| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08607357B2 |
Receiving apparatus, receiving method, transmitting apparatus, transmitting method, and medium
A receiving apparatus has a first memory area accessible by a first provider providing first contents and a second memory area accessible by a second provider providing second contents. A receiving unit receives a first access right file and a second access right file. An output unit outputs the first contents or the second contents. A memory control unit stores first information associated with the first contents in the first memory area and stores second information associated with the second contents in the second memory area. A switching unit switches from outputting the first contents to outputting the second contents. A determining unit determines whether the second provider is permitted to access the first memory area. An output controller reads the first information and outputs the second contents based on the first information to the output unit when the second provider is permitted to access the first memory area. |
| US08607353B2 |
System and method for performing threat assessments using situational awareness
Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for performing threat assessments. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include generating one or more patterns of behavior corresponding to a security breach at a first company, and storing the generated one or more patterns in a pattern repository. In addition, the method may include comparing at least one of the one or more patterns with one or more standardized log files for the first company to identify one or more first log entries related to the behavior corresponding to the security breach. The method may also include processing at least one pattern of the one or more patterns with one or more standardized log files for a second company to identify log entries of the second company that indicate a possible security breach at the second company. |
| US08607350B2 |
Sovereign information sharing service
Embodiments herein provide a method, system, etc. for a sovereign information sharing service. More specifically, a method for secure distributed query processing comprises storing data tables from at least one data provider in at least one first computer comprising a sovereign server. Next, encrypted input and output of the data tables is performed between the server and a second computer. Following this, join operations are computed, comprising determining whether arbitrary join predicates yield matches within the data tables; and encrypted results of the join operations are output. The method minimizes possible information leakage from interaction between the server and the second computer by making observations and inferences from patterns of the outputting of the encrypted results. |
| US08607349B1 |
System and method for detection of malware using behavior model scripts of security rating rules
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for detecting computer malware using security rating rules. In one example, the system identifies at least one problematic security rating rule that was activated during antivirus analysis of both safe and malicious programs. The system then selects a group of programs for which said problematic rule was activated. The system then identifies at least one different security rating rule, the activation or non-activation of which together with the activation of the problematic rule allows identifying in the group of programs a plurality of only malicious programs or a plurality of only safe programs. The system then generates a behavior model script that adjusts a security rating assigned by the problematic security rating rule to an analyzed program when one or more of the problematic security rating rule and the at least one different security rating rule are activated. |
| US08607345B1 |
Method and apparatus for generic malware downloader detection and prevention
One embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method of detecting a malware downloader running on a computer system. An indication is received that a process running on the computer system is attempting to execute an executable file. A timestamp of the executable file is obtained. The timestamp indicates a time at which the executable file was downloaded. A current time is also obtained from the computer system. A determination is made as to whether the current time is approximately equal to the time indicated by the timestamp. An indication is made that said process is not a malware downloader if the current time is not approximately equal to the time indicated by the timestamp. Another embodiment relates to a computer apparatus configured to detect a malware downloader. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed. |
| US08607344B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for initiating a security action at an intermediate layer coupled between a library and an application
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for initiating a security action at an intermediate layer coupled between a library and an application. In use, a library of data is stored. Additionally, system calls intended for operating on the data are produced, utilizing an application. Furthermore, the system calls are intercepted and a security action is initiated on the data in response to the interception, utilizing an intermediate layer between the library and the application. |
| US08607343B2 |
Ticket-based personalization
Securely installing and booting software of a device to run OS authorized according to a ticket that is validated by a nonce generated by application processor (AP) in booted OS stage prior to entering a restore mode is described. AP in booted OS stage generates a pre-flight nonce that is stored in a trusted location (effaceable storage). AP in booted OS stage performs one-way hash of pre-flight nonce and sends the hashed pre-flight nonce to ticket authorization server. AP enters restore mode. AP in first stage bootloader receives a ticket from the ticket authorization server including a signed copy of the hashed pre-flight nonce. AP in first stage bootloader validates the signed ticket by comparing one-way hash of the pre-flight nonce stored in the trusted location and the hashed nonce in the signed ticket. Pre-flight nonce expires after timeout period and upon reboot of AP. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08607342B1 |
Evaluation of incremental backup copies for presence of malicious codes in computer systems
In one embodiment, incremental backups containing information on modified addressable portions of a data storage device are evaluated for presence of malicious codes (“malwares”). Each modified addressable portion may be individually accessed and scanned for malicious codes. Each modified addressable portion may also be mapped to its associated file, allowing the associated file to be scanned for malicious codes. These allow an incremental backup to be evaluated even when it only contains portions, rather than the entirety, of several different files. A clean incremental backup may be selected for restoring the data storage device in the event of malicious code infection. |
| US08607339B2 |
Systems and methods for improved identification and analysis of threats to a computing system
A security tool can access a tagging tool and the history generated by the tagging tool in order to identify potential threats and analyze the identified threats. When a potential threat is detected or an actual threat is identified, the security tool can request the history of actions from the tagging tool corresponding to the threat. The security tool can compare the potential or actual threat with the history of any action recorded by the tagging tool in order to classify a potential threat as an actual threat or determine the source or cause of an actual threat. |
| US08607338B2 |
Malicious advertisement management
Methods and systems are provided for managing malicious advertisements, including threats or risks posed by malicious advertisements or potentially malicious or risky advertisements. Methods are provided in which an advertisement is tested to determine behavioral characteristics at a non-active time and at an active time, and the two sets of characteristics are compared. If a difference is determined to exist, an action is taken that reflects a higher chance of the advertisement being malicious than if no difference was detected. Furthermore, the characteristics at a non-active time may be used in determining a degree of risk associated with an advertisement. |
| US08607337B2 |
Scanning circuit and method for data content
The present invention relates to a data scanning circuit and method. According to the present invention, a memory circuit stores a plurality of codes. Each of the code corresponds to a sub-rule. The memory circuit outputs at least first bit and at least second bit of each code, respectively, according to a first and a second data items. An operational circuit performs logic operations on the first and second bits, and produces an operated result. A decision circuit decides whether the input data satisfies the scanning rule according to the operated result. |
| US08607333B2 |
Radio frequency identification (RFID) security apparatus having security function and method thereof
Disclosed are a radio frequency identification (RFID) security apparatus and a method thereof. According to the RFID security method, a secure tag reader performs determining an AES key using security information received from a secure tag and generating an output key using the determined AES key, decrypting AES data received from the secure tag using the output key, and encrypting data to be transmitted to the secure tag using the output key and transmitting the data, and a secure tag performs generating an output key using an AES key and security information, and transmitting the security information to a secure tag reader, encrypting data to be transmitted to the secure tag reader using the output key, and transmitting the encrypted data to the secure tag reader, and decrypting data received from the secure tag reader using the output key. |
| US08607332B2 |
System and method for the anonymisation of sensitive personal data and method of obtaining such data
A system for managing sensitive personal data includes a first data processing subsystem and a second data processing subsystem. The first data processing subsystem includes a generating unit and a private database. The generating unit generates a common key from data identifying a person. The private database associates the common key with the identification data. The second data processing subsystem includes an obtaining unit, a generating unit, a receiving unit and a storing unit. The obtaining unit obtains the common key. The generating unit generates a random number from the common key. The receiving unit receives a registration message including sensitive personal data of the person and the random number. The storing unit stores the personal data in a second database in association with the random number and the common key. |
| US08607331B2 |
Captcha image authentication method and system
The present disclosure relates to a Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) image authentication method and system. The CAPTCHA image authentication method comprises the steps of: collecting a plurality of first objects; defining a plurality of variables so as to be used as basis for classifying and dividing the plural first objects into M groups accordingly while allowing each group in the M groups to correspond to at least one variable selected from the plural variables; selecting at least one group from the M groups while further grading and dividing the first objects in the selected group into subgroups of N grades based upon a standard unit of the variable corresponding to the selected group; sorting and storing the subgroups of N grades; and selecting a plurality of authentication objects from the subgroups of N grades to be used in an authentication process. |
| US08607330B2 |
Orderly change between new and old passwords
A processor stores a current password in a current password storage area, which results in committing the current password as a valid password. In turn, the processor initiates a password change interval that indicates a required point at which to change the current password. The processor also stores a future password in a future password storage area, which activates the future password. Activating the future password allows a user to login using the future password, but is independent of the password change interval (e.g., does not reset the password change interval). The processor subsequently receives a login request from a user that includes a login password, and determines that the login password matches the future password. As a result, the processor authorizes the user in response to determining that the login password matches the future password. |
| US08607328B1 |
Methods and systems for automated system support
Systems, methods, and machine readable media for repairing data processing systems. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer software utility has the ability to repair a personal computer (PC) using a bootable storage medium (e.g. CD). This utility can connect to the Internet and create an encrypted virtual private network (VPN) tunnel to an automated support server network and to other PCs running a similar version of the utility. This utility, in conjunction with the automated support server network, checks the system files (e.g. DLL and system configuration files, etc.) on a PC being repaired and obtains information to perform the checking from the automated support server network and may obtain replacement system files from the automated support server network or the other PCs. |
| US08607326B2 |
Message-handling server and method for handling secure message attachments for a mobile device
A secure message that includes an attachment is received at a server. The secure message may have a secure layer that indicates that the secure message is at least digitally signed. The secure message may be provided without the attachment to the mobile device over a wireless network. A request may be received from the mobile device to access the attachment. The request may include an attachment identifier (ID) that identifies the attachment in accordance with a message-attachment indexing system. In response to the request to access the attachment, the server may perform an index lookup to find the attachment based upon the attachment ID, may look through the secure layer of the secure message in order to locate the attachment within the secure message, and may render at least an initial portion of the attachment by the server in a format for viewing by the mobile device. |
| US08607316B2 |
Simplified authentication via application access server
A method for network access is provided. The method includes establishing a secure link between a user equipment (UE) and a wireless local area network (WLAN) when an authentication and authorization server determines that credentials provided by the UE to the authentication and authorization server allow the UE secure access to the WLAN. The method further includes establishing a secure link between the UE and an application access server via the WLAN when the application access server, using the same credentials, determines that the UE is allowed secure access to the application access server. |
| US08607311B2 |
Delegation in logic-based access control
Access to a resource may be controlled by a policy, such that a request to access the resource is either granted or denied based on what assertions have been made by various principals. To find the assertions that support a grant of access to the resource, a template may be created that defines the nature of assertions that would cause access to succeed. Assertions may be stored in the form of tokens. The template may be used to search an existing token store to find assertions that have been made, and/or to generate assertions that have not been found in the token store and that would satisfy the template. The assertions in the template may be created by performing an abductive reasoning process on an access query. |
| US08607310B2 |
Association of in-band and out-of-band identification credentials of a target device
An association between a system's in-band identification credentials with out-of-band identification credentials may arise by making a universal serial bus device emulation in the form of either a virtual mass storage device or a virtual network adaptor. In the case of the former, a machine readable name is decoded to determine which KVM port a target device is connected to. Such can be used to associate a system's known in-band identification credentials with decoded out-of-band identification credentials from the virtual mass storage device. In the case of the latter, the target may be searched and queried through an out-of-band path to ascertain in-band identification credentials. |
| US08607309B2 |
Trustworthiness decision making for access authentication
There are provided measures for trustworthiness decision making for access authentication, for example relating to the trustworthiness of non-3GPP access networks within a 3GPP-compliant packet data system, exemplary comprising receiving an indication about a provisional trustworthiness of an access network, which provides packet data access for a roaming user, with respect to a visited network of said user from a network element of said visited network, determining the applicability of local breakout or home routing for each subscribed access point name of said user, and deciding about a final trustworthiness of said access network based upon the received provisional trustworthiness indication and the determined routing applicability for each subscribed access point name of said user. |
| US08607307B2 |
Scalable and flexible information security for industrial automation
A security system that relates to industrial automation security comprises a component that receives a request to modify security relating to a zone of a factory floor, the zone being less than an entirety of the factory floor. A zonal security component generates security procedures for the zone, the security procedures differ from security procedures implemented on the factory floor outside the zone. |
| US08607305B2 |
Collecting anonymous and traceable telemetry
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to collecting anonymous and traceable telemetry. In aspects, a telemetry source may obtain a certificate or other data from an escrow certificate issuer. The certificate includes information usable by a certificate collector to verify that the certificate is valid, but does not include information usable to identify the telemetry source to the telemetry collector. |
| US08607304B2 |
System and method for policy-enabled mobile service gateway
A policy-enabled service gateway contains a gateway function and a local policy engine containing policies related to the functionality of the associated gateway function. New or updated policies may be provided to the local policy engine from a centralized policy server. The policies within the local policy engine are functionally related to the gateway function and provide for policy and/or charging enforcement associated with the gateway function. If the local policy engine does not contain a particular policy, it may request the policy from the centralized policy server. The local policy engine may choose to store the requested policy for future use. |
| US08607303B2 |
Techniques for modification of access expiration conditions
Techniques for modification of access expiration conditions are presented. A principal supplies a password associated with establishing access to a target resource. In response to the password, characteristics of the password are examined and a custom expiration condition is generated for the password in response to the characteristics and policy. When the custom expiration condition is satisfied, the password and access to the target resource become invalid for use. Moreover, the principal may interactively change a complexity level of any proposed password for purposes of attempting to enhance the expiration condition or for purposes of attempting to degrade the expiration condition. |
| US08607294B2 |
Audio/video component networking system and method
An audio/video (A/V) component networking system comprising a sink component configured to control presentation of A/V program data received from a source component on a presentation device and a sink interface configured to receive an input command from an input device and determine whether to direct the input command for processing to either the sink component or the presentation device. |
| US08607291B2 |
Method, AV CP device and home network system for executing AV content with segment unit
Provided are a method, an audio/video (AV) control point (CP) device, and a home network system for executing AV content in segment units defined using a protocol enabling interoperability between various devices existing in a home network. The method includes a control point extracting segment-related information about audio/video (AV) content stored in a first AV device, and the control point controlling a second AV device to execute the AV content using the segment-related information in segment units. |
| US08607290B2 |
System and method for content delivery
Based on a user profile, content that is predicted to be desired by the user, including past episodes of a series that may have been missed by the user, is downloaded to the user's home system during periods of low bandwidth usage in the home system. A determination is made dynamically as to whether to provide the content from a server or a peer-to-peer network based on network attributes, file size, etc. |
| US08607288B2 |
Interactive Internet browser based media broadcast
A method of providing one-way video transmission and corresponding interactive two-audio communication to remote recipients via a world wide computer network comprising the steps of creating a source digital video signal, broadcast transmitting the source digital video signal via an internet connection, transmitting a corresponding source digital audio signal a VoIP protocol, and transmitting a recipient audio signal to the source location via an Internet connection. A system for broadcast transmitting a one-way digital video signal and for transmitting and receiving a corresponding interactive two-way audio signal over an Internet connection comprises a broadcast digital video server for broadcast transmitting a source digital video signal, a VoIP audio server for transmitting a source digital audio signal over an Internet connection, and an Internet web page configured to display the transmitted source digital video and audio signal, the Internet web page further configured to receive and transmit a recipient digital audio signal from the recipient to the VoIP audio server. |
| US08607285B2 |
Video player
Methods, systems, and tangible computer-readable memory media are disclosed that relate to a video player configured to play a video file. During playback, the video player, in one embodiment, is configured to access metadata relating to, but separate from, the video file to dynamically display graphical content distinct from the video file. A server system may receive, from a client computer system (e.g., of the video owner), information specifying metadata for the video file. This metadata may specify the display of overlay graphics and/or navigation graphics, the overlay of audio, etc. Additionally, the metadata may specify items needed to perform a process depicted in an instructional video; upon playing the video, the video player may provide one or more purchase links for such items. In one embodiment, a server system may edit the underlying video file—e.g., to include overlay graphics. |
| US08607284B2 |
Method of outputting video content from a digital media server to a digital media renderer and related media sharing system
A method of outputting video content from a digital media server to a digital media renderer includes providing a digital media controller to select a digital media renderer for video playback, sending a playback request from the digital media controller to the selected digital media renderer, the selected digital media renderer requesting data from the digital media server in response to receiving the playback request from the digital media controller, and the digital media server capturing video and capturing audio. The method further includes the digital media server encoding the captured video and the captured audio to respectively produce encoded video and encoded audio, outputting the encoded video and the encoded audio from the digital media server to the selected digital media renderer, and playing the encoded video and the encoded audio on the selected digital media renderer. |
| US08607283B2 |
Systems, methods and computer readable media for instant multi-channel video content browsing in digital video distribution systems
Techniques for delivery and presentation/display of audio-visual signals over electronic communications network channels are disclosed herein. In an exemplary embodiment, a video server for an IPTV system is disclosed. The system includes a video extractor/transporter (shortly referred to as video extractor) for extracting encoded audio-visual signals from at least one video source, and distributing the signals over the electronic communications network channels. The system also includes control logic which can receive control messages from receivers and invoke the video extractor to extract audio-visual signals therefrom. |
| US08607282B2 |
Video on demand service method, video on demand receiver, and video on demand server
Provided are a video on demand (VOD) service method, a VOD receiver, and a VOD server. The VOD service method includes downloading a first content from a VOD server in a download-and-play mode, receiving feedback information from a client terminal during buffering the first content in order to reproduce the first content, and transmitting the feedback information to the VOD server. |
| US08607280B2 |
Resource and capability borrowing
Systems and techniques for sharing the capabilities of consumer electronic devices. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a task involving audio/video content from a user, identifying which device in an interconnected system of devices is operable to initiate the performance of the task, and assigning responsibility for the performance of the task to the identified device. The interconnected system includes two or more devices at remote locations. |
| US08607277B2 |
Headend modeling of data
A data modeling method for modeling data for an electronic program guide (EPG) at a broadcast headend is described. The method includes grouping receiver types according to a first set of characteristics associated with a receiver type, thereby producing a plurality of groups of receivers, assigning a bit-number to each group of receivers, providing EPG data, the EPG data including data for display at an EPG, the EPG data being included in a data fragment, evaluating the data fragment and the EPG data included therein according to at least one characteristic from a second set of characteristics, thereby producing a result, adding metadata to the data fragment, the metadata including a bit field including the assigned bit number, the bit number being determined in accordance with the result, the metadata being indicative of at least one characteristic from the first set of characteristics with which a data container and EPG data included therein are associated, and broadcasting the data fragment in the data container. Related methods and apparatus are also described. |
| US08607270B2 |
Virtual tuner
A virtual tuner is described. In an implementation, a method includes outputting an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) for display by a client. The EPG includes a plurality of representations of a plurality of content. At least one of the content is television programming for receipt by the client over an Internet. The client includes a plurality of applications. One or more of the content is provided for output by a respective one of the applications. The EPG is configured to form one or more events in response to user interaction with one or more said representations. A virtual tuner is executed on the client to manage execution of each of the applications to provide respective content in response to the events formed utilizing the EPG. |
| US08607268B2 |
Categorized electronic program guide
Techniques are described to provide a categorized electronic program guide, as well as other user interfaces. In an implementation, each of a plurality of representations of content that is currently available via network for consumption are grouped into a respective one of the plurality of categories. An electronic program guide is output for display such that at least one of the categories, which is not have one or more items categorized of the currently available content, is not available for display in the electronic program guide. |
| US08607264B2 |
Controlling access
Methods and system for controlling access to viewable content on an individual title basis. In one embodiment, the method enables a user, such as a parent, to assign passwords to individual titles, thereby preventing unauthorized users, such as children, from viewing content corresponding to a selected title while enabling authorized users to view the content via correct entry of the password. In another embodiment, the method enables an administrative user (e.g., parent) to define allowed access levels and assign the same to various users of the system. The administrative user is also enabled to assign access levels to individual titles. In response to a user selection to view a title, the system identifies the user and determines whether the user is authorized to view the content based on the access level assigned to the title and any allowed access levels assigned to the user. The system includes set-top boxes and the like that may be used to implement the methods. |
| US08607262B2 |
Method and apparatus for communicating popularity ratings to users
A method of providing popularity ratings to users includes monitoring experiences of users with programs, generating popularity ratings associated with the programs in response to the monitoring, and communicating at least one of the popularity ratings as at least one of the users experiences at least one of the programs. |
| US08607258B2 |
Clamping device of spindle motor having a plurality of arms and an elastic member
The clamping device of spindle motor is disclosed, wherein a case portion contacted by the other distal end of the arms is inclined due to depression of a distal end of the arms by the disk, such that the arms linearly moves into the case to allow the other distal end to further rotate upwards, whereby the disk can be easily inserted into the case regardless of size of the inner diameter of the disk. |
| US08607254B2 |
Cartridge transporting device
A cartridge transporting device includes: a cartridge holder in which a cartridge receiving a recording medium is inserted and which holds the inserted cartridge; a supporting frame that supports the cartridge holder to be freely move between an insertion position and a drawn-in position; a locking member that moves between a locking position and a non-locking position, moves to the locking position, and locks the cartridge holder at the insertion position; a holder driving member that is movable in a predetermined direction and moves the cartridge holder between the insertion position and the drawn-in position; and a moving mechanism that moves the holder driving member in the predetermined direction, wherein when the cartridge holder starts to move from the insertion position to the drawn-in position, the holder driving member moves such that the cartridge holder locked by the locking member is unlocked. |
| US08607253B2 |
Virtualized storage assignment method
Various aspects are disclosed for building a device driver stack in a virtual machine partition that does not physically control the device represented by the stack. In an embodiment, a secondary interface and driver for an I/O device may be instantiated. Information from an I/O virtualization layer describing the devices that the associated driver may control may be requested. A multi-path redirection layer may provide a handle to an existing stack that includes a driver for the I/O device. This existing stack may then be used to communicate with the device and allow the creation of a new stack including an object representing the device and a new driver for the device. The multi-path redirection layer may then open a handle to the new stack and inform the device virtualization layer, which may then ask the existing device interface to relinquish control of the device to the newly created interface. |
| US08607252B2 |
Automated lamp stack migration
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for automated LAMP stack data migration. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for automated LAMP stack data migration can be provided. The method can include retrieving a profile for a LAMP stack executing in a source operating platform, selecting a LAMP stack for deployment onto a target operating platform and deploying the selected LAMP stack onto the target operating platform. The method further can include translating the retrieved profile for compatibility with the selected LAMP stack, directing a reboot of the target operating platform, and applying the translated profile to the target operating platform. |
| US08607247B2 |
Method and system for workitem synchronization
Method, system, and computer program product embodiments for synchronizing workitems on one or more processors are disclosed. The embodiments include executing a barrier skip instruction by a first workitem from the group, and responsive to the executed barrier skip instruction, reconfiguring a barrier to synchronize other workitems from the group in a plurality of points in a sequence without requiring the first workitem to reach the barrier in any of the plurality of points. |
| US08607246B2 |
Multiprocessor circuit using run-time task scheduling
Tasks are executed in a multiprocessing system with a master processor core (10) and a plurality of slave processor cores (12). The master processor core (10), executes a program that defines a matrix of tasks at respective positions in the matrix and a task dependency pattern applicable to a plurality of the tasks and defined relative to the positions. Each dependency pattern defines relative dependencies for a plurality of positions in the matrix, rather than using individual dependencies for individual positions. In response to the program the master processor core (10) dynamically stores definitions of current task dependency patterns in a dependency pattern memory. A hardware task scheduler computes the positions of the tasks that are ready for execution at run time from information from information about positions for which tasks have been completed and the task dependency pattern applied relative to those tasks. The tasks that have been computed to be ready for execution are assigned to the slave processor cores (12). |
| US08607245B2 |
Dynamic processor-set management
A dynamic processor-set management method provides for transferring a process from a shared processor set to a dedicated processor set when that process meets a first utilization-related criterion. The method also provides for transferring a process between from a dedicated processor set to a shared processor set when that process meets a second utilization-related criterion. The processor sets are mapped to processor cores that execute the processes. |
| US08607241B2 |
Compare and exchange operation using sleep-wakeup mechanism
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for performing compare and exchange operations using a sleep-wakeup mechanism. According to one embodiment, an instruction at a processor is executed to help acquire a lock on behalf of the processor. If the lock is unavailable to be acquired by the processor, the instruction is put to sleep until an event has occurred. |
| US08607240B2 |
Integration of dissimilar job types into an earliest deadline first (EDF) schedule
A method for implementation within a scheduler for a processor is described. The method includes receiving a plurality of jobs from an earliest deadline first (EDF) schedule, wherein the scheduler implements an EDF scheduling model. The method also includes receiving a separate job from a source other than the EDF schedule. The separate job has a fixed scheduling requirement with a specific execution time. The method also includes determining an amount of available utilization capacity of the processor and inserting the separate job into an execution plan of the processor with the plurality of jobs from the EDF schedule in response to a determination that the available utilization capacity of the processor is sufficient to execute the separate job according to the fixed scheduling requirement associated with the separate job. |
| US08607224B2 |
System for packaging native program extensions together with virtual machine applications
Methods and apparatus are described for packaging native program extensions with a virtual machine application. The application is distributed in an application package containing application code that runs in a virtual machine, native code that runs outside the virtual machine, and other resources. When the application requires access to native features of the underlying device not provided in the virtual machine, the native code is installed and executed. The virtual machine application accesses the native features by communicating with the native code running outside the virtual machine via inter-process communication. |
| US08607223B2 |
Creating multiplatform customized install packages for software installation
Methods, systems and computer program products for multi-platform installation of a customized install package (CIP). In one embodiment of the invention, a multi-platform component installation package is provided which includes components sufficient to assemble complete installation images for installation onto different specified target systems of respective different platform types, and selected ones of the components are assembled together so as to assemble a complete installation image for installation onto a specific one of the different specified target systems. |
| US08607222B2 |
Communication method for upgrading software over a wireless network
The present invention relates to a communication method for upgrading software in a wireless network. The communication method according to one aspect of the present invention relates to a communication method for upgrading software on a specific device on a wireless network, and comprises a step wherein a first message that includes information indicating versions of one or more pieces of software being used by said device is transmitted to a controller of said wireless network and a step wherein said device receives from said controller a second message that includes indication information indicating whether it is necessary to perform a software upgrade. |
| US08607218B2 |
Updating computer files
A method of updating computer software includes identifying an orphaned computer file in a second version of computer software, the orphaned computer file having a name that does not correspond to any name of a computer file in a first version of computer software and computing symmetric divergence between the orphaned computer file and each computer file in the first version of computer software. The method also includes choosing a file from the computer files in the first version of computer software that yields a minimum value of symmetric divergence between the file and the orphaned computer file and using the file as a reference file for compressing the orphaned computer file. |
| US08607213B2 |
SCORM manifest reconciliation
A method, system and computer-program product for deploying a package of objects in a learning management system. The method includes the steps of transmitting a Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) package to a SCORM Learning Management System (LMS); parsing out from the SCORM package a copy of a list of resources needed to deploy the SCORM package from the LMS; comparing names of all resources needed to deploy the SCORM package with an inventory of resources available to the LMS; in response to a name of one of the resources needed to deploy the SCORM package not matching any name in the inventory of resources available to the LMS, updating the name of the non-matching named resource to match a name of a resource in the inventory of resources available to the LMS; and deploying the SCORM package by launching the SCORM package with the corrected list of resources. |
| US08607211B2 |
Linking code for an enhanced application binary interface (ABI) with decode time instruction optimization
A code sequence made up multiple instructions and specifying an offset from a base address is identified in an object file. The offset from the base address corresponds to an offset location in a memory configured for storing an address of a variable or data. The identified code sequence is configured to perform a memory reference function or a memory address computation function. It is determined that the offset location is within a specified distance of the base address and that a replacement of the identified code sequence with a replacement code sequence will not alter program semantics. The identified code sequence in the object file is replaced with the replacement code sequence that includes a no-operation (NOP) instruction or having fewer instructions than the identified code sequence. Linked executable code is generated based on the object file and the linked executable code is emitted. |
| US08607208B1 |
System and methods for object code hot updates
An object code hot update system generates hot updates for patching running programs by analyzing upstream post-patch code, augmenting the upstream post-patch code to provide augmented post-patch code with additional initialization functionality. The system further provides techniques to identify a candidate extra-change site in upstream post-patch code and modify the upstream post-patch code to generate a hot update. |
| US08607198B2 |
Cross-concern code coverage assessment
A method for software processing includes extracting from software code under test respective items of meta-information pertaining to elements of the software code and receiving respective quality data regarding the elements of software code. The quality data and meta-information are processed in a computer so as to assign respective metrics to the items of the meta-information responsively to the quality data regarding the elements of the software code to which the items pertain. At least some of the meta-information is presented to a user in accordance with the assigned metrics. |
| US08607195B2 |
Method and apparatus for executing software applications
Consumer electronic devices, such as e.g. high-definition movie players for removable storage media such as optical discs, may provide possibilities for advanced interactivity for the user, implemented as software applications. A question arising generally with such software applications is what the life cycle of such an application is, and who may control it. The invention provides a method for executing software applications within a playback device for audio-video data, wherein data from a first removable storage medium are read for a software application to be executed within said playback device, and the data comprise an indication defining a termination condition for the application. Based on said termination code and depending on how the medium holding the application is ejected, the application is terminated or may survive. |
| US08607193B2 |
Tracking stale comments in source code listings
Managing comments within computer software source code by detecting a change in a portion of computer software source code, identifying a comment that is associated with the portion, and providing an indication that the comment was not changed subsequent to the portion being changed. |
| US08607192B2 |
Automating a governance process of creating a new version of a service in a governed SOA
Modeling a governance process of creating a new version of a service in a governed SOA and generating, in dependence upon the modeled governance process, automation modules that include modules of computer program instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, support performance of one or more steps of the modeled governance process and where the modeled governance process includes reviewing requested updates to a deployed service; determining, in dependence upon the requested updates and a specification of a present version of the deployed service, whether a new version of the deployed service is required; if a new version of the deployed service is required, determining whether the present version of the deployed service will be subsumed by the new version; and if the present version of the deployed service will be subsumed by the new version, retiring the present version of the deployed service. |
| US08607190B2 |
Automation of software application engineering using machine learning and reasoning
A system for automatically creating a desired software application design. In response to an input to create a desired software application design, functional requirements for the desired software application design are retrieved. Then, non-functional requirements associated with each retrieved functional requirement are retrieved. In addition, software models associated with the retrieved functional requirements are retrieved. Further, software patterns associated with the retrieved non-functional requirements are retrieved. Then, the retrieved software models are transformed into software code for the desired software application design. Also, the retrieved software patterns are applied to associated code sequences in the software code to automatically create an architecture for the desired software application design. Finally, the architecture for the desired software application design is outputted for use by a user. The decisions made during the software application design process are also captured for analysis for future improvement of the desired software application design. |
| US08607189B2 |
Dynamic analysis of a graphical program in a browser
System and method for performing program-related operations over a network via a web browser. A network connection is established between a server computer and a client computer over a network. A universal resource identifier (URI) is sent from the client computer to the server computer over the network, where the URI indicates a program, e.g., a graphical program (GP), or at least a portion of a graphical program interactive development environment (GPIDE), e.g., a graphical program editor, an execution engine, a static or dynamic analyzer, and/or compiler. The at least a portion of the GPIDE is received from the server computer over the network in response to the URI, and executed in a web browser of the client computer to perform some specified functionality with respect to the GP. |
| US08607184B1 |
Cell uniquification
Methods reduce the number of newly created cells when creating new cells to optimize a design. Cells are created to optimize a design, but neighbor cells fitting a distribution of drive strengths and P/N ratios are used instead. This allows reducing the number of newly created cells to optimize the design, through uniquification of neighbor instances with respect to the distribution grid. |
| US08607183B2 |
Method of making in an integrated circuit including simplifying metal shapes
A method for simplifying metal shapes in an integrated circuit including receiving an incoming wire layout for at least one metal layer of an integrated circuit, the incoming wire layout for the at least one layer including a plurality of wires running in a preferred direction and a plurality of vias connected thereto. The method further includes segmenting each of the wires into a plurality of bricks according to a set of equally spaced parallel grid lines extending in direction which is perpendicular to the preferred direction such that each wire comprises a series of consecutive bricks with brick boundaries between consecutive bricks occurring at a grid line, defining each brick as a regular or complex brick based on at least one brick criteria, and defining brick groups based on one or more grouping criteria, wherein each group contains one or more consecutive bricks of a same wire and each brick belongs to only one group so that each wire comprises a series of one or more consecutive groups, and wherein groups containing at least one complex brick are defined as complex groups. |
| US08607181B1 |
Method for converting a single channel hardware module into a multi-channel module
A system and method are provided for automatically converting a hardware abstraction language representation of a single-channel hardware module into a hardware abstraction language representation of a multi-channel module. Initially, a hardware abstraction language representation of a single channel hardware module is provided having an input port, output port, and a register. The method defines a number of channels and establishes a context switching memory. Commands are created for intercepting register communications. Commands are also created for storing the intercepted communications in a context switching memory, cross-referenced to channel. The module is operated using the created commands and stored communications from the context switching memory. |
