| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US08919175B2 |
Press working die assembly
A press working die assembly includes a pad secured to an upper die holder so as to be movable upward and downward, a machining slide cam slidable laterally along a cam surface and having a bending edge at one end thereof, a rotatable rotary cam having a bending portion for forming a negative angle portion of a workpiece, and a reciprocating driving apparatus configured to rotate the rotary cam to a workpiece machining position. The reciprocating driving apparatus includes a slide block having a cam surface for rotating the rotary cam in a predetermined direction on an front end side and a rotation impelling surface configured to rotate the rotary cam back to its original position, and a restoring action block configured to come into abutment with the rotation impelling surface of the slide block when the slide block retracts to restore the rotary cam to its original position. |
| US08919173B2 |
Composite hose with a corrugated metal tube and method for making the same
A composite hose is constructed to have an outer peripheral portion and an inner peripheral portion. The outer peripheral portion includes an elastic layer and a reinforcing layer provided on an outer periphery of the elastic layer. The inner peripheral portion includes a corrugated metal tube which is provided with a corrugated portion formed with corrugation hills and corrugation valleys. A distance between the reinforcing layer and tops of the corrugation hills of the corrugated metal tube is designed 0.27 mm or less. |
| US08919172B2 |
In situ formation of threads throughout bore of sleeve inserted into substrate hole
Threads are formed in situ throughout a bore of a sleeve inserted into a corresponding hole a substrate. A sleeve having a bore is inserted into a corresponding hole of a substrate. A mandrel is rotated through the sleeve. The mandrel has a threaded ended; the threaded end rotating throughout the bore of the sleeve forms threads throughout the bore. Prior to inserting the sleeve into the corresponding hole of the substrate, the sleeve can be placed onto the mandrel. In this case, the mandrel has an increasing diameter at the threaded end thereof, such that the sleeve rests on the mandrel towards the threaded end thereof where the bore has a smaller diameter than the mandrel. The mandrel is then rotated out of the sleeve in a direction opposite the direction in which the sleeve has been inserted into the corresponding hole of the substrate. |
| US08919170B2 |
Pot-shaped housing part, especially for a hub part of a hybrid drive
A pot-shaped housing part, especially for a hub part of a hybrid drive. The housing part has a bottom and a wall extending axially away from the bottom, and an outer face of the wall extending at least approximately up to an outer face of the bottom, which outer face of the bottom faces away from a free edge of the wall. The wall and the bottom are configured as one piece. The outer face of the wall also has a projecting portion that projects axially beyond the outer face of the bottom and is produced from material of the wall. |
| US08919168B2 |
Nanostructured commercially pure titanium for biomedicine and a method for producing a rod therefrom
Commercially pure titanium having UFG structure and enhanced mechanical and biomedical characteristics has nanocrystalline alpha-phase grains with a hexagonal close-packed lattice, in which the share of grains with a size of 0.1 . . . 0.5 μm and a grain shape coefficient of no more than 2 in the mutually perpendicular planes makes no less than 90%, over 60% of the grains having high-angle boundaries disoriented in relation to the adjacent grains by the angles from 15 to 90°.The method for making a rod of the material provides for equal-channel angular pressing of a billet at T≦450° C. with the total accumulated true strain e≧4 to effect severe plastic deformation of the billet and subsequent thermomechanical treatment with a gradual decrease of the temperature in the range of 450 . . . 350° C. and the strain rate of 10−2 . . . 10−4 s−1 with the strain degree from 40 to 80% to effect additional plastic deformation. |
| US08919164B2 |
Self-compensating retractable insert for high-temperature forming tools
A forming tool apparatus is provided for forming an article having a negative draft angle that locks the formed article within the forming tool. An insert, which is disposed within a recess defined in a forming surface of the forming tool, has a surface that cooperates with the forming surface of the forming tool to shape a metal blank into a desired final shape. In particular, the surface of the insert is shaped to define the negative draft angle feature of the formed article. Subsequent to forming the article, a linear-drive mechanism is activated to withdraw the insert away from the formed article, and thereby unlock the formed article from the tool. The formed article is then extracted from the tool along an extraction direction that is other than parallel to the direction along which the insert is driven. |
| US08919159B2 |
Actuator
The invention relates to an actuator (10) for closing and/or opening a mobile part, especially a door, a tailgate or the like. Said actuator comprises a support (20), an actuating element (30), an electronic unit (50) and a detector system (60), the actuating element (30) being arranged on the support (20), the detector system (60) being arranged in the region of the actuating element (30) and at least a locking or unlocking action being triggerable directly or indirectly on the detector system (60). The electronic unit (50) interacts with the detector system (60) and the electronic unit (50) controls a locking system (40) for locking or unlocking. The invention is characterized in that a receiving unit (70) is integrated into the support (20) and/or into a handle shell (32) in a material fit, at least a part of the electronic unit (50) being permanently accommodated in the receiving unit (70). |
| US08919157B2 |
Lock assembly with removable shackle
A lock assembly includes a lock body with a shackle. The shackle has a leg. A locking element is disposed in the lock body and is selectively engageable to the shackle. A cam is disposed in the lock body and includes a locked position, an unlocked position and a shackle removal position. The leg includes a shackle removal recess that only partially extends circumferentially about an outer peripheral surface disposed about a longitudinal axis of the leg and is sized to receive the first locking element sufficiently to permit movement of the cam to the shackle removal position. The shackle is rotatable in the unlocked position to expose the shackle removal recess to the locking element. |
| US08919151B2 |
Process for producing glass material granules and process for producing glass product
To provide a process for producing glass raw material granules which are less likely to be formed into fine powders which cause a change of the glass composition at a time of forming a glass melt or defects of glass, and which can be preferably used for producing glass.A process for producing glass raw material granules, which comprises a granulation step of adding boric acid to either one of or both of a glass raw material powder and an alkaline solution having a pH of at least 9 and mixing the glass raw material powder together with the alkaline solution. The glass raw material powder preferably contains at least 10 mass % of boric acid. |
| US08919147B2 |
Collection container for a heat exchanger and associated heat exchanger
A collection container for a heat exchanger, in particular for a refrigerant condenser of a motor vehicle, the collection container having at least one inlet opening for a fluid, in particular refrigerant, and the collection container having at least one outlet opening for the fluid, in which in addition the outer jacket of the collection container limits a cross-sectional surface of the internal chamber in each of a number of cross-sections regarded perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the collection container, and in which the surface content of these cross-sectional surfaces of the internal chamber limited by the outer jacket has different sizes in at least two cross-sections situated at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the collection container. |
| US08919144B2 |
Heat pump for heat source power recovering secondary solar for subtropical climates
A tower heat pump system equipped with a solar energy secondary heat source comprises a cold-heat source tower, a low heat source rotational flow heat pump, a condensate water separator, a supplementary device and a rear end loading system. The tower heating pump system can achieves negative pressure evaporation, cooling and refrigeration in a high-temperature high-humidity condition and efficiently absorb and improve low-temperature-level heat energy from the solar energy secondary heat source in a low-temperature low-humidity condition. |
| US08919141B2 |
Refrigeration equipment with sleeve-type collection pipe for artificial skating rink
Refrigeration equipment with a sleeve-type collection pipe for an artificial skating rink comprising at least a refrigerating system (3), a refrigeration liquid supplying collection-pipe (1) and a return-gas collection-pipe (2). The return-gas collection-pipe (2) sheathes the refrigeration liquid supplying collection-pipe (1) along length-wise direction. The refrigeration system (3) is provided with a liquid supplying main pipe (41) and a return-gas main pipe (42) sheathed on the liquid supplying main pipe (41). Both ends of the liquid supplying main pipe (41) are respectively connected with the refrigeration liquid supplying collection-pipe (1) and the output end of the refrigeration system (3), and both ends of the return-gas main pipe (42) are respectively connected with the return-gas collection-pipe (2) and the input end of the refrigeration system (3). Multiple groups of circulation pipes (6, 7) arranged in rows are juxtaposed at both sides of the return-gas collection-pipe (2) along the lateral direction. |
| US08919131B2 |
System and method for combustion dynamics control by acoustic control/cancellation of fuel flow fluctuation at fuel injection location
A combustion dynamics control system for an aviation based or land based gas turbine engine employs an acoustic driver that is configured to drive pressure perturbations across a premixed fuel injection orifice to substantially zero in response to a control signal such that fuel flow perturbations across the fuel injection orifice are substantially zero. |
| US08919129B2 |
Low flow correction for gas turbine engine fuel valve characteristics
A method for controlling a gas turbine engine fuel control valve during low flow conditions includes positioning the fuel control valve in an operating position. The method also includes determining a fuel control valve flow sensor flow rate while in the operating position and determining a corrected effective flow area (“Cda”) of the fuel control valve. The method further includes generating Cda versus command data with the corrected Cda and the operating position and inserting the generated Cda versus command data into the nominal Cda versus command data set when nominal Cda versus command data is not known at the operating position. |
| US08919128B2 |
Method and device for damping thermoacoustic oscillations, in particular in a gas turbine
The invention relates to a method for damping thermo-acoustic oscillations via a resonator having a resonator volume with thermo-acoustic oscillations induced in a cavity inclined to thermo-acoustic oscillations, and at least some of the thermo-acoustic oscillations being output from the cavity and being input into the resonator volume, with damping oscillations produced in the resonator volume, which are matched to the thermo-acoustic oscillations, with at least some of the damping oscillations being input into the cavity such that the damping oscillations and the thermo-acoustic oscillations overlap in an overlap area, and the oscillations being largely cancelled out. The invention relates to an apparatus for damping thermo-acoustic oscillations in a cavity, comprising a resonator with a resonator volume and a cavity. The invention also relates to a combustion chamber together with a method and an apparatus according to the invention, and to a gas turbine having a combustion chamber. |
| US08919126B2 |
Cooled pilot fuel lance
A device for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of a gas turbine is provided, having a distribution section to which a first fuel channel, a second fuel channel and an injection channel are coupled. The first fuel channel and the second fuel channel are arranged such that a) fuel is transportable by one of the first fuel channel and the second fuel channel to the distribution section, and b) a first quantity of fuel is transportable by the other one of the first fuel channel and the second fuel channel out of the distribution section. The injection channel is arranged such that a second quantity of fuel is injectable from the distribution section into the combustion chamber. The device further comprises an end cap with a protrusion having the injection channel inside, and extending inside the inner tube. |
| US08919123B2 |
Waste heat recovery system with partial recuperation
A waste heat recovery apparatus for use with an internal combustion engine includes a working fluid circuit having a first heating line and a second heating line parallel to the first heating line, a first heat exchanger in the first heating line operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from a waste exhaust flow of an internal combustion engine, a second heat exchanger in the second heating line operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid from recirculating exhaust gas the internal combustion engine, and a recuperative heat exchanger operatively connected to transfer heat energy to the working fluid in the first heating line from the working fluid at a junction of an expander outlet and condenser inlet. |
| US08919115B2 |
Hydraulic drive device for hydraulic excavator
The operability when performing a combined arm-crowd and bucket operation can be improved. A hydraulic drive device for a hydraulic excavator includes: a bucket directional control valve and a second arm directional control valve, which are connected in parallel tandem with a first hydraulic pump; a first arm directional control valve that is connected to a second hydraulic pump; and a flow rate restriction device that restricts the flow rate of pressure oil supplied to the second arm directional control valve, during crowd operation of a bucket. This flow rate restriction device includes a variable throttle whose opening is controlled so as to become smaller as a bucket operating device is operated to the crowd side, the variable throttle being provided in a bypass path connecting to the supply port of the second arm directional control valve. |
| US08919114B2 |
Closed-loop hydraulic system having priority-based sharing
A hydraulic system is disclosed having first, second, and third pumps. The hydraulic system may also have a first actuator connected to the first pump in closed-loop manner, a second actuator connected to the second pump in closed-loop manner, and a third actuator. The hydraulic system may further have a selector valve associated with the third pump, and a first switching valve associated with the third pump and the third actuator. The first switching valve may be movable between a first position at which the third pump is connected to the third actuator in a closed-loop manner to move the third actuator in a first direction, a second position at which the third pump is connected to the third actuator in a closed-loop manner to move the third actuator in a second direction, and a third position at which the third pump is connected to the selector valve. |
| US08919113B2 |
Hydraulic control system having energy recovery kit
An energy recovery retrofit kit for a hydraulic control system is disclosed. The energy recover retrofit kit may have a first accumulator and a second accumulator. The energy recover retrofit kit may also have a recovery valve block fluidly connectable between an existing pump and an existing motor of the hydraulic system. The recovery valve block may be configured to selectively fluidly communicate the first and second accumulators with the existing motor. |
| US08919106B2 |
Method for operating a motor vehicle internal combustion engine with an exhaust particle filter
A method for operating a motor vehicle internal combustion engine with an exhaust system branch in which a wall-flow exhaust particle filter is arranged. An amount of ash and an amount of soot accumulated in the exhaust particle filter are continuously determined. An ash increase value characterizing an increase in the amount of ash is determined and if pre-set conditions are present, the operation of the internal combustion engine is changed over to a special operating mode for performing an ash detachment and transportation operation, in which operating variables of the internal combustion engine are set such that, on the exhaust entry side in the exhaust particle filter, a pre-settable minimum exhaust flow speed results at which detachment of ash attached to the channel walls of the exhaust particle filter and transportation of detached ash in the direction of the respective inlet channel end is made possible. |
| US08919103B2 |
System for purifying exhaust gas and exhaust system having the same
A system for purifying an exhaust gas and an exhaust system having the same while preventing degradation of a selective reduction catalyst may include an exhaust pipe connected to an engine, the exhaust gas generated at the engine passing through the exhaust pipe, a particulate filter mounted on the exhaust pipe, coated with a selective reduction catalyst adapted to reduce nitrogen oxides contained in the exhaust gas by an injection of a reducing agent, and adapted to trap particulate matters contained in the exhaust gas, and one or more injectors adapted to inject the reducing agent and/or oxygen storage capacity material together or separately into the exhaust gas passing through the exhaust pipe. |
| US08919102B2 |
Exhaust purifying device for internal combustion engines
An exhaust purifying device for an internal combustion engine which can restrict an influence of a measurement error in a NOx sensor provided at the downstream side of a catalyst and can optimally maintain a NOx purifying rate. The device includes a catalytic converter carrying a selective catalytic reduction catalyst provided in an exhaust passage of the engine to selectively reduce nitrogen oxides, a urea water adding valve for adding urea water to the catalyst as a reducing agent, a NOx sensor provided at the downstream side of the catalyst, and an ECU for adjusting an addition amount of the urea water adding valve based upon output of the NOx sensor, wherein a urea water addition amount adjusting process is executed under a condition that a NOx amount to be generated in the engine increases. |
| US08919099B2 |
System and method for determining an ammonia generation rate in a three-way catalyst
A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a rate determination module, a storage level determination module, and an air/fuel ratio control module. The rate determination module determines an ammonia generation rate in a three-way catalyst based on a reaction efficiency and a reactant level. The storage level determination module determines an ammonia storage level in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst positioned downstream from the three-way catalyst based on the ammonia generation rate. The air/fuel ratio control module controls an air/fuel ratio of an engine based on the ammonia storage level. |
| US08919096B2 |
System for controlling a plurality of functions of a turbojet engine
A control system for controlling a plurality of distinct functions of a turbojet engine, each function being associated with a respective actuation device. The system includes: an electric motor adapted to supply mechanical energy to each of the actuation devices; an electronic control unit for the electric motor; and at least one switching device interposed between the motor and the actuation devices, the switching device(s) serving to distribute the mechanical energy supplied by the electric motor selectively to one of the actuation devices. |
| US08919090B2 |
Tool and method for creating fashion accessories
A device comprising: (a) a body portion including: (i) a first end and ii. a second end; (b) for a holder at the first end; (c) a holder at the second end; (d) a rotation device at the first end in communication with the holder at the first end; and wherein the holder is fixedly attached to a split gear having a channel therethrough so that one or more flexible mediums may be placed through the channel and removed from a work area located between the holder at the first end and the holder at the second end. |
| US08919089B2 |
Biasing guide assembly for harvesting agricultural row crops
An apparatus for harvesting agricultural row crops having stalks. The apparatus includes an inclined arm comprising a first section, the first section including: a stalk inlet arranged to receive stalks of row crops; and a cutter arranged to cut stalks received by the stalk inlet; the inclined arm further comprising: a biasing guide assembly disposed along the inclined arm, the biasing guide assembly comprising a plurality of individual biasing members; and a conveyor arranged to engage each received stalk and move each engaged stalk along the biasing guide assembly; the conveyor and the biasing guide assembly mutually arranged such that the biasing guide assembly is operative to apply an accommodating clamping force upon each engaged stalk sufficient to keep each engaged stalk substantially upright as it is conveyed along at least a portion of the arm; the accommodating clamping force accommodating possible differences in stalk diameters from one stalk to another, the plurality of individual biasing members arranged to maintain a substantially constant compressive force on each engaged stalk. |
| US08919087B2 |
Height of cut adjustment system for mower cutting deck
A mower carrying a rotary cutting deck has a height of cut system for adjusting the vertical position of the deck relative to the mower frame for changing or adjusting the height of cut. The height of cut system comprises a pair of parallel cross shafts that carry a plurality of pivotal suspension linkages that connect to the deck, the cross shafts and linkages pivoting jointly with one another and with a pivotal control lever. One of the cross shafts carries a torsion spring to counterbalance the weight of the deck. The control lever is maintained in a plurality of adjusted pivotal positions by a height selection bracket fixed to the frame with the height selection bracket being capable of having its position changed or adjusted relative to the frame by a single adjustment bolt. Each suspension linkage has its effective length adjusted by turning a threaded adjuster carried at the upper end of a connecting rod that is part of each linkage to allow the deck to be leveled relative to a reference plane. The adjustment of the height selection bracket is accomplished without affecting the length adjustments previously made to any of the suspension linkages. |
| US08919085B2 |
Net roll support for storage and installation in baler
A baler and method of using the improved baler to install net rolls into a net wrapping assembly in the baler. The baler includes a separable support tube configured to separate and reattach within the net roll during installation. The baler also includes a platform to support the net roll during installation. The platform also stores net rolls prior to installation. |
| US08919084B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing envelopes containing contents
A method and apparatus for processing mail is provided. A feeder serially feeds envelope from a stack of mail. Two cutters at a cutting station cuts one or two edges of the envelopes. As the envelopes travel from the feeder to the cutters the envelope is jogged on two edges to justify the contents with the envelopes. Additionally, an improved feeder is provided to reduce the number of jams created when feeding the envelopes from the stack. |
| US08919083B1 |
Custom dispensing of prescription pharmaceuticals
A pharmaceutical storing and dispensing device including a child resistant mode and a non-child resistant mode between the container and the closure. The closure comprises a non-child resistant cap shaped to removeably engage the container and a child-resistant cap shaped to be permanently fixed to the non-resistant cap. The non-child resistant cap and child resistant cap are provided in intentionally varying quantities such that the quantity of child resistant caps is less than the quantity of non-child resistant caps. |
| US08919080B2 |
Machine and method for packaging and high-pressure treatment of products
The disclosure relates to a packaging machine for packaging products, in particular food, wherein the packaging machine comprises at least one packaging station for producing packagings that accommodate products, and at least one high-pressure treatment station for high-pressure treatment of the products contained in the packagings. The disclosure is characterized in that a central control system for the packaging station and the high-pressure treatment station are provided. The disclosure moreover also relates to a method for operating such a packaging machine. |
| US08919079B2 |
Tarp loading structure and method for using same
A building structure for covering a large object with a cover comprising: multiple frames, each frame being part of a building structure); at least one motor suspended from at least one of said plurality of frames and connected to one or more spools; and an arm lifting structure suspended from the frame and comprising: at least two arms; a plurality of lifting connectors, each attached on one end to an arm on a first end and attached to one of the spools on a second end; and at least one fastening roller member mounted to each arm for temporarily securing the cover to the arms. Alternate embodiments of the building structure include laterally and/or longitudinally translating motors and/or guides for ensuring the that arms are raised and lowered straight up and down. |
| US08919078B2 |
Device and method for controlling a bottling plant
A method of controlling a bottling plant, including detecting an operating state of the bottling plant, determining whether for the detected operating state the energy consumption and/or the consumable consumption of at least one consumer of the bottling plant can be reduced, and if it is determined that the energy consumption and/or the consumable consumption of at least one consumer can be reduced, reducing the energy consumption and/or the consumable consumption of the at least one consumer. |
| US08919077B2 |
Solar power unit and system
One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for integrating a solar power unit that generates a power signal, into a building structure. The method comprises the steps of attaching a frame of the solar power unit to the building block, installing the solar panel on the attached frame, and securing the solar panel to the attached frame with the front cover. |
| US08919073B2 |
Building trim having slidable moulding
Nail or screw holes are provided on the body of a trim unit so that the trim body can be more robustly secured to the building structure, beneath a slidable molding which in a first position reveals these holes and in a second position covers the holes. This sliding is preferably achieved by a self-retaining interference connection, such as a dovetail joint, between a movable molding part and the body of the trim unit. In a further preference, the molding has a stationary portion that is fixed with respect to the trim body, and a movable portion which, after attachment of the trim body to the structural member, can be slid into engagement with the stationary portion and glued thereon to complete the molding. |
| US08919071B2 |
Truss configuration
An implementation of a truss configuration disclosed herein includes a plurality of trusses, each including a top chord, a bottom chord, a plurality of exterior braces, and a plurality of interior braces, wherein length of each of the plurality of exterior braces is substantially similar and wherein the angle between each of the exterior braces and the top chord is substantially similar. Furthermore, length of each of the plurality of interior braces is substantially similar and wherein the angle between each of the alternate interior braces and the top chord is substantially similar. |
| US08919068B2 |
Devices, systems, and methods for exterior flooring
Novel devices, systems, and methods for providing exterior flooring that can be installed over existing exterior surfaces, such as surfaces of an outdoor deck, are provided herein. In some aspects, a joint device or joint member for an exterior floor covering can include a body portion and at least one tongue portion extending from the body portion. The joint device can be adapted to connect adjacent floor panels and secure the floor panels to an underlying surface. The joint device can, but is not required to pass liquid therebetween. The joint device and adjacent floor panels can be made of water resistant materials. The joint device can further include an optional opening adapted to receive an attachment member for attaching portions of the joint member to an underlying surface. |
| US08919067B2 |
Apparatus and method for construction of structures utilizing insulated concrete forms
An insulated concrete form including of first and second spaced sidewalls forming a cavity therebetween, said sidewalls having an inside surface and interconnected by a plurality of form ties, and a form insert made of an insulative material positioned adjacent the inside surface of at least one sidewall which thereby increases the R-value of the resulting structure. |
| US08919063B2 |
Building board having a pattern applied onto side surfaces and conecting mechanisms thereof
A building board, in particular a flooring panel of wooden material is provided. The building board includes a top and an underside, in which at least the top is provided with a decorative layer imitating a natural material. The building board further includes connecting mechanisms corresponding to one another and peripheral side surfaces. At least one side surface and at least one connecting mechanism is provided with a pattern. |
| US08919062B1 |
Exterior wall panel systems
Prefabricated exterior wall panel systems that incorporate one or more drainage features are disclosed. The drainage feature can include a channel formed in the panel body in fluid communication with an interior portion of the panel body and an opening in the front face of the panel. The drainage feature also can include a wedge having a sloped surface thereon on which the channel can be aligned. The exterior wall panel systems having these drainage features can be used in the exterior cladding of buildings and other structures. |
| US08919061B2 |
Moisture drainage spacer panel for building walls
A spacer panel is incorporated into building walls to drain accumulated moisture from the wall structure. The spacer panel is formed with spacer members that project on opposing sides of a central planar web member. Each spacer member is formed independently and has a planar portion extending around the spacer member to provide a location for the insertion of apertures to allow moisture to pass from one side of the panel to the other. Each spacer member includes a planar surface that facilitates an application of adhesive for attachment of a barrier member thereto. The spacer members can be oriented in a herringbone pattern alternating on opposing sides of the central web member. The spacer members can be formed as a circular projection extending on one side of the central web with a truncated conical member projecting to the opposing side of the central web from the circular projection. |
| US08919057B1 |
Stay-in-place insulated concrete forming system
A method of tensioning concrete is disclosed. |
| US08919054B2 |
Layered floor tile connectable to form an area mat that resists delamination from scuffing
A modular floor tile comprising a base substrate and top layer having a first land with a support surface and first and second perimeter portions each defining a second land with a surface recessed relative to the support surface, the first perimeter portion defining a recess and the opposing second perimeter portion defining a lug, whereby two tiles join together by the recess receiving a lug of a second tile, and the support surface supporting footwear remote from the second land to avoid scuffing against the joined lug and recess so the top layer is not delaminated from the base substrate. |
| US08919051B1 |
Tower with exterior cable support and a modular base
A tower with exterior cable support preferably includes a tower structure, a base plate, a middle support structure, a top plate and at least three cables. The tower structure may be a tapered monopole tower, a step mono tower or a lattice tower. The base plate is attached to a base of the tower. The middle support structure is attached to substantially a midway height of the tower. The top plate is secured to substantially a top of the tower. One end of the at least three cables are secured to the base plate, a perimeter of the at least three cables are supported by the middle support structure and the other end of the at least three cables are secured to the top plate. The modular base preferably includes at least four foundation base members, a tower base member, a perimeter wall base and at least four wall members. |
| US08919044B2 |
Sill and opening-leaf assembly for a door that essentially is fluid-tight to a liquid or gaseous fluid and is intended to seal an opening separating two spaces in a building or monument
The subject of the present disclosure is a sill and opening leaf assembly for a door that is fluid-tight to a liquid or gaseous fluid and intended to seal an opening separating two spaces in a building, wherein one of the edge faces or lower edge face of the opening leaf is situated, when mounted, facing a floor surface, and a sill able to provide fluid-tightness, of the bottom part of the door concerned between the lower edge face and the floor surface. The sill includes at least one flat and elongate gasket element, of the tongue type, fixed via one of its longitudinal sides to the lower edge face and a sealing and travel groove made in the floor surface across the opening concerned and intended to house the gasket element able to collaborate in travel with one of the longitudinal edges of the groove. |
| US08919043B2 |
Device for closing off an opening having flexible holding element
The invention relates to a device for closing off an opening formed in a structure, comprising an essentially flat fixed part in which an aperture is defined, and at least one sliding panel which an aperture is defined, and at least one sliding panel which is guided along two rails mounted on one face of said fixed panel, between at least a closed position that closes off said aperture and an open position which uncovers said aperture. At least one of said rails at each of its ends bears a closure end piece to which a first end of a flexible or semi rigid first element is secured, the second end of which element is intended to be secured to said structure. |
| US08919040B2 |
Spiral garden
An apparatus for hydroponic cultivation of plants comprising conical-shaped modules connected end to end with dovetail joints forming a pyramid-like spiral structure with a hollow tube-like interior which acts as a conduit for the flow of water or nutrient-rich solutions over the roots of plants placed in perforated divots on the top sections of the modules either on their own or in an inert medium matrix. The apparatus is also configured to be capable of use for aeroponic gardening or in the alternative, traditional gardening using potting or garden soil. |
| US08919039B2 |
Methods and compositions using fungal laccases to reduce turf thatch
The present disclosure describes methods and compositions for reducing turf thatch and/or preventing turf thatch buildup. |
| US08919036B2 |
Trellis system for irrigation and frost prevention
A trellis mounted system for irrigation and frost prevention is described. The irrigation system comprises a trellis, a first conduit coupled to the trellis, and a second conduit coupled to the trellis. The first conduit delivers a heated water stream to a nozzle that provides a heated water spray to an area surrounding the trellis. The second conduit provides drip irrigation to a ground area surrounding the trellis. The heated water supplied by the trellis mounted irrigation system prevents the development of damaging frost on agricultural plants. |
| US08919030B2 |
Fishing rod reel foot and reel seat
A fishing rod assembly is described. The assembly includes a butt connector that is formed to connect with and between a fishing rod and a rod butt. The butt connector also includes a reel seat formed thereon that has two posts (e.g., cylindrical extensions) protruding therefrom. Additionally, a reel foot is included for connecting with a fishing reel. Alternatively, the reel foot can be integrally formed with a fishing reel. In either event, two cutouts are formed in the reel foot to engage with the extensions of the butt connector and affix the fishing reel with the butt connector. Thus, using the reel foot and corresponding reel seat, a user can quickly and firmly attach the fishing reel with a fishing rod. |
| US08919028B2 |
Moving decoy and method
A moving decoy is provided. The decoy is connected to a actuator which causes the decoy to pivot. When positioned on the surface of a body of water, the decoy is capable of mimicking the movements of a live animal. |
| US08919022B2 |
High capacity firearm magazine feed mechanism
A device for modifying an existing high capacity magazine to reduce the friction between the bolt and the cartridges and assure more reliable feeding, by biasing the cartridge into the feed position in a manner independent of the magazine's primary spring pressure. |
| US08919021B2 |
Method and apparatus for stripping and feeding cartridges
Applicant has disclosed a Method and Apparatus for stripping and feeding cartridges to enhance stripping cartridges out of a detachable double-stacked magazine, inserted into a (well opening of a) receiver of a bolt-action rifle, and to enhance feeding the cartridges into the firing chamber. In the preferred “apparatus” embodiment, Applicant's device comprises two protrusions (“bumps”) integral with, and radially spaced around, a bottom of the breech bolt head. When the rifle's breech bolt is pushed through the receiver, towards the firing chamber, a flat front face of a protrusion engages the rim of the top cartridge, pushing the cartridge out of the magazine, over the feed ramp or lip, and towards a firing chamber of the rifle. The protrusions alternate as to which engages the next top cartridge(s), due to the staggered (zigzag) columns of the cartridges in a double-stacked magazine. |
| US08919017B2 |
Grapple bucket apparatus
A cutting device for cutting a material grappled by a grapple member of a grapple device is mounted on one side wall portion of a bucket which is pivotable vertically with respect to an arm swung vertically and is rotatable on an axis in an extension direction of the arm. The cutting device includes a cutting blade which is positioned outside or inside a side wall of the bucket and is pivotally supported on a base end portion of the open mouth portion of the bucket to be pivoted in a direction along the side wall from a position separated from an opening edge of the bucket to a position along the side wall of the bucket. A hydraulic cylinder is provided on a rear surface portion of the bucket and is connected to a pivoting base portion of the blade. |
| US08919013B2 |
Article of footwear having an adjustable ride
An article of footwear has an upper and a sole. The sole has an upper sole member, a lower sole member, and at least one inflatable bladder disposed between the upper sole member and the lower sole member. The at least one inflatable bladder has an inflated state and a deflated state. A distance between the upper sole member and the lower sole member is greater in the inflated state than the deflated state. Varying the inflation of the inflatable bladder varies the amount of cushioning in the sole and the thickness of the sole so that the shoe can serve as a multipurpose shoe for activities requiring different amounts of cushioning. |
| US08919012B2 |
Footwear as mat-socks
The present invention relates to functional footwear of a new concept, which adapts itself to the shape of a foot and gives a soft feeling when walking The footwear includes: an upper foot fixing section (1) for covering and fixing an upper portion of a foot; and a foot supporting section (8) attached to the upper foot fixing section for supporting a lower portion of the foot. The foot supporting section comprises a soft resilient mat (2) which can be deformed according to the shape of the foot. The footwear has a simple structure and can give a feeling of walking barefoot on a sponge mat or on a lawn like a extreme-soft-elastic carpet to provide complete comfort to the wearer during walking. |
| US08919009B2 |
Method for controlling a clothes dryer and clothes dryer using such method
A method for controlling the operation of a clothes dryer having a drying chamber and an air flow system including a variable speed blower for forcing air through the drying chamber comprises the step of assessing a value related to the water removal rate and the step of adjusting the speed of the blower depending on the assessed value, the value being preferably based on a ratio between the water condensing rate and the power of a heater used to heat up the air flow upstream the drying chamber. |
| US08919003B1 |
Parallel straightedge drafting board
A portable, parallel straightedge drafting board is disclosed which utilizes a unique wire arrangement with control locks attached thereto to achieve a movable straightedge that will always be parallel to itself when moved during use of the drafting board. |
| US08919002B2 |
Laser system for creating a linear laser marking
A laser system for creating a linear laser marking, including a radiation source that emits a laser beam and that emits it along a direction of propagation, a focusing lens assembly with an optical axis, and a conical mirror that, at least in certain areas, is configured as a straight cone with a cone axis and a reflecting lateral surface. The conical mirror is arranged in the beam path of the laser beam behind the focusing lens assembly, and the cone axis is oriented parallel to the optical axis of the focusing lens assembly. The direction of propagation of the laser beam is inclined at an angle relative to the optical axis of the focusing lens assembly. |
| US08919000B2 |
Low velocity projectile aiming device
Provided are devices for determining the correct aiming point of a low velocity projectile and methods and systems for using the devices. For example, the devices can be attached to a bow and used to improve accuracy for hunting game. |
| US08918999B2 |
Aerodynamic trimmer head for use in flexible line rotary trimmers
An aerodynamic trimmer head assembly for use in flexible line rotary trimmers including a trimmer head having a curvilinear upper head surface and a shroud having a curvilinear portion extending over the head surface. A plurality of ribs extend downwardly and forwardly in the direction of rotation between the head surface and shroud defining a plurality of channels extending between portions of the upper head surface and shroud along curvilinear paths defined by the ribs. The channels define inlet openings in an upper portion of the shroud and outlet openings about the lower end portion thereof. During rotation of the head and shroud, air is drawn downwardly about the drive mechanism, through the channel inlets, into and through the channels and outwardly therefrom at a forward inclination about the line projecting from the housing thereby cooling the drive mechanism of the rotary trimmer and reducing aerodynamic drag on the line. |
| US08918998B2 |
Hedge trimmer
A hedge trimmer having a rear handle, a tubular handle and a blade arrangement with at least one cutter bar disposed in a cutter bar plane. An internal combustion engine drives the cutter bars in a reciprocating manner, and has a combustion chamber and a crankshaft mounted in a crankcase so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The combustion chamber faces the rear handle, and the crankcase faces the blade arrangement. The blade arrangement has a longitudinal central axis, and the hedge trimmer has a longitudinal plane that is disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft and transverse to the cutter bar plane. The longitudinal central axis of the blade arrangement lies in the longitudinal plane of the hedge trimmer. |
| US08918991B2 |
Process for providing electrical connections with reduced via capacitance on circuit boards
The present invention relates to circuit boards and, more specifically, a process for providing electrical connections with reduced via capacitance on circuit boards. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for providing an electrical connection between traces disposed on different layers of a circuit board, the method comprising forming in the board a via hole that extends between the different layers and interconnects a pair of electrically conductive traces disposed on the different layers. An inner sidewall of the via hole includes electrically conductive material thereon. The method further comprises removing a first portion of the conductive material from the inner sidewall by removing a first portion of the inner sidewall. A remaining portion of the conductive material on a remaining portion of the inner sidewall interconnects the pair of traces and has a corresponding width that is substantially similar to a width of each trace. |
| US08918984B2 |
Method and apparatus for use in a vending machine
During operation of a vending machine, a dispensed product moves from a product dispensing location to a product retrieval location. To detect movement of the dispensed product to the dispensing location, the intensity of light at an array of pixels is monitored. The monitored array of pixels forms a portion of a larger group of pixels. A change in the intensity of light at pixels in the array of pixels is detected upon movement of a dispensed product to a product retrieval location. |
| US08918980B2 |
Beverage bottle handling machine construction method
A beverage bottle handling machine construction method for constructing a beverage bottle handling machine, such as a beverage bottle cleaning machine, a beverage bottle pasteurization machine, and a beverage bottle shrink wrap machine in a beverage bottling plant. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner. |
| US08918978B2 |
Self expanding fastener
A method to join a first structure to a second structure comprises aligning a first hole in the first structure with a second hole in the second structure and inserting a fastener into the first hole and the second hole. The fastener comprises a shape memory alloy which was formed into a first shape having a diameter slightly larger than a diameter of the first hole and the second hole when the shape memory alloy was in an austenite state and reduced to a second shape having a diameter less than the diameter of the first hole and the second hole when the shape memory alloy was in a martensite state. The method further comprises heating the fastener above an austenite start transition temperature. |
| US08918976B2 |
Automated digital inspection and associated methods
