最新美国发明专利第2014-02-04期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

Document	Document Title
US08645921B2	System and method to determine defect risks in software solutions A method is implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The programming instructions are operable to receive one or more risk factors, receive one or more contexts, identify one or more context relationships and associate the one or more contexts with the one or more risk factors. Additionally, the programming instructions are operable to map the one or more risk factors for an associated context to a software defect related risk consequence to determine a risk model and execute a risk-based testing based on the risk model to determine a defect related risk evaluation for a software development project.
US08645913B2	Web-service based generation of business objects A business object is generated based on a discovered web service having an associated Web Service Description Language (WSDL) file. The business object includes at least one data type and the at least one interface operation of the WSDL file. The business object is configured to expose web service functionality of the web service in an integrated manner within a business object based application environment. Generating the business object includes converting the at least one data type to a format consistent with the business object based application environment, creating at least one business object node of the business object that corresponds to each interface operation of the WSDL file, the at least one business object node being based on the at least one message, and creating a node action for the at least one business object node, the node action corresponding to the at least one interface operation.
US08645912B2	System and method for use in replaying software application events A method for use in replaying actions performed by a user of a software application. An input signal indicating an action performed by the user is received from a user input interface. Computer-executable instructions corresponding to the input signal are executed by a processor. An input event associated with the human-readable statements is stored in a memory device. Application object code corresponding to the human-readable statements may later be executed to replay the input event. In addition, an application state representing one or more variables of the software application may be stored.
US08645911B2	Systems, methods and machine readable mediums for defining and executing new commands in a spreadsheet software application Systems, methods and machine-readable mediums for defining and executing new commands in a spreadsheet application are provided. A method may include receiving a declaration command in a first spreadsheet cell. The declaration command identifying a command name for the new command and operations performed for the command name based on a plurality of second spreadsheet cells. A system may include a processor programmed to evaluate the declaration command in the first spreadsheet cell according to the instructions stored in a storage device, receive the command name and at least two parameters identifying at least one input spreadsheet cell and at least one output spreadsheet cell of the spreadsheet application, create a new command for the spreadsheet application, and evaluate the new command as identified by the command name in a second spreadsheet cell for execution. The computer readable mediums provide instructions to cause the processor to perform the operations above.
US08645909B2	EvalBinding extension EvalBinding, a markup extension for the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) extensible application markup language (XAML), allows a WPF dependency property value to be dynamically bound to a markup based code expression that is dependent upon one or more other Common Language Runtime (CLR) property values. A change in any of these dependent values causes a re-evaluation of the markup based code expression and consequently, an update to the bound property value.
US08645906B2	Method for enforcing change policy based on project state A set of tools and other mechanisms automatically enforce software development change policies by providing a way to map physical source control system codelines to projects and by providing a way to maintain current project and codeline state information. The set of tools and other mechanisms also provide ways to define change management rules and policies, as well as, ways to evaluate and allow or deny each proposed change against the defined change policy.
US08645905B2	Development artifact searching in an integrated development environment This disclosure provides various embodiments for searching one or more repositories hosting, storing, or maintaining a plurality of development artifacts. A search query for development artifacts is received through an interface of an integrated development environment, the search query identifying at least one search term. An index is used to identify a set of search results, the index identifying a plurality of development artifacts and including context data identifying, for each development artifact in the plurality of development artifacts, at least one attribute of the respective development artifact. The set of search results identify a subset of the plurality of development artifacts determined to potentially relate to the at least one search term. At least a portion of the set of search results are presented to a user, the listing including at least one development artifact in the subset of the plurality of development artifacts.
US08645904B2	Cross repository impact analysis using topic maps An apparatus for automatically analyzing the impact of changing a business requirement on an IT infrastructure of an enterprise. A request is received to perform an analysis of an impact on the enterprise by changing a particular instance of the business requirement. A model repository is queried to determine which IT assets of the enterprise are impacted by changing the particular instance of the business requirement. An impact relevant subset of a topic map is received from the model repository representing the impact on the enterprise by changing the particular instance of the business requirement that includes the particular instance requirement as a root node and only those specific assets impacted by changing the particular instance requirement as connected nodes. Then, the impact relevant subset of the topic map representing the impact on the enterprise by changing the particular instance of the business requirement is outputted on an output device.
US08645902B1	Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing interactive coloring of physical design components in a physical electronic design with multiple-patterning techniques awareness Various embodiments provide a constraint-driven environment to interactively determine coloring of layout components when the layout components are being modified or created and to provide feedback with visual aids to users in nearly real-time. Layout components are thus appropriately assigned to respective mask designs upon their creation. Various embodiments check or verify various constraints during creation or modification of layout components, and the layout thus remains design rule clean as constructed. Some embodiments use data structure(s) including information associated with mask identifications of objects of a cluster to change some mask identifications without considering any of the constraints governing these mask identifications. Some embodiments further determine the mask identification for an object based at least in part on whether object splitting and stitching is permitted.
US08645899B2	Method for extracting information for a circuit design The present disclosure is directed to a method for extracting information for a circuit design. The method may utilize an incremental extraction process for extracting information for a portion of the circuit design. Extracted results of this portion may be merged with a previously extracted result to obtain an integrated result that is equivalent to that of extracting the entire circuit design. The incremental extraction process may identify a set of changed shapes, a set of affected shapes, and a set of involved shapes for extraction. The method may also divide the circuit design into a plurality of regions, wherein two or more regions may be processed in parallel.
US08645896B1	Method to transfer failure analysis-specific data between design houses and fab's/FA labs A method and system for an IC design house to transfer design and layout information to a fabrication or failure analysis facility on a need-to-know basis to enable effective failure analysis while not providing unnecessary or extraneous information.
US08645892B1	Configurable circuit and mesh structure for integrated circuit An integrated circuit (IC) design includes configurable circuits arranged in a mesh structure to facilitate routing of signals between different platforms or logic blocks within the design. Each configurable circuit has a semiconductor element with input and output terminals in a first semiconductor layer, input/output (I/O) ports corresponding to directions of the mesh structure in a second semiconductor layer, configurable input vias to allow a signal traveling in a first direction to be received, and configurable output vias that allow an output signal to be output from the configurable circuit in a second direction.
US08645891B2	Device for and method of generating wiring data, and imaging system It is an object to generate wiring data while controlling generation of omission of wiring and shortening process time. In order to achieve this object, a device for generating wiring data includes: an error acquiring part that acquires a configuration error of the semiconductor chip relative to a certain reference position and a certain reference angle on the substrate; an area information acquiring part that acquires enclosing area information indicating an enclosing area enclosing the semiconductor chip on the substrate; and a wiring data generating part that generates enclosing area wiring data indicating an enclosing area wiring pattern based on a reference fan-out line established for a reference chip free from a configuration error and being a part of a reference wiring pattern free from faulty wiring. The enclosing area wiring pattern is a part of the connection wiring pattern and covers the enclosing area. The wiring data generating part generates the enclosing area wiring data such that the position and the angle of the reference fan-out line relative to the reference chip, and the position and the angle of a fan-out line for the semiconductor chip on the substrate relative to this semiconductor chip, agree with each other independently of the configuration error.
US08645888B2	Circuit timing analysis incorporating the effects of temperature inversion Methods and apparatus for increasing the accuracy of timing characterization of a circuit including at least one cell in a cell library are provided. One method includes the steps of: performing cell library timing characterization for the cell for prescribed first and second temperatures, the first and second temperatures corresponding to minimum and maximum temperatures of operation of the circuit, respectively; selecting one or more additional temperatures between the first and second temperatures; performing cell timing characterization for each process, voltage and temperature (PVT) corner at the one or more additional temperatures, as well as at the first and second temperatures; and performing timing sign-off for each PVT corner using the one or more additional temperatures, the timing sign-off being based at least in part on the timing characterization for each PVT corner.
US08645887B2	Method and system for model-based design and layout of an integrated circuit A approach is described for allowing electronic design, verification, and optimization tools to implement very efficient approaches to allow the tools to directly address the effects of manufacturing processes, e.g., to identify and prevent problems caused by lithography processing. Fast models and pattern checking are employed to integrate lithography and manufacturing aware processes within EDA tools such as routers.
US08645883B2	Integrated circuit simulation using fundamental and derivative circuit runs A system that simulates an integrated circuit is formed of a plurality of devices. The system initially performs a fundamental circuit simulation run using original parameters for the plurality of devices and an initial time step. The system generates one or more fundamental time steps from the fundamental circuit simulation run. The fundamental time steps are generated when changes that indicate state time derivatives during two or more successive integration steps are within a predetermined range. The system stores the one or more fundamental time steps as fundamental circuit events in an events queue, and updates the parameters for the plurality of devices based on the fundamental circuit events to generate one or more derivative circuits. The system then performs one or more derivative circuit simulation runs using the derivative circuits.
US08645880B2	Sum of coherent systems (SOCS) approximation based on object information A method for determining kernels in a sum of coherent systems (SOCS) approximation is provided. Information for an object to be simulated in a manufacturing process is determined. For example, information based on geometries that are included in a layout or mask is determined. A set of kernels from a transmission cross coefficient (TCC) matrix are also determined. The set of kernels may be weighted by importance values in an order of importance. The kernels may then be re-ordered based on the information for the object. These kernels are then re-ordered in the SOCS series to reflect their order of importance. The SOCS series of kernels is then truncated at the number of kernels desired. Accordingly, by re-ordering the kernels that may be more relevant to the object to include higher weights, when the truncation occurs, the kernels that are most relevant may be included in the SOCS approximation.
US08645879B2	Algorithm of Cu interconnect dummy inserting The present invention disclosed an algorithm of Cu interconnect dummy inserting, including: divide the surface of semiconductor chip into several square windows with an area of A, each of which is non-overlap; perform a logic operation on each square window; and divide the window into two parts: {circle around (1)} the area to-be-inserted; {circle around (2)} the non-inserting area; determine the metal density of the dummy pattern that should be inserted to each square window and the line width; determine the dummy pattern that should be inserted to the windows according to the metal density, line width, the pre-set dummy pattern and the layouting rules. The beneficial effects of the present invention is: avoided the shortcomings of fill density maximization in the rule-based filling method by using reasonable metal density and line width. And with a combination of the influence of line width and density to the copper plating process and chemical mechanical polishing morphology in model-based filling method, it can achieve a better planarization effect.
US08645878B1	Porting a circuit design from a first semiconductor process to a second semiconductor process Porting a first integrated circuit design targeted for implementation in a first semiconductor manufacturing process, and implementing a second circuit design in a second semiconductor manufacturing process wherein the electrical performance of the second integrated circuit meets or exceeds the requirements of the first integrated circuit design even if the threshold voltage targets of the second integrated circuit design are different from those of the first integrated circuit design; and wherein physical layouts, and in particular the gate-widths and gate-lengths of the transistors, of the first and second integrated circuit designs are the same or substantially the same. The second integrated circuit design, when fabricated in the second semiconductor manufacturing process and then operated, experiences less off-state transistor leakage current than does the first integrated circuit design, when fabricated in the first semiconductor manufacturing process, and then operated. Porting includes determining processing targets for the second semiconductor manufacturing process.
US08645874B2	Multi-page sorting for menu items on a handheld For a user interface, sorts are performed not just on the items currently visible, but across multiple pages or parts of pages some of which may not be currently visible. In one exemplary illustrative non-limiting implementation, all pages are virtually joined in the same data storage “bucket.” Sorts performed by the computer may thus be applied across multiple pages some of which are currently visible and some of which may not be. By sorting displayed information, the sort criteria can be applied across and maintained across multiple other pages. In this way, the user sees expected functionality on the page she is currently viewing, and the computer works behind the scenes to consistently sort other items currently hidden from view so that when the user selects those pages they will already have been similarly sorted in a coherent manner.
US08645873B2	Methods and systems for managing an e-reader interface Exemplary methods and systems for managing an e-reader interface are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes an e-reader interface management system directing an e-reader device to display a plurality of graphical objects representative of a plurality of segments of an e-publication and arranged in a plurality of overlapping rows, detecting that a user has accessed a particular segment within the plurality of segments and represented by a particular graphical object within the plurality of graphical objects, and dynamically altering at least one display attribute associated with the particular graphical object to indicate that the particular segment has been accessed by the user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08645866B2	Dynamic icon overlay system and method of producing dynamic icon overlays A dynamic icon overlay system of a present invention embodiment dynamically generates icon overlays to be applied to a primary file icon of a target file. The icon overlays convey information regarding the target file and are relevant to an end user. The icon overlay system determines icon overlays to be applied to the primary file icon based on attributes associated with an end user of the target file that are correlated with attributes of the target file itself. The system applies the icon overlay to the primary icon and displays the primary icon with the applied icon overlay at an end user system. The applied icon overlay for the same target file may vary for different end users based on user attributes.
US08645865B2	Systems and methods for specifying an item order An embodiment of a graphical user interface for specifying an item order includes a graphical order generator arranged in a geometric pattern. The graphical order generator may include an order input tool including a category section for displaying a plurality of inter-dependent dynamically filtered category indicators arranged in a sequential and user-modifiable hierarchy, and an option section for displaying a plurality of selectable option indicators associated with a category indicator. The category indicator may include a graphical representation of an active state or incomplete state before selection of an option indicator, and a graphical representation of a complete state after selection of the option indicator. The graphical order generator may also include a communication tool for displaying a plurality of selectable communication indicators associated with one or more past or current communication messages, and a contextual information tool for displaying one or more selectable information indicators.
US08645860B2	Automatic display of resized images Systems and methods for automatic display of scaled and/or resized images that fit within pre-defined areas in a web browser are disclosed. The method may be implemented using an image scaling JavaScript component embedded within a HTML document. Upon resizing the a client document browser in which the document is displayed, the component is resized and requests, receives and redisplays a resized image within the resized component from a server. By having the server perform the resizing, the resized image not only fits within the resized component but also maintains the quality of the image without the need for special client-side software.
US08645859B2	Sliding stacks A method generating section dividers that remain visible when the section to which they correspond has been scrolled off the display is provided. In a region displaying scrollable content, section dividers scroll with their corresponding section until the section divider reaches an edge of the display region. The section divider then becomes the new edge of the display region.
US08645855B2	Acquisition and presentation of dynamic media asset information for events Embodiments disclosed allow a user of an electronic device to obtain dynamic media asset information, such as media assets information concerning events. The obtained media asset information can be then presented via the electronic device in a convenient and efficient manner. According to one embodiment, a show time request for a media asset can be transmitted to a media server. In response to the show time request, event information for a plurality of event sites showing the requested media asset can be received. The event sites are selected based upon proximity to the location reference. The event information can include a plurality of show times for the requested media asset at at least a first one of the event sites. The plurality of show times can be presented on a graphical timeline displayed on a display of a computing device. A map image can also be presented to depict a geographic area derived from the event information for each of the plurality of event sites.
US08645852B2	Drag and drop quoting mechanism for use with discussion forums A method of quoting content from a post in a discussion forum can include selecting content within a source post of the discussion forum and performing a drag operation. A representation of the selected content can be dragged in coordination with motion of an onscreen pointer. The method further can include inserting the selected content within an open reply form in the discussion forum upon termination of the drag operation.
US08645850B1	Methods and apparatus for flexibility inference in two-dimensional layout systems A layout that specifies rectangular components within a container rectangle may be specified. Each rectangular component has at least one size and a gravity parameter, and can be classified as flexible or non-flexible based on the gravity parameter. The computing device determines a plurality of grid lines from the layout. Each rectangular component of the set of rectangular components is associated with at least two grid lines. The at least two grid lines are based on the at least one size of the rectangular component. The computing device generates a system of constraints, where each constraint is related to at least two grid lines of the plurality of grid lines. The computing device solves the system of constraints to determine a location for each grid line. The computing device generates a display of the rectangular components based on the locations of the grid lines.
US08645846B2	Accessibility in virtual worlds using tags Embodiments of the invention include a method and apparatus for describing elements within a virtual world to a user of the virtual world. An element may be identified based on a position of an avatar within the virtual world. The avatar is a representation of the user within the virtual world. A tag associated with the element is selected. The tag includes a description of the element. The element is described to the user based on the description.
US08645845B2	Collaboration plane Methods and systems for dynamically and collaboratively generating software documentation are described. In particular, methods and systems provide for in-context authoring, identification, and presentation of software documentation based on one or more determined contexts. For example, methods and systems enable a computing device to identify one or more current contexts for the device, and to provide documentation content based on the identified context.
US08645844B1	Comparison selection, ranking, and anti-cheating methods in an online contest environment The invention includes systems and methods for conducting online contests of user-contributed media works and entertainment works. The invention includes anti-gaming or anti-cheating methods in such contests. The invention includes a method of providing an online media network for user-contributed content. The system quickly and accurately identifies quality content from a vast pool of user-contributed content. User-contributed content is rated by those who contribute and those who view content. Good entries bubble to the top, which means that users can find good music and videos easily. Fraud detection devices automatically detect and remove fraudulent ratings. Contests and prizes associated with specific categories of content provide incentives for contributors to provide quality content and rate many pairs of works. Identified top-rated content is made available individually, or as a continuous stream of user-contributed content. In contests of contributed media works, a pair of media works is presented to a user to be judged and receive an input on which media work is better and to what degree. The contest includes a two-stage rating system where rated media works are initially ranked using a statistical estimation methods, and then subsequently ranked using a ranked pairs or preferential voting process. Behavior and ratings from users are monitored and statistically compared to other users to identify anomalies for taking corrective action. The invention includes other mechanism to prevent users from gaming the system.
US08645838B2	Method for enhancing content using persistent content identification Methods for enhancing content objects within web pages use persistent content identification to identify content signals and associate behaviors with the content signals, such as controlling rendering of the content signals along with other information, such as advertising. One method executes within a user device and automatically inserts code within the web page to fetch remote information used in connection with rendering the content signal in a web page. Another method operates on a server and enhances a content object so that it will have certain behaviors when downloaded and presented with a web page.
US08645831B2	Translating user input in a user interface Systems and methods for translating user input in a high definition video playback system are disclosed. A disc viewer is configured to execute at least one user interactive program stored on a high definition optical disc defining a user interface. The user interactive program defines a user interface and a plurality of keyboard event handlers for interaction with the user interface. The user interface includes a plurality of selectable user interface elements. A user interface renderer is configured to encode for display the user interface. A non-keyboard input translator is configured to receive a non-keyboard user input translates it into at least one keyboard event.
US08645829B1	Partial functionality indicator A property inspector with a partial functionality indicator is described that analyzes a selected group of objects within the design canvas of an ADE to determine the properties available to each of the objects and also which of the properties applies to the individual objects. The inspector interacts with a user by identifying which properties apply to only some of the selected objects. This interaction may take on any useful form of sensual identification data, such as visible, audible, or tactile indications.
US08645827B2	Touch event model Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods, software, devices and APIs for defining touch events for application level software. Furthermore, some embodiments are directed to simplifying the recognition of single and multiple touch events for applications running in multi-touch enabled devices. To simplify the recognition of single and multiple touch events, each view within a particular window can be configured as either a multi-touch view or a single touch view. Furthermore, each view can be configured as either an exclusive or a non-exclusive view. Depending on the configuration of a view, touch events in that and other views can be either ignored or recognized. Ignored touches need not be sent to the application. Selectively ignoring touches can allow for simpler software elements that do not take advantage of advanced multi touch features to be executed at the same device and time as more complex software elements.
US08645823B1	Converting static websites to resolution independent websites in a web development environment Conversion of static web pages into resolution independent websites is disclosed through a web development environment (WDE). The HTML document defining the website to be converted is parsed to generated a document object model (DOM) of each scalable entity within the website. Access points are defined in order to provide searchable access to the scalable entities. Using these access points, the static properties are updated to reflect resolution independent relative properties. The images are then normalized according to a targeted resolution and size. Once these processes have been performed the updated HTML document and images are then uploaded and deployed to a web server.
US08645822B2	Multi-platform presentation system A method for presenting a presentation authored on a first platform utilizing first-platform-specific-renderable objects is provided. The method includes, at a presentation player executable on a second platform different from the first platform: receiving a presentation file, in response to execution of the presentation file by the presentation player, extracting frame data from the presentation file, the frame data including a frame document object model corresponding to each frame of the presentation, parsing the frame document object model of each frame of the presentation to identify the first-platform-specific-renderable objects, translating the first-platform-specific-renderable objects into corresponding second-platform-specific-renderable objects having second-platform-specific binaries, and rendering the second-platform-specific binaries of each second-platform-specific-renderable object utilizing second-platform-specific primitives retrieved from data storage in electronic communication with the second-platform, the second-platform-specific-renderable objects being rendered according to the frame document object model of each frame to display the presentation.
US08645821B2	System and method for page frame detection A system and method for page frame detection for pages of a document are disclosed. The method includes receiving a set of document pages for a document, each page having at least one detected object. For each page in the set, the method includes determining dimensions of bounding box which encompasses the detected objects of the page and determining margin dimensions, based on a position of the bounding box on the page. A page frame is computed as a combination of bounding box dimensions and margin dimensions, based on frequencies of the bounding box dimensions and margin dimensions computed for the set of pages. The computed page frame is matched to pages of the document. Information based on the matching, such as content of text objects within the matched page frame, can be output.
US08645818B2	Output image data generating device and method of generating output image data A CPU selects multiple objective image data to be pasted on ornamental image data, analyzes the selected multiple objective image data, and rates the image qualities of the respective image data. The CPU specifies the number of plural layout locations included in the ornamental image data and the priority order of the plural layout locations, and allocates the multiple objective image data to the plural layout locations in the ornamental image data, based on the specified priority order and the ratings of the multiple objective image data. The CPU executes image quality adjustment with regard to the multiple objective image data allocated to the plural layout locations and pastes the quality-adjusted image data on the ornamental image data according to layout control information, so as to generate resulting output image data.
US08645815B2	GUI evaluation system, GUI evaluation method, and GUI evaluation program The consistency of the heading expressions used in each screen in a plurality of evaluated screens is exhaustively and reliably evaluated. The GUI evaluation system comprises: GUI information storage means for storing GUI information that concerns heading included in an evaluation target screen and includes information indicative of heading expression which is the expression used for the heading; heading group specification means for grouping headings included in each evaluation target screen by expression used for the headings in accordance with the GUI information stored in the GUI information storage means; and heading expression evaluation means for evaluating a consistency of heading expressions between a plurality of evaluation target screens by comparing heading groups that are grouped by the heading group specification means and included in all possible combinations of two of the plurality of evaluation target screens.
US08645811B2	System and method for selective error checking A method of selectively enabling error checking in an information handling system, including receiving information indicating that data associated with a first memory portion in a system memory should be subject to error checking during transmission between the memory controller and the system memory and indicating that data associated with a second memory portion in the system memory should be free of error checking during transmission between the memory controller and the system memory, receiving a memory access request directed to one of the first and second memory portions, transmitting data between the memory controller and the system memory in response to the memory access request, and selectively performing an error checking technique on the transmitted data based on the information.
US08645807B2	Apparatus and method of processing polynomials An apparatus of processing polynomials includes at least one reconfigurable module and an encoder controller. The reconfigurable module includes a plurality of linear feedback shift registers. The encoder controller can control the reconfigurable module to factor a generator polynomial into a factorial polynomial. In the reconfigurable module, the linear feedback shift registers can register a plurality of factors of the factorial polynomial respectively.
US08645803B2	Methods and systems for rapid error correction by forward and reverse determination of coding states An encoder creates an (p,k,n) n-state codeword with p n-state symbols of which k n-state symbols are data symbols, an n-state symbol being represented by a signal with n>2, p>2 and k>(p-k). Intermediate states of an encoder in forward and in reverse direction are provided in a comparative n-state expression and implemented on a processor. A plurality of signals representing a codeword with at least one n-state symbol in error is processed by the processor by evaluating the comparative n-state expression. A partial result of an expression is determined after a symbol has been received. An error location and an error magnitude are determined. The error is corrected by the processor.
US08645802B2	Error correction decoder and storage apparatus According to embodiments, an error correction decoder carrying out iterative decoding for coded data based on LDPC code. The decoder comprises a generation unit and an inversion, control unit. The generation unit is configured to generate an inversion node list listing variable nodes connected to check nodes not satisfying a parity check when a code word cannot be obtained after carrying out the iterative decoding a first number of iterations. The inversion control unit is configured to choose a variable node which is a target for inversion from among the variable nodes listed in the inversion node list, and to carry out inversion processing which includes updating an input likelihood of the variable node which is the target for inversion temporarily by inverting a sign of an a posteriori likelihood of the variable node which is the target for inversion.
US08645798B2	Parallel Reed-Solomon RAID (RS-RAID) architecture, device, and method The parallel RS-RAID data storage architecture can aggregate that data and checksums within each cluster into intermediate or partial sums that are transferred or distributed to other clusters. The use of intermediate data symbols, intermediate checksum symbols, cluster configuration information on the assignment of data storage devices to clusters and the operational status of data storage devices, and the like, can reduce the computational burden and latency for the error correction calculations while increasing the scalability and throughput of the parallel RS-RAID distributed data storage architecture.
US08645796B2	Dynamic pipeline cache error correction Dynamic pipeline cache error correction includes receiving a request to perform an operation that requires a storage cache slot, the storage cache slot residing in a cache. The dynamic pipeline cache error correction also includes accessing the storage cache slot, determining a cache hit for the storage cache slot, identifying and correcting any correctable soft errors associated with the storage cache slot. The dynamic cache error correction further includes updating the cache with results of corrected data.
US08645794B1	Data storage in analog memory cells using a non-integer number of bits per cell A method for data storage includes, in a first programming phase, storing first data in a group of analog memory cells by programming the memory cells in the group to a set of initial programming levels. In a second programming phase that is subsequent to the first programming phase, second data is stored in the group by: identifying the memory cells in the group that were programmed in the first programming phase to respective levels in a predefined partial subset of the initial programming levels; and programming only the identified memory cells with the second data, so as to set at least some of the identified memory cells to one or more additional programming levels that are different from the initial programming levels.
US08645790B2	Data processing device and method using error detection code, method of compensating for data skew, and semiconductor device having the data processing device A data processing device for transmitting a first data includes a data generator configured to provide the first data, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) generator configured to generate a CRC information having at least one bit whose binary value is modified in response to a toggle information, and a data transmitter configured to combine the CRC information and the first data as a combined data and output the combined data in serial. A data processing method for transmitting a first data includes a step of generating a first data, a step of generating cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information having at least one bit whose binary value is modified in response to a toggle information, and a step of generating a combined data by combining the generated CRC information and the first data as a combined data and outputting the combined data in serial.
US08645789B2	Multi-phase ECC encoding using algebraic codes A method includes a first encoding operation associated with a first algebraic error correcting code generating a first set of first parity bits corresponding to a first set of information bits and a second set of first parity bits corresponding to a second set of information bits. A second encoding operation associated with a second algebraic error correcting code generates a first set of second parity bits corresponding to the first set of information bits and a second set of second parity bits corresponding to the second set of information bits. A third encoding operation generates a set of joint parity bits. The first set of information bits, the second set of information bits, the first set of first parity bits, the second set of first parity bits, and the joint parity bits may be stored in a data storage device as a single codeword.
US08645784B2	Packet retransmission and memory sharing Through the identification of different packet-types, packets can be handled based on an assigned packet handling identifier. This identifier can, for example, enable forwarding of latency-sensitive packets without delay and allow error-sensitive packets to be stored for possible retransmission. In another embodiment, and optionally in conjunction with retransmission protocols including a packet handling identifier, a memory used for retransmission of packets can be shared with other transceiver functionality such as, coding, decoding, interleaving, deinterleaving, error correction, and the like.
US08645780B2	Fully X-tolerant, very high scan compression scan test systems and techniques Scan testing and scan compression are key to realizing cost reduction and shipped quality. New defect types in ever more complex designs require increased compression. However, increased density of unknown (X) values reduces effective compression. A scan compression method can achieve very high compression and full coverage for any density of unknown values. The described techniques can be fully integrated in the design-for-test (DFT) and automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) flows. Results from using these techniques on industrial designs demonstrate consistent and predictable advantages over other methods.
US08645778B2	Scan test circuitry with delay defect bypass functionality An integrated circuit comprises scan test circuitry and additional circuitry subject to testing utilizing the scan test circuitry. The scan test circuitry comprises at least one scan chain having scan cells. The scan test circuitry further comprises scan delay defect bypass circuitry comprising multiplexers arranged within the scan chain. At least a given one of the multiplexers is configured to allow a corresponding one of the scan cells to be selectively bypassed in a scan shift configuration of the scan cells responsive to a delay defect associated with that scan cell. A delay defect bypass controller may be used to generate a bypass control signal for controlling the multiplexer between at least a first state in which the corresponding scan cell is not bypassed and a second state in which the corresponding scan cell is bypassed.
US08645776B2	Run-time testing of memory locations in a non-volatile memory Systems and methods are disclosed for performing run-time tests on a non-volatile memory (“NVM”), such as flash memory. The run-time tests may be tests that are performed on the NVM while the NVM can be operated by an end user (as opposed to during a manufacturing phase). In some embodiments, a controller for the NVM may detect an error event that may be indicative of a systemic failure of a die of the NVM. The controller may then select one or more blocks in the die to test, which may be dies that are currently not being used to store user data. The controller may post process the results of the test to determine whether there is a systemic failure, such as a column failure, and may treat the systemic failure if there is one.
US08645769B2	Operation management apparatus, operation management method, and program storage medium A time in which an administrator identifies a cause of a failure when the abnormality is detected in a plurality of servers is shortened.An operation management apparatus includes a failure detection unit 26 and a spread determination unit 27. The failure detection unit 26 obtains measured values of a plurality of performance metrics with respect to each of a plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored that are connected to a common apparatus and detects an abnormal item which is the performance metric whose measured value is abnormal with respect to each of the plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored. The spread determination unit 27 outputs the remaining abnormal item excluding the abnormal item detected in all the plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored from the abnormal item of each of the plurality of target apparatuses to be monitored.
US08645766B2	Serialized error injection into a function under test System, and computer program product embodiments for triggering error injection into a function under test using a serialization resource are provided. A test process invokes the function under test immediately after relinquishing exclusive control of the serialization resource. An error-injection process injects the error into the running function after gaining exclusive control of the serialization resource from the test process. The error-injection process may add a delay to inject the error. If the processes are repeated, the error-injection process may vary the delay, perhaps randomly, over a specified time window to thoroughly exercise the function's error recovery routine.
US08645765B2	Serialized error injection into a function under test Method embodiments for triggering error injection into a function under test using a serialization resource are provided. A test process invokes the function under test immediately after relinquishing exclusive control of the serialization resource. An error-injection process injects the error into the running function after gaining exclusive control of the serialization resource from the test process. The error-injection process may add a delay to inject the error. If the processes are repeated, the error-injection process may vary the delay, perhaps randomly, over a specified time window to thoroughly exercise the function's error recovery routine.
US08645760B2	Alternate procedures assisting computer users in solving problems related to error and informational messages The invention monitors display (error) messages from software programs presented to users and looks for items of interest. When detected, the text of the message is collected along with source of the message, and other details. This data is checked against a database of Messages, either locally, or networked to a remote database. If the issue has not been previously detected it is added to the database. If the message had been detected previously, counters recording frequency of occurrence. Then an option to see additional information is provided. If selected the database returns all the information it has on this specific issue. Also, additionally created content that normally does not exist in the message such as which application and vendor issued the message, frequency of occurrence, and vendor contact information. Additional content such as a detailed description and solutions that were manually created is included in the results to the user. The user can perform additional research and the collected information can be emailed to another user or company.
US08645752B2	Apparatuses and methods for operating a memory device Subject matter described pertains to apparatuses and methods for operating a memory device.
US08645750B2	Computer system and control method for allocation of logical resources to virtual storage areas A computer system functions to dynamically assign the storage capacity to the host computer. If an event such as a failure occurs in the logical resources, the performance requirements of the virtual volumes must be guaranteed to the host computer.Accordingly, the computer system comprising a storage apparatus, wherein the storage apparatus detects the occurrence of an event in the logical resources, compares the performance of the logical resources where the event occurred with the performance of the virtual volumes and, in accordance with the result of the comparison, sets the correspondence relationship of the virtual volumes to the logical resources.
US08645746B2	Cable redundancy and failover for multi-lane PCI express IO interconnections Method and apparatus for providing failover operation for a connection between a first PCIE bridge and a first input/output (IO) device are provided. A first set of bussed bits is exchanged between the first PCIE bridge and the first IO device over a first link using a first set of lanes of the first PCIE bridge. In response to detecting the failure in the first link, the first set of bussed bits is exchanged between the first PCIE bridge and the first IO device using an unused portion of a second link connecting a second PCIE bridge and a second IO device.
US08645745B2	Distributed job scheduling in a multi-nodal environment Techniques are described for decentralizing a job scheduler in a distributed system environment. Embodiments of the invention may generally include receiving a job to be performed by a multi-nodal system which includes a cluster of nodes. Instead of a centralized job scheduler assigning the job to a node or nodes, each node has a job scheduler which scans a shared-file system to determine what job to execute on the node. In a job requiring multiple nodes, one of the nodes that joined the multi-nodal job becomes the primary node which then assigns and monitors the job's execution on the multiple nodes.
