository. Any request to update data is intercepted and the business process can launch workflows and apply policies as needed to process the request. Workflows can be associated with the fields being updated or process being executed, such that any update to the target data is also accurately reflected in any other related system. Further, launching a workflow allows processes to be run before the data is updated, such that the data can be modified, added to, rejected, or otherwise processed before being added to the appropriate repositories. |
| US08589336B1 |
Framework for automated storage processes and flexible workflow
Methods and systems for providing a framework for automated storage processes and flexible workflow are disclosed. The framework provides a user workflow design tool to create and/or customize workflow automation processes without needing to write software code. Additionally, the workflow design tool provides a mechanism that allows the workflow to make decisions, such as selecting storage resources. |
| US08589331B2 |
Predicting outcomes of a content driven process instance execution
A method for predictive analytics in a semi-structured process including receiving traces of the semi-structured process, at least one of the traces including a document content value, determining a process model from the traces, the process model comprising tasks at nodes of the semi-structured process and embodies all possible execution sequences in the process, determining a probabilistic graph including a probability at each of the tasks of the semi-structured process advancing from one task to another task, and combining the process model and probabilistic graph to determine a probabilistic process model including probabilities and strengths of transitions between tasks. |
| US08589330B2 |
Predicting or recommending a users future location based on crowd data
A system and method for predicting a future location of a user are provided. In general, a prediction basis including crowd data describing crowds in which a user was included during a number of reoccurring time windows is generated. Each reoccurring time window may be, for example, a day of the week (i.e., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday), a portion of a day of the week (e.g., Monday Morning, Monday Afternoon, Monday Evening, Tuesday Evening, etc.), a day of the month (e.g., 1st day of the month), a day of the year (e.g., March 25th), or the like. The prediction basis of the user is then used to predict one or more future locations of the user. |
| US08589329B2 |
Method and apparatus for incremental tracking of multiple quantiles
A capability for incremental tracking of multiples quantiles is provided. A method for performing an incremental quantile update using a data value of a received data record includes determining an initial distribution function, updating the initial distribution function to form a new distribution function based on the received data value, generating an approximation of the new distribution function, and determining new quantile estimates from the approximation of the new distribution function. The initial distribution function includes a plurality of initial quantile estimates and a respective plurality of initial probabilities. The new distribution function includes a plurality of quantile points identifying the respective initial quantile estimates and a respective plurality of new probabilities associated with the initial quantile estimates. The approximation of the new distribution function is generated by connecting pairs of adjacent quantile points using linear approximations of regions between the pairs of adjacent quantile points. |
| US08589324B2 |
System and method for finding desired results by incremental search using an ambiguous keypad with the input containing typographic errors
A system for finding and presenting content items in response to keystrokes entered by a user on an input device having a known layout of overloaded keys selected from a set of key layouts. The system includes a database containing content items and terms characterizing the content items; input logic for receiving keystrokes from the user and building a string corresponding to incremental entries by the user, each item in the string having the set of alphanumeric symbols associated with a corresponding keystroke; mapping logic to map the string to the database to find the most likely content items corresponding to the incremental entries, the mapping logic operating in accordance with a defined error model corresponding to the known layout of overloaded keys; and presentation logic for ordering the most likely content items identified by the mapping logic and for presenting the most likely content items. |
| US08589323B2 |
Computer hardware and software diagnostic and report system incorporating an expert system and agents
The diagnostic and report system tests computer systems for defects that are able to cause performance and functional problems. An agent application is first installed on a user's system. The agent application then retrieves problem data from the expert system library pertinent to the user's operating environment. The agent application tests the user's system for each problem description within a downloaded data structure from the expert system library. If a problem is discovered, a script attempts to remediate the problem and/or notifies the user, describing the issue. The agent application utilizes discrete programs and/or scripts to send data to a knowledge base so that the knowledge base is able to generate new discrete programs and/or scripts using artificial intelligence which are sent to the expert system library. With additional discrete programs and/or scripts, the user's system is better protected. |
| US08589320B2 |
Area efficient neuromorphic system that connects a FET in a diode configuration, and a variable resistance material to junctions of neuron circuit blocks
A neuromorphic system includes a plurality of synapse blocks electrically connected to a plurality of neuron circuit blocks. The plurality of synapse blocks includes a plurality of neuromorphic circuits. Each neuromorphic circuit includes a field effect transistor in a diode configuration electrically connected to variable resistance material, where the variable resistance material provides a programmable resistance value. Each neuromorphic circuit also includes a first junction electrically connected to the variable resistance material and an output of one or more of the neuron circuit blocks, and a second junction electrically connected to the field effect transistor and an input of one or more of the neuron circuit blocks. |
| US08589309B2 |
Methods for generating and selling custom postage
A custom postage has an artwork region and an adjacent cancellation region that includes a meter mark. The artwork region contains an original image having a top edge adjacent to the cancellation region. The custom postage may be placed onto an item of mail with a delivery address thereon, with the custom postage oriented to the upper right of the delivery address and with the image in a vertical orientation relative to the delivery address. The custom postage may be offered for sale as a fundraising effort, optionally via a website. The website may also include a social citizenship program and/or it may promote literacy. |
| US08589304B2 |
System and method for controlling the indexing of volume between network devices
The invention is directed towards enabling data volume and data type based licensing of software in a distributed system of a plurality of remote and/or local nodes. The invention enables measuring and optionally restricting the use of software based on one or more provided licenses that restrict the amount and type of data that may be processed by the software. New and older licenses may be added together for a single, bulk entitlement for a given volume of data processing for one or all types of data. Different users in the same enterprise may combine license entitlements too. Also, a new license can be acquired repeatedly, without requiring the issuance of combined licenses by the issuing authority and/or the revocation of prior licenses. |
| US08589302B2 |
Automated modular and secure boot firmware update
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for an automated modular and secure boot firmware update. An updated boot firmware code module is received in a secure partition of a system, the updated boot firmware code module to replace one original boot firmware code module for the system. Only the one original boot firmware code module is automatically replaced with the updated boot firmware code module. The updated boot firmware code module is automatically executed with the plurality of boot firmware code modules for the system and without user intervention when the system is next booted. The updated boot firmware code module may be written to an update partition of a firmware volume, wherein the update partition of the firmware volume is read along with another partition of the firmware volume containing the plurality of boot firmware code modules when the system is booted. |
| US08589299B2 |
Financial service involving coverage network
In general terms, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for providing a financial service that involves a coverage network. For example, in some embodiments, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving transaction information associated with a transaction, where the transaction involves an account and a holder of the account, and where the transaction has a transaction amount; (b) determining, based at least partially on the transaction information, that the account does not have enough available funds or credit to cover the transaction amount; (c) prompting a member of a coverage network to consent to covering at least part of the transaction amount, where the coverage network is associated with the account or the holder, and where the prompting occurs after the determining that the account does not have enough available funds or credit; (d) receiving the member's consent to covering at least part of the transaction amount; and (e) authorizing the transaction based at least partially on the receiving the member's consent. |
| US08589297B2 |
Prepaid value account with reversion to purchaser systems and methods
Systems, methods, and devices are described for a refundable prepaid transaction cards. The methods and systems include a prepaid transaction card funded with funds by a purchaser. Also included is an issuer. The issuer receives the funds a distributes a prepaid transaction card associated with the funds. The methods and systems also include a prepaid transaction card identifier, wherein the prepaid transaction card identifier identifies the prepaid transaction card. The issuer maintains a central computer system that stores at least one parameter entitling the purchaser to a refund of at least a portion of the funds. The methods and systems also include a cash pool, the cash pool holding at least a portion of the funds funded by the purchaser. |
| US08589296B2 |
Pre-paid payment instrument processing
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which a method includes attributing a value to a pre-paid payment instrument, determining an expiration time associated with the pre-paid payment instrument, and automatically return an un-used portion of value associated with the pre-paid payment instrument at the expiration time to the purchaser. |
| US08589295B2 |
Transfer account systems, computer program products, and associated computer-implemented methods
A financial institution computer maintains a list of account identifiers for accounts enrolled in a prioritized payment program including pre-authorization of certain payment requests by select creditors. The computer estimates a value of prioritized payments and authorizes a sweep payment to the customer account from a stand-in account at a payroll processor, so that the estimated value is held back in the stand-in account. The financial institution computer then receives an incoming ACH file, including an automatic deposit destined for the customer account. The computer generates an outgoing ACH file with both an entry for an automatic deposit destined for the customer account and an entry for a pre-authorized prioritized payment to a select creditor, so that the automatic deposit is credited and relatively instantaneously any prioritized payment is debited from the customer account. The customer account can be, for example, a demand deposit account or a prepaid card account. |
| US08589284B2 |
System and method for flexible election of payment terms
A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance. |
| US08589282B1 |
System and method and for valuing loans and settlement offers associated with security interest enforcement actions
A legal process management system facilitates simultaneous dynamic dialogs between legal process managers and networked attorneys and contractors providing services in connection with security interest enforcement actions. The legal process managers submit queries and deadlines selected to timely guide the attorneys and contractors through the requirements of the security interest enforcement actions. The attorneys and contractors submit responsive answers revealing the status of their enforcement actions. The legal process management system allows the monitored attorneys to share in the information provided by the monitored contractors. The legal process management system further includes mechanisms for reminding the attorneys and contractors about impending deadlines. The system also allows the attorneys and contractors to be assessed on their success in complying with the queries and deadlines submitted by the legal process managers. An events based management system is also disclosed to aid in the completion of an SIEA event. The events based management system follows and calculates completion times for an SIEA and its subparts by providing a flexible system for managing SIEA milestones and events. A reporting system is also provided for keeping track of event and milestone completion. |
| US08589281B1 |
Investing in exchange traded funds using trading blocks of purchases with conditional sales
The present invention is directed to investing in exchange traded funds (ETF) using trading blocks of purchases with conditional sales. The present invention determines a number of trading blocks which each define a price of an ETF at which a purchase and sale will be made. Each block defines a purchase price and a sale price. When the ETF reaches the purchase price defined in a block, a purchase of a specified number of shares in the ETF is made, and a conditional sale order is activated so that the purchased shares are sold when the ETF reaches the sale price. The trading blocks can be defined such that the purchase price in each block is spaced thereby causing multiple purchases and sales to be made as the price of the ETF moves over a period of time. In this way, an investor can capitalize on the volatility of an ETF. |
| US08589268B2 |
Financial institution-based transaction processing system and approach
Transaction processing for financial institution-based transactions is facilitated. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a transaction processing approach involves the processing of financial aspects of a transaction between buying and selling parties using transaction rules associated with a sponsoring financial institution. Transaction-related information is processed as a function of business rules associated with the sponsoring financial institution to facilitate payment for the transaction and the assessment of fees associated with the transaction processing. |
| US08589267B2 |
System and method for re-distributing and transferring mobile gift cards
A system and method for re-distributing and transferring mobile gift cards is described. One embodiment, a computer-server-based method, receives a selection of a particular mobile gift card belonging to the first user; receives a request to transfer a specified monetary amount from a balance of the particular mobile gift card to a second user; receives a phone number of the second user; associates, with the second user's phone number, a separate mobile gift card having an associated balance equal to the specified monetary amount; and transmits a notification of the separate mobile gift card to a mobile device associated with the second user's phone number; the computer server acting as a server-side wallet for the separate mobile gift card, and the separate mobile gift card being usable, through interaction with the computer server, by the second user for the purchase of goods from the particular merchant. |
| US08589265B2 |
Token licensing mapping costs to enabled software tool features
A request to activate a software tool can be received, where activation requires a quantity of tokens of a token license model. An entity, project, user-set, user, or combination thereof corresponding to the request can be ascertained. A feature-set to be enabled can be determined by querying preexisting indexed records. The preexisting indexed records can associate different feature-sets to different entities, projects, user-sets, users, or combinations thereof. A token cost can be computed for activating the software tool with the feature-set enabled for the request. Token costs for utilizing the software tool can vary depending upon the enabled feature-set. The computed token cost can be the quantity of tokens required to activate the software tool responsive to the request. |
| US08589262B1 |
Technique for computing relevancy between tax information
The disclosed embodiments relate to a computer system that facilitates identifying additional tax information. During operation, the computer system receives tax information. Next, the computer system determines relevance of the additional tax information to the tax information using a metric indicative of a statistical relationship between the tax information and the additional tax information in a tax-information data structure. This metric is based on co-existence of the tax information and the additional tax information at different hierarchical levels in income-tax documents. Moreover, the tax-information data structure includes tax information and associated context information from income-tax documents. Next, the computer system identifies the additional tax information based on the relevance and a threshold, and the computer system provides the additional tax information. |
| US08589261B2 |
System for implementing a security issuer rights management process over a distributed communications network deployed in a financial marketplace
A computer-network implemented system recognizes that (i) the security issuer retains (i.e. withholds) the right to lend a debt or equity security prior to security issuance, and (ii) the system allows security borrowers to request from the security issuers, through the system, the right to borrow the non-borrowable security from the security issuer, according to borrowing/lending rates and time periods set by the security issuer with the system, so that (iii) security borrowers can then acquire the right to lend the non-borrowable security from the security issuer, and thereafter, (iv) security borrowers can sell the non-borrowable security short in the financial marketplace and profit from a short sale, without adversely effecting the security issuer. |
| US08589254B2 |
Universal user interaction module for web transactions with user controlled conditions
A universal user interaction module for web transactions with user controlled conditions. Initially a request is received from a user to begin an order. Upon receipt of the request, user information is collected from one or more data repositories. The user information is consolidated and a determination is made as to what additional data is required to complete the order. The additional data is requested from the user and is received from the user. The additional data includes one or more user conditions for placing the order. The order is then stored. The order for the product includes the one or more user conditions, and the order is placed only after all of the one or more user conditions have been met. |
| US08589253B2 |
Software system for decentralizing eCommerce with single page buy
A software system with a “single page buy” capability—both product information and purchase information on a single webpage. The software does the backend work needed to display both, in order to simplify the user experience. In one embodiment, commerce is “atomized” by pushing out the capability to purchase throughout the Internet—to ads on 3rd party sites, references in blogs, articles, etc. In one embodiment, a gliding product display is provided. The ad has a banner-type ad dimension, with product icons scrolling or gliding across it. |
| US08589251B2 |
Method, system, and storage device for managing trading network packages for a plurality of trading networks
A method and system for managing trading in trading networks. At least one trading network package is offered. Each trading network package is based on negotiations occurring prior to receiving purchase requests from customer members of the trading network. Each trading network package is configured to include: (i) a value-add service offering offered by the trading network to the customer members for a fee, (ii) a managed package for which a customer member of the customer members provides a volume commitment and for which actual purchases are tracked; or (iii) both the value-add service offering and the managed package. |
| US08589250B2 |
System, method and computer program product for predicting value of lead
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a solution in determining a lead value and making an introduction accordingly. In some embodiments, in response to a consumer's search request for a retail item within a geographical area, a decision system may obtain from a local database a list of dealers capable of provisioning the retail item—such as a new or used vehicle—at various locations within the geographical area. For each dealer, the system may calculate a dealer score across a plurality of tests and set a dollar value to an introduction utilizing the dealer score associated therewith. The performance measures of the tests may be normalized and adjusted utilizing a set of coefficients. The list of dealers may be sorted per dollar value of introduction and presented to the consumer. To provide more accurate dealer evaluations, the system may periodically reset the set of coefficients using sales data. |
| US08589249B2 |
Dynamic load adjustment for online auction bidding
An automated bid proxy for online auctions transmits user-initiated bids to an online auction facility using dynamically adjusted bid times that vary from the user-specified or auction-specified bid times. This dynamic adjustment may advantageously distribute large bid loads over a time interval in order to reduce the peak load that is actually experienced by the automated bid proxy at times of high bid volume. |
| US08589248B2 |
Method and device utilizing polymorphic data in e-commerce
An aspect of the present invention includes a protocol for conveying data during an e-commerce session with a polymorphic response, comprising initiating a session with a message from a buyer application to a broker application and a session identifier assigned by the broker application; conducting the session between the buyer application and a supplier application; and concluding the session with a additional message which includes a schema identifier for the additional message, resolvable in a context of a system identifier; and a polymorphic response comprising a type and a version, wherein the polymorphic response includes additional data elements corresponding to values assigned to the type and version. |
| US08589247B2 |
Presenting mobile offers to members of a social network
Mechanisms are provided to facilitate buying and selling products utilizing social pricing. Sellers initiate sale of a product with volume discounts for a limited time. In other words, the more people that buy a product, the lower the price for the group. Buyers have a real incentive to become prosumers that not only purchase a product but also promote purchase by others. A social pricing system brokers interaction between sellers and buyer groups, and provisions mechanisms to aid promotion of products by consumers utilizing social networks and other online activities. |