An automated pallet inspection station includes a frame, a transport system carried by the frame for transporting a pallet to be inspected, and at least one pallet feature sensing head adjacent the transport system for inspecting the pallet. The at least one pallet feature sensing head includes a downward looking pallet feature sensing head positioned above the transport system for inspecting a top surface of the pallet, and an upward looking pallet feature sensing head positioned below the transport system for inspecting a bottom surface of the pallet. |
| US08918975B2 |
Apparatus and method for facilitating bladder removal
An apparatus for facilitating fluid bladder removal from a support structure through an access opening includes a frame defining a central opening dimensioned to conform to the access opening, the frame having opposed first and second surfaces and adapted to removably mount inside the support structure around the access opening, and a plurality of roller assemblies mounted to the first surface around the central opening. The apparatus is connected inside the support structure with the rollers extending away from and surrounding the access opening to facilitate passage of the fluid bladder. |
| US08918970B2 |
Hoop tow modification for a fabric preform for a composite component
A method of forming a fabric preform for a composite component from a fabric having a plurality of hoop tows is disclosed. One end of the fabric is received on the form such that the hoop tows of the fabric extend in a direction generally perpendicular to a central axis of the form. The fabric is wrapped around the form and at least some of the hoop tows are separated into hoop tow segments while the fabric is under a tension to enable a space to develop between ends of adjacent hoop tow segments along the length of the hoop tow. This separation of adjacent hoop tow segments accommodates increased deformation of the fabric during formation of the fabric preform while still maintaining a presence of hoop tow segments in at least portions of the fabric. |
| US08918969B2 |
Funeral container carrying device
A carrier is provided for facilitating the carrying and transportation of a funerary container having a bottom surface, a plurality of side surfaces and a top surface, along with a length and width and interior large enough to accommodate an un-cremated corpse. The carrier includes a base member having a length generally long enough to span the width of the funerary container and a upper surface sized and configured for receiving the bottom surface of the funerary container. An upstanding member has a lower end coupled to the base member and an upper end. The upstanding member extends in a plane generally perpendicular to the base member. A handle member is provided that is coupled to the upstanding member. The handle includes a hand receiving surface engageable by the hand of the user. |
| US08918964B2 |
Fastener
A fastener may include a belt, a buckle connected to the belt and having an inlet end and an outlet end, and a pair of protection portions formed in the outlet end of the buckle. The belt and the buckle are arranged and constructed to be locked to each other when the belt is tightened after the belt is inserted into the buckle and drawn therefrom. The protection portions are arranged and constructed to respectively face longitudinal peripheries edges of the belt that is inserted into the buckle and drawn therefrom. Each of the protection portions has a projection amount not less than a length of a remaining portion of the belt, which portion can be produced by cutting off an excess portion of the belt drawn from the buckle. |
| US08918961B2 |
Electronic device with hinge structure
An electronic device includes a first object and a hinge structure. The first object includes a rear plate, and a plurality of positioning posts is located on the rear plate. The hinge structure includes a first connecting member secured to the first object. The first connecting member includes an installation board, and a plurality of installation holes is defined in the installation board, corresponding to the plurality of positioning posts. Each of the plurality of positioning posts is received in each of the plurality of installation holes, so that the installation board directly abuts the rear plate to decrease the thickness of the first object. |
| US08918960B2 |
Synchronous movement device applied to dual-shaft system
A synchronous movement device applied to dual-shaft system includes a first shaft and a second shaft, which are assembled with each other and synchronously rotatable. The synchronous movement device further includes a driver disposed on the first shaft and a reactor disposed on the second shaft and a link unit connected between the driver and the reactor. When the first shaft drives the driver to rotate, the driver pushes the link unit to move along the first and second shafts to forcedly push the reactor to rotate in a direction reverse to the moving direction of the driver. Accordingly, the first and second shafts are synchronously rotated. |
| US08918955B2 |
Vacuum grooming tool
A grooming tool is disclosed that includes a vacuum nozzle attachable to a vacuum source and has a hollow body with a mouth opening. A grooming device selected from a variety of animal grooming hand tools, such as a comb-like grooming blade comprising sharp edges, may span the mouth opening. The grooming device is positioned such that the airflow created by the vacuum source flows over at least one side of the grooming device. A vacuum cleaning tool for removing any animal hair from a grooming tool is also disclosed. A vacuum plenum of the cleaning tool is attachable to a vacuum source and has an opening for cleaning the grooming tool in one pass. The cleaning tool can be mounted on a stationary support may also include a pivot-action mechanism that connects the vacuum grooming tool or the cleaning tool to the vacuum source. |
| US08918953B2 |
Filter unit for vacuum cleaner
A filter unit (100) for a vacuum cleaner includes a filter body (110) and a dust removing means (120). The filter body is elongated and at least partly flexible and the dust removing means is configured to collapse and expand the filter body in response to a force applied on the dust removing means. The filter body comprises pleats (115) extending along the filter body. The filter unit of the present invention is advantageous in that it reduces clogging and thereby increases the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner. |
| US08918952B2 |
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner (2) having a body (4) having a floorhead (6) and an elongate handle (14) pivotably mounted to the body is disclosed. A door (24) is provided on an end (20) of a collection chamber (12) opposite to a clean air outlet, and a coarse filter (32) and fine filter (46) are located within the collection chamber for separating out debris entrained with dirty air and depositing the debris in the collection chamber. An interior face of the door is provided with radial tangs (68), and an end face (48) of the fine filter is provided with radial tangs (60) such that when the door is closed and the elongate handle is pivoted relative to the body, the fine filter and coarse filter rotate relative to each other to cause cleaning of the filter elements. |
| US08918949B2 |
Paint distributing plate system
There is provided a paint distributing plate system for insertion into a paint bucket having an external upper rim. The paint distributing plate system comprises a paint distributing plate with a lower part and an upper part, where the lower part has a width being smaller than the diameter of the largest cross-sectional dimension of the paint bucket, and a pair of adjustable attachment hook arrangements provided on the upper part of the paint distributing plate, one on each side of the paint distributing plate, for securing the paint distributing plate to the upper rim of the paint bucket. It is preferred that each of the adjustable attachment hook arrangements comprises an elongated fastening strip with a hook at one end thereof, and a locking profile secured to one side of the upper part of the distributing plate, where the locking profile locks the fastening strip with the hook extending a distance below the locking profile, said distance being adjustable, whereby the hook arrangement can be adjusted to fit to paint bucket upper rims of different widths or heights. |
| US08918948B2 |
Wiper device
The wiper device for removing foreign substances that are stuck on a windshield can include: a lever assembly, having a plurality of levers in a tournament type coupled thereto; a contact member, being supported by the lever assembly and formed in the shape of a blade in close contact with the windshield so as to wipe out the foreign substances; and a cover member, provided in a plurality, each being coupled to the lever connecting a corresponding joint of the lever assembly. Accordingly, the parts of the lever assembly having the multi joint structure are effectively covered by the plurality of cover members, allowing for a simple appearance, and since each cover member is coupled with a corresponding lever and moves with the corresponding lever in an integrated manner, it becomes possible to prevent the levers from being exposed to an outside even while the wiper device is activated. |
| US08918947B2 |
Crevice tool for vacuum cleaners
The present invention refers to a crevice tool for vacuum cleaners as a singular component, comprising a socket transitioning into a long, flat air chamber, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, wherein the air chamber (wand) incorporates both air suction slots and protruding nubs on both the top and bottom of the tool, and lateral slits in the end opposite the socket end. The various components of the crevice tool may be fabricated into kit form, and may include an adaptor, an extension, and a paw like terminal end, that can be used for removing any debris from tight areas. |
| US08918938B2 |
Personalized footwear
Customized or personalized recessed designs can be cut into the bottom of the soles of flip flops, sandals, boots, and any other flat soled footwear using computerized numerical control machining. The customized recessed design can be created in reverse (i.e., in mirror image) to leave a specified design or message when the shoe is pressed into material capable or taking an impression such as sand or snow. Designs can also be created to appear forward (non-mirrored) on the sole so that that design or text is legible when looking at the sole of the shoe. The footwear can be custom produced at the request of a customer, who can specify the nature of the customization for one or more pairs of footwear. Each of a pair of the footwear may have a different design, message or message portion. |
| US08918937B2 |
Method of preventing motor overload in a washing machine
An off-balance detection method comprises a plurality of off-balance detection schemes that utilize wash basket speed to detect an off-balance load condition at speed ranges that span the entire spin cycle and include speeds corresponding to natural frequencies of a mass comprising a wash tub and a wash basket. The schemes can be used alone or in combination with one or more of the other schemes. The off-balance detection method can further comprise a power limiting method to prevent motor overload when an off-balance condition is present. |
| US08918936B2 |
Laundry washing machine with an electronic device for sensing the motion of the wash assembly due to the dynamic unbalance of the wash laundry drum assembly, and relative operating method
A method of sensing the motion of the wash assembly (3) of a washing machine (1) due to the dynamic unbalance of the laundry drum assembly (6), and which comprises the steps of: increasing the rotation speed (ω) of a laundry drum (6) to a first rotation speed (ωDIST); determining a first parameter (TFRICTION; AHFREF) related to the time pattern of the values of an unbalance function A=T−Jdω/dt; increasing the rotation speed (ω) of the laundry drum (6) by a predetermined value (Δω) determining, at each increase (Δω) in rotation speed (ω), a second parameter (ALF; AHF) related to the time pattern of the values of the unbalance function A=T−Jdω/dt filtered at the predetermined filtration frequency (LF; HF); calculating the difference (TdynLF; TdynHF) between the second parameter (ALF; AHF) and the first parameter (TFRICTION; AHFREF). |
| US08918926B1 |
One piece shower pan and method of making same
A one piece shower drain pan, encapsulated in a water proof membrane, wherein one embodiment provides a one piece shower pan which includes a recessed drain portion supporting a square insert made of pvc or poly vinyl material which includes a plurality of drain channels extending from the outer edge of each wall of the insert into the recessed drain portion. The insert would be covered by tile members similar to the tiles of the shower floor, so to provide the visual effect of no drainage opening in the floor of the shower. There would be provided a perimeter water flow space between the side edges of the tiles covering the insert and the edges of the surrounding tiles, so that water flowing onto the floor of the shower would flow through the perimeter water flow space, through the drain channels and into the main drain. |
| US08918924B2 |
Basin for pedicure spa apparatus
Disclosed are various embodiments of systems and methods directed to a pedicure spa apparatus. A pedicure spa can include a basin having an embedded light aperture on a first interior surface of the basin. The embedded light aperture can further includes a light passing layer configured to fluidically seal the embedded light aperture and be substantially seamless with the first interior surface of the basin. The pedicure spa can also include a water agitation device coupled to an interior surface of the basin and a magnetic actuator coupled to an opposing surface of the interior surface. |
| US08918923B2 |
Switching device for rim water in low tank toilet
A switching device for rim water in a low tank toilet, in which toilet water in a toilet tank is drawn and supplied to the rim of a toilet bowl by the pressure of water that is supplied from a filler valve to the rim through a water supply tube and a supply water switching unit is rotated according to a reduction in the water level of the toilet tank, so that the water supplied from the filler valve is charged into the toilet tank and, at the same time, some water supplied from the filler valve is supplied to the rim through a fill-up water inlet hole. |
| US08918920B2 |
Soft chest protector
An impact protection device may include a front protective assembly and a rear protective assembly. The front protective assembly and/or the rear protective assembly may include protective pads that can be removed in order to better accommodate a neck brace. The protective pads may be left in place when no neck brace is being used. |
| US08918919B2 |
Infrared-reflecting covering material
An invention describes a drapable IR-reflecting material for garments. The IR-reflecting material comprises a water-vapor-permeable metallized ply supporting an air-permeable drapable convective ply having a three-dimensionally transmissive structure. The outer surface of the convective ply, said outer surface being opposite to the metallized ply, is formed by an air-permeable sheetlike structure. The convective ply causes heat convection of temperatures reflected by the metallized ply in order that the outer surface of the convective ply may be brought into line with the ambient temperature. |
| US08918913B2 |
Anti-jam finger protective device
An apparatus for protecting fingers from an injury caused by axial trauma, such as may result during participation in fast pitch softball, includes a finger shield comprising a portion that extends over the end of a wearer's finger. The finger shield is coupled to a palm-plate, which is for being disposed adjacent to the wearer's palm, via a coupling portion. The coupling portion is disposed between the finger shield and the palm-plate for transferring a substantial portion of the force of a significant impact occurring at the end of the wearer's finger to the wearer's palm via the palm-plate. |
| US08918912B2 |
Shield coupling assembly and helmet having the same
There is provided a helmet including a shield having inner coupling holes at both ends thereof and fitted and coupled to an assembly coupling hole of a shield coupling assembly provided at a helmet main body and a front opening configured to be opened and closed by the shield. The helmet includes: a lock supporting member fixed to the helmet main body; and a locker including a shield mounting portion fixed to the shield, a coupling shaft coupled to be rotated with the shield mounting portion at an end of the locker, and a locker hooking part coupled to or decoupled from the lock supporting member at the other end of the locker. |
| US08925111B1 |
Scanning probe microscope and method of operating the same
Provided are a scanning probe microscope and a method of operating the same. The scanning probe microscope includes a chuck configured to fix an object. A stacker is configured to load one or more cantilevers onto a head module. A stacker lifting element is configured to move the stacker in an up and down direction. |
| US08925105B2 |
Indexed security for use with databases
A computer-implemented method for providing security in a relational database hosted by a first server, and configured to interact with a second server, includes associating a first ownership vector with an object in the relational database, detecting a change to the object, and associating a second ownership vector with the object in response to detecting the change to the object. |
| US08925101B2 |
System and method for local protection against malicious software
A method in one example implementation includes intercepting a network access attempt on a computing device and determining a software program file associated with the network access attempt. The method also includes evaluating a first criterion to determine whether the network access attempt is permitted and blocking the network access attempt if it is not permitted. The first criterion includes a trust status of the software program file. In specific embodiments, the trust status is defined as trusted if the software program file is included in a whitelist of trustworthy program files and untrusted if the software program file is not included in a whitelist. In more specific embodiments, the method includes blocking the network access attempt if the software program file has an untrusted status. In further embodiments, an event is logged if the software program file associated with the network access attempt has an untrusted status. |
| US08925099B1 |
Privacy scoring
Techniques for privacy scoring are disclosed. In some embodiments, privacy scoring includes collecting information associated with an entity; and generating a privacy score based on the private information that was collected that is associated with the entity. In some embodiments, privacy scoring further includes outputting the privacy score. In some embodiments, privacy scoring further includes determining private information that was collected that is associated with the entity. |
| US08925098B2 |
Data security and access tracking in memory
A memory device includes but is not limited to a substrate, a non-volatile memory array integrated on the substrate, and data security logic integrated with the non-volatile memory array on the substrate. The data security logic is operable to perform at least one data security function associated with the non-volatile memory array. |
| US08925088B1 |
Method and apparatus for automatically excluding false positives from detection as malware
A method and apparatus for automatically excluding false positives from detection as malware is described. In one embodiments, a method for using one or more processors to provide false positive reduction for heuristic-based malware detection of a plurality of files in memory includes accessing global first appearance information associated with a plurality of files, accessing global malware information comprising heuristics and an emergence date associated with each malware group of a plurality of malware groups, comparing the global malware information with the global first appearance information to identify at least one false positive amongst the plurality of files and preventing detection of the at least one false positive as malware. |
| US08925087B1 |
Apparatus and methods for in-the-cloud identification of spam and/or malware
One embodiment relates to an apparatus for in-the-cloud identification of spam and/or malware. The apparatus includes computer-readable code configured to be executed by the processor so as to receive queries, the queries including hash values embedded therein. The apparatus further includes computer-readable code configured to be executed by the processor so as to detect a group of hash codes which are similar and to identify the group as corresponding to an undesirable network outbreak. Another embodiment relates to an apparatus for in-the-cloud detection of spam and/or malware. The apparatus includes computer-readable code configured to be executed by the processor so as to receive an electronic message, calculate a locality-sensitive hash based on the message, embed the locality-sensitive hash into a query, and send the query to a central analysis system via a network interface. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed. |
| US08925081B2 |
Application based intrusion detection
Intrusion detection is performed by communicating an initialization request from an intrusion detection system enabled application to an intrusion module to begin intrusion detection. Also, a request is communicated to a policy transfer agent to provide an intrusion detection system policy specifically configured for the application. The application identifies where in the application code the intrusion detection system policy is to be checked against an incoming or outgoing communication. Information obtained by the application program is selectively evaluated against information in the intrusion detection system policy. A conditional response is made based upon information in the intrusion detection system policy if an intrusion associated with the application program is detected. |
| US08925079B2 |
Method, apparatus and program for detecting spoofed network traffic
A method, an apparatus and a program for detecting spoofed Internet Protocol (IP) traffic directed to a network having a plurality of autonomous systems (AS) is provided. The method comprises receiving an incoming packet through an AS, the incoming packet containing a source IP address and a destination IP address, acquiring a corresponding source and destination IP address prefixes, converting the corresponding source and destination IP address prefixes into a source AS number and a destination AS number, determining if the incoming packet arrived from an unexpected source based upon the corresponding destination IP address prefix and the converted source and destination AS number using an unexpected pair tuple table generated from network routing information and generating an alert indicating that the incoming packet is not allowed to enter the network. |
| US08925071B2 |
Geometrical pattern based application passcode
To authorize an access to an application, a user interface renders a geometrical pattern on receiving a trigger to access the application. The rendered geometrical pattern includes an instance of an arrangement of one or more first nodes and one or more second nodes. The rendered geometrical pattern is associated with an input type to receive a selection of the first nodes and the second nodes. The selection of the first nodes and the second nodes is received as an authorizing key. The authorizing key is matched with an authorizing passcode stored in memory to provide access to the application. |
| US08925067B2 |
Network access authentication
A network access method, an authentication method, a communications system, and relevant devices are provided to support implicit authentication based on subscriber line information in Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). The authentication method includes: receiving a request message sent from an Access Node (AN), wherein the request message carries subscriber line information and a Link-Local Address (LLA); sending an access request to an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) server according to the subscriber line information; receiving an authentication result indicating the authentication is successful; determining whether an address matching the LLA carried in the request has been stored in the BNG; and storing the LLA in the BNG, if the address matching the LLA is not stored in the BNG. |
| US08925062B1 |
Techniques for user authentication
Techniques for user authentication are disclosed. In some situations, the techniques include receiving, from a client device, an authentication request to access a network resource, the request including a user identifier, obtaining a security credential associated with the user identifier contained in the received request, generating an authorization code based on the obtained security credential, providing to the client device instructions to obtain first information corresponding to the generated authorization code, receiving, from the client device, the first information provided in response to the provided instructions, and, when the first information received from the client device corresponds to at least a portion of the generated authorization code, authorizing the client device to access the network resource. |
| US08925061B2 |
Systems and methods for using voiceprints to generate passwords on mobile devices
Systems for verifying a user's voiceprint and generating a password for use at one or more application servers are disclosed. The systems can reside on a network or on a device. The application servers can be in communication with one or more devices or networks. Several methods for verifying the identity of the user using possession-based, knowledge-based, location-based, and biometric access control are disclosed. |
| US08925060B2 |
Selecting image or video files for cloud storage
A method, apparatus, and computer program product, responsive to receiving a data from a computing device connected to the computer in a cloud computing system or data center, identifies a criteria associated with the computing device, responsive to identifying the criteria, determines whether the data is authorized for transmission to a storage in the cloud computing system or data center, and responsive to determining that the data is authorized for transmission to the storage, forwards the data to the storage. |
| US08925056B2 |
Universal management of user profiles
An authentication component to authenticate users can generate a unique identification for a user based on device characteristics, operating characteristics, and the like. The authentication component can provide authentication of a user to applications. Applications can provide a user with personalized content based on the authentication. |
| US08925046B2 |
Device, method, and recording medium
A device includes a memory which stores a program, and a processor which executes, based on the program, a procedure comprising establishing a session with a request source when a request for a service, made to a second providing source, has been received from the request source, the second providing source providing the service based on data stored in a first providing source; and when an inquiry about whether to transmit the data to the second providing source has been received from the first providing source, notifying, so as to encrypt a mask range of the data, the first providing source of session information indicating the session established with the request source and notifying the request source of the session information so as to decrypt the encrypted mask range of data based on the session information. |
| US08925044B2 |
System and method for WLAN roaming traffic authentication
A system and method for recognizing traffic generated from an authenticated a device roaming in a wireless local area network and related aspects are provided. An authentication server is arranged to authorize communications traffic originating from a wireless access point to use a roaming service, the traffic comprising an NAT translated IP address. The server first authorizes a WLAN roaming device, and then processes a meta-data message received from a WLAN access point in which the source address of the message comprises the source address of the roaming device at the WLAN access point. The server then determines, from the information provided in the meta-data message when it is received by the authentication server, which includes at this point a NAT translated source address in the meta-data message what the NAT translated source address of traffic from said NAT translated source address. In this way, all traffic generated by the roaming device while that NAT translated IP address is valid is automatically authorized to use a roaming service to access the internet. |
| US08925043B2 |
Scalable fine-grained multi-service authorization
A scalable cross-protocol mechanism is provided for describing, transmitting and checking large lists of authorizations for operations on network resources. At an authorization server, data is stored that represents operations that can be performed on a plurality of resources of a service provider at the request of one or more users. A set of {resource,operations} tuples is generated, wherein a resource describes an endpoint for a network service and operations is a list of operations that are authorized on an endpoint. The set of {resource,operations} tuples is partitioned into one or more subsets. A subset of the set of {resource,operations} tuples is combined into a string according to a predetermined rule. A hash is then computed, according to a hash function, to generate hash results. Hashes are passed instead of the lists themselves to minimize data transfer and latency. |
| US08925042B2 |
Connecting devices to an existing secure wireless network
An intermediary device may be used to connect a telecommunications device to an existing secure network that is accessed by a computing device. The intermediary device may simplify connections to the secure network by connecting to the secure network without setting up a new connection to the secure network. The telecommunications device may connect to the computing device, via the intermediary device, using a secondary network, which enables the telecommunications device to access the secure network through the computing device. In some instances, the computing device may operate to bridge a connection with the telecommunications device and perform some or all of the functions of the intermediary device. |
| US08925037B2 |
Systems and methods for enforcing data-loss-prevention policies using mobile sensors
A computer-implemented method for enforcing data-loss-prevention policies using mobile sensors may include (1) detecting an attempt by a user to access sensitive data on a mobile computing device, (2) collecting, via at least one sensor of the mobile computing device, sensor data that indicates an environment in which the user is attempting to access the sensitive data, (3) determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, a privacy level of the environment, and (4) restricting, based at least in part on the privacy level of the environment, the attempt by the user to access the sensitive data according to a DLP policy. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US08925035B2 |
System and method for document isolation
A computer based system and method of providing document isolation during routing of a document through a workflow is disclosed. The method comprises maintaining a separate “working” copy of the original base document while the document is routed through a workflow. Access controls, which define who may access the original document as well as any versions of the working copy document, are defined and stored in relation to the documents. The access controls further define the types of actions users may take with respect to the document. Users are selectively directed to the appropriate document, either the base document or working copy, and selectively granted permission to perform publishing operations on the working copy document, as determined by the access controls. |
| US08925033B2 |
Deliberate collision triggering in multi-channel remote control communication environments
Methods, devices, and system for controlling communication between set top boxes and remote controls are presented. A set top box communication module may be configured to receive remote control data transmissions from a plurality of set top boxes. A first amplifier may be configured to receive the remote control data transmissions from the set top box communication module and amplify the remote control data transmissions on a plurality of remote control communication channels. The first amplifier may be configured to output the amplifier remote control data transmissions to one or more antennas. A jamming module may be configured to transmit a jamming signal to the plurality of set top boxes when the communication control device is receiving a remote control data transmission from a set top box of the plurality of set top boxes. |
| US08925032B2 |
AV output system performing video output
If an incoming call arrives at a mobile phone as an AV output device while a video signal is output to a TV as an AV input device, as incoming call processing, a command notifying arrival of the incoming call is transmitted to the TV, and thereafter output of the video signal is stopped. The reason for the stop is displayed on the TV. When the call is terminated in the mobile phone, a command notifying termination of the call is transmitted to the TV, and the output of the video signal is resumed. Thereby, a notification screen is stopped on the TV, and reproduction of video is resumed. |
| US08925026B2 |
Back office support for a video provisioning system
A system may receive, from a set top box (STB), a request for a video asset; retrieve a profile, associated with a user of the STB, that identifies a device, associated with the user, that is a different type of device than the STB; determine whether a transaction history associated with the STB or another transaction history, associated with the device, indicates that the video asset is authorized to be transmitted to the STB; transmit the video asset to the STB based on a determination that the transaction history or the other transaction history indicates that the video asset is authorized to be transmitted to the STB; perform a transaction on the video asset based on a determination that the first transaction history or the second transaction history does not indicate that the video asset is authorized be transmitted to the STB, and transmit the video asset to the STB as a result of the transaction. |
| US08925025B2 |
System and method of providing access to content of an interrupted digital broadcast signal
A system and method of providing access to content of an interrupted digital broadcast is disclosed. A digital broadcast connection is established between a digital broadcast provider and at least one receiver. The digital broadcast connection is monitored and upon detecting an interruption in the digital broadcast connection, content of the interrupted digital broadcast signal is stored. A message is sent to the at least one receiver to indicate that the content of the interrupted digital broadcast signal is available. |
| US08925022B2 |
Method and apparatus for transferring content
A method and apparatus for downloading content within a video-on-demand system is provided herein. During operation a Video Home Office (VHO) will cache a subset of the Video Service Office (VSO) content. When a user requests content that is not stored on the VHO, the VHO will request that content from another VHO or the VSO. In order to reduce the additional network load imposed during item forwarding while attempting to balance the total load on all the links interconnecting the VSO and VHOs, recorded traffic history metrics are used to predict their future or current traffic. A VHO or VSO is chosen for fetching the content that will result in the lowest predicted traffic on the interconnecting links. |
| US08925021B2 |
Method and system for trick play in over-the-top video delivery
A method for trick play (fast forward, rewind, etc.) in video streams using adaptive bitrate HTTP delivery protocols includes playing only portions of a video at a current bitrate to achieve the initial trick play functionality. A new trick play bitrate is selected based on a trick play playout rate, the trick play bitrate for the duration of the trick play is retrieved, and operation is switched back to a previous bitrate when normal playback resumes. A system is also specified for implementing a client and server infrastructure in accordance with the method. |
| US08925020B2 |
Transmission system, reproduction device, transmission method, and program
There is provided a transmission system where reproduction devices and display devices may communicate content through a network, includes: a display device storage unit which stores identification information of the display devices capable of communicating a signal using communication means different from the network; and a content list storage unit which stores content lists provided from the reproduction device; the display device includes: a reproduction device storage unit which stores identification information of the reproduction devices capable of communicating a signal using the communication means; and when the display device which displays a requested content list is determined to be a device capable of transmission and reception using the communication means, based on at least one of the reproduction device identification information and the display device identification information, the reproduction device transmits the content lists stored in the content list storage unit to the display device. |
| US08925019B2 |
Synchronous display streaming system and synchronous displaying method
The synchronous display streaming system for multi-view frames is provided. The server provides a plurality of display streamings of a content in a plurality of angles. The server stores accounts. The first electronic device logs in a relation account of the accounts of the server. The second electronic device logs in the relation account of the server. The first electronic device and the second electronic device are grouped in a synchronization operation group. The server provides the plurality of display streamings in the plurality of angles to the first and the second electronic device which log in the relation account respectively and display the frames of the content in the plurality of angles on the first and the second electronic device. Any electronic device of the synchronization operation group performs an operation on one of the electronic devices of the synchronization operation group through the relation account of the server. |
| US08925018B2 |
Television control interface with electronic guide
An on-screen menu method and system for controlling the functions of integrated electronic devices and a television schedule system and method for displaying television schedule information on a television screen includes a program guide having a schedule information area that depicts the programs that are being presented on each channel at each time during the day and an interconnected series of menus to control the features of the integrated electronic devices. An input device allows the viewer to move a pointer over different interactive areas of the guide and the function performed when the area is activated is displayed in a contextual help window. Various control glyphs provide for recursive interaction with the guide. |
| US08925017B1 |
Content discovery and playback in a network environment
A processing resource detects that a subscriber entity subscribes to at least a first content service provider and a second content service provider. The processing resource receives a first message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the first content service provider. The processing resource receives a second message indicating content available to the subscriber entity for selective retrieval from the second content service provider. Based on at least the first message and the second message, the processing resource produces a content guide to include at least first content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the first service provider and second content available to the subscriber entity for retrieval from the second service provider. Via display of the content guide, a respective subscriber is able to view content available from multiple service providers. |
| US08925016B2 |
Extensions to trigger parameters table for interactive television
A method, computer program, and reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus. The method includes receiving content from a content source, and displaying the received content on a display. A first trigger is extracted from closed caption data associated with the received content. The reception apparatus retrieves a trigger parameters table (TPT) based on the extracted first trigger. The TPT includes at least one event associated with one or a combination of a trigger identifier and a first media time of the received content, and is stored in a memory of the reception apparatus. Further, the reception apparatus processes the event based on one or a combination of a second trigger including the trigger identifier and the first media time equaling a current media time of the received content. |
| US08925013B2 |
Information descriptor and extended information descriptor data structures for digital television signals
According to an aspect, there is provided a digital television (DTV) data stream including program and system information protocol (PSIP) data associated with content of the DTV data stream, the PSIP data including a virtual channel table (VCT) and an event information table (EIT), the EIT comprising: a source identification field identifying a source of an associated event in a DTV data stream; an event identification field indicating an identification of the event; a start time field indicating a star time of the event; a title field indicating a title of the event; and a descriptor comprising: a descriptor tag identifying the descriptor as a genre descriptor, a descriptor length indicating a total length of the descriptor; and at least one category code for an associated event in a DTV data stream, each category code specifying genre, program type, or category information of the associated event, wherein the at least one category code specifies at least one of a set of basic categories. |
| US08925011B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing broadcast content
Provided is an apparatus and method for processing broadcast content. According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce a cost for generating additional data and providing the additional data to a user by extracting a keyword from information about captions included in broadcast content, and generating additional information associated with the extracted keyword. |
| US08925009B2 |
Graphics handling for electronic program guide graphics in an RVU system
A network device sends a first set of images associated with an electronic program guide (EPG) to a client device. The network device determines that an image of the first set of images has been modified, and receives one or more calls for displaying the first set of images at the client device. The network device sends the modified image, or one or portions of the image that have been modified, to the client device without sending a remainder of the images in the first set of images, or without sending the remaining portions of the image. |
| US08925007B2 |
Generating teasers for live performances
A live performance is monitored by analyzing an input data stream comprising real-time updates related to the live performance. Different sets of excitement levels, excitement curves, alerts and teasers are generated based on the analysis and reported to a plurality of subscribers using any of a variety of mobile communication and/or computing devices. |
| US08925005B2 |
Custom content channel
Methods, systems and computer-readable media to provide custom video content via a custom content channel are disclosed. A method to display custom video content includes receiving a selection of a channel via a set top box (STB) device and determining whether the channel is a custom content channel. The method further includes accessing a play list associated with the custom content channel based on the determination. The play list identifies one or more video files stored at the STB device. The method also includes playing the one or more video files of the custom content channel to a display device coupled to the STB device. |
| US08924998B2 |
System and method for session management of streaming media
A system and method for session management of streaming media are provided. The system and method authenticate and validate any request for live or streaming video and manage the streaming session in a manner that continues to verify the validity of existing video streams with respect to new requests. The system and method provide for receiving a first request for a first video stream from a client, generating a token based on the first request and at least one parameter associated with the client, validating the token based on at least one predetermined rule associated with the client, and upon validation, providing the first video stream to the client. Upon receiving a subsequent second request for a second video stream, the system and method validate a second token based on the first video stream, terminate the first video stream and provide the second video stream to the client. |
| US08924995B2 |
Methods and apparatus for monitoring the insertion of local media content into a program stream
Methods and apparatus for monitoring locally inserted media content are disclosed. A disclosed method includes obtaining identification data and inserting the identification data in the media content after the media content has been received at a media consumption location. Another disclosed method includes receiving media content before the media content is output by a consumer receiving device and monitoring the received media content. Monitoring the received media content may include extracting signatures from the received media content and transmitting the extracted signatures to another location. |
| US08924994B2 |
Power management for audience measurement meters
Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises determining an activation state of a media presentation device, and controlling activation of an audience measurement meter based on the activation state of the media presentation device, the audience measurement meter to monitor the media presentation device when the activation state is an active state. Another example method disclosed herein comprises obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device to be monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information, and determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and outage information determined from the audience measurement data. |
| US08924992B2 |
System and method for independent media auditing and media serving for marketing campaigns presented via media devices in public places
An independent auditing and ad service system that may be utilized in conjunction with a system for presenting marketing campaigns to audiences via a network of players located in public locations. Independent agents in the players monitor media content that is presented to audiences during marketing campaigns and generate independent agent playlogs that are provided to a content registry service. The content registry service compares the independent agent playlogs with playlogs that are provided by a network operator to validate the network-operator-generated playlogs. The independent agent playlogs may also be provided to an analytics service where they are used to analyze the performance of marketing campaigns. Based on the analyzed performance, the service may determine that the media content being presented to audiences via the media players should be changed. The independent agents may be instructed to implement recommended changes by modifying the media content being presented on the players. |
