| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09021219B2 |
Enhancing analytics performance using distributed multi-tiering
Embodiments of the invention relate to cluster-centric tiered storage with a flexible tier definition to support performance of transactions. Object data is distributed in a multi-tiered shared-nothing cluster. Hierarchical tiers of data storage are assigned different roles within the hierarchy. The tiers are managed globally across the cluster and objects are placed in tiers according to a flexible tier definition. The probability of object access is computed for objects, and objects are moved to different tiers responsive to the computation to minimize system runtime. The location of an object is further optimized in response to an access request. |
| US09021218B2 |
Data writing method for writing updated data into rewritable non-volatile memory module, and memory controller, and memory storage apparatus using the same
A method for writing updated data into a flash memory module having a plurality of physical pages is provided, wherein each physical page is the smallest writing unit of the flash memory module. The method includes partitioning a physical page into storage segments and configuring a state mark for each storage segment, wherein the state marks indicate the validity of data stored in the storage segments. The method also includes writing the updated data into at least one of the storage segments and changing the state mark corresponding to the storage segment containing the updated data, wherein the state mark corresponding to the storage segment containing the updated data indicates a valid state, and the state marks corresponding to the other storage segments of the physical page not containing the updated data indicate an invalid state. Thereby, the time for writing data into a physical page is effectively shortened. |
| US09021206B2 |
Use of cache statistics to ration cache hierarchy access
A method, system and program are provided for controlling access to a specified cache level in a cache hierarchy in a multiprocessor system by evaluating cache statistics for a specified application at the specified cache level against predefined criteria to prevent the specified application from accessing the specified cache level if the specified application does not meeting the predefined criteria. |
| US09021205B2 |
Page replacement in cache memory
A mechanism for page replacement for cache memory is disclosed. A method of the disclosure includes referencing an entry of a data structure of a cache in memory to identify a stored value of an eviction counter, the stored value of the eviction counter placed in the entry when a page of a file previously stored in the cache was evicted from the cache, determining a refault distance of the page of the file based on a difference between the stored value of the eviction counter and a current value of the eviction counter, and adjusting a ratio of cache lists maintained by the processing device to track pages in the cache, the adjusting based on the determined refault distance. |
| US09021204B1 |
Techniques for managing data storage
Techniques for managing data storage within storage tiers are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for managing data storage having the steps of assigning a storage class for each of a plurality of storage tiers, defining at least one rule for storing data in the plurality of storage tiers, determining whether performance assisted tier migration is requested, monitoring the plurality of storage tiers when it is determined that the performance assisted tier migration is requested, determining whether to redefine the storage class of one of the plurality of storage tiers based on the monitoring, and determining whether to migrate the data based on the monitoring. |
| US09021203B2 |
Enhancing tiering storage performance
Various embodiments for improving data storage and retrieval performance, for a tiered storage environment having levels corresponding to storage performance, are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, reference count information of at least one data segment maintained in the tiered storage environment is used to determine which of the levels in the tiered storage environment the at least one data segment will be assigned. Those of the at least one data segment having higher reference counts are assigned to a higher performance level than those having lower reference counts. |
| US09021201B2 |
Demoting partial tracks from a first cache to a second cache
A determination is made of a track to demote from the first cache to the second cache, wherein the track in the first cache corresponds to a track in the storage system and is comprised of a plurality of sectors. In response to determining that the second cache includes a the stale version of the track being demoted from the first cache, a determination is made as to whether the stale version of the track includes track sectors not included in the track being demoted from the first cache. The sectors from the track demoted from the first cache are combined with sectors from the stale version of the track not included in the track being demoted from the first cache into a new version of the track. The new version of the track is written to the second cache. |
| US09021198B1 |
System and method for sharing SAN storage
According to various embodiments, systems and methods are provided that relate to shared access to Storage Area Networks (SAN) devices. In one embodiment, a Storage Area Network (SAN) host is provided, comprising: a server component; a first host bus adapter configured to be connected to a SAN client over a first SAN; a second host bus adapter configured to be connected to a SAN storage device over a second SAN; and wherein the server component is configured to manage a data block on the SAN storage device, receive a storage operation request from the SAN client through the first host bus adapter, and in response to the storage operation request, perform a storage operation on the data block, the storage operation being performed over the second SAN through the second host bus adapter. |
| US09021197B2 |
Drive indicating mechanism for removable media
An optical disk system comprises a computer-readable medium containing code for controlling writing by the disk system to a removable optical disk. The optical disk system further comprises an optical pickup unit for reading data from the optical disk and writing data to the optical disk, a spindle motor for rotating the optical disk during the reading and writing, an optical disk controller that processes the data read from and written to the disk; and a processor that executes the code, thereby causing the optical disk system to write user data to the removable optical disk and to write an identifying value indicative of the optical disk system to at least one predetermined area of the removable optical disk. |
| US09021196B2 |
Method, system and computer program product for writing multiple files simultaneously to a tape media
In one embodiment, a method includes storing data received from at least two data sources in a buffer, writing the data from the at least two data sources to regions in a first wrap of a tape on a data-source basis in a first predetermined order, the regions in the first wrap being previously allocated to the at least two data sources, moving a head to a second wrap of the tape when an end of the first wrap of the tape is reached, and writing the data from the at least two data sources to regions in the second wrap in a second predetermined order, the second predetermined order being a reverse order relative to the first predetermined order, the regions in the second wrap being previously allocated to the at least two data sources. The first and second wraps have first and second predetermined lengths, respectively. |
| US09021195B2 |
Batch entries sharing individual content-addressable memory entries
In one embodiment, batch entries include multiple content-addressable memory (CAM) entries, and CAM entries are allowed to be shared among different batch entries. For example, two or more batch entries might have a common set of bits (e.g., representing an address, an address prefix, etc.). Rather than consuming bits of multiple CAM entries, a single CAM entry can be programmed with this common information. Other CAM entries associated with different batch entries are programmed with the distinguishing/different values. A batch lookup operation on a batch entry of two or more CAM entries requires multiple lookup operations on the CAM entries. One embodiment uses a batch mask vector to provide information to decode what CAM entries are shared among which batch entries during a series of lookup operations, which can be performed in one or both directions through the CAM entries. |
| US09021194B2 |
Memory management unit tag memory
A method and data processing system for accessing an entry in a memory array by placing a tag memory unit (114) in parallel with an operand adder circuit (112) to enable tag lookup and generation of speculative way hit/miss information (126) directly from the operands (111, 113) without using the output sum of the operand adder. PGZ-encoded address bits (0:51) from the operands (111, 113) are applied with a carry-out value (Cout48) to a content-addressable memory array (114) to generate two speculative hit/miss signals. A sum value (EA51) computed from the least significant base and offset address bits determines which of the speculative hit/miss signals is selected for output (126). |
| US09021193B2 |
Utilization of stored timing data to configure a memory controller
A method for configuring a memory controller including determining whether a serial number of at least one memory module matches a stored serial number corresponding to at least one of the memory module and utilizing a stored timing data to configure the memory controller when the serial number matches the stored serial number corresponding to at least one of the memory module. |
| US09021191B2 |
Providing versioning in a storage device
Provided are a computer program product, system and method for managing Input/Output (I/O) requests to a storage device. A write request is received having write data for a logical address, wherein data for the logical address is at a first physical location in the storage device and has an indicated version number. Writing the write data to a second physical location in the storage device. Determining whether a preserve mode is enabled. In response to determining that the preserve mode is enabled, indicating the second physical location as having a current version number of the logical address and indicating the first physical location to have a previous version number of the logical address. |
| US09021187B2 |
Logical block address remapping
A method and system is disclosed that remaps logical block addresses (LBAs) for defragmentation that is managed at the storage device level. The remapping may include sequentially remapping LBAs where individual files are remapped so that each file is referenced by sequential LBAs. The remapping of LBAs may be performed without changes to the physical location of data. |
| US09021185B2 |
Memory controller and methods for enhancing write performance of a flash device
A memory controller and methods for managing efficient writing to a flash memory are presented. Fresh data is written to at least one block of the flash memory. During a space reclamation process, other data, previously written to the flash memory, is relocated to at least one other block of the flash memory, such that the fresh data and the relocated data always are maintained in separate blocks of the flash memory. During writing, an update frequency level is selected for the fresh data from among multiple update frequency levels and the fresh data is written to a block that is associated with the selected update frequency level. During space reclamation, a plurality of blocks, space of which is to be reclaimed, is selected and the valid pages thereof are copied to at least one destination block. |
| US09021179B2 |
Store storage class memory information command
An abstraction for storage class memory is provided that hides the details of the implementation of storage class memory from a program, and provides a standard channel programming interface for performing certain actions, such as controlling movement of data between main storage and storage class memory or managing storage class memory. |
| US09021176B2 |
Memory device and method with on-board cache system for facilitating interface with multiple processors, and computer system using same
A memory device includes an on-board cache system that facilitates the ability of the memory device to interface with a plurality of processors operating in a parallel processing manner. The cache system operates in a manner that can be transparent to a memory controller to which the memory device is connected. Alternatively, the memory controller can control the operation of the cache system. |
| US09021171B2 |
Bus system including a master device, a slave device, an interconnector coupled between the master device and the slave device, and an operating method thereof
A system-on-chip bus system and an operating method of the same are provided. The bus system includes a master device, a slave device and an interconnector coupled between the master device and the slave device. The interconnector includes a synchronization/compaction block to control traffic provided from a master device to a slave device. When a write request traffic and a corresponding write data traffic are all provided from the master device, the synchronization/compaction block may transfer the two traffics to the slave device. |
| US09021170B2 |
System and method for improving ECC enabled memory timing
A pipeline communication system includes a master and a plurality of slaves configured to communicate with each other. Each of the plurality of slaves includes a memory, and is configured to generate a first ready signal and a second ready signal. The first ready signal is configured to be provided only to the master and the second ready signal is configured to be provided only to each of the plurality of slaves. The second ready signal is generated independent of the error check in each of the plurality of slaves. |
| US09021169B2 |
Bus system including ID converter and converting method thereof
A bus system includes a plurality of master devices each of which issues a transaction request having a first transaction identifier with a first bit width and a slave device responding to the transaction request having a second transaction identifier with a second bit width and supplying a transaction response having the second transaction identifier to the plurality of master devices. The embodiment further comprises a bus configured to connect one of the plurality of master devices and the slave device; and an ID converter configured to connect the bus and the slave device and to map the first transaction identifier to the second transaction identifier for providing the second transaction identifier to the slave device and map the second transaction identifier to the first transaction identifier for providing the first transaction identifier to the one of the plurality of master devices. |
| US09021166B2 |
Server direct attached storage shared through physical SAS expanders
A system and method for servers to belong to a cascaded cluster of nodes (or servers) is disclosed. Servers share storage in common without the need of an external element such as a switch and or external storage device. SAS technology is used with direct attached drives in each node, and connections between each node, to emulate a SAN environment through a cascaded SAS topology. SAS HBAs each containing an SAS expander, connect elements internal to each server with elements external to each. This cascaded DAS clustering enables bi-directional traffic from each server in the cluster to all other servers and their attached drives. |
| US09021165B2 |
Connector interface system for data acquisition
A data acquisition system includes a receptacle and a data acquisition device. The receptacle has a housing, sensor inputs to receive data signals from sensors coupled to an object, and a rib to block insertion of a standard Universal Serial Bus (USB) plug and facilitate insertion of a modified USB plug having a slot that mates with the rib. The data acquisition device includes circuitry to receive, store and process data, a USB plug having pins operatively coupled to the circuitry, a first subset of pins configured to receive data signals from the receptacle and a second subset of pins configured to support standard USB communication with USB-compliant devices, and a slot formed in the USB plug such that the slot facilitates interconnection of the USB plug both with standard USB-compliant devices and with the receptacle, the slot mating with the rib to facilitate interconnection. |
| US09021161B2 |
System and method for electro-cardiogram (ECG) medical data collection wherein physiological data collected and stored may be uploaded to a remote service center
A data collection unit obtains physiological data from a subject interface on a subject. The subject interface can be connected to the data collection unit. When the subject interface is connected to the data collection unit, subject interface contacts on the subject interface make contact with data collection unit contacts on the data collection unit. Some of the data collection unit contacts are for communicating physiological data from the subject interface to the data collection unit. Some of the contacts are for powering the data collection unit upon the subject interface being connected to the data collection unit and for powering down the data collection unit upon the subject interface being disconnected from the data collection unit. |
| US09021160B2 |
Storage apparatus and writing control method
A processor is configured to determine, if a beginning or an end of a target storage area into which write data is to be written is included in a first storage area in a first storage unit, whether the beginning or the end of the target storage area coincides with a beginning or an end of the first storage area. The processor is configured to extract, if it is determined that the beginning or the end of the target storage area does not coincide with the beginning or the end of the first storage area, data identical to data stored in a sub-storage area in the first storage area from a second storage unit. The sub-storage area is not overlapped with the target storage area. The processor is configured to generate data to be written into the first storage unit by using the extracted data and the write data. |
| US09021159B2 |
Connector adapter
An adapter for providing connectivity between a host connector of a host device and an accessory connector of an accessory that is incompatible with the host connector is described. The adapter can include a host interface connector that is compatible with the host connector, and an accessory interface connector that is compatible with the accessory connector of the accessory. The adapter may further include an identification module that can provide adapter identification information to a host device connected to the host interface connector, and may also include an authentication module that can authenticate an accessory connected to the accessory interface connector. |
| US09021155B2 |
Fibre channel input/output data routing including discarding of data transfer requests in response to error detection
A computer program product is provided for performing input/output (I/O) processing. The computer program product is configured to perform: generating and storing in local channel memory at least one address control word (ACW) specifying one or more host memory locations for data transfer and including a data discard field; generating an address control structure specifying a local channel memory location of a corresponding ACW; receiving one or more data transfer requests from a network interface that each corresponding address control structure information; accessing an ACW and routing the data transfer request to a host memory location specified in the ACW; and responsive to encountering an error during at least one of the accessing and the routing, discarding the one or more data transfer requests and setting the data discard field to a value configured to instruct a channel to discard any subsequent data transfer requests associated with the ACW. |
| US09021149B2 |
Information display apparatus, display system, and information display method
In an electronic conference system, an information display apparatus is provided, that allows to proceed with a conference efficiently even if performing a capturing of electronic data during the conference. The information display apparatus has a display device that is provided with a plurality of display modes and available for an electronic conference system, in which a connection of a data input device is monitored, and a processing method for the inputted data from the data input device whose connection has been detected is made different depending on the current display mode. In the processing method, when the display mode is a mode in which the data is editable and the inputted data is image data, the electronic conference system is caused to directly capture the data therein, and in the case except it, a storage dialog for the inputted data is displayed. |
| US09021147B1 |
Command queuing in disk drives
A method and system for command queuing in disk drives may improve performance by queuing multiple commands and sequentially executing them automatically without firmware intervention. The method may use a number of queues, e.g., a staging queue for commands to be executed, an execution queue for commands currently being executed, and a holding queue for commands which have been executed but have not received a status report from a host. With the pipelined nature of queued commands, when data requested by one command are being sent to the host, the queue logic may already be fetching data for the next command. If an error occurs in the transmission, commands in the queues may backtrack and restart from the point where data were last known to have been successfully sent to the host. |
| US09021142B2 |
Reflecting bandwidth and priority in network attached storage I/O
A method for processing a first input/output (I/O) request on a network attached storage (NAS) device that includes receiving the first I/O request from a source by the NAS device, placing the first I/O request in an I/O queue associated with the NAS device, wherein the first I/O request is placed in the I/O queue based on a priority of the first I/O request using a remote storage access protocol, and when the first I/O request is associated with the highest priority in the I/O queue, determining whether a bandwidth associated with the source of the first I/O request is exceeded, processing the first I/O request if the bandwidth associated with the source of the first I/O request is not exceeded, and placing the first I/O request in sleep mode if the bandwidth associated with the source of the first I/O request is exceeded. |
| US09021138B2 |
Performance of multi-processor computer systems
Embodiments of the invention may improve the performance of multi-processor systems in processing information received via a network. For example, some embodiments may enable configuration of a system such that information received is distributed among multiple processors for efficient processing. A user may select from among multiple configuration options, each configuration option being associated with a particular mode of processing information received. By selecting a configuration option, the user may specify how information received is processed to capitalize on the system's characteristics, such as by aligning processors on the system with certain NICs. As such, the processor(s) aligned with a NIC may perform networking-related tasks associated with information received by that NIC. If initial alignment causes one or more processors to become over-burdened, processing tasks may be dynamically re-distributed to other processors. |
| US09021137B2 |
Massively scalable object storage system
Several different embodiments of a massively scalable object storage system are described. The object storage system is particularly useful for storage in a cloud computing installation whereby shared servers provide resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand. In several embodiments, the object storage system includes a ring implementation used to associate object storage commands with particular physical servers such that certain guarantees of consistency, availability, and performance can be met. In other embodiments, the object storage system includes a synchronization protocol used to order operations across a distributed system. In a third set of embodiments, the object storage system includes a metadata management system. In a fourth set of embodiments, the object storage system uses a structured information synchronization system. Features from each set of embodiments can be used to improve the performance and scalability of a cloud computing object storage system. |
| US09021136B2 |
Data synchronisation
The present invention relates to a method for synchronizing files between devices between two devices. The method includes creating a rule to control the synchronization of the file. The rule includes at least one condition for synchronization which is dependent upon a property of a device. |
| US09021135B2 |
System and method for tokenization of data for storage in a cloud
An intercepting proxy server processes traffic between an enterprise user and a cloud application. The intercepting proxy server provides interception of real data elements in communications from the enterprise to the cloud and replacing them with obfuscating tokens which are randomly generated. To the cloud application real data are only visible as tokens. Tokens included in results returned from the cloud, are intercepted by the intercepting proxy server, and replaced with the corresponding real data elements. The obfuscating tokens are not computationally related to the original sensitive value. Each intercepted real data element is stored in a local persistent storage layer, and indexed by the corresponding obfuscating token, allowing the real data element to be retrieved when the token is returned from the cloud, for delivery to the user. |
| US09021134B1 |
Media stream transport conversion within an intermediate network device
Techniques allow an intermediate (IM) device to transparently intercept and dynamically modify signaling messages being exchanged by a client and a server when negotiating setup and delivery of a multimedia stream from a streaming server. The techniques also allow an IM device to dynamically convert the real-time multimedia stream from a first transport layer protocol to a second transport layer protocol, and the reverse, based on the particular topology of the network including the presence and location of any security devices that may block the multimedia stream. The IM device may be configured to dynamically modify messages intercepted between the client and the server to change a transport layer protocol indicated by the messages from the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) to the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and the reverse, and convert a UDP data stream to TCP packets and inject the TCP packets into an established TCP session. |
| US09021133B1 |
Fabric network
Systems and methods relating to communication within a fabric network are presented. The fabric network includes one or more logical networks that enables devices connected to the fabric to communicate with each other using various profiles known to the devices. A device sending a message may follow a general message format to encode the message so that other devices in the fabric may understand the message regardless of which logical networks the devices are connected to. Within the message format, a payload of data may be included for the receiving device to forward, store, or process the message. The format and the contents of the payload may vary according to a header within the payload that indicates a profile and a message type within the profile. Using the profile and message type, the receiving devices may decode the message to process the message. |
| US09021131B2 |
Identifying linked message brokers in a dynamic routing network
Systems and methods are provided that dynamically route messages based on the availability of a message consumer on any given route, and which adapt to changes in message consumer availability throughout a messaging network. In various embodiments, changes to message routing criteria at a destination broker in the network are propagated to each source broker for the destination broker, which in turn propagates the changes to their source brokers until the entire network is adapted. |
| US09021120B2 |
Optimized video streaming using cloud computing platform
Technology is disclosed for migrating at least portions of a video streaming application to a cloud server. The migration is based on an optimization factor of a video streaming application. The optimization factor can be computed based on consumption of computing resources of the computing device. The video streaming application is a multi-threaded application in which a background thread performs tasks that may not require user interaction and a foreground thread performs tasks that may require user interaction. A service component of the video streaming application that obtains video streaming data from video servers is one example of the background thread. A user interface component that displays the video streaming data to a user via a user interface is an example of the foreground thread. If the optimization factor of the service component is below a predefined threshold, the service component is transferred to the cloud server for further processing. |
| US09021119B2 |
Systems and methods for performing adaptive bitrate streaming based upon the delay of each stream and the channel rate
Systems and methods for adaptive bitrate streaming in which playback devices select streams based upon stream delay and channel rate in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment is configured to select a first video stream from a set of alternative streams, where at least a plurality of the alternative streams are encoded to have an upper bound seek delay that is equal to or less than the upper bound seek delay of streams in the set of alternative streams that are encoded at a higher maximum bitrate, request chunks of the first video stream and store the requested chunks in the buffer, playback the buffered chunks, measure the channel data rate, and select a second video stream from the set of alternative streams, where the second video stream has a maximum bitrate that is less than the measured channel data rate. |
| US09021118B2 |
System and method for displaying a tag history of a media event
Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for presenting temporal aspects of a group of tags associated with a primary media stream. The temporal aspects of the tags are presented by obtaining temporal metadata for the tags, generating a secondary media stream for the media event based on the temporal metadata, and delivering the secondary media stream to a user terminal, such that the secondary media stream is navigable at the user terminal. The secondary media stream includes a sequence of representations of the tags visually depicting a relative significance of the tags during different intervals of times for the media event. Changes in the relative significance of the tags between successive representations can be depicted by changing at least one of a size, position, a shape, and a color of indicia associated with the tags. |
| US09021117B1 |
Dynamically selectable transport for kernel driver management
A method is disclosed for processing a kernel driver control command at a client machine. The method includes (a) receiving the kernel driver control command at the client machine via a user interface, (b) selecting a target server from a set of servers based on the kernel driver control command, (c) selecting a protocol path to use to reach the target server based on the availability of the target server via a set of possible protocol paths, (d) reformatting the kernel driver control command into a protocol format associated with the selected protocol path, and (e) sending the reformatted kernel driver control command to the target server via the selected protocol path for execution by a kernel driver running on the target server. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product for performing the method are also provided. |
| US09021115B2 |
Method and apparatus for redirection of server external hyper-link references
A message is provided to a tracking server system in response to a client system referencing a predetermined resource locator that corresponds to a resource external to the tracking server system. The tracking server system indirectly provides for the client system to have an informational element selectable by the client system, where the informational element is graphically identified on the client system with informational content obtainable from a content server system through use of a content resource locator. The informational element includes a tracking resource locator, referencing the tracking server system, and data identifying the informational element. The selection of the informational element causes the client system to use the tracking resource locator to provide the data to the tracking server system and to use the content resource locator to obtain the informational content from the content server system. |
| US09021112B2 |
Content request routing and load balancing for content distribution networks
A content distribution mechanism that distributes content of a content provider at various sites across a network and selects the site that is nearest a content requestor using an anycast address that resides at each of the sites. The sites are configured as nodes (or clusters) and each node includes a content server and a DNS server. The DNS servers are so associated with the content servers at their respective nodes as to resolve the name of the content provider to the IP address of the content servers at the nodes. The DNS servers each are assigned the anycast address in addition to a unique address, and the anycast address is advertised to the network (in particular, the network routing infrastructure) using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). Node selection occurs when the network routing infrastructure selects a shortest path to the anycast address during DNS name resolution. |
| US09021111B2 |
Live connection enhancement for data source interface
The invention provides for the connection of a plurality of remote applications with a data source, to maximize the speed and reliability of data transfer. An interface module interfaces with a remote application such as a web browser. A port module interfaces between interface module and a data source. A connection manager facilitates the interface between the interface module and the port module. The port module detects the unavailability of the data source in response to an initial request for the data source by the remote application. The port module may then dynamically detect the availability of the data source in response to a subsequent request for the data source and reconnect to the data source to the remote application in response to the subsequent request without having to reinitialize the connection manager. |
| US09021110B2 |
Consistent association of a user ID with a user
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for consistently associating a user ID with a user. In one aspect, a method may comprise receiving a data request at a transceiver accessible by a server computing device, wherein, in response to receiving the data request, the server computing device is configured to: access, by one or more processors coupled to the transceiver, a first value embedded in a first cookie associated with a first expiration time; set a second cookie embedded with a second value; and reset the first cookie responsive to receiving an indication that the first cookie is expiring, wherein to reset the first cookie comprises replacing the first cookie with a third cookie set with a value equal to the first value and a third expiration time later than the first expiration time. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed. |
| US09021109B1 |
Controlling requests through message headers
In some implementations, in response to receiving a request message from a client device, a computing device may provide a response message that includes a custom or non-standard control header. The control header may instruct the client device to wait before sending any subsequent request messages to the computing device. For example, the control header may inform the client device to wait until passage of period of time or until after a specified time arrives before sending a subsequent request message. A module, an application, an operating system, or other software on the client device that receives the response message, interprets the control header and performs one or more operations to comply with the control header. Accordingly, some implementations herein utilize message headers to perform message throttling for controlling an amount of network traffic or load on one or more computing devices. |
| US09021107B2 |
Embed control commands and product extensions within RFB session
According to various embodiments, methods, apparatuses and systems are provided that allow a management server coupled to a managed device to establish a management session with a management station in accordance with a management protocol. A management server may forward to the management station modified user interface display that provides additional functions to the management station. The management station may interact with the modified user interface display and evoke the additional functions through the use of keyboard, mouse or any suitable user interface input means. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US09021105B2 |
Handling of a communication session
Embodiments describe handling a communication session at a device, by executing a communication session handling program at the device, the communication session handling program comprising a communication session handling part for handling the communication session and an interfacing part for linking with a communication session control interface. An application executed at the device provides, to a user of the device, a communication session control interface for the communication session handled by the communication session handling part of the communication session handling program, the application linking with the interfacing part of the communication session handling program. On detecting that the application has ceased to provide the communication session control interface, the interfacing part of the communication session handling program links, without dropping the communication session, to a further communication session control interface provided at the device for continuation of the communication session handled by the communication session handling part. |