| US08589246B2 |
Method and system for promoting user generation of content
Systems and methods for promoting user generation of content are disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of systems and methods to facilitate the generation of content by users are disclosed. Specifically, in one embodiment, in order to drive generation of desired content, the generation of content by a user may be linked to an opportunity to generate additional content (where the two types of content may be the same or different). In particular, in certain embodiments when a user has generated a first type of content the opportunity to generate a second type of content may be presented to that user. |
| US08589242B2 |
Retail interface
In one example a retail webpage displays a product collage and social media content. For example, the social media content includes reviews by a user's social contacts and/or an image of the user, a social contact, and/or a product. Some content of the website, for example, is organized to display content in a predefined layout. In another example, a retail website system collects social information from external social networks. For example, a user's social information is identified and content created by the user's social contacts is identified. The social contact-created content is displayed, for example, with a product or group of products. In another example, the layout of a webpage is organized to encourage a user to explore the webpage. The layout, for example, includes elements in two columns with content adjacent to similar content. For example, elements in descending location relate more or less specifically to a user. |
| US08589240B2 |
System for selling products
To aid potential purchasers in selecting products and services and to generate sales leads that may be sold to sellers, an Internet-based website is provided comprising products that are not available through the website's proprietor. |
| US08589239B2 |
Real-time bidding using instant messaging clients
A system and method are provided to implement real-time bidding using instant messaging. In one embodiment, real time messaging may be provided through IM messaging via an IM server over the internet, between a client and a web-based commerce system. The IM server may be provided by various service providers. In another embodiment, real-time messaging between a client and a web-based commerce system may take place over a P2P network provided by a service provider e.g. Skype. The real time messages may include notification messages communicated from the commerce system to a client. A notification message may include an outbid alert message. The real time messages may include re-bid messages communicated from a client to the commerce system. |
| US08589235B2 |
Method of answering questions by trusted participants
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for facilitating online conversation. In one aspect, a method includes determining that a user has submitted a question to be viewed by trusted participants of an online conversation, wherein the trusted participants include the user, one or more advertisers and one or more social network friends of the user, obtaining a reply to the question from one of the trusted participants, and providing the reply to the trusted participants. |
| US08589225B2 |
Geographic area multiple service card system
The invention provides consumers with the services of multiple cards or accounts while allowing consumers to carry a single card, transponder, code and/or other access device. Because the card may access combined services such as financial transaction services and transportation services, the system may facilitate charging the financial account for the transportation services. The system may allow the consumer to use loyalty points or geographic based loyalty points to pay for the transportation services. The system may also limit the use of certain loyalty points based upon the geographic area for certain transportation services in certain geographic areas. |
| US08589216B2 |
Intelligent charging system and method for use in a parking lot
The present invention provides an intelligent charging system and method for use in a parking lot. The system comprises a detecting unit, an on-board unit and a corresponding means of payment. The on-board unit is disposed on a vehicle and configured to acquire a parking time parameter, derive a parking fee according to the parking time parameter and a rate parameter stored in the on-board unit, and deduct the parking fee from the means of payment. The detecting unit is configured to, through information interaction with the on-board unit, determine whether the on-board unit operates normally. The present invention can be used to reduce the investment cost and improve the monitoring management of public parking lots. |
| US08589215B2 |
Work skillset generation
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for analyzing work skills. In one aspect, a method includes receiving work task data specifying a plurality of work tasks for a plurality of service providers. For each service provider, receiving performance data specifying an objective measure of a performance metric associated with the service provider performing a work task; receiving assessment data specifying a subjective measure of an attribute associated with the service provider performing the work task; and generating skills data for the service provider based on an aggregation of the assessment data and the performance data. For each of a plurality of customers receiving customer data specifying work tasks requested by the customer; generating mapping data specifying measures of correlation between the skills data for the service providers and the customer data specifying work tasks requested by the customer; and providing the mapping data to an information provider. |
| US08589208B2 |
Data integration and analysis
Uncorrelated data from a variety of sources, such as consumer panels or retailer points of sale, are combined with maximal coverage of a universal data set for a population in a manner that permits useful inferences about behaviorial propensities for the population at an individual or household level. |
| US08589207B1 |
System and method for determining and visually predicting at-risk integrated processes based on age and activity
An information handling system comprises a connection via a network interface for receiving business process data from an integrated business process running at a location, the business process data comprises at least data indicating data volume for the integrated business process. The information handling system further comprises a storage device for storing data representing an aggregate of business process data for an integrated business process and account data for the enterprise user of the integrated business process, and a processor adapted to determine a qualitative integrated business process performance designation from the aggregate business process data and account data. If the processor determines that there is no data volume from the business process data and no saved changes to the integrated business process within a specified time period, then the processor allocates an at-risk integrated business process performance designation and prepares a case file for this integrated business process. |
| US08589206B2 |
Service requests for multiple service level characteristics
A system, method, program product and service for processing a multiple service level bid in a resource management framework. A buyer's agent is provided to receive a multiple service level request from a business unit and query a resource unit broker for available resource types that can be utilized to provide at least some of the service level requirements of the multiple service level request. A mapping system is provided to map the available resource types to a list of resource sets (i.e., bidding options) and a prioritization system is provided to order the list. Once the list is ordered, a bidding system is provided to submit a bid for the highest priority resource set. |
| US08589204B2 |
Business process estimating program, business process estimating method, and business process estimating apparatus
A business process estimating method, apparatus, and program for estimating a process of a business transaction utilizing an information system. The business process estimating method includes specifying a non-operation interval for extracting an information system non-operation interval in accordance with an access log of access to the information system, thereby to specify a business process corresponding to the extracted information system non-operation interval and to specify the information system non-operation interval. The method also includes distributing a non-operation interval time period for distributing a time period of the information system non-operation interval, which has been specified in the specifying the non-operation interval as process time periods of previous and subsequent business processes respectively correlated with previous and subsequent information system non-operation intervals with respect to the information system non-operation interval. |
| US08589201B2 |
Methods and apparatus for generating alerts on a locate device, based on comparing electronic locate information to facilities map information and/or other image information
A locate receiver to detect an underground facility includes an RF antenna to receive a magnetic field and provide an output signal based on the received magnetic field, and a processing circuit for determining a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field based on the output signal. The locate receiver also includes a display device, a memory and a processor. A map image based on facilities map data is displayed on the display device. The processor compares a first location at which an indication of detection of the underground facility is generated to a second location of a facility line as indicated by the first map data, and generates an alert based on a disagreement between the first location and the second location. |
| US08589198B2 |
Methods and systems involving power system grid management
A distribution control center includes a processor operative to receive damaged asset data, the damaged asset data including an identification and assessment of at least one damaged asset of a power grid, process the damaged asset data to associate a repair time with the damaged asset, generate a proposed switch plan, process the proposed switch plan to identify the damaged asset in the proposed switch plan and assigning a priority for repairing the damaged asset, generate switch plan modification data, modify the proposed switch plan to define a modified switch plan, and output the modified switch plan. |
| US08589193B2 |
Systems, methods, and machine-readable storage media for interfacing with a computer flight system
Provided herein are systems, methods and machine-readable media for interfacing with computer flight systems. For example, one embodiment is described wherein an unknown and/or changing inventory of aircraft, potentially including aircraft owned or operated by third parties, is managed to provide flight schedules, fare structures, and reservation inventories to computer flight systems. Another embodiment is described wherein aircraft inventory is allocated dynamically and/or adjusted in real-time in response to bookings of seats on aircraft flights in the flight schedule. Another embodiment is described wherein aircraft inventory may be changed by suppliers of aircraft, including changes to costs for using a portion of the inventory (e.g., using an aircraft for a day), and a management system may modify booking class inventories on one or more flights in the flight schedule in response. |
| US08589187B2 |
Automated clustering for patient disposition
The described concepts relate to automated patient disposition. One example can receive a clinician's disposition for a patient. This implementation can perform parameter-based cluster analysis on the patient and a set of patients to identify a sub-set of the patients with which the patient has a high similarity. This example can also cause a graphical user interface to be generated that conveys parameters from the sub-set of the patients and the patient. |
| US08589182B1 |
Sensitive drug distribution system and method
A drug distribution system and method utilizes a central pharmacy and database to track all prescriptions for a sensitive drug. Information is kept in the database regarding all physicians allowed to prescribe the sensitive drug, and all patients receiving the drug. Abuses are identified by monitoring data in the database for prescription patterns by physicians and prescriptions obtained by patients. Further verification is made that the physician is eligible to prescribe the drug by consulting a separate database, and optionally whether any actions are taken against the physician. Multiple controls beyond those for normal drugs are imposed on the distribution depending on the sensitivity of the drug. |
| US08589181B2 |
Systems and methods for managing medical information
Systems and methods for managing medical information for medical service providers are provided. Personnel are able to manage and track workflow operations, evaluate profitability, and maintain records in an integrated and streamlined manner by executing various modules of a software application. A Dashboard module provides a unitary display of information regarding employee efficiency and operational profitability; a Virtual Will Call module allows for the virtual placement of items in storage areas reflecting the corresponding physical will call storage locations; an Rx Tracker module provides information regarding the status of prescriptions as they go through the process from ordered to dispensed; the Maintenance module allows personnel to define customized delivery methods; and the Archive Viewer module provides a way for personnel to archive images in any accessible drive or memory device, including portable storage media, and to view such images independently of the module using an archive viewer executable. |
| US08589180B2 |
Third party ordering from a drug sample fulfillment system
A process to facilitate the fulfillment of drug samples to prescribers in several different manners. A sales representative can request actual drug samples on-line or can order on-line coupons for drug samples to be shipped to a prescriber and from which the prescriber distributes to his patient. |
| US08589178B2 |
Extensible therapy delivery system and method thereof
An extensible therapy delivery system for an individual having a clinical rules module providing an existing clinical rule and is extensible to receive a new validated clinical rule and method thereof are disclosed. The extensible system also provides a domain module having existing clinical data and base logic and is extensible to receive new clinical data and additional logic to support the new validated clinical rules. The extensible system also provides a data request interface that directs a request for information from the clinical rules for the determination of therapy for the individual to the domain module, which answers the request with the existing and new clinical data and logic. The extensible system delivers to the individual the therapy determined by the clinical rules module from using the answer to the request provided by the domain module. |
| US08589176B2 |
Methods and systems for managing communication requests in an institutional setting such as a healthcare facility
A method of processing a communication request destined for an intended recipient, comprising: determining an interrupt worthiness of the communication request; determining an interruptability of the intended recipient; determining at least one delivery feature based on the interrupt worthiness of the communication request and the interruptability of the intended recipient; and causing delivery of the communication request over a communication system in accordance with the at least one delivery feature. Also, a method for monitoring workflows in an institutional environment, comprising: obtaining an indication that a workflow being executed by a particular user has been interrupted by a communication request; determining expected workflow resumption activity associated with the interrupted workflow; monitoring actual workflow resumption activity being executed by a user having resumed the interrupted workflow; carrying out a comparison between the expected and actual workflow activity; and conditionally notifying the user having resumed the interrupted workflow, based on the comparison. |
| US08589172B2 |
Automatic detection, summarization and reporting of business intelligence highlights from automated dialog systems
A method and system for reporting data from a spoken dialog service is disclosed. The method comprises extracting data regarding user dialogs using a dialog logging module in the spoken dialog service, analyzing the data to identify trends and reporting the trends. The data may be presented in a visual form for easier consumption. The method may also relate to identifying data within the control or outside the control of a service provider that is used to adjust the spoken dialog service to maximize customer retention. |
| US08589167B2 |
Speaker liveness detection
A signal representative of an unpredictable audio stimulus is provided to a putative live speaker within a putative live recording environment. A second signal purportedly emanating from the putative live speaker and/or the environment is received. This second signal is examined for influence of the unpredictable audio stimulus on the putative live speaker and/or the putative live recording environment. The examining includes at least one of audio feedback analysis, Lombard analysis, and evoked otoacoustic response analysis. Based on the examining, a determination is made as to whether the putative live speaker is an actual live speaker and/or whether the putative live recording environment is an actual live recording environment. |
| US08589159B2 |
Keyword display system, keyword display method, and program
The present invention is a keyword display system that includes a speaker specifier for specify a speaker; a weight determinator for determining a weight of the specified speaker; a keyword extractor for extracting keywords from a speech of the aforementioned speaker; a keyword relation degree calculator for calculating a relation degree between the aforementioned extracted keywords, carrying out a weighting for this calculated relation degree by using the weight of the speaker having spoken the aforementioned keywords, and calculating a keyword relation degree between the keywords; and a keyword display controller for displaying a relevancy between the aforementioned extracted keywords responding to the aforementioned keyword relation degree. |
| US08589154B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding audio data
A method for processing audio data includes determining a first common scalefactor value for representing quantized audio data in a frame. A second common scalefactor value is determined for representing the quantized audio data in the frame. A line equation common scalefactor value is determined from the first and second common scalefactor values. |
| US08589148B2 |
Natural language watermarking
A method, system and machine-readable medium are provided for watermarking natural language digital text. A deep structure may be generated and a group of features may be extracted from natural language digital text input. The deep structure may be modified based, at least partly, on a watermark. Natural language digital text output may be generated based on the modified deep structure. |
| US08589145B2 |
Handheld electronic device including toggle of a selected data source, and associated method
A method for enabling input into a handheld electronic device having at least three selectable languages available thereon includes detecting a predetermined input a number of times and switching a selected language between one of the three selectable languages and another of the three selectable languages wherein the another language is an immediately preceding selected language. |
| US08589143B2 |
Virtualization apparatus and processing method thereof
A virtualization apparatus includes: an emulation manager for searching a basic block cache for an entry with an entry point, and, if there exists no entry with the entry point in the basic block cache, requesting the identification of a basic block corresponding to the entry point; a basic block identifier for identifying the basic block by sequentially analyzing instructions of a source binary in response to a request from the emulation manager; and an instruction replacer for writing an entry of the identified basic block in a replaced instruction table, writing a branch instruction for the entry of the basic block in the source binary, and then branching to the entry point. The apparatus further includes an instruction emulator for executing an instruction of the basic block when a branch to the entry point is made. |
| US08589141B2 |
Resource sharing apparatus which disconnects an input device when detecting a standby indication of a switching command
A method for controlling a resource sharing apparatus coupling least one input device to a first host is disclosed. A first input signal is acquired from the input device, and whether the first input signal comprises standby indication of a switching command is determined. The input device is disconnected from the first host when the first input signal comprises the standby indication, and the input device is emulated to the first host. |
| US08589134B2 |
Method and system employing flow simulation for improving material delivery in lens manufacturing
A method and system for monitoring lens material residence within a conduit to improve the quality of molded products by reducing defects arising from entrapped lens material. According to the method a finite element mesh representative of a conduit is stored in a digital storage device. A simulation is run on a digital computer in which one type of lens material sequentially flows through the conduit in discrete batches temporal history of the batches within the conduit is tracked. The simulation is useful for analyzing material delivery conduits in injection molding and casting systems, for example, for lens manufacturing. According to the system, a digital storage device stores a finite element mesh representative of a conduit. A digital computer is coupled to the digital storage device for executing a set of instructions to run a simulation and track the temporal history of the batches within the conduit. |
| US08589127B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program for multiple time stepping simulation of a thermodynamic system
A computer-implemented method of simulating behavior of a thermodynamic system over time, the thermodynamic system having a state described by collective vectors of position and momentum at any given time and the method comprising a momentum refreshment process, a conservative dynamics process, and an acceptance/rejection process, wherein the momentum refreshment process comprises mixing the collective momentum vector with a noise vector; the conservative dynamics process comprises applying a mollified impulse multiple time stepping conservative dynamics method to a current state, in which process calculations for forces corresponding to more slowly varying energy parts in the thermodynamic system undergo an averaging procedure and are carried out at a larger time step than calculations for forces corresponding to more quickly varying energy parts; and wherein the acceptance/rejection process is based on the system energy and comprises accepting a current state or returning a replacement state. |
| US08589126B2 |
System and method for model checking by interleaving stateless and state-based methods