US08645744B2	Fault surveillance and automatic fail-over processing in broker-based messaging systems and methods An exemplary method includes a message broker subsystem 1) attempting to deliver one or more messages intended for a recipient software application to the recipient software application, 2) determining that the recipient software application is in a fault state after failing to deliver the one or more messages to the recipient software application, 3) automatically performing a fail-over process on one or more other messages intended for the recipient software application in response to the determination that the recipient software application is in the fault state, and 4) continuing to attempt to deliver a message selected from the one or more messages to the recipient software application while automatically performing the fail-over process on the one or more other messages. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08645742B2	Semiconductor device operating according to an operation clock and having a serial communication interface performing external communications according to a unit transfer time based on the operation clock Serial communication with a bit rate close to a required bit rate can be performed, regardless of the frequency of an operation clock.A semiconductor device includes a serial communication interface that operates according to a certain operation clock. The serial communication interface is provided with a baud rate generator that generates a basic clock for counting the operation clock to define the unit transfer time based on the count, and a transmission/reception controller for performing control of transmission and reception according to the generated basic clock. Further, the serial communication interface is provided with a bit rate modulator capable of realizing a desired bit rate by partially masking supply of the operation clock to the baud rate generator, and thereby serial communication with a bit rate close to a required bit rate is realized.
US08645738B2	Nonvolatile device Apparatuses and methods may include receiving a power-down command at a first subsystem comprising a first processor, a first volatile memory, a first nonvolatile memory, a first compressor/decompressor, and a first power control circuit, the first volatile memory being configured to store state data relating to operating conditions of the first subsystem. In response to receipt of the power-down command, the apparatuses and methods may cause the first compressor/decompressor to compress the state data to generate compressed state data and to cause the compressed state data to be stored in the first nonvolatile memory. In response to storage of the compressed state data in the first nonvolatile memory, the apparatuses and methods may cause the first power control circuit to power down the first subsystem.
US08645736B1	Periodic system wakeup to update state Methods and apparatus for updating state of computing device are disclosed. An example method includes automatically scheduling, in a computing device, an update-process trigger. In the example method, occurrence of the update-process trigger causes the computing device to transition from a low power state to a first active power state and perform an update process for the computing device. The example method further includes initiating, after scheduling the update-process trigger, a transition of the computing device from a second active power state to the low power state. In response to occurrence of the update-process trigger, the example method includes initiating the transition of the computing device from the low power state to the first active power state and performing the update process after the transition from the low power state to the first active power state is complete.
US08645732B2	Protocol stack power optimization for wireless communications devices User experiences on wireless devices are affected by communication, computation, and user interface capabilities. Another key performance indicator of a wireless device is its battery life. A method, algorithm and apparatus for improving the communication, computation and user interface capabilities of a mobile device is disclosed, which requires the expenditure of less energy and increases battery life. The trade-off between battery life and user experience related to the communication capability is managed by a protocol stack power optimization algorithm that optimally allocates energy resources. The power management algorithm inputs and combines measurements made at various layers of the protocol stack to selectively control a set of actions impacting energy usage. The algorithm maps from a set of measurements to a set of actions that provides the best trade-off between user experience and energy consumption.
US08645721B2	System for controlling apparatus driven by battery In one embodiment, a system for controlling an apparatus driven by a battery, the system operating by the battery, includes a computer to control the apparatus, a control signal circuit to send a signal from the computer to the apparatus so as to control the apparatus, and a nonvolatile memory circuit to store an operating state of the computer. The operating state includes a first operating state and a second operating state, the computer sets the apparatus to a low load state in accordance with the operating state and controls the apparatus when the computer is reset for shutdown due to a decrease of the residual quantity of the battery and is restarted for power-on.
US08645715B2	Configuring host settings to specify an encryption setting and a key label referencing a key encryption key to use to encrypt an encryption key provided to a storage drive to use to encrypt data from the host Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for configuring host settings to specify encryption and a key label referencing a key encrypting key to use to encrypt an encryption key provided to a storage drive to use to encrypt data from the host. User settings are received to configure a data class having data attributes with encryption settings. The data class is stored with the received user encryption settings. A job is received indicating a data set to store to a removable storage medium. A data class is determined having data class attributes matching data attributes of the data set indicated in the job. A determination is made from the determined data class whether to encrypt the data. The data set and a command to encrypt the data set are transmitted to a storage drive in response to determining that the determined data class indicates to encrypt the data, wherein the command to encrypt the data set causes the storage drive to encrypt the data sets written to the removable storage medium with an encryption key.
US08645709B2	Biometric access data encryption The present application provides methods and corresponding systems for accessing services on a gaming device which, in certain embodiments, include the step or steps of obtaining at least one item of identity verification data from a user of a gaming device; encrypting the at least one item of identity verification data; comparing the at least one item of encrypted identity verification data received and at least one item of encrypted identity verification data obtained and stored previously on an authentication device; enabling at least one service on the gaming device based on a match between the encrypted identity verification data, the at least one service comprising a wager-type game; and displaying an interface screen comprising graphic objects associated with the wager-type game and at least one selectable element for the user to submit a gaming command and a wagering command during game play.
US08645699B2	Use of certificate authority to control a device's access to services A mobile communications device having a digital certificate authenticating the device itself is proposed. A server for authenticating the device and a method of authenticating the device are also disclosed. The device comprises a transmitter, a processor, a memory and a computer readable medium. The memory includes a certificate certifying the authenticity of the mobile communications device, the certificate comprising device-specific data and a digital signature signed by an authority having control of the authenticity of the mobile communications device. The computer readable medium has computer readable instructions stored thereon that when executed configure the processor to instruct the transmitter to transmit a copy of the certificate to a service provider in response to a request to authenticate the mobile communications device with the service provider.
US08645692B2	Source-of-leakage detectable E-mail address forming, sending and detection Provides e-mail address forming methods to know with certainty whether or not an e-mail address was leaked. A method includes: sending a receiver's identifier and a sender's identifier to a receiver's mail server; computing a value which is encrypted by the mail server with a secret key, the secret key being only possessed by the mail server, from the receiver's identifier, the sender's identifier, and a nonce issued by the mail server, and sending the value to a receiver; and forming an e-mail address (LD address) to be used by a sender who sends a mail to a receiver, by attaching a receiver's domain name to the encrypted value. Furthermore, the present invention has an e-mail address sending method, and an e-mail sending system which uses the e-mail address forming method to know with certainty whether or not the user of an e-mail address leaked the e-mail address.
US08645690B2	Method of verifying key validity and server for performing the same Disclosed herein is a method of verifying key validity and a server for performing the method. The method is configured such that a service provision server verifies key validity in an anonymous service for providing local linkability. The service provision server receives a revocation list. A local revocation list is generated using the received revocation list and a secret key. A virtual index of a service user required to verify key validity is calculated. Whether a key of the service user is valid is verified, based on whether the virtual index is included in the local revocation list.
US08645687B2	Electronic file access control system and method A digital file is associated with a security attribute in which identification data for a physical key is stored. The digital file content is encrypted, and may not be decrypted by a receiving computer unless a removable physical key that can be associated with the receiving computer includes identification data which matches the identification data stored in the file's security attribute. The digital content encrypted in the file may be compressed, and a portion of the security attribute may also be encrypted. When a portion of the security attribute is encrypted, the receiving computer may decrypt only the encrypted portion of the security attribute unless the identification data of the security attribute matches the identification data of a physical key physically or wirelessly coupled to the receiving computer. Improved security and reduction of pirating of the digital content are therefore provided.
US08645685B2	Token authentication Methods and devices are described that authenticate portable tokens, such as plastic tokens used in casinos on card tables. The systems and methods assign authentication data to a token. The authentication data is verified when a person tries to redeem value on the token. A person's authentication data may be acquired via an interface provided by a gaming machine, for example, and the authentication data stored so that the authentication information is later be read when someone tries to redeem value on the token. Only a person who presents the tokens and authentication data could then negotiate such tokens.
US08645681B1	Techniques for distributing secure communication secrets Techniques are described for establishing a secure communication channel between a server computer and a client computer. A method includes (a) at the server computer, receiving a command from a user, the command including a secret passphrase, (b) at the server computer, generating a cryptographic key for use by the client computer, (c) at the server computer, storing the cryptographic key within a locked file in encrypted form, the locked file being protected by the passphrase, (d) at the server computer, sending the locked file to the client computer over a network connection, and (e) conducting secure communications between the server computer and the client computer over the network connection, using the cryptographic key for encrypting the secure communications. A corresponding method performed by the client computer is also described. Corresponding computer program products and apparatuses are also described.
US08645680B2	Sending media data via an intermediate node A method and apparatus for sending protected media data from a data source node to a client node via an intermediate node. The data source node establishes a first hop-by-hop key to be shared with the intermediate node and an end-to-end key to be shared with the client node. A single security protocol instance is configured and used to trans-protocol form data from a media stream into transformed data using the keys. The transformed data is then sent to the intermediate node. The intermediate node uses the first hop-by-hop key to apply a security processing to the transformed data, and establishes a second hop-by-hop key with the client node. A second transformation is performed on the transformed data using the second hop-by-hop key to produce further transformed media data, which is then sent to the client node. At the client node a single security protocol instance is configured with the second hop-by-hop key and the end-to-end key, which are used to apply further security processing to the transformed media data.
US08645677B2	Secure remote credential provisioning An embodiment uses hardware secrets secured within a security engine to provide a secure solution for field key provisioning. An embodiment is operating system independent due to the out-of-band communications with the security engine. Secrets need not be provisioned during manufacturing time. An embodiment may ensure only security engine specific provisioned secrets are used at runtime. Other embodiments are addressed herein.
US08645671B2	Direct computing experience Described is a technology by which a computer system operates in a mode that is different from a general purpose operating mode, upon detection of a special actuation mechanism coupled to the computing device. For example, actuation of a special hardware button may boot or resume a sleeping computer system into a direct experience upon actuation, including by launching a special program corresponding to that button. The computer system may thus enter a mode in which it mimics a special purpose device such as a consumer electronics device, e.g., a dedicated media player. When in a direct experience, the computer system may also operate in a constrained/sandboxed mode in which operating system limits available functionality to less than what is available when running as a general purpose computer system, e.g., keyboard operation and/or file access may be limited. Different actuation mechanisms may correspond to different modes.
US08645668B2	Information processing apparatus, information processing method and computer program A sub-processor different from the main processor executing control in the operating system (OS) is designated to control a device driver corresponding to a communication unit and thus, the communication control is executed by the sub-processor in response to an interrupt originating from a network card functioning as the communication unit in an information processing apparatus equipped with a plurality of processors and engaged in communication via a network. The structure enables the main processor to execute data processing with a high level of efficiency without a time lag in the data processing.
US08645667B2	Operating system management of address-translation-related data structures and hardware lookasides An approach is provided in a hypervised computer system where a page table request is at an operating system running in the hypervised computer system. The operating system determines whether the page table request requires the hypervisor to process. If the determination reveals that the page table request requires the hypervisor, then the hypervisor is used to handle the request. However, if the determination reveals that the page table request does not require the hypervisor, then an indicator included in a page table entry corresponding to the request is read to determine if the page table entry is controlled by the operating system or the hypervisor. The operating system is able to update the page table entry if the indicator identifies the page table entry as being operating system controlled.
US08645665B1	Virtualizing physical memory in a virtual machine system utilizing multilevel translation table base registers to map guest virtual addresses to guest physical addresses then to host physical addresses A processor including a virtualization system of the processor with a memory virtualization support system to map a reference to guest-physical memory made by guest software executable on a virtual machine which in turn is executable on a host machine in which the processor is operable to a reference to host-physical memory of the host machine.
US08645662B2	Sub-lun auto-tiering Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for auto-tiering multiple file systems across a common resource pool. Storage resources are allocated as a sub-LUN auto-tiering (SLAT) sub-pool. The sub-pool is managed as a single virtual address space (VAS) with a virtual block address (VBA) for each logical block address of each data block in the sub-pool, and a portion of those VBAs can be allocated to each of a number of file systems. Mappings are maintained between each logical block address in which file system data is physically stored and a VBA in the file system's portion of the virtual address space. As data moves (e.g., is added, auto-tiered, etc.), the mappings can be updated. In this way, multiple SLAT file systems can exploit the full resources of the common SLAT sub-pool and maximize the resource options available to auto-tiering functions.
US08645661B2	Paging partition arbitration of paging devices to shared memory partitions A computer implemented method to establish at least one paging partition in a data processing system. The virtualization control point (VCP) reserves up to the subset of physical memory for use in the shared memory pool. The VCP configures at least one logical partition as a shared memory partition. The VCP assigns a paging partition to the shared memory pool. The VCP determines whether a user requests a redundant assignment of the paging partition to the shared memory pool. The VCP assigns a redundant paging partition to the shared memory pool, responsive to a determination that the user requests a redundant assignment. The VCP assigns a paging device to the shared memory pool. The hypervisor may transmit at least one paging request to a virtual asynchronous services interface configured to support a paging device stream.
US08645659B1	Method for managing volumes/snapshots in pools of external virtual memory A method for managing resources in a storage pool of external virtual memory, that includes a host manager being associated with a storage pool by a storage manager. The host manager manages the resources, the managing including creating resources in the storage pool and/or deleting resources in the storage pool. The host manager further accesses the resource in the pool, such accessing including reading data to or writing data to the resource.
US08645656B2	Flash memory controller A method includes, in at least one aspect, asserting a control signal to one or more devices, determining an initial wait time after asserting the control signal, issuing a first command based on the initial wait time, determining a first interval time associated with the first command and a second command, and issuing the second command based on the first interval time.
US08645654B1	Selecting physical storage in data storage systems A method is used in selecting physical storage in data storage systems. A request for allocation of a portion of storage area of a data storage system is received from a requesting entity. The data storage system is comprised of a set of storage entities and a set of data buses for transferring data to and from the set of storage entities. The set of storage entities are organized into a set of logical units. Each logical unit of the set of logical units is subdivided into a set of slices. A slice is selected from a logical unit of the set of logical units for allocation for use by the requesting entity in response to receiving the request for allocation. The selection is based on an optimum value indicating physical location of the logical unit within the set of storage entities during access to data to be stored in the data storage system.
US08645652B2	Concurrently moving storage devices from one adapter pair to another A mechanism is provided for moving control of storage devices from one adapter pair to another. In a trunked disk array configuration, moving the storage devices from one disk array to another disk array begins by attaching the downstream ports of the two independent disk arrays together. The mechanism redefines one set of the ports as upstream ports and through switch zoning makes a set of devices available to the second disk array adapters. By controlling zoning access and performing discovery one device port at a time, the mechanism transfers access and ownership of the RAID group from one adapter pair to another.
US08645647B2	Data storage snapshot with reduced copy-on-write Producing snapshots of data stored on a data storage device, the method including producing a first snapshot of data stored in a set of data storage units on a data storage device, where the first snapshot is allowed to include data written to the set of data storage units during the production of the first snapshot, and producing a second snapshot of the data stored in the set of data storage units on the data storage device, where the production of the second snapshot is begun after the completion of the first snapshot, and where the second snapshot includes only data present in the set of data storage units before the production of the second snapshot is begun.
US08645643B2	Data processing control unit for controlling multiple data processing operations A data processing control unit for controlling two or more data processing operations SMI1,SMI2. The data processing control unit may include a control memory in control data may be stored which represents information about access to a main memory by the two or more data processing operations. A control data controller may be connected to the control memory. The control data controller may include a control data controller input or receiving an access request from one or more of the data processing operations. The control data controller may modify the data in the control memory upon receiving the access request. A process controller may be connected to the control memory. The process controller may control at least a part of the data processing operations SMI1.SMI2 based on a comparison of data in the control memory with a criterion. The process controller may include a process controller input for receiving the access request; and a process controller output for outputting a process control signal based on the comparison.
US08645642B2	Tracking dynamic memory reallocation using a single storage address configuration table Tracking dynamic memory de-allocation using a single configuration table having a first register and a second register includes setting the first register as an active register, initiating a de-allocation of desired storage increments from a memory partition, setting the storage increments in the second register as invalid, purging all caches associated with the single configuration table, setting the second register as the active register and the first register as an inactive register, setting the desired storage increments in the first register as invalid, switching the active register from the second register to the first register to complete memory de-allocation using the single configuration table.
US08645641B2	Intelligent storage device controller In a particular embodiment, a storage device includes a controller that is adapted to receive environmental data from a plurality of environmental sensors, where the environmental data is related to an operating environment of the storage device. Further, the controller is adapted to receive state information related to the data storage medium from a plurality of firmware detectors, to weight the received environmental data and the received state information according to a pre-determined weighting table, and to dynamically manage at least one attribute of the storage device based on the weighted environmental data and the weighted state information.
US08645636B2	Methods for managing ownership of redundant data and systems thereof A storage system according to one embodiment includes a first storage tier; a second storage tier; logic for storing instances of a file in the first storage tier and the second storage tier; logic for receiving a request to access the file or instance thereof from a user in a group of users; logic for providing the user requesting access to the file with remote access to an instance of the file on the first storage tier that is not being used by any other user in the group of users; logic for setting an ownership status of the instance of the file on the first storage tier to owned by the user requesting access to the file; and logic for setting an ownership status of an unused instance of the file on the second storage tier from owned by the user requesting access to the file to unowned or owned by a second user which previously owned the instance of the file on the first storage tier. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented.
US08645626B2	Hard disk drive with attached solid state drive cache Methods, systems, and computer programs for managing storage using a solid state drive (SSD) read cache memory are presented. One method includes an operation for determining whether data corresponding to a read request is available in a SSD memory when the read request causes a miss in a memory cache. The read request is served from the SSD memory when the data is available in the SSD memory, and when the data is not available in the SSD memory, SSD memory tracking logic is invoked and the read request is served from a hard disk drive. Invoking the SSD memory tracking logic includes determining whether a fetch criteria for the data has been met, and loading the data corresponding to the read request in the SSD memory when the fetch criteria has been met. The use of the SSD as a read cache improves memory performance for random data reads.
US08645625B2	Methods for implementation of worm enforcement in a storage system Embodiments of archival storage system are disclosed. The archival storage system includes one or more removable disk drives that provide random access and are readily expandable. In embodiments, some or all of the data within the removable disk drive(s) is immutable. The archiving system creates a designation for the data representing the data as having Write Once Read Many (WORM) protection. Actions associated with the data may be received and determined to be read accesses. If the actions are something other than a read access, the archiving system, in embodiments, prevents the action on the data.
US08645622B2	Method to protect data on a disk drive from uncorrectable media errors Protection from uncorrectable media errors are provided for a RAID-configured storage system by a technique in which c redundancy information sectors are associated with n data information sectors. The n data sectors and c redundancy information sectors are then written as a single segment on a single storage unit. The RAID-configured storage system can be configured, for example, as a RAID 6 storage system, a RAID 5 storage system, a RAID 51 storage system, a RAID 3+3 storage system or a RAID N+3 storage system. The redundancy information can be based on a Reed-Solomon code, an XOR-based code, or one-dimensional parity.
US08645621B2	Block mapping circuit and method for memory device A method of mapping logical block select signals to physical blocks can include receiving at least one signal for each of n+1 logical blocks, where n is an integer greater than one, that each map to one of m+1 physical blocks, where n
US08645613B2	Data writing method for flash memory and control circuit and storage system using the same A data writing method for a flash memory and a control circuit and a storage system using the same are provided. The data writing method includes determining whether the size of data to be stored by a host system is smaller than a predetermined value according to a write command received from the host system, when the size of the data is smaller than the predetermined value, the data is written into a corresponding buffer physical block or a corresponding spare buffer physical block. The data writing method further includes combining valid data belonging to the same logical block during the executions of several write commands. Accordingly, the response time during the execution of each write command is shortened, and the problem of timeout is avoided.
US08645612B2	Information processing device and information processing method According to one embodiment, an information processing device includes an OS and a virtual machine switching section. The OS accesses a hardware resource including a nonvolatile semiconductor memory and a semiconductor memory used as a cache memory of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The virtual machine switching section switches a virtual machine in exection from a first virtual machine to a second virtual machine while a cache process is executed, when cache miss in a process executed by the first virtual machine is detected.
US08645604B2	Device orientation based docking functions Systems and method are provided for selecting one or more docking functions based on a physical orientation of a user device coupled to a docking device. The docking device may include a surface upon which the user device may be placed. Docking functions such as charging, data transfer, data synchronization, diagnostic checking, or other functions may be selected, performed, or both, based on the physical orientation of the user device on the surface.
US08645603B2	Device having board slot concatenation for accommodating multiple sizes of communication device elements In one embodiment, a main circuit board includes a plurality of expansion slots that are operative to receive a corresponding plurality of expansion cards. The plurality of expansion slots include at least one first expansion slot configured at a first position on the main circuit board, that is operative to connect to at least one corresponding first expansion card. At least one second expansion slot configured at a second position on the main circuit board, and the second expansion slot is operative to connect to at least one corresponding second expansion card. The plurality of expansion cards includes at least one secondary expansion card that is different from the main circuit board and that is configured to be operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of expansion slots. One or more particular expansion slots are selected for connecting one or more corresponding particular expansion cards, based on the size, dimensions, and/or function of the particular expansion cards to be connected. A programmable processor is operative to selectively regulate power supplied to particular expansion slots.
US08645602B2	Microcomputer Disclosed is a microcomputer that can gain bus access irrespective of the magnitude relationship between the frequency of a bus master and the frequency of a bus slave. A CPU operates in accordance a first clock, which has a variable frequency. A timer operates in accordance with a second clock. A frequency conversion logic circuit is coupled to the CPU through a main bus and coupled to the timer through a peripheral I/O bus. When the first clock is higher in frequency than the second clock, the frequency conversion logic circuit generates a bus control signal for the timer by using a first synchronization signal, which indicates the change timing of a bus control signal for the peripheral I/O bus. When the first clock is lower in frequency than the second clock, the frequency conversion logic circuit generates a bus control signal for the CPU by using a second synchronization signal, which indicates the change timing of a bus control signal for the main bus. Therefore, bus access can be gained irrespective of the magnitude relationship between the frequencies of the CPU and timer.
US08645601B2	Methods and systems for performing serial data communication between a host device and a connected device Various methods, devices, systems, and machine readable mediums are provided which may be used in accordance with a protocol, such as a protocol used to support the transfer of data and commands between a host and a device. In one embodiment, a driver on a host device may be used to implement a protocol to provide support for various features of the universal serial bus (USB) attached storage (UAS) protocol when interfacing the host device with one or more connected devices that are compatible with either the USB 2.0 standard or the USB 3.0 standard. In this regard, a single driver on the host device may be used to support USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 devices. In another embodiment, such a protocol may be used to support USB 3.0 devices without requiring USB 3.0 streaming capabilities to be supported by host devices or connected devices.
US08645600B2	Configuring expansion component interconnect (‘ECI’) physical functions on an ECI device in a computing system Configuring expansion component interconnect (‘ECI’) physical functions on an ECI device in a computing system, including: configuring by an ECI device configuration manager, during run-time of the computing system, vital product data to include an ECI physical function configuration, wherein the ECI physical function configuration comprises data describing a type of ECI physical function; retrieving by an ECI device configuration manager, upon a subsequent startup of the computing system, the ECI physical function configuration from the vital product data; and configuring, by an ECI device configuration manager, a physical function of the ECI device to carry out the type of ECI physical function described in the ECI physical function configuration.
US08645589B2	Methods for data acquisition systems in real time applications A system may include a processing unit executing program instructions (SW), a data acquisition (DAQ) hardware device for acquiring sample data and/or generating control signals, and host memory configured to store data samples and various data associated with the DAQ and processor operations. The DAQ device may push HW status information to host memory upon being triggered by predetermined events taking place in the DAQ device, e.g. timing events or interrupts, to avoid or reduce SW reads to the DAQ device. The DAQ device may update dedicated buffers in host memory with status data on any of these events. The status information pushed to memory may be read in a manner that allows detection of race conditions. Interrupts generated by the DAQ device may be similarly handled. Upon generating an interrupt, the DAQ device may gather information required to handle the interrupt, and push the information into system memory, along with information identifying the interrupt. SW may read system memory for this information, and handle the interrupts as required without having to query the DAQ device.
US08645588B2	Pipelined serial ring bus The present invention provides embodiments of an apparatus used to implement a pipelined serial ring bus. One embodiment of the apparatus includes one or more ring buses configured to communicatively couple registers associated with logical elements in a processor. The ring bus(s) are configured to concurrently convey information associated with a plurality of load or store operations.
US08645586B2	SCSI reservation status information on a SAN disk A method is disclosed for retrieving the reservation status information of a storage area network (SAN) device, a host transmits a persistent reservation in command with service action setting of ‘read reservation’ to a first LUN, wherein the host is connected to a port of the data storage server to which the LUN belongs. The host receives a message from the LUN. The host determines that the message is a success. The host sends to the LUN a persistent reservation in command with service action setting of ‘read keys’, responsive to a success message. The host determines that the LUN responds with a zero data length. The host determines the LUN is reserved with type 2 reservation, responsive to a determination that the LUN responds with a non-zero data length.
US08645581B2	Terminal device A terminal device including a plurality of logical ports as ports for providing logical connections, the logical ports logically connecting external devices to the terminal device, the terminal device comprising: a receiver configured to receive an execution instruction for an unmount process which is a process of transition from an activated state in which the logical connections are activated to a deactivated state in which the logical connections are deactivated; and a controller configured to control the logical ports, wherein the controller deactivates the logical connections corresponding to the logical ports, in response to the execution instruction for the unmount process.
US08645580B2	Circuit and electronic module for automatic addressing An integrated circuit includes a first configuration terminal, a second configuration terminal, a bus terminal, and an auto addressing circuit coupled to the first and second configuration terminals. The auto addressing circuit is responsive to a data pattern received at the first configuration terminal to assign a node address to an operational circuit, and subsequently to couple the first configuration terminal to the second configuration terminal. The integrated circuit is subsequently responsive to the node address when the node address is received.
US08645578B2	Routing of messages A method to provide transfer of data without the use of a network from an application program to an embedded device. A routing service establishes a communication channel without the use of a local area network. The routing service then manages the control of this communication channel for the transfer of data and closes the channel in an appropriate period.
US08645575B1	Apparatus, method, and computer program for performing text-to-speech conversion of instant messages during a conference call An instant message associated with a conference call is received. At least some of the contents of the instant message are converted into speech, which may be represented as an audio stream. The speech is then provided to at least one participant associated with the conference call. The speech provided to the at least one participant may further include additional speech in addition to the speech corresponding to the contents of the instant message. The additional speech could, among other things, identify a participant who sent the instant message.
US08645573B2	System and method for adaptively collecting performance and event information Selective compression of data, wherein it is determined which of a number of compression algorithms do not incur an overhead that exceeds available resources. Then, one of the determined algorithms is selected to maximize compression.
US08645569B2	Juxtaposition based machine addressing A method and apparatus for use with a plurality of resources integrated within a space for performing a process and a program run by a processor for controlling the process, the method for associating the program with the resources and comprising the steps of identifying at least a first reference point within the space, identifying the relative juxtaposition of at least a first resource with respect to the first reference point and associating the first resource with the program as a function of the relative juxtaposition of the resource to the reference point.
US08645568B2	Various methods and apparatuses for a route server A method, apparatus, and system are described for a route server that connects network users to network providers. The route server may connect to network elements, including routers, from a plurality of Internet network service providers (ISP) to the network elements of a plurality of users through the route server. The route server also may make routing decisions for the plurality of users and the plurality of ISPs and is programmed to maintain multiple views of the routing table as well as implement multiple BGP instances, each instance representing different autonomous systems, in a single instance of the route server. The route server also may match a first user to one or more of the ISPs based on criteria including not only the best possible routes of each ISP but a full listing of all possible routes to a destination address from each ISP matching the user's criteria in order to construct a route table to get IP packets of a user to a destination address.
US08645566B2	High data rate interface apparatus and method A data interface for transferring digital data between a host and a client over a communication path using packet structures linked together to form a communication protocol for communicating a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data. The signal protocol is used by link controllers configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming the communications protocol, and to form digital data into one or more types of data packets, with at least one residing in the host device and being coupled to the client through the communications path. The interface provides a cost-effective, low power, bi-directional, high-speed data transfer mechanism over a short-range “serial” type data link, which lends itself to implementation with miniature connectors and thin flexible cables which are especially useful in connecting display elements such as wearable micro-displays to portable computers and wireless communication devices.
US08645560B2	Content providing system and method, shared content providing apparatus and method, content output apparatus and method, and program The present invention relates to a content providing system and method, a shared content providing apparatus and method, a content output apparatus and method, and a program for making it possible to provide content to a different user without infringing on copyright. Content items are provided from a content server 21 to a plurality of broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3 via a broadcasting network 12. A video clip server 16 obtains, from the content server 21, shared content that is content shared by a plurality of users, among the provided content items. The video clip server 16 sends selecting information for selecting the obtained shared content to the plurality of broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3 via the Internet 11. The shared content selected by the broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3 on the basis of the selecting information is provided from the video clip server 16 to the broadcast receiving apparatuses 14-1 to 14-3.
US08645559B2	Redirection of multiple remote devices Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for multiple audio device capture and playback during a remote desktop session. A custom device manager may instantiate proxy audio input and output devices on the server corresponding to each real device on the client computer. The proxy devices may redirect their respective audio input and output data to the physical device on the client. In an embodiment, multiple audio devices may be instantiated during a remote session, and multiple independent audio streams may be redirected to the selected device on the client computer.
US08645553B2	Partially replicated, locally searched peer to peer file sharing system Controlling access to a file includes selecting, by a first network node in a peer to peer file sharing system, a file to make available for sharing with a second network node in the peer to peer file sharing system, the file being stored on the first network node. The first network node sends index information associated with the selected file to the second network node. The second network node subsequently performs a local search of a set of index information associated with a set of files stored in the peer to peer file sharing system to locate the index information for the selected file; and requests a copy of the selected file from the first network node using the index information.
US08645549B2	Signal relay method and relay server performing a relay operation between a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal via a network The present invention has an object to provide a server apparatus capable of accessing a terminal apparatus connected via an IP network to a router from an externally provided terminal apparatus in a simple and firm manner without previously performing complex setting operation.A server apparatus of the present invention is comprised of: a connection information transmitting unit, when specific information of a second terminal apparatus connected via a router to an IP (Internet Protocol) network is received from a first terminal apparatus connected via the IP network to the connection information transmitting unit, which transmits connection information to the first terminal apparatus, the connection information being employed so as to access the second terminal apparatus from the first terminal apparatus; and a relay unit, when the relay unit is accessed from the first terminal apparatus by employing the connection information transmitted by the connection information transmitting unit, which relays the first terminal apparatus to the second terminal apparatus having the specific information.
US08645537B2	Deep packet scan hacker identification Securing an accessible computer system typically includes receiving a data packet that includes a payload portion and an attribute portion, where the data packet is communicated between at least one access requestor and at least one access provider. At least the payload portion of the received data packet typically is monitored, where monitoring includes scanning the payload portion for at least one predetermined pattern. When the payload portion is determined to include at least one predetermined pattern, access by the access requestor to the access provider may be controlled. Monitoring the data packet may include scanning the payload portion while handling the data packet with a switch. Controlling access may include denying access by the access requestor to the access provider.
US08645536B2	Image forming apparatus connected via network and method of setting information relating to network A method of setting network information of an image forming apparatus connected via a network includes receiving network information of a new application to be installed on the image forming apparatus, and if network information of an existing application is the same as the network information of the new application, setting network information of one of the existing application and the new application to have priority.
US08645533B2	Content reproducing apparatus and content reproducing method A communication system is disclosed which permits data communication between a server apparatus and a client apparatus over a network. The server apparatus includes a time information managing means which manages time information and which transmits the time information to the client apparatus. The client apparatus includes a time storing means which receives the time information from the server apparatus, which stores the received time information, and which is tamper-proof.
US08645529B2	Automated service level management of applications in cloud computing environment Automated service level management of applications can include automated deployment, monitoring, forecasting, and/or predicting based on a plurality of service levels comprising application level, application server platform level, virtual machine level, and/or infrastructure level, and optimizations at multiple levels using a plurality of techniques including automated dynamic application migration. Automated deployment of applications in a cloud computing environment using deployment descriptors comprises receiving values for service level parameters for an application, creating a deployment descriptor based on the parameters, identifying application servers that satisfy the deployment descriptors, and deploying the application to the identified application servers. Automated dynamic migration of applications in a cloud computing environment comprises deciding to migrate an application, obtaining application resource requirements, identifying application server candidates, selecting an application server from one of the candidates, and migrating the application.
US08645524B2	Techniques to allocate virtual network addresses Techniques to allocate virtual network addresses are described. An apparatus may include a virtual network address management module. The virtual network address management module may be capable of determining an approximate age for a virtual network address, referred to herein as a virtual network address age value. The virtual network address management module may include a virtual network address assignment module, a virtual network address age generator and a message filter module. The virtual network address assignment module may be arranged to assign a virtual network address to a device at a virtual network address assignment time. The virtual network address age generator may be arranged to receive a message arrival time for a message with the virtual network address, and determine a virtual network address age value for the virtual network address with the virtual network address assignment time and the message arrival time. The message filter module may be arranged to determine whether to send the message to the device based on the virtual network address age value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08645523B2	System and method to manage set history for simple network management protocol A system and method to manage a SET history of a simple network management protocol (SNMP), the system including an SNMP manager to access a network apparatus and to request an object ID, and an SNMP agent to set the object ID in response to the request and to transmit corresponding set information to a plurality of SNMP managers connected to a network so that a set history of the object ID can be stored and managed with respect to each SNMP manager.