| US08924991B2 |
Breakpoint information management method and breakpoint information manager
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a breakpoint information management method and a breakpoint information manager. The breakpoint information management method includes: obtaining, according to a query parameter obtained from a current application program and stored breakpoint information of at least one application program, breakpoint context information corresponding to the query parameter; calculating interest information according to the breakpoint context information; and returning the interest information to the current application program so that the current application program plays a corresponding electronic file. With the breakpoint information management method and the breakpoint information manager provided in the present invention, breakpoint information is deeply analyzed to obtain interest information, so that the breakpoint information is reused; and electronic files satisfying a user's interest characteristics are played for the user according to the interest information, thereby enlarging the application scope of the breakpoint information. |
| US08924989B2 |
System and method for integrated hardware platform for flash applications with distributed objects
There are provided systems and methods for providing an integrated hardware platform to allow hardware control via an Application Program Interface (API) used by a Flash application executing in a Flash runtime environment on a host system. There is a provided a computer platform comprising a processor, a peripheral hardware, a connector device, and a memory. The memory contains an API implementation for remote methods provided by the API for the Flash application, a proxy server for enabling communications between the Flash application and the platform processor, and a security service for providing a security policy to grant network connection permissions for communications with the platform processor. API remote method invocations allow the Flash application to control the peripheral hardware, and a networked server may manage remote invocations to control platform hardware of multiple networked clients. |
| US08924987B2 |
Flat or extended architecture using an integrated application and operating system component for computing systems and environments
In an integrated approach, an integrated application and operating system (IAOS) component integrates at least one computer application program with at least one operating system (OS) function. The IAOS component is an upper level system relative to a lower level system. The lower level system includes an OS operable to perform a reduced set of OS functions. The OS may be optimized for the IAOS component. For example, the OS may be optimized for Web-based and/or Browser-based applications of the IAOS component. In a flat approach, at least one component is an adjacent component in an upper level system, thereby allowing extension of the upper level system to accommodate various needs. An adjacent component can include at least one OS component and/or function not provided by the OS, serve as an interface to another layer and/or the OS, or provide Real-Time Operating System. |
| US08924986B2 |
Methods, devices and computer program products for confluence of multiple operating systems
Applications of multiple operating systems are provided with access to hardware resources within a mobile device. An application associated with a primary operating system is provided with access to at least some of the hardware resources via a driver running within a kernel of the primary operating system. An application associated with a secondary operating system is also provided with access to at least some of the hardware resources via the driver running within the kernel of the primary operating system. |
| US08924984B2 |
Lock-free barrier with dynamic updating of participant count
A method of executing an algorithm in a parallel manner using a plurality of concurrent threads includes generating a lock-free barrier that includes a variable that stores both a total participants count and a current participants count. The total participants count indicates a total number of threads in the plurality of concurrent threads that are participating in a current phase of the algorithm, and the current participants count indicates a total number of threads in the plurality of concurrent threads that have completed the current phase. The barrier blocks the threads that have completed the current phase. The total participants count is dynamically updated during execution of the current phase of the algorithm. The generating, blocking, and dynamically updating are performed by at least one processor. |
| US08924983B2 |
Method and device for processing inter-subframe service load balancing and processing inter-cell interference
A method and device for processing inter-subframe service load balancing and processing inter-cell interference is disclosed. The method includes: when processing the inter-subframe service load balancing, determining a service load of a link in a time period; determining a resource utilization ratio threshold according to the service load; and transmitting service data in each subframe according to the utilization ratio threshold. When processing inter-cell interference, performing inter-subframe service load balancing and in combination with various inter-cell interference coordination technologies, performing an interference mitigation process in one or a combination of a frequency domain, power and a space domain by interference coordination technology. |
| US08924981B1 |
Calculating priority indicators for requests in a queue
Requests to be executed in the database system are received, where a plurality of the requests are provided in a queue for later execution. Priority indicators are calculated for assignment to corresponding ones of the plurality of requests in the queue, where the priority indicators are calculated based on delay times and predefined priority levels of the requests. The requests in the queue are executed in order according to the calculated priority indicators. |
| US08924980B2 |
Urgency based scheduling
The present invention relates to a method of scheduling for multi-function radars. Specifically, the present invention relates to an efficient urgency-based scheduling method.The present invention provides a method of scheduling tasks in a radar apparatus including the steps of: receiving one or more tasks to schedule; calculating an urgency function for each said task; and storing the said tasks using said urgency function to order each said task relative to the other said tasks; wherein when a task is to be performed, the task having the highest value of urgency function is located. |
| US08924969B2 |
Virtual machine image write leasing
A system that includes multiple hosts, each having physical resources, a hypervisor, and a host agent that causes the virtual machines to operate above the hypervisor so as to be abstracted from the physical resources. A host fabric reviews requests to instantiate or upgrade a virtual machine, identifies a corresponding virtual machine image to instantiate the virtual machine from in order to honor the request, and determines whether the virtual machine to be instantiated has a valid lease on the virtual machine image. If the requestor does not have a valid lease, the request is blocked. If the requestor does have a valid lease, the host fabric facilitates the instantiation of the virtual machine from the virtual machine image. This prevents or eliminates the chances of multiple instances of the same virtual machine image writing to the virtual machine image at the same time. |
| US08924965B2 |
Memory state transfer of virtual machine-controlled peripherals during migrations of the virtual machine
A mechanism for memory change tracking during migration of a virtual machine (VM) with VM-controlled assigned peripherals is disclosed. A method of the invention includes interacting with a VM executed by a hypervisor of a origin host machine in order to cause the VM to prevent a state of a peripheral device controlled by the VM from changing, receiving the state of the peripheral device from at least one of the VM, a memory of the VM, or the peripheral device, and transferring the obtained state of the peripheral device to a destination host machine as part of a migration process of the VM. |
| US08924964B2 |
Dynamic allocation and assignment of virtual environment
A mechanism for enabling enterprise data centers to allocate portions of their infrastructure and assign them to specific line of business unit IT organizations. The mechanism allows the business unit to dynamically and rapidly provision virtual infrastructure as needed to run line of business applications. This can also enable the business unit to focus more on the development and management of the applications rather than invest significant resources in managing the infrastructure layer. In various embodiments, data center administrators may be enabled to allocate and assign a portion of their physical infrastructure (Storage, Network and Compute) and expose them as a virtualized environment to different business unit organizations. |
| US08924959B2 |
Switching hardware devices in virtual machine systems using resource converting relationships
The present invention provides a virtual machine system and a method for switching hardware devices thereof. In the virtual machine system, the hardware devices are classified into all-time sharing devices, time division switching devices and all-time exclusive devices based on using fashions. For the time division switching devices, the method for switching hardware devices is adopted, comprising steps of: upon system switching, sending a corresponding switching signal to a device model (DM) module corresponding to a foreground Guest OS and a DM module corresponding to a background Guest OS; the DM module corresponding to the foreground Guest OS releasing the hardware devices from its device space; the DM module corresponding to the background Guest OS adding the hardware devices released by the DM module corresponding to the foreground Guest OS to its device space. It is possible to implement switching of hardware devices among different Guest OSs by the system and method of the invention. |
| US08924957B1 |
Systems and methods for simultaneously installing user-input-dependent software packages on multiple devices
Computer-implemented methods and systems for simultaneously installing user-input-dependent software packages on multiple devices are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) initiating installation of a software package on each of a plurality of client devices, 2) receiving, from each client device, a visual image generated during installation of the software package that depicts an installation step that requires user input, 3) consolidating the visual images into a consolidated view, 4) displaying, via an installation-management interface, the consolidated view to a user of the computing device, 5) receiving, via the installation-management interface, user input from the user for completing the installation step, and then 6) completing the installation step by sending the user input to each client device. |
| US08924951B2 |
Embedding patch lists within compiled program code
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with maintaining information about patches installed on a node are described. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to installing a patch to a program, updating a list of installed patches in a computer by adding an identifier of the patch to the list of installed patches. The method also includes embedding the updated list of installed patches into compiled binary code of the program. |
| US08924950B2 |
Utility node software/firmware update through a multi-type package
Software and/or firmware of a utility node device may be updated by utilizing an update package that includes multiple update items related to different types of the software and/or firmware. The utility node device may selectively install one or more of the multiple update items based on a type of the software and/or firmware that is currently installed on the device. The different types of software and/or firmware may relate to different versions of the software and/or firmware and/or different types of hardware. In some instances, an update item of the update package comprises a delta file that contains differences between different versions of the software and/or firmware. The utility node device may comprise a smart utility meter, sensor, control device, transformer, switch, relay, or the like. |
| US08924944B2 |
Implementation of distributed methods that support generic functions
Embodiments are directed to providing a generic software function for a plurality of data types in a distributed environment and to implementing type checking at compile time and at runtime. In one scenario, a computer system receives a portion of software code for a distributed software application, where the software code is written as a generic function in a computer programming language that supports reflection. The computer system presents a function signature at runtime to a just-in-time (JIT) compiler. The function signature describes which of multiple different input and output data types the generic function is configured to work with. The computer system also implements reflection at runtime to resolve each generic function to a function pointer after compilation by the JIT. |
| US08924942B1 |
Identifying user interface improvements from observed user behavior
Disclosed are various embodiments for identifying user interface improvements from observed user behavior. A use case description is obtained from a developer of an application. Usability metrics are collected that observe interaction of a plurality of users with a user interface of the application. The usability metrics are analyzed in conjunction with the use case description to identify at least one aspect of the user interface for improvement. The aspect includes a page or an actionable element. Information is provided to the developer about the at least one aspect of the user interface identified for improvement. |
| US08924940B2 |
Streams debugging within a windowing condition
Method product for performing an operation, the operation including providing a plurality of processing elements comprising one or more operators, the operators configured to process streaming data tuples. The operation then establishes an operator graph of multiple operators, the operator graph defining at least one execution path in which a first operator of the plurality of operators is configured to receive data tuples from at least one upstream operator and transmit data tuples to at least one downstream operator. The operation then defines a breakpoint, the breakpoint comprising a condition, the condition based on attribute values of data tuples in a window of at least one operator, the window comprising a plurality of data tuples in an operator. The operation, upon detecting occurrence of the condition, triggers the breakpoint to halt processing by each of the plurality of operators in the operator graph. |
| US08924939B2 |
Streams debugging within a windowing condition
Method, system and computer program product for performing an operation, the operation including providing a plurality of processing elements comprising one or more operators, the operators configured to process streaming data tuples. The operation then establishes an operator graph of multiple operators, the operator graph defining at least one execution path in which a first operator of the plurality of operators is configured to receive data tuples from at least one upstream operator and transmit data tuples to at least one downstream operator. The operation then defines a breakpoint, the breakpoint comprising a condition, the condition based on attribute values of data tuples in a window of at least one operator, the window comprising a plurality of data tuples in an operator. The operation, upon detecting occurrence of the condition, triggers the breakpoint to halt processing by each of the plurality of operators in the operator graph. |
| US08924938B2 |
Software testing using machine learning
A system and method for analyzing a computer program includes performing a static analysis on a program to determine property correctness. Test cases are generated and conducted to provide test output data. Hypotheses about aspects of execution of the program are produced to classify paths for test cases to determine whether the test cases have been encountered or otherwise. In accordance with the hypothesis, new test cases are generated to cause the program to exercise behavior which is outside of the encountered test cases. |
| US08924931B2 |
Method and system for determining dependencies in a mainframe development environment
Techniques are provided for determining dependencies in a mainframe development environment. While executing a first build file to generate a first build of a software program from files in a file system, the activity in the file system is monitored to determine a plurality of files that are being accessed, and first information about the plurality of files is recorded. The first information is sent to a configuration management server. From the configuration management server, second information is received that indicates one or more dependencies which are determined among the plurality of files based on the first information. Based at least on the second information, a second build file is generated. The second build file is executed to generate a second build of the software program, where the second build is generated more efficiently by using less computing resources than the first build of the software program. |
| US08924929B2 |
Methods and system for executing a program in multiple execution environments
A system and methods are disclosed for executing a technical computing program in parallel in multiple execution environments. A program is invoked for execution in a first execution environment and from the invocation the program is executed in the first execution environment and one or more additional execution environments to provide for parallel execution of the program. New constructs in a technical computing programming language are disclosed for parallel programming of a technical computing program for execution in multiple execution environments. It is also further disclosed a system and method for changing the mode of operation of an execution environment from a sequential mode to a parallel mode of operation and vice-versa. |
| US08924928B1 |
Rule-based, run-time-alterable, client-agnostic client-server system
A machine is disclosed in data communication with at least one remote computing device configured as a user interface, for example. The machine may include first logic to process non-compiled, non-linked rules providing desired functionality on a remote computing device upon the occurrence of an event. The machine may also include second logic to selectively implement an authorized rule change changing a non-compiled, non-linked rule and storing the changed rule in storage. Changing the non-compiled, non-linked rule may be accomplished in run-time and provide changed functionality on the remote computing device upon an event. |
| US08924927B2 |
Representation and conversion of dynamically-typed arrays
Representation of an array in dynamically-typed program code at runtime is provided. Program code is accessed at runtime. An instruction for adding, updating or deleting one or more elements for an array is detected within the code. The array is associated with a first kind of element comprising a first representation and packing format. A second kind of element is determined based on at least one of the instruction or the one or more elements, the second kind of element comprising at least one of a second representation or packing format. A determination is made that the first and second kind of elements are not consistent, based on an inconsistency between the first and second representation formats or packing formats. The array is converted so that the first and second kind of elements are consistent. One or more array elements are added, updated or deleted based on the instruction. |
| US08924922B2 |
Pre-compiling hosted managed code
A hosted pre-compilation system is described herein that provides a way to enable ahead-of-time compilation for managed code running inside a host. The host triggers ahead-of-time compilation at application runtime, after any configuration settings are available. The host can choose which modules to compile, when to compile them, and where to persist the generated images. Upon detecting a module load, the host can trigger pre-compilation, provide the loader an existing pre-compiled image of the module, or do nothing. The runtime/platform validates the integrity of any host-supplied pre-compiled image and provides application programming interfaces (APIs) to inform the host when an image becomes invalid and fails to load. The platform also provides APIs to let the host trigger compilation of binaries at any time relevant to the host, and to generate the images either synchronously or in a background process. |
| US08924921B2 |
Abstracting business logic into centralized database controls
Methods, systems, and products for abstracting business logic into centralized database controls are disclosed herein. In one general embodiment, a method, executed by a computer system, includes identifying data use code in business logic: analyzing the data use code to determine a general data model: and implementing the general data model in the centralized database controls. The general data model is an abstraction embodying the functionality inherent in the data use code. In specific embodiments, identifying data use code in the business logic may be carried out by identifying the data use code in at least one subcomponent of the business logic, such as a user interface code component, a database coding, a table, or a file. The computer system may remove the data use code from the business logic or designate the data use code for removal. |
| US08924915B2 |
Use of metadata for seamless updates
The invention provides a system and method for updating software in the CPU of a network device without interrupting the operation of the network device. The invention determines whether operating state information is recoverable. If it is not recoverable, then it will be stored in a metadata module or reload buffer. When the CPU is rebooted, after a software update or crash, it operates in a special reload mode and is able to recover any system state information not available in the network device from the metadata module. |
| US08924912B2 |
Method of recording and replaying call frames for a test bench
A computer-implemented method to debug testbench code of a testbench associated with a circuit design by recording a trace of call frames along with activities of the circuit design. By correlating and displaying the recorded trace of call frames, the method enables users to easily trace as execution history of subroutines executed by the testbench thereby to debug the testbench code. In addition, users can trace source code of the testbench code by using the recorded trace of call frames. Furthermore, users can debug the testbench code utilizing a virtual simulation, which is done by post-processing records of the virtual simulation stored in a database. |
| US08924910B2 |
Filter design tool
A method according to an embodiment of a filter design tool is provided and includes receiving filter parameters for an analog filter through a user interface, where the filter parameters include an optimization parameter related to an application requirement of the analog filter, optimizing the filter for the optimization parameter, calculating a design output based on the optimized filter, and displaying the design output on the user interface. The method can further include receiving viewing parameters that specify the design output to be displayed. In various embodiments, the user interface includes an input area, a viewing area and a window area in one or more pages, where the input area is contiguous to the viewing area in at least one page. The filter parameters can be entered in the input area and the design output is calculated and displayed in the contiguous viewing area substantially immediately. |
| US08924908B2 |
FinFET cell architecture with power traces
A finFET block architecture suitable for use of a standard cell library, is based on an arrangement including a first set of semiconductor fins in a first region of the substrate having a first conductivity type, and a second set of semiconductor fins in a second region of the substrate, the second region having a second conductivity type. A patterned gate conductor layer including gate traces in the first and second regions, arranged over channel regions of the first and second sets of semiconductor fins is used for transistor gates. Patterned conductor layers over the gate conductor layer are arranged in orthogonal layout patterns, and can include a plurality of floating power buses over the fins in the first and second regions. |
| US08924907B1 |
Bitstream verification on embedded processor—FPGA platform
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for verifying compatibility between a configuration image file bitstream for a programmable logic device (PLD) and an electrical circuit incorporating the PLD. The circuit includes an embedded processor, at least one memory device, and at least one input/output (I/O) device. A computer processing arrangement receives a user selection of the target image file, a first identifier of a first set of electrical circuit designs with which the target image file is compatible; and makes a determination whether or not the first circuit has a design included in the first set by comparing the first identifier with a second identifier, the second identifier corresponding to a design definition of the circuit. |
| US08924898B2 |
System and method of designing instruction extensions to supplement an existing processor instruction set architecture
An automated processor design tool uses a description of customized processor instruction set extensions in a standardized language to develop a configurable definition of a target instruction set, a Hardware Description Language description of circuitry necessary to implement the instruction set, and development tools such as a compiler, assembler, debugger and simulator which can be used to develop applications for the processor and to verify it. Implementation of the processor circuitry can be optimized for various criteria such as area, power consumption, speed and the like. Once a processor configuration is developed, it can be tested and inputs to the system modified to iteratively optimize the processor implementation. By providing a constrained domain of extensions and optimizations, the process can be automated to a high degree, thereby facilitating fast and reliable development. |
| US08924896B2 |
Automated design layout pattern correction based on context-aware patterns
A process and apparatus are provided for automated pattern-based semiconductor design layout correction. Embodiments include scanning a drawn semiconductor design layout to determine a difficult-to-manufacture pattern within the drawn semiconductor design layout based on a match with a pre-characterized difficult-to-manufacture pattern, determining a corrected pattern based on a pre-determined correlation between the corrected pattern and the pre-characterized difficult-to-manufacture pattern, and replacing the difficult-to-manufacture pattern with the corrected pattern within the drawn semiconductor design layout. |
| US08924894B1 |
Tab bar control for mobile devices
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing tab bar controls on a mobile computing device are described. In one aspect, a method includes displaying a first tab graphic in a first tab bar control, the first tab bar control being displayed at a first default position on a first edge of a touchscreen display, detecting a user selection in a first region of the touchscreen display, the first region associated with the first tab graphic, detecting user motion, animating the first tab bar control to extend from the first edge of the touch-screen display in response to detecting user motion, determining a measure of user motion, comparing the measure of user motion to a threshold measure, and performing one or more functions on the mobile device in response to the measure of user motion exceeding the threshold measure. |
| US08924880B2 |
Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications in virtual reality
Methods and systems for connecting people for real time communications via a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object presented in a virtual reality world; indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object is being called; and responsive to an input from one resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the resident for a real time communication session. |
| US08924875B2 |
Data recovery
A data recovery method and system is provided. The method includes initializing and presenting by a processor, a computer generated presentation data. The processor monitors input cursor focus, a cursor, and data input from a user with respect to the computer generated presentation data. The data input is automatically stored within a specified memory unit. A portion of the data input is directed to an associated area in the computer generated presentation data. A focus change with respect to the cursor, the associated area, and the data input is detected and in response, a message a message indicating the focus change is presented to the user. The processor receives a command from the user in response to the message. |
| US08924872B1 |
Overview user interface of emergency call data of a law enforcement agency
Techniques in this disclosure may provide a user interface that concurrently displays multiple panels which provide visualization of emergency call data of a law enforcement agency. The user interface can provide a high-level overview of emergency calls in a geographical area. Each panel in the user interface can provide visualization of the emergency calls and/or statistics relating to the calls. A user can customize which panels to include in the user interface and/or customize setting for each panel. The user may apply various types of filters to the data displayed in the user interface, and the panels can update the visualizations according to the filters. The user interface can also provide the ability to show data at various levels of detail within the same user interface or panel. The techniques in the disclosure can provide a convenient, digestible overview of tactical and/or strategic data in a single user interface. |
| US08924869B2 |
Service for generation of customizable display widgets
A system for presenting dynamically generated images in a computing environment is provided. The system generates visual elements, such as widgets, for example, by combining image data, user-defined data which may include alphanumeric data, and real-time data indicative of current conditions. The widgets may be implemented in a purely server-side application environment which alleviates the need for any installation of client software on the client computing device. |
| US08924866B2 |
Method for controlling display of a messaging window in a terminal
A method for controlling display of a messaging window displays a messaging window including a message input region and a message output region, receives a plurality of incoming messages which are successively displayed in the message output region, and selectively freezes the message output region such that incoming messages that are received while the message output region is selectively frozen are not displayed in the message output region. |
| US08924865B1 |
Displaying an ancestry graph within a social networking service
Systems and methods for displaying an ancestry graph within a social networking service are provided. In some aspects, an indication of a subset of social contacts of the first user, where an ancestry of the first user includes the subset of the social contacts of the first user, and an indication of ancestry relationships between the first user and the subset of the social contacts of the first user are received, via an account associated with a first user of a social networking service. A first ancestry graph including representations of the subset of the social contacts of the first user and representations of the ancestry relationships among the subset of the social contacts are provided for display, via the account associated with the first user. |
| US08924863B2 |
Collaborative web navigation using document object model (DOM) based document references
A system for collaborative web browsing is provided comprising: a CPU; a system memory in communication with said CPU; a display medium; and instructions stored in the system memory and executable by the CPU, the instructions comprising: enabling a device to join a collaborative web browsing session; enabling a data navigation module to provide, upon an object appearing upon the display medium being selected by a user, outgoing navigation data that enables a rendering of the object to be distinguished from other objects rendered upon at least one other display medium of at least one other device. |
| US08924856B2 |
Method of and apparatus for providing a slide show, and computer readable storage medium having recorded thereon a computer program for providing a slide show
Provided is a method of providing a slide show. The method includes determining whether a first image to be displayed is an image photographed in a continuous photographing mode, when the first image is an image photographed in the continuous photographing mode, displaying the first image for a first time interval, and when the first image is not an image photographed in the continuous photographing mode, displaying the first image for a second time interval, wherein the first time interval and the second time interval are different from each other. The first time interval may be shorter than the second time interval. |
| US08924855B2 |
Retail outlet TV feature display system
An automatic feature demonstration mode for TV products that can be used in retail stores. TV features that otherwise would be overlooked by customers or misrepresented by the sales staff are advertised on the TV itself. The system may be used to convey information beyond TV features. |
| US08924854B2 |
System and method for focused navigation within a user interface
A method for navigation of television program listings within a user interface includes successively displaying a first set of visual cards in a first area of the user interface. Each visual card of the first set of visual cards represents a corresponding broadcast time slot associated with a graphically represented first card characteristic. Selection by a user of a particular visual card of the first set of visual cards is enabled in order to view a television program corresponding to the time slot represented by the selected visual card. In an embodiment, a transition from display of a first visual card of the first set of visual cards to display of a second visual card of the first set of visual cards occurs automatically at the conclusion of a first time period. |
| US08924852B2 |
Apparatus, method, and program for supporting processing of character string in document
A support apparatus, computer-implemented method, and article of manufacture for supporting a processing of a character string in a document. The support apparatus includes: a document storage unit; a designation reception unit; a document acquisition unit; a historical-information storage unit; a reference-information generator; and a presentation unit. The method includes: receiving designation from a user; acquiring a document from the document storage device based on the designation by the user; reading pieces of historical information related to the acquired document from the historical-information storage device, and thereby generating reference information for helping the user to select a processing of the character string in the document; and presenting, to the user, a screen for receiving the designation of the processing of the character string in the acquired document, together with the reference information. |
| US08924850B1 |
Speeding up document loading
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for speeding up document loading. In some implementations, a resource of a document is requested from a first source, and metadata for the document is requested from a second source that is different from the first source. The requested metadata is received from the second source, and the requested resource is received from the first source. A first representation of the document based on the received metadata is provided for display. After providing the first representation, a second representation of the document that combines portions of the first representation with additional portions of the document is generated, and the second representation is provided for display. |
| US08924847B2 |
Multilayer style sheet approach and system
A multilayer style sheet method includes retrieving multiple style sheets, the style sheets comprising multiple layers in a hierarchy, the layers comprising characteristics of features for electronic documents, and generating an electronic document based on the style sheets. |
| US08924843B1 |
Visualizing a plurality of times series in corresponding cell-based lines of a display region
A plurality of time series having corresponding sets of data over time are received. Visual indicators for display in a display region are presented for values of at least a first attribute of the plurality of time series in corresponding cell-based lines, where the cell-based lines have cells to display the corresponding visual indicators for the values of the at least first attribute over time. The plurality of time series in the display region are ordered according to an aggregate of at least one attribute of the plurality of time series. |
| US08924839B2 |
Electronic reader system with bookmarking and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of an electronic reader system includes: identifying a first feature point on a first multimedia book when a behavior pattern matches or exceeds a threshold pattern; generating a first bookmark corresponding to the first feature point; ranking a mark importance priority of the first bookmark based on the behavior pattern; rendering the first bookmark for displaying on a display; and updating the display based on the mark importance priority. |
| US08924838B2 |
Harvesting data from page
Among other disclosure, computer-implemented methods and computer program products for obtaining data from a page. A method can include initiating a harvesting process for a page available in a computer system. The method can include identifying a feed representation that has been created for the page. The method can include retrieving and storing, as part of the harvesting process, at least a portion from the page based on information in the identified feed representation. The feed representation can include at least excerpts of content from the page. The feed representation can include at least one representation selected from: an RSS feed, an Atom feed, an XML feed, an RDF feed, a serialized data feed representation, and combinations thereof. |
| US08924837B2 |
Text file interface support in an object oriented application
A method and system for processing a text file in a computer application. The method comprises the steps offorming a template from fragments of the text file; using the template as an overlay for parsing incoming files, or as a prototype to generate a segment of an output file; and using a macro class to map data from the text file to an application. The macro class is embedded as a keyword within the template, so that when the template reaches the keyword, the template calls the macro class to further process the text file. The macro class may be used to reads in a segment of the text file and to use the segment to initiate application update processing. Also, the macro class may be used to derive data from the application and to format it into the text file. Preferably, an interface controller is provided to prevent structure clashes by placing text data into appropriate places in a complex object structure as the text file is processed. |
| US08924833B2 |
Data independent error computation and usage with decision directed error computation
An analog front end is adjusted by determining a signal quality based at least in part on digital sample(s). If the signal quality satisfies one or more criteria, a data independent gain gradient and a data independent offset gradient are selected to adjust the analog front end, where the two gradients are generated without taking into consideration an instantaneous value of an expected signal. If the signal quality does not satisfy the criteria, a decision directed gain gradient and a decision directed offset gradient are selected to adjust the analog front end, where the two gradients are generated based at least in part on decision(s). |
| US08924832B1 |
Efficient error handling mechanisms in data storage systems
A data storage system configured to efficiently search and update system data is disclosed. In one embodiment, the data storage system can attempt to correct errors in retrieved data configured to index system data. Metadata stored along with user data in a memory location can be configured to indicate a logical address associated in a logical-to-physical location mapping with a physical address at which user data and metadata are stored. The data storage system can generate modified versions of logical address indicated by the metadata and determine whether such modified versions match the physical address in the logical-to-physical mapping. Modified versions of the logical address can be generated by flipping one or more bits in the logical address indicated by the metadata. Efficiency can be increased and improved performance can be attained. |
| US08924827B2 |
Methods and systems for minimizing decoding delay in distributed video coding
This disclosure generally relates to encoding, transmission, and decoding of digital video, and more particularly to methods and systems for minimizing decoding delay in distributed video coding (DVC). In one embodiment, a video decoding method is disclosed. The video decoding method may include obtaining side information and obtaining a syndrome bit chunk corresponding to a non-key-frame bit-plane. One or more processors may perform one non-key-frame bit-plane channel decoding iteration using the side information and the syndrome bit chunk. A decoded bit-plane may be generated via performing the at least one non-key-frame bit-plane channel decoding iteration. Also, a bit error rate measure for the decoded bit-plane may be determined. A number of additional syndrome bit chunks to request may be determined based on the bit error rate measure, and the request for the additional syndrome bit chunks provided. |
| US08924818B1 |
Partial reconfiguration and error detection in an integrated circuit
Techniques for reconfiguring an integrated circuit (IC) are provided. The techniques may improve error detection in the partially reconfigurable IC. A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) value for a first configuration data is received by the IC and a second configuration data is generated based on the first configuration data and a prior configuration data stored in the IC. The first configuration data may be a partial reconfiguration data that is used to reconfigure at least a portion of the IC. A third configuration data is then generated based on the first and second configuration data and the prior configuration data. A second CRC value is calculated based on the third configuration data. The second CRC value, together with the first CRC value and a prior CRC value stored in the IC, is used to calculate an updated CRC value. The updated CRC value is stored in the IC. |
| US08924816B2 |
Method and system to improve the performance and/or reliability of a solid-state drive
A method and system to improve the performance and/or reliability of a solid-state drive (SSD). In one embodiment of the invention, the SSD has logic to compress a block of data to be stored in the SSD. If it is not possible to compress the block of data below the threshold, the SSD stores the block of data without any compression. If it is possible to compress the block of data below the threshold, the SSD compresses the block of data and stores the compressed data in the SSD. In one embodiment of the invention, the SSD has logic to dynamically adjust or select the strength of the error correcting code of the data that is stored in the SSD. In another embodiment of the invention, the SSD has logic to provide intra-page XOR protection of the data in the page. |
| US08924812B2 |
Non-binary LDPC code decoder
The present disclosure relates generally to data decoding, and more particularly to non-binary iterative decoders. Non-binary LDPC codes and LDPC decoders that may be used to decode non-binary LDPC codes are disclosed. Systems and methods are also disclosed that compute messages related to non-binary LDPC codes, in a LLRV form and in a metric vector form and to process these messages in non-binary LDPC decoders. Systems and methods are additionally disclosed that convert messages between the LLRV form and the metric vector form. The implementation and use of non-binary low density parity check code decoders, the computation of messages in the LLRV and metric vector forms, and the use of message conversion systems and methods, according to this disclosure, may provide increased information relating groups of codeword bits, increased computational efficiency, and improved application performance. |
| US08924809B2 |
Cell dependent multi-group hybrid automatic repeat method for multicast wireless networks
A method and apparatus are described including determining address using an access point address and a multicast group address, transmitting a recovery request message to a recovery server to request recovery data using the address and receiving the recovery data from the recovery server. Also described are a method and apparatus including receiving a registration message, transmitting a reply to the registration message, receiving a recovery request message, transmitting recovery data responsive to the recovery request message and transmitting a message to a recovery multicast group to determine status of the recovery multicast group. |
| US08924806B2 |
User terminal and method for performing retransmission control
A user terminal for receiving a plurality of data pieces for a plurality of processes that are simultaneously operated. Each of the data pieces has an indicator indicating whether the data piece is new data and is transmitted from a network apparatus that changes an indicator value on a process-by-process basis. The user terminal includes a data receiving unit for receiving the data piece having the indicator, a response transmitting unit for transmitting a response indicating an acknowledgement or a negative acknowledgement for the received data piece, and an indicator determination unit for determining whether the indicator of the received data piece is the same as the indicator of a previous data piece received immediately previously for the same process as the process of the received data piece and whether the response for the previous data piece indicates the acknowledgement to discard the received data piece. |
| US08924804B2 |
Synchronizer and buffers delaying strobe to individual parallel scan paths