A method for symbolic model checking for sequential systems using a combination of state-based and state-less approaches. A state-based method is used to compute frontier states by building transition relations on-the-fly using control flow information of the system, and performing successive image computations until a memory bound is reached, and efficiently storing only the new frontier states as disjunctive partitions of Boolean and Arithmetic expressions. A stateless method is used to check reachability of given goal states from a heuristically chosen set of frontier states until depth/time bound is reached. These two methods are alternated until one of the following occurs: all frontier states are explored, all goal states are reached, all computing resources are exhausted. Even though we do not store the entire reachable state set, we guarantee a complete coverage for terminating programs without the need to compute a fixed-point. |
| US08589122B2 |
Simulation apparatus
A simulation apparatus includes a simulation management unit for designating an elapsed time point, a robot operation calculation unit for causing the operation program to be executed to a designated elapsed time point to determine the operating position of the robot at the designated elapsed time point, a machine tool operation calculation unit for sequentially determining the operating position of the machine tool while at the same time executing the machining program continuously, and a machine tool operation storage unit for storing the determined operating position of the machine tool in correspondence with the elapsed time point each time a unit time elapses. The simulation management unit displays three-dimensional models of the robot and the machine tool on a display unit based on the operating positions of the robot and the machine tool at the designated elapsed time point acquired from the robot operation calculation unit and the machine tool operation calculation unit. |
| US08589121B2 |
Fracture prediction method, processing device, program product and recording medium
When discretizing an analysis target part into plural elements and performing analysis, sheet thickness reduction rate or maximum principal strain at an equivalent position including a same element is compared by either a manner of combining two adjacent elements after the analysis or a manner of changing an element discretization size with two types and performing the analysis, and the element where the difference is large is extracted as a fracture risk portion. With this structure, a fracture risk portion can be extracted reliably when a fracture is predicted by a finite element method. |
| US08589117B2 |
Rotation angle detecting unit
A shaft and rolling bearings are mounted in the housing. A magnetic sensor is fixed to a first end surface of a shaft. A circuit board carrying a magnetic sensor is fixed to a surface of a lid of the housing at the second end. As a calibration voltage feed line, a cable is connected to the circuit board and extends outside through a hole formed through the lid. With the lid fixed in position, thereby applying a preload to rolling bearings, calibration voltage is supplied to the magnetic sensor through the calibration voltage feed line, thereby writing initial calibration parameters into the magnetic sensor from an external calibration device. After writing the parameters, the calibration voltage feed line is connected, at the outside, to a stabilizing output end of a power source input/output board fixed to the surface of the lid at the first end. |
| US08589116B2 |
Object sensor
A method for determining an object angle, especially for a driver assistance system in a motor vehicle, includes the steps of determining directional angles of the object with respect to two sensors, determining the object angle based on the directional angles, determining a cross-misalignment angle as the difference of the determined directional angles, determining a validity signal indicating the validity of the object angle based on the cross-misalignment angle and compensating for the influence of a relative misalignment of the sensors on the determined object angle based on the cross-misalignment angle. |
| US08589115B2 |
System and method for estimating torque and rotational speed of motor
A system and a method for estimating a torque and a rotational speed of a motor are disclosed. The system includes a sound receiving device, a feature extraction device, and an artificial neural network module. In the method, at first, a plurality of training data are provided, wherein the training data includes a plurality of history sound feature values of the motor and history torque values or history rotation values corresponding thereto. Thereafter, an artificial neural network stored in the artificial neural network module is trained by the history data to obtain a motor model of the motor. Then, a motor sound signal made by the motor in a working state is received. Thereafter, sound feature values of the motor sound signal are extracted. Thereafter, the rotational speed value and the torque value are computed by the motor model in accordance with the at least one sound feature value. |
| US08589112B2 |
Building energy consumption analysis system
An energy analysis system provides valuable input into building energy expenditures. The system assists with obtaining a detailed view of how energy consumption occurs in a building, what steps may be taken to lower the energy footprint, and executing detailed energy consumption analysis. The analysis may include, as examples, a balance point pair analysis to determine either or both of a heating balance point and a cooling balance point, an exception rank analysis to identify specific data (e.g., energy consumption data) in specific time intervals for further review, or other analysis. The system may display the analysis results on a user interface. |
| US08589110B2 |
System and method for programmable automatic testing of power supplied
A cost-effective system architecture and apparatus for programmable automatic power supply testing. The system utilizes board level interface between various system testing modules and an Automatic Test Controller (ATC). The ATC receives coded test requests from the software on an industrial PC and control the various testing modules inside ATC to execute the tests. Test results were sent back to the PC and saved in a result file. A single industrial PC can control two or more ATC's and test two or more power supply units simultaneously. The ATC based test system is lower cost than the conventional Automatic Test Equipment which uses device level interface and standardized test devices. |
| US08589106B2 |
Calibration of a handheld diabetes managing device that receives data from a continuous glucose monitor
A method for calibrating a handheld diabetes managing device based on data generated by a continuous glucose monitor. The method can include sampling a current of the continuous glucose monitor at a sampling interval over a time period to generate a plurality of current samples for the time period. The method can also include determining a mean, median and standard deviation of the plurality of current samples. The blood glucose level of the patient can be measured at a first time and a calibration equation that associates the plurality of current samples with the estimated glucose level of the patient based on the measured blood glucose level and the plurality of current samples can be determined when the standard deviation is less than a first threshold and an absolute value of a difference between the mean and median is less than a second threshold. |
| US08589098B2 |
Method for determining battery capacity
An electrical device is powered by a battery. The device includes transition phase determining circuitry operatively connected to the battery to determine that the battery has entered a transition phase based on the occurrence of a change in direction of current flowing through the battery. Battery capacity determining circuitry is operatively connected to the transition phase determining circuitry and configured to determine, in response the transition phase determining circuitry determining that the battery is in the transition phase, a capacity of the battery based on a transition phase battery capacity model of capacity-vs.-voltage. The transition phase determining circuitry is further configured to determine an end of the transition phase based on the transition phase battery capacity model and a non-transition battery capacity model of capacity-vs.-voltage yielding the same capacity value for a given measured voltage of the battery. |
| US08589097B2 |
Method for diagnosing the state of health of a battery
A method for diagnosing the state of health of a battery includes, determining a first state-of-charge value from the battery voltage during partial discharge at constant current, determining a second state-of-charge value from the open circuit voltage of the battery, and calculating the state of health from the difference between the first and second state-of-charge values. |
| US08589090B2 |
Pump tester
Devices for testing medical pumps via tracking induced single or multiple bubble trajectories within a light-transmissive fluid flow conduit including an outflow path and an inflow path relative to a manifold configured for bubble insertion by a carriage translatably disposed along the conduit, where the carriage including a first light emitting unit and a first photo receptor, and a signal processing unit configured to output motor command signals based on input signals from the first photo-receptor. |
| US08589087B2 |
Systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel
Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for monitoring and predicting corrosion. The method can include monitoring corrosion or corrosive contaminants associated with liquid fuel in a fuel supply system of a gas turbine, predicting, based at least in part on the monitoring, a cumulative level of corrosion of one or more components associated with a gas turbine, and outputting information associated with the monitoring. |
| US08589084B2 |
Detection of ethanol emission from a spark ignition engine operating on gasohols
Ethanol emissions from a direct ignition spark ignition are measured using mass spectrometry. The method exploits specific fragment ions from ethanol. Ethanol contributes ions of mass number 31, and no other gas species produces ions at this mass number. The method and a device for implementing the method can be used for online detection of ethanol in emissions from engines burning E85 or other ethanol/gasoline mixtures. |
| US08589081B2 |
System and method to determine sigma of a clinical diagnostic process
A system and method for determining a sigma of a clinical diagnostic process are disclosed. Specimen data are collected from a plurality of laboratory instruments. The specimen data are evaluated to determine a concentration and an analytical standard deviation for each data point. A clinical diagnostic process is run and patient analyte values are acquired, and a standard deviation is assigned to each patient analyte value based on the standard deviation of specimen data having a corresponding concentration. A single sigma-metric is computed based on the patient analyte assigned standard deviations, the sigma-metric representing the sigma of the clinical diagnostic process. The computed sigma-metric is reported to a user or laboratory manager. |
| US08589080B2 |
Geological stress inversion using fault displacement and slip tendency
A computer-implemented method of determining the stress state associated with a geological fault is described. The source data comprises measured fault displacement values, or proxy displacement values, associated with the fault. An error function calculates error as a function of normalized fault displacement and normalized slip tendency. Candidate stress states are used to determine slip tendency values, which are used in the error function to calculate an error value. This value is minimized to determine the “best” candidate stress state. |
| US08589079B2 |
Method and system for passive electroseismic surveying
A method of passive surveying comprises generating one or more detected signals by passively detecting a signal generated within a subsurface earth formation due to a seismoelectric response or an electroseismic response in at least one porous subsurface earth formation containing at least one fluid, and processing the one or more detected signals to determine at least one property of the subsurface earth formation. |
| US08589078B2 |
Guided Bayesian experimental design
A Bayesian methodology is described for designing experiments or surveys that are improved by utilizing available prior information to guide the design toward maximally reducing posterior uncertainties in the interpretation of the future experiment. Synthetic geophysical tomography examples are used to illustrate benefits of this approach. |
| US08589071B2 |
Aircraft vision system including a runway position indicator
A runway indicator is displayed overlying a target runway for providing supplementary guidance to support the pilot's ability to fly a stabilized approach. The highlighted runway position indicator provides cues to verify that the aircraft is continuously in a position to complete a normal landing using normal maneuvering during the instrument segment of an approach and includes a landing threshold, a landing zone on the runway, an approach line leading to the runway, an outline highlighting the sides and ends of the runway, a rectangle larger than and surrounding the runway, and a visual precision path approach indicator. |
| US08589063B2 |
Navigation device and method for determining road-surface features
A navigation device includes a processor, a memory accessible by the processor, and a device to determine at least one physical parameter applied to the navigation device and to output information indicative of the at least one parameter to the processor. In at least one embodiment, the processor is arranged to determine a road-surface feature based upon the received information and to store road-surface quality information in the memory indicating the location of the road-surface feature. |
| US08589059B2 |
Vehicle with inclination estimation
When measurements by sensors are impossible, the angular position of the vehicle is estimated from the conditions including rotation of the drive wheel and the driving torque so that the vehicle may travel in an inverted-pendulum position even in case of a failure of measurements of the vehicular position of angle. To achieve the object, the vehicle has a drive wheel rotatably mounted beneath a vehicular body, and a control unit that controls the vehicular position of angle through control of drive torque imparted to the drive wheel. The control unit has a means to estimate the vehicular angular position with respect to a vertical position from the conditions of rotation of the drive wheel and the driving torque. |
| US08589054B2 |
System and method for controlling the fresh air and burnt gases introduced into an internal combustion engine during transitions between the purging of a nitrogen oxides trap and the regeneration of a particulate filter
Method for controlling the power plant of a motor vehicle with partial exhaust gas recirculation in which the fresh air flow rate and the partially recirculated gases flow rate are regulated either on a rich mixture control structure or on a lean mixture control structure and in which the flow rates are set, on the rich mixture control structure, to the setpoint values equal to the flow rate setpoint values of the lean mixture control structure during a transition from a rich mixture control structure to a lean mixture control structure. |
| US08589053B2 |
Method and control device for detecting the direction of rotation of a drive shaft of an internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle
In a method for determining the direction of rotation of a drive shaft (13) of an internal combustion engine (1) without using a sensor specifically provided therefor, an operating variable of the internal combustion engine (1) is measured using a sensor in a gas line (40, 16), which connects a combustion chamber (30) of the internal combustion engine (1) to the surrounding area. The operating variable is calculated using a model. A forward direction of rotation of the drive shaft (13) is detected if the difference between the measured value of the operating variable and the model value of the operating variable lies within a specified tolerance range. Otherwise, a reverse direction of rotation of the drive shaft (13) is detected, which is opposite of the forward direction of rotation. |
| US08589050B2 |
Vehicle motion control device
A vehicle motion control device obtains an actual slip ratio and a physical quantity representing a state of motion of the vehicle in a direction of lateral overturn. The device is in an anti-lateral overturn mode when the physical quantity is larger than or equal to a motion state threshold. The device obtains an increase gradient and determines whether or not the increase gradient is larger than or equal to a predetermined increase gradient threshold, wherein the increase gradient is a ratio of an increase amount of the physical quantity to a decrease amount of the actual slip ratio. The device decreases, when the device is in the anti-lateral overturn mode and the increase gradient is larger than or equal to the increase gradient threshold, a speed of depressurization of a wheel cylinder pressure. |
| US08589047B2 |
Method and control device for operating a combustion engine of a motor vehicle and motor vehicle
A method is provided for operating a combustion engine of a motor vehicle during a deceleration of the combustion engine. The method includes, but is not limited to determining a degree of depression of an accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle takes place, determining of a degree of depression of a brake pedal of the motor vehicle takes place. Furthermore, an adjusting of a throttle valve arranged in an intake tract of the combustion engine as a function of the determined degree of depression of the accelerator pedal and as a function of the determined degree of depression of the brake pedal takes place. The throttle valve is adjusted into an at least partially opened position in the event that the determined degree of depression of the brake pedal undershoots a first predetermined threshold value and the throttle valve is adjusted into a closed position in the event that the determined degree of depression of the brake pedal exceeds a second predetermined threshold value. |
| US08589040B2 |
Vehicle driving-force control device
In a vehicle driving-force control device, if a primary speed is not lower than or equal to a kick-down allowable speed and an accelerator pedal depression amount is larger than or equal to a kick-down allowable depression amount, a shift control device identifies an intention of acceleration from a driver's accelerator operation and kick down a gear stage to a lower stage, even in a manual shift mode having been selected. In this case, the kick-down allowable speed is set to a different value for each of driving force characteristic modes, and a speed range in which a kick-down operation is allowed to be automatically performed on the basis of the primary speed is set narrower for a driving force characteristic mode having higher responsiveness to an accelerator operation. |
| US08589038B2 |
Hydraulic drive apparatus for construction equipment
A hydraulic drive system for a working machine provides improved safety during forced regeneration. Upon input of a forced regeneration command signal from a forced regeneration switch, a controller detects non-operated states of all hydraulic actuators such as an arm cylinder arranged on a hydraulic excavator based on a lock detection signal from a gate lock detection switch, and also an attitude of a front working mechanism. The attitude is proper from the standpoint of safety. The detection is based on an arm angle signal from an arm angle sensor, a bucket angle signal from a bucket angle sensor and a boom pressure signal from a boom pressure sensor. Taking the detection of the non-operated states and proper attitude as conditions, the controller outputs control signals to a boosting proportional solenoid valve and flow-rate controlling, proportional solenoid valve to make a forced regenerator conduct forced regeneration. |
| US08589036B2 |
Method and system for automatically setting, adjusting, and monitoring load-based limits on a well service rig
A method and system for automatically setting adjusting and monitoring load-based limits is capable of monitoring the hookload, rig weight and combined measured weight and compare those parameters to limits. If any of the hookload, rig weight or measured weight should increase to a level beyond its limit, the system is able to adjust the operation of the well service rig to limit damage to the equipment and danger to the operators and service personnel. The system is also capable of adjusting each of the limits as the weight of the rig and actual hookload change over time while conducting an activity to maintain the respective limits in the most beneficial range. |
| US08589033B2 |
Contactless obstacle detection for power doors and the like
Time-of-flight (TOF) three-dimensional sensing systems are deployed on or in a motor vehicle to image contact zones associated with potential contact between an avoidable object and the vehicle or vehicle frame and/or remotely controllable motorized moving door or liftgate. An algorithm processes depth data acquired by each TOF system to determine whether an avoidable object is in the associated contact zone. If present, a control signal issues to halt or reverse the mechanism moving the door. A stored database preferably includes a depth image of the contact zone absent any object, an image of the door, and volume of the door. Database images are compared to newly acquired depth images to identify pixel sensors whose depth values are statistically unlikely to represent background or the door. Pixels within the contact zone so identified are an object, and the control signal is issued. |
| US08589029B2 |
Remote control system
A remote control system comprising a user operated movable input device (1) and a controlled movable device (9) to be controlled in accordance with an input provided via said movable input device. The remote control system has means for providing tactile feed-back to said user via said user operated movable input device. The means for providing tactile feedback comprises a self locking means (5) for effecting motion of said movable input device, so as to move said movable input device in response to actual motion of said controlled movable device. |
| US08589027B2 |
Steering assist system and method using autopilot device
A steering assist system for a vehicle includes a turning device, a steering device, a steering sensor and an autopilot device. The steering device is operable to apply a first turning force to the turning device. The steering sensor detects a steering state of the steering device during which the steering device applies the first turning force. The autopilot device automatically navigates the vehicle to a desired heading of the vehicle. The autopilot device includes an actuator and a steering assist control section. The actuator is operable to apply a second turning force to the turning device. The steering assist control section controls the actuator to apply the second turning force to turn the turning device in the same direction that the first turning force is turning the turning device when the steering sensor detects the steering state of the steering device. |
| US08589022B2 |
User configurable scan tool
A diagnostic tool for a vehicle, includes a signal translator communicating with the vehicle in at least one protocol, an input device for inputting information, a processor controlling a software according to the input information from the input device and communication with the vehicle from the signal translator, the processor controlling a reception of diagnostic data of the vehicle through the signal translator, the processor receiving a selected information of a user and configuration of the diagnostic tool through the input device and correlating the configuration information with the user information, the processor processing the received diagnostic data according to the selected configuration information corresponding to the selected user by the input unit, a memory storing the configuration information according to the corresponding user information, and a display unit receiving and displaying diagnostic information according to the selected stored configuration information according to the user. |