| US08607179B2 |
RC extraction methodology for floating silicon substrate with TSV
The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for generating a through-silicon via (TSV) model for RC extraction that accurately models an interposer substrate comprising one or more TSVs. In some embodiments, a method is performed by generating an interposer wafer model having a sub-circuit that models a TSV. The sub-circuit can compensate for limitations in resistive and capacitive extraction of traditional TSV models performed by EDA tools. In some embodiments, the sub-circuit is coupled to a floating common node of the model. The floating common node enables the interposer wafer model to take into consideration capacitive coupling within the interposer. The improved interposer wafer model enables accurate RC extraction of an interposer with one or more TSVs, thereby providing for an interposer wafer model that is consistent between GDS and APR flows. |
| US08607177B2 |
Netlist cell identification and classification to reduce power consumption
In an integrated circuit device, a power circuit for maintaining asserted values on an input output pin of the device when a functional block of the device is placed in a sleep mode. The device includes a power circuit disposed along the periphery of the device, the power circuit configured to maintain power when the device is placed in a low-power mode. A plurality of input output blocks are included in the device and are for receiving external inputs for the integrated circuit device and for providing outputs from the integrated circuit device. The power circuit is coupled to provide power to at least one of the input output blocks to maintain state when the integrated circuit device is in the low-power mode. |
| US08607175B1 |
Identifying logic blocks in a synthesized logic design that have specified inputs
Logic blocks in a synthesized logic design that have specified inputs are identified by performing a two-pass analysis of the synthesized logic design. A number of levels is specified. A forward linear trace is performed to identify inputs at each level for each logic block, without regard to the specific function of each logic block. A list of potential equivalency points is generated from the forward linear trace. A reverse logical trace is then performed from the potential equivalency points to identify equivalent logic. When no equivalent logic exists, the analysis can specify one or more additional inputs, or one or more missing inputs, to determine whether similar logic exists that could be replicated and modified to achieve the desired function. |
| US08607174B2 |
Verification module apparatus to serve as a prototype for functionally debugging an electronic design that exceeds the capacity of a single FPGA
A plurality of FPGAs and off-chip storage devices provide a verification module for functionally debugging electronic circuit designs. Signal value compression circuits embedded in each FPGA conserve the limited number of pins available on each FPGA. Transmitting addresses to signal values previously stored in off-chip storage further reduce the bottlenecks in analyzing logic functionality distributed across multiple FPGAs. |
| US08607167B2 |
Portable multifunction device, method, and graphical user interface for providing maps and directions
A device has a touch screen display configured to display a map application, which is configured to separately display a list of bookmarked locations, a list of recent queries, and a list of contacts. In response to detecting a finger gesture on an input icon associated with a search term input area, the map application displays at least one of the list of bookmarked locations, the list of recent queries, and the list of contacts. In response to detecting a finger gesture on a bookmarked location, an area corresponding to the bookmarked location is displayed on a digital map. In response to detecting a finger gesture on a recent query, one or more results corresponding to the recent query are displayed on a digital map. In response to detecting a finger gesture on a contact, an area associated with the contact is displayed on a digital map. |
| US08607166B2 |
Browsing or searching user interfaces and other aspects
User interfaces for browsing and/or searching are described. In some embodiments, an icon representing a file is displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI), where the icon includes one or more predefined decorations. The decorations may be chosen based on the file type, such as slide decorations for presentations, a foldover for documents, etc. This may also be referred to as type conformance. A preview of the content of the file is presented within the icon without launching an application which has created the file (also referred to as the creator application). The pre-defined decorations on the icon may be maintained on the icon while the preview of the content of the file is presented. The format of the icon (e.g., shape of the icon, size of the icon, etc.) may be maintained as well during presentation of the preview. Other embodiments are also described, and computer readable media and apparatuses are also described. |
| US08607164B2 |
Image processing apparatus, method of controlling display of function button, and recording medium
An image processing apparatus comprising: a display; a controller that displays or hides a function button for use of a function on a display screen on the display according to one or more than one pattern information object indicating the setting whether to display or hide the function button on the display screen; a firmware updater that updates firmware; and a comparator that compares the old and new firmware in terms of the functions installed thereon, and wherein, if the comparison result drawn by the comparator indicates that a new function is added due to the firmware update, the controller displays or hides a first function button for use of the new function according to pattern information for a second function button for use of a function on a higher layer than the new function or pattern information for a group including the second function button. |
| US08607161B2 |
Configurable icon sizing and placement for wireless and other devices
A method for displaying icons of a graphical user interface on a display screen of a device (e.g., a wireless or other device), comprising: receiving a signal indicating a selected number of the icons to be displayed; comparing the selected number to a current number of the icons to be displayed; changing a size of an underlay for at least one of the icons if the selected number is not equal to the current number; and, displaying icons corresponding to the selected number on the display screen. |
| US08607158B2 |
Content presentation in remote monitoring sessions for information technology systems
Content presentation in remote sessions by reducing processing and communication bandwidth requirements for the remote sessions in an information technology environment. Content presentation includes maintaining a session window on an electronic display screen of a remote administration console for remotely monitoring a corresponding server system via a communication link, and monitoring a display status of the session window on the display screen. Based on the display status of the session window, a quantity of refresh information for the session window is selectively transmitted from a management server to the remote administration console over the communication link for display in the session window. The refresh information includes status information for the remotely monitored server system. |
| US08607157B2 |
Workspace management method, workspace management system, and computer readable medium
A workspace management method for managing a plurality of windows displayed in response to start-up of an application as a workspace for user interface, the method including: managing management information regarding the windows; detecting a change in a state of each of the windows; detecting, in a case where a movement of one window of the windows is detected in the detecting of the change, the other windows positioned in the neighborhood of the one window or overlapping the one window by referring to the management information; displaying, in a case where the other windows are detected in the detecting of the other windows, a docking position to be docked in each of the one window and the other windows; and docking, in a case where a stop of the movement of the one window is detected in the detecting of the change, the one window with the other windows via the docking position. |
| US08607154B2 |
Systems, computer implemented methods, geographic weather-data selection interface display, and computer readable medium having program products to generate user-customized virtual weather data and user-customized weather-risk products responsive thereto
Systems, computer implemented methods, and computer readable medium having program products are provided to customize by a user weather-risk products and to provide a customized weather-risk product to be purchased by user. Embodiments of a system include a tract-user computer having a display to display graphical user interfaces to a user and an input to receive user selections, the tract-user computer being connected to a communications network to receive graphical user interfaces and transmit user selections to a weather-risk product issuer computer. Embodiments of a system can also include a database to associate user selections with actuarial data, location data, and basis weather data and a weather-risk product issuer computer to transmit graphical user interfaces to the tract-user computer, receive user selections, and process user selections to generate virtual weather data and to generate weather-risk products. |
| US08607152B2 |
Management of test artifacts using cascading snapshot mechanism
Described is a method for managing test artifacts. According to an embodiment of the method, a test plan for a product is selected by a user. The test plan has multiple test artifacts that include the test plan and at least one of a test case, an execution record defining a configuration of the product, and a product requirement. One of the test artifacts is selected for a snapshot and the snapshot is acquired. The snapshot acquisition includes storing a current state of the selected test artifact, storing a current state of relationships of the selected test artifact to the other test artifacts, and storing a current state of the other test artifacts that have a relationship with the selected test artifact. |
| US08607145B2 |
Show OOB and speed negotiation data graphically in a network diagnostic component
A network diagnostic component that is placed in-line between two nodes in a network. The network diagnostic component receives a low speed signal pattern from the first node for communication with the second node; records the low speed signal pattern in a memory; writes one or more markers specifying information about the low speed signal pattern in the memory; interprets the one or more markers to ascertain the type and duration of the low speed signal pattern; and displays a graphical representation of the low speed signal pattern based on the interpretation of the one or more markers. |
| US08607143B2 |
Multimedia content viewing confirmation
Disclosed herein is a computer implemented method and system for confirming that a viewer viewed multimedia content on a client device. The client device receives the multimedia content from a server and plays the multimedia content on a display screen of the client device. A random challenge is presented to the viewer by overlaying the random challenge on the multimedia content. The random challenge is one or more of random in content, presented at random times during and/or after play of the multimedia content, and presented at random physical locations on the multimedia content. A response for the presented random challenge is invoked from the viewer. The viewer's response confirms that the multimedia content has been viewed by the viewer. A response report is generated based on the viewer's response. The viewer is credited with an item of value, if the response report confirms the multimedia content was viewed by the viewer. |
| US08607141B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting font size in a mobile terminal having a touch screen
A method and apparatus for setting a font size in a mobile terminal having a touch screen. During a font size setting mode, an area of a region where a user's finger touches the screen is detected. A font size corresponding to the detected area is determined from among preset font sizes, and the determined font size is displayed in a specific region on the touch screen. If a font size setting request to the displayed font size is received from the user, the displayed font size is stored for a subsequent display on the touch screen. |
| US08607138B2 |
System and method for OLAP report generation with spreadsheet report within the network user interface
A system and method for enabling users of a multi-user network-based OLAP system to present reports generated by the OLAP system using a spreadsheet application within a network user interface. A client-side network user interface is presented to a user over the network so that the user may submit a request for a report. The server-side system receives the request and processes the report. When the server-side system completes the report processing, the report is communicated to the client-side network user interface. The report may then be presented to the user(s) that submitted requests for that report. The client-side network user interface comprises a spreadsheet application that may be used to display the report to the user. |
| US08607134B2 |
Dynamically manipulating content to force web browsers to open more connections
A system may identify a group of first links in a document, where the first links correspond to a group of objects within the document and are associated with a same identifier. The system may replace the first links in the document with second links that point to a number of different identifiers, and forward the document with the second links to a client. |
| US08607133B2 |
Data processing device and method for checking parameter values of the data processing device
A data processing device acquires a first parameter value of a hardware component, and calculates a first prediction value of the first parameter using a prediction algorithm. If a difference of the first prediction value and the first parameter falls within a deviation range, the first parameter value is determined as a real value and is stored. Otherwise, the device acquires a second parameter value of the hardware component that follows the first parameter value, and calculates a second prediction value of the second parameter value. If a difference between the second prediction value and the second parameter value falls with a second deviation range, the first parameter value is determined as a real value and is stored. Otherwise, the first parameter value is determined as a false value and is abandoned. |
| US08607124B2 |
System and method for setting a flash memory cell read threshold
A system, method and computer readable medium for performing a first read attempt of multiple codeword portions while using a first read threshold candidate to provide multiple first read results, wherein the multiple codeword portions are stored in multiple flash memory cells; calculating a first read threshold candidate error correction decoding based score; wherein the calculating comprises error correction decoding of the multiple first read results; performing a second read attempt of the multiple codeword portions while using a second read threshold candidate to provide multiple second read results; calculating a second read threshold candidate error correction decoding based score; wherein the calculating comprises error correction decoding of the multiple second read results; and selecting a first read threshold out of the first and second read threshold candidates based on a relationship between the first and second read threshold candidate error correction decoding based scores. |
| US08607123B2 |
Control circuit capable of identifying error data in flash memory and storage system and method thereof
A flash memory control circuit including a microprocessor unit, a first interface unit for connecting a flash memory, a second interface unit for connecting a computer host, an error correcting unit, a memory management unit, and a marking unit is provided. The memory management unit divides each page in the flash memory into a plurality of data bit areas, and a plurality of redundancy bit areas and a plurality of error correcting bit areas corresponding to the data bit areas, wherein each of the data bit areas has a plurality of sectors for respectively storing a sector data. The marking unit stores a data accuracy mark corresponding to each sector data in the corresponding redundancy bit area to record the status of the sector data. Thereby, the flash memory controller can effectively identify error data in the flash memory by using the error correcting codes and the data accuracy marks. |
| US08607122B2 |
Accessing a large data object in a dispersed storage network
A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module generating a data object identifier for data to be stored in a dispersed storage network (DSN) and partitioning the data into a plurality of data partitions based on a set of retrieval preferences and data boundary information. For a data partition, the method continues with the DS processing module dispersed storage error encoding the data partition to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices and generating a plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, wherein a DSN address of the plurality of sets of DSN addresses includes a representation of the data object identifier, a representation of one or more retrieval preferences of the set of retrieval preferences, a representation of a corresponding portion of the data boundary information, and dispersed storage addressing information. |
| US08607119B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving control information of MIMO system
The present invention relates to a method and a system for transmitting and receiving control information of an Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) system, wherein the control information consists of information bits and parity bits. A base station transmits the control information including the location information for where the control information of the other terminal is transmitted. A terminal receives the control information of the other terminal based on the location information for where the control information of the other terminal is received. Therefore, the precoding matrix of the other terminal can be obtained from the received control information. The invention enables the removal of interference through the obtained precoding matrix when receiving a data symbol in an environment where a channel is not in a good state. |
| US08607117B2 |
Symbol encoding for tolerance to single byte errors
The present invention provides a method that protects symbol types by characterizing symbols as one of two types—DATA or NON_DATA, generating a symbol characterization bit, placing the symbol characterization bit at both ends of the symbol, and transmitting the symbol with the symbol characterization bits at both ends. Thus, a single byte error may affect a type bit in two consecutive symbols, and will affect one or the other of the type bits in a single symbol, but cannot affect both type bits in a single symbol. |
| US08607114B2 |
Communication device and communication method
In a case where the F-RTO algorithm is simply combined with the exponential backoff algorithm which is being suppressed, there is a problem in that once a spurious timeout occurs, the spurious timeout continuously occurs since then. In order to solve the above problem, according to the present invention, in a communication device for transmitting data segments and receiving acknowledgements in response to the data segments, respectively and sequentially, suppressing an application of a backoff algorithm for increasing a retransmission timeout period at the time of retransmitting a data segment, and controlling the retransmission timeout period to retransmit the data segment, the spurious timeout is determined based upon the acknowledgement received immediately after the retransmission of the data segment. In an event of determining the occurrence of the spurious timeout, the retransmission timeout is increased. |
| US08607112B2 |
Enhanced block coding method based on small size block code
A scheme of enhanced block coding based on small size block code is provided. Such is achieved by obtaining extended basis sequences for a (32, O) code with O=1, 2, . . . 12; selecting an offset starting value that produces maximum error correction capability in each O value; and generating basis sequences for a (48, O) code based on the obtained extended basis sequences for the (32, O) code with the offset starting value selected based on the selecting step. The offset starting value could be selected as 18, which results in the largest sum of distances. |
| US08607108B2 |
Scan testing with capture clock generator driven by clock distribution network
An electronic system is configured for scan testing, with a clock distribution network going to a plurality of blocks of the system, and a test capture clock being generated locally at each block. Capture clock pulses are optionally generated at different times for different blocks, and are optionally suppressed for some blocks. |
| US08607104B2 |
Memory diagnostics system and method with hardware-based read/write patterns
A memory loopback system and method including an address/command transmit source configured to transmit a command and associated address through an address/command path. A transmit data source is configured to transmit write data associated with the command through a write path. Test control logic is configured to generate gaps between successive commands. A loopback connection is configured to route the write data from the write path to a read path. A data comparator is configured to compare the data received via the read path to a receive data source and generate a data loopback status output. Pattern generation logic can be configured to generate a loopback strobe, the loopback strobe being coupled to the read path. The pattern generation logic may be configured to synthesize a read strobe based on the test control logic and to use the synthesized read strobe as the loopback strobe. The loopback connection may be configured to route the address/command data from the address/command path to an address/command comparator, the address/command comparator being configured to compare the address/command data to an address/command receive source and generate an address/command loopback status output. |
| US08607103B2 |
Transmission/reception device, transmission device, reception device, and data transmission/reception method
A transmission/reception device includes a transmission device that divides a plurality of connection lines into a plurality of groups, determines corresponding connection lines in the plurality of groups, determines a correspondence between test pattern and the connection line, and outputs the test pattern to the plurality of connection lines based on the correspondence between the test pattern and the connection line, and a reception device that receives the test pattern from the transmission device, compares bits in a same position of the test pattern received through a corresponding connection line in the plurality of groups based on the correspondence between the test pattern and the connection line, and generates erroneous connection line information indicating an erroneous connection line as a connection line in which an error has occurred in the plurality of connection lines based on a result of the comparison. |
| US08607102B2 |
Fault management for a printing system
A printing system includes a plurality of print media processing modules which transfer print media therebetween during printing and a fault management agent associated with each of the modules for acquiring fault-related data from the respective processing module. A fault management system is in communication with the fault management agents and receives fault-related data from the fault management agents. The fault management system processes the fault related data to identify faults in the system, such as when a first of the processing modules is a cause of fault-related data acquired in a second of the processing modules. When a fault is identified, a reconfiguration agent may reconfigure the printing system to mitigate an impact of at least one of the identified faults. |
| US08607095B2 |
Server testing system
A server testing system is used for testing servers of a server system and includes a power source, switches, a connection device, a controlling device, and a display device. Each switch is connected to the power source and the controlling device. The controlling device is connected to the connection device and the display device. The controlling device controls each switch to connect a corresponding server to the power source. When receiving a feedback signal from a server, the connection device sends a status signal to the controlling device. The status signal triggers the controlling device to control a corresponding switch to disconnect and then connect the server to the power source. The controlling module controls the switches to turn each server on and off for a predetermined number of times and controls the display device to display a warning when a server is not working normally. |
| US08607092B2 |
Raid device, abnormal device detecting apparatus, and abnormal device detecting method
A RAID device has a plurality of HDDs for a RAID configuration and controls the RAID configuration. The RAID device has a host that performs various data processes on the HDDs and a control unit that controls communication with the HDDs. With this configuration, if an initialization process for assigning physical addresses unique to the HDDs is performed, the RAID device receives initialization frames from the HDDs. Then, the RAID device detects abnormality of the HDDs in accordance with information contained in the received initialization frames. |
| US08607084B2 |
Computer system and method for saving power consumption by placing a second computer portion into a sleep mode after completed transfering image data to a first computer portion
A computer system and a power-management method thereof are provided. The computer system has an image-reading mode, a first power-management mode and a second power-management mode, and the computer system operating in the second power-management mode consumes less power than it consumes in the first power-management mode. The computer system comprises a first portion comprising a graphics processing unit, a memory space and a display; and a second portion comprising a storage storing an image data. When the computer system operates in the image-reading mode, the image data has been transferred to the memory space from the storage, the second portion enters to the second power-management mode from the first power-management mode, and the first portion keeps in the first power-management mode, so that the graphics processing unit can display an image by the display according to the image data stored in the memory space. |
| US08607082B2 |
Mechanism for managing power in a virtual machine system
A mechanism for managing power in a virtual machine system is disclosed. A method for a host-based power management system may include monitoring a plurality of VMs in a VM system to detect user activity associated with each of the plurality of VMs, identifying a VM of the plurality of VMs that is inactive based on the user activity associated with the VM, and applying a power reduction policy to the VM. |
| US08607080B2 |
Optimizing voltage on a power plane using a host control unit to control a networked voltage regulation module array
A method, system, and computer program for using an array of networked 3D voltage regulation modules (VRMs) to optimize power usage by components on a voltage island in real time is presented. The networked VRM devices work in parallel to supply adequate power to connected voltage islands, and to supplement other VRMs in the system that may require additional power in the case of a critical event. |
| US08607078B2 |
Electric power supply device, electric power supply method and electric power supply system
There is provided an electric power supply device including an electric power supply portion that continuously supplies, to another device with which an agreement about electric power supply has been made, electric power agreed with the other device until one of a time at which the agreement becomes unnecessary and a time determined in advance, the electric power being supplied via a bus line formed by a pair of conductors, and an information communication portion that transmits and receives an information signal indicating information to and from the other device to which the electric power supply portion supplies the electric power, such that the information signal is superimposed on the electric power supplied from the electric power supply portion. The electric power supply portion determines whether to change the electric power to be supplied, in accordance with one of connection of a new device to the bus line and disconnection of the new device from the bus line. |
| US08607076B2 |
Circuit apparatus with memory and power control responsive to circuit-based deterioration characteristics
Power-backup capabilities are provided by implementing a variety of different methods, systems and devices. According to one such implementation, a memory device stores data in response to data accesses under the control of a memory control circuit. A solid-state memory circuit and a volatile caching memory circuit provide the memory control circuit with access to a set of common data. A circuit carries primary operating power to the memory device. A backup power circuit has a power module having and securing a power-reservoir circuit. A capacitor holds a charge to provide operating power to the memory circuits to permit transfer of the data from the volatile memory circuit to the solid-state memory circuit. A notification circuit provides an external user indication of the power-reservoir circuit integrity. A circuit-based structure secures the power-reservoir circuit for operation as part of the memory device and facilitates replacement of the power-reservoir circuit. |
| US08607074B2 |
States for breakout appliance in a mobile data network
Mobile network services are performed in a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A breakout appliance in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation, and performs one or more mobile network services at the edge of the mobile data network based on the broken out data. The breakout appliance includes multiple states that support manufacturing, testing, production, tamper detection and end of life, and the functions of the breakout appliance vary according to its state. |
| US08607068B2 |
Method of storing data in a memory device and a processing device for processing such data
In a method of storing data in a memory device, which data comprise content to be processed in a processing device in which the memory device is installed, the method comprises the steps of writing encrypted content (Enc_Krand(flash_content) into the memory device before installing the memory device in the processing device, wherein the content was encrypted by use of a first key (Krand), and accessing the first key (Krand) and encrypting the first key (Krand) by the aid of a second key (KIC; Ke) that is dependent on the processing device after installation of the memory device in the processing device, and writing the encrypted first key (EncSym_KIC(Krand); EncAsym_Ke(Krand)) into the memory device. |
| US08607067B1 |
Techniques for attesting to information
Systems and methods for attesting to information about a computing resource involve electronically signed documents. For a computing resource, a document containing information about the resource is generated and electronically signed. The document may be provided to one or more entities as an attestation to at least some of the information contained in the document. Attestation to information in the document may be a prerequisite for performance of one or more actions that may be taken in connection with the computing resource. |
| US08607064B2 |
Biometric authentication device and biometric authentication method
A biometric authentication device performs authentication of a user based on biometric information. In the biometric authentication device, a registry information storage stores pre-registered biometric information as registry information. An acceptance value determiner determines a verification acceptance value used for authentication, based on quality of the registry information with regard to reliability of characterizing an individual. An authentication information acquirer obtains biometric information of a user as authentication information. A similarity calculator compares the authentication information of the user with the registry information and calculates similarity between the authentication information and the registry information. An authenticator identifies whether the user is a registrant corresponding to the registry information, based on the similarity and the verification acceptance value. |
| US08607061B2 |
Flash device security method utilizing a check register
Methods of operating memory systems and memory systems are disclosed, such as a memory system having a memory array storing a code generating program to instruct a processor to generate a code, and a register to store a code generated by the processor, where the register is configured to allow a write operation to the memory array in response to a match of a code stored in the register and where the match is controlled in response to a request from a utility program being executed by the processor. |
| US08607060B1 |
Method, system, and computer program product for the authentication of multiple users in a common session
A first information handling system (“IHS”) receives identification information of a first user of a second IHS. The first IHS initiates a network session in response to authenticating the identification information of the first user. Within the network session, the first IHS receives identification information of a second user of the second IHS. The first IHS authenticates the identification information of the second user. |
| US08607059B2 |
Software installation process
A method of installing software on a computer associated with a user, the computer being coupled to a system including one or more document handling devices connected to the computer via a communications network. The method includes, in a document handling device, determining a user identity associated with the user, and in at least part of the system, identifying the computer using the determined user identity and causing a software package to be transferred to the computer via the communications network, thereby causing the software to be installed. |
| US08607056B2 |
Data processing apparatus and method
Generating a cryptographic key, for example using a received external key. A system to generate a cryptographic key may include a first data store which may store an authorization key. A system may include a second data store which may store a secure key and/or a public key. A system may include an access controller, which may allow access to a secure key, for example to an access request which may be accompanied by a digital signature. A system may include a key generator, which may generate a private key, for example using a received external key, a stored authorization key and/or a mapping function. A system may include an access request signal generator which may generate a digital signature and/or which may transmit an access request, for example including a generated digital signature, to an access controller to retrieve a secure key. |
| US08607055B2 |
Scanned document management system
A scanned document management system for managing a paper document in a state in which the paper document is scanned and transformed into electronic data, registers an attribute of the document by a manager; when printing out the document, registers identification information of the document with correspondence to the attribute, issues a document authentication representing certificate including the identification information, coding the document authentication representing certificate and prints out the same with including the same in a document image; and, when scanning the document, extracts the coded document authentication representing certificate from the document, obtains the attribute from the identification information included in the document authentication representing certificate to determine whether or not authentication is possible therewith, and allows transfer of the document image thus scanned, when the authentication is possible. |
| US08607046B1 |
System and method for signing a message to provide one-time approval to a plurality of parties
A system and method for batch signing of a message is provided. An administrator initiates a management operation directed to a plurality of security appliances organized as a cluster. In response, the security appliance generates an operation context identifying the management operation to be performed. In addition, a secure encryption processor (SEP) of each security appliance generates a random nonce. The nonces are then assembled along with the operation context into a single message. The message is then cryptographically signed by an appropriate number of administrators using a cryptographic key associated with each administrator. The signed message is returned to the security appliances, where each security appliance examines the signed message and determines whether its nonce is present within the message. If so, the security appliance performs the desired management operation. However, if its nonce is not present in the signed message, the management operation is disallowed and not performed. |
| US08607045B2 |
Tokencode exchanges for peripheral authentication
In a system comprising a transient storage device (TSD) or other type of peripheral configured for communication with a host device, a first one-time password or other type of code is generated in the peripheral and transmitted to the host device. The first code is presented by the host device to an authentication server for authentication. The host device receives a second one-time password or other type of code from the authentication server and transmits it to the peripheral for authentication. |
| US08607043B2 |
Use of application identifier and encrypted password for application service access
To support authentication of a mobile device, an application server obtains an application identifier and password and creates an encrypted value by encrypting a combination of the password and a time-based value. The application server transmits the application identifier and encrypted value over a communication network to the mobile device as a credential, and the mobile device sends the credential over the network to a secure server providing an application assistance service. The secure server independently computes an encrypted value by encrypting the combination of the password and the time-based value. If the encrypted value from the received credential matches the encrypted value computed by the secure server, that server grants access to the assistance service for the mobile device. |
| US08607042B2 |
E-mail firewall with stored key encryption/decryption
An e-mail firewall applies policies to messages between a first site and a plurality of second sites in accordance with administrator selectable policies. The firewall includes an SMTP relay and policy managers to enforce administrator selectable policies, such as encryption and decryption policies, a source/destination policy, a content policy and a first virus policy. Some policies are characterized by administrator selectable criteria, administrator selectable exceptions to the criteria and administrator selectable actions associated with the criteria and exceptions. Policy managers can include an access manager for restricting transmission of messages between the first and second sites in accordance with the source/destination policy, a content manager for restricting transmission of messages between the first and second sites in accordance with the content policy, and a virus manager for restricting transmission of messages between the first and second sites in accordance with the virus policy. |
| US08607035B2 |
Multi-core processing utilizing prioritized interrupts for optimization
This invention relates to multi-core, multi-processing, factory multi-core and DSP multi-core. The nature of the invention is related to more optimal uses of a multi-core system to maximize utilization of the processor cores and minimize power use. The novel and inventive steps are focused on use of interrupts and prioritized interrupts, along with optional in-built methods, to allow systems to run more efficiently and with less effort on the part of the programmer. |
| US08607032B2 |
Diagnose instruction for serializing processing
A system serialization capability is provided to facilitate processing in those environments that allow multiple processors to update the same resources. The system serialization capability is used to facilitate processing in a multi-processing environment in which guests and hosts use locks to provide serialization. The system serialization capability includes a diagnose instruction which is issued after the host acquires a lock, eliminating the need for the guest to acquire the lock. |
| US08607028B2 |
Enhanced addressability for serial non-volatile memory
A method and a memory device are provided for accessing a storage location. The method includes storing an extended address value in a register in a non-volatile memory device. The method further includes subsequently receiving multiple addresses and combining the stored extended address value with each of the multiple received addresses to produce multiple combined addresses. The method further includes accessing multiple storage locations within the non-volatile memory device based, at least in part, on the multiple combined addresses. |
| US08607025B2 |
Data structure for enforcing consistent per-physical page cacheability attributes
A data structure for enforcing consistent per-physical page cacheability attributes is disclosed. The data structure is used with a method for enforcing consistent per-physical page cacheability attributes, which maintains memory coherency within a processor addressing memory, such as by comparing a desired cacheability attribute of a physical page address in a PTE against an authoritative table that indicates the current cacheability status. This comparison can be made at the time the PTE is inserted into a TLB. When the comparison detects a mismatch between the desired cacheability attribute of the page and the page's current cacheability status, corrective action can be taken to transition the page into the desired cacheability state. |
| US08607023B1 |
System-on-chip with dynamic memory module switching
A system and method are provided for using a system-on-chip (SoC) memory manager to dynamically shutdown and restart an off-chip memory module. After determining that a memory switch is to be enacted, an SoC memory switching core asserts a hold on processor operations. The memory switching core transfers data from a source memory module to a destination memory module. In a shutdown operation, data is transferred from a first memory module source to an external second memory module destination interfaced to the memory switching core. In a restart operation, data is transferred from the second memory module source to the first memory module destination. The memory switching core uses a memory map for translating the data addresses in the source memory module to data addresses in the destination memory module. Then, the memory switching core deasserts the hold on processor operations. |
| US08607019B2 |
Circuit and method of a memory compiler based on subtractive approach
A memory compiler to generate a set of memories is based on a subtraction approach from a set of templates (memory templates), including at least one layout database and auxiliary design databases, by software. The software can be based on general-purpose programming language or a layout-specific language. The compiled memories can be generated by reducing the memory array sizes in row and/or column directions by moving, deleting, adding, sizing, or stretching the layout objects, and disabling the high order addresses, etc. from the memory template by software. The new auxiliary design databases, such as layout phantom, behavior model, synthesis view, placement-and-routing view or datasheet, can also be generated by modifying some parameters from the memory template by software. One-time programmable memory using junction diode, polysilicon diode, or isolated active-region diode as program selector in a cell can be generated accordingly. |
| US08607017B2 |
Use of similarity hash to route data for improved deduplication in a storage server cluster
A technique for routing data for deduplication in a storage server cluster includes computing, for each node in the cluster, a value collectively representative of the data stored on the node, such as a “geometric center” of the node. New or modified data is routed to the node which has stored data identical or most similar to the new or modified data, as determined based on those values. Each node stores a plurality of chunks of data, where each chunk includes multiple deduplication segments. A content hash is computed for each deduplication segment in each node, and a similarity hash is computed for each chunk from the content hashes of all segments in the chunk. A geometric center of a node is computed from the similarity hashes of the chunks stored in the node. |
| US08607010B2 |
Information processing system and management device for managing relocation of data based on a change in the characteristics of the data over time
In an information processing system including a computer device, and a storage device storing data used by the computer device, the region in which the data is held is managed in association with a change, over the passage of time in the performance and availability required of the data holding region. The computer device includes a storage device managing unit for managing the storage device which stores data used by the computer device. The storage device managing unit periodically monitors temporal characteristics information, and moves data, if the storage region having functional characteristics corresponding to the temporal characteristics information is different from the storage region to which the data is currently assigned. |
| US08607002B2 |
Memory prefetch systems and methods
Systems and methods are disclosed herein, including those that operate to prefetch a programmable number of data words from a selected memory vault in a stacked-die memory system when a pipeline associated with the selected memory vault is empty. |
| US08607001B2 |
Method, apparatus, proxy server, and system for selecting cache replacement policies
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, and a proxy server for selecting cache replacement policies to reduce manual participation and switch cache replacement policies automatically. The method includes: obtaining statistical data of multiple cache replacement policies that are running simultaneously; and switching, according to an event of policy decision for cache replacement policies and the statistical data, an active cache replacement policy to a cache replacement policy that complies with a policy decision requirement. The automatic switching of cache replacement policies lowers the technical requirements on administrators. In addition, in the operation process of a proxy cache, a cache replacement policy that is applicable to a current scenario and meets a performance expectation of a user can be selected automatically, so as to make the technical solution feature good adaptability. Compared with the existing solution in which only a cache replacement policy is used throughout, the technical solution of the present invention can improve the performance of the proxy cache. |
| US08607000B2 |
Efficient cache allocation by optimizing size and order of allocate commands based on bytes required by CPU
This invention is a data processing system having a multi-level cache system. The multi-level cache system includes at least first level cache and a second level cache. Upon a cache miss in both the at least one first level cache and the second level cache the data processing system evicts and allocates a cache line within the second level cache. The data processing system determine from the miss address whether the request falls within a low half or a high half of the allocated cache line. The data processing system first requests data from external memory of the miss half cache line. Upon receipt data is supplied to the at least one first level cache and the CPU. The data processing system then requests data from external memory for the other half of the second level cache line. |