Functional circuits and cores of circuits are tested on integrated circuits using scan paths. Using parallel scan distributor and collector circuits for these scan paths improves test access of circuits and cores embedded within ICs and reduces the IC's power consumption during scan testing. A controller for the distributor and collector circuits includes a test control register, a test control state machine and a multiplexer. These test circuits can be connected in a hierarchy or in parallel. A conventional test access port or TAP can be modified to work with the disclosed test circuits. |
| US08924803B2 |
Boundary scan test interface circuit
The invention provides a boundary scan test interface circuit. The boundary scan test interface circuit includes N test input pads, a test interfacing module and M test output pads, wherein N and M are positive integers, and M is smaller than N. The test interfacing module is coupled to the test input pads. The test interfacing module having a plurality of logical gates, and each of input pins of each of the logical gates coupled to each of the test input pads. The test output pads are coupled to output pins of the logical gates in the test interfacing module. |
| US08924800B2 |
Remote monitoring systems and related methods and recording mediums using the same
Remote monitoring systems for remotely monitoring execution status of a PLC (Programmable Logic controller) program of a machine include a storage module, a parameter retrieval module and a monitoring module. The storage module stores ladder diagram information corresponding to a PLC source program, wherein the ladder diagram information includes PLC signal address relation information, a plurality of logic switches and a responsive collect command of each logic switch of a ladder diagram. The PLC signal address relation information indicates the relations of the logic switches on the ladder diagram. The parameter retrieval module respectively retrieves parameter data corresponding to the logic switches using the responsive collect commands. The monitoring module generates a status of ladder diagram according to the logic switches, the parameter data and the PLC signal address relation information to display the parameter data corresponding to each logic switch when the machine is executing the PLC source program. |
| US08924793B1 |
Methods and devices for efficiently updating the push down list in a storage device
A data storage device comprises storage media and a controller. The storage media may comprise a plurality of media defects, at least some of the media defects being listed in a grown defect list and a primary defect list comprising a plurality of entries sorted in an order according to physical address locations. The controller may be configured to generate a push down list from the primary defect list and the grown defect list by populating the push down list with entries from the primary defect list such that the push down list entries maintain the order; translating each entry in the grown defect list to a physical address location; and inserting each translated physical address location with updated push down count into the push down list. |
| US08924791B2 |
System including a vendor computer system for testing software products in a cloud network
A system including a vendor computer system. The vendor computer includes a test controller and a resource controller. The test controller is configured to provide a central access point to the vendor computer system and to manage test cases. The resource controller is configured to control testing of software products. The resource controller allocates cloud resources in a cloud network to test the software products via the test case. |
| US08924790B2 |
Method and system for exception detecting and alerting
Methods and system for exception detecting and alerting are described. An exception indicating an occurrence of an error in an application and a path to the exception in an application space may be received. The received exception may be compared to a stored exception in a prior version of an exception data structure to determine whether the received exception is a new exception. The exception data structure may include a plurality of stored exceptions. The results of the comparison may be provided. |
| US08924787B2 |
Network debugging
A debugging system used for a data center in a network is disclosed. The system includes a monitoring engine to monitor network traffic by collecting traffic information from a network controller, a modeling engine to model an application signature, an infrastructure signature, and a task signature using a monitored log, a debugging engine to detect a change in the application signature between a working status and a non-working status using a reference log and a problem log, and to validate the change using the task signature, and a providing unit to provide toubleshooting information, wherein an unknown change in the application signature is correlated to a known problem class by considering a dependency to a change in the infrastructure signature. Other methods and systems also are disclosed. |
| US08924781B2 |
Power capping based on generator capacity
A data center may use generators for backup power, where the backup generators are able to serve less than the maximal power load of the data center. The use of generators that can serve less than the maximal power load may be recognized by, and addressed by, the power policy for the data center. When utility power is lost, the power policy manager may detect that the data center is switching to generator power, and may have knowledge of the capacity of those generators. If the capacity is less than the maximal power load of the data center, the power policy manager may shed load by throttling equipment in the data center to lower power levels. The policy may specify which pieces of equipment are to be throttled. When utility power is restored, the throttling of the equipment may be removed by the power policy manager. |
| US08924780B2 |
Method of providing high integrity processing
A method of providing synchronization and integrity checking in a high integrity processing system having at least two redundant processing lanes, with each lane having an application processor, with the application processors running the same application software in a non-lockstep configuration, and outputting transactions requiring access to an addressable space. |
| US08924778B2 |
Method to synchronize a replacement controller's firmware version to the native configuration database version on a simplex array
Disclosed are a method and a simplex array controller device that synchronize firmware revisions between an original, native, storage array controller in a single controller storage array system (i.e., a simplex array controller) and a replacement storage array controller that replaces the original, native, storage array controller. An embodiment may create and store an original firmware code image containing a copy of the firmware revision information running on an original simplex array controller along with controller and firmware revision identification off-board of the original array controller on a firmware repository storage device. The firmware repository storage device may be one of the storage devices selected from the array of storage devices controlled by the original array controller. When the original array controller is replaced by the replacement array controller, such as when the original array controller has failed, the replacement array controller may compare the firmware revision information of the firmware currently running on the array controller with the firmware revision information stored in the original firmware code image, and, if the revision information does not match, replace/overwrite the firmware revision on the replacement controller with the firmware revision stored in the firmware code image. |
| US08924775B1 |
Methods, devices and systems for tracking and relocating intermittently defective disk sectors to prevent indefinite recycling thereof
A data storage device may comprise storage media comprising a plurality of sectors, and a controller configured to selectively read and write data thereto. The controller may be further configured to tag a sector as a bad sector to be relocated after a first failed read and to untag the tagged sector after a successful write attempt after the first failed read. After a second failed read from the sector subsequent to the successful write, the controller may tag the untagged sector as a bad sector to be relocated and adjust a recurring bad sector counter for that sector. On a subsequent write request, based at least in part on the bad sector counter and a threshold, the controller may determine whether to relocate data stored at a physical location on the data storage device corresponding to the sector to a spare location on the data storage device. |
| US08924773B1 |
Reducing file system data unavailability window by adapting hierarchical recovery framework
A storage processor isolates and classifies file system faults and inconsistencies to produce a fault tree for inline error recovery. The storage processor isolates the metadata objects or objects that have internal inconsistencies, the storage processor creates a fault tree to map the file system; or portion of the file system with the errors or inconsistencies and the metadata objects dependent upon those objects. Once the fault having been mapped, determine the complexity of recovering the branch of the fault tree with the error. If the error is not too complex, performing recovery of the metadata objects online otherwise taking the system offline for file system recovery. |
| US08924770B2 |
Rebuilding a data slice of a maintenance free storage container
A method begins by a dispersed storage (DS) processing module detecting a storage error of an encoded data slice associated with a storage server within a maintenance free storage container. The method continues with the DS processing module determining failure mode information for the storage server and other storage servers and determining a rebuilding protocol for the encoded data. When the determined rebuilding protocol is a zero information gain (ZIG) protocol, the method continues with the DS processing module identifying a decode threshold number of storage servers from the other storage servers of the maintenance free storage container and from storage servers of another maintenance free storage container, retrieving zero information gain (ZIG) partial encoded data slices from the decode threshold number of storage servers, and decoding the ZIG partial encoded data slices utilizing a ZIG dispersed storage error coding function to reproduce the encoded data slice. |
| US08924769B2 |
Software burning system and burning control method
A burning control method for burning software to at least one chip is provided, the method includes: controlling the at least one chip to enter a download mode when the at least one chip is startup; initializing the at least one chip when the chip enters the download mode; executing a burning process to burn software into the at least one chip when the chip is initialized; controlling the at least one chip to enter the test mode when the burning process is completed; testing whether the software has been burned into the at least one chip successfully when the at least one chip is in the test mode. |
| US08924768B2 |
Inter-processor communication channel including power-down functionality
Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for implementing an inter-processor communication channel including power-down functionality. In one embodiment, the apparatus may comprise a first integrated circuit (IC), a second IC coupled to the first IC via a communication interface, wherein the first IC is in one or more low power states and unable to monitor the communication interface. The apparatus may further comprise an inter-processor communication (IPC) channel coupled between the first and second ICs, wherein the IPC channel is separate from the communication interface and wherein the second IC generates at least one advisory signal to the first IC via the IPC channel. |
| US08924767B2 |
Minimizing the use of chip routing resources when using timestamped instrumentation data by transmitting the most significant bits of the timestamp in series and transmitting the least significant bits of the timestamp in parallel
A timestamp generator generates a timestamp value having a predetermined number of most significant bits and a predetermined number of least significant bits. The least significant bits are transmitted to a client via a parallel data bus. The most significant bits are transmitted to the client sequentially via a series data bus. Each client receives the parallel least significant bits and the series most significant bits and assembles a complete time stamp value. |
| US08924764B1 |
Systems and methods for rate matching in networks utilizing a strobe counter
Method and system for rate matching in networks is provided. The method includes setting a strobe counter of a network device equal to an initial value; and determining whether a current clock phase matches a clock phase during which a first sub-port from among a plurality of sub-ports is designated to read from a memory at a receive segment of the network device. When the current clock phase matches the designated clock phase for the first sub-port, determining if the strobe counter is equal to one of a plurality of mask values; and when the strobe counter is not equal to one of the mask values, reading data out of the memory. |
| US08924762B2 |
Data processing apparatus and power consumption amount management method
A data processing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input a job to be executed by the data processing apparatus, a processing unit configured to process the job input by the input unit, a power measurement unit configured to make power measurement of the data processing apparatus, and a storage unit configured to store a measurement time of the power consumption by the power measurement unit. |
| US08924759B2 |
Power-supply control device, image processing apparatus, power-supply control method, and computer-readable medium
A power-supply control device includes a transition section, a body-capable-of-movement detection section, a return control section, a reference-time-period setting section, a state determination section, and a correction section. The transition section shifts a state of an operation target section from one state to another state among a power-supply state and multiple types of non-power-supply states. The body-capable-of-movement detection section detects a body capable of movement. The return control section controls the transition section so as to return the state of the operation target section to the power-supply state. The reference-time-period setting section sets a reference time period. The state determination section checks a state of detection of the body capable of movement after the reference time period elapses. The correction section corrects the reference time period on the basis of detection position information. |
| US08924758B2 |
Method for SOC performance and power optimization
A system and method for efficient management of resources within a semiconductor chip for an optimal combination of power reduction and high performance. An intergrated circuit, such as a system on a chip (SOC), includes at least two processing units. The second processing unit includes a cache. The SOC includes a power management unit (PMU) that determines whether a first activity level for the first processing unit is above a first threshold and a second activity level for the second processing unit is below a second threshold. If this condition is true, then the PMU places a limit on a highest power-performance state (P-state) used by the second processing unit. The PMU sends an indication to flush the at least one cache within the second processing unit. The PMU changes a P-state used by the first processing unit to a higher performance P-state. |
| US08924756B2 |
Processor core with higher performance burst operation with lower power dissipation sustained workload mode
A processor may operate at a first frequency level for a first time interval. The processor automatically may transition to a sleep state from the first frequency level after the first time interval. Then the processor automatically transitions from the sleep state to the first frequency level after a second time interval. As a result the processor may operate at a reduced power consumption and higher performance. |
| US08924752B1 |
Power management for a graphics processing unit or other circuit
In one embodiment, a system includes power management control that controls a duty cycle of a processor to manage power. The duty cycle may be the amount of time that the processor is powered on as a percentage of the total time. By frequently powering up and powering down the processor during a period of time, the power consumption of the processor may be controlled while providing the perception that the processor is continuously available. For example, the processor may be a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the period of time over which the duty cycle is managed may be a frame to be displayed on the display screen viewed by a user of the system. |
| US08924751B2 |
SAS power management
A method is provided for a SAS (Serial Attached SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)) expander to manage power consumption of a wide port that includes multiple expander phys each operable in at least three power conditions. The method includes monitoring number of AIP primitives for the wide port over time, changing at least one expander phy to a lower power condition when the number of AIP primitives total less than a first threshold over a first period of time, and changing at least one expander phy to a higher power condition when the number of AIP primitives total more than a second threshold over a second period of time. |
| US08924748B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for controlling thread contention
An apparatus comprises a plurality of cores and a controller coupled to the cores. The controller is to lower an operating point of a first core if a first number based on processor clock cycles per instruction (CPI) associated with a second core is higher than a first threshold. The controller is operable to increase the operating point of the first core if the first number is lower than a second threshold. |
| US08924746B2 |
Apparatus and medium for associating device with socket
The device management server is provided with a power consumption acquisition unit that acquires information relating to power consumption of each of a plurality of sockets; a communication unit that performs communication with an object device from among devices connected to a network in order to change power consumption of the object device; a socket specifying unit that specifies a socket in which power consumption has changed within a period of time relating to the communication on the basis of information acquired by the power consumption acquisition unit; and an association unit 24 that associates the object device with the socket specified by the socket specifying unit. |
| US08924739B2 |
System and method for in-place encryption
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for performing in-place encryption. A system configured to practice the method receives a request from a user to encrypt an unencrypted volume of a computing device and identifies, generates, and/or randomly selects a volume key. Then the system converts the unencrypted volume to an encryptable format divided into portions. The system then encrypts, based on the volume key, the encryptable volume, portion by portion, to enable the user to use the computing device while encrypting. The system can maintain an encryption progress status and display the encryption progress status. The system can monitor disk accesses to the encryptable volume, and, when the disk accesses exceed a first threshold, apply a back-off algorithm to stop encrypting until the disk accesses fall below a second threshold. Thus, the computing device can be used while the encryption occurs in the background. |
| US08924736B1 |
Biometric subject verification based on electrocardiographic signals
A method of authenticating or declining to authenticate an asserted identity of a candidate-person. In an enrollment phase, a reference PQRST heart action graph is provided or constructed from information obtained from a plurality of graphs that resemble each other for a known reference person, using a first graph comparison metric. In a verification phase, a candidate-person asserts his/her identity and presents a plurality of his/her heart cycle graphs. If a sufficient number of the candidate-person's measured graphs resemble each other, a representative composite graph is constructed from the candidate-person's graphs and is compared with a composite reference graph, for the person whose identity is asserted, using a second graph comparison metric. When the second metric value lies in a selected range, the candidate-person's assertion of identity is accepted. |
| US08924733B2 |
Enabling access to removable hard disk drives
A method, apparatus, and computer program product for accessing a device. The device receives a key from an operating system in response to the device in a locked state being connected to a data processing system after the operating system for the data processing system is running. The device compares the key received from the operating system with a set of keys stored in the device. The key is based on a system identifier for the data processing system and a password. The device determines whether a match is present between the key and the set of keys. The device changes the device from the locked state to an unlocked state in response to a determination that the match is present. |
| US08924731B2 |
Secure signing method, secure authentication method and IPTV system
A secure signing method, a secure authentication method, and an IPTV system are disclosed. The secure signing method includes preparing digital signature header fields and setting an attribute, calculating a hash digest of content using a hashing algorithm, storing the calculated hash value in a message digest field of the digital signature header, encrypting the message digest using a secret key and inserting the encrypted message digest in a signature field of the digital signature header, and associating the digital signature header with the content by prefixing the digital signature header to the content. The secure authentication method includes checking whether a format and value of a digital signature header of content are appropriate, calculating a hash digest of the content using a hashing algorithm, comparing the calculated hash value with a message digest field of the digital signature header, decrypting the hash value of the signature field of the digital signature header using a public key extracted from a certificate field, and comparing the decrypted hash value with the message digest. |
| US08924730B2 |
Digital watermarking for secure transmission between a source component and a node device
A system and method for embedding a watermark into a data file and communicating the data file to a particular node from a source component is described. The system includes a particular node, a source component, a node identifier request, a query, a watermark, a permutation key, an encrypted data file, and a node decryption key. The node identifier request is communicated from the source component to the particular node. The watermark is then embedded into the data file by the source component. The permutation key is configured to permute the watermark and the permutation key is changed so the location of the watermark changes. The encrypted data is decrypted at the particular node with the node decryption key that corresponds to the particular node. The particular node recovers the watermark from the data file with the permutation key. |
| US08924729B1 |
Systems and methods for biometric E-signature
A vendor system may allow a user to electronically sign documents. The vendor system may receive a package of biometric information from the user. In one embodiment, the vendor system may compare the received package of biometric information with a registered package of biometric information associated with the user. If the received package of biometric information matches the registered package of biometric information, the vendor system may sign a document with an electronic signature. |
| US08924725B2 |
Authenticated file handles for network file systems
One or more file sharing computers receives a client request including an IP address and port number used by the client (computer). The one or more computers respond by creating an enhanced file handle from a hash on a combination of the IP address, port number, restricted key, and a standard file handle, and concatenating the hash with the standard file handle. The enhanced file handle is sent to the client and used by the client in a second request. The one or more computers uncouple the standard file handle and hash combination. Using the client IP address, port number, restricted key and standard file handle from the client second request, the one or more computers create a second combination. The second combination hash is compared to the first combination hash and in response to determining a match, the second request is accepted, and otherwise denied. |
| US08924721B2 |
Nonce generation
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating a nonce. In one aspect, a method includes generating, by a data processing apparatus, a source value, and hashing, by the data processing apparatus, the source value to generate the nonce. |
| US08924720B2 |
Method and system to securely migrate and provision virtual machine images and content
A method, device, and system for securely migrating and provisioning a virtual machine image to a host device of a cloud service provider environment (CSPE) is disclosed. A customer device encrypts a virtual machine image (VMI) and stores the VMI in the CSPE. The host device retrieves the encrypted VMI from the object store and sends host trust data (including a symmetric key extracted from the encrypted VMI, the symmetric key being encrypted with the customer public key) to a key management server for trust attestation. If the key management server successfully attests the host device, the key management server decrypts the encrypted symmetric key using the customer private key and re-encrypts the symmetric key using the host public key. The host device receives the re-encrypted symmetric key from the key management server, decrypts it using the host private key, and decrypts the encrypted VMI using the symmetric key. |
| US08924719B2 |
Mechanism for efficient private bulk messaging
Secure bulk messaging mechanism in which, roughly described, a sender first encrypts a message once. The message can be decrypted with a message decryption key. These can be symmetric or asymmetric keys. For each recipient, the sender then encrypts the message decryption key with the recipient's public key. The sender then sends the encrypted message and the encrypted message decryption keys to a store-and-forward server. Subsequently, one or more recipients connect to the server and retrieve the encrypted message and the message encryption key that has been encrypted with the recipient's public key. Alternatively, the server can forward these items to each individual recipient. The recipient then decrypts the encrypted message decryption key with the recipient's private key, resulting in an unencrypted message decryption key. The recipient then decrypts the message using the unencrypted message decryption key. |
| US08924717B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program
An information processing apparatus and method that prior to using a digital certification considers a validity expiration date of the digital certificate as well as a usable deadline of an algorithm or a public key used in the digital certificate. |
| US08924708B2 |
Security switch
System and method for securing a personal device that includes a device core and a peripheral device from unauthorized access or operation. The system comprises an isolated switch, included fully or partially within an envelope of the personal device. The isolated switch cannot be affected in its operation by either the device core or the peripheral device. The switch may be operated by an authorized user of the personal device either preemptively or in response to a detected threat. In some embodiments, the isolated switch includes an isolated controller which can send one or more signals to the peripheral device and/or part of peripheral device. In some embodiments, the isolated switch includes an isolated internal component and an isolated external component, both required to work together to trigger the isolated switch operation. In some embodiments, the isolated switch includes an isolated disconnector for connecting and disconnecting the device core from part of the peripheral device. |
| US08924704B2 |
Apparatus and method for downloading contents using an interior mass storage in a portable terminal
A method and apparatus for downloading content to a large-capacity internal memory in a portable terminal are provided. The method includes performing a booting process of the portable terminal at the occurrence of a booting event, examining whether a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port is enabled during the booting process, if the USB port is enabled, receiving data through the USB port before driver loading, and storing the received data into the large-capacity internal memory and performing the booting process. |
| US08924701B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating a boot image that is adjustable in size by selecting processes according to an optimization level to be written to the boot image
A technique for reducing a size of a snapshot boot image by adjusting a structure of the snapshot boot image based on an analysis of a computing system. In addition, according to the technique, the overriding portions of a snapshot based boot image may be loaded first in consideration of a time of use of the system, and therefore a boot time can be reduced. |
| US08924696B2 |
Image processing device having a plurality of control units
An image processing device includes an operating unit and a plurality of control units each configured to control the operating unit in order to execute a function on image data. The plurality of control units include at least a first control unit and a second control unit. When a first mode is selected, the control units control the operating unit to execute the function in cooperation with each other. When a second mode is selected, at least the second control unit controls the operating unit to execute the function without cooperating with the first control unit. |
| US08924694B2 |
Packet data modification processor
A programmable processor configured to perform one or more packet modifications through execution of one or more commands. A pipelined processor core comprises a first stage configured to selectively shift and mask data in each of a plurality of categories in response to one or more decoded commands, and combine the selectively shifted and masked data in each of the categories. The pipelined processor core further comprises a second stage configured to selectively perform one or more operations on the combined data from the first stage and other data responsive to the one or more decoded commands. In one implementation, the processor is implemented as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). |
| US08924693B2 |
Predicting a result for a predicate-generating instruction when processing vector instructions
The described embodiments include a processor that executes vector instructions. While dispatching instructions at runtime, the processor encounters a predicate-generating instruction. Upon determining that a result of the predicate-generating instruction is predictable, the processor dispatches a prediction micro-operation associated with the predicate-generating instruction, wherein the prediction micro-operation generates a predicted result vector for the predicate-generating instruction. The processor then executes the prediction micro-operation to generate the predicted result vector. When executing the prediction micro-operation to generate the predicted result vector, if the predicate vector is received, for each element of the predicted result vector for which the predicate vector is active, otherwise, for each element of the predicted result vector, generating the predicted result vector comprises setting the element of the predicted result vector to true. |
| US08924691B2 |
Software pipelining
A software pipelining method for generating a schedule for executing a plurality of instructions on a processor, the plurality of instructions involving one or more variables, the processor having one or more physical registers, the method comprising the step of scheduling each of the plurality of instructions, determining whether there is a variable for which there is less than a threshold number of physical registers to which that variable may be allocated, and unscheduling a currently scheduled instruction when there is a variable for which there is less than the threshold number of a physical registers to which that that variable may be allocated. |
| US08924688B2 |
Plural processing cores communicating packets with external port via parallel bus to serial converter and switch with protocol translation and QOS
A computing and communication chip architecture is provided wherein the interfaces of processor access to the memory chips are implemented as a high-speed packet switched serial interface as part of each chip. In one embodiment, the interface is accomplished through a gigabit Ethernet interface provided by protocol processor integrated as part of the chip. The protocol processor encapsulates the memory address and control information like Read, Write, number of successive bytes etc, as an Ethernet packet for communication among the processor and memory chips that are located on the same motherboard, or even on different circuit cards. In one embodiment, the communication over head of the Ethernet protocol is further reduced by using an enhanced Ethernet protocol with shortened data frames within a constrained neighborhood, and/or by utilizing a bit stream switch where direct connection paths can be established between elements that comprise the computing or communication architecture. |
| US08924685B2 |
Configuring surrogate memory accessing agents using non-priviledged processes
Configuring a surrogate memory accessing agent using an instruction for translating and storing a data value is described. In one embodiment, the instruction is received that includes a first operand specifying a data value to be translated and a second operand specifying a virtual address associated with a location of a surrogate memory accessing agent register in which to store the data value. The data value can be translated to a first physical address. The virtual address can be translated to a second physical address. The first physical address is stored in the surrogate memory accessing agent register based on the second physical address. |
| US08924680B2 |
Memory controllers, systems, and methods supporting multiple request modes
A memory system includes a memory controller with a plurality N of memory-controller blocks, each of which conveys independent transaction requests over external request ports. The request ports are coupled, via point-to-point connections, to from one to N memory devices, each of which includes N independently addressable memory blocks. All of the external request ports are connected to respective external request ports on the memory device or devices used in a given configuration. The number of request ports per memory device and the data width of each memory device changes with the number of memory devices such that the ratio of the request-access granularity to the data granularity remains constant irrespective of the number of memory devices. |
| US08924678B2 |
Memory card and host device thereof
A memory card is attached to a host device, and includes a data control circuit which transfers data with respect to the host device in synchronism with a rise edge and a fall edge of a clock signal. |
| US08924677B2 |
Memory management techniques
Memory management techniques that permit an executing process to store content in memory and later retrieve that content from the memory, but that also permit a memory manager to discard that content to address memory pressure. A process executing on a computing device may notify a memory manager of the computing device that first memory space allocated to the process contains first content that is available for discard. If the memory manager detects the computing device is experiencing memory pressure, the memory manager may address the memory pressure by selecting memory space available for discard and discarding the content of the memory space. Before a process reuses content made available for discard, the process may notify the memory manager of the intent to reuse and, in response, receive empty memory and an indication that the content was discarded or receive an indication that the content is still available for use. |
| US08924669B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method, and program
An information processing apparatus connected to first and second storage devices via a storage control apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a model number of the second storage device when the storage control apparatus operates in a mirror state; a determination unit configured to determine whether the second storage device needs to be used, based on the model number acquired by the acquisition unit; and a second transfer unit configured to transfer the storage control apparatus from the mirror state to a rebuilding state if the determination unit determines that the second storage device needs to be used. |
| US08924667B2 |
Backup storage management
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media with executable instructions stored thereon for backup storage management are provided. A utilization threshold can be defined for each of a number of virtual tape libraries (VTLs). A number of slipped backup jobs can be identified, wherein each of the number of slipped backup jobs is associated with one of the number of VTLs. A number of storage statistics for each of the number of VTLs can be collected and storage can be allocated for each of the number of slipped backup jobs via a VTL backup storage manager that analyzes the utilization threshold, the number of slipped backup jobs, and the number of storage statistics for each of the number of VTLs. |
| US08924666B2 |
Managing storage devices in a cloud storage environment
A method of managing storage devices including storage resources that are virtualized and integrated into corresponding intermediate volumes, wherein the intermediate volumes are virtualized and integrated into individual logical volumes. The method comprises acquiring storage resource requirements presented to the logical volumes where the requirements comprise redundancy, obtaining storage resources available from respective intermediate volumes, selecting intermediate volumes to satisfy the storage resource requirements based on the requirements and available storage resources, where a minimum number of the intermediate volumes is determined based on the required redundancy, and storing user data in selected intermediate volumes based on the required redundancy. |
| US08924665B2 |
Virtual ordered writes transfer log
A primary storage device maintaining recovery data in connection with ordering data writes includes the primary storage device receiving a plurality of data writes, the primary storage device associating data writes begun after a first time and before a second time with a first chunk of data, and the primary storage device associating data writes begun after the second time with a second chunk of data different from the first chunk of data. After completion of all writes associated with the first chunk of data, the primary storage device initiates transfer of writes associated with the first chunk of data to a secondary storage device. The primary storage device maintains a transfer log of data from the first chunk that is successfully transferred to the secondary storage device. |
| US08924663B2 |
Storage system, computer-readable medium, and data management method having a duplicate storage elimination function
The storage system includes a first auxiliary storage device, a second auxiliary storage device, and a main storage device, and also includes a data management unit which stores and keeps, in the main storage device, index data based on feature data by referring to the feature data of storage target data stored in the first auxiliary storage device, and if the index data stored and kept in the main storage device reaches a preset amount, stores and keeps, in the second auxiliary storage device, the index data stored and kept in the main storage device, and deletes the index data stored and kept in the second auxiliary storage device from the main storage device. |
| US08924662B2 |
Credit-based storage device flow control
A method for controlling data flow to a pair of storage devices includes receiving at least one new entry to store in a first storage device or a second storage device in the pair of storage devices and determining a number of entries made to the first and second storage devices out of the at least one new entry. The method also includes calculating a difference between available space in the first storage device and the second storage device, and calculating a number of credits used by the at least one new entry based on the numbers of entries to the first and second storage devices and on the difference in available space. |
| US08924661B1 |
Memory system including a controller and processors associated with memory devices
A data storage system includes a plurality of non-volatile memory devices arranged in one or more sets, a main controller and one or more processors. The main controller is configured to accept commands from a host and to convert the commands into recipes. Each recipe includes a list of multiple memory operations to be performed sequentially in the non-volatile memory devices belonging to one of the sets. Each of the processors is associated with a respective set of the non-volatile memory devices, and is configured to receive one or more of the recipes from the main controller and to execute the memory operations specified in the received recipes in the non-volatile memory devices belonging to the respective set. |
| US08924660B2 |
Split-word memory
Method, process, and apparatus to efficiently store, read, and/or process portions of word data. A portion of a data word, which includes multiple portions, may be read by a computer processor. The processor may read a first portion of the data word from a first memory. The processor may read a second portion of the data word from a second portion of memory. The second portion may include bits which are less critical than the bits of the first portion. The second memory may be distinct from the first memory based on one or more physical attributes. |
| US08924659B2 |
Performance improvement in flash memory accesses
The present invention aims to improve the performance of accessing flash memory used as a storage medium in a storage device. In the storage device in accordance with the present invention, a storage controller, before accessing the flash memory, queries a flash controller as to whether the flash memory is accessible. |
| US08924657B2 |
Information processing apparatus, data access system, and control method for the same
A data storage apparatus acquires rule information that is used by the external device when performing data access and that defines a relation between the type of access operation and a data read condition, and status information including information for specifying data currently displayed on the external device, and indicates a current display status of the external device. Then, the data storage apparatus determines data to be pre-read from a storage medium and stored in a temporary data storage unit based on the rule information and the status information, and reads the determined data from the storage medium, and stores the read data in a temporary data storage unit. In the case where a data access request is received from the external device, if the requested data is stored in the temporary data storage unit, the requested data is read from the temporary data storage unit, and is output. |
| US08924656B1 |
Storage environment with symmetric frontend and asymmetric backend
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for configuring a storage environment. In particular, the storage environment may be configured with a symmetric frontend and an asymmetric backend. That is, an owner storage controller may be granted read/write access to a storage device owned by the owner storage controller, while a non-owner storage controller may be granted merely read access. In this way, the owner storage controller may execute, log, and/or commit a write command to the storage device, while the non-owner storage controller may merely execute, but not log and/or commit, a write command. Write buffers, log memories, and/or file system metadata may be synchronized between the owner storage controller and the non-owner storage controller, such that the non-owner storage controller may efficiently take ownership of the storage device in response to a failure of the owner storage controller. |
| US08924654B1 |
Multistreamed processor vector packing method and apparatus
A computerized method, apparatus, and executable instructions on a machine readable medium for using multiple processors in parallel to create a pack vector from an array in memory. In some embodiments creating the pack vector includes reading portions of the array into a plurality of processors that each select a subset of elements from the their respective portions of the array based on a predetermined criteria. Some embodiments further include counting each of the selected subsets of elements and storing each count in a commonly accessible storage location, reading into the processors at least some of the count values once all of the processors have stored their count, and storing only the selected subsets of elements in the pack vector based at least in part on the count values. |
| US08924651B2 |
Prefetch optimization in shared resource multi-core systems
An apparatus and method is described herein for optimization to prefetch throttling, which potentially enhances performance, reduces power consumption, and maintains positive gain for workloads that benefit from prefetching. More specifically, the optimizations described herein allow for bandwidth congestion and prefetch accuracy to be taken into account as feedbacks for throttling at the source of prefetch generation. As a result, when there is low congestion, full prefetch generation is allowed, even if the prefetch is inaccurate, since there is available bandwidth. However, when congestion is high, the determination of throttling falls to prefetch accuracy. If accuracy is high—miss rate is low—then less throttling is needed, because the prefetches are being utilized—performance is being enhanced. Yet, if prefetch accuracy is low—miss rate is high—then more prefetch throttling is needed to save power, because the prefetch are not being utilized—performance is not being enhanced by the large number of prefetches. |
| US08924649B2 |
Persistent cacheable high volume manufacturing (HVM) initialization code
A persistent cacheable high volume manufacturing (HVM) initialization code is generally presented. In this regard, an apparatus is introduced comprising a processing unit, a unified cache, a unified cache controller, and a control register to selectively mask off access by the unified cache controller to portions of the unified cache. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. |
| US08924646B2 |