US08645522B2	Service registering system A service registration system includes a server that provides a service through a network, a peripheral device capable of communicating with the server and using the service, and a terminal device capable of communicating with the server and the peripheral device. When the terminal device receives the registration requesting information representing information related to registration necessary for using the service from a user, the terminal device transmits registration requesting information to the server. When the server receives the registration requesting information from the terminal device, the server transmits service information necessary for using the service. Further, the terminal device can transmit the service information to the peripheral device when it receives the service information from the server. Further, when the peripheral device receives the service information from the terminal device, the peripheral device stores the received service information and operates in a mode where the service is usable.
US08645517B2	Policy-based content delivery network selection In a framework wherein resources of a content provider may be delivered to clients from different domains, a method distributes the requests based on content-provider policies. In some cases, the domains include at least two distinct content delivery network (CDN) domains. The domains may include a content provider domain. Responsive to a request, either the content provider domain or one of the two CDN domains is selected, the selection being based at least in part on one or more policies set by the content provider.
US08645516B2	System for analyzing user activity in a collaborative environment A system is described for analyzing user activity in a collaborative environment. The system may include a memory, an interface, and a processor. The memory may store a plurality of data items. Each data item may be related to at least one other data item. The processor may receive a request to alert the user when an action is performed on a selected data item. The processor may also receive a relation threshold identifying at least one other data item related to the selected data item. The processor may detect the action being performed on the data item identified by the relation threshold. The processor may transform data describing the action into an alert. The alert may include the data describing the action, the data item, and a description of the relationship between the data items. The processor may provide the alert to the user via the device.
US08645515B2	Environment manager An environment manager includes a set of consolidated and integrated utilities which allow an administrator direct, remote access to information technology resources. The environment manager allows the administrator to control many aspects of the information technology environment including backup and archival of data systems, monitoring of systems, opening and closing of information technology systems, server fail-overs and virtual server environments, managing expert application, desktop management and security and system security.
US08645514B2	Method and system for collaborative self-organization of devices Methods and systems for automatically organizing devices in a network are disclosed. Information may be collected for a plurality of devices in a predetermined area over a predetermined period of time. The information may include device location information and device information for one or more user groups. Each user group may include one or more users. An average preference for each user group may be determined for each device based on the device usage information. The plurality of devices may be organized automatically into a plurality of clusters based on at least the determined average preferences. Each cluster may include one or more devices.
US08645511B2	Pre-configuration of a cloud-based computer A method may include receiving by a current computer a customization application, the customization application including a control panel to establish user preferences for a user account of the cloud-based service and/or system settings for the second computer; receiving by the current computer an input to the customization application to establish one or more user preferences for the user account and/or one or more system settings for the second computer; and transmitting from the current computer to a server associated with the cloud-based service the one or more user preferences and a username for the user account and/or the system settings for the second computer.
US08645510B2	Method of distributing PCC rules among IP-connectivity access network (IP-CAN) bearers Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and system for distributing policy and charging control (PCC) rules among a plurality of IP-Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) bearers. The method may include one or more of the following: receiving, at a PCRN, an UE request (CCR) message, processing the UE message to generate one or more PCC rules, determining one or more requested service data flows (SDFs) from the UE message, and for each requested SDF, generating a new PCC rule based on the UE message. The method may further include, providing each new PCC rule to a Policy and Charging Enforcement Node (PCEN), controlling distribution of the generated PCC rules among a plurality of IP-CAN bearers, and binding each requested service data flow to select ones of IP-CAN bearers of the plurality of IP-CAN bearers.
US08645508B1	Managing external communications for provided computer networks Techniques are described for providing managed computer networks. In some situations, the techniques include managing communications for computing nodes of a managed computer network by using a pool of multiple alternative intermediate destinations to forward at least some communications to other final destinations. For example, a manager module associated with a source computing node may select a particular one of multiple alternative intermediate destinations to use for one or more particular communications from the source computing node to an indicated final destination, such as based on network addresses associated with the source computing node and/or the final destination. The multiple alternative intermediate destinations may have various forms, including multiple alternative edge devices at a first location at which various computing nodes are co-located that operate to manage communications between those co-located computing nodes at the first location and other external computer systems at one or more other locations.
US08645502B2	Dynamic interface to read database through remote procedure call Data read from a database may be transferred to an external system utilizing a dynamic interface, through a remote procedure call (RPC) communication mechanism. In particular embodiments within the SAP environment, data is transferred utilizing an executable program in a high level language such as Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP). Data may be streamed from the ABAP executable program directly to a Data Services Job engine via a NetWeaver remote function call (NWRFC) C/C++ connector.
US08645499B2	Image processing system, image processing apparatus, image processing method and recording medium An image processing system includes an image processing apparatus and a decryption server interconnected via a network. When a portable recording medium having an encrypted target file and access information to access a decryption server that decrypts this encrypted target file, recorded therein, is connected to a connector of an image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus reads out the encrypted target file and the access information from the portable recording medium connected thereto, accesses the decryption server according to the access information, then transmits the encrypted target file to the decryption server. The decryption server decrypts the encrypted target file received therefrom, and returns it to the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus executes processing on the decrypted target file that is returned therefrom.
US08645496B2	Systems and methods for backing up data Systems and methods for backing up data of a client. In a system that includes clients in communication with a server, the data of the client is backed up by first enumerating writers that are active on a client. Metadata from the active writers is received and identifies data to be backed up. A snapshot of the client is taken and the client data identified in the metadata received from the writers is backed up from the snapshot.
US08645491B2	Methods and apparatus for enabling a hybrid web and native application Systems and methodologies are described that enable hybrid web and native applications. A communications device may be equipped to process one or more links where each link may be associated with a workflow directive. Further, the communications device may be equipped to process a workflow directive associated with a link to pre-render a template while a content request including the link is being transmitted. Still further, the communications device may be equipped to apply content received in response to the content request to the pre-rendered template.
US08645490B2	Web site implementation by mapping expression evaluation Web sites are modeled using mappings from paths to expressions. A mapping data structure of expressions represents a web site's hierarchical structure, and an enumerator, an array of characters, or an array of bytes represents the web site's content. Expressions are written in a declarative programming language, and are lazily evaluated to provide results used in HTTP responses. A mapping may be recursive. An expression may contain a function call which returns contents of a file named in the HTTP request path, or the expression may evaluate to a text string, for example. Expressions may call functions which produce side-effects. An expression may recursively map a directory name to a mapping of a file name. Scalability is promoted by concurrently evaluating expression(s) on different machines in a stateless middle tier, and by streaming results. An arbitrarily large web site may be implemented in this manner.
US08645488B2	Extensible file and path renaming during multimedia acquisition A method and system to extending naming of captured multimedia data to secondary applications is provided. The secondary applications are registered and associated with identifiers. The identifiers are stored in naming templates utilized by a file-naming engine. A multimedia-acquisition engine captures the multimedia data and communicates with the file-naming engine to generate a path that specifies a location to store the captured multimedia data. The file-naming engine processes the naming template to determine whether the secondary applications or default values are utilized to generate the path for the captured multimedia data.
US08645486B2	Method for downloading content from a server onto a recording medium as well as recording medium being suitable therefor A method for transferring content from a server (2) onto a recording medium (14), said server (2) being accessible via a communication network (4), comprises the following steps: a) connecting said recording medium (14) to a networkable device (3), b) establishing a connection between the networkable device (3) and said server (2) via said communication network (4), and c) transferring content from said server (2) onto said recording medium (14) via said networkable device (3), wherein at least one of steps b) and c) is managed by an application which is provided on said recording medium (14) and which is activated or is activatable after said recording medium (14) has been connected to said networkable device (3).
US08645477B2	Progressive messaging apparatus and method capable of supporting near real-time communication A method for transmitting time-based media across a network. The method involves receiving at a server a message including time-based media intended for a recipient using a globally addressable email address associated with the recipient. Once the email address is defined, it is determined if the domain of the recipient is either outside or inside the one or more domains of the server. If outside, the method involves using a first DNS lookup result of the globally addressable email address to determine if the recipient receives a near real-time communication service and to ascertain a delivery route to deliver the time-based media of the message to the recipient using a near real-time communication protocol. If the first lookup result is positive, the time-based media of the message is progressively and simultaneously transmitted to the recipient as the time-based media is being created. If the first DNS lookup is negative, then a second DNS lookup result is used to determine if the email address receives an email service. If so, then the time-based media of the message is sent to the recipient in a file attached to an email. If the email address is within the one or more domains of the server, then the time-based media is transmitted to the recipient either progressively or as an attachment to an email depending on the services provided to the recipient.
US08645476B2	Method and apparatus for command synchronization Method and apparatus for command synchronization is described. In some embodiments, a remote system system may set up a user interactive session with a local device according to a user interaction protocol. The remote system may insert a predetermined execution time into a first command and send the first command to a local device according to the user interaction protocol. The first command, when executed on the local device, causes a second command compliant with the user interaction protocol to execute on the local device at the predetermined execution time.
US08645473B1	Displaying electronic mail in a rating-based order In one embodiment, a technique for managing electronic mail comprises receiving an email; assigning a rating to the email; and displaying the email in a rating-based order.
US08645471B2	Device message management system A method and system for managing email or other messaging and attachments to messages which are forwarded to devices having limited processing and memory capacity. The method includes the steps of: receiving a user configuration categorizing messages for the user by elements of the message; accessing the user message datastore upon receipt of at least one new message for the user to a user data store; comparing said at least one new message to a set of user specific rules; rendering a message summary including at least one link accessible by the processing device, the link enabling action with respect to the message when selected by the user; and outputting the message summary to a user device.
US08645470B2	System, method and computer program product for the delivery of media content A system, method and computer program product are provided for delivering media content. The system includes at least one recipient that may be associated with at least one recipient rule. The system also includes a sending entity capable of transmitting a multimedia message addressed to the recipients. The sending entity can also specify delivery rules in the message. In this regard, the multimedia message includes media content. The system further includes a network entity capable of receiving the multimedia message and identifying any recipient rules, sending entity rules and/or network rules associated with the multimedia message. The network entity can then deliver the media content to the recipients based upon respective rules. The network entity can also be capable of processing the media content based upon the rules before delivering the media content, such as by transcoding or truncating at least a portion of the media content prior to delivery.
US08645467B2	System and method of enhanced collaboration through teleportation Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system and method enhanced collaboration through teleportation. In one or more embodiments, there is provided a system for moderating an enhanced collaboration environment for at least a set of participants, comprising a server for facilitating a 2-D federated collaboration environment for the at least one set of participants; a server for facilitating a 3-D virtual collaboration environment for the at least one set of participants; and a gateway server for facilitating teleportation of at least two participants of the at least one set of participants from the 2-D federated collaboration environment to form a teleported collaboration group in the 3-D virtual collaboration environment.
US08645457B2	System and method for network object creation and improved search result reporting Systems and methods are described that may be used for the creation of user defined objects arising from the implicit interaction of a user with a network resource. The objects are made generally available within the network. A network resource in communication with a network maintains content accessible by a plurality of users of the network. An agent provided to a user device identifies an implicit interaction with a portion of the content and transmits information associated with the implicit interaction to another computing system communicatively connected to the network. The information includes a URL identifying the network resource and the portion of the content and is provided in a user-defined object on the network. Frequency of occurrence of a URL in a plurality of the objects can be used to determine relevance of a network resource and its content.
US08645455B2	Analyzing anticipated value and effort in using cloud computing to process a specified workload Workloads that are and are not appropriate for transformation and processing on a cloud computing environment are identified. A user entity is provided with a measurement of at least one of the value which will be realized, and the effort which will be required. A plurality of attributes is specified. Input data represents the extent to which the user entity processing system possesses the given attribute. The input data for each attribute is employed to derive a corresponding numerical parameter value, which are to compute a final score.
US08645452B2	In-vehicle communication system A control section of a distribution apparatus decides whether data included in message has been stored by own DB or not, when distributing the message to an onboard apparatus based on transmitted information registered by second transmitted information table. From own DB, the control section of the distribution apparatus reads out data having been stored by the DB. For data that has not been stored by own DB, the control section of the distribution apparatus identifies another distribution apparatus having stored this data, and obtains this data from the identified another distribution apparatus. The control section of the distribution apparatus creates message including the data read out from own DB and the obtained data, and transmits the created message to an onboard apparatus which is a destination.
US08645451B2	Double-clocked specialized processing block in an integrated circuit device Circuitry for increasing the precision of multipliers by a desired factor while limiting the increase in arithmetic complexity of the multiplier to that factor can be provided in a fixed logic device, or can be configured into a programmable integrated circuit device such as a programmable logic device (PLD). The smaller increase in arithmetic complexity, so that the increase is proportional to the increase in precision, rather than to the square of the increase in precision, is achieved by using specialized processing block components differently on alternating clock cycles. For example, to implement double precision, the same multiplier components are used in each of two clock cycles, but some specialized processing block internal structures (e.g., shifters and adders) are used differently in the two cycles, so that over the two cycles, a larger multiplication may be calculated from smaller partial products.
US08645443B2	Desensitized filters with droop correction A method and system for the design and implementation of desensitized digital filters with droop correction. The desensitized digital filter includes a first filter configured to receive an input signal, a decimator or upsampler, and a modified desensitized half-band filter. The first filter introduces droop into the passband of the desensitized digital filter. The desensitized half-band filter has a transfer function F(z)=K(1+z−1)G(z) wherein K≠0 is a scale factor, that is modified to omit a (1+z−1) factor block. The modified desensitized half-band filter compensates for the passband droop introduced by the first filter. The first filter may be a sinc filter, CIC filter, or filter having similar properties.
US08645440B2	Acceleration of multidimensional scaling by vector extrapolation techniques A method for multidimensional scaling (MDS) of a data set comprising a plurality of data elements is provided, wherein each data element is identified by its coordinates, the method comprising the steps of: (i) applying an iterative optimization technique, such as SMACOF, a predetermined amount of times on a coordinates vector, said coordinates vector representing the coordinates of a plurality of said data elements, and obtaining a modified coordinates vector; (ii) applying a vector extrapolation technique, such as Minimal Polynomial Extrapolation (MPE) or reduced Rank Extrapolation (RRE) on said modified coordinates vector obtaining a further modified coordinates vector; and (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) until one or more predefined conditions are met.
US08645439B2	Bit-width allocation for scientific computations Methods and devices for automatically determining a suitable bit-width for data types to be used in computer resource intensive computations. Methods for range refinement for intermediate variables and for determining suitable bit-widths for data to be used in vector operations are also presented. The invention may be applied to various computing devices such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (Graphic Processing Units), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), etc.
US08645438B2	File system and method of file access A file system and method of file access are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a method is performed at a host device coupled to a non-volatile memory, where the host device includes a memory having a first file data structure. A first directory entry in a file directory of a file system is located where the first directory entry corresponds to a first file stored in the non-volatile memory. First data associated with the first directory entry, including first location data indicating a location of the first file in the non-volatile memory, is retrieved and stored in the first file data structure. A request to open the first file is received. In response, the first location data of the first file is retrieved from the first file data structure and data of the first file from the non-volatile memory is read. First metadata associated with the first file is extracted from the data read from the non-volatile memory.
US08645433B2	Distributed network construction and storage method, apparatus and system The disclosure relates to distributed network communications, and in particular, to a distributed network construction method and apparatus, a distributed data storage method and apparatus, and a distributed network system. When a node joins a distributed network, the ID of the node is determined according to the geographic location information about the node. Therefore, all the nodes in the same area belong to the same ID range, and the node IDs are allocated according to the area. Because the node IDs are determined according to the area, the local data may be stored in the node in the area according to the geographic information, inter-area data access is reduced. Therefore, the method, the apparatus, and the system provided herein reduce the data load on the backbone network, balance the data traffic and the bandwidth overhead of the entire network, and reduce the network instability.
US08645432B2	Method and device for customizing a mail history A method for customizing a mail history including generating a mail tree composed of all received mails belonging to a same topic; receiving a user input indicating a mail to be replied to and a mail to be referred to which are selected by the user, the mail to be replied to and the mail to be referred to being located on different branches of the mail tree; acquiring a first plurality of mails on a first path from a root mail of the mail tree to a child mail of the mail to be replied to, and a second plurality of mails on a second path from the root mail to a child mail of the mail to be referred to; and merging the first plurality of mails and the second plurality of mails to generate a merging result as the mail history.
US08645431B2	Multi-level supply chain management system and methods A method and apparatus of a supply module having a business object module to define at least one schema to describe the supply chain data, a XML-based language generator module to process the at least one schema and a SQL code generator module to provide a sequence of SQL instructions to perform a query of a user where the user expressed the query in the XML-based language.
US08645430B2	Self-adjusting email subject and email subject history In one embodiment, an apparatus for automated generation of subject line content for e-mail messages includes an input operable to receive content data including text-based information corresponding to a body of an e-mail message, a text analyzer including logic operable to analyze received content data, a topic extractor including logic operable to extract topic data in accordance with an output of the text analyzer, a string generator including logic operable to generate subject line data in accordance with an output of the topic extractor, and a message output operable to output a multi-field e-mail message having a body field inclusive of the content data and a subject line field inclusive of generated subject line data.
US08645429B1	Resolving conflicting graph mutations Resolving conflicting graph mutations in a distributed computing system. Graph data for at least a partition of a graph is stored in a worker system of a distributed computing system. The graph represents relationships among a set of tangible items that model a real-world condition having an associated problem. A plurality of conflicting mutation requests are received to mutate the graph. A conflict between the mutation requests is resolved with a conflict resolution function that lacks direct access to the graph data. The graph data is updated responsive to a result generated by resolving the conflict using the conflict resolution function.
US08645428B2	Arithmetic node encoding for tree structures A computer-implemented method and system for encoding (and decoding) nodes of a tree structure are provided. The method includes receiving nodes of a tree structure into memory and, with a processor, for each node of at least one node in the tree structure, creating a numeric encoding by assigning an encoding value to the node, a root node N0 having a fixed encoding value and any other node Nj having an encoding value which is a function of an encoding value of its parent node and an integer k, where Nj is the kth child of the parent node. The encoding enables a path from the node to be traversed to the root node of the tree by applying a decomposition function to the encoding.
US08645425B1	Guiding the development of workload group definition classifications A method, computer program and database system are disclosed for guiding the development of workload group definition (WD) classifications for a database system having resources. WD classification information is provided where a workload group is a set of system requests having characteristics defined by a WD and a WD classification identifies one or more WDs with similar performance requirements. If WD classification is not acceptable, one or more of the following functions is performed until WD classification is acceptable: (a) splitting one or more WDs; and (b) merging two or more WDs.
US08645424B2	System for electronically recording and sharing medical information A system for electronically recording and sharing medical data is provided, the system comprising an electronic source document, wherein the electronic source document comprises a database. In one particular embodiment, the medical data comprise clinical study data, and in another the medical data comprise patient specific data. In some embodiments, the system includes means for defining data parameters and storing the data parameters within the electronic source document, as well as a browser-based means for entering data into the electronic source document and storing the data therein. In a further embodiment, the system comprises means for one or more users of the system to view stored data. In a still further embodiment, means for one or more users to amend data stored in the electronic source document is provided, and in yet another embodiment the system comprises means for creating and maintaining an audit trail when one or more of the users amends data stored in the electronic source document. In other embodiments, the system further comprises an application specific navigation tool; in some embodiments, the application specific tool comprises a graphical user interface. Appropriate methods of using the system are also provided.
US08645421B2	Attribute based hierarchy management for estimation and forecasting Computer-implemented systems and methods generate forecasts or estimates with respect to one or more attributes contained in an attribute-based hierarchy. Physical hierarchical data and attribute input data are received so that an attribute-based hierarchy can be created. A mapping table is created that indicates relationships between the attribute-based hierarchy and the physical hierarchy, wherein the attribute-based hierarchy is accessed during model forecasting analysis or model estimation analysis.
US08645418B2	Method and apparatus for word quality mining and evaluating A method and an apparatus for word quality mining and evaluating are disclosed. The method includes: calculating a Document Frequency (DF) of a word in mass categorized data; evaluating the word in multiple single-aspects according to the DF of the word; and evaluating the word in multiple aspects according to the multiple single aspect evaluations to obtain an importance weight of the word. According to the solution of the present invention, the importance of the word in the mass categorized data may be evaluated, and words with high quality may be obtained through an integrated evaluation.
US08645414B2	Data management system and method to host applications and manage storage, finding and retrieval of typed items with support for tagging, connections, and situated queries A data management method to host applications and manage storage, finding and retrieval of typed items with support for tagging, connections, and situated queries is provided.
US08645412B2	Computing correlated aggregates over a data stream Described herein are approaches for computing correlated aggregates. An aspect provides for receiving a stream of data elements at a device, each data element having at least one numerical attribute; maintaining in memory plurality of tree structures comprising a plurality of separate nodes for summarizing numerical attributes of the data elements with respect to a predicate value of a correlated aggregation query, said maintaining comprising: creating the plurality of tree structures in which each node implements one of: a probabilistic counter and a sketch, wherein said probabilistic counter and said sketch each act to estimate aggregated data element numerical attributes to form a summary of said numerical attributes; and responsive to a correlated aggregation query specifying said predicate value, using said plurality of tree structures as a summary of said data element numerical attributes to compute a response to said correlated aggregate query.
US08645409B1	Contextual search term evaluation Apparatus, systems and methods for contextual search term evaluation are disclosed. A current search query is received during a search session. A predicate subsequence in the search query is identified. A subsequent search term in the query is identified. The search term attributes of the subsequent search term are adjusted.
US08645405B2	Natural language expression in response to a query Methods and apparatus, including computer products, for generating a natural language expression in response to a query. A computer-implemented method of generating a natural language expression in response to a query, includes generating a text frame from the query, and processing the text frame in conjunction with a grammar and one or more logic configuration files applied recursively to the text frame to generate the natural language expression from the query, the logic configuration files including functions that can pass arguments.
US08645404B2	Memory pattern searching via displaced-read memory addressing A split data word including a portion of each of two word-aligned data words stored at two word-aligned address boundaries within a memory is read from a displaced-read memory address relative to the word-aligned address boundaries within the memory. The portions of each of the two word-aligned data words within the split data word are compared with corresponding portions of a word-aligned search pattern. A determination is made that a potential complete match for the word-aligned search pattern exists within at least one of the two word-aligned data words based upon an identified match of at least one of the portions of the two word-aligned data words within the split data word with a corresponding at least one portion of the word-aligned search pattern.
US08645399B2	Dynamic record blocking Dynamic blocking determines which pairs of records in a data set should be examined as potential duplicates. Records are grouped together into blocks by shared properties that are indicators of duplication. Blocks that are too large to be efficiently processed are further subdivided by other properties chosen in a data-driven way. We demonstrate the viability of this algorithm for large data sets. We have scaled this system up to work on billions of records on an 80 node Hadoop cluster.
US08645395B2	System and methods for evaluating feature opinions for products, services, and entities A system for evaluating a review having unstructured text comprises a segment splitter for separating at least a portion of the unstructured text into one or more segments, each segment comprising one or more words; a segment parser coupled to the segment splitter for assigning one or more lexical categories to one or more of the one or more words of each segment; an information extractor coupled to the segment parser for identifying a feature word and an opinion word contained in the one or more segments; and a sentiment rating engine coupled to the information extractor for calculating an opinion score based upon an opinion grouping, the opinion grouping including at least the feature word and the opinion word identified by the information extractor.
US08645391B1	Attribute-value extraction from structured documents Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for attribute-value extraction from structured documents. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining an initial attribute whitelist, extracting candidate attributes from a first collection of documents, and grouping the candidate attributes. The method further includes calculating a score for each unique attribute in the candidate attributes, generating an expanded attribute whitelist including the initial attributes and each unique attribute having a score that satisfies a threshold, and using the expanded attribute whitelist to identify valid attribute-value pairs. In another aspect, a method includes extracting candidate attribute-value pairs from a collection of documents and identifying one or more features for each candidate attribute-value pair. The method further includes filtering out non valid attribute-value pairs.
US08645388B1	Method and system for processing a query A method for processing a query includes providing an inverted multi-path index for storing path-value pairs. Each path-value pair references at least one structured document stored in a database system, and comprises an index path expression of an indexed element and an indexed value associated with the indexed element. The method includes receiving a clause including a path expression-value pair comprising a path expression associated with an element, determining that the clause can be processed by the inverted multi-path index, processing the clause to identify a path-value pair in the inverted multi-path index matching the path expression-value pair of the clause, and identifying the structured document referenced by the matching path-value pair.
US08645385B2	System and method for automating categorization and aggregation of content from network sites A plurality of content items are retrieved from multiple network sites. Content from each content item is programmatically analyzed in order to associate that content item with one or more categories. The one or more categories may be part of a larger set of predefined categories. A network page is assigned to one or more corresponding categories in the set of predefined categories. At least some content is provided on the network page using one or more content items that were associated with the one or more categories assigned to that network page.
US08645378B2	System and method for displaying relationships between concepts to provide classification suggestions via nearest neighbor A system and method for displaying relationships between concepts to provide classification suggestions via nearest neighbor is provided. Reference concepts previously classified and a set of uncoded concepts are provided. At least one uncoded concept is compared with the reference concepts. One or more of the reference concepts that are similar to the at least one uncoded concept are identified. Relationships between the at least one uncoded concept and the similar reference concept are depicted on a display for classifying the at least one uncoded concept.
US08645375B1	Controlling information about a data storage system returned to an end-user Described are techniques for use in controlling information about a data storage system returned to an end user. A first set of information is sent from a first recipient location included in a hierarchy to a second recipient location included in the hierarchy. At the second recipient location, a second set of information is produced using information control criteria of said second recipient location. The second set of information is sent from the second recipient location to a component used to manage the data storage system.
US08645374B2	System for selectively enabling data tables A method of selectively enabling data tables includes accessing data from a first data table, downloading a second data table, upon reaching a predetermined criteria, comparing corresponding data from the first and second data tables each time data is accessed from the first data table, prompting a user to accept the second data table for use if there is a difference between the corresponding data, charging an account of the user if the user accepts the second data table for use in response to the prompt, and performing alternate operations if the user does not accept the second data table for use.
US08645372B2	Keyword-based search engine results using enhanced query strategies Enhanced computer- and network-based methods, systems, techniques are provided for retrieving more accurate and responsive search results when searching content for a designated entity using an off-the-shelf keyword-based search engine. For example, the embodiments described herein may be used to improve search results by eliminating off-topic results when presenting queries to an existing keyword-based search engine invoked by means of an API from an intermediating application. Example embodiments provide a Keyword-Based Search Enhancement System (“KBSES”), which enables intermediating applications to obtain information more closely related to user queries by enhancing such queries, on behalf of the user, with disambiguating information when deemed necessary. Based upon a variety of rules and heuristics, which can be modified as well, the KBSES determines whether an entity name in a user's query should be enhanced with additional disambiguating information, and to what extent, to prevent the retrieval of off-topic results.
US08645369B2	Classifying documents using implicit feedback and query patterns Methods and apparatus are described for classifying documents using a document representation model based on implicit user feedback obtained from search engine queries. The model may be used to achieve better results in non-supervised tasks such as clustering and labeling through the incorporation of usage data obtained from the search engine queries.
US08645368B2	Systems and methods for improving the ranking of news articles A system ranks results. The system may receive a list of links. The system may identify a source with which each of the links is associated and rank the list of links based at least in part on a quality of the identified sources.
US08645359B2	Providing associations between objects and individuals associated with relevant media items In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method uses one or more search references to identify media items that correspond with the one or more search references and one or more individuals associated with each media item. The method of one embodiment provides a searching and identification service that uses one or more images as one or more search key inputs to identify relevant images of a media collection, including associating information of any depicted individuals with search key inputs. In one embodiment, a computing system operates to provide an association, reporting, and/or display service as part of managing an asset by using one or more search references to search through an image collection as part of determining how a product or service is being used by characterizing an association between each individual associated with the image and the one or more search references.
US08645358B2	Systems and methods for personalized search sourcing The present invention provides a method and system for customized search results in an advanced search results page including vertical searching pivot points for personalizing and refining searching operations. The method includes tracking user network activities and receiving a search query from the user, the search query including a plurality of search terms. The method and system includes identifying a plurality of preferred content sources based on the tracked network activities and retrieving content items in response to the search query. The method and system filters the content items based on the preferred content sources and therein generates a search result page displaying at least a portion of the filtered content items and at least one of the preferred content sources, wherein the display of the at least one preferred content source allows the user to pivot the search results portion based solely on the preferred content source.
US08645356B2	Adaptive query execution plan enhancement An adaptive query execution plan enhancement is provided by: selecting a sample of literal sets from an execution history of a query statement; determining a plurality of access paths by applying each literal set in the sample to the query statement; for each given access path of the plurality of access paths, determining a total execution cost by applying each literal set in the sample to the given access path; and selecting a preferred access path from the plurality of access paths based on the total execution costs for each given access path. A plurality of preferred access paths for a plurality of query statements in an application workload is collected and may be presented as a query execution plan enhancement recommendation to users.
US08645354B2	Scalable metadata extraction for video search Video entity templates defining common features that relate to various metadata types shared among a group of video Web pages are generated for target Web sites. Metadata associated with videos contained within Web pages belonging to a particular target Web site can then be automatically and accurately extracted using a video entity template generated for the particular target Web site. This metadata can then be indexed for use by video search applications in providing video search results.
US08645351B2	Associative search engine This invention relates to an advertisement machine which provides advertisements to a user searching for desired information within a data network. The machine receives, from a user, a search request including a search argument corresponding to the desired information and searches, based upon the received search argument, a first database having data network related information to generate search results. It also correlates the received search argument to a particular advertisement in a second database having advertisement related information. The search results together with the particular advertisement are provided by the machine to the user.
US08645350B2	Dictionary compilations Apparatus, systems, and methods operate to obtain data from a first array constructed from a directed acyclic graph formed as a prefix tree having key strings associated with a plurality of interconnected nodes, including branch nodes coupled via branches to sibling nodes and child nodes. Reference numbers are assigned to nodes in a monotonic progression as the prefix tree is traversed along the plurality of nodes. Sibling nodes are assigned reference numbers before child nodes, and child nodes are assigned reference numbers according to the order of appearance of key string characters. The first array comprises the key strings ordered according to the reference numbers. A second array can be formed as a linear searchable index derived from data in the first array, with elements of the second array comprising the reference numbers. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08645339B2	Method and system for managing and querying large graphs A method, system and computer program product for managing and querying a graph. The method includes the steps of: receiving a graph; partitioning the graph into homogeneous blocks; compressing the homogeneous blocks; and storing the compressed homogeneous blocks in files where at least one of the steps is carried out using a computer device.
US08645337B2	Storing compression units in relational tables A database server stores compressed units in data blocks of a database. A table (or data from a plurality of rows thereof) is first compressed into a “compression unit” using any of a wide variety of compression techniques. The compression unit is then stored in one or more data block rows across one or more data blocks. As a result, a single data block row may comprise compressed data for a plurality of table rows, as encoded within the compression unit. Storage of compression units in data blocks maintains compatibility with existing data block-based databases, thus allowing the use of compression units in preexisting databases without modification to the underlying format of the database. The compression units may, for example, co-exist with uncompressed tables. Various techniques allow a database server to optimize access to data in the compression unit, so that the compression is virtually transparent to the user.
US08645336B2	Digital interactive phrasing system and method A digital interactive phrasing (DIP) system allows listeners to select and edit digitally prepared elements, such as audio or video clips, in any arrangement to create a custom mix. The elements may be reused to make new, different arrangements, as desired by the listener. The system allows the selection, assembly and playback of created sequences of elements, such as songs, verses, dialogs and video elements.
US08645328B2	System and method for archive verification Embodiments provide systems and methods for archive verification of media in a library. A method of archive verification may comprise loading a specified media into a drive at intervals, sending one or more commands to the drive, wherein the drive attempts to read the specified media or data on the specified media in accordance with the one or more commands, collecting data associated with the specified media from the drive and determining the readability of the specified media or data on the specified media.
US08645323B2	Large volume data replication using job replication An approach for replicating data is provided. A job that modifies data objects in a first system to generate a first set of changed data objects is determined to be a candidate for a job replication. Based on the job being a candidate for job replication, attributes of the job are retrieved, the retrieved attributes are sent to a second system, and an execution of the job by the second system is initiated as part of the job replication. The execution of the job causes data objects included in the second system to be modified to generate a second set of changed data objects as a replication of the first set of changed data objects.
US08645322B2	Utilizing publishing and subscribing clients in network media channels Utilizing publishing and subscribing clients in network media channels having a first network coupled to at least a first server and a second server. The first server includes storage configured to store media data, and a network media channel manager configured to send and receive the media data according to one or more network media channels. The first server is also coupled to a publishing client, which is configured to publish the media data using a first network media channel selected from the one or more network media channels, and a subscribing client in a local network external to the first network. The subscribing client subscribes and accesses the media data using a second network media channel selected from the one or more network media channels. One or more network media channels include at least one local channel that is limited to the local network so that only the subscribing client can present to the local channel.
US08645321B1	Asynchronous data integrity for enterprise computing A first database comprises a data entity and a first data model that models the data entity. An agent comprises a data rule concerning the data entity. A plurality of second databases comprises the data entity. A messaging module comprises the agent and is configured to send a message to at least one of the second databases according to the data rule and the general data model.
US08645320B2	System and method for performing an image level snapshot and for restoring partial volume data The present invention relates to a method for performing an image level copy of an information store. The present invention comprises performing a snapshot of an information store that indexes the contents of the information store, retrieving data associated with the contents of the information store from a file allocation table, copying the contents of the information store to a storage device based on the snapshot, and associating the retrieved data with the copied contents to provide file system information for the copied contents.