| US08606998B2 |
System and method for instruction-based cache allocation policies
A cache is configured to have a first cache line allocation policy for a memory address. An instruction associated with the memory address is received and a second cache line allocation policy is determined based on the instruction. The cache is reconfigured to have the second cache line allocation policy in response to receiving the instruction. A data processor includes processor core to receive and execute an instruction associated with a memory address, a cache including a plurality of cache lines, and a cache allocation module to determine a cache line allocation policy based on the instruction and to reconfigure the cache to have the cache line allocation policy for execution of the instruction at the processor core. |
| US08606993B2 |
Storage controller and virtual volume control method
A storage system includes a virtual volume, a plurality of RAID groups, a pool unit for managing a plurality of first real storage areas and a controller. If a write command related to the virtual volume is issued from a higher-level device, the controller selects a prescribed second real storage area from among respective second real storage areas included in a prescribed first real storage area, and associates this prescribed second real storage area with a prescribed area inside the virtual volume corresponding to the write command, and which associates one virtual volume with one first real storage area. A migration destination determination unit selects a migration-targeted second real storage area from among the respective second real storage areas associated with the virtual volume, and selects a migration-destination first real storage area, which is to become the migration destination of data stored in the migration-targeted second real storage area. |
| US08606992B2 |
Dynamically switching command types to a mass storage drive
A method, device, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment method begins by receiving a first new mass storage disk access request. The method then determines the total number of access requests to the mass storage disk received in a window of time. If the total number of requests received over the period of time is greater than or equal to a request threshold number then a request frequency counter is decremented. Otherwise, the counter is incremented. The method continues by generating a legacy advanced technology attachment (ATA)-type command for the first new access request when the counter is greater than or equal to a counter threshold number. Otherwise, the method generates a native command queue (NCQ)-type command for the first new access request. |
| US08606990B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus includes a memory control circuit that controls a first memory and a second memory, the first memory is connected to the memory control circuit through a first data bus, the second memory is connected to the memory control circuit through the first data bus and a second data bus, and a sum of bus widths of the first data bus and the second data bus is larger than the bus width of the first data bus by a times. When the memory control circuit receives an access request for the second memory, the memory control circuit generates a command for accessing the second memory b times on the basis of an address of the access request point and accesses the second memory. |
| US08606986B2 |
Methods and apparatus for bridged data transmission and protocol translation in a high-speed serialized data system
An apparatus for transmitting data across a high-speed serial bus includes an IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY having a GMII interface; an IEEE 1394-compliant PHY in communication with the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY via a switch; the switch determining whether data transmission is be routed to the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY or the IEEE 1394-compliant PHY; a first connection, the first connection for transmitting data between a device and the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY; and a second connection, the second connection for transmitting data between a device and the IEEE 1394-compliant PHY. |
| US08606985B2 |
Controlled device to control switching between transmission paths for transmitting data at different rate
The controlled device includes: an external terminal; a memory; a processor for controlling the memory according to a control signal received via the external terminal; a plurality of buses forming a first transmission path connecting the external terminal and the memory via the processor, and a second transmission path connecting the external terminal and the memory directly by bypassing the processor; and a switching unit for switching a transmission state to either a first transmission state in which one or more of the buses forming the first transmission path are caused to transmit the control signal from the external terminal to the processor according to a first protocol, or a second transmission state in which one or more of the buses forming the second transmission path are caused to transmit data directly between the external terminal and the memory according to a second protocol capable of transmitting data at a higher rate than the first protocol. |
| US08606981B2 |
Combination electronic device dock and dissinfector
Disclosed is a disinfecting docking station for at least one portable electronic device, such as a medical technician's tablet computer, that has at least one recharging connector. An enclosure is adapted to receive the at least one portable electronic device therein through an openable side that includes a selectively closable door. Each electronic device is exposed to a disinfecting wavelength of light, such as UV light, to disinfect the surface of the device. The enclosure includes supports that minimally contact each device so that the device will be substantially exposed to the UV light. A control circuit monitors the exposure time and level, and is programmable to activate the UV light based on pre-set criteria. The enclosures may be stacked and provide power and network connectivity to each device while docked therein. |
| US08606975B2 |
Managing interrupts in a virtualized input/output device supporting multiple hosts and functions
Methods and apparatus are provided for managing interrupts within a virtualizable communication device. Through virtualization, one port of the device may be able to support multiple hosts (e.g., computers) and multiple functions operating on each host. Any number of interrupt resources may be allocated to the supported functions, and may include receive/transmit DMAs, receive/transmit mailboxes, errors, and so on. Resources may migrate from one function to another, such as when a function requests additional resources. Each function's set of allocated resources is isolated from other functions' resources so that their interrupts may be managed and reported in a non-blocking manner. If an interrupt cannot be immediately reported to a destination host/function, the interrupt may be delayed, retried, cancelled or otherwise handled in a way that avoids blocking interrupts to other hosts and functions. |
| US08606972B2 |
Cable identification using data traffic activity information
A cable identification system is provided. The cable identification system includes a cable having a plurality of conductors with an electrical connector on at least one end of the cable. The electrical connector is adapted to connect all conductors in the cable to a mating connector. The cable identification system further includes a signal generator connectable between the electrical connector and the mating connector on a network device. The signal generator includes a controller configured to measure and analyze parameters indicative of data traffic in the cable. The cable identification system further includes a cable sleeve adapted to receive the cable therein and coupled to the electrical connector. The cable sleeve has one or more segments which are electrically activatable to change an appearance based on a signal sent by the electrical connector in response to the measurements of the parameters indicative of traffic in the cable. |
| US08606971B2 |
Security monitoring apparatus and method
A system for locating and monitoring electronic devices utilizing a security system that is secretly and transparently embedded within the computer. This security system causes the client computer to periodically and conditionally call a host system to report its serial number via an encoded series of dialed numbers. A host monitoring system receives calls from various clients and determines which calls to accept and which to reject by comparing the decoded client serial numbers with a predefined and updated list of numbers corresponding to reported stolen computers. The host also concurrently obtains the caller ID of the calling client to determine the physical location of the client computer. The caller ID and the serial number are subsequently transmitted to a notifying station in order to facilitate the recovery of the stolen device. The security system remains hidden from the user, and actively resists attempts to disable it. |
| US08606965B1 |
System and method for facilitating communication of data among entities in an electronic trading network
A electronic commerce protocol stack includes a connectivity layer that receives business data from a first entity. The business data indicates that the destination of the business data is a second entity. The protocol stack also includes a translation layer that receives the business data and that translates the business data as appropriate for the second entity using one or more translation rules. The protocol stack also includes a semantic routing layer that receives the translated business data, determines the semantic meaning of at least a portion of the business data using one or more semantics rules, determines one or more appropriate destinations for the business data based on the semantic meaning, and communicates the business data and the determined destinations to the connectivity layer. The connectivity layer communicates the business data to the determined destinations. |
| US08606962B2 |
Method of operating a signalling gateway and an application server, and signalling gateway and application server
A method of operating a signalling gateway in a decoupled mode of operation for routing signalling messages between an SS7 and an IP-based network is provided. Further, the invention relates to a method of processing a connection oriented signalling message at an application server process, wherein the message is exchanged via a signalling gateway between an SS7 network node and the application server process. The application server process serves at least one application server in an IP-based network. The invention further provides a signalling gateway for routing signalling messages between an SS7 network and an IP-based network and an application server comprising an application server process for processing signalling messages, in particular connection oriented messages. |
| US08606957B2 |
Method and device for transmitting files via a network
A method for transmitting files via a network is proposed. In a first step, the size of a file to be transmitted is transmitted. Following this, the value of a maximum permitted data traffic is calculated from the size of the file and a factor X. Finally, the transmission process of a file is stopped as soon as the data volume transmitted exceeds the maximum permitted data traffic. |
| US08606951B2 |
Media stream scheduling for hiccup-free fast-channel-change in the presence of network chokepoints
An implementation, as described herein, facilitates fast start-up of a new media stream while avoiding temporal interruption (i.e. “hiccups”) of the presentation of that new media stream. At least one implementation, described herein, coordinates the delivery of multiple simultaneous media streams on a media-stream network. Its coordination accounts for traversal of bandwidth-restricted chokepoints; quickly stopping delivery of one or more media streams from the set of streams; quickly initiating delivery and presentation of one or more new media streams not previously in the set (i.e., a “channel change”) and producing clean playback of all of the streams in the set, despite their different timelines. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims. |
| US08606950B2 |
System and method for transparently processing multimedia data
A multimedia data processing system and method which transparently processes video and/or audio streams in real-time. The operation of a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention does not require any intervention from, or involvement of, either the producer of the video and/or audio stream, or the client application. With such a transparent solution, video and/or audio streams can be processed seamlessly, and completely independently of the specific client application that the user chooses to use. In one embodiment, the invention uses an external service to monitor new processes and add code to these processes. The invention inserts into the system by hot-patching the software in memory and by only looking at select service calls. |
| US08606948B2 |
Cloud-based device interaction
A logically centralized system or service, such as a cloud-based content management service, enables intelligent communication between disparate devices. Such communication enables content such as applications and data to be synchronized between various devices, where the synchronization takes into account the capabilities of each device to provide versions and/or formats of that content that are appropriate for each device. A user purchasing an additional device, for example, can have various applications and other content automatically installed or copied over to the additional device, but with versions or formats that take advantage of, and are appropriate for, the capabilities of that additional device. Further, the intelligent communication via a logically centralized service can enable such devices to interact even though those devices might utilize different protocols and/or formats, and might otherwise not be able to communicate or have ever have been tested together. |
| US08606932B2 |
End-to-end address transfer
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of facilitating the end-to-end transfer of a URI between a plurality of SIP entities. The method comprising generating a SIP message and including the URI to be transferred in a Contact header of the message and including in the Contact header a parameter indicating to a back-to-back user agent that this URI is not to be changed or replaced. |
| US08606929B2 |
Methods, systems, and products for subcontracting segments in communications services
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receives a first data stream at a computer, with the first data stream comprising packets of data packetized according to a packet protocol. The first data stream is recursively segmented into segments, and at least one of the segments is dispersed via a network for a subsequent processing service. A result of the processing service is received, and the result is aggregated into a second data stream. The second data stream is then communicated via the network. |
| US08606925B2 |
Automatic generation of reusable network configuration objects
A system automatically captures network resources of each individual system of a networked system. The method defines a reusable object name for each class of network resources captured from the individual systems. Each class of network resources has at least one common feature. The system automatically maps each network resource having a particular class of each individual system to the reusable object name defined for that particular class. Embodiments enable individual system-specific resources, such as IP addresses, to be mapped to reusable objects. In some embodiments, reusable objects names may be combined to form higher-level configuration objects, such as network configuration rules. |
| US08606919B2 |
Resource management tool
A device, computer program product, and method for managing resources for performing operations in a computer system are presented. The device may include a resource reservation unit to reserve resources for performing an operation specified by a user. A query unit may query the user whether to reserve additional resources in the event the operation cannot be completed within a reserved time in the reserved resources. A resumption instruction unit may cause the resource reservation unit to reserve the additional resources and cause a continuation of the operation in the additional resources upon receiving a resumption instruction in response to the query. |
| US08606917B2 |
Systems and methods for providing content and services on a network system
Systems and methods for managing and providing content and services on a network system. Aspects of the invention include location-based determination of network content and services that may be provided to client computers. Other aspects of the invention include authorization and authentication components that determine access rights of client computers. Additional aspects include systems and methods for redirecting client computers to different network content. The disclosed systems and methods may be used in numerous network system applications. |
| US08606916B2 |
Graphical user interface for performing administration on web components of web sites in a portal framework
Graphical user interfaces are provided for administrators to perform administration type operations. Sets of users granted administrative privileges may further grant and delegate administrative privileges to other sets of users to perform administration type operations on site objects over which they have administrative privileges. The types of graphical user interfaces includes server consoles and site consoles. Server consoles enable the performance of administration on all objects within the framework. Site consoles enable the performance of administration within a respective site. |
| US08606912B1 |
Statistics overlay
A publisher web page is rendered at a client device from a publisher and the client device issues a request for traffic statistics data related to traffic content in the web page. The client device receives the traffic statistics data and overlays the traffic statistics data on the web page, e.g., proximate to the related traffic content in the web page. |
| US08606906B2 |
Wireless communication device, information distribution system, program
There is provided a wireless communication device including a communication section which receives, from an information distribution device that distributes distribution information or another wireless communication device that has received the distribution information, the distribution information using ad hoc wireless communication, a position information acquisition section which acquires position information indicating a current position, a movement amount calculation section which calculates a movement amount from the information distribution device based on a change in the position information acquired by the position information acquisition section, and a distribution information management section which manages availability of the distribution information based on the movement amount and a predetermined limited area-radius that defines a limited area in which the distribution information is distributed. |
| US08606905B1 |
Automated determination of system scalability and scalability constraint factors
A system is provided comprising processor, memory, and application that captures production server metrics, and accesses an analytical model modeling response times and system utilization. The system enters a configuration into the model simulating the production environment and comprises a load and growth factor, generates modeled response times, calculates throughput rates, and determines a baseline production load. The system combines throughput rates and response times with the baseline production to project future throughput rates and response times. The system identifies at least one production server load metric associated with at least one of a projected future throughput rate and response time approaching a constant and executes a work order for a hardware or software change in the production environment based on at least one observed production server load metric associated with at the least one of a projected future throughput rate and a projected future response time approaching a constant. |
| US08606904B2 |
Apparatus and method of administering modular online environments
In a modular on-line virtual environment, in which each module of the on-line virtual environment has a plurality of parallel instances each able to host a limited number of users, a server arranged to administer the modular on-line virtual environment comprises a network communications arrangement operable to receive data representative of the actions of users within an instance of a first module of the modular on-line virtual environment, and to transmit to each user within that instance of that module data representative of the actions of each other user within that instance of that module, behavior analysis means operable to analyze user behavior within that instance of the first module, in which if the behavior of two or more users satisfies a predetermined criterion then the two or more users are classified as belonging to a social group comprising the two or more users, module instance selection means operable to select an instance of a second module for a user when that user moves within the modular on-line virtual environment from the first module to a second module, in which the module instance selection means is operable to select an instance of the second module that has the capacity to accommodate the greatest number of the common social group once one member of that social group moves within the modular on-line virtual environment from the first module to the second module and the server is operable to place a subsequent respective member of the social group in that same selected instance of the second module if that member moves within the modular on-line virtual environment from the first module to the second module. |
| US08606902B2 |
Device management apparatus, device management system, device management method and medium
The present invention in its first aspect provides a device management apparatus, which manages a virtual device that implements a cooperative function upon cooperating a plurality of physical devices connected via a network, comprising an acquisition unit adapted to acquire statuses from the physical devices that implement the cooperative function of the virtual device; and a display unit adapted to display whether or not the virtual device is usable, based on the statuses of the physical devices that implement the cooperative function of the virtual device acquired by the acquisition unit. |
| US08606899B1 |
Systems and methods for dynamic session license control
A method for controlling session access within a network license zone (NLZ) includes receiving periodically, by the first network node, a first network access message from a second network node within the NLZ. The first network access message includes a number of active sessions enumerated by service type currently processed by the second network node. The method further includes determining, by the first network node, a first summation of active sessions within the NLZ based in part on the first network access message and a number of active sessions currently processed by the first network node. The method further includes enforcing, by the first network node, a total number of active sessions within NLZ. The first network node is configured to reject new session requests received at the first network node when the total number of active sessions within the NLZ exceeds a predetermined number of active sessions. |
| US08606898B1 |
Spread identity communications architecture
Real routable external addresses may be pooled rather than assigned to nodes and may be dynamically bound to connections by a proxy or gateway device in ways that spread apparent identity of individual nodes across multiple of the external addresses. In general, these spread identity techniques may be employed at one end or the other of a connection, as well as at both ends. In a typical double-ended configuration, the architecture and associated techniques provide “double-blindfolding,” wherein true identities (addresses) of communicating peers are always hidden from each other. In some double-ended configurations, dynamic binding may be employed at a fine level of granularity, for instance allowing individual packets associated with given connection to bear different apparent source addresses and/or different apparent destination addresses. In some single-ended configurations, a spread identity proxy is interposed between an information server and a plurality of requestors. The proxy redirects individual inbound connection requests for information from the information server to distinct addresses of a pool and establishes corresponding network address translations thereby dynamically spreading identity of the information server across multiple distinct addresses of the pool. |
| US08606891B2 |
Client processor device for building application files from file fragments for different versions of an application
A client processor including a communications receiver for receiving file fragments for the device, a micro-controller system including a microcontroller and a programmable non-volatile memory system, for building and storing application and data files from the fragments, and executing an application of the device by processing at least one application file and associated data identified by configuration instructions included in at least one of the fragments. |
| US08606890B2 |
Managing communication between nodes in a virtual network
A method for managing communication between nodes in a virtual network is provided. A first computing system utilizes first information to forward first data to the second computing system in a physical network. If the first information is incorrect, the second computing system forwards an unlearning request to the first computing system, and the first computing system updates or deletes the first information. If the first information is not available, the first computing system forwards the first data to a group of computing systems in the physical network by way of an unknown network service. Upon receiving the first data, the second computing system or a third computing system in the physical network forwards a learning request to the first computing system, and the first computing system utilizes the learning request to generate the first information. |
| US08606889B2 |
Roaming application settings across multiple computing devices
Application settings are roamed across multiple computing devices. Provider modules on the computing devices are run to retrieve application settings to be roamed and to roam those application settings across the multiple computing devices. Application setting changes initiated on a particular computing device are added to a history of application setting changes on the particular computing device, and also added to synchronization communication module for communication to one or more additional computing devices of the multiple computing devices. Application setting changes initiated by one of the one or more additional computing devices are received by the particular computing device and added to a history of application setting changes on the particular computing device, and are also incorporated into the application settings on the particular computing device. |
| US08606887B2 |
Method and apparatus for verification of dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) release message
An apparatus and method for verification of a DHCPRELEASE message comprising extracting a IP address from the ciaddr field of the DHCPRELEASE message, determining a tunnel-associated IP address, comparing the IP address and the tunnel-associated IP address to determine if there is a match, and releasing the IP address if there is a match, and wherein the tunnel-associated IP address is the IP address associated with the tunnel from which the server receives the DHCPRELEASE message. |
| US08606883B2 |
IP broadcast receiver apparatus
There is provided an IP broadcast receiver apparatus capable of, even when the input of a stream is delayed, determining whether a stream is to be inputted later and displaying a picture when a stream is inputted. When the content providing side makes a request to set a streamstatus attribute to “play” in a display using BML, the IP broadcast receiver apparatus determines whether channel information has been acquired from an IP broadcast server. The IP broadcast receiver apparatus sets the streamstatus attribute to “play” if channel information has been acquired from the IP broadcast server and sets the streamstatus attribute to “stop” if channel information has not been acquired from the IP broadcast server. |
| US08606880B2 |
Use of wireless devices' external storage
Adapting web-based external storage, wireless device can posses huge amount of storage that current any wireless device's internal storage can not provide. To effectively let the storage server providing external storage (file system) for wireless device, the storage of a storage server need to be partitioned into multiple small storage volume and need to be exported to each specific wireless device. The console support software coupled with web-server software of a server provides both users of wireless device and console through web-browser to perform tasks of creating and utilizing external storage (file system). To support larger number of wireless devices with external storage, a central controlled distributed scalable virtual machine infrastructure can be deployed. The larger number of storage server controlled by a central control system can satisfy unlimited wireless devices external storage needs. |
| US08606878B2 |
Systems and methods for de-populating cloud data store
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for de-populating a cloud data store. In aspects, data from premise or other sources can be stored in a set of host storage clouds. A network administrator, owner, or other user can initiate the extraction of the set of cloud-populated data, and migrate that data to a set of step-down data stores, such as on-premise databases, servers, and/or other stores. A staging engine hosted in a cloud data distribution service can manage the discovery, reading-out, and delivery of the set of cloud-populated data to the set of step-down data stores. The staging engine can configure high-bandwidth data connections to the distribution service from the host storage clouds, and/or to the target step-down data stores from the data distribution service. A set of de-population commands can specify the connections, target data locations, file or directory formats, and/or other parameters to be used to re-locate the cloud-populated data. |
| US08606875B1 |
Method and system for automatic distribution and installation of a client certificate in a secure manner
A method for distributing and installing a digital certificate is provided. In this method, an object is accessed. The object is used for requesting a new digital certificate from a remote server. The object comprises a request for the new digital certificate, validity scope information, and an address associated with a controlled access point through which the object is transmitted when requesting the new digital certificate. Thereafter, the object is sent to the remote server on a communication path that includes the controlled access point. Subsequently, the new digital certificate is received from the remote server after the remote server verifies the validity scope information and verifies that the object was transmitted through the address associated with the controlled access point. |
| US08606874B2 |
System and method of binding a client to a server
Systems and methods to bind a client with a server are provided. A particular method includes establishing a connection between a server and a client. A list of best-fit server IP addresses is received at the client via the connection. A determination is made whether the server is identified in the list of best-fit server IP addresses. When the server is not identified in the list of best-fit server IP addresses, the connection to the server is terminated. |
| US08606866B2 |
Systems and methods of probing data transmissions for detecting spam bots
A computer-implemented system and method for detecting, by a mail server module, spam bot activity by a client device. An email session is conducted between the mail server module and the client device according to a predetermined protocol that includes exchange of messages between the mail server module and the client device. The mail server module probes compliance with the predetermined protocol including: purposefully introducing at least one irregularity into a first message from the mail server module; monitoring a subsequent message transmission from the client device; comparing the subsequent message against reference criteria; and producing a reputability determination for the client device based on an extent to which the subsequent message was a proper response to the at least one irregularity according to the predetermined protocol, the reputability determination being indicative of a likelihood that the client device conducts spam bot activity. |
| US08606865B2 |
Location derived messaging system
The invention disclosed relates to the end to end system, the methods and apparatuses for delivering message content from publishers to recipients, such recipients being comprised of subscribers and non subscribers, based on the geospatial location of the recipients using a plurality of devices, stationary and mobile, to deliver geospatial location relevant message content to the recipients with dynamic display devices and a means to provide publishers with data and statistics related to recipient observation of message content. |
| US08606860B2 |
System and method for providing filtering email messages
A method for filtering email messages for a user, includes (a) obtaining from the user a first set of email addresses over which the user asserts authority and a second set of email addresses from which email messages are to be accepted; (b) obtaining from the email messages the sender and recipient email addresses; and (c) filtering the email messages directed to any one of the email addresses in the first set of email addresses according to the second set of email addresses. In one implementation, accepted email addresses are generalized from the second set of email addresses. Once a user's email address is accepted, email from email addresses owned by the same sender are automatically accepted. |
| US08606859B2 |
Method and system to communicate messages in a computer network
A method includes communicating in a computer network a first message in a publish-subscribe arrangement or a queuing arrangement, and communicating a second message in a publish-subscribe arrangement or a queuing arrangement. The second message may be derived from the first message. The publish-subscribe arrangement may include a topic to which at least one of the first and second messages is sent, and the queuing arrangement may include a queue to which at least one of the first and second messages is sent. The second message may be derived from the first message by bridging a source and a target destination. The invention extends to a machine-readable medium embodying a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to execute the method. |
| US08606856B2 |
Digital media asset identification system and method
The present invention provides a system and method for identifying and transferring digital media assets within a system through the use of identification data. The identification data is applied to each transferred copy and includes data specific to the customer and digital media asset. To facilitate transfers and ease of use the digital media assets can be made DRM-free. |
| US08606854B2 |
System and method for opportunistic image sharing
A system for requesting data from another includes means for automatically appending a request for certain information to an outgoing message. In one embodiment, an e-mail editor provides the sender-user with an option for causing the email to include a request for missing or desired contact information, such as a picture. The appended request may be in the form of an added e-mail header, e.g. “I need your picture.” On the receiving side of the email, the incoming messages may be parsed for such requests. Any requests that are found in incoming email may be remembered by the receiving system using a dedicated data structure or some indications (e.g. flags) in an existing data structure. When email is composed on the receiving system, the “remembered” request information may be used to facilitate responses to pending requests. In this manner, email correspondents may opportunistically use their email traffic to maintain updated information regarding each other. |
| US08606853B1 |
Systems and/or methods for server-controlled display of nested multi-level client dialogs
Certain example embodiments described herein relate to server-controlled display techniques for nested multi-level client dialog boxes. On the client side, standard dialog elements are shown in the dialog box. Client-side events, e.g., caused by user interaction with the dialog box, are converted to parameters for a function call to the server and are processed there. The dialog box display may be updated by transferring (possibly only) dialog item changes that result from the function call back to the client. The server may process separate threads and bundle dialog and sub-dialog data in one function, and the server may split the bundled data for dialog and/or sub-dialog box rendering, as appropriate. Thus, an advantage of certain example implementations is that no dialog-specific logic (e.g., data access, dialog specific functions, etc.) needs to exist on the client side. Instead, the client side may simply render a fixed set of dialog box items. |
| US08606839B2 |
Interleaved method for parallel implementation of the fast fourier transform
A method for computing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) in a parallel processing structure uses an interleaved computation process. In particular, the interleaved FFT computation process intertwines the output of two different shifted Fourier matrices to obtain a Fourier transform of an input vector. Next, an even-odd extension process is applied to the transformed input vector, whereupon various terms are grouped in a computational tree. As such, the resulting segmentation of the computation allows the fast Fourier transform to be computed in a parallel manner. |
| US08606835B2 |
Efficient kernel calculation for interpolation
A method of determining interpolation coefficients (607, 609, 610, 611) of a symmetric interpolation kernel (608) is disclosed. The method comprises determining a first interpolation coefficient (611) from the symmetric interpolation kernel (608) and storing the first interpolation coefficient in a memory (506). The method then determines the value of an intermediate function (310) from symmetrically opposed segments (201, 204) of the kernel, and determines a subsequent interpolation coefficient dependent upon the first interpolation coefficient and the value of the intermediate function. |
| US08606834B2 |
Managing supplied data
In a computing system environment, a data recipient manages entropy data supplied from an external data source despite not knowing or being certain about their trustworthiness or if such varies over time. Features relate to scoring the data and determining whether it meets or exceeds a predetermined policy score. One or more initial or updated reputation values of the data source are contemplated and used for scoring. Logging of the scoring, reputation values or other matters is provided for historical purposes and to identify possible future corrective actions. Other embodiments contemplate enhancing the score of the entropy data. In some instances, use of less than all the data by the recipient occurs to increase attack-resistance. Whether such occurs or how much occurs remains substantially unbeknownst to all parties other than the data recipient. Still other embodiments contemplate computer-readable media. |
| US08606833B2 |
Method and system of committing operations of a synchronized transaction
A method and system for combined commit transaction request and subsequent operation request for committing the operations of a synchronized transaction by one or more applications (301, 4001, 501) on a resource manager (302, 402, 502). The method comprises: receiving a combined request (310, 410, 510) for an operation and a request to commit any outstanding synchronized transaction; committing the outstanding transaction (311, 414, 512); and processing (313, 413, 517) the requested operation outside the outstanding transaction. For example, in an asynchronous messaging process, the combined request specifies an option in a get operation request to commit any outstanding units of work prior to carrying out the get operation. |
| US08606826B2 |
Augmenting queries with synonyms from synonyms map
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, operable to perform operations including receiving through a user interface with an interface language a search query having query terms; using the interface language to select one or more mappings and using the selected mappings to simplify each query term; and applying each simplified query term to a synonyms map to identify possible synonyms with which to augment the search query. In alternative embodiments, the operations include generating a synonyms map from a corpus of documents; where the synonyms map maps each of multiple keys to one or more corresponding variants, where each variant is associated with one or more of document languages. In alternative embodiments, the operations include generating a synonyms map from documents by applying document language-dependent mappings to words in the documents to generate keys for the map. |
| US08606825B1 |
Query response streams based on dynamic query library
Configurations for creating a customized query for aggregating the web site tracking data in order to provide a new query response stream for a real-time presentation of the web site tracking data are disclosed. The subject technology provides publisher-defined queries to existing queries that are applied to real-time analytics data. In some configurations, a new aggregation table is created according to the customized query. As incoming event tracking data communications are received, the event tracking data from the communications is continuously segmented and updated into the new aggregation table according to the customized query. The event tracking data from the new aggregation table is then pushed or delivered to a front-end client for presentation. |
| US08606819B2 |
Automated content scheduler and displayer
A method for providing content via a communications network on a user's computer, obtained from a plurality of resources in an organized arrangement is provided. The method includes creating a show structure of nodes, each node identifying a resource from a plurality of accessible resources, at least some of which are network accessible resources. Without requiring user input, a plurality of the network accessible resources, identified by a corresponding node, are automatically accessed. Content corresponding to each of the accessed resources is automatically presented through the user's computer in accordance with the show structure. Advertisement content is presented to the user in connection with the automatic presentation of the content through the user's computer. |
| US08606818B2 |
Optimizing the storage of one-to-many external references to contiguous regions of hierarchical data structures
A volatile memory manager of a data handling system can be configured to convert the one-to-many external reference into an external reference that references the common ancestor node of the contiguous region. Specific pathing and/or termination conditions can be contained in a Relationship_Path parameter of the external reference. The hierarchical data structure can also be loaded into volatile memory by the volatile memory manager as data structure references. The volatile memory manager can be further configured to perform various functions utilizing the external and data structure references. |
| US08606814B2 |
Business intelligence OLAP provider model and architecture
According to some embodiments, a system, method, means and computer program code is provided including identifying a provider interface, the provider interface configured to map data items from a provider data model to a system data model, identifying a set of capabilities of the provider data model, transmitting data from the information provider to the business information system through the provider interface, and communicating the set of capabilities of the provider data model to the business information system. |
| US08606811B2 |
Electronic publication system
A system and method for modifying publication data in a publication system are described. An example embodiment includes receiving proposed publication data and accessing a success measurement associated with past publications within a publication system. The success measurement may indicate a measurement of success associated with the past publications. An example system and method may generate modification data to be used to modify the proposed publication data. The modification data may be based on the success measurement and proposed publication data. |
| US08606809B2 |
Program recording medium, computer, and culture state analyzing method
In one aspect of an embodiment, a computer determines an identity of the cells with a cell shape data, and also determines a correspondence relationship of identification data between a plurality of cell analyzing tables at a different observing times. Also, the computer, based on the correspondence relationship of the identification data, records a plurality of cell analyzing tables at the different observing times in a storage medium by making into a database which can be searched in a direction of a time axis for each of the cells having commonality. |
| US08606806B2 |
Static typing of xquery expressions in lax validation content
Systems and methods that extend static typing rules/algorithms of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) rules, with a more precise static typing algorithm that supplies knowledge for types occurring in the Lax validation section. The Lax validation can be identified, and associated expressions known with particularity, wherein types can be inferred for XQuery expressions that navigate down into the Lax validation section. An annotation component annotates elements (e.g., wild card sections) with additional information about wild card sections, and a mapping component maps Lax wild cards to type systems. |
| US08606804B2 |
Runtime-defined dynamic queries
A programming model for a query service (e.g., web) that supports defining query builders which are bound dynamically at runtime to parameter values. Moreover, the programming model can be used to customize the query execution, for example, by adding pre-processing, post-processing, or dynamic binding to queries (e.g., selecting the query to be executed dynamically at runtime). As a consequence, generalized and parameterized queries can be used (with different runtime values for parameters) in different scenarios. |
| US08606802B2 |
Method and system for storing multiple geo-tagged media files and rendering the same
A method and apparatus for organizing a geographically tagged media file, the method obtaining geographical information for the media file; identifying a subfolder for the media file; and placing the media file in the identified subfolder. Also, a method and apparatus for utilizing an album of geographically tagged media files within a media application, the method allowing a third party application access to the geographically tagged media files; and upon selection of the third party application within the media application, launching the third party application populated with the album of geographically tagged media files. |
| US08606799B2 |
Software and method for utilizing a generic database query
This disclosure provides various embodiments of software for identifying and utilizing a generic database query. In one aspect, the software identifies a generic query such that the generic query is independent of a particular database layout, and accesses a database table having a first layout using the generic query. In some implementations, the software may comprise a business application associated with a database, where the generic query is embedded in the business application without knowledge of the associated database's table layout. In other implementations, the generic query may be embedded in the software before the database table is created. |
| US08606793B1 |
Business metric score for web pages
A system and method for generating a business metric score for a web page. The system may include a effective to receive from a user a web page, a keyword and a business metric factor. The processor may receive a search engine rank based on the web page and the keyword received from the user. The processor may apply a business metric function to the business metric factor received from the user to generate a business metric rank; and combine the search engine rank and the business metric rank to generate a business metric score. |