Methods for managing data movement and destaging data in a multi-level cache system utilizing threshold values and metadata
A method for managing data movement in a multi-level cache system includes selecting at least one outgoing data block from a primary cache when an unallocated space of the primary cache has reached a minimum threshold, initiating a de-stage process for de-staging the outgoing data block, and terminating the de-stage process when the unallocated space has reached an upper threshold. The de-stage process includes storing the outgoing data block in a secondary cache when a cache hit has occurred before. The cache hit may be an actual cache hit or a “ghost” cache hit wherein only metadata is stored in the secondary cache. A method for de-staging an outgoing data block from a higher level cache which includes storing an outgoing data block in a lower level cache when a cache hit rate satisfies a predetermined condition and storing metadata in the lower level cache is also disclosed. |
| US08924644B2 |
Extending cache in a multi-processor computer
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products of extending cache in a multi-processor computer are provided. Embodiments include detecting, by a donor processor, nonuse of a donor processor's cache; broadcasting to one or more processors in the multi-processor computer, by the donor processor, a donor-ready message indicating the donor processor's cache is available for ownership transferment; receiving from a first requesting processor, by the donor processor, a first ownership-request message requesting ownership of the donor processor's cache by the first requesting processor; transmitting to the first requesting processor, by the donor processor, an ownership-grant message indicating an intention of the donor processor to transfer ownership of the donor processor's cache to the first requesting processor; and receiving from the first requesting processor, by the donor processor, an ownership-claim message indicating that the first requesting processor intends to claim ownership of the donor processor's cache. |
| US08924643B2 |
System and method for caching multimedia data
Systems and methods are provided for caching media data to thereby enhance media data read and/or write functionality and performance. A multimedia apparatus, comprises a cache buffer configured to be coupled to a storage device, wherein the cache buffer stores multimedia data, including video and audio data, read from the storage device. A cache manager coupled to the cache buffer, wherein the cache buffer is configured to cause the storage device to enter into a reduced power consumption mode when the amount of data stored in the cache buffer reaches a first level. |
| US08924642B2 |
Monitoring record management method and device
The present invention provides a monitoring record management technology, which is used to manage a monitoring record stored in a memory, where the monitoring record is used to monitor a chunk in a storage, and by reading at least one monitoring parameter from each monitoring record in the memory, monitoring records between which a monitoring parameter meets a threshold are combined or split. After the monitoring record management technology provided in the present invention is applied, the occupancy of the memory can be reduced or the accuracy of the monitoring record can be improved. |
| US08924640B2 |
Dynamic allocation of records to clusters in a ternary content addressable memory
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a TCAM for longest prefix matching in a routing system. The TCAM comprises a plurality of records of which a portion are configured into one or more address clusters each such cluster corresponding to a respective IP address prefix length and another portion of which are configured into a free cluster not corresponding to any IP address prefix length. |
| US08924634B2 |
Method for performing host-directed operations, and associated memory device and controller thereof
A method for performing host-directed operations is provided, where the method is applied to a controller of a Flash memory that includes a plurality of blocks. The method includes: in a test mode of the controller, when receiving a host command from a host device, extracting at least one portion of associated information of the host command, where the at least one portion of the associated information is an encoded result that is generated by performing encoding on a host-directed operation command; and analyzing the at least one portion of the associated information according to at least one predetermined rule, in order to perform a host-directed operation corresponding to the host-directed operation command. An associated memory device and a controller thereof are also provided. |
| US08924629B1 |
Mapping table for improving write operation efficiency
A non-volatile storage system is disclosed which provides a mapping table which includes a granularity which does not correspond to the page size of a non-volatile storage array. A reduced mapping table granularity enables more than one mapping entry to exist in a single page on the solid-state array. A write command which does not exceed a mapping table entry can invalidate only a portion of the written page, and can be combined with a second write command to write a new page of the solid-state array. |
| US08924628B2 |
Memory system and operating method thereof
A memory system includes a non-volatile memory device including a plurality of pages and a controller connected electrically with the non-volatile memory device and configured to control the non-volatile memory device. The non-volatile memory device is configured to be capable of storing data from a set number of write operations before data erasing with respect to each page; and wherein the controller is configured to divide each page of the non-volatile memory device into first and second areas, to perform a write operation of the first area by the NOP, and to write an invalidation mark in the second area. |
| US08924626B2 |
Phased NAND power-on reset
A method and system for phasing power-intensive operations is disclosed. A non-volatile storage device controller detects a power reset. The controller is in communication with non-volatile memories in the non-volatile storage device. In response to detecting a power reset, the controller determines a current consumption necessary to reset the non-volatile memories in the non-volatile storage device. The controller simultaneously resets all of the non-volatile memories when the determined current consumption is less than a current consumption threshold. If the determined current consumption is greater than the current consumption threshold, the controller resets a first subset of the plurality of non-volatile memories, and after a predetermined delay, resets a second subset of the non-volatile memories. Therefore, a power-intensive operation may be performed without exceeding a current consumption threshold by dividing the operation into a sequence of steps that do not exceed the threshold. |
| US08924624B2 |
Information processing device
An information processing device includes: a data transferring unit configured to directly transfer data to a first memory area allocated to a virtual machine from an input/output device for controlling a data input/output to/from an external device by mutually translating between an address of the first memory area allocated to the virtual machine and an address of a second memory area that is a real memory of the first memory area; a detecting unit configured to detect the data directly transferred from the input/output device to the first memory area allocated to the virtual machine; a registering unit configured to generate update information about the first memory area changed using the detected data and to store the update information in a first storing unit when the detected data satisfies a predetermined condition; and an outputting unit configured to output the update information. |
| US08924621B2 |
Method and system for detecting and asserting bus speed condition in a USB isolating device
An apparatus and method for a Universal Serial Bus (USB) isolating device. An USB isolating device includes a downstream facing circuit and a upstream facing circuit. The downstream facing circuit is coupled to a peripheral device via a first pair of signals and is configured for detecting a speed at which the peripheral device is operating based on a first voltage configuration on the first pair of signals. The upstream facing circuit is coupled to the downstream facing circuit and a host/hub via a second pair of signals and is configured for communicating with the downstream facing circuit on the speed of the peripheral device and adaptively creating a second voltage configuration on the second pair of signals to facilitate the host/hub to adapt to the speed of the peripheral device. |
| US08924614B2 |
Host controller apparatus, information processing apparatus, and event information output method
The present invention aims to provide a host controller apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and an event information output method that are capable of outputting event information to a system memory while achieving power saving. A host controller apparatus according to the present invention includes: an event controller that outputs occurred event information to a system memory; and an interruption controller that outputs an interrupt signal to a CPU executing an event recorded in the system memory, the interrupt signal requesting execution of the event output from the event controller to the system memory. The event controller outputs the occurred event information to the system memory in synchronization with a timing at which the interruption controller outputs the interrupt signal to the CPU. |
| US08924605B2 |
Efficient delivery of completion notifications
A computer peripheral device includes a host interface, which is configured to communicate over a bus with a host processor and with a system memory of the host processor. Processing circuitry in the peripheral device is configured to receive and execute work items submitted to the peripheral device by client processes running on the host processor, and responsively to completing execution of the work items, to generate completion reports and to write a plurality of the completion reports to the system memory via the bus together in a single bus transaction. |
| US08924598B1 |
USB interface configurable for host or device mode
Various embodiments provide a USB interface that can operate in either a Host or Device mode using standard Link and/or physical interface circuit (PHY) components which, in at least some embodiments, do not have additional circuitry that is utilized to implement the USB OTG standard. |
| US08924592B2 |
Synchronization of server-side cookies with client-side cookies
Described are methods and systems for synchronizing client-side cookies with server-side cookies. A control that executes on a client computer within the context of a remote application, receives control input that is generated by a remote control that executes on a server within the remote application. In response to receiving the control input, the control generates a content request and forwards the content request to a synchronization agent that executes on the client computer. In many instances, the content request is a request for a cookie. Upon receiving the content request, the synchronization agent determines the type of content requested and responsively issues a synchronization request to a remote synchronization agent that executes on the server. The remote synchronization agent retrieves the requested content from the server and transmits the requested content to the synchronization agent. Upon receiving the requested content, the synchronization agent returns the content to the control. |
| US08924586B2 |
Management device in distributing information, management method and medium
A management device determines, in response to a request, given from a requester terminal included in a plurality of terminals, for determining an information distributor to distribute request target information, any one of a server and a relay terminal to retain the request target information as the request target information distributor, and instructs the requester terminal and the relay terminal determined to be the distributor to determine, based on a status of a route which connects the server, the relay terminal and the requester terminal, whether the request target information can be held or deleted after having the request target information distributed. |
| US08924585B2 |
Method for optimizing transport channels of devices
A first device and a second device communicate with each other using a first communications protocol over a first communications media. The first device detects a need to modify a communications bandwidth with the second device based on an operating condition of the first device at a point in time. The first device negotiates with the second device to identify a second communications protocol that is suitable for the operating condition based on a set of one or more rules associated with the first device. Both the first and second devices switch, without user intervention, from the first communications protocol to the second communications protocol to communicate with the second device using the second communications protocol over a second communications media. |
| US08924584B1 |
Deterministic triggering over an ethernet network
A method and system for rendering Ethernet linked components deterministic, the method including the step of storing a communication rule set in each of at least two Ethernet linked components where the set specifies rules by which the two components communicate and monitoring communications between the two components to identify any rule that is not followed and then activating an alarm function when a rule is not followed. |
| US08924582B2 |
Dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol client behavior framework and implementation of session management
An apparatus comprises a receiver configured to receive a request for a Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (DASH) media presentation description (MPD), a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to create the MPD, wherein the MPD comprises a mechanism for specifying a client's behavior, and wherein the mechanism conditions the client's ability to download content on the client's ability to support a feature, and a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the MPD. A method comprises receiving a request for a Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (DASH) media presentation description (MPD), and transmitting the MPD, wherein the MPD comprises a mechanism for specifying a client's behavior, and wherein the mechanism conditions the client's ability to download content on the client's ability to support a feature. |
| US08924579B2 |
Data streaming method
Data paths extending to a first receiver from a plurality of data supply sources are each capable of supplying the same stream data. When providing the stream data to the first receiver rate-distortion of the data paths is optimized. Clocks asynchronous with each other per data path are set so as to attain the rate-distortion optimization. |
| US08924578B2 |
Method for transmitting messages in an MMS-based communication system
The present disclosure relates to a method for transmitting messages, a transmission message containing one or more useful data objects is first transmitted to a switching component in order to be routed to a second telecommunications device, wherein the transmission is made by a transmitting telecommunications device. A plurality of variants of the one or more useful data objects is created in the switching component in accordance with a set of parameters, the second telecommunications device is then informed of the provision of the plurality of variants of the data objects for transmission to the second telecommunications device. Also, a delivery request message relating to a specific variant of the useful data objects is subsequently sent from the second telecommunications device to the switching component. The switching component then transmits a delivery message containing the requested variant of the useful data objects to the second telecommunications device. |
| US08924573B2 |
Secure capability negotiation between a client and server
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for establishing an authenticated session between a client computing device and a remote computing device. In certain embodiments, a connection is established between the client computing device and the remote computing device. Once the connection is established, the client computing device sends a number of requests to the client computing device including a negotiate request, a setup request, and a validation request. In response to the requests, the client computing device receives a number of responses from the remote computing device including a negotiate response, setup response and a validation response. Once the responses have been received, a determination is made as to whether information contained in the validation response matches information contained in the negotiate response. If the information matches, an authenticated session is established between the remote computing device and the client computing device. |
| US08924570B2 |
Temporary collaborative ad-hoc network of hardware nodes to perform function
That a trigger for creating a temporary collaborative ad-hoc network of hardware nodes has occurred is detected. In response, the temporary collaborative ad-hoc network is created via intercommunication among the hardware nodes. After the temporary collaborative ad-hoc network has been created, the temporary collaborative ad-hoc network performs a given function. A particular hardware node within the temporary collaborative ad-hoc network can perform a roll call request so that it ascertains a list of the hardware nodes within the temporary collaborative ad-hoc network. Performing the roll call request can include ascertaining that a correctness of the list of the hardware nodes satisfies a threshold, such that the correctness of the list of the hardware nodes is not necessarily completely correct. |
| US08924565B2 |
Transport of customer flexibility changes in a multi-tenant environment
Transporting of flexibility changes of customer content between tenants in a multi-tenant computing system can be performed by exporting customer content from a first tenant of the multi-tenant computing system, transporting the customer content exported from the first tenant to a second tenant of the multi-tenant computing system, importing the customer content into a staging area in the second tenant to enable a user associated with second tenant to access the customer content via the staging area based on a content extraction trigger, and activating selected customer content from the staging area in a productive component of the second tenant. The content extraction trigger can characterize an extraction of at least some of the customer content from the staging area. Related methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed. |
| US08924562B2 |
Dynamic policy generation and assignment
A computing device receives a request for a service level agreement (SLA) that indicates a specific combination of services and service levels selected from a group of available services and available service levels. The computing device generates an SLA identifier for the specific combination of services and service levels, and determines if the SLA identifier matches one of a group of stored SLA identifiers. The computing device generates a new SLA based on the specific combination of services and service levels when the SLA identifier does not match one of the group of stored SLA identifiers, and assigns an existing SLA, corresponding to one of the group of stored SLA identifiers, when the SLA identifier matches one of the group of stored SLA identifiers. |
| US08924555B2 |
Network resource consolidation and decommissioning analysis
A method and system for providing a computing environment that permits simulations directed towards the consolidation and decommissioning of network elements associated with a network. The computing environment permits a user to designate a network element for decommission and exclude a network element from decommission and/or consolidation. The computing environment includes consolidation and decommission analytics that minimize a total operational cost of the network including leased network elements. The consolidation and decommission analytics includes accounting for penalties associated with early termination of leases and break-even values. |
| US08924554B2 |
Domain-less service selection
A method and apparatus for providing domainless service selection (DLSS) are described. According to one embodiment of the invention, there is a service selection network element used to provide access of computing devices to a set of one or more services provided by a set of one or more providers. In addition, a web portal allows subscribers to log in and/or select/switch between the services and providers. Responsive to such action by a given subscriber, the web portal causes a record of that subscriber to be altered to reflect the action and causes the service selection network element to attempt to connect the subscriber accordingly. According to certain embodiments of the invention, subscribers' domainless user identifiers are merged by the service selection network element with domain names (stored in a database) of services/providers to form network addresses (e.g., Internet addresses). |
| US08924552B2 |
Remote and local compound device capabilities synchronization method and system
A method and system allow applying policies to service requests for information or a session, which are created by communications devices and are intended to be sent to service providers over a network. The policies govern the extent to which details about the communications devices sending the requests are released or revealed to that service provider. After amount of capabilities corresponding to the extent allowed by the polity is determined and provided in the service request, the service request is sent over the network to the service provider. Policy based disclosure of communications device capabilities information may be applied in local network embodiments, such as a home or small office network including local sever and residential gateway functions. |
| US08924550B2 |
Monitoring application program resource consumption
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for monitoring application program resource consumption. Information that identifies consumption, by multiple computing devices and at requests of a particular application program, of resources that correspond to the computing devices is accessed. Each of the multiple computing devices provided a portion of the information. The accessed information is analyzed by a computing system to determine one or more values that identify consumption of the resources by at least a subset of the computing devices. An indicium that illustrates the one or more values is provided for display on a particular computing device and in cooperation with a display of a network-accessible application program software marketplace. The application program software marketplace provides application program software for execution by the particular computing device and other computing devices. |
| US08924549B2 |
Network based ambient services
A system operated by a network operator monitors traffic over a wireless network communicatively coupling the system to a device that includes a plurality of applications, a first application of the plurality of applications enabling the device to access a particular network end point that is outside of the wireless network; identifies, within the traffic, data transfers associated with access to the particular network end point by the first application; obtains an offset based on a use of the wireless access network for the data transfers associated with access to the particular network end point by the first application; and allocates at least a portion of the offset to an account associated with a sponsor responsible for paying for or subsidizing at least a portion of the use of the wireless access network for the data transfers associated with access to the particular network end point by the first application. |
| US08924548B2 |
Integrated asset tracking, task manager, and virtual container for data center management
The present invention provides for the integration of a an infrastructure management software (IMS) asset tracking system, an IMS task manager (ITM) and an IMS virtual container or virtual container feature to alleviate issues such as personnel scheduling issues, lost asset issues and service outages within a data center. |
| US08924545B2 |
Cross-property identity management
Embodiments are directed to creating a persona from observed characteristics of content and to sharing a network persona derived from observed characteristics of content. In one scenario, a computer system observes one set of properties for a first portion of content on a network. The first portion of content is from a first account. The computer system also observes a different set of properties for a second portion of content on the network, where the second portion of content is from a second account. The computer system then correlates an association between the first account and the second account as part of a network persona that is based on the first properties and one or more corresponding properties from the second portion of content. |
| US08924544B2 |
Techniques for sessionless reporting by device management client
A device and method for performing sessionless reporting are provided. The device includes a memory for storing code of a Device Management (DM) Client and a Sessionless Report Configuration Management Object (MO), the Sessionless Report Configuration MO including one or more nodes, a processor for executing the code of the DM Client stored in the memory, a communications unit for sending and receiving information for the DM Client, and the DM Client for sending one or more sessionless reports to a DM server, and, while awaiting acknowledgement of the one or more sessionless reports from the DM Server in a subsequent DM Session, for controlling sessionless reporting based on criteria specified in at least one node included in the Sessionless Report Configuration MO. |
| US08924543B2 |
Service design center for device assisted services
A technique involves modular storage of network service plan components and provisioning of same. A subset of the capabilities of a service design system can be granted to a sandbox system to enable customization of service plan offerings or other controls. |
| US08924540B2 |
Telecommunication energy management system
A telecommunication energy management system comprising a server configured to receive circuit current values identified with a respective piece of telecommunication equipment from a plurality of central boards located at respective telecommunication sites. The server integrates the received circuit current values and provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to allow a user to audit energy usage of each piece of telecommunication equipment of each telecommunication site. |
| US08924536B1 |
Distributed and decentralized location aware architecture
Provided is a distributed and decentralized location-aware system. The system includes a number of peers, each in communication with other peers and adapted to communicate PING, PONG, and ALERT messages. Each of the messages has a header that includes location information.Also provided is a method of communication between two peers in the system. In addition, the present invention includes a method of rendering the system. In the method, a communication link between an electronic map and a number of peers is provided. The location information and the covering distance of each of the peers is obtained and used to plot the location and render the covering distance of each peer on the electric map. A communication link between an electronic control device and the electronic map is also provided. |
| US08924535B2 |
Maintaining closed subscriber group information for access control
Information is maintained to assist in determining whether an access terminal is allowed to establish communication with an access point associated with a closed subscriber group (CSG). For example, CSG subscription information for visiting access terminals may be maintained at a local server. In this way, a network may use the locally stored CSG subscription information for a given access terminal to determine whether to allow that access terminal to access an access point in the network. In addition, multiple CSG lists may be maintained at an access terminal. For example, an access terminal may maintain a first list that is updateable by an operator and a second list that is updateable by a user. Here, the updating of one list may be based on a change in the other list. |
| US08924533B2 |
Method and system for providing automated fault isolation in a managed services network
An approach provides support for automatic fault isolation in a managed services system. A fault indication corresponding to a communications network of a customer is determined. An analysis is performed to determine a root cause of the fault indication using information associated with the determined fault to output an alarm. A determination is made whether the alarm is associated with a maintenance event to update the alarm. Further, a workflow event corresponding to the alarm is created. |
| US08924528B1 |
Latency measurement in resource requests
Systems and method for the management and processing of resource requests by a service provider, such as a content delivery network (“CDN”) service provider, on behalf of a content provider are provided. The CDN service provider can measure the performance associated with the delivery of resources to requesting client computing devices from various computing devices associated with the CDN service provider. In one embodiment, the CDN service provider can utilize commands responsive to an initial request for a resource that causes the requesting client computing device to transmit one or more supplemental resource requests. Information associated with the processing of the sequence of resource requests can be used to measure CDN service provider latencies. |
| US08924527B2 |
Provisioning available network resources
Systems and methods are provided that allow network resources to be shared across geographical distances. This can be achieved by changing the resources available for establishing and handling call or data session processing in an area. A mobility management device can alone or in combination with a DNS server change the size or the resource pool available in some embodiments. The change in resources can be dynamic according to certain predefined conditions or can be setup beforehand to account for daily demand. This sharing of resources can allow more efficient usage of resources available across a geographic region, rather than needed to over-provision each region to account for peak demands. |
| US08924524B2 |
Automated network configuration of virtual machines in a virtual lab data environment
Methods, systems, and computer programs for creating virtual machines (VM) and associated networks in a virtual infrastructure are presented. The method defines virtual network templates in a database, where each virtual network template includes network specifications. A configuration of a virtual system is created, which includes VMs, virtual lab networks associated with virtual network templates, and connections from the VMs to the virtual lab networks. Further, the configuration is deployed in the virtual infrastructure resulting in a deployed configuration. The deployment of the configuration includes instantiating in the virtual infrastructure the VMs of the configuration, instantiating in the virtual infrastructure the virtual lab networks, retrieving information from the database, and creating and executing programming instructions for the VMs. The database information includes the network specifications from the virtual network templates associated with the virtual lab networks, and network resources for the virtual lab networks from a pool of available network resources. The programming instructions are created for the particular Guest Operating System (GOS) running in each VM based on the GOS and on the retrieved database information. When executed in the corresponding VM GOS, the programming instructions configure the VMs network interfaces with the corresponding network specifications. |
| US08924523B1 |
System and method for sharing updated information with known users
Techniques for distributing updated personal information are described. The update is retrieved from a device where it was created and downloaded to another device under the control of a server operating a personal information management system. The update is fully controlled by the user to be released to only certain users or a group of users. Further the user is able to control which portion of the personal information may be shared. |
| US08924522B2 |
Method and apparatus for remote modification of system configuration setting
A method and apparatus for updating the system configuration settings of a computer system Embodiments include a remote system configuration system that enables a user to update the system configuration of a target machine from a server machine over a network or similar communications system. Another embodiment includes a system configuration method using a bus master device to write system configuration data into a target computer system. |
| US08924517B2 |
System and method for recording and sharing music
A method includes the steps of allowing a first user to play a selected song on an electronic device at a first location, the selected song being transmitted across an electronic network from a server at a second location; allowing the first user to record a user-generated stem track using the electronic device at the first location while playing the selected song; transmitting the user-generated stem track across the electronic network to the second location; and storing the user-generated stem track on the server at the second location. An electronic system that allows the first user to perform the method is also disclosed. |
| US08924506B2 |
Optimized image delivery over limited bandwidth communication channels
Large-scale images are retrieved over network communications channels for display on a client device by selecting an update image parcel relative to an operator controlled image viewpoint to display via the client device. A request is prepared for the update image parcel and associated with a request queue for subsequent issuance over a communications channel. The update image parcel is received from the communications channel and displayed as a discrete portion of the predetermined image. The update image parcel optimally has a fixed pixel array size, is received in a single and or plurality of network data packets, and were the fixed pixel array may be constrained to a resolution less than or equal to the resolution of the client device display. |
| US08924502B2 |
System, method and computer program product for updating a user session in a mach-derived system environment
Methods, apparatus, systems and computer program product for updating a user session in a terminal server environment. Transfer of display data corresponding to an updated user interface can occur via a memory shared between an agent server and an agent client in a terminal server environment. Access to the shared memory can be synchronized via token passing or other operation to prevent simultaneous access to the shared memory. Token sharing and synchronized input/output can be performed using FIFOs, sockets, files, semaphores and the like, allowing communications between the agent server and agent client communications to adapt to different operating system architecture. |
| US08924498B2 |
Method and system for process control network migration
A method includes disconnecting a first component from a first network. The first component is redundant to a second component and operates in a secondary or passive redundancy mode. The second component operates in a primary or active redundancy mode and is coupled to the first network. The method also includes updating at least one of hardware and software on the first component to allow the first component to communicate on a second network. The method further includes connecting the updated first component to the second network and synchronizing data between the updated first component on the second network and the second component on the first network. In addition, the method includes switching the updated first component from the secondary redundancy mode to the primary redundancy mode. |
| US08924497B2 |
Managing delivery of electronic messages
In certain embodiments, a method for managing delivery of electronic messages includes receiving an electronic message, the electronic message having an intended recipient, and analyzing the electronic message to determine a priority for the electronic message. The method further includes determining, based on the determined priority for the electronic message; whether to deliver the electronic message to the intended recipient at the current time. If it is determined, based on the determined priority for the electronic message, that the electronic message should be delivered to the intended recipient at the current time, delivery of the electronic message to the intended recipient is initiated. |
| US08924496B1 |
Tracking the virality of user actions
A technique for determining the impact of multiple users' actions is described. According to this technique, information specifying multiple users' actions is aggregated. This information includes linkages that indicate the initiators of the multiple users' actions. Then, the impacts of the multiple users' actions are determined based on the aggregated information. In particular, the impact of a given user's action includes a direct component performed by the given user and an indirect component performed by other users in a social graph in response to the given user's action, where the social graph includes relationships between the other users and the given user. For example, the multiple users' actions and the social graph may be associated with a website, and the determined impacts may allow traffic and/or revenue of the website to be increased. |
| US08924494B2 |
System and method for presenting calendar events
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a presence system having a controller to transmit to a calendar system presence information of a subscriber of the presence system for recording said presence information in a calendar event. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US08924490B2 |
Service based event planning
Services are queried for resources to be used at an event. For example, service based event planning may be used in conjunction with directory services, social networking services, custom databases, web services, email servers and address book services. Service based event planning may apply constraints to the resources obtained over services. The service based event planning may also be used in conjunction with email or other messaging services to share representations of events with attendees or other interested parties. Both recipients and senders of the event may be able to dynamically modify event details in event representations. |
| US08924489B2 |
Message push notification client improvements for multi-user devices
Methods and apparatuses that generate a subtopic identifier identifying a client application within a client device that can support multiple users are described. The client application may be associated with a server application hosted in one or more application servers. Notification services may be registered with the application servers from the client application to forward identifiers associated with the client application for one of the multiple users to the server application to enable the server application to push notification messages to the client device selectively for the client application for that user. When receiving a notification message from the application server, the notification message may be examined to forward the notification message directly to the client application for that user without invoking other applications in the client device if the notification message carries a subtopic identifier of the client application. |
| US08924485B2 |
Message routing
Methods, devices, signals, and systems are provided in a message routing architecture which provides improved capabilities for integrating “digital” communication through email messages with “analog” communication through voice and/or fax or pager messages. Email can be addressed using nothing more than a standard telephone or fax number. If the registered owner of the telephone or fax number has a corresponding email address, then the invention converts the telephone or fax number to the email address for delivery and uses standard email delivery systems to deliver the message. If no conventional delivery email address is known, or if the message sender or recipient specify multiple delivery modes, then the email message content is transformed into voice, pager and/or fax content and delivered to the recipient using the telephone or fax number which was specified as the email address. Familiar telecommunications services such as call forwarding and selective call blocking can also be used with messages that originate as email. The invention also supports use of telecommunications numbers as indexes into databases which contain public key certificates, to make it unnecessary for a proposed message recipient to provide its public key expressly in advance to each particular proposed message originator. |
| US08924483B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for social networking
A method, apparatus and system for social networking is provided. In an embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of mobile devices that can directly connect to each other via a peer-to-peer connection. The devices can additionally connect to a server. The server maintains a profile schema which can be used to generate profiles for users for each of the mobile devices. |
| US08924478B2 |
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) login acceleration
The time required to login to a remote or virtual desktop can be reduced by caching image data in a persistent memory location in-between remote desktop sessions. For instance, image data related to an image displayed on a client device during a first virtual desktop session may be cached after terminating the first virtual desktop session. The cached data can then be used to display the same image, or a correlated image, on the client device during a subsequent remote desktop session, thereby avoiding the need to re-transport the image data over a network. In a similar manner, cached image data can be shared between multiple users sharing a common local area network (LAN) in order to improve collective virtual desktop performance. |
| US08924477B2 |
Real-time meeting object extensibility
A system and method for sharing and installing customized meeting objects into an ongoing electronic meeting is disclosed. An object module, which defines the customized meeting object is loaded onto a server hosting the ongoing electronic meeting. Client-side portions of the object module are then downloaded to each of the clients that are participating in the electronic meeting. While the meeting is ongoing, the meeting player installs the client-side portions of the object module and displays the customized meeting object, at least, to a meeting presenter. Once displayed to a meeting presenter, the presenter may use the customized meeting object during the meeting and display such object to the meeting participants when desired. |
| US08924470B2 |
Methods and systems for providing web applications
Methods and systems consistent with certain disclosed embodiments provide applications. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that provides applications. The system may include a computer system that receives a request related to an application and a database system. The database system may include a database and an application server module and a framework of software modules logically arranged to provide controlled access to data in the database. The application server module may use the data to generate content to generate a Web page related to the application. Further, the software modules may be logically arranged in layers such that access to data or software in a software module of one layer is performed by executing software in another software module of another layer. |
| US08924452B2 |
Fixed-coefficient variable prime length recursive discrete Fourier transform system
A fixed-coefficient variable prime length recursive discrete Fourier transform system includes a pre-processing device, a real-part computation device, an imaginary-part computation device and a post-processing device. The pre-processing device receives N digital input signals and performs order permutation operation to generate first and second temporal signals, wherein N is a prime number. The real-part computation device receives the real part of the first and second temporal signals and performs discrete cosine/sine transform to generate third and fourth temporal signals. The imaginary-part computation device receives the imaginary part of the first and second temporal signals and performs discrete cosine/sine transform to generate fifth and sixth temporal signals. The post-processing device receives the third, fourth, fifth and sixth temporal signals to perform order permutation and addition operations for generating N digital output signals, wherein the N digital output signals are the discrete Fourier transform of the N digital signals. |
| US08924447B2 |
Double precision approximation of a single precision operation
A method for double precision approximation of a single precision operation is disclosed. The method may include steps (A) to (B). Step (A) may store an input value in a processor. The processor generally implements a plurality of first operations in hardware. Each first operation may receive a first variable as an argument. The first variable may be implemented in a fixed point format at a single precision. The input value may be implemented in the fixed point format at a double precision. Step (B) may generate an output value by emulating a selected one of the first operations using the input value as the argument. The emulation may utilize the selected first operation in hardware. The output value may be implemented in the fixed point format at the double precision. The emulation is generally performed by a plurality of instructions executed by the processor. |
| US08924430B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and method of processing image
An image processing apparatus having a processing function of an image includes a communication unit for communicating image data using certificate data; a certificate data storage unit for storing the certificate data; a corresponding status output unit for outputting a correlation between the certificate data and the processing function; and an updating unit for updating the correlation between the certificate data and the processing function. |
| US08924428B2 |
Systems and methods of media management, such as management of media to and from a media storage library
A system and method for determining media to be exported out of a media library is described. In some examples, the system determines a media component to be exported, determines the media component is in the media library for a specific process, and exports the media component after the process is completed. |
| US08924427B2 |
Notification of a pending digital video recorder deletion event
