| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08726923B2 |
Safety valve
A safety valve coupled to a container to release liquid within the container. The container defines an opening surrounded by a container surface. The safety valve includes a housing defining an interior containing a fusible member for actuating a plug between a closed position and an open position to release the liquid upon melting the fusible member. A main body has a first end for coupling to the housing and a second end for coupling to the opening of the container. The main body second end includes a main body surface defining axial bores for receiving screws to fix the main body to the housing. Upon coupling the safety valve to the container, a small gap is formed between the container surface and the main body surface to limit loosening of the screws. |
| US08726921B2 |
Umbrella
An umbrella is disclosed. In one embodiment, the umbrella includes an extensible, collapsible handle adapted to interchangeably secure the umbrella to a surface to allow for hands-free operation while a user is beneath the umbrella in order to remain dry and shaded. In at least one embodiment, the umbrella includes a retractable, magnetic attachment device in the handle. The umbrella includes a multiplicity of angle, pivot, and rotation configurations for use. The umbrella is adapted to pivot and bend in various locations. The umbrella provides for hands-free use when mounted. It at least one embodiment, the umbrella includes one or more of a shaft light and a frame light to provide illumination. |
| US08726920B2 |
Telescopic tube structure for automatic umbrellas
A telescopic tube structure for automatic umbrellas includes a tube assembly comprised of an outer tube, a middle tube, and an inner tube, which are telescopically interconnected; wherein a plug is fixedly fitted into a top portion of the middle tube, a bullet-shaped element is provided in the tube assembly, a runner string is connected to the bullet-shaped element at a first end thereof, and is sequentially looped around a first runner-string pulley at a top portion of the tube assembly and a second runner-string pulley of a runner and then connected to a cap at a second end thereof, an outer-tube string is connected to the bullet-shaped element at a first end thereof, and is looped around an outer-tube string pulley of the plug and connected to a bottom portion of the outer tube at a second end thereof. The structure may allow umbrellas to be operated more conveniently. |
| US08726915B1 |
Toothbrush and flossing system
A toothbrush and flossing system comprising a toothbrush having bristles, a handle, and a removable floss cartridge/container. The handle may comprise a cavity for receiving the floss cartridge; the floss container may comprise all or a portion of the handle; or the floss container may slip externally over the toothbrush handle. The floss cartridge may comprise a housing having a closed end and an open end, with a cap adapted to seal the open end and to protrude from the housing and the cavity with a recessed cutter separated from a floss exit opening in the cap. The cap may have a decorative design, such as in the form of a human, animal, cartoon character, or the like. In another embodiment, an ornamental enclosure is provided that attaches to the handle. Toothbrush embodiments for receiving the floss cartridge and floss cartridge embodiments for use with such toothbrushes are also claimed. |
| US08726914B2 |
Compact system with magnetic slide out brush
A compact system for applying a product to a surface including a removable applicator slideably housed in a compact comprising an actuator and a slide-mechanism. In one example, the slide-mechanism is configured to magnetically couple with a magnet in the base of the applicator, and slides the applicator into and out of the compact. By virtue of having a removable applicator, the compact system is portable and convenient, while at the same time the applicator remains clean and intact until a time of use. |
| US08726909B2 |
Methods and apparatus for revision of obesity procedures
Methods and apparatus for the endoluminal revision of previously performed obesity procedures which have failed are described. One or more endoluminal instruments may be advanced per-orally into the previously formed failed pouch where a number of different procedures can be performed. One or more tissue folds can be formed and secured to reduce the size of the pouch, or the stoma connecting the pouch to the intestinal tract can be reduced in size using endoluminally deployed tissue anchors. These procedures can be performed entirely from within the pouch lumen or upon the exterior surface of the pouch via transgastric entry of the instruments into the peritoneal cavity of a patient. Alternatively, the interior tissue within the pouch can be injured or sclerosed to shrink the pouch lumen. In another alternative, a length of the Roux limb can be shortened endoluminally to create a malabsorptive region. |
| US08726908B2 |
Enhanced patient-orienting alternating pressure support apparatus
Described herein are systems and apparatuses for enhanced comfort through contact pressure reduction. In particular, the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein prevent or otherwise mitigate pressure by actively orienting a patient over an anatomy-specific pressure-mitigating contact surface on which the patient rests. A pressure-mitigating contact portion of the contact surface includes a plurality of independently pressurized chambers configured in a specific geometric pattern that is designed to mitigate contact pressure between a support surface (e.g., bed or chair) and a specific anatomic region of a patient's body when the specific anatomic region of the patient's body is oriented over an epicenter of the geometric pattern. In one embodiment, the geometric pattern includes a first independently pressurized relief chamber that intersects the epicenter of the geographic pattern, and second and third independently pressurized relief chambers that collectively encompass the first independently pressurized relief chamber. |
| US08726907B2 |
Surgical drape with separable elements
The present disclosure relates to a one piece customized disposable surgical drape to be used in any surgery, and more specifically to a one piece customized disposable surgical drape that includes one or more of the following: (1) a patient drape for use with a standalone non-draped image acquisition device (requiring circumferential access to the patient); (2) a patient drape for use with a standalone non-draped image acquisition device with image guidance navigation technology; (3) the means to provide temporary sterile coverage of an underlying sterile field; (4) the means to provide sterile separation of at least a portion, if not the entire temporary sterile coverage; and (5) the means to provide covering of the undersurface of the operating surface and enclosing any suspended medical devices, wires, cables, tubes, etc. |
| US08726902B2 |
System and method for smart delivery of backup breaths
A method for delivering ventilatory support to a patient is presented. The method includes controlling delivery of a first backup breath by delaying onset of the first backup breath, wherein delaying the onset of the first backup breath is configured to allow selection of an appropriate backup rate. Systems and computer-readable medium that afford functionality of the type defined by this method is also contemplated in conjunction with the present technique. |
| US08726900B1 |
Demand anesthetic gas delivery system with disposable breathing and scavenging circuit
A demand valve is fixedly and rigidly mounted on an anesthetic gas mixer stand in close proximity to the gas mixer. A single-patient-use disposable breathing and scavenging circuit is adapted to be removably connected to the demand valve output for permitting a patient to breath gas, or a mixture gases, supplied by the gas mixer through a remotely located disposable face mask included as a portion of the breathing circuit. The breathing circuit further includes a scavenger portion for collecting exhaled waste gas from the face mask. The scavenger portion of the circuit also is disposable. |
| US08726896B2 |
Barbecue grill having a split lid
A barbecue grill assembly comprises a firebox having a bottom and first and second ends, side walls extending from the first and second ends, and a pair of lids each hingeably connectable to an upper portion of one of the side walls and separately movable between open and closed positions. The pair of lids forms a cooking enclosure with the firebox when in their closed positions. |
| US08726894B2 |
Rapid fire air-powered toy gun and pliable projectiles for shooting therefrom
An air-powered toy gun is described. The toy gun includes a main housing with a barrel extending therefrom. The main housing is formed to accept a projectile cartridge and align a bullet chamber of the cartridge with the barrel. An air cylinder is attached with the main housing, with a two-way plunger positioned within the air cylinder. A forestock is slidably attached with the housing and attached with the two-way plunger to allow the two-way plunger to be forced fore and aft within the air cylinder. Conduits and valves are attached with the air cylinder to fluidly connect the air cylinder with the bullet chamber of the cartridge. Further, an indexing mechanism is attached with the main housing. The indexing mechanism is operably connected with the forsestock such that upon each fore and aft motion of the forestock, the indexing mechanism draws a cartridge through the main housing. |
| US08726891B2 |
Stored compressed air management and flow control for improve engine performance
A method for providing air to a combustion chamber of an engine, the engine including a compressor and a boost tank selectably coupled to an intake manifold. The method comprises admitting air from the compressor to the intake manifold via a main throttle valve, storing some air from the compressor in a boost tank, and discharging some of the air stored in the boost tank to the intake manifold via an auxiliary throttle valve distinct from the main throttle valve. |
| US08726886B2 |
Fuel supply system and anti-siphon jet pump
A fuel supply system includes a fuel supply pump and a jet pump utilizing flow from the supply pump to supply fuel to a fuel pump reservoir from a main fuel tank. The jet pump includes a body with a main inlet coupled to an outlet of the supply pump provided at its upper end. A nozzle is positioned on an interior of the body. A mixing tube is defined by the body downstream of the nozzle, and defines a channel extending along an axis. A suction inlet of the body is in fluid communication with the mixing tube channel. A jet pump outlet formed in the body is positioned at or above an upper portion of the reservoir such that fuel pours down into the reservoir. The body redirects fuel in a direction away from the axis for discharge through the jet pump outlet. |
| US08726878B2 |
Internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine includes a cylinder head having a cylinder head base, a cylinder wall, and a piston which is movable along a cylinder axis and has a piston crown. A main combustion chamber is formed between the cylinder head base, the cylinder wall, and the piston crown. A precombustion chamber is inserted into a bore of the cylinder head and is fixed relative to the bore in the circumferential direction of the bore. The axis of the bore is at least substantially parallel to the cylinder axis, and a precombustion-type combustion chamber is formed in the precombustion chamber. At least one ring of transfer openings connects the precombustion-type combustion chamber to the main combustion chamber, and in each case, the angle which the transfer opening encloses with the cylinder axis differs for at least two transfer openings of the at least one ring. |
| US08726870B2 |
Rotational energy heat generation apparatus and methods
A hydrodynamic heater is provided having a rotational member and a stationary member. The rotational member is operable to rotate relative to the stationary member about an axis so as to induce fluid shear and therefore, thermal energy to the working fluid. The hydrodynamic heater may be a component of a heat generation system comprising an internal combustion engine having a drive shaft for rotating the rotational member of the hydrodynamic heater. The heat generated by the hydrodynamic heater, as well as the heat generated by the engine from the engine exhaust and engine cooling system, is combined to heat a working fluid. |
| US08726862B2 |
Switching rocker arm
A rocker arm for engaging a cam is disclosed. An outer arm and inner arm are configured to transfer motion to a valve of an internal combustion engine. A latching mechanism includes a latch, sleeve and orientation member. The sleeve engages the latch and a bore in the inner arm, and also provides an opening for an orientation member used in providing the correct orientation for the latch with respect to the sleeve and the inner arm. The sleeve, latch and inner arm have reference marks used to determine the optimal orientation for the latch. |
| US08726861B2 |
Variable valve lift apparatus
A variable valve lift apparatus may include a camshaft, a low lift cam which may be connected to the camshaft and rotates, a high lift cam which may be rotatably mounted to the camshaft and may be selectively connected to the camshaft to rotate with the camshaft, a high lift cam connecting portion which selectively connects the high lift cam to the camshaft, and a tappet including a low lift cam contact portion contacting the low lift cam and a high lift cam contact portion selectively activating the high lift cam. |
| US08726858B2 |
Variable compression ratio internal combustion engine
A variable compression ratio internal combustion engine basically has a main engine body and a variable compression ratio mechanism. A housing is attached to an outside wall of the main engine body to support an actuator. The variable compression ratio mechanism varies an engine compression ratio according to a rotational position of a first control shaft by the actuator. A second control shaft links the actuator to the first control shaft. A bearing includes a pair of split bearing bodies that rotatably holds and supports the second control shaft on the housing. The split bearing body that is farther from the main engine body has higher in rigidity than the housing. The bearing is fixed to the side wall of the main engine body by fixing bolts that pass through both of the split bearing bodies and thread into the side wall of the main engine body. |
| US08726857B2 |
System and method for electrically-coupled heat engine and thermal cycle
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a device for generating electrical energy using a thermal cycle of a working gas. The device comprises at least one piston movably mounted in a container to form a working chamber between the at least one piston and the container, the working chamber containing the working gas performing the thermal cycle. An electrical circuit is mounted stationary relative to the container, the electrical circuit being electromagnetically coupled to provide a motive force to the at least one piston. An electronic power converter is electrically connected to the electrical circuit and to an electrical bus, and an electrical storage device is electrically connected to the electrical bus. The at least one piston is movably mounted such that its motion electromagnetically induces current in the electrical circuit. An electronic controller is electronically connected to the electronic power converter to control motion of the at least one piston to perform, in the thermal cycle, at least one of: (i) expanding the working gas beyond the volume at which compression of the working gas is begun within the thermal cycle or (ii) exhausting the working gas to a remaining volume less than the smallest volume of compressed gas within the thermal cycle. The electronic controller further controls flow of electrical energy to and from the electrical bus to effect a net positive average power transfer from the working gas to the electrical bus over the course of the thermal cycle. |
| US08726855B2 |
Method for operating an internal combustion engine
The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine with a crankcase, a crankcase vent and an intake system. According to the invention, the pressure in the crankcase can be reduced, depending on a differential pressure between the intake system and the crankcase, to maximally −500 mbar, in particular maximally −300 mbar, with respect to ambient pressure for reducing lubricant consumption of the internal combustion engine. |
| US08726853B2 |
Fuel supply system
In a fuel supply system with a fuel supply pipe for pumping fuel from a fuel tank via a fuel supply pipe to a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine, wherein a fuel filter including a water separator is arranged in the fuel supply pipe for removing water collected in the water separator and injecting it into an exhaust gas system, a fuel/water discharge arrangement is provided which includes a main pipe connected to the fuel filter, a branch pipe connected to a water collection region of the fuel filter and a mixing device arranged in the main pipe for mixing water to a fuel flow in the main pipe for injection into the exhaust gas system. |
| US08726849B1 |
Bird collar
A bird collar removably worn on a bird for protection from feather picking or other self-mutilations restricts a bird's neck movement and area of reach. The bird collar includes a collar body which is wrapped around the neck of the bird and fastened with a fastener and a removable insert which provides rigidity to the collar body and allows the collar body to be cleaned when removed. An inner odor eliminating substance is provided in close proximity to the surface of the collar body which is in contact with the bird. |
| US08726848B2 |
Poultry cart handler and method
A cart-handler for mobile carts within narrow confines is provided. The cart-handler is constructed from an elongate frame having at least one upright support rail and opposite ends supported on wheels. A pair of stabilizers is connected to the frame with each stabilizer being movable into a retracted position on the frame and into a laterally-extended position in which the stabilizer directly engages an underlying floor surface to aid in supporting the cart-handler on the floor. When the stabilizers are placed in the laterally-extended position, each stabilizer extends outward from a common side of the elongate frame. A cart-lifter is mounted on the support rail of the frame and is movable vertically along the support rail so that the cart-lifter can engage, elevate, and support a separate mobile cart above the underlying floor surface. The cart-handler can be interconnected to a pair of elevated mobile work platforms. |
| US08726845B2 |
Radial-shape wireless dog fence system and method with temperature compensated crystal oscillator for reduced clock speed variation between base unit and collar
A radial-shaped wireless fence system is provided that contains one or more dogs in a user-defined area without the need for a physical fence or underground wire. The system includes a base unit and at least one collar, and is easy to set up and use. Each of the base unit and the one collar include a temperature compensated crystal oscillator for reducing clock speed variation between the base and collar units, preferably to +/−5 ppm, to effectively eliminate communication errors between the base and collar units. |
| US08726844B1 |
Remote animal restraining device and method
A remote animal restraining device includes a device collar having a panel storage compartment, at least one panel storage compartment door pivotally carried by the device collar and positional between open and closed positions relative to the panel storage compartment, a flexible restraining panel carried by the panel compartment door in the panel storage compartment, a door release mechanism carried by the device collar and adapted to normally retain the panel storage compartment door in the closed position and a remote control adapted to remotely activate the door release mechanism. |
| US08726843B2 |
Automated system for applying disinfectant to the teats of dairy livestock
A system for applying disinfectant to the teats of a dairy livestock includes a carriage mounted on a track, the carriage operable to translate laterally along the track. The system further includes a robotic arm including a first member pivotally attached to the carriage, a second member pivotally attached to the first member, and a spray tool member pivotally attached to the second member. The robotic arm further includes a spray tool attached to the spray tool member. The system further includes a controller operable to cause at least a portion of the robotic arm to extend between the hind legs of a dairy livestock such that the spray tool may discharge a disinfectant to the teats of the dairy livestock. |
| US08726841B2 |
Aquarium accessory
An aquarium accessory shaped and dimensioned for sitting upon the upper edge of an aquarium frame to elevate the water level in an aquarium for viewing fish contained within the aquarium outside of the aquarium. The aquarium accessory includes a transparent container shaped and dimensioned to sit upon a support shelf in an inverted configuration for the creation of a mechanism for holding water above a water surface of the aquarium. The support shelf is shaped and dimensioned for mounting along a frame of an aquarium and includes a base member having a central aperture. The support shelf includes arms supporting the base below the waterline of an aquarium. The lower ends of the arms are connected to the base and the upper ends of the arms are secured to a lateral flange member extending therefrom, the lateral flange member includes first and second downwardly extending flange members shaped and dimensioned to wrap about the adjacent walls of an aquarium. The accessory further includes a hood which cooperates with the support shelf. |
| US08726836B2 |
Liquid crystal coating apparatus and liquid crystal coating method
The present invention provides a liquid crystal (LC) coating apparatus and an LC coating method. The LC coating apparatus comprises a plurality of liquid crystal coating devices, at least one real-time detector and a controller. The LC coating method comprises the following steps: utilizing the LC coating devices to coat a LC on a substrate; utilizing the real-time detector to real-time detect the LC coated on the substrate and outputting a detection signal; and utilizing the controller to control the LC coating devices according to the detection signal. The present invention can real-time monitor the coating status of the LC for coating and forming a uniform LC film. |
| US08726834B2 |
Liquid applying apparatus and ink jet printing apparatus
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid applying apparatus which can inhibit a variation in application amount associated with the individual variability of a component of the apparatus. According to the present invention, a liquid holding space in which a liquid is held is formed between the applying member and the liquid holding member. When the applying member moves, the liquid attached to the applying member is fed out of the liquid holding space together with the applying member. The liquid is applied to a medium. The application amount of liquid applied to the applying medium varies depending on the individual variability of a component such as a liquid applying member. The variation in liquid application amount is adjusted by adjusting section for adjusting, the rotation speed of the liquid holding member or the flow speed of the liquid flowing through the liquid holding space. |
| US08726825B2 |
Servo-assisted steering device for vehicles, in particular for boats or the like
A servo-assisted steering device for vehicles includes a manual control member that is connected to a pump or the like manually driving it when the control member is rotated. The pump is connected at its delivery and suction side to one of the two chambers of one or more steering actuators through hydraulic pipes, feeding a pressurized fluid alternately to one or the other of the two chambers depending on moving direction, in particular the rotation of the control member. Assist control means for the steering actuators include a hydraulic fluid tank and automatic pumping means, which are driven and connected to the hydraulic pipes when the steering wheel is operated and which, by increasing the amount of pumped fluid, increase the pressure exerted by the pump to reduce resistance when steering the control member. The number of revolutions of the motor driving the automatic pumping means may be adjusted. |
| US08726818B2 |
Burning method of woody pellet and burning apparatus thereof
To suppress the generation of clinker so as to prevent the generation of a burning trouble, ceramic particles 30 are covered over a porous plate 4 to form a fire bed 3. Woody pellets 31 are scattered on the fire bed and combustion air is ejected from the lower side of the porous plate so as to burn the pellets. At the time of discharging ash generated by the burning to a secondary combustion space on the downstream side together with an air current of the combustion air or combustion gas, the ceramic particle layers and the woody pellet layer are stirred by a stirring section 21, 22 to thereby break clinker of the combustion ash formed in the fire bed, whereby the growth of the clinker is suppressed and the generation of a burning trouble is prevented. |
| US08726805B2 |
Letterpress printing machine
The letterpress printing machine includes an impression cylinder (8), at least one inking device (11, 12, 13) with an inking train comprising inking rollers (25, 26, 28) and at least one letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) inked by said at least one inking device (11, 12, 13). The at least one letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) is driven by first drive means (30), whereas the at least one inking device (11, 12, 13) is driven by second drive means (31, 32, 33), the second drive means (31, 32, 33) being mechanically independent from the first drive means (30). A control unit is coupled to the second drive means (31, 32, 33) to adjust a circumferential speed of the inking rollers (25, 26, 28) with respect to a circumferential speed of the letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16) so as to adjust deposition of ink by the inking device (11, 12, 13) on the letterpress form cylinder (14, 15, 16). At least one of letterpress form (14, 15, 16) cylinder is preferably a numbering cylinder for numbering printed sheets or webs. |
| US08726800B2 |
Method and mechanical press system for the generation of densified cylindrical briquettes
A method for preparing a pressed article comprises providing a first and a second pressing ram in a compression chamber; supplying biomass particles in the chamber closing the chamber; extending the first pressing ram; displacing the biomass particles with the first pressing ram towards the second pressing ram; detecting abutment of the biomass particles on the second pressing ram; applying pressure to the biomass particles with the first pressing ram and with the second pressing ram detecting a pressure applied to match a predetermined pressure and continuing to extend the first and the second pressing ram until a predetermined time at the matched compression pressure has elapsed; stopping the extension of the second pressing ram when a predetermined extension length is reached; continuing to extend the first pressing ram until a predetermined additional time has elapsed after the stopping; ejecting a pressed article. |
| US08726799B2 |
Avocado pitting device
An avocado pitting device comprises a housing having an inner surface defining a recess. The recess is configured to receive a pit of an avocado. An engagement member projects inwardly from the housing inner surface. The engagement member is configured to engage the pit and retain the pit within the recess such that the pit is removable with the housing from the avocado. |
| US08726792B2 |
Charbroiler and method of charbroiling
A charbroiler having both heated grids and at least one radiant heater and a method of charbroiling a food product are disclosed. Each heat source of the charbroiler can be an independently regulated heat source. The independently regulated heat sources can be adjusted to each contribute to the overall cooking of a food product in a cooking cycle. Each of the independently regulated heat sources can be many types of heat sources capable of being regulated either manually or automatically by a cooking control system. |
| US08726786B2 |
Stack valve having bucket parallel movement function
A stack valve 1 includes an ascending dividing valve 14 which is provide on an ascending junction path 23 and controls the flow rate of a pressure fluid supplied to a head-side chamber 4a of a bucket cylinder 4, an ascending branched path 24 which is branched from the ascending junction path 23 and connected to an unloading path 21, and an ascending cancellation switching valve 19 which is provided on the ascending branched path 24 to close or open the ascending branched path 24. The ascending dividing valve 14 and the ascending cancellation switching valve 19 are provide in the same dividing section 83. |
| US08726784B2 |
Field gun aim
A howitzer suitable for deployment on a ground plane, the howitzer having an ordnance for firing a projectile. The ordnance can include a barrel defining a barrel axis and having a muzzle towards the front end of the howitzer and a breech assembly at the back end of the barrel; a cradle for holding the ordnance at a traverse and an elevation; two trunnion pins located on the cradle, which co-locate with receiving trunnion bearings on a saddle, wherein in a first position said breech is located forward of the trunnion, in a second position, at the end of the recoil stroke, the breech is retracted substantially behind the trunnion, wherein a recoil stroke is variable depending on the selection of the elevation. |
| US08726783B2 |
Turret assembly
A turret assembly without deck penetration for minimizing exposure of combatants to enemy forces when accessing above deck equipment comprises a base plate on top of which is mounted at least one finable and remotely operable combatant interfaceable implement, the base plate being rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and supported for rotation by bearing means mounted within a deck of a military facility; a hatch displaceably connected to the base plate, for normally covering a hatchway formed in said base plate and for exposing said hatchway when displaced; and a rotatable disc of a slip ring unit carried by the hatch, by which electricity for operating equipment mounted on top of the deck and for initiating control signals is transmitted to the equipment. |
| US08726771B2 |
Insert, holder, and cutting tool using said insert and holder
Provided is an insert that has good positioning precision and sufficient rigidity. Said insert is rod-shaped and has: a shank part; cutting blades formed on both sides of the shank part; and raised surfaces that are positioned between the cutting blades and the shank part and bulge such that parts farther away from the cutting blades are progressively closer to the outer surface of the shank part. In a side view, the rake face of the cutting blade on one side and the raised surface on the other side are disposed in the same direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the shank part. |
| US08726770B2 |
Machine tool
There is provided a work supplying apparatus for automatically and smoothly supplying workpieces having various shapes and sizes from a rear end of a hollow spindle in a machine tool or assembling machine. The work supplying apparatus has a work pushing means for pushing the workpiece held by a holding means into a chuck, and a pusher for pushing and holding the workpiece supplied to a work receiver in the direction of the holding means. |
| US08726768B2 |
Adjustable wrench
An adjustable wrench is provided which provides several advantageous aspects. One aspect of the wrench is to facilitate rapid adjustment of the jaws, which are typically spring biased toward one another. Another aspect is the ability to adjust the jaws according to Metric system measurements or English system measurements or the like. A further aspect is the quick and effective tightening of the jaws. |
| US08726765B2 |
Screwdriver tool with improved linear tracking
An automatic fastener driving tool, or an attachment, has an external depth of drive adjustment subassembly that is mounted external to the feed tube housing, yet has a simple adjustment that does not lose its setpoint easily. By placing the depth of drive mechanism outside of the interior areas of the feed tube, the slide body subassembly can be lengthened without increasing the overall length of the feed system. Certain surfaces of slide body subassembly exhibit a dovetail shape, which allows the slide body subassembly to be robustly mounted so that it is capable of operating with long fasteners while also having the nosepiece mounted in an extended position for use with those fasteners. |
| US08726764B2 |
Sommelier's corkscrew
A sommelier's corkscrew having an elongated first shaft (1) hingedly connected at one end with a second shaft (2) including a tool (2.1) for opening crown caps and an extension (2.2) having a formed step adapted to engage the top edge of a bottle mouth during the corkscrew lifting step, and a helically shaped third shaft (3) hingedly connected to the first shaft. The corkscrew further includes a mechanical element (10, 20) adapted to engage the third shaft and actuate it automatically to move the third shaft from the closed position of the corkscrew, where the third shaft is contained between the first and second shafts, to the open position where the third shaft is substantially perpendicular to the first and second shafts aligned in the open position. |
| US08726754B2 |
Method for reversing the direction of travel of a vehicle
During reversal of drive of a vehicle, particularly a work machine with a hydrodynamic torque converter and a bypass clutch, the bypass clutch is first disengaged, during the reversal process. Next, a previously engaged first driving direction clutch, driving the vehicle in the first driving direction, is disengaged and a second driving direction clutch, for driving the vehicle in the second driving direction, is engaged so that a speed of the vehicle, in the first driving direction, is reduced and a speed of the vehicle, in the second driving direction, is subsequently accelerated, whereby the drive motor is operated at a higher rotational speed during the reversal process. |
| US08726749B2 |
Transmission overdrive yoke position sensor for range trigger
Disclosed is an exemplary transmission clutch fork position sensor including an elongated bar and a clutch fork slidably engaging the elongated bar. A yoke bar includes a first end coupled to the clutch fork for concurrent movement therewith. A position sensor operably engages the yoke bar, and is operable for detecting a position of the yoke bar. |
| US08726745B2 |
Fluid handling device with ultrasound sensor and methods and systems using same
A device comprising a sampling probe configured to sample a fluid, and an ultrasound sensor coupled to the sampling probe and configured to transmit and receive ultrasound energy, the ultrasound sensor further configured to generate a first signal by receiving ultrasound energy reflected from a fluid surface of the fluid is provided. Fluid handling systems and methods of using the fluid handling devices and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08726741B2 |
Set of multiaxial force and torque sensor and assembling method
A multiaxial force/torque sensor assembly and method for assembling such a sensor assembly are disclosed. The sensor assembly includes a set of at least two sensors each being made of strain gauges, which are each arranged at a definite angle and distance relative to each other and which are each fixed to a transducer body, which is mechanical contact with a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes clearances for each strain gauge as well as associated electronic components and wiring located on the remaining area of the printed circuit board which will monitor compressive and tensile stresses in the measurement directions of the sensors. The method includes positioning the strain gauges on the plane measurement surface of a transducer body in a definite arrangement; fixing the strain gauges to the transducer body by means of adhesives, and connecting the strain gauges to respective conductors by means of electrically bonding. |
| US08726739B2 |
Torsional sensor including a high-pressure sealing mechanism and system for measurement of fluid parameters
A torsional sensor including a high-pressure sealing mechanism for sensing at least one parameter of a high-pressure fluid. The torsional sensor includes a torsional portion including a torsional rod sensor, a reference portion coupled to the torsional portion and including a transducer device and a high-pressure sealing mechanism coupled to the reference portion and the torsional portion and in sealing arrangement therewith. The high-pressure sealing mechanism is configured to provide for sealing therein the transducer device and allow for protrusion therethrough of a torsional rod sensor. At least a portion of the torsional sensor is mountable for immersion in the high-pressure fluid and operable to propagate a torsional wave that interacts with the high-pressure fluid along the at least portion of the torsional sensor so as to affect propagation of the torsional wave in a manner dependent on the at least one parameter of the high-pressure fluid. |
| US08726732B2 |
System, device and method for detecting seismic acceleration
A device for detecting seismic acceleration includes a proof mass; a base for providing a sensor acceleration, relative to the proof mass, based on the seismic acceleration; and an optical fiber portion operatively connected between the proof mass and the base for providing a fiber tension based on the sensor acceleration. A fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) in the optical fiber portion provides an optical characteristic representative of the fiber tension. A compensator applies a compensating tension to the FFPI to compensate for a change of the optical characteristic due to a temperature change of the FFPI. |
| US08726730B1 |
Optically transduced MEMS gyro device
A bulk micromachined vibratory gyro in which a proof mass has a bulk substrate thickness for a large mass and high inertial sensitivity. In embodiments, optical displacement transduction is with multi-layer sub-wavelength gratings for high sensitivity and low cross-talk with non-optical drive elements. In embodiments, the vibratory gyro includes a plurality of multi-layer sub-wavelength gratings and a plurality of drive electrodes to measure motion of the proof mass induced by drive forces and/or moments and induced by the Coriolis Effect when the gyro experiences a rotation. In embodiments, phase is varied across the plurality gratings and a multi-layer grating having the best performance is selected from the plurality. |
| US08726729B2 |
Measuring device
A measuring device with at least one housing and at least one electronic unit, wherein the housing has at least one electronic access opening for the electronic unit, wherein a first longitudinal axis extends through the electronic access opening, wherein the housing has a sensor access opening for connecting to a sensor unit, wherein a second longitudinal axis extends through the sensor access, wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis span an orientation plane, wherein the electronic unit has at least one printed circuit board which lies essentially in a printed circuit board plane that, to provide a measuring device, in which the effect of external mechanical stresses on electronic components can be reduced, is arranged in the housing such that the printed circuit board plane is at an angle relative to the orientation plane which differs from an integral multiple of 90°. |
| US08726728B2 |
Level gauge system with wettable propagation device
The present invention relates to a level gauge system for determining a filling level of a product contained in a tank, comprising a transceiver for generating, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals; a signal propagating device connected to the transceiver and arranged to propagate a transmitted electromagnetic signal along a generally vertical path towards a surface of the product inside the tank, and to return a surface echo signal resulting from reflection of the transmitted electromagnetic signal at the surface of the product contained in the tank; and processing circuitry connected to the transceiver and configured to determine the filling level based on the surface echo signal. A surface of the signal propagating device comprises a surface portion that exhibits a wettability defined by a contact angle between the surface portion and water being less than 30°. |
| US08726722B2 |
Determining concentrations of components of a mixture
Systems and methods for determining concentrations of components of a multiphase fluid. A first flowmeter receives a fluid flow and generates measurements of the fluid flow. After at least partially separating the fluid flow into mixtures of its components, second and third flowmeters generate measurements of the mixtures. A data processing apparatus operatively coupled to the flowmeters receives the measurements and determines concentrations of the components of the fluid flow. In an embodiment, the measurements are mass flow and density readings. |
| US08726721B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring and sampling air quality in an interior space of a wall
An apparatus and method for monitoring and sampling air quality in an interior space of a wall are provided. The apparatus includes a housing configured to attach the apparatus to an electrical outlet in the wall, and a gasket configured to provide a seal between the housing and the electrical outlet. The apparatus further includes an air moving unit configured to draw air from the interior space of the wall into the apparatus, and a sensor configured to monitor and sample the air quality in the interior space of the wall. The gasket is configured to directly attach to an electrical plate cover of the electrical outlet or to the wall. |
| US08726716B2 |
Hydraulic brake caliper piston insertion force gauge tool
A piston insertion force gauge tool for measuring the insertion force of a piston into a bore of a brake caliper includes a housing assembly having an inner housing member at least partially disposed in an outer housing member, where the housing members are generally coaxial and selectively displaceable along the axis. First and second end members form the ends of the gauge tool. The inner housing member is received into the outer housing member at a second open end. A measuring device extends from the second end member through a first open end and to the first end member. The measuring device displaces the inner housing member with respect to the outer housing member to indicate the insertion force imparted on the piston. |
| US08726713B2 |
Crimping tool
A crimping tool is provided for coupling a pipe with a connector or fitting. The crimping tool includes a first jaw having an opening on one side. The opening has a first slot sized and shaped to receive a portion of a pipe connector. A second jaw is operably coupled to the first jaw, the second jaw having a semi-cylindrical surface on one side with a second slot disposed therein. The semi-cylindrical surface sized and shaped to receive a portion of the pipe connector. The first jaw and second jaw are moveable between a first position and a second position, the semi-cylindrical surface being arranged at least partially within the opening when in the closed position. |
| US08726712B2 |
Apparatus for processing sealing lip of metallic can, and metallic can processed by said apparatus
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a sealing lip of a metallic can, and a metallic can processed by the apparatus. The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a sealing lip of a metallic can comprising: a pressurization block which is lifted and lowered by a lifting means to elastically provide pressure downward; an interlocking means which moves downward step by step by the pressure of the pressurization block and has a coupling relation in which the means stops at stages in the level difference structure of a base so as to be held; and a lip processing member which presses the sealing lip to the inside and outside of a bottle neck of the metallic can while interlocking due to the movement of the interlocking means, and provides a metallic can wherein a notch groove is processed at a beading part by the apparatus for processing a sealing lip of a metallic can. |
| US08726706B2 |
Locking device
The invention relates to a locking device, in particular for a motor vehicle, having a key (10) and a lock cylinder (30), having a cylinder core (32), which is mounted in a rotatable manner in a cylinder housing (31) and has a key channel (33) into which the key (10) can be introduced, having spring-loaded tumbler elements (41, 42), which are mounted such that, when the key (10) is inserted into the key channel (33), they can be displaced radially in relation to the axis (34) of the lock cylinder (30), and having a plurality of outer surfaces (13, 14, 15), which are provided on the key (10), have control tracks (11, 12) and act on the tumbler elements (41, 42) when the key (10) is introduced. For this purpose, it is provided according to the invention that the outer surfaces (13, 14, 15) have two narrow sides (14, 15) and two broad sides (13), wherein each broad side (13) is configured with a first control track (11), the first narrow side (14) has a second control track (12), and the second narrow side (15), which is located opposite the first narrow side (14), is designed to be free of any control track. |
| US08726701B2 |
Method of making a knit apparel with a tie dyed appearance and an apparel made by the method
A knit apparel is made using a decorating pattern that is generated to give the apparel the appearance of tie dyed apparel. The decorating pattern includes a main element, a secondary element and intermediate zones have the same color but gradually lighter shades as the main element. |
| US08726692B2 |
Method of manufacturing vitreous silica crucible
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a vitreous silica crucible by heating and fusing a silica powder layer in a rotating mold by arc discharge generated by carbon electrodes comprising: a preparation process for determining optimal temperatures during heating and fusing the silica powder layer for one or more selected from the group consisting of the silica powder layer, fume generated during arc fusing, and arc flame generated in the arc discharge; a temperature measuring process for measuring actual temperatures during heating and fusing for one or more selected from the group where the optimal temperatures are determined; and a temperature controlling process for controlling the actual temperatures for one or more selected from the group where the actual temperatures are measured so that the actual temperatures match the optimal temperatures. |
| US08726690B2 |
Insulation panels applied to or as a feature module
A refrigerator includes a rear wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall that are permanently attached to define a cabinet. The cabinet includes an interior liner and an exterior wrapper. A door is pivotally connected with the cabinet and includes an interior liner and an exterior wrapper. A pocket is disposed in at least one of the rear wall, first side wall, second side wall, top wall, bottom wall, and door between the interior liner and the exterior wrapper. The pocket includes an access opening disposed at an edge of one of the rear wall, first side wall, second side wall, top wall, and bottom wall. A removable insulation panel is disposed in the pocket. |
| US08726684B2 |
Reversible system for recovering of heat energy by sampling and transfer of calories from one or more media into one or more other such media