| US08589018B2 |
Vehicle diagnostic tool with copy protection and automatic identification of vehicle ECUs and fault display
A diagnostic tool for a vehicle configured to automatically identify different communication protocols used by Electronic Control Units (ECUs) on-board the vehicle. The diagnostic tool includes a connector connectable to a data port of the vehicle; a data processor and a data storage device configured to store a list of different communication protocols. The data processor automatically initiates communications with the ECUs on-board the vehicle using a first communication protocol and if the data processor receives a response comporting to the first communication protocol, the data processor determines that at least one ECU on-board the vehicle is using the first communication protocol. Additionally, the data processor automatically initiates communications with the ECUs on-board the vehicle using a second communication protocol and if the data processor receives a response comporting to the second communication protocol, the data processor determines that at least one ECU on-board the vehicle is using the second communication protocol. |
| US08589012B2 |
Method and apparatus for facilitating map data processing for industrial vehicle navigation
A method and apparatus for facilitating map data processing for industrial vehicle navigation is described. In one embodiment, the method of partitioning map data for industrial vehicle navigation includes segmenting map data associated with a physical environment into a plurality of sub-area maps, identifying a sub-area map that corresponds with a current vehicle location and navigating an industrial vehicle using the identified sub-area map. |
| US08589009B2 |
Method for controlling the state of charge of an electrical energy store
For controlling the charge state of a battery in a hybrid vehicle having an internal-combustion engine and an electric machine, the battery is operated in a working state-of-charge range falling within a theoretically possible state-of-charge range. In a first sub-range, the battery is charged by the electric machine, the electric machine working as a generator and being engine driven. In a second sub-range, the battery is neither charged nor discharged, the electric machine working as a generator and being driven by the engine and, in the process, supplying only an on-board power supply system of the hybrid vehicle with current. In a third sub-range, the battery is discharged and, in the process, supplies the on-board power supply system with current, the electric machine running along passively. In a fourth sub-range, the battery is discharged and, in the process, supplies current to the electric machine operating as an electric motor. |
| US08589005B2 |
Method for operating a drive train
A method of operating a drive train of a motor vehicle which includes at least an electric machine, as a drive aggregate, and a transmission which is positioned between the drive aggregate and an output, and a starting element positioned between the electric machine and the transmission. For and during the start, an expected drive resistance is calculated and then, if the expected drive resistance is lower than a first threshold value, starting takes place with the starting element engaged via the electric machine from a standstill, and if the expected drive resistance is larger than the first threshold value, starting takes place with the starting element disengaged, the electric machine is operated with a defined machine rotational speed in a rotation speed control mode, and thereafter, the starting element is engaged such that it transfers starting torque which depends on the a driver request. |
| US08589004B1 |
Boat propulsion system and method for controlling boat propulsion system
A control unit for a boat propulsion system individually controls the forward and reverse propulsion directions, the propulsion force, and the steering angle of each of a plurality of boat propulsion units so that a point of action of a first resultant force is positioned behind a point of action of a second resultant force when the control unit receives an operational command from an operation device for travel in a lateral direction of a hull. The first resultant force is a resultant force of propulsion forces generated by the first port-side propulsion unit and the first starboard-side propulsion unit. The second resultant force is a resultant force of propulsion forces generated by the second port-side propulsion unit and the second starboard-side propulsion unit. |
| US08589003B2 |
System and method for controlling operations of a vehicle consist based on location data
Systems and methods are described for monitoring different conditions that are simultaneously or concurrently experienced by different vehicles in the same consist and using the monitored conditions to locally change operations of one or more of the vehicles. In accordance with one embodiment, operations data related to one or more vehicles of the consist is acquired from one or more of plural different locations in the consist. The operations data and location data related to where the operations data is acquired are communicated to a first vehicle of the consist. Command data is formed based on the operations data and the location data. The command data directs at least one of the vehicles in the consist to change one or more operations of the at least one of the vehicles. The command data is transmitted to one or more of the vehicles of the consist. |
| US08588997B2 |
Devices and methods for controlling vehicle lights
A control circuit for operating the lights of a vehicle. In one embodiment, the rear lights of the vehicle are controlled by the control circuit. The control circuit illuminates two or more of the vehicle lights in a common pattern to indicate a specific vehicle operation. When the vehicle simultaneously performs two operations, the controller may transition the lights to illuminate in different patterns to clearly indicate the separate vehicle operations. The controller may further provide for adjusting the light intensity of one or more of the lights. The lights may be adjusted to have a similar intensity to prevent confusion when the different lights are used in combination to indicate a vehicle operation. |
| US08588995B2 |
Vehicle control device
A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle for performing communication with a mobile device and performing predetermined control in accordance with communication contents with the mobile device, having a locking operation unit that locks or unlocks doors of the vehicle, interior signal transmitting and receiving units that detect a position of the mobile device left in an interior of the vehicle in a case where a locking operation is performed by the locking operation unit, and an interior lamp drive control unit that lights an interior lamp among a plurality of interior lamps provided in the interior of the vehicle, the interior lamp being close to the position of the mobile device based on information of the position detected by the interior signal transmitting and receiving units. |
| US08588994B2 |
On-vehicle device
An on-vehicle device with a storage unit that includes a transfer unit that transfers data stored in the storage unit to another on-vehicle device of equal capability that is also equipped with a storage unit. In the on-vehicle device, the transfer unit is configured by a data transfer jack provided to each of the on-vehicle device and the another on-vehicle device, and a data transfer cable for connecting the transfer jacks. |
| US08588985B2 |
Method, a system, a computer-readable medium, and a power controlling apparatus for applying and distributing power
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to power management and the like, and more particularly, to an apparatus, a system, a method, and a computer-readable medium for providing power controlling functionality to generate configurable power signals and to deliver power during fault conditions. In at least some embodiments, a power control unit can generate power signals having configurable attributes as a function of a mode of operation, a fault type, and the like. |
| US08588982B2 |
Mechanical parking system for vehicles and method for controlling the same
An exemplary mechanical parking system includes platforms for parking vehicles, a switch electrically connected to the platforms, cameras mounted on the platforms, a data processing device electrically connected to the cameras and the switch, and an alarm electrically connected to the data processing device. When any one of the platforms is switched to move, the cameras capture photos/videos for an environment of the mechanical parking system and send the photos/videos to the data processing device continuously. The data processing device analyzes whether there is a person appearing in the photos/videos and decides whether the movement of the platform should be stopped via the switch. After the danger is precluded, the movement of the platform is restored and the cameras start to work again, until the parking of the car is finished. |
| US08588980B2 |
Power assist device and control method therefor
A control method for a power assist device provided with an operation handle, a force sensor that detects an operation force applied to the operation handle and an orientation of the operation force, a robot arm, and an actuator. When the orientation of the operation force is detected to be within a predetermined angle range with respect to a preset advancing direction of the operation handle, the actuator is controlled so as to move the operation handle along the advancing direction by employing only a component of the operation force along the advancing direction; and when the orientation of the operation force is detected to be outside the predetermined angle range, the actuator is controlled to move the operation handle by the operation force applied to the operation handle and the orientation of the operation force. |
| US08588971B2 |
Locomotive performance testing apparatus
Provided is a locomotive performance testing apparatus capable of testing the locomotive performance of a test subject while keeping the test subject at a suitable position on a treadmill. According to the locomotive performance testing apparatus (1), a robot (2) is moving its legs (22) toward a second direction on a plurality of endless belts (11) which are rotationally driven by a plurality of motors (12), respectively. In this situation, a positional deviation or the like of the robot (2) from a first desired position in a first direction different from a second direction is determined as a first deviation. Moreover, motions of the plurality of motors (12) are individually controlled to offset the first deviation. |
| US08588965B2 |
System and method for auto-machine menu configuration
A system and method for providing a satellite vend operation. A first (parent) vending machine is operable to dispense a product from a product storage display area located in a second (child) vending machine. The first (parent) vending machine can control or interact with the functions of the second (child) vending machine. A programming menu on the first (parent) vending machine is automatically configured for a satellite vend operation when the first (parent) vending machine pairs with the second (child) vending machine. An operator is provided, in the programming menu located on the parent vending machine, relevant information associated with the child vending machine and relevant information associated with the parent vending machine. |
| US08588962B2 |
Vacuum processing device and method of transporting process subject member
Transportation control in a vacuum processing device with high transportation efficiency without lowering throughput is provided. A control unit is configured to update in real time and holds device state information showing an action state of each of a process chamber, a transportation mechanism unit, a buffer room, and a holding mechanism unit, the presence of a process subject member, and a process state thereof; select a transport algorithm from among transport algorithm judgment rules that are obtained by simulating in advance a plurality of transport algorithms for controlling transportation of a process subject member for each condition of a combination of the number and arrangement of the process chambers and process time of a process subject member based on the device state information and process time of the process subject member; and compute a transport destination of the process subject member based on the selected transport algorithm. |
| US08588961B2 |
Method for controlling the transport of safe bags
A method for controlling the transport of transport bags (20, 22) filled with notes of value, in which in a database of a central control unit (11) data with information of several orders for the transport of transport bags (20, 22) are stored. After a transport case (16) has been removed from the rack (14) of a vehicle (12), data with information about the removed transport case (16) are transmitted to the central control unit (11) which then assigns the transport case (16) to a selected order. After the transport bags (20, 22) were taken from the device (18) for handling notes of value and were inserted into the transport case (16), the device (18) transmits data with information about the inserted transport bags (20, 22) to the central control unit (11) which then assigns the inserted transport bag (20, 22) to the transport case (16) and/or the order. |
| US08588960B1 |
Pick-and place package marshalling system
A “pick-and-place” package marshalling system uses multiple pneumatic transfer units synchronized with a packaging conveyor to marshal packets into a single-file array for shipping and to cull out empty and defective packets. The system can be employed in a blister packaging operation in place of a standard marshalling system. A pick-and-place module, comprising one or more pairs of pneumatic transfer units, lifts packets off the conveyor at a pick station, marshalls them into a single-file array, carries the packets above the conveyor to a downstream place station, and pneumatically deposits the packets there. |
| US08588954B2 |
Method and system for creating and manipulating embroidery designs over a wide area network
Methods and apparatus to manipulate embroidery designs via a communication network are disclosed. The method includes receiving at a server, via the communication network, a request from a client computer, the request including first data associated with the embroidery design, processing at least some of the first data at the server to generate at least one of image data or embroidery data, and transmitting, via the communication network, a response to the client computer, the response to be received by a user interface for manipulating embroidery design information at the client computer and including at least one of the image data or the embroidery data. |
| US08588953B2 |
Method for providing a folded sheet structure
The present invention supplies practical procedures, functions or techniques for folding tessellations. Several tessellation crease pattern techniques, and the three-dimensional folded configuration are given. Additionally several new forming processes, including mathematical methods for describing the material flow are disclosed doubly-periodic folding of materials that name the doubly-periodic folded (DPF) surface, including vertices, edges, and facets, at any stage of the folding. This information is necessary for designing tooling and forming equipment, for analyzing strength and deflections of the DPFs under a variety of conditions, for modeling the physical properties of DPF laminations and composite structures, for understanding the acoustic or other wave absorption/diffusion/reflection characteristics, and for analyzing and optimizing the structure of DPFs in any other physical situation. Fundamental methods and procedures for designing and generating DPF materials include ways for defining the tessellation crease patterns, the folding process, and the three-dimensional folded configuration. The ways are mathematically sound in that they can be extended to a theorem/proof format. |
| US08588951B2 |
Method and system for setting rates and targets in a range management system
A method and apparatus includes determining a number of planned starts of a product during a predetermined time period for future processing, averaging the number of planned starts for the predetermined time period, and setting a production rate for a first range based on the average number of planned starts. |
| US08588950B2 |
Substrate processing apparatus
Only a wafer for QC check may be transferred and a production wafer may prevent from being transferred into an assigned process chamber whose QC check is not completed after a maintenance task, and the production wafer may be processed the assigned process chamber after the completion of the QC check. The wafer for QC check is transferred while inhibiting a transfer of the production wafer into the assigned process chamber, and the production wafer is transferred into each of the process chambers of the plurality except the assigned process chamber. |
| US08588948B2 |
Audio enabled control menu system, method and device
An audio enabled control menu system, method and device is provided. Embodiments of the present invention include an encoder including an input device actuation of the encoder by an operator of the control menu device; memory including a menu structure and a plurality of audio segments stored in the memory; and a microcontroller in operable communication with the encoder and the memory, the microcontroller further configured to receive menu navigation input from the encoder and output one of the plurality of audio segments in response to the menu navigation input, the microcontroller further configured to execute predetermined control actions in response to the menu navigation input. Embodiments of the invention transmit menu options to an operator in an audio format such that the operator can browse and select menu options with one hand and does not need to look at a visually displayed menu. |
| US08588946B2 |
Portable devices for providing acoustic source information, apparatuses for providing acoustic source information, and methods of providing acoustic source information
Disclosed are portable devices having function for providing information and contents related to various kinds of acoustic sources, apparatuses for providing acoustic source information, and methods for providing acoustic source information. The portable device includes characteristic code extractor and controller. The characteristic code extractor receives acoustic source to divide the acoustic source into audio signal with audio frequency band and signal with supersonic frequency band, and extracts characteristic code of the audio signal with the audio frequency band from the signal with the supersonic frequency band. The controller transmits the characteristic code to acoustic information server, and outputs the acoustic source information corresponding to the characteristic code that is provided from the acoustic information server. Therefore, the acoustic source information can be provided without separate procedure for storing or processing various kinds of acoustic sources as well as music, and the process for providing acoustic source information is simpler. |
| US08588944B1 |
Virtual user-based scoring of real events
Electronic entertainment scoring is provided. The electronic entertainment scoring includes creating an event record for an event, receiving a request from a device to electronically participate in scoring the event, and generating an event card including event data for the event. The event data includes an event date, event parties, and a scoring mechanism. The electronic entertainment scoring also includes transmitting the event card to the device subject to the request. The event card is configured to enable features of an application on the device. The electronic entertainment scoring also includes entering an identifier of a user of the device in the event record, tracking score values submitted by the device in the event record via the identifier, and transmitting, to the device, a summation of accumulated score values received from other devices that are electronically participating in the scoring of the event. |
| US08588937B2 |
Electrode array for even neural pressure
An electrode array attached to neural tissue, such as the retina, necessarily has graded pressure exerted on the tissue, with higher pressure near the attachment point. Greater pressure improves contact between the electrodes and neural tissue while too much pressure may damage neural tissue. Hence it is advantageous to obtain equal pressure across the array field. In the present invention a central attachment point in the electrode field applies the most even pressure. Further, multiple and selective attachment points may be additionally provided on an electrode array allowing a surgeon to select the attachment points providing the best electrode tissue contact. |
| US08588936B2 |
Spinal cord stimulation system and methods of using same
A method for optimizing the stimulation of the dorsal column of the spinal cord is disclosed. The method includes providing a stimulating electrode array and a frame element. The frame element is configured to couple to the stimulating electrode array and guide the stimulating electrode array to a desired position proximate the dorsal column of the spinal cord of a subject. |
| US08588935B2 |
Implantable medical lead
An implantable medical lead includes a lead body, a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a fourth electrode. The electrodes are located at fixed positions along the length of the lead body, and the second and third electrodes are positioned between the first and fourth electrodes. The first electrode has a proximal end, the fourth electrode has a distal end, and the distance from the proximal end of the first electrode to the distal end of the fourth electrode is between 5 centimeters and 7 centimeters. The combined length of the second and third electrodes is between 2.5 and 5 times greater than the combined length of the first and fourth electrodes. The lead may be used for applying electrical signals to an occipital nerve of a patient. |
| US08588931B2 |
Neural stimulation
Neural stimulation is effected by a stimulus current pulse. The current pulse is initially of an amplitude to rapidly induce a desired electrode voltage, and is subsequently of reduced amplitude to control electrode voltage in a desired manner. This can effect a reduced peak electrode voltage while delivering a given amount of charge. Optimization of the current pulse may further involve parameterising an electrode current waveform as a sequence of piecewise constant steps, each step having substantially the same duration as all other steps and each step having a calculatable amplitude, and identifying electrode-tissue interface (ETI) parameters. For each step of the pulse, the respective step amplitude is then calculated using the identified ETI parameters to optimise the electrode voltage. |
| US08588929B2 |
Posture state redefinition based on posture data and therapy adjustments
The disclosure is directed towards posture-responsive therapy. To avoid interruptions in effective therapy, an implantable medical device may include a posture state module that detects the posture state of the patient and automatically adjusts therapy parameter values according to the detected posture state. A system may include a posture state module that records a current posture of a patient, a user interface that receives a therapy adjustment, a processor that associates a posture that the posture state module recorded when the user interface received the therapy adjustment with the therapy adjustment, determines whether the posture falls within a defined posture state, compares the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state, and updates the set of posture state definitions based on the determination and comparison. |