| US08606792B1 |
Scoring authors of posts
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. A score for each of a plurality of authors of posts submitted to a server system is determined. The score for each individual author in the plurality is based on a score of one or more authors in the plurality that have requested to subscribe to a stream of posts that the individual author submits to the server system. A particular post submitted by a particular author in the plurality is received at the server system and from a computing device. A score is assigned to the particular post based on a score of the particular author. The particular post is transmitted from the server system to computing devices that are associated with authors who have requested to subscribe to posts by the particular author. |
| US08606790B2 |
Method, system, and computer program product for managing a multi-tenant database system
More efficient querying of a multi-tenant database using dynamic tuning of database indices. A layer of meta-data associates data items with tenants, e.g., via tags, and the meta-data is used to optimize searches by channeling processing resources during a query to only those pieces of data bearing the relevant tenant's unique tag. |
| US08606787B1 |
Social network node clustering system and method
Users in a social network are represented by nodes on a network graph. A similarity processor generates a similarity matrix of nodes and neighbors. A clustering processor groups select nodes based on similarity. Nodes initially assigned to one cluster are selectively added to other clusters based on similarity. A social network processor provides features and processing based on the clusters of nodes thus produced. |
| US08606786B2 |
Determining a similarity measure between queries
A system described herein includes a receiver component that receives a dataset that is stored in a computer-readable medium of a computing device, wherein the dataset includes a plurality of queries issued by users to a search engine and a plurality of search results selected by the users upon issuing the plurality of queries. A distribution determiner component determines click distributions over the search results selected by the users with respect to the plurality of queries. A labeler component labels at least two queries in the plurality of queries as being substantially similar to one another based at least in part upon the click distributions over the search results selected by the users with respect to the plurality of queries. |
| US08606784B2 |
System for rating and recruiting sports players
A system for recruiting and rating sports players can include a processor in communication with a data storage, network, and plurality of client devices. A library of league information can be stored in the data storage. The system can form a user interface on the client devices. The system can transmit messages to coaches at schools to request ratings, ability levels, and comments for sports players, which can be averaged. The system can present a recruiter profile in the user interface to college recruiters via the client devices. The recruiter profile can include a search portion to allow for searching of sports players by criteria, a league coaches rating portion for listing coaches associated with a selected sports player, and coach contact information and sports player contact information to allow the college recruiters to contact the coaches, sports players, or combinations thereof to request information or initiate recruitment. |
| US08606783B2 |
Identifying video files of a video file storage system having relevance to a first file
Methods and systems for providing related video files in a video file storage system are disclosed. One method includes identifying a plurality of video files within the video file storage system, wherein the plurality of video files each have a relationship with the first file, and each video file includes a video and associated information. The method further includes generating, by a system server, a list of inquiries based on the plurality of video files, providing, by the system server, the list of inquiries to at least one creator of the first file, receiving from the at least one creator at least one response to the list of inquiries, selecting a subset of the plurality of video files based on the at least one response, and storing information related to the selected subset of the plurality of video files. |
| US08606782B2 |
Segmentation description scheme for audio-visual content
A segmentation description scheme for video material that includes references to segments of video contained in different programs. The segmentation description scheme may also interact with a presentation device to present the referenced segments to a user contiguously, without first storing the segments respectively referenced from the different programs. |
| US08606781B2 |
Systems and methods for personalized search
Techniques are presented to provide personalized search results to a user. A user history optionally classified into projects or tasks is determined. A profile for the user is determined by identifying keywords, concepts or other user and/or task specific descriptors within user history documents. A proximal neighborhood based on the user's history and adjustable crawling parameters is determined. The adjustable crawling parameters define which documents linked to documents in the user history are included within the proximal neighborhood. A user query is determined and used to search the set of documents within the proximal neighborhood. The results are then ranked based on the user profile information. The ranked results are optionally displayed to the user. |
| US08606780B2 |
Image re-rank based on image annotations
Search queries for images are received from users. An original order of responsive images to the query is determined. Duplicate images and words associated with the duplicate images are identified for each of the responsive images. Common words associated with the duplicate images are identified. The responsive images are annotated with the common words and an annotated order is determined. A re-ranked order is determined based on the original order and the annotated order. Responsive images are presented to the user in the re-ranked order. |
| US08606778B1 |
Document ranking based on semantic distance between terms in a document
Techniques are disclosed that locate implicitly defined semantic structures in a document, such as, for example, implicitly defined lists in an HTML document. The semantic structures can be used in the calculation of distance values between terms in the documents. The distance values may be used, for example, in the generation of ranking scores that indicate a relevance level of the document to a search query. |
| US08606774B1 |
Methods and systems for 3D shape retrieval
Systems and methods for 3D shape retrieval are described herein. An embodiment includes obtaining a query 3D model, determining a similarity between the query 3D model and one or more 3D models based on a plurality of features of the query 3D model and corresponding features of the one or more 3D models, retrieving one or more similar 3D models based on the determining step and ranking the one or more similar 3D models based on the similarity. The embodiment further includes computing a feature distance between the query 3D model and the one or more 3D models for each feature, from a first set of features, associated with the query 3D model and the one or more 3D models and evaluating a first composite distance function using each feature distance. Another embodiment includes constructing a retrieval structure using each of the one or more 3D models for each feature associated with the one or more 3D models and searching the retrieval structure, for each feature, to determine 3D models similar to the query 3D model. |
| US08606772B1 |
Efficient multiple-keyword match technique with large dictionaries
One embodiment relates to a computer-implemented method for multiple-keyword matching performed using a computer including at least a processor, data storage, and computer-readable instructions. A keyword set and a text string to be searched are obtained. A suffix sorting procedure is applied to the text string to create a suffix index array. A dual binary keyword search procedure is applied to a reference list of suffix strings presented by the suffix index array. The dual binary keyword search procedure may apply a recursive function that utilizes a divide-and-conquer process and may have inputs of a results list, the suffix index array, and the keyword set. The recursive function may add a range of items to the results list if a keyword is determined to be a prefix of a suffix string in the reference list. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed. |
| US08606768B2 |
System for providing a configurable adaptor for mediating systems
A system is described for providing a configurable adaptor for mediating systems. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store an interaction item, a data mapping, data schemas and binary representations of the data schemas. The interface may communicate with a first system, a second system, and a device. The processor may identify the interaction item describing an interaction between the systems. The processor may generate and process a first and second data schema to generate binary representations of the schemas. The processor may generate a data mapping referencing the binary representations to describe a data transformation between the data formats of the first and second systems. The processor may deploy the binary representations, the data mapping, and the interaction item to a device to enable the device to maintain interaction state, and communicate properly formatted messages between the first and second systems. |
| US08606766B2 |
Method and system to handle java class versioning
There is disclosed a method of handling a given object class in an object-oriented environment, wherein it comprises, in response to the invocation of the given object class during runtime, the steps of: determining if the version associated with the given object class differs from a predefined minimal version and if so: (a) generating a new version of the object class from the previous version of the object class by invoking an interface method migrating an object class from a version to another; (b) extending the new object class by updating pointer links to the previous version of the given object class. The previous version of the object class may be maintained accessible after the object migration. |
| US08606765B2 |
Systems and methods for updating software appliances
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for updating software appliances. A client can host a software appliance, such a Linux™ software appliance, which a user wishes to update to a newer version. Instead of performing an in-place update by installing a new version that deletes the configuration state and/or user data of the existing version of the appliance, an export module takes an image of an initial appliance installation and then registers further changes to the configuration state and/or user data over time. When the user chooses to update the software appliance, the new version can be downloaded to execute an installation. The export module aggregates all changes to the original installation image as well as user data, and delivers the complete current configuration state and/or complete current user data to the new version of the appliance to instantiate the new version. |
| US08606763B2 |
Method and system for compression of files for storage and operation on compressed files
Systems and methods for creating, reading, and writing compressed files for use with a file access storage. The compressed data of a raw file are packed into a plurality of compressed units and stored as compressed files. One or more corresponding compressed units may be read and/or updated with no need for restoring the entire file while maintaining a de-fragmented structure of the compressed file. |
| US08606757B2 |
Storage and retrieval of concurrent query language execution results
Methods, systems, and articles for receiving, by a computing device, execution results of a plurality of query language expressions are described herein. In various embodiments, the plurality of query language expressions may be concurrently executed, and the receiving may be contemporaneous with production of the execution results. Also, in various embodiments, the computing device may store a result item of the execution results for at least a first of the query language expressions in a memory block allocated exclusively for the first of the query language expressions while the first of the query language expressions is being executed, or in a result handle associated with the first of the query language expressions. |
| US08606754B2 |
Method for doubly backing up files asynchronously
The present invention proposes a method for doubly backing up files asynchronously, wherein at least two first network elements share a second network element, both of said first network elements include respectively an active file handling device and a standby file handling device, characterized in that, said active file handling device copies the files to the second network element, if said standby file handling device finds that said active file handling device misses the files, said standby file handling device copies backups of the files to said active file handling device, thus the files stored in said active file handling device and the files stored in said standby file handling device being synchronized. |
| US08606753B2 |
Remote office duplication
Remote office deduplication comprises calculating one or more fingerprints of one or more data blocks, sending the one or more fingerprints to one or more backup servers via a network interface, receiving from the one or more backup servers an indication of which one or more data blocks corresponding to the one or more fingerprints should be sent to the one or more backup servers, and if the indication indicates one or more data blocks to be sent to the one or more backup servers, sending the one or more data blocks to the one or more backup servers via the network interface. |
| US08606746B2 |
Privacy management policy hub
A system architecture is disclosed that includes a privacy management system. In particular, the privacy management system provides a policy hub for maintaining and managing customer privacy information. The privacy management system maintains a master data database for customer information and customer privacy preferences, and a rules database for privacy rules. The privacy management system captures, synchronizes, and stores customer privacy data. Privacy rules may be authored using a privacy management vocabulary, and can be customized for an enterprise's privacy policies. |
| US08606742B1 |
User behavior based contact decisions
Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving aggregate user data, the aggregate user data corresponding to response rate of one or more answering users responding to requests, processing the aggregate user data to generate an analytical model, the analytical model comprising a plurality of states, a plurality of transitions between states, and data corresponding to a probability that an average answering user will respond to a request based on at least one of a state of the average answering user and a transition between states, receiving a request, identifying a plurality of answering users, processing the analytical model to identify a sub-set of answering users of the plurality of answering users, and transmitting the request to each answering user of the sub-set of answering users. |
| US08606738B2 |
Policy-based management in communication network
A method and system for policy based management in a communication system, comprising at a policy enforcement point (101) associated with policy decision points (102,103,104). The enforcement point (101) transmits a request for a decision from the decision points (102,103,104). A policy strategy point (105) is configured with a decision strategy, comprising an algorithm for determining a resulting decision. The decision points (102,103,104) generate decisions upon which the strategy point (105) generates the resulting decision, by applying said decision strategy on said decisions. The strategy point (105) communicates the resulting decision to the enforcement point (101), which executes the resulting decision. |
| US08606735B2 |
Apparatus and method for predicting user's intention based on multimodal information
Disclosed are an apparatus and method of deducing a user's intention using multimodal information. The user's intention deduction apparatus includes a first predictor to predict a part of a user's intention using at least one piece of motion information, and a second predictor to predict the user's intention using the predicted part of the user's intention and multimodal information received from at least one multimodal sensor. |
| US08606731B2 |
Coating color database creating method, search method using the database, their system, program, and recording medium
A method for creating a database for paint colors having a desired texture includes storing spectral reflectance data and micro-brilliance data of paint colors after associating each spectral reflectance data and each micro-brilliance data with a paint color code; storing texture evaluation values of sample paint colors after associating the each texture evaluation value with the paint color code; calculating characteristic quantities of the paint colors expressing textures using the spectral reflectance data and the micro-brilliance data, and storing the characteristic quantities after associating the each characteristic quantity with the paint color code; training a neural network using the characteristic quantities and the texture evaluation values of the sample paint colors as training data; and inputting characteristic quantities of the paint colors other than the sample paint colors into the neural network after the training, and storing output data after associating each output data with the paint color code. |
| US08606730B1 |
Scaling machine learning using approximate counting
A system may track statistics for a number of features using an approximate counting technique by: subjecting each feature to multiple, different hash functions to generate multiple, different hash values, where each of the hash values may identify a particular location in a memory, and storing statistics for each feature at the particular locations identified by the hash values. The system may generate rules for a model based on the tracked statistics. |
| US08606729B2 |
Gas blocking device
A newly-purchased gas appliance is detected and reported to a gas administrator. There are provided a flow rate detection portion, a flow rate calculation portion, a code extraction portion, an initial code learning portion, a code maintaining portion, a code judging portion, an additional code learning portion, and an external communication portion. The code extraction portion extracts a code pattern E. The initial code learning portion gathers similar code patterns E as a gas appliance code pattern F. The code judging portion judges whether or not the code pattern E matches any of gas appliance code patterns F held by the code maintaining portion within a predetermined range. The code patterns E that have failed to match are subjected to additional identification of a gas appliance in the additional code learning portion. The gas cut-off device can thereby let the additional code learning portion detect whether or not a new gas appliance has emerged and the external communication portion send a report to the gas administrator. |
| US08606727B2 |
Method and system for traffic prediction based on space-time relation
A system and method for traffic prediction based on space-time relation are disclosed. The system comprises a section spatial influence determining section for determining, for each of a plurality of sections to be predicted, spatial influences on the section by its neighboring sections; a traffic prediction model establishment section for establishing, for each of the plurality of sections to be predicted, a traffic prediction model by using the determined spatial influences and historical traffic data of the plurality of sections; and a traffic prediction section for predicting traffic of each of the plurality of sections to be predicted for a future time period by using real-time traffic data and the traffic prediction model. An apparatus and method for determining spatial influences among sections, as well as an apparatus and method for traffic prediction, are also disclosed. With the present invention, a spatial influence of a section can be used as a spatial operator and a time sequence model can be incorporated, such that the influences on a current section by its neighboring section for a plurality of spatial orders can be taken into account. In this way, the traffic condition in a spatial scope can be measured more practically, so as to improve accuracy of prediction. |
| US08606724B2 |
Policy evolution with machine learning
A method for constructing a classifier which maps an input vector to one of a plurality of pre-defined classes, the method steps includes receiving a set of training examples as input, wherein each training example is an exemplary input vector belonging to one of the pre-defined classes, learning a plurality of functions, wherein each function maps the exemplary input vectors to a numerical value, and determining a class for the input vector by combining numerical outputs of the functions determined for the input vector. |
| US08606722B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for providing an association between a first participant and a second participant in a social network
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for associating a first participant and a second participant in a social network. In one embodiment, payment is received from a first participant. Additionally, an association between the first participant and a second participant in a social network is provided, in exchange for the payment. |
| US08606720B1 |
Secure storage of payment information on client devices
An online electronic wallet system and method provide secure storage and transmission of payment instrument information for use in completing online purchases initiated from a client device. A payment instrument's verification code is stored in an encrypted form in local storage on a client device and retrieved and re-encrypted along with other payment instrument information stored on the system using a merchant-specific key. An API library is used to integrate the online electronic wallet system with a registered merchant's purchase flow, including the ability to ensure receipt of an electronic receipt prior to communicating payment instrument information to a merchant server. |
| US08606716B2 |
Product protection identifier for checking the authenticity of products
The invention relates to a product protection system, whereby a product piece is provided with a product-specific identification sequence (K) which is converted into a coded check sequence (C), by means of an encoding method (F1) using a secret encoding sequence (B). A product control sequence is applied to or on the product piece which comprises the coded check sequence (C), or a sequence derived therefrom. In order to check the authenticity of the product piece, the product control sequence is recorded by a control requester and transmitted by internet to a product protection server structure. A decoded check sequence is derived therein from the product control sequence by means of a decoding method using a decoding sequence. The authenticity of the decoded check sequence, or a sequence derived therefrom is checked and the result of the authenticity check transmitted by internet to the control requester. |
| US08606715B2 |
Systems and methods facilitating communication with remote computers
A variety of systems and embodiments are disclosed. One embodiment provides a method including: maintaining a database including a plurality of records stored therein; obtaining first information derived from image or video data, the first information being derived remotely relative to performance of said method, the first information comprising a reduced-bit representation of the image or video data itself; determining whether the first information has been previously received with reference to at least the plurality of records stored in the database; and disregarding a request or action associated with the first information if the first information has been previously received. Of course, other combinations are provided and claimed as well. |
| US08606714B1 |
Flexible account management for customer transactions and overdrafts
Various aspects relate to systems, methods or devices for processing overdrafts made by customers. A particular embodiment is directed toward a system that is configured to receive transaction data from customer-oriented terminals. The transaction data includes requests for monetary transfers on behalf of customers that hold a checking or savings account at a financial institution. In response to receiving the transaction data, the system accesses customer account information, which can include the amount of funds in the checking or savings accounts. The system determines whether sufficient funds exist in the accounts to cover the financial transactions. In response to a potential overdraft of one or more customer accounts, stored customer information is accessed to determine and authorize overdraft deferment eligibility of the customer based upon the stored customer information. The system defers an overdraft fee by providing a grace period during which funds can be transferred to cover the overdraft. |
| US08606712B2 |
Multi-stage filtering for fraud detection with account event data filters
A multi-stage filtering process and system for fraud detection is disclosed. The process includes one or more preliminary filtration stages followed by one or more additional filtration stages that provide for enhanced screening for fraudulent activity. In one such embodiment the preliminary filtration provides for evaluating financial transactions based on financial transaction attribute data and secondary filtration provides for further evaluating the financial transactions based on a customer's account event data. Over a plurality of transactions, a portion of the transactions are cleared for processing (e.g., deemed not likely fraudulent or of too low value to continue processing) after each filtration stage. As such, acceptable transactions are not unnecessarily scrutinized. In specific embodiments, filtration is based on financial transaction data and account event data. |
| US08606711B2 |
POS payment terminal and a method of direct debit payment transaction using a mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone
A payment terminal using a mobile communication device (4), such as a mobile phone, is located on a removable memory card (1), e.g. type microSD card, which is adjusted in such a way so it can be inserted into an additional hardware slot, e.g. memory slot. A payment POS terminal application runs on a removable memory card (1), which contains at least one payment card. The payment card's unit (7) with the card's payment application is located in the secured part of the memory, separately from the terminal's configuration data unit (6). The configuration data of the terminal's selected identity and the payment card's data are located in the separate parts of the secure element or in completely independent secure elements or they can also be localized in the Sales Device of the merchant and there e.g. within the ICC card (29) or SAM card (42). |
| US08606710B2 |
Method and system for paying public transportation fare via mobile device
A method and a system of paying a public transportation fare via a mobile device are provided. The method includes connecting the mobile device to an Access Point (AP) installed to a Transportation System (TS), transmitting a first message, from the TS to a Communication Service Providing Server (CSPS), including a list of mobile devices connected to the AP, including the mobile device, identification-information regarding the AP, and the current location information regarding the mobile device, transmitting, when the mobile device is disconnected from the AP, a second message, from the TS to the CSPS, including a list of mobile devices connected to the AP, excluding the mobile device, the identification-information regarding the AP, and the current location information regarding the TS, and calculating, by the CSPS, the transportation fare to charge the mobile device and transmitting a transportation fare charge message to the mobile device. |
| US08606708B1 |
Methods and systems for integrated and automated financial services
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for a computerize method of providing financial management to a user by integrating financial data from a plurality of sources such as online financial services. The system analyzes the financial data from a plurality of sources together to determine financial transactions beneficial to the user, and executes the financial transactions. The system may also analyze a user's transactional history among multiple accounts to identify and predict recommended financial transactions to the user. This provides an integrated solution for linking and coordinating multiple online banking services which previously had no operational link. |
| US08606696B1 |
Assessing consumer purchase behavior in making a financial contract authorization decision
A method includes: receiving a request corresponding to a prospective customer for at least one of a new service contract and sale of a product, the request including purchaser data specific to the purchaser, and new transaction data; determining historic data for a plurality of past transactions based at least in part on the purchaser data and one or more characteristics of the at least one of the new service contract and sale of the new product, the historic data for each past transaction including respective purchaser data, respective transaction data, and respective outcome data; determining historic risk data related to the plurality of past transactions; determining a risk prediction of the request based at least in part upon the historic risk data; and determining an authorization decision based at least in part upon the risk prediction, wherein the authorization decision comprises an approval or a denial of the request. |
| US08606695B1 |
Decision making engine and business analysis tools for small business credit product offerings
Tools, strategies, and techniques are disclosed for matching the needs of small business owners with credit products offered by lenders such as banking institutions, alternative lenders, and private money lenders. Processes are provided for matching the funding requirements of small business owners with credit products offered by multiple banks and facilitating an intelligent comparison of the multiple credit options. In addition, tools are disclosed for analyzing risk factors and other information associated with business borrowers. |
| US08606692B2 |
Processing loan transactions
In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes receiving first financial information associated with a first loan system, wherein the first financial information is in a first format associated with the first loan system and converting, by a processor, the first financial information to a common format. The method also includes receiving second financial information associated with a second loan system, wherein the second financial information is in a second format associated with the first loan system; converting, by a processor, the second financial information to the common format; and communicating the first financial information and the second financial information to a user. |
| US08606690B2 |
System and method for optimizing the frequency of market information updates in an electronic trading environment
A system and method for optimizing the frequency of market information updates in an electronic trading environment are described herein. According to one example embodiment, by optimizing the frequency of market information updates, the burden on the client device to update the graphical user interface may be reduced, while still providing an accurate portrayal of the market to the user. An example method includes associating different precedence levels with messages comprising market information. Messages containing market information related to the inside market may be associated to a higher precedence level. Whereas messages containing market information relating to the quantities at prices outside the inside market may be associated with a lower precedence level. Based on the precedence level associated with a message, a client device may update the graphical user interface or the message may be stored in a data structure until a pre-defined condition is satisfied. |
| US08606689B2 |
System and method for dynamically regulating order entry in an electronic trading environment
A system and method are provided for trading a trading strategy defined for at least one tradeable object in an electronic trading environment. More specifically, one example method includes using a first pay-up tick value to determine a first acceptable price level for an order associated with the trading strategy, automatically modifying the first pay-up tick to a second pay-up tick value in response to detecting a predefined condition, and using the second pay-up tick value to determine a second acceptable price level for the order associated with the trading strategy. |
| US08606687B2 |
Modification of multi-laterally traded contracts based on currency unavailability condition
A type of multi-laterally traded contract may designate a primary currency and a secondary currency. The primary currency may be used for settlement and/or other payment obligations in connection with instances of the contract type. Under certain conditions, however, authorization may be given for settlement and/or payment of at least some obligations using an equivalent amount of the secondary currency. |
| US08606686B1 |
System and method for gathering and performing complex analyses on power data from multiple remote sources
The invention encompasses data analytics, and more specifically, encompasses the efficient gathering and management of data, and the execution of data analysis solutions on complex power and pricing. |
| US08606684B2 |
Digital content distribution and subscription system
A digital content distribution and subscription system for digital data files provides subscribers with music or video from streaming digital data or locally-stored digital files on demand for a fee. After registration onto the system, a subscriber may select from a relatively wide variety of available digital content from the streaming digital data or the locally-stored digital files. The subscriber may then select songs from various playlists which causes encrypted digital audio files for the selected music to be downloaded to the subscriber's personal computer (pc). A license key is downloaded to the subscriber's pc to unlock the selected songs to enable them to be decoded and played on the subscriber's pc or remote audio equipment for a predetermined period of time. At the expiration of the predetermined time period, the license key expires, thereby preventing further playback of the encrypted audio data files. The selections of each subscriber are tabulated for the purpose of royalty tracking and payment of an appropriate license fee to the holders of copyright rights for the selections. The digital content distribution and subscription system includes a digital content management system, a system for taken-based authentication allowing secure data retrieval and a royalty administration system. |
| US08606683B2 |
System and method of allocating dividends to classes of stock shares and sub-classes of the stock shares
A system and a method for allocating dividends to stock shares are provided. The method includes creating a sub-class of a first stock share class. The method further includes allocating a first percentage of a total dividend amount to a first plurality of stock shares in the first stock share class. The method further includes allocating a second percentage of the total dividend amount to the second plurality of stock shares in the sub-class of the first stock share class. The method further includes storing the first percentage of the total dividend and the second percentage of the total dividend in a memory device. The method further includes buying-back stock shares in the first stock share class or sub-class of the first stock share class. |
| US08606682B1 |
System for providing a correlation index
A system includes a memory and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The memory stores a correlation index that is based at least in part on a portfolio of index options, a plurality of stock options, and a plurality of deltas computed using a plurality of constant flat implied volatilities. The processor determines a value of the correlation index by selecting a plurality of strike prices for each of the index and stock options, computing a constant flat implied volatility for an index and a plurality of stocks on a first date, and computing the plurality of deltas using the plurality of constant flat implied volatilities. |
| US08606674B1 |
Income analysis tools for wealth management
Enhanced processes, methods, tools, strategies, and techniques are provided for more effectively and efficiently processing, managing, analyzing, and communicating wealth related data and other financial information within a computing environment. In various embodiments, the analysis tools provided herein have been designed to correspond visually with a mental model employed by many clients in managing their wealth. |
| US08606672B2 |
Method and system for analyzing investment information
An information processing apparatus and associated method for analyzing investment information. An input unit receives a financial request and one or more investment variables relating to the financial indicator and a description vector unit generates at least two vectors containing the one or more investment variables based on the financial request. A description vector similarity unit then calculates a similarity value by comparing the at least two vectors and an investment analysis unit analyzes the similarity value and the financial request, and determines investment advice based on results of the analysis. |
| US08606670B2 |
Integrated communication solution
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and machine-readable media for integrating communications between multiple systems and/or processes related to different aspects of financial transactions of a consumer. Generally speaking, an integrated communications engine can be communicatively coupled with and adapted to manage communications between a plurality of routines or processes to manage interactions with a consumer throughout a lifecycle of a financial relationship with the consumer. According to one embodiment, the integrated communications engine can further comprise a rules engine. The rules engine can be adapted to monitor the plurality of routines, determine whether a condition specified in a rule is satisfied, and in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, trigger an action by one or more of the routines of the plurality of routines based on the rule. |
| US08606661B2 |
System supporting automated clearing house (ACH) features
Techniques for supporting an automated clearing house system (ACH) for facilitating resolution of ACH transactions. When a transaction item is blocked for an account, the associated transaction is paused so that the transaction item can be presented to the client. When the indication from the client is indicative of accepting the transaction item, the transaction is allowed to process. When the indication is indicative of returning the transaction item, the transaction is stopped and the transaction item is returned. On-line authorization maintenance information may be received from the client so that transaction items can be processed based on the on-line authorization maintenance information, which may be used edit a current authorization entry or to create a new authorization entry for a trading partner. A decision to approve a blocked transaction item may be decided by an employee of a client. However, approval may further require approval by a second employee. |
| US08606656B1 |
Facilitating access to restricted functionality
Techniques are described for facilitating access of computing system users to restricted functionality, such as internal functionality of a business or other organization (e.g., internal systems and/or confidential information available to some or all business employees or other organization members). The restricted functionality access may in some situations be provided in conjunction with publicly available information from the organization, such as to use that publicly available information as part of a user interface that allows an authorized subset of users to access the restricted functionality. In some situations, the restricted functionality access may be facilitated by an access provider system that executes on a client computing system of an authorized user, such as a program operating in conjunction with another presentation program that presents publicly available information (e.g., as an extension program for the presentation program), and that modifies the interactions available to the user when using the presentation program. |
| US08606655B2 |
Methods and apparatus for managing a universal list system
In some embodiments, a non-transitory processor-readable medium includes code to cause a processor to receive, via a first communication mode, a first indicator associated with a first user-performed process, and receive, via a second communication mode different from the first communication mode, a second indicator associated with a second user-performed process. The code includes code to cause the processor to identify, using the first indicator a first set of items for the first user-performed process, and identify, using the second indicator, a second set of items for the second user-performed process. The code further includes code to cause the processor to define a vendor-agnostic list to include the first set of items and the second set of items, and send a signal associated with at least a portion of the vendor-agnostic list to a communication device. |
| US08606650B2 |
Method and medium for cross-category wedding vendor recommendations
Systems and methods providing a list having one or more wedding services vendors. The systems and method determine a valid set of vendors based on one or more received input data. A score for each respective vendor of the valid set of vendors is determined using the received input data and input data weighting rules. One or more recommended vendors are provided based on the determined valid set of vendors and the respective score for each respective vendor of the valid set of vendors. The one or more recommended vendors may be from the same category or from different categories of vendors. Systems and methods are also presented for managing electronic communications for wedding services by providing interfaces for enabling a vendor to present an electronic storefront related to wedding services and for a vendor to manage client leads received by the electronic storefront. |
| US08606648B1 |
System and method for determining potential for curbstoning and generating an advisory
A vehicle history information system and a method for determining the potential for curbstoning. In one embodiment, the vehicle history information system includes a vehicle history database with at least one vehicle history dataset related to a particular vehicle, the vehicle history dataset having at least one vehicle history record regarding the particular vehicle, and a record analysis module adapted to analyze the vehicle history dataset of the particular vehicle to determine whether there is a potential for curbstoning the particular vehicle based on the vehicle history record. In one implementation, the vehicle history record is an auto auction record which may indicate a sale of the particular vehicle and/or an offer for sale of the particular vehicle. |
| US08606645B1 |
Method, medium, and system for an augmented reality retail application
A method, system, and apparatus is presented for presenting retail information on a device having an image capture unit and a user interface. The method, system, and apparatus may receive, from the image capture unit, an image of a retail item. A triggering feature in the image of the retail item may be detected. An augmented-reality-enhanced view may be presented on the user interface. The augmented-reality-enhanced view may overlay over the image of the retail item multimedia presenting a demonstration, such as a fashion show video, of a retail product associated with the image. A touch input on a touch screen of the user interface may be received, and an action based on the touch input may be performed. The action performed may include presenting information on the retail product or facilitating a transaction for the retail product. |
| US08606642B2 |
Remote and/or virtual mall shopping experience
A computer-implemented method of enabling remote and/or a virtual shopping of an actual retail store is disclosed. Software provides a means of creating custom, electronic shopping mall configurations that may include a plurality of participating retail stores, each of which may be selected from a list of participating retailers. The mall's stores and walkways may be selectable to launch a remote/virtual shopping experience. Navigation is by moving a cursor to browse for desired merchandise. Remote shopping is achieved through the use of a plurality of cameras at participating stores to provide live streaming images of store merchandise for remote shopping, or a series of recorded images that permit virtual shopping. All images may be embedded with merchandise information. Holding the cursor over a merchandise image may reveal embedded information. Views obstructed by a live shopper in the live streaming image may be supplanted by the beginning-of-day stored images. |
| US08606641B2 |
Secure instant message-based sales
A server device may conduct an electronic sales transaction with a user device using instant message (IM)-based protocols, where the electronic sales transaction may include both: form-based IM communications that permit a form-based user interface (UI) to be displayed, on the user device, via which information regarding a user, of the user device, is received in a manner that is not accessible to an agent associated with the server device, and text-based IM communications that permit text-based IMs, between the agent associated with the server device and the user of the user device, to be displayed on the user device. The server device may further receive, via the form-based UI, a form-based IM that includes an order for one or more products or services associated with the electronic sales transaction. |
| US08606639B1 |
Managing consistent interfaces for purchase order business objects across heterogeneous systems
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. Specifically, example business objects include PurchaseOrder ERP and PurchaseRequest ERP. |
| US08606636B1 |
Recommendations based on environmental variables
Disclosed are various embodiments for generating product recommendations. A user profile associated with a user is retrieved and profile data is extracted from the user profile. Environmental variables associated with the user and/or the location of the user are retrieved and/or detected. Product recommendations related to the user profile data and the environmental variables are generated. |
| US08606631B2 |
Chasing rewards associated with accounts
The present invention is directed to a method for linking accounts corresponding to different products together to create a group so that group processing can be performed at the group level while independent processing of the accounts is performed at the account level. The method links the accounts into a group by linking a financial record for each account to group master data for the group. The group master data includes information about the group, including group control settings, aggregate data, and a group identifier. A group typically includes a key account and one or more dependent accounts. The relationship between a dependent account and the group is specified by a dependent strategy. A dependent strategy specifies group level processing options for the account. The relationships between the accounts and the group are flexible to accommodate changes in the status of the group cardholders. Alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is described by the appended claims and is supported by the foregoing description. |
| US08606619B2 |
Market segmentation and sales potential model for animal related products