A reversible system for recovery of heat energy by sampling and transfer of calories from one or more media into one or more other media of any type. The innovation is a new principle of refrigeration operation that makes it possible—with a nonreversible plate exchanger, a reversible plate exchanger, and a finned battery on an outside air circuit—to implement the following functions: total or partial restoration of calories on the nonreversible exchanger from the outside battery or from the reversible exchanger in evaporator mode, total or partial restoration of the calories on the reversible exchanger from the outside battery, refrigeration production on the reversible exchanger with total or partial evacuation of the calories on the nonreversible exchanger and/or on the outside battery. |
| US08726683B2 |
Device for deicing and cleaning of fans
The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for removing ice layers and/or snow layers and/or dirt layers from the rotor blades of axial fans in cooling installations for refrigerating and/or freezing products. At least one cleaning substance jet is directed toward the rotor blades of an axial fan within certain time intervals in such a way that ice layers and/or snow layers and/or dirt layers are at least separated from the surfaces of the rotor blades and transported away, wherein the rotor blades rotate with nominal speed while cleaning jets act upon their surfaces. |
| US08726682B1 |
Hybrid multi-mode heat pump system
A hybrid multi-source system that is used to heat or cool a building. The system utilizes a heat pump or similar HVAC unit. A solar/air heat exchanger is provided. At least one ground heat exchanger is utilized. A plumbing network interconnects the heat pump, the solar/air heat exchanger, and the ground heat exchanger. A heat transfer fluid circulates through the plumbing network. Temperature sensors are used to monitor temperatures of the heat transfer fluid at multiple points in the system. At least one pump circulates the heat transfer fluid through the plumbing network. Valves are disposed within the plumbing network that can selectively isolate the heat pump, the solar/air heat exchanger, and the ground heat exchanger. A systems controller is coupled to the temperature sensors, the valves, and pump. The system operates in multiple modes which allow for higher efficiency and long term underground thermal storage. |
| US08726675B2 |
Scalloped flexure ring
A scalloped flexure ring. An illustrative embodiment of the flexure ring includes a ring body having a first ring body edge and a generally scalloped second ring body edge and a plurality of spaced-apart ring fingers provided in the second ring body edge. |
| US08726673B2 |
Turbine engine bypass fan-bleed noise reduction
Apparatuses are provided for reducing noise generation from a dead ended conduit in a gas turbine engine. In particular A scooped bellmouth is provided that comprises a bellmouth within a surface having an outer perimeter an inner perimeter and a ramp diverging from the surface at a first end, the ramp extending radially through the outer perimeter of the bellmouth at a second end. The ramp diverts an airflow away from the bellmouth thereby preventing the development of a low pressure area at the bellmouth without affecting the efficiency of the gas turbine engine. |
| US08726672B2 |
Cooling system for a gas turbine and corresponding operation method
An operation method for a gas turbine is provided which includes compressing a working fluid by a compressor, feeding this compressed working fluid into at least one combustion chamber where it is overheated, expanding this overheated working fluid in at least one expansion turbine to produce energy, carrying out a first tapping of the compressed work fluid from the compressor to feed it into a first cavity of the turbine for cooling, carrying out a second tapping of the working fluid downstream from the first tapping to feed it into a second cavity of the turbine upstream from the first cavity, for cooling, and fluidly connecting the first tapping to the second tapping to selectively feed the first tapping by a part of the second tapping during partial load operation conditions to keep the temperature of the first cavity within the acceptable limits for the resistance of the materials. |
| US08726671B2 |
Operation of a combustor apparatus in a gas turbine engine
A method of transitioning from a first operating mode to a second operating in a gas turbine engine. An amount of fuel provided to a primary fuel injection system of the combustor apparatus is reduced. An amount of fuel provided to a secondary fuel/air injection system of the combustor apparatus is reduced, wherein the secondary fuel/air injection system provides fuel to a secondary combustion zone downstream from a main combustion zone. A total amount of air provided to the combustor apparatus is reduced, wherein portions of the air are provided to each of the injection systems. Upon reaching operating parameters corresponding to the second operating mode, the amount of fuel provided to the primary fuel injection system is increased, the amount of fuel provided to the secondary fuel/air injection system is reduced, and the total amount of air provided to the combustor apparatus is increased. |
| US08726668B2 |
Fuel atomization dual orifice fuel nozzle
A pilot fuel injector tip includes concentric primary and secondary pilot fuel nozzles having a circular primary exit axially aft and downstream of an annular secondary exit respectively. A fuel nozzle assembly includes a pilot swirler flowpath section having an annular inwardly tapering conical flowpath section surrounding primary and secondary exits. An inwardly tapering conical wall section radially inwardly bounding flowpath section defines a conical surface. Exits are located at or axially forward or upstream of the conical surface. An annular secondary fuel supply passage in secondary pilot fuel nozzle includes a secondary fuel swirler with an array of helical spin slots that may have rectangular cross sections. A chamfered leading edge of an annular wall section disposed between an outer pilot swirler and an inlet to an injector cooling flowpath surrounding the second pilot swirler includes a radially inwardly facing conical chamfered surface for deflecting dirt from cooling flowpath. |
| US08726667B2 |
Fuel injector bearing plate assembly and swirler assembly
A bearing plate assembly for a turbine engine fuel injector includes a bearing plate 30, with an opening 80 bordered by a race 82. A swivel ball 90 nests inside the race and is rotatable relative thereto. A lock, which may be a tip bushing 108 resists disengagement of the swivel ball from the race. A fuel injector nozzle 38 extends through an opening 98 in the swivel ball. During engine operation, the ball can swivel inside the race to accommodate rotational movement of the nozzle about lateral and radial axes. |
| US08726666B2 |
Inlet premixer for combustion apparatus
A premixer is provided for injecting premixed fuel-air mixture into the inlet of a combustion apparatus. In one embodiment, the premixer assembly comprises a plurality of concentric, aerodynamic injector rings, with radially-directed injection holes. The injection holes have a plurality of different diameters, facilitating good mixing over a broad power range. Due to configuration and hole sizes, the assembly is gas or liquid compatible. The radial, concentric injection formation allows for a short injection path. |
| US08726665B2 |
Internal mixing of a portion of fan exhaust flow and full core exhaust flow in aircraft turbofan engines
An airborne mobile platform that has at least one turbofan engine assembly having a fan driven by a core engine, a short nacelle around the fan and a forward portion of the core engine, and a fan exhaust duct through the nacelle. A mixer duct shell is disposed substantially coaxial with and extending forwardly into the fan exhaust duct to provide a mixer duct between the mixer duct shell and a core engine shroud of the core engine. At least a portion of the mixer duct shell has a honeycomb core structure having an inner surface and an outer surface, with an acoustic lining on one of the inner or outer surfaces. The acoustic lining attenuates sound emanating from the turbofan engine assembly. |
| US08726664B2 |
Engine lug-down suppressing device for hydraulic work machinery
To provide an engine lug-down suppressing device for hydraulic work machinery, capable of suppressing deterioration in operability of a hydraulic actuator when the hydraulic actuator is caused to operate quickly from a stopped state.Pilot pressure to a tilting control unit of a variable displacement hydraulic pump is controlled by a solenoid valve. A controller controls the solenoid valve in accordance with a target rotational speed signal from an input unit. This control differs according to whether or not a detector detects the pilot pressure created by an operating lever device. In an entire range of the target engine rotational speed, pump absorption torque at the time when the pilot pressure is not detected, falls within a range equal to or smaller than pump absorption torque at the time when the pilot pressure is detected, and is set to approach the pump absorption torque at the time when the pilot pressure is detected with an increase in the target engine rotational speed. |
| US08726663B2 |
Combined cycle system employing phase change material
In one embodiment, a component for a power generation system includes an interior volume for containing steam condensate or gas turbine exhaust gas. A phase change material is disposed around an external surface of the combined cycle power generation system component. |
| US08726651B2 |
Hydropower plant provided with a grating and method for operating a such
The invention relates to a hydropower plant including a water turbine submerged in a water current, A grating is located adjacent the water turbine. According to the invention the grating is arranged to guide the water flow in the water current such that the velocity of the water between the grating and the water turbine becomes non-uniform. The invention also relates to a use of the hydropower plant for generating electric energy for supply to an electric network. Further the invention relates to a method for operating a hydropower plant. |
| US08726643B2 |
Injector mounting configuration for an exhaust treatment system
The present disclosure relates to a device for mounting an injector to an exhaust pipe. The device includes an injector mounting structure having an exterior surface configured for mounting the injector. The injector mounting structure also includes an interior surface arrangement defining an interior volume and a port for allowing the injector to inject a reductant into the interior volume. The interior surface arrangement is configured to prevent swirling of exhaust within the interior volume. |
| US08726639B2 |
Reductant injection rate shaping method for regeneration of aftertreatment systems
The invention provides methods for regenerating pollutant storage and catalytic components of an internal combustion engine's exhaust gas aftertreatment system. These methods include introducing reductant in to catalytic components requiring regeneration in series of discreet portions during a Scheduled Regeneration Event. Typically the flow of exhaust gas to the catalytic component undergoing regeneration is at least partially reduced. |
| US08726637B2 |
Air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engine
An oscillation signal is generated to oscillate the air-fuel ratio with a set frequency which is different from a 0.5th-order frequency (half of the frequency corresponding to a rotational speed of the engine). Air-fuel ratio perturbation control is performed to oscillate the air-fuel ratio according to the oscillation signal. An intensity of the 0.5th-order frequency component and the set frequency component contained in the detected air-fuel ratio signal are calculated. A determination parameter applied to determining an imbalance degree of air-fuel ratios corresponding to the plurality of cylinders is calculated according to the two intensities and determines an imbalance failure that the imbalance degree of the air-fuel ratios exceeds an acceptable limit. A predicted imbalance value, indicative of a predicted value of the imbalance degree, is calculated, and an amplitude of the oscillation signal is set according to the predicted imbalance value. |
| US08726636B2 |
Vehicle relocatable exhaust system components
Modification of reductant (e.g., diesel exhaust fluid, DEF) tank location, for example during vehicle up-fitting may result in less than optimal operation of the DEF system due to inaccurate DEF system calibration. In one example approach, the above issue can be at least partially addressed by adjusting control system parameters for system control and diagnostics based on an input indicative of, or any modification to, the DEF tank location. In this way, DEF tank location flexibility is maintained, while also maintaining emission control and diagnostic accuracy. |
| US08726635B1 |
Gas turbine engine with dual compression rotor
The present invention provides a gas turbine engine having a combustion chamber section substantially forward of an axial compressor section. An example embodiment uses a centrifugal compressor section behind the axial compressor section to help route compressed air exiting the axial compressor section forward to the combustion chamber section. |
| US08726633B2 |
Gas turbine engine systems and related methods involving multiple gas turbine cores
Gas turbine engine systems and related methods involving multiple gas turbine cores are provided. In this regard, a representative gas turbine engine includes: an inlet; a blade assembly mounted to receive intake air via the inlet; and multiple gas turbine cores located downstream of the blade assembly, each of the multiple gas turbine cores being independently operative in a first state, in which rotational energy is provided to rotate the blade assembly, and a second state, in which rotational energy is not provided to rotate the blade assembly. |
| US08726626B2 |
Combustor for a gas turbine engine
A combustor in a gas turbine engine has a wall which forms a gap with an outer nozzle guide vane platform. A closure mechanism is operable to open or close the gap. Opening of the gap, for example during cruise conditions, reduces the mass flow rate of air through an open end of the combustor, so enriching the air fuel ratio and improving flame stability and combustion efficiency. Under high power conditions, the gap is closed, causing an increase in air flow rate through the open end to achieve a lean burn air fuel ratio when the fuel flow rate is increased. |
| US08726624B2 |
Method and device for yarn braking especially at renewal of spinning in a working position of an air jet spinning machine
The method and corresponding device of yarn braking are provided by means of an attending device provided with a vacuum tube into which the end of the yarn is sucked in before commencement of braking. At drawing off from the vacuum tube, the yarn is braked between the braking surfaces of a stationary brake friction member and a moving brake friction member, which are arranged on the attending device displaceably to the track of the yarn. For generating the braking force, the moving brake friction member moves towards the stationary brake friction member and fits against it at a contact abscissa or a contact surface. |
| US08726621B2 |
Agricultural harvesting head sensor arrangement
A sensor arrangement for an agricultural harvesting head comprises a sensor attached to a cutter bar in the place of a skid shoe. |
| US08726616B2 |
System and method for handling a container with a vacuum panel in the container body
Systems and methods for vacuum compensation in hot-filled and cooled containers. Each container reduces, via one or more vacuum panels, a first portion of a vacuum created in the container. Each container also has a repositionable portion to reduce a second portion of the vacuum. During hot-filling, no portion of the repositionable portion extends below a standing or bearing surface of the container. |
| US08726615B2 |
Method for conditioning a fluid product in a dispenser
A packaging method for packaging fluid (P) in a fluid dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir (1) defining an opening (13), and a fluid dispenser member (2), such as a pump or a valve, for mounting in leaktight manner on the opening (13) of the reservoir, an inert gas, such as nitrogen or argon, being present in the reservoir above the fluid (P) while the dispenser member (2) is being mounted in leaktight manner on the opening (13) of the reservoir, such that the fluid (P) is in contact with the inert gas in the reservoir (1); the method being characterized in that the step of mounting the dispenser member (2) in leaktight manner on the opening (13) of the reservoir (1) is performed under a vacuum, the inert gas is evacuated, at least in part, from the reservoir during this evacuation step, such that the reservoir is subjected to an inert-gas vacuum. |
| US08726612B2 |
Modular panel
A modular panel, the panel comprising a first member including a top surface and a bottom surface; an optional second member joined to the bottom surface of the first member; at least two reinforcing elements integrally disposed on the bottom of the first member; at least two elements integrally disposed on the bottom surface of the first member or on the second member for affixing and/or aligning the modular panel to at least two support members, each support member including a top surface; and a support flange integrally disposed about the periphery of the first member for engaging the top surface of the support member. The modular panel being constructed of a thermoplastic material or metal. |
| US08726611B2 |
Method of installing a roofing membrane
A roofing membrane includes first and second layers. The first layer includes a low surface energy polymer. A method of installing the roofing membrane includes, along an edge of a first membrane, mechanically removing a portion of the first membrane extending vertically to include the first layer and a portion of the second layer to leave a flap of the first membrane, placing an edge of a second membrane to overlap the first membrane, and bonding the first membrane to the second membrane. The underside of the edge of the second membrane overlies the flap of the first membrane. |
| US08726610B2 |
Crack-resistant member, a method of preventing crack propagation, and a method of assembling a tower
A crack-resistant member for preventing crack propagation, a method of preventing crack propagation, and method of assembly a tower are provided. The crack-resistant member includes at least one insert attached to at least one removed portion at a predetermined location along a girth weld and adjacent a heat affected zone of the tower. The at least one insert is positioned perpendicular to a weld direction and intersecting the girth weld. The at least one insert prevents crack propagation in the girth weld of the tower. |
| US08726608B2 |
Apparatus and method for using board insulation as blown insulation
Apparatus for processing board insulation into granules of loosefill insulation are provided. The apparatus includes an upper unit having inlet and outlet ends. The inlet end is configured to receive board insulation. The upper unit is configured to break the board insulation into small pieces. A lower unit is connected to the upper unit. The lower unit is configured to receive the small pieces of board insulation exiting the upper unit. The lower unit includes a plurality of conditioning mechanisms configured to condition the small pieces thereby resulting in granules of loosefill insulation. The lower unit further includes a distribution mechanism configured to distribute the granules of loosefill insulation into an airstream. A distribution hose is connected to the lower unit and configured to convey the granules from the apparatus to a building insulation cavity. The granules are configured for use as loosefill insulation within the building cavity. |
| US08726604B2 |
Floor panel with a plastic backing
A floor panel having a backing of a plastics material that is pliable and flexible at the temperature at which a floor is used. A decorative layer disposed above the backing. Complementary mechanical locking profiles are provided on at least two edges of the panel and interact in the locked state of two floor panels. The locking profiles counteract movement apart of the floor panels. At least one of the locking profiles is provided, at least in certain regions, with at least one adhesive. |
| US08726590B2 |
Foam filler and hollow structure
A foam filler is provided with a base for forming a foam and placed inside a hollow structure having a through hole. An opening having an area larger than the opening of the through hole is created in the base and surrounding the through hole. The foam filler is provided with an upper wall which follows the flow and the thermal expansion of the base at the time of heating. The upper wall closes at least part of the opening of the through hole when following the flow and the thermal expansion of the base, and thus prevents the base from entering into the through hole. The upper wall is provided in a peripheral portion of the opening and placed in a part of an area surrounding the through hole. |
| US08726587B2 |
Module rail for photovoltaic system
A module rail for a photovoltaic system includes a module-supporting surface, and upper portion, and opposing vertical sidewalls. A first set of openings are spaced apart from one another along the length of the rail. Each of the openings in the first set extend through the upper portion for receiving a first set of fasteners for use in securing at least one photovoltaic module to the module rail. A second set of openings are spaced apart from one another along the length of the rail. Each of the openings in the second set extending through at least one of the module-supporting surface and one of the sidewalls for receiving a second set of fasteners for use in securing at least one photovoltaic module to the module rail. |
| US08726586B1 |
Energy-efficient building structure having a dynamic thermal enclosure
A constructed enclosure, adjacent to an interior habitable space, uses a microprocessor-based control unit to operate enclosure openings to provide a multi-layer insulation barrier containing or creating heat, or providing a radiant barrier, isolating by open air, a thermal insulating layer from warm exterior surfaces, maximizing insulation values. The enclosed space, through the use of openings, which in one embodiment are windows, skylights and dampers connected to louvers, is heated by radiant exposure or cooled by natural air flow or exhaust fan. Return air is heated upstream from a forced air heating unit by traversing ductwork heated by the enclosure and by direct solar exposure from enclosure windows. Enclosure openings to the habitable interior spaces create air displacement drawing warm air out of the interior and fresh air in through exterior windows. The energy efficient system is tailored for immediate climate specific conditions. |
| US08726583B2 |
Modular dwellings
In one embodiment, a modular dwelling comprises a beam connector comprising a body and multiple arms that extend out from the body, structural beams comprising outer sides that define elongated channels that extend along a length of the beams, each beam being connected to an arm of the beam connector, a locking means that secure the structural beams to their associated beam connector arms, and a structural panel that comprises multiple edges, at least one edge of the panel being received by a channel of at least one structural beam. |
| US08726579B2 |
Modular container system
The invention relates to a modular container system for creating cuboid modular units for living or working purposes, which are arranged next to and on top of each other. In order to enable cost-effective warehousing, easy transportation, fast assembly, and a flexible and variable installation, it is proposed that a modular unit may comprise a variety of interconnecting floor, ceiling and wall elements. |
| US08726578B2 |
Partition system
A partition system includes a first pilaster and a door coupled to the first pilaster and rotatable from a closed position to an open position. The door is configurable in a first configuration wherein the door is rotatable from the closed position to the open position in a first direction and prevented from rotating in a second direction from the closed position, the second direction opposite the first direction. The door is further configurable in a second configuration wherein the door is rotatable from the closed position to the open position in the second direction and prevented from rotating in the first direction from the closed position. The door is coupled to the first pilaster to define a seam and prevents a line of sight from being established through the seam. |
| US08726577B2 |
Integrated safety rail protection system
A unique safety rail system with integrated hand-grip projections, structures for affixing the system for the safe and easy egress and ingress through an opening, such as roof or floor access holes. The safety rail system is designed to reduce the risk of falls while ascending or descending a ladder through an access hole while providing additional protection and prevention of personnel accidentally falling through an open access. A self-closing gravity gate may be provided acting as additional hand-grip, support, and barrier. This system may employ methods of construction and assembly using a unique continuous tubular structure of converging vertical and angular upright post with horizontal upper safety rail, forward protruding hand-grip and opposing directionally horizontal lower attachment support means reducing lateral motion and allows efficient installation for new construction or retro fitting of existing openings. |
| US08726576B2 |
Glass run channel assembly
A glass run channel assembly of the invention includes a connecting glass run channel that is connected to first and second glass run channels, respectively. A base bottom portion of the connecting glass run channel is formed with an insertion hole to which an engaging member can be attached, and lateral inner walls that configure the periphery of the insertion hole are formed with locking portions that are locked to a trunk portion when the engaging member is inserted into the insertion hole. |
| US08726573B2 |
Window regulator device
A position detection unit includes a rotational member rotatable by a rotational drive force of an output shaft, an operation lever configured to avoid engaging with the rotational member when an a position of a window glass is situated out of an insensitive area, and engage with the rotational member when the position of the window glass is situated within the insensitive area, the operation lever being rotated by the rotational drive force of the output shaft transmitted via the rotational member when the operation lever engages with the rotational member, and an insensitive area detection switch for performing a switching operation based on a rotational operation of the operation lever. |
| US08726567B1 |
Hand-held electronic tree injection device and method for identifying the state of health of a tree
The invention provides a hand-held electronic device for injecting an agent into a tree with continuous pressure sensing technology for real-time measurements of the pressure within the tree. The pressure measurement information is conveyed to an onboard central processing unit for data collection, analysis and optimization of the speed of injecting the agent into the tree. By continually monitoring the pressure and injection power, the injection pressure can be modified to adapt to back pressure fluctuations. In one embodiment of the invention the agent is injected into the tree under a preprogrammed pressure profile. In another embodiment of the invention the agent is injected into the tree under a variable pressure profile until the fastest injection time is obtained. The invention also provides methods to identify a problem related to the health of the tree by comparing the measured pressure profile resulting from the injection of an agent into an individual tree with the typical pressure profile, stored in a database, for a tree injected under a comparable set of conditions. |
| US08726564B2 |
Disinfestation and disinfection of food, perishables and other commodities
A method and system for disinfecting and disinfesting a commodity, such as a perishable agricultural commodity, by treatment with an environment of low oxygen/high ballast gas with cycled pressure changes that overwhelm and damage the respiratory system of the insect without damaging the host commodity. The system and method may also include the introduction of disinfectants, antiseptics and other toxic chemicals or the exposure to radio frequencies with intense electric fields that may increase the metabolic activity of the pest or decrease the fitness of the pest within the low oxygen environment. Treatments according to the methods can also increase the shelf life of agricultural commodities by eradicating or delaying the growth of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other microbial pests. |
| US08726561B1 |
Magazine spring compression tool and method
A tool, implement or apparatus and a method of use of the tool, implement or apparatus to aid in the disassembly and assembly of a firearm magazine for cleaning, maintenance or repair when that magazine has a sealed base plate and requires the removal of the spring and spring follower from the top of the magazine. The tool consists of two parts—a body and a pin. The method consists of using the tool body to apply a pushing force or compressing operation directly to the magazine follower and thereby compressing the follower and the magazine spring. The pin is inserted through the magazine box through witness holes to release spring tension from the follower allowing it to be removed. During reassembly, the tool body is used to apply a pushing force or compressing operation directly to the magazine spring compressing it into the magazine box and holding it in place to allow insertion of the pin through the magazine witness holes and to allow insertion of the follower. |
| US08726559B1 |
Universal barrel nut for firearm
A barrel nut for a firearm. A cylindrical shell is provided with internal threads extending from one end of the shell and opposite slots extending axially from the opposite end of the shell. A cylindrical core has external threads on one end, with the external threads being shaped to engage the internal threads of the shell. When the core is installed in the shell, it is secured at a desired axial location by at least one fastener secured in a bore of the shell and engaging one of a series of circumferential indentations in the core. |
| US08726558B1 |
AR-15 handguard system
An aftermarket handguard system is described for use with an assault rifle, such as an AR-15. The system includes an elongated arcuate upper handguard section substantially defining a longitudinal axis and a plurality of radial planes normal thereto. The handguard section has left and right generally outward directed rail flanges having non-parallel flange mating surfaces. Two lower arcuate handguard sections are provided also each having laterally extending rail flanges with non-parallel flange mating surfaces. Three “T” shaped accessory rails each having a dovetail shaped portion are provided for mating to the non-parallel flange mating surfaces. Accessories may be mounted on the accessory rails in the conventional manner. |
| US08726556B1 |
Firearm location tracking and location-based alerts
Various embodiments describe techniques for tracking a firearm and generating an alert when the firearm is outside a designated authorized location. In various embodiments, a location device, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to a transmitter, is affixed to and/or associated with a firearm. A location of the firearm is transmitted via the location device to a location service module. The location service module compares the location of the firearm to at least one designated authorized location and, responsive to determining that the location of the firearm is not within the designated authorized location, generates an alert. A firearm that includes a location device is also described. |
| US08726550B1 |
Apparatus for holding and displaying an aeronautical chart or other type of map
Apparatus for holding and displaying an aeronautical chart or other type of map includes an elongated base member having two elongated map support members extending from and rotatably attached to the elongated base member. The apparatus also includes a magnetic positioner and a scale/ruler releasably connected to the base member and used with a chart or map when removed therefrom. |
| US08726544B2 |
Boiler having a section for preheating water
A boiler having a shell enclosing a space and an inlet for letting water into the shell space. The shell space has two separate sections, wherein a first section is located such as to receive a supply of fresh water to the boiler and wherein a second section is located such as to receive water from the first section when overflow of the first section takes place under the influence of a continuous supply of fresh water. A steam generating process takes place in the second section. Due to the fact that the second section is only indirectly filled with water, it is possible to have an undisturbed process. In particular, the water may be heated in the first section before reaching the second section. The first section may for example include an inner space of a container which is arranged inside the shell, for example. |
| US08726538B2 |
Apparatus and method for the treatment of biosolids
Biosolids in the nature of sewage sludge is processed in a controlled environment to produce a dried sludge product of relatively high dry solid content with the elimination of or reduced levels of pathogens. The water containing sewage sludge is dried while cascading within a processing chamber using heated air at a temperature below the ignition or smoldering temperature of the sewage sludge to prevent the formation of embers. The sewage sludge before discharge is retained within the processing chamber for a sufficient time and temperature as mandated by the Environment Protection Agency rules and guidelines. |
| US08726537B2 |
Method and strand sintering equipment for continuous sintering of pelletized mineral material
In a method and equipment for continuous sintering of pelletized mineral material, a partition wall (7, 8) arranged between two adjacent cooling chambers (4, 5; 5, 6) is in the height direction placed at a distance from the pellet bed (2), so that in between the partition wall (7, 8) and pellet bed (2), there is left a gap (s) that allows gas to flow between two adjacent cooling chambers (4, 5; 5; 6) through the gap (s) in order to equalize the pressure between the cooling chambers. |
| US08726536B2 |
Fluidized bed drying apparatus
An apparatus for drying particles in a fluidized state includes a particle input segment into which wet particles are input, a drying segment having a multi-perforated plate dividing an inner space of the drying segment into an upper section and a lower section, a plurality of upper partition plates partitioning the upper section and positioned above the multi-perforated plate, a plurality of lower partition plates in the lower section respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper partition plates, a plurality of pairs of channel plates in the lower section that pass through the multi-perforated plate such that each pair of the plurality of pairs of channel plates are respectively arranged on opposite sides of respective ones of the plurality of upper partition plates and on opposite sides of respective ones of the plurality of lower partition plates; and a heated-air flow supply segment for supplying hot gas to the drying segment. |
| US08726534B2 |
Ventilated portable container for sports equipment
A ventilated portable container is a carrying case or sports equipment bag for storing, carrying and drying sports equipment. The portable container includes a ventilator for drawing fresh air into the container and for encouraging stale air out of the container through at least one filtered air outlet. The portable container includes an exterior pocket having at least one air inlet and at least one air vent. |
| US08726533B2 |
Over device of tunnel-type sterilization dryer
An baking case body of tunnel type sterilization dryer comprises a case body (1), an air intake cavity (24) which is disposed in the case body (1), a conveyor mesh belt (7), and an air return channel (22). The conveyor mesh belt (7) is located between the air return channel (22) and the air intake cavity (24). The air intake cavity (24) is divided into two or more than two independent air intake chambers (21) by one or more than one air intake partition boards (11). A heater (9) is disposed in each air intake chamber (21), and a hot air generator (2), a diffuser fan cover (3), a high temperature and high efficient filter (4) and a temperature probe (5) are disposed sequentially in each air intake chamber (21) from top to bottom. Air return partition boards (15) are arranged in the air return channel (22), corresponding to the air intake partition boards (11). The air return channel (22) is divided into two or more than two air return cavities (23) by the air return partition boards (15). The exit end of the air return cavity (23) is located at the bottom of the heater (9). The structure of the baking case body of tunnel type sterilization dryer is simple and compact, and the uniformity of the hot air is good. |
| US08726532B2 |
Methods and systems for drying materials and inducing controlled phase changes in substances
Methods and systems are disclosed for drying a material or, more generally, flash evaporating a target substance having a vapor pressure threshold. The methods and systems include a conveyor conduit that receives material. The material moves through the conveyor and is expelled into a pressure drop zone created by one or more venturi nozzles. As the material encounters the pressure drop zone, the targeted substance in the material experiences a rapid and extreme pressure drop and simultaneously a rapid temperature increase. This causes the target substance in the material to flash evaporate virtually immediately. The resulting vapor is separated from the remaining material and the now dry material is collected for further processing or use. The vapor can be collected, condensed, exhausted, or otherwise treated depending upon the goals of a particular installation or process. |
| US08726531B2 |
Chuck alignment apparatus
The invention pertains to the alignment of chucks used in the web handling industry. The device includes specialized mounting features to align a light beam with a given chuck. Two of these assemblies are positioned such that each light beam aligns with the other. In this orientation the two chucks are aligned. |
| US08726529B2 |
Rotary sensor assembly
A sensor assembly for measuring relative rotary movement about a pivot joint having an axis of rotation between a first member and a second member. |
| US08726526B2 |
Portable cutting machine
A portable cutting machine is provided with a cutting machine main body, a surface plate rotatably supported by the cutting machine main body, a saw blade supported by the cutting machine main body rotatably around a first axis, and a lower guard supported by the cutting machine main body rotatably around a second axis. The first axis is located on one side of the surface plate. A part of the saw blade passes through an opening portion formed to penetrate through the surface plate and is exposed to the other side of the surface plate. The part of the saw blade exposed to the other side is covered by the lower guard. The first axis is parallel to the second axis. The first axis is located closer to a side of the surface plate than the second axis. |
| US08726524B2 |
Power operated rotary knife
A power operated rotary knife (100) including: an annular rotary knife blade (300) including a knife blade bearing surface (319); a blade housing (400) defining a blade housing bearing surface (459); and a blade-blade housing bearing structure (500) disposed between the knife blade bearing surface (319) and the blade housing bearing surface (459). The blade-blade housing bearing structure (500) includes a rolling bearing strip (502) having a plurality of rolling bearings (506), such as ball bearings, disposed in spaced apart relation in a flexible separator cage (508). The rolling bearing strip (502) traverses through an annular passageway (504) defined between the knife blade bearing surface (319) and the blade housing bearing surface (459) to secure the knife blade (300) to the blade housing (400) and support the knife blade for rotation about a central axis (R) with respect to the blade housing (400). |
| US08726522B2 |
Pair of scissors with an open second handle
A pair of scissors with an open second handle includes a first blade and a second blade pivotally connected by a pivot member. A first grip portion of the first handle surrounds the basal portion of a user's thumb, the thumb extends out of an inserting hole of the first blade in a lateral direction and presses against a first extension section, so that the user can hold the first grip portion with the thumb without bending too much at the wrist, thus enhancing stability of holding the scissors. The user's middle, ring and little fingers press against the grip section of the second handle, and the index finger rests against the second extension section. Besides, since the second grip portion is an open structure, the fingers of the user are supported but not restricted by the second grip portion, which improves stability and flexibility when using the scissors. |
| US08726520B1 |
Apparatus and method for shaving and sculpting
A razor for shaving and sculpting an area of hair growth has a spaced plurality of blades mounted on a tapered frame that is supported by a handle. The plurality of blades have progressively shorter cutting edges. The cutting edges have ends lying along a converging pair of sides of a triangular region, whose third side is collinear with the longest one of the cutting edges. The shortest one of the cutting edges is closest to a distal vertex formed by the converging pair of sides. The spacing between the longest and the shortest one of the cutting edges exceeds the distance from the shortest one to the distal vertex. The razor is moved across the area of hair growth with the shortest one of the cutting edges in a leading position, while keeping the cutting edges substantially within a triangular facial section having a remote vertex, in order to remove hair from inside the triangular section. The shaver is stopped when the shortest one of the cutting edges (a) arrives close to the remote vertex without bringing the cutting edges substantially outside the triangular facial section, and (b) is spaced from the remote vertex by a distance that is less than the spacing between the longest one and the shortest one of the cutting edges. |
| US08726519B2 |
Razor cartridge
A wet shaving cartridge is provided having a housing having a guard located at a front end of the housing and a cap located at a rear end of the housing. The cartridge further has two or more elongate blades located between the guard and cap and extending in a direction substantially parallel to a length of the guard, wherein edges of the respective blades lie in a shaving plane extending between the guard and the cap. A shaving aid retention member is located in the cap. The retention member has a base arranged to receive a shaving aid and a front wall located at a side of the retention member adjacent the blades. The front wall extends from the base of the retention member towards the shaving plane. |
| US08726509B2 |
Method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head of laminate structure
A method of manufacturing an ink jet recording head made of a laminate structure, in which plural members are laminated, includes making an ink channel including a nozzle by laminating the plural members including a nozzle plate having the nozzle; and performing a channel film forming process for forming a channel film having an ink resistance, the channel film covering an entire inner wall of the ink channel formed in the plural members including the nozzle plate and the nozzle. |
| US08726505B2 |
Heat sinking methods for performance and scalability
A technique and apparatus for heat dissipation in electrical devices is described. A bulk body may be configured with a plurality of radiating devices so that the bulk body may be divided into smaller bulk bodies to be used in conjunction with other electrical type assemblies to quickly and efficiently provide for a heat dissipation sub-assembly. In one aspect, the bulk bodies may be configured with internal voids such as a duct or tunnel interconnecting at least one input port and at least one output port for aiding in heat dissipation of an electrical device employing bulk body technique. |
| US08726503B2 |
Method of positioning a bearing assembly and centering support structure therefor
A method of positioning a bearing of a turbomachine in a squeeze film annulus is disclosed. The method includes providing a bearing in which a rotor shaft is disposed and a bearing support mounted about and radially supporting the bearing, with the bearing support at least in part defining the squeeze film annulus. A further step typically includes providing a plurality of centering elements associated with the bearing and bearing support and acting to center the bearing within the squeeze film annulus, with the centering elements provided at radially spaced locations around the bearing. An additional step in the method may include individually machining or shimming the centering elements to adjust the positioning of the bearing in the squeeze film annulus or to impart pre-load to improve the resiliency of the centering elements. |
| US08726499B2 |
Method of fabricating implantable pulse generator using wire connections to feedthrough structures
In one embodiment, a method of fabricating an implantable pulse generator, comprises: providing a lead body including a plurality of conductors; providing a feedthrough component comprising a plurality of feedthrough pins; hermetically enclosing pulse generating circuitry and switching circuitry within a housing, the feedthrough component being welded to the housing; laser machining each of the plurality of feedthrough pins to comprise a slot along a surface of the respective feedthrough pin; placing a respective conductor from the lead body in the respective slot of each of the plurality of feedthrough pins; and performing welding operations to connect the plurality of conductors of the lead body with the plurality of feedthrough pins of the feedthrough component. |
| US08726496B2 |
Technique for remanufacturing a medical sensor
Present embodiments include a remanufactured bandage-type medical sensor having an optical assembly with an emitter adapted to transmit one or more wavelengths of light and a photodetector adapted to receive the one or more wavelengths of light transmitted by the emitter. The sensor also includes a laminate assembly having an electrically conductive adhesive transfer tape (ECATT) layer disposed over the photodetector, and the ECATT layer is adapted to shield the photodetector from electromagnetic interference (EMI). A nonconductive layer supports the emitter, the photodetector, and the ECATT layer within the sensor. At least a portion of the optical assembly is from a used bandage-type medical sensor, and at least a portion of the laminate assembly is new. |
| US08726491B2 |
Method of forming a spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) device
A dual spin filter that minimizes spin-transfer magnetization switching current (Jc) while achieving a high dR/R in STT-RAM devices is disclosed. The bottom spin valve has a MgO tunnel barrier layer formed with a natural oxidation process to achieve low RA, a CoFe/Ru/CoFeB—CoFe pinned layer, and a CoFeB/FeSiO/CoFeB composite free layer with a middle nanocurrent channel (NCC) layer to minimize Jc0. The NCC layer may have be a composite wherein conductive M(Si) grains are magnetically coupled with adjacent ferromagnetic layers and are formed in an oxide, nitride, or oxynitride insulator matrix. The upper spin valve has a Cu spacer to lower the free layer damping constant. A high annealing temperature of 360° C. is used to increase the MR ratio above 100%. A Jc0 of less than 1×106 A/cm2 is expected based on quasistatic measurements of a MTJ with a similar MgO tunnel barrier and composite free layer. |
| US08726484B2 |