| US09021097B2 |
Unified cloud computing infrastructure to manage and deploy physical and virtual environments
A method, system and computer program product for managing and deploying physical and virtual environments across multiple hardware platforms. A single unit, referred to herein as a cloud construction block, contains both the hardware and software components used to build a cloud computing environment. By having such a single unit contain both the hardware and software components needed to build a cloud computing environment, the user no longer needs to purchase and integrate different hardware and software components. Furthermore, the cloud construction block contains modular pieces of hardware, such as compute hardware, memory hardware, storage hardware and network hardware, that are integrated with management software configured to manage both the hardware and the cloud computing environment in a seamlessly integrated package. Since there is a single management system, the management software allows the user to manage the modular pieces of hardware via a single user interface. |
| US09021096B2 |
Performing maintenance operations on cloud computing node without requiring to stop all virtual machines in the node
A method, system and computer program product for performing maintenance operations on a cloud computing node. An administrative server receives an indication that a maintenance operation is to be performed on a cloud computing node. The administrative server identifies which virtual machine(s) on the cloud computing node will be affected by the maintenance operation. The administrative server relocates the virtual machine(s) to be affected by the maintenance operation to other suitable cloud computing node(s) prior to the maintenance operation being performed. The administrative server then performs the maintenance operation on the cloud computing node. The virtual machine(s) may be relocated back to the cloud computing node after the maintenance operation is completed in response to a need to rebalance resources in such a manner. In this manner, maintenance operations may be performed on a cloud computing node without requiring to stop all the virtual machines in the node. |
| US09021095B2 |
Method and system for implementing an on-demand scheduler in a mobile device
Disclosed is an improved approach for implementing an on-demand scheduler in a mobile device and the structures to support realtime on-demand schedulers. A lightweight word-based structure is disclosed for storing scheduling-related data on the mobile device. Using this lightweight word-based structure enables on-demand and real-time scheduling. This type of lightweight structure also permits scheduling activities to be performed in a disconnected mode, which can then be later synchronized with the server to confirm the booking In addition to appointment scheduling, this technique can also be implemented for scheduling of any type of resource. |
| US09021092B2 |
Network infrastructure obfuscation
A shadow network, which can be a virtual reproduction of a real, physical, base computer network, is described. Shadow networks duplicate the topology, services, host, and network traffic of the base network using shadow hosts, which are low interaction, minimal-resource-using host emulators. The shadow networks are connected to the base network through virtual switches, etc. in order to form a large obfuscated network. When a hacker probes into a host emulator, a more resource-intensive virtual machine can be swapped in to take its place. When a connection is attempted from a host emulator to a physical computer, the a host emulator can step in to take the place of the physical computer, and software defined networking (SDN) can prevent collisions between the duplicated IP addresses. Replicating the shadow networks within the network introduces problems for hackers and allows a system administrator easier ways to identify intrusions. |
| US09021090B2 |
Network access firewall
The communications management systems manage access to a local area network or network content by external users, applications, and devices. The systems and methods are implemented on a network appliance to manage content within the network and facilitate content transmission through a firewall that separates the network from a larger networking environment, such as the World Wide Web. |
| US09021089B2 |
Network monitoring control apparatus and management information acquisition method
A network monitoring control apparatus includes: a traffic information acquisition unit to acquire traffic information of a network component included in a network; a decision information switching unit to set decision information for the network component based on a comparison result between the traffic information and one of a congestion decision threshold and a congestion recovery decision threshold of the network component; and a management information acquisition unit to acquire management information of the network component based on the decision information. |
| US09021088B2 |
Playlist generation
A method, computer program product, and computing system for monitoring, with a computing device, a social media stream for the occurrence of a media sharing post. The media sharing post is processed, with the computing device, to extract file identification information. A playlist entry based, at least in part, upon the extracted file identification information is generated with the computing device. A media sharing playlist is populated, with the computing device, to include the playlist entry. |
| US09021086B2 |
System and method for network management
System and methods for inferring network topology are described, including a method comprising determining a normalized transmit power of a first device, identifying a second device based upon a parameter of the second device and the normalized transmit power of the first device, and generating a topology including the first device and the second device based upon at least one of the normalized transmit power of the first device and the parameter of the second device. |
| US09021082B2 |
Internet measurement system application programming interface
Systems, application programming interfaces, and other embodiments associated with internet measurements are described. Example systems and methods facilitate requesting that a control server acquire internet measurements from a set of distributed measurement points. One example application programming interface (API) includes a list request interface to provide a list request to a control server. The list request may request a list of measurement points from the control server. The example API may also include a list receipt interface to receive a list response from the control server. The list response may contain information concerning measurement points. The API may enable a user to perform a complex series of internet measurements by giving the user access to standardized function calls for accessing a distributed internet measurement system. |
| US09021078B2 |
Management method and management system
The management system identifies a first event regarding a first node apparatus estimated to occur when a first maintenance work is performed on a first node apparatus based on maintenance work information that indicates a correspondence relationship between each maintenance work of one or more maintenance works for any of the plurality of node apparatuses and an event regarding a node apparatus to be the target of each maintenance work, which is estimated to occur when the maintenance work is performed. The management system identifies the range of effect and phenomenon of the case where the first maintenance work is performed on the first node apparatus, by performing simulation based on one or more rules indicating a correspondence relationship between one or more conditional events and a causal event and displays the identified range of effect and phenomenon. |
| US09021077B2 |
Management computer and method for root cause analysis
In analyzing an elaborate computer system which requires large-scale or numerous event propagation models, a law-of-causality matrix gains size, so that significant amount of storage resources has been used in a management computer. To solve such a problem, the management computer to manage the computer system stores topologies, event propagation models, and causality information including one or more causal relations in the storage resources, determines, when the management computer analyzes or detects an event, whether a causal relation has already been created for the event to be analyzed, and creates the causal relation based on a topology and event propagation models, if not yet. |
| US09021075B2 |
System for managing wakeup and sleep events of computers connected to a motor vehicle CAN network
A system for managing wakeup and sleep events of computers connected to a motor vehicle secondary CAN network, the secondary CAN network being connected to a main CAN network by a gateway. The system includes a master computer connected to the main CAN network and configured to manage the wakeup and sleep events of the computers through the exchange therewith of wakeup and sleep frames via the gateway. The gateway can: synthesize a single wakeup and sleep frame based on plural wakeup and sleep frames emitted by the computers, and emit the single frame to the master computer that is configured to interpret the frame. |
| US09021073B2 |
IP pool name lists
A method including receiving a session request associated with a user equipment (UE); selecting one or more network address pool name lists based on a type of service to be provided to the UE; selecting one or more network address pool names from the one or more network address pool name lists based on a priority associated with the one or more network address pool names; selecting one or more network addresses from the one or more network address pool names; assigning the one or more network addresses to the UE; and establishing a session with the UE. |
| US09021069B2 |
Preventing deregistration from fleet accounts
This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for managing access to a fleet account of mobile electronic devices. For instance, an administrator of a business and educational institution may place an order with an offering service to purchase a large number of eBook reader devices. The offering service identifies that the business and educational institution is ordering a fleet of devices. Furthermore, each of the devices ordered are associated or registered to a managed or fleet account controlled by the administrator of the business and educational institution. The techniques described herein prevent an individual user of a fleet device from de-registering the device from the managed account, and also allow an account administrator to alter preferred settings of the managed account. Further, techniques are described for allowing a user of a device to opt-in or associate their device with the account. |
| US09021067B2 |
Determining VLAN-IDs for a switched-based communication network of a process control system
A Process Control (PC) or Substation Automation (SA) system is disclosed with appropriate message filtering based on Virtual Local Area Network identifiers VLAN-IDs as communication sub-network identifiers. The VLAN-IDs are determined in order to optimize data flow in the sense that receiver IEDs only receive the intended messages, while at the same time the number of sub-network identifiers can be reduced to a maximum extent. Restricting the real time traffic in such a way can ensure proper operation of the systems, such as large SA systems using GOOSE for interlocking and having sensors connected with the Sampled Value (SV) protocol according to IEC 61850-9-2. |
| US09021065B2 |
Automated topology formation in dynamic distributed environments
Automated topology formation in a dynamic distributed environment. The automatic topology formation includes receiving by an application of a first entity having an initial topology role, topology information from a master node. The first entity has an initial topology role and the received topology information varies based the initial topology role. A local topology representation information is derived from the received topology information wherein the local topology representation information comprises any one of: a first entity topology role as any one of a not-a-node, root node, a prime node or a leaf node for the topology; a list of entities that are parents of the first entity in the topology, or a list of entities that are subordinates to the first entity in the topology; and setting the local topology representation information at the first entity. |
| US09021062B2 |
Sharing audio and video device on a client endpoint device between local use and hosted virtual desktop use
A communication is established between a client device and a server device, where the server device executes one or more hosted virtual desktop (HVD) applications for the client device. A media data stream including at least one of audio content and video content is transmitted from the client device to the server device, where audio and video content of the media data stream is captured by one or more input devices at the client device and is utilized by an HVD application at the server device. In response to a request for the media data stream by a second application that is local to the client device or is operating at a remote device, transmission of the media data stream to the server device is selectively suspended or shared with the second application. |
| US09021061B2 |
Method and apparatus for accommodating overlapping wireless networks
A method comprises forming a pathname indicative of a location of content on a wireless network, the pathname including an identifier of the wireless network; and sending a request for the content, the request including the pathname. In one embodiment, the pathname further includes a delimiter configured to specify a location of the identifier of the wireless network in the pathname. |
| US09021056B2 |
Metadata prediction of objects in a social networking system using crowd sourcing
A social networking system leverages user's social information to evaluate content submitted for inclusion in objects. If the evaluated submission is accepted, the submission is added to the content of an object. Accepted submissions are also used to predict associations between metadata and objects. Metadata is used to predict which objects will match user searches for information. The social networking system also provides a user interface configured to prompt users to submit information to objects. When a user completes a submission to an object, the user is provided with other options for groups of objects to contribute to. The objects offered are chosen to increase the likelihood that the user will choose to provide submissions to one of the provided objects. |
| US09021049B2 |
Method and apparatus for augmenting smartphone-centric in-car infotainment system using vehicle Wi-Fi/DSRC
A method and system for augmenting smartphone-centric in-car infotainment systems using Wi-Fi or DSRC communications between a vehicle and surrounding infrastructure. One or more smartphones or other electronic devices within a vehicle electronically communicate with the vehicle via a wireless protocol, such as Bluetooth, or a wired connection. The electronic devices run applications which submit requests for internet-based files or data, such as web pages, audio or video files. The vehicle brokers these requests and, using its own external wireless communications systems, such as Wi-Fi or DSRC, retrieves as many of the files or data as possible whenever internet access is available via an external wireless connection. The vehicle then provides the files or data to the requesting electronic devices. A token-based method for prioritizing the requests and rendering the data to the electronic devices is also disclosed. |
| US09021042B2 |
Media response to social actions
A method includes enabling accessing of content via a first device. The access of the content may be suspended in response to receiving a suspending signal associated with a second device coupled to the first device in a communication session. The access of the content may be resumed via at least one of the first device or a third device coupled to the first device in the communication session. |
| US09021041B2 |
System to provide integrated on-line support
An on-line support system providing a persistent chat system and a database of knowledge articles organized in a tree-based hierarchy. The on-line support system merges the utility of a communication system with a knowledge navigation system. Knowledge can be accumulated through text, voice and image communications by a user in a common environment, and these communications are preserved and organized for future reference. |
| US09021034B2 |
Incorporating external event information into a social networking system
A social networking system allows a user to create an event in the social networking system while viewing a web page from a third-party website from a domain different than the social networking system. A widget or other social plug-in is included in the web page, and user interaction with the widget communicates information from the web page to the social networking system. An event object is created in the social networking system from the information from the web page. The social networking system may perform various actions to increase user interaction with the created event object, such as identifying additional users to invite the event or identifying users attending the event to other users. |
| US09021032B2 |
Method and system for enabling anonymous communications between two or more interested parties
A method and system for communicating anonymously between two parties until such time that the parties may wish to reveal their identities to each other. This is accomplished by using a portable device that enables anonymous communications between a sender (operating a sender device such as a smartphone) and a recipient (operating a recipient device such as a smartphone) via an anonymous communications server computer. |
| US09021031B1 |
Providing for selective availability on a messaging service
A system and machine-implemented method for selectively setting the availability of a user with respect to one or more contacts within an messaging service, the method comprising receiving an indication of a user entering a selective availability mode while the user is logged into an messaging service, wherein the messaging service maintains a list of a plurality of contacts associated with the user and setting the availability status of the user to unavailable at the messaging service with respect to the plurality of contacts in response to the detection, such that the plurality of contacts are prohibited from communicating with the user through the messaging service, while the user remains logged into the messaging service. |
| US09021024B1 |
Method and apparatus for controlling access to information and applications between clients in a telecommunications network
An information system that provides information exchange and application services based on the location and relationships between a landmark client and a service user client. The information service system first builds up direct referral link between a landmark client account and a declared landmark location. The landmark account stores information and applications associated to the landmark client. A service user connects to the information service system via a user client account that stores information and applications associated to the user client. The information service system determines a relationship between the landmark client and the user client using the location and navigation data of the clients as well as their identity and configuration information. The service next builds up information exchange and system control connections between the landmark client and the service user client according to their specified information access and usage rules under prescribed relationship situations. |
| US09021023B2 |
System and method for generating a modified web page by inline code insertion in response to an information request from a client computer
Information requested by a client is intercepted by a network server, which sends the request to the requested information source. The requested information is received and examined by the server to determine if the information is HTML format. If so, the server modifies the requested information by inserting format and request instructions then sends same to the client computer. The client uses the format and request instructions to send a request for supplemental information from a supplemental information source. The associated supplemental information is sent from the supplemental information source to the network client. The format instructions cause the requested information and supplemental information to be displayed in respective first and second display areas. |
| US09021022B2 |
Method and system for identifying website visitors
A website server computer hosting a website can identify a visitor to the website by using information provided by a visitor server computer that interacts with the visitor. The information provided by the server computer, in some embodiments, can be a combination of an IP address and characteristics of a computing device from where the visitor visits the website. In some embodiments, the IP address of the visitor server computer is used. In embodiments where the visitor may be sharing the computing device with other users, the characteristics may include at least one characteristic that is uniquely associated with the visitor. The website server computer can use a visitor identifier thus generated to start tracking the pages that the visitor requests during the session and can generate and customize pages for the visitor by using characteristics originated from the visitor. |
| US09021009B2 |
Building a cloud computing environment using a seed device in a virtual computing infrastructure
A cloud computing environment having a plurality of computing nodes is described. A seed device is connected to a network. From the seed device, a launching of a cloud computing management configuration is initiated. The seed device includes a repository of software. From the seed device, software is installed on one of the plurality of computing nodes to run a cloud computing management system. The software is loaded from one of the plurality of computing nodes onto each of the plurality of nodes. A computing node is selected from the plurality of computing nodes, to designate as a master node. Operations of the cloud computing management system is controlled from the master node. |
| US09021006B2 |
Intelligent video network protocol
Software capabilities of a video analytics device are obtained. The software of the video analytics device is configured. An output from the video analytics device is received. The output is sent to a user device. |
| US09021005B2 |
System and method to provide remote device management for mobile virtualized platforms
A virtualization aware device management (VADM) server manages mobile devices, including mobile devices that have been virtualized. Each virtualized mobile device supports multiple virtual devices. Each virtual device can be managed independently by the VADM server, in similar manner to non-virtualized devices. The VADM server interacts with one or more device management clients (DMCs) running on a virtualized mobile device to manage the virtual devices installed thereon. In a mobile virtualized device, a DMC can run exclusively within the virtual machine monitor (VMM) for remote management of some or all of the virtual devices on the mobile virtualized device; within each virtual device for remote management of the respective virtual device; or a combination thereof, with a DMC in the VMM acting as a bridge for DMCs within the virtual devices. |
| US09021001B2 |
Individual-specific information generation apparatus and individual-specific information generation method
The generation of individual-specific information having a good reliability and uniqueness is made possible with a little circuit scale. For this purpose, in an individual-specific information generation apparatus, a plurality of digital circuits are in the same circuit configuration. Each of the digital circuits outputs a fixed or a random number output value individually without their output with respect to a certain input being determined unambiguously among the digital circuits. In each of the digital circuit, an order is defined in advance. A random number judgment unit judges whether the output value is a random value or fixed, for each of the plurality of digital circuits. An individual-specific information generation unit generates the individual-specific information based on information of the order defined in the digital circuit judged by the random number judgment unit as having a fixed output value among the plurality of digital circuits and the output value. |
| US09020997B2 |
Customer statistics based on database lock use
A method and service for establishing a web-based network that includes an enterprise locking service. The enterprise locking service is able to coordinate multiple, cooperating applications that need to ensure that one and only one user is modifying a database record at a given time. These database records may be stored in multiple databases having potentially different database record locking protocols. Through monitoring and tracking of requests for database locks, the enterprise locking service is also able to determine database usage trends under various metrics. |
| US09020996B2 |
Synthetic view
One example method presents a synthetic view of data stored by a shared device file system. The synthetic view provides a “fictional” single namespace for data stored by the shared device file system. The method includes accepting a command to access data stored by the shared device file system. The command may be native to a user requesting the access. The command addresses the data stored by the shared device file system using the single namespace provided by the synthetic view. The method includes creating a replacement command(s) for accessing data stored by the shared device file system using one or more actual namespaces different from the single fictional namespace provided by the synthetic view. With the replacement command(s) prepared, the method proceeds to access data stored by the shared device file system using the replacement command(s). |
| US09020988B2 |
Database aggregation of purchase data
A big data database managed by a procurement service aggregates purchase data received from federal, state and local government agencies through Freedom of Information Act requests, state public records requests and private sector business entities. An automated system processes a vast amount of purchase data files acquired from numerous different agencies through a number of different transports, on a variety of different media, included within several different file formats. A best match is selected for each acquired file with one of a multitude of configuration files available to process the purchase files. The file is then processed with the selected configuration file and aggregated into the database. The database is then made available to customers of the procurement service for search, reports and analysis purposes. |
| US09020986B1 |
Conflating geographic feature data
A geometry dataset describing locations of geographic features with high precision and an information dataset describing locations of geographic features with low precision are established. The location of a geometry feature included in the geometry dataset is plotted in a geographic region and the locations of information features included in the information dataset are also plotted. A set of information features having plotted locations bounded by the location of the geometry feature is identified. An information feature in the set is selected based on a comparison of metadata of the geometry feature with metadata of the information feature. Data from the geometry feature and the selected information feature are conflated and the conflated data are stored. The conflated data are used for purposes including providing map data to users of clients. |
| US09020983B2 |
Address list system and method of implementing an address list
The invention provides an address list system and a method for implementing an address list. The system includes at least one data input end and at least one inquiry end. The data input end includes a first input unit, a first data processing unit, a first storage unit and a transmitting unit. The inquiry unit includes a receiving unit, a second storage unit, a second data processing unit and an inquiry unit. The address list information of the inquiry end is displayed in a tree structure. In accordance with the address list implementation method, address list information is input at the data input end to form and store data files having uniform format. Data is prepared at the data input terminal. The data input terminal interacts with the inquiry terminal to update data files of a uniform data format in the inquiry terminal. A tree-like address list is formed at the inquiry terminal. |
| US09020981B2 |
Systems and methods for generating schemas that represent multiple data sources
Systems and methods generating schemas that represent multiple data sources are provided herein. According to some embodiments, methods may include determining a schema for each of the multiple data sources via a computing device communicatively couplable with each of the multiple data sources, each of the multiple data sources including one or more data structures that define how data is stored in the data source, generating a negotiated schema by comparing the schemas of the multiple data sources to one another and interrelating data points of the multiple data sources based upon the schemas, interrelating the negotiated schema with the schema for each of the multiple data sources based upon the interrelation of the data points, and storing the negotiated schema in a storage media by way of the computing device. |
| US09020978B2 |
Merging and ignoring configuration items
Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques that determine whether each configuration item in a plurality of configuration items is associated with every other configuration item therein. If each configuration item in the plurality of configuration items is associated with every other configuration item therein, the plurality of configuration items are merged such that each attribute associated therewith is associated with one configuration item. If each configuration item in the plurality of configuration items is not associated with every other configuration item therein, it is determined whether at least one configuration item may be ignored. |
| US09020977B1 |
Managing multiprotocol directories
An improved technique for managing directory objects accessible via multiple protocols includes storing directory entry components in leaves of an extendible hash tree. Each directory entry component includes an indication of each protocol to which the name conforms, thereby allowing the same directory entry component to be used for representing directory object names in multiple protocols. Efficiency is improved, especially for large directory structures, by keeping related information about directory objects together, in the same directory entry components and/or in the same leaves of the extendible hash tree. |
| US09020974B2 |
Method of submitting information to a database concerning a stopped vehicle
A law enforcement officer involved in a traffic stop is provided with a means to submit details of contraband locations within the stopped vehicle to a cloud-based server or database. This method of submitting information allows any other officer to be able to retrieve up-to-date information regarding the location of contraband hidden with a particular vehicle. The data submitted, stored, and accessed from the cloud-based server or database may include methods and instructions for accessing the hiding places, or other relevant information useful for an officer to retrieve contraband. |
| US09020970B2 |
Embeddable web application agent
In one example embodiment, a code segment may be embedded in a web page by a web page publisher, and the code segment may be executed at least in part by a user computing platform. Information related to one or more web applications may be provided to the user computing platform at least in part in response to the user computing platform executing the code segment. |
| US09020966B2 |
Client device for interacting with a mixed media reality recognition system
The mobile device includes a client that has a number of modules, and the MMR Gateway and MMR matching unit are implemented as a server that has a number of modules. The implementation of the MMR system as a client and a server is advantageous because the modules may be distributed among the client and the server in a variety of configurations. The present invention includes a capture module, a preprocessing module, a feature extraction module, a retrieval module, a send message module, an action module, a prediction module, a feedback module, a sending module, an MMR database, a streaming module, an e-mail module, a voice recognition system and an audio database. These modules and systems are operational upon the client or the server. |
| US09020963B2 |
Providing relevant assets in collaboration mediums
A method for providing assets in a collaboration medium includes receiving information from an entity; analyzing the information to identify metadata; searching a system to locate assets relevant to the identified metadata; filtering the assets located on the system according to at least one of a predetermined user profile or a environment profile; sending pointers to the filtered assets on the entity's system to a second entity's system; and displaying pointers to the filtered assets in the collaboration medium. |
| US09020958B2 |
Efficient sorting of large dimensional data
Various embodiments sort data. In one embodiment, a matrix D including a set of data values is received. A matrix Q is received, and includes a set of columns and a set of rows. The matrix Q further includes a sorting of each column of the matrix D. Each of these rows corresponds to a sorting. Each of a set of values in each of the set of columns in the matrix Q identifies a row in the matrix D. At least one sub-matrix D′ of the matrix D is identified. A set of columns of the sub-matrix D′ is restricted to one or more columns of the matrix D. A processor sorts the sub-matrix D′ by rows based on the sorting of the set of columns of the matrix D as given in the matrix Q, and based on the set of data values in the matrix D. |
| US09020956B1 |
Sentiment and topic based content determination methods and systems
Aspects and implementations of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods of selecting content for presentation to a viewing user. In general, in some implementations, a data processing system identifies a topic for a document requested by a user, determines a confidence score for a correlation between the topic and the document, determines a sentiment score for a sentiment towards the topic, and determines, for a candidate content item, a predicted acceptance score based on the confidence score, the sentiment score, and acceptance history data for the candidate content item. The data processing system selects a candidate content item for presentation to the user based, at least in part, on the predicted acceptance score. |
| US09020955B2 |
Compositional balance driven content retrieval
Respective models of visual weight in images are determined. An image query is generated from a determined visual weight distribution. At least one of the images is retrieved from a database based on comparisons of the image query with respective ones of the visual weight models. |
| US09020954B2 |
Ranking supervised hashing
Aspects of the present invention provide a tool for hash-based indexing. In an embodiment, a ranked dataset having a plurality of data items is obtained. Every data item in the ranked dataset has a ranking with respect to every other data item in the ranked dataset. A ranking triplet matrix is created based on the ranked dataset. The ranking triplet matrix has a set of ranking triplets, each of which indicates the relative ranking for a pair of the data items in the ranked dataset. This ranking triplet can be merged with a hash table obtained using a standard hash function and the data items can be indexed based on the results. |
| US09020951B2 |
Methods for indexing and searching based on language locale
In response to a search query having a search term received from a client, a current language locale is determined. A state machine is built based on the current language locale, where the state machine includes one or more nodes to represent variance of the search term having identical meaning of the search term. Each node of the state machine is traversed to identify one or more postings lists of an inverted index corresponding to each node of the state machine. One or more item identifiers obtained from the one or more postings list are returned to the client, where the item identifiers identify one or more files that contain the variance of the search term represented by the state machine. |
| US09020948B2 |
Method and system for automatic content recognition network operations
A network fingerprint manager within an automatic content recognition (ACR) system may be operable to receive one or more versions of media content associated with a network. One or more proxy content may be generated by the network fingerprint manager for each version of the received media content. The network fingerprint manager may generate a set of fingerprints from a particular one of the generated one or more proxy content for each version of the received media content. The particular one being fingerprinted may comprise proxy content with highest quality among the generated proxy content. The set of fingerprints and corresponding content ID and media time for each version of the received media content may be stored. The network fingerprint manager may generate real-time fingerprints from content in a received network feed. The network fingerprint manager may compare the generated real-time fingerprints to the stored sets of fingerprints for matching. |
| US09020947B2 |
Web knowledge extraction for search task simplification
Techniques are described for generating structured information from semi-structured web pages, and retrieving the structured knowledge in response to a user query that indicates a query intent. The structured information is automatically extracted offline from semi-structured web pages, through the use of an auto wrapper solution that is noise tolerant, scalable, and automatic. The structured information is stored in a knowledge base, and provided in response to a user search query that indicates a query intent. Extraction of structured information may also include clustering of pages based on their measured similarities. The clusters may be determined based on similar elements in the tag path text data of the pages. A minimum size threshold may be applied to the clusters. |
| US09020946B2 |