US08645315B2	Bookmark extracting apparatus, method and computer program A bookmark extracting apparatus accurately selects the most suitable bookmarks related to a website, being browsed at present, from bookmarks registered in advance. The bookmark extracting apparatus provides the selected bookmarks to a user. It includes a keyword extraction unit which extracts a keyword based on browsing history information of a website up to now, and a providing unit which provides a bookmark related to the keyword extracted by the extraction unit from a plurality of registered bookmarks, based on the keyword.
US08645313B1	Systems and methods for enhanced SQL indices for duplicate row entries A system and method for indexing non-uniquely indexed entries in a report generated with a business intelligence system, such as, for example, an on-line analytical processing (OLAP) system. A dummy index is added to each index element returned in the report. Non-unique index elements receive different dummy indices to distinguish otherwise identical row elements. The dummy index is added to a base template and optionally also to a view template of a report generator of the OLAP system.
US08645311B2	Critical threshold parameters for defining bursts in event logs Systems and methods for determining critical thresholds on a number of events (k) and a window length (t) for properly defining a burst of events in a data stream. A new coverage metric Ck,t is defined and used in the determination, where the coverage metric Ck,t is defined for a particular pair (k,t) as a fraction, with the numerator defined a number of events that occur within some (k,t)-bursty window and the denominator defined as the total number of events (n) that occurred along the entire time span being analyzed. Coverage metric Ck,t is monotonic non-increasing in k and monotonic non-decreasing in t, allowing for a divide-and-conquer search strategy to be used to find the critical threshold pairs (k, t).
US08645307B2	Apparatus and method for generating probabilistic graphical model based on time-space structure An apparatus for generating a probabilistic graphical model based on a time-space structure. The apparatus includes a first matrix generation unit configured to generate a first matrix having variables corresponding to stream data; a second matrix generation unit configured to classify the variables of the first matrix into either object variables that are objects of interest or input variables, acquire combination variables from multi-order combination of the input variables, and generate a second matrix using the acquired combination variables; and a model creation unit configured to create the probabilistic graphical model using the object variables of the first matrix and the combination variables of the second matrix.
US08645306B2	Automated calibration method and system for a diagnostic analyzer A method to track stability and performance of diagnostic instrumentation, especially for veterinary automated hematology analyzers, applies a weighted moving averages algorithm to the diagnostic results of patient samples calculated by the analyzer. Control chart rules are used to set limits or ranges in order to determine if weighted averaged diagnostic results are within or outside of such limits or ranges. If the weighted average diagnostic results are outside of such control chart rule limits, then fuzzy logic and a gradient descent algorithm are applied to the weighted averaged diagnostic results.
US08645298B2	Topic models Machine learning techniques may be used to train computing devices to understand a variety of documents (e.g., text files, web pages, articles, spreadsheets, etc.). Machine learning techniques may be used to address the issue that computing devices may lack the human intellect used to understand such documents, such as their semantic meaning. Accordingly, a topic model may be trained by sequentially processing documents and/or their features (e.g., document author, geographical location of author, creation date, social network information of author, and/or document metadata). Additionally, as provided herein, the topic model may be used to predict probabilities that words, features, documents, and/or document corpora, for example, are indicative of particular topics.
US08645295B1	Methods and system of associating reviewable attributes with items Users are enabled to provide structured ratings for various attributes of items or other such content in an electronic environment. Users are able to rate existing attributes associated with an item, or new attributes that the users want to associate with the item. In addition to allowing users to provide a rating for each attribute, users can be prompted to include information relating to these attributes in reviews for the respective item(s). Attributes can be automatically applied to various items using a process that determines aspects of items that are indicative of each attribute being relevant, and automatically applies the attributes to items having at least some of those or similar aspects. Various models and algorithms are described for providing such functionality.
US08645293B2	Pareto sampling using simplicial refinement by derivative pursuit A method of optimizing a plurality of objectives includes the steps of initializing a set of simplices; selecting a simplex from the set of simplices; computing one or more weights based at least in part on the selected simplex; and generating a point on a tradeoff surface by utilizing the one or more weights in a weighted-sum optimization.
US08645292B2	Serendipitous recommendations system and method A computer-implemented serendipitous recommendations system and method generates recommendations for delivery to system users in accordance with settings of desired levels of serendipity, including serendipity levels established through use of serendipity tuning controls operable by users. The recommendations are informed by an interest affinity anomaly function that identifies contrasting interest affinities between recommendation recipients and other users. Explanations may be generated that provide reasons as to why a recommendation was delivered to a user, and the explanation may include a selection of phrases that are influenced by a serendipity level setting, and may include an expression of a level of confidence with regard to the recommendation.
US08645291B2	Encoding of data for processing in a spatial and temporal memory system A spatial and temporal memory system (STMS) processes input data to detect whether spatial patterns and/or temporal sequences of spatial patterns exist within the data, and to make predictions about future data. The data processed by the STMS may be retrieved from, for example, one or more database fields and is encoded into a distributed representation format using a coding scheme. The performance of the STMS in predicting future data is evaluated for the coding scheme used to process the data as performance data. The selection and prioritization of STMS experiments to perform may be based on the performance data for an experiment. The best fields, encodings, and time aggregations for generating predictions can be determined by an automated search and evaluation of multiple STMS systems.
US08645287B2	Image tagging based upon cross domain context A method described herein includes receiving a digital image, wherein the digital image includes a first element that corresponds to a first domain and a second element that corresponds to a second domain. The method also includes automatically assigning a label to the first element in the digital image based at least in part upon a computed probability that the label corresponds to the first element, wherein the probability is computed through utilization of a first model that is configured to infer labels for elements in the first domain and a second model that is configured to infer labels for elements in the second domain. The first model receives data that identifies learned relationships between elements in the first domain and elements in the second domain, and the probability is computed by the first model based at least in part upon the learned relationships.
US08645286B2	Configurable circuitry for solving stochastic problems Techniques described herein may be used to solve a stochastic problem by dividing the stochastic problem into multiple fragments. In some cases, each fragment may be related to a random variable that forms a part of the problem, such that each fragment may produce samples from a probability distribution for that variable. Each fragment of the stochastic problem may then be assigned to a configurable circuit to solve the stochastic fragment. Configurable circuits may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware and/or software, including using stochastic circuitry. In some embodiments, stochastic circuitry may include a stochastic tile and/or a stochastic memory.
US08645285B2	Methods and systems involving databases for energy microgeneration data A method for analyzing electrical generation data includes receiving data associated with a generating device at a metered location and storing the data associated with the generating device in a database, receiving data associated with time periods that the generating device is used at the metered location and storing the data in the database, associating the received data associated with a generating device with the data associated with time periods that the generating device is used at the metered location, processing the received data associated with a generating device with the data associated and the time periods that the generating device is used at the metered location to identify time periods that the generating device outputs electrical power to an electrical grid, and identifying a preferred time period that the generating device may be used to output power to the grid.
US08645280B2	Electronic credit card with fraud protection A method for verifying permission to use a payment system such as an electronic credit card, using a hand held communication device such as a smart phone, where the customer presents the communication device to a merchant who extracts account information from the hand held device, and the hand held device generates a transaction code that is shared with the merchant and sent by both to a financial institution. The financial institution sends a new random code to the user and the merchant, which can be compared to verify the user's account and the financial institution's approval of the transaction.
US08645274B2	Point of sale payment method The invention concerns a method of making a payment transaction between a customer and a merchant using a payment card (200) of the customer including steps of: transmitting details of the payment transaction from a mobile device (202) to a remote server; capturing at least one image of the payment card using the mobile device of the merchant; transmitting the at least one image of the payment card to the remote server; identifying, by the remote server, the merchant and the payment card captured in the at least one image; and implementing the payment transaction between bank accounts (208, 210) of the customer and the merchant.
US08645266B2	Universal merchant platform for payment authentication A method of processing of a transaction between a first and second party is provided. The first party accepts payment via a plurality of different payment options selectable by the second party, and the plurality of different payment options are associated with a plurality of different authentication protocols prescribed therefor. The method includes: receiving payment information over a communications network at a server operatively connected to the communications network, the payment information identifying a particular payment option used by the second party for the transaction, and the server being equipped to format and route messages over the communications network in different manners to accommodate the plurality of different authentication protocols; determining from the payment information received at the server which of the different authentication protocols is prescribed for the type of payment option identified in the payment information; selecting, in accordance with the determination, a particular authentication protocol from the plurality of different authentication protocols supported by the server; obtaining an authentication determination for the transaction in accordance with the selected authentication protocol, including formatting messages and routing the formatted messages over the communications network in accordance with one or more mandates of the selected authentication protocol; and generating a one-time number to be sent back to the first party.
US08645265B2	System and method for card processing with automated payment of club, merchant, and service provider fees An apparatus and methods for a card that allows a cardholder to set up auto-charge payment of dues and fees to a series of clubs, merchants or service providers. The card also may be used for other transactions that accept credit cards. The apparatus includes a database containing information of the associated clubs, merchants and service providers, so that applicants and cardholders can easily configure auto-charging for multiple business concerns in one sitting. The apparatus may process auto-charge transactions in an automated fashion without requiring a cardholder to submit payment authorization or the business concern to submit a charge for each payment. Inconvenience and administrative costs to the cardholder and the business concern are reduced. The system and method provide a competitive advantage to the associated business concerns to secure the initial account and then to maintain it. The system and method encourages card loyalty of both the card members and the business concerns to the card provider.
US08645264B2	Apparatus and methods for verifying a credit applicant's income that enhance a credit applicant's experience Apparatus and methods for processing a loan application. The apparatus and methods may involve accessing a financial institution customer account that includes a plurality of transactions; identifying those transactions that belong to a predetermined transaction category; and summarizing the transactions. Summary information may be presented as part of an income and expenses flow report that at least partially characterizes the account or the applicant. A financial institution representative may query a database for the summary information and, optionally, initiate an underwriting process based on the loan application and the summary information.
US08645257B2	System and method for administering investment funds A computer system for administering investment funds holding shares of funds includes a processor and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is adapted to access from the memory storage device data indicative of allocation targets for allocating invested funds among two or more funds in two or more investment categories; receive data indicative of current holdings of shares, subscriptions and redemptions, and including security values, prices and fund value data; calculate the current allocations among investment categories and determine any differences between the current allocations and the allocation targets; allocate cash from the subscriptions to funds having allocations below their target allocations, commencing with a fund ranked at a greatest level below its target allocation; and allocate the cash to be withdrawn via redemptions to funds having allocations above their target allocations, commencing with a fund ranked at a greatest level above its target allocation.
US08645244B2	Capital allocation and risk management In an approach to financial management, a data representation is formed that defines a number of data elements and relationships between the data elements according to one or more regulatory requirements. Data characterizing availability of particular ones of the data elements for a financial institution are accepted, and actual or potential compliance by the financial institution with at least some of the regulatory requirements is then analyzed. The analysis can include identifying gaps in collection of values associated with the data elements for the regulator requirements, which can relate to calculation requirements and/or to reporting requirements for the regulations. Data representing computations associated with the regulatory requirements can be stored and the computations can then be executed to validate other implementations of the calculation.
US08645240B1	System and method for usage billing of hosted applications A system, method, and computer readable medium for usage billing of one or more hosted applications serving one or more clients. The hosted applications are contained within one or more isolated environments or run without isolated environments. The system may include usage billing based on one or more of resources open, amount of data flowing through resources, number of open files, number of transactions, number of concurrent users, number of processes, CPU utilization and memory usage, The system may further include a management interface where administrators may add, remove and configure isolated environments, configure client policies and credentials, and force upgrades. If using isolated environments, the isolated environments may be isolated from other applications and the host operating system on the clients and applications within the isolated environments may run without performing an application-installation on the client.
US08645238B1	Prepaid multi-line plan infrastructure and methods A system is provided. An application determines a consolidated cycle date for a master prepaid account where a cycle date comprises the first day of usage periods for prepaid accounts. The application determines that a first prepaid account is associated with a first cycle date and a second prepaid account is associated with a second cycle date where the first, second, and consolidated cycle date differ from each other. A first and second prorated amount is determined by multiplying a remaining fraction of a current first and second usage period times a first and second periodic payment, respectively. The first prorated amount is added to the second prorated amount to determine a first credit. Individual billing is discontinued for the first and second prepaid account. The first credit is applied to a first master payment amount payable on the consolidated cycle date under the master prepaid account.
US08645236B2	Determination of earned values of progress of a project A system and method for determining earned values (EVs) of progress of a project. At least one EV calculation rule is defined for calculating EVs in terms of components to be combined into the EVs, locations in which the components are located, and formulae required to combine the components. The defined at least one EV calculation rule is used to calculate the Evs. The at least one EV calculation rule, which includes the components, the locations, and the formulae, is stored. Defining the at least one EV calculation rule includes: identifying the components used to calculate the Evs; identifying the locations in which the components are located; and identifying the formulae specifying how the components are combined to create the EVs.
US08645233B2	Software interface management systems and methods An interface control module includes a link generation module that generates a first link between a provider module and a consumer module. An interface contract module generates an interface contract. The interface contract corresponds to an interface of a product that includes the first link. The interface contract defines the interface based on a bill of materials (BOM). An interface assembly module assembles modules including the provider module and the consumer module to generate the product. An interface viewing module displays logical and physical views of the product on a display at least one of before and after assembly of the product.
US08645230B2	Virtual closet for storing and accessing virtual representations of items A virtual closet stores and presents virtual representations of physical items. The virtual representations may include virtual representations of items owned by a user, items the user would like to own, and memorabilia items for the user. The virtual closet may provide a number of functions. In some embodiments, the virtual closet may be used to facilitate selling items on online selling platforms by providing information (including virtual representations of the items) from the virtual closet to the online selling platforms to place the items for sale. The virtual closet may also be used in some embodiments to facilitate providing advertising targeted to the user based on information available to the virtual closet.
US08645229B1	Secondary marketplace for digital media content A secondary marketplace acquires an ownership interest in a set of copies of media content items from a set of owners. The owners have previously purchased one or more legal copies of the media content items. The secondary marketplace utilizes the acquired ownership interest in the copies of the media content items to provide potential consumers with a set of digital media content items. A one-to-one correspondence exists between the digital media content items and the copies of the media content items. The secondary marketplace permits the potential consumers to utilize one or more user selected ones of the digital media content items for a fee. A right by the secondary marketplace to permit the potential consumers to utilize the digital media content items is by virtue of the acquired ownership interests in the plurality of copies of the media content items from the owners.
US08645224B2	System and method of collaborative filtering based on attribute profiling A system and/or a method of collaborative filtering based on attribute profiling is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating a product profile of a content-based product through applying any number of value data assigned by a user to a set of attributes embodying possible reasons as to why the user reacts to the content-based product, generating a user profile of a user through applying a group of value data assigned by the user to a content-based product sharing the set of attributes and recommending a different content-based product to the user when a different product profile of the different content-based product matches with the user profile beyond a threshold value. The method may include recommending the different content-based product to a different user when a different user profile of the different user matches with the user profile of the user who has subscribed to the different content-based product.
US08645223B2	Commerce system and method of controlling the commerce system using an optimized shopping list A commerce system involves transactions between manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and consumers. Product information for a plurality of products is collected and stored in a database. A website is provided for a consumer to create a shopping list with weighted product attributes. A baseline product value is determined for each of the products. A consumer weighted product value is determined based on the baseline product value and the weighted product attributes. A discounted offer is generated for the consumer. A product score is determined based on the consumer weighted product value and retailer product value. The shopping list is optimized based on the product score. The optimized shopping list is provided to the consumer to assist with purchasing decisions. Purchasing decisions within the commerce system are controlled by enabling the consumer to select the products for purchase based on the optimized shopping list.
US08645220B2	Method and system for creating an augmented reality experience in connection with a stored value token A method and system for creating an augmented reality experience in connection with a stored value token comprises augmented reality software which can be loaded on a general purpose computer. This augmented reality software can be downloaded from an external source, such as the Internet. The augmented reality software may monitor camera signals in order to detect a marker on a stored value token. The augmented reality software tracks the position of this marker relative to camera. The augmented reality software can produce an object which is projected on the image captured by the camera and adjacent to the image of the marker. The projected object can have three dimensions as it is projected on a two dimensional display. In response to certain conditions, the projected object may later be changed so that it contains a graphical item related to the value associated with the stored value token.
US08645217B2	Methods and apparatus for using self-contained transaction components to facilitate online transactions Systems and methods are described for enabling electronic transactions using self-contained transaction components displayed in a portion of a web page. A method comprises: displaying, in a portion of a web page, a self-contained transaction component; receiving, via the self-contained transaction component, input from a user; transmitting, from the self-contained transaction component to a server, information corresponding to the user and the input; and transmitting, from the self-contained transaction component to the server, an indication to complete a transaction corresponding to the user and the previous input. In one embodiment, the self-contained transaction component comprises an e-cart. Corresponding systems are also described.
US08645215B1	System and method for sales tax automatic declaration An automatic sales tax declaration system includes a control center, a point of sale (POS) terminal at a shop, a declaration machine accessible to a customer, and a tax declaration card. The POS terminal and the declaration machine both communicate with the control center via a mobile telecommunication network. When a sale is made, the merchant collects the payment using the POS terminal, which records customer tax information on the tax declaration card and transmits merchant tax information to the control center. Subsequently, the customer uses the tax declaration card and the declaration machine to transmit the customer tax information to the control center. The control center calculates the sales tax based on the customer and merchant tax information. If the control center does not receive merchant tax information corresponding to the customer tax information, it concludes that the merchant may have attempted to conceal sales and evade taxes.
US08645209B2	Real time user activity-driven targeted advertising system A system and method of delivering an advertisement to a target market, may comprise with at least one computing device, collecting data relating to consumer information gathering (accessing activity); analyzing the data relating to consumer information gathering, to determine a consumer interest trend; utilizing the consumer interest trend to define a target advertising market; and utilizing at least one communications channel delivering a selected advertisement related to the target advertising market to user devices within the target advertising market.
US08645208B2	Systems and methods for providing automatic reminders for saved advertisements Methods, machine-readable media, apparatuses and systems provide reminders about saved electronic advertisements. A plurality of electronic advertisements selected by a user to be saved is stored. Content of the plurality of electronic advertisements is analyzed. Contextual factors to determine whether at least one predetermined rule is satisfied are assessed. Satisfaction of the predetermined rule is determined. An electronic advertisement from the plurality of electronic advertisements based on satisfaction of the predetermined rule is identified. A reminder about the electronic advertisement is provided to a device of the user. The electronic advertisements may include any type of incentive or offer, including coupons.
US08645205B2	System for optimizing ad performance at campaign running time A system and method are disclosed for optimizing the performance of an advertisement. The advertisement may be targeted based on correlations between advertisements and/or users. The correlations may be used to improve the click-through rate of advertisements. As data is collected and feedback is received, the correlation between ads and users may be updated, so that an advertiser's campaign can optimize its targeting of users.
US08645203B2	System and method for finding potential trading partners in both two-party and multi-party scenarios System and method for bartering items between two or more parties using a communications network in which each party accesses a central server via the communications network and provides a list of items they have to trade and want to obtain, a description of the items and any conditions for trade of the items. The lists are stored in a database and links indicating the party's possible trades are automatically created. A search for possible trades between the parties is undertaken using the links and the parties involved in each possible trade are notified to confirm the trade. Upon receipt of confirmation from each party, the trade is processed to completion. Weights may be assigned to the links, representing a degree of similarity between descriptions of items, whereby the search for possible trades is conducted based on the weights of the links.
US08645202B2	System for providing offers using a billing statement A billing statement according to one aspect of the invention includes a description of a transaction and an offer pointer associated with the transaction, wherein the offer pointer includes information that may be used to review an offer. In one example of this aspect, a telephone number or a hyperlink is provided adjacent to a total amount owed listed on a statement (e.g., an electronically-displayed billing statement). The offers reviewed may be customized, for example, based on details of the transaction such as the product purchased or the amount of the purchase, the identity of the consumer, and/or on other data.
US08645198B1	Evaluating advertising strategies by simulating their application A facility for evaluating an advertising strategy with respect to a subject website is described. The facility receives a specification of the advertising strategy. The specification indicates how to apply the advertising strategy to select one of a plurality of advertising campaigns in response to each page request against the subject website. The facility applies the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to a sequence of page requests earlier received against the subject website. The facility then assesses the results of applying the advertising strategy in accordance with the received advertising strategy specification to the earlier-received page requests.
US08645196B2	Parking garage vehicle lock box A remotely actuatable vehicle security system for a parking garage. In some embodiments, the vehicle security system includes a structure forming an enclosure between a ceiling and a floor of the parking garage and an electronic actuation system. The structure has a closeable opening through which a vehicle enters and leaves the enclosure. The electronic actuation system is configured to actuate a drive mechanism to close the opening or to expose the opening upon receipt of a remotely generated signal.
US08645190B1	Providing pricing guidance for content items in publications Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing guidance to price content items in publications. Features of a particular content item to be published in a particular publication are received from a requestor and compared with features of content items previously published in publications. Based on the comparing, a predicted price to publish the particular content item in the particular publication is determined based on actual prices of content items previously published in corresponding publications. Then, the predicted price is provided to the requestor.
US08645185B2	Load balanced profiling A method, load regulator, and profiling tool for monitoring and analyzing system performance and spare CPU capacity in a system such as a telecommunication system. The load regulator and profiling tool utilize a communication interface to balance the profiling performance of the profiling tool with the available spare CPU capacity in the system. The load regulator regularly sends information to the profiling tool of any spare CPU capacity during profiling, and the profiling tool adjusts the profiling performance gradually in response to the received information.
US08645184B2	Future technology projection supporting apparatus, method, program and method for providing a future technology projection supporting service A technology projection supporting apparatus includes a describing section extracting unit and steps for extracting a problem describing section and an effect describing section from each technical document, a technical phrase extraction unit and steps to extract a technical phrase, which indicates a matter to be achieved by a technology, from each of the problem describing section and the effect describing section, an impact determination unit and steps for determining a business impact to be made by the matter indicated by the extracted technical phrase, a naming unit and steps for naming the extracted technical phrase; and a technology map generation unit for generating a technology map. The generated technology map has axes indicating time length to be required to implement technology and business impact.
US08645174B2	System and method for managing stakeholder impact on sustainability for an organization A computer-implemented method for managing stakeholder impact on sustainability for an organization is disclosed. The method may include storing a plurality of instances of a stakeholder object. Each instance may define a plurality of characteristics of a stakeholder of the organization. In certain embodiments, the characteristics may be selected from the group consisting of: a description of the stakeholder, a category of the stakeholder, a description of a relationship with the stakeholder, an owner of the relationship with the stakeholder, a description of a stakeholder investment in the organization, a first indication of an extent to which a stakeholder interest actually aligns with an organizational interest, a second indication of an extent to which the stakeholder interest is optimally aligned with the organizational interest, a description of an approval power granted to the stakeholder, an importance rating of the stakeholder relationship from a perspective of the organization; and an anticipated effect of a sustainability project of the organization on the stakeholder relationship. The method may further include establishing a computer-based logical link between at least one instance of the stakeholder object to at least one sustainability project of the organization. The method may also include generating a progress report of the sustainability project and determining that a particular stakeholder of the organization is logically linked to the sustainability project. In certain embodiments, the method may include, automatically transferring the progress report to the stakeholder of the organization, wherein the progress report is transferred in a desired format.
US08645165B2	Systems and methods for value-based decision support Systems and methods for multi-dimensional, value-based clinical care path decision support are provided. A system includes a care decision subsystem to receive a patient problem and at least one clinical patient attribute, to identify a plurality of patient care path options for evaluation by the patient and a provider, and to generate a mashup of patient-specific criteria including clinical efficacy, cost, and access associated with each of the plurality of patient care path options. Each of the plurality of patient care path options can be utilized in an evaluation with respect to an objective associated with the patient problem. A user interface displays the plurality of patient care path options and associated mashup of patient-specific criteria to facilitate a data-driven selection of at least one of the plurality of patient care path options based on comparative efficacy, cost, and access tailored to the patient.
US08645162B2	Method and system for estimating the financial liability of a patient for a medical service A computer implemented method involving a medical service for a patient includes estimating an expected payment associated with the medical service for the patient based on a set of data including payments for similar medical services provided to a population of individuals. The method also includes estimating a cost expected to be borne by the patient for incurring the medical service based on the estimated expected payment and based on a set of parameters associated with a healthcare coverage plan of the patient. The method further includes presenting financial information that communicates the cost expected to be borne by the patient for incurring the medical service.
US08645161B2	Method and system for providing online records A method for providing a user with the ability to access and collect records associated with the user in a secure and private manner includes associating access information with the user for the user to use to access a server storing files comprising records associated with the user in a computer readable storage medium, providing the user with a user interface on a computing device to remotely access the records stored on the server, receiving at the server the files comprising records associated with the user from a service provider associated with the user, receiving at the server a request from the user made through the user interface of the computing device for access to the files, wherein the access information is associated with the request, and sending the user a file containing the records associated with user from the server to the computing device in response to the request.
US08645159B1	System and method of notifying healthcare providers of financially delinquent patients Embodiments provide for tracking and notifying healthcare providers of financially delinquent patients. A platform includes or is coupled to a database including identifying data of patient debtors who have been financially delinquent in a healthcare transaction with a healthcare provider. The identifying data includes patient and financial identification data of the transaction. A fee is received from a subscriber (healthcare provider) that enables the subscriber to electronically access the platform. The identifying data of patient debtors is provided to the subscriber via the platform. New identifying data of patient debtors is received at the platform from a contributing subscriber (healthcare provider). The new identifying data is identifying data of a new patient debtor and/or a new healthcare transaction of an existing patient debtor. A discount is automatically applied to the fee of the contributing subscriber in response to the new identifying data.
US08645158B2	Displaying clinical predicted length of stay of patients for workload balancing in a healthcare environment A computerized system method for displaying a predicted length of stay and actual length of stay in an inpatient healthcare facility for a patient is provided. A predicted length of stay and an actual length of inpatient stay in a healthcare facility for a patient are accessed. The predicted length of stay and the actual length of inpatient stay for the patient are displayed concurrently.
US08645156B2	Inventory and patient management system A system and/or method for managing patients and products used in the treatment of their sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is provided. A barcode scanner preferably scans product data and wirelessly communicates it to a database for use in an inventory management system for tracking and generating product and patient information for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) treatment, for example, when receiving items into stock, dispensing products, returning loaned, rented, and/or defective products, etc. Custom patient reminders, notes, reports, and the like may be generated automatically based on the scanned data.
US08645154B2	Method for delivering a fluid to a patient The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing care to a patient, comprising a patient care device having a number of configuration databases stored in a memory in the device. Each configuration database preferably includes protocols, operating limits, rule sets and/or operating features that collectively define an operating environment, or personality, of the device. Selection of a specific configuration database preferably is based at least in part upon patient-specific information obtained from any location in a distributed hospital network. Examples of such patient-specific information include patient age or size, patient medical characteristics, a location of the patient or a location of the care device. In a preferred embodiment, programming a patient care device to deliver a drug to a patient entails activating a configuration database and scanning a machine-readable drug label identifying a particular protocol stored in the activated database. The selected protocol includes default parameters for delivering the drug, and the label optionally includes instructions for deviating from the default protocol.
US08645151B2	CO2 estimator module Estimations of carbon dioxide (“CO2”) emission of an entity upon the condition of incomplete or missing data uses one or more algorithms implemented in a machine having a processor and a memory and data concerning the entity. The data is applied to an algorithm implemented as code executable in the processor. The algorithm produces a result that comprises an estimate of the CO2 emission of the entity. The CO2 emission estimate can be output to a user, and the underlying formula and data can inspected and optionally modified by users with suitable permissions. The CO2 emission estimate can be applied as a factor in a formula to compute a rating for the entity which can be output from the machine. Error estimates associated with the data used by the algorithm can be generated to provide improved estimates.
US08645149B2	Testing method and system A method and system for functionally testing units under test, such as electronic controller boards for a spa system.
US08645148B2	Methods and apparatus providing an E-enabled ground architecture A method for integrating airplane operation related services provided by ground-based systems is described. The method includes receiving information from a plurality of airplane service functions, the airplane service functions including airlines, airplanes, regulatory authorities, maintenance repair organizations, and aircraft manufacturers, the received information relating to airplane operation. The method further includes determining which of the received airplane operation information is applicable to each of the airplane service functions, and distributing the applicable airplane operation information to each of the airplane service functions.
US08645146B2	Bitstream syntax for multi-process audio decoding An audio decoder provides a combination of decoding components including components implementing base band decoding, spectral peak decoding, frequency extension decoding and channel extension decoding techniques. The audio decoder decodes a compressed bitstream structured by a bitstream syntax scheme to permit the various decoding components to extract the appropriate parameters for their respective decoding technique.
US08645144B2	Audio signal shaping for playback by audio devices A technique is provided for limiting distortion of an audio signal being processed for playback by an audio device. In accordance with the technique, the audio signal is compressed to generate a compressed audio signal having a level that does not exceed a compression limit. The compressed audio signal is then soft clipped signal to generate a soft-clipped audio signal having a level that does not exceed a soft clipping limit, wherein the compression limit exceeds the soft clipping limit. The technique may also include passing the audio signal through a shaping filter prior to compressing the audio signal, wherein passing the audio signal through a shaping filter comprises modifying the level of selected frequency components of the audio signal.
US08645139B2	Apparatus and method of extending pronunciation dictionary used for speech recognition An apparatus and method for extending a pronunciation dictionary for speech recognition are provided. The apparatus and the method may segment speech information of an input utterance into at least one phoneme, collect segmentation information of the at least one segmented phoneme, analyze a pronunciation variation of the at least one segmented phoneme based on the collected segmentation information, and select a substitutable phoneme group for the at least one phoneme where the pronunciation variation occurs, and extend the pronunciation dictionary.
US08645138B1	Two-pass decoding for speech recognition of search and action requests Disclosed are apparatus and methods for processing spoken speech. Input speech can be received at a computing system. During a first pass of speech recognition, a plurality of language model outputs can be determined by: providing the input speech to each of a plurality of language models and responsively receiving a language model output from each language model. A language model of the plurality of language models can be selected using a classifier operating on the plurality of language model outputs. During a second pass of speech recognition, a revised language model output can be determined by: providing the input speech and the language model output from the selected language model to the selected language model and responsively receiving the revised language model output from the selected language model. The computing system can generate a result based on the revised language model output.
US08645137B2	Fast, language-independent method for user authentication by voice A method and system for training a user authentication by voice signal are described. In one embodiment, a set of feature vectors are decomposed into speaker-specific recognition units. The speaker-specific recognition units are used to compute distribution values to train the voice signal. In addition, spectral feature vectors are decomposed into speaker-specific characteristic units which are compared to the speaker-specific distribution values. If the speaker-specific characteristic units are within a threshold limit of the speaker-specific distribution values, the speech signal is authenticated.
US08645136B2	System and method for efficiently reducing transcription error using hybrid voice transcription A system and method for efficiently reducing transcription error using hybrid voice transcription is provided. A voice stream is parsed from a call into utterances. An initial transcribed value and corresponding recognition score are assigned to each utterance. A transcribed message is generated for the call and includes the initial transcribed values. A threshold is applied to the recognition scores to identify those utterances with recognition scores below the threshold as questionable utterances. At least one questionable utterance is compared to other questionable utterances from other calls and a group of similar questionable utterances is formed. One or more of the similar questionable utterances is selected from the group. A common manual transcription value is received for the selected similar questionable utterances. The common manual transcription value is assigned to the remaining similar questionable utterances in the group.
US08645135B2	Method for creating a speech model A transformation can be derived which would represent that processing required to convert a male speech model to a female speech model. That transformation is subjected to a predetermined modification, and the modified transformation is applied to a female speech model to produce a synthetic children's speech model. The male and female models can be expressed in terms of a vector representing key values defining each speech model and the derived transformation can be in the form of a matrix that would transform the vector of the male model to the vector of the female model. The modification to the derived matrix comprises applying an exponential p which has a value greater than zero and less than 1.
US08645134B1	Generation of timed text using speech-to-text technology and applications thereof Embodiments relate to generation of timed text in web video. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method generates timed text for online video. In the method, a request to play a timed text track of a video incorporated into a web video service is received from a client computing device. Prior to receipt of the request, audio of the video is processed to determine intermediate timed text data. The intermediate timed text data lacks a complete text transcription of the audio, but includes data to enable the complete text transcription to be generated when playing the video. In response to receipt of the request, a text transcription of the audio is determined using the intermediate data with an automated speech-to-text algorithm. Finally, the text transcription of the audio is sent to the client computing device for display along with the video.
US08645133B2	Adaptation of voice activity detection parameters based on encoding modes Encoding audio signals with selecting an encoding mode for encoding the signal categorizing the signal into active segments having voice activity and non-active segments having substantially no voice activity by using categorization parameters depending on the selected encoding mode and encoding at least the active segments using the selected encoding mode.
US08645132B2	Truly handsfree speech recognition in high noise environments Embodiments of the present invention improve content manipulation systems and methods using speech recognition. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method comprising configuring a recognizer to recognize utterances in the presence of a background audio signal having particular audio characteristics. A composite signal comprising a first audio signal and a spoken utterance of a user is received by the recognizer, where the first audio signal comprises the particular audio characteristics used to configure the recognizer so that the recognizer is desensitized to the first audio signal. The spoke utterance is recognized in the presence of the first audio signal when the spoken utterance is one of the predetermined utterances. An operation is performed on the first audio signal.