Waterproofing device for mobile apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
A waterproofing device is provided for a mobile apparatus, using a thin coaxial cable or an optical cable and capable of being applied to a portable telephone of a bi-directionally openable/closable type. The waterproofing device is adapted to connect housings to each other by a linear member. The waterproofing device is provided with seal members consisting of a rubber-like elastic material and sealing a gap between the housings, and also with a connecting member having opposite ends in the vicinities of which the seal members are integrated. The linear member is passed through the inside of the connecting member to electrically interconnect electronic parts of the housings. The connecting member has a circular tube-like shape consisting of a soft resin material. |
| US08726480B2 |
Method of separating a length of single-strand wire
A method of separating a length of single-strand wire at a notch location includes forming at least one notch in the length of single-strand wire at the notch location. The notch location is subjected to tensile strain until the notch location ruptures at the notch to separate the length of single-strand wire into a first single-strand wire and a second single-strand wire. After separation of the length of single-strand wire, the first and second single-strands each present a generally tapered end that corresponds to the notch location. |
| US08726471B1 |
Belt buckle with personal indica
The goal of this buckle and belt assembly is to honor those individuals who have served, or are serving, in the military of their respective country. Accordingly, this disclosure describes a belt buckle structured and used in such a way as to safely display a dog tag of the honored military individual in a clear and safe manner. |
| US08726470B2 |
Clothing fastening system
A fastening system for fastening garment elements, with the garment comprising a button closure comprised of a button and a buttonhole. The fastening system is comprised of two fastening members, each of which has a base element. A base element of a first member is integrated with hook elements of a hook and eye fastener and the base element of the second member is integrated with eye elements of the hook and eye fastener. A fastener button is fixedly attached to a side of a base element of one of the two members, on a side obverse to the integrated hooks or eyes thereon. The other of the two members comprises an engaging fastener aperture, which extends through the base element and the integrated hooks or eyes thereon. The engaging fastener aperture permit the garment button to pass therethrough, effecting a holding engagement between the member and a garment element. |
| US08726468B2 |
Bundle tie with head dampener
An apparatus according to the present invention provides a bundle tie having a strap and a tie head coupled to the strap. The tie head is adapted to engage a free end of the strap, thereby forming a loop, which may be formed or placed about one or a bundle of elongate articles such as conduit, wires, cables, ropes, and pipes, for example. The tie head is provided with a head dampener which serves to cushion what otherwise may be damaging force placed upon the one or more elongate articles by the tie head. The dampener may also serve to limit movement of the one or more elongate articles through the loop formed by the tie. |
| US08726467B1 |
Retractable strap system for roll up doors
A retractable strap system for a roll up door of a truck featuring a housing with a spindle and a spring-loaded reel and a strap wrapped around the spindle. The spring-loaded reel is biased to retract the strap into the housing. A catch lever allows and prevents the spring-loaded reel from retracting of the strap into the housing. When the truck door is open, the strap can be pulled to a desired length and held at that desired length. The strap automatically retracts into a housing when the roll up door of the truck is closed, preventing its exposure or unnecessary wear. |
| US08726466B2 |
Hood hinge apparatus for vehicle
A hood hinge apparatus for a vehicle, in which a cowl-side body connected with an A-pillar has an inclined structure or an angular structure having a larger inclination than a right angle to reduce a step between the A-pillar and the cowl-side body, and engagement bolts are engaged with a horizontal inclined surface and a vertical inclined surface in different directions for coupling between the cowl-side body and the fixed hinge bracket to prevent injury of a passenger due to excessive dipping caused by generation of body bending during a front offset collision, thereby actively responding to safety regulations in case of a collision. |
| US08726462B2 |
Furniture castor or the like with blocking means
A castor with combined blocking includes a casing 10, a wheel 12, 14 mounted to rotate relative to the casing about an axis 18, a swivel 20 of axis 22 mounted to pivot relative to the casing, the axis being perpendicular to the axis, blocking elements 100 for blocking the swivel, control elements 102 for actuating the blocking elements, blocking elements 200 for blocking the wheel, control elements 202 for actuating the blocking elements 200, and elements 300 for coupling the control elements 102, 202 in such a manner that when the blocking elements 100 are actuated alone by the control elements 102, the blocking elements 200 are not actuated, and when the blocking elements 200 are actuated by the second control elements, the first blocking elements 202 are also actuated by the first control elements 102. The castor is applicable for hospital use, such hospital beds or the like. |
| US08726459B2 |
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body, in which a dust collector mount part is formed, a dust collector that is removably mounted on the dust collector mount part, at least one compressing member that reduces a volume of dust stored in a dust storage part of the dust collector, a power transfer device that transfers a driving force to the at least one compressing member from outside connected with the at least one compressing member, and a controller that decides an amount of dust stored in the dust storage part. |
| US08726457B2 |
Vacuum cleaner with display
A vacuum cleaner includes a foot, a handle pivotally attached to the foot, a suction source, and a display disposed on one of the handle and the foot. The foot includes a suction nozzle. The handle is pivotal relative to the foot about an axis of rotation. The suction source is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle. The display is for displaying content in a first orientation relative to the display and a second orientation relative to the display based on the position of the handle relative to the foot. The second orientation is different than the first orientation. |
| US08726455B2 |
Surface cleaning apparatus with hybrid aluminum heater
A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a fluid delivery system including a supply of cleaning fluid stored in a fluid supply chamber and a fluid recovery system for drawing dirty cleaning fluid using suction from the surface to be cleaned. The apparatus has an inline fluid heater having a metal body with an embedded heating element and a polymeric cover provided with a fluid inlet fitting and a fluid outlet fitting. The fluid inlet and fluid outlet fittings are preferably integrally molded with the polymeric cover. |
| US08726452B2 |
Wiper device having improved durability
A wiper device having improved durability includes: an arm head having one end fixed to a pivot shaft installed on a vehicle; and a retainer having one end coupled to the arm head to rotate relative to the arm head and the other end coupled to a blade for wiping a glass of the vehicle, wherein the retainer includes: a body formed of synthetic resins; and a reinforcement member that is coupled to a portion of the retainer, which is adjacent to the arm head, and is formed of a metal material. |
| US08726450B2 |
Scraper system and methods
A scraper system for removing caulk beads from at least one surface. The scraper system comprises a handle portion and a scraper portion. The scraper portion comprises a first scraper structure defining a first scraper edge and a second scraper structure defining a second scraper edge. The second scraper edge comprises a first scraper edge portion and a second scraper edge portion, and the first and second scraper edge portions extend at a first angle with respect to each other. The scraper system may be used in a first mode in which the first scraper edge is used to remove caulk beads from the at least one surface and a second mode in which the second scraper edge is used to remove caulk beads from a plurality of surfaces. |
| US08726443B2 |
Mitigation of deposits and secondary reactions in thermal conversion processes
Described herein are systems and methods for reducing cumulative deposition and unwanted secondary thermal reactions in pyrolysis and other thermal conversion processes. In an embodiment, a system comprises a device, referred to as a reamer, for removing product deposits between thermal conversion and condensation operations of a pyrolysis process. The reamer may comprise, but is not limited to, a mechanical reciprocating rod or ram, a mechanical auger, a drill bit, a high-temperature wiper, brush, or punch to remove deposits and prevent secondary reactions. Alternatively or in addition, the reamer may use a high-velocity curtain or jet (i.e., a hydraulic or pneumatic stream) of vapor, product gas, recycle gas, other gas jet or non-condensing liquid to remove deposits. Preferably, the reamer removes deposits during the pyrolysis process allowing for continuous operation of the pyrolysis process. |
| US08726440B2 |
Method and device for determining the optimal rotational speed of a drum of a laundry treatment device
A method for determining a target rotational speed below an application rotational speed of a washing drum of a laundry treatment device having a drive and a vibrating system, wherein a dependence of a mechanical effect on items to be washed located in the washing drum on the respective nominal speed of the washing drum is used to ascertain the target rotational speed at which the mechanical effect is at the greatest. The mechanical effect at a respective target rotational speed is ascertained by measuring vibrating system movements of the vibrating system which exhibit greater frequency than the respective target rotational speed. The rotational speed at which the maximum vibrating system movement was measured is selected for carrying out the washing care procedure. The advantage of such a method is that the washing mechanics can be increased, thus improving the cleaning efficiency. |
| US08726437B2 |
Apparatus for care of infant
Embodiments provide apparatus for care of an infant, the apparatus including a comfort support for returning legs of an infant to fully folded positions relative to the torso. |
| US08726436B2 |
Back sleeping only pillow
A sleeping pillow to promote only sleeping in the supine position by keeping the said user from sleeping on their side or belly. Constructed of three components; a contoured middle section where the head and neck rest upon and two identical opposing side mounds that flank the middle section. The side mounds prevent the said user from turning their head too much to either side when sleeping in the supine position. The three components of the pillow function as one unit and are covered in a form fitted fabric case with a zipper closure. |
| US08726431B2 |
Patient repositioning system and method of moving a patient body or limb
A patient repositioning system to move and fix a patient body and/or a limb of a patient body in any sequence of multiple operations with positive body or limb support at any angle of rotation or repositioning. |
| US08726427B1 |
Commode flushing handle
A commode flushing handle that is attachable to a toilet wherein a horizontal rod section is rotatably disposed upon said toilet and a handle section is disposed endwise upon the rod section, said handle section disposed proximal the toilet bowl, whereby lifting the handle section depresses the flush handle of the toilet to flush the toilet without the user having to turn around or stand up from the toilet. |
| US08726425B2 |
Wake stabilizer for helmet and helmet
To facilitate driving and prevent a fatigue in a neck by avoiding fluctuations of a helmet to left and right even in a wind (air flow) of a high relative speed thereby stabilizing the helmet. A wake stabilizer for the helmet has a right stabilizer (10R) and a left stabilizer (10L) provided symmetrically at the body wake flow portions (9) on the left and right sides of the helmet. Each of the left and right stabilizers (10R, 10L) has a side straightening face (15) extending from the side face position of the body wake flow portion (9) to the rear surface at such an angle as being fitted on the back of the helmet while being kept flat, and a wind separating portion (16) providing a longitudinal edge extending perpendicularly on a rear edge. |
| US08726421B2 |
Apparel with inflatable neck cushion
A neck supporting piece of apparel, such as a scarf, which includes an inflatable bladder in a neck portion and a tube coupled to the bladder and extending downward to a port easily accessible by the user while wearing the apparel in order to inflate and deflate the bladder, which serves as a neck cushion or pillow. While the neck portion may be configured to go behind the user's neck, the apparel also may include a connector to join the apparel together in front of the user, helping to keep the cushion formed around the user's neck. In addition, the scarf may include pockets at a position generally where the user's hands would lie when sitting or standing, such that tensioning the scarf with the user's arms may increase the cushioning effect of the pillow. |
| US08726415B2 |
Protective garments having elastomeric gaskets along margins to inhibit ingress of potentially harmful materials
In an ensemble for a firefighter or for an emergency rescue worker, protective trousers and a protective coat are provided with elastomeric gaskets, such as neoprene gaskets, one of which lines an inside surface of a distal margin of each leg of the protective trousers and is adapted to be snugly stretched around a protective boot, another of which lines an inside surface of a distal margin of each arm of the protective coat and is adapted to be snugly stretched around a protective glove, and another of which lines an inside surface of a lower margin of the protective coat and is adapted to be snugly stretched around the protective trousers. Such gaskets extend from and, preferably, are unitary with liners, such as neoprene liners, which provide moisture and/or chemical barriers. When stretched snugly, such gaskets inhibit ingress of potentially harmful materials, whether gaseous, liquid, or particulate. |
| US08726414B2 |
Article of apparel incorporating a zoned modifiable textile structure
An article of apparel is disclosed that includes zones with a textile having a structure that changes or is otherwise modified by a physical stimulus, such as the presence of water or a temperature change, to modify a property of the textile. The zones may be along a center back area and side areas of the apparel, and the textile may increase in air permeability when exposed to water. The zones may also be in an upper area of the torso and in a lower back area, and the textile may increase in texture when exposed to water. In some embodiments, slits are formed in the textile. |
| US08732856B2 |
Cross-domain security for data vault
A secure database appliance leverages database security in a consistent framework provides consistent, flexible, and adaptable security using mandatory access controls in addition to user and role based security for access control and accountability. A database system communicatively connected to a plurality of network domains, each network domain having a level of security, the database system comprises at least one database accessible from all of the plurality of network domains, the database comprising data, each unit of data having a level of security and access control security operable to provide access to a unit of data in the database to a network domain based on the level of security of the network domain and based on the level of security of the unit of data. |
| US08732854B2 |
Methods and apparatus for premises content distribution
Apparatus and methods for protected content access, browsing and transfer over a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a premises (e.g., residential) LAN, and the apparatus comprises a server and renderer consumer premise equipment (CPE). The renderer CPE scans the network to search for a server CPE that implement a compatible security framework. The renderer authenticates itself with the server, and the server allows content browsing and selection access only to an authorized and authenticated renderer. A negotiation and exchange protocol comprises messages exchanged between the renderer and the server that include one or more of device identification, encryption key exchange, digital certificates and information regarding security package used by each CPE. |
| US08732852B2 |
Method, system and apparatus for protecting service account
A method for protecting a service account includes: configuring association information for a service account of a user in a Personal Communication Profile (PCP) of the user at a network side; authenticating the association information when the user logs on an application server with the service account through User Equipment (UE); allowing the user to log on the application server if the authentication succeeds. Embodiments of the present invention also disclose systems, PCP storage apparatuses and application servers for protecting the service account. In embodiments of the present invention, besides protecting the service account by a static password, the user can implement an enhanced protection for the service account without receiving the dynamic password through a short message, which dramatically reduces the time delay for the user to log-on the application server. Further, the user needs not purchase the password card additionally. Therefore, the competitiveness of the application server is improved. |
| US08732849B2 |
Content server device and content delivery method
A content server device includes a request section for requesting a key server to transmit key data for decrypting encrypted content data to a client side in response to the content distribution request from the client side and a control unit which prohibits the transmission of the encrypted content data in response to the content distribution request when the reception number of notification received from the client side and indicating the reception of the key data from the key server is not less than the transmission number of key data to the client side by the key server and which transmits the encrypted content data in response to the content distribution request when the number of reception is not more than the number of transmission. |
| US08732845B1 |
Methods systems and articles of manufacture for generating and displaying video related to financial application
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for generating a video such that when another person views the video, the other person can view non-private information but not private information of the person who generated the video. A first interview screen is generated by a financial application and displayed to a first person or user of a financial application. The screen includes private data related to the first person. A video of the interview screen is generated and may be transmitted over a network to a second person who may also utilize a financial application. The video is displayed to the second person, but the second person cannot view the private data related to the first person. |
| US08732842B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing contents in mobile device
A method and an apparatus which permits intuitive management of a variety of digital contents stored in a mobile device. In a method for managing the contents, the mobile device determines a type of the content when a play of the content is ended. If the content is digital rights management (DRM) content, the mobile device checks a license count for authorized access to the DRM content and then determines whether or the license has expired or will expire shortly. If the license has expired, the mobile device removes the license-expired DRM content, or alternatively transfers the license-expired DRM content to a specified folder. |
| US08732840B2 |
Incident triage engine
An incident triage engine performs incident triage in a system by prioritizing responses to incidents within the system. One prioritization method may include receiving attributes of incidents and assets in the system, generating cumulative loss forecasts for the incidents, and prioritizing the responses to the incidents based on the cumulative loss forecasts for the incidents. Another prioritization method may include determining different arrangements of incidents within a response queue, calculating cumulative queue loss forecasts for the different arrangements of incidents within the response queue, and arranging the incidents in the response queue based on the arrangement of incidents that minimizes the total loss to the system over the resolution of all of the incidents present in the response queue. |
| US08732839B2 |
Automatically protecting computer systems from attacks that exploit security vulnerabilities
A first method for automatically protecting a computer system from attacks that exploit security vulnerabilities detects requests for execution of code portions, determines vulnerabilities of a code portion for which an execution request is detected, evaluates whether or not the execution of the code portion shall be prevented in a case at least one vulnerability concerning the code portion is determined, and prevents execution of the code portion if determined to do so in the evaluation. A second method for automatically protecting a computer system from attacks that exploit security vulnerabilities detects code portions which are currently executed, determines vulnerabilities of a code portion that is currently executed, evaluates whether or not the execution of the code portion shall be aborted in a case at least one vulnerability concerning the code portion is determined, and aborts execution of the code portion if determined to do so in the evaluation. |
| US08732832B2 |
Routing apparatus and method for detecting server attack and network using the same
Routing apparatus and method for detecting a server attack are disclosed. The routing apparatus includes: a reception unit configured to receive a packet transmitted in a network; a transmission unit configured to transmit the packet along a transmission path; a memory unit configured to store data and/or information required for an operation; and a controller configured to set the transmission path of the packet in the network and perform packet switching along the set transmission path, wherein the reception unit receives server state information from servers at every certain time, the memory unit stores the received server state information, and the controller calculates a change in the state of the servers based on the received server state information, and determines that a server is attacked when a change in the state of the server is greater than a certain threshold value. |
| US08732831B2 |
Detection of rogue software applications
Software applications are analyzed to determine if they are legitimate applications and warnings are provided to users to avoid installation and/or purchases of unnecessary and/or potentially harmful software based on comparisons of user-interface characteristics of the software applications to visual characteristics of authentic applications to determine to what extent they match (or do not match) or are attempting to mirror the legitimate application. |
| US08732829B2 |
System and method for monitoring and securing a baseboard management controller
In certain embodiments, a method for monitoring and securing a baseboard management processor is provided. The method includes coupling to a baseboard management controller of a computer system via a console port, maintaining a persistent connection to the baseboard management controller, monitoring data from the console port, determining from the data whether an unauthorized access has occurred, and sending an alert if the unauthorized access has occurred. |
| US08732827B1 |
Smartphone security system
System for protecting a mobile device against malware or harmful communications via calls and SMSs. A security module for a personal mobile device protects the device (and the user) against malicious communication, unauthorized access to resources and user private data, and against other security threats. The security module includes a combination of some or all of the following features: control of third-party applications, validation of the SMS sender's number, protection against fake contact name of the SMS sender, collection of data about fraudulent and spam SMS messages, robust sending of SOS SMSs and SOS e-mails with geographic coordinates of the mobile device, verification of validity of the base station, deletion of user data from a mobile device remotely, locking of a phone until the password is entered and filtering calls and SMS messages. |
| US08732824B2 |
Method and system for monitoring integrity of running computer system
Monitoring integrity of a running computer system is based on creating a Test Model which includes predicates descriptive of invariant properties of security relevant objects and their attributes in the monitored structure known-to-be “healthy”, acquiring memory image of a portion of the running monitored structure, decomposing the acquired memory image to retrieve representation of the security relevant objects of interest, by implementing the attributes of the Test Model, and verifying, by implementing the predicates, whether the invariant properties defined in the Test Model remain unchanged for the running host system. If a discrepancy is detected, a signal indicative of a detected discrepancy is transmitted to a management entity for analysis and formulating a course of action. |
| US08732823B2 |
Nondestructive testing system
A nondestructive testing apparatus includes a display section and a storage section which stores predetermined executable functions. Each of the predetermined functions is initially set to one of a permitted state and a disabled state, and one of a display state and a non-display state on the display section. In an initial state, at least one of the predetermined functions is set to the disabled state and the non-display state. The nondestructive testing apparatus can receive permission information which unlocks at least one of the predetermined functions initially set to the disabled state so as to be set to the permitted state, and unlocks at least one of the predetermined functions initially set in the non-display state so as to be in the display state. The apparatus displays an operation icon only with respect to all of the predetermined functions set to the display state. |
| US08732815B2 |
System, method of authenticating information management, and computer-readable medium storing program
In response to a service request designating a service identifier, a proxy server reads out at least two processing system identifiers corresponding to the designated service identifier from a first storage unit, and transmits an acquisition request containing the read-out at least two processing identifiers to a management server. The management server acquires respective authentication information items corresponding to the at least two processing identifiers contained in the received acquisition request from a second storage unit, and transmits the acquired authentication information items to the proxy server. The proxy server transmits user authentication requests for respective processing systems containing the received authentication information items to the at least two processing systems, respectively. |
| US08732814B2 |
Method and apparatus for token-based packet prioritization
According to one embodiment, an apparatus may receive a hard token that identifies a device and a subject token indicating that a user is a high priority user. The subject token may include a user identifier associated with the high priority user. The apparatus may apply a token-based rule that facilitates packet prioritization in response to receiving the subject token. In response to applying the token-based rule, the apparatus may communicate a notification token to at least one network component. The notification token may include the user identifier associated with the high priority user, the device identifier associated with the device, and instructions to prioritize any packet communications associated with the user identifier or the device identifier. The apparatus may then communicate at least one token to facilitate the provisioning of a container to the device associated with the high priority user. |
| US08732812B2 |
Method of operating an item of on-board equipment, associated equipment and aircraft comprising such equipment
Equipment items installed on board vehicles and more particularly to a method for operating such an on-board equipment item, the method including an on-board micro software program that is executed during power-up of the on-board equipment item to achieve secure processing with the aid of sensitive security data. In particular, the method includes connecting a secure module including the sensitive security data necessary for secure processing to the on-board equipment item, and authenticating the secure module by the micro software, in such a way as to furnish the micro software with the sensitive security data for subsequent execution of the secure processing. |
| US08732811B2 |
Systems and methods for implementing security services
Systems and methods for providing a login context operate a virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine includes an open services platform and an authentication service, wherein the authentication service includes a classloader, and an initial classloader is designated as the classloader of the authentication service, register a login module, receive an authentication request from a first application, and responsive to receiving the authentication request designate a classloader associated with the login module as the classloader of the authentication service, generate a login context of the login module, and provide the login context of the login module to the first application, whereby the first application uses the login context to perform an authentication. |
| US08732810B2 |
IP push platform and connection protocol in a push notification framework
A persistent connection is used for real-time or near real-time data transfer from a push platform on a network to a mobile station. To establish and maintain the persistent connection between the mobile station and push platform on the network, various protocols are defined over a packet connection between the mobile station and push platform. The real-time or near real-time data is pushed or sent by the push platform to the mobile station, as the data becomes available from a data source. In particular, heartbeat messages are used to determine whether or not the persistent connection is alive and available for real-time or near real-time data transfer. When the persistent connection is lost, the mobile station uses a retry connection scheme based on the number of connection attempts made by the mobile station for establishing a new persistent connection to the push platform. |
| US08732809B2 |
System, server device, method, program, and recording medium that enable facilitation of user authentication
A terminal device acquires item property information from a medium, and transmits, to a server device, terminal identification information of the terminal device, which is assigned by the server device in advance and stored in storage means and item property information acquired from the medium. The server device stores the terminal identification information and the item property information received from the terminal device, and transmits, to a device, information generated based on the terminal identification information and the item property information received from the terminal device. The server device performs authentication of a user of the terminal device based on the terminal identification information. Because this terminal identification information is assigned by the server device, transmission of the information does not entail a risk of leakage of personal information, unlike a case in which personal information such as a telephone number is used for authentication. |
| US08732802B2 |
Receiving information about a user from a third party application based on action types
A social networking system enables a third party application to request user data based on action types and aggregations of a user's data corresponding to an action type with respect to multiple objects. Users of the social networking system may provide privacy or accessibility of their information based on the action type associated with the information (e.g., a user may allow a particular application to access all actions of a certain type, regardless of the source of those actions). The third party application may use this accessed information to generate personalized content for a user based on aggregations of the user's data and then publish the personalized content back to the social networking system. |
| US08732800B1 |
Systems and methods for centralized management of policies and access controls
Methods and apparatus for centralized management of policies and access controls which provide for the storing and managing of business rules and elements of policy, and for implementing the rules and policy across heterogeneous business systems. Where rules and policies may conflict in certain cases, mechanisms for reconciling such conflicts may be provided. |
| US08732790B2 |
System and method for providing a high performance network connection service for distributed computing applications
A system and method are disclosed for providing a high performance network connection service (HPNCS) for distributed computing applications. The HPNCS provides a network abstraction layer to the distributed applications and provides an interface to the underlying high performance on-demand dynamic circuit network (DCN). The HPNCS may relieve performance bottleneck problems encountered by the distributed applications due to the limited available networking bandwidth. The HPNCS may be used by distributed applications that need to access dedicated high performance network connection resources, such as DCN circuits, on an as-needed basis without over consuming expensive network resources. |
| US08732788B2 |
Integrated set-top box
The present invention is an integrated set-top box. In one embodiment, the up-stream path and the down-stream path are integrated on a common semiconductor substrate. The down-stream path can include a TV tuner and a digital receiver portion that is integrated on the common semiconductor substrate with a power amplifier of the up-stream path. In another embodiment, the TV tuner is implemented on a first semiconductor substrate and the digital receiver portion and the power amplifier are configured on a second semiconductor substrate. However, the two substrates are mounted on a common carrier so that the set-top box appears to be a single chip configuration to the user. |
| US08732786B2 |
Controlled rate VOD server
A distributed stream processing system including a plurality of storage devices, at least one of which is configured to process at least one segment of a data stream, thereby producing a changed segment of the data stream, and provide output of at least the changed segment of the data stream, and a server configured to accept the output of the storage devices and combine the output into a transport stream. A method for combining a plurality of data streams including using one or more storage devices for processing at least one segment of a data stream, thereby producing a changed segment of the data stream, and providing output of at least the changed segment of the data stream, and combining the output of the storage devices into a combined data stream. Related apparatus and methods are also described. |
| US08732783B2 |
Apparatus and method for providing additional information using extension subtitles file
Disclosed are an apparatus for providing additional information by using an extension subtitle file including an inverse multiplexing unit to separate video and audio data from a multimedia file input by a data input unit, an XML parser to parse a caption data file and an additional information data file input by the data input unit, video and audio data processing units to decode the video and audio data input by the inverse multiplexing unit, and convert the decoded video and audio data into predetermined video and audio signals, a caption processing unit to process the caption data parsed and input by the XML parser, an additional information data processing unit to process the additional information data file parsed and input by the XML parser, and to generate user interface information based on the processed additional information, and a data output unit to display the processed video, audio, caption and user interface information. |
| US08732780B2 |
Content delivery systems and methods to operate the same
Content delivery systems and methods to operate the same are disclosed. A disclosed example content delivery system comprises: a receiver station; a content server to transfer a file to a receiver via a point-to-point communication signal; and a transmission source that includes a computer readable medium to store the file containing pre-packetized content data and a controller to send the file containing the pre-packetized content data to a broadcast transmitter and to the content server. |
| US08732779B2 |
Interactive television program guide system with pay program package promotion
A system is provided that allows a user to select a pay program for purchase from a program guide. The program guide determines whether the selected program is part of a package of pay programs. If the selected program is part of a package, information regarding the package is provided to the user so that the user may decide whether to purchase the package. If the selected program is part of several packages, information for all packages is provided. The system automatically sets reminders for packages containing repetitive programming. The system monitors whether the user has watched any of the programs in such packages. When the user watches a program from the package, the remaining reminders are cancelled. If a user does not watch any programs in a package of any type, purchase of the package is cancelled and the user is provided with the opportunity to reschedule. |
| US08732774B2 |
Video server for controlling video signal output and video signal output control method
A video server to transmit a plurality of video information, set to a the decode processing mode, the decode processing mode including a combination of allocation, a decoding method, and a buffering method, an allocation indicating which read port of a storage the designated content is output from, the decoding method being for a plurality of decoders, the buffering method being for a plurality of output buffers, the decoding method and the buffering method being based on each of the output modes, and to output a control signal with reference to an identification information depending on the set connection pattern and the set decode processing mode so that connection between an output interface port and an allocated read port is established, the control signal setting the destination of each of the selectors. |
| US08732770B2 |
Direct broadcast signal distribution methods
A direct broadcast system having a high altitude communication device that transmits broadcast signals, which are received by an antenna, is provided. The system includes an outdoor unit (ODU) electrically coupled to the antenna. The ODU includes a low noise block converter (LNB) that receives and amplifies the broadcast signals. An ODU receiver is electrically coupled to the ODU and selects a desired frequency of the broadcast signals. Integrated receiver and decoders (IRD(s) are electrically coupled to the ODU receiver via a single distribution cable. The IRD(s) convert the broadcast signals into IRD output signals. Methods of performing the same are also provided, herein, including a transport select method and a service select method for receiving the broadcast signals. A direct broadcast system installation method and wireless communication between the ODU and the IRD(s) are also provided. |
| US08732767B2 |
Method and system for displaying via a network of an interactive movie
The present invention relates to a system for transferring an interactive movie located at a server via a network and displaying the same at a user station, which comprises: (a) a display unit at the user station for displaying movie frames; (b) a control device at the user station for enabling the user to navigate within the movie; (c) a map of the movie describing the links between the individual movie frames and the index of each movie frame, said map also maintains at any given time the present virtual location of the user within the map; and (d) a prediction unit for receiving inputs from said map and from a user control device, and based on said inputs predicting those future frames that may be required for view by the user, and instructing the server to convey said predicted future frames to the user station. |
| US08732763B2 |
Navigation and discovery of video on demand content via tv schedule on handheld devices
There is provided a system and method for a user interface for viewing video on demand (VOD) content organized by corresponding television broadcast schedules. There is provided a method comprising receiving a time period for navigation, retrieving VOD programming data and television broadcast schedule data, generating a plurality of program listings by matching the VOD programming data to the television broadcast schedule data within the time period, displaying the plurality of program listings on a display, and outputting, to the display, video corresponding to a first program listing selected from the plurality of program listings. Users are thereby enabled to quickly and optimally navigate to VOD content of interest using a familiar broadcast schedule format. |
| US08732755B2 |
Apparatus and method for managing media content
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to generate a playlist that identifies multimedia content and to provide access to the playlist in response to a request for access, where the request for access is transmitted over the Internet, and where the multimedia content is stored remotely from the set top box. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08732753B2 |
Method of operating one or more controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from a plurality of mobile devices and system controller thereof
A system controller for operating one or more controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from a mobile device includes a first communication interface for receiving a command from the mobile device and a second communication interface for receiving a message from a controllable device. One or more processors are configured to determine whether the mobile device that sent the command is authorized to operate a target controllable device to which the command pertains, and generate a command identifier for identifying the command, and send an instruction corresponding to the command and including the command identifier to the target controllable device when the mobile device is authorized to operate the target controllable device. The system controller replies to a pending command identified by a particular command identifier with a response indicating transaction complete when the message from the controllable device acknowledges the particular command identifier. |
| US08732752B2 |
Virtual channel table for a broadcast protocol and method of broadcasting and receiving broadcast signals using the same
A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel. |
| US08732751B2 |
Audio video system, control apparatus, output apparatus, and program
When a conventional audio video system is used, it is necessary to identify an input source of audio video information. For this reason, complicated operations and slow operation times have been a problem. A control apparatus includes: an instruction receiving unit for receiving an instruction to be provided to an audio video supplying apparatus which is an input source of audio video information currently outputted from an output apparatus that outputs the audio video information; a determination unit for determining one of the audio video supplying apparatuses to be the input source of the audio video information currently being outputted from the output apparatus; and a control information sending unit for outputting control information to the audio video supplying apparatus determined by the determination unit, the control information corresponding to the instruction received by the instruction receiving unit and being used for controlling the audio video supplying apparatus. |
| US08732750B2 |
Advertisements in an end-user controlled playback environment
This invention discloses a method for displaying advertisements transmitted to a user unit, the method includes receiving, at the user unit, at least one advertisement tagged with a delay tag indicating whether display of the at least one advertisement can be delayed and only if the delay tag allows delaying display of the at least one advertisement, storing the at least one advertisement at the user unit, retrieving the at least one advertisement and displaying the at least one advertisement. A billing system for reporting a commercial broadcast to a multiplicity of users is also disclosed. |
| US08732745B2 |
Method and system for inserting an advertisement in a media stream
Certain aspects of a system and method for inserting an advertisement in a media stream may include a content access server. The content access server may receive the media stream from one or more content providers. The media stream may comprise one or more pre-determined positions for inserting the advertisement. The content access server may insert the advertisement in the media stream at one of the one or more pre-determined positions. The advertisement is selected from one or more advertisements in real-time based on a first metadata associated with the media stream, a location of the one or more pre-determined positions in the media stream, and one or more parameters associated with a user. |
| US08732744B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer program products for presenting a message on a display based on a type of video image data for presentation on the display
Methods, systems, and computer program products for a message on a display based on a type of video image data for presentation on the display are described. An indication of one of a plurality of priority levels associated with a message for presentation on a display is received. Whether a type of a video image data for presentation on the display has a predetermined relationship to the priority level of the message is determined. The message is presented on the display based on the video image data type determination. |
| US08732742B2 |
Apparatus, systems and methods for customer premises weather reporting at a media device
Customer premises weather station systems and methods are operable to present local weather information on a media presentation system display located at the customer premises. An exemplary embodiment detects at least one ambient weather condition using a detector located at a customer premises, determines occurrence of a degradation of at least one characteristic of an over the air (OTA) media content signal received by a receiving antenna located at the customer premises, and generates a report in response to the determined degradation of the OTA media content signal characteristic. The report is configured to be presented on a display to a customer. The report may indicate the at least one ambient weather condition. |
| US08732741B2 |
System and method for restricting access to a set-top box