System and method for compilation of quickbooks accounts data
Embodiments include a method of aggregating data from a plurality of QuickBooks (QB) files that may be in physically separate locations, and having at least one account name in common. In one embodiment, the method includes, assigning a different parent account identification (ID) number to each differently named parent account. The method includes creating an entry in a hash table for each parent account ID, the contents of the entry being a collection of rows including a row for each different sub account of the parent account, wherein data for multiple instances of like named parent accounts are aggregated, the key of the entry in the hash table being the parent account ID. |
| US09020942B2 |
Maintenance operation instance collection apparatus, maintenance operation instance collection method, and maintenance operation instance collection program
A maintenance operation instance collection apparatus includes: a storage unit that includes a maintenance operation instance database in which operation information obtained from a device via a sensor and maintenance information on a measure to deal with the operation information corresponding thereto are stored in association with each other; and a control unit that receives an input of new operation information, receives an input of new maintenance information, searches the maintenance operation instance database using the newly-received maintenance information as a search key, acquires searched operation information, compares the newly-received operation information to the acquired operation information, determines whether or not the newly-received operation information is close to the acquired operation information in such a degree of satisfying a prescribed criterion, and, if the newly-received operation information is not determined to be close to the acquired operation information, prompts a re-input of the newly-received maintenance information. |
| US09020941B1 |
Geocoding multi-feature addresses
A system and method of parsing natural language descriptions of features to determine an approximate location. An embodiment includes splitting the natural language descriptions into components, geocoding each component, and returning the geocode with the highest confidence level. The geocode references a specific location, and this information may be determined by content from a variety of sources. The system may use an assortment of techniques for determining highest confidence level. |
| US09020938B2 |
Providing profile information using servers
A method includes: generating profile data for users including a first user, the profile data related to contacts or persons used in messages to or from each user; generating, via a server platform, parameters corresponding to the profile data for ranking contacts or persons; and transmitting the parameters to client devices to allow each client device to determine ranks of contacts or persons in the profile data based on the parameters and a function that uses the parameters. |
| US09020937B2 |
Personal greeting/information/advertising system and method
A method and system is disclosed for providing a particular greeting (35), preferred customized advertisement (39) and preferred customized message (37) that is personalized to a particular hotel/resort guest. The greeting (35), advertisement (37) and message (39) are delivered via a service terminal unit (50) located inside a guest room. An introduction message including a personalized greeting (35) for the particular guest at a particular period and addressing the guest by their name plays first via the service terminal unit (50) located in the guest room. After the introduction, messages (39), and personalized information containing advertisements (37) including activities, sites, special events, and services that are customized and preferred by the particular hotel/resort guest play via the service terminal unit (50). |
| US09020930B2 |
Project management system with geographic data
A system for retrieving project management data based upon geographic criteria defines a plurality of locations. The system assigns the plurality of locations to project management data stored within a memory, wherein the project management data comprises a plurality of projects, a plurality of activities, and a plurality of resources, and the locations are assigned to the plurality of projects, activities, and resources. The system receives a request to retrieve project management data with assigned locations that meet a geographic criteria. The system retrieves project management data that meets the geographic criteria. |
| US09020925B2 |
Application certification and search system
In one embodiment, a method searches a plurality of application marketplaces for applications where each application marketplace includes a plurality of applications available for download to a mobile device. The method then compares a set of applications in different marketplaces to determine certified instances of applications and uncertified instances of applications. Information is stored for the certified instances of the applications that are found in different marketplaces in a database. The method indexes the information for the certified instances of the applications in the database and stores an index based on the indexing. The index is used to provide a search result for a search query for an application. |
| US09020922B2 |
Search engine optimization at scale
A method for optimizing search results for an entity includes determining a grouping for actions related to an entity. The grouping may include a plurality of terms. The method may also include searching a network for the terms associated with the grouping. Thereafter, results of the searches may be analyzed to determine a rank for the entity within the results. |
| US09020919B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing extended search
A method and apparatus for performing extended search are provided. The method includes receiving user-inputted keywords; extending the user-inputted keywords according to geographical information to acquire extended keywords; performing a search by using the extended keywords; and returning search results to the user. With the present technical solutions, privilege control can be effectively performed in a cloud storage system. With the present embodiments, more information may be provided to a user for reference. |
| US09020918B2 |
Information registration device, information registration method, information registration system, information presentation device, informaton presentation method, informaton presentaton system, and program
An information registration device includes an object information acquiring unit and a content information registering unit. The object information acquiring unit acquires object information obtained by performing processing for detecting and identifying an object for image data. The content information registering unit registers target content information in a database in association with the object information. |
| US09020916B2 |
Database server apparatus, method for updating database, and recording medium for database update program
A database server apparatus including: a data storage unit configured to store data; a committing procedure information storage unit configured to store committing procedure information for committing each of a plurality of transactions that updates data stored in the data storage unit; a data creating unit configured to create yet-to-be-committed update data from the stored data by executing a transaction for updating the data upon receipt of the transaction; a determining unit configured to determine whether there is a committed transaction that creates committed data as source update data before the transaction executed by the data creating unit is committed; and a committing unit configured to commit the transaction for re-updating the yet-to-be-committed update data in accordance with the committed data and the committing procedure information, when the determining unit determines that there is the committed transaction. |
| US09020908B2 |
Rewriting relational expressions for different type systems
A computer determines that the type of one or more of a relational operator and operands of a relational expression originated in a first type system, and determines the sign of at least one of the operands. The computer rewrites the relational expression based on the sign of at least one of the operands, sends the rewritten relational expression for evaluation in a second type system, and receives the evaluated rewritten relational expression after evaluation in the second type system. The computer can rewrite the relational expression by generating a group of terms joined disjunctively, as well as by generating a group of conjunctive terms joined disjunctively. |
| US09020906B2 |
Method for intelligent storing and retrieving in an enterprise data system
A method and system is presented which provides a TDM framework for managing self-describing measurement data. The TDM framework provides applications with a central platform for accessing measurement data across an entire enterprise system. By means of individual plug-ins, which are specific to a given data file format, meta-data for each data store in the enterprise may be indexed in a unified manner. The unified indexing, in turn, provides the ability to browse and query the indexed measurement data without requiring the opening or reading from a source data file. |
| US09020905B2 |
Synchronizing database and non-database resources without a commit coordinator
A system to synchronize a database and a non-database resource includes an application to transmit a request to a service provider to perform an action. The service provider receives the request and performs the action, the action not being under commit coordination. The service provider further inserts an entry into an action-reversal table to reverse the action and makes the insertion permanent. The service provider, on behalf of the application, then deletes the entry from the action-reversal table. The application may then be configured to perform one of the following: (1) make the delete permanent by performing a COMMIT; and (2) roll back the delete by performing a ROLLBACK. At a later time, the service provider may reverse the action in the event the entry remains in the action-reversal table. Corresponding methods and articles of manufacture (i.e., computer-readable media) are also disclosed herein. |
| US09020903B1 |
Recovering duplicate blocks in file systems
A method is used in recovering duplicate blocks in file systems. A duplicate file system block is detected in a file system. The duplicate file system block is referred by a first inode associated with a first file of the file system and a second inode associated with a second file of the file system. Metadata of the duplicate file system block is evaluated. Based on the evaluation, a set of inodes in the file system is determined. Each inode of the set of inodes refer to the duplicate file system block. Based on the determination, the set of inodes is updated. |
| US09020900B2 |
Distributed deduplicated storage system
A distributed, deduplicated storage system according to certain embodiments is arranged in a parallel configuration including multiple deduplication nodes. Deduplicated data is distributed across the deduplication nodes. The deduplication nodes can be networked together and communicate with one another according using a light-weight, customized communication scheme (e.g., a scheme based on FTP or HTTP). In some cases, deduplication management information including deduplication signatures and/or other metadata is stored separately from the deduplicated data in deduplication management nodes, improving performance and scalability. |
| US09020899B2 |
File cloning across different filesets
A method includes determining, by a processor, that a write request indicates a clone file that was cloned from a file in a first fileset. The clone file is of a second fileset and a clustered file system comprises the first fileset and the second fileset. A data block of the clone file affected by the write request is determined. The method includes determining that the data block at a current location cannot be modified. In response to a determination that the data block at the current location cannot be modified, the method includes implementing the write request with respect to the data block at a different location and indicating that the data block at the different location can be modified for subsequent write requests that indicate the clone file. |
| US09020897B2 |
Clustered filesystem with data volume snapshot
A computer system with read/write access to storage devices creates a snapshot of a data volume at a point in time while continuing to accept access requests to the mirrored data volume by copying before making changes to the base data volume. Multiple snapshots may be made of the same data volume at different points in time. Only data that is not stored in a previous snapshot volume or in the base data volume are stored in the most recent snapshot volume. |
| US09020891B1 |
Reduced locking in a distributed data store
Disclosed are various embodiments for reducing locking in a distributed data store that includes a primary data store and one or more secondary data stores. An update to a data item that is to be applied to the distributed data store is obtained in one or more computing devices. The update is applied to a cached version of the data item when a lock is held. The update is replicated to the one or more data stores after the lock is released. It is determined that the update is durably persisted in the distributed data store after obtaining a replication confirmation from each of at least a predetermined number of the secondary data stores. |
| US09020886B2 |
Peer to peer diagnostic tool
A diagnostic tool comprises a memory device which stores a database of parametric performance data of a collection of transaction terminals possibly owned by different entities. Each time the tool is authorized to connect to a transaction terminal the database is accessed by a processor and a determination is made whether one or more parameter of the transaction terminal lies within a threshold amount of a statistical measure based upon the parametric performance data of the collection of transaction terminals. |
| US09020884B2 |
Method of and system for consultant re-seller business information transfer
A computer system for storing of business information to be transferred from a consultant to a buyer includes a database system for maintaining configurable business information organized into a plurality of information components and a server connected to the database system and connectable to the buyer and the consultant. The server is operable to receive a selection of an information component and configure the information component in accordance with consultant instructions. The configuration includes establishing a data value library and creating an information setting the server is operable to integrate the information setting into at least one work flow entity and integrate the at least one work flow entity into a process design. |
| US09020882B2 |
Database hosting middleware dimensional transforms
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for a middleware database hosting dimensional transforms. A set of applications can access a combined data of a set of data sources via a database system. The set of data sources can be configured with diverse dimensions and associated data. The requesting application(s) can generate a request to the database system to extract data in compatible formats for the application(s). In embodiments, the database system can transform selected dimensional data (e.g., company, year, sales dimensions) from the data sources into transformed dimensional data. The requesting application(s) can therefore perform searches, sorts, and/or other operations on the transformed dimensional results. |
| US09020881B2 |
Public solution model in an enterprise service architecture
A computer-implemented system may include an application platform comprising a platform model of a plurality of business objects, each of the business objects comprising a model of data and associated logic, and a public solution model comprising a subset of the platform model. The system may also include a business application, wherein a data model and access logic of the business application are defined based on the public solution model, and wherein the application platform is to provide services to the business application based on the data model, the access logic and the platform model. |
| US09020874B2 |
Short-term load forecast using support vector regression and feature learning
In a support vector regression approach to forecasting power load in an electrical grid, a feature learning scheme weights each feature in the input data with its correlation with the predicted load, increasing the prediction accuracy. The kernel matrix for the input training data is computed such that features that align better with the target variable are given greater weight. The resulting load forecast may be used to compute commands sent to demand response modules. |
| US09020871B2 |
Automated classification pipeline tuning under mobile device resource constraints
An architecture and techniques to enable a mobile device to efficiently classify raw sensor data into useful high level inferred data is discussed. Classification efficiency is achieved by tuning the mobile device's raw sensor data classification pipeline to attain a balance of accuracy, latency and energy suitable for mobile devices. The tuning of the classification pipeline is accomplished via a multi-pipeline tuning approach that uses Statistical Machine Learning Tools (SMLTs) and a classification cost modeler. |
| US09020869B2 |
Location determination using generalized fingerprinting
An RF fingerprinting methodology is generalized to include non-RF related factors. For each fingerprinted tile, there is an associated distance function between two fingerprints (the training fingerprint and the test fingerprint) from within that tile which may be a linear or non-linear combination of the deltas between multiple factors of the two fingerprints. The distance function for each tile is derived from a training dataset corresponding to that specific tile, and optimized to minimize the total difference between real distances and predicted distances. Upon receipt of an inference request, a result is derived from a combination of the fingerprints from the training dataset having the least distance per application of the distance function. Likely error for the tile is also determined to ascertain whether to rely on other location methods. |
| US09020867B2 |
Cortical simulator for object-oriented simulation of a neural network
Embodiments of the invention relate to a function-level simulator for modeling a neurosynaptic chip. One embodiment comprises simulating a neural network using an object-oriented framework including a plurality of object-oriented classes. Each class corresponds to a component of a neural network. Running a simulation model of the neural network includes instantiating multiple simulation objects from the classes. Each simulation object is an instance of one of the classes. |
| US09020866B1 |
Combined online and offline ranking
Approaches are described for ranking multiple products or other items, such as products obtained in response to a search request submitted to a server. The ranking system determines a ranking score for the products based on both data available online and item data that must be computed offline due to longer computation time or unavailability of data. The ranking score can be used to rank the products and determine which products are the most relevant to the user. A hybrid boosting method is used to first train an online ranking function to produce an online ranking score for the item. In the second phase, an offline ranking function is trained to produce a second ranking score for the item. The online rank score is combined with the offline rank score at query time to produce a combined rank for the items in the search results. |
| US09020864B2 |
Recommendation agent using a personality model determined from mobile device data
A user's context history is analyzed to build a personality model describing the user's personality and interests. The personality model includes a plurality of metrics indicating the user's position on a plurality of personality dimensions, such as desire for novelty, tendency for extravagance, willingness to travel, love of the outdoors, preference for physical activity, and desire for solitude. A customized recommendation agent is then built based on the personality model, which selects a recommendation from a corpus to present to the user based on an affinity between the user's personality and the selected recommendation. |
| US09020863B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, and program
An information processing device includes: a clustering standard selection unit selecting a clustering standard, from clustering standards categorizing items into a plurality of clusters, including a first number or more known type clusters in which the probability that an item belonging to a cluster is known to a user is equal to or greater than a first threshold value and a second number or more unknown type clusters in which the probability is equal to or less than a second threshold value which is less than the first threshold value; and an exhibit control unit controlling the exhibit of a cluster or an item based on the selected clustering standard. |
| US09020855B2 |
Recording/reproducing device, communication device, program, system LSI
A reading unit reads, from a memory card, encrypted license information and license management information corresponding thereto. A decryption unit decrypts the encrypted license information, and thereby obtains license information in plain text. An operation execution executes an operation based on the license information in plain text. The license management information indicates, for each operation for the content, a type of identifier necessary for decrypting the encrypted license information. The decryption decrypts the encrypted license information with use of an identifier corresponding to the operation to be executed, the identifier being selected from among a plurality of types of identifier indicated by the license management information. |
| US09020849B2 |
MRI system center and MRI system
An MRI system center is connected to a plurality of MRI systems for visualizing the interior of a subject to be examined using a magnetic resonance phenomenon, through an electronic communication line. The MRI system center receives data of a log file on which a use state of the MRI systems is recorded or use-state data extracted from the log file, from the MRI systems through a communication control unit. A database unit stores the data of the log file or the use-state data. An analysis unit analyzes the data of the log file or the use-state data received within a given period of time. |
| US09020840B2 |
System and method for custom-fitting services to consumer requirements
Systems and methods for custom-fitting a service solution to consumer requirements are provided. A method for custom-fitting a service solution to consumer requirements, comprises acquiring a request for the service solution from a consumer via a conversational interface, and issuing a query to a service knowledge base to obtain a set of service knowledge representation items from the service knowledge base and analyzing each service knowledge representation item to determine whether a custom-fit service solution can be developed. |
| US09020837B1 |
Systems and methods for mobile automobile information
A mobile automobile information system and methods are described. Data such as images may be captured from a vehicle dealer sticker with a mobile device and analyzed. The sticker may contain machine-readable information such as a barcode. The collected data may be analyzed to determine vehicle and vehicle related information. Dealer information and vehicle purchase related information may also be generated. The results of the analysis may be provided to the user's mobile device. Purchase assistance may be provided to the user through the mobile device, answering user inquiries and providing vehicle purchase information to the user during the purchase process. |
| US09020831B2 |
Information tracking system and method
A system includes a plurality of sources that subscribe to, and another source that is unaffiliated with, a workflow management system. The system further includes a registry database that has pre-existing fields that are configured to store data received from one or more of the sources or from the other source, and de novo fields that are configured to be generated as a result of a data collection event and are configured to store data received from one or more of the sources or from the other source. An engine is configured to actively collect data from the sources and from the other source. The system further includes a dynamically updatable user interface that is operatively connected to the registry database. The dynamically updatable user interface is configurable or re-configurable for a particular one of the plurality of sources in response to the data collection event. |
| US09020828B2 |
Referencing of patient-related information in a distributed medical system
A method, a system and a computer program product are disclosed for referencing medical electronically available patient-related data records which are stored in a distributed manner in a computer-based network, including a multiplicity of computer-based entities. In at least one embodiment, a request for patient-related data records is generated on the basis of an original identifier and is sent to an index server. By accessing a table, the index server checks whether entries or data records are stored for the respective patient in the respective repository. If so, it inserts this reference to the storage location into the result. The request is forwarded from index server to index server until all index servers have been processed, so that the end result can be forwarded to the requesting workstation with all references to requested patient-related data records. |
| US09020827B2 |
Peritoneal dialysis optimized using a patient hand-held scanning device
A dialysis system includes: a portable device configured to be carried by a patient and to read a marking displayed on a dialysis fluid container, the device obtaining data concerning at least one of a dialysis fluid type and a dialysis fluid volume from the marking; the device defined dialysate dwell time, alert patients for the next exchange and further configured to transfer the data to a computer; and wherein the computer is configured to use the data to track therapy progress of the product. |
| US09020826B2 |
Direct connectivity system for healthcare administrative transactions
A direct connectivity system provides automated healthcare administrative transaction submission, including claim submission, eligibility verification and claim status, from healthcare service providers directly to payers. The direct connectivity system bypasses transaction processing intermediaries such as clearinghouses by directly connecting providers to payers in a many to many manner. Existing single payer web portals are supplanted by a many to many network that has a common interface across multiple payers. The direct connectivity system may receive responses directly from payers and may prepare or process the responses for a practice management program so that the service provider receives rapid feedback on the administrative transaction submission. The direct connectivity system may automatically analyze transaction file attributes to determine one or more of many payers to which to send a transaction file, from one of many providers. Batch and singleton file transfer is supported for multiple file formats, optionally with secure file transfer. |
| US09020821B2 |
Apparatus and method for editing speech synthesis, and computer readable medium
An acquisition unit analyzes a text, and acquires phonemic and prosodic information. An editing unit edits a part of the phonemic and prosodic information. A speech synthesis unit converts the phonemic and prosodic information before editing the part to a first speech waveform, and converts the phonemic and prosodic information after editing the part to a second speech waveform. A period calculation unit calculates a contrast period corresponding to the part in the first speech waveform and the second speech waveform. A speech generation unit generates an output waveform by connecting a first partial waveform and a second partial waveform. The first partial waveform contains the contrast period of the first speech waveform. The second partial waveform contains the contrast period of the second speech waveform. |
| US09020815B2 |
Spectral envelope coding of energy attack signal
MDCT or FFT-based audio coding algorithms often have the problem named here spectral pre-echoes when coding an energy attack signal. This invention presents several possibilities to avoid the spectral pre-echoes existing in decoded signal segment before the energy attack point. The spectral envelope before the attack point can be improved by performing spectrum smoothing, replacing the segment of having spectral pre-echoes or filtering the segment with a combined filter obtained by doing LPC analysis. |
| US09020812B2 |
Audio signal processing method and device
Disclosed is an audio signal processing method comprising the steps of: receiving an audio signal containing current frame data; generating a first temporary output signal for the current frame when an error occurs in the current frame data, by carrying out frame error concealment with respect to the current frame data a random codebook; generating a parameter by carrying out one or more of short-term prediction, long-term prediction and a fixed codebook search based on the first temporary output signal; and memory updating the parameter for the next frame; wherein the parameter comprises one or more of pitch gain, pitch delay, fixed codebook gain and a fixed codebook. |
| US09020802B1 |
Worldwide distributed architecture model and management
A computer program product, method, and apparatus for discovering information about the nodes of the disperse data network, sending a command from a client to a distributed file system, wherein the distributed file system contains the discovered information, distributing the command from the distributed files system to one or more of the nodes of the distributed file system, and executing the command on the one or more network nodes. |
| US09020799B2 |
Analytic method of fuel consumption optimized hybrid concept for fuel cell systems
A method a system and method for optimizing the power distribution between a fuel cell stack and a high voltage battery in a fuel cell vehicle. The method includes defining a virtual battery hydrogen power for the battery that is based on a relationship between a battery power request from the battery and an efficiency of the battery and defining a virtual stack hydrogen power for the fuel cell stack that is based on a relationship between a stack power request from the fuel cell stack and an efficiency of the fuel cell stack. The virtual battery hydrogen power and the virtual stack hydrogen power are converted into polynomial equations and added together to provide a combined power polynomial equation. The combined power polynomial equation is solved to determine a minimum of the fuel cell stack power request by setting a derivative of the virtual stack hydrogen power to zero. |
| US09020796B2 |
Model based verification using intelligent connectors
The described embodiments concern verifying operation of a device, where the device may have one or more inputs and/or one or more outputs. At least one input and/or output is associated with an intelligent connector. An intelligent connector is a combination of a signal transport path and a data structure. The signal transport path may be electrical conductors leading to the device or a physical connector associated with the device. The data structure contains the name of a variable transported by the associated physical connector, an address of the variable itself as a value in memory, and further information of a source device that produces the variable, at least in the form of address or pointer to the source device data structure and the addresses of all destination devices that consume the variable. |
| US09020793B2 |
Method, system and program storage device for reservoir simulation utilizing heavy oil solution gas drive
A method, a system and a program storage device for predicting a property of a fluid, such as fluid production from a subterranean reservoir containing heavy oil entrained with gas is described. The method includes developing a baseline correlation of gas relative permeability krg versus gas saturation Sg. A capillary number dependent correlation is determined capturing the relationship between at least one of critical gas saturation Sgc and capillary number Nca and gas relative permeability krgro and capillary number Nca phased upon a plurality of depletion rates. Capillary numbers Nc are calculated for a plurality of cells in a reservoir model representative of the subterranean reservoir. The baseline correlation is then adjusted to comport with at least one of Sgc and krgro selected from the capillary number dependent correlation to produce a plurality of corresponding adjusted baseline, correlations. Gas relative permeabilities krg for the plurality of cells are selected from the corresponding adjusted baseline correlations. A reservoir simulation is then run utilizing the selected relative permeabilities krg to predict a property of at least one fluid in a subterranean reservoir containing heavy oil entrained with gas. |
| US09020790B2 |
System and method for custom product design
Computer-implemented electronic document design systems and methods allowing a user to integrate user-specific location maps into custom printed products. During the creation of an electronic design of a product intended for subsequent printing, user-provided location information is received by a server computer and used to generate a user map suitable for high quality printing. Lower resolution display and thumbnail versions of the map suitable for displaying to the user of the client system are generated. |
| US09020784B2 |
Methods for providing a bonded-particle model in computer aided engineering system
Systems and methods of providing bonded-particle model amongst a plurality of discrete particles representing a physical domain made of brittle material in a time-marching simulation to obtain numerically simulated continuum physical phenomena are disclosed. A physical domain is represented by a plurality of discrete particles. A domain of influence is assigned to each discrete particle and a bonded-particle model is created for the discrete particles. Respective bonds are established to connect each discrete particle to all other discrete particles within its domain of influence. The bonded-particle model further defines a rule for breakage of a bond. Continuum physical phenomena of the physical domain are numerically represented through a set of formula such that a time-marching simulation of the physical domain can be conducted. Physical properties include material properties and fracture energy release rate. Finally, the bonded-particle model allows size and orientation changes of each discrete particle. |
| US09020779B2 |
Detecting cross-talk on processor links
A first of a plurality of data lanes of a first of a plurality of processor links is determined to have a weakest of base performance measurements for the plurality of data lanes. A switching data pattern is transmitted via a first set of the remainder processor links and a quiet data pattern is transmitted via a second set of the remainder processor links. If performance of the first data lane increases vis-à-vis the corresponding base performance measurement, the first set of remainder processor links is eliminated from the remainder processor links. If performance of the first data lanes decreases vis-à-vis the corresponding base performance measurement, the second set of remainder processor links is eliminated from the remainder processor links. The above operations are repeatedly executed until an aggressor processor link that is determined to decrease performance of the first of the plurality of data lanes is identified. |
| US09020778B2 |
Sensor based means of monitoring the mechanical condition of rotating machinery that operates intermittently
A method of monitoring the mechanical condition of a machine in which statistically significant measurements on a characteristic signal are made over a period of time which can include interruptions and variations in the operation of the machine giving rise to uncharacteristic signals and the processing of the signal during the statistically significant measurement automatically excludes those parts of the signal associated with interruptions and variations in the operation of the machine. The invention also includes apparatus for carrying out the above method including a preamplifier, adapted to provide output to a further amplifier, adapted to provided output to dynamic enveloping circuitry, adapted to provide an output to an analogue to digital converter, adapted to provide an output to a digital micro-electronic device. |
| US09020774B2 |
Encoder system, signal processing method, and transmission signal generation and output device
An encoder system includes: a first single-rotation absolute encoder that outputs a first signal corresponding to an angular position of a first rotatable shaft; a power transmission device that transmits the power of the first shaft to a second rotatable shaft with a predetermined transmission ratio; a second single-rotation absolute encoder that outputs a second signal corresponding to an angular position of the second shaft; and a signal processing section that generates data related to the rotation count of the first shaft based on at least the first signal and the second signal. |
| US09020769B2 |
Automatic detection of appliances
Devices and methods for identifying an electrical device, and its state, in a network of electrical devices are disclosed. An energy monitoring device is programmed to identify an electrical device coupled to a power supply, and a state of the electrical device, from a change in successive measurements of the power supply. Algorithms for determining a load signature for an electrical device and its state are disclosed. A stored table of load signatures for states is used to identify devices, and states. Energy monitoring information is collected and presented to the user on a display, a remote display, or is transmitted over a network to a remote device such as a personal computer, personal digital assistant, an iPhone®, a cell phone, voice mail, email, or text message. |
| US09020768B2 |
Two-wire process control loop current diagnostics
A process variable transmitter controls a signal on a communication loop. A diagnostic component on the transmitter compares an expected signal level on the communication loop with an actual value to detect on-scale errors. |