A method and system for early notification of a pending deletion event of deleting a recording. Notification options are configured. The notification options are maintained with respect to a user profile associated with a user. Configuring the notification options includes (i) configuring a notification interval between successive notifications of the pending deletion event of deleting the recording and (ii) configuring a notification of the pending deletion event of deleting the recording that was recorded by another user. The notification of the pending deletion event of deleting the recording is sent to the user via a notification method. |
| US08924425B1 |
Migrating data from legacy storage systems to object storage systems
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for migrating a dataset from a file storage system to an object storage system. That is, a snapshot of a file system may be received from the file storage system. The snapshot may comprise file data associated with a file of the file system. The file may be converted into an object using the file data. The object may be stored within a data constituent volume of the object storage system. A namespace volume, used to track objects, may be populated with a redirector that maps a front-end data path (e.g., a path used by clients to reference the object) to a back-end data path that specifies a path to the object within the data constituent volume. In this way, a dataset of one or more files may be migrated from the file storage system to the object storage system. |
| US08924424B2 |
Metadata record generation
A computer implemented method and system provide for automatic selection and extraction of metadata and media content from projects in a craft tool. Automated identification, classification and management of such metadata and content is provided using including techniques such as pattern recognition for audio and visual content. The automatic tracking and centralized storage of metadata and content for compliance purposes can be facilitated, and can enable querying of organized metadata stored in a central database. In an example, metadata and media content are extracted automatically from a project in a craft tool at a client system and are forwarded to a host system for the creation of a cue sheet including timings for media files from timing metadata in a project file to create the timings on the cue sheet. |
| US08924422B2 |
Condition matching system, linked conditional matching device, and condition matching processing method
A condition matching system is provided which can specify users who match predetermined conditions, in the state where various categories of user information are held decentrally, while suppressing processing load and network load. User ID supplying means 91 stores user ID transmission status information indicating which user's user ID has been transmitted to which condition matching device. Linked conditional matching means 93 causes user ID selecting means 94 to select a user ID of any user having his/her user IDs transmitted respectively to condition matching devices 90 that received conditions from condition designating means 92. In response to a request from the linked conditional matching means 93, the user ID selecting means 94 selects user IDs on the basis of the user ID transmission status information. The linked conditional matching means 93 uses the user IDs to cause the respective condition matching devices 90 to sequentially narrow down the users who meet the conditions. |
| US08924414B2 |
Document management techniques to account for user-specific patterns in document metadata
Document management techniques to account for user-specific patterns in document metadata are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for facilitating document retrieval may comprise: assigning a first entitlement to a first user for accessing a first plurality of documents; identifying patterns in the first user's creation or modification of metadata related to the first plurality of documents; recording the identified patterns associated with the first user; receiving a document query from a second user who has been assigned a second entitlement to access a second plurality of documents; determining, based on the second entitlement, an access right of the second user with respect to the first plurality of documents; and modifying the document query based on the access right of the second user and the identified patterns, such that the document query returns relevant documents from the first plurality of documents despite the second user's ignorance of the identified patterns. |
| US08924413B2 |
Media content searching
A method may include receiving, from a user device, a search query associated with identifying media content available from a service provider. The method may also include accessing a table including entries storing metadata associated with media content, wherein the table includes a key word field and at least some of the entries include key words/terms stored in the key word field. The method may further include identifying a first entry in the table based on a word/term in the search query matching metadata stored in the first entry, determining whether a word in the search query matches a word in the key word field of the first entry and providing a search result identifying a first media content corresponding to the first entry, in response to determining that a word in the search query matches a word in the key word field of the first entry. |
| US08924412B2 |
Rules driven pan ID metadata routing system and network
Content objects are associated with metadata via content identifiers. In response to a user's query for metadata for a piece of content, the content identifier is derived from the content object and used to determine metadata responses to the query. Rules are applied to govern the metadata responses returned in response to the query. Traffic monitoring is performed to track usage of metadata. |
| US08924411B2 |
System and method for the dynamic provisioning of static content
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a system and method for the dynamic provisioning of static content. In one embodiment, information presented on a content delivery system can be refreshed based on information published on a content management system. One embodiment can interface the content delivery system and the content management system at the page level. More specifically, content dependencies across pages employing the same content or portion(s) thereof can be tracked in a timely, accurate manner. Upon receiving a notification of a change to the content or a portion thereof from the content management system, a content generation system may operate to determine, based on the dependencies, what pages are affected by the change and, based on the determination, dynamically regenerate any and all affected pages. The regenerated pages may then be stored and/or pushed to the web tier for delivery to end users. |
| US08924398B2 |
Log-based DDL generation
Systems, methods, and computer readable media for automatically generating Data Definition Language (DDL) commands from database log information is described. In general, techniques are disclosed for analyzing database log entries to identify those associated with targeted DDL commands and associating those entries with a DDL command object. The DDL command object may be used (immediately or at some later time) to generate a DDL commands corresponding to the (possibly many) aggregated log records associated with the command object. The use of multiple database log entries as described herein enables the generation of DDL commands that capture database activity occurring over a period of time (full time context auditing) and can, therefore, naturally account for database schema changes. |
| US08924394B2 |
Computer-assisted abstraction for reporting of quality measures
Methods and systems are disclosed for tracking quality measures in abstracted documents. Embodiments include, determining, based on the abstracted content, a quality measure category, obtaining a quality measure definition corresponding to a quality measure included in the determined quality measure category, determining, based on keywords corresponding to the criterion, whether a portion of the abstracted content satisfies a criterion, recording, in association with the criterion, a reference to the portion of the abstracted content that satisfies the criterion; and selectively generating, a report including the query corresponding to the criterion, a query response, and the portion of the abstracted content satisfying the criterion. |
| US08924393B1 |
Method and system for improving automatic categorization of financial transactions
A system and method for improving the accuracy of the automatic categorization of financial transactions provides a flexible and comprehensive approach to the automatic categorization of financial transactions whereby the payee data associated with the financial transaction and one or more of: data indicating the transaction amount, and how products and/or services of various kinds are typically priced; data indicating the time associated with the transaction; data indicating the time intervals between related transactions; and data indicating the transaction amount as compared to pricing data associated with the payee of the transaction, is analyzed to determine a financial category to automatically apply to the financial transactions. |
| US08924390B2 |
Playable music library building in a streaming media environment
A method, system, and apparatus of a playable music library building in a streaming media environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a server device includes, creatin a streamable playlist associated with a user, determining that the streamable playlist is associated with an artist, and determining that a central database includes new tracks of the artist, automatically adding the new tracks to the streamable playlist without charging a consideration to the user. The method may include communicating an alert message to the user when the new tracks may be added to the streamable playlist. The method may create a category playlist associated with the user based on a category of a media content. The method may include determining that the central database may include additional tracks in the category. The method may request that the user to add the additional tracks in the category playlist. |
| US08924386B2 |
Data distributing apparatus, data storing device, and recording medium
A data distributing apparatus for distributing data having a plurality of data items to a plurality of data database devices, the data distributing apparatus includes a storing unit configured to store exclusive information indicating that two or more data items among the plurality of data items are not placed in the same database device among the plurality of data database devices, a placement deciding unit configured to decide a placement of the data items so that the two or more data items are placed in different data database devices among the plurality of database devices, and a request processing unit configured to transmit the plurality of data items to the plurality of data database devices according to the decided placement. |
| US08924379B1 |
Temporal-based score adjustments
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for determining temporal based score adjustments are provided. One method includes receiving a query and obtaining a score for responsive documents. The method further includes adjusting the scores for the documents according to an age classification for one or more related queries for the documents. Another method includes storing popularity data for queries over time; identifying a query and associated extended queries from the popularity data, and storing time trend data associating the query and one or more periods of time with a respective extended query. Another method includes storing popularity data for queries over time, obtaining scores for documents responsive to a query submitted at a first time, and adjusting the scores for one the documents according to whether the first time is within a popularity change time window for one or more related queries for the documents. |
| US08924378B2 |
Adaptive user interface for real-time search relevance feedback
A method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting the user interface of a search engine in order to effectively communicate the improved relevancy achieved through real-time implicit re-ranking of search results is described. Real-time implicit re-ranking occurs without delay after every user action as the search is being conducted, so finding methods of immediately altering the search page without disrupting the user experience is important. Graphical icons next to search results are employed to enable generating and removing re-ranked results, referred to as “recommended” search results. Clusters based on the real-time user model are also displayed to facilitate query reformulations. Sponsored links are selected using the real-time user model along with a combination of RPC and CTR information and are displayed in a manner similar to the organic results, or used to replace the initial sponsored links altogether. |
| US08924377B2 |
Preference stack
Systems and methods for customizing a display of records. In an embodiment, a plurality of records are identified, and a virtual map comprising representations of the records is generated. In response to a selection of a property attribute, a range of values for the attribute is determined and divided into a plurality of segments. Each record is associated with one of the segments, and a graph is generated comprising visual representations. Each visual representation in the graph corresponds to one of the segments and comprises a representation of a number of the records which are associated with the corresponding segment. In response to selection of one or more of the visual representations, the virtual map is updated to visually identify a subset of the representations of the records which are associated with the segment corresponding to the selected visual representation(s). |
| US08924376B1 |
Method for human ranking of search results
A search engine may perform a search for a user search query. A rankings of result items may be returned as a result of the search. The user may enter new suggested rankings for some of the items. The new suggested rankings may change the rankings of result items when other users search for the same search query or a similar search query at a later time. |
| US08924373B2 |
Query plans with parameter markers in place of object identifiers
In an embodiment, a first query is received that specifies a first object identifier. If a first query plan exists that implements the first query, except that the first query plan does not comprise the first object identifier and instead comprises a parameter marker in place of the first object identifier, a first query execution plan is created from the first query plan, substituting the first object identifier in the first query execution plan for the parameter marker, and the first query execution plan is executed to read a first object identified by the first object identifier. |
| US08924370B2 |
Efficient distributed lock manager
In a cluster where multiple database nodes are synchronized by a distributed lock manager, a process that includes one or more messages that are sent from one or more nodes to a distributed lock manager, wherein one or more of said messages are asynchronous lock taken messages. |
| US08924364B1 |
Efficient management of file system quota trees
A technique for managing usage metrics of quota trees in a file system includes storing, in an inode table that lists inodes of the file system, identifiers (IDs) of quota trees to which the inodes belong. To check the usage of a quota tree, the inode table is scanned for any inodes that reference the quota tree ID of that quota tree. All such inodes are identified, and their usage attributes are summed to calculate an overall usage metric for the quota tree as a whole. The improved technique thus avoids the need to scan directory structures on disk. |
| US08924361B2 |
Monitoring entitlement usage in an on-demand system
Methods and systems are provided for on-demand entitlement monitoring. One exemplary method involves an on-demand application server obtaining, from a database, usage information for a resource associated with an entitlement offered by a resource provider to a user of a client device and generating a graphical representation of usage of the resource by the user based at least in part on the usage information obtained from the database. In exemplary embodiments, the on-demand application server provides the graphical representation to the resource provider for integration into a graphical user interface display associated with a virtual application provided to the client device over a network. |
| US08924357B2 |
Storage performance optimization
A system and method for enhancing data throughput in data warehousing environments by connecting multiple servers having local storages with designated external storage systems, such as, for example, those provided by SANS. The system and method may preserve a full reference copy of the data in a protected environment (e.g., on the external storage system) that is fully available. The system and method may enhance overall I/O potential performance and reliability for efficient and reliable system resource utilization. |
| US08924353B1 |
Systems and methods for copying database files
A computer-implemented method for copying database files may include (1) identifying a request to copy a database file to a target location, and in response to identifying the request to copy the database file to the target location, (2) identifying a preallocated but unused portion of the database file, (3) transmitting a used portion of the database file to the target location, and (4) transmitting a metadata representation of the unused portion of the database file to the target location, the metadata representation being smaller than the unused portion. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed. |
| US08924352B1 |
Automated priority backup and archive
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for backing up or archiving objects from a first location to a second location, comprising determining the objects to be backed up and a prioritization of the objects according to a first criterion. The objects are transmitted from the first location to the second location substantially in accordance with the prioritization. The transmission may be suspended in accordance with loss of network connectivity, a user action, or throttling to reduce processor or network load. Transmission may be continued, and the objects reprioritized according to the first criterion, wherein relevant changes in the objects are reflected. A backup target may be chosen based on the location of the source, and if the location changes, a new backup target may be chosen in consideration of bandwidth. The backups to the backup targets may be combined to define a backup. |
| US08924348B2 |
System and method for sharing data between occasionally connected devices and remote global database
A method for sharing data between an occasionally connected device and a remote global database is disclosed. The occasionally connected device receives data from a remote global database. The data is accessed by a user in an online mode. The data is stored in the form of one or more screen instances in a local database of the occasionally connected device. The one or more screen instances capture contents of a screen accessed by the user, and the one or more screen instances are last viewed instances of the screen accessed by the user. Further, the one or more screen instances are updated in the offline mode by querying the local database of the occasionally connected device. The one or more updated screen instances are synchronized with the remote global database to update the data stored in the remote global database corresponding to the one or more screen instances. |
| US08924347B1 |
Database replication
A replication server receives a first write request from a database server for writing first data to persistent data storage. The replication server determines that the first write request is designated as asynchronous. In response to determining that the first write request is asynchronous, the first data is saved to local cache at the replication server and an acknowledgement is sent to the database server. The local cache stores second data to be written to persistent data storage when the first data is saved to the local cache. The first data and the second data are written from the local cache to the persistent data storage in a batch operation. |
| US08924346B2 |
Idempotence for database transactions
A method, machine, and computer-readable medium is provided for managing transactional sets of commands sent from a client to a server for execution. A first server reports logical identifiers that identify transactional sets of commands to a client. The first server commits information about a set of commands to indicate that the set has committed. A second server receives, from the client, a request that identifies the set based on the logical identifier that the client had received. The second server determines whether the request identified the latest set received for execution in a corresponding session and whether any transactions in the set have not committed. If any transaction has not committed, the second server enforces uncommitted state of the identified set by blocking completion of the identified set issued in the first session. The identified set may then be executed in the second session without risk of duplication. |
| US08924345B2 |
Clustering and synchronizing content
Clustering and synchronizing content may include extracting audio features for each of a plurality of files that include audio content. The plurality of files may be clustered into one or more clusters. Clustering may include clustering based on a histogram that may be generated for each file pair of the plurality of files. Within each of the clusters, the files of the cluster may be time aligned. |
| US08924343B2 |
Method and system for using confidence factors in forming a system
A method for using confidence factors in forming a system may include receiving a tolerable confidence factor. The method may also include utilizing only resources and relationships of a plurality of resources and relationships with confidence factors equal to or greater than the tolerable confidence factor to form the system. |
| US08924339B1 |
Semi-supervised and unsupervised generation of hash functions
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating hash functions. In one aspect, a method includes generating hash functions by sequentially determining a weight vector for each hash function to maximize an accuracy measure derived from current constraint weights and updating the current constraint weights for use in calculating a weight vector of a next hash function in the sequence. In another aspect, the determined weight vector maximizes an accuracy measure and a variance measure. In still another aspect, a method includes generating an adjusted covariance matrix and generating a sequence of hash functions from the adjusted covariance matrix. In still another aspect, a method includes sequentially generating a sequence of hash functions, where the weight vectors for any previously generated hash functions are used to identify constraints used to generate the weight vector for each next hash function in the sequence. |
| US08924335B1 |
Rule-based user interface conformance methods
The invention provides in one aspect a method that includes identifying one or more rules for execution by a rules engine in order to generate a user interface. The method further includes executing, on a digital data processing system that comprises one or more digital data processors, a step of determining whether one or more aspects of the user interface generated as a result of execution of at least one of those rules is in conformity with one or more requirements. The system responds to a negative such determination, according to the method, by identifying modifications to generate a conforming user interface from those one or more rules, modifying one or more of those rules to generate a conforming user interface from (e.g., based directly or indirectly on) those one or more rules, and/or generating a conforming user interface from those one or more rules. The method further calls for storing to and/or generating as an output from the digital data processing system a result those step(s). |
| US08924334B2 |
Method and system for generating a surgical training module
A system (1) comprises a physical surgical simulator (11) which transmits data concerning physical movement of training devices to an analysis engine (12). The engine (12) automatically generates rules for a rule base (13a) in a learning system (13). The learning system (13) also comprises content objects (13b) and 3D scenario objects (13c). A linked set of a 3D scenario object (13c), a rule base (13a), and a content object (13b) are together a lesson (10). Another simulator (14) is operated by a student. This transmits data concerning physical movement of training devices by a student to a verification engine (15). The verification engine (15) interfaces with the rule base (13a) to display the lesson in the manner defined by the lesson rule base (13a). It calculates performance measures defined in the lesson rule base (13a). It also records the performance measures into a lesson record (18) and it adapts the display of the lesson in line with the parameters defined in the lesson rule base (13a). |
| US08924332B2 |
Forecasting hotspots using predictive visual analytics approach
A method for forecasting hotspots is provided. The method may include the steps of receiving input data at an input of the computational device, generating a temporal prediction based on the input data, generating a geospatial prediction based on the input data, and generating output data based on the time series and geospatial predictions. The output data may be configured to display at least one user interface at an output of the computational device. |
| US08924330B2 |
Method and computer program product for providing a response to a statement of a user
A data processing system, computer program, and method for providing a response to a statement of a user before receiving a complete user statement involves, in response to receiving a partial user input, calculating for each of a plurality of predefined answerable statements, a metric based on a frequency with which the predefined answerable statement had been selected by previous users. If the metrics for none of the predetermined answerable statements exceed a threshold, the computer sends the user suggested predefined answerable statements. If one of metrics exceeds the threshold, and not otherwise, the computer sends the user information representative of a response to the predefined answerable statement associated with that metric. |
| US08924326B2 |
Methods and systems for optimizing messages to users of a social network
Techniques to optimize messages sent to a user of a social networking system. In one embodiment, information about the user may be collected by the social networking system. The information may be applied to train a model for determining likelihood of a desired action by the user in response to candidate messages that may be provided for the user. The social networking system may provide to the user a message from the candidate messages with a selected likelihood of causing the desired action. |
| US08924325B1 |
Computerized target hostility determination and countermeasure
A system for evaluating the threat posed by sensed targets includes sources of predetermined threat hypotheses and doctrinal information, and a Choquet threat discernment processor to identify a threat level represented by each target. A threshold arrangement is coupled evaluates the threat level, and deems those threat levels above the threshold to be suitable for the taking of countermeasures. |
| US08924322B2 |
Multi-processor cortical simulations with reciprocal connections with shared weights
Embodiments of the invention relate to distributed simulation frameworks that provide reciprocal communication. One embodiment comprises interconnecting neuron groups on different processors via a plurality of reciprocal communication pathways, and facilitating the exchange of reciprocal spiking communication between two different processors using at least one Ineuron module. Each processor includes at least one neuron group. Each neuron group includes at least one electronic neuron. |
| US08924319B1 |
Method and system for determining a potential relationship between entities and relevance thereof
A method and system for identifying a relevance of a relation between at least two entities includes receiving at least one item of information relating to one or more of the entities and determining whether a proximity between the at least two entities exists. A level of the proximity between the entities is identified. The relevance of the proximity between the entities is determined based on the level of the proximity and the at least one item of information received. |
| US08924317B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program
There is provided an information processing apparatus including an information amount gain calculation unit that, on the assumption that a factor that could cause a state transition in a state transition model occurs and the state transition takes place as a result of an occurrence of the factor, determines an information amount gain, which is an information amount obtained by causing the factor to occur regarding a causal relationship between the factor and the state transition and observing a result thereof, an evaluation value calculation unit that determines an evaluation value to evaluate effectiveness of causing each of the factors to occur based on the information amount gain to acquire the causal relationship between the factor and the state transition, and a decision unit that decides the factor to be occurred based on the evaluation value. |
| US08924315B2 |
Multi-task learning using bayesian model with enforced sparsity and leveraging of task correlations
Multi-task regression or classification includes optimizing parameters of a Bayesian model representing relationships between D features and P tasks, where D≧1 and P≧1, respective to training data comprising sets of values for the D features annotated with values for the P tasks. The Bayesian model includes a matrix-variate prior having features and tasks dimensions of dimensionality D and P respectively. The matrix-variate prior is partitioned into a plurality of blocks, and the optimizing of parameters of the Bayesian model includes inferring prior distributions for the blocks of the matrix-variate prior that induce sparseness of the plurality of blocks. Values of the P tasks are predicted for a set of input values for the D features using the optimized Bayesian model. The optimizing also includes decomposing the matrix-variate prior into a product of matrices including a matrix of reduced rank in the tasks dimension that encodes correlations between tasks. |
| US08924312B2 |
Computer system for routing package deliveries
A shipping system for shipping packages involving the coordinated use of at least a first carrier and a second carrier. The shipping system includes physical delivery facilities for the physical delivery of packages, the physical delivery facilities including at least one transfer location at which the second carrier may take over delivery responsibilities for a package. The shipping system also includes an information system having a shipper computer system configured to record and determine whether the delivery address of a package is an efficient destination for the first carrier. If not an efficient destination, such as a delivery address having a rural zip code, the shipper computer system is configured to label the package for delivery to one of the transfer locations, allowing the first carrier to transfer the selected package to the second carrier for completion of the less efficient portion of the delivery. |
| US08924311B2 |
Method and system for processing glacial water
Methods and systems for recovering, processing, containing, and transporting water obtained from an ice source, i.e., a glacier, ice sheet, ice cap, etc., are described herein. The ice obtained from the ice source holds unique properties and is processed as a beverage for consumption having unique properties. Further, the resulting product is produced and transported with minimal human alteration and reduced energy input as compared to conventional methods for packaging water. |
| US08924310B2 |
Methods and apparatus for conducting electronic transactions
A system and method for conducting electronic commerce are disclosed. In various embodiments, the electronic transaction is a purchase transaction. A user is provided with an intelligent token, such as a smartcard containing a digital certificate. The intelligent token suitably authenticates with a server on a network that conducts all or portions of the transaction on behalf of the user. In various embodiments a wallet server interacts with a security server to provide enhanced reliability and confidence in the transaction. In various embodiments, the wallet server includes a toolbar. In various embodiments, the digital wallet pre-fills forms. Forms may be pre-filled using an auto-remember component. |
| US08924309B2 |
Method of providing assured transactions by watermarked file display verification
Electronic transactions employing prior art approaches of digital certificates and authentification are subject to attacks resulting in fraudulent transactions and abuse of identity information. Disclosed is a method of improving electronic security by establishing a secure trusted path between a user and an institution seeking an electronic signature to verify a transaction before any request for signature and completing electronic transaction activities occurs. The secure trusted path providing the user with a predetermined portion of the request from the institution for a signature upon a personalized device that cannot be intercepted or manipulated by malware to verify that the request as displayed upon the user's primary computing device is valid. |
| US08924306B2 |
Remote computer rebooting tool
A method is presented for rebooting a local data processing entity requiring an access code to boot. The method may include receiving, on a local entity, an access code from a remote entity. The access code may be stored on an auxiliary device coupled to the local entity. The local entity may receive a reboot command from the remote entity and begin rebooting in response thereto. The auxiliary device may provide the access code to the local entity in response to the beginning of the reboot. The access code may then be deleted from the auxiliary device. |
| US08924305B2 |
DLNA data distribution from a remote source
Information distribution relates to a DLNA device (30) involves receiving, at a request server (100) in a global network (20), a media request for a media content having a specific media format from the DLNA device (30) present in a home network (10). The request server (100) processes the media request based on user and media identifiers provided therein and provides a response. This response enables rendering by a DLNA compatible digital media player (200, 400) of response information relating to the media request and being of the specific media format. A user of the DLNA device (30) can therefore be informed of the processing of his media request. |
| US08924298B2 |
Fueling environment wireless architecture
A method and system for transmitting data between devices within a fueling environment comprising a wireless mesh network wherein the devices are configured to communicate via the wireless mesh network. A wireless communication device is connected to each device, and a middleware executed by the wireless communication device handles communications between the devices and the wireless mesh network. |
| US08924292B1 |
System and method for a mobile wallet
A computer-implemented system and method includes receiving a request to perform a transaction between a user having a mobile device and the user having account at a financial institution and a merchant. The method includes determining a first location of the user based on a location of the mobile device and the method includes determining a second location of the user based on a location of the merchant. The first and second locations are compared to ensure a match between the two locations. The method further includes receiving an identifier that is embedded in a code that is displayable on the mobile device. The method includes transmitting an indication that the transaction has been completed based on the identifier and based on the match of the first and second location. |
| US08924285B2 |
Building whitelists comprising voiceprints not associated with fraud and screening calls using a combination of a whitelist and blacklist
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method, comprising collecting voiceprints of callers; identifying which of the collected voiceprints are associated with fraud; and generating a whitelist comprising voiceprints corresponding to the collected voiceprints not identified as associated with fraud. |
| US08924282B2 |
Methods and systems for measuring comparative data
Methods and corresponding system are provided herewith that, in at least one embodiment, include the act or acts of determining a first instance in which a first request is received by an exchange; determining a second instance in which a second request is received by the exchange, in which the second request defines a request to cancel the first request; determining a third instance in which a third request is received by the exchange, in which the third request corresponds to the first request; calculating a first difference between the second instance and the third instances; storing the first difference to a data storage, in which the data storage comprises a plurality of differences; and analyzing the plurality of differences to generate comparative information. |
| US08924281B2 |
Method for aggregating intellectual property and services in an exchange
The present invention relates to methods of aggregating and valuing intellectual property in a financial exchange. The present invention provides means whereby holders of intellectual property rights may sell, or license intellectual property to an aggregator and receive shares of stock or cash for the contribution based on the aggregated value of the intellectual property held by the aggregator. |
| US08924280B2 |
Method and system for auctioning funds using a full-time public network
A method for auctioning funds to a bank or by a depositor using a full-time public network, including several steps. A connection is established (160) to a full-time public network. Bank or depositor criteria received via the full-time public network is accepted (162). Risk analytics is performed (164) to facilitate identification of acceptable bidders. At least one bid is accepted (166) from at least one acceptable bidder via the full-time public network. Each accepted bid is evaluated (168) based on the bank or depositor criteria to determine whether the bid satisfies the criteria. At least one bid is selected (170) as a winning bid determined to satisfy the bank or depositor criteria. A system for matching depositors and banks includes at least one depositor computing system (212), at least one bank computing system (216), and auctioneer computing system (218) having several operating modules. |
| US08924278B2 |
System and method for controlling markets during a stop loss trigger
A system and method for mitigating effects of a market spike caused by triggering and election of a conditional order in an automated matching system. The system includes evaluation logic which monitors conditional orders submitted to a trading engine compares a price of an order to a first predefined price range (“first range”) and delay logic which delays matching of the submitted orders when the price thereof lie outside of the first range. Pricing logic derives an opening price for use by the trading engine. Timing logic measures a time interval to delay matching of the orders until the opening price is within a predefined price range up to a maximum delay time set by a control center. |
| US08924277B2 |
Method and system for automatic execution of a securities transaction
A securities transaction, such as a buy or sell order is transmitted to a securities exchange with an indicator requesting automatic execution. In one embodiment, the securities transaction has a limit price and if the limit price is equal to or better than the current quote for the security on the exchange, the transaction is automatically executed without exposing the transaction to the auction market crowd on the exchange floor for possible price improvement. In another embodiment, the securities transaction is a market order, and if otherwise eligible, the transaction is automatically executed without exposing the transaction to auction market crowd on the exchange floor for possible price improvement. |
| US08924275B2 |
Hybrid multi-thread and multi-process computer simulation system and method
A method for performing a calculation that includes determining solutions for a plurality of problem modules. The problem modules are of differing complexities, and their solutions are combined to determine a solution to the calculation. The method may include directing each of the problem modules to at least one master server, estimating a complexity for each of the problem modules, determining a threshold complexity level, sending problem modules having a complexity exceeding the threshold complexity level to at least one slave server and obtaining solutions for the problem modules therefrom, determining solutions for problem modules having a complexity not exceeding the threshold complexity level in the master server(s), and combining the solutions for the problem modules to determine the solution for the calculation. |
| US08924274B2 |
For and method of providing portfolio risk information to investors without revealing position information
A system for and method of providing investors with risk information regarding a portfolio, while protecting a strategy associated with the portfolio from public disclosure, is presented. The information allows investors to calculate a variety of risk statistics at virtually any level of granularity in analyzing divisions of the portfolio. The system and method also provide benefits for portfolio managers. Specifically, a portfolio manager may release detailed simulated returns, from which investors may calculate a variety of risk statistics, without revealing position information sufficient for the investors to reverse engineer a strategy associated with the portfolio. |
| US08924272B2 |
System and method for management and verification of invoices
Embodiments of the present invention include architectures and methods for automated management of invoices. Embodiments of the present invention may include techniques for receiving and unifying invoice data, retrieving information about each invoice, verifying each invoice and resolving invoice exceptions. The present invention includes software components for efficiently processing invoices. In other embodiments, the present invention includes methods of processing an invoice. |
| US08924269B2 |
Consistent set of interfaces derived from a business object model
A business object model, which reflects data that is used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces. This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction. |
| US08924266B2 |
Self-service device inventory information control
Apparatus and methods for servicing a self-service device (“SSD”) such as an ATM. The SSD may include a customer service module that may perform part of a transaction or provide a service in support of the transaction. For example, the customer service module may be a currency acceptor, a printer, EPROM or any other device or circuit that is present in the SSD. The SSD may include a component map that may be stored in machine readable memory. An element of the map may correspond to the component. The SSD may include a central processing unit that may revise the map based on input from a service technician or machine-generated information. The map may be used to track the presence of the component in the SSD. |
| US08924260B1 |
Dynamic ingestion and processing of transactional data at the point of sale
A point-of-sale terminal differentiates dynamically among different data streams by processing data encoded with “sentinels” that bracket the beginning and end of the data and identify the type of data. |
| US08924258B2 |
Mobile point-of-sale
A mobile point-of-sale system includes a cart frame and a battery housed in the cart frame. The cart frame includes a front having a bottom, a back having a bottom edge and a bottom. The bottom includes a pair of upper flanges and a lower housing. The pair of upper flanges have components for receiving wheels for supporting the cart frame and the lower housing includes at least one aperture for venting heat from the battery that is supported by the lower housing. At least a portion of the lower housing and the battery are located below the pair of upper flanges and are located below the bottom edges of the front and the back. |
| US08924256B2 |
System and method for obtaining content based on data from an electronic device
In one embodiment, data from an electronic device is identified. The data may describe an electronic device (e.g. a hardware or software device) on which a document was created or modified, the subject matter of a document, the state of a document, or the like. Content relating to the electronic device is obtained based on the data. The content may be obtained in response to viewing, editing, printing, emailing or other accessing and/or processing of the document. |
| US08924252B2 |
Systems and methods for providing timely advertising to portable devices
Systems and methods for displaying advertisements on a portable device that utilizes an Activity-based operating system are described. The method includes receiving an indication that an Activity is being transitioned away from, and determining whether or not the Activity is finishing. Upon determining that the Activity is finishing, the method includes causing an advertisement display routine to be executed immediately, otherwise submitting the advertisement display routine into a processing queue to be executed subsequently. The advertisement display routine displays the advertisement only upon determining that the state of the Activity and the state of the portable device are characterized by one or more predetermined conditions. |
| US08924251B2 |
Systems and methods for providing one or more pages from an electronic document
Systems and methods for providing one or more pages of an electronic document are provided herein. Some of the methods may include evaluating one or more pages obtained from an electronic document to determine at least one of a pagination and an order for each of the one or more pages, reducing the size of each of the one or more pages, while utilizing at least a portion of the pagination of the each of the one or more pages, associating the one or more pages together according to the determined order, and providing at least one of the one or more pages to a network-enabled computing system upon receiving a request to obtain at least one page of the electronic document from the network-enabled computing system. |
| US08924249B2 |
Apparatus for detecting and recording activity and associated methods
A band formed to secure to a part of a human body. The band including a motion detection component. The motion detection component including circuitry for detecting and recording movement of the motion detection component. The motion detection component including a display defined to provide a visual indication of an amount of movement recorded by the circuitry. The circuitry including an electrical contact for electrical communication of signals associated with the detected and recorded movement of the motion detection component. |