A system and method is disclosed for restricting a remote control interface port of a set-top box configured to broadcast multimedia programs over a provider network. A change schedule that changes communication parameters may restrict the remote control interface port. The operating frequency or the code set used to transmit data and commands may be changed at random or at predefined intervals. The set-top box, the remote control, or an external network device may initiate the change schedule. Encryption of communications between the set-top box and the remote control unit may also be performed to protect the set-top box from unauthorized access. |
| US08732738B2 |
Audience measurement systems and methods for digital television
A television audience measurement system measures viewing of a television program viewed on digital television located in a statistically selected site by (i) retrieving an audience measurement data packet from a television set in order to identify the television program, (ii) detecting an audio code embedded in the television program in order to identify the television program, (iii) extracting an audio signature from the television program in order to identify the television program, (iv) identifying the television program through use of a software agent, and (v) selecting at least one of the retrieving means, the detecting means, the extracting means, and the software agent in order to identify the television program. |
| US08732737B1 |
Geographic context weighted content recommendation
Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the performance of geographic context weighted content recommendation. According to various embodiments, information identifying one or more viewing events or actions detected in association with a designated content management account at a media system may be received. The one or more viewing events or actions may have associated therewith location information indicating a location at which the one or more viewing events or actions occurred. The designated content management account may provide access to a plurality of media content items via the media system. The designated content management account may be associated with a geographic viewing profile. The geographic viewing profile may designate one or more of the plurality of media content items for recommendation in association with the designated content management account. The geographic viewing profile may also designate a geographic context for recommending the designated media content items. |
| US08732734B2 |
Methods and apparatus supporting the recording of multiple simultaneously broadcast programs communicated using the same communications channel
A user recovers and records multiple programs communicated simultaneously using a communications channel, e.g., QAM communications channel. The simultaneous communication may be by communicating, e.g., an MPEG-2 transport stream including data corresponding to multiple programs through a corresponding to QAM communications channel. Thus a user device, e.g., a set top box, is able to receive and record programs corresponding to multiple simultaneously broadcast programs using a single tuner. This allows a device to receive and record or display more programs at any given time, than the number of QAM tuners and/or receivers in the user device. Novel user interface features which facilitate a user's ability to identify and record multiple programs corresponding to a QAM channel are also described. Methods and apparatus for determining program to communication channel mappings based on user program recordation information are also described. |
| US08732732B2 |
Type inference and type-directed late binding
Systems and methods that enhance and balance a late binding and an early binding in a programming language, via supplying an option component to opt-in (or opt-out) late binding, and wherein a late binding is triggered based on a static type for the variable (e.g., object or a type/string.) Additionally, the variable is enabled to have different static types at different regions (e.g., a program fragment) of the programming language. |
| US08732730B2 |
Management apparatus and method of managing device driver of management apparatus
A management apparatus to manage a device driver using a device driver package or a device driver configuration package and a method of managing the device driver of the management apparatus are provided. The management apparatus and the method are to deploy at least one of a device driver package to install a device driver using the device driver or a common device driver corresponding to at least one image forming apparatus and a device driver configuration package to modify a configuration of an installed device driver. |
| US08732724B1 |
Delayed rendering of messages
Generating a message output is disclosed. An indication triggering generation of a message is received. A message output of the message is generated in a manner that allows the message to be rendered using a later determined context. Rendering a message is disclosed. An indication that a previously generated output of a message is desired to be rendered is received. The message rendered based at least in part on a context determined after the message output was generated. |
| US08732720B2 |
Job scheduling based on map stage and reduce stage duration
A plurality of job profiles is received. Each job profile describes a job to be executed, and each job includes map tasks and reduce tasks. An execution duration for a map stage including the map tasks and an execution duration for a reduce stage including the reduce tasks of each job is estimated. The jobs are scheduled for execution based on the estimated execution duration of the map stage and the estimated execution duration of the reduce stage of each job. |
| US08732718B2 |
Techniques to automatically classify processes
Techniques for automatically classifying processes are presented. Processes executing on a multicore processor machine are evaluated to determine shared resources between the processes, excluding shared system resources. A determination is then made based on the evaluation to group the processes as a single managed resource within an operating system of the multicore processor machine. |
| US08732717B2 |
Resource allocation
At least one candidate allocation time period is determined according to a resource benefit time step function. The resource benefit does not vary with time in the at least one candidate allocation time period. Resources and relations between the resources are converted into sub-resource groups according to the resource cost time step function. Each of the sub-resource groups comprise sub-resources that correspond to the resources and relations between the sub-resources. The resource benefits and resource costs of the sub-resources do not vary with time. With respect to the at least one candidate allocation time period, the sub-resource groups are input into a resource schedule optimizer to obtain optimized results with respect to the sub-resource groups. An optimized result, with respect to the at least one candidate allocation time period, is obtained from the optimized results with respect to the sub-resource groups. |
| US08732716B2 |
Virtualization across physical partitions of a multi-core processor (MCP)
Among other things, the disclosure is applied to a generic microprocessor architecture with a set (e.g., one or more) of controlling/main processing elements (e.g., MPEs) and a set of groups of sub-processing elements (e.g., SPEs). Under this arrangement, MPEs and SPEs are organized in a way that a smaller number MPEs control the behavior of a group of SPEs using program code embodied as a set of virtualized control threads. The apparatus includes a MCP coupled to a power supply coupled with cores to provide a supply voltage to each core (or core group) and controlling-digital elements and multiple instances of sub-processing elements. In accordance with these features, virtualized control threads can traverse the physical boundaries of the MCP to control SPE(s) (e.g., logical partitions having one or more SPEs) in a different physical partition (e.g., different from the physical partition from which the virtualized control threads originated. |
| US08732713B2 |
Thread group scheduler for computing on a parallel thread processor
A parallel thread processor executes thread groups belonging to multiple cooperative thread arrays (CTAs). At each cycle of the parallel thread processor, an instruction scheduler selects a thread group to be issued for execution during a subsequent cycle. The instruction scheduler selects a thread group to issue for execution by (i) identifying a pool of available thread groups, (ii) identifying a CTA that has the greatest seniority value, and (iii) selecting the thread group that has the greatest credit value from within the CTA with the greatest seniority value. |
| US08732712B2 |
Synthesis of concurrent schedulers for multicore architectures
Systems and methods provide a high-level language for generation of a scheduling specification based on a scheduling policy, and synthesis of scheduler based on the scheduling specification. The systems and methods can permit the use of more sophisticated scheduling strategies than those afforded by conventional systems, without requiring the programmer to write explicitly parallel code. In certain embodiments, synthesis of the scheduler includes implementation of at least one rule related to the scheduling specification through definition of one or more workset objects that are concurrent, a workset object of the one or more workset objects having an addition method, a first poll method, and a second poll method. Such poll methods extend the operability of sequential poll methods. The one or more worksets satisfy a condition for correctness that is less stringent than conventional conditions for correctness. |
| US08732710B2 |
Device and method for ordering process execution using process step tables
An electronic device that exercises control over processes arbitrary in number for execution using a control program, including: storage means for forming each of the processes for execution by the electronic device with any of various combinations of a plurality of unit processes, creating, for each of the processes, the control program for use by the electronic device to execute the processes by a unit program for execution of the unit processes and a process step table in which an execution sequence of the unit programs is defined, storing the process step table for each of the processes, and storing the unit programs listed in each of the process step tables; and execution means for executing, in the defined execution sequence, when any predetermined one of the processes is directed, the unit programs defined in any of the process step tables stored corresponding to the directed process. |
| US08732704B2 |
Support for personal computing in a public computing infrastructure by using a single VM delta image for each VM base image utilized by a user
A method and system for supporting personal computing in a public computing infrastructure. The system includes a plurality of computers to be used by patrons of the public computing infrastructure. The system includes a server coupled to the plurality of computers via a network connection. Each of the plurality of computers includes a virtual machine monitor, which includes a plurality of base virtual machine images. Each of the base virtual machine images is customized for a particular hardware and software configuration representing a specific computing environment. The virtual machine monitor launches one of the plurality of base virtual machine images, arbitrates access to system resources via the launched virtual machine image, stores the changes in the state of the virtual machine image when a user terminates a session, and returns a computer to an appropriate state to enable the user to resume the terminated session in subsequent sessions. |
| US08732696B2 |
Analytic application model and marketplace
One embodiment of the invention is a technique to create and provide an analytic marketplace. A single file definition is created for a plurality of applications and sub-components of a complete analytic application. A request for an analytic application is received from a user at an analytic marketplace in a user session. The analytic marketplace searches for an application that matches the request using the single file and generates a search result. The request is responded according to the search result and then an appropriate analytic application is presented to the user. |
| US08732691B2 |
Method for installing application in portable terminal
A method for installing an application in a portable terminal includes acquiring a screen image of another portable terminal and acquiring information about at least one applications from the acquired screen image, displaying a list of the at least one applications whose information is acquired, and requesting and receiving an installation file of an application selected by a user from the displayed list, and installing the selected application by using the received installation file. |
| US08732690B1 |
Computing device configured for installing an application
A computing device configured for installing an application is described. The computing device includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The computing device determines if an application instruction length is a first instruction length or a second instruction length. The first instruction length is shorter than the second instruction length. If the application instruction length is the first instruction length, then the computing device runs an application installer in a first instruction length mode. If the application instruction length is the second instruction length, then the computing device determines if an operating system instruction length is the first instruction length or the second instruction length. If the operating system instruction length is the second instruction length, then the computing device disables a compatibility module. |
| US08732680B2 |
Intermediate form for bitwidth sensitive applications and uses thereof
Techniques for representing a program are provided. The techniques include creating one or more sub-variables for each of one or more variables in the program, and maintaining a single size of each of the one or more variables throughout a life-span of each of the one or more variables. Additionally, techniques for performing register allocation are also provided. The techniques include representing bit-width information of each of one or more variables in a powers-of-two representation, wherein the one or more variables comprise one or more variables in a program, coalescing the one or more variables, packing the one or more coalesced variables, and using the one or more packed variables to perform register allocation. |
| US08732676B1 |
System and method for generating unit test based on recorded execution paths
A method and system for testing a computer software system based on execution paths including: executing the computer program to obtain an execution path in the computer software; recording the execution path; modifying variables in the recorded execution path to create one or more perturbed paths; analyzing the one or more perturbed paths to detect potential errors; and generating unit tests for the one or more perturbed paths having the detected potential errors. The created test units may then be executed to test the computer software. |
| US08732674B1 |
Revertable managed execution image instrumentation
A target program is instrumented during execution by using statements in high-level programming languages, without restarting the target and without modifying the compiled binary of the target on disk. The target and the analysis program modifying it may each include managed code. The target program is presented by an instrumentation API as a queryable database, rather than a mere sequence of processor-level instructions. An instrumentation context for the target program's execution image is obtained, with identifications of functions, individual instructions, and other instrumentable items that satisfy criteria specified in a query. Functions and low-level instructions may be identified as satisfying the query regardless of whether they have executed yet. High-level statements transform query-satisfying items in the target's execution image, by appending code, injecting a fault, replacing an individual instruction, or replacing an individual operand. Instrumentation transformations may be reverted without restarting execution and without reverting to the pre-execution image. |
| US08732667B2 |
Debugging services for domain specific languages
A computer system displays an interactive development environment including a domain specific language (DSL) grammar input receiving area that allows the user to view and interact with DSL grammar inputs, a DSL language input receiving area that allows the user to view and interact with DSL language inputs and a parse output area that allows the user to view the current state of the DSL parser. The computer system begins stepping through each DSL language input to determine whether the DSL language inputs have created an error relative to the DSL grammar. The computer system also presents the resulting output for each DSL language input, so that as the user provides subsequent step inputs, the interactive development environment successively steps through each DSL language input and presents, at each step, the DSL grammar inputs, the DSL language inputs and the corresponding output in the parse output area. |
| US08732666B2 |
Automatic identification of subroutines from test scripts
A method for automatic identification of subroutines from test scripts is disclosed. An instruction class may be coded as a subroutine vector in a vector space model. A test script action may be coded as a test script vector in a vector space model. The test script vector may be compared to the subroutine vector. The test script vector may be identified and labeled. The test script vector may be labeled as a new test script action if the result of comparing is below a threshold value. An identifier may be associated with a new test script action. |
| US08732662B1 |
Adaptive user interface and application features based on user experience level
The behavior of an application is modified, responsive to an experience level of a user as calculated based on information concerning the configuration of the user's computer. Information concerning the configuration of the user's computer that is indicative of the user's experience level is gleaned. An experience index for the user is calculated, based on the gleaned information, and assigned to the user. Based on the calculated experience index, the behavior of an application utilized by the user is modified. This can comprise selecting a user interface for the application based on the user's calculated experience index, and outputting the selected user interface when the user runs the application. The modifying can also comprise selecting a version and/or features of the application for the user, based on the calculated experience index. |
| US08732661B2 |
User experience customization framework
A user experience (“UX”) customization framework is provided that enables the customization of the UX provided by an operating system (“OS”) and application programs executing on the OS. The UX customization framework includes a UX platform engine that processes UX markup language files to create a customized UX. UX markup language files include data that is formatted according to a UX markup language. The UX markup language is a superset of the hypertext markup language that defines additional markup language tags for use in creating a customized UX, such as tags through which the functionality provided by an OS component or an application program that is exposed through an application programming interface may be utilized within the UX. |
| US08732660B2 |
User input auto-completion
Methods and computer program product relate to user input auto-completion. The methods and product are executable on a processing device in a computing system environment so as to provide an auto-completion scheme with enhanced capabilities that improve user efficiency when performing a task. |
| US08732657B2 |
OData consumption tool
According to some embodiments, a method and apparatus are provided to receive an application type and a platform environment type. An application based on the received application type and the platform environment type is created. The application comprises an instantiation of the received application type configured for the received environment type. |
| US08732651B1 |
Logical design flow with structural compatability verification
A design system provides data structures to store parameters of physical structures that can be viewed and modified in a front-end process through a logical design interface. In this way, system behavior defined by component structure can be evaluated and modified through a schematic representation of the data, regardless of a state of data representing the physical layout of interconnected physical structures. In electric circuit applications, for example, high frequency circuits can be incrementally designed and evaluated through structural parameters defined in a schematic diagram data abstraction without modifying and evaluating a layout data abstraction of the circuit directly. |
| US08732649B2 |
Backward analysis for determining fault masking factors
A method and a system for determining the observability of faults in an electronic circuit include a processor that simulates, in a simulation phase, a behavior of the electronic circuit using a simulation model, and that determined, in an analysis phase, based on the simulation, and for each of a plurality of elements of the electronic circuit, time periods in which an occurrent fault could cause a deviation in analysis output signals, where the occurrent fault is determined not to cause any deviation in output signals in other time periods. |
| US08732648B2 |
High-frequency VLSI interconnect and intentional inductor impedance extraction in the presence of a multi-layer conductive substrate
Embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for extracting impedance for a circuit design are disclosed herein. Some of the disclosed embodiments are computationally efficient and can accurately compute the frequency-dependent impedance of VLSI interconnects and/or intentional inductors in the presence of multi-layer conductive substrates. In certain embodiments, the resulting accuracy and CPU time reduction are a result of a Green's function approach with the correct quasi-static limit, a modified discrete complex image approximation to the Green's function, and a continuous dipole expansion to evaluate the magnetic vector potential at the distances relevant to VLSI interconnects and intentional inductors. |
| US08732642B2 |
Method for achieving an efficient statistical optimization of integrated circuits
Method for performing timing closure of integrated circuits in the presence of manufacturing and environmental variations. The starting design is analyzed using statistical static timing analysis to determine timing violations. Each timing violation in its statistical canonical form is examined. In a first aspect of the invention, the canonical failing slack is inspected to determine what type of move is most likely to fix the timing violation taking into account all relevant manufacturing and environmental variations. In a second aspect of the invention, pre-characterized moves such as insertion of delay pad cells are evaluated for their ability to fix the timing violation without triggering timing, and the best move or set of moves is selected. |
| US08732639B1 |
Method and apparatus for protecting, optimizing, and reporting synchronizers
A method for designing a system on a target device using an electronic design automation (EDA) tool including identifying synchronizer chains in a system design using timing relationships. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method includes conveniently reporting system reliability considering synchronization, and automatically protecting and optimizing synchronizer chains to improve system robustness. |
| US08732634B1 |
Method and apparatus for performing fast incremental resynthesis
A method for designing a system on a target device is disclosed. A first netlist is generated or a first version of the system in a first compilation. Optimizations are performed on the first version of the system during synthesis resulting in a second netlist. A third netlist is generated or a second version of the system in a second compilation. The first version of the system in the first netlist and the second version of the system in the third netlist are differentiated to identify identical regions. |
| US08732632B1 |
Method and apparatus for automated extraction of a design for test boundary model from embedded IP cores for hierarchical and three-dimensional interconnect test
SOC designs increasingly feature IP cores with standardized wrapper cells having vendor-provided test patterns for the internal logic. To test wrapper, interconnect, and other boundary logic, a boundary model is extracted from the design in a synthesis or ATPG environment. Wrapper cells are identified and boundary logic extracted by structural tracing of wrapper chains and tracing from core inputs/outputs to the wrapper cells. A created boundary model excludes core internal logic tested by vendor-provided test patterns to be migrated to the containing chip interface. An SOC ATPG model is built including boundary models for all embedded cores, interconnects, and any other logic residing at the SOC top hierarchical level. This model is very compact yet accurate for testing logic external to all embedded cores. Test time is reduced and test pattern generation greatly simplified, while featuring good test coverage. The same approach is used for 3D packages having multiple dies. |
| US08732630B1 |
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing analog behavioral modeling and IP integration using systemverilog hardware description language
Some embodiments provide support for real number modeling in SystemVerilog by defining built-in nettypes with real data type and resolution functions natively in SystemVerilog and allow a simple path for porting Verilog-AMS wreal modeling to SystemVerilog modeling. Some embodiments provide support for incompatible nettypes and for net coercion in SystemVerilog. Some embodiments provide support for SystemVerilog reals net connecting to electrical nets and support for SystemVerilog real signals connecting to Verilog-AMS wreal signals. Some embodiments combine the strengths of Verilog-AMS and SystemVerilog languages to build a solution for value conversion between incompatible nets and an effective way to configure, simulate, or verify mixed-signal designs that are written in SystemVerilog language. |
| US08732623B2 |
Web cam based user interaction
This document describes tools for inputting data into a computer via the movement of features of a user as detected by a webcam or other input device. This is accomplished by a user moving his or her features in view of a webcam. The webcam or other input device then detects the presence and motion of the feature(s) and converts these motions into input signals to execute predetermined input instructions. |
| US08732620B2 |
Method and system for a more realistic interaction experience using a stereoscopic cursor
A stereoscopic cursor method comprising: calculating a cursor scene depth of a stereoscopic cursor for a stereoscopic user interface comprising plural stereoscopic buttons, wherein the stereoscopic cursor is positioned between a viewer and the plural stereoscopic buttons; constraining movement of the stereoscopic cursor between the viewer and the plural stereoscopic buttons at the cursor scene depth for input device movements by the viewer that navigate across the front of the plural stereoscopic buttons; receiving an input signal corresponding to viewer selection of one of the plural stereoscopic buttons; and responsive to receiving the input signal, causing movement of the stereoscopic cursor from one end of the cursor scene depth to the one of the plural stereoscopic buttons in a direction coincident with the cursor scene depth. |
| US08732612B2 |
Method for presenting menu buttons
Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are; e.g., “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the menu may contain buttons that can be selected through the keys on the remote control, but that don't have any images or text associated. This allows creating “invisible buttons” that automatically execute commands upon selection. Further, a sound or sound sequence; e.g., melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. Such menu data may be stored; e.g., on a Blu-ray disc. |
| US08732608B2 |
System and method for scrolling among categories in a list of documents
A system and method is provided to assist a user in selecting, identifying, and handling email messages. A selection color module may provide for the display of color coding and selection highlighting. The selection color module may provide a secondary highlighting color to indicate messages related to a selected message. A category navigation module may provide one or more of the following: an indicator that provides the user with a number of items that are off the screen for a particular category, a command that causes the first entry for a category to be scrolled into view, a label to indicate the number of items in a particular category matching a particular criteria, and/or a control for scrolling between next or previous categories. |
| US08732605B1 |
Various methods and apparatuses for enhancing public opinion gathering and dissemination
A system to conduct a public-initiated opinion poll on a media space or in a consumer space is discussed. Simple activation of software- or hardware-based buttons or otherwise by speaking into or tapping on a device are provided and enables the public to express its likes/dislikes about anything, anyone, anywhere, anytime and merely when he/she decides to do so. Hence, this system replaces the current survey-based paradigm in which the surveyor decides when to ask what, and how from the public. |
| US08732603B2 |
Visual designer for non-linear domain logic
User interface that enables a user to manipulate visual representations of non-linear business logic to define and run data-centric “what-if” simulations. The visual interface models non-linear calculations based on the mapping of an input value in a non-linear domain to a score range, which score range can be continuous or non-continuous. The interface presents variable graphical indicator representations, as well as proximity and sensitivity visualizations. Different models can be developed and tested using live data feeds and aggregated dependent data feeds. The visual interface employs recursive scoring, and facilitates collaborative interface interaction. |
| US08732598B2 |
Systems and methods for field data collection
Systems and methods are provided for automated field data collection. A client system may download graphical representations and space hierarchy information associated with the project from a server. A user may open, on the client system, an area where the field data collection is to occur (e.g., a room in a building), whereby the client system automatically navigates to a pre-defined region of the graphical representation (e.g., an architectural floor plan). For each discrepancy identified, the user may touch a corresponding location on the graphical representation and select a discrepancy type from a list. The user may then associate additional data files, such as image files, audio files, video files, and GPS coordinates with the discrepancy. An organization responsible for correcting the discrepancy may be automatically assigned and/or notified based on an association made on the server. |
| US08732590B2 |
Techniques for presenting content items to members of a group
In a method of ranking or filtering new content items for presentation to members of a group of users of a social-networking service, content items that are candidates for presentation to the members are received. A user of the social-networking service is enabled to serve as a curator of the candidates, with the enabling including enabling the user to scroll through subsets of the candidates in a carousel user interface to indicate an opinion of the user with respect to an importance to the group of each of one or more candidates. One or more of the candidates are presented to the members of the group based on the opinion of the user with respect to the candidates. |
| US08732589B2 |
Apparatus and method for dynamically creating a community space in a virtual space
An apparatus and method for dynamically creating a community space in a virtual space. A request for a connection to a personal web space of another user to be visited by a user possessing a personal web space is made. When the connection request is identified, a new community space is generated by connecting the personal web spaces of the users to each other. Immediate interaction between the users is performed in the generated new community space. |
| US08732587B2 |
Systems and methods for displaying trustworthiness classifications for files as visually overlaid icons
A computer-implemented method for displaying trustworthiness classifications for files as visually overlaid icons may include (1) identifying a file, (2) identifying a file icon that graphically represents the file within a file manager interface on a computing device, (3) obtaining a trustworthiness classification assigned to the file that identifies the trustworthiness of the file, and then (4) visually overlaying the file icon with a trustworthiness icon that graphically represents the trustworthiness classification assigned to the file. Various other systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08732581B2 |
Package file presentation
Various embodiments illustrated and described herein include one or more of systems, methods, software, and data structures for package file presentation. Some embodiments generate visual representations of package files by extracting a list of display elements of a package file, each display element representative of a content file or a content folder including one or more content files included in the package file; extracting a presentation specification from the package file; and presenting a view of the package file as a function of the presentation specification and the list of display elements. |
| US08732569B2 |
Predicting user navigation events
A method and system for predicting a next navigation event are described. Aspects of the disclosure minimize the delay between a navigation event and a network response by predicting the next navigation event. The system and method may then prerender content associated with the next navigation event. For example, the method and system may predict a likely next uniform resource locator during web browsing to preemptively request content from the network before the user selects the corresponding link on a web page. The methods describe a variety of manners of predicting the next navigation event, including examining individual and aggregate historical data, text entry prediction, and cursor input monitoring. |
| US08732568B1 |
Systems and methods for managing workflows
A method for managing a multi-stage workflow may include: 1) displaying representations of the plurality of stages of the multi-stage workflow to the user via a graphical user interface, each representation of a workflow stage from the plurality of stages indicating a completion status of the workflow stage; 2) receiving, at a first stage in the multi-stage workflow, input from the user; 3) determining that the input from the user at the first stage affects a second stage in the multi-stage workflow; 4) in response to determining that the input from the user affects the second stage, changing a completion status of the second stage to an updated completion status; and 5) in response to changing the completion status of the second stage, modifying a representation of the second stage such that the representation of the second stage indicates to the user the updated completing status of the second stage. |
| US08732567B1 |
System and method for automating document generation
A system and a method for generating a document and maintaining the integrity of the document includes compiling a superset of data into a data heap from multiple data sources, where the data heap corresponds to a start date and one or more clients. The system generates the document using content elements, which are created using the compiled data, and embeds the content elements into the document. The document then is accessible through an associated software application. The data heap is saved and attached to the document. When the document is modified or edited in any manner, the system automatically saves the modified document as a new version. Additionally, the data heap is synchronized to the associated document and, therefore, is regenerated and saved as a new version along with the modified document. |
| US08732565B2 |
Method and apparatus for parallel processing in a gigabit LDPC decoder
A receiver for use in a wireless communications network capable of decoding encoded transmissions. The receiver comprises receive path circuitry for receiving and downconverting an incoming radio frequency (RF) signal to produce an encoded received signal; and a low-density parity check (LDPC) decoder associated with the receive path circuitry for decoding the encoded received signal. The LDPC decoder further comprises a memory for storing a parity check H matrix comprising R rows and C columns, where each element of the parity check H matrix comprises one of a shift value or a −1 value; and a plurality of processing elements for performing LDPC layered decoding, wherein at least one processing element is operable to process in the same cycle a first row and a second row of the parity check H matrix. |
| US08732562B2 |
Systems and methods for improved short media defect detection
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for media defect detection. Data pre-processing is operable to pre-process a symbol based detected output to yield a suspect symbol indicator, and data detection is operable to provide a defect indicator corresponding to a probable defect identified based on the suspect symbol indicator. |
| US08732560B2 |
Method and device for correction of ternary stored binary data
The invention relates to a device and a method for storing binary data in a storage device, in which the binary data is transformed to and stored as ternary data. The storage device uses memory cells capable of storing three states. The device and method furthermore are configured to identify and correct falsified ternary data when reading and outputting the data from storage device. |
| US08732548B2 |
Instruction-set architecture for programmable cyclic redundancy check (CRC) computations
A method and apparatus to perform Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) operations on a data block using a plurality of different n-bit polynomials is provided. A flexible CRC instruction performs a CRC operation using a programmable n-bit polynomial. The n-bit polynomial is provided to the CRC instruction by storing the n-bit polynomial in one of two operands. |
| US08732546B2 |
Radio receiver with an error correction code detector and with a correction unit
A receiving apparatus for receiving a radio signal through an antenna. The radio signal is transmitted by a moving transmitting apparatus and has a frame configuration which includes at least a main information portion that includes information main part based on an image signal and an added portion that includes synchronization information and parameter information specific to the transmitting apparatus. The receiving apparatus includes a detecting unit that is configured to detect, from the received radio signal, an arrangement position of the parameter information in a frame configuration in which an error-correcting code is added immediately after the parameter information to be transmitted in a predetermined arrangement position of the frame configuration. A parameter information error correcting unit is configured to perform error correction on the parameter information with the error-correcting code that is added immediately after the detected arrangement position of the parameter information. An image processing unit is configured to perform image processing on the image signal of the main information portion using the corrected parameter information. |
| US08732545B2 |
Encoding method and encoder for generating a low-density parity check convolutional code and decoder for decoding a low-density parity check convolutional code using belief propagation
An encoding method changes an encoding rate of an erasure correcting code. One cycle is defined as 12k bits (wherein k represents a natural number) which is an encoding output using LDPC-CC with an encoding rate of ½, and includes information and parity. From the one cycle, only the information is arranged in the output order of the encoding output to obtain 6k bit information X6i, X6i+1, X6i+2, X6i+3, X6i+4, X6i+5, . . . , X6(i+k−1) X6(i+k−1)+1, X6(i+k−1)+2, X6(i+k−1)+3, X6(i+k−1)+4, and X6(i+k−1)+5. Known information is inserted in 3k pieces of information (Xj) among the 6k bit information, so that when 3k pieces of mutually different j is divided by 3, there is a remainder of 0 regarding k pieces, there is a remainder of 1 regarding k pieces, and there is a remainder of 2 regarding k pieces, to thereby obtain the parity from the information containing the known information. |
| US08732544B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and method of controlling the same
A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of detecting code generators configured to generate a plurality of detecting codes to detect errors in a plurality of data items, respectively, a plurality of first correcting code generators configured to generate a plurality of first correcting codes to correct errors in a plurality of first data blocks, respectively, each of the first data blocks containing one of the data items and a corresponding detecting code, a second correcting code generators configured to generate a second correcting code to correct errors in a second data block, the second data block containing the first data blocks, and a semiconductor memory configured to nonvolatilely store the second data block, the first correcting codes, and the second correcting code. |
| US08732542B2 |
Outer coding framework
The subject matter disclosed herein provides an outer coding framework for minimizing the error rate of packets. In one aspect, the method may include determining, based on a cyclic redundancy check, a first erasure table including zero or more erasures; determining a second erasure table; using the first erasure table to locate errors in a frame of packets, when the zero or more erasures of the first erasure table do not exceed a threshold of erasures; and using the second erasure table to locate errors in the frame of packets, when the one or more erasures of the first erasure table do exceed the threshold of erasures. The frame may include the one or more rows encoded using the outer code. The block that is read may be provided to enable an inner code to encode the block before transmission. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles are also described. |
| US08732540B2 |
Semiconductor device having input/output wrappers, and a method of controlling the wrappers
A semiconductor device include a first wrapper including a first scan flip-flop, first control flip-flops and a first pad, the first scan flip-flop receiving a first value and second values and storing the second value for determining a function of the first pad; a second wrapper including a second scan flip-flop, second control flip-flops and a second pad, the second scan flip-flop receiving the first value from the first wrapper and storing the first value for determining a function of the second pad; and an input/output controller configured to provide a shift input signal having the first and second values to the first wrapper. |
| US08732539B2 |
Test system having a sub-system to sub-system bridge
A test system having a sub-system to sub-system bridge may be provided that utilizes the useful attributes of a plurality of circuit testing techniques, while reducing deficiencies associated with certain types of circuit testing. A bridged test system structure is utilized to facilitate circuit testing that is more effective and time efficient. The method analyzes performance data acquired by a first component for one or more circuits, and sends that performance data to a second test component. The second test component provides test signals to the circuits, using the performance date to enhance the use of the test signals, and also provides test response data for the circuits in response to the provided test signals. |
| US08732538B2 |
Programmable data storage management
A method and system for managing storage of one or more data blocks in a programmable data storage device is provided. A data storage controller partitions each of multiple data blocks into multiple sub data blocks comprising a number of bits based on one or more index value descriptors. The data storage controller generates transition vectors from each of the sub data blocks by applying one or more transition functions. The data storage controller encodes one of the transition vectors for each sub data block for obtaining a residual sub data block comprising a reduced number of bits, thereby resulting in increased bit space. The data storage controller generates a composite data block by merging each residual sub data block. The composite data block is configurable for writing to one or more regions in the programmable data storage device free from a disturbance caused by write operations to other regions. |
| US08732537B2 |
Method and system for symbol error rate estimation and sector quality measurement
A probabilistic approach of symbol error estimation is disclosed. The probabilistic approach of symbol error estimation reflects the number of symbol errors more precisely than the number of unsatisfied checks. The more precise quality metric calculated in accordance with the present disclosure allows a codec system to achieve a better overall performance. In addition, many other features that previously depend on the number of unsatisfied checks as the sector quality metric may also benefit by adopting the more precise quality metric. |
| US08732534B2 |
Predictive incident management
An incident predictor system is described herein for predicting impactful incidents in which server computer system operations fail or perform poorly. According to one embodiment of the invention, the incident prediction system trains a generalized linear model (GLM) to predict when a system health indicator will reach a level that represents an incident for the server system. |
| US08732533B2 |
Devices, methods, and apparatuses for detection, sensing, and reporting functionality for semiconductor memory
Methods, apparatuses and systems are disclosed involving a memory device. In one embodiment, a memory device is disclosed that includes a command error module of the memory device operably coupled to at least one of a command signal and an address signal and configured to detect and report a parity error on the command signal, the address signal, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, a memory device may include a temperature sensor operably coupled to a mode register. The temperature sensor may be configured to sense a device temperature and report a temperature status. Furthermore, the memory device may be incorporated into a memory module, which may be included in an electronic system. |
| US08732530B2 |
System and method for self-diagnosis and error reporting
A system for self-diagnosing and error reporting of a software application in a computer system having a plurality of software applications and background processes, the system comprising a diagnosis module configured to collect and monitor usage data of resources of the computer system, execution status of the software applications and background processes of the computer system, and software application error conditions, adjust logging level of log files according to the execution status of the software applications and background processes of the computer system and the software application error conditions, and generate diagnosis advisory based on the usage data of the resources of the computer system and the software error conditions, and a reporting module configured to collect and report the usage data of the resources of the computer system, the log files and the generated diagnosis advisory automatically to a user. |