US08645129B2	Integrated speech intelligibility enhancement system and acoustic echo canceller A system and method is described that improves the intelligibility of a far-end telephone speech signal to a user of a telephony device in the presence of near-end background noise. As described herein, the system and method improves the intelligibility of the far-end telephone speech signal in a manner that does not require user input and that minimizes the distortion of the far-end telephone speech signal. The system is integrated with an acoustic echo canceller and shares information therewith.
US08645128B1	Determining pitch dynamics of an audio signal A first-pitch metric function based on a first audio sample and a second pitch-metric function based on a second audio sample may be determined. The first and second pitch-metric functions may have either local minima or local maxima that correspond to candidate pitch values of the first and the second audio samples, respectively. The first and the second pitch-metric functions may be transformed to generate a first and a second transformed pitch-metric function, respectively. A correlation function based on a correlation between the first and the second transformed pitch-metric function may also be determined. A lower-dimensionality representation of the correlation function may further be determined. The lower-dimensionality representation may convey information indicative of pitch dynamics between the first and second audio sample. A computing device having a processor and a memory may perform an action based on the information indicative of the pitch dynamics.
US08645127B2	Efficient coding of digital media spectral data using wide-sense perceptual similarity Traditional audio encoders may conserve coding bit-rate by encoding fewer than all spectral coefficients, which can produce a blurry low-pass sound in the reconstruction. An audio encoder using wide-sense perceptual similarity improves the quality by encoding a perceptually similar version of the omitted spectral coefficients, represented as a scaled version of already coded spectrum. The omitted spectral coefficients are divided into a number of sub-bands. The sub-bands are encoded as two parameters: a scale factor, which may represent the energy in the band; and a shape parameter, which may represent a shape of the band. The shape parameter may be in the form of a motion vector pointing to a portion of the already coded spectrum, an index to a spectral shape in a fixed code-book, or a random noise vector. The encoding thus efficiently represents a scaled version of a similarly shaped portion of spectrum to be copied at decoding.
US08645120B2	System and method of prioritizing automated translation of communications from a first human language to a second human language A method of prioritizing the automated translation of communications includes capturing and inputting into a data processing system a translation-candidate communication rendered in a first human language. A first data set representative of the translation-candidate communication is stored in computer memory and parsed into communication sub-portions. Communication sub-portions are algorithmically selected for translation depending on their relatedness to a predetermined topic as determined by first-language extraction rules. Each selected communication sub-portion is translated to a translated-data-set sub-portion representative of that selected communication sub-portion in the second human language. Translated-data-set sub-portions are subjected to a secondary filtration process in accordance with which their relatedness to the predetermined topic is determined by second-language extraction rules. Translated-data-set sub-portions determined to contain information sufficiently related to the predetermined topic are converted to converted-data-set sub-portions representative of the translated-data-set sub-portions in a human-intelligible format and outputted through a machine-to-human interface.
US08645107B2	Automatic component insertion and constraint based on previous-use data Automatically adding constraints between entities in a subject computer-aided design (CAD) model of a real-world object includes storing information regarding CAD model entities and related constraints in a computer database in which the CAD model entities belong to one or more components of the subject CAD model or other CAD models. The computer database is accessed to determine previously used constraints for at least one entity of a given component being added to the CAD model, and constraints are automatically added between at least one entity of the given component and another entity in the subject CAD model based on the previously used constraints.
US08645103B2	Method for capture, aggregation, and transfer of data to determine windshield wiper motion in a motor vehicle Apparatus for capturing, aggregating, and transferring data to detect windshield wiper motion in a motor vehicle so as to alert the driver of the need to turn on headlights. The apparatus includes motion-sensing hardware having a microprocessor programmed to detect rhythmic movement of shadows at regular intervals or to receive digitized signals from inertial sensors and to sense rhythmic patterns of vibration or motion in the car and characterize and filter the patterns to accurately distinguish wiper motions from other motions. The software then instructs the microprocessor to output a perceivable alert to the driver indicating that vehicle lights must be turned on.
US08645102B2	Determining overall network health and stability A network health analyzer that analyzes health of a computer network may be implemented in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A network profile comprising an issue profile and one or more benchmarks appropriate for the network is determined. A set of numeric measures that is common to all issues in the issue profile is established. The network health analyzer collects data points pertaining to the operation of the network. Based on the data points, numeric values corresponding to the numeric measures may be calculated. In turn, health indexes for all issues in the issue profile may be determined. Based on these health indexes for the issues, an overall health rating may be determined.
US08645101B2	Method for monitoring the condition of a vibration sensor A system and method for monitoring the condition of a vibration sensor in a system. Vibrations are received in the system at one or more vibration sensors. Sensor data is output by the vibration sensor(s). The sensor data includes data representative of the vibrations in the system and data representative of a natural frequency of the corresponding vibration sensor. The sensor data output from the vibration sensor(s) is monitored, and upon a change in the data representative of the natural frequency of a vibration sensor, that vibration sensor is flagged.
US08645100B2	Status polling An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. The inspection system has a sensor array for generating image data. A first high speed network is coupled to the sensor array and receives and communicates the image data. An array of process nodes is coupled to the first high speed network, and receives and processes the image data to produce anomaly reports. Each process node has an interface card coupled to the first high speed network, that receives the image data from the first high speed network and formats the image data according to a high speed interface bus protocol. The interface card sets a register indicating whether a predetermined amount of image data has been stored in a memory, and the process node reads the register to determine whether the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory, and initiates image processing when the register indicates that the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory.
US08645099B2	Depth sensor, depth estimation method using the same, and depth estimation device including the same A depth estimation apparatus and method are provided. The depth estimation method includes grouping a plurality of frame signals generated by a depth pixel into a plurality of frame signal groups which are used to estimate a depth to an object without a depth estimation error caused by an omission of a frame signal, the grouping of the a plurality of frame signals based on whether an omitted frame signal exists in the plurality of frame signals and based on a continuous pattern of the plurality of frame signals; and estimating the depth to the object using each of the plurality of frame signal groups.
US08645098B2	Hand-held device and method for detecting the spatial position of a working point of a manipulator According to the present invention a portable hand-held device (1) for detecting the spatial position of a working point of a manipulator, in particular of a robot, comprises handling means (2, 3) for handling the hand-held device by a user, means for detecting a position (4), wherein a spatial position of the means for detecting a position (4) is detectable; and a tactile element (5) which is connected, preferably detachably connected, to the means for detecting a position and at which a reference point (R) is defined, wherein the handling means (2, 3) and the means for detecting a position (4) are connected with one another by a joint.
US08645093B2	Calibrating multi-dimensional sensor for offset, sensitivity, and non-orthogonality A multi-dimensional sensor, a magnetometer or accelerometer, is calibrated based on the raw data provided by the sensor. Raw data is collected and may be used to generate ellipse or ellipsoid parameters, for a two-dimensional or three-dimensional sensor, respectively. An offset calibration factor is calculated based on the raw data, e.g., the determined ellipse or ellipsoid parameters. A sensitivity calibration factor is then calculated based on the offset calibration factor and the raw data. A non-orthogonality calibration factor can then be calculated based on the calculated offset and sensitivity calibration factors. Using the offset, sensitivity and non-orthogonality calibration factors, the raw data can be corrected to produce calibrated data.
US08645090B2	Automated baseline removal of signal A system for estimating a baseline of a signal exhibits a signal generator and a processor. The signal generator is configured to generate a signal exhibiting a plurality of peaks and a baseline. The processor is configured to perform operations including determining an estimator indicating at least one region of the signal that exhibits a peak, determining a weight indicating at least one region of the signal that does not exhibit a peak based on the estimator, and estimating the baseline of the signal based on at least the determined weight.
US08645088B2	Systems and methods for determining the state of charge of a battery utilizing confidence values Systems and methods to determine a state of charge (SOC) of a battery using confidence values. SOC estimations are determined using a voltage-based estimation strategy and a current-based estimation strategy. Confidence values are also generated for the voltage-based SOC estimation and the current-based SOC estimation to quantify the amount of uncertainty associated with the SOC estimations. An overall SOC estimation is determined by comparing the confidence values and selecting the SOC estimation having the least amount of uncertainty.
US08645087B2	Measuring of earth fault current Method and apparatus for measuring an earth fault current in an output circuit of an inverter (INU) operating on the PWM principle and forming alternating-current voltage from direct-current voltage, the output currents (iU, iV and iW) of which inverter are measured, and which inverter comprises at least two phase switches implemented with power semiconductor components (V1-V6, D1-D6), which switches, controlled by a control unit, connect their own output phases to a positive (+) pole and to a negative (−) pole of a direct-current voltage source such that the phase switches are repeatedly both in different positions and also in the same positions, wherein the results of current measurement during two opposite switch position combinations are recorded in memory, and the earth fault current is calculated by forming a difference of the measurement results of said combinations.
US08645084B1	Non-contact mechanical property determination of drug tablets A non-contact/non-destructive technique for determining the mechanical properties of coated drug tablets is presented. One method is to detect, monitor and characterize a drug tablet during compaction by means of transmitting and receiving acoustic waves into the powder core, as it is formed in a press (compactor), via transducers embedded in the compactor die and punches. An iterative computational procedure is shown that extracts the mechanical properties of the coated tablet from a subset of its measured resonance frequencies. Sensitivities of the resonance frequencies to changes in the tablet mechanical properties is illustrated and discussed. These non-destructive techniques require no physical contact with the tablet and operate in the microsecond time-scale. Therefore, they can be employed for rapid monitoring and characterization applications.
US08645080B2	Method for inspecting bolts A testing method for the bolt to be used under the conditions of excessive wind force by which bolts made of Cr—Mo steel can be separated into a group of bolts usable in cold areas and a group of bolts unusable in cold areas without conducting Charpy impact test involving complicated operation, specifically, a testing method for determining whether bolts made of heat-treated Cr—Mo steel are usable or unusable in cold areas, wherein the determination is conducted on the basis of both J parameter calculated by formula: J=(Si %+Mn %) (P %+Sn %) 104 (wherein P %, Si %, Mn % and Sn % are contents (mass %) of phosphorus (P), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn) and tin (Sn) respectively as disclosed in the inspection certificate of the Cr—Mo steel) and bolt diameter.
US08645070B2	System and method for estimating fluid distribution in a subterranean reservoir A system and method for determining fluid distribution in subterranean reservoirs including determining a water saturation in macroporosity from the capillary pressure data representative of the macroporosity using a saturation height function, correcting capillary pressure data representative of microporosity to have an entry pore value equivalent to a pore size defining the microporosity, determining a water saturation in the microporosity from the corrected capillary pressure data representative of the microporosity, and using the macroporosity water saturation and the microporosity water saturation to estimate fluid distribution within the subterranean reservoir. The system and method may also include the estimation of hydrocarbon reserves.
US08645066B2	Variable corridor navigation The described method and system provide for GPS navigation utilizing variable route corridors. The method may be implemented at a GPS-capable device (e.g. a telematics unit in one implementation) or through a call center that provides navigation services to a telecommunications device (e.g. a telematics unit in another implementation). A user input corresponding to an intended destination is received and a route to the intended destination is calculated with a variable route corridor. The variable route corridor is calculated based on map features, such as other streets not on the route, the width of streets on the route, and map data inaccuracies. In preferred implementations, the system and method are implemented within the context of a GPS unit that is part of a telematics unit in a vehicle.
US08645063B2	Method and system for initial quaternion and attitude estimation Techniques are provided to determine an initial quaternion transform that is used to transform measurements received from accelerometer, rate sensor and inertial reference subsystems from a vehicle coordinate frame to an inertial navigation frame. Methods disclosed determine corrective angular rates to use as a feedback signal to rotate the quaternion transform to counter errors that result when transforming a gravity vector and an inertial reference vector (e.g., a magnetic North reference vector) that are being measured by the accelerometer and an inertial reference subsystems, respectively. The initial quaternion determination is performed during a time period when the only substantial acceleration on the vehicle is due to gravity. The initial quaternion can be used for processing various guidance, navigation and control functions.
US08645053B2	Relative vehicular positioning using vehicular communications The relative position of one vehicle vs. another vehicle, both driving in a vehicular environment, is determined using vehicular communications based on the IEEE 802.11 standard. The relative position determination is performed in a measuring vehicle using data provided by a measured vehicle through IEEE 802.11 communications carried through beacons as well as GPS or other location data and local map information.
US08645047B2	System and method for optimizing vehicle performance in presence of changing optimization parameters A method for controlling operations of a power system having at least one internal combustion power unit includes: (a) identifying a plurality of discrete potential dynamic events; (b) for each potential dynamic event, computing an optimization profile which describes power settings for the power system to follow in order to optimize at least one operating parameter of the at least one power unit; (c) selecting one of the optimization profiles based on the potential dynamic event with the highest current probability; and (d) operating the system in accordance with the selected optimization profile.
US08645045B2	Fuel transfer monitoring system and method A fuel monitoring system for automatically monitoring a fuel transfer in an aircraft fuel system, the fuel system including a plurality of fuel tanks, the fuel monitoring system comprises a fuel quantity sensor arranged to measure the quantity of fuel in a first fuel tank and a data processor arranged to receive a fuel quantity measurement from the sensor, wherein in response to receiving a command to transfer fuel from the first fuel tank to one or more further fuel tanks the data processor is arranged to determine the rate of change of fuel quantity in the first tank from the received fuel quantity measurement and if the rate of change of fuel quantity is less than a threshold value and the received fuel quantity measurement is greater than an expected value then the data processor is further arranged to provide an output indicating that the commanded fuel transfer has failed.
US08645043B2	System and method for controlling fuel injection to decrease particulate emissions during transient engine operation A control system for an engine includes a transient operation detection module, an injection determination module, and an injection control module. The transient operation detection module detects whether the engine is operating in a transient state. The injection determination module, based on an elapsed time since a fuel request and at least one of a plurality of engine operating parameters, at least one of (i) increases a number of fuel injections per combustion cycle to N, and (ii) adjusts periods for each of the fuel injections, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two. The injection control module controls fuel injection during the transient state based on at least one of (i) N fuel injections per combustion cycle and (ii) the adjusted periods.
US08645039B2	Multi-circuit electrohydraulic motor vehicle brake system and method for operating the same A multi-circuit electrohydraulic motor vehicle brake system includes a plurality of calipers having hydraulically actuated actuators which are hydraulically connected to an electronically controlled unit. The unit includes an electronic unit ECU and a hydraulic unit HCU. At least some of the calipers, additionally or separately include electromechanical actuators for actuating or releasing a parking brake effect. In order to cut down on electrical interfaces and electronic units in a motor vehicle, the electronic unit is connected to the electromechanical actuators via respective two separate electrical supply lines, and the electronic unit has at least one electrical switch for supplying the electromechanically actuated actuators with power.
US08645038B2	Method and device for determining a maximum coefficient of friction between a tire and an underlying surface A method for determining a maximum coefficient of friction μmax between a tire and an underlying surface entails empirically determining a reference curve μref(S) of a coefficient of friction μref as a function of a slip S between the tire and an underlying reference surface, determining a first momentary slip S1 for the tire and a first momentary coefficient of friction μ1 between the tire and the underlying surface at a first instant t1, determining a second momentary slip S2 for the tire and a second momentary coefficient of friction μ2 between the tire and the underlying surface at a second instant t2, computing a slope of the curve μ(S) of the coefficient of friction μ as a function of slip S, and computing the maximum coefficient of friction μmax between the tire and the underlying surface by transforming the reference curve μref(S) on the basis of the slope of the curve μ(S).
US08645034B2	Method of aligning a transmission synchronizer A method of detecting synchronizer misalignment in a vehicle transmission, includes: applying an engagement force to an input side of a synchronizer or output side of the synchronizer; monitoring a performance characteristic of a power source configured to apply the engagement force; and determining a misalignment based on the performance characteristic exceeding or not achieving a predetermined threshold.
US08645031B2	Apparatus for sensing gearbox shifting positions An apparatus for connection to a transmission actuator of an engine transmission includes sensors for sensing transmission shifting positions of a shifting device. An interface transfers the evaluation signals of the sensors to the control electronics of the transmission actuator. The sensors are arranged such that their spacing from the interface (2) is smaller than the spacing between the interface and the sensed shifting device.
US08645029B2	Vehicle control system for driver-based adjustments A control system of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an input portion for inputting an order for generating an virtual avatar of a driver, an image detection portion that detects an outside image of the driver according to the order that is input by the input portion, an avatar generating portion that transforms the image of the real driver into the virtual avatar, and an integrated control portion that controls a driver seat, a steering device, a side view mirror, or a rear view mirror according to the shape of the virtual avatar.
US08645028B2	Grille control mechanism for vehicle A grille control mechanism for a vehicle includes a movable member being switchable between an opened position for allowing air to flow into a radiator of the vehicle and a closed position for inhibiting the air from flowing into the radiator, an electric motor actuating the movable member, and a control device controlling an electric current to be supplied to the electric motor to execute an opening operation or a closing operation of the movable member in a case where an opening operation condition or a closing operation condition is satisfied, wherein the control device controlling the electric current to be intermittently supplied in response to one of the opening operation condition and the closing operation condition maintained until the other one of the opening operation condition and the closing operation condition is satisfied after the opening operation or the closing operation corresponding to the maintained operation condition is executed.
US08645025B2	System and method for stabilizing a motor vehicle A system and method for stabilizing a motor vehicle. The system includes a speed sensor for sensing a longitudinal speed and a transversal speed of the motor vehicle. The system also includes a calculation unit designed to calculate an attitude angle of the motor vehicle from the longitudinal speed and the transversal speed. The system also includes an evaluation unit designed to compare the attitude angle with a threshold value and to detect an oversteering situation if the attitude angle exceeds the threshold value. The system also includes an actuation unit which influences the driving behavior of the motor vehicle. The actuation unit is designed to actuate an actuator in an oversteering situation.
US08645022B2	Vehicle control system A vehicle control system which can ensure high reliability, real-time processing, and expandability with a simplified ECU configuration and a low cost by backing up an error through coordination in the entire system without increasing a degree of redundancy of individual controllers beyond the least necessary level. The vehicle control system comprises a sensor controller for taking in sensor signals indicating a status variable of a vehicle and an operation amount applied from a driver, a command controller for generating a control target value based on the sensor signals taken in by the sensor controller, and an actuator controller for receiving the control target value from the command controller and operating an actuator to control the vehicle, those three controller being interconnected via a network. The actuator controller includes a control target value generating unit for generating a control target value based on the sensor signals taken in by the sensor controller and received by the actuator controller via the network when the control target value generated by the command controller is abnormal, and controls the actuator in accordance with the control target value generated by the control target value generating unit.
US08645021B2	Remote tracing of software on an avionic device In one embodiment, a method for remotely initiating a software trace on an avionics device operating on an aircraft is provided. The method includes at the avionics device, receiving one or more messages sent from a ground station over an aeronautical datalink to the aircraft, wherein the one or more messages conform to a protocol of the aeronautical datalink. The one or more messages are interpreted to identify any commands for the avionic device therein. If the one or more messages include one or more commands for tracing software on the avionic device, the software on the avionic device is traced in response to the one or more commands. Trace data obtained from tracing the software can be sent to a memory device for storage.
US08645019B2	Graph matching system for comparing and merging fault models A method and system for comparing and merging fault models which are derived from different data sources. Two or more fault models are first represented as bipartite weighted graphs, which define correlations between failure modes and symptoms. The nodes of the graphs are compared to find failure modes and symptoms which are the same even though the specific terminology may be different. A graph matching method is then used to compare the graphs and determine which failure mode and symptom correlations are common between them. Finally, smoothing techniques and domain expert knowledge are used to merge and update the fault models, producing an integrated fault model which can be used by onboard vehicle systems, service facilities, and others.
US08645013B2	Method and apparatus for driveline noise control in a hybrid powertrain A hybrid powertrain includes an engine and electric motors configured to transfer torque through a transmission. A method for controlling the hybrid powertrain includes determining a transition window associated with torque output of one of the electric motors coupled to an element of the transmission. A noise reduction control scheme is executed when the torque output of the one of the electric motors coupled to the element of the transmission is within the transition window.
US08645011B2	Traction control system and method A method for providing traction control on a wheeled vehicle involves receiving a speed reference signal. A variance in wheel size between a first and at least one other wheel of the vehicle is determined. Lastly, a drive control signal operable to control power to each of the first and at least one other wheel is output, the drive control signal being based on the speed reference signal and determined variance in wheel size and operable to provide that a tractive force exerted by each of the wheels on a corresponding surface during traction and/or braking is substantially similar.
US08645010B2	System and method for locomotive inter-consist equipment sparing and redundancy In a system and method for communicating data in a locomotive consist or other vehicle consist (comprising at least first and second linked vehicles), a first electronic component in the first vehicle of the vehicle consist is monitored to determine if the component is in (or enters) a failure state. In the failure state, the first electronic component is unable to perform a designated function. Upon determining the failure state, data is transmitted from the first vehicle to a second electronic component on the second vehicle, over a communication channel linking the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The second electronic component is operated based on the transmitted data, with the second electronic component performing the designated function that the first electronic component is unable to perform.
US08645005B2	Multipurpose modular airship systems and methods Embodiments according to the methods and systems provide for the selection, assembly, deployment, exploitation of data collected, redeployment, retrieval and stowage of a remotely operated lighter than air (LTA) network of vehicles. From modular components stowed with a mobile platform, one or more LTA vehicles can be assembled, deployed and retrieved. Determining the desirable number of LTA vehicles and the modular components to be assembled for each vehicle can be performed through a computer recommending modular components based on mission parameters. A remote controller device can be used for pre-deployment setup, in-flight mission management and analysis of data gathered by a plurality of possible sensing devise operably attached to the one or more LTA vehicles.
US08645004B2	Method for automated docking of a passenger bridge or a goods handling bridge to a door of an aircraft Method for automatically docking a passenger bridge (1, 2) to an airplane (5) door (3, 4) at an airport gate, wherein the airplane is brought to and stopped in a predetermined position by contact less measurement of the distance between the airplane and a fixed point and wherein a control computer (14) is adopted to control the movement of the passenger bridge and wherein a start signal (24) is required from a person after the person has established the correct type of airplane and version of the airplane type to enable the control computer to cause the passenger bridge to be moved for docking.
US08645002B2	System and method for facilitating and monitoring provisioning of wireless devices The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating and monitoring provisioning of wireless communication devices. Wireless devices are provided to an end user in an unconfigured state, capable of being configured for operation using one or more communication protocols. Upon receipt and validation of a provisioning request by the wireless device, for example by a server, the wireless device is securely provisioned for operation with a wireless service provider. Provisioning activities are monitored and information is generated in response to provisioning events, for example via a database. Portions of the information are made available to one or more wireless service providers or parties providing enabling technology of the wireless device. Such reports may be used to facilitate revenue agreements between various parties involved in providing and servicing the wireless device.
US08644995B2	Wireless local area network for a concentrated photovoltaic system Various methods and apparatus are described for a photovoltaic system. In an embodiment, a method for performing auto-configuration of a concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) array installed in a solar site having multiple CPV arrays. The central backend management system sends auto-configuration files over the Internet to each of the two-axis tracking mechanisms installed at the solar site based upon the GPS coordinates of each of the two-axis tracking mechanisms and that two-axis tracking mechanism's relative position in the layout of the two-axis tracking mechanisms located at the solar site.
US08644982B2	Unit dose packaging and associated robotic dispensing system and method A unit dose package is provided that facilitates the automated picking of the package. The unit dose package includes a plurality of individually packaged unit dose medications separated by perforations. The unit dose package also defines a hole that may be located along at least one perforation, such as at an intersection of at least two perforations, to permit the package to be stored by being suspended by a rod. A robotic dispensing system and method are also provided that facilitate the selective dispensation of unit dose packages having different numbers of individually packaged unit dose medications. The system includes first and second storage locations for storing first and second unit dose packages which have different numbers of individually packaged unit dose medication(s). The system also includes a controller to direct picking of the first or second unit dose packages dependant upon a requested number of individually packaged unit dose medication(s).
US08644980B2	Sensor for handling system The cable lift system provides assistance to movement of a flexibly suspended payload actuated by operator input into one or more sensing devices attached to the payload. The sensing device is configured to collect information about the typical push-pull and lift-lower motions of an operator moving the payload horizontally and/or vertically, such that the operator's input to the sensor is intuitive and is provided in a manner which is substantially transparent to the operator. The assist mechanisms included in the system are actuated by a controller processing signals received from the one or more sensing devices on the payload. Movement assistance is provided such that the manual effort required by the operator to overcome the inertia of the payload in a starting or stopping event is substantially relieved, thus minimizing the ergonomic impact of the starting and stopping events on the operator.
US08644979B2	Heating element location optimization A method for optimizing the location of heating elements within a mold for a rubber article. The position of one or more heating elements, e.g., curing pins or sipes, within the tread mold for a tire can be determined using a 3-D temperature profile so as to improve the efficiency of the curing process. For purposes of the optimization, the number of possible locations for such heating elements can be varied depending upon e.g., the computational time and accuracy desired.
US08644976B2	Automated randomized pattern generation using pre-defined design overlays and products produced thereby Provided herein is a process for randomly patterning a plurality of carpet tiles, each tile having a composite pattern containing at least a base pattern and an overlay pattern. When installed, the random order of patterning results in random tile placement and an overall random appearance. The overlay patterns are randomly chosen from a library of patterns until each individual pattern has been used to create a tile series. The overlay patterns may be manipulated by rotating, mirror-imaging, rotating and mirror-imaging, or repositioning to produce additional variations and increase the number of tiles in the series. The base pattern may optionally be manipulated before being incorporated into the composite pattern. A tile collection, containing such randomly ordered composite patterns, is also described.
US08644974B2	Computerized system and method for managing supply chain orders A computerized system and method for supply chain order aids a manufacturer's production control departments in setting manufacturer production schedules and purchase schedules. A computerized production control system in communication with a computerized ordering system presents a consistent demand level to reduce changes to the purchase and delivery schedules. A next day production schedule is adjusted to keep total demand within the supply chain constant. At the end of a production day, actual production is compared to an original production plan to calculate an adjustment value. The adjustment value is applied to the next day's production schedule to revise the production schedule. If the actual number of units produced is lower than the planned number of units, units are added to the next day's purchase schedule to determine a revised purchase schedule. Other adjustments may be made if the actual number of units produced exceeds the planned number of units.
US08644972B2	Temporal and spatial shaping of multi-channel audio signals A selected channel of a multi-channel signal which is represented by frames composed from sampling values having a high time resolution can be encoded with higher quality when a wave form parameter representation representing a wave form of an intermediate resolution representation of the selected channel is derived, the wave form parameter representation including a sequence of intermediate wave form parameters having a time resolution lower than the high time resolution of the sampling values and higher than a time resolution defined by a frame repetition rate. The wave form parameter representation with the intermediate resolution can be used to shape a reconstructed channel to retrieve a channel having a signal envelope close to that one of the selected original channel. The time scale on which the shaping is performed is shorter than the time scale of a framewise processing, thus enhancing the quality of the reconstructed channel. On the other hand, the shaping time scale is larger than the time scale of the sampling values, significantly reducing the amount of data needed by the wave form parameter representation.
US08644971B2	System and method for providing music based on a mood A system provides music that matches the mood of an e-book when the e-book is read on an e-Reader. The system comprises several sub-components to calculate a user's average reading speed, analyze the e-book for moods, match music to each mood, track music played and purchased, record user's music preference, and play the matched music based on the user's music preference. The moods are indexed as adjectives, adverbs, and onomonopias. A change in mood triggers a change in music played in a wall-to-wall or movie mode. When a user does not have a music preference, the system chooses a default music based on genre, style, and mode based on the analyzed mood. When the system plays music in the movie mode to match a predetermined number of moods, the system fades the music to a pause equal to the predetermined number before resuming the music based on a current mood.
US08644968B2	Content reproduction apparatus, status bar display method, and status bar display program A content reproduction apparatus includes: a partial reproduction unit for partially reproducing only a predetermined partial reproduction range in an entire reproduction range of contents before switching to next contents to partially reproduce only a predetermined partial reproduction range in an entire reproduction range of the next contents; a creation unit for creating a status bar by superimposing a partial reproduction range bar indicating the partial reproduction range on an entire reproduction range bar indicating the entire reproduction range; a display unit for displaying a reproduction screen when the partial reproduction is performed by the partial reproduction unit; and a control unit for displaying the status bar as superimposed on the reproduction screen.
US08644964B2	Method and system for controlling movement of an end effector on a machine The present disclosure provides a method of controlling movement of a reference point on an end effector of a machine, where the machine includes a controller, a first control mechanism, and a second control mechanism. The method includes initiating a movement of the reference point to a desired location with the first control mechanism. The method also includes determining an actual position of the reference point and communicating the actual position of the reference point to the controller. A second control mechanism controls the movement of the reference point to the desired location.
US08644962B2	Adaptive control system The present application provides an adaptive control system for controlling a plant in particular a DC-DC power converter. The control system has two controllers of differing characteristics. The output of the individual controllers H0 and H1 are combined together to provide a combined control signal H to the plant, where H=αH1+(1−α)H0 and where the adaptive control system is tuned by adjusting the value of α between 0 and 1 to find an optimum control position.
US08644961B2	Model based control and estimation of mercury emissions A method and apparatus for estimating and/or controlling mercury emissions in a steam generating unit. A model of the steam generating unit is used to predict mercury emissions. In one embodiment of the invention, the model is a neural network (NN) model. An optimizer may be used in connection with the model to determine optimal setpoint values for manipulated variables associated with operation of the steam generating unit.
US08644960B2	Method and system for providing ambiance settings in a bathing system A method, device and system for displaying, via a user interface, an ambiance setting for a bathing system. The user interface is configured to display at least one display page on a display screen. The method comprises displaying on the display screen, a plurality of ambiance settings selectable by a user of the user interface, receiving, at a processor, an indication of a selected ambiance setting from the plurality of ambiance settings displayed on the display screen and in response to the selected ambiance setting, displaying on the display screen a first operational setting for at least one first type of bathing unit component and a second operational setting for at least one second type of bathing unit component. The first operational setting and the second operational setting are pre-programmed in association with the selected ambiance setting.
US08644958B2	Method and system for the protection of an electric line for railway signals A system for the protection of an electric line for railway signals that comprises a computerized central apparatus (ACC) connected to a plurality of peripheral posts (PP). Each peripheral post comprises at least one plant-controller electronic card (CdE), which controls a plurality of plant-interface cards (IE) that supply the plants (E) directly, via a field bus (B1), on the basis of the commands received from the plant controller and acquire the control signals from the field sensors, transferring them to the controller.
US08644957B2	Electrode configuration for implantable modulator A device according to some embodiments may include an implantable flexible carrier and a pair of electrodes located on the carrier. The electrodes may be spaced from each other by a distance greater than 3 mm, and may be configured to cause, when supplied with an electrical signal, a unidirectional electric field sufficient to modulate at least one nerve.
US08644948B2	Converter device for communicating with multiple medical devices A device includes a housing, a radio-frequency (RF) antenna, a ground plane, an inductive telemetry antenna, and a processing module. The RF antenna is associated with the housing. The ground plane of the RF antenna is within the housing. The inductive telemetry antenna is within the housing and is disposed over a portion of the ground plane. The processing module is within the housing and is configured to communicate with a medical device using at least one of the RF antenna and the inductive telemetry antenna.
US08644947B2	Neurostimulation system for estimating desired stimulation amplitude for electrode configuration A neurostimulation system comprises a user input device configured for receiving input from a user, and processing circuitry configured for (a) selecting a first electrode configuration in response to receiving the user input, (b) predicting a neural response induced by electrical energy theoretically conveyed by the first electrode configuration at a specified amplitude, (c) deriving a metric value from the predicted neural response, (d) comparing the metric value to a reference threshold value, (e) adjusting the specified amplitude of the electrical energy if the metric value is not in a specified range relative to the reference threshold value, (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) using the adjusted amplitude as the specified amplitude until the metric value is in the specific range relative to the reference threshold value, and (g) instructing a neurostimulation device to deliver the electrical energy at the adjusted amplitude via the first electrode configuration to stimulate the patient.
US08644945B2	Patient interaction with posture-responsive therapy In general, the disclosure relates to the delivery of therapy according to a detected posture state of a patient. The disclosure contemplates a variety of techniques for managing therapy delivered to a patient, including patient and clinician interaction with a medical device configured to deliver therapy according to posture state. In one example, the disclosure relates to a technique including delivering a first therapy to a patient via a medical device, the first therapy associated with a first posture state of the patient; receiving an indication from a user indicating that a second therapy should be delivered, the second therapy associated with a second posture state of the patient; and delivering the second therapy to the patient instead of the first therapy based on the indication.
US08644944B2	Implant stimulation device An implantable stimulation device is disclosed which provides for reduced power consumption when compared with bipolar stimulation and better stimulation performance when compared with monopolar stimulation. Implantable stimulator devices use less power in monopolar stimulation mode than that of bipolar stimulation but stimulation performance is greater when using bipolar stimulation. The device comprises circuitry capable of simultaneous stimulation between a reference electrode and an electrode of a stimulation array and between electrodes of the stimulation array, the ratio of current to the reference electrode and array electrodes being selectable.
US08644943B2	Apparatus for stimulating living body Disclosed is an apparatus for stimulating living body including a light source unit which irradiates an optical signal for generating an electrical signal; a photovoltaic cell unit which generates an electrical signal using a received optical signal; and an electrode unit which stimulates living body using the electrical signal, wherein the photovoltaic cell unit and the electrode unit are implanted in the living body. The apparatus for stimulating living body may be manufactured in a flexible form, so that it may extend the range of choice for site to be implanted for the apparatus. Further, the adoption of the photovoltaic cell unit avoids the need of surgical operation for the change of battery.