| US09020766B2 |
Multi-modal fluid condition sensor platform and system therefor
This invention encompasses embodiments for multi-modal integrated simultaneous measurement of various aspects of fluids contained in circulating systems such as automotive reciprocating engines and vehicle transmissions. These circulating systems perform constant internal lubrication, and heat and contaminant removal to protect the internal moving parts from the inherent friction and damage in normal operation. Most commonly this is achieved with fluids based on hydrocarbon and/or related synthetics, which, over time, can lose their protective properties, and vary in their performance or breakdown/decay due to internal and external events. Several components within the lubricant fluid can be measured and can provide insight into the efficacy of the system to perform its designed mission. Described herein is a real-time, simultaneous, integrated, multi-modal sensor system for early warning notification that can be further enhanced using specifically designed nanoparticles that can be introduced into the system, engineered to specifically bind with the contaminants and/or undergo an irreversible state change upon certain experienced conditions to both increase the detectability as well as provide for a framework to improve filter performance. |
| US09020764B2 |
Method and device for the detection and identification of gases in airplane interior spaces
The concept underlying the invention is the development of a generic method for the detection and identification of gases in airplane interior spaces and an associated device, which is small and manageable, has a simple design, and allows the immediate and simultaneous detection and identification of the gases to be examined. This is achieved in that the supply air of the airplane interior space (20) is fed to a measuring device (1) and the measurement results of the measuring device (1) are analyzed by means of mathematical methods. Such methods and the associated devices for the detection and identification of gases in airplane interior spaces are used in order to spot and verify gases, particularly odors and explosive gases and/or gases harmful to people's health. |
| US09020763B2 |
Predictive transit calculations
A computing device is described that determines an exit location at which a user of a computing device exited a stop associated with a transportation service. The computing device determines a predicted duration of travel by the user from a current location of the computing device to the exit location at which the user exited the stop associated with the transportation service. The computing device outputs, for display, a notification based at least in part on the predicted duration. |
| US09020761B2 |
Concepts for defining travel paths in parking areas
Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for defining travel paths in parking areas. In one embodiment, travel paths in parking areas can be defined by connecting street networking connection points within the parking areas. In another embodiment, such defined travel paths can be merged with actual paths traveled by vehicles in the parking areas. |
| US09020759B2 |
Technique for screen-based route manipulation
A technique for manipulating precalculated routes on a screen is described. One aspect of the method comprises the steps of detecting a selected screen position (P) and a time period (t) of a selection operation at the screen position (P), modifying weights of the road segments in dependence on the detected screen position (P) and the time period (t), and calculating a route, manipulated in relation to the precalculated route, on the basis of the modified weights. |
| US09020753B2 |
Method, computer program and apparatus for determining an object in sight
A method of determining an object in sight with an electronic apparatus, where the object being associated with a Point-Of-Interest, POI, item in a database is disclosed. The method comprises estimating (100) a position of the electronic apparatus by a positioning mechanism; estimating (102) magnitude of error of estimated position; estimating (104) a direction when orienting the electronic apparatus towards the object by a magnetic sensor of the electronic apparatus; estimating (106) magnitude of error of position error of estimated direction; calculating two intersecting imaginary lines in a model of the environment of the electronic apparatus, wherein the two imaginary lines intersect a line of the estimated direction at a side of the electronic apparatus distal to said object, and where a mutual angle between the two imaginary lines and the line of the estimated direction is based on the estimated magnitude of error of estimated direction, and the position where the imaginary lines intersect is determined from the estimated position and the magnitude of error of estimated position, such that an area between the two imaginary lines is formed (108) based on a determined maximum distance of sight; and determining (110) a POI associated with a position within said area such that information about the object associated with the determined POI is obtainable. A computer program and an electronic apparatus are also disclosed. |
| US09020751B1 |
Route risk mitigation
A method is disclosed for mitigating the risks associated with driving by assigning risk values to road segments and using those risk values to select less risky travel routes. Various approaches to helping users mitigate risk are presented. A computing device is configured to generate a database of risk values. That device may receive accident information, geographic information, vehicle information, and other information from one or more data sources and calculate a risk value for the associated road segment. Subsequently, the computing device may provide the associated risk value to other devices. Furthermore, a personal navigation device may receive travel route information and use that information to retrieve risk values for the road segments in the travel route. An insurance company may use this information to determine whether to adjust a quote or premium of an insurance policy. This and other aspects relating to using geographically encoded information to promote and reward risk mitigation are disclosed. |
| US09020748B2 |
Scheduler for monitoring objects orbiting earth using satellite-based telescopes
An ephemeris refinement system includes satellites with imaging devices in earth orbit to make observations of space-based objects (“target objects”) and a ground-based controller that controls the scheduling of the satellites to make the observations of the target objects and refines orbital models of the target objects. The ground-based controller determines when the target objects of interest will be near enough to a satellite for that satellite to collect an image of the target object based on an initial orbital model for the target objects. The ground-based controller directs the schedules to be uploaded to the satellites, and the satellites make observations as scheduled and download the observations to the ground-based controller. The ground-based controller then refines the initial orbital models of the target objects based on the locations of the target objects that are derived from the observations. |
| US09020747B2 |
Method for recognizing a turn-off maneuver
A driver assistance system of an observing vehicle uses a method that includes, but is not limited to recognizing a turn-off maneuver of a vehicle preceding the observing vehicle and further includes, but is not limited to identifying at least one first and one second reference point on the preceding vehicle in pictures of the preceding vehicle taken successively by a camera, where the reference points, in transverse direction of the preceding vehicle, are spaced apart, determining the distance from the images of the reference points in the pictures. and recognizing a turn-off maneuver if it is determined that there is a reduction in distance. |
| US09020745B2 |
Business data display and position correction in street-side imagery
A separate panel may be used to display business icons near images of business entries, if the GIS does not include a business's front door geolocation. Users may place icons that represent business entities near the entrances to the entity. Also, a concise but extensive display of business listing data (e.g., reviews, summaries, services, hours, etc.) in the display near the geolocation and the presentation of further information upon user actions such as a mouse-overs, may avoid browsing away from the viewing application in order to learn more about the business. |
| US09020744B2 |
Load sensor for a vehicle electronic stability system
A method of controlling a three-wheeled vehicle comprises: determining a state of a load sensor associated with a portion of vehicle; selecting a first start mass when the load sensor is in a non-loaded state; selecting a second start mass when the load sensor is in a loaded state; determining at least one vehicle parameter during operation of the vehicle; determining a calculated mass based at least in part on the at least one vehicle parameter; determining an effective mass based at least in part on the calculated mass and a selected one of the first and second start masses; defining an output of an electronic stability system of the vehicle based at least in part on the effective mass; and controlling a stability of the vehicle using the output of the electronic stability system. |
| US09020738B2 |
Fuel injection control device for internal combustion
The purpose of the present invention is to suppress, in an internal combustion engine in which two injectors are disposed in a line upstream and downstream in an intake pipe, adhesion of deposits to the downstream-side injector. In order to suppress such adhesion, a fuel injection control device according to one embodiment of the present invention operates both injectors together when a required fuel injection amount is equal to or greater than a reference value. The reference value is set to a value equal to or greater than the sum of lower limit injection amounts of the injectors. In such case, the fuel injection control device adjusts the proportion of fuel injected from the injector disposed downstream in the intake pipe to be greater than the proportion of fuel injected from the injector disposed upstream in the intake pipe. |
| US09020728B2 |
Vehicle turn monitoring system and method
A vehicle turn monitoring method comprises determining an intent for a host vehicle to execute a left turn before the host vehicle begins to execute the left turn, monitoring a location relationship between the host vehicle and a remote vehicle before the host vehicle begins to execute the left turn, and evaluating a travelling condition of the host vehicle before the host vehicle begins to execute the left turn. The method further includes determining, by operation of a processor, whether to perform a threat mitigation operation before the host vehicle begins to execute the left turn based on the location relationship and the travelling condition. |
| US09020721B2 |
Real time modeling of engine load addition due to alternator with an over-run clutch
A system and method for providing engine torque load in real time. The system includes a sensor to determine, in real time, a clutch state of an alternator clutch and a controller for determining an alternator torque value and applying the alternator torque value to the engine torque load in real time. |
| US09020720B2 |
Vehicle
A vehicle includes a friction clutch located between an engine and a driving wheel; a clutch actuator arranged to disengage and engage the friction clutch; a clutch actuator control section arranged and programmed to control the clutch actuator; a slip detection section arranged to detect a slip of the driving wheel; and an engine control section arranged and programmed to decrease an output of the engine when the slip of the driving wheel is detected by the slip detection section. When the friction clutch is in a half clutch state and the slip of the driving wheel is detected at the time of starting of the vehicle, the clutch actuator control section controls the clutch actuator so as to change a pushing force of the friction clutch and thus to keep the rotation speed of the engine at a fixed level. |
| US09020718B2 |
Engaging force control of lockup clutch
A torque converter (1) connecting an engine (14) and a transmission (15) of a vehicle is provided with a lockup clutch (2), and a controller (5) is programmed to increase an engagement force of a lockup clutch (2) under open loop control before shifting to feedback control of the engaging force using a target slip rotation speed. When an engine output torque rapidly decreases during open loop control (S59, S60), the controller (5) decreases the engaging force according to a variation amount of the engine output torque (S61, S65), thereby preventing an unintentional sudden engagement of the lockup clutch (2) due to decrease in the engine output torque. |
| US09020711B2 |
Road slope estimating device
A road slope estimating device which is mounted on a vehicle and estimates a slope of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle including a motor and a transmission capable of changing a shift speed by an engagement switching operation of disengaging one of a plurality of engagement elements and engaging another one of the plurality of engagement elements, and outputting power from the motor via the transmission to travel. An estimating section carries out first road slope estimation from the computed output torque and acceleration of the vehicle until transfer of torque is handed over from the engagement element to be disengaged of the plurality of engagement elements to the engagement element to be engaged. Second road slope estimation is estimated from the computed output torque and the acceleration of the vehicle when the handover of the transfer of torque is carried out. |
| US09020710B2 |
Engine restart strategy
A method of controlling a vehicle, where the vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and a transmission having a neutral state and an engaged state, includes setting the state of the transmission. The state of the transmission is set as the neutral state or the engaged state based on a restart condition, where the restart condition is one of: (i) a no wheel torque restart condition, and (ii) a wheel torque restart condition. The method additionally includes starting the engine. |
| US09020707B2 |
Construction machine having swing body
Disclosed is a hybrid-type construction machine equipped with a swing hydraulic motor 27 and a swing electric motor 25 in combination to save energy, the construction machine ensuring high operability of a swing body 20 and providing high energy efficiency. In accordance with the amount of manipulation of a swing control lever 72, the construction machine changes a rate of a torque of the swing electric motor 25 with respect to that of the swing hydraulic motor 27. The construction machine also controls a relief pressure and the torque of the swing electric motor 25 in accordance with the amount of manipulation of a swing control lever 72, a pressure of the swing hydraulic motor 27, and a rotating speed of the swing electric motor 25. |
| US09020705B2 |
Biological signal measuring device and biological state analyzing system
A configuration is adopted where elastic members made of expanded rein beads and having a size covering air cushions are disposed between a skin member and the air cushions of a human body supporting device. By arranging a plurality of elastic members made of expanded rein beads and in a stacking manner, preferably, arranging two elastic members made of expanded resin beads, spring constants of the elastic members obtained from load-deflection characteristics when they are pressed to a deflection amount of 1 mm by a pressing plate with a diameter of 30 mm being higher than that of the air cushion and being different from each other, a biological signal can be transmitted to the air cushions without damping the biological signal, though the elastic members made of expanded rein beads and are provided. |
| US09020703B2 |
Power steering apparatus capable of sensing moisture
A power steering apparatus includes: a torque sensor for detecting a steering torque applied to a steering wheel and outputting a torque signal corresponding to the steering torque; a speed sensor for detecting a speed of a vehicle and outputting a speed signal corresponding to the speed of the vehicle; a humidity sensor for outputting a humidity signal corresponding to a humidity of an interior of the power steering apparatus; and an electronic control unit for receiving the humidity signal from the humidity sensor, and for, when a measured humidity is an reference value or higher, generating a motor current signal for supplying an assistant steering force smaller than an assistant force set in response to the torque signal and the speed signal. |
| US09020701B2 |
Information display device and course setting method
An information display device includes a preset course information receiver, a symbol display processor, a change mode execution processor, and a preset course information transmitter. The preset course information receiver receives preset course information from an automatic steering device. The symbol display processor displays a symbol representing a preset course on a display screen to correspond to position information of a mobile body based on the preset course information. The change mode execution processor executes a change mode for changing the preset course information based on a fact that the symbol has been designated with a manipulation component. The preset course information transmitter transmits the preset course information changed during the change mode to the automatic steering device. The symbol display processor changes an orientation of the symbol representing the preset course according to a change operation in the preset course information with the manipulation component during the change mode. |
| US09020700B2 |
Lane tracking apparatus and method using camera direction control
A lane tracking apparatus and method using camera direction control is provided. The lane tracking apparatus using camera direction control includes a lane recognition unit for obtaining lane information from an image captured and acquired by a camera. A road curvature calculation unit calculates a curvature of a road using the lane information. A camera direction angle control unit controls a direction angle of the camera in consideration of the road curvature. |
| US09020699B2 |
Method and braking system for influencing driving dynamics by means of braking and driving operations
A method and a braking system are provided, in which the driving dynamics of a motor vehicle are influenced, a driver-independent braking action generating a yawing moment which assists a steering in or steering round of the motor vehicle, and a driver-independent increase in the drive torque being caused on at least one wheel, in order at least partially to compensate the braking deceleration of the motor vehicle, a braking action being required when the ratio of the instantaneously used coefficient of friction and of the possible utilizable coefficient of friction overshoots a stipulated threshold value. |
| US09020691B2 |
Hydraulic brake system for a motor vehicle and fault condition detection for same
The present disclosure provides a hydraulic brake system for a motor vehicle and a method for the detection of a fault condition of the hydraulic brake system. An electronic control device determines at least one pressure value of the brake fluid of the brake system and at least one volume value of the brake master cylinder associated with the pressure value during an operation of a brake master cylinder. The electronic control device compares the determined pressure value and volume value with at least one pair of pressure-volume reference values for the detection of a fault condition of the brake system, wherein at least two different fault conditions of the brake system can be differentiated based on the comparison. |
| US09020690B2 |
Qualifying automatic vehicle crash emergency calls to public safety answering points
The present application provides methods for in-vehicle emergency telematics devices and systems to automatically qualify vehicle crash events before directly placing a 3-digit emergency call from an in-vehicle TCU to a local PSAP operator. The qualification is performed in two stages. The first stage produces a qualified crash detection decision wherein a preliminary crash detection based on impact sensors is qualified by crash related non-impact sensors and vehicle telemetry data. The second stage uses an injury severity prediction algorithm to score the detected crash and produces a decision as to whether the crash warrants an emergency call to the PSAP operator. |
| US09020687B2 |
System and method of obtaining and using a vehicle identifier for providing information to an end user
A wireless transmitter using Wi-Fi or long range Bluetooth wireless devices for emitting a signal including one of the vehicle ID or the VIN. The signal is received by one or more deployed RF receivers. The received data can be utilized to aid an individual in locating a parking location of a specific vehicle, for use in recognizing the vehicle for passage through a tollway, a gate, or any other controlled passageway. The system is capable of operating either indoors or outdoors. The one of the vehicle ID or the VIN obtained through the emitted signal from the vehicle RF device can be associated with a payment account for payment of tolls, parking, etc. Receipt and decoding of the vehicle ID or the VIN can additionally be used to initiate telematics or other applications using an association with the vehicle identifier. |
| US09020683B1 |
Method and system to detect faults of a trailer electrical system
A diagnostic system for diagnosing faults in a trailer electrical system generally includes a mode determination module that determines a current operating mode to be one of a sleep mode, a normal mode, a situational awareness mode, and an adaptive calibration mode. A first mode module operates when the current operating mode is the normal mode and during operation, diagnoses an open circuit fault of the trailer electrical system based on a comparison of a current load on the trailer electrical system and an average load. |
| US09020682B2 |
Autonomous mobile body
An autonomous mobile body includes a laser range sensor and an electronic control device. The electronic control device includes a storage unit that stores a size D2 of the autonomous mobile body, a width identification unit that identifies a spatial size D1 in a width direction of a passage which is a region where the autonomous mobile body can move, a calculation unit that calculates a size D8 of an interfering obstacle in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to a moving target direction on a road surface based on obstacle information, an action selection unit that selects a stopping action or a retreat action based on the spatial size D1, the size D2 of the autonomous mobile body, and the size D8 of the interfering obstacle, and a mobile control unit that controls the autonomous mobile body to stop when the stopping action is selected and control the autonomous mobile body to retreat when the retreat action is selected. |
| US09020666B2 |
Taking-off and landing target instrument and automatic taking-off and landing system
The taking-off and landing target instrument 2 to be used in an automatic taking-off and landing system, comprising a target 37 having as many light emitting elements 44 as required for displaying patterns and a target control unit 38 for controlling light emission of the light emitting elements, wherein the light emitting elements are provided on a taking-off and landing surface of the target and are arranged so that a target mark 43 having the center of pattern under all turned-on status is formed, and wherein the target control unit controls a light emission so as to display firstly all turned-on patterns where all of the light emitting elements are turned on, and next, so as to display the light emitting elements in a predetermined pattern. |
| US09020663B2 |
Instruction visualization system
A method and apparatus comprising an instruction analyzer. The instruction analyzer is configured to receive a movement instruction for an aircraft during movement of the aircraft. The instruction analyzer is further configured to generate a number of volumes of airspace defining a desired movement of the aircraft using the movement instruction during the movement of the aircraft. |
| US09020661B2 |
Vehicle controller
According to a vehicle controller, when a communication control unlit (13) of a vehicle controller (1) acquires a variable control parameter from a server (5) via the Internet (4), the variable control parameter is stored in a write-enabled storage unit (11), and the user can change to a desired vehicle driving state on the basis of the variable control parameter. A fixed control parameter set as a default value and adapted for initializing the vehicle driving state is stored in a non-write-enabled storage unit (12). If an emergency stop button (16) is pushed or a vehicle-information-acquiring unit (17) acquires driving error detection information when the vehicle is driving on the basis of the variable control parameter, the vehicle immediately switches to a safe driving state according to the fixed control parameter. |
| US09020655B2 |
Thermal management for integrated circuits
A method and system for thermal management in integrated circuits and integrated circuit boards is described. In an embodiment, the circuit device board includes circuit devices, temperature sensors, and a thermal management unit. The thermal management unit receives thermal data from the temperature sensors and determines thermal reference points that define thermal regions. The thermal reference points are correlated with the operating characteristics of the circuit devices. When warranted, the thermal management unit makes independent corrective responses to each of the thermal regions. These corrective responses include modifying operating parameters, adjusting workload, and suspending operation of circuit devices within the thermal region. Thus, the disclosed method and system can preserve function in one thermal region while alleviating stress on another thermal region. |
| US09020654B2 |
Smart transformer
The present invention provides a system and computer program product for implementing a smart transformer, comprising a processor, and a balancing algorithm residing on the processor, wherein the balancing algorithm is stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable program code embodied thereon, the computer executable program code configured to cause the system to monitor and control an electric customer load and generation in order to optimize the performance of a distribution transformer, wherein the processor receives a plurality of system inputs and uses the balancing algorithm to determine a rating of the transformer and an amount of customer load. |
| US09020652B2 |
Event processing system for an electrical power system
A method and apparatus comprising an agent. The agent is configured to receive information from an electrical power grid. The agent is further configured to identify an event from the information. The agent is further configured to classify the event. The agent is further configured to determine whether to initiate an action based on a classification of the event. The agent is further configured to initiate the action in response to a determination to initiate the action. |
| US09020648B2 |
Zero power appliance control, systems and methods
Power management controls for electrical appliances and devices include a supercapacitor and processor based controls for automatically disconnecting the appliance or device from a main power supply when not in active use. The control may include a micropower controller that enters a very lower power sleep mode and may wake up for limited times to detect and respond to various states of the appliance and the supercapacitor by connecting or disconnecting the appliance and a main power supply, all while drawing effectively zero power from the main power supply. The control may be interrupted when the appliance is switched on for active use. |
| US09020647B2 |
System and method for climate control set-point optimization based on individual comfort
A system and method for calibrating a set-point for climate control includes a sensor network having a plurality of sensors configured to report a climate condition. A database is configured to receive reports from the sensors and generate one or more profiles reflecting at least one of historic climate control information and occupant preferences. A controller is configured to receive information from the profiles to generate a set-point based upon an optimization program. The optimization program is implemented to balance competing goals to generate the set-point for controlling climate control equipment in accordance with the set-point. |
| US09020645B2 |
Combined control lines for device cooling fans
Described is a technology by which two or more air moving devices have some of their control lines combined, including a frequency control line from a controller. Along with the combined frequency control line, power voltage lines and ground lines and may be combined, with a separate sensing line for each air moving device. One or more couplers couples the combined lines to air moving device control circuitry. |
| US09020644B2 |
Pistol-grip for intuitive control of a robotic or virtual hand
An end effector controller that is gripped by an operator in one hand, including a pistol-grip housing configured to fit in the palm of an operator's hand when gripped and having mounted thereon a plurality of switching mechanisms with pivoting, dual-acting switch triggers each configured for independent actuation by multiple fingers of the hand when said controller is gripped, and a method for controlling a robotic end effector remotely using the operator hand-gripped controller, the method including switching between preset operating modes of the end effector using a single, control input element, easily actuated by a finger in the operator's gripping hand; and providing continuous fine adjustment between preset modes using a second, control input element also easily actuated by a finger on the operator's gripping hand. |
| US09020638B2 |
Position control method and robot
A position control method for controlling a position of a movable portion, includes: performing control of allowing the movable portion to approach a predetermined position by moving the movable portion; and performing control of moving the movable portion to the predetermined position by moving the movable portion and detecting a relative position of the movable portion with respect to the predetermined position by using an imaging unit. |
| US09020636B2 |
Robot for solar farms
The solar energy and solar farms are used to generate energy and reduce dependence on oil (or for environmental purposes). The maintenance and repairs in big farms become very difficult, expensive, and inefficient, using human technicians. Thus, here, we teach using the robots with various functions and components, in various settings, for various purposes, to improve operations in big (or hard-to-access) farms, to automate, save money, reduce human mistakes, increase efficiency, or scale the solutions to very large scales or areas. |
| US09020633B1 |
Automating storage, retrieval, and routine for process flow
In some embodiments, an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) for storing workpieces includes a main body, a robotic arm mechanism and at least one first station. The workpiece comprises a first container configured to hold at least one article. The main body includes at least one side wall configured to confine a storage space for the workpieces in at least one first direction parallel to a floor. The robotic arm mechanism is configured to reach the storage space, the storage space being further confined by the robotic arm mechanism in at least one second direction opposite to the at least one first direction. The at least one first station is configured with at least one first accessing port located within the storage space, and configured for the ASRS to perform a routine for a process flow. |
| US09020631B1 |
Opportunistically consolidated picking
Disclosed are various embodiments for consolidating multiple pickings of an item to fulfill multiple shipments into a single picking of the multiple items. A determination is first made whether a metric representing a plurality of shipments exceeds a threshold, wherein individual ones of the plurality of shipments are mapped to corresponding ones of a plurality of item locations in a fulfillment center. The plurality of shipments are then remapped to an individual one of the plurality of item locations in response to a determination that the metric exceeds the threshold. Finally, a picking of the items is initiated. |
| US09020630B2 |
Servo transfer press system
A servo transfer press system generates a press phase signal and a transfer phase signal that are synchronized with a master phase signal, performs a press operation according to a reference press motion based on the press phase signal, and performs a transfer operation according to a reference transfer motion based on the transfer phase signal. The servo transfer press system includes a reference interference diagram generation section, a reference interference diagram storage section, an operation interference diagram generation section, an interference presence/absence comparison-determination section, and a phase signal relative relationship adjustment section, and performs a transfer press operation while avoiding interference by performing an automatic phase signal adjustment when a motion has been changed. |
| US09020627B2 |
Method and system for building painted three-dimensional objects
generating an image data for cross sectional layers of the three-dimensional object, wherein the image data includes a first set of data for selectively printing building material at a first print resolution and a second set of data for printing one or more colored additives at a higher resolution and selectively depositing the building material and the one or more additives on successive layers based on the 2D image data to produce the three-dimensional object. |
| US09020626B2 |
Orthopods and equipment to generate orthopedic supports from computerized data inputs
Systems and methods of measuring feet and designing and creating orthopedic inserts are described. The method can include measuring a pressure the foot exerts during a stride at a plurality of points over a period of time, and analyzing a pressure at the plurality of points over the period of time and designing the orthopedic inserter based on the analysis. The system can include a device that measures a pressure exerted by foot at a plurality of times at each of a plurality of points and a computer connected to the device, the computer having a memory that stores the measured pressures and a program operable to analyze the measured pressures to create a design of an orthopedic insert. |
| US09020624B2 |
Method and system for managing results of an analysis process on objects handled along a technical process line
A system manages results of an analysis process on objects handled along a technical process line. The system contains measures for defining workflow steps of the technical process line and workflow execution software, and measures for generating for each object an object record containing the results of the workflow steps and a status. The system further has measures for defining an event manager for managing a transition from an actual status to a new status according to results of the workflow steps. The event manager contains a customized number of statuses linked to the workflow steps and contains for each transition a customizable set of rules for delivering check results. Finally, measures are provided for executing in parallel the analysis process, the workflow execution software and the event manager, thereby assigning a status to the object record depending on the check results derived from the execution of the set of rules. |
| US09020619B2 |
Method and apparatus for local or remote control of an instrument in a process system
Example methods and apparatus to a controller of a local control loop having a field device and a sensor configured in a closed-loop control system are disclosed. The controller is wirelessly coupled to a control system wherein the controller and the control system execute complementary control over the field device. |
| US09020612B1 |
Non-invasive neuromodulation (NINM) for rehabilitation of brain function
In a patient suffering from neural impairment, stimulation is provided to sensory surfaces of the face and/or neck, or more generally to areas of the body that stimulate the trigeminal nerve, while performing an activity intended to stimulate a brain function to be rehabilitated. The simulation may then be continued after the performance of the activity has ceased. It has been found that the patient's performance of the activity is then improved after stimulation has ceased. Moreover, it tends to improve to a greater extent, and/or for a longer time, when the post-activity stimulation is applied, as compared to when postactivity stimulation is not applied. |
| US09020605B2 |
Electroporation device
An electroporation device produces electric signals that may be adjusted in response to a cover area of electrodes, so that the electric signals are tolerable when delivered to cells within the cover area. The electroporation device can include an applicator, a plurality of electrodes extending from the applicator, a power supply in electrical communication with the electrodes, and a guide member coupled to the electrodes. The electrodes are associated with a cover area. The power supply is configured to generate one or more electroporating signals to cells within the cover area. The guide member can be configured to adjust the cover area of the electrodes. In some embodiments, the electrical signals may include opposing waveforms that produce a resultant interference waveform to effectively target the cover area, and each waveform may be a unipolar waveform or a bipolar waveform. |
| US09020603B2 |
Server for communication with an implantable medical device
A system and method for modifying the parameters of an implantable medical device includes an implantable medical device that communicates with a remote control device that, in turn, communicates through the browser of a computer or any other device capable of using mark-up language protocol. The computer optionally communicates with other computers and/or devices through a network. |
| US09020598B2 |
Methods and devices for treating primary headache
Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation devices and magnetic stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of treating medical disorders using energy that is delivered noninvasively by such devices. The disorders comprise migraine and other primary headaches such as cluster headaches, including sinus symptoms that resemble an immune-mediated response (“sinus” headaches), irrespective of whether those symptoms arise from an allergy that is co-morbid with the headache. The disclosed methods may also be used to treat other disorders that may be co-morbid with migraine headaches, such as anxiety disorders. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed methods, one or both of the patient's vagus nerves are stimulated non-invasively. In other embodiments, parts of the sympathetic nervous system and/or the adrenal glands are stimulated. |
| US09020596B2 |
Management of fusion beat detection during capture threshold determination
An improved technique is described for dealing with the detection of fusion beats when capture verification is performed by a cardiac pacing device such as during a capture threshold determination procedure. Schemes for classifying heart beats may misclassify beats as fusion beats due to feature/morphology changes in the test electrogram waveform that may occur even when capture is achieved. |
| US09020595B2 |
Baroreflex activation therapy with conditional shut off
An embodiment of a baroreflex stimulator comprises a pulse generator to provide a baroreflex stimulation signal through an electrode, and a modulator to modulate the baroreflex stimulation signal based on a circadian rhythm template. |
| US09020593B2 |
Selection of pacing sites to enhance cardiac performance
Systems and methods for selection of electrodes and related pacing configuration parameters used to pace a heart chamber are described. A change in the hemodynamic state of a patient is detected. Responsive to the detected change, a distribution of an electrical, mechanical, or electromechanical parameter related to contractile function of a heart chamber with respect to locations of multiple electrodes disposed within the heart chamber is determined. A pacing output configuration, including one or more electrodes of the multiple electrodes, is selected and the heart chamber is paced using the selected pacing output configuration. |
| US09020592B2 |
Method and system for blocking nerve conduction
Methods and related systems for modulating neural activity by cyclical blocking of conduction in peripheral neural structures with electrical blocking stimuli are disclosed. In an aspect, neural activity is blocked cyclically with an electrical blocking stimulus source implanted adjacent a nerve. In an aspect, a conduction block is produced in a sensory nerve. Neural modulation may be used, for example, to modulate an immune or inflammatory response or process. |
| US09020591B2 |
Method and system for ultrasonic neural modulation in a limb
Methods and related systems for modulating neural activity by cyclical blocking of conduction in peripheral neural structures with ultrasound are disclosed. In an aspect, neural activity is blocked cyclically with an ultrasonic blocking stimulus source positioned adjacent a skin surface in a vicinity of a nerve. In an aspect, a conduction block is produced in a sensory nerve. Neural modulation may be used, for example, to modulate an immune or inflammatory response or process. |
| US09020589B2 |
Electrical stimulator with voltage mode emulation using regulated current
Techniques are described for generating electrical stimulation current pulses for delivery of electrical stimulation therapy via a current-controlled system that emulates voltage pulses generated via a voltage-controlled system. In one example, a method includes receiving user input specifying a voltage level of electrical stimulation to be delivered by one or more of a plurality of electrodes implanted within the patient, selectively coupling the one or more electrodes to respective regulated current paths to deliver the electrical stimulation to the patient, selectively coupling at least another of the plurality of electrodes implanted within the patient to an unregulated current path to deliver the electrical stimulation to the patient, determining a regulated current for each respective regulated current path in order to produce the specified voltage level at the one or more electrodes selectively coupled to the respective regulated current paths, and delivering the determined regulated currents via the respective regulated current paths. |
| US09020586B2 |
Brain activity measuring apparatus, brain activity measuring method, brain activity deducing apparatus, brain activity deducing method, and brain-machine interface apparatus
What is provides is a brain activity deducing apparatus, a brain activity deducing method, a brain activity measuring apparatus, a brain activity measuring method, and a brain-machine interface device, capable of deducing a brain activity signal of a source subject. The information presentation device presents perceptible information to the first subject. The brain activity measurement device acquires a brain activity signal representing a brain activity of the first subject. The individual conversion device deduces a brain activity signal of the second subject from the acquired brain activity signal based on the individual conversion information, which correlates the brain activity signal of the first subject and the brain activity signal of the second subject. |
| US09020579B2 |
System and method for dual energy and/or contrast enhanced breast imaging for screening, diagnosis and biopsy
Systems and methods for x-ray imaging a patient's breast in combinations of dual-energy, single-energy, mammography and tomosynthesis modes that facilitate screening for and diagnosis of breast abnormalities, particularly breast abnormalities characterized by abnormal vascularity. |
| US09020578B2 |
Colonography
A system includes an insufflator (120) and an imaging system (100). The imaging system (100) includes a console (118). The console (118) and the insufflator (120) are in communication. The console (118) controls operation of the insufflator (120). |
| US09020573B2 |
Analyte monitoring device and methods of use
In aspects of the present disclosure, an auto turn on blood glucose monitoring unit including a calibration unit integrated with one or more components of an analyte monitoring system is provided. Also disclosed are methods, systems, devices and kits for providing the same. |
| US09020561B2 |
Control system interconnecting connection device and cellular phone for connecting to display device over the internet
A control system is provided with a cloud storage including a plurality of corporate servers, a plurality of download sites, and a plurality of online stores; a plurality of base stations connected to the cloud storage and connected to a control device over the Internet respectively; a control device including a charging socket and a HDTV port; a display device including a HDTV port; and a connection member for interconnecting the control device and the display device. The charging socket is adapted to charge a device capable of connecting to the Internet (e.g., smartphone) or a cellular phone. |
| US09020559B2 |
Method and control unit for direct sampling of a plurality of radio bands
A method for direct sampling of a plurality of radio bands, including a step of receiving a first radio band via a first interface and at least one additional radio band via at least one additional interface, the first radio band and the at least one additional radio band each being associated with different frequency ranges, and the first radio band or the at least one additional radio band being a DAB band. Furthermore, a selection signal is received via an interface, the selection signal indicating whether further processing of the first radio band and/or the at least one additional radio band takes place. Depending on the selection signal, the first radio band is sampled at a common sampling frequency and/or the at least one additional radio band is sampled at the common sampling frequency. |
| US09020557B2 |
Wireless communication apparatus and method for wireless communication
A wireless communication apparatus includes: an estimating section to estimate a positional relationship between a destination node and a node; a first determination section to set an electric power larger than or equal to minimum power as a first transmission power if the node is estimated to be located in a first area, the minimum power being detected by a node at the largest distance from the node in the first area; a second determination section that set an electric power smaller than a minimum power as a second transmission power if the node is estimated to be located in an area other than the first area, the minimum power being detected by the destination; and a transmitting section to transmit data to the destination node with the first transmission power or the second transmission power. |
| US09020553B2 |
Remotely configurable wireless intercom system for an establishment
Systems and methods associated with an intercom system for a drive-through, quick service restaurant facility is disclosed. Generally, a plurality of headsets is configured for communication with a base station. A speaker is associated with the drive-through facility is configured to be located near a menu board, and is configured for communication with the base station. A microphone is also configured to be located near the menu board and configured for communication with the base station. A plurality of parameters control the configuration of the intercom system, and the base station is connectable to a wide area communication network to enable remote adjustment of the plurality of parameters. |
| US09020550B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for radio resource allocation and identification
The present invention presents methods providing for system resource-efficient radio resource allocation of mobile terminals. The methods may include generating a first scheduling message including first scheduling information indicative of at least a first radio resource allocated to a first mobile terminal. The methods may also include generating a second scheduling message including second scheduling information, which, when combined with said first scheduling information, is indicative of a second radio resource allocated to a second mobile terminal. The methods may further include transmitting said first scheduling message to said first and second mobile terminals using a first robustness level, and transmitting said second scheduling message to said second mobile terminal using a second robustness level. Related network nodes and mobile terminals are also provided. |
| US09020546B2 |
Interference management in wireless communication networks
A scheme to reduce the problem of radio interference between wireless devices such as MTC devices in a multi-RAT scenario. Wireless devices are configured (S10) for interference reporting in accordance with their capabilities. Information is collected, not only on interference measurements reported by the wireless devices, but also on device signatures (S12) and transmission patterns (S14) for the purpose of attributing interference, suffered by a reporting device, to one or more offending devices (S16). One or more mitigation techniques is then applied to the offending device and/or the reporting device (S20-S24). The scheme provides an additional stability mechanism for existing interference mitigation and co-existence schemes by using device management and avoiding potential conflicts across diverse systems. Under the assumption that geographically co-located devices are all using a common service platform, the centralized algorithm permits more efficient solutions than existing interference mitigation solutions. |
| US09020544B2 |
Method and apparatus for deriving presence information using message traffic analysis
A method and apparatus for deriving presence information of a mobile device at a presence node in a wireless system, the method having the steps of: analyzing a message received from the mobile device to determine a message type; and allocating a state for the mobile device depending on the message type found in the analyzing step. The apparatus is a presence node for deriving and maintaining presence information of a mobile device in a wireless system, the mobile device communicating with a network node, the presence node having: a communication system for communicating with the network node; a processor; and an application running on the processor, the application having means for analyzing a message received from the mobile device at the network node to determine a message type; and allocating a state for the mobile device depending on the message type found in the analyzing step. |
| US09020541B2 |
Process and receiver for recovering paging message
A method of processing a paging message, the method being suitable for a User Equipment (UE) for a wireless telecommunication system, and comprising the steps of:—monitoring a Paging Indicator (PI) included in a Paging Indicator Channel (PICH) message;—upon reception (210) of a Paging Indicator (PI) relevant to said User Equipment, detecting and decoding a paging (PCH) channel in order to decode a corresponding paging message (220);—computing and checking the CRC (230) of said paging message and, in case of failure of the CRC check, performing the following steps:—performing (240, 250) a partial checking of said paging message, said partial checking being limited to a number of fields of said paging message;—determining whether said paging message is relevant to one single UE (260);—if said paging message is relevant to one single UE, replacing (261) the bits not relevant to said single UE by default bits and computing and checking (262) a new CRC—if the new CRC check succeeds, forwarding the processed paging message to the Radio Resources Control (RRC) layer. |
| US09020539B2 |
Method and apparatus for calculating a position estimate of a mobile station using network information
A method for calculating a position estimate of a mobile station (MS) includes collecting in the MS position estimate information (PEI) transmitted by a location node. At some point, the MS generates PEI parameters which include information from which the location node can be located or identified. The MS generates the PEI parameters based upon the PEI transmitted by the location node. Once generated, the MS sends the PEI parameters to a position determination entity. The PEI parameters permit calculation of the position estimate of the mobile station. |
| US09020537B2 |
Systems and methods for associating virtual content relative to real-world locales
Aspects of the invention provide techniques and systems for delivering geographically-relevant content to a mobile device. Geolocation and orientation data is taken from the mobile device, including directional orientation and a vertical angle of the mobile device as it is being pointed at a physical locale. Based on the geolocation and orientation data, an angular field of view is identified relative to a real-world coordinate system. Geospatial data describing the field of view is transmitted to a central server, which, based on geospatial coordinates of pre-defined virtual locales identifies the spatially corresponding virtual locale(s) and sends spatial definitions and structurally-organized content related to the virtual locale(s) back to the device. Users provide input signals to the mobile device to indicate navigational commands related to the content, and the display of the content on the device is iteratively updated based on the input signals and detected changes in the geolocation and orientation data of the device. |
| US09020532B2 |
Apparatus and methods for exchanging location-based information
The disclosed embodiments provide apparatus and methods for exchanging location-based information between a wireless communications device and a computer system. In one embodiment, the location-based information may include a layout of a physical location corresponding to a geographic position associated with the wireless communications device. In another embodiment, the location-based information may include directions from the geographic position, through the layout, to an item location associated with an item in the physical location. Additional disclosed embodiments relate to the wireless communications device, presentation of the location-based information on the wireless communications device, and associated computer-readable media. |
| US09020529B2 |
Computer based location identification using images
In the field of mobile computing, a user of a mobile device takes a picture of a nearby landmark or building or street and transmits that picture via his device's wireless link to a remote server. The server has the capability of identifying the location from the photo by matching it against publicly available online collections of images, such as Flickr. The server executes a location identification algorithm to match the received photo to those in the collection to determine the actual location of the photo. Typically the images in the collections have metadata, such as textual tags. Upon identifying the most likely location of the received photo from the user, the server transmits back to the user's mobile computing device an indication of the location, such as a textual location description from the tag, a map or directions to a particular location. This is especially useful in a city or dense urban environment and where the mobile computing device does not have GPS capability or its GPS is inoperative. |
| US09020528B2 |
Data delivered to targeted mobile device
A data management system for a mobile device includes a communications module storing content created by a user of the system for delivery to a customer. A database module is connected to the communications module, matching customer data with user data and an identified geographic location of the customer in three-dimensional space to calculate a target customer for content delivery. A streaming module is connected to the database module which serves the content to the target customer. A priority module is connected to the streaming module for prioritizing the delivery of content to the target customer. The priority module determines an appropriate schedule for the delivery of the content to the target customer. The streaming module sends a notification to the mobile device that the content is available. The priority module receives, and authenticates with the database module, a first authorization by the target customer to deliver the content. |
| US09020524B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information management server, information processing method, information management method, program, and information processing system
An information processing apparatus includes a position detection unit that detects a presence position of the information processing apparatus, a communication network information obtaining unit that obtains information regarding data communication in an accessible mobile communication network, and a data communication related information generation unit that generates data communication related information regarding the data communication using the mobile communication network at the presence position based on information regarding the presence position and information regarding the data communication in the mobile communication network. |
| US09020518B2 |
Generalized codebook design method for limited feedback systems
In a closed-loop wireless communication system, a codebook-based feedback mechanism is provided where each codeword indicates a particular profile to be used to provide a target performance measure (e.g., bit error rate or spectral efficiency) for the transmission channel. This may be accomplished by using a multi-stage quantization process to construct the codewords as a plurality of transmission parameters specifying a MIMO transmission scheme, precoding vector or matrix, power allocation in space/time/frequency, modulation and channel code. |
| US09020511B2 |
Automatic mutual discovery femtocell system and associated method
An automatic mutual discovery femtocell system and associated method are provided. Each femtocell includes: a system information self-definition and update module for pre-defining or automatically updating a self-defined system information block (SIB), a broadcast information module, a scanning module, and an analysis and connection establishment module. The self-defined SIB includes at least one of an identity code, an IP address, a UTRA absolute radio frequency channel number (UARFCN), a cell parameter identity (CPI), and a group identity. The latest self-defined SIB of a host femtocell is broadcasted to surroundings, a self-defined SIB of a neighboring cell of the host femtocell is scanned and analyzed, and a connection is established with the femtocell corresponding to the self-defined SIB. Without involving manual intervention or relying on wired networks, the femtocells can quickly discovering one another and updating changes in neighboring femtocells, thereby enhancing efficiency of collaborative operations. |
| US09020505B2 |
Quick system selection and acquisition for multi-mode mobile devices
Methods and apparatus for using network topology and coverage information from one radio access technology (RAT) network to assist acquisition of another different RAT network for a multi-mode mobile station (MS), such as acquiring a WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) network based on topology and coverage information about a 3G (Third Generation) network and vice versa, are provided. Base station (BS) acquisition assisted in this manner may provide for quick restoration of a previously interrupted or deactivated network service, while decreasing the power consumption of the multi-mode MS during a power savings state because periodic scanning and registration need not occur. |
| US09020502B2 |
Proximity indication using out-of-band links
Management of user equipment (UE) proximity indications to femto access points is provided using out-of-band (OOB) signals. To obtain OOB identification information on the femto access point, the UE determines the OOB identification information when in proximity to cells neighboring the femto access point. This OOB information is stored in a search information database (SID) of the UE and related to in-band information on the femto access point. To later determine proximity to the femto access point, in response to detecting its presence within a fingerprint area around the femto access point, a search for the femto access point is triggered using the OOB radio resources and OOB identification information associated with the femto access point in the SID. When the UE detects the femto access point using the OOB radio resources, the UE transmits a proximity indication to its serving base station over the in-band radio link. |
| US09020501B2 |
Method for judgment and residency of multi-card mobile terminal service provider
Methods for determination and residency of service provider of a multi-card mobile terminal are provided. A method for the residency of the multi-card mobile terminal comprises: when some or all cards belong to the same service provider, said cards will reside in the same cell. Some embodiments of the present invention acquire IMSI corresponding to each card and extract HPLMN or EHPLMN from the IMSI to identify from card storage information rapidly and accurately cards in the mobile terminal that belong to the same service provider, and make those cards reside in the same cell during starting-up stage, cell reselection, or network recovery under the circumstance of a plurality of cards belonging to the same service provider, thus reducing the realization difficulties in measurement, idle standby, synchronous maintenance, etc., stabilizing the system and optimizing the performance of mobile terminal. |
| US09020499B2 |
Fast cell selection in a mobile wireless device
A method and apparatus for fast cell selection by a mobile wireless device. The mobile wireless device detects when a first wireless cell fails a set of stored suitability criteria and searches for and locates a set of candidate wireless cells to associate with. The mobile wireless device measures at least one received signal metric for each candidate wireless cell in the set of candidate wireless cells. When a candidate cell in the set of candidate wireless cells is identically the first wireless cell, the mobile wireless device evaluates the suitability of the candidate wireless cell using the stored set of suitability criteria for the first wireless cell and the measured at least one received signal metric for the candidate wireless cell. The mobile wireless communication device associates with the candidate wireless cell when the candidate wireless cell meets the stored set of suitability criteria. |
| US09020496B2 |
System for testing mobile communication apparatus and test method therefor
In a system for testing a mobile communication device under test, a calculation part calculates, before a control part starts processing according to a designated measurement sequence, a total value of a data amount to be acquired as an analysis target by a transmission/reception unit in the designated measurement sequence. A determination part determines whether the calculated total value of the data amount exceeds a permissible value which has been set in advance according to a predetermined capacity of a reception data memory. If the determination part determines that the calculated total value exceeds the permissible value, the control part displays the determination result on the display unit. |
| US09020494B2 |
Method, apparatus, and system for measuring aggregated carrier cell
A disclosure for measuring an aggregated carrier cell measuring an aggregated carrier cell configured with multiple component carriers is provided. In the disclosure, a user equipment receives, from a base station, a measurement period parameter for measuring a component carrier. The user equipment calculate a measurement period for a non-active component carrier according to the received measurement period parameter and a signal measurement estimation value of the non-active component carrier, and performs measurement on the non-active component carrier with the calculated measurement period for the non-active component carrier. |
| US09020489B2 |
System and method for using location information to execute an action
Provided are methods for executing an action in response to a request for a service using location information in conjunction with service-specific parameters. A user may request a provider of a specified service (e.g., taxi, plumber, pharmacist, etc.). In evaluating the request, providers may be evaluated based on the location information in addition to service-specific parameters. An action in response may include merely displaying selected service provider(s) in response to the request, or acting on behalf of the user by communicating with a selected service provider. |
| US09020488B2 |
Prioritization of wireless terminal measurements
A base station generates and sends measurement configuration to a wireless terminal. The measurement configuration indicates the measurements to be made by the wireless terminals and to report on the performed measurements to the base station. The measurement configuration indicates that the measurements are to be performed and to be reported based on a prioritization level. The prioritization can be indicated at various levels including the measurement identities level, the measurement objects level, and the reporting configurations level. |
| US09020487B2 |
Over-the-air content management of wireless equipment in confined-coverage wireless networks
System(s), apparatus(es), and method(s) are provided for managing content of wireless equipment (WE) over-the-air (OTA). Content is germane to feature(s) of the WE and is related to operation thereof. Management of the content is automatically implemented in response to attachment of the WE to a confined-coverage access point (AP). The WE and a network server enable, in part, such management. The confined-coverage AP enables exchange of signaling and data associated with management of the content amongst the WE and the network server. Content includes software (SW); management OTA of SW can include update of an in-use version of a SW application or related SW component(s). SW update signaling can comprise message(s) conveying a WE identifier and in-use version(s) of SW; request(s) for an update instruction; request(s) for at least one file associated with the SW; message(s) indicative of availability of version(s) of SW newer than the in-use version(s). |
| US09020486B2 |
Real-time management system for mobile electronic devices
Disclosed are a real-time management system for mobile electronic devices and its operating method. The real-time management system includes a mobile electronic device and a main system. After a web developer's management priority of the mobile electronic device is enabled and the mobile electronic device is electrically connected to the main system, the web setting and browser setting of the mobile electronic device are duplicated to the main system to form a mapping area, and the mobile electronic device and the main system turn on a communication port as a specific channel through a web debugging mode, so that the main system and the mobile electronic device constitute a proxy server for performing real-time operations in the mapping area and displaying the operation results through a touch screen of the mobile electronic device without requiring the installation of other application programs, so as to skip the complicated setup procedure. |
| US09020485B2 |
Enhanced deployment of applications
Systems and methods for managing distribution of applications are provided herein. A host server can act as an intermediary between a communications device and an app store in order to manage distribution of applications to the communications device. Thus, the host server can receive from the communications device an app request for an application that resides at the app store. The host server can examine various catalog information and provide a package that includes the application to the communications device. |
| US09020481B1 |
Enhanced mobility state detection in mobile communication terminals
A method in a mobile communication terminal, which operates alternately in an idle mode and a connected mode, includes maintaining a count of mobility events in which the terminal switches to camp on a cell. The count is retained irrespective of transitions of the terminal into and out of the idle mode and the connected mode. A mobility state is selected for the terminal depending on the count, and operation of the terminal is configured based on the selected mobility state. |
| US09020479B1 |
Single version of a user device modem for use with different wireless carriers
A user device determines a current subscriber identity module (SIM) profile, identifies a modem profile that corresponds to the current SIM profile, and updates a non-volatile memory of a modem with the identified modem profile. |
| US09020477B2 |
Systems and methods for terminating telephony communications to mobile telephony devices
Systems and methods for terminating telephony communications to a mobile telephony device that is roaming outside of its native service area make use of a mobile roaming termination service. The mobile roaming termination service causes the native mobile telephony service provider that provides service to the mobile telephony device to forward incoming telephony communications directed the native telephone number of the mobile telephony device to a forwarding access number. The mobile roaming termination service receives telephony communications directed to the forwarding access number, and then terminates the telephony communication to the mobile telephony device via any one of multiple different methods. |
| US09020472B2 |
Social networking-based teleconferencing system and method
A system and method for creating teleconferences that leverage social networking websites and messaging thereof. The system includes a teleconferencing website hosted on a server for scheduling a teleconference in response to user input, and for generating a message for display on a social networking website. The message includes information about the teleconference and a link to one or more invitees to the teleconference. The system further includes an interactive voice response system for hosting the teleconference to connect at least some of the one or more invitees to the teleconference. The system further includes a client application running on a mobile device associated with each of the at least some of the one or more invitees. The client application receives a notification of the teleconference from the social networking website, and includes a control interface to enable an associated invitee to join the teleconference. |
| US09020471B2 |
Dynamic voicemail receptionist system
A voicemail receptionist system includes a memory and a processor. The memory can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail receptionist system and provided with functionality based upon a user's preferences, for example. The data stored by the voicemail receptionist system can be updated at any time, or automatically updated upon updating of the data, or upon occurrence of a trigger event. Voicemail receptionist functionality can include standard voicemail system functionality as well as functionality relating to email, text messaging, MMS messaging, calendar features, schedule announcements, location data, as well as other features. |
| US09020470B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing message history data for a mobile communication device
A method and apparatus for managing history data of messages received from and transmitted to other users by a user of a mobile communication device is provided. Message history data is extracted from received and transmitted messages and stored such that a user of the mobile communication device may easily input a conditional request to the device and view message history data associated with a specific other user or message history data identified by conditional data input to the device. |
| US09020469B2 |
Network audio distribution system and method
A network based system for distributing audio recordings of discrete transmissions from land mobile radio systems received by plural radio terminals having scanning receivers to plural client terminals, including methods of selecting the best available recordings and selectively storing content both locally in the radio terminals and at network based storage locations. |
| US09020468B2 |
Masking phone numbers
In one example of masking phone numbers, a roster of changeable phone numbers may be assigned to a target phone, a presence of the target phone may be registered to a local cell site, a request for one of the changeable phone numbers that is assigned to the target phone for a current time frame may be received, and a phone call that is intended for the target phone may be facilitated using an assigned one of the changeable phone numbers that is assigned to the target phone for the current time frame. |
| US09020466B2 |
Remote profile modification for device recovery assist
A system is provided for recovering a mobile device by enabling an authorized user to remotely change the profile of the device to assist others in returning the device to the user. Initially, a user registers the mobile device with a recovery assist server. When the user is unable to locate the device because it is, for example, lost or stolen, the user indicates with the server that the device is missing. The device and the server are configured to communicate with each other, for example, periodically or, in another example, on device start up. If the device is identified as missing on the server, the operation of the mobile device is configured based on a missing profile associated with the mobile device. Once the device is located, the user indicates with the server that the device is no longer missing. When the device is unidentified as missing on the server, the operation of the mobile device is configured based on a user profile associated with the mobile device. When the mobile device is configured based on the missing profile, the mobile device may, for example, display a background image or play a ring tone to inform persons near the device that the device is considered mislaid and to provide such persons with information for returning the device. |
| US09020456B2 |
Ultra-low-power radio for short-range communication
A wake-up function is provided for a low power radio. The radio includes: an antenna, a rectifier, and a comparator. The rectifier is configured to receive an RF signal from the antenna and generates an output having a magnitude that decreases in the presence of the RF signal. The comparator compares the output from the rectifier to a reference signal and outputs an activation signal for another radio component. In response the activation signal, the radio component will transition from a low power consumption mode to a higher power consumption mode. In this way, the rectifier and comparator cooperatively operate to perform a wake-up function in the presence of an RF signal. |
| US09020453B2 |
RF amplifier architecture and related techniques
A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier system or transmitter includes one or more power amplifiers and a controller that is configured to adjust amplitudes and phases of RF input signals of the one or more power amplifiers and supply voltages applied to the one or more power amplifiers. In embodiments where multiple power amplifiers are used, a combiner may be provided to combine outputs of the power amplifiers. |
| US09020451B2 |
Programmable RF notch filter for envelope tracking
A parallel amplifier, a switching supply, and a radio frequency (RF) notch filter are disclosed. The parallel amplifier has a parallel amplifier output, such that the switching supply is coupled to the parallel amplifier output. Further, the RF notch filter is coupled between the parallel amplifier output and a ground. The RF notch filter has a selectable notch frequency, which is based on an RF duplex frequency. |
| US09020448B2 |
Switch control circuit, semiconductor device, and radio communication device
A switch control circuit has level shifters connected to a switch circuit to convert voltage levels of control signals, a negative potential generating circuit connected to the level shifter, to generate a negative potential, a negative potential output line supplying the negative potential to the level shifter, and a negative potential output line control circuit configured to control the potential of the negative potential output line. The negative potential output line control circuit has a power-supply setting circuit, an inverter inverting the output signal from the power-supply setting circuit, a first capacitor connected between an output terminal of the inverter and the negative potential output line, and a negative potential initialization circuit. |
| US09020446B2 |
Method and apparatus for calibrating a communication device
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions to perform actual measurements of one or more performance parameters of a communication device according to a subset of tuning states of a tunable matching network operable in a communication device, determine estimated measurements of the one or more performance parameters of the communication device for a portion of the tuning states not included in the subset of tuning states according to the actual measurements, identify a data set for each of the one or more performance parameters from at least portions of the tuning states and the actual and estimated measurements, and determine from at least a portion of the date sets one or more tuning states that achieve at least one desirable performance characteristic of the communication device. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09020436B2 |