| US08732526B1 |
Single-wire data interface for programming, debugging and testing a programmable element
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, devices and methods of employing a single-wire data interface to program, debug and test a programmable element. A 1-WireLoader system comprises a programming entity, a physical-layer interface device, a single signal wire and the programmable element. The programming entity generates a command sequence comprising a plurality of commands. Each command in the plurality of commands is associated with a data in a plurality of data. The physical-layer interface device is coupled directly to the programming entity, and indirectly to the programmable element via a single signal wire. A single pin is involved at the interface of the programmable element single pin to receive commands from and exchange data with the programming entity. Commands and associated data are time-multiplexed to a serial signal according to a data sequence protocol, and communicated between the programming entity and the programmable element via the single-wire data interface, efficiently reducing the pin count at an interface of the programmable element. In some embodiments of the 1-WireLoader system, this single pin is multiplexed with a reset I/O pin while not interfering with normal operation of the system reset signal. |
| US08732523B2 |
Data processing apparatus and method for analysing transient faults occurring within storage elements of the data processing apparatus
A data processing apparatus has a plurality of storage elements residing at different physical locations within the apparatus, and fault history circuitry for detecting local transient faults occurring in each storage element, and for maintaining global transient fault history data based on the detected local transient faults. Analysis circuitry monitors the global transient fault history data to determine, based on predetermined criteria, whether the global transient fault history data is indicative of random transient faults occurring within the data processing apparatus, or is indicative of a coordinated transient fault attack. The analysis circuitry is then configured to initiate a countermeasure action on determination of a coordinated transient fault attack. This provides a simple and effective mechanism for distinguishing between random transient faults that may naturally occur, and a coordinated transient fault attack that may be initiated in an attempt to circumvent the security of the data processing apparatus. |
| US08732521B2 |
Detection of logical corruption in persistent storage and automatic recovery therefrom
A method, system, and computer program product for restoring blocks of data stored at a corrupted data site using two or more mirror sites. The method commences by receiving a trigger event from a component within an application server environment where the trigger event indicates detection of a corrupted data site. The trigger is classified into at least one of a plurality of trigger event types, which trigger event type signals further processing for retrieving from at least two mirror sites, a first stored data block and a second stored data block corresponding to the same logical block identifier from the first mirror site. The retrieved blocks are compared to determine a match value, and when the match value is greater than a confidence threshold, then writing good data to the corrupted data site before performing consistency checks on blocks in physical or logical proximity to the corrupted data site. |
| US08732520B2 |
Clustered array controller for global redundancy in a SAN
An apparatus comprising a first of a plurality of array modules and a second of a plurality of array modules. The first of the plurality of array modules may be configured to connect a first one or more of a plurality of host devices to a first one or more of a plurality of storage arrays. The first array module may comprise a primary controller and a secondary controller. The second of the plurality of array modules may be configured to connect a second one or more of the plurality of host devices to a second one or more of the plurality of storage arrays. The second array module may comprise a primary controller and a secondary controller. Control of access to the storage arrays may be transferred to the secondary controller of the first array module during a failure of the primary controller of the first array module. |
| US08732515B2 |
Counter-invasive software system and method
A method and apparatus for detecting, curing and remedying invasive software installation inadvertently, negligently, or intentionally marketed by a vendor. A party may procure a product that sends back invasive data to a source. A testing regimen may identify and defeat sources of any invasive executables found. Accordingly, a party may identify those software packages deemed invasive, and may optionally provide a solution to either defeat or monitor them, where practicable. An independent developer may obtain intellectual property rights in the testing, solution or both of the counter-invasive software system or product. An independent developer may become a supplier of testing or solution systems, motivating a supplier by one of several mechanisms. The developer or damaged party may obtain a legal status with respect to the vendor or of a host of software as a customer, user, clients, shareholder, etc., in order to exercise rights and remedies or provide motivation to a vendor who does not take responsibility for its actions as executed by its marketed products. |
| US08732509B2 |
Timing synchronization circuit with loop counter
An apparatus for synchronizing an output clock signal with an input clock signal includes a first timing synchronization circuit, control logic, and a counter. The first timing synchronization circuit is operable to generate a delay to synchronize a reference clock signal representative of the input clock signal with a feedback clock signal representative of the output clock signal responsive a strobe signal. The control logic is operable to generate an enable signal based on the reference clock signal and generate the strobe signal based on the feedback clock signal. The counter is operable to count cycles of the reference clock signal occurring between the enable signal and the strobe signal to generate a loop count for the first timing synchronization circuit. |
| US08732508B2 |
Determining power topology of a plurality of computer systems
Determining power topology of a computer system. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including communicating with a first computer system of a plurality of computer systems mounted in a rack (the communicating through dedicated communication conductors integral with a first cord carrying operational power to first computer system), communicating with a second computer system of the plurality of computer systems (the communicating through dedicated communication conductors integral with a second cord carrying operational power to first computer system), determining a power topology regarding the plurality of computer systems based on the communicating, and displaying an indication of the power topology. |
| US08732507B2 |
Circuit and method for an uninterruptible power supply of electronic devices has a changeover switch to supply power from different power sources according to various predefined power drop conditions
A circuit for uninterruptible power supply, wherein the circuit can be connected to an energy supply and a load and includes a capacitive energy store, a changeover switch, a charging device, a charging control device, a voltage monitoring device, and a discharge device. |
| US08732500B2 |
Information processing system, management apparatus, and management method of executing a processing sequence including a plurality of processing steps
An information processing apparatus executes a processing sequence including a plurality of processing steps. A management apparatus makes the information processing apparatus execute the processing steps in predetermined order, and thereby manages execution of the processing sequence. The management apparatus takes over execution management of the processing sequence from a first management apparatus. At this time, an information acquisition unit of the management apparatus acquires state information indicating a progress state of the processing sequence from the information processing apparatus. A control unit of the management apparatus makes the information processing apparatus continue execution of an unexecuted processing step of the processing sequence based on the state information acquired by the information acquisition unit. |
| US08732499B2 |
State retention circuit adapted to allow its state integrity to be verified
A state retention component is provided which is configured to form part of data processing circuitry. The state retention component is configured to hold a state value at a node of the data processing circuitry when the data processing circuitry enters a low power mode. The state retention component comprises a scan input, wherein the state retention component configured, when a scan enable signal is asserted, to read in the state value from a scan input value applied at the scan input, and a scan output, wherein the state retention component is configured, when the scan enable signal is asserted, to read out the state value to the scan output. When the scan enable signal is not asserted, the state retention circuit outputs at the scan output a parity value, wherein the parity value is generated by combinatorial function circuitry on the basis of the state value and the scan input value, wherein the combinatorial function circuitry is configured such that the parity value inverts if either the state value or the scan input value changes, thus providing an external indication of the integrity of the state value held by the state retention component. |
| US08732495B2 |
Systems, apparatuses and methods for dynamic voltage and frequency control of components used in a computer system
Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, apparatuses, and methods for dynamic frequency and voltage control of components used in a computer system. A system includes a processor voltage regulator and a system clock generator directly operably with each other. The processor voltage regulator provides a core voltage signal to a processor, and is configured to detect a present processor load state of the processor. The system clock generator is for providing a system clock signal to the processor. At least one of the processor voltage regulator or the system clock generator is further configured determine a desired frequency of the system clock signal responsive to the present processor load state, and determine a voltage level for the core voltage signal suitably paired with the desired frequency for proper operation of the processor at the desired frequency. Other systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided. |
| US08732494B2 |
Data processing apparatus and method for selectively powering on a processing unit based on a correct port number in the encrypted data packet
A data processing apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive data, a first processing unit configured to perform predetermined processing on the received data, a second processing unit configured to perform the predetermined processing on the received data, a first control unit configured to perform control so that the data processing apparatus operates in one of a first operation mode for supplying power to both the first processing unit and the second processing unit and a second operation mode for discontinuing a supply of power to the first processing unit while supplying power to the second processing unit, and a second control unit configured to perform control so that the first processing unit performs the predetermined processing if the data processing apparatus operates in the first operation mode and that the second processing unit performs the predetermined processing if the data processing apparatus operates in the second operation mode. |
| US08732493B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit
In a semiconductor LSI that sequentially performs predetermined processing on data input successively, a host CPU, a plurality of sequencers, and a data engine are connected in a hierarchical manner with the host CPU at top and the data engine at bottom. Each sequencer includes a memory that stores a parameter for execution of the sequencer, a memory controller, a loop counter, a sequence controller, and an interface unit that handles transmission and reception of signals with an external unit of the sequencer. The interface units of the plurality of sequencers have the same specifications. |
| US08732492B2 |
Information processing apparatus and method
An information processing apparatus includes: a plurality of electric power generating elements; detection means for determining whether each of the plurality of electric power generating elements has an electromotive force equal to or higher than a predetermined value; determination means determining an input operation performed by a user by identifying an electric power generating element having an electromotive force below the predetermined value when at least one of the plurality of electric power generating elements is determined as having an electromotive force below the predetermined value according to the detection means; processing means carrying out a process associate with the input operation determined by the determination means; and bypass means which is provided in parallel with the electric power generating elements and through which a current flows when the electric power generating elements have an electromotive force below the predetermined value. |
| US08732489B2 |
Communication system for use in hazardous environments
A communication system includes a host device and a peripheral device. The host device includes a data terminal and a power terminal. A data conductor extends between the host device and the peripheral device. The data conductor is configured to channel data between the data terminal and the peripheral device. A power conductor extends between the host device and the peripheral device. The power conductor is configured to channel power between the power terminal and the peripheral device. A zener diode couples the data conductor to the power conductor. The zener diode is configured to control a voltage channeled between the host device and the peripheral device while data is channeled through the data conductor at a desired speed that is greater than a predetermined threshold. |
| US08732487B2 |
Predictive computing device power management
The described implementations relate to predictive computing device energy management. One implementation measures resource usage of a computing device that employs a power policy. This implementation also estimates resource usage of the computing device having at least one different power policy without actually running the at least one different power policy on the computing device. |
| US08732486B1 |
Method and system for supplementing current during enumeration of a USB device
A method and device for supplementing current from the USB bus for enumerating USB devices that require additional current beyond that allowable by USB bus specification is disclosed. A chargeable power source, such as a capacitor or rechargeable battery, is supplied to the enumeration circuitry and is charged from the USB bus for an initial period of time. The charged power source is then discharged to supplement the allowable current available for enumeration during a second period of time. It is during this second period of time that the enumeration takes place. The circuitry may exist in the USB device or may be supplied separately as a power monitor or power maintenance chip or device. |
| US08732485B2 |
Methods for process key rollover/re-encryption and systems thereof
A method according to one embodiment includes defining a new encryption band with a length that is consistent with a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) parity strip; freeing a working extent in a working stride on the RAID. In an iterative process until each stride in a source band is depleted of data: marking a source extent in a source stride from which to gather data to be re-encrypted; marking parity inconsistent in the working stride in the new encryption band; performing a second iterative process; and freeing the working extent. The second iterative process is performed until each extent in a source stride is depleted of data. Additional systems, methods and computer program products are also presented. |
| US08732481B2 |
Object with identity based encryption
A workflow order is created for the object. Public parameters are received from a key generation center at a computer associated with an object master. A public key is generated at the computer system based on a user identifier and the public parameters, wherein the user identifier is comprised of user related information. The object is encrypted using the public key such that the object cannot be opened without the a private key, wherein the object is a composite document comprising multiple elements of documents of different formats, and wherein the private key is generated in response to a request from an authenticated user using the user identifier at the key generation center. Access to the multiple elements of the object is controlled based on workflow order. |
| US08732479B1 |
Methods, apparatus and systems for remote file storage using local client status files
The remote access to backed-up user data techniques include a method, a system, and/or an apparatus. In some embodiments of these techniques, the method includes generating one or more backed-up first file segments corresponding to the user file, encrypting each of the one or more backed-up first file segments, determining mapping information and storage identifying information for each of the one or more backed-up first file segments, updating a backup status file associated with the user file with the mapping information and the storage identifying information, and transmitting the one or more backed-up first file segments to a second system for backup. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims. |
| US08732472B2 |
System and method for verification of digital certificates
Analysis of authenticity digital certificates includes. Initial information pertaining to digital certificates is collected from diverse information sources. For each of the digital certificates the initial information includes intrinsic parameter data from among contents of the digital certificate and extrinsic parameter data pertaining to the digital certificate and comprising static data not contained in the contents of the digital certificate. Selected parameter data is stored and analyzed to determine a measure of suspiciousness for each of the digital certificates. If necessary, circumstantial data based on actual usage of one or more of the digital certificates are collected. The initial data and supplemental data are compared against a set of decision criteria that define fraudulent activity, and a determination of authenticity of each of the digital certificates is made. |
| US08732469B2 |
Communication cutoff device, server device and method
A network monitor device 20 includes: a communication cutoff unit 21 to cut off at least a part of communications performed by a quarantine target node 90; a redirect unit to make the quarantine target node 90 establish a communication connection for a quarantine process with a quarantine server 30 which executes the quarantine process of the quarantine target node 90; a cancel request receiving unit 24 to receive, when the quarantine target node 90 receives a ticket indicating completion of the quarantine via the communication connection for the quarantine process from the quarantine server 30, a cutoff cancel request ticket transmitted by the quarantine target node 90; and a cutoff canceling unit 26 to cancel the cutoff by the communication cutoff unit 21 when receiving the cutoff cancel request. |
| US08732468B2 |
Protecting hardware circuit design by secret sharing
Techniques are able to lock and unlock and integrated circuit (IC) based device by encrypting/decrypting a bus on the device. The bus may be a system bus for the IC, a bus within the IC, or an external input/output bus. A shared secret protocol is used between an IC designer and a fabrication facility building the IC. The IC at the fabrication facility scrambles the bus on the IC using an encryption key generated from unique identification data received from the IC designer. With the IC bus locked by the encryption key, only the IC designer may be able to determine and communicate the appropriate activation key required to unlock (e.g., unscramble) the bus and thus make the integrated circuit usable. |
| US08732467B2 |
Masked digital signatures
A method for creating and authenticating a digital signature is provided, including selecting a first session parameter k and generating a first short term public key derived from the session parameter k, computing a first signature component r derived from a first mathematical function using the short term public key, selecting a second session parameter t and computing a second signature component s derived from a second mathematical function using the second session parameter t and without using an inverse operation, computing a third signature component using the first and second session parameters and sending the signature components (s, r, c) as a masked digital signature to a receiver computer system. In the receiver computer system, a recovered second signature component s′ is computed by combining a third signature component with the second signature component to derive signature components (s′, r) as an unmasked digital signature. |
| US08732464B2 |
Bidirectional entity authentication method with introduction of online third party
An entity bidirectional authentication method by introducing an online third party includes the following steps: 1) an entity B sends a message 1 to an entity A; 2) the entity A sends a message 2 to a trusted third party TP; 3) the trusted third party TP verifies the validities of the entity A and the entity B; 4) after verifying the validities of the entity A and the entity B, the trusted third party TP returns a message 3 to the entity A; 5) the entity A sends a message 4 to the entity B; 6) after receiving the message 4, the entity B performs the verification to complete the authentication for the entity A; 7) the entity B sends a message 5 to the entity A; 8) after receiving the message 5, the entity A performs the verification to complete the authentication for the entity B. |
| US08732463B2 |
Data transmitting apparatus and data authenticating method
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data transmitting apparatus including an authenticator generating unit and a communicating unit. The authenticator generating unit generates a first authenticator by using a first encryption key and generates a second authenticator including a first to an n-th fragment information items by using a second encryption key. The communicating unit transmits a first packet including the first authenticator and the first fragment information item to a destination device and, after the first packet is transmitted, if a response indicating successful authentication is not received from the destination device within a certain period, sequentially transmits an i-th packet (i is an integer being 2 or more and n or less) including the i-th fragment information item to the destination device. |
| US08732462B2 |
Methods and apparatus for secure data sharing
This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for securely and easily sharing data over a communications network. As communications services on a communications network are continuously becoming cheaper, faster, and easier to use, more users are becoming receptive to the idea of sharing data over the communications network. However, although E-mails and web folders, to a certain degree, provide easy-to-use or secure data sharing mechanisms, none of the existing data sharing methods is both easy-to-use and highly secure. This disclosure provides methods and apparatus for easily and securely sharing data over a communications network. |
| US08732460B2 |
System and method for providing a one-time key for identification
A server includes a key generator and an authenticator. The key generator is configured to receive a request for a first key from a worker device, to create the first key that is associated with a worker, and to transmit the first key to the worker device. The authenticator is in communication with the key generator, the authenticator is configured to receive a second key and identification details from a customer device, to transmit the identification details to the worker device, to receive acknowledgment of the identification details from the worker device, and to authenticate the second key and the identification details with the customer device. |
| US08732459B2 |
Security system for handheld wireless devices using time-variable encryption keys
In one embodiment, the invention provides a portable wireless personal communication system for cooperating with a remote certification authority to employ time variable secure key information pursuant to a predetermined encryption algorithm to facilitate convenient, secure encrypted communication. The disclosed system includes a wireless handset, such as PDA, smartphone, cellular telephone or the like, characterized by a relatively robust data processing capability and a body mounted key generating component which is adapted to be mounted on an individual's body, in a permanent or semi-permanent manner, for wirelessly broadcasting, within the immediate proximity of the individual, a secret or private key identifying signal corresponding to a time variable secure key information under the control of the certification authority. The key identifying signal is generated in a format that facilitates secure wireless communication with the individual in accordance with a predetermined encryption algorithm including a PKI encryption algorithm. The disclosed system may be used with a console for coordinating access to a variety of different communication system and networks. |
| US08732458B2 |
Method, system and terminal device for realizing locking network by terminal device
A method, system and terminal device implement locking a terminal device onto a network. This method comprises a procedure of locking onto the network during accessing the network, namely performing locking-onto-network configuration verification in a network accessing authentication process, and if the locking-onto-network configuration verification is successful, allowing for verification for an authentication certificate, or else refusing the terminal device of access to the network. The method, system and terminal device in the present invention perform locking-onto-network configuration verification when performing authentication, and the terminal device and server uniformly configure a locking-onto-network character string, and thus it has a great security. Besides, the present invention also can implement unlocking and locking again after accessing the network via an air interface management in the OTA way, and thus it has high flexibility and applicability, and can satisfy the requirements of 4G networks such as the WiMAX network and LTE network. |
| US08732456B2 |
Enterprise environment disk encryption
A method for deploying a disk encryption password to a client computer includes installing a disk encryption agent on a client computer, where the agent communicates with an enterprise encryption service that encrypts a disk password using a public key generated at the client computer. The encrypted disk password is transmitted to the client computer where it is set as the current disk password. A system to deploy a disk encryption password includes one or more client computers and at least one server having a control processor configured to support operation of an enterprise encryption service. The encryption service is configured to install a disk encryption agent on a client computer and generate an encrypted disk password using a public key generated by the client computer. An enterprise encryption database in communication with the enterprise encryption service stores the disk password. |
| US08732453B2 |
Secure acknowledgment device for one-way data transfer system
An apparatus for relaying a hashed message from a first node to a second node, comprising an inlet interface for receiving a message from the first node, a hash number calculator for hashing the message from the inlet interface, an outlet interface for sending the hashed message to the second node, a first one-way data link for unidirectional transfer from the inlet interface to the hash number calculator, and a second one-way data link for unidirectional transfer from the hash number calculator to the outlet interface, is provided. The apparatus provides a secure mechanism and communication channel for relaying hashed acknowledgment messages from a receive node to a send node to inform the status of data transfer from the send node to the receive node across a one-way data link. The apparatus may be further implemented with the capability of comparing hashed messages from the two nodes. |
| US08732452B2 |
Secure message delivery using a trust broker
An email security system is described that allows users within different organizations to securely send email to one another. The email security system provides a federation server on the Internet or other unsecured network accessible by each of the organizations. Each organization provides identity information to the federation server. When a sender in one organization sends a message to a recipient in another organization, the federation server provides the sender's email server with a secure token for encrypting the message to provide secure delivery over the unsecured network. |
| US08732445B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, information processing program, and integrated circuit
An information processing terminal includes first sealed data respectively having usability conditions of matching with predetermined terminal environment information during a secure boot and second sealed data respectively having usability conditions of matching with terminal environment information upon completion of the secure boot. Upon completion of the secure boot, the second sealed data is unsealed and the first sealed data is resealed using the unsealed data. It is possible to update and re-seal sealed data having a usability condition of matching with predetermined terminal environment information during a secure boot without rebooting a terminal when a program using the sealed data is updated. |
| US08732444B2 |
Information processing device and information processing method
A method to allow a value to be written into one PCR domain, only if values from a second PCR domain are valid, thus ensuring the extension of the chain of trust between domains. |
| US08732443B2 |
Program processing device and program processing method which is able to control writing into an internal memory
A program processing device comprises a CPU for carrying out predetermined processing according to a program; an internal memory storing the program and data generated by the CPU by carrying out the program, and a data acquiring circuit connected to an external program processing device, for acquiring the program from the external program processing device to write into the internal memory, wherein the CPU, the internal memory, a debug processing circuit, and the data acquiring circuit are integrally mounted on the same semiconductor substrate. |
| US08732442B2 |
Method and system for hardware-based security of object references
A method for managing data, including obtaining a first instruction for moving a first data item from a first source to a first destination, determining a data type of the first data item, determining a data type supported by the first destination, comparing the data type of the first data item with the data type supported by the first destination to test a validity of the first instruction, and moving the first data item from the first source to the first destination based on the validity of the first instruction. |
| US08732439B2 |
Scheduling in a multicore processor
A method and computer-usable medium including instructions for performing a method for scheduling executable transactions within a multicore processor comprising a plurality of processor elements. The method includes listing, using at least one distribution queue, a portion of the executable transactions in order of eligibility for execution. A plurality of executable transaction schedulers are provided, wherein each executable transaction scheduler includes a scheduling process for determining a most eligible executable transaction for execution from at least one candidate executable transaction ready for execution. The executable transaction schedulers are linked together to provide a multilevel scheduler. The most eligible executable transaction is output from the multilevel scheduler to the at least one distribution queue. |
| US08732436B2 |
Device for storing data by utilizing pseudorandom number sequence
A device for storing data includes a sequence generator configured to generate a first number sequence that is a pseudorandom number sequence, a cross-correlation unit configured to produce a second number sequence that is a cross-correlation between the first number sequence and a third number sequence, and a write and read unit configured to write the second number sequence in memory and read the second number sequence from the memory, wherein the cross-correlation unit is further configured to reconstruct the third number sequence by obtaining a cross-correlation between the first number sequence and the second number sequence read from the memory. |
| US08732432B2 |
Pilot placement for non-volatile memory
A system including a write module, a read module, and a signal processing module. The write module is configured to write pilot data, having a first predetermined pattern, in a page of memory cells. The pilot data are interspersed with user data stored in the page. The read module is configured to read the pilot data and to generate pilot signals based on reading the pilot data. The signal processing module is configured to compare the pilot signals and the pilot data, and to estimate, based on a comparison of the pilot signals and the pilot data, a disturbance to the user data. |
| US08732430B2 |
Method and apparatus for using unused bits in a memory pointer
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that uses unused bits in a memory pointer. During operation, the system determines a set of address bits in a address space that will not be needed for addressing purposes during program operation. Subsequently, the system stores data associated with the memory pointer in this set of address bits. The system masks this set of address bits when using the memory pointer to access the memory address associated with the memory pointer. Storing additional data in unused pointer bits can reduce the number of memory accesses for a program and improve program performance and/or reliability. |
| US08732424B2 |
Hybrid storage apparatus and method of sharing resources therein
A hybrid storage apparatus having a plurality of storage devices and a method of sharing resources therein. The hybrid storage apparatus can include a plurality of storage device controllers to respectively control a plurality of storage devices that employ different writing methods, a system controller to exchange information with the storage device controllers such that the plurality of storage devices are controlled in one system and in an integrated manner, a reset signal generation unit to output a reset signal that is in a first logic state via an output terminal when a power supply voltage used in the system is equal to or greater than a reference voltage, and a connection unit to electrically connect the output terminal of the reset signal generation unit to a reset signal input terminal of the system controller and to reset signal input terminals of the storage device controllers. |
| US08732420B2 |
Remote copy system and method
A remote copy system includes a first storage device performing data transmission/reception with a host computer, a second storage device receiving data from the first storage device, and a third storage device receiving data from the second storage device. The first storage device includes a logical volume, the second storage device includes a logical volume being a virtual volume, and the third storage device includes a logical volume. The first storage system changes the state of a first pair of the logical volumes based on the state of a second pair of the logical volumes. With such a remote copy system and a method for use therein, any data backup failure can be prevented. |
| US08732416B2 |
Requester based transaction status reporting in a system with multi-level memory
A system has memory resources accessible by a central processing unit (CPU). One or more transaction requests are initiated by the CPU for access to one or more of the memory resources. Initiation of transaction requests is ceased for a period of time. The memory resources are monitored to determine when all of the transaction requests initiated by the CPU have been completed. An idle signal accessible by the CPU is provided that is asserted when all of the transaction requests initiated by the CPU have been completed. |
| US08732412B2 |
Pruning obsolete messages in a distributed shared memory
Systems and methods for implementing a distributed shared memory (DSM) in a computer cluster in which an unreliable underlying message passing technology is used, such that the DSM efficiently maintains coherency and reliability. DSM agents residing on different nodes of the cluster process access permission requests of local and remote users on specified data segments via handling procedures, which provide for recovering of lost ownership of a data segment while ensuring exclusive ownership of a data segment among the DSM agents detecting and resolving a no-owner messaging deadlock, pruning of obsolete messages, and recovery of the latest contents of a data segment whose ownership has been lost. |
| US08732402B2 |
Managing track discard requests to include in discard track messages
Provided is a method for managing track discard requests. A backup copy of a track in a cache is maintained in a cache backup device. A track discard request is generated to discard tracks in the cache backup device removed from the cache. Track discard requests are queued in a discard track queue. If a predetermined number of track discard requests are queued in the discard track queue while processing in a discard multi-track mode, one discard multiple tracks message is sent to the cache backup device indicating the tracks indicated in the queued predetermined number of track discard requests to instruct the cache backup device to discard the tracks indicated in the discard multiple tracks message. If a predetermined number of periods of inactivity while processing in the discard multi-track mode, processing the track discard requests is switched to a discard single track mode. |
| US08732398B2 |
Enhanced pipelining and multi-buffer architecture for level two cache controller to minimize hazard stalls and optimize performance
This invention is a data processing system including a central processing unit, an external interface, a level one cache, level two memory including level two unified cache and directly addressable memory. A level two memory controller includes a directly addressable memory read pipeline, a central processing unit write pipeline, an external cacheable pipeline and an external non-cacheable pipeline. |
| US08732391B2 |
Obsolete block management for data retention in nonvolatile memory
In a nonvolatile memory array, blocks that contain only obsolete data are modified by adding charge to their cells, increasing the charge level from the programmed charge levels that represented obsolete data to elevated charge levels. The increase in overall charge in such blocks lessens the tendency of such blocks to impact data retention in neighboring blocks. |
| US08732390B2 |
Distribution with dynamic partitions
A method and system for specifying at least one read-only partition and at least one read/write partition in a storage device to provide a convenient user experience. Upon initial connection to a computing system, a read-only partition is specified to execute an autorun file. After completion of the autorun file and upon subsequent connections to the computing system, a read/write partition is specified and the read-only partition is invisible to the user. |
| US08732385B2 |
Non-volatile memory, controller controlling next access
Disclosed herein is a non-volatile memory, including: a memory cell array to be accessed with data including a data portion and a specific field as a unit of access; a buffer configured to hold the access-unit data read from the memory cell array or the access-unit data to be written to the memory cell array; and a control circuit configured to control access to the memory cell array in accordance with a specified address, a command, and data in the specific field of the access-unit data held in the buffer. |
| US08732378B2 |
Bus bandwidth monitoring device and bus bandwidth monitoring method
A bus bandwidth monitoring device may include a buffer unit that is connected to a common bus, the buffer unit storing data that has been input via the common bus, a processing unit that performs predetermined processing based on the data stored in the buffer unit, and a detection unit that detects a bandwidth of data transmitted through the common bus based on a state of data transaction between the buffer unit and the processing unit. |
| US08732377B2 |
Interconnection apparatus and controlling method therefor
Certain aspects of an apparatus and method for interconnection may include an interconnection section, a request processing section and a response processing section. The interconnection section may be configured to transfer a request from a master interface bus to a slave interface bus and to transfer a response from the slave interface bus to the master interface bus. A slot number within the request specifies a time slot during which the interconnection section may be permitted to transfer the response to the master interface bus. The request commands the processing section to load the slot number into a management table. The response commands the response processing section to read out the slot number from the management table. |
| US08732375B1 |
Multi-protocol configurable transceiver with independent channel-based PCS in an integrated circuit
Structures and methods are disclosed relating to a multi-protocol transceiver including lane-based Physical Coding Sublayer (“PCS”) circuitry that is configurable to adapt to one of a plurality of communication protocols. Particular embodiments of the present invention include lane based configurable data paths through PCS transmit and receive circuitry. |
| US08732368B1 |
Control system for resource selection between or among conjoined-cores
A processing system is provided including sharing a resource in a processor system for processing signals, the processor system having first and second conjoined-cores, and selecting the conjoined-core having control over the resource based on arbitration between the first and second conjoined-cores. |
| US08732365B2 |
Input/output system and methods to couple a storage device to the same server after movement in an input/output system
In an embodiment, a method of operating a zone manager of an input/out system includes, in response to a storage device being inserted into a particular storage-device location of the input/output system, determining whether the particular storage-device location and the storage device are assigned to a same server of the input/output system, and assigning the particular storage-device location and storage device to the same server in response to determining that the particular storage-device location and the storage device are not assigned to the same server. |
| US08732364B1 |
Transfer of data storage device features
Transferring storage device functionality includes providing a device coupled to the storage device, where the device is separate from the storage device, having the device handle I/O requests between an application and the storage device, and, in response to the application issuing an I/O request, having the device determine if the request corresponds to functionality being transferred and, if so, having the device provide the functionality. The device may be a host computer. The application may run on the host computer. A driver on the host computer may provide the functionality. The functionality may include read only functionality, data compression, data encryption, mirroring, and/or status reporting. |
| US08732361B2 |
Personal area network apparatus
A device comprises circuitry and a transceiver in communication with the circuitry. In operation, the device is configured to cause the transceiver to: periodically send a broadcast message to indicate the availability of the device for attachment to another device; receive, from the another device, a first pre-attachment message that is sent utilizing first information sent by the device; send, to the another device, a first response that is sent in response to the first pre-attachment message and includes second information; receive, from the another device, a second pre-attachment message that is sent utilizing the second information; send, to the another device, a second response that is sent in response to the second pre-attachment message; and communicate, with the another device, data utilizing a second one of the addresses for identification in association with the another device, for data transfer in connection with a group controlled by the device. |
| US08732354B1 |
Method and apparatus for controlling access to a storage area network
A method and apparatus for controlling access to a storage area network among a group of hosts in a distributed computing environment. A host requests access to the storage area network by issuing an input/output request, and the input/output request is intercepted at the dynamic multipath (DMP) layer. The DMP layer checks the input/output request against an access control list. The DMP layer can grant or deny the input/output request from the host system. If the input/output request is granted, then the DMP layer passes on the input/output request to the HBA driver layer and the host is allowed to access the storage area network. If the request to access the storage area network is denied, the DMP management layer can initiate an appropriate response, such as a security procedure or generation of an error message alerting a user the request has been denied. |
| US08732351B1 |
System and method for packet splitting
A data structure splitting method is provided for processing data using a minimum number of memory accesses. An SoC is provided with a with a central processing unit (CPU), a system memory, an on-chip memory (OCM), and a network interface including an embedded direct memory access (DMA). The network interface accepts a data structure with a header and a payload. The DMA writes the payload in the system memory, and the header in the OCM. The network interface DMA notifies the CPU of the header address in the OCM. The CPU reads the header in the OCM, performs processing instructions, and writes the processed header in the OCM. The CPU sends the address of the processed header in OCM to the network interface DMA. The network interface DMA reads the processed header from the OCM and sends a data structure with the processed header and the payload. |
| US08732350B2 |
Method and system for improving direct memory access offload