| US08924245B2 |
System for and method of automatic optimizing quantitative business objectives of sellers (advertisers) with synergistic pricing, promotions and advertisements, while simultaneously minimizing expenditures and discovery and optimizing allocation of advertising channels that optimize such objectives
A system for and method of automatic optimizing quantitative business objectives of sellers (advertisers) with synergistic pricing, promotions and advertisements, while simultaneously minimizing expenditure and discovery and optimizing allocation of advertising channels that optimize such objectives. |
| US08924244B2 |
Commercial investment analysis
A technique for performing commercial venture analysis involves establishing an empirically-derived structure and evaluating companies using analytical techniques within that structure. The technique may involve defining jobs, or goals a customer is attempting to reach, with dozens or even hundreds of outcomes. Ideally, the structure and tools facilitate analysis that would not be possible otherwise. Moreover, the nature of the system enables real-time input for changing conditions and the ability to calculate returns for new markets in which products or services do not exist. |
| US08924241B2 |
System and method to determine an insurance policy benefit associated with an asset
A system and method are disclosed herein to determine an insurance benefit associated with an insurance policy for an asset, such as an automobile or a residence. The system includes a computer memory and a processor in communication with the computer memory. The computer memory may store data indicative of (i) a recommended maintenance schedule for the asset and (ii) at least one actual maintenance event that has occurred in connection with the asset. The processor may compare the at least one actual maintenance event with the recommended maintenance schedule and determine the benefit for the insurance policy based at least in part on a result of said comparing. The processor may then transmit an indication of the benefit for the insurance policy. |
| US08924237B2 |
Database for pre-screening potentially litigious patients
A database system stores information about potential patients that allows medical professionals to gauge the legal risk presented by the potential patients, giving the medical professionals the opportunity to avoid medical involvement with those individuals most prone to engaging in unwarranted legal actions. The database may also be used by insurance companies, legal services and other professional service providers to screen for potentially litigious customers. Information in the database is processed to provide a risk assessment score for each patient that is used for screening purposes. |
| US08924236B2 |
Record system
A system and process for providing a computerized medical and biographical records database and diagnostic information. A medical records database and diagnostic program is stored on a central computer that is accessible to individuals using remotely situated computers connected to a computer network. Individual patient medical and biographical records are owned by individual patients who can enter information in their record as well as grant or deny authorization to others, such as health care professionals, insurance providers and other entities, to review part or all of their record. The method, process and system establishes the parameters of function of providers and users of the services, stores all available data, provides the functional platforms for all medical, non-medical, and financial transactions to occur in an electronic, software-guided, anonymous, efficient, and uniform environment. |
| US08924222B2 |
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for coding of harmonic signals
A scheme for coding a set of transform coefficients that represent an audio-frequency range of a signal uses a harmonic model to parameterize a relationship between the locations of regions of significant energy in the frequency domain. |
| US08924213B2 |
Detecting potential significant errors in speech recognition results
In some embodiments, the recognition results produced by a speech processing system (which may include two or more recognition results, including a top recognition result and one or more alternative recognition results) based on an analysis of a speech input, are evaluated for indications of potential significant errors. In some embodiments, the recognition results may be evaluated using one or more sets of words and/or phrases, such as pairs of words/phrases that may include words/phrases that are acoustically similar to one another and/or that, when included in a result, would change a meaning of the result in a manner that would be significant for a domain. The recognition results may be evaluated using the set(s) of words/phrases to determine, when the top result includes a word/phrase from a set of words/phrases, whether any of the alternative recognition results includes any of the other, corresponding words/phrases from the set. |
| US08924210B2 |
Text processing using natural language understanding
Techniques for converting spoken speech into written speech are provided. The techniques include transcribing input speech via speech recognition, mapping each spoken utterance from input speech into a corresponding formal utterance, and mapping each formal utterance into a stylistically formatted written utterance. |
| US08924205B2 |
Methods and systems for automatic enablement or disablement of noise reduction within a communication device
The invention automatically enables and disables noise reduction based on a noise threshold. This threshold can be pre-defined by a user for a particular machine or can be defined “on the fly” before/during a telephonic conversation. With this flexibility, the users can “by-pass” the noise reduction and preserve the voice quality which are usually altered/modified by noise reduction algorithms. The present invention provides a novel system and method for monitoring the audio signals, analyze selected audio signal components, compare the results of analysis with a threshold value, and enable or disable noise reduction capability of a communication device. |
| US08924201B2 |
Audio encoder and decoder
The present invention teaches a new audio coding system that can code both general audio and speech signals well at low bit rates. A proposed audio coding system comprises linear prediction unit for filtering an input signal based on an adaptive filter; a transformation unit for transforming a frame of the filtered input signal into a transform domain; and a quantization unit for quantizing the transform domain signal. The quantization unit decides, based on input signal characteristics, to encode the transform domain signal with a model-based quantizer or a non-model-based quantizer. Preferably, the decision is based on the frame size applied by the transformation unit. |
| US08924197B2 |
System and method for converting a natural language query into a logical query
Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer readable media for converting a natural language query into a logical query. The method embodiment comprises receiving a natural language query and converting the natural language query using an extensible engine to generate a logical query, the extensible engine being linked to the toolkit and knowledge base. In one embodiment, a natural language query can be processed in a domain independent method to generate a logical query. |
| US08924193B2 |
Generating variants from file differences
A device receives model information associated with a modeling application. The device determines first and second conflicting information in the model information. The first and second conflicting information describe different characteristics of a model described by the model information. The device formats the first and second conflicting information in a manner that designates the first conflicting information as a first variant of the model and the second conflicting information as a second variant of the model. The model, when executed with the first variant, behaves in a different manner than when executed with the second variant. The device provides the formatted first and second conflicting information to the modeling application, provides information that identifies the first and second variant, receives a user selection of information that identifies the first variant or second variant, and executes the model based on the user selection. |
| US08924189B2 |
Template-based approach for workload generation
A system and method for workload generation include a processor for identifying a workload model by determining each of a hierarchy for workload generation, time scales for workload generation, and states and transitions at each of the time scales, and defining a parameter by determining each of fields for user specific attributes, application specific attributes, network specific attributes, content specific attributes, and a probability distribution function for each of the attributes; a user level template unit corresponding to a relatively slow time scale in signal communication with the processor; an application level template corresponding to a relatively faster time scale in signal communication with the processor; a stream level template corresponding to a relatively fastest time scale in signal communication with the processor; and a communications adapter in signal communication with the processor for defining a workload generating unit responsive to the template units. |
| US08924185B2 |
Designing a navigation scene
A computer implemented method for designing a scene suitable for navigation, may comprise: positioning a plurality of objects of a respective type in the scene, wherein the objects are CAD three-dimensional modeled objects of at least two types; providing a database comprising for each type of object, at least one action, at least one triggering interface for launching the action, a function for computing at least one triggering zone, the function taking as arguments values of parameters of the objects in the scene, wherein reaching the triggering zone during navigation activates the triggering interface; and, for each respective object, instantiating triggering interfaces corresponding to the type of the respective object, and computing triggering zones by applying the function corresponding to the respective object, and adding to the scene the instantiated triggering interfaces and the computed triggering zones. Such a method provides a navigation solution in the field of CAD objects. |
| US08924184B2 |
Pitot tube diagnostic systems and methods
A pitot tube diagnostic system including a data acquisition unit to acquire an output signal of a pitot-static system, the output signal having a static component and a dynamic component, and a processing unit to monitor the dynamic component for one or more characteristics that deviate from one or more predetermined reference characteristics to indicate impairment of the pitot-static system. |
| US08924182B2 |
Harsh environment sensor system and detection methods
A system for measuring a plurality of operating parameters of an object in a harsh environment is provided. The system includes a first energy transceiver system configured to transceive energy signals. The system also includes a transcieved modulant coupled to the first energy transceiver system. The system further includes a second energy transceiver system at least partially disposed on the object and capable of being interrogated by the first energy transceiver system. The second energy transceiver system still further includes a sensing system. The system also includes a processor coupled to the first energy transceiver system. The processor is configured to determine of the plurality of the operating parameters of the object in the harsh environment based upon the transceived modulant. |
| US08924174B2 |
Determining power flow
Methods, systems, and devices for determining a power flow are described herein. One method includes determining a temperature of a circuit conductor while the circuit conductor is conducting a current, and determining a power flow associated with the circuit conductor based, at least in part, on the determined temperature. |
| US08924172B2 |
Power consumption display unit for machine tool
A power consumption display unit for a machine tool includes: machining state determining means for determining, when a main power switch used to supply power to a machine tool is ON, whether the machine tool is in a machining state where a machining program is executed to machine a workpiece or in a non-machining state where the machining program is not executed; power consumption measuring means for measuring a power consumption of the machine tool during a period where the machine tool is determined to be in the non-machining state by the machining state determining means; and display means for displaying the power consumption measured by the power consumption measuring means. |
| US08924168B2 |
Method and system to detect actuation of a switch using vibrations or vibration signatures
Described herein are embodiments of methods and systems to detect actuation of a switch using vibrations and vibration signatures. One aspect of the method comprises sending an actuation signal to a switch, receiving a vibration signal associated with the switch, and determining from the vibration signal whether the actuation occurred. |
| US08924165B2 |
Measuring system having a measuring transducer of vibration-type
The measuring system has a measuring transducer which produces primary signals transmitter electronics for activating the measuring transducer and for evaluating primary signals. The measuring transducer includes at least one measuring tube; at least one electro-mechanical, oscillation exciter, a first oscillation sensor. The transmitter electronics, in turn, delivers at least one driver signal for the oscillation exciter for effecting vibrations of the at least one measuring tube and generates, by means of the first primary signal and by means of the second primary signal, as well as with application of a Reynolds number, measured value representing a Reynolds number, Re, for medium flowing in the measuring transducer, a pressure difference, measured value, which represents a pressure difference occurring between two predetermined reference points in the flowing medium. |
| US08924163B2 |
User interface system and method for diagnosing a rotating machine condition not based upon prior measurement history
A vibration data collection and rotating machinery fault diagnostic instrument includes a machine setup engine, a measurement engine, a diagnostic engine, a measurement user interface module, a machine setup user interface module, and a diagnostic user interface module. The machine setup engine requests and receives parameters about the machinery through the machine setup user interface module. The measurement engine requests and receives sensor placement locations through the measurement user interface module and keeps track of locations that have been measured and locations that still need to be measured. The diagnostic engine diagnoses machinery faults and presents the information to the user through the diagnostic user interface module using an intuitive graphical severity scale. |
| US08924162B2 |
Turbine-to-turbine prognostics technique for wind farms
Methods and systems for predicting an end of life of a wind turbine component including receiving environmental conditions indicative of natural surroundings of wind turbines within a wind turbine farm, receiving component performance metrics indicative of an operation of wind turbines within a wind turbine farm, and distributing the wind turbines into peer-clusters such that the wind turbines within each of the peer-clusters have similar environmental conditions. The methods and systems further include identifying a low performing wind turbine and a remaining portion of wind turbines within one of the peer-clusters based upon a predicted performance model, processing the component performance metrics of the low performing wind turbine, identifying a critical component of the low performing wind turbine and predicting the end of life of the critical component of the low performing wind turbine. |
| US08924160B2 |
Health-monitoring device
A health-monitoring device assesses the health of a user based on levels of two analytes in a biological fluid. A first analyte that is utilized to assess a user's health is a fat metabolism analyte, such as ketones, free fatty acids and glycerol, which is indicative of fat metabolism. A second analyte that is utilized is a glucose metabolism analyte, such as glucose. The levels of the two analytes may be used to assess insulin sensitivity, to detect both recent hypoglycemia and the cause of high glucose levels, and/or to guide therapeutic intervention. The dual analyte model may calculate a discrepancy between an actual insulin activity level and a theoretical insulin activity level. The dual analyte model of the present invention may be used to identify individuals at risk for metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and non-insulin dependent diabetes, and allows monitoring of the progression of those disease states, as well as progress made by therapeutic interventions. |
| US08924156B2 |
Method, apparatus, computer program and user interface
A method, apparatus, computer program and user interface wherein the method includes: obtaining coordinate information from a first application where the coordinate information uniquely identifies an address as a location in a coordinate space; storing, using a second application, the coordinate information so that the coordinate information is associated with contact information indicative of the address; detecting user selection of a control element associated with the stored contact information; and in response to the detection of the user selection of the control element providing the coordinate information to the first application. |
| US08924153B2 |
Navigation device, navigation method, and navigation program
A navigation apparatus and method are provided. The navigation apparatus includes an image acquiring part that acquires an image of a road feature from a vehicle camera. The apparatus also includes a correction distance table that stores a correction distance to correct a difference between a position of a vehicle when the feature disappears from an imaging area of the camera and a guidance output reference position that is a position of the vehicle when the feature disappears from a driver's view. Further, a judging part is included and judges, based on the image acquired by the image acquiring part and the correction distance stored in the correction distance table, whether the vehicle has arrived at the guidance output reference position. Lastly, the apparatus includes a guidance part that provides guidance regarding the traffic light at a predetermined position having the guidance output reference position as a reference. |
| US08924150B2 |
Vehicle operation and control system for autonomous vehicles on full windshield display
A method to navigate a vehicle utilizing a graphic projection display, includes monitoring a navigation status graphic representing a navigation intent displayed upon the graphic projection display, monitoring a user input indicated to a portion of the graphic projection display, initiating a user-defined navigation command based on the monitored navigation status graphic and the monitored user input, and operating the vehicle in accordance with the user-defined navigation command. |
| US08924144B2 |
Location based tracking
Location information is used to build a database of locations having associated audio, video, image or text data. In some implementations, a device includes a touch-sensitive display and collects data associated with a geographic location of interest. The geographic location of interest can be displayed on a map using an indicator. A touch selection of the indicator provides access to the data through an interface displayed on the touch-sensitive display. One or more locations of interest can be displayed and grouped together by an attribute. |
| US08924136B2 |
Device and method for controlling start of compression self-ignition engine
A start control device includes a compression self-ignition engine, fuel injectors, a piston stop position detector, a starter motor and a controller for automatically stopping the engine when a predetermined automatic stop condition is satisfied, and thereafter, when a predetermined restart condition is satisfied and a compression-stroke-in-stop cylinder piston stop position is within a reference stop position range set relatively on a bottom dead center side, restarting the engine by injecting the fuel into the compression-stroke-in-stop cylinder while applying the rotational force to the engine using the starter motor. In restarting the engine, when the fuel is injected in the compression-stroke-in-stop cylinder, the controller controls the fuel injector to perform a pre-injection before a main injection and increase a total injection amount of the fuel for the pre-injection as the stop position of the compression-stroke-in-stop cylinder piston is further on a top dead center side. |
| US08924135B2 |
Internal combustion engine control apparatus
There are provided a combustion start determination unit that determines whether or not the inner-cylinder state of an internal combustion engine has changed from a non-combustion state to a combustion state; and a filter coefficient changing demand unit that outputs a filter coefficient changing demand until a predetermined filter coefficient changing period elapses from the time instant when the combustion start determination unit determines that the inner-cylinder state of the internal combustion engine has changed from the non-combustion state to the combustion state to the time instant. Based on the filter coefficient changing demand, at least one of a background level calculation unit and a standard deviation calculation unit changes the value of a filter coefficient utilized in a filtering operation to the one with which a filtering effect is weakened. |
| US08924134B2 |
Knock control device of internal combustion engine
In a knock control device of an internal combustion engine equipped with a control unit which updates a background level based on an output signal from a knock sensor and detects the generation of a knock by comparing a variation of the background level with a knock determination value, a determination as to whether the knock is generated is performed by ((variation of first filter value of peak hold value)>((1−filter coefficient)/(1+filter coefficient)×(predetermined value larger than maximum value of variation of peak hold value in case where knock is not generated))). |
| US08924133B2 |
Turbocharged engine canister system and diagnostic method
An evaporative emission control system for a turbocharged engine. The system includes a fuel vapor canister in fluid communication with an intake manifold of the engine, a purge valve positioned between the intake manifold and the canister, a bypass valve positioned between the purge valve and the canister and connected to the atmosphere, and an evaporative system integrity monitor operable to seal the canister from the atmosphere when the engine is off. In operation, the monitor is closed so as to seal the canister from the atmosphere, the purge valve is closed so as to isolate the intake manifold from the canister, and the bypass valve is opened so as to connect the canister to the atmosphere. Proper operation of the monitor is determined if the monitor toggles from closed to open when a vacuum in the fuel vapor canister reaches a predetermined level. |
| US08924131B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling a diagnostic module for an exhaust gas sensor
A method and apparatus for controlling a diagnostic module for an exhaust gas sensor in a vehicle is provided. The exhaust gas sensor is located in an exhaust pathway in the vehicle. The diagnostic module may be configured to perform a signal range verification of an oxygen sensor portion of the exhaust gas sensor. A controller is operatively connected to the exhaust gas sensor and to the vehicle engine. The controller disables the diagnostic module when one or more entry conditions are satisfied. The entry conditions may include requiring the engine speed to be greater than a fuel cut-off threshold, the fuel cut-off threshold being the engine speed at which the fuel to the engine is terminated. The entry conditions may include: no fuel being delivered to the engine; and a vehicle exhaust brake mode being activated such that the exhaust pathway from the engine is obstructed. |
| US08924129B2 |
Fuel pump control device for an internal combustion engine
An engine fuel pump control apparatus is provided. The engine fuel pump control apparatus is connected to an engine and a transmission. A fuel pump is interposed in a fuel conduit between a fuel tank and the engine and the fuel pump has a selectively variable fuel delivery rate. A fuel pump controller is configured to adjust a fuel delivery rate from the fuel pump to the engine in which the fuel pump controller is configured to increase the fuel delivery rate as a rotational speed of the engine increases. The fuel pump controller is further configured to adjust the fuel delivery rate as a detected vehicle speed characteristic varies. |
| US08924128B2 |
Fuel injector control system and method to compensate for injector opening delay
A fuel injector control system including a fuel injector, a sensing device configured to provide a transition signal indicative of a fuel injector transition from the closed-state to the open-state, and a controller configured to determine an injector control signal based on the transition signal. The injector control signal closing time can be adjusted base on the transition signal and so compensate for injector opening delay due to, for example, a stuck closed fuel injector, cold temperatures, or low injector drive voltages. |
| US08924125B2 |
Perturbing engine performance measurements to determine optimal engine control settings
Methods and systems for optimizing a performance of a vehicle engine are provided. The method includes determining an initial value for a first engine control parameter based on one or more detected operating conditions of the vehicle engine, determining a value of an engine performance variable, and artificially perturbing the determined value of the engine performance variable. The initial value for the first engine control parameter is then adjusted based on the perturbed engine performance variable causing the engine performance variable to approach a target engine performance variable. Operation of the vehicle engine is controlled based on the adjusted initial value for the first engine control parameter. These acts are repeated until the engine performance variable approaches the target engine performance variable. |
| US08924113B2 |
Method and control device for operating a transmission
A method of operating a transmission with interlocking and friction shifting elements. In or to carry out a gearshift from a currently gear to a target gear, one shifting element is disengaged and another is engaged, and if to carry out a gearshift an interlocking shifting element has to be engaged, the interlocking shifting element is synchronized by partially closing a friction shifting element, with redundancy in the transmission, only if a current speed of the vehicle is lower than a limit value. To monitor for possible malfunction, actuation of the shifting elements and the driving speed are monitored and if, based on the actuation of the shifting elements, it is concluded that there is a redundancy in the transmission, a stored non-actual driving speed is compared with the limit value and if the stored driving speed is higher than the limit value, the redundancy in the transmission is eliminated. |
| US08924110B2 |
Control device for stepless transmission
When a rotational speed of a secondary pulley is less than a first reference value, the disclosed electronic control device implements lower limit hydraulic control to adjust the hydraulic pressure of a primary pulley to be at a lower limit hydraulic pressure. When the rotational speed is equal to or exceeds the first reference value, but is less than a second reference value, the electronic control device implements balanced hydraulic control to adjust the hydraulic pressure to be more than the lower limit hydraulic pressure. When the rotational speed is equal to or exceeds the second reference value, the electronic control device implements feedback control to correct the hydraulic pressure on the basis of the size of the difference between a target transmission gear ratio and a transmission gear ratio, calculated on the basis of rotational speeds detected by each rotational speed sensor. |
| US08924101B1 |
System and method for adjusting movement of an irrigation apparatus
A system and method for adjusting movement of an irrigation apparatus to help compensate for transient conditions occurring during operation of the apparatus to accomplish a substantially uniform fluid application rate, and including transient conditions such as a detected actual speed of movement of the span across the field is lesser or greater than expected or such as a detected actual flow rate of fluid to the irrigation system is lesser or greater than expected. |
| US08924100B2 |
Hybrid construction machine
A hybrid construction machine is provided with a variable displacement hydraulic pump 1 which supplies hydraulic oil to a hydraulic actuator, an engine 2 which is provided to be able to drive and rotate the hydraulic pump 1, an electric motor 3 which is provided to be able to drive and rotate the hydraulic pump 1, an engine control dial 4, a controller 4 and an operating lever 5. The controller changes the rotation speed of the engine 2 to reduce fuel consumption according to power generated by the engine 2, and changes displacement of the hydraulic pump 1 based on the rotation speed of the engine 2, the dial position of the engine control dial 4 and the amount of operation on the operating lever 5. |
| US08924099B2 |
System and method for determining implement train position
Leading vehicle position information can be used to determine a location and heading of one or more implements of a trailing vehicle in an implement train that includes the leading vehicle. In an example, the leading vehicle pulls one or more trailing vehicles, and information about the leading vehicle position or heading is used to update a function of one or more implements associated with trailing vehicles of the implement train. In an example, the present subject matter includes identifying a heading of a trailing vehicle based on its initial location, an intermediate location, and a destination location. In an example, the present subject matter includes identifying a speed of one or more points on a trailing vehicle. In some examples, the present subject matter includes determining a location, heading, or speed of multiple implements associated with multiple trailing vehicles. |
| US08924096B2 |
Implement controller having angular rate correction
A system and method of controlling an earth moving implement of a machine is disclosed. The method may include receiving a pitch rate of the machine in a body reference frame and determining a roll of the machine. The method may further include determining a turning rate of the machine and calculating a pitch rate of the machine in a gravity reference frame based on the pitch rate of the machine in the body reference frame, the roll of the machine, and the turning rate of the machine. The method may further include controlling the earth moving implement based on the pitch rate of the machine in the gravity reference frame. |
| US08924095B2 |
Automated system for enhanced blade control
A blade control system for a track-type machine is disclosed. The blade control system has a blade, an input device configured to control movement of the blade, an actuator in connection with the blade, a first sensor configured to determine a track-speed of the machine, and a control module in communication with the input device, the actuator, and the first sensor. The control module is configured to receive a blade positioning signal from the input device, remove a component of the blade positioning signal based on a the track-speed of the machine, and transmit a modified blade positioning signal to the actuator. |
| US08924092B2 |
Down and/or up force adjustment system
An agricultural device includes a number of row units that each includes a seed furrow opener that creates a furrow in the soil for seed placement. Each row unit is mounted to a toolbar of the device by a four-bar linkage which allows each row unit to move vertically to adjust to the contour of the soil independently of the other row units on the same toolbar. The four-bar linkages include one or more springs which work to transfer weight from the toolbar to the row unit. An actuator varies the tension in the spring thereby adjusting the down or up force applied to the row unit. |
| US08924089B2 |
Automobile and method of controlling automobile
Disclosed are an automobile and a method of controlling an automobile, capable of deploying an airbag at an optimum time. To this end, an automobile according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first sensor configured to detect a relative distance and a relative velocity with respect to a front obstacle of the automobile; a second sensor configured to detect an impact signal value when the automobile collides with the obstacle; and a controller configured to change a set impact critical value by using the relative distance and the relative velocity detected by the first sensor and deploy an airbag when the impact signal value detected by the second sensor is greater than the changed impact critical value. |
| US08924088B2 |
Collision detection apparatus, collision determination method, and activation control apparatus for occupant protection apparatus
A collision detection apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle and that determines whether an object has collided with a side surface of the vehicle from outside the vehicle includes: an acceleration detection portion that detects acceleration in a transverse direction of the vehicle which is applied to a door portion of the vehicle from outside; an integration execution portion that starts integration of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection portion and finds velocity by integrating the acceleration if the detected acceleration is greater than or equal to a pre-set positive first threshold value, or is less than or equal to a pre-set negative second threshold value; and a collision determination portion that determines whether an object has collided with a side surface of the vehicle based on the detected acceleration and the velocity found by the integration execution portion. |
| US08924084B2 |
Steering control apparatus and steering control method
A control computing unit allocates a feedback axial force and a feedforward axial force at an allocation ratio based on an axial force difference which is a difference between the feedback axial force and the feedforward axial force to set a final axial force as a steering-rack axial force. The control computing unit drives a reaction force motor on the basis of the set final axial force. |
| US08924082B2 |
System and method for controlling a motor
A method for controlling operation of a torque-assist motor includes determining a rotational position of the torque-assist motor and producing a motor speed signal that is indicative of a rotational speed of the motor. One or more gain factors are produced based on the rotational speed of the torque-assist motor. An electrical current applied to the torque-assist motor is detected, and a current error is calculated based on a commanded electrical current and the electrical current applied to the torque-assist motor. A quadrature axis voltage is calculated based on the current error and the one or more gain factors. An inverter is driven with a direct voltage signal that is phased with the rotational position of the torque-assist motor so as to produce the electrical current applied to the torque-assist motor. The electrical current exhibits a characteristic that is affected by the quadrature axis voltage. |
| US08924067B2 |
Autonomous machine control system
An autonomous control system for a mobile machine is disclosed. The autonomous control system may have a plurality of system modules each configured to monitor a status of at least one machine component and generate a corresponding recommended machine action based on the status, and a control module configured to control operations of the mobile machine. The autonomous control system may also have a health supervisor module in communication with the plurality of system modules and the control module. The health supervisor module may be configured to arbitrate each of the recommended machine actions from the plurality of system modules to determine an overall machine response, and to command the control module to implement the overall machine response. |
| US08924065B2 |
Hybrid vehicle control apparatus
The hybrid vehicle has a motor generator disposed in a power transmission path and performing as an electric motor and an electric generator, a direct injection engine configured to execute an ignition start in which fuel is injected into any cylinder with a piston stopped in an expansion stroke and ignited for the start, and an engine connecting/disconnecting clutch of friction engagement type directly connecting and interrupting the direct injection engine to/from the motor generator. The control device of the hybrid vehicle has an MG creep mode in which the motor generator is used as an electric motor and rotationally driven at a predetermined first rotation speed to generate a creep torque while the engine connecting/disconnecting clutch is interrupted and the direct injection engine is stopped, and a charging creep mode in which the direct injection engine is operated at a predetermined second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed to generate the creep torque with the motor generator used as an electric generator to charge a battery while the engine connecting/disconnecting clutch is connected, the control device performs the ignition start of the direct injection engine during the MG creep mode and provides connection control of the engine connecting/disconnecting clutch after a rotation speed of the direct injection engine exceeds a rotation speed of the motor generator to raise the rotation speed of the motor generator and directly connect the direct injection engine to the motor generator when a transition is made from the MG creep mode to the charging creep mode. |
| US08924064B2 |
Shovel and method of controlling shovel
A shovel includes an internal combustion engine, a hydraulic pump connected to the internal-combustion engine, a generator connected to the internal-combustion engine, and a control part that controls the generator. The control part increases an electric generation load of the generator before a hydraulic load of the hydraulic pump increases. |
| US08924061B2 |
Methods and systems for launching a vehicle
Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, an engine is started and idled before engine torque is required so that driveline torque response may be improved. |
| US08924059B2 |
Electronic control device and vehicle control system
The present invention provides an electronic control device including: a processing unit having a function of transition to a sleep mode; and a watch dog timer having a time counter that resets in response to a pulse signal outputted from the processing unit at certain intervals, this watch dog timer outputting a signal having a level inverted according to the existence or absence of overflow occurrence, in which the electronic control device further includes a latch circuit that latches the signal outputted from the watch dog timer and outputs a signal obtained through the latching as a first output enable signal, and the processing unit stops outputting the pulse signal before transition to the sleep mode, and carries out failure diagnosis of the watch dog timer based on the first output enable signal outputted from the latch circuit after output of the pulse signal is stopped. |
| US08924057B2 |
Method for starting a hybrid vehicle
A method for starting a hybrid vehicle when the vehicle is already connected to an external power source. In some hybrid vehicles, it can be undesirable for an external power source (e.g., an AC power outlet) and an internal power source (e.g., an internal combustion engine/generator) to simultaneously provide the vehicle with electrical energy. There are a variety of reasons why this may be true. For instance, some hybrid vehicles may have difficulty accurately estimating the state-of-charge (SOC) of the vehicle battery when both external and internal power sources are simultaneously providing electrical energy to the vehicle's high voltage bus. The method described herein can arbitrate or otherwise determine which power source is preferable for the circumstances and then activate or enable that power source accordingly. |
| US08924051B2 |
Drive device for railway vehicle
A control device for a railway vehicle controls an inverter device based on a direct-current link voltage Vfc between the opposite terminals of a filter capacitor. A direct-current voltage applied to the inverter device during regeneration is the sum of a voltage Vb of power storage equipment and an overhead wire voltage Vs, so that only detecting the direct-current link voltage Vfc is not enough to separate the voltage Vb of the power storage equipment and the overhead wire voltage Vs from each other. The power storage equipment can be connected in series with the inverter device, and a voltage sensor that detects the overhead wire voltage Vs is provided between a current collector device and a grounding point. The power storage equipment is controlled based on the detection result from the voltage sensor. |
| US08924049B2 |
System and method for controlling movement of vehicles
A method includes determining an operational parameter of a first vehicle traveling with a plurality of vehicles in a transportation network and/or a route in the transportation network, identifying a failure condition of the first vehicle and/or the route based on the operational parameter, obtaining plural different sets of remedial actions that dictate operations to be taken based on the operational parameter, simulating travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network based on implementation of the different sets of remedial actions, determining potential consequences on travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network when the different sets of remedial actions are implemented in the travel that is simulated, and based on the potential consequences, receiving a selection of at least one of the different sets of remedial actions to be implemented in actual travel of the plurality of vehicles in the transportation network. |
| US08924047B2 |
Method of correcting a lateral trajectory on approach as a function of the energy to be reabsorbed
In the field of the calculation of the approach trajectory of an aircraft, and relating to a method for determining a corrected lateral approach trajectory as a function of the energy to be reabsorbed before the landing, and also to a flight management system making it possible to determine the corrected lateral trajectory, a method comprises: determining an energy of the aircraft Eaero upon crossing the runway threshold on the basis of a predetermined approach trajectory and of a current state of the aircraft, said state comprising at least one current altitude, a current ground speed and a mass of the aircraft; comparing the energy Eaero with a predetermined maximum energy Emax, and when the energy Eaero is greater than the energy Emax, determining the corrected lateral approach trajectory as a function of the difference between the energy of the aircraft Eaero and the maximum energy Emax. |
| US08924046B2 |
Combined stand-by instrument and method for calibrating the combined stand-by instrument
A combined stand-by instrument intended to be fitted to the instrument panel of an aircraft, and a method for calibrating the combined stand-by instrument, comprises anemobarometric sensors, inertial sensors, a magnetic field sensor, a screen and a computer making it possible to determine and to display on the screen an altitude, a speed, an attitude and a current heading of the aircraft on the basis of the sensors and to calibrate the magnetic field sensor. The computer is configured to allow the simultaneous display on the screen of the altitude, of the speed and of the attitude of the aircraft as well as a guide for the calibration of the magnetic field sensor. |
| US08924041B2 |
Vehicle central lock antitheft method and system
A vehicle central lock antitheft method and system includes a central lock system which is connected by radio with a remote controller for identity verification using rolling codes (S101, S102), wherein the central lock system chooses a security state (S103) and transmits the security state to an engine management system according to the verification result, the ignition IG status and the door switch status signal indicating opening or closing of the door (S104). The engine management system receives the security state transmitted by the central lock system and verifies the identity of the central lock system by code matching (S106); security identification between the engine management system and the central lock system is carried out by bidirectional encryption communication (S107). The engine management system then decides whether or not to lock the engine according to the result of the security identification. |
| US08924040B2 |
Apparatus for controlling aircraft ground movement
A method and apparatus is disclosed for reversing an aircraft on the ground comprising driving the aircraft using at least one self-propelled undercarriage wheel. An apparatus for controlling at least one of speed and at least one direction of an aircraft having a self-propelled nosewheel, on the ground, is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a control arm; a control unit; means for transmitting information to said self-propelled nosewheel; means for receiving information at said self-propelled nosewheel; and means for controlling at least one of the speed and direction of said nosewheel; whereby airport ground staff can intuitively control the movements of said aircraft by holding said arm and moving it in the direction of required movement of said aircraft. |
| US08924036B2 |
System and method for heating and insulating contrast media
A system for heating and insulating contrast media is disclosed herein. A thermal insulating cover sized to cover at least a portion of a contrast media container is provided with a heating element. A temperature sensor measures the temperature of the contrast media and communicates this temperature to a temperature controller, which controls the heating element in order to maintain the contrast media near a predetermined temperature. Temperature data is transmitted to a computer system by a data communicator. |
| US08924034B2 |
Energy management system
An energy management system includes a controller that receives a signal representative of current electrical generation. A storage source stores energy from the current electrical generation associated with the controller. The controller predicts the amount of storage of energy in said storage source over time, receives pricing information, includes a model of a temperature system of a building, and includes a comfort model of a user. The controller selects a desirable temperature based upon the current electrical generation, the stored energy, the pricing information, the building model, and the comfort model. |
| US08924031B1 |