US08644936B2	Feedthrough assembly including electrical ground through feedthrough substrate A feedthrough assembly may include a ferrule defining a ferrule opening, a capacitive filter array at least partially disposed within the ferrule opening, and a feedthrough at least partially disposed within the ferrule opening. In some examples, the capacitive filter array includes a filter array ground conductive pathway. In some examples, the feedthrough includes a feedthrough ground conductive via. The feedthrough ground conductive via may be electrically coupled to the filter array ground conductive pathway, and the feedthrough ground conductive via may be electrically coupled to the ferrule.
US08644933B2	Techniques for controlling charging of batteries in an external charger and an implantable medical device Disclosed are charging algorithms implementable in an external charger for controlling the charging of both an external battery in the external charger and an implant battery in an implantable medical device. Because full-powered simultaneous charging of both batteries can generate excessive heat in the external charger, the various charging algorithms are designed to ensure that both batteries are ultimately charged, but in a manner considerate of heat generation. In some embodiments, the charging algorithms prevent simultaneous charging of both batteries by arbitrating which battery is given charging precedence at a given point in time. In other embodiments, the charging algorithms allow for simultaneous charging of both batteries, but with at least one of the batteries being only weakly charged at low power levels. In other embodiments, the temperature generated in the external charger is monitored and used to control the charging algorithm.
US08644929B2	Medical implant and method for secure implant communication An implantable medical device includes a telemetry unit wirelessly receiving data signals and control commands; a control unit connected to the telemetry unit; and a comparator unit which compares data signals received via the telemetry unit with data signals generated in or detected by the implantable medical device. Each of the data signals represents specific features, e.g., patient characteristics. The comparator unit generates a release signal if data signals received via the telemetry unit represent one or more features that are similar, according to a specified similarity measure, to one or more features represented by data signals generated in or detected by the implantable medical device. The control unit executes control commands received via the telemetry unit, or receives control commands via the telemetry unit, in response to such a release signal (or, in the absence of the release signal, does not execute or receive control commands).
US08644928B2	Nerve stimulation device To shorten the length of a lead, alleviate physical burden on a patient in installation of a device into a body, and miniaturize the device while allowing both treatment based on cardiac stimulation and nerve stimulation. Provided is a nerve stimulation device implanted in the body together with a cardiac treatment device supplying an electric pulse to a heart depending on a cardiac rate, including a stimulation signal outputting part that stimulates a vagus nerve via a stimulation electrode disposed on the vagus nerve, an electric signal detecting part that detects an electric signal transmitted through a tissue outside the heart by a detection electrode disposed on the tissue, a cardiac event determining part that determines a cardiac event containing the electric pulse supplied to the heart by the cardiac treatment device based on the electric signal detected by the electric signal detecting part, and a controlling part that controls the stimulation signal outputting part based on the cardiac event determined by the cardiac event determining part.
US08644927B2	Apparatus and method for the detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation An embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for the detection and treatment of atrial arrhythmia comprising an electrical lead having proximal and distal portions. The distal portion is positionable in an atrial chamber and the end of the proximal portion is configured to be coupled to a pacemaker. The lead comprises a plurality of conductive wires clad with an insulative coating and has sufficient flexibility to be positioned in the atria from a percutaneous introductory site. The conductive wires are coupled to a plurality of pairs of bipolar electrodes positioned on a membrane attachable to an endocardial wall. The electrode pairs are distributed in a pattern defining an area for detecting a location of a foci of aberrant electrical activity located within or adjacent the area and sending a pacing signal to that location to prevent or stop an occurrence of atrial fibrillation caused by that foci.
US08644926B2	Subcutaneous defibrillator implantation A subcutaneous cardiac device includes a subcutaneous electrode and a housing coupled to the subcutaneous electrode by a lead with a lead wire. The subcutaneous electrode is adapted to be implanted in a frontal region of the patient so as to overlap a portion of the patient's heart. The subcutaneous electrode is configured for therapy delivery in combination with one or both of the housing or a second subcutaneous electrode.
US08644914B2	Methods of measurement of drug induced changes in cardiac ion channel function and associated apparatus This invention relates to the healthcare industry and to a novel non-invasive body surface bipolar ECG to monitor the action potential (AP) of the myocardium muscle. The invention uses surface ECG signals to deduce information on the cardiac ion channels, founded on the reconstruction of the epicardial ECG T-wave using a single transfer filter function of the frequency domain. Ion channels conductances obtained are then used to calculate action potential EndAP, EpiAP and MAP of the myocardium. These APs values can in turn be used to calculate post drug transmural dispersion of repolarisation values to giving an indication of possible cardiac arrhythmias. The invention further relates to various apparatus for carrying out the invention, including an array of bipolar electrodes which in use is arranged on the body surface so as to comprise multiples of orthogonally bisecting electrodes.
US08644913B2	Occlusion-crossing devices, imaging, and atherectomy devices The present invention relates to: (1) guidewire support/placement catheters; (2) support/placement catheters with imaging; (3) atherectomy catheters, (4) atherectomy catheters with imaging, (5) occlusion crossing catheters, and (6) occlusion crossing catheters with imaging as well as methods for using them to treat disorders (and particularly peripheral artery disease) and systems including them.
US08644911B1	OxyVu-1 hyperspectral tissue oxygenation (HTO) measurement system The invention is directed to a hyperspectral/multispectral system referred to as the OxyVu-1 system. The hyperspectral imaging technology performs spectral analysis at each point in a two-dimensional scanned area producing an image displaying information derived from the analysis. For the OxyVu-1 system, the spectral analytical methods determined in superficial tissues approximate values of oxygen saturation (HT-Sat), oxyhemoglobin levels (HT-oxy), and deoxyhemoglobin levels (HT-deoxy). The OxyVu-1 system displays the tissue oxygenation in a two-dimensional, color-coded image.The system contains a system console, a cart, system electronics, CPU, monitor, keyboard, pointing device and printer. The hyperspectral instrument head with support arm contains broadband illuminator, camera and spectral filter for collecting hyperspectral imaging cube. The single use OxyVu Check Pads and Targets are used to perform an instrument check prior to patient measurements. The OxyVu Target is placed within the intended field of view and is used as a fiduciary mark for image registration and for focusing.
US08644906B2	Methods for using MRI-compatible patches A method includes providing a patch including: a flexible base layer that is mountable on and substantially conformable to a patient's body surface, the base layer having opposed upper and lower primary surfaces; a flexible substrate that is releasably attached to the upper primary surface of the base layer and substantially conformable to the patient's body surface; and at least one MRI-visible fiducial element defined by or secured to the flexible substrate. The method further includes: securing the base layer to the body surface to mount the patch on the body surface such that the flexible substrate conforms to the body surface; MRI scanning the patient with the patch on the body surface to generate corresponding image data; identifying a physical location on the body surface using the image data; and removing the flexible substrate from the base layer.
US08644905B2	Magnetic resonance imaging A method removes a part representing non-brain tissue of the MR brain image. For each generated magnetic field gradient, acquiring a current signal respectively at a first time of echo TE1 after an excitation radio frequency pulse and at a second time of echo TE2 after the radio frequency pulse. The MR brain image of an internal structure of the target. The first time of echo TE1 and the second time of echo TE2 are adjusted for correlating time of echo difference ΔTE=TE2−TE1 with a fat and water mutual resonance frequency difference δ, and in that fat and water information encoded in the current signal resulting from the correlation of the second and first time of echo difference ΔTE with the fat and water mutual resonance frequency difference is used as an additional input source into a multispectral analysis method for removing the part.
US08644902B2	Methods for detection of cardiac rhythm disorders using basket style cardiac mapping catheter A method for sensing multiple local electric voltages from endocardial surface of a heart, includes: providing a system for sensing multiple local electric voltages from endocardial surface of a heart, including: a first elongate tubular member having a lumen, a proximal end and a distal end; a basket assembly including: a plurality of flexible splines for guiding a plurality of exposed electrodes, the splines having proximal portions, distal portions and medial portions therein between, wherein the electrodes are substantially flat electrodes and are substantially unidirectionally oriented towards a direction outside of the basket.
US08644901B2	System and method of resolving outliers in NIRS cerebral oximetry A system and method for non-invasively estimating the tissue blood oxygen saturation level of a human subject, including so-called “outliers”, whose physiological make-up causes previously-known techniques to generate invalid tissue blood oxygen saturation estimations. The system includes a computing device and a sensor. The sensor includes a light source configured to emit light of at least four different wavelengths, one at a time. The sensor also includes two light detectors, each positioned a different distances from the light source. Optical density measurements are taken by the light detectors and provided to the computing device. A first tissue blood oxygen saturation value is computed using the optical density measurements associated with three of the four wavelengths, and a second tissue blood oxygen saturation value is computed using the optical density measurements associated with four of the wavelengths. The first and second tissue blood oxygen saturation values are compared, and the human subject is identified as an “outlier” based upon that comparison.
US08644895B2	Protective device for portable electronic device A protective device for a portable electronic device to draw attention to the user in an emergency is disclosed. A personal protective device for a portable electronic device comprising: a case configured to fit tightly around the portable electronic device such as a smartphone; at least one sound and/or light emitting device coupled with the case; one or more means for receiving an input, the input being configured to actuate the at least one sound and/or light emitting device; whereby the at least one sound and/or light emitting device is configured to generate a high volume of sound and/or light upon actuation thereby to attracting attention during an emergency. The sound and/or light emitting device is arranged inside the case and is capable of generating a high volume of sound and/or light in an emergency situation.
US08644892B2	Dual mode wireless communications device A wireless communications device includes a battery, a processing section coupled to the battery, and an RF interface. The battery is configured to provide power to operate the wireless communications device in a first mode of operation. The processing section is configured to operate on battery power in the first mode of operation. The RF interface is configured to receive an RF signal and generate operating power for the wireless communication device from the RF signal in a second mode of operation. The wireless communications device is configured to detect available RF power and enter the second mode of operation from the first mode of operation.
US08644886B1	Ring-tone messaging service An improved system and method to provide important information either, as voice, text, picture, holographic image or video from the calling party to a called party before the called party answers a telephone. The information may be a live or recorded voice, text, image or video message. The calling party may send a voice message, for example, and send it along with a call set-up message. The voice message may be recorded beforehand, recorded as part of the dialing process, or sent live before the call is answered. Instead of the called party's telephone ringing, the recorded voice message is played or the real-time data/bearer stream is heard. The called party hears the voice message instead of the ring tone normally heard when there is an incoming telephone call. If the telephone is not answered, the calling party is sent to voicemail or mms-storage system, where the calling party is given the option to record a voice message which may or may not include the original recorded or live voice message sent along with the call set-up message. Alternatively if the called party has a follow me service, the other contact numbers are attempted as directed in the user preferences before sending the calling party to voicemail. If the calling and called party have telephones, such as mobile phones, IP phones, IP softphones, PDA with telephony capabilities, etc., which allow for multimedia messages such as text, images and video messages, the calling party's recorded voice message may include text, images or video.
US08644883B2	Display control apparatus and method in a mobile terminal capable of outputting video data to an external display device Disclosed is a display control apparatus and method in a mobile terminal capable of outputting video data to an external display device, which implements a function of using other services in the mobile terminal, separately from the service provided to the external display device connected with the mobile terminal. To accomplish the above function, the controller determines whether an event occurs or not during displaying video data sent by the mobile terminal on the external display device and upon occurrence of an event, displays a screen for processing the event on the mobile terminal. Thus, a user can enjoy concurrent service by using other services through the mobile terminal while continuing to watch video data currently being displayed on the external display device. In addition, irrespective of the screen of the external display device, information relative to the event is only displayed on the mobile terminal so that a user's privacy can be fully protected.
US08644882B2	Portable electronic apparatus functioning as pen-table and computer system using the same A portable electronic apparatus functioning as a pen-table, includes a touch-screen module for detecting contact with an external object and creating position data of a detected region. The portable electronic apparatus, by functioning as a pen-table, eliminates the need to install or carry a mouse, a pen-table, etc. for controlling a personal computer, a laptop computer or the like. A local area communication module transmits and receives data based on a local area communication protocol, and a display module displays the detected region and information on a user interface (UI) and functions of the apparatus. A controller controls the operations of the modules in response to the user's input so as to transmit position data created by the touch-screen module to an electronic device that includes the functions of a pen-table and local area communication.
US08644880B2	Radiofrequency local communication interface between a mobile phone and a contactless reader A contactless smart card imbedded in a communication mobile substrate connected to a wireless communication network, and a contactless smart card reader in the vicinity of the communication mobile substrate for radiofrequency communication with the contactless smart card, are disclosed. On one hand, a first antenna is provided on the contactless smart card imbedded in the communication mobile substrate and, on the other hand, a second antenna is attached to the communication mobile substrate and connected by inductive coupling to the first antenna, so that the contactless smart card can directly communicate by radiofrequency with the contactless smart card reader without using the wireless communication network.
US08644879B2	Sending uplink data without synchronization A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) sending a first data signal via an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) is provided. The WTRU may reconfigure physical channel parameters based on a reconfiguration message. The WTRU may subsequently send a second data signal without performing a synchronization procedure.
US08644871B2	Method and arrangement for maintaining cell coverage The present invention relates to an arrangement, a communication network node and a user equipment allowing for maintaining cell coverage in a communication network system as well as a method for such maintained cell coverage. The communication network system comprising a plurality of communication network nodes (15a, 15b) communicating with one or more user equipments (18), where each network node (15a, 15b) is serving at least one cell (19) in which the user equipments (18) are situated. The method comprises the steps of: collecting (51) measurement reports from the user equipments (18) within the at least one cell (19); analyzing (52) collected measurement reports from at least some of the user equipments (18) for determining the proximity of these user equipments (18) to an uplink cove rage limit (20); setting (53) a noise rise threshold based on the determined proximity of these user equipments (18) to the uplink coverage limit (20); implementing (55) the set noise rise threshold in the network node (15a, 15b) serving the at least one cell (19).
US08644868B2	System and method for managing spectrum allocation A wireless radio device includes a wireless transceiver configured to receive on a first channel set and transmit on a second channel set and a control circuit. The control circuit determines one or more available channels for transmission and selects one or more channels for the second channel set from the channels available for transmission. The control circuit also determines one or more available channels for reception, the one or more available channels for reception including the one or more available channels for transmission and one or more channels that are not available for transmission due to operation of an incumbent radio device in a location of the radio device; and selects one or more channels for the first channel set from the channels available for reception.
US08644866B2	Satellite receiver with interfering signal cancellation A method for communication includes receiving a Radio Frequency (RF) channel containing a desired signal conforming to a first air interface and an interfering signal conforming to a second air interface. A first receiver configured for the first air interface and a second receiver configured for the second air interface are synchronized to a common frequency and timing reference. While the first and second receivers are synchronized, the desired signal is decoded from the RF channel using the first receiver to generate a first output, the interfering signal is decoded from the RF channel using the second receiver to generate a second output, and the desired signal is reconstructed while suppressing the interfering signal by jointly processing the first and second outputs.
US08644862B2	Method and system for signaling in broadcast communication system A method and a system for providing signaling in cellular telephone system providing broadcast services to fully integrate broadcast services with the services provided by the cellular telephone systems. The signaling method coordinate interaction between an access network and the subscriber station to allowing the subscriber station to decode the broadcast service, to receive paging messages while receiving the broadcast service, to properly transition between operation states, and other functions known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
US08644856B2	Network-assisted optimization of location determination A mobile device that can use both data from a GPS or other GNSS receiver and signals from a wireless network to provide location based services based on the location of the mobile device is controlled at least partly by a locationing resource control module in the wireless network. The module provides network-assisted optimization of utilization of the GPS receiver and other resources by activating the GPS receiver and associated components when fine resolution location data is needed for provision of the location based services, and deactivating the GPS components when coarse resolution will suffice. The selective control of the GPS components is performed in the wireless network in response to receipt from the mobile device of location requisition data, conditions specifying what actions are to be performed by the mobile device, and current location data from the wireless network. The wireless network may also specify and prioritize at least some conditions.
US08644854B2	System and method for processing enhanced data exchanged with an enhanced mobile station via a wireless connection The functionality of smartphone applications may be extended to a basic phone, i.e., a phone lacking a particular smartphone capability, by providing a data synthesizer in the basic phone that synthesizers required data points. The data synthesizer may communicate with nearby smartphones to collect relevant data points such as location or motion data. Data points for the basic phone may be calculated from the collected data points. When an application on the basic phone requests data, a data provider proxy may retrieve a synthesized data point from the data synthesizer. In one example, a basic phone without a GPS or similar location module may execute a mapping application by averaging location data from nearby smartphones.
US08644850B2	Radio navigation Methods and systems for estimating the position of a radio signal receiver are described. The position of a first stationary radio signal transmitter is estimated using a primary set of positioning resources available to the receiver. Once the position of the first transmitter has been determined, it is added to a secondary set of positioning resources available to the receiver. If the primary set of positioning resources is ineffectual, the secondary set of positioning resources may be used to estimate the position of the receiver.
US08644848B2	Systems and methods for location sensitive alerts in a mobile communication network Systems and methods are provided for providing alerts to users of mobile communications networks based, at least in part, on users' real-time geospatial location at a point in time. Users and third parties set up alerts for themselves or other users that comprise alert details and trigger criteria. Alert details comprise, inter alia, text or other data defining a message to the user to whom the alert is directed. Trigger criteria comprise a geo-fenced area and dates times the alert is active. When the a user enters a geo-fenced area associated with an alert at such date and time the alert is active, the alert is transmitted to the user.
US08644846B2	Mobile device and method for providing eco-friendly user interface Methods and mobile devices for providing various eco-friendly User Interfaces (UIs) are provided. In one method for providing the eco-friendly UI, the mobile device measures a recharging amount or time, displays the recharging amount or time, and determines whether the recharging amount or time is more than a predefined critical amount or time. If the recharging amount or time is more than the critical amount or time, the mobile device is transitioned into an executable state of a specific application. This may give a user motivation to use a solar charge system and thereby reduce battery consumption of the mobile device.
US08644845B2	Apparatus and method for reporting loss of portable terminal in wireless communication system The present invention is provided to report a loss of a terminal in a wireless communication system. A method of detecting the loss of the terminal includes comparing information elements that change depending on geographical movement of a primary terminal and a secondary terminal when a time for detecting the loss arrives. The loss of the secondary terminal is detected based on the comparison result of the information elements that change depending on the geographical movement of the terminals. The loss of the secondary terminal is reported to the primary terminal.
US08644843B2	Location determination Systems, methods, and computer program products obtain power information indicating a detected power of respective signals received in a mobile device from multiple transmitters. Using at least the obtained power information, respective probability values for a plurality of positions are determined, each probability value indicating a probability that the mobile device is in a corresponding position. An estimated position of the mobile device is identified based at least in part on the determined probability values.
US08644842B2	Personal augmented reality advertising Personal augmented reality advertising involves detecting a proximity between a participant's mobile device and a viewer's mobile device. An identifier of the participant's mobile device and biometric data that describes the participant have both been made publicly available. The biometric data is obtained in response to detecting the proximity between the participant's mobile device and the viewer's mobile device. A match is detected between the biometric data of the participant and an image captured from a sensor of the viewer's mobile device. In response to detecting the match, the captured image and an advertisement presented with the captured image is presented in the viewer's mobile device. The advertisement is associated with the participant.
US08644835B2	Communication method of mobile terminal, pico base station, and macro base station in heterogeneous network A communication method of a macro base station serving a target mobile terminal in a macrocell including a picocell includes receiving information about an uplink interference of a pico base station in the picocell from the pico base station, and determining whether to perform a handover of the target mobile terminal to the pico base station based on an uplink interference of the macro base station and an uplink interference of the pico base station.
US08644830B2	Connection control method for mobile communication, mobile communication management apparatus and mobile station apparatus In a mobile communication system including a certain user targeted base station (Home eNB), fast cell search and handover are achieved without unnecessary signaling and without increasing interference with other cells. In the mobile communication system, when it is detected that a mobile station permitted to access the certain user targeted base station has entered or exists within a location registration area associated with the certain user targeted base station, connection information including at least frequency information being presently used by the certain user targeted base station and ID information for the certain user targeted base station is transmitted to the mobile station in a dedicated manner. The mobile station performs cell search based on the transmitted connection information. In a preferred embodiment, the mobile station receives adjacent cell frequency information broadcast from a resident public targeted base station and performs the cell search based on the frequency information in the transmitted connection information as well as the adjacent cell frequency information.
US08644827B2	Mobile station apparatus, management method in a mobile station apparatus, processing section, base station apparatus and communication system Provided are a communication system, a base station apparatus, a mobile station apparatus, and a communication method which can effectively manage measurement information held by a base station apparatus and a mobile station apparatus in a system comprising a plurality of component carriers. The mobile station apparatus is used in a mobile communication system configured by a base station apparatus and a mobile station apparatus. For a plurality of cells with each cell having different frequency, the mobile station apparatus manages each of the cells activated by the base station apparatus to be a belonging cell and manages a cell adjacent to the first cell among the aforementioned cells as a cell other than the first cell.
US08644826B2	Wireless communication system, communication control method, radio base station, radio terminal, and storage medium Even when a radio terminal cannot receive content data from a base station to which the radio terminal serves, the radio terminal receives the content data from other base station. A wireless communication system (1) includes a plurality of radio base stations (21 to 23) and a radio terminal (40). The radio terminal (40) serves to a specific radio base station (serving radio base station) among the radio base stations (21 to 23). Moreover, the radio terminal (40) receives content data which is broadcasted or multicasted from a non-serving radio base station among the radio base stations (21 to 23) according to a gap pattern.
US08644819B2	Dynamic configuration of unlimited service for roaming subscriber Methods, systems, and apparatus are presented for enabling unlimited roaming service on a roaming partner switch. In one aspect, a method includes configuring a billing system corresponding to a home wireless service provider to authorize a subscriber device to receive unlimited roaming service on a roaming partner switch; receiving, by the home wireless service provider, a registration request from the roaming partner switch identifying the subscriber device; registering the subscriber device in the billing system as an unlimited roaming service subscriber device; and providing unlimited roaming service to the subscriber device. Further, a call request associated with the subscriber device can be received from the roaming partner switch and billing associated with the call request can be suspended.
US08644817B1	System and method for presenting a single persistent view of a multi-module communication device to a network An endpoint adaptor and methods of operating the same are provided. The endpoint adaptor provides a single persistent view of a mobile communication device to a network and network-based applications. Moreover, a mobile application on the communication device can leverage the full capabilities of the device without passing any of the complexities associated therewith beyond a network agent acting on behalf of the mobile application.
US08644813B1	Customer initiated mobile diagnostics service A customer initiated mobile service diagnostics system is provided. The system comprises a database containing diagnostic data, a computer system, and an application, that when executed on the computer system, receives a message from a portable electronic device enrolling for diagnostic services. The system also sends a message to activate diagnostics software on the portable electronic device and receives notification of at least one service problem experienced by the portable electronic device. The system also analyzes data stored by at least one of the portable electronic device and the database to identify the root cause of the at least one service problem. The system also sends information to the portable electronic device providing resolution of the root cause of the at least one service problem.
US08644811B2	System, method, and apparatus for avoiding call drop for a wireless phone A method for facilitating a call session includes receiving a request to establish a call session between a wireless phone and a remote phone, and establishing a call session between the wireless phone and the remote phone. The call session includes a first connection with the wireless phone and a second connection with the remote phone. The method further includes monitoring the first connection to determine if there is a connection loss of the first connection, and determining that there is a connection loss of the first connection. In response to determining that there is a connection loss of the first connection, the method further includes holding the second connection with the remote phone, attempting to reestablish the first connection with the wireless phone, and resuming the call session in response to the first connection being reestablished.
US08644809B2	System and method of transmitting electronic voucher through short message A system and method of transmitting electronic voucher through short message. The method of transmitting an electronic voucher through a short message includes converting an electronic voucher to be transmitted into a bit stream; mapping each n-bits of the bit stream to any one text character of one of a plurality of text character groups, wherein text characters in each of the text character groups have at least one same or similar feature, and bit number n corresponding to each text character depends on the number m of the text character groups; arranging the text characters obtained through the mapping into a character sequence; and transmitting the character sequence through a short message. The present invention greatly reduces the cost for issuing an electronic voucher, significantly increases the convenience and apparently improves the safety and the stability.
US08644808B2	System for providing mobile advertisement actions A system for providing mobile advertisement actions may include a memory to store a request, mobile carrier data, mobile advertisement data, and mobile advertisement action data. The system may include an interface operatively connected to the memory to communicate with a mobile device. The system may include a processor operatively connected to the memory and the interface. The processor may receive information and a request from the mobile device via the interface and may determine the mobile carrier data relating to a mobile carrier associated with the mobile device. The processor may identify the mobile advertisement data and the mobile advertisement action targeted to the request and the mobile carrier data. The processor may append the mobile advertisement action data to the mobile advertisement data. The processor may provide the mobile advertisement data with the appended mobile advertisement action data to the mobile device via the interface.
US08644807B2	System and method for updating presence information in instant messaging applications on a mobile device A system and method for controlling the presence status on a mobile device is provided. The method comprises determining an active notification profile for said mobile device, said active notification profile defining how said mobile device notifies of new events; determining a corresponding presence status for said active notification profile; and setting said corresponding presence status as a current presence status.
US08644801B1	Methods and systems for dynamic treatment of callers Methods and systems for dynamic treatment of callers are described. Optionally, a communication system may include an application installed on a user communication device. The communication system may be utilized to receive and screen calls, enable a user to specify which calling parties may bypass a low indication mode and/or a non-indication mode, challenge callers, and/or identify urgent calls.
US08644800B2	System and method for identity management for mobile devices Systems and methods for managing a user identity on a mobile device are provided. The system comprises the mobile device comprising a user agent and a client application, the user agent and the client application in communication with each other. The system further comprises an identity provider in communication with the mobile device, and a client service in communication with the mobile device. The user agent is configured to communicate with the identity provider and retrieve the user identity for the client application, and the client application is configured to transmit the user identity to the client service.
US08644797B2	Content-based billing service for wireless prepaid subscribers A method of allowing content-based billing to a prepaid subscriber or subscribers is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the invention, the content-based billing is achieved by forwarding volume limit threshold data normally used by the Serving GPRS support node to the Gateway GPRS support node, which according to the prior art, counted all data bits at the same rate. According to this embodiment, by forwarding the volume limit threshold data to the GGSN, a modified data count is accumulated since billable data is monitored and accumulates, whereas free data does not accumulate. This modified data count is then provided from the gateway GPRS support node to the Serving GPRS support node, which then transmits the accumulated data count to the SCP.
US08644796B1	Feature management of a communication device A system and method for the real-time management of a device, and more particularly to the establishment and enforcement of policies or rules associated with the feature or functions that may be performed with the device, such as making and receiving calls, exchanging data, playing games and music, sending and receiving email, accessing web sites, and paying for goods and services. If a child or employee is using the device, there may be a need to regulate how that device can be used and to determine who will pay for what goods or services. In addition to providing all of the features associated with a device, service providers need to be able to establish and enforce rules (policies) regulating how and when that device can be used and who will pay for a good or service requested by the user of the device.
US08644794B1	Luggage locator A computer device including a transceiver receives broadcasts from cellular sites within a range of the transceiver. The computer device compares the identity of cellular site identifying information received at different periods to determine a transit status of the device and based on the transit status, broadcasts its location.
US08644792B2	Emergency display for emergency personnel An emergency device or emergency system is configured for operation within a fire safety system, or a fire safety portion of a building automation system (BAS). For example, wireless devices, emergency devices and/or automation components within the fire safety system, or the fire safety portion of the BAS may be configured to automatically provide or otherwise communicate emergency information to an emergency device or system. The emergency information may, in turn, be utilized by emergency personnel or first responders to determine conditions with the structure. A heads-up display is configured to present the display data based on the received emergency communication to a user.
US08644788B2	Signal receiver, portable computer and signal acquisition method used in satellite communication system A signal receiver used in a satellite communication system is provided. The signal receiver comprises a first type code generator, a second type code generator, a composite code generator, a correlation module and a determining module. The first type code generator generates a first type code corresponding to a first type signal. The second type code generator generates a second type code corresponding to a second type signal and having a code length N-time longer than that of the first type code. The composite code generator generates a composite code by superimposing N successive first type codes on the second type code. The correlation module correlates the composite code with a cell of a received signal to generate correlation results. The determining module determines a type of the received signal according to correlation results of the composite code with the received signal.
US08644782B2	Agile clocking with receiver PLL management A method and apparatus for changing a frequency of a clock signal to avoid interference is disclosed. In one embodiment, data conveyed on a first interface is synchronized to a clock signal at a first frequency. Signals are conveyed on a second interface at another frequency. Responsive to a change of the frequency at which signals are conveyed on a second interface, a clock control unit associated with the first interface initiates a change of the clock signal to a second frequency. The second frequency may be chosen as to not cause interference with the frequency at which signals are conveyed on the second interface. The change of the clock frequency may be performed in such a manner as to prevent spurious activity on the clock line of the interface.
US08644781B2	Clock generator with frequency error compensation and mobile device using the same A clock generator for a mobile device, capable of operating in one of a full-power mode and a low-power mode according to a standby signal to generate a high-frequency clock signal and a low-frequency clock signal is disclosed. The clock generator includes a crystal oscillator, for generating an oscillation signal of a specific frequency according to the power mode of the clock generator; a frequency division block, for dividing the oscillation signal by a specific divisor according to the power mode of the clock generator to generate the low-frequency clock signal; and a buffer block, for amplifying the oscillation signal to generate the high-frequency clock signal; wherein during each power mode, a frequency of the low-frequency clock signal is substantially the same.
US08644779B2	Apparatus and method for antenna matching in mobile device An apparatus and a method of realizing an antenna matching in accordance with a user's body effect and a state of a mobile device are provided. The method includes determining a state of the mobile device on a basis of a call mode and at least one of whether an external device is connected to the mobile device, whether a receiver is being used, whether a speaker is being used, and whether a proximity sensor is activated, determining an optimal Tunable Matching Network (TMN) circuit adjustment value in accordance with the determined state, and performing the antenna matching in accordance with the optimal TMN circuit adjustment value.
US08644774B2	Secured broadband device Secured broadband devices and methods for providing broadband communication are provided. A broadband device may include a housing, at least one broadband component, and a securing mechanism. The at least one broadband component may be situated within the housing and configured to receive a broadband signal. Additionally, the at least one broadband component may be configured to output at least a portion of the broadband signal for receipt by one or more external devices. The securing mechanism configured to secure the housing to an electrical outlet.
US08644772B2	Device, system and method of transferring a wireless communication session between wireless communication frequency bands Some demonstrative embodiments include coordinating a session transfer timeout period between first and second multi-band wireless communication devices capable of communicating over at least first and second wireless communication frequency bands, wherein the session transfer timeout period corresponds to at least one communication session between the first and second wireless communication devices; and if the first wireless communication unit cannot communicate with the second wireless communication device over the first wireless communication frequency band for a time period of at least the session transfer timeout period, transferring the at least one communication session from the first wireless communication frequency band to the second wireless communication frequency band. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08644766B2	Radio communication system, transmission device, reception device, radio communication method, transmission method, reception method A radio communication system includes a transmission device which transmits a plurality of radio signals, and a reception device which receives the plurality of radio signals from the transmission device and estimates, as a carrier frequency offset, a difference between a carrier frequency transmitted by the transmission device and a reference reception frequency used for reception. The system includes the transmission device which branches a first previously determined sequence of training signals, and transmits the radio signals modulated with frequencies by the carrier frequency offsets having regularity for a first sequence of a plurality of branched training signals, and the reception device which estimates the carrier frequency offset with the transmission device according to the first sequence of training signals included in the radio signals transmitted from the transmission device and phase shift amounts obtained from the first previously determined sequence of training signals.
US08644765B1	Beamforming using predefined spatial mapping matrices In one or more aspects data packets are iteratively transmitted to a receiver using predefined spatial mapping matrices, channel estimates are received from the receiver responsive to the iteratively transmitted data packets, and one of the predefined spatial mapping matrices is selected for transmitting additional data packets to the receiver based on the received channel estimates.
US08644762B1	Mobile user tracking and application monitoring across an IuPS interface A specific user is tracked based on the cell site or service area that the user's device connects to. RANAP, GMM, and SM sessions are associated based on P-TMSI, IMSI, or IMEI. The sessions are maintained based on packets transmitted over the IuPS interface between one or more radio network controllers and a serving GPRS support node. Tracking information associated with information includes usage information such as responsiveness errors, device usage and location. Tracking of a user down to the cell site or service area level assists a mobile service provider in troubleshooting connection issues by providing more complete information and enabling recreation of a user's situation.
US08644758B2	Repeater system The present invention provides a repeater system, comprising: first transceiver circuitry, for establishing communications with a base station of a cellular communications system; second transceiver circuitry, for establishing communications with a wireless device; and a single antenna system, comprising a plurality of antenna elements. Signals to and from the first transceiver circuitry and the second transceiver circuitry can each be received and transmitted through the single antenna system. The single antenna system includes beam definition circuitry, in which amplitudes of signals between the first transceiver circuitry and each antenna element, and between the second transceiver circuitry and each antenna element, can be adjusted independently, such that different beam patterns can be provided for the first transceiver circuitry and the second transceiver circuitry.