A system for improving direct memory access (DMA) offload. The system includes a processor, a data DMA engine and memory components. The processor selects an executable command comprising subcommands. The DDMA engine executes DMA operations related to a subcommand to perform memory transfer operations. The memory components store the plurality of subcommands and status data resulting from DMA operations. Each of the memory components has a corresponding token associated therewith. Possession of a token allocates its associated memory component to the processor or the DDMA engine possessing the token, making it inaccessible to the other. A first memory component and a second memory component of the plurality of memory components are used by the processor and the DDMA engine respectively and simultaneously. Tokens, e.g., the first and/or the second, are exchanged between the DDMA engine and the processor when the DDMA engine and/or the microcontroller complete accessing associated memory components. |
| US08732349B2 |
Assignment of resources in an input/output (I/O) virtualization system
An Input/Output (IO) Virtualization (IOV) system provides a mechanism for sharing computer peripheral devices or resources between multiple host computers by presenting a single resource multiple times to numerous host systems. The IOV system provides IO virtualization and host-to-host communication services to the host computers. The system comprises device interfaces coupled to the IO devices. Each IO device comprises at least one endpoint function (EPF). Host interfaces are each coupled to one of a number of host computers. Each host interface includes a proxy, and each proxy comprises configuration data. |
| US08732346B2 |
Coordination of direct I/O with a filter
Coordinating methods of I/O access to a shared data store. A method includes at a node, in a distributed system, performing one or more I/O operations on the shared data store using direct I/O access on a virtual data container. Direct I/O access includes performing I/O operations directly from the node to the shared data store including not having an owner node perform the I/O operation on the shared data store on the node's behalf. The owner node is a different node than the node doing the direct I/O operation. The owner node accesses the shared data store through a local data container. The method further includes determining that one or more subsequent I/O operations should be performed using redirected I/O access, where I/O operations are directed through a centralized node. The method further includes indicating to nodes in the distributed system to switch to redirected I/O access method. |
| US08732345B2 |
Image forming apparatus, image processing device, control device, and connection device
A disclosed image forming apparatus includes an image processing device including plural image processing units; a control device configured to control the plural image processing units; and a connection unit configured to connect the image processing device to the control device. Each of the plural image processing units is connected to the control device by one of plural channels; the image processing device is connected to the control device by a first bus including the channels; and the connection unit is provided on the first bus so that the image processing device is connected to the control device by a single connection unit. |
| US08732344B2 |
Management device, medium for the same, and management system
A management device configured to communicate with at least one second management device and at least one terminal device via a network includes an acquiring system configured to acquire first management information managed by the management device, a receiving system configured to receive second management information managed by each of the at least one second management device from each of the at least one second management device, a management information request receiving system configured to receive a management information request for the first management information and the second management information from the at least one terminal device, and a sending system configured to send, to the at least one terminal device, the first management information acquired by the acquiring system and the second management information received by the receiving system in response to the management information request being received by the management information request receiving system. |
| US08732343B1 |
Systems and methods for creating dataless storage systems for testing software systems
An exemplary computer-implemented method for creating dataless file systems that may be used to accurately test the performance and/or scalability of software systems may include creating a dataless storage system that: 1) fulfills I/O requests that are directed to software system metadata but 2) ignores I/O requests that are not directed to software system metadata (such as I/O requests directed to user data). The method may also include testing at least one aspect of a software system using the dataless storage system. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08732341B2 |
USB device communication apparatus, systems, and methods
Some embodiments include methods and apparatus to decode a functional request embedded in a portion of a standard device request, and execute the functional request by a universal serial bus (USB) device. The standard device request can include a Get_Descriptor request. Other embodiments are described. |
| US08732338B2 |
Mesh network bridge routing
A wireless mesh network server is operable to receive a message to one or more mesh network nodes from a client external to the mesh network, the message comprising an alias identifying the one or more mesh network nodes. The server is further operable to identify the one or more receiving mesh network nodes by the received message alias via an alias table, and forward the received message to the one or more mesh network nodes identified by the alias. |
| US08732337B2 |
System and method for delivering content to users on a network
A system and method for targeting content to users of a device or network of user-operated devices. In an embodiment, profile information is determined about a user's media consumption activities. One or more inputs are received from an external source to specify what content to target to the user. One or more content items are selected to target to the user based on the profile information and the one or more inputs. The selection of content items is performed without communicating the profile information outside of the user's device or network of user-operated devices. |
| US08732336B2 |
Information delivery system, distributor's apparatus, recipient's apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium
A distributor's apparatus generates distribution information including basic distribution information and extended distribution information which sets the correspondence between a plurality of output modes and a plurality of operating states of a predetermined application program in a recipient's apparatus and transmits the distribution information to the recipient's apparatus via a network. The recipient's apparatus receives the distribution information and detects the operating state of its own. The recipient's apparatus determines the output mode based on the detected operating state and the extended distribution information and outputs the distribution information in accordance with the determined output mode. |
| US08732331B2 |
Managing latencies in a multiprocessor interconnect
In a computing system having a plurality of transaction source nodes issuing transactions into a switching fabric, an underserviced node notifies source nodes in the system that it needs additional system bandwidth to timely complete an ongoing transaction. The notified nodes continue to process already started transactions to completion, but stop the introduction of new traffic into the fabric until such time as the underserviced node indicates that it has progressed to a preselected point. |
| US08732330B2 |
Method and apparatus for striping packets over parallel communication links
A system for performing packet based data communications over a parallel set of sublinks is provided. A transmitter unit separates the sublinks into an available set of sublinks and a busy set of sublinks. This transmitter avoids processing delays by utilizing sublinks in the available sublink set and not waiting for sublinks in the busy sublink set to be released. To receive the packets, a receiver unit utilizes a sequence number associated with each packet. Accordingly, the receiver extracts the one or more packets of data received in parallel over the set of sublinks in sequential order. A packet window buffer is used to store packets in sequence if they are initially received out of order. The receiver utilizes a sliding window to provide packets in continuous sequential order and transmits the packets serially over a single communication link. |
| US08732328B2 |
WiFi remote displays
A wireless peripheral mode is provided by a host system that communicates to a WiFi infrastructure and, utilizing the same WiFi RF subsystem, also communicates to peripherals. The host system may employ additional RF channels for communicating with high bandwidth peripherals, such as display devices, where high levels of QoS may be managed locally. The host system may be a conventional desktop computer system, a notebook computer system, a multi-media access point, a cell phone, a game machine, a portable game machine, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone or any other type of device that benefits from accessing both a WiFi infrastructure and local peripherals. |
| US08732326B2 |
Dynamic adjustments of video streams
A method and apparatus for the dynamic adjustments of video streams sent from a server to a client is provided. Using both short term and long term thinning mechanisms, the server reduces its data transfer rate when bandwidth is reduced and increases its data transfer rate when bandwidth is available. In the short term mechanism, the server will dynamically adjust the transmission rate of the video or the quality of the video based on parameters returned by the client. These parameters include currently-buffered data-size, buffered-data duration, and packet loss rate. In the long term mechanism, the server will adjust the current maximum quality level allowed depending upon the round trip times of data packets transmitted. This invention decreases client rebuffering and packet loss and increases the efficiency of available bandwidth. |
| US08732322B1 |
Linking a forwarded contact on a resource to a user interaction on a requesting source item
Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. A script is received for execution when a resource is rendered on a client device. The script is stored. A request for the resource is received that includes a token identifying a requesting source item that was interacted with by a user to generate the request. The script is executed. A determination is made as to when fixed or recyclable contact information associated with a content sponsor of the resource should be provided with the resource. When recyclable contact information should be provided, the information is requested from a service including providing the token to the service. Recyclable contact information for the content sponsor and time-out information are received and stored. The identifier is stored on the requesting device. The resource and recyclable contact information are provided responsive to the request. |
| US08732318B2 |
Method of connecting a user to a network
The present invention comprises a method of and apparatus for simplifying the process of access to a network for a roaming computer user, divides the responsibility of servicing a given user wanting to access the network between multiple parties and minimizes the possibility of improper dissemination of email header data as well as improper use of network resources (including server systems) by non-clients. |
| US08732310B2 |
Policy-driven capacity management in resource provisioning environments
Systems and methods for policy-driven capacity management in a resource provisioning environment, the method comprising storing, in an operational database one or more virtual resource sets (VRSs) and elasticity ranges for components to be deployed in a resource provisioning environment, and probabilistic guarantees on the elasticity ranges defined in a service manifest provided by a service subscriber; collecting historical data about capacity usage in the resource provisioning environment and failure statistics from the operational database, in addition to prior service commitments due to previously contracted service level agreements (SLAs) stored in a SLA repository; calculating equivalent capacity for the resource provisioning environment based on a defined residual benefit goal, and other business goals instrumented by way of a policy engine; and placing requested virtual resources on physical resources, in response to determining that sufficient physical capacity is available to host the calculated equivalent capacity. |
| US08732302B2 |
Method and system for monitoring performance of an application system
A method for monitoring performance of an application system which is distributed across a plurality of network connected nodes, comprising: generating a hierarchical model for the application system, the hierarchical model having a plurality of levels, each level including components of a span specific to that level; mapping the application system onto the hierarchical model according to a network topology of the application system; monitoring network traffic between the plurality of network connected nodes of the application system to gather network traffic data; assembling the network traffic data into application messages; correlating the application messages into sets of one or more application messages that are causally associated in accordance with the hierarchical model, wherein the sets of causally associated application messages constitute transactions corresponding to a lowest level of the hierarchical model; and, generating records of individual transactions occurring within the application system for at least the transactions corresponding to the lowest level of the hierarchical model. |
| US08732298B2 |
Method and apparatus for maintaining routing information
A method and apparatus for maintaining routing information in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network are provided. The method includes that: a super maintenance node receives routing update information of an ordinary node in its home area; the super maintenance node sends routing update information to super maintenance nodes in other network areas; the super maintenance nodes in other network areas notify ordinary nodes in their home network areas to update routing information. With the present invention, a node of strong processing capabilities at the network area border is chosen to act as a super maintenance node and other nodes as ordinary nodes; when a node joins or fails, an ordinary node sends detected routing update information only to the super maintenance node in the local network area; the super maintenance node then forwards the update information to super maintenance nodes in other network areas. Each super maintenance node notifies ordinary nodes in its home network area of the received routing update information. |
| US08732295B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing real friends count
A method and apparatus for tracking communications in a network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a subscription from a customer for a service to track at least one variable associated with a plurality of communicants of the customer. The method identifies a plurality of members of a social network of the customer, and gathers communication data associated with the plurality of members for tracking the at least one variable. The method then displays at least one result derived from the communication data to the customer. |
| US08732294B1 |
Method and system for managing configuration management environment
A method and a system for managing a configuration management environment in a large organization are provided. A Configuration Management (CM) system is installed in infrastructure devices used by users in the configuration management environment. These users are distributed in a geographically wide area. Information is collected relating to development processes executed in the configuration management environment. This information further includes information regarding performance, management and configuration of the infrastructure devices. The collected information is collated, organized and links corresponding to various information are also provided. Further, the collected information is provided through an access point to the users, to manage the configuration management environment. |
| US08732289B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for controlling execution of an automatic process
The present invention discloses a method for controlling execution of an automatic process. The method includes: receiving a resume command that carries stoppoint information; determining whether the stoppoint information carried in the resume command is the same as information about a current stoppoint of a current automatic process; and resuming the current automatic process from the current stoppoint when the stoppoint information carried in the resume command is the same as the information about the current stoppoint. The present invention also discloses another method for controlling execution of an automatic process, a system, a management apparatus, an automatic apparatus, a computer program product, and a computer readable storage medium, ensuring that the automatic process is executed in accordance with user expectations. |
| US08732287B2 |
System for managing a virtualization solution and management server and method for managing the same
Disclosed is a system for managing a virtualization solution capable of controlling various kinds of virtualization solutions provided in Xen, Citrix, Vmware, etc., and easily allocating and releasing user management devices and user peripheral devices using virtualization solutions to a user's virtual machine by providing a standardized virtualization solution management system and a management server and a method for managing the same. |
| US08732284B2 |
Data serialization in a user switching environment
A method for sharing a common computing system among multiple users is disclosed. A user can perform a login process during which an input data, such as a user name or a password can be entered by the user to access a session. The user name and/or the password are then serialized into an object or a set of objects. If the serialized object or objects are authentic, a session is created and the session properties of the session are defined. Any applications that are subsequently executed during the session remain active after the session is switched out. |
| US08732283B2 |
Management of network membership
A method includes, at a first device of a first portion of an ad hoc network, receiving, from a second device of a second portion of the ad hoc network, information relating to a second set of addresses of the ad hoc network locally stored at the second device, the first and second portions of the ad hoc network having been disconnected prior to receiving the information about the second set of addresses; determining that the second set of addresses is different from a first set of addresses locally stored at the first device; requesting from the second device the second set of addresses; receiving a response from the second device including the second set of addresses; and generating a set of addresses of the coalesced first and second portions of the ad hoc network as a reunion of the first and second sets of addresses. |
| US08732280B2 |
Device management server, device management client, and method for locating a target operation object
In the field of communications, to solve the problem in the prior art that a device management (DM) server needs to communicate with user terminals for multiple times to obtain Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) of various user terminal DM nodes, a DM server, a DM client, and a method for locating a target operation object are provided. The location method includes: obtaining a management command sent by a DM server; and operating a target operation object according to the management command, in which the management command comprises Management Object (MO) location information, MO instance feature node information, and target operation object information. The present invention has the following beneficial effects. A target operation object of a DM client may be located by communicating once, and thus increasing the efficiency of communications between the DM server and user terminals. |
| US08732274B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating and handling streaming media quality-of-experience metrics
Various methods for generating and handling streaming media metrics are provided. One example method includes receiving media presentation data, where the media presentation data is associated with a presentation of streaming media, and determining, based on at least the media presentation data, one or more quality of experience metrics that are to be reported. The example method further comprises generating a metric value corresponding to each of the one or more quality of experience metrics, and causing the metric value corresponding to each of the one or more quality of experience metrics to be reported. Similar and related example methods and example apparatuses are also provided. |
| US08732269B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for transferring data
The present invention provides several methods and apparatuses for transmitting multimedia data using streaming media protocols such as real-time transfer protocols (RTP) and real-time streaming protocols (RTSP) in a computer network environment. In one exemplary embodiment, a request for RTP data and its associated extension is sent from the caching proxy server to the server. The request may be for one specific type of data or multiple unrelated types of data. The server responds to the request indicating its support for the requested RTP extension data. The caching proxy server determines whether to proceed or terminate the data transmission process based on the response provided by the server. If it is determined to proceed with the data transmission process, the caching proxy informs the server to send the requested and supported RTP data. The server sends the requested data in a variable and extendible header format. |
| US08732266B2 |
Managing online composite image content
A method includes receiving an upload request to retrieve a master image. The method further includes retrieving the master image in response to the upload request. The method also includes storing the retrieved master image. The method further includes generating a composite image file using the retrieved master image. The composite image file can be used to create a plurality of images derived from the master image. |
| US08732263B2 |
Self clocking interrupt generation in a network interface card
A network interface card may issue interrupts to a host in which the determination of when to issue an interrupt to the host may be based on the incoming packet rate. In one implementation, an interrupt controller of the network interface card may issue interrupts to that informs a host of the arrival of packets. The interrupt controller may issue the interrupts in response to arrival of a predetermined number of packets, where the interrupt controller re-calculates the predetermined number based on an arrival rate of the incoming packets. |
| US08732262B2 |
Rate adaptive auto-negotiation
A method to reduce link-up time between nodes in a communication system is provided. The method includes determining a node in the communication system is in a HANDSHAKE state; randomly configuring the node in one of a master mode and a slave mode based on a determination that the node is in the HANDSHAKE state; determining if the node is in a LINK-UP state with a selected node in the communication system based on the random configuring of the node; and randomly re-configuring the node in one of the master mode and the slave mode based on a negative determination that the node is in the LINK-UP state with the selected node. |
| US08732254B2 |
System, a method, a service server, a mobile terminal and a storage means for contents delivery
Disclosed herein are a system and method for transmitting content, a service server, a mobile communication terminal and a storage medium. The system includes an end device connected to a first mobile communication terminal via a local area communication network, and configured to transmit content to be transmitted to a second mobile communication terminal, together with a message transmission request, to the first mobile communication terminal; and the first mobile communication terminal connected to the end device via the local area communication network, connected to a service server via a mobile communication network, and configured to display a message transmission window for inputting a message and a recipient's number on a screen when the message transmission request is received from the end device, and to transmit a Multimedia Message Service message (MMS), to which the content received from the end device is attached, to the second mobile communication terminal. |
| US08732253B2 |
Automatic notification system and process
Receiving a notification message by a mobile subscriber can include establishing a session with a notification service; maintaining a persistent communication connection with the notification service after the session is established; subscribing to a node hosted by the notification service, wherein the node is pre-provisioned for use by a mobile subscriber; and receiving from the notification service a notification message corresponding to the subscribed node. Further, a message can be transmitted over the communication connection to the notification service at a predetermined interval and it can be determined whether the communication connection is viable. Additionally, it can be determined that the communication connection is no longer viable if no response is received from the notification service, the period of the predetermined interval can be decreased, and another session with the notification service can be established. |
| US08732249B2 |
Providing an advisory to a user of a processing system
There is provided a method for providing an advisory to a user of a processing system. The method includes detecting an occurrence of a term in an input to the processing system provided by the user, and providing a reminder for the user to perform an action if the term occurred. The method is particularly well suited for reminding a user to include an attachment with an email message. |
| US08732247B2 |
System and method of simultaneous collaboration
A system and method of simultaneous collaboration is described. The described systems and methods can work with virtually any document structure and do not require advance locking. A plurality of possibly hierarchical, possibly overlapping domains within the document structure is defined. The server handling the simultaneous collaboration requests must keep track of conflicts in edits using the domain information and inform clients whether the edits have been accepted or rejected based on whether or not the edits cause conflicts. A well-designed domain structure as described will avoid conflicts. |
| US08732246B2 |
Mobile social network for facilitating GPS based services
Using a map displaying one or more mobile devices based on their current locations, a user of a mobile social networking server selects one or more of his friends, from one of a plurality of friend lists supported, to communicate collectively and share information collectively. For example, by selecting one or more of his friends from one of the friends lists, the user can communicate a recorded message, initiate a conference call, send a task list, retrieve information from their mobile devices, send notifications, etc. If the user of a first mobile device accesses the mobile social networking server using the first mobile device, that user can select one or more friends (from a selected current list) and access their blogs and review their data. |
| US08732244B2 |
Virtual private meeting room
Conference sessions are established after assigning a unique user identifier to each of multiple individual users, allocating a dedicated persistent virtual private session room to each of the multiple individual users, and assigning each of the multiple individual users' unique user identifier to the corresponding persistent virtual private session room. Conference sessions are established using the persistent virtual private session rooms in response to activation acts by the multiple individual users. Resources for establishing communications among users that are logged in to the conference sessions are dynamically allocated, using distributed conference bridge computers, based on the users logging in to the conference sessions. |
| US08732239B2 |
System and method for providing multimedia wireless messages across a broad range and diversity of networks and user terminal display equipment
Disclosed are systems and methods which establish a referral gateway for facilitating multi-media content, or other rich content, exchange among users and user devices. Embodiments connect a WLAN, or any specific local area network, with a mobile cellular network for efficiently transmitting messages including rich content. In operation, a sending user does not need to download particular content to form a message, but instead sends a code to a referral gateway which compiles the message and arranges for delivery, such as over a fixed network, a cellular network, etcetera. Using such systems and methods neither the receiver nor the sender are limited by their respective network and/or user device capabilities. |
| US08732238B2 |
Installing applications based on a seed application from a separate device
Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable storage media for synchronizing applications between devices. The method displays, on a sharing device, a list of one or more applications which are available to share with other devices, and receives a selection, at the sharing device, of an application to share with a receiving device from the list of applications. The method then determines by the sharing device, sharing preferences of the selected application, creates an application package at the sharing device, based on the sharing preferences, and establishes a network connection from the sharing device to the receiving device. The system transmits the application package from the sharing device to the receiving device via the network connection. |
| US08732237B2 |
Interaction-based update delivery for user generated content
An apparatus and method for assisting in delivering update contents in computer networks are provided. The computer networks also comprise at least one peer client, and the assistant apparatus comprises: an evaluating unit configured to evaluate a user's interaction preference according to the user's interaction history; and a prefetching unit configured to evaluate, in response to the received update notification, whether to prefetch the update contents corresponding to the update notification according to the evaluated interaction preference, and, if prefetching, obtain the update contents from at least one peer client. The corresponding method is also provided. With the apparatus and method in this invention, the update contents in computer networks can be delivered between peer clients, not via the server, which reduces the server load without impairing user experience on client side. |
| US08732236B2 |
Managing network communications between network nodes and stream transport protocol
A stream transport protocol supports realtime network communications between communicants operating on respective network nodes. The stream transport protocol supports remote management of client communication sessions, including provisioning of each pair of client network nodes with a respective session definition defining a respective peer-to-peer session over a network connection between the constituent client network nodes of the pair. The stream transport protocol has relatively low computational resource requirements so that realtime communications performance can be achieved using a wide range of computing devices and network connections that currently are available. |
| US08732235B2 |
Relay server, mobile terminal, information browsing system and method thereof
A computer implemented method including: periodically requesting an off-line data update processing based on automatic determination of a degree of importance of data and an update frequency; and updating the off-line data based on the requesting and displaying a page of on-line data resulting from the updating. |
| US08732232B2 |
Proximity synchronizing audio playback device
A digital audio playback device that includes a wireless communication link to enable it to interact and synchronize with computing platforms as well as other mobile digital audio players and fixed digital audio players. A digital audio playback device is configured such that the computing platform may automatically or upon user request copy, add or remove digital audio content or other information, such as playlists. In addition, digital content on the digital audio playback device can be synchronized with a computing platform. In one embodiment of the invention, the digital audio playback device is configured to enable wireless communication among other digital playback devices and/or a computing platform to allow synchronization and control. |
| US08732227B2 |
Method and processor unit for implementing a characteristic-2-multiplication
The method for implementing a characteristic-2-multiplication of at least two input bit strings each having a number N of bits by means of a processor unit suitable for carrying out an integer multiplication, having the following steps: a) generating at least one sequence of a number K of zero bits, using Kε{1, . . . , N}, by means of a first transformation of the respective input bit string to at least one predetermined position in the respective input bit string for generating at least one first intermediate bit string; b) linking the at least two first intermediate bit strings by means of the integer multiplication of the processor unit for generating at least one second intermediate bit string; and c) transforming the at least one second intermediate bit string by means of a second transformation for generating a result bit string. |
| US08732225B1 |
Digital signal processing circuit blocks with support for systolic finite-impulse-response digital filtering
Digital signal processing (“DSP”) block circuitry on an integrated circuit (“IC”) is adapted for use (e.g., in multiple instances of the DSP block circuitry on the IC) for implementing finite-impulse-response (“FIR”) digital filters in systolic form. Each DSP block may include (1) first and second multiplier circuitry and (2) adder circuitry for adding (a) outputs of the multipliers and (b) signals chained in from a first other instance of the DSP block circuitry. Systolic delay circuitry is provided for either the outputs of the first multiplier (upstream from the adder) or at least one of the sets of inputs to the first multiplier. Additional systolic delay circuitry is provided for outputs of the adder, which are chained out to a second other instance of the DSP block circuitry. |
| US08732224B1 |
Method and apparatus for implementation of high order MASH by reuse of single stage MASH
A method and apparatus for implementation of high order MASH by reuse of single stage MASH have been described. |
| US08732223B2 |
Deriving a function that represents data points
A function that represents data points is derived by creating a matrix (e.g., a Hankel matrix) of an initial rank, where the matrix contains the data points. Singular values are derived based on the matrix, and it is determined whether a particular one of the singular values satisfies an error criterion. In response to determining that the particular singular value does not satisfy the error criterion, the rank of the matrix is increased and the deriving and determining tasks are repeated. In response to determining that the particular singular value satisfies the error criterion, values of parameters that approximate the function are computed. |
| US08732221B2 |
System and method of multimedia content editing
According to a preferred embodiment, there is provided a computer program for use in the creation and editing of multimedia works which provides a much simplified method of selecting and placing multimedia clips, with a length of less than about 20 seconds, into a longer composition. In one preferred embodiment, the user is provided with a graphical user interface where he or she can add to or modify the multimedia content contained therein by simply clicking the mouse above an empty track location, with the replacement clips being chosen and inserted into the work automatically. In another embodiment, the user will specify the screening criteria for a plurality of tracks, which tracks will then be automatically populated with clips according to the user's rules to generate a multimedia work. |
| US08732215B2 |
Environment classification and service analysis
Discovering environment objects for information management in a networked environment. Information management provides services such as data protection, backup, retention, compliance, etc., by classifying the objects and/or infrastructure of an entity according to its value to the entity. Information management begins by discovering the data in a network and by discovering the servers and services operating in a network. The servers and services are discovered using adapters that can collect information regarding the environment objects. This information can then by used by information management systems to assign or orchestrate various services. |
| US08732214B2 |
Product search
A system and method for searching a product model number database having a plurality of product model numbers stored therein receives a string to be searched in the product model number database from a client device. Multiple queries are then created based on the string and the model number database is queried using the created queries. Query results responsive to the created queries are then received from the model number database and transmitted to the client device. |
| US08732213B2 |
Scalable analysis platform for semi-structured data
A method of operating a query system includes retrieving objects from a data source, wherein each of the retrieved objects includes (i) data and (ii) metadata describing the data. The method includes dynamically creating a cumulative schema by inferring a schema from each of the retrieved objects and merging the inferred schema with the cumulative schema. The method includes storing the data of each of the retrieved objects in a storage service. The method includes receiving, from a user, a query, and responding to the query based on data stored by the storage service. |
| US08732211B2 |
Method, computer system, and physical computer storage medium for organizing data into data structures
Methods, computer systems, and physical computer storage medium for organizing data are provided. A method includes monitoring usage of the data, detecting a pattern in the usage of the data, and assigning a first concrete implementation associated with a first data structure to the data, based, in part, on the detected pattern of usage of the data. The method also includes identifying a change in the pattern of usage of the data, after the step of assigning and switching the first concrete implementation associated with the first data structure to a second concrete implementation, based, in part, on the change in the pattern of usage. |
| US08732210B2 |
Data recording system, data recording method and data recording program
A data recording system 1 includes: a file generating part 3 for dividing digital data so as to generate a plurality of data files and recording the plurality of the data files sequentially into a recording medium 5; a management file judging part 6 for determining one management file for recording management information of the plurality of the data files; and a management information generating part 4 for recording the management information of the plurality of the data files into the determined management file. The management file judging part 6 determines the management file such that the number of the data files managed by the management file does not exceed a maximum data file number L (L is a natural number) that can be managed by the management file. Thereby, it is possible to record the plurality of the data files that are divided from the digital stream data and are recorded, such that the management of the plurality of the data files is easy. |
| US08732208B2 |
Structured search queries based on social-graph information
In particular embodiments, a method includes receiving an unstructured text query, identifying nodes and edges from a social graph that correspond to n-grams in the text query, and then generating structured queries that include references to the identified nodes and edges. |
| US08732204B2 |
Automatic frequently asked question compilation from community-based question answering archive
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) data are generated using Community-based Question Answering (CQA) data. A thematic hierarchy generation module receives multiple data sources and generates a thematic hierarchy of the data source, where a data source has one or more topics and a topic has one or more themes. A feature classifier classifies multiple CQA data into one or more themes based on the thematic hierarchy, where a CQA data contains multiple question-answer pairs. A selection module selects multiple question-answer pairs from the CQA data based on the classification, measures the quality of the selected question-answer pairs and generates FAQ data using the selected question-answer pairs of the CQA data. |
| US08732201B2 |
Systems and/or methods for automatically deriving web service permissions based on XML structure permissions
Certain example embodiments relate to techniques for automatically deriving web service permissions based on XML structure permissions. A call for a web service operation is received from a client at a web service runtime engine. XML data objects from a database of XML data objects located on an XML server implicated by the called web service operation are identified. The XML data objects have corresponding XML data structures. Access permissions for the user for the identified XML data objects are retrieved from the XML server, the access permissions for the web service having been generated automatically from access permissions based on the XML data structures for corresponding XML data objects. The called web service operation is either permitted or prohibited based on a determination, at the web service runtime engine and based on the retrieved access permissions. Thus, data access requests are handled in the “higher” web service layer. |
| US08732199B2 |
System, method, and computer readable media for identifying a user-initiated log file record in a log file
A system, a method, and a computer readable media for identifying a user-initiated log file record in a log file are provided. The log file has a user-initiated log file record and a repeating pattern of log file records automatically generated by a software program. The system allows a user to identify first and second timestamp values corresponding to first and second times which identify a time interval of interest in the log file. The system further analyzes the log file to identify the user-initiated log file record having a timestamp value between the first and second timestamp values. The system further identifies the repeating pattern of log file records in the log file. |
| US08732198B2 |
Deriving dynamic consumer defined product attributes from input queries
Methods and systems of defining product attributes may involve receiving a search query and extracting a user expectation from the search query. In addition, an attribute may be defined for a product based on the user expectation. In one example, consumer generated content such as forum content, review content, blog content and social networking content, is used to define the attribute. |
| US08732197B2 |
Method and apparatus for aligning multiple taxonomies
A document taxonomy alignment system and method, relying on document glosses and utilizing a soft ontology expansion. An all-new hierarchical leaf node can be created expressly for the purpose of better aligning the plurality of document taxonomies in question. A small but valuable subset of the nodes created by soft ontology expansion turn out to capture some otherwise unmappable taxonomy nodes, and thereby have the effect of classifying the documents better than would any pre-existing node in any one of those taxonomies. |
| US08732195B2 |
Multi-media management, streaming, and electronic commerce techniques implemented over a computer network
Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products relating to multi-media management and streaming techniques implemented over a computer network. In one embodiment, a Multi-Media Management and Streaming (MMMS) System may be configured or designed to provide online users with “location based” streaming radio functionality. Users from different geographic locations may access a variety of MMMS System GUIs to search for, create, and/or share customized streaming radio stations which may be configured to identify and play/stream music associated with one or more artists/bands, songs, venues, and/or events. Another aspect disclosed herein is directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products providing ticketing reservation and purchasing functionality for enabling and/or facilitating users in performing activities/operations relating to reservation and/or purchasing of tickets to events such as live performances at one or more venues. |
| US08732193B2 |
Multi-media management and streaming techniques implemented over a computer network
Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products relating to multi-media management and streaming techniques implemented over a computer network. In one embodiment, a Multi-Media Management and Streaming (MMMS) System may be configured or designed to provide online users with “location based” streaming radio functionality. Users from different geographic locations may access a variety of MMMS System GUIs to search for, create, and/or share customized streaming radio stations which may be configured to identify and play/stream music associated with one or more artists/bands, songs, venues, and/or events. |
| US08732189B2 |
Command execution program and command execution method
[PROBLEMS] To limit execution of a predetermined command called from a content. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] An information providing system includes processing means which receives a command execution request together with a command identifier and a request source domain identifier from an external terminal device (S30), reads out an entity of the command correlated with a combination of the received command identifier and the received domain identifier from storage means (S32), and executes the command according to the entity of the command which has been read out (S34). |
| US08732186B2 |
Computer-implemented method and system for enabling communication between networked users based on common characteristics
A computer-implemented method and system for enabling communication between networked users based on search queries and common characteristics is disclosed. Particular embodiments relate to receiving a search query from a first user and establishing a communication link between the first user and a second user based on the first user's search query. Particular embodiments relate to receiving a first search query from a first user, receiving a second search query from a second user, determining if the first user and the second user fit within match criteria, and establishing a communication link between the first user and the second user if the first user and the second user fit within match criteria. Particular embodiments relate to receiving a first search query from a first user, receiving a second search query from a second user, determining if the first search query and the second search query fit within match criteria, determining if the first user and the second user fit within match criteria, and establishing a communication link between the first user and the second user if the first search query and the second search query fit within match criteria and if the first user and the second user fit within match criteria. |
| US08732185B1 |
Selecting content for publication
Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method relating to selecting content for publication includes receiving a term to be used in selecting content for publication. The method includes obtaining information from a record using the received term, the information reflecting a correspondence between contents in a repository and the received term. The method includes determining, using at least the obtained information, a query to be performed on the repository for selecting at least part of the content. |
| US08732181B2 |
Systems and methods for the comparison of annotations within files
Systems and methods are disclosed for comparing annotations in files to show changes in the annotations at a granular level. In one implementation, a system receives a first file and a second file for comparison. The system determines the annotation ranges for each annotation in the first file and the annotation range for each annotation in the second file. The system then determines the annotations from the first file that overlap with annotations from the second file and compares annotations that overlap. The system then incorporates the comparison of the annotations into a main comparison file. In certain implementations, the system uses an index to determine what annotations overlap. In other implementations, matched pairs are created from overlapping annotations. |
| US08732180B2 |
Recommending media items
This is directed to recommending media items of a user's media library. In particular, this is directed to transferring a portion of the user's media library to an electronic device so that the user may discover the portion of the media library. The library can recommend particular media items to the user using any suitable approach, including for example based on one or more preference profiles. The user can accept or reject recommended media items as they are played back to further adjust the user's preference profile, and to revise the selection of recommended media items stored on the device. |
| US08732179B2 |
Method for providing a suggested read list of digital data to a host device
The embodiments described herein generally relate to a local mass storage device that provides a suggested read list of digital data to a host device. In one embodiment, a method is provided in which a local mass storage device receives a request from a host device for a suggested read list of digital data stored in the local mass storage device. The local mass storage device creates the suggested read list and provides the suggested read list to the host device. In this embodiment, the local mass storage device is managed by the host device using a logical block addressing protocol. |
| US08732178B2 |
Using views of subsets of nodes of a schema to generate data transformation jobs to transform input files in first data formats to output files in second data formats
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for processing input data in a storage system and in communication with a repository. Views are generated that comprise a tree of nodes selected from a subset of nodes in a hierarchical representation of a schema. The views are saved to the repository. At least one of the views are used to create a job comprising a sequence of data transformation steps to transform the input data described by input schemas to the output data described by output schemas. |
| US08732177B1 |
Ranking online listings
A search query is received. One or more listings is identified responsive to the search query. For each of the one or more of listings, the following are determined: a relevancy score based on one or more parameters in the search query, an expected click through rate, and at least one of a content density boost that is based on one or more fields that are included in or excluded from the listing and a geography type boost that is based on a comparison of one or more geography parameters of the query to one or more geography parameters of the listing. For each of the one or more listings, a performance score is calculated based on the relevancy score, the expected click through rate, and at least one of the content density boost and the geography type boost. |
| US08732175B2 |
Interestingness ranking of media objects
Media objects, such as images or soundtracks, may be ranked according to a new class of metrics known as “interestingness.” These rankings may be based at least in part on the quantity of user-entered metadata concerning the media object, the number of users who have assigned metadata to the media object, access patterns related to the media object, and/or a lapse of time related to the media object. |
| US08732174B2 |
Searching for data objects
Method and system to search for data objects are provided. The method comprises generating an attribute index and a content index. The attribute index comprises entries associated with respective access control information for a set of data objects and generating. The content index comprises words from the set of data objects. A search query directed at the set of data objects is processed by searching the content index, searching the attribute index, and obtaining a search result based on the results of searching of the content index and the attribute index. |
| US08732171B2 |
Providing query suggestions
Methods and computer-readable media are provided for determining suggested queries. A user enters a search website, and the user is identified based on a user identification. Suggested queries are determined based on a group associated with the user. This association is created by extracting queries from data logs, categorizing the queries into groups based on their respective subject matter, associating the user with one or more groups, and determining suggested queries for each group. The suggested queries are communicated for display. |
| US08732168B2 |
System and method for controlling and organizing metadata associated with on-line content
A system and method are disclosed for controlling metadata associated with content on an electronic device that includes displaying interface screens for user entry of metadata control instructions, accepting user instructions, modifying metadata of applicable content, and associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. The system can export and/or store the applicable content along with modified metadata. The system can automatically modify metadata according to one or more profiles. Relevant profiles can be determined based on the export mechanism, destination or type of content. The system can add watermarks to indicate metadata modification. The system can display metadata for user modification. The content can include photos, videos or other content. The system can display metadata and geolocation indicators for each content item that indicate whether that item has associated metadata and geolocation information. The user can selectively modify metadata of selected content. |
| US08732164B1 |
Apparatuses, systems and methods for data entry correlation
This disclosure details the implementation of systems, methods and apparatuses for providing an integrated process tracking and management. The disclosure provides solutions for initiating, tracking, correlating and managing complex processes. In particular, the disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatuses for process tracking and management particularly suited to job listing matching and management. In an implementation, the system may be configured to receive and extract base data entry metrics from a user designated input, for example a user's resume or a user designated saved job listing. The base data entry metrics may be correlated with user correlation metrics to derive search parameters for identifying supplemental data entries for a particular user. |
| US08732159B2 |
Generic outer join across database borders
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for receiving an indication of a defined outer join to enable obtaining a first database table at a first database and a second database table at a second database; sending a first request to the first database to obtain the first database table; sending a second request to the second database to obtain the second database table; receiving, in response to the first and second requests, each of the first and second database tables; performing an outer join on the received first and second database tables, the outer join forming an output database table; and providing the output database table. |
| US08732157B2 |
Query optimization in a multi-tenant database system
The present invention provides techniques for managing a multi-tenant database system. In one embodiment the method includes providing access to data stored in a multi-tenant data structure that is implemented by storing data for multiple tenants on a pool of computer servers defining the multi-tenant data structure that having a plurality of data columns and one or more index columns. The one or more index columns define a first data field for a first tenant of the multi-tenant data structure and a second data field for a second tenant of the multi-tenant data structure. The first field indicates a first data type and the second field indicates a second data type, wherein the second data type is different than the first data type. Once created, records having data values in the first and second fields are stored to a single column in the data structure. The single column includes data values having different data types for different tenants in the multi-tenant data structure. Operations are monitored so that one or more requests to access the multi-tenant data structure among are distributing the pool of computer servers to maintain load balancing among the servers of the pool. |
| US08732154B2 |
Method and system for providing sponsored information on electronic devices
A system implementing a method for providing sponsored information on an electronic device determines information of interest to the user as relevant information, accesses sponsored information, and provides sponsored information based on said relevant information. |
| US08732149B2 |
Content output device, content output method, program, program recording medium, and content output integrated circuit
A content output device for outputting contents to be displayed to users, including: a storage unit storing a plurality of contents, each being associated with its attribute; a first output control unit for outputting a predetermined content among the contents to a screen; a related content identifying unit for identifying, among the contents stored in the storage unit, a set of related contents whose attributes are related to an attribute of the predetermined content; a user preference identifying unit for identifying, among the contents stored in the storage unit, contents that match the preference of the user; and a second output control unit for outputting, to the screen, one or more contents that belong to both the set of related contents and the contents identified by the user preference identifying unit, thereby outputting images that are most likely to be desired by thy user. |
| US08732147B2 |
Data collections on a mobile device
Data collections on a mobile device may be user-defined to include various types of objects including any combination of apps, contacts, email subscriptions, data feeds, and so on. A user interface associated with the data collection includes representations of the various objects associated with the data collection and representations of broadcast data received in association with the objects associated with the data collection. |
| US08732144B2 |
Printing method and apparatus, print control method, and multimedia apparatus
A printing method and apparatus, a print control method, and a multimedia apparatus are provided. The printing method includes receiving a multimedia file or additional information of the multimedia file from a multimedia apparatus; interpreting the multimedia file or the additional information of the multimedia and obtaining at least one item included in the additional information; and printing the obtained at least one item. |
| US08732140B2 |
Methods for storing files in a distributed environment
A system and method for storing data-files stored on distributed devices connected to a network. Data-elements of the data-files are allocated to data-blocks stored on the distributed devices. Key-identifiers are calculated for each of the data-blocks based on the allocated data-elements. The key-identifiers are stored in distributed tables stored on the distributed devices. Index-nodes are generated for the data-files based on the data-blocks. A Paxos algorithm is executed for the index-nodes based on the key-identifiers to provide a consensus of the data-files that are stored on the plurality of distributed devices. |
| US08732139B2 |
Method and system for dynamically partitioning very large database indices on write-once tables
Methods and systems for partitioning and dynamically merging a database index are described. A database index includes a single first-level index partition stored in a data cache. As the first-level index partition in the data cache reaches a predetermined size, it is copied to secondary storage and a new index partition is generated in the data cache. When the number of index partitions in secondary storage reaches some predetermined number, the index partitions are merged to create a single index partition of a higher level in a hierarchy of index partitions having an exponentially increasing size with each increase in level within the hierarchy. |
| US08732138B2 |
Determination of database statistics using application logic
A database system may provide determination of statistics for a field of a database table. The determination may include determination of whether the field of the table is associated with a check table, and, if the field of the table is associated with a check table, determination of a number of distinct values of the field in the table based on a number of distinct values of the field in the check table. |
| US08732136B2 |
Recovery point data view shift through a direction-agnostic roll algorithm
A method and system of recovery point data view shift through a direction-agnostic roll algorithm is disclosed. The method includes forming a data view around a recovery point, and shifting the data view around the recovery point through a direction-agnostic roll algorithm that uses at least one of a roll-forward algorithm to shift the data view to a time after the recovery point and a roll-backward algorithm to shift the data view to a time before the recovery point. A data integrity is determined to be consistent at the recovery point by examining data and meta-data associated with the recovery point. The recovery point is associated with one of an automatically generated event, a user definable event, and/or a prepackaged event. A marker data is generated at the recovery point to enable the direction-agnostic roll algorithm to reduce a recovery time objective when an algorithm is applied. |
| US08732135B1 |
Restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage
Restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage. In one example embodiment, a method of restoring a backup from a deduplication vault storage includes various steps. First, entries in a list of unique blocks in a backup of a source storage at a point in time are ordered according to locations of corresponding unique blocks as stored in a vault storage. Then, the corresponding unique blocks are read in the order from the vault storage. Next, communication is established between the vault storage and a restore storage. Then, the corresponding unique blocks are stored in the restore storage. |
| US08732133B2 |
Extensible data deduplication system and method
A system and method for data deduplication is presented. A deduplication system includes a plurality of data deduplication nodes; and a data deduplication control node communicatively coupled to the plurality of data deduplication nodes. The deduplication control node performs the operations of performing data deduplication operations at a deduplication system having one or more deduplication nodes at which deduplication data blocks are stored; monitoring a performance characteristic of the deduplication system; and adding an additional deduplication node to the deduplication system when the performance characteristic indicates performance of the system below a predetermined minimum. |
| US08732131B2 |
Processing system capable of performing download and execution processes concurrently and related method thereof
A processing system capable of downloading and executing firmware at the same time, and from multiple storages, is disclosed. The processing system includes a first storage unit for storing firmware; a second storage unit for storing frequently accessed firmware, the second storage unit having a higher operating speed than the first storage unit; a download unit for downloading firmware from the first storage unit to the second storage unit; an execution unit for executing firmware from the first storage unit or the second storage unit; and a processor for controlling the download unit and execution unit to operate concurrently. |
| US08732125B2 |
Systems and methods for construction field management and operations with building information modeling
The invention generally relates to systems and methods for construction field management and operations with building information modeling. In certain embodiments, the invention provides systems for construction field management and operations, that include a central processing unit (CPU), and storage coupled to the CPU for storing instructions that when executed by the CPU cause the CPU to: encode and map data structures and data sets received from Building Information Modeling software; select particular data structures and data sets relevant to at least one person associated with a construction project; transmit the selected data structures and data sets to a user terminal operated by the person; receive inputs made by the person to the selected data structures and data sets; and synchronize and update the data structures and data sets received from Building Information Modeling software based on the inputs received from the person. |
| US08732123B2 |
Advanced contact management in communications networks
A system provided herein permits a communications network subscriber to establish a local contact database on at least one communications device. The local contact database can communicate with a global contact database to receive contact information updates for a group of subscribers stored within the local contact database. The contact information can include basic contact information, such as name, address, email address, and telephone number. The contact information can also include advanced contact information, such as registration and activity information for each communications device associated with the group of subscribers, location information, hotspot information, points of interest information, and social networking information. Methods are provided herein that permit subscribers to introduce each other and obtain contact information securely. Methods are also provided herein that permit subscribers to request further contact information after a communication session is terminated. |
| US08732117B2 |
Information processing apparatus and element extraction method
In an information processing apparatus, a first deletion unit deletes, from sets stored in a storage unit, sets having less than a threshold number of included elements and elements existing in only sets whose number is less than a threshold number of occurrences. A grouping unit generates a group of sets associated with each other in terms of commonality of elements out of the sets remaining in the storage unit. A second deletion unit deletes, with respect to each generated group, sets having less than the threshold number of included elements and elements existing in only sets whose number is less than the threshold number of occurrences, from the sets belonging to the group. An output unit outputs a list of elements included in the sets remaining in each group where there are no sets or elements that need to be deleted. |
| US08732115B1 |
Measuring sensitivity of a factor in a decision
An analytic network process (ANP) storage memory stores an ANP weighted supermatrix representing an ANP model. A processor is in communication with the ANP storage memory. The processor is configured to change priorities of a node in the ANP weighted supermatrix to be more important, to change priorities of the node in the ANP weighted supermatrix to be less important, and to assess a sensitivity of the node which was changed relative to the ANP model. The processor further is configured to maintain a same proportionality in the ANP weighted supermatrix for the changing of the priorities and the assessing of the relative sensitivity. |
| US08732114B2 |
Knowledge re-use for call routing
A method is described for semantic classification in human-machine dialog applications, for example, call routing. Utterances in a new training corpus of a new semantic classification application are tagged using a pre-existing semantic classifier and associated pre-existing classification tags trained for an earlier semantic classification application. |
| US08732105B1 |
Method to build, analyze and manage a real world model in software of a safety instrumented system architecture for safety instrumented systems in a facility
A method to build, manage, and analyze a safety instrumented model in software of safety instrumented system architecture for a safety instrumented system in a facility, with test plans. The safety instrumented system architecture comprises at least one instrumented protective function and the non-transitory computer instructions that use a software model in support of process safety lifecycle management. |
| US08732102B2 |
System and method for using atomic agents to implement modifications
Techniques are disclosed for using atomic agents to implement modifications to actors. The atomic agents are self-functioning and may be applied to and removed from an actor in order to modify the behavior and/or appearance of the actor. The default appearance and behavior of the actor is embedded in the program code that defines the actor. One or more atomic agents may be applied to the actor to modify the actor's appearance or behavior without requiring any communication or interaction with the program code that defines the actor. Separate program code defines each atomic agent and the compatibility between the respective atomic agent and other atomic agents. |
| US08732096B1 |
Method and computer system for making optimal medical decisions
The present invention relates to a system and a method of making optimal medical decisions. In one embodiment presented for illustration the system comprises a quantitative model of the disease in the form of transition probabilities, the quantitative model of the effect of the medical treatment (therapy, drug or remedy) on the course of the disease, the quantitative model of costs and benefits, including monetary as well as non-monetary costs and benefits, and the model of preferences with respect to the costs and benefits. Using probabilistic inference, distributions of parameters of models are extracted from the data and the opinions of parties involved in the medical treatment. An expectation of the value of the treatment is computed. Optimality of the treatment is achieved by choosing the treatment or its parameters that give the greatest value given the evidence, the models, and the preferences. Other embodiments are discussed. |
| US08732095B2 |
Generic system, method and device for delineating ecosystem process interdependencies, tradeoffs and best practices
A system, method and device define ecosystem ontology, architecture, processes, process operands and operand states within a generic hierarchy to simplify navigating system complexity. The invention facilitates identification of key process interdependencies and tradeoff best practices to optimize system workflow, information flow and value flow. It standardizes and aligns architecture, process and maturity models in the prior art. |
| US08732089B1 |
Authentication using a transaction history
Systems and methods are provided for authenticating a user. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. According to the method, transaction history information for each one of a set of users is maintained in a storage device. The method provides identifiers associated with items for display and receives, from one of the users, a selection of one or more of the identifiers. The method further authenticates the user as a function of the selection and a transaction history of the user. |
| US08732085B2 |
Proxy card providing indirect funds access
A proxy card used at an ATM, or at any vendor store, that has a legacy point of sale unit or at a store with the smart point of sale. In general, it can be used with any vendor and otherwise as any credit or debit card might be used. The point-of sale unit interacts with a multi-source processing system (MSPS) that, instead of servicing a single money source, interacts with more than one of a plurality of monetary sources that may be associated with the proxy card. The money transferred from credit or debit accounts of the user may be either transferred directly or indirectly via a proxy central account associated with the MSPS that a user maintains. |
| US08732084B2 |
Identification and risk evaluation
Methods, systems, and machine-readable media are disclosed for identification of an individual and evaluation of risk from doing business with that individual. In one embodiment a method of evaluating a risk from conducting business with an individual comprises receiving identity information related to the individual. The identity information includes information from an identity credential presented by the individual. The identity credential is validated based on the information from the identity credential and one or more positive databases. An identity of the individual is verified based on the identity information and the one or more positive databases. The identity information is screened against one or more negative databases indicating past losses to one or more entities. Results of the screening are reported based on one or more criteria of an entity considering doing business with the individual. |
| US08732081B1 |
Systems and methods for remote deposit of checks
Remote deposit of checks can be facilitated by a financial institution. A customer's general purpose computer and image capture device may be leveraged to capture an image of a check and deliver the image to financial institution electronics. Additional data for the transaction may be collected as necessary. The transaction can be automatically accomplished utilizing the images and data thus acquired. |
| US08732077B2 |
Notification of alternative payment channel
Systems, methods, and computer program products are defined for notifying customers, post-transaction of the ability to change payment form for the just completed transaction. In addition, the notification may include the advantages presented by the alternative payment forms and/or the optimal payment form for the completed transaction. Once notified, the customer may effortlessly and automatically change the payment form if so desired. If the payment form is changed to an interest-bearing payment form, such as a credit or loan account, the customer may be subsequently notified with an option to automatically and immediately pay-off the transaction amount using another customer account, such as a savings account, checking account or the like. |
| US08732074B2 |
Intelligent collections models
Apparatuses, computer media, and methods for analyzing credit and tax form data and determining a collection treatment type to collect revenue. A collections model is constructed to determine a collections score that is based on raw credit data and tax form data and is indicative of a debtor's propensity to pay an owed amount. The collections model includes score bands, each score band being associated with a range of credit scores. A collections score is determined from a scoring expression that is associated with a score band and that typically includes a subset of available raw credit data and tax form data. A collections treatment type is determined from a collections score. Each treatment type corresponds to a treatment action that is directed to the debtor. A collections model is constructed from historical tax data, in which score bands and scoring expressions are constructed for the collections model. |
| US08732073B2 |
Pay yourself first with revenue generation
The system identifies a revenue producing opportunity for a user. The system obtains information related to the user's income, income sources, user's debts (e.g., bills) and user's goals. The system identifies a revenue producing opportunity for the user by matching user information with information regarding the opportunities. The system further provides recommendations related to the prioritization of paying certain bills and the amount to pay for each bill based upon, for example, savings goals, a community recommendation, minimizing penalties/fees associated with user's debts, minimum amounts due, due dates and available income. The system and/or the user may then determine a payment hierarchy which includes transferring funds to the user's savings account prior to paying all or a portion of certain bills, wherein the transfer of funds may include different funds transfer systems and methods. |
| US08732071B2 |
Systems and methods regarding targeted dissemination
One exemplary aspect comprises a computer-implemented method comprising: (a) electronically receiving, from a first securities market participant, data including information related to a first order and to one or more group rankings for dissemination; (b) electronically determining with one or more processors, based on data regarding a second securities market participant and the order information and group rankings, whether the second securities market participant has a second order, on the contra side of the first order, and whether, in accordance with the group rankings, the second securities market participant is qualified to receive information about the first order; and (c) after, and only if, the second participant is determined to be qualified, transmitting information sufficient to display to the second securities market participant the information about the first order. |
| US08732070B2 |
System and process for creating, monitoring, and transforming multiple interests of one or more issuer entities at system determined intervals based on a variable or index
The disclosed embodiments relate to information systems and to real-time processes residing on a computer system. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for creating, monitoring, processing, and transforming the beneficial interests of one or more entities which issue two or more offsetting claim interests which are linked to changes in an endogenous or exogenous variable or index. Such offsetting interest claims will be subject to transformation by the system where system transformations will modify the relative entitlements. |
| US08732063B2 |
Method and system for identifying high probability trade matches
Methods and Systems for routing an indication of interest message are provided in which one or more external trade messaging systems are monitored to discover and collect information related to a trading posture of a plurality of trading counterparties. The information related to the trading posture of the plurality of trading counterparties is stored in a database and accessed, upon receipt of an indication of interest message to intelligently route the indication of interest message to at least one of the plurality of trading counterparties based at least in part on the information regarding the trading posture of the plurality of trading counterparties stored in the database. |
| US08732062B2 |
System and method for matching one or more incoming order to a standing order based on multi-level allocation
A method of order allocation is disclosed. The method includes receiving an incoming order, establishing an inner market representing a first portion of an order book which may be defined as a function of an inner market parameter, designating the first portion of the order book as a priority and allocating the first portion of the received incoming order based on the priority, establishing an outer market that represents a second portion of the order book that includes the remainder of the order book not represented by the inner market of the order book, assigning the received incoming order to one of the inner or outer markets as a function of the inner market parameter, allocating a first portion of the incoming order to the inner market utilizing a first-in, first-out (FIFO) algorithm, and allocating a second portion, in excess of the first portion, of the incoming order to the outer market using a pro-rata algorithm. |
| US08732061B2 |
Creating and trading dynamic securities
Systems and methods for creating and trading dynamic securities are provided. Dynamic securities according to the invention may preferably include any security or non-securitized investment. To form the dynamic security, a user may select a plurality of securities including stocks, bonds, baseball cards and modern art paintings to create a dynamic security. The selection may be limited to a pre-determined list of securities. |
| US08732060B2 |
System and method for progressive transitions portfolio investment management
The present invention discloses a system and a method providing for a progressive transition of the holdings within a portfolio that takes periodic gains as the market rises and utilizes a portion of those gains to buy back in as the market falls while providing for a gradual reduction in the volatility of the portfolio. Many existing systems only allow one stop-loss or trailing stop-loss value to be used resulting in the complete liquidation of the investment once the target value is breached while some newer systems involve the use of two or more different protection levels per security, some of which may adjusted to reflect market performance and some of which may be essentially fixed. As will be appreciated by those in the art, the various systems may be adjusted to reflect the financial goals and risk tolerance of particular clients. |
| US08732058B2 |
Methods and systems for combining securities and carbon credits
Systems and methods are provided for reducing or neutralizing a carbon footprint of a security using carbon credit. At least one security that is excluded from an investment fund may be determined. A carbon footprint of the at least one security may be calculated. A first amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize the carbon footprint of the at least one security may be determined. A second amount of carbon credit may be purchased based on the act of calculating the first amount of carbon credit necessary to neutralize the carbon footprint. A financial instrument determined to have an at least partially neutralized carbon footprint may be generated by causing the at least one security and the second amount of carbon credit to be stored in a trust. |
| US08732047B2 |
System and method for contract execution against expressive contracts
In a computer-implemented method of contract execution, data about contracts is stored in a computer storage accessible to a processor of a computer along with data about a procurement plan and data about a purchase request that includes information about a first quantity of at least one good or service. The processor determines a second quantity of the one good or service and a second contract against which to complete the purchase request based on the procurement plan, the data about the contracts, at least one purchase made against one of the contracts, a trigger condition and associated effect, and the quantity of at least one good or service. In response to the second contract and the second quantity being approved, the processor causes a purchase order for the second quantity of the one good or service to be placed to the supplier associated with the second contract. |
| US08732046B1 |
Method and system for creating data for business rigor measurement and management of capacity, cost and risk
A method for managing business rigor for a financial institution includes receiving business rigor data based on activities to implement a plurality of core products. A performance table, unit cost report, and summary report are created or updated based on the business rigor data. The performance table may include data based on an analysis of the business rigor data; the unit cost report may include a cost report based on the performance table data; and the summary report may include a report based on the unit cost report. The summary report is presented in order to improve the business rigor data. |
| US08732044B2 |
Electronic transaction apparatus and method
One inventive step includes facilitating obtaining a payment file associated with a buyer (for example, directly from the buyer, or from a third party partner). The file includes data specifying a first form of payment from the buyer to a first biller and data specifying a second form of payment, different than the first form of payment, from the buyer to a second biller. Other inventive steps include facilitating appending first stored data to the data specifying the first form of payment to the first biller, to effectuate payment to the first biller by the first form of payment; and facilitating appending second stored data to the data specifying the second form of payment to the second biller, to effectuate payment to the second biller by the second form of payment. |
| US08732042B2 |
Mobile data mapping system and method
Embodiments of the invention are related to systems and methods for analyzing transaction data for mobile merchant transactions, and generating a message based on the analysis. Transaction data for one or more transactions conducted at one or more mobile merchants is electronically received, the transaction data including a location for each of the one or more transactions. The transaction data is analyzed by a server computer which generates a message based on the analysis, the message being transmitted to a client device. |
| US08732040B1 |
Target inventory determination based on hosted merchants presence
Methods and systems for inventory planning are described. An inventory reduction factor for an entity, based at least in part on an estimated ability of hosted merchants to fulfill demand for an item, may be determined. An adjusted target inventory estimate may be calculated using the determined inventory reduction factor and a target inventory quantity. The hosted merchants may be merchants offering the item for sale via a sales channel through which the entity also offers the item. The hosted merchants may in some cases be merchants offering the item for sale via the entity's website. |
| US08732032B2 |
Multiple-platform estimating and automatic quoting for network-based parts resale with transferable reports
A part location system is described that utilizes computer-based techniques for bringing together repair facilities and suppliers to increase the efficiency of locating recycled, used or aftermarket parts using a computer network, such as the Internet. The part location system receives an estimate from a first user over a communication network. The part location system then parses the estimate to extract information that identifies a list of parts needed by the first user and automatically generates a request for quote (RFQ) using the information extracted from the estimate. The part location system then sends the RFQ to suppliers via the communication network. Subsequently, the part location system receives quotations from at least one of the suppliers via the communication network in response to the RFQ and presents the quotations received in response to the RFQ to a repair facility via the communication network. |
| US08732031B2 |
Lighting infrastructure and revenue model
Methods, devices, and systems for implementing lighting infrastructure application frameworks and networks and associated revenue models. In one embodiment, a computing device may receive a request from a first device to access data from a lighting infrastructure application framework, and the data from the lighting infrastructure application framework may include data from lighting node platform(s). In an embodiment, the computing device may perform authorizations related to providing access to data, as well as transmit responses to request for data. Costs and revenues associated with applications may also be performed bassed on usage of platforms, sensors, and controllers within a lighting infrastructure. In an embodiment, software, applications, and other instructions may be transmitted by a computing device in response to receiving requests. In another embodiment, a computing device may process received data (e.g., sensor data from lighting node platforms) to detect trends or events relevant to applications. |
| US08732029B2 |
Component sales system, electronic store providing device, control method, and program
A component sales system sells, a plurality of components that constitutes each of a plurality of mechanisms constituting a machine at an electronic store. The component sales system includes an electronic store providing device that provides the electronic store through a communication line to a customer terminal used by a customer. The electronic store providing device includes a selected component data receiving unit, a maintenance type specifying unit, a dismounted component specifying unit, a replacement component specifying unit, a sales page generating unit, and a web page transmitting unit. |
| US08732028B2 |
Scheduling of order processing for remotely ordered goods
A computer-implemented method for scheduling processing of an order for goods at a provider location obtains an arrival estimate for when a user associated with the order is expected to arrive at the provider location and uses the arrival estimate to schedule processing of the order. Processing may be scheduled so that completion of order processing is expected to substantially coincide with arrival of the user at the provider location. The method may also obtain an order completion estimate for when processing of the order is expected to be completed and use both the arrival estimate and the order completion estimate to schedule processing of the order. The method may update one or both of the arrival estimate and the order completion estimate. The method may be executed by a networked mobile wireless telecommunication computing device of the user, or by a data processing system associated with the provider. |
| US08732025B2 |
System and method for enabling image recognition and searching of remote content on display
Images are analyzed by programmatic mechanisms for assessing one or more remote web pages to retrieve content on display at remote web pages. The retrieved images may be analyzed to determine information about an object shown in a corresponding images of the content on display. At least a portion of the object shown in the corresponding image of the content on display may be made selectable and associated with the determined information. This determined information may subsequently be used, in for example, search applications. |
| US08732021B2 |
Method and system for reducing consumption of addictive commodities
A method of controlling consumption of a commodity, particularly an addictive commodity, includes issuing a license, in advance of any purchase, to a purchaser of the commodity. The license allows purchase of a specified quantity of the commodity within a specified time period. The license is issued for a license fee that is set according to a schedule that divides the specified quantity into ranges, and charges different per unit base fees for purchases in different ones of those ranges. When a purchase is made, the license is checked to see if the purchase is allowed, and then updated to reflect the quantity purchased. Excessive consumption may be penalized by charging a higher rate for a new license in the same period, while surrender of one's license may be rewarded with incentives. The license fee may include the purchase price of the licensed quantity of the commodity. |
| US08732016B2 |
System, methods, and apparatus for interactive advertising
The present invention relates to a system and methodology for searching and presenting merchant and advertised information to a user over a wide area network such as the Internet. The system and method actively links manufacturer and merchant information within a search query so as to enable a user to conduct more efficient searching when seeking products or services in a proximity or geographical area. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims. |
| US08732015B1 |
Social media pricing engine
Processes for determining predicted prices of social media actions from disparate social media types are disclosed. In one example process, campaign attribute data associated with an advertising campaign on a social media service may be received. The campaign attribute data and historical campaign attribute data associated with previously performed advertising campaigns may be used to generate a plurality of predicted prices for the social media action. A weighted sum of the plurality of predicted prices may be calculated to generate a final predicted price for the social media action. Predicted prices for other social media actions performed on other social media services may similarly be generated. Systems and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for performing these processes are also provided. |
| US08732014B2 |
Automatic classification of display ads using ad images and landing pages
A system and method for automatically classifying ads into a taxonomy of categories, the method including: extracting text features from ad images using OCR (optical character recognition) techniques; identifying objects of interest from ad images using object detection and recognition techniques in computer vision; extracting text features from the web-page of the advertiser to which the user is re-directed when clicking the ad; training statistical models using the extracted features mentioned above as well as advertiser attributes from a historical dataset of ads labeled by human editors; and determining the relevant categories of unlabeled ads using the trained models. |
| US08732013B2 |
System and method for tiered filtering of purchase transactions
A filtering module to process purchase transaction data received from a retailer POS is disclosed. Merchant information is used to filter purchase transactions by determining whether the purchase transaction qualifies an initiating purchaser for a reward. The retailer POS transmits purchase data from a merchant to a host, wherein the purchase data includes retailer data, transaction data and a retailer item identifier, and wherein the retailer item identifier enables the host to determine a manufacturer item identifier. The retailer POS then receives a determination that the merchant is a qualifying merchant when the purchase data corresponds to the loyalty program data and causes the host to issue loyalty awards based on the manufacturer item identifier and the loyalty program data. |
| US08732012B2 |
Automated commission programs
A commission program can include an asymptotic component when calculating compensation for distributors. An asymptotic leg can extend to infinity without exceeding a target percentage. A distributor can be compensated based on selected distributors in the compensated distributor's downline. Recurring non-contiguous inclusion of distributors can be applied. A random component can be incorporated into the compensation program. The program can include innovative techniques going beyond conventional systems to better provide a balance between distributor motivation and sustainability of the program. |
| US08732007B2 |
System and methods for providing location-based upcoming event information using a client-side web application implemented on a client device