System and method for automated pairing between remote control and controllable device using compressed identifiers
In embodiments, apparatuses, methods and storage media are described that are associated with remote control of media devices. A remote control and a content player may be configured to facilitate a secured pairing process. The remote control may be configured to send non-secured signals (such as through an IR transmitter) as well as send and receive secured signals (such as via an RF transceiver). The remote control may non-securely broadcast an uncompressed identifier of itself. Then, in response to being turned on or asked to pair, the remote control may send a pairing request to the player that includes a compressed identifier. The player may then identify the remote control based on the compressed identifier and the previously-broadcast uncompressed identifier and the remote control and player may then perform a pairing process without requiring additional action on the part of a user. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09020434B2 |
Wifi direct setup using out of band signaling
Disclosed in some examples is a method including receiving at a coordinator node a plurality of operational reports from a plurality of devices, each device engaging in a WiFi Direct communication session, the operational reports identifying a first communication parameter used for the WiFi Direct wireless communication session and a second communication parameter observed of a neighboring communication session; calculating one or more optimal communication parameters for one or more of the plurality of devices using the first and second communication parameters from the plurality of operational reports; and sending to the one or more of the plurality of devices the calculated one or more optimal communication parameters, wherein the plurality of operational reports are received and the optimal communication parameters are sent over a network out-of-band from the WiFi Direct communication sessions. |
| US09020433B2 |
Low power wireless device discovery
An efficient wireless connection protocol is described. |
| US09020421B2 |
Wireless communication device and wireless communication system
According to an embodiment, a wireless communication device includes a first wireless communication section, a wireless power receiving section and a wireless control section. The first wireless communication section is configured to transmit and receive a first wireless signal. The wireless power receiving section is configured to receive power by a second wireless signal. The wireless control section is configured to control the first wireless communication section according to a wireless power reception state of the wireless power receiving section. The wireless control section activates the first wireless communication section after wireless power reception by the wireless power receiving section is started. |
| US09020420B2 |
Adaptive antenna module in active IC package
An antenna module embeds front end circuitry with an antenna. Adaptive matching circuitry external to the antenna module is electrically connected between the embedded front end circuitry and the embedded antenna. |
| US09020417B2 |
Communication system and communication method using relay terminals
A communication system and a communication method using relay terminals are provided. A communication system includes a base station, a target terminal transmitting uplink data to the base station or receiving downlink data from the base station, and a plurality of relay terminals cooperatively relaying the uplink data/downlink data to the base station/target terminal, the plurality of relay terminals being grouped into at least one group. |
| US09020413B2 |
Selectively changing printing order of print data depending on selected binding process
In a printing apparatus, a method of controlling the same, and an information processing apparatus, a job for printing front cover image data, main body image data, and back cover image data is received. In the case where the received job is designated to bound printed sheets using rings, the image data is arranged into the printing order of main body image data, front cover image data, and back cover image data or the printing order of back cover image data, front cover image data, and main body image data, after which printing is executed based on the image data in the arranged printing order. |
| US09020412B2 |
Curl correcting device and image forming apparatus with same
A curl correcting device includes a first roller, a second roller and a supporting unit. The supporting unit includes a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path. The first roller is rotated about a first rotary shaft and elastically deformable. The second roller is rotated about a second rotary shaft and elastically deforms the first roller by being pressed against the first roller, thereby forming a curved nip portion between the first and second rollers. The supporting unit is rotatable about a third rotary shaft and rotatably supports the first and second rollers. The first conveyance path communicates with the sheet conveyance path by the supporting unit being arranged at a first position about the third rotary shaft. The second conveyance path communicates with the sheet conveyance path by the supporting unit being arranged at a second position about the third rotary shaft. |
| US09020408B2 |
Fixing device
A fixing device configured to heat-fix a developer image on a recording sheet, the fixing device includes: a flexible cylindrical member; a nip member configured to slidingly contact an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member; a heating member that is arranged at an inside of the cylindrical member and is configured to heat the nip member; a stay configured to support the nip member with surrounding the heating member; a backup member configured to interpose the cylindrical member between the nip member and the backup member; a cover member that is arranged at the inside of the cylindrical member and is configured to cover the stay from an opposite side to the heating member; and a first support member configured to support the cover member and form a gap between the stay and the cover member. |
| US09020407B2 |
Image heating apparatus
An image heating apparatus includes a belt member for heating in a nip an image formed on a recording material, an urging portion, contacting an inner surface of the belt member, for forming the nip, a guide portion, contacting the inner surface of the belt member at an end portion, for guiding rotation of the belt member, and a belt unit, including at least the belt member, the urging member and the guide portion, integrally detachably mountable to the image heating apparatus. The belt member is detachably mountable to the belt unit. The apparatus also includes a frame for supporting the belt unit, and a limiting portion, provided on the frame, for limiting the belt member by abutment to an edge of the belt member. |
| US09020396B2 |
Developing cartridge including developing gear cover
A developing cartridge includes: a housing having first and second sidewalls through which respective end portions of a developing roller shaft are rotatably inserted; a developing gear, which is arranged outside of the first sidewall, and which is fixed to the end portion of the developing roller shaft; a transmission gear, which is arranged outside of the first sidewall, and which transmits driving force to the developing gear; a first cover member, which is attached to the first sidewall, and which covers the transmission gear; and a second cover member, which is attached to the first sidewall, and which covers the developing gear from an outer side in the axis line direction. The second cover member is formed separately from the first cover member and is arranged side by side with the first cover member outside of the first sidewall. |
| US09020391B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of easily drawing image forming unit from main casing
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit; exposure members; and a cover. The image forming unit includes a cartridge support member for supporting cartridges. The cartridge support member is movable relative to a main casing in a moving direction from an inside position inside the main casing to an outside position outside the main casing. The cover is movable from a first position to a second position such that the cover allows movement of the image forming unit from the inside position to the outside position. The cover includes a first wall and a second wall integral with the first wall. The first wall covers a top side of the image forming unit at the inside position when the cover is at the first position and supports the plurality of exposure members. The second wall covers a downstream side in the moving direction of the image forming unit at the inside position when the cover is at the first position. |
| US09020390B2 |
Developing device having seal members to restrict toner leakage
A developing device includes: a frame having an opening; a developer carrying member rotatably supported to the frame; and a side seal. The developer carrying member is rotatable about its axis in a rotating direction and has an axial end portion in an axial direction. The side seal is disposed between the frame and a peripheral surface of the axial end portion, and has a contact member contacting the peripheral surface. The contact member includes: a first seal member disposed adjacent to an edge of the opening in the axial direction; and a second seal member disposed adjacent to and upstream of the first seal member in the rotating direction. The first seal member permits developer to move inward in the axial direction and provides a mobility of developer therein higher than that of the second seal member that is made of a material that restricts movement of developer. |
| US09020388B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a first process unit and a second process unit. The first process unit includes: a first photosensitive member configured to carry a first developer image to be transferred onto a transfer medium; and a blade member configured to scrape substances attached to a surface of the first photosensitive member off the surface of the first photosensitive member. The second process unit includes: a second photosensitive member configured to carry a second developer image to be transferred onto the transfer medium having the first developer image transferred thereon; and a holding member configured to remove substances attached to a surface of the second photosensitive member from the surface of the second photosensitive member, temporarily hold the substances and return the substances to the surface of the second photosensitive member. |
| US09020385B2 |
Image forming apparatus which controls fixing drive motor according to pressure roller diameter
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device, a motor, and a control device. The fixing device includes a heating member, a drive roller in contact with the heating member at a nip portion therebetween, and a memory configured to store an outer diameter of the drive roller. The motor is configured to drive the drive roller. The control device is configured to read the outer diameter from the memory, adjust a rotation speed of the motor such that the rotation speed of the motor becomes smaller as the outer diameter read from the memory becomes larger, and drive the motor at an adjusted rotation speed. |
| US09020384B2 |
Image heating apparatus controlling a peripheral speed of a rotatable driving member or a widthwise position of an endless belt using an output of a detection portion
An image heating apparatus includes: an endless belt including a heat generating layer configured to generate heat by electric energy and a conductive layer configured to be electrically connected to the heat generating layer; a rotatable driving member configured to drive the belt and form a nip with the belt; an electric contact portion provided to be in contact with the conductive layer and configured to supply the electric energy to be conductive layer; an electric insulation portion contactable to the electric contact portion with rotation of the belt; a detecting portion configured to detect whether an electric conduction state between the electric contact portion and the conductive layer is in a predetermined state or not when the belt is rotated; and a control portion configured to control a peripheral speed of the rotatable driving member using an output of the detecting portion. |
| US09020378B2 |
Electrophotographic image forming apparatus and method with adjustment of image forming conditions based on corrected reflected light amounts
Patch background data at each position of a background where a toner patch is formed in the second rotation is estimated from background measurement data at a plurality of positions detected in the first rotation and patch neighborhood measurement data detected in the second rotation at a plurality of positions where no toner patch is formed. Since the apparatus can execute density measurement before the light emission amount of a density sensor stabilizes, the time required for density measurement can be shorter than before. Since the change ratio of the light emission amount and the variation of the reflected light amount from the background are reflected on the patch background data, the density measurement accuracy can be improved. |
| US09020376B2 |
Image forming apparatus capable of providing stable image quality
An image forming apparatus capable of making image quality more stable than in the prior art. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of a photosensitive member based on an image signal. A developing device develops the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member by toner to thereby form a patch image. An optical sensor detects the density of the patch image. A toner charge amount is calculated from the density detected by the optical sensor, and a change in the toner charge amount is predicted based on a plurality of results of the calculation of the toner charge amount. The image forming apparatus generates a γLUT for use in correcting the relationship between the image signal and the density based on the predicted change in the toner charge amount. |
| US09020369B2 |
Cartridge and image forming apparatus provided therewith
A cartridge includes: a frame; a rotation body; a driving force transmission unit; and a moving member. The rotation body is provided at the frame and rotatable about its rotation axis relative to the frame. The driving force transmission unit is provided at the frame and transmits an external driving force to the rotation body. The moving member is irreversibly movable to one of a covered position and an exposed position by the external driving force transmitted through the driving force transmission unit. The moving member covers at least a portion of the driving force transmission unit when the moving member is at the covered position. The moving member exposes the driving force transmission unit when the moving member is at the exposed position. The exposed position provides an exposing degree greater than that at the covered position. |
| US09020368B2 |
Switch mechanism, electronic device and image forming apparatus
A switch mechanism of the present disclosure includes a first member, a second member, a switch, a pressing-down member and an operation member. The second member can be moved with respect to the first member. The switch is provided in the first member. The pressing-down member is provided in the first member so as to press down the switch, and in the pressing-down member, a regulation portion that restricts the amount of pressing of the switch is formed. The operation member is provided in the second member such that the operation member can be operated by a user and is pressed down by the user so as to press the pressing-down member. |
| US09020367B2 |
Optical chips and devices for optical communications
Optical devices are disclosed consisting of optical chips (planar lightwave circuits) which have optically symmetric or matching designs and properties and optical components which create asymmetry in the optical devices. The devices find application in detection in coherent and non-coherent optical communications systems. |
| US09020364B2 |
Optical receiver having a signal-equalization capability
In one embodiment, an optical receiver has a bulk dispersion compensator and a butterfly equalizer serially connected to one another to perform dispersion-compensation processing and electronic polarization de-multiplexing. The bulk dispersion compensator has a relatively large dispersion-compensation capacity, but is relatively slow and operates in a quasi-static configuration. The butterfly equalizer has a relatively small dispersion-compensation capacity, but can be dynamically reconfigured on a relatively fast time scale to track the changing conditions in the optical-transport link. The optical receiver has a feedback path that enables the configuration of the bulk dispersion compensator to be changed based on the configuration of the butterfly equalizer in a manner that advantageously enables the receiver to tolerate larger amounts of chromatic dispersion and/or polarization-mode dispersion than without the use of the feedback path. |
| US09020363B2 |
Optical transmitter
After a startup of an optical transmitter, a control is started in such a way that a modulation amplitude of a driving signal of a phase modulator is set as 0, and that an operational point of a bias voltage is set as the lowest point of light transmission characteristics of the phase modulator. When the operational point of the bias voltage reaches the lowest point, the modulation amplitude of the driving signal is gradually increased from 0 to 2Vπ. |
| US09020359B2 |
Mobile terminal capable of localization, localization server and method for localizing the mobile terminal using the localization server
A mobile terminal capable of localization, a localization server, and a method for localizing the mobile terminal using the localization server are disclosed. The disclosed localization server includes a control unit configured to control transmissions of visible-light signals from a multiple number of visible-light transmitting devices; and a position computing unit configured to compute a position of a mobile terminal based on time information regarding when the visible-light signals transmitted respectively from the plurality of visible-light transmitting devices were received at the mobile terminal, where the control unit controls the transmissions such that each of the plurality of visible-light transmitting devices sequentially transmits the visible-light signal for a particular first time period with no overlapping of transmission times of the visible-light signals transmitted respectively from the plurality of visible-light transmitting devices. |
| US09020357B2 |
Compensation of modal dispersion of polarization by deterministic jamming of polarization
A method of calculating a series of control parameters to be applied to a polarization controller arranged so as to compensate for the modal dispersion of polarization affecting an optical signal passing through an optical link by calculating a plurality of polarization states of which the respective representations on a Poincaré sphere are separated from one another by a distance greater than a minimum distance dependent on an acceptable threshold of bit error ratios and, for each state of polarization thus calculated, associating at least one control parameter to be applied to the polarization controller with the calculated state of polarization. |
| US09020355B2 |
VLC modulation system and method thereof
A VLC (Visible Light Communication) modulation system and method thereof, which includes a visible light generating device and a visible light receiving device. The visible light generating device includes a visible light emitting module and an arbitrary waveform generator. The arbitrary waveform generator further includes a first finite impulse response filtering unit, a pre-distortion amount control unit, and a second finite impulse response filtering unit. |
| US09020353B2 |
Optical branching unit, optical communication system, and optical multiplexing method
An optical-branching unit enables suppression of deterioration of the transmission characteristic of a survivor signal without executing complex control of constant-power output. Optical-amplification means amplifies and supplies a input optical signal, and when not receiving the optical signal, amplifies and supplies amplified spontaneous emission that the optical-amplification means generates. Detection means detects whether the optical signal is input to the optical-amplification means. When the optical signal is not input to the optical-amplification means, control means sets gain that determines the magnitude of amplification in the optical-amplification means to a predetermined value greater than gain at the time the optical signal is input to the optical-amplification means. Add/drop-multiplexing means receives the output light from the optical-amplification means and other output light and multiplexes an optical signal of a predetermined wavelength in the output light from the optical-amplification means and an optical signal of a specific wavelength in the other output light. |
| US09020348B2 |
Optical path switching
A light source package is disclosed for a Raman amplifier node having a primary optical fiber for carrying an optical signal and a secondary optical fiber for carrying the optical signal when the signal is rerouted from the primary optical fiber. The light source package includes a primary light source for emitting light into the primary optical fiber when the optical signal is carried by the primary optical fiber to induce Raman gain of the optical signal, and a secondary light source for emitting light into the secondary optical fiber when the optical signal is carried by the secondary optical fiber to induce Raman gain of the optical signal. |
| US09020347B2 |
Reconfigurable optical interconnect network
A network is described in which a base optical point-to-point (P2P) network can be reconfigured to a target network topology. This reconfigurable architecture customizes the network topology for different classes of applications to maximize throughput. In particular, the network can function efficiently at high-radix and low-radix traffic patterns. This capability is obtained using configurable electrical circuit switches at each node in the network. These configurable electrical circuit switches can be set so that incoming packets are directly routed to a specified output (either a local destination or an outgoing optical link) without: delay, contention, or buffers. In this way, predefined network topologies can be configured with improved node-to-node bandwidths when compared to the original P2P network by leveraging unused optical links. Furthermore, because the electrical circuit switches can be reconfigured, the network topology can be dynamically reconfigured to suit applications or application phases. |
| US09020346B2 |
Optical communication interface utilizing coded pulse amplitude modulation
The present invention is directed to communication system and methods. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention provide a communication interface that is configured to transfer data at high bandwidth using PAM format(s) over optical communication networks. In certain embodiments, the communication interface is used by various devices within a spine-leaf network architecture, which allows large amount of data to be shared among servers. |
| US09020345B2 |
Method and system for establishing end-to-end service and optical transport network
A method for establishing an end-to-end service is provided in the present invention, which includes: acquiring link information in a network and multi-stage multiplexing capability constraint information supported by gateway network elements; when an end-to-end path computation request is received, according to the link information and the multi-stage multiplexing capability constraint information, performing an end-to-end routing computation to acquire an end-to-end routing, and selecting a multi-stage multiplexing capability used on a gateway network element passed by the end-to-end routing; and configuring the end-to-end service, and configuring the selected multi-stage multiplexing capability on the gateway network element passed by the end-to-end routing. A system for establishing the end-to-end service, an optical transport network and a signal transmission method thereof are also provided in the present invention, which can all implement the interconnection between new networks and old networks. |
| US09020341B2 |
Optical transmission system and control signal transmission method
An optical transmission system includes at least a first optical link to transmit a first data signal as a part of a multi-lane signal and a second optical link to transmit a second data signal as another part of the multi-lane signal; on the transmission side, a reference clock is constantly applied to the first data signal of the first optical link, and a delay clock is applied to the second data signal responsive to a control signal on the second optical link; on the receiving side, the phase of a first clock signal detected from the first data signal received on the first optical link and the phase of a second clock signal detected from the second data signal received on the second optical link are compared, and the control signal is detected from the comparison result. |
| US09020339B2 |
Optical transmission system and control method
An optical transmission system includes multiple multiplexers connected in series and each multiplexing an optical signal and given signal light. Each of the multiplexers includes a multiplexing unit that multiplexes the given signal light that is subject to multiplexing and a second optical signal of a frequency that is adjacent to the frequency of a first optical signal that is included in the given signal light; a monitoring unit that monitors deviation between timings of the first optical signal that is included in the signal light multiplexed with the second optical signal by the multiplexing unit, and the second optical signal; and an adjusting unit that based on a result of monitoring by the monitoring unit, adjusts the timing of the second optical signal that is to be multiplexed with the given signal light, by the multiplexing unit. |
| US09020338B2 |
Method and arrangement for stabilizing a colour coding method for optical transmission of data
A method for optically transmitting data between a transmitter and a receiver is disclosed, in which a color coding method based on a plurality of elemental colors is provided for the coding and transmission of the data, which color coding method involves a respective elemental color being sent by a respective transmitter-end optical radiation source and being received at the receiver end by a respective optical radiation receiver. The method provides for a control loop to be formed between the transmitter and the receiver, wherein the transmitter sends calibration messages to the receiver, and wherein a piece of compensation information is ascertained by comparing at least one channel property of at least one received calibration message with a corresponding channel property of at least one previously sent calibration message, and wherein the transmitter takes the compensation information as a basis for adjusting at least one transmission parameter. |
| US09020333B2 |
Line for transporting a fluid containing a hydrocarbon, and method for producing such a line
The invention relates to a line for transporting a hydrocarbon. The line includes a hollow inner tube extending in a longitudinal direction for transporting the fluid in the inner tube and having an electrically insulating outer surface. A heating layer is arranged on the inner tube and comprises carbon fibers embedded in a polymer material. A heat insulation layer is arranged around the heating layer. An outer tube is arranged around the heat insulation layer. The outer tube is designed to resist an outer pressure at least higher than 100 bar. Spacing means hold the outer tube at a distance from the inner tube in a fixed manner. Power supply means feed an electric current to the heating layer in order to heat the inner tube. |
| US09020325B2 |
Storyboard-directed video production from shared and individualized assets
Systems and methods are described for automatically driving portions of a video production workflow according specifications governed by a data-rich storyboard. Embodiments operate in context of a novel video production workflow in which much or all of the production expertise of a traditional production workflow collaborates at a storyboard phase of the workflow to architect a single, data-rich storyboard according to concepts and rules. The rich storyboard is generated and stored in a data framework that drives specifications over the workflow in such a way that portions of the workflow can be automated and consistently repeated. For example, the rich storyboard drives generation of automated coaches for acquisition and pre-auditing of individualized story assets from storymakers. The rich storyboard can then drive automated rendering of the assets into multiple, individualized storyvine video products that each conforms to the rich storyboard concepts, rules, and specifications. |
| US09020324B2 |
Recording apparatus
A recording apparatus of the present invention, in accordance with a data write speed of an external storage device, switches a writing mode between a first mode in which the apparatus suspends reading out moving image data from a memory until a predetermined amount of moving image data relating to a storage capacity of the memory is stored in the memory, and starts reading the moving image data from the memory to write it into the external storage device, after the predetermined amount of moving image data is stored completely, and a second mode in which the apparatus starts reading the moving image data from the memory to write it into the external storage device, without waiting for the storage of the predetermined amount of the moving image data into the memory. |
| US09020320B2 |
High density and bandwidth fiber optic apparatuses and related equipment and methods
High-connection density and bandwidth fiber optic apparatuses and related equipment and methods are disclosed. In certain embodiments, fiber optic apparatuses are provided and comprise a chassis defining one or more U space fiber optic equipment units. At least one of the one or more U space fiber optic equipment units may be configured to support particular fiber optic connection densities and bandwidths in a given 1-U space. The fiber optic connection densities and bandwidths may be supported by one or more fiber optic components, including but not limited to fiber optic adapters and fiber optic connectors, including but not limited to simplex, duplex, and other multi-fiber fiber optic components. The fiber optic components may also be disposed in fiber optic modules, fiber optic patch panels, or other types of fiber optic equipment. |
| US09020315B2 |
Optical sheet, backlight unit using the same and method for producing the same
Provided is an optical sheet capable of exhibiting superior optical function, and a high-quality backlight unit using the same. The optical sheet includes a transparent substrate layer, and an optical function layer having a plurality of fibers protruding from one surface side of the substrate layer. The optical function layer preferably includes an adhesive portion joining the plurality of fibers to the substrate layer. The adhesive portion is preferably laminated entirely on the one surface side of the substrate layer. The adhesive portion is preferably formed from acryl emulsion adhesives. The refractive index of the fiber is preferably no less than 1.3 and no greater than 1.8. The density of the fiber per unit area in the plane direction of the substrate layer is preferably no less than 100 fibers/cm2 and no greater than 5000 fibers/cm2. |
| US09020314B2 |
Optical fiber unit
An optical fiber unit (1) includes a tube (2) having stretchability in the axial direction, an optical fiber (4) movably housed in the tube (2), and a linear body (3) formed of a material having less stretchability than the tube (2). Both ends of the linear body (3) are fixed to both end portions of the tube (2) in a state where the tube (2) has been previously shrunk in the axial direction. |
| US09020311B2 |
Optical waveguide and optical module
An optical waveguide includes a first cladding layer, at least two core portions formed on the first cladding layer and extended in a first direction, at least two groove portions formed in each of the core portions at positions spaced apart from each other in the first direction, each groove portion having an inclined surface, an optical path conversion mirror formed on one of the inclined surfaces formed in each of the core portions, and a second cladding layer formed on the first cladding layer and the core portions. The optical path conversion mirrors formed in the core portions adjacent to each other are arranged at positions different from each other in the first direction. The groove portions formed in the core portions adjacent to each other are arranged at the same positions in the first direction. |
| US09020309B2 |
Optical fiber array connectivity system for multiple transceivers and/or multiple trunk cables
A transition device for an optical fiber connection system adapted to interconnect a trunk cable with a plurality of transceivers includes: a first set of at least four optical fibers, each of the optical fibers having a trunk end and a transceiver end; a single trunk end terminal having a plurality of trunk ports arranged in a first row, each port connected with a respective one of the set of optical fibers at its trunk end, wherein a first axis of symmetry divides the ports; and a plurality of transceiver end terminals, each of the transceiver end terminals having at least one couplet of transceiver ports, each of the couplets of transceiver ports receiving a respective couplet of the set of optical fibers at their transceiver ends. |
| US09020306B2 |
Stable lithium niobate waveguide devices, and methods of making and using same
Embodiments of the present invention provide stable lithium niobate waveguide devices, and methods of making and using the same. A lithium niobate-based waveguide device may include a Z-cut lithium niobate substrate having upper and lower surfaces, an optical waveguide embedded within the lithium niobate substrate, a signal electrode disposed on the upper surface of lithium niobate substrate and parallel to the optical waveguide, guard electrodes disposed on the upper surface of the lithium niobate substrate and flanking but spaced apart from the signal electrode, and a conductive layer on the lower surface of the lithium niobate substrate, wherein the conductive layer serves as a common ground reference for the signal and guard electrodes. |
| US09020304B2 |
Method for loading medical image data and device for performing the method
In order to enable improved or even optimized loading of medical image data, a data type representing the image data is determined in at least one embodiment from the image data in a first step and a data-type-specific default loading strategy is selected according to the data type. The default loading strategy may be refined, in at least one example embodiment, to produce a loading strategy based on additional context data. The context data is obtained for example during an initial assessment of the image data. For this purpose, provision is made in particular for a shared index to be generated in which the context data is stored together with further information associated with the image data of a plurality of objects that are to be examined. |
| US09020297B2 |
Method and device for parallel processing of images
The present invention relates to the parallel calculation of convoluted data. In particular, the invention relates to Gaussian pyramid construction and parallel processing of image data, such as parallel calculation of repeatedly convoluted data for use in a SIFT algorithm. This is achieved by providing a method for obtaining a plurality of difference images from an original image defined by a plurality of pixels, said method comprising: Providing a plurality of blurring convolution functions, each of said blurring functions providing increasing degree of blurring of an original image upon convolution of said original image; establishing a plurality of difference convolution functions, Dif, by calculating the difference between two of said blurring convolution functions, each of said two blurring convolution functions providing different degrees of blurring of an original image upon convolution of said original image; and calculating a plurality of difference images from said original image, by convolving each of said difference convolution functions, Dif, with said original image to obtain difference images. |
| US09020296B2 |
Image conversion apparatus, method, and storage medium
An image conversion apparatus calculates, based on a first value for obtaining first coordinate values in a second image before first conversion, which correspond to coordinate values of one pixel in a first image after first conversion, a second value for obtaining second coordinate values in the second image, which correspond to coordinate values of a pixel adjacent to the one pixel in the first image. The apparatus converts the second coordinate values into third coordinate values for second conversion of converting a third image into the second image and converts the third image into the first image. In the calculation of the second value, addition or subtraction using a constant and a result of the calculation is iteratively executed for sequentially outputting values corresponding to results of multiplication of coordinate values of each pixel in the first image and the constant. |
| US09020291B2 |
Resized image compression based on frequency content
Examples disclosed herein relate to compressing an image by resizing an image and compressing the resized image based on frequency content. A processor may resize an image to a target size if the pixel area of the image is greater than the sum of the target pixel area plus a resizing tolerance. The processor may compress the image using a first data removal rule for a portion of the image of a first frequency range and using a second data removal rule for a portion of the image of a second frequency range. |
| US09020289B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method for compressing image data by combining spatial frequency conversion, quantization, and entropy coding