| US08588928B2 |
Active electrode state control system with current compensation to reduce residual DC/LF voltage
A body stimulating device operatively adapted to provide electrical stimuli within a body, the device including stimulating electrodes, stimulus generator, and electrode voltage sensors, said electrode voltage sensors operatively measuring the DC/LF voltage of the electrodes, wherein if the sensors determine that the electrode voltage for an electrode is outside a predetermined range, then a compensating current is applied to that electrode, so as to reduce the voltage. |
| US08588926B2 |
Implantable wireless accoustic stimulators with high energy conversion efficiencies
Receiver-stimulator with folded or rolled up assembly of piezoelectric components, causing the receiver-stimulator to operate with a high degree of isotropy are disclosed. The receiver-stimulator comprises piezoelectric components, rectifier circuitry, and at least two stimulation electrodes. Isotropy allows the receiver-stimulator to be implanted with less concern regarding the orientation relative the transmitted acoustic field from an acoustic energy source. |
| US08588925B2 |
External device for an implantable medical system having accessible contraindication information
Disclosed is a remote controller for an implantable medical device having stored contraindication information, which includes information which a patient or clinician might wish to review when assessing the compatibility of a given therapeutic or diagnostic technique or activity with the patient's implant. The stored contraindication information is available through a display of the remote controller or via a wired, wireless, or portable drive connection with an external device. By storing contraindication information with the implant's remote controller, patient and clinician can more easily determine the safety of a particular therapeutic or diagnostic technique or physical activity with the patient's implant, perhaps without the need to contact the manufacturer's service representative. |
| US08588924B2 |
Loaded RF antenna for implantable device
This document discusses, among other things, a system and method for wirelessly transferring information electromagnetically at a first specified operating frequency range and at a second specified operating frequency range using an implantable antenna. In certain examples, the implantable antenna can include a first non-coiled segment and a first coiled segment, and the first specified operating frequency range and the second specified operating frequency range can be provided at least in part by a physical arrangement of the first coiled segment with respect to the first non-coiled segment. |
| US08588914B2 |
Implantable medical device with electrodes on multiple housing surfaces
An implantable medical device (IMD) with a housing and electrodes on at least two surfaces of the housing is described. The surfaces may be, for example, opposed, substantially parallel surfaces, e.g., top and bottom surfaces. Location of electrodes on multiple surfaces of the housing may allow the IMD to deliver stimulation to a variety of tissues and with a variety of current field configurations. For example, the IMD may deliver peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) to one or more tissue areas via electrodes selected from one or both of the surfaces to, for example, reduce the sensation of pain in a tissue area proximate to an implantation site of the IMD without targeting a specific nerve. The IMD may be implanted between or within intra-dermal, deep dermal, or subcutaneous layers of the tissue of the patient to deliver PNFS to any one or more of these layers. |
| US08588910B2 |
Non-linear dynamic AV delay
A non-linear dynamic specified AV delay can be used, such as to help maintain cardiac resynchronization therapy, such as in patients with one or more symptoms of congestive heart failure. |
| US08588906B2 |
Physiological vibration detection in an implanted medical device
An embodiment of an implantable system configured to be implanted in a patient includes an accelerometer, a neural stimulator, and a controller. The neural stimulator is configured to deliver neural stimulation to a neural target. The controller is configured to use the accelerometer to detect laryngeal vibration or coughing, and is configured to deliver a programmed neural stimulation therapy using the neural stimulator and using detected laryngeal vibration or detected coughing as an input to the programmed neural stimulation therapy. |
| US08588905B2 |
Method and system for adjusting a stimulation rate of an implantable medical device
An implantable medical device includes a lead, a pulse generator, a cardiac signal module, a fusion detection module and a rate modification module. The lead includes electrodes that are configured to be positioned within a heart to sense cardiac signals of the heart. The pulse generator delivers stimulus pulses to the heart through at least one of the electrodes. The cardiac signal module monitors the cardiac signals and directs the pulse generator to deliver one or more of the stimulus pulses to the heart at a stimulation rate based on the cardiac signals. The fusion detection module identifies a presence of fusion-based behavior of the heart that is associated with delivery of the one or more of the stimulus pulses. The rate modification module then adjusts the stimulation rate based on the presence of the fusion-based behavior. |
| US08588900B2 |
Perivascular leak repair system
The perivascular leak repair system, and method of using the same, of the present invention provides a sealant reservoir with a repair catheter operably attached; a flow control device disposed between the sealant reservoir and the repair catheter, and the flow control device responsive to a flow control signal; a heart phase detector generating a diastole phase signal; an injection switch generating a injection signal; and a flow controller responsive to the diastole phase signal and the injection signal, and generating the flow control signal. A method of sealing a perivascular leak comprises identifying the perivascular leak; inserting a repair catheter to the perivascular leak; injecting sealant at the perivascular leak; and removing the repair catheter. The sealant can be injected when the heart is in diastole to sweep the sealant into the perivascular leak. |
| US08588898B1 |
Stimulation methodologies and apparatus for control of brain states
A system for accessing the brain of a subject to record and/or stimulate brain stares thereof. The system includes control means, first accessing means having a plurality of contact surfaces configured to operatively connect the control means to the brain of the subject to provide three-dimensional stimulation thereof; second accessing means having a plurality of contact surfaces to operatively connect the control means to the brain of the subject to provide access thereto for the purposes of obtaining three-dimensional recordings of the brain electrical activity of the subject; and a waveform bank containing a plurality of stimulating waveforms. The control means is configured to operatively apply a first at least one of the stimulating waveforms of the waveform bank to the brain of the subject through the first accessing means and to assess acceptability within defined limits, as determined by preset criteria, of the subject's response to the application of the at first least one of the stimulating waveforms. |
| US08588896B2 |
Methods and devices for accurately classifying cardiac activity
Methods, systems, and devices for signal analysis in an implanted cardiac monitoring and treatment device such as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. In illustrative examples, captured data including detected events is analyzed to identify likely overdetection of cardiac events. In some illustrative examples, when overdetection is identified, data may be modified to correct for overdetection, to reduce the impact of overdetection, or to ignore overdetected data. New methods for organizing the use of morphology and rate analysis in an overall architecture for rhythm classification and cardiac signal analysis are also discussed. |
| US08588894B2 |
Determination of site of origin for a natural electrical pulse in a living body
Techniques include determining a first vector of temporal changes in electrical data measured at multiple electrical sensors positioned at corresponding locations on a surface of a living body due to a natural electrical pulse. A different vector of temporal changes in electrical data measured at the same electrical sensors is determined due to each stimulated signal of multiple stimulated signals within the living body. Stimulated position data is received, which indicates a different corresponding position within the living body where each of the stimulated signals originates. The site of origin of the natural electrical pulse is determined based on the first vector and the multiple different vectors and the stimulated position data. Among other applications, these techniques allow the rapid, automatic determination of the site of origin of ventricular tachycardia arrhythmia (VT). |
| US08588890B2 |
Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus
A magnetization vector is detected for each pixel position in an imaging region including at least part of a subject, the magnetization vector being excited to have a phase difference between a flow portion and a static portion or between a normal portion and an abnormal portion. A pixel value at each pixel position is determined as a value proportional to an absolute value of the amplitude of the magnetization vector detected for each of the pixel positions. On s the basis of a real part or phase of the magnetization vector detected for each of the pixel positions, the determined pixel value is corrected so that the difference of the pixel value increases between (a) the flow portion or the abnormal portion and (b) the static portion or the normal portion. |
| US08588888B2 |
CT and MRI synchronous detection positioning needle
Disclosed is a CT and MRI synchronous detection positioning needle. The needle comprises a silicone tube which is internally provided with a guide needle; the two sides of the guide needle are provided with hollow cavities; each hollow cavity is internally provided with membranes dividing the hollow cavity into a plurality of small chambers which are filled with liquid, wherein a CT contrast agent is filled in a plurality of small chambers at one side of the guide needle, and an MRI contrast agent is filled in a plurality of small chambers at the other side of the guide needle. In the invention, specially designed silicone positioning needles are implanted in vivo, and synchronous comparison of different image data and pathological data is implemented by means of multi-plane reconstruction technology, so the CT and MRI synchronous detection positioning needle can be widely applied to experimental study on tumors. |
| US08588881B2 |
Subcutaneous glucose electrode
A small diameter flexible electrode designed for subcutaneous in vivo amperometric monitoring of glucose is described. The electrode is designed to allow “one-point” in vivo calibration, i.e., to have zero output current at zero glucose concentration, even in the presence of other electroreactive species of serum or blood. The electrode is preferably three or four-layered, with the layers serially deposited within a recess upon the tip of a polyamide insulated gold wire. A first glucose concentration-to-current transducing layer is overcoated with an electrically insulating and glucose flux limiting layer (second layer) on which, optionally, an immobilized interference-eliminating horseradish peroxidase based film is deposited (third layer). An outer (fourth) layer is biocompatible. |
| US08588867B2 |
Mobile terminal, method of controlling wireless charging thereof, and wireless charging system thereof
Methods and apparatuses for controlling wireless charging of the mobile terminal are provided. A method of controlling wireless charging of a mobile terminal may include: finding devices in a vicinity of the mobile terminal; if a wireless charging device is not found, comparing a previous charging environment with the found devices to determine whether a current state of the mobile terminal is in an environment where wireless charging can be performed; otherwise, if at least one wireless charging device is found, selecting a wireless charging device having a more optimal connection state from among the wireless charging device found; and outputting a result of the determining or the selecting to a user through the mobile terminal. |
| US08588866B1 |
Depicting signal strength and battery level of a mobile communications device
Signal strength and battery level are presented on a display associated with a mobile communications device. A scene is presented on the display, where the scene includes constituent items that collectively convey the battery level and the signal strength. Different states of the constituent items correspond to different states of the battery level and the signal strength. The constituent items together form a representation of a real-world situation. |
| US08588863B2 |
Device, system, and method of augmenting cellular telephone audio signals
A device, system and method is described for augmenting cellular telephone signals for a cellular telephone. In an exemplary embodiment, an audio signal device cellular is provided with a sound generating device that stores one or more audio signals that are activated upon receipt of a telephone call. Optionally, the audio signal device may store a library of audio signals that may be programmable and edited. The device, system and method of the present invention enables a user to choose audio alert sounds beyond the scope of those provided by the manufacturer of a cellular telephone. |
| US08588862B2 |
Alert sleep and wakeup for a mobile station
A mobile station (200) that includes a transceiver (210) that receives an alert request (105) and a controller (205). Responsive to the alert request, the controller can enter the mobile station into an alert active mode in which an alert signal is generated on the mobile station. Responsive to not receiving an acknowledgement to the alert signal within a defined period, the controller can enter the mobile station into an alert sleep mode in which at least one parameter of the alert signal is changed. Further, the controller can awake the mobile station from the alert sleep mode in response to detecting a user presence. The mobile station further can include an accelerometer (270) and/or a positioning system (275) that detect the user presence by detecting movement of the mobile station. |
| US08588860B2 |
Receiving phone calls with a dual screen phone in a single screen configuration
Embodiments are described for handling receipt of call in a multi-screen device. In embodiments, the device may be in a closed mode in which a primary screen is being used. A message regarding the incoming call is displayed on the primary screen to a user so that a user can decide whether to answer the call from the primary screen. If the device is being used in a closed secondary screen mode (with the user interacting with the secondary screen) when the call is received, a notice will be displayed to the user to turn the phone around to the primary screen so that the user can decide whether to answer the phone. |
| US08588859B2 |
Method for controlling communication setting of mobile terminal and mobile terminal thereof
A method for controlling communication setting of a mobile terminal, includes: outputting a communication setting widget indicating an operational state of at least one data communication function associated with the mobile terminal; receiving a signal for changing the operational state, the signal being associated with at least a part of the outputted communication setting widget and changing the operational state of at least one of the at least one data communication functions according to the signal. |
| US08588858B2 |
Portable terminal with dual hinge axes
A portable terminal with a pair of housings is provided, in which a guide rib is formed in a first housing for providing a reception groove, a first hinge member is engaged with the first housing for rotating upon a first hinge axis extended along a length direction of the first housing, a second hinge member is formed in a second housing and includes a hinge housing extended along a width direction of the second housing, and an additional device is accommodated in the hinge housing. |
| US08588857B2 |
Communication terminal, and dial registration method and dial registration program therefor
A communication terminal having one or more one-touch-dial buttons simplifies operations needed for registration of destination data such as phone numbers or mail addresses. A communication terminal (e.g., a cellular phone) having one or more one-touch-dial buttons includes a destination-data registration unit (e.g., a phone-directory database) that allows destination data such as phone numbers or mail addresses to be registered therein, a one-touch-dial registration unit that allows destination data to be registered therein so as to be associated with the one or more one-touch-dial buttons, and a control unit that, in response to an operation of the one or more one-touch-dial buttons, determines whether destination data has been registered in the one-touch-dial registration unit or the destination-data registration unit, and that outputs a result of the determination and a query message regarding registration of the destination data. |
| US08588853B2 |
Femtocell configuration
A method and apparatus for configuring a first cellular base station such as a femtocell to operate in a digital cellular telecommunications network includes: placing the first cellular base station in the digital cellular telecommunications network; detecting with a radio receiver at least one second operating cellular base station within the digital cellular telecommunications network; demodulating a first transmission of the at least one second cellular base station transmitter to obtain a first data stream; predictively modifying the first data stream to create a modified first data stream; correlating at least one periodic portion of the modified first data stream to form an enhanced data signal; decoding the enhanced data signal to obtain information; and configuring the first cellular base station with the information. |
| US08588850B1 |
Generation and transmission of event messages inside a mobile station informing status of a data call connection
Event messages indicating events in the life of data call connections for a mobile station are automatically provided by a user device of the mobile station to a mobile client application or a UICC contained in the mobile station to inform the mobile client application or UICC of the status of a data call connection. The event messages include data call connected, data call disconnected, and data call in-progress messages, which are provided without being triggered by the UICC. The data call connected event message is generated after a successful data attach procedure. The data call disconnected event message is generated when a previously established data call connection is lost or when the mobile station is in limited service areas. The data call in-progress event message is generated when a data call connection is requested while another data call connection is already in progress. |
| US08588848B2 |
Method of using handle cord of a fixed wireless phone as FM antenna and a fixed wireless phone
The present invention relates to fixed wireless phones and describes a fixed wireless phone and a method of using a handle cord of a fixed wireless phone as a FM antenna. An FM antenna signal access point is disposed on one of the four wires connecting a baseband chip with the handle; a first ferrite bead is connected in series between the FM antenna signal access point and an output terminal of the baseband chip; a FM frequency selective circuit is lapped with the FM antenna signal access point; and the FM frequency selective circuit is connected with an FM chip. The method of using the handle cord of a fixed wireless phone as a FM antenna and the fixed wireless phone according to the present invention uses the handle cord of the fixed wireless phone as FM antenna and adds a corresponding frequency selective circuit. |
| US08588846B2 |
Reporting of multiple IF/RAT layer restrictions
In one aspect, the invention provides a multi-modal user equipment (UE) configuration method. In some embodiments, the method includes: configuring the UE so that it supports a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs), wherein each of the plurality of RATs is associated with a predetermined maximum number of layers that the UE may be instructed by a network node to monitor simultaneously; configuring the UE so that it is operable to transmit to the network node RAT capability information identifying the plurality of RATs supported by the UE; and configuring the UE to monitor simultaneously not more than X layers associated with one of the plurality of RATs, wherein X is less than the predetermined maximum number of layers associated with the RAT. |
| US08588845B2 |
Method and apparatus in a telecommunications network
According to the present invention, a receiving node of a telecommunications network (20) (e.g. a radio base station (22) in uplink, or a mobile terminal (24) in downlink) transmits a single acknowledgement message to a transmitting node (e.g. a mobile terminal (24) in uplink, or a radio base station (22) in downlink) in respect of signals received over a plurality of frequency-aggregated carriers (component carriers) (10) between the transmitting and receiving nodes. If all signals are decoded correctly in the receiving node, a positive acknowledgement message (ACK) is sent to the transmitting node; if not all signals are decoded correctly, a negative acknowledgement message (NACK) is sent, or no acknowledgement message is sent. In this way, a single acknowledgement message can be sent for signals received over multiple carriers. The acknowledgement message can have the same format as legacy standards (for example, as specified in Release 8 of the 3GPP specifications), providing compatibility with existing equipment. The number of messages is also reduced compared with the straightforward approach of transmitting individual acknowledgement messages per component carrier. |
| US08588842B2 |
Multi-dimensional adaptive transmission technique
Method and apparatus for dynamically optimizing the transmission level of each remote terminal in a satellite-based communication network. Each remote terminal maintains quasi-error-free communication at the highest efficiency level available under changing link conditions and network configurations, without requiring the reservation of substantial power margins, which results in a much more efficient satellite network. |
| US08588840B2 |
System and method for distributed power control in a communications system
A system and method for distributed power control in a communications system are provided. A method for relay node operations includes transmitting a signal at a transmit power level on a first channel from a relay node to a user equipment, receiving a message comprising a first indication of channel quality of the first channel at the transmit power level, and determining a second indication of channel quality of a second channel between a communications controller and the relay node, where the first channel and the second channel are in a same multi-hop communication path. The method also includes altering the transmit power level of the first channel based on the first indication of channel quality and the second indication of channel quality to converge the channel quality of the first channel to a convergence value. |
| US08588835B2 |
Base station apparatus and directivity control method in mobile communication system