Irrigation scheduling and supervisory control and data acquisition system for moving and static irrigation systems
Irrigation of plants or crops is effected using plant canopy temperature measurements. The process and device include an irrigation scheduling algorithm based on an integrated water stress index (WSI) and an integrated WSI set-point. A WSI is calculated at repeated time intervals and compared to an encoded threshold WSI value that is crop and region specific. If the calculated WSI is greater than the encoded WSI value, a unit of integrated WSI (IWSI) is accumulated. If the time integral exceeds the encoded value for a 24 hour period, an irrigation signal is produced, directing the irrigation system where, when and how much to irrigate. The process and device will automatically schedule crop irrigations when the crop is water stressed and may control a moving or static irrigation system to apply the irrigation. Moreover, irrigation applications can be selectively varied over specified control areas or management zones. |
| US08924030B2 |
Method and apparatus for optimization of agricultural field operations using weather, product and environmental information
An agricultural system which includes at least one agricultural implement with at least one application device for applying crop inputs, where the agricultural implement includes an agricultural harvester and/or an agricultural planter. A databus is connected to the at least one agricultural implement, and at least one input device is connected to the databus. At least one data storage device is connected to the databus, and an application controller is connected to the at least one application device. A processor is connected to the databus and the application controller, where the processor applies inputs to the application controller to adjust and/or optimize in real time a current operation of the application device(s) in order to efficiently and accurately apply the crop inputs. |
| US08924029B2 |
Apparatus and method for increasing the ultimate recovery of natural gas contained in shale and other tight gas reservoirs
A method includes obtaining a model associated with production of natural gas from a well, where the well has a choke valve that controls flow of material including natural gas from the well. The method also includes identifying, using the model, a solution that increases an amount of natural gas obtained from the well over a specified time horizon. In addition, the method includes adjusting operation of the choke valve based on the identified solution. The model could be generated using geological data associated with the well and/or historical data associated with natural gas production from the well. A natural gas reservoir can be modeled as a continuous stirred bed with a rock or shale void fraction using mass or volumetric unit balances. Gas content versus pressure for the well can be plotted, and Langmuir adsorption parameters for the well can be identified using the plotted gas content versus pressure. |
| US08924024B2 |
Method for sootblowing optimization
A controller determines and adjusts system parameters, including cleanliness levels or sootblower operating settings, that are useful for maintaining the cleanliness of a fossil fuel boiler at an efficient level. Some embodiments use a direct controller to determine cleanliness levels and/or sootblower operating settings. Some embodiments use an indirect controller, with a system model, to determine cleanliness levels and/or sootblower settings. The controller may use a model that is, for example, a neural network, or a mass energy balance, or a genetically programmed model. The controller uses input about the actual performance or state of the boiler for adaptation. The controller may operate in conjunction with a sootblower optimization system that controls the actual settings of the sootblowers. The controller may coordinate cleanliness settings for multiple sootblowers and/or across a plurality of heat zones in the boiler. |
| US08924019B2 |
Cleaning robot, dirt recognition device thereof and cleaning method of robot
A cleaning robot a dirt recognition device thereof and a cleaning method of the robot are disclosed. The recognition device includes an image collecting module and an image processing module. The image collecting module may be used for collecting the image information of the surface to be treated by the cleaning robot and sending the image information to the image processing module. The image processing module may divide the collected image information of the surface to be treated into N blocks, extract the image information of each block and process the image information in order to determine the dirtiest surface to be treated that corresponds to one of the N blocks. Through the solution provided by the present invention, the cleaning robot can make an active recognition to the dirt such as dust, so that it can get into the working area accurately and rapidly. |
| US08924015B2 |
Whole-body humanoid control from upper-body task specifications
A system, method, and computer program product for generating dynamically feasible whole-body motion of a humanoid robot while realizing specified upper-body task motion are described. A kinematically feasible upper-body motion is generated based on the specified upper-body motion. A series of zero-moment points (ZMP) are computed for the generated motion and used to determine whether such motion is dynamically feasible. If the motion is not dynamically feasible, then the torso acceleration is modified to make the motion dynamically feasible, and otherwise synchronized as needed. A series of modified ZMP is determined based on the modified torso acceleration and used to distribute the resultant net ground reaction force and moment to the two feet. |
| US08924014B2 |
Dual scanning stage
A system having a beam for providing movement of a first stage and a second stage in a Y axis. The first stage receives a first substrate. A first motor provides movement for the first stage in an X axis. The second stage receives a second substrate. A second motor provides movement for the second stage in the X axis. The first stage and the second stage move together in the Y axis and independently in the X axis. A robot loads substrates onto the first stage and the second stage. A controller directs the robot to load a second substrate onto the second stage while simultaneously directing the first stage and the guide beam to scan a first substrate. |
| US08924008B2 |
Medicine feeding device and a medicine counting device using the medicine feeding device
A medicine feeding device is configured by providing a first rotor that rotates around a first shaft, a second rotor that rotates around a second shaft, a partition wall extending from the second rotor towards the first rotor, a medicine discharge port provided on the outside of the second rotor, a medicine guide section located in the downstream of a movement section in the medicine transport direction, and a height regulator disposed between the movement section and medicine guide section. In addition, the width regulator that is disposed between the medicine guide section and the height regulator is further provided. Also, a medicine counting device is further provided with a medicine detection means for detecting the medicine that is supplied from the medicine discharge port, and a counting means (central control unit) for counting the medicines based on the detection performed by the medicine detection means. |
| US08924006B2 |
Device and methods for picking and placing hot 3D glass
A system for picking and placing glass articles from a first location to a second location, the second location including a thermal reforming apparatus for transforming the glass articles from 2D glass articles to 3D glass articles includes a robot having an end effector, the end effector including a compliance assembly having at least six degrees of freedom. The compliance assembly is in fluid communication with both an open pneumatic system and a closed pneumatic system, the open pneumatic system providing a partial vacuum to a portion of the compliance assembly for grabbing the glass article, and the closed pneumatic system for activating a centering function for a portion of the compliance assembly. |
| US08924004B2 |
Numerical controller for making positioning completion check
A numerical controller calculates the distance (rotation radius) between the rotation center axis of a rotary axis and a control target point using the machine conditions (including the axis structure and tool length) of a machine tool having a rotary axis and the coordinate values of the respective axes of the machine tool. Then, the preset positioning completion widths of the respective axes are compensated by the calculated rotation radius and a positioning completion check of the rotary axis is carried out using the compensated positioning completion widths. |
| US08923999B2 |
Volumetric cut planning
Methods for computer-aided manufacturing and design, and corresponding systems and computer-readable mediums. A method includes receiving a three-dimensional (3D) solid part model and an associated 3D solid blank. The method includes defining an initial in-process workpiece (IPW) as the same as the 3D solid blank, and defining a cut volume in-process feature to be removed from the IPW. The method includes removing the cut volume in-process feature from the IPW. The method can include calculating and storing the cut volume in-process feature or the updated IPW with the removed cut volume in-process feature. The updated in-process workpiece can be calculated and displayed for each state at all times, in various embodiments. |
| US08923996B2 |
High definition and high resolution music and/or video applications and methods of use thereof
A high-resolution music application is disclosed and comprises: a) a high resolution audio file, b) an executable application that is compatible with the high resolution audio file, and c) a device that contains both the high resolution audio file and the executable application, wherein the device comprises at least one speaker, at least one control system, at least one headphone or earbud port or a combination thereof. In addition, a high-resolution multi-media application is disclosed that comprises: a) at least one high resolution file, b) an executable application that is compatible with the at least one high resolution file, and c) a device that contains both the at least one high resolution audio file and the executable application, wherein the device comprises at least one speaker, at least one control system, at least one headphone or earbud port or a combination thereof. Contemplated methods of producing and operating a high-resolution music application comprises: a) providing a high-resolution audio file, b) providing an executable application that is compatible with the high-resolution audio file, and c) providing a hardware device that contains both the high-resolution audio file and the executable application, wherein the executable application identifies the format, transmits the file, stores the file or a combination thereof the high-resolution audio file and wherein the device comprises at least one speaker, at least one control system, at least one headphone or earbud port or a combination thereof. Also, contemplated methods of producing and operating a high-resolution multi-media application comprises: a) providing at least one high-resolution file, b) providing an executable application that is compatible with the at least one high resolution file, and c) providing a device that contains both the at least one high-resolution audio file and the executable application, wherein the executable application identifies the format, transmits the file, stores the file or a combination thereof the high-resolution file and wherein the device comprises at least one speaker, at least one control system, at least one headphone or earbud port or a combination thereof. |
| US08923994B2 |
Physical activity-based device control
A method for controlling the configuration, such as access and/or one or more other features, of an application in an electronic device from the standpoint of a particular user, comprising obtaining an indication of the identity of the user determined based on sensor data associated with physical activity by the user, obtaining an indication of the physical activity identified based on the sensor data, and modifying or at least providing information enabling to modify the identified user's configuration of an application logic based on the identified activity and optionally other activity information derived utilizing the sensor data. Related mobile device, electronic arrangement and system are presented. |
| US08923990B2 |
Implantable device for providing electrical stimulation of cervical vagus nerves for treatment of chronic cardiac dysfunction with leadless heart rate monitoring
An implantable device for providing electrical stimulation of cervical vagus nerves for treatment of chronic cardiac dysfunction with leadless heart rate monitoring is provided. A stimulation therapy lead includes helical electrodes configured to conform to an outer diameter of a cervical vagus nerve sheath, and a set of connector pins electrically connected to the helical electrodes. The neurostimulator includes a pulse generator configured to therapeutically stimulate the vagus nerve through the helical electrodes in alternating cycles of stimuli application and stimuli inhibition that are tuned to both efferently activate the heart's intrinsic nervous system and afferently activate the patient's central reflexes by triggering bi-directional action potentials. The neurostimulator includes an integrated leadless heart rate sensor configured to sense heart rate and to record the sensed heart rate as data into a memory. |
| US08923989B2 |
Lead assembly including a polymer interconnect and methods related thereto
A lead assembly includes a ring component having mechanical coupling features, and at least one polymer component mechanically coupled with the mechanical coupling features of the ring component. Elongate tubing is disposed over the polymer component and is secured with the polymer component. |
| US08923986B2 |
Implantable medical lead
An implantable medical lead for transmitting electrical pulses to excitable bodily tissue and/or signals detected at bodily tissue to a detection and evaluation unit, including a distal electrode or a distal sensor, or actuator; a proximal electrode connector or sensor/actuator connector; and a lead pole which connects the electrode or the sensor or actuator to the electrode connector or sensor/actuator connector and extends in the lead body, wherein the lead pole comprises at least two separate and individually insulated conductors which are electrically interconnected at least at one point which functions as an interchange point, or reversal point, in the lead extension from the proximal electrode or sensor connector to the distal electrode or the distal sensor, and wherein at least one of the separate conductors, in particular close to the reversal point, is interrupted at least once and/or is not connected at one end. |
| US08923979B1 |
Systems and methods for providing a pre-stimulation visual cue representative of a cochlear implant stimulation level
An exemplary system includes at least one computing device communicatively coupled to a cochlear implant system and that 1) determines one or more control parameters to be used by the cochlear implant system to apply electrical stimulation to a patient, 2) determines, based on the one or more control parameters, a target stimulation level to be used by the cochlear implant system to apply the electrical stimulation to the patient, and 3) displays a pre-stimulation visual cue indicative of the determined target stimulation level in a graphical user interface prior to the cochlear implant system using the one or more control parameters to apply the electrical stimulation to the patient. Corresponding systems and methods are also described. |
| US08923978B1 |
Exercise device with stimulation based on volitional contribution and related methods
A device is provided for use in performing an exercise involving at least one lower extremity of a human subject. The device may include a base including at least one moveable receiver adapted for engaging the at least one lower extremity. At least one stimulator is provided for applying electrical stimulation at a first level to at least one muscle for causing movement of the at least one lower extremity. A controller is also provided for adjusting the stimulator to apply stimulation to the at least one muscle at a second level based on a volitional movement by the human subject. |
| US08923974B2 |
System and method for electrical modulation of the posterior Longitudinal ligament
A method for treating a patient having discogenic pain includes implanting a neurostimulation lead within an anterior portion of the epidural space adjacent to the posterior longitudinal ligament. A plurality of electrodes is attached to the lead and the lead is implanted with at least a portion of the electrodes facing the posterior longitudinal ligament. The lead may be implanted in the lumbar region of the patient's spine, posterior and parallel to the posterior longitudinal ligament. Electrical stimulation energy applied to the patient through the electrode lead implanted in this manner inhibits the pain signals traveling within the posterior longitudinal ligament. Thus, the applied electrical stimulation energy has an anesthetic effect on the pain fibers adjacent to the posterior longitudinal ligament. |
| US08923972B2 |
Elliptical element for blood pressure reduction
Apparatus is provided for treating hypertension of a subject. The apparatus includes an implantable element which has a non-circular shape and which is configured to reduce the hypertension by facilitating an assumption of a non-circular shape by a blood vessel in a vicinity of a baroreceptor of the subject, during diastole of the subject. Other embodiments are also described. |
| US08923966B2 |
Method and apparatus for pacing safety margin
An apparatus comprises a cardiac signal sensing circuit, a pacing therapy circuit, and a controller circuit. The controller circuit includes a safety margin calculation circuit. The controller circuit initiates delivery of pacing stimulation energy to the heart using a first energy level, changes the energy level by at least one of: a) increasing the energy from the first energy level until detecting that the pacing stimulation energy induces stable capture, or b) reducing the energy from the first energy level until detecting that the stimulation energy fails to induce capture, and continues changing the stimulation energy level until confirming stable capture or the failure of capture. The safety margin calculation circuit calculates a safety margin of pacing stimulation energy using at least one of a determined stability of a parameter associated with evoked response and a determined range of energy levels corresponding to stable capture or intermittent failure of capture. |
| US08923960B2 |
Cardiac arrest monitoring device
The present disclosure relates to devices, implementations and techniques for health monitoring. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to cardiac arrest monitoring devices. |
| US08923953B2 |
Medical examination apparatus having an alarm signal emitter
A medical examination apparatus including a control unit, an image-generating modality and a controllable injection apparatus for a contrast agent is provided. The control unit is connected to an alarm signal emitter and the control unit switches the modality and the injection apparatus to a safe mode as a function of an alarm signal. |
| US08923952B2 |
System and method for quantitative molecular breast imaging
A system and method for performing quantitative lesion analysis in molecular breast imaging (MBI) using the opposing images of a slightly compressed breast that are obtained from the dual-head gamma camera. The method uses the shape of the pixel intensity profiles through each tumor to determine tumor diameter. Also, the method uses a thickness of the compressed breast and the attenuation of gamma rays in soft tissue to determine the depth of the tumor from the collimator face of the detector head. Further still, the method uses the measured tumor diameter and measurements of counts in the tumor and background breast region to determine relative radiotracer uptake or tumor-to-background ratio (T/B ratio). |
| US08923950B2 |
System for identifying the location of a device within a patient's body in order to locate the fossa ovalis for trans-septal procedures
A system and method for identifying the location of a medical device within a patient's body may be used to localize the fossa ovalis for trans-septal procedures. The systems and methods measure light reflected by tissues encountered by an optical array. An optical array detects characteristic wavelengths of tissues that are different distances from the optical array. The reflectance of different wavelengths of light at different distances from an optical array may be used to identify the types of tissue encountered, including oxygenated blood in the left atrium as detected from the right atrium through the fossa ovalis. |
| US08923949B2 |
Transesophageal echocardiography capsule
An imaging system, including a capsule, configured to enter an esophagus of a patient, having an ultrasonic transducer configured to image tissue of the patient. The system further includes an applicator tube configured to enter the esophagus, the tube being attachable to the capsule for positioning the capsule within the esophagus, and being detachable from the capsule after positioning of the capsule so as to permit the tube to be withdrawn from the esophagus while the capsule remains in position in the esophagus. |
| US08923948B2 |
System and method for determining mechanical properties of bone structures
Systems and methods for characterizing bone structures are provided for characterizing bone structures. In the system and method, one or more 1H NMR or MRI signals associated with a bone structure are obtained. Thereafter one or more signal parameters are computed from the obtained signals, where each of the signal parameters comprising at least one of a relaxation rate constant or a corresponding signal amplitude associated with a component of the obtained signals defined by a T2 value or a range of T2 values. Finally, the mechanical properties or fracture risk for the bone structure are determined based on the computed signal parameters and stored correlation data. |
| US08923947B2 |
Device and method for determining analyte levels
Devices and methods for determining analyte levels are described. The devices and methods allow for the implantation of analyte-monitoring devices, such as glucose monitoring devices that result in the delivery of a dependable flow of blood to deliver sample to the implanted device. The devices include unique architectural arrangement in the sensor region that allows accurate data to be obtained over long periods of time. |
| US08923946B2 |
Monitoring device and monitoring method
A monitoring device which measures numerical value information on a subject substance in a body fluid has an electrochemical sensor including a sensor unit for detecting the subject substance which is used in the way of being embedded subcutaneously and generating an electric signal correlating to the numerical value information on the subject substance, and a temperature control unit which adjusts the detected ambient temperature as a temperature ambient to a sensor unit when detecting the subject substance so as to reach a target setting temperature when measuring the subject substance. |
| US08923945B2 |
Determination of a physiological parameter
Methods and systems are provided for transmitting and receiving photon density waves to and from tissue, and processing the received waves using wavelet transforms to identify non-physiological signal components and/or identify physiological conditions. A pulse oximeter may receive the photon density waves from the tissue to generate a signal having phase and amplitude information. A phase signal may be proportional to a scattering by total particles in the tissue, and an amplitude signal may correlate to an absorption by certain particles, providing information on a ratio of different particles in the tissue. Processing the phase and amplitude signals with wavelet transforms may enable an analysis of signals with respect to time, frequency, and magnitude, and may produce various physiological data. For example, non-physiological noise components may be identified, and certain physiological conditions may be identified by processing scalograms of the original signals with patterns corresponding to certain physiological conditions. |
| US08923939B2 |
Superconduction apparatus
A superconduction apparatus includes: a superconductor; a first vacuum vessel configured to accommodate said superconductor; a cooling unit which comprises a cold head configured to generate a temperature at which the superconductor is set to a superconduction state; and a second vacuum vessel configured to accommodate the cooling unit. The head and the superconductor are connected through a first connection hole which communicates the first vacuum vessel and the second vacuum vessel. |
| US08923938B2 |
Protective carrying apparatus for a cellular phone and essential personal items
A protective carrying apparatus is designed to protect a cellular phone from any physical damage and to hold essential personal items such as coin or paper currency, credit or debit cards, and identification cards. The apparatus is configured to resemble a handbag or purse. The apparatus includes a formfitting phone case, a wallet, a handle, and a mirror. The formfitting phone case is used to enclose the cellular phone and has holes that allow a user to access the cellular phone's controls. The wallet is integrated onto one side of the formfitting phone case and is used to store the user's essential personal items. The mirror is mounted within the wallet but is readily available to the user. The handle is connected adjacent to the formfitting phone case so that the user can carry the apparatus and can properly orient the apparatus while operating the cellular phone. |
| US08923936B2 |
Mobile terminal and image display method for the same
A mobile terminal and method for supporting an image display are provided. The mobile terminal includes a display unit for outputting images according to an operation of the mobile terminal, an exterior case for enclosing the display unit, a film layer arranged so as to cover the display unit and the exterior case, and including an image printed in an area thereof excluding a region corresponding to the display unit, a storage unit for pre-storing screen images that are associated with the image printed on the film layer and are to be output to the display unit according to the operation of the mobile terminal, and a control unit for controlling an operation to output the screen images stored in the storage unit to the display unit. |
| US08923933B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing power consumption of mobile phone, and mobile phone
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for reducing power consumption of a mobile phone and also a mobile phone. The method includes: activating a proximity sensor of a mobile phone when a call is originated or received; obtaining a weighted acceleration of the mobile phone by using an acceleration sensor; determining a switch-on time point of the proximity sensor according to the weighted acceleration of the mobile phone; and switching on the proximity sensor at the switch-on time point so that a backlight of the mobile phone is in an on state or an off state according to a detection result of the proximity sensor. In this way, an appropriate switch-on time point may be obtained according to different weighted accelerations of the mobile phone, so as to reduce power consumption of the mobile phone in a conversation. |
| US08923931B2 |
Wireless communication device management
A method and system that limits the use of a communication device present in an area controlled by an intelligent controller. The intelligent controller detects any present communication devices in the area and conducts an inventory providing information about each detected device. The intelligent controller compares that information to a standard of use data, which specifies the conditions need to be present for allowing the usage of a communication device. If such conditions are not met, the intelligent controller sends commands to the communication device to restrict its functionality. Else if, the intelligent controller is incapable of restricting the communication device, it can notify authorities of unauthorized usage of a communication device in the restricted area. |
| US08923928B2 |
Audio playback apparatus, control and usage method for audio playback apparatus, and mobile phone terminal with storage device
An audio playback apparatus includes an integrated circuit in which an FM reception circuit and a near field wireless communication circuit are integrated and packaged into one chip, a switch unit configured to switch between output of an audio signal supplied from the FM reception circuit and output of an audio signal supplied from the near field wireless communication circuit, and a connection terminal configured to output an audio signal selected using the switch unit and supply an FM broadcast signal received through a cable of an earphone connected to the connection terminal to the FM reception circuit. An associated method performed by the audio playback apparatus cooperates with the mobile terminal apparatus and associated method to provide a functional system. |
| US08923922B2 |
Mobile communication system and access gateway having plural user plane AGWS
In a mobile communication system including an access gateway (AGW) comprising a C-AGW for handling control messages and a plurality of U-AGWs for forwarding data packets, the C-AGW is provided with a management table indicating an address of U-AGW to be an endpoint of tunnel, in association with each of mobile station IDs. When a tunnel setup request message including a mobile station ID is received from one of base stations, the C-AGW searches the management table for the address of U-AGW corresponding to the mobile station ID and notifies the base station of the U-AGW address, and if the mobile station ID is not found in the management table, the C-AGW notifies the base station of an address of a particular U-AGW selected out of the U-AGWs, so that the base station establishes a tunnel for forwarding data packets toward the notified U-AGW. |
| US08923921B2 |
Signal enhancement for load modulation
Systems and methods are provided for enhancing a signal for load modulation from reading a smartcard. According to such methods, an antenna signal is generated by transceiver circuitry. An antenna signal field associated with the antenna signal can be transmitted. A reference signal that is substantially constant in amplitude and phase and substantially in phase with a carrier frequency of the antenna signal can be generated. A modulated antenna signal can be received. The modulated antenna signal can include the antenna signal that has been modulated as a result of the presence of a smartcard within the antenna signal field. The reference signal can be subtracted from the modulated antenna signal to produce a resultant signal. The resultant signal may be provided to receiving circuitry of the transceiver circuitry. |
| US08923918B2 |
Biosensor interface apparatus for a mobile communication device
A biosensor interface apparatus that utilizes pre-existing or standard electrical connectors of mobile devices such as smart phones, mobile media players, and tablets. The interface device transforms the input biosensor signals to compatible electrical signals for input to one or more of the mobile's connectors. That signals are then conducted via one or more input conductors in the connectors to the mobile's microprocessor, which may display or transmit the biosensor signals and derive further measurements from them. |
| US08923913B2 |
Control station and wireless system
A first extended base station that forms a first cell and a second extended base station that forms a second cell operate for a cooperative communication of transmitting same data to a user terminal located in the first cell. A second signal processor that corresponds to the second extended base station generates a training signal specific to the first extended base station and the first extended base station and the second extended base station transmit same data and same training signals. Thus, a cooperative communication can be realized in a system that uses a training signal specific to a base station. |
| US08923911B2 |
Communication system, control apparatus and base station apparatus
A communication system, a control apparatus and a base station apparatus, capable of changing PCI of the base station apparatus without causing a hole in coverage, are provided.A communication system 101 according to the present invention including a base station apparatus 103 and a neighboring base station apparatus 105 adjacent to the base station apparatus includes a transmission power control unit 107, when an identification number of the base station apparatus 103 is changed, configured to instruct the neighboring base station apparatus 105 to increase transmission power before the identification number is changed such that a communication area of the neighboring base station apparatus 105 covers that of the base station apparatus 103. The neighboring base station apparatus 105 increases the transmission power according to the instruction. |
| US08923895B2 |
Optimal sleep / paging cycle duration in a wireless network
Systems and methods for optimizing paging cycles in a wireless communication system are disclosed. An access terminal can include logic configured to determine an optimal paging cycle and logic configured to set the paging cycle based on the optimal paging cycle, where the paging cycle varies based on at least one optimizing metric. |
| US08923894B1 |
Device for automated signal capture and location based on real-time analysis of signal characteristics
An automated spectrum monitoring system may include a measurement device having a signal information display configured to visually present signal information pertaining to a signal, a real-time trigger detector configured to detect a trigger corresponding to the signal, and a mapping application configured to determine a geographic location of a source of the signal and visually present an indication of the geographic location. |
| US08923886B2 |
Pre-scaling of A-GPS positioning accuracy data
A method in conjunction with positioning of a mobile terminal in a cellular telecommunication system is disclosed. According to the method, an end user's requested positioning accuracy for the positioning of the mobile terminal is determined (510). Also, an estimated confidence value for the positioning of the mobile terminal is determined (520), and so is a required confidence value for the end user (530). Then, a pre-scale value is produced (540) based on at least the estimated confidence value and the required confidence value. The pre-scale value is applied (550) to the requested positioning accuracy to obtain a pre-scaled requested positioning accuracy. Then, the pre-scaled requested positioning accuracy is sent (560) in the cellular telecommunication system towards the mobile terminal. |
| US08923881B2 |
Communication control method, communication device, and program
To start secondary use of a spectrum without causing an adverse effect on a communication service for primary usage, provided is a communication control method including the steps of acquiring data related to a communication environment surrounding a first communication device at the first communication device, determining that a second communication service using a part or whole of a spectrum assigned to a first communication service is available when the acquired data related to the communication environment satisfies a first condition, and permitting usage of the second communication service when the data related to the communication environment satisfies a second condition at the first communication device or a second communication device. |
| US08923879B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for controlling services
The present invention provides a method, an apparatus, and a system for controlling services, where the method includes: receiving, by a PCRF, congestion state information on a cell, resource-related information on the cell, and subscriber-related information on a UE in an activated state in the cell that are sent by an access network device; generating, by the PCRF, a QoS policy and/or a charging policy for the UE in the activated state in the cell according to the congestion state information on the cell, the resource-related information on the cell, and the subscriber-related information on the UE in the activated state in the cell; sending, by the PCRF, the generated QoS policy and/or charging policy to a PCEF, so as to enable the PCEF to execute the QoS policy and/or the charging policy. |
| US08923873B2 |
Device triggered channel selection
A telecommunication device having a network interface module that is operable to detect an action at a network-driven application of the telecommunication device, which uses broadband Internet access to carry out its primary application functions. The network interface module then determines whether the detected action initiates a data transfer request corresponding to an application-specific rule identifying a timing sensitivity of the network-driven application. Then, based on this determination, the network interface module identifies and triggers a transition to a designated radio resource control (RRC) connected mode channel for a data transfer of the network-driven application to another network device, to improve a user's quality of experience (QoE) by reducing latency associated with the data transfer. |
| US08923872B2 |
Radio communication apparatus, radio communication system and radio communication method
A radio communication apparatus selectively performs one of a first transmission method using for data transmission a radio resource which is assigned by a radio communication apparatus and which can be used on a contention basis by a plurality of radio communication apparatus and a second transmission method involving random access. Alternatively, the radio communication apparatus selectively performs one of the first transmission method and a third transmission method involving a request made to the radio communication apparatus to assign a radio resource for data transmission. |
| US08923871B2 |
Mobile communication system, relay station, base station, control method thereof, and computer readable medium
A mobile communication system includes a base station and a relay station. The relay station acquires a donor cell list indicating at least one candidate cell that can be used for a backhaul link. The relay station or the base station determine a donor cell used for the backhaul link from the donor cell list based on both first and second cell management information. The first cell management information relates to the at least one candidate cell and originates from the at least one base station. The second cell management information originates from the relay station. |
| US08923864B2 |
Handover proactive association provisioning support method and system
A method and system is provided that supports minimizing handover times of netsurfing smartphones controlled by home Internet Access Devices (IADs) to shared IADs and optimizing earnings from these shared devices. The shared services are provisionable right at the handovers. Any shared IAD can implement an automatic auction of its service capacity controlled by a clearing system. The shared IADx automatically generates lucrative clicks on services of location based Internet-apps issued by Ayz passing through shared IADx's reach. Several such provisioning systems may run concurrently, thus enabling high flexibility as to instant and local/regional system restructuring, e.g. on behalf of pricing strategy adaptations and/or version control. The application of the invention needs no change of the networks between which the above described pre-HO support of their HOs/MHOs shall be performed, i.e. it may work on top of all networks between which HOs or MHOs may be executed. |
| US08923861B2 |
Facilitating reselection by a wireless communication device to a first network from a second network after termination of a circuit switched fallback voice call
A method for facilitating reselection by a wireless communication device to a first network from a second network after termination of a voice call for which a CSFB procedure was performed is provided. The method can include performing measurement of the first network while connected to the first network and performing measurement of the second network during the voice call. The method can further include determining based at least in part on one or more of the measurements that the wireless communication device is in a mobility state. The method can additionally include deriving a predicted signal quality of the first network after termination of the voice call based at least in part on the measurement of the first network and using the predicted signal quality to determine whether to release a connection to the second network and attempt reselection to the first network. |
| US08923858B2 |
Parallel multi-RAT PLMN search
A method includes, in a mobile communication terminal, receiving signals in a frequency band. One or more lists of entries are generated based on the received signals, each entry specifying a respective frequency channel suspected of containing a carrier of a respective Radio Access Technology (RAT). At least some of the entries are scanned in accordance with a scanning order that alternates from a first RAT to a second RAT before scanning all the entries of the first RAT. For each scanned entry, detection is made whether the respective frequency channel actually contains the carrier of the respective RAT. The detection of the carriers in the frequency band is output. |
| US08923853B1 |
Dynamic provisioning system for policy-based traffic navigation for roaming traffic
A policy based service aware engine is provided to dynamically and/or statically provision a traffic navigation processor at a visited network according to service profiles of the home network. The service aware engine thus allows the visited network to gain full knowledge of the service to which a user subscribes, and thus, a user experience consistent with the user's home network can be obtained at the visited network. In various embodiments, the visited network's front-end-processor retrieves or receives service policies from the service aware engine of the home network, and then performs policy-based traffic navigation to intelligently handle and/or backhaul roaming traffic received by the visited network. Thus, the visited network is capable of dynamically classifying incoming roaming traffic and intelligently routing the traffic according to the service characteristics of the traffic flow for each subscriber, e.g., the need for QoS (Quality of Service) support, real time performance requirement, specific level identification, or the like. |
| US08923849B2 |
System and method for providing an improved terrestrial subsystem for use in mobile satellite systems
A system or method is disclosed which employs filters on a satellite whose bandwidth is varied by ground command to restrict interference experienced by a satellite as an auxiliary terrestrial component (ATC) system is increased to a multiplicity of cities and markets. Thus there is provided a novel method and system which optimizes overall MSS and ATC traffic. |
| US08923841B2 |
Method for identifying a mobile telephone
Method for identifying a mobile telephone, a device, where there is a ADD system (1) (Automatic Device Detection) system connected to a network (2) for mobile communication, the ADD system including a TCD (3) (Terminal Capabilities Database) with SAT (SIM Application Toolkit) terminal profile values stored for all device (4) models. The method includes the steps of retrieving the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number from the device (4), retrieving the device model and the SAT terminal profile (P2) from the TCD by way of the retrieved IMEI, obtaining the SAT terminal profile (P1) of the actual device, comparing the SAT terminal profile (P1) of the actual device with the SAT terminal profile (P2) obtained from the TCD in the ADD system, and considering the device as having the right IMEI number when the SAT terminal profile of the actual device and the SAT terminal profile obtained from the TCD coincide. |
| US08923837B2 |
Provisioning a telephony network in response to an electronic device attaching to the network
A technique includes, in response to an electronic device attaching to a telephony network, selecting a telephony number from a plurality of available telephony numbers to assign to the electronic device for a given session in which the electronic device is attached to the telephony network and provisioning the telephony network based at least in part on the assigned telephony number. |
| US08923835B2 |
Bring call here selectively
A communication system includes logic to detect a second communication device in proximity to a first communication device engaged in a call, and to provide a substantially uninterrupted transfer of selected parties to the call to the second communication device. A proximate device may be identified as one capable of rendering a particular data type, and a substantially uninterrupted transfer may be performed to the proximate device of data of the communications having the data type. An application associated with communication data may be identified, as well as a proximate device capable of providing the application, and a substantially uninterrupted transfer may be performed to the proximate device of data associated with the application. |
| US08923833B2 |
Information sharing system, information sharing method, terminal device and program
[PROBLEMS] To share information in one of divided screens of a terminal device with members performing PoC communications.[MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A plurality of terminal devices used by the members performing PoC communications are included, and at least one of the screens partitioned and displayed by a screen dual-partitioning device 22 on a specific terminal device is shared with other terminal devices used by members performing PoC communications. |
| US08923830B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing messages in a social network
In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for knowledge generation and deployment in a distributed network. In one embodiment, a method for processing messages in a social network includes receiving a new message from a first node in the network, the new message including a query, providing the first node with an answer to the query, if the answer is located in a repository, and initiating generation of the answer, if the answer is not located in the repository. |
| US08923829B2 |
Filtering and enhancement of voice calls in a telecommunications network
Voice calls may be filtered and/or modified to enhance the clarity of a speaker's voice. In one implementation, a device may receive an indication, from a caller associated with a call, that speech of the caller is to be modified to deemphasize an accent of the caller. The device may modify, based on the received indication, the speech of the caller to deemphasize the accent of the caller and transmit the modified speech to a callee associated with the call. |
| US08923827B2 |
Mobile payment management
A method for managing mobile payments in a mobile phone. The method includes receiving data associated with a plurality of issuer specific payment services at a mobile phone, selecting one of the issuer specific payment services, and conducting a transaction using the phone. |