A method, system, and apparatus for estimating potential sales of animal products based on estimated animal population determined from a transaction history of sentinel products associated with particular animals. A set of sentinel products is determined that is associated with a specific type of animal. A number of the type of animal in a geographic region is estimated based on a transaction history associated with the set of sentinel products. A potential sales estimate for the geographic region is determined based on the estimated number of the particular type of animal in the geographic region. |
| US08606618B2 |
Method and system for web-based idea prediction market investment
A method for idea prediction market investment is provided. In an idea management system, a network server advertises to a user, via a network and a client device, a first idea that the user can invest an amount of virtual money X during an investment period in an idea prediction market. The advertising indicates to the user how much virtual money Y the user will receive if the user holds the investment until the first idea gets selected at the close of the investment period. The return of investment (ROI) Y over X is based at least on a second idea in the idea prediction market. In one embodiment, the user may divest the investment X prior to the close of the investment period. In another embodiment, the user is prevented from divest the investment X prior to the close of the investment period. |
| US08606615B2 |
System for managing and tracking an inventory of elements
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for managing and tracking an inventory of controlled elements, wherein a database comprising a plurality of elements is maintained, an owner is assigned to each element, the relationships between elements are identified and related elements are linked. The elements are then monitored to identify changes to the elements. Any identified change is confirmed, and if material, the owners of related elements are notified of the changes the need to be made to the related elements and the plurality of elements are monitored to determine when all required changes have been made. Once all the required changes are a made, the owners of the identified elements are required to provide final confirmation that no further changes are needed. |
| US08606614B1 |
Hardware/software and vendor labor integration in pipeline management
As provided, a method of integration of hardware, software and vendor labor in software development pipeline management that comprises providing, for each of multiple projects in a software project pipeline, a set of inputs that includes 1) timing, 2) demand inputs, 3) supply inputs. The method further comprises aggregating the inputs. The method further comprises identifying one or more constraints in the software development pipeline when the demand inputs and the supply inputs are not in balance with the input timing. |
| US08606613B2 |
Method, system and program product for funding an outsourcing project
Under the present invention when a business process is desired to be outsourced from a client (e.g., a company or governmental unit) to a third party outsourcer, an outsourcing project is initially planned. Typically, the plan includes a plurality of overlapping phases that extend over several time periods. Thereafter, a cost for implementing the outsourcing project is estimated. Should the cost exceed a planned budget of the client, the excess/investment is addressed while an agreement between the client and the outsourcer for the outsourcing project is being reached. This can involve reducing scope, restructuring the overlapping phases to reduce or eliminate the excess cost, and/or integrating funding options to address the cost as part of the agreement. |
| US08606612B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving efficiency in event information exchange among parties of event
A method and apparatus for improving efficiency and accuracy in event information exchange among users of navigation systems or other devices through wireless communication. The method includes the steps of: receiving information indicating an upcoming event, an event location, and participants thereof input by a user; checking a database storing data regarding types of event in response to the information input by the user to determine a type of the event; retrieving information regarding items required for the type of event determined and generating a template including a list of what items to bring by the participants of the event; and sending the template to the participants of the event through wireless communication. |
| US08606611B1 |
Scheduling via multiple dimensions including worker, time, and location
A method for managing projects for a small business using a graphical user interface (GUI). The method includes receiving, at a current time, a request to schedule a new project at a location and a future time selected by a user, identifying a plurality of available workers of the small business available to work on the new project at the future time, displaying, within the GUI, a new project avatar of the new project at the location on a map and a plurality of available worker avatars corresponding to the plurality of available workers, and assigning a first available worker of the plurality of available workers to the new project. |
| US08606609B2 |
Method and system for visually indicating project task durations are estimated using a single character
The present invention relates to designating that durations of specific tasks are estimated or tentative. The user can indicate estimated durations by the sheet mode or the dialog mode. Estimated duration characters are symbols of uncertainty, such as “?”, that indicate that the duration entries are not fixed and final, but may need to be adjusted in the future. The user can select an option to not display the estimated duration character even though the estimated field for the task is set. The user can also select an option to have new tasks that are created have estimated duration characters until the user chooses to enter a duration value. The program can also filter the task list to display only tasks that have estimated duration characters. |
| US08606603B2 |
Unemployment risk score and private insurance for employees
Systems and methods for scoring unemployment risk and predicting unemployment probability and for optionally providing unemployment insurance to employees. The unemployment insurance is provided through a private insurer under which the unemployment insurance policy coverage and benefits terms are selected, and policy premiums paid for, by employees. The unemployment insurance benefits are paid to employees when they face involuntary unemployment. The present invention results in the calculation of unemployment risk scores and a method of rendering private unemployment insurance to employees in the form of a primary or a supplementary unemployment insurance, or both. |
| US08606600B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling a warming therapy device
An apparatus and method for controlling a warming therapy device (e.g., incubator, warmer, etc.) is described. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) coupled to the warming therapy device for monitoring patient medical information, and for controlling various aspects of the warming therapy device accordingly. |
| US08606599B1 |
Apparatus and method for executing tasks
An apparatus for executing a task includes an authenticator to identify a user, a controller that can receive data from the user, and an authorizer to ensure that the user has access to applications used to execute the task. The controller is able to register or de-register the applications and then determine which if the registered applications should be used to execute the task. The controller then converts the data from the user so that it can be used by the application to execute the task. If the user selects a second task to be executed, the controller can determine which of the registered applications is to be used to execute the second task. Methods for executing multiple tasks are also described. |
| US08606597B2 |
Endoscope inspection report creating apparatus, creating method of endoscope inspection report and storage medium
An endoscope inspection report creating apparatus has a file name reading section that reads file names of a plurality of endoscopic images, a file name of each of the endoscopic images including inspection result information separated with use of a predetermined symbol or character, and a report creating section that creates a predetermined report by writing the inspection result information which is included in each of the file names read by the file name reading section in each predetermined position in the predetermined report by associating the inspection result information with the endoscopic image of each of the read file names. |
| US08606596B1 |
Medication waste and data collection system
A medication waste and data collection system is provided for use in tracking medication containers, related medication preparation and transfer procedures, medication administration and medication waste disposal. An amount of disposed medication can be reconciled with an amount of medication administered and/or initially prepared. Related apparatus, systems, methods and articles are also described. |
| US08606594B2 |
Method and system for automated medical records processing
A method and system for automated medical records processing. The method and system includes plural electronic medical templates specifically designed such that they reduce the complexity and risk associated with collecting patient encounter information, creating a medical diagnosis and help generate the appropriate number and type medical codes for a specific type of medical practice when processed. The medical codes and other types of processed patient encounter information are displayed in real-time on electronic medical records and invoices immediately after a patient encounter. |
| US08606592B2 |
Methods and systems for monitoring bioactive agent use
Methods, computer program products, and systems are described that include accepting at least one indication of a bioactive agent use by an individual and/or assigning an artificial sensory experience to monitor at least one desired effect of the bioactive agent on the individual. |
| US08606587B2 |
Method for reduction of aliasing introduced by spectral envelope adjustment in real-valued filterbanks
The present invention proposes a new method for improving the performance of a real-valued filterbank based spectral envelope adjuster. By adaptively locking the gain values for adjacent channels dependent on the sign of the channels, as defined in the application, reduced aliasing is achieved. Furthermore, the grouping of the channels during gain-calculation, gives an improved energy estimate of the real valued subband signals in the filterbank. |
| US08606586B2 |
Bandwidth extension encoder for encoding an audio signal using a window controller
A bandwidth extension encoder for encoding an audio signal has a signal analyzer, a core encoder, a parameter calculator, and a window controller. The audio signal has a low frequency signal having a core frequency band and a high frequency signal having an upper frequency band. The signal analyzer is configured for analyzing the audio signal, the audio signal having a block of audio samples, the block having a specified length in time. The signal analyzer is furthermore configured for determining from a plurality of analysis windows an analysis window to be used for performing a bandwidth extension in a bandwidth extension decoder. The core encoder is configured for encoding the low frequency signal to acquire an encoded or frequency signal. The parameter calculator is configured for calculating bandwidth extension parameters from the high frequency signal. The window controller is configured to provide control information indicating analysis window functions. |
| US08606584B1 |
Web based communication of information with reconfigurable format
Internet/SCHA system of using an interactive device such as an e-mail pager to obtain information from a publicly available source, such as the Internet. The e-mail pager may send information in its native format to a service that acts as an intermediary. That service takes the information and uses it to assemble a request to the actual information source, such as a Web page being accessed. If a web page is being accessed, the request is in HTML, and may include personal logon information. The response from the web page is also in HTML, and this information is received by the service, and salient information is taken from the HTML file. The information is reformatted, e.g. according to a template, into the e-mail pager's native format, and sent to the pager. Another embodiment describes opening multiple pages, and assembling their content into a single web page. |
| US08606583B2 |
Speech synthesis system for generating speech information obtained by converting text into speech
This speech synthesis system includes a server device and a client device. The client device accepts text information representing text, and transmits a speech element request to the server device. The server device stores speech element information. The server device receives the speech element request transmitted by the client device and, in response to the received speech element request, transmits speech element information to the client device so that the speech element information is received by the client device in a different order from an order of arrangement of speech elements in speech corresponding to the text. The client device executes a speech synthesis process by rearranging the speech element information so that speech elements represented by the received speech element information are arranged in the same order as the order of arrangement of the speech elements in the speech corresponding to the text. |
| US08606582B2 |
Multimodal disambiguation of speech recognition
The present invention provides a speech recognition system combined with one or more alternate input modalities to ensure efficient and accurate text input. The speech recognition system achieves less than perfect accuracy due to limited processing power, environmental noise, and/or natural variations in speaking style. The alternate input modalities use disambiguation or recognition engines to compensate for reduced keyboards, sloppy input, and/or natural variations in writing style. The ambiguity remaining in the speech recognition process is mostly orthogonal to the ambiguity inherent in the alternate input modality, such that the combination of the two modalities resolves the recognition errors efficiently and accurately. The invention is especially well suited for mobile devices with limited space for keyboards or touch-screen input. |
| US08606579B2 |
Voice print identification for identifying speakers
Voice print identification for identifying speakers may be provided. A plurality of speakers are recorded and associated with identity indicators. Voice prints for each speaker are associated with the plurality of recorded speakers. If the voice print for at least one speaker corresponds to a known user according to the identity indicators, a database entry associating the user with the voice print may be created. Additional information associated with the user may also be displayed. |
| US08606574B2 |
Speech recognition processing system and speech recognition processing method
The present invention provides a speech recognition processing system in which speech recognition processing is executed parallelly by plural speech recognizing units. Before text data as the speech recognition result is output from each of the speech recognizing units, information indicating each speaker is parallelly displayed on a display in emission order of each speech. When the text data is output from each of the speech recognizing units, the text data is associated with the information indicating each speaker and the text data is displayed. |
| US08606572B2 |
Noise cancellation device for communications in high noise environments
This invention presents a noise cancellation device for improved personal face-to-face and radio communications in high noise environments. The device comprises speech acquisition components, an audio signal processing module, a loudspeaker, and a radio interface. With the noise cancellation device, the signal-to-noise ratio can be improved by as much as 30 dB. |
| US08606569B2 |
Automatic determination of multimedia and voice signals
The present invention relates to means and methods of classifying speech and music signals in voice communication systems, devices, telephones, and methods, and more specifically, to systems, devices, and methods that automate control when either speech or music is detected over communication links. The present invention provides a novel system and method for monitoring the audio signal, analyze selected audio signal components, compare the results of analysis with a pre-determined threshold value, and classify the audio signal either as speech or music. |
| US08606565B2 |
Related-word registration device, information processing device, related-word registration method, program for related-word registration device, and recording medium
A related-word candidate group (12b) obtained by extracting candidates of a related word on the basis of a predetermined condition from a search query log (12a) is generated (S1 to S4), a search query of a search word entered by the user is received (S10), a partial character string is generated from a character string of the search word (S13), on the basis of the partial character strings, a candidate character string is extracted from the related-word candidate group (S14), a suitability score of the candidate character string is calculated (S16), the candidate character strings are ranked in order of the scores (S17), a reference line L1 of a suitability score for the ranking is generated on the basis of the suitability score and the ranking (S18), a candidate character string whose suitability score is apart from the reference line by a preset threshold or larger is extracted as a registration character string to be registered as a related word (S19), and the extracted registration character string and the search word are registered as related words into the related-word DB 12c (S20). |
| US08606564B2 |
Extracting rich temporal context for business entities and events
Methods and apparatus for performing computer-implemented extraction of temporal information for business entities and events are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sequence of text is obtained. A label is assigned to one or more of a plurality of segments of the text such that each of the one or more of the plurality of segments of the text is classified as temporal data in one of a plurality of classes of temporal data. One or more rules are applied to the one or more segments of the text that have been classified as temporal data to generate a structured representation of the temporal data, where the rules include one or more schematic rules. Each of the schematic rules pertains to one or more of the plurality of classes of temporal data and indicates a structure in which temporal data in the corresponding one or more of the plurality of classes is to be stored. |
| US08606563B2 |
Systems for displaying conversions of text equivalents
Embodiments of the invention include a system for displaying an audit diagram. The system includes a monitor capable of electronically displaying the audit diagram. The monitor includes a text equivalent constructed from an input text, and a conversion representation including an operator indicator, a result arrow, and a rule arrow. |
| US08606562B2 |
Disambiguated text message retype function
A method of editing delimited ambiguous input on a handheld electronic device, the handheld electronic device including an input apparatus, an output apparatus, and a memory having a plurality of objects stored therein, the plurality of objects including a plurality of language objects and a plurality of frequency objects having a frequency value, the input apparatus including a plurality of input members, at least one of the input members having a plurality of linguistic elements assigned thereto. The method comprises detecting a selection of a language object generated from a first delimited ambiguous input, outputting a plurality of language objects which are complete word solutions of said first delimited ambiguous input, as well as an edit option, and detecting a selection of the edit option. |
| US08606558B1 |
Apparatus and methods for importing hardware design and generating circuit interfaces
A system for designing a circuit, which includes a module, uses a computer. A user may program or adapt the computer to perform computer-aided design functions. The computer obtains a description of the module from the user. The computer parses the description of the module to identify a port of the module, and to obtain information about the port. The computer presents to the user the information that it has obtained about the port. |
| US08606557B2 |
Table lookup method for physics based models for SPICE-like simulators
Techniques for electronic circuit design simulation are provided. In one aspect, a method for electronic circuit design simulation includes the following steps. A model (e.g., a physics-based model) of the circuit design is created. Error tables are created containing data related to one or more regions of the circuit design. The model is modified with data from the error tables. The modified model is used to simulate the circuit design. |
| US08606552B2 |
Methods and systems for designing and/or selecting drilling equipment using predictions of rotary drill bit walk
Methods and systems may be provided simulating forming a wide variety of directional wellbores including wellbores with variable tilt rates and/or relatively constant tilt rates. The methods and systems may also be used to simulate forming a wellbore in subterranean formations having a combination of soft, medium and hard formation materials, multiple layers of formation materials and relatively hard stringers disposed throughout one or more layers of formation material. Values of bit walk rate from such simulations may be used to design and/or select drilling equipment for use in forming a directional wellbore. |
| US08606546B2 |
Sensor for a measuring point and method for testing a sensor for a measuring point
A two-part sensor composed of a sensor head and a sensor-head counterpart, testing is performed as to whether a correct sensor head is connected with the sensor-head counterpart. |
| US08606544B2 |
Methods and systems for detecting deviation of a process variable from expected values
In methods and systems that may facilitate detecting abnormal operation in a process plant, values of a process variable are analyzed to determine whether they significantly deviate from expected values. If there is a significant deviation, an indicator may be generated. Analyzing the process variable may include, for example, utilizing a plurality of thresholds determined based on statistics of the process variable. Analyzing the process variable may also include, for example, determining whether a first number of values of the process variable are in a first region, and whether a second number of values are in a second region. |
| US08606539B2 |
Road configuration estimation apparatus, computer program, and road configuration estimation method
A radar (peripheral object observation device) repeatedly observes a relative position of an object relative to the moving object, which is located in the vicinity of a moving object. A stationary object identification unit (stationary object determination unit) determines whether or not the object the relative positions of which have been observed by the radar is still. A road approximate curve temporary computation unit (object correlation unit) determines a plurality of the relative positions of an identical object observed by the radar from among the relative positions observed by the radar. A road approximate curve main computation unit (approximate curve computation unit) computes an approximate curve that approximates the configuration of a road on which the moving object is located, based on a result of the determination by the stationary object identification unit and a result of the determination by the road approximate curve computation unit. |
| US08606538B2 |
Method of testing an electronic system
A method of preparing a test for an electronic system including a plurality of pieces of equipment interconnected by at least one communications link, in which method, in order to perform the test, use is made of a test bench appropriate for the electronic system under test, which test bench is connected to the system and controlled in application of a command sequence established from at least one informal functional specification; while preparing the test, the informal functional specification, the command sequence, and a link identifying the informal functional specification from which the command sequence was established are all recorded so that after execution of the command sequence and after the test results have been recorded, it is possible to read the link and identify unambiguously the informal functional specification that corresponds to the test results obtained. |
| US08606534B2 |
Method for quantifying peaks in an analytical signal
A method for quantifying peaks in an analytical signal, peaks in the analytical signal being quantified by recording successive signal values and applying a peak analysis methodology to the recorded successive signal values within an interval to obtain a set of peak quantification results. Before the same peak analysis methodology is applied to the modified signal to quantify the peaks in the signal, random noise is added to the analytical signal and/or the signal is shifted within the interval to facilitate optimization of the parameters of the peak analysis methodology and to improve the robustness of the method in runtime applications. A subsequent statistical evaluation of the peak quantification results from the multiple repeated peak analyses of the original and modified signals is used to detect an occurrence of and to reduce the chance of a possible error in the peak quantification that needs to be alarmed or addressed. |
| US08606532B2 |
Fracture determination method, fracture determination apparatus, program, and computer readable recording medium
A fracture determination method for determining a fracture of a metal structure includes, when a fracture determination target portion has returned from a plastic state to an elastic state, given that a stress when the portion returned to the elastic state is (x, y)=(σ2, σ1) (maximum principal stress: σ1, minimum principal stress: σ2) on a (x, y) coordinate plane, performing fracture determination of the fracture determination target portion using a re-yield stress R determined by the intersection between a straight line satisfying a relation y=(σ1/σ2)x and an yield curve obtained from the plastic state of the fracture determination target portion. Fracture determination can be performed with high accuracy even when the fracture determination target portion has returned from a plastic state to an elastic state. |
| US08606531B2 |
System and method for spot check analysis or spot sampling of a multiphase mixture flowing in a pipeline
This disclosure relates in general to systems and methods for spot checking flow properties of a multiphase mixture containing one or more hydrocarbons flowing through a pipeline or the like. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for creating slug-type flows of isokinetically obtained samples of the multiphase mixture flow. By spot checking the slug-type flow of an isokinetically obtained sample of the multiphase flow, embodiments of the present invention may provide for determining flow properties of gas, oil/condensate and/or water components of the multiphase flow. In certain aspects of the present invention, an active sampling device may be used to enrich one of the phases of the slug-type flow of the sampled multiphase mixture and/or take a representative sample of one of the phases of the slug-type flow of the sampled multiphase mixture. |
| US08606530B2 |
Method and system for patient-specific modeling of blood flow
Embodiments include a system for determining cardiovascular information for a patient. The system may include at least one computer system configured to receive patient-specific data regarding a geometry of the patient's heart, and create a three-dimensional model representing at least a portion of the patient's heart based on the patient-specific data. The at least one computer system may be further configured to create a physics-based model relating to a blood flow characteristic of the patient's heart and determine a fractional flow reserve within the patient's heart based on the three-dimensional model and the physics-based model. |
| US08606528B2 |
Assay device
Disclosed is an assay result reading apparatus, for reading the result of an assay, comprising: a) first and second control thresholds; b) a data processing means for processing an analyte measurement signal indicative of the presence and/or amount of an analyte; and for processing a control signal indicative of whether the assay has been carried out satisfactorily; to: up until a time t1 after commencement of the assay measurement, to compare the control signal with the first control threshold and determine that the assay has been carried out satisfactorily if the control signal exceeds or is equal to the first control threshold, and if the control signal is less than the first control threshold to continue the assay measurement; and at a time t>t1 to compare the control signal with a second control threshold and provide an assay result if the control signal exceeds or is equal to the second control threshold. |
| US08606527B2 |
SNP detection by melt curve clustering
Systems, methods and apparatus for an automated analysis of a collection of melt curves is provided. The analysis can identify certain characteristics of double stranded nucleotide sequences (e.g. DNA or other nucleotide sequences) which were melted. For example, a variation (e.g. a mutation) in the sequences (also called amplicons) may be determined from the analysis. The amplicons may be amplified via any amplification mechanism, such as PCR or Ligase chain reaction (LCR). The automated analysis can include identifying a melt region, normalizing a melt curve, and clustering melt curves. |
| US08606525B2 |
Determining useful life of a fluid using inventory information
A method for determining the remaining time a fluid in a container can be used. The method includes: determining the amount of fluid in the container; and determining the remaining time based on the amount of fluid in the container. Preferably, the step of determining the remaining time is calculated by using the determined amount of fluid and a predetermined first correlation of remaining time vs. amount of fluid in the container. In a preferred embodiment, the fluid is a reagent in a reagent pack used in a diagnostic analyzer. A method for measuring the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample on an automated diagnostic analyzer includes: providing a reagent storage container on the analyzer; providing a measurement station for taking a measurement of the sample; determining the amount of reagent remaining in a reagent storage container; calculating the remaining time of the reagent by using the determined amount of reagent and a predetermined first correlation of remaining time vs. amount of fluid in the container; if the time the reagent has been in the reagent container is greater than the remaining time, then discarding the reagent, otherwise adding reagent to the sample; and taking a measurement of the sample to determine the presence or concentration of the analyte. |
| US08606518B2 |
System, apparatus and method for mapping
The present invention provides a novel apparatus and method for mapping of urban regions. An apparatus includes the remote sensing equipment that is connected to a computer processor. The remote sensing equipment gathers imaging data about an urban region. The computer processor interprets the imaging data to generate a map of the urban region comprising representations that identify a first set of indicia representing physiographic characteristics, a second set of indicia representing different types of built forms, and a third set of indicia representing patterns of human activity associated with both the physiographic characteristics and the built forms. The map can also include a fourth set of indicia representing an intensity level that at least one of the other types of indicia occurs. |
| US08606511B2 |
Methods to improve route quality using off-route data
The described principles provide a method and system for identifying potentially closed roads and potentially open roads based on reroute requests, and of accommodating the potential road closure. If a reroute request is received from a user on a given route, the avoided roads of the route may be deemed potentially closed. If a predetermined number or a statistically significant number of users treat the road as potentially closed in this manner, it may be deemed closed. Similarly, if a supposedly closed road is chosen by a predetermined number of users, as evidenced by reroute requests, then the supposedly closed road may be deemed to be open. Moreover, observation of reroute requests also allows the system to automatically learn a user's route preferences. |
| US08606510B2 |
Methods and systems for adjusting route planning results
Methods and systems for adjusting route planning results are provided. First, a first route planning result is generated, and displayed. Then, at least one candidate road section is selected and dragged to a substituted road section. A second route planning result is re-generated according to the substituted road section. The second route planning result passes through the substituted road section, and the candidate road section is excluded from the second route planning result. |
| US08606507B2 |
Portable electronic device and panorama navigation method using the portable electronic device
In a panorama navigation method using a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device includes a GPS, an electronic compass and a touch screen. A user operation interface is displayed on the touch screen, and driving information is received from a user operation interface when a driver arranges a driving route in a geographic region. The driving route is marked on an electronic map of the geographic region according to the driving information. The GPS detects a current location of a vehicle, and the electronic compass identifies a driving direction of the vehicle. The portable electronic device obtains a series of panoramic images of the geographic region from a host computer according to the current location, the driving direction and a current time of the vehicle, and displays each of the panoramic images on the touch screen to provide panoramic navigation information for the driver. |
| US08606505B2 |
Travel guidance system, travel guidance device, travel guidance method, and computer program
Travel guidance systems, devices, methods, and programs set a route from a departure point toward destination and acquire a position of a movable body along the route. The guidance systems, devices, methods, and programs determine whether the movable body has arrived at the destination by acquiring a distance from an end of the set route to the destination. When the acquired distance is less than a predetermined distance, the determination is based on the end of the route. When the acquired distance is equal to or more than the predetermined distance and the destination is a specific point, the determination is based on the end of the route. When the acquired distance is equal to or more than the predetermined distance and the destination is a point that is not a specific point, the determination is based on a position of the destination. |
| US08606504B2 |
Method for the determination of a receiver for location information
The invention relates to a method for distinguishing between LOCATION_REPORT messages to avoid ambiguities. Therefore, a value of an information element of request type is returned by a radio network controller, depending on an intended receiver of the location information. A control node receiving the information element value analyses said value and determines the receiver depending on the result of said analysis. |
| US08606498B2 |
Path approximation for planar motion of a ground vehicle
The generation of a planar trajectory for use by a vehicle in guiding its position is described. The trajectory is generated by identifying points representing the trajectory, fairing the identified points to generate a set of faired points, and computing a set of polynomial segments from the faired points. The segments form a curve representing the trajectory, where the curve is C2-smooth, and the curve does not exceed the steering capability of the vehicle. The segments may comprise cubic B-spline segments. If the identified points are not substantially equidistant, then an auxiliary curve approximating the trajectory is generated, and a set of substantially equidistant points on the auxiliary curve is selected as the identified points. |
| US08606497B2 |
Method, system and computer program for detecting and monitoring human activity utilizing location data
A method, system and computer program for detecting and displaying a person's activity-travel pattern over time and space is provided. Person-based location data is acquired by a personal communication device and processed in accordance with an algorithm. The invention goes beyond applications that focus on the detection of the current location of the user, but rather the enhanced knowledge of the users current, past, and likely future activities and their multi-dimensional attributes. The present invention can be implemented on common hardware and is easily accessible via web-based interfaces and reporting, making various applications achievable at very low cost. |
| US08606496B2 |
Laser ranging, tracking and designation using 3-D focal planes
The present invention tracks or locates small moving objects, or generates a 3-D frame of data by using 3-D focal plane arrays with low laser energy and few mechanically moving parts. The invention may be used to determine the direction of a laser designating a target, for target tracking, used as a 3-D movie/video camera or used to provide data for autonomous navigation. |
| US08606493B1 |
Displaying representative images in a visual mapping system
Embodiments provide systems and methods for generating a street map that includes a position identifier that identifies a location on the street map. The method and system may also generate and display a plurality of images representative of the location of the position identifier. A user may interact with a position identifier or one of several scroll icons to view images of other locations on the street map and/or to obtain driving directions between two locations. |
| US08606490B2 |
Device and method for controlling internal combustion engine
In a hybrid vehicle including an engine provided with a plurality of VVTs (variable valve timing mechanisms) as one motive power source, an ECU increments a time lapse counter when a sensor detects the fact that a greatest-retard command has been output to all VVTs and an operation position of each VVT has actually returned to a greatest-retard position in response to the greatest-retard command. The ECU determines whether count by the time lapse counter has exceeded a predetermined defined time or not, and it does not permit engine stop until count by the time lapse counter reaches the predetermined defined time and permits engine stop when count by the time lapse counter has exceeded the predetermined defined time. |
| US08606489B2 |
Ignition timing control system for internal combustion engine
An ignition timing control system for an internal combustion engine, for controlling an ignition timing of the engine, is provided. A charging efficiency of the engine is calculated according to the intake air flow rate and the engine rotational speed which are detected, and a knock limit ignition timing is calculated according to the engine rotational speed and the charging efficiency. A knock correction value is calculated according to the knocking detection result by a knock sensor, and a learning parameter table, in which first and second learning parameters are set, is updated based on the engine rotational speed and the knock correction value when the knocking is detected. The learning parameter table is retrieved according to the engine rotational speed, to calculate the first and second learning parameters. Each-cylinder correction values are calculated corresponding respectively to a plurality of cylinders of the engine using the charging efficiency, the first learning parameter, and the second learning parameter and the ignition timing of the engine is controlled using the knock limit ignition timing and the each-cylinder correction value. |
| US08606486B2 |
System and method for measuring engine airflow
A control system for an engine includes a density determination module and a mass air flow (MAF) determination module. The density determination module determines a density of air in an induction system of the engine based on a temperature of the air, a pressure of the air, and a relative humidity of the air. The MAF determination module, based on the determined density of the air, a velocity of the air, and a cross-sectional area of the induction system, determines a MAF through the induction system. |
| US08606485B1 |
Control device for internal combustion engine and control method for internal combustion engine
An ECU executes a program including a step (S102) of prohibiting idle priority control if automatic stop control of an engine is prohibited (YES in S100), and a step (S104) of permitting the idle priority control if the automatic stop control of the engine is not prohibited (NO in S100). |
| US08606482B2 |
Hybrid powertrain and method for controlling a hybrid powertrain
A hybrid powertrain includes a combustion engine, an electric machine arrangement, a gearbox operable to receive motive power from at least one of the combustion engine and the electric machine arrangement for providing motive power to a load of the powertrain. The powertrain is configurable in operation so that its combustion engine is switchable between an inactive state and an active state. The combustion engine is cranked to switch it from its inactive state to its active state. Application of cranking torque to the combustion engine is controlled in operation to substantially temporally coincide with a gear change in the gearbox. |
| US08606479B2 |
Vehicle drive assist system
When a preceding vehicle moves away during follow-up running control, it is determined whether or not a forward obstacle is recognized. When a forward obstacle is recognized, it is determined whether or not the forward obstacle satisfies any of obstacle specifying conditions corresponding to a plurality of preset types. A basic threshold value set corresponding to the satisfied type is corrected by three correction values so as to set first to third estimated-collision-time determining values. The estimated-collision-time determining values are compared with an estimated collision time of a subject vehicle with respect to the forward obstacle, and acceleration control on the subject vehicle is limited stepwise in accordance with the comparison values. |
| US08606478B2 |
System and method for controlling a foundation brake
A system and a method are provided for controlling a foundation brake of a vehicle having at least one foundation brake device, wherein the usability of the foundation brake is limited to a predetermined total application-time of the foundation brake within a predetermined time interval. |
| US08606476B2 |
Closed-loop clutch control using a filtered piston position signal
A vehicle includes an engine, transmission, and controller. The transmission includes a clutch pack, a clutch piston, and a position sensor. The sensor measures a changing magnetic field with respect to the piston, and encodes the measured magnetic field as a raw position signal. The controller receives the raw position signal and processes the raw position signal through a signal processing module to generate a filtered signal attenuating signal noise in the position signal. The controller determines a commanded position of the piston, and calculates separate proportional (P), derivative (D), and integral (I) control terms using the commanded position and filtered position signal. The controller also calculates a feed-forward control term using the commanded position, and a required flow rate for actuating the clutch pack as a function of the PID terms and the feed-forward commanded position term. The controller actuates the clutch pack using the commanded flow rate. |
| US08606474B2 |
Continuous variable transmission system
A method and system for controlling a continuously variable transmission (CVT). In one embodiment, the method includes receiving vehicle operation data. The method also includes controlling engine and transmission operations based on the vehicle operation data, fuel efficiency data, and CVT efficiency data. |
| US08606470B2 |
Lift arm and implement control system
A system for a loader stores a signal indicative of a desired inclination of an implement. Upon receiving an operator interface actuation signal, a controller transmits a signal to move the implement to the stored inclination. The controller further transmits a lift arm command signal to move a lift arm towards a lower limit of travel of the lift arm. The lift arm command signal is terminated after the controller receives a signal from a sensor on the lift arm indicating that the lift arm is near its lower limit of travel. After the command signal is terminated, the controller may transmit a second lift arm command signal to further move the lift arm. |
| US08606464B2 |
Steering assist system for motorcycle
A steering assist system for a motorcycle includes an actuator configured to provide a steering torque to steering of a motorcycle. A target-torque calculation unit is configured to obtain a target-torque for the steering, on a basis of a state of the motorcycle. A torque detecting unit is configured to detect a steering torque. A torque control unit is configured to drive an actuator on a basis of a deviation between the target torque obtained from the target-torque calculation unit and the steering torque obtained from the torque detecting unit. |
| US08606460B2 |
Method, an electrical system, a digital control module, and an actuator control module in a vehicle
A method, control module and system of a vehicle including at least a first and a second control computer each containing a number of local Digital Control Modules and at least one Actuator Control Module wherein the Actuator Control Module of each control computer is operatively connected to all local Digital Control Modules of the same control computer, wherein the Actuator Control Module of each control computer is further operatively connected to all Digital Control Modules of the electrical system in a manner that enables each Actuator Control Module of the system to receive internal data of each Digital Control Module of the electrical system. |
| US08606457B2 |
System and method for adaptable mobile interface
A system, method, and computer program product for automatically adjusting the output of presentation content based upon vehicle conditions. The method determines whether one of a plurality of vehicle conditions exists, such as conditions related to vehicle speed, rate of change in vehicle speed, rate of change in vehicle direction, vehicle emergencies, cellular phone or headphone activation, radar detector activation, noise level decibels above a certain value, etc. The method determines an output format based on the determined vehicle conditions. The method outputs at least a portion of the presentation content based on the determined output format. The determined output format includes display format information, such as text font or icon size information or map detail. The presentation content can also include audio content. |
| US08606454B2 |
System and method for synchronized control of a harvester and transport vehicle
A control system and method is provided for synchronized control of a harvester and transport vehicle during unload on the go operation. The control system can maintain a desired lateral distance between the harvester and transport vehicle using swath information that is used to steer the harvester. In addition, the control system can also bring a transport vehicle into appropriate alignment with the harvester using the same swath information. |
| US08606450B2 |
Hybrid powertrain with geared starter motor and belt alternator starter and method of restarting an engine
A hybrid powertrain has an engine, a starter motor, and a gear train that connects the starter motor with the engine, and a motor/generator. A belt drive train connects the motor/generator with the engine. The powertrain has a first energy storage device with a first operating range of voltage and a second energy storage device with a second operating range of voltage at least partially in common with the first operating range of voltage. A controller places a switching device in an on-state so that the first energy storage device is connected with the second energy storage device or in an off-state in which the first energy storage device is disconnected from the second energy storage device. The controller causes the switching device to be in the off-state and the starter motor and the motor/generator to be powered with energy from the first energy storage device to restart the engine. |