A disclosed base station apparatus for a mobile communication system includes a collection unit collecting measured data from one or more user equipment terminals with respect to each direction of arrival, the measured data including at least quality information of a downlink signal, a conversion unit converting the measured data into an evaluation value in accordance with a predetermined evaluation function, a deriving unit deriving a weight update amount determining directivity based on an angular distribution of the plural evaluation values, and a transmission unit transmitting a downlink signal weighted based on the weight update amount. |
| US08588832B2 |
Precoding method for femtocell or picocell and communication system of using the method
A precoding method for a femtocell or a picocell and a communication system using the same is provided. The communication system may include a small base station that is able to implement a protection mode to protect a neighbor terminal from an interference regardless of whether a neighbor base station is performing a process to protect the neighbor terminal from the interference. Also, the small base station may use at least one process scheme appropriate for a current environment among various process schemes, thereby effectively protecting the neighbor terminal from the interference. |
| US08588831B2 |
Method and base station for sending information
The present invention relates to mobile communication technologies, and in particular, to a method, base station and system for sending information. The method includes: obtaining discontinuous reception (DRX) parameter of a terminal; determining discontinuous transmission (DTX) parameter of the base station according to the DRX parameter; and sending pilot and broadcast information periodically according to the DTX parameter. The technical solution under the present invention saves time-frequency resources, reduces interference on neighboring cells, and saves electric power. |
| US08588830B2 |
Wireless autonomous solar-powered outdoor lighting and energy and information management network
An array of outdoor lighting operates mainly in independent mode wherein sensing, communication, and control processes take place between the various lights of the array. Additional communication and control may occur between the array and a control station by means of a master/coordinating node that transmits and receives signals to the control station via call phone and/or satellite. The system may be tied to the internet for dissemination of data and/or data analysis gathered by means of the multiple poles/devices of the array. The independent-array and/or the master-to-station network and communications may be adapted for energy-saving processes; power-receiving from or power-providing to the grid, renewable power production and storage by means of solar panels and/or wind turbines and associated batteries or other storage equipment; and/or to Wi-Fi hot-spots, public safety alarms, information, or advertising to the public or information/data-analysis to customers. Preferred members of the array have solar-panel-powered lights, which may charge batteries and optionally supply energy to an electrical grid. In arrays cooperating with the grid, the grid may optionally charge the batteries of the array during off-peak hours. The preferred lights include LED modules that may be aimed to establish desired light patterns. |
| US08588828B2 |
Mobile communication system, base station and interference cancellation method
The base station includes: a first combiner which weights the BB signals received by first and second antenna elements by first and second weight coefficients and adds them; a second combiner which weights the BB signals received by third and fourth antenna elements by first and second weight coefficients and adds them; a third combiner which weights the BB signals added by the first and second combiners by third and fourth weight coefficients and adds them; a first processor which calculates such first and second weight coefficients that a combined polarization of the received signals of each antenna is orthogonal to a polarization of an interfering signal existing in the same direction as a desired signal; and a second processor which calculates such third and fourth coefficients that a null is formed in a direction different from the desired signal and in which an interfering signal exists. |
| US08588825B2 |
Text enhancement
A method including receiving text authored by a user to create a text message; interpreting a meaning of the text; determining a mood of the user; obtaining contextual information, wherein the contextual information comprises at least one of time of day, day of the week, whether it is a holiday, a user location, or a relationship between the user and a recipient of the text message; selecting a classification for the text message based on the meaning of the text, the mood of the user, and the contextual information; displaying text enhancements for the text message from which the user can select, wherein the text enhancements are based on the classification; receiving a user selection for the text enhancements; including the user selected text enhancements with the text message; and sending the text message with the text enhancements to a recipient. |
| US08588818B2 |
Location-based broadcast messaging to mobile devices located in or entering into a defined geographic area
For a location-based broadcast messaging service, a broadcast server receives a broadcast request from a business application server. The broadcast request includes a message, at least one identifier for target mobile devices, and an identifier for a location. The broadcast server sends a location query including the identifier for the location to location agents associated with the target mobile devices. In response to receiving the location query, each location agent determines whether the location of the associated mobile device is within or otherwise satisfies a requirement related to the identified location. If the location of the device is within the identified location or satisfies the requirement, the location agent sends a query response to the broadcast server and receives, from the broadcast server, the message included in the broadcast request. The broadcast request can include a time-period identifier, such that the location agent determines the device location during the time-period. |
| US08588817B2 |
Wireless communication device and method
A wireless communication device includes an antenna unit that transmits and receives wireless signals, and one or more processors configured to conduct communication with a base station and control displacement of a service area of the base station and a service area of the wireless communication device in response to throughput characteristics of a cell formed by the base station. |
| US08588814B2 |
Client in mobile device for sending and receiving navigational coordinates and notifications
A first mobile device requests a second mobile device to navigate to a destination communicated to the second mobile device by the first mobile device, wherein at least the second mobile device, if not both the first and the second mobile devices, is GPS enabled and is capable of navigation. In one scenario, a first user of the first mobile device requests the second device (or the user of the second device) to send a notification when the second user has reached a certain destination or is in the vicinity of a certain location where the first user and the first mobile device are currently located. |
| US08588810B2 |
Energy efficient location tracking on smart phones
A GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is operated in an indoor mode. An increase in strength of a cellular signal is detected at the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device. Responsive at least to the increase in cellular signal strength, the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is transitioned to an outdoor testing mode. Detecting is carried out to determine whether movement of the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device occurs during the outdoor testing mode. If so, the GPS-enabled cellular electronic device is transitioned to an outdoor mode. |
| US08588802B2 |
Transmission rate control method, and mobile station
A transmission rate control method for controlling a transmission rate of user data transmitted by a mobile station via a logical channel, include: notifying, at a radio network controller, a guaranteed bit rate of the logical channel to the mobile station; and controlling, at the mobile station, a transmission rate of uplink user data to be transmitted via the logical channel without following a command in a relative rate grant channel received from a cell to which the mobile station connects. |
| US08588801B2 |
Multi-point equalization framework for coordinated multi-point transmission
Providing for a multipoint equalization (MPE) framework for coordinated multipoint (CoMP) transmission in wireless communication is described herein. The disclosed MPE framework involves distributed scheduling decisions for CoMP transmission, reducing complexity of scheduling coordination as compared with centralized scheduling techniques that coordinate scheduling decisions for multiple network base stations. Further, the MPE framework involves distributed computation of CoMP transmission coefficients, relying on a maximum of two backhaul hops to obtain information for the computation, and disseminate the transmission coefficients. The disclosed MPE framework shows substantial gains in various network deployments over conventional CoMP techniques. |
| US08588800B2 |
Communication control method, base station, and user terminal
A communication control method used by a base station to allocate a radio resource to a user terminal which performs different-frequency measurement includes the steps of transmitting to the base station, by the user terminal, a request indicating whether a measurement gap for different-frequency measurement is needed, when a need for data communications between the user terminal and the base station arises while the user terminal is performing discontinuous reception; and controlling, by the base station, the radio resource allocated to the user terminal based on whether the measurement gap is needed. |
| US08588798B2 |
Mobile radio communication system including uplink radio resource allocation function
A radio resource allocating method by a radio base station device, includes updating a data resident amount of a management object based on a received report signal when the report signal reports a data resident amount stored in a transmission buffer of a mobile station, estimating a following data resident amount based on the updated data resident amount and a radio resource amount of uplink transmission to be allocated to the mobile station; and determining and reporting the radio resource amount for the uplink transmission from the base station based on the estimated data resident amount. |
| US08588797B2 |
Optimizing control channel performance with virtual inter-cell coordination
Channel conditions within each of N contiguous cells is determined. Based on at least the determined N channel conditions, there is determined a set of the N cells which are to utilize joint scheduling, and resources for a control channel are jointly assigning to individual cells of the set of cells. In various embodiments, the channel conditions are SINR and load on the control channel; and the set of cells is decided based on potential for mutual interference and/or potential that the control channel will not be filled. The resource may be jointly assigned based on user priority, so that serially for each highest priority user resources are assigned, the assigned resources are then blocked from compiled lists of radio resources, the highest priority user is removed and a next highest priority user is then the highest priority user to continue in the serial iteration. |
| US08588793B2 |
Bandwidth management for a converged gateway in a hybrid network
Systems and methods for integrating bandwidth management (BWM) equipment into a network in order to manage the use of bandwidth over multiple radio access technologies (RATs) relating to communications between a wireless transmit receive unit and a mobile core network (MCN). When integrating itself into the network, a BWM server may be placed between a MCN and an femto access point. In order for WTRUs to communicate with the MCN through the femto access point and a BWM server, a BWM server may need deep packet inspection capabilities. |
| US08588792B2 |
Channel-occupancy-status based early avoidance
Method for reducing call initiation collisions in a wireless communication system includes determining, at an eNodeB, a need to reduce a number of call initiation requests arriving from a plurality of user equipment (UEs). One operation provides broadcasting, by the eNodeB, a notification message to the UEs responsive to the determining of the need to reduce the number of call initiation requests, the notification message including information for facilitating a determination of whether a receiving UE is permitted to transmit a call initiation request to the eNodeB. Another feature includes receiving, at the eNodeB, the call initiation request from one or more of the plurality of UEs that are determined to be permitted to transmit the call initiation request. |
| US08588791B2 |
Method for providing IMS support for enterprise PBX users
An architecture and procedures by which an NGN can provide the following capabilities to an NGCN user: basic terminating service in the peering model; enhanced terminating services in the peering model; enhanced originating services in the peering model; and roaming service in the subscription and peering models. All capabilities are provided in an easily scalable manner via provisioned subscriber data and small modifications to existing IMS procedures. In the first case, an NGN is configured among the external networks to receive all SIP requests intended for the NGCN users of an NGCN interconnected to the NGN via the peering model (this NGN is the trunking home NGN), and the NGN forwards these requests to the NGCN for handling using request retargeting. In the second case, an NGN is configured among the external networks to receive all SIP requests intended for the NGCN users of an NGCN interconnected to the NGN via the peering model, and the NGN applies a set of agreed services using NGN ASs (application servers) to each request before forwarding to the NGCN for handling. In the third case, the NGCN is configured to forward all originating requests to an NGN (the trunking home NGN) via the peering model, and the NGN applies a set of agreed services using NGN ASs to each request before forwarding to the intended recipient. In the fourth case, an NGN is configured among the external networks as the roaming home NGN to receive a SIP REGISTER request from an NGCN user that has roaming capability, and the NGN forwards that request to the NGCN for handling. |
| US08588790B2 |
Apparatus and method for operating small cell in wireless communication system
A Handover apparatus and method of a Mobile Station (MS) in a wireless communication system in which at least one small cell resides in a macro cell includes, when entering a neighboring small cell, checking a movement speed of the MS. The method also includes determining whether to hand over to the small cell by taking into account the movement speed of the MS. When it is determined not to hand over to the small cell, that MS transmits small cell penetration information to a macro Base Station (BS); allocates a macro only resource from the macro BS; and communicates with the macro BS in the small cell using the macro only resource allocated from the macro BS. |
| US08588787B2 |
Neighboring cell processing device, wireless base station device, neighboring cell processing method and data structure
A neighboring cell processing device includes: a measurement information acquisition unit 11 for acquiring measurement information which indicates a result of measurement of radio signals transmitted from a plurality of wireless base station devices other than a target wireless base station device, based on information provided from at least either of wireless terminal devices or wireless base station devices; and a neighboring cell information generation unit 12 for generating, based on the measurement information acquired by the measurement information acquisition unit 11, neighboring cell information which indicates one or a plurality of wireless base station devices located in the neighborhood of the target wireless base station device, among the plurality of wireless base station devices other than the target wireless base station device. |
| US08588786B2 |
Method and apparatus for IP encapsulated tandem hard handoff in CDMA networks
A method and apparatus in a mobile switching center (MSC) performs a tandem handoff in a wireless communication network. The serving MSC receives a handoff request from a serving base station (BS) for a handoff to a target BS of a target MSC. When the serving MSC does not have physical handoff trunks, the serving MSC sends a tandem handoff request to a tandem MSC. |
| US08588785B2 |
Measurement method, a relay station, and a base station in a cell handover procedure
The present invention provides a measurement method in a cell handover procedure, comprising: A. after network measurement is triggered, a base station schedules resources, which are needed for transmitting uplink data, for a user terminal; and B. the base station and relay stations measure relevant data transmitted from the user terminal on the resources scheduled by the base station, and the relay stations report the detection information of the uplink signal derived from the measurement to the base station. A relay station and a base station for realizing cell handover are also provided. The present invention can realize that during measuring the quality of the signal from a user terminal and a network side, the network performs the measurement, and selects a target node to which the user terminal will handover according to the result of the measurement. |
| US08588783B2 |
Power control in wireless communications networks during hand-over
A method and devices are provided for adapting the transmission power level of a mobile terminal during a handover phase at which the mobile terminal switches from one base station to another. The method provided comprises applying values of operating parameters that characterize both base stations and adapting the transmission power level to an acceptable level at which communications transmitted from the terminal to the second station would be properly received without applying further increase in the transmission power while ensuring that the communications transmitted by the mobile terminal to the second base station, will not cause severe interference to communications exchanged between the second base station and the other terminals communicating therewith. |
| US08588780B2 |
Connection re-establishment in a communication system
A method is disclosed where information is sent to at least one mobile device in a connected mode first system. The information is indicative that a deliberate connection re-establishment is to be used to access at least one second system at least in certain situations when the at least one mobile device is in connected mode. The mobile device in the first system can process the information, and based on the processing, initiate a deliberate connection re-establishment procedure to access a second system. |
| US08588778B2 |
System and method for femtocell reselection
A system and method for detecting the failure of a user's femto cell and automatically reselecting a neighboring femto cell to establish temporary communications until the user's femto cell returns to operation. The neighboring femto cell selected for use is based on signal strength and configuration parameters related to limitations placed on the temporary access by the neighboring femto cell owner. Once the user's femto cell returns to operation, the user's mobile communication device returns to use of the primary femto cell. |
| US08588775B2 |
Mobile communication system and related management method
The present invention discloses a mobile communications system, which includes a mobile communication device and a server device. The mobile communication device includes a first reception module for obtaining device information corresponding to the mobile communication device and a transmission module for transmitting the device information via a mobile communication network. The server device includes a second reception module for receiving the device information via the mobile communication network and a connection module for establishing a communication connection between the mobile communication device and a destination end according to the device information when a communication request corresponding to the mobile communication device is received from the destination end. |
| US08588771B2 |
Method of providing access to an IP multimedia subsystem
A method of providing access to an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) for a subscriber (UE) comprises the steps of providing an home interface entity (HGGSN) with access network data (MCC′,MNC′) identifying the access communication network (AN), sending a message comprising the access network data (MCC′,MNC′) from an home interface entity (HGGSN) to serving means (HSS), comparing the home network data (MCC,MNC) and the access network data (MCC′,MNC′), checking if the subscriber (UE) is allowed to roam based on a set of predefined criteria when the result of the comparing step is false, and sending a message comprising the access network data (MCC′,MNC′) to at least one of call state control functionality means (CSCF) when the result of the checking step is true. |
| US08588768B2 |
RSSI estimation in multi-technology communication terminals
A method used in a receiver includes measuring first Received Signal Strength Indications (RSSIs) in respective first communication channels, which are located in a given frequency band and which each have a first channel bandwidth. Based on the first RSSIs, second RSSIs are computed for respective second communication channels, which are located in the given frequency band and which each have a second channel bandwidth that is larger than the first channel bandwidth. At least one of the first and second communication channels over which to receive signals at the receiver are selected using the first and second RSSIs. |
| US08588765B1 |
Remote access management systems
Computer systems and methods relating to operating medical electronic records software application remotely using at least one mobile computing device. Also, computer systems and methods relating to operating medical practice management software applications remotely using at least one mobile computing device. |
| US08588763B2 |
Methods for testing wireless electronic devices using short message service
A device under test (DUT) may be tested using a radio-frequency test station. A test station may include a test host, a test unit coupled to the test host, and a shielded enclosure. The shielded enclosure may contain a test antenna that is coupled to the test unit via a radio-frequency cable. The DUT may be placed in the shielded enclosure during testing. The DUT may not be electrically wired to the test host. The test host may direct the test unit to transmit control signals in the form of a text message using Short Message Service (SMS) so that the DUT is placed into different desired configurations during testing. The DUT may also be configured to respond by sending SMS messages back to the test unit, where the SMS messages generated by the DUT includes radio-frequency performance metrics measured using the DUT. |
| US08588762B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing channel measurement for cell
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for performing channel measurement for a cell. The method includes: sending information about a location of a to-be-measured reference signal to a user equipment, where the location of the to-be-measured reference signal is a part of a location occupied by a reference signal of the cell; and receiving a channel measurement report of the cell. The channel measurement report is sent by the user equipment and is obtained after the user equipment performs channel measurement for the cell according to the information about the location of the to-be-measured reference signal. |