US08644757B2	Method and system for creation and control of virtual rendering devices Methods and systems for coordinating user terminals are disclosed. A user terminal may receive a user terminal identifier and a sensor identifier from a user terminal, determine a group topology based on the user terminal identifier and the sensor identifier to identify a spatial relationship relative to the user terminal, receive a media signal, and identify a subsection of the media signal. The user terminal also may generate subsection information to assign a subsection of the media signal to the user terminal corresponding to the spatial relationship, and may communicate the subsection information to the user terminal.
US08644756B1	Methods and systems for selecting internet radio program break content using mobile device location Methods and systems for selecting content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet radio stream using mobile device location information. In one aspect, the methods and systems seamlessly select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet radio stream using mobile device location information and program break markers. In another aspect, the methods and systems select content for outputting on a mobile device during a program break in an Internet radio stream using mobile device trajectory information.
US08644749B2	Surface heating type heating unit for fixing device, and fixing device and image forming apparatus including the same A surface heating type heating unit for a fixing device, and a fixing device and an image forming apparatus including the same. The surface heating type heating unit includes a planar heating element on an outer circumferential surface of a supporter having cylindrical shape, a power feeding terminal at each end of the supporter, and a connector disposed between the planar heating element and the power feeding terminal. The connector is formed on a first region on the power feeding terminal, and includes an adhesive material for adhering the planar heating element and the power feeding terminal, and a conductive material formed on a second region of the power feeding terminal excluding the first region.
US08644748B2	Self-stripping belt-roll fuser apparatus and systems A belt-roll fuser system includes a belt-roll fuser apparatus wherein a belt is entrained about at least a first internal pressure roll and a second internal pressure roll. The first internal pressure roll and the second internal pressure roll are configured to force a belt against an external pressure roll at a fusing nip, the belt conforming to the external pressure roll across substantially a length of the fusing nip. A passive belt support may interpose internal pressure rolls for ensuring a consistent fusing pressure across the length of the nip. A pressure belt may interpose the fuser belt and the internal pressure rolls.
US08644740B2	Mold for forming developer blade, and developer blade formed with same The present invention provide a mold for forming a developer blade and a developer blade manufactured with such a mold which are able to give images of good quality even in the low-temperature low-humidity condition and to improve a mold releasability. A mold 10 for forming a developer blade has a plate accommodation space 14 in which the metal plate is accommodated and a belt-like cavity 15 for forming the elastic member adjacent to the plate accommodation space. At least a part 20a of a cavity surface 20 defining the cavity 15 in the cross section taken along the cavity width direction is finished to have a surface roughness Ry of not more than 10 μm.
US08644739B2	Toner cartridge and image forming apparatus including the same A toner cartridge comprising: a cartridge body that has a toner discharge port on an one end side in its longitudinal direction; a shutter for opening and closing the toner discharge port; a screw-shaped shaft for conveying a toner in the cartridge body to the toner discharge port; a paddle member for conveying the toner in the cartridge body toward the screw-shaped shaft; and a toner inflow block member coupled to a portion of the paddle member.
US08644738B2	Developer transporting device and image forming apparatus A developer transporting device includes a transporting device body including a transporting portion in which developer is transported and which has an opening; a developer container that is detachably supported on the transporting device body and includes a containing portion for that contains the developer and has a connection hole connected to the opening, an opening-closing member that opens or closes the connection hole, and an opening-closing-member support unit that includes a guide portion that guides the opening-closing member; a movement restraining member supported on the transporting device body and restraining the opening-closing member from moving relative to the transporting device body when the developer container is attached to the transporting device body; and a releasing portion provided on the opening-closing-member support unit and releasing the opening-closing member when the opening-closing member is moved a position for closing the connection hole.
US08644734B2	Image forming apparatus and method for controlling the same to compensate for registration errors An image forming apparatus may include one or more photosensitive media, a driving unit to rotate the photosensitive media, a detecting unit to detect a rotational state of each of the photosensitive media and a controller to control the driving unit based on the rotational state detected by the detecting unit so that two adjacent photosensitive media stop with a phase angle difference between them that is capable of compensating for image registration errors.
US08644729B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body unit having a first supported portion and an image holding body that is rotated while holding an image on a surface of the image holding body; and a conveying unit that is disposed below the image holding body unit and has conveying members for conveying a medium on which the image formed on the surface of the image holding body is to be recorded, image holding body support portions that supports both end portions, in an axial direction, of the image holding body, and a first support portion that supports the first supported portion.
US08644726B2	Heat sealed remanufactured toner cartridge A remanufactured toner cartridge includes a wall defining a fill hole that is used to refill the cartridge with toner. A patch covers the fill hole, and a heat activated adhesive non-removably attaches the patch to the wall. The fill hole can be formed with a heat knife such that when the heat knife is withdrawn it forms a raised ridge of material extending around the perimeter of the fill hole. The patch is attached to the wall by applying heat and pressure to the patch, which also softens and at least partially flattens the ridge of material surrounding the fill hole such that the patch is substantially flush with the wall upon completion of the operation.
US08644721B2	Image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit; a fixing unit that heats a recording medium and fixes the image on the recording medium; a pressure member that is rotatable and has an outer peripheral surface, the pressure member moving from a position separated from the fixing unit to a position in contact with the fixing unit, the pressure member pressing the recording medium when the recording medium enters a contact section between the fixing unit and the outer peripheral surface; and a controller that controls transportation of the recording medium and a time at which a region of the outer peripheral surface reaches the contact section, the region contacting the fixing unit when the fixing unit contacts the outer peripheral surface and repeatedly reaching the contact section, so that the recording medium enters the contact section when the region reaches the contact section as the pressure member rotates.
US08644711B2	Apparatus and method for OLT and ONU for wavelength agnostic wavelength-division multiplexed passive optical networks In a Wavelength-Division-Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (WDM-PON) utilizing a conventional downstream optical signal reusing method, there is an inventory problem that different optical transmitter types need to be provided for the operation, management, replacement, etc. of a system. A WDM-PON system according to the present invention, includes: a seed light (SL) unit generating a seed light whose wavelength intervals and center wavelengths are adjusted using at least one seed light source; an optical line terminal (OLT) receiving the wavelength-multiplexed seed light from the seed light unit, transmitting a downstream optical signal to a subscriber of the WDM-PON, and receiving a upstream optical signal from the subscriber; and an optical network unit (ONU) receiving the downstream optical signal from the OLT, flattening and modulating the downstream optical signal with upstream data so that the downstream optical signal is reused for carrying upstream data. It is possible to improve the quality and reliability of downstream transmission by sufficiently increasing an extinction ratio, and improve the quality and reliability of upstream transmission by sufficiently flattening an input downstream optical signal in a semiconductor optical amplifier.
US08644710B2	Optical transport having full and flexible bandwidth and channel utilization Optical nodes in an optical network may provide directionless, colorless, contentionless, and gridless transmission, reception, and switching of optical signals in which a non-fixed number of optical channels and a non-fixed bandwidth for each optical channel is used. Optical nodes can use the full extent of the optical bandwidth due to the absence of channel spacing.
US08644707B2	Bidirectional optical amplifier arrangement The invention relates to a bidirectional optical amplifier array (VA) which is preferably used in a passive optical network (PON) system, is disposed between a first line termination (OLT) and a second line termination (ONU), and is penetrated by an optical downstream signal (OSD) in one direction and an optical upstream signal (OSD) in the opposite direction. Said optical amplifier array is composed of a first part with two branching and combining units (D1 and D2), a unidirectional optical amplifier (E1), and a transponder (T) in which the optical downstream signals and upstream signals (OSU and OSD) are separately amplified. The two signals (OSU and OSD) that run in opposite directions are amplified in a bidirectional amplifier (E2) in a second part. A constant gain is maintained in the bidirectional optical amplifier (E2) by means of the continuous downstream signal (OSD) such that the amplifier can be operated in stable conditions for the upstream signal (OSU) regardless of occurring bursts. In another embodiment, a splitter (S1) is integrated into the inventive amplifier array (VA).
US08644702B1	Computer-implemented system and method for notifying users upon the occurrence of an event A computer-implemented system and method for notifying users on the occurrence of an event is disclosed. An embodiment further includes notifying selected users upon the occurrence of particular events in sessions using a variety of notification methods.
US08644699B2	Method and apparatus for light emitting diode control An apparatus has a light emitting diode module that has one or more light emitting diodes each with a light emitting circuitry. The apparatus further has a controller functionally connected with the one or more light emitting circuitries; a housing surrounding the controller and the one or more light emitting circuitries; and a pair of power supply connectors extending outside of the housing and functionally connected with the controller. The controller receives operating power from the pair of power supply connectors and uses the received operating power to control operation of the one or more light emitting circuitries.
US08644697B1	Method for progressively determining depth from defocused images A system, method, and computer program product are provided for automatically progressively determining focus depth estimates for an imaging device from defocused images. After a depth-from-defocus (DFD) system generates sometimes-noisy estimates for focus depth and optionally a confidence level that the focus depth estimate is correct, embodiments of the present invention process a sequence of such input DFD measures to iteratively decrease the likelihood of focus depth ambiguity and to increase an overall focus depth estimate confidence level. Automatic focus systems for imaging devices may use the outputs of the embodiments to operate more quickly and accurately, either directly or in combination with other focus depth estimation methods, such as calculated sharpness measures. A depth map of a 3D scene may be estimated for creating a pair of images based on a single image.
US08644695B2	Lens system and image pickup system including the same A lens system includes an operating unit for operating a lens apparatus, an operation-side communication unit performing bidirectional communication to/from the operating unit via a transmission line, and a lens-side communication unit performing bidirectional communication to/from the lens apparatus via a transmission line. The operation-side and lens-side communication units perform wireless communication to/from each other. The operation-side communication unit includes a command selecting unit selecting a command to be transmitted to the lens-side communication unit from commands input from the operating unit, and an answer interpolating unit generating an interpolated answer by interpolating answers with respect to commands that are not selected. The lens-side communication unit includes an answer selecting unit selecting an answer to be transmitted to the operation-side communication unit from answers input from the lens apparatus, and a command interpolating unit generating a command by interpolating commands received from the operation-side communication unit.
US08644694B2	Camera To provide a camera that can perform a removal operation for particles adherent to a surface upon which light is incident, of a pickup device and a transmitting member disposed on an optical path of the pickup device in such a condition that the particles are properly removed. According to the present invention, a camera comprises a driving mechanism section to drop and remove particles on a cleaning target that is a surface of an image pickup device and/or a surface of a low-pass filter provided closer to a side of a subject in an optical path than the image pickup device, the subject light passing through the low-pass filter, which is provided with: a tilt sensor to detect an orientation of the camera; and a control section to judge whether a removal operation for the particles by the driving mechanism section should be carried out or not in accordance with the detected value from the tilt sensor.
US08644689B2	Capturing video content An apparatus and method are disclosed for capturing video content. A buffer stores a most recent time interval of a video signal. A capture module stops overwrite of a stored video signal in response to a capture command. A copy module retrieves the stored video signal.
US08644687B2	Recording apparatus In a recording apparatus (camcorders, optical disc recorders, etc.), the operator presses down priority designating buttons for designating priorities when recording input image data. An additional information generating section records and holds, in a storage section, additional information indicating priorities of data to be recorded (e.g., “low”, “intermediate”, “high”, or “highest”) which are set, depending on what priority designating button has been pressed down. If recordable remaining space in the storage section detected by the remaining amount detecting section falls below a predetermined value before the start of or during recording of data, a control section overwrites regions in order of priority of data which is stored therein, the lowest first, with data which is about to be recorded or is being recorded, based on the additional information generated by the additional information generating section. Therefore, even if free space in the storage medium becomes small, a decisive moment can be recoded, for example.
US08644686B2	Image recording method for time shift function and image recording apparatus thereof An image recording method for a time shift function and an image recording apparatus thereof are provided. The image recording method includes, if a channel is changed, tuning one of first and second tuners to the change channel, based on time information of each channel received through the first and second tuners, and controlling a record progress state of each channel image received through the first and second tuners based on the time information.
US08644680B2	Method and apparatus for providing a content control signal in a media player via color burst phase modifications The “color stripe” process is well known in the video field for preventing copying of video by analog video tape recorders, and operates by altering the phase of a portion of the video signal color burst. Here, a weakened version of the color stripe process is installed in a video signal by a digital media player which plays or stores conventional digital media, such as an optical disc (e.g., DVD or CD) player, a hard disc drive, a digital tape drive, or solid state memory. Thereby in an analog video signal output by such a digital media player the color burst phase alterations are reduced or attenuated so there is no copy prevention effect on a conventional downstream (receiving) analog video tape recorder. However the weakened color stripe process is still sufficient to be detectable by a suitable detector located in a downstream compliant device such as a video recorder, so the detected presence of the installed color stripe serves as an encoded indication of copy control or other content control for the video signal by the compliant device.
US08644677B2	Network media player having a user-generated playback control record A network media player enables user-controlled playback of video or other content from various sources according to a playback control record. The network media player includes a content input port, an output port, and a processor configured to retrieve input content from one or more sources using the content input port. The processor is also configured to generate output content from the retrieved input content according to a playback control record so as to vary the playback of the retrieved input content. The processor is also configured to output the generated output content to the output port. In some embodiments, the playback control record includes an applicability identifier usable to determine whether the playback control record is applicable to input content and a content variation descriptor that defines an alteration to be applied to the retrieved input content.
US08644676B2	Data processing apparatus and data processing method A data processing apparatus is provided. The data processing apparatus includes a plurality of ports, a memory, a determining unit, and a processing unit. The plurality of ports are configured to input and output video data. The memory is configured to store the video data when the video data is recorded onto a recording medium and when the video data is played back from a recording medium. The determining unit is configured to determine whether video data, for which a video data playback request designating one of the plurality of ports has been issued, is stored in the memory, using data identification information for identifying video data and usage management information. The processing unit is configured to have the video data stored in the memory outputted from the designated port, when the determining unit determines that the video data is stored.
US08644673B2	Augmented reality system for re-casting a seminar with private calculations Computer-implemented techniques for viewing a recorded presentation are described. The techniques include receiving by one or more computers a request from a user to view a recorded presentation, retrieving, by one or more computing systems, a segment of the recorded presentation that is comprised of plural segments and information specifying times of occurrences of trigger events associated with corresponding segments in the recorded presentation, retrieving by the one or more computers private information of the user relevant to a first segment of the recorded presentation based on a first trigger event, generating, by the one or more computing systems, a re-cast first segment of the recorded presentation, with the re-cast first segment including the private information of the user, and sending by the one or more computing systems, the re-cast segment to a computing device associated with the user.
US08644670B2	Apparatus and method for reproducing contents A contents reproduction apparatus is provided that can resume reproduction according to the viewer. A CPU of a television executes the steps of: sending to a camera a command to pick up an image in response to input of an instruction to display a contents list; sending to an analysis unit a command to analyze image data of the person who inputs the instruction to display; specifying the person who inputs; sending data for displaying the list; detecting input of an instruction to select contents; calculating a backward amount in the case where the input instruction is an instruction to reproduce the same contents; and sending a command to reproduce the contents from a position preceding by the backward amount.
US08644669B2	Recording medium, reproduction device, message acquisition method, message acquisition program, integrated circuit A recording medium, which is provided by a content provider and allows the content provider to control messages, has recorded thereon content and a program executed at a time of playback of the content by a playback apparatus. The program causing the playback apparatus to interact with a different program prestored in the playback apparatus and executed at the time of the playback of the content and to transmit, to the different program, a message determined according to the result of the interaction. The playback apparatus includes a reading unit reading the program from the recording medium at the time of the playback of the content, a startup unit starting up the read program, an interaction unit interacting with the program, and a processing unit receiving a message corresponding to a result of the interaction from the recording medium and performing a process corresponding to the received message.
US08644666B2	Methods and apparatus related to an optical fiber member having a removable cover An apparatus may include a waveguide. The waveguide may include a distal end surface which may be substantially normal to a centerline of a distal end portion of the waveguide. The apparatus may further include a cover which may be coupled to a portion of the waveguide. The cover may include a portion distal to the distal end surface of the waveguide, and the portion of the cover may be made of a material which may be configured to be removed when exposed to electromagnetic radiation emitted from a portion of the distal end surface of the waveguide.
US08644663B2	Modular imaging system, modules for this system and method implemented using this system An imaging device including an illumination module including at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam, a scanning and injection module including an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers, and a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide, and a detection module including at least one detector for detecting at least one luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide. At least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module by a conjugating optical fiber.
US08644662B2	Optical connection structure and production method of optical waveguide to be used for the optical connection structure An optical connection structure which permits easy and automatic alignment between the optical axes of optical fibers and the optical axes of cores of an optical waveguide, and a production method which ensures that an optical waveguide for the optical connection structure can be efficiently produced with higher dimensional accuracy are provided. An over-cladding layer of the optical waveguide includes an extension portion provided in a longitudinal end portion thereof, and optical fiber fixing grooves are provided in the extension portion as extending along extension lines of cores coaxially with the cores and each having opposite ends, one of which is open in an end face of the extension portion and the other of which is closed. Optical fibers are fitted and fixed in the respective optical fiber fixing grooves. The over-cladding layer further includes a boundary portion (6) provided between the other closed ends of the optical fiber fixing grooves and the cores.
US08644659B2	Methods and systems for predicting an optical fiber performance parameter A method for predicting polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in an installed optical fiber. Values of PMD are measured for a first optical fiber at various points in time during the manufacture and installation of the first optical fiber. Values of PMD are identified that correspond to sensitive ones of the various points in time. A set of correlation coefficients is calculated based on the values of PMD corresponding to the sensitive ones of the various points in time. An installed value of PMD for a second optical fiber is predicted based on the set of correlation coefficients.
US08644657B2	Method of tuning resonance wavelength of ring resonator Provided is a method of tuning a resonance wavelength of a ring resonator. The method of tuning the resonance wavelength of a ring resonator includes preparing a ring resonator which contains a ring waveguide and a dielectric layer covering the ring waveguide, and heating the ring resonator to induce a refractive index phase change of the dielectric layer.
US08644653B2	Compact multimode interference element The present disclosure provides a system, apparatus and method to for providing highly manufacturable compact optical structures in optical circuits, increasing overall yield and lowering manufacturing costs. According to one aspect, an optical circuit is provided which includes an multimode interference element and first and second waveguides. The first waveguide may be provided adjacent a first side of the optical device and extending along at least the length of the multimode interference element, while the second waveguide may be provided adjacent a second side of the multimode interference element and extending along at least the length of the optical device. Each of the first and second waveguide have first and second ends which may be configured to dissipate propagating light in the first and second waveguides. The first waveguide may be spaced a first distance from the multimode interference element, the first distance being substantially constant along the length of the multimode interference element, and the second waveguide may be spaced a second distance from the multimode interference element, the second distance being substantially constant along the length of the multimode interference element. The first and second distances may be selected such that the first and second waveguides provide sufficient fabrication loading to maintain a width of the optical device along, a length of the optical device, within a deviation or range of values. In certain embodiments, the multimode interference element may be a multimode interference optical coupler.
US08644651B2	Uniform light source for an imaging instrument The approach of one embodiment of the present invention is to mechanically vibrate a length of fiber optic cable transmitting coherent laser light, so that a mechanical resonance in the optical fiber is excited. This is achieved by suspending the fiber optic cable between two points and controlling both the axial tension on the suspended fiber optic cable as well as the mechanical forcing frequency. The cyclic, high-frequency mechanical perturbations of the fiber rapidly vary the path length and internal reflection angles of one or more respective modes of the transmitted laser light. In certain embodiments, the system may be tuned to induce a standing mechanical wave in the fiber. Higher-harmonic waveforms and higher amplitudes in the resonant fiber produce excellent speckle reduction and uniform intensity distributions.
US08644649B2	Optical waveguide with cascaded modulator circuits A silicon optical waveguide for transmitting an optical signal input to the optical waveguide with a first frequency. The optical waveguide includes a plurality of modulator circuits configured along a silicon optical transmission channel. Each modulator circuit includes at least one resonant structure that resonates at the first frequency when the modulator circuit that includes the at least one resonant structure is at a resonant temperature. Each modulator circuit has a different resonant temperature.
US08644642B2	Image quality evaluation method, system, and program based on an alternating-current component differential value Disclosed is a picture quality evaluation method that evaluates the quality of a second image based on alternating current component measurements for a pixel set in a first image and alternating current component measurements for a pixel set in a second image in the same location as the pixel set in the first image.
US08644641B2	Method and control unit for rectifying a camera image A method for rectifying a camera image includes: receiving a plurality of distorted pixels of a distorted camera image; receiving a compressed rectifying rule, via an interface; and performing a decompression of the compressed rectifying rule, in order to obtain a decompressed rectifying rule for rectifying the distorted camera image. A plurality of rectified pixels of a distorted camera image is determined from the plurality of distorted pixels, using the decompressed rectifying rule.
US08644634B2	Method and system for measuring lens quality A method for measuring lens quality includes receiving and transmitting an image's information to a location module through an image collecting module. A location module partitions the image's information into a plurality of measure areas. An image processing module computes the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) of each measure area. A comparing module compares the MTF with a predetermined MTF to determine quality of the lenses.
US08644633B2	Scan conversion apparatus, image encoding apparatus, and methods of controlling them Using scan conversion processing of changing the scan order for each block, parallel scan conversion processing is executed if possible. A scan status holding unit holds statistical information based on the appearance frequency values of coefficients in a block. A scan order holding unit holds coefficient position information in which the coefficient positions in a block are arranged based on the scan order. A significant data position information generation unit scans one block data in accordance with coefficient position information, and generates information representing nonzero/zero for each data position. Based on the statistical information and the information generated by the significant data position information generation unit, a parallel number determination unit determines whether to process two blocks in parallel or process one block. In accordance with the determination, a scan conversion unit scan-converts two input blocks in parallel or scan-converts only one of the blocks.
US08644631B2	Method of predicting a motion vector for a current block in a current picture In one embodiment, a method of predicting a motion vector for a current block in a current picture by a moving picture decoding device includes obtaining, by the moving picture decoding device, a direction of a reference picture of the current picture, based on comparison of a display order of the reference picture and a display order of the current picture, obtaining, by the moving picture decoding device, at least three motion vectors for at least three other blocks than the current block based on the direction of the reference picture and predicting, by the moving picture decoding device, a motion vector for the current block by using a median operation of the at least three motion vectors.
US08644623B2	Measuring web page rendering time Various embodiments provide approaches for measuring the rendering times of a webpage that can be browser-independent. In at least some embodiments, as a web page is rendered, video data of the webpage is captured and analyzed to ascertain when the webpage, or portions thereof, have likely been completely rendered. In at least some embodiments, image processing can be performed on captured video data to ascertain, from observed pixel changes over time, when the webpage has likely been rendered.
US08644622B2	Compact signature for unordered vector sets with application to image retrieval To compute a signature for an object comprising or represented by a set of vectors in a vector space of dimensionality D, statistics are computed that are indicative of distribution of the vectors of the set of vectors amongst a set of regions Ri, i=1, . . . , N of the vector space, at least some statistics associated with each region are binarized to generate sets of binary values ai, i=1, . . . , N indicative of statistics of the vectors of the set of vectors belonging to the respective regions Ri, i=1, . . . , N; and a vector set signature is defined for the set of vectors including the sets of binary values ai, i=1, . . . , N. The computing, binarizing, and defining operations may be repeated for two sets of vectors, and a quantitative comparison of the two sets of vectors determined based on the corresponding vector set signatures.
US08644614B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium An image processing apparatus includes an image input unit configured to input an image in which a real space is captured by an image capturing apparatus, an image recognition unit configured to recognize a situation in the real space captured in the input image, an image recording unit configured to record the input image, an image selection unit configured to select an image used for image communication from a plurality of images including images recorded by the image recording unit in the past based on a recognition result of the input image, and an image output unit configured to modify the selected image and output the modified image.
US08644607B1	Method and apparatus for image processing A method is described for processing an image to generate a signature which is characteristic of a pattern within the image. The method includes: receiving an image; overlaying a window at multiple locations on the image to define a plurality of sub-images within the image, with each sub-image each having a plurality of pixels having a luminance level; determining a luminance value for each sub-image where the luminance value is derived from the luminance levels of the plurality of pixels; and combining the luminance values for each of the sub-images to form the signature. The combining is such that the signature is independent of the location of each sub-image. A method of creating a database of images using the method of generating signatures is also described.
US08644604B2	Apparatus and method for aligning color channels Provided are an apparatus and method for aligning color channels on the basis of depth information on an image taken by an imaging device equipped with a multiple color-filter aperture (MCA). An image divider generates a binary image including edge information on an original image, and generates a label map including a plurality of regions of interest (ROIs) respectively corresponding to a plurality of objects included in the original image. A shifting vector estimator estimates color shifting vectors (CSVs) indicating shift directions and distances of color channels of the original image according to the respective ROIs. A channel matching unit obtains a plurality of matched images corresponding to the respective ROIs included in the label map by shifting the color channels according to the respective CSVs, and generates a multi-focus image by combining the matched images.
US08644601B2	Reducing contours in digital images One or more implementations access a digital image containing one or more bands. Adjacent bands of the one or more bands have a difference in color resulting in a contour between the adjacent bands. The one or more implementations apply an algorithm to at least a portion of the digital image for reducing visibility of a contour. The algorithm is based on a value representing the fraction of pixels in a region of the digital image having a particular color value.
US08644600B2	Learning object cutout from a single example Systems and methods are described for learning visual object cutout from a single example. In one implementation, an exemplary system determines the color context near each block in a model image to create an appearance model. The system also learns color sequences that occur across visual edges in the model image to create an edge profile model. The exemplary system then infers segmentation boundaries in unknown images based on the appearance model and edge profile model. In one implementation, the exemplary system minimizes the energy in a graph-cut model where the appearance model is used for data energy and the edge profile is used to modulate edges. The system is not limited to images with nearly identical foregrounds or backgrounds. Some variations in scale, rotation, and viewpoint are allowed.
US08644598B2	Complex pattern deciphering using architecture parallel to swarm intelligence A method of pattern recognition is disclosed. The method includes steps of: providing a cellular computer structure with processing cell units arranged in layers; sensing the threshold parameter in an unknown pattern accessible; creating a binary number for each sensed threshold parameter; storing each binary number; creating a binary sequence; calculating a decimal number from each binary sequence; storing each decimal number in the central hexagram cell; outputting the binary sequence; preserving position information of each binary sequence; enabling the hidden layer to adjust the threshold parameter; and analyzing the binary numbers in the hidden layer to compare with known patterns to establish a recognized pattern.
US08644597B2	System and method for generating and regenerating 3D image files based on 2D image media standards Methods and apparatus are provided for generating 3D image files based on 2D image media standards. First and second image data are photographed, pre-processed, and stored. The first and second image data are encoded. A 3D image file is generated. The 3D image file includes a first area having the first and second image data synchronized with the first image data so as to be used for generating a 3D image, a second area including at least information on a number of frames and a size of each frame for the first image data, and a third area, separate from the second area, having information on a number of frames and a size of each frame for the second image data. Information stored in third area is for regenerating the 3D image and not for regenerating a 2D image.
US08644593B2	Mobile terminal and 3D image composing method thereof A mobile terminal and a method for composing 3D images thereof are disclosed. The method for composing 3D images of a mobile terminal includes: selecting a background image as a reference from an image buffer; adjusting a convergence point of the selected background image; extracting an object image to be composed to the background image; displaying guidance information indicating a position at which the object image can be composed to the background image; and composing the object image to the background image according to the guidance information. Thus, when 3D images, each having a different convergence, are composed, the convergence point of a background image is adjusted and guidance information indicating a position at which an object image is to be composed is provided, thereby conveniently and accurately composing the 3D images.
US08644592B2	Method and system for determining the position of a fluid discharge in an underwater environment A method for determining a position of a fluid discharge in an underwater environment, the method including: collecting data relating to an underwater area through at least two acoustic sensors; filtering and processing the data collected to identify the presence of the discharged fluid and the underwater area involved; forming a single stereoscopic image by combining the plurality of single three-dimensional images; and estimating the position of the fluid discharge on the basis of the stereoscopic image thus obtained.
US08644591B2	Alignment method for assembling substrates without fiducial mark An alignment method for assembling substrates without fiducial mark is provided and has steps of: pre-defining at least two partially standard character regions; capturing at least two partially actual images of a first substrate; comparing to obtain at least two partially actual character regions; building an actual coordinate system of the first substrate; comparing the actual coordinate system with a coordinate system of a second substrate to obtain three types of offset values; moving the first substrate to a correct waiting position based on the offset values; ensuring if the first substrate is disposed at the correct waiting position; and stacking the first substrate with the second substrate to finish the alignment and installation. Thus, the alignment method of the present invention can be applied to to-be-installed substrates without any fiducial mark for alignment.
US08644585B1	Apparatus and system for imaging currency bills and financial documents and method for using the same A stack of currency bills is received, transported, and imaged via an image scanner to produce image data that is reproducible as a visually readable image for each currency bill. Each of the currency bills has an associated serial number and additional identifying character information. The associated currency bill serial number and the additional identifying character information are extracted from the image data of each currency bill. Each currency bill is denominated. A suspect determination is made for each currency bill and upon a determination that a currency bill is a suspect bill, A suspect note report is automatically generated. Fields in the report are populated with information associated with the suspect bill including the extracted serial number, the extracted additional identifying character information, and the denomination of the suspect bill.
US08644580B2	Detection of RNA in tissue samples Methods of identifying microRNA labeled with a fluorescent probe in a biological sample are disclosed. The methods include obtaining a plurality of fluorescence images of the sample and forming an image stack based on the plurality of fluorescence images, decomposing the image stack to obtain a component image that corresponds to the labeled microRNA, and identifying the microRNA based on the component image.
US08644578B1	Method and apparatus of identifying objects of interest using imaging scans In general, embodiments of the invention comprise systems and methods for delineating objects from imaging scans. According to certain aspects, methods of the invention include aggregating homologous objects from multiple scans into categories, developing profiles or characteristics for these categories, matching newly identified objects to these pre-existing categories for object identification, and red-flagging, or visualization of identified objects.
US08644577B2	Method for generating image data of an object under examination, projection data processing device, X-ray system and computer program A method is disclosed for generating image data of an object under examination from X-ray projection data of the object under examination, wherein, before a reconstruction of the image data, the X-ray projection data are subjected to scattered radiation correction on the basis of scattered radiation measured values. Here, the scattered radiation measured values are initially subjected to an extra-focal radiation correction before being used for the scattered radiation correction. A projection data processing device is also disclosed for carrying out a method of this kind and an X-ray system, in particular computed tomography system, with a projection data processing device of this kind.
US08644576B2	Method and system for multi-part left atrium segmentation in C-arm computed tomography volumes using shape constraints A method and system for multi-part left atrium (LA) segmentation in a C-arm CT volume is disclosed. Multiple LA part models, including an LA chamber body mesh, an appendage mesh, a left inferior pulmonary vein (PV) mesh, a left superior PV mesh, a right inferior PV mesh, and a right superior PV mesh, are segmented in a 3D volume. The LA chamber body mesh and the appendage mesh may be segmented as a combined object and the PV meshes may be segmented subject to a statistical shape constraint. A consolidated LA mesh is generated from the segmented LA part models.
US08644573B2	Tomographic processing method with a small number of projections of a contrasted object A method for processing a sequence of a plurality of projection images of an object of interest is provided. The method, being recursive, comprises defining, a priori, a sparse image and a series of models for breaking down the object as a sum of a sparse component and of a complementary non-sparse component; initializing a sparse image depending on the sparse image defined a priori and initializing the series of models for breaking down the object; reconstructing an image of the sparse component of the decomposition model of the object from acquired projection images and from the initialized sparse image; and updating the sparse image so that, during the iterations, the reconstruction of the image of the sparse component gradually reintroduces the complementary component into the sparse image, in order to obtain a complete image of the non-sparse object.
US08644568B1	Automated patient-specific bone-implant biomechanical analysis An apparatus, method, and computer program product for providing information for surgical planning based on automated biomechanical analysis of a bone-implant system using finite element analysis of a patient's 3D medical image, including automated biomechanical analysis of bone-implant systems for use in surgical planning both pre-operatively and intra-operatively and for use in research and development studies.
US08644565B2	System and method for non-cooperative iris image acquisition A method segments iris images from eye image data captured from non-cooperative subjects. The method includes receiving a frame of eye image data, and determining whether a pupil exists in the image by detecting glare areas in the image. Upon finding a pupil, subsequent images are processed with reference to the pupil location and a radius is calculated for the pupil. A k means clustering method and principal component analysis are used to locate pupil boundary points, which are fitted to a conic. Using the pupil boundary, an angular derivative is computed for each frame having a pupil and iris boundary points are fitted to a conic to identify an iris region between the iris boundary and the pupil boundary. Noise data are then removed from the iris region to generate an iris segment. A method for evaluating iris frame quality and iris image segmentation quality is also disclosed.
US08644563B2	Recognition of faces using prior behavior Face recognition may be performed using a combination of visual analysis and social context. In one example, a web site such as a social networking site or photo-sharing site allows users to upload photos, and allows faces that appear in the photo to be tagged with users' names. When user A uploads a new photo, two analyses may be performed. First, a face in the photo is compared with known faces of users to determine similarity. Second, it is determined which other users user A frequently uploads photos of. Two probability distributions are created. One distribution assigns high probabilities to users whose photos are similar to the new photo. The other assigns high probabilities to users who frequently appear in photos uploaded by user A. These probability distributions are combined, and the person in the photo is identified as being the person with the highest probability.