A system and methods for providing location-based upcoming event information using a client-side web application implemented on a client device are described. The location-based upcoming event information may be provided to users of an online secondary ticket marketplace using a client-side web application implemented as desktop or mobile widget or within a web browser toolbar. The client-side web application may be configured to communicate with a network-based system that provides online marketplace and ticket fulfillment services and generate a query based upon the location of a user and other event criteria. The client-side web application may communicate the query to the network-based system and, in response, receive location-based upcoming event information which may be displayed to a user as a list and/or information on a map. The client-side web application may display an aggregate of ticket inventory available from multiple online marketplaces providing the user with multiple purchasing options. |
| US08732002B2 |
Apparatus and method for rewarding consumers
In order to reward a consumer for trying or learning about a product, the customer is given a unique identification number, preferably an unvalidated ATM readable card, and instructions for completing a test or survey by telephone or on the Internet. Upon successful completion of the test by the consumer, the identification number is validated so that the consumer may withdraw a cash reward from a temporary bank account funded when the identification number is validated via an ATM. Where the consumer is the patient of a physician, the patient may receive the number and card from the physician along with a prescription for redemption at a pharmacy whereat the pharmacy dispenses a supply of the drug to the patient and is paid by the manufacturer of the drug through the former's insurance payment processing system. |
| US08731992B1 |
Method and apparatus for evaluating geographic market opportunity
Methods and apparatus for evaluating geographic market opportunity are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention provide scaled market index values that indicate relative market opportunity among geographic statistical areas. Data can be gathered from both internal sources and public sources and the data from the two types of sources can merged to create summarized data corresponding to the geographic statistical areas of interest. A linear regression can be used to determine a scoring equation and average revenue per market. The scoring equation takes into account a plurality of market variables. In example embodiments of the invention, a raw market index is calculated for each geographic statistical area using the scoring equation and the average revenue. A scaled market index can be produced for each geographic statistical area using the raw market index. |
| US08731990B1 |
System and method for managing transportation transactions
A system and method for managing transportation transactions according to which one or more vehicles such as, for example, airplanes, depart from a specific location such as, for example, an airline gate. |
| US08731988B2 |
Migration analysis
A migration system and method. The migration method comprises receiving a request to generate a migration plan for an entity and generating a strategic plan comprising procedures for transferring knowledge required for performing job functions comprised by a first set of individuals to a second set of individuals and defining a set of temporary individuals to perform a transition management process. Additionally, an allocation plan and a ramping down plan are generated. The allocation plan is for allocating the set of temporary resources to the entity for the transition management process and allocating the second set of individuals for the transferring. The ramping down plan is for ramping down to close out the set of temporary individuals based on external data. The resource migration plan is for supporting the entity. |
| US08731986B2 |
Modulated cascading electronic messaging network
A method is disclosed for co-ordinating the sending of electronic messages in such a way that a positive feedback loop is created. This is achieved by linking the messages to a form with inputs configured to facilitate submission of a greater multiple of additional addressee entries than with other known methods. Subsequent messages are optionally sent out by the submitters themselves to increase effectiveness of delivery. Financial and other incentives are proposed to motivate participants to provide inputs. The cascading chain reaction effect is modulated by the interposition of a central control server which formats the outgoing messages and extracts from them any addressees thought to have already been sent a particular periodic message, or which represent opt-outs. The control server may itself add extra addressee entries from stored databases to the outgoing messages of participants sent by them with their consent, further supporting the effect. A method of synthesizing messages with parallel meaning is included. A referendum method is also demonstrated where voters initiate the transmission of their opinions to multiple government, media or business leaders in a one click process. Capability is also provided for the participants to influence the questions themselves at issue by the referendum. Security methods are disclosed to ensure the integrity of the referendum count. |
| US08731981B2 |
Method, system and program product for filling job orders
A method, system and program product are disclosed for filling job orders, the method comprising: creating electronically a respective commitment reservation for each of a plurality of workers, with each respective commitment reservation comprising a commitment for the respective worker to work on a prospective job not yet created, with the prospective job having one or more job parameters; receiving electronically a job order subsequent to the creation of one of the commitment reservations, the job order specifying a job with one or more job parameters; matching the job parameters of the job in the job order to the job parameters in one or more of the commitment reservations to obtain a reservation-job match; and, securing automatically based on the results of the matching step the job in the job order to one of the workers with a commitment reservation. |
| US08731978B2 |
Methods and systems for providing customized risk mitigation/recovery to an insurance customer
A loss mitigation computer system includes a customer interface electronically receiving customer information data from a customer computer system via a communications network, a risk assessment computer processing module processing the customer information data and identifying at least one peril associated with the customer information data, a risk mitigation computer processing module generating at least one risk mitigation option based on the at least one peril and receiving customer selected risk mitigation options responsive to the generated at least one risk mitigation option from the customer computer system; and a customization computer processing module generating at least one of a calculated insurance premium, a current risk assessment, a future risk assessment, recommendations, and a gap analysis based on the received at least one customer selected risk mitigation option. Various alternative embodiments are also disclosed, including a computer implemented loss mitigation method and/or loss recovery system. |
| US08731969B1 |
Interactive system for patient access to electronic medical records
A programmable rules-based interface between a patient and an electronic medical record EMR allows controlled patient access to the EMR allowing increased patient participation in the healthcare process. |
| US08731968B1 |
Panel diagnostic method and system including automated diagnostic analysis
A system and method is disclosed for automated analysis of an automated medical diagnostic process. The system is comprised of a computing device, storage, and diagnostic analysis module configured to observe an automated medical diagnostic process from an initial patient contact to a final result of the disease for which a diagnosis and treatment is desired. In operation, the system receives diagnosis input from a plurality of automated medical diagnostic processes, the treatment advice given to a patient during the period, and the final result of the disease. Based on these inputs, the system determines a level of accuracy of the automated medical diagnostic process for possible follow on use to improve such accuracy. |
| US08731958B2 |
Administering of medication
Methods, systems, and apparatuses to facilitate administering of medication. |
| US08731957B2 |
Mobile discrete data documentation
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for transferring data from a medical device to a patient's electronic medical record are provided. Initially, a medical device and a patient are identified, such as by scanning a barcode or searching in an electronically-searchable database. Once identified, the medical device and the patient area associated, and data from the medical device is acquired and sent to a form that allows a user to edit the data or add other information. The user may then indicate that the data is ready to be transmitted to the patient's electronic medical record. The medical device and the patient may now be disassociated. The disassociation may be implicit, so that it is not required that a user provide an indication that the patient and medical device are to be disassociated. Rather, the disassociation may occur upon transmittal of the data to the patient's EMR. |
| US08731956B2 |
Web-based genetics analysis
Techniques for allowing doctors and clinicians to upload genetic data associated with patients for comparison with previously-uploaded genetic data associated with other patients are described herein. These techniques may also allow doctors and clinicians to create notations associated with uploaded patient data. Both the previously-uploaded data as well as the created notations may be used by doctors and clinicians in attempting to diagnosis patients. That is, these techniques allow previously-acquired knowledge to be widely shared for the future benefit in attempting to detect genetic syndromes. |
| US08731954B2 |
Auditing the coding and abstracting of documents
Techniques for implementing Quality Assurance of the process of coding medical documents are disclosed. An audit of a coding process for a medical document is initiated by selecting and setting audit parameters. Using the selected parameters, a sample batch of coded documents is obtained from a universe of coded documents. The sample batch of coded documents is presented to auditor(s), and the auditor(s) provide corrections, which are recorded, and a score for each correction is calculated. A sample score, based on the corrections, is calculated in a manner that tracks to subjective auditor assessments of the process quality as being acceptable, marginally acceptable, or unacceptable, and which sample score accounts for the individual auditor subjectivity and an error. |
| US08731941B2 |
Voice-activated measurement system
A voice-activated instrument performs a measurement and displays the measured value when commanded by voice. The system also resets under voice control. The measurement trigger is any single-syllable command such as “Count” or “Go”. The reset trigger is any two-syllable command such as “Reset”. Any type of momentary measurement device may be controlled in this way, including time interval measurements, event counting, length measuring, weighing, and electronic metering measurements, and many others. |
| US08731939B1 |
Routing queries based on carrier phrase registration
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for receiving a voice query at a mobile computing device and generating data that represents content of the voice query. The data is provided to a server system. A textual query that has been determined by a speech recognizer at the server system to be a textual form of at least part of the data is received at the mobile computing device. The textual query is determined to include a carrier phrase of one or more words that is reserved by a first third-party application program installed on the computing device. The first third-party application is selected, from a group of one or more third-party applications, to receive all or a part of the textual query. All or a part of the textual query is provided to the selected first application program. |
| US08731935B2 |
Issuing alerts on detection of contents of interest introduced during a conference
A method, system, and computer program product for issuing an alert in response to detecting a content of interest in a conference. A listening logic comprising multiple conference engines monitors speakers, topics, and words spoken during a conference. A speech-to-text engine monitors the conference and records a transcription. A word emphasis engine monitors the transcription for key words. A voice identification engine monitors the live conversation and the recorded transcript, in real time, for a particular individual to begin speaking. An outline engine may create an outline of transcription. The listening device may issue an alert upon detecting a content of interest in the conference. The listening device may additionally display an outline or a selected portion of the transcript regarding a particular content of interest to inform a user of the listening device of a portion of content of the conference that may have been missed. |
| US08731931B2 |
System and method for unit selection text-to-speech using a modified Viterbi approach
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for speech synthesis. A system practicing the method receives a set of ordered lists of speech units, for each respective speech unit in each ordered list in the set of ordered lists, constructs a sublist of speech units from a next ordered list which are suitable for concatenation, performs a cost analysis of paths through the set of ordered lists of speech units based on the sublist of speech units for each respective speech unit, and synthesizes speech using a lowest cost path of speech units through the set of ordered lists based on the cost analysis. The ordered lists can be ordered based on the respective pitch of each speech unit. In one embodiment, speech units which do not have an assigned pitch can be assigned a pitch. |
| US08731930B2 |
Contextual voice query dilation to improve spoken web searching
A method for contextual voice query dilation in a Spoken Web search includes determining a context in which a voice query is created, generating a set of multiple voice query terms based on the context and information derived by a speech recognizer component pertaining to the voice query, and processing the set of query terms with at least one dilation operator to produce a dilated set of queries. A method for performing a search on a voice query is also provided, including generating a set of multiple query terms based on information derived by a speech recognizer component processing a voice query, processing the set with multiple dilation operators to produce multiple dilated sub-sets of query terms, selecting at least one query term from each dilated sub-set to compose a query set, and performing a search on the query set. |
| US08731923B2 |
System and method for merging audio data streams for use in speech recognition applications
A system and method for merging audio data streams receive audio data streams from separate inputs, independently transform each data stream from the time to the frequency domain, and generate separate feature data sets for the transformed data streams. Feature data from each of the separate feature data sets is selected to form a merged feature data set that is output to a decoder for recognition purposes. The separate inputs can include an ear microphone and a mouth microphone. |
| US08731922B2 |
Method of accessing a dial-up service
A method of accessing a dial-up service is disclosed. An example method of providing access to a service includes receiving a first speech signal from a user to form a first utterance; recognizing the first utterance using speaker independent speaker recognition; requesting the user to enter a personal identification number; and when the personal identification number is valid, receiving a second speech signal to form a second utterance and providing access to the service. |
| US08731920B2 |
Document transcription system training
A system is provided for training an acoustic model for use in speech recognition. In particular, such a system may be used to perform training based on a spoken audio stream and a non-literal transcript of the spoken audio stream. Such a system my identify text in the non-literal transcript which represents concepts having multiple spoken forms. The system may attempt to identify the actual spoken form in the audio stream which produced the corresponding text in the non-literal transcript, and thereby produce a revised transcript which more accurately represents the spoken audio stream. The revised, and more accurate, transcript may be used to train the acoustic model, thereby producing a better acoustic model than that which would be produced using conventional techniques, which perform training based directly on the original non-literal transcript. |
| US08731918B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic correlation of multi-channel interactions
A method and apparatus for multi-channel categorization, comprising capturing a vocal interaction and a non-vocal interaction, using logging or capturing devices; retrieving a first word from the vocal interaction and a second word from the non-vocal interaction; assigning the vocal interaction into a first category using the first word; assigning the non-vocal interaction into a second category using the second word; and associating the first category and the second category into a multi-channel category, thus aggregating the vocal interaction and the non-vocal interaction. |
| US08731916B2 |
Online distorted speech estimation within an unscented transformation framework
Noise and channel distortion parameters in the vectorized logarithmic or the cepstral domain for an utterance may be estimated, and subsequently the distorted speech parameters in the same domain may be updated using an unscented transformation framework during online automatic speech recognition. An utterance, including speech generated from a transmission source for delivery to a receiver, may be received by a computing device. The computing device may execute instructions for applying the unscented transformation framework to speech feature vectors, representative of the speech, in order to estimate, in a sequential or online manner, static noise and channel distortion parameters and dynamic noise distortion parameters in the unscented transformation framework. The static and dynamic parameters for the distorted speech in the utterance may then be updated from clean speech parameters and the noise and channel distortion parameters using non-linear mapping. |
| US08731915B2 |
Method and apparatus to remove noise from an input signal in a noisy environment, and method and apparatus to enhance an audio signal in a noisy environment
A method of removing noise includes detecting a frequency spectrum of a noise signal around the transmitting terminal, when an input signal which is a mixture of a voice signal and the noise signal is received, detecting a frequency spectrum of the input signal and an energy level of the voice signal, multiplying the frequency spectrum of the noise signal by a weight value that is determined based on the energy level of the voice signal to obtain a weighted noise frequency spectrum, and subtracting the weighted noise frequency spectrum from the frequency spectrum of the input signal. |
| US08731907B2 |
Method and test signal for measuring speech intelligibility
A method and apparatus for estimating speech intelligibility in a mobile communications network component handling two-way communication between two ends of a signal path. Test signals adapted for speech intelligibility measurements are inserted into the signal path to simulate two-way communication. Double-talk is detected during the communication, and speech intelligibility measurements are performed only during periods of double-talk. This enables the effect of echo to be taken into account while avoiding undesirable effects from non-linear processing, and comfort noise if present, in the signal path. Voice enhancement devices may then be adjusted in response to the estimated speech intelligibility. |
| US08731904B2 |
Apparatus and method for extracting and analyzing opinion in web document
The present invention deals with an apparatus and method for extracting and analyzing opinions in web documents, wherein automatic extraction and analysis are performed effectively on user opinion information from web documents that are scattered across many websites on the Internet so that opinion search services may be easily implemented which enable search and statistical results to be checked as affirmative/negative opinions, and opinion search users can easily implement a system that helps in searching and monitoring the opinions of other users with respect to a specific keyword. In addition, according to the present invention, marketing representatives and stock inventors and corporate value assessors of each company can quickly check the opinions of many users about an applicable corporation and goods that exist on the vast Internet, and expenses that used to be spent on questionnaires and consulting companies to find opinions of existing users can be greatly reduced, and opinion extraction and statistics for each user can be effectively performed and utilized. |
| US08731900B2 |
Handheld electronic device with text disambiguation
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software. The device provides output in the form of a default output and a number of variants. The output is based largely upon the frequency, i.e., the likelihood that a user intended a particular output, but various features of the device provide additional variants that are not based solely on frequency and rather are provided by various logic structures resident on the device. The device enables editing during text entry and also provides a learning function that allows the disambiguation function to adapt to provide a customized experience for the user. The disambiguation function can be selectively disabled and an alternate keystroke interpretation system provided. Additionally, the device can facilitate the selection of variants by displaying a graphic of a special |
| US08731899B2 |
Adapter assembly for concurrent emulation of a native channel
Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to an apparatus and method for recovering data from a signal generator using a native communication channel and an emulated communication channel coupled in parallel to the native communication channel. |
| US08731894B1 |
Indexing behaviors and recipes of a circuit design
An executable circuit design is used to generate waveforms, from which behaviors of the circuit are captured. The behaviors and various combinations thereof can then be saved in a database, along with descriptions and other metadata about them, thereby generating a behavioral index of the circuit design code. Behavioral indexing of circuit designs allows a user to maintain an indexed behavior database, track changes in behaviors as the circuit design's executable description evolves, and figure out how the executable description can be reused in different projects. When applied to digital design development, it facilities the current design and verification effort, as well as design reuse down the line. |
| US08731892B2 |
Systems and program product for performing a fully automated workflow for well performance model creation and calibration
Systems and program product for creating and calibrating production and injection well models for a reservoir, are provided. An example of a system for creating and calibrating well models can include a well performance modeling computer and well performance modeling program product. The well performance modeling program product can include instructions that when executed by the well performance modeling computer cause the computer to perform operations including those for performing a comprehensive retrieval or gathering of required data components, feeding the gathered data into well performance software to thereby develop a model of the well, performing an initial calibration of the well model, performing a total system calibration on the well model, and performing a recalibration to fine tune the well model. |
| US08731890B2 |
Method of estimating well disposal capacity
A method for determining a maximum volume of drilling cuttings disposal in a formation, the method including inputting formation parameters into a simulator, simulating a formation during waste injection based on the formation parameters, determining a net pressure based on the simulating, determining a closure pressure increase based on the simulating, calculating a disposal volume based on the net pressure and the closure pressure, calculating a time interval of waste injection based on the calculated injection volume, and outputting at least one of the disposal volume and the time interval is disclosed. A method of optimizing a waste injection process, the method including simulating a formation based on input parameters, determining a closure pressure increase per unit slurry volume based on the simulation, calculating a disposal capacity of the selected formation, and outputting the disposal capacity is also disclosed. |
| US08731888B2 |
Gamma ray tool response modeling
Systems and methods which provide modeling or simulation of gamma ray (GR) tool response using a hybrid analytical and numerical technique are shown. Embodiments employ a GR tool simulation technique which provides gamma ray information simulated as a function of only the gamma particles which reach the detector without scattering. Embodiments utilize a discretization function to determine the gamma particles which would reach a point detector from each unit volume source of an investigation domain without scattering. Embodiments further utilize the foregoing discretization function with respect to a plurality of point detectors, wherein the particular number and configuration of point detectors are selected to relatively accurately simulate the results of a particular GR detector configuration, such as line detector or volume detector configurations. Embodiments may be implemented using inexpensive and widely available computing platforms, such as personal computers, thereby facilitating economic and practical GR tool simulation. |
| US08731887B2 |
System and method for obtaining a model of data describing a physical structure
There is provided a system and method for obtaining a model of data describing a physical structure. An exemplary method comprises defining a three-dimensional (3D) object that corresponds to a physical structure. The 3D object comprises a set of topological elements that each has an initial geometric definition. The exemplary method also comprises creating a subsequent model of the data by updating a subset of the topological elements in the 3D object. Each updated element in the subset has a geometric definition that has changed relative to its initial geometric definition. |
| US08731880B2 |
Invertible contact model
Methods for computing the inverse dynamics of multibody systems with contacts are disclosed. Inverse dynamics means computing external forces that cause a system to move along a given trajectory. Such computations have been used routinely for data analysis and control synthesis in the absence of contacts between rigid bodies. The disclosed inverse dynamics methods include the ability to handle contacts. The disclosed methods include the following steps: projecting the discrete-time equations of motion from joint space to contact space; defining the forward dynamics in contact space as the solution to an optimization problem; using the features of this optimization problem to obtain a unique inverse—which turns out to correspond to the solution to a dual optimization problem; solving the latter using standard methods for numerical optimization; projecting the solution from contact space back to joint space and finding the external forces. The corresponding methods for computing forward dynamics are also disclosed. |
| US08731877B2 |
Method and apparatus for broadband modeling of current flow in three-dimensional wires of integrated circuits
A new surface impedance model for extraction in lossy two-dimensional (2D) interconnects of rectangular cross-section is presented. The model is derived directly from the volumetric electric field integral equation (EFiE) under the approximation of the unknown volumetric current density as a product of the exponential factor describing the skin-effect and the unknown surface current density on the conductor's periphery. By proper accounting for the coupling between the boundary elements situated on the top and bottom surfaces of conductor with the elements located on the side-walls, the model maintains accuracy from DC to multi-GHz frequencies as well as for conductors with both large and small thickness/width ratios. A generalization of the full-periphery surface impedance model to the three-dimensional electric field integral equation is also described. |
| US08731876B2 |
Creating editable feature curves for a multi-dimensional model
Various embodiments of a method and apparatus for creating editable feature curves for a multi-dimensional model represented by a tessellated mesh are described. A mesh representation of a multi-dimensional model may not support intuitive modification of the model. The mesh representing the multi-dimensional model may be analyzed to extract feature curves that define the characteristics of the multi-dimensional model. Such feature curves may provide an intuitive mechanism for modifying the multi-dimensional model. The model may be modified by changing the constraints of the feature curves defining the model's characteristics. For example, a constraint may be modified to change the angle of the surface on either side of a location on a feature curve. A compressed representation of a multi-dimensional model may include the feature curves that define the shape of multi-dimensional model and a set of boundary curves that represent disjoint regions of the multi-dimensional model. |
| US08731874B2 |
Three-dimensional CAD model creating apparatus and program
Included are a table creating unit that creates, for a three-dimensional CAD model, tabular data that describes change logic for each changed state, the change logic associating a changed state with a condition to be satisfied to shift to the changed state, the changed state being a form after transformation of the three-dimensional CAD model; a data converting unit that converts each change logic set in the created tabular data into a description in a certain program language, and creates a model built-in program; an model built-in program IO unit that registers the converted model built-in program to the three-dimensional CAD model; and a three-dimensional CAD software-program unit that transforms the three-dimensional CAD model when receiving an operation for transforming the three-dimensional CAD model, based on the operation and a change logic described in a model built-in program registered to the three-dimensional CAD model. |
| US08731873B2 |
System and method for providing data corresponding to physical objects
There is provided a system and method for providing data describing a physical structure. An exemplary method comprises defining an unstructured grid that corresponds to a three-dimensional physical structure. The unstructured grid comprises data representative of a property of interest. At least one filter object and a selection criterion are defined. A portion of the unstructured grid data that meets the selection criterion relative to the filter object is selected. |
| US08731872B2 |
System and method for providing data corresponding to physical objects
There is provided a system and method for providing a visualization of data describing a physical structure. An exemplary method comprises defining an unstructured grid that corresponds to a three-dimensional physical structure, the unstructured grid comprising data representative of a property of interest. The exemplary method also comprises defining a probe as an object that comprises a set of topological elements, at least one of which does not share a common plane. The exemplary method additionally comprises providing a visualization of the unstructured grid data on the geometry defined by the probe. |
| US08731870B2 |
Method of designing a composite panel
A method of designing a composite panel, the panel comprising a plurality of zones, each zone comprising a plurality of plies of composite material arranged in a stacking sequence, each ply in each stacking sequence having a respective orientation angle. For each orientation angle a first layout matrix is created which identifies zones in the panel which contain at least one ply with that orientation angle. A second layout matrix is also created which identifies zones in the panel which contain at least two plies with that orientation angle, and so on up to an Nth layout matrix which identifies zones in the panel which contain at least N plies with that orientation angle. The layout matrices are arranged in a plurality of candidate sequences. Selection criteria are then used to choose one or more of the candidate sequences and stacking sequences are assigned to the zones in accordance with the chosen candidate sequence(s). |
| US08731862B2 |
Lightweight audio system for automotive applications and method
A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application is virtually “fastenerless” and includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material that is molded to provide details to accept audio devices such as playback mechanisms (if desired) and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides EMC, RFI, BCI and ESD shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The PCB architecture is bifurcated into a first board carrying common circuit components in a surface mount configuration suitable for high volume production, and a second board carrying application specific circuit components in a wave soldered stick mount configuration. The major components and subassemblies are self-fixturing during the final assembly process, eliminating the need for dedicated tools, fixtures and assembly equipment. The major components and subassemblies self-interconnect by integral guide and connection features effecting “slide lock” and “snap lock” self-interconnection. The radio architecture includes improved push buttons employing 4-bar living hinge linkage and front loaded decorative trim buttons. |
| US08731860B2 |
Particle processing systems and methods for normalization/calibration of same
Systems, methods and non-transitory storage medium are disclosed herein for adjusting an output of a particle inspection system representative of a particle characteristic for a particle flowing in a flow-path of a particle processing system. More particularly, the output may be processed and a calibrated output of the particle characteristic generated. In other embodiments, one or more calibration particles are used. Thus, an output of a particle inspection system representative of a particle characteristic for one or more calibration particles flowing in a flow-path of a particle processing system may be compared relative to a standard and an action may be taken based on a result of the comparing the output to the standard. |
| US08731858B2 |
Method and system for calculating timing delay in a repeater network in an electronic circuit
Calculating a timing delay in a repeater network in an electronic circuit. The repeater network comprises a plurality of driving cells. At least one loop comprising one or more pins and one or more driving cells for driving the loop is implemented. Each driving cell in the loop is arranged between two branches of the loop. For each driving cell, the loop is opened a plurality of times per driving cell, with one open at a time. A dedicated arrival time of a signal at each sink of the repeater network for the one open at a time per driving cell is calculated. The dedicated arrival time is stored. The calculation step and the storing step is repeated until the dedicated arrival time at each sink of the repeater network is available for each of the opens per driving cell. |
| US08731857B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating a gated density bitmap
A test and measurement instrument converts digital data that represents an input signal into a series of frequency spectra and accumulates frequency spectra into a bitmap database in response to a gating signal. In some embodiments, the gating signal is generated when the instantaneous power of the input signal violates a power threshold. |
| US08731855B2 |
Method and device for monitoring the noise from a sensor
A method and device for monitoring the noise from a sensor and a use of the method in automobiles for determining a frictional value between tires of a motor vehicle and a road surface, in particular an economical and reliable method for monitoring a sensor noise and a corresponding device for obtaining, amongst other things, system-relevant information may be achieved, wherein an influence on spectral components of the sensor noise signal is determined and compared with set values. |
| US08731852B2 |
Method for analysing photovoltaic layer systems using thermography
A method for the evaluative analysis of a photovoltaic layer system is described. The method applies to a semiconductor layer forming a pn junction: an electric current is generated in the layer system; a spatially resolved thermal image of the surface of the layer system is generated; an intensity distribution of the thermal radiation relative to the respective number of pixels with the same intensity value is determined; an intensity mean/median from the intensity distribution is determined; an intensity interval based on a specifiable measure for a scattering of the intensity distribution is determined; a characteristic number is determined; and the characteristic number or a calculation value based thereon is compared with a specifiable reference characteristic number. |
| US08731845B2 |
Method and a system for determining a target in a biological sample by image analysis
The present invention relates to methods for identifying and optionally quantifying stained cells in a cell or tissue sample and determining expression level of a target, as well as methods for determining staining intensity and/or staining quality of a stained sample, calibrating digital imaging apparatus using the methods, as well as systems and a computer readable mediums therefore. In particular the invention relates to a method for identifying stained targets in a sample and uses of said method, said method comprising providing at least one digital representation of the sample wherein the sample has been stained with a stain staining a target, and filtering the digital representation with at least three filters, each of said filters comprising filter constants), applying said filter constant(s) to each pixels in at least a subset of the digital representation and determining an eigensolution based on the filter output for each pixel in the subset, wherein said filters are capable of enhancing the stained targets obtaining a filtered representation, segmenting the digital representation based on information from the optionally normalized filtered representation into stained cell targets and background, optionally combining with the digital representation, thereby obtaining a segmented representation, wherein said segmented representation discriminates between stained targets and other structures in the digital representation, and from said segmented representation identifying the stained targets in the sample. |
| US08731832B1 |
Concepts for defining travel paths in parking areas
Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for defining travel paths in parking areas. In one embodiment, travel paths in parking areas can be defined by connecting street networking connection points within the parking areas. In another embodiment, such defined travel paths can be merged with actual paths traveled by vehicles in the parking areas. |
| US08731830B2 |
Marking apparatus for receiving environmental information regarding underground facility marking operations, and associated methods and systems
Methods, apparatus and systems for marking a presence or absence of an underground facility. Marking material is dispensed, via actuation of an actuation system of a marking device, onto a target surface. Environmental information regarding at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the marking device is located is received via at least one communication interface of the marking device, and marking information is logged into local memory of the marking device. In one aspect, the stored marking information includes at least some of the environmental information. |
| US08731828B2 |
Moving route processing device and information providing system using this moving route processing device
Disclosed is a moving route processing device provided with: a route data creating unit for adding date and time information showing a current date and time to position information showing a current position to create route data with timestamp; a route data recorder for recording the route data with timestamp created by the route data creating unit; a communication processing unit for acquiring predetermined data from a database connected to a network; a route comparing unit for comparing the predetermined data acquired by the communication processing unit with the route data with timestamp recorded in the route data recorder; and a display processing unit for, when it is determined from the comparison by the route comparing unit that a close contact state existed, creating and displaying a message showing that a close contact state existed. |
| US08731827B2 |
Method and apparatus for estimating path for indoor localization
When a user enters an indoor space, such as a building, where it is difficult to obtain absolute positioning information, probable indoor path information is estimated based on outer appearance information of the building that the user is presumed to have entered and the moving distance and moving direction of the user. Also, location information calculated according to an estimated navigation method is selectively corrected by using the estimated indoor path information. |
| US08731824B1 |
Navigation control for a touch screen user interface
A vehicle display system includes a display having a display screen which displays an image and provides a touch screen user interface. A controller of the display includes a touch detector which detects a number of fingers touched to a predetermined portion of the display screen, as well as a direction and distance of movement of the number of fingers away from the predetermined portion of the display screen. A navigation mode determiner of the controller determines a navigation mode based on the detected number of fingers. A navigation feature determiner of the controller determines a navigation direction and navigation rate based on the detected direction and distance the number of fingers is moved. An image navigation controller of the controller controls the display to navigate the image displayed on the display screen according to the determined navigation mode, navigation direction, and navigation rate. |
| US08731823B2 |
Advanced map information delivery, processing and updating
The illustrative embodiments include update determination programmed logic circuitry operable to determine that a map data tile stored in a vehicle database is in need of updating. The illustrative embodiments further include update qualification programmed logic circuitry operable to qualify the permissibility of an update. Also included in the illustrative embodiments is update provision programmed logic circuitry operable to, contingent on the qualifying, provide an updated version of the map data tile. The update determination, update qualification and update provision programmed logic circuitry are operable to repeat the determining, qualifying and providing for at least all tiles included in a route within a predetermined proximity of a vehicle's current location along the route. |
| US08731821B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining relevant point of interest information based upon route of user
Methods, apparatus, and systems for determining the relevance of points of interest for a user are described. An application server receives information about a user's location, and velocity, as well as other user preferences, and adjusts a search space and filters points of interest identifying those that are relevant to the user. The relevance of the points of interest are based on the user's route, location and velocity. |
| US08731820B2 |
Method and apparatus for keyboard arrangement for efficient data entry for navigation system
A method and apparatus for entering an address for a navigation system allows a user to easily and quickly select a key indicating the next character of the address. At the start of operation, the navigation system shows a full alpha-numeric keyboard. Once the next candidate characters are narrowed down to a certain degree, the navigation system shows a simplified keyboard with a limited number of keys on the monitor screen and highlights the next candidate characters on the simplified keyboard. The navigation system displays both the simplified keyboard and a street name list on the same screen. Since the keys of the limited number are arranged within a small space such as in the three-by-three manner, the user can easily point a cursor or other pointing device to the desired key. |
| US08731819B2 |
System and method for the collaborative collection, assignment, visualization, analysis, and modification of probable genealogical relationships based on geo-spatial and temporal proximity
System, methods, apparatus and media for the geo-spatial capture and transcription of family trees, vital records, census records, land transfer records, cemetery records, and organizational membership records; for assigning deterministic and probabilistic relationships between people in geographic proximity; and for visualizing known, probable, and potential relationships in a geo-spatial context over time. Also disclosed are systems, methods, apparatus and media for organizing and analyzing genealogical information for searching and visualizing individuals and entities and their relationships to each other within a geo-spatial and temporal context. Further disclosed are systems, methods, apparatus and media for identifying a social networking site based on geo-spatial and temporal context data relating to individuals and entities and their relationships to each other. |
| US08731817B2 |
Indoor localization with wayfinding techniques
A user proceeds from one location to another location inside of a building by traveling in a sequence of several hops in response to different visual cues. A portable handheld device may provide the visual cues to the user. The user reaches the destination through the sequence of hops using the portable handheld device. |
| US08731812B2 |
Vehicle-based automatic traffic conflict and collision avoidance
Systems and methods for providing vehicle-centric collision avoidance are disclosed. An example method includes determining a first flight trajectory for a first aircraft, determining a second flight trajectory for a second aircraft, determining a predicted first distance between the first aircraft and the second aircraft at a first closest point of approach based on the first and second flight trajectories, comparing the predicted first distance to a first separation perimeter layer, the first separation perimeter layer defining a first three-dimensional perimeter based on the first aircraft, determining a first adjustment having a first magnitude from the first flight trajectory when the predicted first distance is within a first perimeter, determining a second adjustment having a second magnitude from the first flight trajectory when the predicted first distance is within a second perimeter different from the first perimeter, and altering the first flight trajectory based on the first or second adjustment. |
| US08731810B2 |
Aircraft path conformance monitoring
A particular method includes receiving aircraft state data associated with an aircraft at an air traffic control system. The aircraft state data includes a detected position of the aircraft, a velocity of the aircraft and an orientation of the aircraft. The method also includes predicting at least one future position of the aircraft based on the aircraft state data. The method further includes generating an alert in response to comparing the predicted future position to an air traffic navigation constraint assigned to the aircraft. |