| US08606445B2 |
Information control device for electric vehicle, electric vehicle, and method for guiding timing of power charge
An information control device for an electric vehicle including a vehicle-mounted battery that is charged with electric power supplied from a power supply provided at an outside of the vehicle includes a lock operation detector, a remaining power detector, and a notification controller. The lock operation detector is configured to detect a lock operation of a door lock mechanism of the vehicle. The remaining power detector is configured to detect a remaining power amount of the vehicle-mounted battery. The notification controller is configured to control a notifying device to make a notification to the outside of the vehicle. The notification is indicative of information that recommends power charge of the vehicle-mounted battery if the remaining power amount is small when the door lock mechanism has been locked or is to be locked, based on detection results of the lock operation detector and the remaining power detector. |
| US08606442B2 |
Control system and method for hybrid construction machine
A control system and method for a hybrid construction machine is provided. The control system for a hybrid construction machine includes an engine, a hydraulic pump driven by the engine to drive a hydraulic actuator, a motor-generator driven by the engine to generate electricity and to drive the hydraulic pump as a motor supplementing the engine, an energy storage device charged with electric energy generated by the motor-generator and supplying the electric energy for motor operation of the motor-generator, a mode detector detecting a working mode of the engine, a torque detector detecting an output torque of the hydraulic pump, a memory storing upper and lower baselines of an engine torque set per working mode of the engine, and a hybrid controller comparing the detected output torque of the hydraulic pump with the upper and lower baselines set according to the detected working mode, controlling power generation of the motor-generator so that the engine is loaded as much as much as a short value if the output torque is less than the lower baseline, and controlling the motor operation of the motor-generator so that the engine output is supplemented as much as an excessive value if the output torque exceeds the upper baseline. |
| US08606439B2 |
Drone vehicle
A drone vehicle for performing maintenance on a railway system is provided. A drone vehicle control system is structured to utilize tie position data to position a drone vehicle workhead over at least a portion of a respective tie. The drone vehicle control system is further structured to actuate the drone vehicle workhead. The drone vehicle may be controlled by a drone vehicle control system linked, preferably by wireless communications, to a lead vehicle and a lead vehicle control system. The lead vehicle control system and the drone vehicle control system are structured to communicate with each other, with the lead vehicle control system providing the tie position data to the drone vehicle control system. |
| US08606438B2 |
Rail vehicle having power limiter
A rail vehicle includes a drive controller for providing required drive power for moving the rail vehicle forward. The drive controller is connected to a limiter module for limiting a drive power that can be demanded by a human-machine interface and the limiter module determines a maximum value for the drive power that can be demanded depending on running data of the rail vehicle. |
| US08606434B2 |
Regulator device for helicopters
A regulator device used on helicopters carrying an external load suspended from the helicopter by a supporting cable aids in controlling the flight of the helicopter by measuring the oscillating the movement of the external load, converting the detected variables for the oscillating movement to a geodetic coordinate system, generating a closed loop control signals as a function of the variables, and applying the closed loop control signals to open loop control signals which control the flight of the helicopter. |
| US08606433B2 |
Satellite coverage region detection
A system and method for determining when a moving mobile platform will enter or exit a satellite coverage region. In a preferred form the method involves determining a plurality of boundary coordinates that define a satellite coverage region perimeter. A position of the mobile platform is monitored as the mobile platform moves along a travel path. The proximity of the mobile platform to the satellite coverage region perimeter is determined by periodically comparing the position of the mobile platform to the boundary coordinates. |
| US08606421B2 |
Statistical method to obtain high accuracy in forecasting plant energy use
Methods of forecasting and modulating energy consumption at a production facility are provided. The amounts of energy consumed during production and non-production times are used to obtain highly accurate hourly energy use rates for different energy use activities which are used to estimate the amount of energy that will be consumed during a subsequent time period. The forecasting and modulating methods provide a more tailored estimate of energy usage that prevents the unnecessary expense of using on-demand energy without the benefit of a pre-purchased or pre-reserved discount. The forecasting and modulating methods also help prevent overestimation of the amount of energy used. |
| US08606420B2 |
Solving large-scale security-constrained economic dispatch problem in real-time
A system, a method and a computer program product for determining an amount of an electric power to be generated in an electric power system and determining a total cost for generating the amount of electric power while satisfying at least one contingency constraint and one or more customer request. The system creates an optimization problem for calculating amount of the electric power to be generated and a total cost for generating the calculated amount of the electric power while meeting the at least one contingency constraint. The system runs the optimization problem in real-time. The system outputs, from the optimization problem, an output specifying the calculated amount of the electric power and the total cost to generate the calculated amount of the electric power. |
| US08606415B1 |
Irrigation system with ET based seasonal watering adjustment and soil moisture sensor shutoff
An irrigation system includes at least one environmental sensor, such as a solar radiation sensor, that is installed on an irrigation site, and a soil moisture sensor that is also installed on the irrigation site. Programming allows an estimated ET value to be calculated based at least in part on the output signal of the environmental sensor. A pre-programmed watering schedule is automatically modified based on the estimated ET value to thereby conserve water while maintaining the health of plants on the irrigation site. The system automatically inhibits irrigation when an output signal of the soil moisture sensor indicates an amount of moisture in the soil is above a predetermined threshold. |
| US08606413B2 |
Water management system
A method of managing and conserving water at a point of use, by installing a control panel and at least one electrically operated valve in a plumbing line, which valve can monitor at least pressure and flow rate, and allow the calculation of the total volume of flow in a particular line. The valve being controlled by a controller programmed to prevent water loss by monitoring the pressure and flow rate in a particular line to detect and prevent water consumption outside controlled parameters by shutting off the valve if the system detects an uncontrolled flow, such as faucet being left on, or a leaky toilet cistern, or the water flow in a zone exceeding a predetermined quota. |
| US08606405B2 |
Apparatus for the operation of a robot
The invention relates to an apparatus for the operation of a robot having a product gripper which is designed to represent at least one approach position of the product gripper for the picking up and/or placing down of a product, in particular of a food product, as a graphical element on a display device. The apparatus is designed so that the respective graphical element can be directly displaced on the display device for the setting of the coordinates of the respective approach position, with the coordinates of the respective approach position being changed automatically in response to such a displacement of the graphical element in accordance with the displacement. |
| US08606396B2 |
Controller and method of controlling an integrated system for dispensing and blending/mixing beverage ingredients
A controller and method of controlling an integrated beverage blending system comprising: a controller for menu selection; an ice portion control module; an ingredient module; a dispensing apparatus in communication with the ice portion control module and the ingredient module, wherein the ice and the ingredient are dispensed into a beverage container via the dispensing apparatus; and at least one blender/mixer/cleaner module which blends and/or mixes the ice and the ingredient in the beverage container, thereby producing the beverage; wherein, upon removal of the beverage container from the blender/mixer/cleaner module, the blender/mixer/cleaner module initiates a cleaning mode. |
| US08606395B2 |
Appliance having a user interface panel and a beverage dispenser
An appliance including a housing, a dispenser, and a water supply mechanism. The appliance includes a drink supply mechanism configured to removably hold a plurality of drink supply containers, a user interface panel, and a computer. The computer is configured to: cause the user interface panel to display a plurality of different images, each image associated with a different one of a plurality of different beverages which correspond to a drink supply in at least one of the plurality of drink supply containers held by the drink supply mechanism, enable the user interface panel to receive an input from a user of a selected one of the plurality of different displayed images, and after receiving the input from the user of the selected one of the plurality of different displayed images, cause the dispenser to dispense the beverage corresponding to the selected image. |
| US08606392B2 |
System and method for transporting inventory items
A method for transporting inventory items includes moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace. The first point is a location of an inventory holder. The method further includes docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace. The second point is associated with conveyance equipment. The method further includes moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment. |
| US08606391B2 |
Virtual machine tool for representing actions of machining units and generating operating data from user input
It is proposed that an interaction unit which allows a manual interaction is associated with a visualization unit, that a function selection unit which allows an association of a function of a machine tool with this manual interaction is associated with the visualization unit, and that a function data generator unit is provided that generates operating data which correspond to the manual interaction, while taking the associated function into account, and transmits these operating data to a visualization controller in order to represent, on the visualization unit, using visualization elements, the function specified by the manual interaction. |
| US08606386B2 |
Multi-agent system for distributed manufacturing scheduling with Genetic Algorithms and Tabu Search
Computerized scheduling methods and computerized scheduling systems according to exemplary embodiments. A computerized scheduling method may be stored in a memory and executed on one or more processors. The method may include defining a main multi-machine scheduling problem as a plurality of single machine scheduling problems; independently solving the plurality of single machine scheduling problems thereby calculating a plurality of near optimal single machine scheduling problem solutions; integrating the plurality of near optimal single machine scheduling problem solutions into a main multi-machine scheduling problem solution; and outputting the main multi-machine scheduling problem solution. |
| US08606382B2 |
System and method for transferring non-compliant packetized and streaming data into and from a multimedia device coupled to a network across which compliant data is sent
A communication system, network, interface, and port architecture are provided for transporting different types of data across a network. The network can be arranged by connecting the ports in a daisy chain fashion to achieve a ring architecture or topology. The network forwards data according to a specific network protocol, and any incoming data that follows that protocol will be sent onto the network. If the incoming data protocol does not match the network protocol, then the incoming data is not sent immediately to the network, but instead is sent to an input pin of a device upon the network specifically designed to receive that incoming data. The network, therefore, has ports that support both compliant and non-compliant incoming data, and the devices that produce such data. Examples of non-compliant data include any data which does not time-division multiplex different asynchronous, isochronous, and synchronous data in dedicated channels within each frame, and which have a preamble, coding, frequency, or overall protocol different from that which is established for network transfer. |
| US08606377B2 |
Preventing disruptive computer events during medical procedures
A computer-implemented system for process control has two operating modes: normal mode and active procedure mode, with automatic transition between them. In normal mode, the operating system, firewall and anti-virus are fully operational. When entering a time-critical phase of a process, a process control application signals the operating system and utilities, whereupon transition to active procedure mode automatically occurs, in which access by the system services and by other applications to the resources of the computer is selectively limited in favor of the process control application. Upon completion of the procedure, the system automatically returns to normal mode. |
| US08606374B2 |
Thermodynamic modeling for enclosures
Systems and methods for modeling the behavior of an enclosure for use by a control system of an HVAC system are described. A model for the enclosure that describes the behavior of the enclosure for use by the control system is updated based on a weather forecast data. The weather forecast data can include predictions more than 24 hours in the future, and can include predictions such as temperature, humidity and/or dew point, solar output, precipitation. The model for the enclosure can also be updated based on additional information and data such as historical weather data such as temperature, humidity, wind, solar output and precipitation, occupancy data, such as predicted and/or detected occupancy data, calendar data, and data from the one or more weather condition sensors that sense current parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, and/or solar output. The model for the enclosure can be updated based also on an enclosure model stored in a database, and/or on enclosure information from a user. The model can be updated based on active testing of the enclosure which can be performed automatically or in response to user input. The testing can include heating and/or cooling the enclosure at times when the enclosure is not likely to be occupied. |
| US08606366B2 |
Skin treatment apparatus for personal use and method for using same
An apparatus for personal skin treatment includes an RF generator and an applicator with at least a pair of electrodes mounted on the distal end of the applicator. The electrodes are configured for applying an RF voltage to a subject skin. The RF voltage generator supplies the electrodes with the RF voltage. The applicator includes a source of illumination illuminating the treated skin segment. |
| US08606363B2 |
Electrode multiplexing method for retinal prosthesis
A method is disclosed for efficient multiplexing of a plurality of electrodes in a nerve stimulator using improved, predetermined, regular, repeatable geometric patterns arranged in a predetermined mosaic to form a desired array. Multiple electrodes within said array are addressed by the nerve stimulator as being a stimulating electrode by an instruction specifying a single identifier, indicating a position within each regular geometric pattern. As such, each electrode within the array, maintaining the specified position within its respective repeatable geometric pattern, becomes a stimulating electrode and is connected to the appropriate electronic circuit for subsequent, potential use in nerve stimulation. |
| US08606362B2 |
Current output architecture for an implantable stimulator device
Disclosed herein are current output architectures for implantable stimulator devices. Current source and sink circuitry is divided into a plurality of stages, each of which is capable via an associated switch bank of sourcing or sinking an amount of current to or from any one of the electrodes of the device. The current source circuitry is distinct from the current sink circuitry, and the two share no common circuit nodes prior to connection to the electrodes. In other words, the current source circuitry and the current sink circuitry do not share a common node other than the electrodes. Each stage is preferably formed of a current mirror for receiving a reference current and outputting a scaled version of current to that stage's switch bank. The scalar at each stage can be set by wiring a desired number of output transistors in parallel. Preferably, the reference current to the current mirrors in the stages is controllable via a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), to globally control the overall magnitude of the current supply to the electrodes. |
| US08606356B2 |
Autonomic arousal detection system and method
Various approaches to detecting arousals from sleep involve generating signals modulated by muscle tone, brainwave activity, and/or other nervous system activity associated with a patient's autonomic arousal response. Generating the signals and/or detecting autonomic arousals from sleep may be performed using an implantable device. Arousal information may be useful to identify sleep disorder events associated with arousals from sleep, for diagnostic purposes, and/or for therapy adjustment. |
| US08606354B2 |
Visceral fat measuring device
A visceral fat measuring device is capable of simply and noninvasively measuring a visceral fat amount, by calculating the visceral fat amount based on trunk measurement information, impedance information of the entire trunk, and impedance information of a surface layer of the trunk. The visceral fat measuring device includes: a belt to be wound around the trunk that has a pressing member with electrodes E to be pressed onto the dorsal side of a person subjected to measurement; a pair of belt portions respectively fixed to both sides of the pressing member; a buckle for connecting the pair of belt portions; and indicators on the pair of belt portions to show distances from a reference position of the belt. |
| US08606353B2 |
Method, medium, and apparatus measuring biological signals using multi-electrode module, with a lead search
A method, medium, and apparatus measuring biological signals using a multi-electrode module, with a lead search method. An apparatus for measuring biological signals by using a multi-electrode module, includes a multi-electrode module having a non-conductive patch and a sensor array including a ground electrode and a plurality of individual electrodes, an electrode selection unit selecting a plurality of electrode pairs including a reference electrode and a measurement electrode from the plurality of individual electrodes depending on a type of the biological signal to be measured, and a signal processing unit for obtaining the biological signals from the plurality of electrode pairs. |
| US08606350B2 |
Endoscope apparatus
The present invention provides an endoscope apparatus that includes a laser light source for generating excitation light, an endoscopy scope having an irradiation section for irradiating excitation light at an end portion thereof, a CCD incorporating an intensifier for detecting fluorescence generated by excitation light in a tissue, a fluorescence-image generating unit for generating a fluorescence image signal based on a fluorescence signal from the CCD incorporating an intensifier, a distance-measuring unit for generating a distance signal corresponding to the distance between the irradiation section and the tissue, and an amount-of-fluorescence calculating unit for correcting the fluorescence signal with the distance signal to calculate an amount of fluorescence not affected by changes in the distance. |
| US08606349B2 |
Radioimaging using low dose isotope
A method of imaging, comprising: (a) providing an isotope at a low dosage in a body of a patient; (b) receiving radiation generated by said isotope from said body using a radiation camera; and (c) reconstructing a 3D distribution of said isotope from said received radiation, wherein the dosage is less than ⅓ of a standard dose set forth in Table 5. |
| US08606344B2 |
Integrated patient bed system
The present invention includes an integrated system and methods for patient treatment, the system includes a hospital bed; a plurality of patient diagnostic and treatment devices connected to a network, wherein each of the devices can communicate to a network and exchange information with the network about the care of a patient; and a processor accessible adjacent to the bed and connected to the network to integrate information obtained from the devices through the network with one or more additional sources of information databases, wherein the processor can communicate to one or more patient treatment devices either directly or via the network and the processor directs the one or more patient treatment devices to change the treatment of the patient. |
| US08606339B2 |
Mobile communication terminal
[Summary][Object]An object of the present invention is to enhance operability of a mobile communication terminal to be foldable by directing a display panel outward.[Means for Settlement]A folding-type mobile communication terminal including a thin operation case 1 with an operation panel being formed, a thin display case 2 with a display panel being formed, and a movable connector 3 to connect the operation case 1 and the display case 2, in which transition can be made between a normal open state of expanding the both cases 1 and 2 by directing the operation panel and the display panel to the same direction, and a reverse close state of being folded by directing the display panel outward and opposing the main surfaces of the both cases, and having a main multifunction key 14 to be provided in the operation panel and capable of performing two or more different operation inputs corresponding to pressing portions, and a side multifunction key 26 to be provided in the end surface of the operation case 1 and capable of performing the same operations with the main multifunction key 14 to achieve the same operation inputs therewith. |
| US08606338B2 |
Intelligent data network with power management capabilities
In one embodiment, a method for implementing two-way communication between at least first and second devices comprises steps of: (a1) during finite time periods following transmission of respective first messages from the first device to the second device, using the first device to listen for second messages transmitted from the second device to first device; and (a2) after each of the finite time periods following the transmission of the respective first messages from the first device to the second device, ceasing to use the first device to listen for second messages transmitted from the second device to the first device until after the first device transmits another first message to the second device. |
| US08606335B2 |
In-vehicle handsfree apparatus and data transfer method
An in-vehicle navigation apparatus with a handsfree function establishes a Bluetooth communication link with a cellular phone. When receiving from the cellular phone outgoing call history data and incoming call history data, which were stored in the cellular phone before establishing the Bluetooth communication link, the in-vehicle navigation apparatus stores, in a work memory, the received outgoing call history data and the received incoming call history data, equally to, of the navigation apparatus itself, outgoing call history data and incoming call history data. An outgoing call operation then becomes possible using outgoing call history data and incoming call history data, which are stored in the work memory. |
| US08606334B2 |
Mass deployment of communication headset systems
The present disclosure relates to devices, systems and methods for programming base units of communication headset systems with new or updated configuration parameters by a portable or handheld programming unit. |
| US08606330B2 |
Method of displaying geo-tagged images on a mobile terminal
A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes displaying a map, which is divided into a plurality of blocks in predetermined units of latitude and latitude, on a display module and displaying in each of the blocks identification information indicating whether a corresponding block includes geo-tagged information; and if one of the blocks is selected, displaying one or more thumbnail images corresponding to geo-tagged information included in the selected block on the display module. Therefore, it is possible to effectively select and use geo-tagged information even when using a small size screen. |
| US08606327B2 |
Mobile terminal, display switching method and display switching program
A mobile terminal is a transformable terminal such as a sliding mobile telephone and a folding mobile telephone. The mobile terminal includes a sensor for detecting whether or not the mobile terminal is in a predetermined form. When keys for entering characters are exposed and the sensor detects that the mobile terminal is in the predetermined form, the mobile terminal displays a reply mail. When the sensor detects that the mobile terminal is not in the predetermined form, the mobile terminal displays the received mail. Thus, the mobile terminal can switch display content between the reply mail and the received mail by a simple operation of changing a form of the mobile terminal. |
| US08606325B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining preferred image format between mobile video telephones
A method for determining a preferred image format in a User Equipment (UE) supporting a mobile video call between UEs. The UEs should each have a camera and a display Upon receiving, from an opposing UE, video transmission control information including therein a preferred image format. If the preferred image format requested by the opposing UE is acceptable, then the opposing UE is sent video transmission control information is sent including therein at least one of an acceptable response message and an acceptable new preferred image format according to acceptability of the preferred image format requested by the opposing UE. |
| US08606324B2 |
Cell identifier deciding method, radio base station and radio communication system
A cell identifier deciding method includes: judging whether identification of cell identifiers allocated to cells covered by a plurality of radio base stations is allowed among the plurality of radio base stations; and changing the cell identifier of a radio base station which is relatively low in processing load imposed on changing of its cell identifier in the plurality of radio base stations, in a case that it is judged that identification of the cell identifiers is not allowed. |
| US08606323B2 |
Base station, terminal equipment, and method for mobile communication system in an environment where areas each including multiple radio communication systems coexist
A base station includes an internal-area information storing unit storing system information necessary to connect to radio systems in an area to which the base station belongs; an external-area transmission method information storing unit storing external-area transmission method information indicating a method of transmitting a common control signal in an area adjacent to the area to which the base station belongs; and a transmitting unit wirelessly transmitting the common control signal including the system information stored in the internal-area information storing unit or the external-area transmission method information to the terminal equipment. The common control signal including the external-area transmission method information is transmitted at regular or irregular transmission timings. |
| US08606322B2 |
Portable cellular base station configuration
A method and apparatus for configuring a portable first cellular base station 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 including at least the location area code for the at least one second operating cellular base station and a neighbor list of neighboring cellular base station scrambling codes; and configuring the first cellular base station to have the same scrambling code as one of the neighboring cellular base stations, a different location area code from that neighboring cellular base station, and not to connect to any cell phone attempting to initiate a connection with it. |
| US08606321B2 |
High-selectivity low noise receiver front end
Provided is a remote radio head receiver, including an antenna and an interference mitigation block. The antenna is configured to receive a signal. The interference mitigation block is configured to selectively pass and amplify the signal. The interference mitigation block does not include a liquefied gas cooling system. |
| US08606320B2 |
Intelligent base station comprising functions relevant to its operation
The object of the invention is a mobile station network and a base station used therein. According to the invention an intelligent base station is realized. Each base station functions independently and comprises the all the important functions relevant to its operation in it. The base station according to the invention is built so that all the data transmission, transfer and control functions are included in it, preferably the at least channel levels in the base station are replaced. The advantage with an intelligent base station is that it has a limited number of necessary functions, but at the same time expanding features, like outer interfaces, can easily be added. |
| US08606319B2 |
Card application toolkit support for IP multimedia subsystem
To consolidate session initiation protocol (SIP) messages a user equipment (UE) is made aware of all Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) applications installed in its memory and on a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) and supported communication services. By obtaining this information before the initial IMS Registration, the UE can save resources by registering all local applications and communication services in single IMS registration. |
| US08606318B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining validity of mobile subscriber identifier in mobile communication terminal
A method and an apparatus for determining validity of a mobile subscriber identifier in a mobile communication terminal are provided. In the method, a temporary identifier assigned from a network is stored in a memory and a SIM card of the terminal. When a network authentication event occurs, the temporary identifier stored in the memory is compared with the temporary identifier stored in the SIM card. An identifier to be transmitted to the network is determined among an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and the temporary identifier stored in the SIM card depending on a result of the comparison. |
| US08606317B2 |
User augmented reality for camera-enabled mobile devices
Apparatus and methods are described for providing a user augmented reality (UAR) service for a camera-enabled mobile device, so that a user of such mobile device can use the mobile device to obtain meta data regarding one or more images/video that are captured with such device. The meta data is interactive and allows the user to obtain additional information or specific types of information, such as information that will aid the user in making a decision regarding the identified objects or selectable action options that can be used to initiate actions with respect to the identified objects. |
| US08606312B2 |
Method for controlling transmission power in cellular system
A method for controlling transmission power of a base station in a cellular system includes: receiving a reference signal from at least one neighbor base station that is located around the base station; estimating a radio environment between the base station and the neighbor base station by using the receiving power of the reference signal; and controlling cell coverage of the base station by determining the transmission power based on the radio environment. |
| US08606311B2 |
Closed-loop adaptive power control for adjusting bandwidth in a mobile handset transmitter
A mobile handset is arranged with an adaptive power controller to controllably adjust transmit power. The adaptive power controller is coupled to a power amplifier module to form a closed feedback loop. The adaptive power control module includes a first shifter, a first sealer, an accumulator and a hold element. The first shifter and first sealer receive respective bandwidth control signals and an error signal. The first shifter and first sealer generate a modified error signal that is forwarded to and filtered by the accumulator and the hold element to generate a power control signal. The power control signal, which is generated the radio frequency subsystem of the handset can quickly and accurately track rapid changes in transmit power. |
| US08606306B2 |
Multiple client computing device invitations for online communication sessions
An online communication session invitation request message for an online communication session is received from an initiating client computing device. The invitation request message includes connection data of the initiating client computing device and an online communication session endpoint identifier of an intended participant of the online communication session. The session endpoint identifier is associated with a plurality of push tokens that correspond to a plurality of recipient client computing devices respectively. An invitation request message is sent in the form of a push notification message to each of the plurality of recipient client computing devices using the corresponding push tokens. Each invitation request message includes the connection data of the initiating client computing device. |
| US08606301B1 |
System and method of accessing and recording messages at coordinate way points
A method and system for leaving and retrieving messages at specific coordinate way points within a commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) provider network are disclosed. Users carry or transport interface devices for communicating over the network and are able to record and view messages at specific coordinate locations while traveling in the network. The location of the device is calculated by the device or by the network while the device is powered on and within the physical boundaries of the network, or through a combination of both. Messages can be made available to network subscribers when their interface devices come within an area centered about a physical coordinate location. Personalized messages can also be left by subscribers at any coordinate point within the boundaries of the network. Access of information about an asset is facilitated when a technician comes within a physical proximity threshold relative to the asset. |
| US08606299B2 |
Apparatus and methods for geographic position approximation of an event occurring on a wireless device
Apparatus and methods may approximate a location of an event occurring on a wireless device based upon at least one of a first set of location fix information corresponding to a first set of location fix information corresponding to a first position fix of the wireless device prior to the event and a second set of location fix information corresponding to a second position fix of the wireless device after the event. An event positioning determination module may calculate an approximate geographic location of the wireless device at the time of the event based upon a predetermined relationship between the event and at least one of the first and second set of location fix information. |
| US08606297B1 |
Systems and methods for providing location-based cascading displays
Systems and methods for facilitating user interaction such as within a social network are described. In one implementation, location-based display of images and/or other information associated with other users or entities may be provided. The information may be provided in association with mapping or other positional data or information such as personal interests. |
| US08606295B2 |
Localization device and localization method
Disclosed are a device and a method for localizing a user indoors using a wireless local area network, and more particularly, a localization device and a localization method that improve localization accuracy by fusing various context information when localizing a user-portable/wearable device connected with a wireless network based on an RF-based wireless network such as ZigBee. |
| US08606294B2 |
Method of and system for estimating temporal demographics of mobile users
A method of and system for estimating temporal demographics of mobile users is disclosed. A method of estimating demographic information associated with a selected geographical area includes, for at least one individual, determining a selected geographical area along a portion of a track of travel of the individual and determining demographic information associated with the at least one individual. The method also includes estimating a ratio of individuals transiting into the area versus individuals that are residents of the area and estimating demographic information associated with the area based on the estimated ratio and based on demographic information associated with the at least one individual. |
| US08606293B2 |
Mobile device location estimation using environmental information
Estimating a location of a mobile device is performed by comparing environmental information, such as environmental sound, associated with the mobile device with that of other devices to determine if the environmental information is similar enough to conclude that the mobile device is in a comparable location as another device. The devices may be in comparable locations in that they are in geographically similar locations (e.g., same store, same street, same city, etc.). The devices may be in comparable locations even though they are located in geographically dissimilar locations because the environmental information of the two locations demonstrates that the devices are in the same perceived location. With knowledge that the devices are in comparable locations, and with knowledge of the location of one of the devices, certain actions, such as targeted advertising, may be taken with respect to another device that is within a comparable location. |
| US08606292B1 |
Methods and systems for limiting mobile station operation in a group setting
Methods and corresponding systems are provided for limiting mobile station operation when multiple mobile stations are moving together in a group. Such group movement includes but is not limited to movement in a vehicle. According to disclosed methods, a determination is made that multiple mobile stations are moving substantially together, and in response to the determination, operation of one or more of the mobile stations is limited. |
| US08606288B2 |
Radio resource management based on parameters indicating imbalance between uplink and downlink
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements for radio base stations of a wireless communication network, enabling each radio base station to transmit parameters indicating imbalance between UL and DL to adjacent radio base stations, when it is triggered to do so. The adjacent radio base stations can then use the parameters for radio resource management decisions such as HO decisions, whenever needed. |
| US08606280B2 |
Apparatus and method for allocating resources based on error vector magnitude (EVM) in a broadband wireless communication system
A resource allocation in a broadband wireless communication system is provided. An apparatus for a base station in a broadband wireless communication system includes a manager for managing resources by dividing the resources into a plurality of regions based on a maximum supportable error vector magnitude (EVM) in a frequency axis; and an allocator for allocating resources of a region other than a first region, the region having the smallest maximum supportable EVM, to a service to which a maximum modulation and coding scheme (MCS) level is not applied. |
| US08606279B2 |
Radio network communication system and protocol using an automatic repeater
A radio frequency communications network system and protocol for allowing the dissemination of data to be shared by devices within a network. The invention is particularly useful when the devices are out of transmission range of each other. The network includes repeater devices located between the devices to manage a data transfer in the network. The invention also provides for data transfer management in the presence of collisions between conflicting data transmissions. |
| US08606278B2 |
Mobile communication system, cell selection method, base station apparatus, and mobile station apparatus
A mobile communication system includes plural base stations forming cells and a mobile station disposed in one of the cells and wirelessly communicating with one of the plural base stations. One of the plural base stations includes a cell group information broadcast unit broadcasting plural cell group information items which are information indicating a relationship between moving directions and cell groups, and the mobile station includes a cell group information selection unit selecting a cell group information item corresponding to an estimated moving direction of the mobile station out of the plural cell group information items broadcast by the one of the plural base stations, and a standby cell selection unit selecting, as a new standby cell, a cell having a receiving state satisfying a desired condition from among cells included in the selected cell group information item. |
| US08606274B2 |
Method of load-aware dynamic handover in cellular networks
A handover method is provided, in which a measure of signal strength is obtained between a user terminal and each of one or more candidate cells, relative to signal strength between the user terminal and a source cell. For candidate cells, a threshold is set that depends on a measure of loading of the source cell and a measure of loading of the candidate cell. For the target cell, a particular candidate cell is identified for which the measure of signal strength exceeds the threshold set for that particular cell. The user terminal is connected to the target cell. In specific embodiments, the threshold for each candidate cell depends on a load differential between the source cell and the candidate cell. |
| US08606272B2 |
Techniques for identifying base stations in communication system
A method and a Mobile Station (MS), for use in a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of Base Stations (BSs) capable of communicating with a plurality of MSs, wherein at least some of the BSs are Femtocell BSs (FBSs) and at least some of the BSs are Macrocell BSs (MBSs), for identifying the BSs at the MS, are provided. The method includes receiving at least one of a globally unique BS ID and an Operator ID from an FBS via a Broadcast CHannel (BCH), deriving a Closed Subscriber Group IDentifier (CSG ID) from the received at least one of the globally unique BS ID and the Operator ID, and determining, based on the derived CSG ID, if the FBS is a CSG FBS to which the MS is subscribed. |
| US08606267B2 |
Using the IMSI value from the SIM card data to make an external call
A method and apparatus are disclosed for a network node which processes a call request from an enterprise user's mobile device to initiate origination of an outgoing cellular call to a called party by making an external call to the mobile device which does not have a country code encoded in its SIM card by transforming an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) value from the SIM card into a country code value, and then using the country code value to construct a dialing sequence for calling the mobile device. |
| US08606264B2 |
Method and device for processing information given idle-mode signaling reduction
A method for processing information given Idle-mode Signaling Reduction and related devices, the method includes: receiving an information update request that contains identification information for identifying a UE and information of a current access network where the UE is located; and processing information relating to an access network, with which the UE is registered, according to the information update request and the identification information for identifying the UE, and information of the current access network where the UE is located contained in the information update request. A Serving Gateway includes an update request receiving unit and an information processing unit; an MME, includes an update constructing unit and an update request sending unit; and an SGSN, includes a second update constructing unit and a second update request sending unit. The foregoing method and devices combine to implement information processing given Idle-mode Signaling Reduction. |
| US08606255B2 |
Asynchronous communication over common public radio interface (CPRI)
A distributed radio base station (20) comprises a first distributed portion; a second distributed portion; and a parallel communications link (26). An indicator of serial data transmission rate is included in a control word transmitted between the distributed portions of the distributed radio base station so that serial data output from the distributed radio base station can be transmitted at a same rate as input to the distributed radio base station. |
| US08606249B1 |
Methods and systems for enhancing audio quality during teleconferencing
Provided are systems and methods for improving audio signal quality during teleconferencing. Multiple local devices equipped with microphones may be connected to a teleconference hub device that also maintains communication with one or more remote devices. The local devices may be mobile, such as mobile phones, and each may be positioned closer to at least some local teleconference participants compared to a microphone of a traditional central teleconferencing speakerphone. Such mobility allows users to move during the teleconference without disturbing the quality. The local devices may be connected to the hub device using various local protocols. Individual audio signals may first be processed by the local devices and then sent to the hub device for further collective processing of multiple data streams and production of an external data stream, which is sent to remote devices connected to the hub device over a remote protocol. |
| US08606247B2 |
Systems and methods for billing for a network enabled application through a network platform regardless of whether the network enabled application is hosted by the platform
A platform for supporting network enabled applications enables billing for microtransactions associated with the applications using the users wireless network carriers. The platform also enables access to billing for third party network enabled applications by wrapping the third party network enabled applications in code that allows the third party network enabled applications to be rendered to the user and the billing component. |
| US08606245B1 |
Systems and methods for handling voluminous calls to cell phones using transfer agent process
A computerized system for calling a plurality of cell phones in compliance with the TCPA, comprises a call center database; call center workstations operated by transfer agents; client workstations operated by client associates; and a computer processor that retrieves a cell phone number of a consumer to call, in response to an initiate call instruction from a respective transfer agent, dials the cell phone number, connects the call to the respective transfer agent if a live voice is detected; receives a transfer call request from the respective transfer agent, transfers the call with the one consumer to a client associate, using the cell number as the origination number of the call to identify the one consumer to the client associate, disconnects the connection between the one consumer and the respective transfer agent, and identifies a next consumer to call upon request by the transfer agent. |
| US08606244B2 |
Providing location information