US08644562B2	Multimodal ocular biometric system and methods Biometric systems capture and combine biometric information from more than one modality, employing digital processing algorithms to process and evaluate captured images having data for a biometric characteristic. Such digital algorithms may include a pupil segmentation algorithm for determining a pupil image in the captured image, an iris segmentation algorithm for determining an iris image in the captured image, an eyelid/eyelash segmentation algorithm for determining an eyelid/eyelash image in the captured image, and an algorithm for measuring the focus on the iris. Some embodiments employ an auto-capture process which employs such algorithms, in part; to evaluate captured images and obtain the best possible images for biometric identification.
US08644556B2	Image processing apparatus and method and program An image processing apparatus includes an image input configured to receive image data, a target extraction device configured to extract an object from the image data as a target object based on recognizing a first movement by the object, and a gesture recognition device configured to issue a command based on recognizing a second movement by the target object.
US08644555B2	Device and method for detecting movement of object A device for detecting a movement of an object includes: an image shooting unit to generate a first image and a second image by continuous shooting; a detection unit to detect a movement region based on a difference between the first and second images; an edge detection unit to detect an edge region in the first image; a deletion unit to delete the edge region from the movement region; and a decision unit to determine a degree of object movement in accordance with the movement region in which a part of the movement region being deleted by the deletion unit.
US08644553B2	Image display device, image display method, and image display program According to one embodiment, an image display device that displays acquired image frames includes: an image processing unit that detects a location of a target in a first image frame among the image frames and generates a first predicted location of the target in a second image frame acquired at a first time when a predetermined number of frames or predetermined period of time has passed since the first image frame is acquired; a script processing unit that generates at least one tracking image that starts from the location of the target in the first image frame and heads toward the first predicted location in the second image frame; a synthesis unit that generates combined images where the at least one tracking image is put on image frames between the first and second image frame; and a display unit that displays the combined images.
US08644552B2	Markerless motion capturing apparatus and method A markerless motion capturing apparatus and method is provided. The markerless motion capturing apparatus may track a pose and a motion of a performer from an image, inputted from a camera, without using a marker or a sensor, and thereby may extend an application of the markerless motion capturing apparatus and selection of a location.
US08644551B2	Systems and methods for tracking natural planar shapes for augmented reality applications The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for tracking planar shapes for augmented-reality (AR) applications. Systems for real-time recognition and camera six degrees of freedom pose-estimation from planar shapes are disclosed. Recognizable shapes can be augmented with 3D content. Recognizable shapes can be in form of a predefined library being updated online using a network. Shapes can be added to the library when the user points to a shape and asks the system to start recognizing it. The systems perform shape recognition by analyzing contour structures and generating projective invariant signatures. Image features are further extracted for pose estimation and tracking. Sample points are matched by evolving an active contour in real time.
US08644550B2	Multiple audio/video data stream simulation A multiple audio/video data stream simulation method and system. A computing system receives first audio and/or video data streams. The first audio and/or video data streams include data associated with a first person and a second person. The computing system monitors the first audio and/or video data streams. The computing system identifies emotional attributes comprised by the first audio and/or video data streams. The computing system generates second audio and/or video data streams associated with the first audio and/or video data streams. The second audio and/or video data streams include the first audio and/or video data streams data without the emotional attributes. The computing system stores the second audio and/or video data streams.
US08644549B2	Reconstruction method using direct and iterative techniques A system and method for forming volumetric images of an imaged object based on multiple radiation measurements of the object taken from different angles. A first volumetric image of the object may be calculated using a direct reconstruction method from a plurality of radiation measurements of the object. At least one iteration of an iterative reconstruction method may be performed to compute a second volumetric image of the object. The iterative reconstruction method may be initialized with the first volumetric image of the object.
US08644548B2	Digital watermarks The present invention relates generally to digital watermarking and steganographic data hiding. In one embodiment a method of rendering content to a user is provided. The rendered content includes a digital watermark embedded therein. In another embodiment, digital watermarking is utilized to facilitate purchase or lease of audio or video content over a network or with a remote computer. In still another embodiment, a compression characteristic is determined, and subsequent steganographic embedding is influenced based on the characteristic. Other embodiments are provided as well.
US08644545B2	Condenser microphone unit and condenser microphone A condenser microphone unit includes a diaphragm, a diaphragm ring, a fixed electrode, a casing unit accommodating the diaphragm ring, the diaphragm, and the fixed electrode. A condenser microphone includes the condenser microphone unit. The diaphragm ring is indirectly fixed to the interior of the unit casing through a fixing ring fixed to the unit casing. The fixing ring has a planar ring portion and a plurality of projections projecting from the internal periphery of the ring portion and provided in a circumferential direction. The plurality of projections urges the diaphragm ring toward the fixed electrode.
US08644540B2	Hearing device The invention relates to a hearing device 1 adapted for placement in, at or near a person's ear, the hearing device 1 comprising a microphone 2, a receiver 4 and a signal conditioning means 3 connected to the microphone 2 and to the receiver 4, the microphone 2 being arranged for receiving acoustical signals from the person's surroundings 7 and converting these acoustical signals into electrical signals and the receiver 4 being arranged for converting electrical signals into acoustical signals and transmitting these into the ear's ear canal 13. The object of the present invention is to provide a small, light-weight hearing device 1. The problem is solved in that the receiver 4 comprises a thermoacoustical transducer 18, which allows for a receiver 4 which may take up less space in the hearing device 1 and may have a smaller weight. This has the advantage of allowing the hearing device 1 to be small and light-weight, thus providing an improved wearing comfort. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids for compensating a person's loss of hearing capability.
US08644538B2	Method for improving the comprehensibility of speech with a hearing aid, together with a hearing aid The understanding of speech is to be improved in cases of hearing loss in which certain frequency ranges can no longer be perceived even at high volume or amplification, as applicable. A frequency transposition is performed on an input signal coming into a hearing aid and specific features of an electrical input signal are detected and a transposed signal is filtered as a function of the specific features detected in the electrical input signal. The hearing aid provides appropriate facilities for detecting specific features of the electrical input signal and filtering facilities for filtering the transposed signal. The objective of this is to detect particular properties of the input signal, in particular signal properties which are characteristic of fricatives, which may possibly be lost as a result of the frequency transposition, and at least partially to restore them in the transposed signal.
US08644537B1	Expanding binaural hearing assistance device control Provided herein is a system for adjusting parameters for binaural hearing assistance devices. A graphical user interface (GUI) control is provided for adjusting at least one parameter for at least one hearing assistance device. In various embodiments, the control is indicative of status of at least one parameter for at least one device. When a pointer, controlled by a mouse or other selecting device, is placed over the control, the control expands. In various applications the control expands to display options for adjusting at least one parameter for at least one device. In some applications, the control provides options to adjust at least one parameter of a left and a right device individually.
US08644530B2	Dust protection of sound transducer An apparatus including a housing having a sound hole; a sound transducer in the housing; and a dust barrier in the housing between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The dust barrier has a deck located in a path between the sound hole and the sound transducer. The deck comprises a dust collection pocket configured to accumulate dust therein and prevent dust from passing through the deck at the dust collection pocket. A sound aperture is provided between the sound hole and the sound transducer such that sound passes by the dust collection pocket between the sound hole and the sound transducer.
US08644529B2	Fully differential low-noise capacitor microphone circuit A microphone circuit includes a capacitor capsule and first and second impedance converters connected differentially to the capacitor capsule. The microphone circuit includes first and second output buffer amplifiers connected differentially to the first and second impedance converters.
US08644525B2	Virtual microphones in electronic conferencing systems This disclosure describes a virtual microphone for reducing common-mode noise for an individual pod in a multi-pod conferencing system that includes a base and a plurality of pods for local conference participants to communicate with remote conference participants. The described virtual microphone includes pod processor means and a loudspeaker that couples to a digital to analog converter that converts digital audio to analog audio, where the loudspeaker couples to the pod processor means. In addition, the virtual microphone includes three physical bi-polar microphones positioned at 120-degree intervals in the horizontal resting plane of the pod, where each individual physical microphone connects to a pair of audio ports with each audio port being equal distance from the loudspeaker, and where the physical microphones couple to analog to digital converting means, and further where the physical microphones couple to the pod processor means. Further, the virtual microphone includes virtual microphone means. And, the virtual microphone includes pod echo cancellation means. Further, the virtual microphone includes microphone gating means using a loudness value, a quietness counter, and a noise floor value. And further, the virtual microphone also has the individual pod using the microphone gating means to gate on or off the virtual microphone.
US08644519B2	Electronic devices with improved audio An electronic device having an enclosure including an upper panel and a bottom panel operably connected to the upper panel. A transducer is operably connected to the enclosure and the transducer is configured to mechanically vibrate the enclosure. The transducer includes an electromagnet, a magnet in communication with the electromagnet and a bracket substantially surrounding the electromagnet and the magnet, the bracket substantially secures the transducer to the bottom panel.
US08644506B2	Location-based security rules Location based security rules are provided for preventing unauthorized access to a device, application, system, content, and/or network, etc. The location-based security rules enable a user, computing device, system, etc. to access the requested item or information when the user provides proper identification information. The proper identification information is based in part on the location of the user and/or the user's access request.
US08644502B2	Secure data parser method and system A secure data parser is provided that may be integrated into any suitable system for securely storing and communicating data. The secure data parser parses data and then splits the data into multiple portions that are stored or communicated distinctly. Encryption of the original data, the portions of data, or both may be employed for additional security. The secure data parser may be used to protect data in motion by splitting original data into portions of data, that may be communicated using multiple communications paths.
US08644500B2	Apparatus and method for block cipher process for insecure environments Method and apparatus for increasing security of a cryptographic algorithm such as deciphering, enciphering, or a digital signature using a block type cipher such as AES implemented for instance in a “whitebox” model with the cipher key either known or unknown at the compilation time. This method is secure for use in entrusted environments, particularly for securing cryptographic keys. The look up tables characteristic of such algorithms are protected against attack here by making all such tables of the same size and indistinguishable, and further by masking the output values of such tables, typically where the tables carry out a permutation function or a logical exclusive OR operation.
US08644496B2	Echo suppressor, echo suppressing method, and computer readable storage medium An apparatus is provided for suppressing an echo signal included in a measured signal corresponding to a measured sound. In the apparatus, the measured signal and a reference signal in a time domain are transformed into a frequency domain, and calculated for obtaining each value of a ratio and a correlation between the measured signal and the reference signal in the frequency domain. With executing a comparison of the values of the ratio and the correlation, a coefficient is derived, where a product of the coefficient and the measured sound in the frequency domain gives an estimated value of the echo signal. The echo in the measured signal is suppressed with subtracting the estimation of the echo signal from the measured signal, respectively in the frequency domain.
US08644493B2	Splitter wall plates for digital subscriber line (DSL) communication systems and methods to use the same Splitter wall plates for digital subscriber line (DSL) communication systems and methods to use the same are disclosed. An example apparatus comprises a splitter to separate a digital subscriber line (DSL) signal from a plain old telephone signal (POTS) signal, and a switch to selectively couple a VoIP signal received via a first jack or the POTS signal to a second jack.
US08644491B2	Mechanism for multisite service state description A distributed contact center is described and systems, methods, and devices for sharing state information between the various parts of the contact center are provided. Skill state information is condensed into one or several bits such that a message describing the state of multiple skills can be generated and shared with other parts of the contact center. This provides the ability to convey a large amount of state information for a particular site in a multi-site system without consuming a large amount of bandwidth or utilizing a large amount of processing capabilities.
US08644490B2	Shadow queue for callers in a performance/pattern matching based call routing system Methods and systems are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center, along with an intelligent routing system. A method for routing callers includes routing a caller, if agents are available, to an agent based on a pattern matching algorithm (which may include performance based matching, pattern matching based on agent and caller data, computer models for predicting outcomes of agent-caller pairs, and so on). Further, if no agents are available for the incoming caller, the method includes holding the caller in a shadow queue, e.g., a set of callers. When an agent becomes available the method includes scanning all of the callers in the shadow queue and matching the agent to the best matching caller within shadow queue.
US08644488B2	System and method for automatically generating adaptive interaction logs from customer interaction text A system and method for providing an adaptive Interaction Logging functionality to help agents reduce the time spent documenting contact center interactions. In a preferred embodiment the system uses a pipeline comprising audio capture of a telephone conversation, automatic speech transcription, text normalization, transcript generation and candidate call log generation based on Real-time and Global Models. The contact center agent edits the candidate call log to create the final call log. The models are updated based on analysis of user feedback in the form of the editing of the candidate call log done by the contact center agents or supervisors. The pipeline yields a candidate call log which the agents can edit in less time than it would take them to generate a call log manually.
US08644486B2	Method and system to proxy phone directories A method and system are disclosed to proxy mobile and network originated call sessions. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method to access a phone directory using a mobile device including transmitting on a data channel of a wireless communications network a request for access to the phone directory, transmitting on the data channel one or more selective requests to search the phone directory, receiving on the data channel one or more successive portions of the phone directory according to the one or more selective requests, and transmitting on the data channel an abbreviated identifier associated with an entry of the phone directory for establishing voice communications with a terminal device. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08644483B2	Telephone relay apparatus, telephone relay system, recording medium and data processing method A telephone relay apparatus stores peripheral telephone numbers of a plurality of peripheral telephone terminals scheduled to be located at the periphery of each specific terminal user. When a line connecting request from an outgoing telephone terminal of an arbitrary telephone outgoing user to a specific telephone terminal is received, connection of a telephone call execution line from the outgoing telephone terminal to the specific telephone terminal is tried. Therefore, when the connection is connected, a telephone call between the telephone outgoing user and the specific terminal user can be immediately made. However, when the telephone call execution line to the specific telephone terminal is not connected, the peripheral telephone terminal is selected in a transfer trying order, and connection of the telephone call execution line is tried with the peripheral telephone numbers in the transfer trying order.
US08644481B2	Method and system for unified audio control on a personal computer A system and method for improved audio controls on a personal computer is provided. The system and method provide a unified architecture for audio controls across hardware and software interfaces of the personal computer. An intelligent facility may automatically change audio controls for users to simply interact with various communications and media applications. To this end, a configurable audio controller intelligently handles various aspects of the system's audio devices by following various rules that may be based at least in part on user-configurable settings and a current operating state. The present invention also provides audio controls so that a user may easily change audio settings such as the volume of an audio output device. There are many applications that may use the present invention for automatic control of audio devices based upon the user's context.
US08644477B2	Digital Microphone Automixer The invention provides a digital automixer system that includes a master processing unit and at least one non-master processing unit that are interconnected. The non-master processing unit obtains a first microphone signal and determines a first basic level measurement and a network submix audio signal. The master processing unit obtains a second microphone signal and determines a second basic level measurement, and obtains the first basic level measurement and the network submix audio signal from the non-master processing unit. The master processing unit further forms a final mix audio signal from the second microphone signal and the network submix audio signal and determines a gating control signal for the digital automixer system. The master processing unit may also delay the second basic level measurement to compensate for a network delay. The invention also provides a digital automixer system that includes a plurality of master processing units.
US08644474B2	Method and system for connecting a telephone call to a third party A method and a system that allows a person to contact one or more companies with which the person has a relationship, such that the person can contact each company using a single telephone number. According to a first embodiment, a method is provided comprising receiving a call from a person (member) requesting to contact a first company; accessing a member profile stored on a database, the member profile comprising information regarding the identity of the person and identities of one or more companies selected by the person; verifying the identity of the person; verifying the request to contact the first company by determining if the first company is one company stored in the member profile; and then transferring the verified request to the first company by way of a dedicated number, so as to rapidly access an agent.
US08644473B1	Method and system for providing telephony services A method is provided for directing calls placed to a telephone number associated with a user according to a reservation identifying the user, a workspace, and a start time. The method includes acts of receiving a first message from a telephone device located at the workspace in response to a first input at the telephone device on or after the start time, retrieving the reservation from a reservation database in response to receiving the first message, sending a second message to the telephone device based at least in part on a portion of the reservation identifying the user, receiving a third message sent in response to a second input at the telephone device, the third message including an identifier of the telephone device, retrieving the telephone number associated with the user from a user database, and directing calls placed to the telephone number associated with the user to the telephone device.
US08644472B1	Method and system for providing information for identifying callers Embodiments of the present invention include a caller identification system and method for identifying a caller with a partial phone number look-up table. The caller identification system comprises a database that stores received calls and can be personalized to include information specific to partial phone numbers. In one embodiment, the caller identification system disclosed can be integrated into a cellular phone. In this embodiment, an incoming call initiates a search in a database to retrieve information about the caller. If a match is found, the identity of the caller is displayed. When an exact match is not found, a search for a partial match is executed with wild card values and information about the partial match is displayed. Information for a partial match can be personalized or pre-programmed into the caller ID system such as the city associated with a particular area code or prefix.
US08644470B2	Methods and systems for improved caller name identification on a telephone network A phone network in a wireless environment that does not perform CNAM queries when a number is already stored in the receiving handsets' caller directory. CNAM query fees are charged only to obtain caller information on a new caller. The network does not make CNAM queries when the caller information is already available, whether in the contact information stored on the receiver's handset or through some other reliable source.
US08644462B2	Unified and best messaging systems for communication devices A unified messaging system which can provide messaging services for a plurality of different “message types” is disclosed. The unified messaging system can serve as a single interface to a number of messaging services provided by various messaging components which use different message types (e.g., mail server). A unified message type is implemented and presented to a user as an abstract message. In addition, the unified messaging system can automatically determine, based on a first selected feature, if one or more message types should be used. A particular message type can also be automatically selected as a “best message type” based on one or more selected options.
US08644459B1	Message-indication testing A computer-implemented method and system to remotely test message-waiting notifications over a communications network is provided. The method includes receiving broadband signaling from a voicemail platform; converting the broadband signaling to narrowband signaling; and transmitting the narrowband signaling, which generates status notifications, and transmits the status notifications to a remote test location. The system includes a switching element that routes the broadband signaling generated by the voicemail platform. The switching element routes the broadband signaling to a message processing component that executes code that searches a message-waiting-notification database to generate appropriate tones based on the broadband signaling received from the switching element.
US08644458B2	Method and system for routing calls based on a language preference A method processes and conditionally routes a call. The method includes receiving a call from a caller, determining a telephone number of the caller, and determining if the telephone number of the caller is a telephone number assigned to a specific individual. The method also includes accessing an electronic database to determine a stored language preference of the specific individual when the telephone number of the caller is determined to be assigned to a specific individual, prompting the caller to select a language preference when the specific individual does not have a stored language preference, and storing the language preference selected by the caller based on the prompting in an electronic database. The method further includes routing the call to a predetermined destination based on the stored language preference of the specific individual in the electronic database.
US08644457B1	System and method for enforcing a recording preference A system and method are provided for allowing a user to consent to call recording. A user is prompted to make a recording preference. The recording preference is stored in a table indexed by UCID (universal call ID) or as part of a UUI (user-to-user information) field of the call. A recording module and/or a compliance manager, both associated with a call center, are configured to record or not record the call based on the recording preference. The recording preference can be enforced on incoming and outgoing calls to and from the call center. Advantageously, the user's recording preference is enforced throughout the call, regardless of how the call is routed/transferred within the call center.
US08644453B2	Scanning systems The present application discloses methods and systems for scanning an object. The scanning system provides a first detector region having a thickness of at least 2 mm and a second detector region having a thickness of at least 5 mm. The second detector region is arranged to receive radiation that has passed through the first detector region. The method includes irradiating the object with radiation having a peak energy of a least 1 MeV, and detecting the first profile radiation after it has interacted with or passed through the object in order to provide information relating to the object.
US08644445B2	Spring mounting device for nuclear fuel rod A spring mounting device in a cladding tube for nuclear fuel, comprising a spring distributor, a spring loader in the cladding tube, the distributor supplying the springs to the loader, said loader comprising a longitudinal slide to receive the spring, a pusher in order to set the spring into place in the cladding tube and is able to move in the slide, means of displacement of said pusher, said device comprising mechanical means in order to associate the actuation of the means of displacement with that of the spring distributor.
US08644441B2	Clock generators and clock generation methods thereof Clock generators are provided. A phase locked loop generates an output clock, a delay line is coupled to an input of the phase locked loop, and a modulation unit integrates an input signal with a constant level to generate a modulation signal controlling the delay line, thereby modulating a phase of a first input clock of the phase locked loop, such that frequency of the output clock is locked at a desired frequency.
US08644435B2	Methods and devices for detecting electromagnetic interference on data transmission lines A method for remotely detecting electromagnetic interference on a data transmission line of a communication network includes measuring at a client site a noise power spectrum on the data transmission line as a function of frequency, for a frequency range. The noise is present when the data transmission line is not carrying a data signal. The method further includes forwarding the measured noise power spectrum to a remote computer at a network operator's site, determining periodicities in the measured power spectrum by the remote computer, and determining the switching frequency of a power supply unit at the client site by the remote computer based on periodicities in the power spectrum.
US08644434B2	Apparatus and methods for performing sequence detection An apparatus for performing sequence detection on a stream of incoming bits comprises a memory and circuitry coupled to the memory. The circuitry is operative, for each bit of the stream of incoming bits, to overwrite a first binary number presently stored in the memory with a second binary number, and to provide an output indicative of when the second binary number is equal to a predetermined value. The output indicative of when the second binary number is equal to the predetermined value is, in turn, indicative of when a binary number constructed by the stream of incoming bits is divisible by a prescribed integer.
US08644433B1	MIMO soft demodulation using hard-decision candidate selection Systems and methods for reconstructing digital information in a multiple-input receiver from signals transmitted by a multiple-output transmitter, in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications channel are provided. A plurality of signal streams are obtained from a plurality of transmitted signals and a first candidate signal value is selected for each of the plurality of signal streams. A plurality of additional candidate signal values are also selected for each of the plurality of signal streams in response to selecting the first candidate signal value. A log-likelihood ratio (LLR) is computed from the plurality of signal streams based on all of the selected candidate signal values. Digital information may then be estimated based on the computed LLR.
US08644430B1	High data rate wireless bridging A specialized preamble is provided to facilitate matrix channel estimation of a MIMO channel. In a particular implementation, a channel training preamble provided by the IEEE 802.11a standard is modified to facilitate MIMO channel estimation.
US08644429B2	Digital downconversion and fast channel selection of narrowband signals using a wide band RF tuner A wide band receiver to select and demodulate an input signal with single scan spectrum sensing by performing filtering on the input signal in digital domain to achieve improved selectivity and sensitivity is provided. The input signal includes one or more narrowband radio frequency (RF) signals. The wide band receiver includes a wide band tuner that down converts the one or more narrowband RF signals to one or more IF signals. An analog to digital converter (ADC) converts the one or more IF signals to one or more digital signals. A filter rejects out-of-band signals from the one or more digital signals to achieve the improved selectivity. A numeric controlled oscillator (NCO) selects at least one narrowband digital signal from the digital signals based on a phase value obtained from a spectrum selection control unit. A demodulator demodulates the narrowband digital signal to obtain a demodulated digital signal.
US08644425B2	Wireless communications device having waveform banks with frequency offset and related methods A wireless communications device includes a receiver, and a demodulator coupled downstream from the receiver and configured to use a continuous phase modulation (CPM) waveform to non-coherently demodulate a received signal. The demodulator is configured to generate waveform banks, each waveform bank having a respective different frequency offset associated therewith, determine a correlation output metric for each waveform bank, select a waveform bank for demodulating the received signal based upon the correlation output metrics of the waveform banks, and demodulate the received signal using the selected waveform bank and the associated frequency offset.
US08644424B2	Receiver apparatus, communication system, reception method and communication method A receiver apparatus receiving a quadrature-modulated, modulated wave, includes: a real-zero signal generator for adding a sinusoidal wave to the modulated wave to generate a real-zero signal; an in-phase and quadrature component detector for extracting an in-phase component signal and a quadrature component signal from the real-zero signal; a real-zero sequence generator for generating a real-zero sequence as a sequence of time points at which the in-phase component and quadrature component signals become zero; and a signal reconstruction unit for reproducing the in-phase component and quadrature component from the real-zero sequence. It is possible to provide a receiving apparatus that enables decoding of a received signal with high precision even when sufficient linearity cannot be secured in the analog circuit of the receiver apparatus.
US08644420B2	Alignment of in-phase and quadrature data in quadrature phase shift keying optical transmitters I/Q data skew in a QPSK modulator may be detected by sending identical or complementary data streams to I and Q channel PSK modulators, setting the relative carrier phase between I and Q to zero or π, and monitoring the average QPSK output power, where the data streams sent to the I and Q channels include streams of alternating ones and zeroes.
US08644418B2	Transmitter and receiver modules for unidirectional communications and a method using the aforementioned A transmitter module for unidirectional communication with a receiver module and a method using the aforementioned. The transmitter module includes a carrier detection portion, a source processing portion coupled to the carrier detection portion and a source transmission portion coupled to the source processing portion. The source processing portion can receive and process an information signal to produce a processed information signal in a manner such that an appropriate carrier signal is modulated with the information signal. The appropriate carrier signal can be based on the detection signals communicated from the carrier detection portion. The source processing portion can further process the information signal in a manner such that the processed information signal is associable with at least one of a unique code and an indication signal. The indication signal is associable with absence of communication of the at least one communication signal in a communication medium.
US08644417B2	Methods and systems for multi-level data transmission A method for multi-level data transmission includes encoding a data signal to be transmitted into N multi-level signals in accordance with an encoding table, where the data signal is characterized with a stream of binary data segments each of which has a data length of M bits, transmitting simultaneously the N multi-level signals through N data transmission channels, respectively; and decoding the N multi-level signals into the data signal by comparing each two of the N multi-level signals transmitted through the two data transmission channels to obtain a respective bit of the M bits of each binary data segment of the data signal based on comparison between the two corresponding multi-level signals.
US08644412B2	Interference-weighted communication signal processing systems and methods A level of interference affecting signal components of received communication signals is estimated and used to weight the signal components. The signal components in a each of a number of groups of signal components are weighted based on respective interference estimates to thereby adjust signal components for colored interference, which may vary significantly between different groups of signal components. Each group of signal components may include a single component or components within a relatively narrow sub-band of the communication signals, such as a coherence bandwidth of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signal.
US08644410B2	Base station and receiving method A base station includes antennas, a local signal generator; first and second mixers generating first and second mixed signals by mixing first and second signals from first and second antenna among the antennas and the local signal; first and second analog digital converters converting to first and second digital signals, first and second interference detecting units detecting first and second interference signals based on the first and second digital signals; first and second interference removing units generating first and second processed signals by removing the first and second interference signals by first and second filters having first and second filter central frequencies shifted in first and second directions from first and second interference central frequencies of the first and second interference signals, respectively; and a combining unit combining the first and second processed signals.
US08644408B2	Method and apparatus for channel feedback in a wireless communication system A communication system comprises evolved base nodes (eNBs) communicating via an over-the-air (OTA) link with low mobility user equipment (UE). A network can utilize the eNBs for cooperative beam shaping for interference nulling based upon a number of factors UE (e.g., coordinated multi-point (COMP) optimization for feedback, quality of service (QoS), fairness, etc.). The UE advantageously transmits adaptive rate and payload channel state feedback, trading accuracy versus delay based upon mobility of the UE. Channel coherence across a transmission interval (frequency and/or time invariance) provides an opportunity with sufficiently low mobility for transmitting a larger accuracy feedback report over one or more feedback reports for decoding at the eNB. Reduced quantization error can be realized via multi-level coding, one codebook multiple description coding (MDC), and use of N-best code representations from one codebook with MDC.
US08644405B2	Trellis modulation protocols for a VDSL system A new protocol is proposed for transmission of data through lines such as telephone lines. The tones of a signal are grouped, and Trellis encoding is performed only of the members of a group. The computational cost of coding and decoding the data is reduced (compared to treating all the tones of a given direction equivalently), and the invention makes it possible to significantly reduce the computational and memory requirements of the encoder and decoder. Furthermore, Trellis decoding errors are not propagated between the groups.
US08644404B2	Wireless communication system and wireless communication method In a wireless communication system including a transmitter device and a receiver device used for transmission of wireless signals having a plurality of sub-carriers, the transmitter device performs error correction coding on transmitting data and selects at least one of the plurality of sub-carriers used for transmission of error-correction coded data as a null sub-carrier having zero amplitude, thus transmitting the error-correction coded data, while the receiver device receives signals having the plurality of sub-carriers from the transmitter device so as to retrieve original transmitted data by implementing error correction decoding on received signals, thus determining whether an interference wave occurs in the sub-carrier upon detecting reception power exceeding a predetermined threshold in the sub-carrier serving as the null sub-carrier.
US08644401B2	Method and system to reduce peak to average power ratio in multi-carrier modulation receivers Provided is a method for performing channel estimation in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) signal. The method includes performing the channel estimation based upon use of reserved tone channel carriers.
US08644400B2	Apparatus and method for operating valid bit in a wireless communication system An apparatus and method for processing a valid bit operation in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes analyzing input data and generating valid bit information representing a start position of valid bits, generating operation data comprised of the valid bits and valid bit information by eliminating extra bits from the input data, and, after performing an operation process using the generated operation data, restoring the operation data to data that is the same data as the input data.
US08644398B2	Digital broadcast transmission and receiving system having an improved receiving performance and signal processing method thereof A digital broadcast transmitter comprising: a randomizer to receive a data stream of which stuff bytes are inserted into a specified position and to randomize the received data stream; a stuff-byte exchange unit to generate known data having a predefined pattern and to insert the known data into the specified position of the data stream into which the stuff bytes are inserted; an encoder to encode the data stream output from the stuff-byte exchange unit for an error correction; and a modulator and RF converter to modulate the encoded data stream, RF-convert the modulated data stream and transmit the RF-converted data.
US08644397B2	Efficient multiplexing of reference signal and data in a wireless communication system Techniques for transmitting reference signal and data using cyclic shifts of a base sequence are described. The base sequence may have good correlation properties, and different cyclic shifts of the base sequence may be orthogonal to one another. A user equipment (UE) may send at least one reference signal on assigned resources using at least one cyclic shift of the base sequence. The UE may send data on the assigned resources using at least one other cyclic shift of the base sequence. For each reference signal, the UE may modulate a cyclic shift of the base sequence with a known modulation symbol. For data, the UE may modulate each cyclic shift of the base sequence used for data with a data modulation symbol. Multiple UEs may share the same resources. Each UE may be assigned a different set of cyclic shifts among all cyclic shifts available for the resources.
US08644396B2	Waveform encoding for wireless applications Processing may be performed by a first device on behalf of a second device to offload processing from the second device. In some aspects a device from which processing has been offloaded may be advantageously adapted to consume less power, have a smaller size, and have less complexity. Offloaded processing may be employed to enable a first device to process data for transmission and then send the data to another device for processing. Offloaded processing may be employed to enable a first device to process data on behalf of a second device and then send the processed data to the second device. In some aspects the data may be waveform encoded for wireless transmission between the devices. Offloaded processing may be implemented in a static manner or in a dynamic manner.
US08644392B2	Flexible macroblock ordering and arbitrary slice ordering apparatus, system, and method A system, apparatus, method, and article to process a flexible macroblock ordering and arbitrary slice ordering are described. The apparatus may include a video decoder. The video decoder includes a processor to store coding parameters of one or more neighboring macroblocks in a data buffer. The neighboring macroblocks are previously decoded macroblocks and are adjacent to a current macroblock. The processor is to store control parameters for each of the one or more neighboring macroblocks in the data buffer. The processor is to reconstruct coding parameters for the current macroblock using availability information associated with the neighboring macroblocks.
US08644391B2	Space exploration method of reconfigurable motion compensation architecture A design space exploration method of a reconfigurable motion compensation architecture is disclosed. The method comprises: defining a predetermined application specification; extracting the community among plural motion compensation algorithms corresponding to plural video compression standards; analyzing the computation of the plural motion compensation algorithms basing on the community, thereby determining the computation elements included in a processing element; analyzing the data flow of the reconfigurable motion compensation architecture basing on the predetermined application specification, both in the cases of peak computation and worst data configuration, while executing the plural motion compensation algorithms with different data granularities and different number of the processing elements, thereby obtaining plural hardware parameters corresponding to the plural motion compensation algorithms; and selecting a predetermined data granularity and a predetermined number of the processing elements of the reconfigurable motion compensation architecture, basing on a predetermined design target and the plural hardware parameters previously obtained.
US08644389B2	Real-time video image processing A video processing device includes a video preprocessor and a video processor. The video processor is configured to facilitate inputting preprocessed digital video data ready for further processing by an encoder or a transcoder, compressing the preprocessed digital video data to form compressed digital video data, and outputting the compressed digital video data. The video preprocessor operable to receive digital video raw data, configured to facilitate preprocessing a macroblock of the digital video raw data so as to output the preprocessed digital video data ready for an encoder or transcoder of the video processor when the macroblock does not indicate SKIP, and not preprocessing the macroblock of the digital video raw data when the macroblock is a SKIP macroblock indicating SKIP, but jumping to process the SKIP macroblock by an entropy encoder of the video processor instead.
US08644387B2	Motion estimation method For de-interlacing a current interlaced field using a prior interlaced field and a subsequent interlaced field, a motion estimation method is performed with a group of motion-vector sets. Each motion-vector set includes at least two motion vectors. According to the two motion vectors and a specified block of the current interlaced field, which contains a missing pixel to be estimated, a pair of candidate blocks are defined in the prior and subsequent interlaced fields, respectively. By comparing a plurality of pairs of candidate blocks with the specified block, the best matching block pair can be found and used for de-interlacing.

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