An image processing apparatus is configured for compressing image data by combining spatial frequency conversion, quantization, and entropy coding. The apparatus includes a block division section, a spatial frequency conversion section, a quantization section, an encoding section, and a selection section. The encoding section generates code data by performing the entropy coding for each of a plurality of change candidate values. The values include a value of quantized data in a pixel block after performing the spatial frequency conversion and peripheral values within a predetermined range. The selection section selects a change value of the quantized data from the plurality of change candidate values based on a size of the code data of each of the plurality of change candidate values, and sets the code data corresponding to the selected change value as the code data. |
| US09020285B2 |
Compressor, driving device, and display device
A compressor includes a memory storing a de-compression pixel value de-compressed after a pixel value is compressed, a direct compression unit compressing a pixel value corresponding to a compression target pixel, and a first difference compression unit configured to compress a difference value between the pixel value corresponding to the compression target pixel and a decompression pixel value corresponding to at least one reference pixel, an error evaluation unit, and a decompression unit. The error evaluation unit compares a pixel value error of the direct compression unit before and after compression with a difference value error of the first difference compression unit before and after compression and outputs a compression value obtained through compression of the direct compression unit or a compression value obtained through compression of the first difference compression unit together with an identifier indicating a compression method, based on the comparison result, to the decompression unit. |
| US09020282B2 |
Coder based partial image storage and retrieval
Systems, apparatus, articles, and methods are described including operations for coder based partial image storage and retrieval. |
| US09020278B2 |
Conversion of camera settings to reference picture
A method of using reference photo setting information for taking a photo image of a current framed image comprises displaying a framed image from an image capture device of an electronic device, performing object recognition for the framed image on a display of the electronic device, identifying location information for the electronic device, presenting one or more reference images related to the framed image based on one or more of the identified location information and object recognition, selecting one of the reference images, and using photo setting information used for capturing the selected reference image for capturing the framed image. |
| US09020276B2 |
Hardware coprocessor for stripe-based interest point detection
A hardware coprocessor architecture calculates the Difference-of-Gaussian (DoG) pyramid of an input image and extracts from this the interest points to be used in several image detection algorithms. Advantages of the architecture include the possibility to process the image by stripes, namely by blocks having one dimension coincident with the input image width, in the absence of an input frame buffer and the possibility to avoid RAM memory. The coprocessor is suitable to be tightly coupled with raw image sources like sensors. |
| US09020275B2 |
Other viewpoint closed surface image pixel value correction device, method of correcting other viewpoint closed surface image pixel value, user position information output device, method of outputting user position information
A technology for creating an arbitrary viewpoint image with high quality based on pixel value information as seen from a single viewpoint and real spatial positional information has not been known. A hidden point is extracted based on a relative positional relationship between a single viewpoint closed surface projection point for arbitrary measurement point and neighboring projection point, a relative positional relationship between other viewpoint closed surface projection point for arbitrary measurement point and neighboring projection point, distance from arbitrary measurement point to another viewpoint, and distance from measurement point projected onto neighboring projection point on the other viewpoint closed surface to another viewpoint. Furthermore, the projection point pixel value on the other viewpoint closed surface for the extracted hidden point is corrected using distance from measurement point projected onto neighboring projection point on the other viewpoint closed surface to the other viewpoint and the measurement point pixel value. |
| US09020271B2 |
Adaptive hierarchical clustering algorithm
Systems and methods for clustering a plurality of feature vectors. A hierarchical clustering algorithm is performed on the plurality of feature vectors to provide a plurality of clusters and a cluster similarity measure for each cluster representing the quality of the cluster. Each cluster of the plurality of clusters with a cluster similarity measure meeting a threshold value is accepted. A clustering algorithm is performed on each cluster that fails to meet the threshold value to provide a set of subclusters each having an associated cluster similarity measure. Each subcluster having a cluster similarity measure meeting the threshold value is accepted. |
| US09020270B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, image processing control program, and recording medium
An image processing device configured to detect a salient region from an image has a pixel small-region image generating unit that generates a pixel small-region image using, as a unit, a pixel small region made of pixels adjacent to one another and whose luminance values or chromaticity are similar, from the image, a prior probability calculator that calculates prior probability of likelihood of the salient region for each of the pixels of the image, a region generating unit that generates a salient-region-containing region having high possibility of containing a salient region on the basis of a corner point extracted from the image, and a likelihood calculator. |
| US09020269B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and recording medium
There is provided an image processing device including a synthesis processing portion configured to perform a synthesis process of performing addition on pixels including a region of a subject included in an input image and terminate the synthesis process on the basis of a detection result of a subject detection portion which detects the subject of the input image. |
| US09020266B2 |
Methods and devices for processing handwriting input
A method for processing handwriting input includes determining a first boundary point and a second boundary point corresponding to each target track point, forming an enclosed area by connecting all first boundary points determined for all target track points, connecting all second boundary points determined for all the target track points, connecting the first boundary point corresponding to the first target track point with the second boundary point corresponding to the first target track point, and connecting the first boundary point corresponding to the last target track point with the second boundary points corresponding to the last target track point, and filling the enclosed area. |
| US09020260B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and recording medium
CPU performs a process to obtain image data, and defines a predetermined range in the obtained image data. Further, CPU extracts outlines of images falling within the predetermined range, and selects a closed line among the extracted outlines. Then, an image processing unit and CPU converts an image surrounded by the selected closed-line into a painterly rendering image. |
| US09020259B2 |
Method for detecting and adapting video processing for far-view scenes in sports video
A method is disclosed for analyzing video to detect far-view scenes in sports video to determine when certain image processing algorithms should be applied. The method comprises analyzing and classifying the fields of view of images from a video signal, creating and classifying the fields of view of sets of sequential images, and selectively applying image processing algorithms to sets of sequential images representing a particular type of field of view. |
| US09020256B2 |
System and method for combining color information with spatial information in multispectral images
An image processing system combines higher-resolution panchromatic images and lower resolution multispectral images using a hyperspherical color space pan-sharpening technique. By converting the multispectral images into a hyperspherical color space, the intensities of the multispectral images can be intensity matched to the intensities of the panchromatic image and then retransformed back to the original color space. The intensity matching can utilize a number of techniques, including, but not limited to, direct substitution of the intensities of the panchromatic image for the intensities of the multispectral images, modification of the intensities of the multispectral images based on predefined statistical models and modification of the intensities of the multispectral images based on dynamically generated statistical models and a selected sharpening parameter β. |
| US09020250B2 |
Methods and systems for building a universal dress style learner
This invention presents a universal framework for the discovery, understanding and matching of dress styles. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for building a universal dress style learner is disclosed, said method comprising: learning human skin models; detecting skin using the learned human skin models; collecting a set of dress images worn by a model; computing a set of style features based on the skin detected for at least one subset within the set of dress images; computing a set of clusters on the at least one subset of dress images based on at least one subset of the set of style features; validating the set of clusters for the at least one subset of style features; and computing a set of validated style features and a style basis. |
| US09020249B2 |
Color processing apparatus and color processing method
Data which represents a color space is input, a dataset which represents visual uniformity in each of a plurality of color areas is acquired, and control points which indicate a control region including the plurality of color areas corresponding to the dataset are set on the color space. Then, using the control points and dataset, the color space is corrected to be shrunk. |
| US09020247B2 |
Landmarks from digital photo collections
Methods and systems for automatic detection of landmarks in digital images and annotation of those images are disclosed. A method for detecting and annotating landmarks in digital images includes the steps of automatically assigning a tag descriptive of a landmark to one or more images in a plurality of text-associated digital images to generate a set of landmark-tagged images, learning an appearance model for the landmark from the set of landmark-tagged images, and detecting the landmark in a new digital image using the appearance model. The method can also include a step of annotating the new image with the tag descriptive of the landmark. |
| US09020239B2 |
Stereo video for gaming
A real-time stereo video signal of a captured scene with a physical foreground object and a physical background is received. In real-time, a foreground/background separation algorithm is used on the real-time stereo video signal to identify pixels from the stereo video signal that represent the physical foreground object. A video sequence may be produced by rendering a 3D virtual reality based on the identified pixels of the physical foreground object. |
| US09020236B2 |
Method for tooth surface classification
A method for intraoral imaging obtains a digital image of one or more teeth and detects first and second boundaries. At each of the first and second boundaries, there is calculated a boundary ratio of mean gray-scale values for the tooth area on one side of the boundary to mean gray-scale values for background areas on the other side. The calculated boundary ratios are stored. A third ratio of the mean gray-scale values for the tooth area near the first boundary to the mean gray-scale values for the tooth area near the second boundary is calculated and stored. A vector is formed and stored that contains at least the calculated boundary ratios and the third ratio. The tooth surface is classified as either smooth or occlusal according to the stored vector. The image data is processed according to the classification and processing results are reported. |
| US09020231B2 |
Method and apparatus for measuring captured object using brightness information and magnified image of captured image
Method and apparatus for measuring an object in a captured image. The method includes: receiving a captured image from a photographing apparatus; selecting a predetermined region on the received image based on a user input; magnifying an image with respect to the selected, predetermined region; obtaining brightness information of the received image; displaying at least one of the magnified image and the obtained brightness information; and selecting the object on the magnified image based on the obtained brightness information. The method may further include: obtaining pixel information of the received image; and measuring the selected object based on the pixel information. |
| US09020229B2 |
Surgical assistance planning method using lung motion analysis
A medical analysis method for estimating a motion vector field of the magnitude and direction of local motion of lung tissue of a subject is described. In one embodiment a first 3D image data set of the lung and a second 3D image data set is obtained. The first and second 3D image data sets correspond to images obtained during inspiration and expiration respectively. A rigid registration is performed to align the 3D image data sets with one another. A deformable registration is performed to match the 3D image data sets with one another. A motion vector field of the magnitude and direction of local motion of lung tissue is estimated based on the deforming step. The motion vector field may be computed prior to treatment to assist with planning a treatment as well as subsequent to a treatment to gauge efficacy of a treatment. Results may be displayed to highlight. |
| US09020227B2 |
Automatic interatrial septum detection from pre-operative and intra-operative 3D medical images for accurate transseptal puncture
A computer-implemented method of determining an interatrial septum ring in a cardiac image includes determining a left atrium mean shape based on a plurality of training images and determining an interatrial septum ring mean shape based on the left atrium mean shape. A left atrium mesh is identified in a new image. Then, a deformation field from the left atrium mean shape to the left atrium mesh is calculated and applied to the interatrial septum ring mean shape to determine the interatrial septum ring in the new image. |
| US09020225B2 |
Medical image processing system
A medical image processing system in which the generation of a non-steady load is made predictable based on the reservation of image processes, includes a reservation manager to manage the process commencement time and the process termination time of the reserved image processing and the amount of medical image data, which is the subject of image processing, a throughput calculating unit to calculate the throughput processed for each predetermined time width in the image processing regarding each image process carried out in the first server, and an analyzing unit to calculate the total throughput of the image processing carried out in parallel for each time width. When the calculated total is more than the predetermined throughput, the analyzing unit specifies at least one from among all image processes carried out in the time width such that the total throughput of a first server becomes less than the predetermined throughput. |
| US09020220B2 |
X-ray computed tomography scanner, dose calculation method, and program
An X-ray CT apparatus is provided. The X-ray CT apparatus includes an estimation device configured to estimate a feature quantity that relates to one of image quality and a pixel value of an image obtained by performing an X-ray CT scan on a imaging target under a predetermined scan condition, wherein the feature quantity has a correlative relationship with a dose that is based on data obtained from X-ray imaging performed on the imaging target before a main scan, and a calculation device configured to calculate a dose for the imaging target for a case when an X-ray CT scan is performed under a desired setup scan condition, the dose calculated based on the estimated feature quantity and the correlative relationship between feature quantity and dose. |
| US09020217B2 |
Simulation of medical imaging
There is described a method for simulating an imaging process for an organ, the method comprising: retrieving from a memory a 3D volume model of the organ, the 3D volume model describing a 3D structure of the organ and a distribution of density within the 3D structure, the 3D structure representing a surface and internal features of the organ; generating a slice of the 3D model according to a position and an orientation of an imaging device, the slice including a cross-section of the surface and the internal features; rendering an image in accordance with the slice; and displaying the image. |
| US09020216B2 |
Knowledge-based automatic image segmentation
A method for medical image segmentation includes accessing and updating a knowledge-base. First, a medical image is received and a sparse landmark signature is computed based on the medical image. Next, either a representative or a cohort average reference image set is selected. A portion of either representative reference image set or the cohort average reference image set is deformed to generate mappings to the medical image set. A segmentation for each structure of interest of the medical image set is determined. The knowledge-base is searched for representative matches to form a plurality of sub-volume base sets comprising a plurality of reference image set sub-volumes. A portion of the plurality of reference image set sub-volumes of the plurality of sub-volume base sets is deformed to generate mappings from the plurality of sub-volume base sets to corresponding structures of interest of the medical image set. A weighted-average segmentation for the plurality of structures of interest in the medical image set is calculated. |
| US09020213B1 |
Methods and systems for detecting biometric characteristics in an image
A method for detecting biometric characteristics in a captured biometric data image is provided that includes determining, by a processor, an approximate location for a biometric characteristic in a frame included in captured biometric data, and determining region of interest positions over the frame. Moreover, the method includes calculating a set of feature values for each position, generating a displacement for each set of feature values and generating a median displacement, and adjusting the biometric characteristic location by the median displacement. |
| US09020211B2 |
Data processing apparatus, control method therefor, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
A data processing apparatus which sequentially executes a verification process so as to recognize a target object, comprising: an obtaining unit configured to obtain dictionary data to be referred to in the verification process; a holding unit configured to hold a plurality of dictionary data; a verification unit configured to execute the verification process for the input data by referring to one dictionary data; a history holding unit configured to hold a verification result; and a prefetch determination unit configured to determine based on the verification result whether to execute prefetch processing in which the obtaining unit obtains in advance dictionary data to be referred to by the verification unit in a succeeding verification process, and holds the dictionary data in the holding unit before the succeeding verification process. |
| US09020210B2 |
Image processing system, image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program
An image processing system includes a storing section that stores a database in which specific pose data representing each of specific poses of a human, and effect manipulation data specifying each of manipulations applied to an image are registered in association with each other, a human region detecting section that detects a human region that is a region where a human appears in an image on which to perform image processing, a human pose recognizing section that recognizes a pose of the human in the human region detected by the human region detecting section, a matching section that finds the specific pose data matching the pose recognized by the human pose recognizing section, by referencing the database, and a manipulating section that applies a manipulation to the image on the basis of the effect manipulation data associated with the specific pose data found by the matching section. |
| US09020209B2 |
Face identification device
A method for identifying a person includes the steps of detecting the face of a person in an input image, determining the reliability of each feature value from the input image, and obtaining a plurality of feature values from the detected face. Based on the feature values obtained from the detected face, the feature values stored on a storage unit, and the reliability of each feature value, an identification result according to the detected face is decided. A device includes the components for implementing said method. |
| US09020208B2 |
System and method for anonymous biometrics analysis
A system receives an identification number from a subject. The system retrieves a biometric measurement from a database using the identification number. The database includes biometric measurements of a plurality of subjects. Each biometric measurement is determined from a location of a particular subject's body, each biometric measurement is associated with a particular identification number, and each particular identification number is associated with a particular subject. When the use of the identification number results in a retrieval of a biometric measurement from the biometric database, the system searches a plurality of locations on the subject and takes biometric measurements at the locations, compares the retrieved biometric measurement from the biometric database with the biometric measurements of the subject, and indicates that the retrieved biometric measurement from the biometric database matches one or more of the biometric measurements from the subject or that the retrieved biometric measurement from the biometric database does not match any of the biometric measurements from the subject. In an embodiment, the system is used for verification purposes, not identification purposes. |
| US09020207B2 |
Biometric authentication technology
Biometric authentication technology, in which biometric data is maintained for a group of people. The biometric data includes sorted similarity scores, where each of the sorted similarity scores is computed to represent similarity between a corresponding biometric image and a reference image. A biometric verification system accesses a biometric image of at least a portion of a person, accesses the reference image, and computes a similarity score that represents similarity between the accessed biometric image and the reference image. The biometric verification system searches the sorted similarity scores included in the biometric data using the computed similarity score and outputs a result based on the searching. |
| US09020206B2 |
Method for determining the cleaning effectiveness of toilet paper
A method for determining the effective cleaning of bath tissue. The method can include providing at least one pair of worn underwear; optionally, cutting the pair of worn underwear and laying it flat with the inside surface exposed; scanning an image of the exposed, inside surface of the underwear, the image including at least a portion of the underwear likely to have fecal staining; capturing with the image at least one color standard; selecting image points in areas of the scanned image visually appearing clean and areas of the scanned image visually appearing stained with fecal staining; optionally, converting the Red, Green, Blue (RGB) color to L*a*b* color values; utilizing analysis software to characterize other areas of the scanned image corresponding to image points having similar color to the image points selected as clean or stained with fecal staining; classifying the entire image, pixel by pixel, into defined portions of the underwear that are clean or stained with fecal staining; and, calculating areas corresponding to portions of the underwear stained with fecal staining. |
| US09020199B2 |
Eyelid detection device, eyelid detection method, and recording medium
A secondary curve, the ends of which coincide with the inner corner and the outer corner of the eye, is determined successively, and the total of the edge values of the pixels overlapping the secondary curve is calculated as an evaluation value. Next, a characteristic curve is generated on the basis of data made up of the calculated evaluation value and the Y-coordinate of the intersection between the secondary curve and a straight line passing through the center of a line segment whose ends coincide with the inner corner and the outer corner of the eye. Then, the reference positions for the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid of the eye are set on the basis of the result of an attempt to detect a pixel group occurring because of the red-eye effect in a search area defined on the basis of peaks in the characteristic curve. |
| US09020193B2 |
Method and apparatus for searching images
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for searching images. An image is received and a first search path is defined for the image. The first search path may be a straight line, horizontal, and/or near the bottom of the image, and/or may begin at one edge and move toward the other. A transition is defined for the image, distinguishing a feature to be found. The image is searched for the transition along the first search path. When the transition is detected, the image is searched along a second search path that follows the transition. The apparatus includes an image sensor and a processor. The sensor is adapted to obtain images. The processor is adapted to define a first search path and a transition for the image, to search for the transition along the first search path, and to search along a second search path upon detecting the transition, following the transition. |
| US09020191B2 |
Image-based indoor position determination
In one implementation, a method may comprise: determining a topological representation of an indoor portion of a building based, at least in part, on positions or number of lines in an image of the indoor portion of the building; and comparing the topological representation to one or more stored topological representations, for example in a digital map of the building, to determine a potential position of the indoor portion of the building. |
| US09020189B2 |
Methods and apparatus to monitor environments
Methods and apparatus to monitor environments are disclosed. An example method includes analyzing a plurality of three-dimensional data points having respective depth values representative of distances between a sensor and respective objects of an environment; when a first set of the three-dimensional data points has a first depth value less than a threshold, executing a first type of recognition analysis on a first area of the environment corresponding to the first set of the three-dimensional data points; and when a second set of the three-dimensional data points has a second depth value greater than the threshold, executing a second type of recognition analysis different than the first type of recognition analysis on a second area of the environment corresponding to the second set of the three-dimensional data points. |
| US09020187B2 |
Planar mapping and tracking for mobile devices
Real time tracking and mapping is performed using images of unknown planar object. Multiple images of the planar object are captured. A new image is selected as a new keyframe. Homographies are estimated for the new keyframe and each of a plurality of previous keyframes for the planar object that are spatially distributed. A graph structure is generated using the new keyframe and each of the plurality of previous keyframes and the homographies between the new keyframe and each of the plurality of previous keyframes. The graph structure is used to create a map of the planar object. The planar object is tracked based on the map and subsequently captured images. |
| US09020182B2 |
Removable speaker structure for electronic device
The present invention provides a removable speaker structure for electronic device, which uses the space for the optical disk drives in electronic devices such as notebook computers or in docking stations. After removing the optical disk drive, the removable speaker can be placed. The removable speaker comprises a main module and a speaker module. The speaker module can be removed form the main module for playing multimedia data and enhancing its sound effects. |
| US09020178B2 |
Drive unit mounting arrangement and loudspeaker
The present invention provides a novel drive unit mounting arrangement, in which a drive unit having a chassis is mounted to a cabinet from at least two sides. The arrangement comprises a member for securing the drive unit to the cabinet from mounting points of the chassis. The arrangement further comprises a suspension member between the mounting points of the chassis and the cabinet such as to suspend the drive unit chassis elastically to the cabinet for allowing suspension in both forward and rearward directions. |
| US09020177B2 |
Method and apparatus for construction of an acoustic module backvolume
Apparatus, systems and methods for providing a speaker with a backvolume that can be used in a portable electronic device are disclosed. The backvolume can be arranged to fit into a small, irregularly shaped space, thereby efficiently utilizing available space. In one embodiment, the backvolume can have a reduced wall thickness. |
| US09020176B2 |
Apparatus for vented hearing assistance systems
An apparatus related to earmolds with venting configurations designed to relieve the occlusion effect. Various designs provide multiple vents allow residual ear canal air volume to vent to and from air outside the ear and the earmold. In various designs, the earmold includes one vent between the residual ear canal air volume and a volume of air internal to the earmold. A second vent provides passage of air internal to the earmold and air external to the ear and the inserted earmold when worn by a user. |
| US09020175B2 |
Portable electronic device which provides hearing aid compatibility
A portable electronic device which provides hearing aid compatibility and a printed circuit board (PCB) for use in a portable electronic device are provided. The PCB comprises a body having at least one signal trace, a hearing aid compatibility (HAC) coil located in the body and electrically coupled to the at least one signal trace, and a ferrite core located in the body for amplifying a magnetic field generated by the HAC coil. |
| US09020174B2 |
Bone conduction device having an integrated housing and vibrator mass
A bone conduction hearing aid device comprising a vibrator configured to vibrate in response to sound signals received by the device. The device further comprises a housing mass forming a housing for one or more operational components of the device, wherein the housing mass is attached to the vibrator so as to move in response to the vibration. The device also comprises a coupling configured to attach the device to a recipient so as to deliver the generated mechanical to the recipient's skull. |
| US09020171B2 |
Method for control of adaptation of feedback suppression in a hearing aid, and a hearing aid
A method for controlling adaptation of a feedback suppression filter in a hearing aid comprises the step of suspending the adaptation of the feedback suppression filter when the level of a hearing aid reference signal is below a predetermined threshold. The invention further provides a hearing aid with a feedback suppression filter and with means for suspending adaptation of the feedback suppression filter. |
| US09020170B2 |
Hearing system and finger ring for the hearing system
The hearing system comprises a finger ring and a hearing device body. The finger ring includes: a first short-distance wireless communication portion; a vibration output portion disposed at a position that contacts a finger to convert a voice signal, which is received by the first short-distance wireless communication portion, into a cartilage conduction vibration and outputs it; and a first power source portion that supplies power to the first short-distance wireless communication portion and the vibration output portion. The talk device body includes: a second short-distance wireless communication portion that communicates with the first short-distance wireless communication portion; a microphone; a voice signal output portion that makes the second short-distance wireless communication portion output the voice signal according to a voice captured by the microphone; and a second power source portion that supplies power to the second short-distance wireless communication portion, the microphone, and the voice signal output portion. |
| US09020169B2 |
Adaptive data rate for a bilateral hearing prosthesis system
Methods, systems, and devices for determining a data rate for a communication between bilateral hearing prostheses are disclosed. A first hearing prosthesis transmits a first signal to a second hearing prosthesis during a first transmission interval. The second hearing prosthesis transmits a second signal to the first hearing prosthesis during a second transmission interval. The first signal includes an indication of a data rate for the second signal. |
| US09020161B2 |
System for headphone equalization
A system for headphone equalization includes a stored set of predetermined tone burst reference signals and a stored set of predetermined tone burst test signals that form a range of frequencies used in a user specific audio test to develop a headphone correction filter. A predetermined tone burst reference signal and a predetermined tone burst test signal may intermittently and sequentially drive a transducer included in the headphone. A loudness of the predetermined tone burst reference signal may be fixed and a loudness of the predetermined tone burst test signal may be variable with a gain setting. The gain setting may be used to generate the headphone correction filter. |
| US09020159B2 |
Noise reduction device
A noise control device includes the following structural elements. A signal memory records both of a noise signal supplied from a noise microphone and an error signal supplied from an error microphone. A filter coefficient calculator calculates a fixed filter coefficient of a control filter by using data recorded in the signal memory. A filter coefficient renewing section renews, at a given timing, a filter coefficient set at a fixed filter in a control filter to a filter coefficient read out from the filter coefficient calculator. |
| US09020158B2 |
Quiet zone control system
An active noise control system generates an anti-noise signal to drive a speaker to produce sound waves to destructively interfere with an undesired sound in a quiet zone. The anti-noise signal is generated with an adaptive filter having filter coefficients. The coefficients of the adaptive filter may be adjusted based on a first filter adjustment from a first listening region, and a second filter adjustment from a second listening region. A first weighting factor may be applied to the first filter adjustment, and a second weighting factor may be applied to the second filter adjustment. The first and second weighting factors may dictate the location and size of the quiet zone as being outside or partially within at least one of the first listening region and the second listening region. |
| US09020148B2 |
Protection of registers against unilateral disturbances
A method for protecting a key intended to be used by an electronic circuit in an encryption or decryption algorithm, including the steps of: submitting the key to a first function taking a selection value into account; storing all or part of the result of this function in at least two registers; when the key is called by the algorithm, reading the contents of said registers and submitting them to a second function taking into account all or part of the bits of the registers; and providing the result of the combination as an input for the algorithm, the second function being such that the provided result corresponds to the key. |
| US09020146B1 |
Algorithm agile programmable cryptographic processor
A communication device includes at least one receiver and at least one transmitter. The communication device also includes a cryptographic processor coupled to at least one of the at least one receiver and the at least one transmitter. The communication device further includes the cryptographic processor enabling high speed cryptographic modes. The cryptographic processor includes a resource virtualization subsystem having an address offset register bank and an offset adder coupled to a microaddress calculation logic on a bank virtualization subsystem. |
| US09020143B2 |
Method and system for providing advanced address book functionality in a universal plug and play home network environment
Methods and apparatus are provided for a managing at least one network address book of a user at a TS in a UPnP home network. A request to update a contact entry is received from a TCP that is coupled to the TS in the UPnP home network. The request includes contact information associated with at least one entity of the contact entry, and an identifier of a source of the contact entry. It is determined whether the identifier in the request is associated with any of one or more network address books in one or more WAN servers coupled to the TS via a WAN. When the identifier is associated with at least one of the one or more network address books, the contact entry in the at least one network address book is updated based on the contact information. When the identifier is not associated with any of the one or more network address books, the contact entry in a local address book in the TS is updated based on the contact information. |
| US09020139B2 |
Interactive voice response system and method with common interface and intelligent agent monitoring
A modular interactive voice recognition (“IVR”) overlay system and a method of processing calls. The system provides an application server, a plurality of agent workstations and a graphical user interface (“GUI”) to allow a hybrid approach to processing calls using an automated IVR and live agents. The system and method allow a single agent to process multiple calls simultaneously and is compatible with existing IVR systems and can be implemented as an add-on to existing IVR systems. |