A method of providing location information to a network application, a location server, a method of providing a trigger notification, a femto base station and a computer program product are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: receiving details of a triggering event which is to be notified to the network application, the triggering event being a registration of user equipment with a predetermined femto cell of the wireless telecommunications network; providing triggering information indicative of the triggering event to that femto base station providing wireless communications coverage to the predetermined femto cell to cause that femto base station to provide a trigger notification indicating when the triggering event occurs; and in response to receipt of the trigger notification from the femto base station, providing location information to the network application, the location information providing the network application with an indication of the user equipment and the predetermined femto cell, together with an indication of when the triggering event occurred. This enables the movement of user equipment into specific locations to be detected and provided to network application efficiently, without any subsequent location determination processing having to occur, which provides a low-power, scalable, accurate and non-invasive approach requiring no modification of user equipment. |
| US08606242B2 |
Systems and methods to provide context information for mobile communication devices
According to some embodiments, an initiating event may be detected at a mobile communication device via a context application, and responsive to that detection, information may be searched. The searched information may be related to, for example, prior communication events associated with communication applications of the mobile device. Note that the searched information could be locally stored and/or remotely stored (e.g., at a data store of a remote CRM application). At least one result of the search may then be displayed to the user. |
| US08606241B2 |
Method and system for ring back tone alternative service based on terminal and mobile communication terminal therefor
Disclosed is a method and a system for providing a terminal-based ringback tone substitute service, as well as a mobile communication terminal for the same. The method includes the steps of (a) receiving a request for an originating call for voice communication with a called terminal from a calling terminal; (b) transmitting a ringback tone start message to the calling terminal, the ringback tone start message being a control message informative of beginning of a ringback tone section; (c) paging the called terminal; (d) transmitting a ringback tone termination message to the calling terminal, the ringback tone termination message being a control message informative of ending of the ringback tone section, and connecting the voice communication between the calling terminal and the called terminal when a response to paging is received from the called terminal; and (e) transmitting the ringback tone termination message to the calling terminal and transmitting unanswered messages to the calling terminal when no response to the paging is received from the called terminal. The mobile communication terminal can play a high-quality ringback tone substitute without being affected by the voice channel environment. |
| US08606234B2 |
Methods and apparatus for provisioning devices with secrets
A method for provisioning a mobile device with a secret to be used as a basis for generating One-Time passwords includes receiving a first request using a first communications method. The first request includes a mobile device identifier. The method also includes sending a credential message using a second communications method. The credential message includes an authentication credential. The method also includes receiving a second request using a third communications method different from the second communications method. The second request includes information based upon the authentication credential sent by the provisioning service. The method also includes sending the secret if the authentication credential in the credential message corresponds to the information based upon the authentication credential in the second request. |
| US08606233B2 |
Content-based publication-subscription system for presence information
A method for content-based presence communication entails receiving presence information, storing the presence information in any arbitrary data format, validating a subscription request to subscribe to the presence information by determining if information contained within the subscription request represents an authorized subscription relationship, and communicating the presence information when the presence information matches the subscription expression. |
| US08606231B2 |
Proprietary radio control head with authentication
A combination of a radio receiver with a detachable controller that determine sends either reduced or enhanced metadata about received programming to the detachable controller based upon periodic authorization. A connection from the detachable control device to the radio receiver carries commands to the radio receiver and carries only the reduced set of metadata, such as tuned channel and tuned channel name, from the radio receiver to the controller. The controller is authorized by sending a radio identifier from the radio receiver to the control device, determination of an authentication code at the controller and communication of the determined authentication code back to the controller for validation. Upon validation, an enhanced set of metadata, including song title and artist, is sent to the controller. The enhanced metadata, the reduced metadata, or both, are optionally able to be encrypted. The radio receiver periodically performs this authorization processing. |
| US08606230B2 |
System, method, and device for intelligence gathering and position tracking
A mobile communication device that may be used by an investigator to secretly record a suspect and track the investigator's location includes a microphone for detecting sounds, a communication component for transmitting signals or data representative of the sounds to one of the portable computers via the wireless communication network, a display for displaying information related to operation of the device, a computing device, and a computer program implemented by the computing device. The computer program is operable to place the device in a stealth mode in which the display is turned off or otherwise deactivated to make the entire device appear to be turned off while the microphone continues to detect sounds and the communication component continues to transmit signals or data representative of the sounds to a surveillance or support team operating one of the portable computers. The mobile communication device may also include a location-determining component for determining geographic locations of the device and for transmitting location data to the portable computer. |
| US08606221B2 |
Emergency call receiving unit for task forces for expediting rescue operations by transmitting a locating signal repeatedly from a vehicle involved in an emergency
An emergency call receiving unit for a vehicle. The emergency call receiving unit includes: a detection unit for detecting a trigger event of an accident-damaged vehicle; a control unit for generating a locating signal; a transmitting unit for repeated transmission of the locating signal to a receiver and the repeated transmission of the locating signal is triggered by a trigger event and the locating signal enables finding of the vehicle. A number of the rescue guideline of the respective vehicle and an RSSI for the rescue signal are received upon locating at least one vehicle involved in an accident depending on the reception field strength of the locating signal. |
| US08606212B2 |
Near field communications receiver
The present application relates to a near field communications (NFC) receiver in which a received NFC signal comprising a carrier signal onto which a data signal is modulated is digitised and downconverted, and the digitised and downconverted received signal is filtered to recover a digitised and downconverted version of the carrier signal of the NFC signal. This digitised and downconverted version of the carrier signal is converted into an analogue signal which is then upconverted to generate an estimate of the carrier signal, and this estimate is combined with the received NFC signal to suppress or negate, at least partially, the carrier of the received signal. |
| US08606204B2 |
Coherent transceiver and related method of operation
A transceiver is provided, comprising: a programmable waveform generator configured to generate a base signal, the programmable waveform generator including a controllable waveform generator configured to generate an initial bandwidth signal having an initial frequency bandwidth; a multiple tone generator configured to generate a plurality of tone signals, each tone signal having a different frequency; one or more bandwidth multiplying circuits; and a control circuit a controller configured to control the operation of the controllable waveform generator, the tone generator and the one or more bandwidth multiplying circuits; a transmit port configured to output the base signal; a receive port configured to accept a received signal; a 90-degree splitter configured to receive the base signal and to generate a first split signal at a 0-degree output and a second split signal at a 90-degree output, the first and second split signals being separated by 90 degrees in phase; a first-mixer configured to mix the received signal and the first split signal to generate a quadrature-phase signal; and a second-mixer configured to mix the received signal and the second split signal to generate an in-phase signal. |
| US08606203B2 |
Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for setting up a network with dynamic channel bandwidth usage to provide support for legacy devices and saving power
An apparatus, method and computer program product for facilitating one or more stations' (STAs) requests to an access point (AP) to be allowed an exemption regarding scanning of channels in a basic service set and allowing the AP to disallow STAs having visibility of certain channels to be exempt from scanning, although the traffic on a respective channel that the STAs are operating on is below a predetermined threshold, are provided. The apparatus may include a processor configured to receive requests for exemption from scanning adjacent channels to identify devices in a basic service set operating in the channels. The processor may also be configured to determine if a request(s) is received from a device(s) which determines that one of the channels is unavailable for use and when the determination reveals that a channel is unavailable for use, the processor is configured to disallow the device exemption. |
| US08606201B2 |
Mobile communication terminal, and method and program for switching transmission power
In order to transmit radio waves even when an external device is connected, a mobile phone includes an antenna; an FM transmitter which outputs signals for transmitting radio waves from the antenna; an earphone terminal 17, a USB terminal 18, and a charging terminal to each of which an external device may be connected; and a connection detecting portion which detects whether an external device is connected to any of the earphone terminal, the USB terminal, and the charging terminal. The FM transmitter controls transmission power of the radio waves (S05, S06) in accordance with a status of connection with an external device (YES or NO in S02) which is detected by the connection detecting portion. |
| US08606197B2 |
Method and system for generating odd order predistortions for a power amplifier receiving concurrent dual band inputs
A method and system for pre-distorting a dual band signal to compensate for distortion of a non-linear power amplifier in a radio transmitter are disclosed. In one embodiment, a first and second signal of the dual band signal are up-sampled at a sampling rate that is based at least in part on the bandwidth of at least one of the first and second signals and based at least in part on an intermediate frequency by which the first and second signal are tuned before pre-distortion of the tuned signals. |
| US08606194B2 |
Receiver
Embodiments provide a receiver and a method for receiving data transmitted via a combination of a first signal modulated at a first carrier frequency, and a second signal modulated at a second carrier frequency, different to the first carrier frequency.In one embodiment the receiver includes a local oscillator and is configured to adaptively configure the local oscillator to operate at a first local oscillator frequency and a second local oscillator frequency, different to the first frequency, in dependence on a signal strength of the first signal relative to a signal strength of the second signal. |
| US08606190B2 |
User and traffic data retention in lawful interception
Lawful Interception (LI) management system for retrieving user and/or traffic data associated to a given target identity of a telecommunication network. The system comprises an Administration Function device and at least one Mediation/Delivery Function device. The LI management system comprises a first common handover interface to both a Data Retention Sources domain and an Intercepting Control Elements domain and a second common handover interface to at least one Law Enforcement Agency. The first common handover interface is configured to receive user and/or traffic data from both Data Retention Sources and Intercepting Control Elements. |
| US08606189B2 |
System and method for wideband wireless system scanning
A system and method for determining the presence of interfering signals in a wireless environment. A programmable RF card is programmed to collect a wideband signal based upon user requested signals of interest. Collected signals are analyzed and the presence of specific interfering signals is determined. The interfering signals are then tracked and reported. |
| US08606185B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus, wireless communication method, computer program, and wireless communication system
A wireless communication apparatus includes: a first wireless communication section performing wireless communication on the basis of a first communication mode; a second wireless communication section performing wireless communication on the basis of a second communication mode using a different frequency band from the first communication mode; a beam learning signal generation section generating a beam learning signal for specifying a beam pattern at the time of the communication based on the second communication mode and transmitting the beam learning signal from the second wireless communication section; a response information acquisition section acquiring response information responding to the transmitted beam learning signal; and a preliminary information generation section generating preliminary information so as not to cause interference among a plurality of wireless communications using the second communication mode on the basis of the response information and transmitting the preliminary information from the first wireless communication section. |
| US08606183B2 |
Method and apparatus for remote controlling bluetooth device
An apparatus and a method for remote control of a Bluetooth device are provided. The method includes establishing a Bluetooth connection with a Bluetooth headset, generating virtual media stream data during execution of an application, establishing a virtual media streaming connection with the Bluetooth headset based on the generated virtual media stream data, recognizing a control signal received from the Bluetooth headset as a control event after the establishing of the virtual media streaming connection, and controlling a function of the executed application according to the control event. |
| US08606176B2 |
Communication system
The present application relates to a wireless communication system and related methods and apparatuses for transmitting a signal from a source apparatus to a destination apparatus, via at least one intermediate apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to techniques which seek to improve the throughput of data in multi-hop communication systems. |
| US08606175B2 |
RF relay of full-duplex and method for removing interference of EM level thereof
A RF relay of a full-duplex generates a conversion matrix to belong to a null space of a channel matrix of an interference channel, generates a transmitting signal by converting a received signal using the conversion matrix, and then outputs the transmitting signal to a transmitting antenna. Therefore, an interference signal of an electromagnetic wave level (EM level) that can be generated while the transmitting signal passes through the interference channel can be canceled. |
| US08606169B2 |
Image forming apparatus with movable upper unit to access a sheet conveyance path
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion that forms an image on a sheet, an upper unit that is movably mounted above the image forming portion, and a sheet processing apparatus that processes the sheet, having the image formed thereon by the image forming portion, by a processing portion. In addition, a stacking portion on which the sheet processed by the sheet processing apparatus is stacked is disposed between the image forming portion and the upper unit The sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path that guides the sheet, having the image formed thereon by the image forming portion, to the processing portion, and the sheet conveyance path is opened with a moving operation of the upper unit. |
| US08606167B2 |
Medium clamping device and image forming device
A medium clamping device includes a device main unit that includes: a first circularly moving body that has a surface circularly moving and harder than a recording medium; a second circularly moving body that has a surface moving circularly and harder than the recording medium passing between the both surfaces of the two circularly moving bodies; and a load applying section that applies a load to at least one of the first circularly moving body and the second circularly moving body, to sandwich the recording medium by the load with two moving bodies. The medium clamping device further includes: a support section that supports the device main unit and is secured to a fixed body; and an alleviating system that alleviates transmission of a shock from the device main unit to the fixed body and is incorporated in the support section. |
| US08606159B2 |
Fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device to maintain a high fuser belt temperature
A fuser for an electrophotographic imaging device according to one embodiment includes a stationary pressure member having an elongated body with an outer surface. The pressure member is substantially transparent and/or substantially translucent and permits the passage of radiant heat therethrough. An endless fusing belt having a flexible tubular configuration is rotatably positioned about the pressure member. The pressure member is positioned around a heating lamp for transmitting radiant heat through the pressure member to an inner surface of the fusing belt. A backup roll opposes the fusing belt. The pressure member is configured to apply pressure contact to the fusing belt against the backup roll to form a fuser nip between the backup roll and a segment of the fusing belt. |
| US08606157B2 |
Image forming apparatus operable in a mode for cleaning a fixing portion
The image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion forming a toner image on a recording material, and a fixing portion heating and fixing the toner image formed on the recording material to the recording material, wherein the apparatus has a cleaning mode in which the fixing portion is cleaned, and when the cleaning mode is set, the image forming portion forms a predetermined toner image on the recording material, and the fixing portion then heats and fixes the predetermined toner image to the recording material to form a cleaning sheet which is heated and conveyed to clean the fixing portion. By the virtue of the present invention, it achieves high cleaning performance in which the fixing portion is cleaned by the cleaning sheet. |
| US08606156B2 |
Fixing unit and image forming apparatus using fixing unit
Disclosed is a fixing unit including a fixing member; a pressure member brought into press-contact with a front surface of the fixing member; a pressure mechanism that changes a position at which the pressure member is brought into press-contact with the fixing member, the pressure mechanism being capable of controlling a presence or absence and a width of the nip part; and a cleaning web unit having a contact roller brought into contact with at least the pressure member via a web, a supply roller that supplies a new web, and a winding roller that winds and collects the web having wiped off an attachment on the pressure roller. The contact roller is caused to move following a movement of the pressure mechanism to maintain a constant contact position, a constant contact direction, and a constant contact force thereof with respect to the pressure member. |
| US08606155B2 |
Fixing device with a separation section configured to blast gas from a heat receiving duct, and image forming apparatus incorporating the same
Disclosed is a fixing device, which makes it possible to prevent the air blasting section from deterioration, caused by heat transferred from the duct to the air blasting section. The fixing device includes a fixing section to fix the toner image onto the paper sheet; a heat source; and a separating section to separate the paper sheet from the pair of fixing members. On the other hand, the separating section includes: a gas blasting section to blast a gas; and a duct to guide the gas towards the pair of fixing members, and that is provided with a duct wall serving as a heat receiving surface to receive radiation heat irradiated from the fixing section, and at least one of the gas blasting section and the duct is provided with such a connection structure that suppresses heat transferring action from the duct to the gas blasting section. |
| US08606153B2 |
Image forming apparatus with conveying belt position detection and correction
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable belt member; an image forming station; first and second detecting members for detecting widthwise positions of the belt member; first and second steering rollers for correcting the widthwise positions of the belt member by inclination; a control portion configured to control inclinations of the first and second steering rollers on the basis of an output of the first or second detecting member; a first executing portion configured to execute, in a period other than an image formation period, an operation in a correction mode of, in a state that the first steering roller is at a first reference inclination, controlling the second steering roller to correct a second reference inclination of the second steering roller; and a second executing portion configured to execute, in a period other than that of the correction mode operation, an operation in a control mode of controlling the first and second steering rollers on the basis of the first and second reference inclinations. |
| US08606148B2 |
Reconditioning rotatable photoreceptor in electrophotographic printer
An electrophotographic photoreceptor is prepared for charging. Corona electrodes before and after the erase lamp apply respective biases to provide the correct sign of charge for cleaning, and to discharged trapped charges in the photoreceptor. Toner is then cleaned off the photoreceptor. This leaves the photoreceptor electrically and mechanically reconditioned and ready for its next printing cycle. |
| US08606138B2 |
Cooling device having a turbulence generating unit
In a cooling device that includes a cooling roller that comprises a hollow tubular member and a cooling medium transport unit for transporting a cooling liquid to the inside of the cooling roller and contacts a sheet-like member to cool down the paper, a turbulence generating unit that generates turbulence in a cooling liquid is disposed near an inner wall of the outer tube. |
| US08606137B2 |
Image forming apparatus with a transporting controller
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a fixing device that nips the recording medium and that rotates at a first peripheral velocity, to transport the recording medium, and to fix the image to the recording medium; a transport path; a first transporting section that rotates at a second peripheral velocity, and nips and transports the recording medium to which the image is fixed; a second transporting section that rotates at a third peripheral velocity, and nips and transports the recording medium to which the image is fixed; a detecting unit that detects a move-out timing; and a controller that controls a peripheral velocity of the second transporting section so as to be greater than the third peripheral velocity and less than the second peripheral velocity in accordance with the timing detected by the detecting unit. |
| US08606132B2 |
Image forming apparatus
Provided is an image forming apparatus in which one of developing units that respectively contain visible toners of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan other than the developing unit that contains the visible toner of black is replaced by a developing unit that contains a transparent fluorescent toner. Consequently, a document image can be expressed by the visible toner of black and a designated color which falls within a color reproduction range determined by two of the visible toners of yellow, magenta, and cyan, and an additional pattern which is an additional information image for preventing falsification and forgery can be printed on the document image with the use of the transparent fluorescent toner. |
| US08606124B2 |
Toner cartridge
A toner cartridge comprises a toner container which contains toner, a driving member which rotationally drives a conveying member, an agitating member which agitates a toner in the toner container while being rotated, a driven member which rotates in association with the driving member which is for rotationally driving the agitating member, and a rotational body which rotates according to rotation of the driven member, has a plurality of slits in rotational circumference for identifying a type of the toner cartridge, and has 1/K or more of the slits when a ratio of a rotational speed R1 (rad/s) of the driving member and a rotational speed R2 (rad/s) of the driven member is K=R2/R1. |
| US08606121B2 |
Remote management system, remote setting method and image forming device
Disclosed is a remote management system including: a first image forming device; a second image forming device which is communicable with the first image forming device by using a first communication system; and a remote management server which is communicable with the second image forming device by using a second communication system, wherein the remote management server transmits setting information for the first image forming device to the second image forming device communicable with the first image forming device by using the first communication system, by using the second communication system, the second image forming device transmits the setting information received from the remote management server, to the first image forming device by using the first communication system, and the first image forming device carries out a setting operation in accordance with the setting information received from the second image forming device. |
| US08606117B1 |
Systems and methods for unobtrusively testing optical fibers
A correlation optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) system embeds an OTDR signal in a digital data signal that is to be converted into an optical signal and transmitted across an optical fiber to a remote receiver. In particular, the digital data signal is amplitude modulated with the OTDR signal, which is based on a pseudo noise (PN) sequence, such as an M-sequence. The amplitude modulation is relatively small, for example, less than about 10% of the digital data signal's peak amplitude in an effort to limit the OTDR signal's effect on communication performance. A sequence recovery element receives reflections from the optical fiber and converts the reflections to digital samples. Each digital sample from the sequence recovery element is correlated by correlators that respectively correspond to delays and, hence, locations along the optical fiber, and accumulators accumulate the correlation values from the correlators. Based on the accumulated values, the correlation OTDR system unobtrusively identifies anomaly locations along the optical fiber while payload data is being communicated across the fiber. |
| US08606107B2 |
Colorless dense wavelength division multiplexing transmitters
A dense wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) system, comprising a plurality of laser transmitters, a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) optically coupled to the laser transmitters and to an output optical transmission media, a coupler optically coupled to the output optical transmission media, an interferometric filter optically coupled to the coupler but not directly to the output optical transmission media, and a light reflector optically coupled to the interferometric filter and not directly to the output optical transmission media. |
| US08606105B2 |
Virtual core router and switch systems and methods with a hybrid control architecture
The present disclosure provides virtual router/switch systems and methods with a domain of optical switches operating as a single, virtualized router using a control plane design combining centralized control of higher layer packet switching functions with distributed control over transport switching functions. The virtual router systems and methods simplify and reduce cost of Internet Protocol (IP) networks by removing the core routers, replacing them with lower cost, high capacity optical switches which are Packet Optical Transport Systems (POTS). The virtual router systems and methods avoids full mesh connectivity of the edge routers and the associated need to maintain routing adjacencies to each of the other edge routers. The virtual router systems and methods include a centralized IP layer management. Further, the virtual router systems and methods include distributed control of the optical layers. |
| US08606102B2 |
Test interface device, test system and optical interface memory device
A test interface device includes a serializer, an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, and a deserializer. The serializer receives parallel test signals from automatic test equipment, and serializes the parallel test signals into a serial test signal. The optical transmitter converts the serial test signal into an optical test signal. The optical receiver receives the optical test signal from the optical transmitter, and converts the optical test signal into the serial test signal. The deserializer deserializes the serial test signal into the parallel test signals, and transmits the parallel test signals to a device under test. As a result, signal transfer speed may be improved and optical resource usage may be reduced. |
| US08606100B2 |
WDM-TDM PON remote terminal and WDM-TDM PON link protection system
A wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-time division multiplexing (TDM) passive optical network (PON) remote terminal (RT) is provided. The wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-time division multiplexing (TDM) passive optical network (PON) remote terminal (RT), includes: a WDM-TDM converter configured to convert a WDM downstream optical signal that is received from a central office terminal (COT) into a TDM downstream optical signal or to convert a TDM upstream optical signal that is received from an optical network terminal (ONT) into a WDM upstream optical signal; an error detector configured to detect an error; and a controller configured to, in response to an error being detected, transmit the WDM upstream optical signal to the COT via a first standby link or transmit the TDM downstream optical signal to the ONT via a second standby link. |
| US08606099B2 |
Method and system for protecting integrated optoelectronic devices
A method and system for protecting integrated optoelectronic devices are disclosed. The method includes (1) providing standby light source links of fixed wavelength and their corresponding standby data channel in a transmitting-end integrated optoelectronic device; (2) detecting whether there is failure in each active light source link in the transmitting-end integrated optoelectronic device; and (3) selecting a standby light source link having a fixed wavelength and its corresponding standby data channel for accomplishing service transmission of failed active light source link and its corresponding active data channel when detecting failure of an active light source link. The system includes a transmitting-end integrated optoelectronic device and a receiving-end integrated optoelectronic device. |
| US08606098B1 |
Electronic device with two camera modules
An electronic device of reduced thickness includes a housing with a front cover and a back cover, a circuit board accommodated in the housing, a flexible circuit board electrically connected to the circuit board, a first camera module, and a second camera module. The flexible circuit board strip is folded to create a substantially U-shaped portion defining a first receiving space facing the front cover and a second receiving space separated from the first receiving space. The first camera module comprising a first lens module received in the first receiving space and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board strip. The second camera module includes a second lens module received in the second receiving space and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board strip. The second camera module is juxtaposed alongside of the first camera module and invertedly oriented with respect to the first camera module. |
| US08606096B2 |
Lens barrel that moves lens unit using vibration actuator and camera system having the same
A lens barrel includes a lens holding frame that holds a lens unit that is movable in an optical axis direction, a first guide member that guides the lens holding frame in the optical axis direction, a drive shaft that extends in the optical axis direction, a slider that includes a pressure contact portion that slidably contacts the drive shaft in a longitudinal direction and a coupling portion that is coupled to the lens holding frame, a second guide member that guides the slider in the optical axis direction, a vibration element that is provided on one of the drive shaft and the slider, a drive case that holds the drive shaft and the second guide member, and a cover member that is fixed on the drive case to cover the pressure contact portion of the slider and protrude the coupling portion to an outside of the cover member. |
| US08606092B2 |
Controlling the operation of an electrically heated water tank
A system for controlling the operation of the electric heating element in a water tank. The system comprises a temperature sensor in the water tank connected to a main control unit. User preferences related to hot water supply are inputted via a friendly user interface and the main control unit controls the operation of the heating element in the water tank to supply hot water according to the user preferences with minimal energy consumption. |
| US08606091B2 |
Subsurface heaters with low sulfidation rates
A system for heating a hydrocarbon containing formation includes a heater having an elongated ferromagnetic metal heater section. The heater is located in an opening in a formation. The heater section is configured to heat the hydrocarbon containing formation. The exposed ferromagnetic metal has a sulfidation rate that goes down with increasing temperature of the heater, when the heater is in a selected temperature range. |
| US08606090B2 |
Sport program chaptering
In certain implementations, a method consistent with the invention involves at a television receiver device, receiving a television program depicting a sports program, where data associated with the sports program is represented in a score graphic that is displayed on a television display overlaying images of the sports program; storing the television program depicting the sports program; analyzing the score graphic to identify a change in at least one element of data displayed in the score graphic from one video frame to a subsequent video frame; and storing a chapter mark associated with the time that the change in the element of data displayed in the score graphic occurred. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract. |
| US08606080B2 |
Reproducing apparatus, reproducing method, reproducing program, and recording medium
For a content-prerecorded large capacity disc-shaped recording medium, a user interface having high flexibility is accomplished. Button image data, corresponding sound data as an effect sound, and control commands for the sound data and image data are multiplexed with a stream and recorded on the disc. A scenario reproduced from the disc is stored in a buffer. The image data and sound data are stored in a buffer. Image data is read from the buffer in accordance with a scenario and expanded to a graphics plane. In addition, corresponding sound data is read from the buffer and reproduced by a sound player. When a button image is varied in accordance with a state change of the button, an effect sound is reproduced. As a result, a more effective user interface is accomplished. |
| US08606076B2 |
3D video reproduction matching the output format to the 3D processing ability of a display
A method of transmitting three dimensional video information over an interface from a playback device to a displaying device, the displaying device and the interface such that the properties of the displaying device can be queried over the interface, the method comprising determining one or more video format in which a compressed three dimensional video information is available to an input of the playback device, the three dimensional video information available either as stored on a record medium or received via a data transmission system; querying the displaying device over the interface with respect to one or more three dimensional video formats which the displaying device is able to process; selecting a best matching video format, wherein the best matching video format different from at least one available video format, the selection of the best matching video format based on the available video format and the video formats which the displaying device is able to process; processing the compressed three dimensional video information such that the three dimensional video information is transmitted over the interface in the best matching video format. |
| US08606072B2 |
Recording playback apparatus, recording-playback control method, and editing system
A recording playback apparatus includes a video-signal converter performing certain signal processing to a video signal that is externally received and outputting the resulting video signal; a recorder player storing and playing back the video signal; and a controller switching between a normal mode and an edit mode on the basis of control by an editing apparatus controlling the recording playback apparatus. In the normal mode, a video signal played back by the recorder player is supplied to a display where the video signal is displayed as an image. In the edit mode, switching between a first video signal supplied from the video-signal converter and a second video signal resulting from addition of a delay corresponding to a time necessary for the signal processing in the video-signal converter to a video signal played back by the recorder player is performed to display the resulting video signal in the display. |
| US08606061B2 |
Cable assembly having quick-locking connector and premise wiring systems utilizing same
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a cable assembly for adapting to a premise wiring system, whereby the cables utilized therewith comprise quick-locking connectors thereon. In one embodiment of the present invention, a cable assembly comprises a first cable having a cable portion and a connector on a first end of the first cable, the connector comprising an interface and a locking means for securely engaging a second cable; a housing comprising a body having an aperture therethrough for receiving the first cable, the housing having a panel locking means for engaging a panel from a rear surface thereof, and the panel for securing to a substantially rigid structure, having at least one port therethrough; wherein when the housing engages the panel, the interface of the connector of the first cable is accessible from the front surface side of the panel. |
| US08606059B1 |
Optical fiber connector with shielding member
An optical fiber connector includes a first transmission member, a second transmission member engaged with the first transmission member, and an elongated shielding member. The first transmission member includes a first body and two lenses. The first body includes an upper surface, a lower surface parallel to the upper surface, and a front surface connecting the upper surface to the lower surface. A recess is defined in the upper surface and exposed at the front surface. The first body includes a first light coupling surface and a sealing surface in the recess. The second transmission member includes a second body having a second light coupling surface facing the first light coupling surface. The shielding member is fixed on the upper surface above the recess. The shielding member cooperates with the two light receiving surfaces, and the sealing surface to form a sealed room for receiving the two lenses. |
| US08606058B2 |
Multi-channel optical coupler
A solid core, multi-channel optical coupler comprising an elongate mixer body having an input end, an output end and sidewalls forming a length of the mixer body, where the input end is configured for coupling to a plurality of input channels providing an optical signal for transmission through the mixer body, and a plurality of output tapers coupled to the output end. Each of the output tapers has a reception area adjacent the output end of the mixer body for receiving a portion of the optical signal transmitted through the mixer body. Furthermore, the reception area of each output taper is variable to vary the intensity of the optical signal received by the output taper. |
| US08606055B2 |
Pin diode tuned multiple ring waveguide resonant optical cavity switch and method
An optical switch structure and a method for fabricating the optical switch structure provide at least two ring waveguides located and formed supported over a substrate. At least one of the at least two ring waveguides includes at least one PIN diode integral with the ring waveguide as a tuning component for an optical switch device that derives from the optical switch structure. The PIN diode includes different doped silicon slab regions internal to and external to the ring waveguide, and an intrinsic region there between that includes the ring waveguide. The method uses two photolithographic process steps, and also preferably a silicon-on-insulator substrate, to provide the ring waveguides formed of a monocrystalline silicon semiconductor material. |
| US08606054B2 |
Electrically driven optical frequency shifter using coupled waveguides
Disclosed herein is an optical frequency shifter (1) provided with: an electro-optical substrate (3) having a main surface (3a); an optical waveguide structure (2) formed in the substrate (3) and having two waveguide portions (7), which are spaced apart by a distance (S) such as to ensure mutual optical coupling therebetween; and an electrode structure (10) arranged above the main surface (3a) of the substrate (3) and having at least a first electrode (11). The substrate (3) has a Z-cut crystalline structure with Z crystal axis orthogonal to the main surface (3a) and comprises two oppositely poled portions (20, 21) having opposite orientations of the Z crystal axis; the two waveguide portions (7) are arranged underneath the first electrode (11), each in a respective one of the two oppositely poled portions (20, 21). |
| US08606051B2 |
Frame-wise calibration of column-parallel ADCs for image sensor array applications
Circuits, methods, and apparatus are described that provide calibration of column-parallel analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) in image processing contexts only once per frame (or less frequently) to reduce column-wise noise. For example, the column ADCs are calibrated during an inter-frame time interval, like a vertical blanking interval. In some embodiments, calibration data for the column ADCs for a calibration period is stored at the digital block for use in processing row data from the column ADCs. In other embodiments, calibration data for the column ADCs for the calibration period is stored at column ADCs in a local memory for local correction of the pixel data prior to being read out to the digital block for processing. In certain embodiments, techniques, such as differential ADC architectures, are used to mitigate row-wise noise in context of the frame-wise calibration. |
| US08606049B2 |
Image management apparatus, image management method, and storage medium
An image management apparatus includes a storage unit configured to compare a difference between stored original image data and image data to which correction is applied, and store differential information resulting from the comparison as new image data, a display unit configured to display a candidate of image data to be output to receive from a user a specification of image data to be output from among a plurality of image data stored in the storage unit, wherein the display unit detects and outputs image data stored in a terminal among image data including the differential information satisfying a condition specified by the user and image data derived by correcting the image data, from among the plurality of image data stored in the storage unit. |
| US08606043B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating 3D image data
A method and apparatus for generating three-dimensional (3D) image data by using 2D image data including a dummy component and an image component relating to an input image, wherein the dummy component is used to adjust a resolution of the input image, are provided. The method includes: generating a depth map that corresponds to the 2D image data; detecting a dummy area including the dummy component from the 2D image data; and correcting depth values of pixels that correspond to the dummy area in the depth map. |
| US08606040B2 |
Method and apparatus for image conversion
An image conversion device is disclosed, having an image converting circuit for receiving a first and a second image frames of a first format and generating a third and a fourth image frames of a second format; and a signal generating circuit coupled with the image converting circuit for generating a plurality of first synchronization signals having a substantially fixed period and one or more second synchronization signals for the third and the fourth image frames, wherein each of the second synchronization signals is synchronized with one of the first synchronization signals and the third image frame contains at least one more first synchronization signal than the fourth image frame. |
| US08606037B2 |
Techniques to improve contrast enhancement
An apparatus, system, method, and article for enhancing video sharpness are described. The apparatus may include a media processing node to receive an input image having a first level of contrast, and create an output image having a second level of contrast using a scaled luminance transfer function. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US08606029B1 |
Hybridized image encoding based on region volatility
In a general aspect, a computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store instructions that when executed cause a processor of a host device to perform a process. The instructions can include instructions to determine that a first region of a current image is identical to a first region of a prior image, and instructions to determine that a second region of the current image is different from a second region of the prior image. The instructions can also include instructions to calculate, in response to the determination that the second region of the current image is different, a rate of change associated with the portion of the second region, and instructions to identify a portion of the second region of the current image for encoding based on the rate of change associated with the portion of the second region of the current image based on a threshold value. |
| US08606028B2 |
Pixel bit depth conversion in image encoding and decoding
An image encoding apparatus includes a pixel bit depth increase converter to convert bit depth of each pixel of an input image to output a converted input image and output bit conversion information indicating the number of bits changed by conversion, an image encoder to encode the input converted input image to output encoded image information, and a multiplexer to multiplexes the bit conversion information and encoded image information. |
| US08606025B2 |
Encoding and decoding images using refreshed image and recovery point
Encoding and decoding methods are provided to improve the coding efficiency when implementing random access. A recovery point is defined. The encoding method includes: encoding an I-frame to obtain a first reconstructed image; encoding a reference image between the I-frame and the recovery point to obtain a second reconstructed image; refreshing the second reconstructed image to obtain a first refreshed image; using at least one of the first reconstructed image and the first refreshed image as a reference image to encode the corresponding frame at the recovery point. When random access occurs at the I-frame, from the recovery point correct decoding starts at the decoder and the decoded image is consistent with the coded image at the encoder. An encoder, a decoder, and an image processing system are also provided herein. |