| US08588761B2 |
Method of handling measurement reporting and related communication device
A method of handling measurement reporting for a network in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The network maintains an active set for storing at least a cell identity which is capable of providing a service to a mobile device of the wireless communication system. The method includes receiving a measurement report message from the mobile device, wherein the measurement report message is used for notification of a cell replacement procedure and includes a first cell identity corresponding to a first cell, determining whether the first cell identity is included in the active set and whether a number of the cell identity in the active set exceeds a threshold, to generate a result, and performing the cell replacement procedure according to the result. |
| US08588759B2 |
Cell identifier conflict avoidance
The technology described automatically resolves cell identity collisions/conflicts in a cellular radio communications network. A detecting node determines that a first cell identifier associated with a first conflicting cell is the same as a second cell identifier associated with a second conflicting cell. One of the first and second conflicting cells is selected to change its cell identifier. A different cell identifier is determined for the selected cell. The different cell identifier is then provided to other cells and preferably to user equipment (UE) terminals without disrupting ongoing UE communications. |
| US08588758B2 |
Interfacing a mobile device with a computer
Systems and methods for interfacing a mobile device and a host computer are described in the present disclosure. In one embodiment, among several, an interfacing system comprises a mobile device, which has a sensor, and a host computer. The sensor of the mobile device detects gestures that are translated to cursor control commands for a display of the host computer. |
| US08588745B2 |
Communications system
A cellular communications system is provided in which a user device sends a Service Request to a Mobility Management Entity together with parameter data that depends on the service that is requested. The Mobility Management Entity then determines from the parameter value if AS security is required to provide the requested service. If it is not, then the Mobility Management Entity accepts the Request without providing security parameters for establishing another signalling radio bearer so that an existing signalling radio bearer is used to provide the requested service. If it is, then the Mobility Management Entity accepts the Request and provides security parameters for establishing another signalling radio bearer to be used in providing the requested service. |
| US08588741B1 |
Using EAP instead of PPP for authentication
Various embodiments are described for Point-to-Point Protocol-free (PPP-free) access and service authentication in a wireless network. An HRPD connection/session is established between an access terminal and the access network. Instead of setting up a PPP session and performing access (i.e., device access) authentication and service authentication using PPP, the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) is utilized. |
| US08588739B2 |
Mobile terminal, lock state control program for mobile terminal, and a method for controlling lock state of mobile terminal
A mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal includes a touch panel and an input detection part, a display part, a determination part, and an execution part. The input detection part is configured to detect inputs to the touch panel. The display part is configured to display an object corresponding to a lock state in which predetermined processing based on inputs detected by the input detection part is not executed. The determination part is configured to determine whether or not a predetermined input to the object is detected by the input detection part. The execution part is configured to release the lock state and execute predetermined processing if the determination part determines that a predetermined input to the object is detected. |
| US08588738B2 |
Mobile access in a diverse access point network
Facilitating user terminal (UT) access to wireless networks having base stations (BSs) of disparate access types is described herein. In some aspects, BS parameterization is provided to facilitate search and/or access to distinct types of network BSs. For instance, parameters can modify a likelihood of identifying or remaining coupled to restricted access (RA) BSs in a home Node B (HNB) deployment. In other aspects of the subject disclosure, a PLMN ID reserved for HNBs is provided comprising multiple region IDs. Where a UT identifies a home region, HNBs can be given preference over macro BSs. Additionally, the UT can keep track of HNBs and HNB regions that reject access to the UT, and implement a delay time to mitigate rapid signaling to foreign HNBs in a dense HNB deployment. Accordingly, the subject disclosure provides for more efficient UT access in heterogeneous access type networks. |
| US08588736B2 |
System and method for capturing real time telecommunications usage data from mobile devices and comparing that data to life cycle telecommunications expense management (TEM) data
In one embodiment, a signal having a real-time usage value associated with operation of a mobile device is received from the mobile device. Information on a service agreement for the mobile device is received. A command is sent to the mobile device when the operation of the mobile device crossed a threshold condition of the service agreement. The command is configured to cause the mobile device to implement an operational change at the mobile device in response to the command. |
| US08588732B2 |
Method and system of PSAP call back of IN subscriber
A method and system for re-establishing a connection from a PSAP or 911 call center to a terminal of a 911 caller who has subscribed to IN services, for example, after a terminal of a 911 caller has been disconnected from the PSAP or 911 call center. If the call is dropped, the PSAP or 911 call center can, manually, or automatically via the system of the present invention, dial or cause to be dialed, a pre-determined prefix prior to dialing the number of the terminal of the 911 caller. In a separate embodiment of the method and system of the present invention, a separate parameter is used in CAMEL IDP and ISUP IAM to indicate the calling party category to identify that the call is originating from a PSAP or 911 call center. |
| US08588730B2 |
Identifying the location of mobile stations
A user of a first mobile station, which is lost either in silent mode or switch-off mode may send a ‘Find-Me’ message to the first mobile station from a second mobile station. The first mobile station, after receiving the ‘Find-Me’ message, may power-on the first mobile station enabling the first mobile station to receive voice call and messages. Also, if the first mobile station is in silent mode, the first mobile station may change the profile of the first mobile station from a silent to a regular-noisy mode. The user of first mobile station may call-up the first mobile station and identifies the location of the first mobile station by tracking the ringing sound. The first mobile station may send a location message to the second mobile station in response to receiving the ‘Find-Me’ message that may be used to identify the location of the first mobile station. |
| US08588729B2 |
Method for retrieving data stored in a database
The invention provides a computer-implemented 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 bond lot descriptions and identifications, notably, CUSIP (trademark) numbers. |
| US08588720B2 |
Signal decimation techniques
Techniques for decimating a first periodic signal to generate a second periodic signal. In an exemplary embodiment, the first periodic signal is divided by a configurable integer ratio divider, and the output of the divider is delayed by a configurable fractional delay. The configurable fractional delay may be noise-shaped using, e.g., sigma-delta modulation techniques to spread the quantization noise of the fractional delay over a wide bandwidth. In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second periodic signals may be used to generate the transmit (TX) and receive (RX) local oscillator (LO) signals for a communications transceiver from a single phase-locked loop (PLL) output. |
| US08588719B1 |
Low power automatic gain control
A radio receiver includes a plurality of receiver signal strength indicator (RSSI) circuits coupled to respective output taps of various gain stages along the receiver chain. Each of the RSSI circuits generates a respective 1-bit clip information signal. A processor accumulates the clip information signals to estimate the signal strength of an inbound RF signal and sets a gain of the radio receiver based on the estimated signal strength. |
| US08588717B2 |
Headphone antenna for radio communications device
A radio communications device includes a headphone assembly, which includes at least one aural speaker or transducer and a headphone cable functioning as an antenna and providing electrical signals carrying audio information to the at least one aural speaker or transducer. A signal separator coupled to the headphone cable separates the electrical signals carrying audio information transmitted to the headphone cable and radio frequency (RF) signals received from the headphone cable. A radio receiver receives the RF signals from the signal separator and converts the RF signals to electrical signals carrying audio information. A tuner is provided for tuning the headphone cable to a selected operating frequency of the radio receiver. An audio amplifier amplifies electrical signals carrying audio information from the radio receiver to be transmitted through the headphone cable to the at least one aural speaker or transducer. |
| US08588716B2 |
Method for searching for signals among interference signals in a multi-channel radio receiver
In a method for searching for signals among interference signals in a multi-channel radio receiver, at least two different data signals are transmitted on at least one physical channel of a radio system to a common receiver. The search for a signal is initiated on any channel, starting with a sequential search of a useful signal by measuring the current signal strength in the form of the RSSI value; a search is made for a signal criterion of the signal and when said criterion has been identified, the measured RSSI value is compared with a predefined RSSI threshold value; if the RSSI threshold value is exceeded, the search for a signal is switched to a search for a data frame and if a data frame is found, the useful data is read; if no signal criterion is identified, if the RSSI threshold value is not exceeded and if no data frame is found, the procedure is interrupted and a new search operation is initiated once a new RSSI threshold value has been defined. The invention is particularly suitable for radio transmission systems in motor vehicles to implement RKE and TPMS functions and for multi-channel transmissions, used for example in remote metering and remote control systems. |
| US08588713B2 |
Power management system for multi-carriers transmitter
A power management system for a multi-carriers transmitter is disclosed. The power management system includes a first switcher having a control input and a power output, and a second switcher having a control input and a power output. Also included is a mode switch having a mode control input, wherein the mode switch is adapted to selectively couple the power output of the first switcher to the power output of the second switcher in response to a mode control signal received by the mode control input. Further included is a control system adapted to generate the mode control signal. The control system is coupled to the mode control input of the mode switch. |
| US08588711B2 |
Transmission apparatus and distortion compensation method
A transmission apparatus includes an analog digital converter that performs sampling on a demodulated signal obtained by demodulating a part of an output signal, which is produced by amplifying a modulated signal of a baseband signal including a plurality of signals having frequencies separated from each other, at a sampling frequency lower than a frequency of a given intermodulation distortion component and converting the demodulated signal into a digital signal, a detection section that detects an aliasing component of the given intermodulation distortion component produced by the conversion of the analog digital converter, and a distortion compensation section that compensates an input signal to be modulated for the given intermodulation distortion component in accordance with the detected aliasing component. |
| US08588708B2 |
Communication device and detection period correction method
According to an embodiment, a communication device of the embodiment includes: a reference frequency generating unit configured to generate a reference frequency having a deviation from center frequency deviation under a predetermined condition, a radio signal detection unit configured to operate in a detection period based on the reference frequency and detect a periodic radio signal generated based on a reference frequency having higher precision than the precision of the reference frequency. The radio signal detection unit corrects the detection period by using the periodic signal. |
| US08588707B2 |
Reference frequency control in multi-modal devices
The present disclosure relates to methods, systems and devices for shifting a reference frequency from a first value to a second value, the shifting characterized at least in part by a controlled transition of the reference frequency at a predetermined time-rate-of-change. |
| US08588703B2 |
Arbitrary multiband overlay mixer apparatus and method for bandwidth multiplication
An apparatus and method for splitting a wide band input signal and overlaying multiple frequency bands on each path associated with one or more digitizers. All frequencies from the split signal on each path can be fed to a mixer. The local oscillator of each mixer receives a sum of signals, which can each be set to any arbitrary frequency, as long as an associated matrix determinant of coefficients is non-zero. Each oscillator signal is multiplied by a coefficient, which can represent phase and magnitude, prior to summing the oscillator signals together. Each mixer mixes a combined signal with the input, thereby generating a set of multiple overlaid frequency bands. The digitized signals are processed to substantially reconstruct the original input signal. Thus, the wide band input signal is digitized using multiple individual digitizers. In particular, a system can support two wide band signals using four digitizers of narrower bandwidth. |
| US08588699B2 |
Apparatus and method for avoiding channel interference in a single channel sensor network
A method of avoiding a channel interference in a single channel sensor network, includes periodically measuring an energy of a channel used by at least one node included in the sensor network; exchanging the measured energy of the channel with a neighbor node of the at least one node; receiving energy of all nodes of the sensor network and determining if there is an interference, by a coordinator node, which is a highest node of the at least one node; and when it is determined that there is an interference, switching a channel influenced by the interference to a channel which has been scanned by the coordinator node and is not influenced by the interference, thereby avoiding an influence of the interference. |
| US08588695B1 |
Data transfer rate modification in a wireless communication system
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for modifying the data transfer rate of wireless communications transferred by a wireless device. In a particular embodiment, a method comprises exchanging wireless communications between a wireless device and an access node on a wireless communication network. The method further includes determining a reverse noise ratio for the access node. Additionally, the method includes generating a message indicating the reverse noise ratio and transferring the message to the wireless device. The method further comprises receiving the message in the wireless device and modifying a data transfer rate of the wireless communications from the wireless device based on the reverse noise ratio indicated by the message. |
| US08588693B2 |
Device, system and method for selecting, sharing and displaying electronic content
The present disclosure provides a device, system and method to present electronic content on a first mobile electronic device in communication and configured to receive electronic content from a second electronic device. |
| US08588692B2 |
Communication terminal and communication service decision method
An object of the invention is to present service selection to the user immediately when it is made possible to realize a new service with a communication terminal of an associated party. A communication terminal 100 enables the user to use a communication service using a peripheral equipment within a communication range with an associated terminal connected through a network and includes a total control section 104 having a capability information change notification unit for notifying the associated terminal of occurrence of change in the peripheral equipment within the communication range and a service candidate determination unit for determining an available communication service with the associated terminal when change in the peripheral equipment occurs. |
| US08588689B2 |
Systems and methods for configuring subscriber systems in wireless mesh networks
A wireless network may be managed by identifying one or more wireless subscriber systems included in a lobe pool of a wireless network, identifying at least one candidate subscriber system outside of the lobe pool with which to enable communications, and reconfiguring the antenna such that the lobe pool includes the identified candidate subscriber system. |
| US08588688B2 |
Non-networked messaging
A system for facilitating short-range wireless data exchanges between apparatuses that are not linked by a wireless network connection. For example, an apparatus may initially determine if data suitable for transmission without first establishing a formal network connection is pending. For example, in terms of Bluetooth the data may suitable for transmission to another apparatus without having to first negotiate a Bluetooth piconet including both apparatuses. If it determined that data is pending for transmission, the apparatus may scan for apparatus detection packets transmitted from other apparatuses (e.g., enter an inquiry scanning mode). Upon reception of an apparatus detection packet, the apparatus may transmit one or more messages via wireless communication (e.g., execute an extended inquiry response procedure) comprising at least the data. |
| US08588684B2 |
Communication apparatus for performing data communication electrode unit and a living body
According to one embodiment, the signal electrode is disposed on the first principal surface side of the substrate and is connected to the other end of the second signal line. The housing covers and accommodates therein the substrate, the communication unit, the first signal line, the terminal, the second signal line, and the signal electrode. The conductive material is arranged on an outer side of the housing so as to be opposite to the signal electrode, and includes an outer peripheral portion extended outward beyond an outer periphery of the signal electrode. The communication apparatus carries out data communication via a living body. |
| US08588682B2 |
Near field RF communicators having refined energy sharing characterisitics utilizing improved shunt current control
A near field RF communicator has an inductive coupler (223) to enable inductive coupling with a magnetic field of an RF signal; a rectifier (213,214,215,216) to rectify an AC voltage derived from an RF signal inductively coupled to the inductive coupler (223); and a regulator (209,210,211,220,221,900) to regulate a voltage derived from an RF signal inductively coupled to the inductive coupler, the regulator having a voltage-controlled impedance (210, 211) and a regulator controller (209) to provide a control voltage for the voltage controlled impedance and to vary the control voltage in dependence upon a current flowing through the voltage controlled impedance (210, 211). To prevent the voltage regulator from drawing excess current and energy from an RF field in which the communicator is present the voltage regulator is controlled to provide a chosen impedance characteristic. |
| US08588681B2 |
Semiconductor device performing signal transmission by using inductor coupling
Disclosed is a semiconductor device which performs signal transmission by using inductor coupling. The semiconductor device comprises one or more transmission and reception coil pair, each pair comprising a single transmission coil and a plurality of reception coils, or a plurality of transmission coils and a single reception coil, or a plurality of transmission coils and a plurality of reception coils. |
| US08588678B2 |
Control method, control apparatus, data receiving and recording method, data receiver and receiving method
A data receiving and recording method and data receiver are provided for receiving data coded by a predetermined method and copyright information attached to the data. While recording the received data on a predetermined recording medium, the copyright information is recorded into a predetermined area of the recording medium. Preferably, the data consists of audio data of the song, lyrics data of the song and image data relating to the song and the copyright information is allotted respectively to the audio data, lyrics data and image data. |
| US08588674B2 |
Image-forming apparatus and method for controlling image-forming apparatus
An image-forming apparatus having an image-forming unit, a fixation unit for fixing a toner image transferred to paper, a double-sided print conveyance path for conveying the paper imprinted on one side toward the image-forming unit, a decurling unit for passing the paper discharged from the fixation unit in a double-roller nip including a hard roller and a soft roller and decurling the paper, a rotation unit for rotating the decurling unit, and a calculation unit for calculating an amount of toner deposited on each of a first side, which is the side printed first, and a second side, which is the side on the reverse of the first side and is the side printed next. The rotation unit rotates the decurling unit on the basis of calculation results from the calculation unit. |
| US08588670B2 |
Fixing device having a reflector and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A fixing device includes a metal thermal conductor provided inside a loop formed by a fixing rotary body to heat the fixing rotary body; a heater provided inside the metal thermal conductor to heat the metal thermal conductor; a pad support provided inside the metal thermal conductor; and a reflector provided between the heater and the pad support to reflect heat emitted by the heater thereto toward an inner circumferential surface of the metal thermal conductor. The reflector includes a center reflection portion provided at a center of the reflector in a longitudinal direction thereof and a plurality of end reflection portions provided at respective lateral ends of the reflector. A plurality of reflector moving assemblies is connected to the plurality of end reflection portions of the reflector, respectively, to tilt the plurality of end reflection portions toward the center reflection portion. |
| US08588666B2 |
Image forming apparatus with a movable primary transfer roller