| US08606024B2 |
Compression-coding device and decompression-decoding device
There are provided a device and a method capable of increasing the processing speed and preventing the increase of the device size by eliminating decompression/decoding processing not required for decompression/decoding of a moving picture of a point-of-view desired by a user. The decompression/decoding device includes: instruction input means for receiving an instruction for a frame to be outputted; judgment means for reading out motion prediction information from the moving picture data and judging the frame used for motion prediction in compression/encoding of the frame to be outputted; and decompression/decoding means for decompressing/decoding only the frame judged by the judgment means and the frame to be outputted. |
| US08606021B2 |
Methods and systems for content processing
Cell phones and other portable devices are equipped with a variety of technologies by which existing functionality can be improved, and new functionality can be provided. Some relate to visual search capabilities, and determining appropriate actions responsive to different image inputs. Others relate to processing of image data. Still others concern metadata generation, processing, and representation. Yet others relate to coping with fixed focus limitations of cell phone cameras, e.g., in reading digital watermark data. Still others concern user interface improvements. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed. |
| US08606020B2 |
Search skip region setting function generation method, search skip region setting method, object search method, search skip region setting function generation apparatus, search skip region setting apparatus, and object search apparatus
According to one embodiment, a search skip region setting function generation method includes estimating. The estimating includes estimating a relative position between a object and a template based on a distribution of surrounding search point similarities, and generates a function required to set a search skip region which allows to skip the object search on each model reduced-scale image based on the estimated relative position. |
| US08606004B2 |
System and method for automatic color matching in a multi-display system using sensor feedback control
A system for automatic color matching of multiple displays in a multi-display system. A sensor observes the output energy of each of the displays in a multi-display system and measures the difference in the color responses for a given input color. This difference is used to derive a modification function that is applied to each display. The displays are modified accordingly, and then the color is displayed again. This process is repeated until the measured values from each of the displays are within a minimum measurement error tolerance, so that the differences in displayed colors observed among the displays are minimized. |
| US08605999B2 |
Signal processing apparatus and method, noise reduction apparatus and method, and program therefor
A signal processing apparatus including: a first noise reduction processing section that performs first noise reduction processing on an image, in which each of multitudes of pixels has one of a plurality of color components and the color components are distributed regularly, based only on pixel arrangement to obtain a first processed image; a color component separation section that separates the first processed image into each of the color components to obtain a plurality of color component images; and a signal classification section that compares a signal value of a target pixel for processing with a signal value of each pixel included in a predetermined range of area around the target pixel and classifies each pixel within the predetermined range of area into one of a plurality of groups based on the comparison result. |
| US08605998B2 |
Real-time 3D point cloud obstacle discriminator apparatus and associated methodology for training a classifier via bootstrapping
Training a strong classifier by classifying point cloud data with a first classifier, inferring a first terrain map from the classified point cloud data, reclassifying the point cloud data with the first classifier based on the first terrain map, and training a second classifier based on the point cloud data reclassified with the first classifier based on the terrain map. The point cloud data is then classified with the second classifier, and the procedure followed with the first classifier is iteratively repeated until a strong classifier is determined. A strong classifier is determined when a probability of a terrain map matching a given terrain for the strong classifier is approximately equal to a probability of a terrain map matching the given terrain for a prior trained classifier. |
| US08605997B2 |
Indoor-outdoor detector for digital cameras
An indoor-outdoor detection method includes constructing a first indoor-outdoor detector; and constructing a second indoor-outdoor detector. A normalized brightness of a subject image is determined and a comparison result is generated based on the determined normalized brightness and a threshold brightness value. One of the first detector or the second detector is selectively applied to the subject image based on the comparison result, and a detection result is generated. Image signal processing is performed on the subject image based on the detection result. |
| US08605996B2 |
Sentiment classification using out of domain data
Providing sentiment classification of out of domain data are disclosed herein. In some aspects, a source domain having a trained classifier is matched to a target domain having a target classifier. The trained classifier may include identifiers that may be used to predict the sentiment of opinion data for the source domain. The target classifier may use the identifiers of the trained classifier to determine the sentiment of opinion data for the target domain. |
| US08605994B2 |
Stereoscopic image display system, disparity conversion device, disparity conversion method and program
Disparity in a stereoscopic image is converted, according to features of a configuration element of an image that influences depth perception of a stereoscopic image. A disparity detecting unit 110 detects disparity from a left image L and right image R of an input image, and generates a disparity map dM. A disparity correction unit 150 corrects the disparity in the disparity map dM and generates a corrected disparity map dM′. A correction feature setting unit 130 sets the correction features in the event of performing disparity correction in the disparity correction unit 150. The image synthesizing unit 160 synthesizes the left image L and right image R of the stereoscopic image based on the corrected disparity map dM′ and outputs the stereoscopic image made up of a left image L′ and right image R′ as an output image. Thus, a stereoscopic image having disparity according to the set correction features is output. The correction features therein are set according to the degree that the configuration element features such as size of disparity, position on screen, manner of special change and so forth influence the depth perception. |
| US08605993B2 |
Methods and systems of merging depth data from a plurality of disparity maps
A method of merging a plurality of disparity maps. The method comprises calculating a plurality of disparity maps each from images captured by another of a plurality of pairs of image sensors having stereoscopic fields of view (SFOVs) with at least one overlapping portion, the SFOVs covering a scene with a plurality of objects, identifying at least one of the plurality of objects in the at least one overlapping portion, the at least one object being mapped in each the disparity map, calculating accuracy of disparity values depicting the object in each the disparity map, merging depth data from the plurality of disparity maps according to the accuracy so as to provide a combined depth map wherein disparity values of the object are calculated according to one of the plurality of disparity maps, and outputting the depth data. |
| US08605992B2 |
Image completion using scene geometry
Image completion using scene geometry is described, for example, to remove marks from digital photographs or complete regions which are blank due to editing. In an embodiment an image depicting, from a viewpoint, a scene of textured objects has regions to be completed. In an example, geometry of the scene is estimated from a depth map and the geometry used to warp the image so that at least some surfaces depicted in the image are fronto-parallel to the viewpoint. An image completion process is guided using distortion applied during the warping. For example, patches used to fill the regions are selected on the basis of distortion introduced by the warping. In examples where the scene comprises regions having only planar surfaces the warping process comprises rotating the image. Where the scene comprises non-planar surfaces, geodesic distances between image elements may be scaled to flatten the non-planar surfaces. |
| US08605991B2 |
Method for generating visual hulls for 3D objects as sets of convex polyhedra from polygonal silhouettes
A visual hull for a 3D object is generated by using a set of silhouettes extracted from a set of images. First, a set of convex polyhedra is generated as a coarse 3D model of the object. Then for each image, the convex polyhedra are refined by projecting them to the image and determining the intersections with the silhouette in the image. The visual hull of the object is represented as union of the convex polyhedra. |
| US08605985B2 |
Pattern measurement apparatus and pattern measurement method
A pattern measurement apparatus includes: an irradiation unit for irradiating a sample with an electron beam; an electron detection unit for detecting the amount of electrons generated from the sample on which a pattern is formed; an image processor for generating an SEM image of the pattern based on the amount of electrons; and a controller for acquiring a rectangular measurement specification region of the SEM image and calculating a loss ratio of a corner portion of the pattern from areas of the measurement specification region and the corner portion of the pattern. The controller detects edge positions in a predetermined range including a position where a corner of the measurement specification region intersects with a side of the SEM image, and adjusts the measurement specification region in accordance with the edge positions. |
| US08605984B2 |
Cigarette inspection device
A cigarette inspection device for inspecting a filter quality through an inspection image of filter end faces in a bundle of cigarettes for accurately detecting, for example, only contaminations. A pattern image is used for detecting a cigarette location on the basis of a preset location of each cigarette in the cigarette bundle and a search area on the inspection image is set. The pattern image is shifted within the search area, thereby obtaining a position at which the pattern image coincides with an image of the filter end face. An image of a filter end face of the cigarette is cut out from the inspection image according to the detected position, and quality (contamination) is inspected. Inspection results obtained with respect to the cigarettes are aggregated, and a judgment is made on the quality (presence or absence of a contamination) of the filter end face. |
| US08605980B2 |
Method and apparatus using magnetic resonance imaging for cancer identification
Embodiments provide a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique and optionally software—collectively referred to as the “shutter-speed” model—to analyze image data of cancer patients. Embodiments provide a minimally invasive, yet precisely accurate, approach to determining whether tumors are malignant or benign by distinguishing the characteristics of contrast reagent activity in benign and malignant tumors. Exemplary embodiments provide MRI measured biomarkers for tumor malignancy determination, effectively eliminating or limiting the false positives suffered by existing MRI techniques. |
| US08605978B2 |
Medical image processing apparatus and method, and computer readable recording medium on which is recorded program for the same
Extracting a branch structure and a surrounding structure area in which a surrounding structure of the branch structure exists from a three-dimensional medical image, setting an attention branch structure in the branch structure, estimating an attention surrounding structure area functionally associated with the attention branch structure from the surrounding structure area based on the branch structure, obtaining an evaluation value in the attention surrounding structure area, and generating a mapped image which is an image generated by mapping the evaluation value in the attention surrounding structure area to a morphological image representing morphology of at least one of the attention branch structure and the attention surrounding structure area. |
| US08605968B2 |
Determination of tissue states by imaging mass spectrometry
Spatially resolved tissue states (status image) are determined from spectrally resolved mass spectra of a tissue section by (a) acquiring a plurality of spatially resolved mass spectra of the tissue section, (b) generating at least two mass images from the spatially resolved mass spectra, (c) smoothing the mass images using an edge-preserving smoothing algorithm and (d) calculating a status image from the smoothed mass images by means of a classification algorithm derived from mathematical statistics. |
| US08605966B2 |
Radiotherapeutic treatment planning apparatus and methods
A treatment planning apparatus comprises a means for receiving a three dimensional representation of a patient, a means for displaying at least a part of the representation, a means for user-designation of sub-regions of the representation, and a computing means adapted to segment the representation into a region within an anatomical structure and a region outside the anatomical structure on the basis of the locations of the sub-regions and the degree of similarity of voxels to neighboring voxels in the representation. The treatment planning apparatus preferably further comprises means for designating sub-regions as being inside the structure, means for designating sub-regions as being outside the structure, and/or means for designating sub-regions as being at a border of the structure. In the latter case, we prefer that the size of border sub-regions is adjustable. The computing means can segment the representation by minimizing a cost function. We also prefer that the initial values of the function in sub-regions designated as being in a border region are constrained to a different preset value. In an particularly useful aspect of this invention, after minimization of the function the values in sub-regions designated as being in a border region are then un-constrained, the remaining values are constrained, and the function is then minimized a second time. |
| US08605965B2 |
Methods and apparatus for generating a modified intensity projection image
In methods and an apparatus for generating a modified intensity projection image from captured medical image data of a subject, an intensity projection image data set and a secondary image data set are obtained from the image data. A region of interest is determined in the secondary image data set, and a surface of this region of interest is then determined. The intensity projection image data set and the region of interest surface are then combined to generate the modified intensity projection image for display. |
| US08605963B2 |
Atlas-based image compression
A technique for selecting portions of a medical image data set to be stored and portions of the medical image data set to be discarded in order to reduce the overall amount of image data that is stored for each image data set. The selection is based on the clinical purpose for obtaining the medical image data. The clinical purpose for obtaining the medical image is used to select an atlas. The atlas is labeled with information that establishes the relative relevance of various regions of the atlas. The atlas is aligned to the image and the labeling information is transferred from the atlas to the medical image. Each region of the medical image is then processed based on the labeling information received from the atlas. The regions of greatest relevance are stored at their full resolution. Regions of lesser relevance are stored at less than the full resolution. Finally, regions of no relevance are discarded and not stored at all. |
| US08605962B2 |
Pattern matching system, pattern matching method, and pattern matching program
A problem to be solved is to provide a pattern matching system and the like which can match patterns including time change with high accuracy and safety. The problem can be solved by a pattern matching system which includes a template storage unit, a feature extraction unit, and a matching unit. The template pattern stores a template pattern. The feature extraction unit extracts features of an input pattern. The matching unit performs a first matching in which a first feature not changing with time among the features of the input pattern is matched with the template pattern and performs a second matching other than the first matching, in which a second feature changing with time among the features of the input pattern is matched with the template pattern. |
| US08605958B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating meta data of content
A method and apparatus are provided for generating emotional information including a user's impressions in relation to multimedia content or meta data regarding the emotional information, and a computer readable recording medium storing the method. The meta data generating method includes receiving emotional information in relation to the content from at least one client system which receives and reproduces the content; generating meta data for an emotion using the emotional information; and coupling the meta data for the emotion to the content. Accordingly, it is possible to automatically acquire emotional information by using the facial expression of a user who is appreciating multimedia content, and use the emotional information as meta data. |
| US08605956B2 |
Automatically mining person models of celebrities for visual search applications
Methods and systems for automated identification of celebrity face images are provided that generate a name list of prominent celebrities, obtain a set of images and corresponding feature vectors for each name, detect faces within the set of images, and remove non-face images. An analysis of the images is performed using an intra-model analysis, an inter-model analysis, and a spectral analysis to return highly accurate biometric models for each of the individuals present in the name list. Recognition is then performed based on precision and recall to identify the face images as belonging to a celebrity or indicate that the face is unknown. |
| US08605954B2 |
Methods and systems for analyzing the quality of digital signature confirmation images
Methods and systems for evaluating an imager that produces bi-chrome images from a scanner or a digital imaging device. The bi-chrome images have pixels of a first and second color. A method of evaluating an imager includes generating an image with a hand-held imaging device, the image having pixels of a first color and a second color. The image is analyzed to determine information about particles of the first and second color contained in the image. Each particle comprises contiguous pixels of the same color. The particle information is information on particle size and count of particles of the first and second colors. The image is determined to be acceptable or unacceptable based on predetermined objective criteria and the particle information. |
| US08605952B2 |
Dietary assessment system and method
The present system and method provides a more precise way to record food and beverage intake than traditional methods. The present disclosure provides custom software for use in mobile computing devices that include a digital camera. Photos captured by mobile digital devices are analyzed with image processing and comparisons to certain databases to allow a user to discretely record foods eaten. Specifically, the user captures images of the meal or snack before and after eating. The foods pictured are identified. Image processing software may identify the food or provide choices for the user. Once a food is identified and volume of the food is estimated, nutrient databases are used for calculating final portion sizes and nutrient totals. |
| US08605950B2 |
Camera and corresponding method for selecting an object to be recorded
A camera is described having an image capturing device, an evaluation and control unit and a storage unit, the evaluation and control unit analyzes an image sequence having at least two successively captured images recorded by the image capturing device to segment and stabilize at least one object to be recorded during the image recording. The evaluation and control unit ascertains a deliberate panning movement of the camera and compares it with ascertained movements of objects represented in the captured images, the evaluation and control unit determining at least one object as an object to be recorded, the ascertained movement of which is most consistent with the camera's ascertained panning movement, and the evaluation and control unit storing an image section of the image captured by the image capturing device in the storage unit which represents the at least one object to be recorded. Also described is a corresponding method. |
| US08605948B2 |
Driver assistance system for monitoring driving safety and corresponding method for detecting and evaluating a vehicle movement
A driver assistance system for monitoring driving safety has a mobile electronic unit including a video sensor, a computer unit for image data processing, and an acoustic output unit, which detects the immediate surroundings of the vehicle from the data of the video sensor and outputs a warning or information via an output unit when the computer unit detects a dangerous situation. The mobile electronic unit detects noises within the vehicle or from the outside via an acoustic input unit, and incorporates the information in the assessment of driving safety. |
| US08605943B2 |
Method and device for determining lean angle of body and pose estimation method and device
Provided are a method and device for determining a lean angle of a body and a pose estimation method and device. The method for determining a lean angle of a body of the present invention includes: a head-position obtaining step for obtaining a position of a head; a search region determination step for determining a plurality of search region spaced with an angle around the head; an energy function calculating step for calculating a value of an energy function for the search region; and a lean angle determining step for determining the lean angle of a search region with a largest or smallest value of the energy function as the lean angle of the body. The pose estimation method of the present invention includes a body lean-angle obtaining step, for obtaining a lean angle of a body; and a pose estimation step, for performing a pose estimation based on the lean angle of the body. |
| US08605941B2 |
Enhanced detection of gesture
The enhanced detection of a waving engagement gesture, in which a shape is defined within motion data, the motion data is sampled at points that are aligned with the defined shape, and, based on the sampled motion data, positions of a moving object along the defined shape are determined over time. It is determined whether the moving object is performing a gesture based on a pattern exhibited by the determined positions, and an application is controlled if determining that the moving object is performing the gesture. |
| US08605935B1 |
Headphones with a pair of glasses
Headphones with a pair of glasses include two headphone bodies, a glasses headband, and two engaging members. Each headphone body includes an engaging protrusion having a plurality of dentate portions. The glasses headband includes a glasses frame, two lenses on the glasses frame, and two extension sheets extended outwardly from two side ends of the glasses frame. Each engaging member is movably engaged with one of extension sheets and includes an annular ring having an inner peripheral face with a plurality of engaging teeth. The engaging protrusion of each headphone body is received in an associated annular ring, and the dentate portions of the engaging protrusion are coupled with the engaging teeth of the associated annular ring. Each annular ring is capable of rotating relative to an associated engaging protrusion, allowing a headphone user to use a pair of glasses simultaneously. |
| US08605933B2 |
Multi function cable clip device
A cable includes a first portion and a second portion. An earpiece speaker is attached to the first portion of the cable. An earhook is provided and a multi-purpose clip is simultaneously attached, in a first use mode, only to the earpiece speaker and the earhook. In a second use mode, the clip is simultaneously attached to the earhook, the earpiece speaker and the second portion of the cable. Also in a first use mode, each of a pair of clips is simultaneously connected only to a respective earpiece speaker and a respective earhook. In a second use mode, at least one of the clips is simultaneously connected to a respective earhook, a respective earpiece speaker and the second portion of the cable. |
| US08605931B2 |
Combined headphone set and portable speaker assembly
A combined headphone set including a speaker assembly. The headphone set includes a headband having a speaker headphone on opposing ends of the headband. Each of the speaker headphones includes an exterior speaker for public listening and an interior speaker for personal listening by the user. One of the speaker headphones includes switching means for listening to the interior speaker or to the exterior speaker or to the interior and exterior speakers simultaneously from each of the speaker headphones. Each of the speaker headphones includes an audio signal wire connected from an output jack of an audio device to the speaker headphones. |
| US08605927B2 |
Hearing aid positioning system and structure
A hearing aid includes a relatively rigid shell which holds hearing aid electronics and one or more flexible, shape-retaining filaments attached to the hearing aid shell. The filament(s) extend(s) out a proximal side of the hearing aid shell having a shape which interacts with the user's ear anatomy such as the conchae bowl. The shape determines an insertion depth of the hearing aid shell into the user's ear canal, and a spring action biases the hearing aid toward the desired insertion depth. The hearing aid supported by the filament(s) provides an open, unoccluding position in the ear canal. |
| US08605925B2 |
Acoustic processing method and apparatus
A processing method and apparatus for reducing noise in an auditory prosthesis, for example a hearing aid or cochlear implant, are disclosed. The noise floor of the input sound signal is estimated, and the base output level of the output signal is moved in response, in a preferred form to substantially the estimated noise floor level, without modifying the maximum output level. This has the effect of maximising the dynamic range of the user in response to the target sound signal. |
| US08605923B2 |
Optimizing operational control of a hearing prosthesis
A method for operating a hearing prosthesis is provided. A plurality of settings are provided, each setting providing a different operating functionality for the hearing prosthesis suitable for different situations. A signal analysis is executed on input signals to the hearing prosthesis. The signal analysis monitors characteristics of a current situation to detect any change and, in the case of detecting change, classifies the current situation into one of a plurality of predefined states. The suitability of the settings is compared with the determined state. One or more optimal choice(s) of setting(s) is identified for the current situation. The one or more optimal choice(s) of setting(s) is presented to a user. The user is then allowed to make a selection from the presented choice(s) of setting(s). If a selection is received from the user, the selected setting is executed. A hearing prosthesis is also provided. |
| US08605919B2 |
Microphone
A microphone has a housing (9) defining an acoustic hole (99) and having inner faces. The microphone includes a MEMS capacitor (1) secured to and electrically connected with a first face (6) of the inner faces of the housing (9), the first face defining the acoustic hole (99), a detecting circuit (7) secured to and electrically connected with a second face (8) of the inner faces of the housing (9), the second face (8) being not adjacent the first face (6), the detecting circuit (7) detecting at least a change in the electrostatic capacity of the MEMS capacitor (1). The microphone further includes a flexible substrate (4) secured to the first face (6) and the second face (8) and disposed under a bent state inside the housing (9). The flexible substrate (4) establishes electrical connection between the MEMS capacitor (1) and the detecting circuit (7) via a wire electrically connecting the first face (6) and the second face (8). |
| US08605915B2 |
Class G audio amplifiers and associated methods of operation
The present technology is directed to class G audio amplifiers and the associated methods of operation. In one embodiment, a class G audio amplifier includes an input port, an audio output stage, a level detector, and a charge pump. The class G audio amplifier regulates the power supplies of the audio output stage according to the input signal, so as to realize high efficiency and high quality audio output. |
| US08605913B2 |
Right/left detection in hearing aids
In a hearing aid system having a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid for providing binaural hearing assistance to a user, the hearing aid for providing hearing assistance to the left ear can easily be confused with the hearing aid for providing hearing assistance to the right ear. The invention proposes a side detection device by means of which each hearing aid detects on or in which ear of the user it is currently being worn. Advantageously, the parameter settings for providing hearing assistance to both ears are stored in both hearing aids of a respective hearing aid system, with the result that following the automatic detection of the respective ear in which the respective hearing aid is currently being worn the corresponding parameter settings are also activated automatically. |
| US08605912B2 |
Biphase mark code decoder and method of operation
Biphase mark codes (BMC) are used in digital communications. Most BMC formats use preambles for rate determination and synchronization. A decoder compares the intervals of continuous high or continuous low voltages in a BMC stream to predetermined minimum and maximum values of half cell, full cell and one-and-a-half cell intervals for all supported sampling rates. If a pattern matching a preamble is found, the sampling rate is locked in and the decoder is synchronized to the BMC stream. Once locked, the decoder uses the predetermined minimum and maximum values at the locked rate to generate half cell, full cell and one-and-a-half cell indicators for a decoding state machine which decodes data in the BMC stream or decodes expected preambles. |
| US08605904B2 |
Security method in wireless communication system having relay node
A security method in a wireless communication system is provided, which is used for providing a plurality of security associations between a user equipment, a relay node, and a base station node in a wireless communication system. The user equipment authenticates with a serving gateway in the wireless communication system through the relay node, such that a security association between the user equipment and the relay node is established correspondingly. The relay node establishes a second security association between the relay node and the base station node through the base station node. |
| US08605892B1 |
Disposable antimicrobial covering for device
The present invention discloses a protective instrument cover broadly comprising a continuous wall and having a closed distal end and an open proximal end. A sealing means is operatively attached to said continuous wall. In one embodiment, the continuous wall includes a reservoir that fits over a protruding knob to both cover the knob and allow hand operation of the knob. The present invention also comprises a combination of an instrument and a protective cover. |
| US08605891B2 |
Adaptive gain control based on echo canceller performance information
A system and method for provide a stable gain from an adaptive gain control device in a signal path. An echo canceller is also located in the signal path, and is used to provide performance information regarding losses in the signal. This performance information is fed to the automatic gain control device via a connection. The automatic gain control device thereafter uses the performance information to determine a maximum gain that might be provided based upon losses cause by echo conditions. The gain however is limited in order to provide for a stable system. The performance information includes a loss rate that includes a combination of the echo return loss and the echo return loss enhancement. |
| US08605890B2 |
Multichannel acoustic echo cancellation
A multi-party spatial audio conferencing system is configured to receive far end signals from remote participants. The system comprises a speaker array that outputs spatialized sound signals and one or more microphones that capture and relay a sound signal comprising an echo of the spatialized sound signal to a multichannel acoustic echo cancellation (MC-AEC) unit having a plurality of echo cancellers. Respective echo cancellers perform cancellation of an echo associated with a far end signal from one of the multiple participants according to an algorithm based upon echo cancellation coefficients. The echo cancellation coefficients are determined from the input channel signals, the spatialization parameters associated with each input channel, and the audio signals captured by the microphones. This allows respective echo cancellation filters to be updated simultaneously even though the corresponding remote participant is not talking. |
| US08605889B2 |
Method and device for encoding characters and routing calls using expanded dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) encoding scheme
A dual-tone generating telecommunication device comprising a frequency generating element that produces at least 9 individual tones, each having a distinct frequency between 300 Hz and 3,000 Hz, and at least 17 dial buttons, with each dial button representing at least one distinct character, and where each character directs the frequency generating element to produce a distinct dual tone, with each distinct dual tone being generated by the combination of two different individual tones. |
| US08605881B2 |
Auto promotion and demotion of conference calls
Methods and systems are provided for managing conference calls. The method includes establishing a first conference call between a host terminal device and one or more participant terminal devices; receiving a request for adding a non-participant terminal device into the first conference call; selecting a participant terminal device from the one or more participant terminal devices to host a second conference call; establishing the second conference call hosted by the selected participant terminal device; and chaining the first conference call and the second conference call through the selected participant terminal device. |
| US08605873B2 |
Accessing settings of a videoconference using touch-based gestures
Controlling a videoconference based on gestures received to a touch interface. A gesture may be received to a touch interface. In response to the gesture, a videoconference action may be performed. For example, a first gesture may be received to mute the videoconference and in response, the videoconference may be muted. As another example, a second gesture may be received to adjust the volume of the videoconference, and the volume may be correspondingly adjusted. Further, various gestures may be received for controlling one or more cameras in a videoconference, accessing settings in a videoconference, interacting with a presentation, etc. |
| US08605872B2 |
Muting a videoconference using touch-based gestures
Controlling a videoconference based on gestures received to a touch interface. A gesture may be received to a touch interface. In response to the gesture, a videoconference action may be performed. For example, a first gesture may be received to mute the videoconference and in response, the videoconference may be muted. As another example, a second gesture may be received to adjust the volume of the videoconference, and the volume may be correspondingly adjusted. Further, various gestures may be received for controlling one or more cameras in a videoconference, accessing settings in a videoconference, interacting with a presentation, etc. |
| US08605870B2 |
Virtual subscriber service
A Virtual Subscriber Service (VSS) is a system and method for operators to provide multiple mutually exclusive telephone numbers, each with its own unique plan features, to a subscriber who is associated with a single terminating device. VSS makes it possible for a subscriber to manage communications directed toward any telephone number associated with his telephone as if any one of the telephone numbers were the only number associated with the telephone. Further, in addition to the primary number, a VSS subscriber can originate communications or return missed communications from the virtual telephone numbers associated with his terminating device. More specifically, some embodiments of a VSS involve the use of a pre-paid account associated with a telecommunications service that has a primary destination code as well as a virtual destination code directed toward a common terminating device such as a mobile telephone. Advantageously, embodiments of a VSS provide a telecommunications operator with a system and method that enables a subscriber to have an additional private telephone number, mutually exclusive from a primary telephone number, without purchasing another telephone or purchasing a multi-SIM card. |
| US08605866B2 |
System and method for broadcasting packetized voice messages
A particular method includes initiating outbound calls associated with at least two recipients that are to receive a notification message. The outbound calls include a first call to a first telephone address associated with a first recipient of the at least two recipients. The method further includes, in response to a determination that the first call is unanswered, initiating a second call to a second telephone address associated with the first recipient and initiating generation of an email message to an electronic mail address associated with the first recipient. |
| US08605864B2 |
Systems and methods for providing 9-1-1 services to nomadic internet telephony callers
A system for facilitating 9-1-1 service delivery to internet telephony customers is provided. The system includes a server device for receiving a 9-1-1 call from a user device via a data network, where the 9-1-1 call are based on “9-1-1” digits dialed at the user device. The server device is configured to forward the received 9-1-1 call to an operator services interface operatively connected to the server device. |
| US08605862B2 |
Digital X-ray detector with increased dynamic range
In one embodiment, a digital X-ray detector is provided with a plurality of pixel regions. Each pixel region includes a first photodiode having a first area and a second photodiode having a second area equal to or smaller than the first area. The digital X-ray detector also includes a shielding structure that overlies the first and second photodiodes of each pixel region with the shielding structure shielding proportionally less of the first photodiode than of the second photodiode to provide the first photodiode with a first sensitivity and the second photodiode with a second sensitivity lower than the first sensitivity. |
| US08605861B2 |
System for medical image display and image filter selection
A filtered medical image display system includes an interface processor for receiving data. The received data indicates, image characteristics of a first medical image obtained using a medical imaging device and in the absence of an X-ray attenuation filter and imaging device settings. A computation processor uses the image characteristics data and imaging device settings in, computing a change in image display characteristics occurring in a portion of the first medical image in response to filtering a medical imaging beam responsible for producing the portion of the first medical image and determining an adjustment of image display characteristics of the first medical image by scaling image display characteristics of the first medical image including the filtered portion. A display processor uses the determined adjustment in the image display characteristics of the first medical image to generate data representing a second medical image. |
| US08605857B1 |
Method and system to reconstruct treatment dose to a patient from integrated exit-transit images of radiation fields taken during treatment
A method and system to compute the dose to a patient (2) given a captured integrated exit-transit image (5) of the radiation rays (4) traveling from the source of x-rays (1) through the patient (2) to the imaging device (3) to product the exit-transit image (5). Each radiation field image (5) is transformed (6,8,10,12) to multiple images (7,9,11,13) for each phantom thickness (26) that was measured with the imaging device (3) for a range of field sizes (21). Given the water equivalent path (22) through the patient for a ray (4) reaching a pixel (15, 16), the final pixel value (19) is interpolated from the images (9, 11) that bracket the water equivalent path through the patient (22). |
| US08605856B1 |
Radiation image capturing device, radiation image capturing system, computer readable medium and radiation image capturing device control method
A radiation image capturing device is provided with plural pixels, a detection unit and a control unit. The pixels are each provided with a sensor portion and a switching element that reads out charges generated at the sensor portion and outputs the charges to a signal line. The detection unit detects the start of irradiation if electronic signals according to the charges satisfy a pre-specified condition for irradiation detection. After the start of irradiation of radiation is detected, the control unit acquires electronic signals corresponding to the charges and determines whether the acquired electronic signals include an electronic signal caused by noise. If the electronic signal caused by noise is included, the control unit controls a reporting unit so as to report this. |
| US08605854B2 |
Mammography apparatus with X-ray sources arranged at different distances from the chest
A mammography apparatus has at least one x-ray source to emit x-ray radiation and an x-ray detector with a number of pixels. The mammography apparatus is designed so that the x-ray radiation is emitted into the breast tissue of a patient at a number of positions, and the x-ray radiation is detected by the x-ray detector after it has passed through the breast tissue. The positions have different distances from the shoulder-to-shoulder axis of the patient. |
| US08605852B2 |
Wedge positioning apparatus for jet pump assemblies in nuclear reactors
An auxiliary wedge positioning apparatus/assembly 100 for use in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel 12 having riser piping 44 and 144 and a jet pump assembly 46 and 120, the apparatus 100 having a combination slide wedge 105 and spring 103 mounted on a restraint bracket body 102 having a transverse rail 110 with end gull-wing hooked protrusions 111 with sections 150, 152, 156 and wing stability attachment 155, the slide wedge used for placement between the riser piping 44 and 144 and jet pump assembly 46 and 120 to control vibrations during operation of the reactor vessel 12. |
| US08605844B2 |
Apparatus and method for receiving imperfectly phase compensated electromagnetic signals
A signal receiver is configured for receiving signals from multiple antennas, wherein the signal from one of the antennas is phase compensated relative to the signal from another of the antennas. The receiver comprises (i) an equalizer configured to equalize signals received from the antennas in accordance with a determined equalization vector and (ii) a processor for determining the equalization vector. The processor is configured to determine the equalization vector in dependence on (i) a first channel estimate for a first channel from one of the antennas to the receiver and (ii) a phase-adjusted version of a second channel estimate for a second channel from another of the antennas to the receiver. |
| US08605842B2 |
Load estimation in interference whitening systems
A method for noise rise estimation in a wireless communication system comprises measuring (210) of received total wideband power a plurality of times and computing (212) of an estimate of a noise floor measure based on at least a number of the measured received total wideband powers. The method further comprises performing (214) of an interference whitening based on one of GRAKE, GRAKE+ and chip equalizer for a first user and determining (216) of a user equivalent total wideband power as an available total wideband power after the interference whitening for the first user. The estimate of a noise floor measure is compensated (218) for the interference whitening into a user equivalent noise floor measure and a noise rise measure for the first user is calculated (220) based at least on the user equivalent total wideband power and the user equivalent noise floor measure. |
| US08605841B2 |
Method for processing received OFDM data symbols and OFDM baseband receiver
A method is provided for processing received data symbols in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission scheme, and an OFDM baseband receiver which performs this method, in order to support frequency selective noise estimation, especially in interference limited environments, and to offer improved estimation performance and reduced computational complexity. This is achieved by determining time and frequency selective levels of combined noise and interference, computing noise normalization values for a respective time-frequency region of the time-frequency plane that applies in the transmission scheme employed, from the time and frequency selective noise plus interference levels, applying the noise normalization values to the received data symbols to obtain normalized data symbols, applying the noise normalization values to the channel estimates, to obtain normalized channel estimates, determining communication parameter estimates from the normalized channel estimates, and determining demodulated and decoded data from the normalized data symbols using the normalized channel estimates. |
| US08605837B2 |
Adaptive frequency-domain reference noise canceller for multicarrier communications systems
A method and apparatus to align data blocks in a data signal and a reference signal to increase cross-correlation between the data signal and the reference signal as compared to the unaligned data and reference signals and cancel interference in the data signal in the frequency-domain under changing conditions and in the presence of the data signal. |
| US08605833B2 |
Signal processing apparatus and method thereof
A signal processing apparatus for determining whether a receiving signal is a target signal is provided. The apparatus includes: a sampling device for sampling the receiving signal to generate a plurality of sampled values; a first calculation device, coupled to the sampling device, for generating a plurality of first values according to the sampled values and a plurality of reference values; a second calculation device, coupled to the first calculation device, for grouping the first values into a plurality of value groups, respectively calculating the value groups to generate a plurality of second values and generating a determination value by calculating the second values; and a determination device, coupled to the second calculation device, for determining whether the receiving signal is the target signal by comparing the determination value with a threshold value. |
| US08605829B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting a plurality of symbol blocks using a decoder
Teachings presented herein offer improved symbol block detection by including a decoder unit in a demodulation system. Utilizing a decoder unit in a demodulation system can significantly enhance symbol block detection because the decoder can produce bit likelihood values (soft bit values), and these bit likelihood values can be used to construct a set of candidate symbol values. Advantageously, this set of candidate symbol values is more likely to contain the actually transmitted symbol(s) than if the decoder unit was not used in the demodulation system. |