Provided is an image forming apparatus whose primary transfer roller is structured in a way as to move from a transfer position along a locus of a rotational motion of a radius r about a rotational center of a photosensitive drum as a rotational axis so that the transfer position is set to a position shifted downstream in a belt moving direction from a position of contact between the photosensitive drum and an intermediate transfer belt by a shift amount f. Accordingly, even when there is an error the upward/downward movement of the primary transfer roller to shift the position of contact, the distance of the primary transfer roller from the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum is constant, so that the shift amount f which is the tangent of the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum and the circumferential surface of the primary transfer roller is always set constant. |
| US08588663B2 |
Developing device having a magnetic member and image forming apparatus including developing device
A developing device includes: a developer holding body including: a hollow development rotary body which is opposed to an image holding body capable of holding a toner image and has a smooth surface whose surface roughness is lower than or equal to 5 μm in terms of maximum height; and a magnet member which is fixedly housed in the development rotary body and in which a plurality of magnetic poles are arranged alongside its periphery, the developer holding body operating in such a manner that developer containing toner and carrier is held on the development rotary body by magnetic force produced by the magnetic poles of the magnet member as the development rotary body is rotated; a layer regulating rotary body as defined herein; and a development driving device as defined herein. |
| US08588662B2 |
Developing device and image forming apparatus including the same
A developing device 2 includes a developer collecting guide member 128 for carrying a residual developer on the surface of a developing roller 114 in a direction from the developing roller 114 to a carrying member 112, the developer collecting guide member 128 including (i) a first inclined plane 128b that guides the residual developer to a position in a carrying path P which position is between a first side wall 117 and a rotary shaft of the carrying member 112 and (ii) a second inclined plane 128c which has a smaller angle of inclination than the first inclined plane 128b and guides the residual developer to the carrying path P, the second inclined plane 128c having an end section present downstream in a developer guiding direction, the end section reaching a position between the side wall 111a and the rotary shaft, and tapering in area to the end section. |
| US08588653B2 |
Corona charger including shutter
A charging device includes a corona charger for electrically charging a photosensitive member; a sheet-like member for covering and uncovering an opening of the corona charger; a regulating member for regulating a shape of the sheet-like member so that the sheet-like member is convex toward the corona charger with respect to a circumferential direction of the photosensitive member; and a winding-up member, including a winding-up shaft around which the sheet-like member is to be wound up, for winding up the sheet-like member so that a surface of the sheet-like member opposing the corona charger is directed toward a winding-up center of the winding-up shaft when the sheet-like member is wound up by the winding-up shaft. |
| US08588651B2 |
Rotary drive device with a planetary gear mechanism to drive a rotary body, and image forming apparatus including the same
A rotary drive device to drive a rotary body included in an image forming apparatus. The rotary drive device includes a drive source and a planetary gear mechanism to control torque from the drive source. The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear rotated by the torque, an annular gear coaxial to the sun gear and having inward-facing teeth, multiple planetary gears provided within the annular gear, and a carrier rotatable coaxially to the sun gear and the annular gear to rotatably support the multiple planetary gears. The annular gear is formed by injecting molten resin into a mold having a cylindrical cavity with teeth shapes along an inner circumference of the cavity from multiple pin gates provided to the mold at equal intervals along a circumference of the cavity. A number of pin gates is a non-integer multiple of a number of planetary gears. |
| US08588649B2 |
Image forming apparatus in which movement of cover causes moving mechanisms to move exposure members
An image forming apparatus includes a cover moving between a first position where the cover opens an opening and a second position where the cover closes the opening; photoconductors arrayed in a predetermined direction; and exposure members provided in one to one correspondence with the photoconductors. Each exposure member exposes a corresponding photoconductor and moves between third and fourth positions. The apparatus also includes moving mechanisms provided in one to one correspondence with the exposure members, each moving mechanism moving the corresponding exposure member between the first and second positions; a power transmission mechanism transmitting power from the cover to the moving mechanisms such that movement of the cover from the second position to the first position causes each moving mechanism to move the corresponding exposure member from the third position to the fourth position. Each exposure member tilts when moving from the third position to the fourth position. |
| US08588643B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a toner image, a waste toner storage mechanism to store residual toner, and an intermediate transfer unit detachable from the image forming apparatus. The intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer member onto which the toner image is transferred, a cleaning device to remove residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer member after the toner image is transferred to a recording medium, and a connecting mechanism to connect the cleaning device and the waste toner storage mechanism. The connecting mechanism includes a movable connecting tube and a moving device to move the connecting tube between a first position at which the connecting tube engages the cleaning device and the waste toner storage mechanism, and the second position at which the connecting tube separates the cleaning device from the waste toner storage mechanism. |
| US08588638B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating same
A fixing device for fixing a toner image on a recording medium includes a pressing member provided outside a loop formed by a fixing member to press the fixing member against a nip formation member provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member. A heat generator support is provided inside the loop formed by the fixing member to support a heat generator that generates heat to be transmitted to the fixing member. A temperature detector is provided downstream from the heat generator and upstream from the nip formation member in a direction of rotation of the fixing member to detect a temperature of the fixing member. A controller is connected to the temperature detector and the heat generator to control heat generation of the heat generator based on the temperature of the fixing member detected by the temperature detector. |
| US08588636B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; an image-forming device including a toner and forming a toner image on the image carrier during a first running period; a detector detecting a toner quantity in a set period within the first running period; and a toner supplying device supplying the image-forming device with a toner according to the detected toner quantity. The apparatus further includes a period setting device that causes the image-forming device to stir the toner over a second running duration longer than the first running duration, and causes, during the second running duration, the detector to perform detection plural times over a period longer than the period, thereby measuring a result stable time required to stabilize the result of the detection, and setting in the detector, as the period, a period over which the result of the detection is stable within the first running duration. |
| US08588624B2 |
Pilot symbol aided carrier phase estimation
Methods and systems for processing an optical signal in a communication system are disclosed. The disclosed methods yield benefits for estimation and tracking of carrier phase of received signals at a digital coherent receiver. Specifically, phase ambiguity is removed by the insertion of pilot symbols into a transmitted data stream. Pilot symbols are detected from a received signal, and carrier phase is estimated for the detected pilot symbols. If carrier phase track of received data symbols was lost, a correction is applied to recover the track. Coherent symbol decoding may be used which has not been possible with prior art techniques due to the possibility of phase tracking loss. |
| US08588623B2 |
Coded polarization-multiplexed iterative polar modulation
Systems and methods for optical communication that use a transmitter/receiver. The systems and methods include receiving a modulated, encoded input stream. Channel memory is reduced using coarse digital backpropagation and other channel impairments are removed using turbo equalization. Symbols are detected in the input stream that conform to a non-uniform, polar constellation having a Gaussian source distribution to produce a stream of encoded data. The stream of encoded data is decoded with one or more low density parity check (LDPC) decoders. |
| US08588619B2 |
Optical telemetry network
An apparatus for providing communications between a first device disposed at a tubular and a second device, the tubular having tubular sections and being configured to be disposed in a borehole penetrating the earth, the apparatus including: a first optical coupler configured to be coupled to a first tubular section and configured to be in optical communication with the first device using a first optical transmission medium disposed at the first tubular section; and a second optical coupler configured to be coupled to a second tubular section and configured to be in optical communication with the second device using a second optical transmission medium disposed at the second tubular section; wherein the first optical coupler is configured to be perimetrically disposed about the second optical coupler to be in communication with the second optical coupler to provide the communications between the first device and the second device. |
| US08588617B2 |
Optical transceiver assembly with transmission-direction control
An optical transceiver assembly comprises a transmission system, a reception system and a coupling system which directs a part of the signals produced by the transmission system to the reception system. Said part of the transmission signals is detected by a photodetector matrix of the reception system, outside an useful zone of the matrix which is dedicated to the detection of the received signals. A transmission direction may therefore be determined in real time while the received signals are detected. A difference between the transmission direction and a reception direction of the transceiver assembly may then be precisely compensated for at each moment during a tracking step. The transceiver assembly may be a free space laser optical communication terminal. |
| US08588611B2 |
Method for establishing an inter-domain path that satisfies wavelength continuity constraint
The present invention provides a method for establishing an inter-domain path that satisfies wavelength continuity constraint. The fPCE stores a virtual topology comprised by border nodes of all domains. The present invention uses parallel inter-domain path establishment method to decrease the influence from WCC. Compared with the sequential process way in prior art, it enhanced the resource utilization and decreased computation delay. |
| US08588609B2 |
Wavelength division multiplexing transmission system and apparatus and optical signal noise ratio calculation method
A wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission system for transmitting a wavelength division multiplexed signal light from a sender transmission apparatus to a receiver transmission apparatus is provided. The system comprises a computing unit that subtracts from a first optical signal noise ratio (OSNR) of the signal light measured by the receiver transmission apparatus a second OSNR ascribed to a sideband of the signal light measured by the sender transmission apparatus so as to compute a corrected OSNR of an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise light with a reduction of an effect of the sideband. |
| US08588608B2 |
Method for managing the connection in an optical access network, corresponding platform, central office, and computer program product
A method is provided for managing connections in an optical access network. Also provided are a corresponding platform, exchange, network and computer software product. The method manages connections of a plurality of user modules to a plurality of transmission modules of an exchange in an optical access network. The management method includes a dynamic re-arrangement of the connection of at least one of the user modules to at least one of the transmission modules according to at least one predetermined optimization criterion. |
| US08588604B2 |
Imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus includes a light-emitting unit from which a lead wire and a flexible wiring board extend, a shaft member passing through the light-emitting unit, and a base member having formed therein two bearing portions pivotally supporting the shaft member. The light-emitting unit is caused to shift between an in-use state and a stored state according to the light-emitting unit being rotated around the shaft member. The flexible wiring board extending from the light-emitting unit extends into the imaging apparatus through a space between the two bearing portions in which the shaft member is located. The lead wire extending from the light-emitting unit extends into the imaging apparatus through an outside of one of the two bearing portions in which the shaft member is not located. |
| US08588603B2 |
Imaging apparatus
When an automatic pop-up is selected in an imaging apparatus, during startup, a light emission unit is moved to a pop-up position by a spring force in operably conjugate with a lens barrel together with the retraction of a cam follower. When a manual pop-up is selected, during startup, a lock lever is engaged with the light emission unit, and the light emission unit remains in a storage position. When a user places the operation unit of the lock lever to a first position and places the camera power source in the ON position, a strobe can be automatically subjected to a pop-up operation. Furthermore, when a user places the operation unit to a second position and places the camera power source in the ON position, the strobe can be automatically subjected to a pop-up operation as required. |
| US08588599B2 |
Imaging apparatus and focus control method for the imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus which includes a focus detection unit performing focus detection in a contrast system, and a display unit displaying the image obtained from an imaging unit in live view display is provided. The imaging apparatus includes a setting member setting a contrast AF calibration mode, a calibration amount obtaining unit for obtaining a difference amount between a focus position selected by a photographer and an in-focus position by the focus detection unit as a contrast AF calibration amount when the focus position is selected by the photographer in the contrast AF calibration mode, a storage unit storing the contrast AF calibration amount, and a focus control unit performing in-focus control by adding the contrast AF calibration amount to the in-focus position by the focus detection unit at the time of shooting while performing the in-focus control based on a result of the focus detection by the focus detection unit. |
| US08588597B2 |
Image blurring correction device, control method thereof, and image capture apparatus
An image blurring correction device includes a correction member which moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of an imaging optical system to correct blurring of an optical image, two driving units which drive the correction member in different directions, a shake detection unit which detects a shake applied to the image blurring correction device, a correction amount calculation unit which calculates, based on shake information detected by the shake detection unit, a correction amount for correcting blurring of the optical image, and a conversion unit which converts the correction amount to cancel a driving error generated by a rotation moment applied to the correction member. The driving units drive the correction member based on the correction amount converted by the conversion unit, correcting blurring of the optical image. |
| US08588593B2 |
Dynamic sauna
Apparatuses, methods, and computer-storage media provide for a sauna that is operable to provide a programmable sauna experience to a user. A sauna may include mechanisms for monitoring biological data associated with a user, mechanisms for generating and updating training programs associated with a user, and mechanisms for communicating with remote devices to send and receive information and updates. A sauna may be provided having adjustable zoned heating and self-diagnostic capabilities. |
| US08588592B2 |
Gas heating methods
Method for thermally spraying a heater onto a substrate, comprising providing a metallic material having a core and an insulator therein and thermally spraying the metallic material and the insulator onto a substrate to form a heater. Method of fabricating a thermally sprayed gas heater, comprising providing a gas flow apparatus that propels a gas through a housing; thermally spraying a material to form a resistive heating layer; bonding the resistive heating layer to a surface of the apparatus, the heating layer being positioned to heat the gas flow in the housing. Method of fabricating a heater system of a turbulent gas flow duct, comprising providing a duct having a gas flow channel, the channel having a shaped surface providing a turbulent gas flow therein; thermally spraying a material to form a resistive heating layer; positioning the resistive heating layer to heat the gas flow in the channel. |
| US08588590B1 |
Systems and methods for operation of recording devices such as digital video recorders (DVRs)
A system, method, and computer program product are provided according to one embodiment. The system includes logic for receiving a request to record a contiguous television program; a storage medium for storing a representation of a first portion of the television program on a local recording system, the first portion being temporally shorter than a length of the television program; logic for sending a message to a remote system in response to the message, wherein the remote system stores a representation of a second portion of the television program; logic for outputting an indication of the television program on a list of recorded programs; logic for receiving a request to play back the television program via selection of the indication from the list; logic for outputting the first portion of the television program; logic for downloading at least a portion of the representation of the second portion of the television program; and logic for outputting the second portion of the television program after outputting the first portion of the television program. |
| US08588589B2 |
Systems and methods for automatically converting media content stream data accumulated during a pause of playback from a buffer to a permanent recording
Exemplary systems and methods for automatically converting media content stream data from a buffer to a permanent recording are disclosed. An exemplary method includes a media content access subsystem receiving data representative of a media content stream, temporarily storing the data representative of the media content stream within a buffer for playback to a user, detecting an input command provided by the user to pause the playback of the media content stream, pausing the playback of the media content stream, accumulating data representative of a portion of the media content stream not yet played back within the buffer, detecting an alert condition indicating that the data representative of the portion of the media content stream not yet played back is about to be lost from the buffer, and converting the data representative of the portion of the media content stream not yet played back to a permanent recording. |
| US08588587B2 |
Navigation interface with ghost region
An implementation is described for navigating media. The implementation includes displaying a portion of the media. The implementation also includes displaying a navigation interface corresponding to the media. The navigation interface includes an active region, a current view region, and a ghost region. The active region corresponds to at least a portion of the media. The current view region corresponds to a portion of the media to be displayed. The current view is at least partially defined by a selector handle. The ghost region is coupled to the active region. The ghost region represents a range of remaining media other than the portion of the media in the active region. The ghost area provides a context for the remaining media relative to the portion of the media corresponding to the active region. The implementation also includes receiving user input to navigate the media according to a visual interaction between the sector handle and the ghost region. |
| US08588583B2 |
Systems and methods for interactive video frame selection
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for interactive video frame selection are described. One embodiment includes a method having the steps of causing a frame of a video to be displayed, receiving a selection of a point at a first location within the frame, and determining a particle in the frame associated with the point. The method further includes the steps of receiving a movement of the point to a second location, determining a second frame of the video comprising the particle based at least in part on a distance between the particle and the second location of the point in the second frame. |
| US08588581B2 |
Recording medium containing moving picture data and additional information thereof and reproducing method and apparatus of the recording medium
The medium has script files including additional information about moving picture data, e.g., scene descriptive text and introduction of characters, etc. In addition, information linking each script file with a section of moving picture data to be presented with contents of the script file is included in a link data file or is contained in a filename of the script file. In reproduction of the recording medium, a script file linked with presently reproduced moving picture data section is determined and searched for based on the link data file or every filename of the script files, and contents of the found script file are presented together with the presently reproduced moving picture data. Furthermore, previously presented additional information is removed depending on data or filename of the found script file. |
| US08588580B2 |
Playback device, recording medium, playback method and program
A bytecode processing unit provided in a playback device is platform unit 20 that reads and runs a bytecode application recorded on read-only medium 105. The playback device includes: playback control unit 10 for controlling AV playback of digital streams; and machine unique function control unit 33 for performing machine unique functions unique to the playback device, to perform a control onto a content. APIs used by the bytecode application include API for playback control function, and API for socket communication. When the bytecode application requests playback control unit 10 to control the playback, it calls the playback control API to can instruct playback control unit 10 to execute the process. When the bytecode application requests execution of a machine unique function of the playback device, it instructs a machine unique function control unit to perform the process via a function call by the socket communication API. |