| US09020136B2 |
System and method for blended PSTN and computer network customer support interactions
The present disclosure includes a system and method for blended telephone network and computer network customer support interactions. The system may include a web server, one or more controllers, a telephone exchange, a monitoring server, and one or more client devices. The method may include receiving a multimedia support request, establishing a multimedia communications session, instructing a telephony application associated with the multimedia communications session to place a telephone call, routing and connecting the telephone call to an available endpoint, identifying the available endpoint when the telephone call is connected to the available endpoint, and transmitting an invitation to participate in the multimedia communications session to the available endpoint. |
| US09020135B2 |
Dialog compatability
A contact center system can receive messages from consumers. The system can then interact with the consumer or customer using a dialog. Before conducting the session with the consumer, past interactions using the dialog are reviewed to determine words, phrases, and other information that caused the dialog to be successful. The information is stored as norms. Upon beginning a new interaction with the dialog, the norms and the past successful dialogs are retrieved and compared to the active dialog while the interaction is on-going. The comparison is then used to ensure that the present active dialog will lead to a successful outcome or to resolve any issued if the outcome is not likely to be successful. |
| US09020134B1 |
System and method for automated assignment of monitoring in a contact center
A system for automated assignment of monitoring customer-agent interactions is provided. A metadata extraction module configured to extract metadata related to each of a plurality of customer-agent interactions is disclosed. Further, a resource attribute collection module configured to collect attributes about each of a plurality of supervisor resources in the communication system is disclosed. Additionally, an assignment module configured to assign one of the plurality of supervisor resources to monitor one of the plurality of customer-agent interactions based on the extracted metadata and the collected attributes is disclosed. |
| US09020132B2 |
Contact center agent filtering and relevancy ranking
Methods and systems for supporting the monitoring and control of an automatic call distribution system are provided. In particular, a ranked list of candidate agents that can be assigned to handle contacts for a selected queue associated with an automatic call distribution system is presented to a supervisor. The supervisor can make agent assignments from the ranked list at the discretion of the supervisor. The assignment or reassignment can be effected by the supervisor through control inputs entered through the user interface. These control inputs can include reconfiguring agent and/or queue attributes. In addition, assignments can be effected through communications to agents made by the supervisor that are initiated through the user interface. |
| US09020128B1 |
System and method for cost-based automatic call distribution with statistically predictable wait time
System and method to select a contact handling mode in a contact center, the method including: receiving, by a communication interface, a contact from a customer; calculating, by a processor of the contact center, an expected wait time by the customer based upon historical contact information stored in a memory of the contact center; calculating an expected cost of queueing the customer for the expected wait time; and selecting the contact handling mode based upon the expected cost of queueing the customer. |
| US09020127B2 |
Number normalization and display
Methods, devices, and systems are provided such that enterprise network administrators may create and display a dial plan management arrangement using enterprise canonical format and number normalization and friendly display tables. A solution is provided for creating and managing call routing simply and graphically using enterprise canonical format rather than through a legacy routing scheme using of a series of tables with no graphic depiction and multiple formats. By using a single format with a graphical representation when administering dial planning, implementation and management are significantly simpler and more efficient. |
| US09020125B1 |
Recording invocation of communication sessions
Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent of a customer center communication system are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: configuring a communication component of the customer center communication system to enable recording of a media stream associated with the communication session; transmitting the media stream over a network based on the configuration of the communication component; receiving the media stream over the network; and recording the received media stream. |
| US09020122B2 |
Method and apparatus for tagging outgoing telephony calls
Systems and methods for determining and providing call disposition information for outgoing calls are provided. More particularly, the disposition of a call placed from a communication device is determined, and associated with a call log for that communication device. The call disposition information is displayed or otherwise output to a user when the call log is accessed by the user. The call disposition information can be determined by a call disposition application running on a communication server that provides the call disposition information to a communication device for display by that communication device. |
| US09020118B2 |
Method and system for intelligent routing
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for intelligent routing. An intelligent routing processing module sets at least one intelligent routing trigger condition and at least one corresponding intelligent routing policy in advance, and an incoming call or message is processed according to intelligent routing contact manners in the intelligent routing policy. The intelligent routing trigger condition includes relevant information of the incoming call or message and the intelligent routing policy may include more than one intelligent routing contact manner. The embodiments of the present invention may provide more intelligent routing contact manners and intelligent routing policies for communication routing technology and may make full use of subscriber presence information. |
| US09020107B2 |
Performing actions for users based on spoken information
Techniques are described for performing actions for users based at least in part on spoken information, such as spoken voice-based information received from the users during telephone calls. The described techniques include categorizing spoken information obtained from a user in one or more ways, and performing actions on behalf of the user related to the categorized information. For example, in some situations, spoken information obtained from a user is analyzed to identify one or more spoken information items (e.g., words, phrases, sentences, etc.) supplied by the user, and to generate corresponding textual representations (e.g., via automated speech-to-text techniques). One or more actions may then be taken regarding the identified information items, including to categorize the items by adding textual representations of the spoken information items to one or more of multiple predefined lists or other collections of information that are specific to or otherwise available to the user. |
| US09020106B2 |
Emergency video calls
A device is configured to identify an emergency call from a user device, determine that the user device is to be connected on a video call, and obtain first video call information associated with the user device, where the first video call information includes information that permits the video call to be established. The device is configured to receive emergency information associated with the emergency call, and to identify an emergency guidance device to which the user device is to be connected via the video call. The device is configured to obtain second video call information associated with the emergency guidance device, where the second video call information includes information that permits the video call to be established, and to provide information to connect the user device and the emergency guidance device via the video call, based on the first video call information and the second video call information. |
| US09020105B2 |
Systems and methods for third party emergency call termination
Various systems and methods for servicing emergency calls are disclosed. One such method includes providing a location database that includes physical location information about a communication device. This location information can be accessed either directly or indirectly by an emergency service answering system, while concealing the information from a network responsible for terminating the call. |
| US09020104B2 |
X-ray optical apparatus and adjusting method thereof
The present invention provides a method of adjusting an X-ray optical apparatus which includes: an X-ray source; and a reflective structure where at least three reflective substrate arranged with an interval and X-rays which are incident into a plurality of passages whose both sides are put between the reflective substrates are reflected and parallelized by the reflective substrate at both sides of each passage to be emitted from the passage. When one edge of the reflective structure is an inlet of the X-ray and the other edge is an outlet of the X-ray, a pitch of the reflective substrates at the outlet side is larger than a pitch at the inlet side. The method comprises adjusting the relative positions of the X-ray source and the reflective structure so as to reduce a penumbra amount formed by the X-ray emitted from each of the passages. |
| US09020102B2 |
X-ray optical apparatus
The present invention provides an X-ray optical apparatus including an X-ray reflective structure in which at least three reflective substrates are arranged with an interval and an X-ray which is incident into a plurality of X-ray passages whose both sides are put between the reflective substrates is reflected from the reflective substrate at both sides of the X-ray passage to be parallelized and emitted from the X-ray passage. When an edge of the X-ray reflective structure is an inlet of the X-ray and the other edge is an outlet of the X-ray, a pitch of the reflective substrates at the outlet is larger than a pitch at the inlet. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently parallelize the incident X-ray to be emitted with a simple structure. |
| US09020097B2 |
Radiographic imaging system
There is provided a radiographic imaging system that has: a radiographic imaging device at which fluoroscopic imaging, that carries out capturing of radiographic images continuously, is possible; a radiation irradiating device that irradiates radiation in a pulse form with respect to the radiographic imaging device at a time of fluoroscopic imaging; and a controller that controls the radiation irradiating device such that radiation is pulse-irradiated at the radiographic imaging device with a proportion of an irradiation time period of radiation being set within a range of 12.5% to 80% with respect to each frame time period for capturing respective frame images according to a frame rate of fluoroscopic imaging, while capturing of radiographic images is carried out at the radiographic imaging device synchronously with the pulse irradiation. |
| US09020095B2 |
X-ray scanners
The present application discloses an X-ray scanner having an X-ray source arranged to emit X-rays from source points through an imaging volume. The scanner may further include an array of X-ray detectors which may be arranged around the imaging volume and may be arranged to output detector signals in response to the detection of X-rays. The scanner may further include a conveyor arranged to convey an object through the imaging volume in a scan direction, and may also include at least one processor arranged to process the detector signals to produce an image data set defining an image of the object. The image may have a resolution in the scan direction that is at least 90% as high as in one direction, and in some cases two directions, orthogonal to the scan direction. |
| US09020091B2 |
Nuclear fuel assembly with a lock-support spacer grid
An improved grid for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly that has an egg-crate base grid as the primary support structure with each support cell of the base grid that supports a fuel rod having a lock-support sleeve that is rotatable within the support cell between a first and second orientation. In the first orientation the lock-support sleeve fits loosely within the support cell of the base grid and respectively, loosely receives the fuel rods that are loaded therein. The lock-support sleeves are then rotated to a second orientation that locks the fuel rods axially within the support cells. |
| US09020090B2 |
Axial power distribution control method, axial power distribution control system and axial power distribution control program
This document's object is to provide an axial power distribution control method in which only the control of an axial power distribution in a nuclear reactor with a simple operation with a clear operational target keeps the control of a xenon oscillation, thereby suppressing the xenon oscillation to an extremely small magnitude in advance at the same time. An axial power distribution control method comprises an axial offset calculation step of calculating an axial offset of the current power distribution (AOP) and axial offsets of the power distributions (AOX, AOI) which would give the current xenon and iodine distributions under equilibrium conditions, respectively, based on relative powers (PT, PB) in the upper and lower halves of the nuclear reactor core, a parameter calculation step of calculating parameters (DAOPX, DAOIX), a trajectory display step of displaying a trajectory to plot the parameters (DAOPX, DAOIX) on one and the other axis, respectively, an allowable range excess judgment step of judging if the axial offset of the current power distribution (AOP) exceeds an allowable range, an alarming step of giving the alarm when the AOP exceeds the allowable range, and a control rod moving step of controlling the movement of control rods to guide the plot to the major axis of an ellipse formed by the trajectory of said parameters upon receipt of the alarm. |
| US09020088B2 |
Digital system and method of estimating quasi-harmonic signal non-energy parameters using a digital Phase Locked Loop
The present invention proposes a digital system and method of measuring (estimating) non-energy parameters of the signal (phase, frequency and frequency rate) received in additive mixture with Gaussian noise. The first embodiment of the measuring system consists of a PLL system tracking variable signal frequency, a block of NCO full phase computation (OFPC), a block of signal phase primary estimation (SPPE) and a first type adaptive filter filtering the signal from the output of SPPE. The second embodiment of the invention has no block SPPE, and NCO full phase is fed to the input of a second type adaptive filter. The present invention can be used in receivers of various navigation systems, such as GPS, GLONASS and GALILEO, which provide precise measurements of signal phase at different rates of frequency change, as well as systems using digital PLLs for speed measurements. |
| US09020086B2 |
Clock data recovery circuit module and method for generating data recovery clock
A clock data recovery circuit module including a clock recovery circuit, a frequency comparison circuit and a signal detecting circuit is provided. The clock recovery circuit is configured to output a data recovery stream and a data recovery clock based on an input signal and a clock signal. The frequency comparison circuit is coupled to the clock recovery circuit. The frequency comparison circuit is configured to compare a frequency difference between the data recovery clock and the clock signal to adjust the frequency of the clock signal based on a comparison result. The signal detecting circuit is coupled to the frequency comparison circuit. The signal detecting circuit is configured to receive and detect the input signal, and the signal detecting circuit determines whether to enable the frequency comparison circuit according to the detection result. Furthermore, a method for generating a data recovery clock is also provided. |
| US09020083B2 |
Optical communication interface utilizing n-dimensional double square quadrature amplitude modulation
The present invention is directed to data communication system and methods. More specifically, various embodiments of the present invention provide a communication interface that is configured to transfer data at high bandwidth using nDSQ format(s) over optical communication networks. In certain embodiments, the communication interface is used by various devices, such as spine switches and leaf switches, within a spine-leaf network architecture, which allows large amount of data to be shared among servers. |
| US09020082B2 |
Adaptive control of low-frequency equalizers
A method includes, by a detector, receiving from a low frequency equalizer a data signal and an error signal, matching a tail portion of the data signal to a tail portion of an extended filter-pattern, and, based upon the error signal at a given location of the data signal and upon the imbalance, producing an output signal indicating whether a long-term residual intersymbol interference of the data signal in the error signal has a positive sign or a negative sign. The tail portion of the extended filter-pattern includes an imbalance between a count of each of the possible values and an unfixed sequence. The data signal includes data points with one of at least two possible values. |
| US09020081B2 |
Diversity control method and wireless communication apparatus
A diversity control method and a wireless communication apparatus which are capable of saving time and electricity consumed for diversity control if an approximation pattern approximating to a synchronization pattern appears in a reception signal during acquisition of the reception strength of every antenna by selecting any one of a plurality of antennas as a receiving antenna in every selection cycle, detection operation of a synchronization signal is continued regardless of the above described selection cycle. |
| US09020080B2 |
Method and system to adaptively cancel sinusoidal interference from a signal processing system
A method of canceling sinusoidal interference from a received signal includes identifying a block of signal-free data containing sinusoidal interference. A model of the significant interference in the selected data block is constructed, scaled to subsequent data blocks and used to remove sinusoidal interference signals from the overall received signal. |
| US09020079B2 |
Wideband digital spectrometer
A processor, comprising a first data input configured to receive a stream of samples of a first signal having a spectral space, the stream having a data rate of at least 4 GHz; a second data input configured to receive a stream of samples of a second signal; a multitap correlator, configured to receive the first stream of samples and the second stream of samples, and producing at least one correlation output for each respective sequential sample of the first signal received; and a programmable control configured to alter a relationship of the stream of samples of the first signal and the stream of samples of the second signal, to thereby select, under program control, an alterable correlation output. |
| US09020078B2 |
Signal detection device, method of controlling same, program, and wireless communication device
A signal detection device includes: a band limiting filter in which cutoff frequency is changeable; a signal detection unit that detects whether or not a signal of a specific frequency is present, from a received signal; and a control unit that executes a first signal detection that causes the signal detection unit to detect a signal, with a cutoff frequency of the band limiting filter less than the Nyquist frequency of an A/D converter, and a second signal detection that causes the signal detection unit to detect a signal, with a cutoff frequency of the band limiting filter greater than or equal to the Nyquist frequency of the A/D converter. |
| US09020076B2 |
Communication apparatus, method and system
A communication apparatus, method, and system are provided. The communication apparatus receives through a transmission path a combined signal in which modulated signals are combined. The communication apparatus converts a channel matrix indicating transmission characteristics of the transmission path using a basis conversion matrix which converts column vectors forming the channel matrix to cross at right angles, estimates a transmission symbol using the converted channel matrix, and calculates a likelihood of each bit of the estimated transmission symbol being a “1” and a “0”, respectively, using an inverse matrix of the basis conversion matrix. The method includes converting a channel matrix; estimating a transmission symbol; and calculating a likelihood of each bit being a “1” and a “0”, respectively, of the estimated transmission symbol using a basis conversion matrix. The system includes a transmitter and receiver for transmitting and receiving, respectively, a combined signal according to the method. |
| US09020075B2 |
Data signal improvement using signal peak detectors in a receiver
Methods and systems are described for improving a data at a receiver using one or more signal peak detectors. A signal is received having an initial signal level from the transmitter, the signal having a long bit and a short bit. The initial signal voltage of the signal is measured using a signal peak detector. A pre-emphasis value is determined using the signal voltage and is communicated to the transmitter, causing the transmitter to transmit the signal using an adjusted signal level. A second signal voltage of the initial signal is measured using a second signal peak detector, the second signal voltage being used to determine the pre-emphasis value. In another embodiment, a state machine having data relating to appropriate pre-emphasis is used in determining the pre-emphasis value. In another embodiment, one peak detector is used to measure the long bit and another peak detector is used to measure the short bit. In another embodiment, the signal does not have associated link training data. |
| US09020070B2 |
High capacity wireless communications systems and methods
Systems and methods for efficiently transmitting information over a wireless network segment are provided herein. An exemplary method may include separating, via a transmitter, digital fronthaul data into general information and radio signal information, transmitting the general information over the wireless network segment from the transmitter to a receiver on a first communications channel, and transmitting the radio signal information over the wireless network segment from the transmitter to the receiver on a second communications channel. |
| US09020068B2 |
VSWR measurement circuit, radio communication apparatus, VSWR measurement method, and recording medium having VSWR measurement program stored thereon
In this VSWR measurement circuit, a power measurement unit measures the power level of a reflected signal which is included in a feedback signal which has been extracted at a second CPL which has been deployed at a position connecting to an antenna end via a cable. To this end, the VSWR measurement circuit is provided with a main signal component removal circuit, wherein the main signal which has been extracted from the prestage of a digital pre-distortion circuit, and a signal in which the feedback signal that had been extracted at the second CPL has been converted to a digital signal at an A/D CONV, are provided as inputs, the main signal component included in the feedback signal is removed, and only the reflected signal is extracted so as to be output to the power measurement unit. |
| US09020064B2 |
Multilevel signal transmission system capable of accurately determining voltage levels of transmitted multilevel data signal
A multilevel signal transmitting apparatus transmits a multilevel data signal with M voltage levels, and a multilevel clock signal with (M−2) voltage levels, to a multilevel signal receiving apparatus, where M is an even number equal to or more than four. The voltage levels of the multilevel data signal include M/2 first voltage levels larger than a reference voltage level, and M/2 second voltage levels smaller than the reference voltage level. Between each pair of adjacent voltage levels among the first voltage levels, one voltage level of the multilevel clock signal is set. Between each pair of adjacent voltage levels among the second voltage levels, one voltage level of the multilevel clock signal is set. An average of the voltage levels of the multilevel clock signal has a value between a minimum of the first voltage levels, and a maximum of the second voltage levels. |
| US09020063B2 |
Automatic Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) tuning circuit for a hearing aid and method
An frequency shift keying (FSK) transceiver for use in a hearing aid is capable of automatic tuning of the transceiver frequency. The automatic tuning makes use of a phase difference detector and a tuning manager adapted to control the frequency of a resonant circuit of the FSK transceiver according to information received from the phase difference detector. The phase difference detector measures the phase difference across a component of the resonant circuit of the FSK transceiver. If the phase difference of a binary FSK symbol is equal to the phase difference of the opposite binary FSK symbol, the resonant circuit is tuned, otherwise the tuning manager performs a tuning procedure in order to minimize the difference in phase differences, and adjusts the frequency of the resonant circuit accordingly. |
| US09020062B2 |
Maximal ratio combining of equalized symbols for MIMO systems with HARQ and/or repetition coding
Systems and methods are provided for decoding signal vectors in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, where the receiver has received one or more signal vectors based on the same transmitted vector. The receiver linearizes each received signal vector using one or more zero-forcing, MMSE, or other suitable linear equalizers. The components of the equalized signal vectors may be combined using maximum-ratio combining to form the components of a combined equalized signal vector. The components of the combined equalized signal vector may then be decoded individually using a linear decoder. |
| US09020061B2 |
Codebook construction
A method implemented in a base station used in a wireless communications system is disclosed. The method comprises having a codebook including a plurality of precoding matrices, precoding data with one of the plurality of precoding matrices, and transmitting, to a user equipment, the precoded data, wherein each precoding matrix W satisfies W=W(1)W(2), where first matrix W(1) is chosen from first codebook (1), and second matrix W(2) is chosen from a second codebook. Other apparatuses, systems, and methods also are disclosed. |
| US09020058B2 |
Precoding feedback for cross-polarized antennas based on signal-component magnitude difference
A method includes receiving in a mobile communication terminal from a base station a precoded Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) signal, which includes a first signal component transmitted by one or more first antennas of the base station at a first polarization, and further comprises a second signal component transmitted by one or more second antennas of the base station at a second polarization, different from the first polarization. A difference between respective signal magnitudes of the first signal component having the first polarization and the second signal component having the second polarization that have been received in the terminal is estimated in the terminal. Feedback information, which requests the base station to precode subsequent MIMO signals with a precoding matrix that is specified as a function of the difference between the signal magnitudes, is calculated and transmitted from the terminal. |
| US09020057B2 |
Precoding for wireless signals
A system for determining precoding for a wireless signal may include a derivation module and a selection module. The derivation module may be configured to determine precoding information for a composite channel. The composite channel may represent characterizations of multiple wireless paths established between multiple receiving antennas and multiple transmitting antennas. The transmitting antennas may be distributed among multiple transmission points. The selection module may further be configured to select a codeword for each transmission point from a subset of predefined codewords based on the precoding information. The codeword for each transmission point may be used to manipulate data signals sent over the wireless paths established between the receiving antennas and the transmitting antennas of the respective transmission point. |
| US09020056B2 |
Transmission scheme for multiple-input communication
Method for transmitting and receiving signals over at least one channel between at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, the channel comprising at least one group of sub-channels, the group comprising at least one sub-channel, including the procedures of estimating at least one line characteristic of the channel and selecting a transmission scheme for each group of the at least one group of sub-channels according to the estimated line characteristic, wherein the transmission scheme is selected between a single spatial stream transmission scheme and a multiple spatial stream transmission scheme. |
| US09020052B2 |
MIMO communication method and devices
A stream of information is communicated by means of transmission distributed over a plurality of transmission antennas and reception distributed over a plurality of reception antennas. In the method the stream is encoded according to an error correcting code, into a series of multi-bit symbols. A sequence of the multi-bit symbols is interleaved, by which symbols are assigned to time slots, so that the multiple bits of the symbols remain together in the same time slot. The interleaved multi-bit symbols are transmitted, with each symbol distributed over the transmission antennas in a respective time slot. Signals received at the reception antennas in each respective time slot are received and demodulated, to produce demodulation results each for a respective time slot. A time-slot sequence of the demodulation results is deinterleaved. Decoded symbol values are selected under a constraint that a series of the selected symbols belongs to the error correcting code. The selection is performed based on information about the probability of the symbol values, obtained as a function of the demodulation results. A function is used that accounts for correlation effects between the signals from combinations of the reception antennas in a time slot. |
| US09020050B2 |
Accounting for inter-carrier interference in determining a response of an OFDM communication channel
In an embodiment, a channel estimator includes first and second stages. The first stage is operable to generate a respective one-dimensional array of first channel-estimation coefficients for each communication path of a communication channel, and the second stage is operable to generate a multi-dimensional array of second channel-estimation coefficients in response to the first channel-estimation coefficients. For example, such a channel estimator may estimate the response of a channel over which propagates an orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexed (OFDM) signal that suffers from inter-carrier interference (ICI) due to Doppler spread. Such a channel estimator may estimate the channel response more efficiently, and with a simpler algorithm, than conventional channel estimators. Furthermore, such a channel estimator may be able to dynamically account for changes in the number of communication paths that compose the channel, for changes in the delays of these paths, or the portions of the transmitted symbol energy carried by these paths. |
| US09020049B2 |
Communications system using beamforming
In a MIMO communications system a first communications device applies beamforming to a complete transmission packet including both synchronization data and either payload data or training symbols. A second communications device evaluates the beamformed synchronization data and determines and transmits a feedback information indicating minimum required synchronization data and/or a minimum number of training symbols. The first communications device tailors the synchronization data and/or number of training symbols on the basis of the feedback information. Beamforming the complete transmission packet facilitates signal suppression at defined locations. When the channel properties change, the second communications device may provide further channel state information to adapt beamforming in the first communications device without transmission of not beamformed training symbols. The communications system may be a powerline telecommunications system. |
| US09020046B2 |
Method and apparatus for adaptively reducing artifacts in block-coded video
Apparatus, systems and methods for adaptively reducing blocking artifacts in block-coded video are disclosed. In one implementation, a system includes processing logic at least capable of deblock filtering at least a portion of a line of video data based, at least in part, on edge information and texture information to generate at least a portion of a line of deblocked video data, and an image data output device responsive to the processing logic. |
| US09020044B2 |
Method and apparatus for writing video data in raster order and reading video data in macroblock order
A method and apparatus are described for processing video data. In one embodiment, a processor is provided with a video compression engine (VCE) that has a memory having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of addresses. Video data, (luma data or chroma data), is written in row (i.e., raster) order into the addresses of the memory, and then the data is read out of the addresses in column order. Data is written into the addresses of the columns of the memory as they are read out, which is subsequently read out in row order. This process of switching back and forth between reading and writing data in row and column order continues as the data is read and processed by an encoder to generate a compressed video stream. |
| US09020041B2 |
Variable length coding method and variable length decoding method
A variable length coding method is provided for coding coefficients in each block which are obtained by performing frequency transformation on picture data of a moving picture per block having a predetermined size, and includes: a coefficient scanning step of scanning the coefficients in the block in a predetermined order; and a coding step of coding the coefficients scanned in the coefficient scanning step into variable length codes in a predetermined order by switching a plurality of tables to be used for coding. Here, a direction of switching between the tables may be one-directional. Also, the coding may be non-arithmetic coding. |
| US09020040B2 |
Variable length coding method and variable length decoding method
A variable length coding method is provided for coding coefficients in each block which are obtained by performing frequency transformation on picture data of a moving picture per block having a predetermined size, and includes: a coefficient scanning step of scanning the coefficients in the block in a predetermined order; and a coding step of coding the coefficients scanned in the coefficient scanning step into variable length codes in a predetermined order by switching a plurality of tables to be used for coding. Here, a direction of switching between the tables may be one-directional. Also, the coding may be non-arithmetic coding. |
| US09020039B2 |
Systems and methods for encoding alternative streams of video for use in adaptive bitrate streaming
Systems and methods for encoding alternative streams for use in adaptive bitrate streaming based upon the delay of each stream in accordance with embodiments of the invention are described. One embodiment of the invention includes memory, and a processor configured by a source encoding application to: receive multimedia content, where the multimedia content includes source video data having a primary resolution and a primary sample aspect ratio; and encode the source video data as a set of alternative video streams, where: the alternative video streams have different maximum bitrates; and the alternative video streams are encoded to have an upper bound seek delay that is equal to or less than the upper bound seek delay of streams in the set of alternative video streams that are encoded at a higher maximum bitrate. |
| US09020035B2 |
Motion vector coding and decoding methods
A motion vector coding apparatus includes a motion vector coding unit that codes a motion vector inputted from a motion vector detecting unit. A motion vector for each current block is coded based on a difference between the motion vector and a predicted vector obtained from motion vectors for previously coded neighboring blocks. The predicted vector is generated by one of: the motion vectors referring to the same picture are selected from among the motion vectors for the neighboring blocks; the motion vectors for neighboring blocks are ordered in the predetermined order and the motion vectors of the same order rank are selected; and the predicted vector for a second motion vector of the current block is the first motion vector, and when the second motion vector and the first motion vector refer to different pictures, the first motion vector is scaled based on temporal distance between the pictures. |
| US09020033B2 |
System and method for enhancing compression using skip macro block on a compressed video
A method, apparatus and a computer readable medium for skipping macro blocks of a compressed video. The method includes, for at least one INTER frame, saving a set of macro blocks including at least one of a macro block having a motion vector greater than a predetermined motion vector threshold, a macro block having positional correspondence to at least one macro block having a motion vector, a macro block having a size greater than a predetermined macro block size threshold, and a macro block having positional correspondence to a second macro block in a previous group of pictures, the second macro block having a motion vector. The method deletes and marks as skipped one or more remaining macro blocks, and merges the set in an order to create a compressed frame including a skipped macro block. The processor implements the method, and the computer readable medium contains processor instructions. |
| US09020031B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding intra prediction mode
An intra prediction mode decoding method includes reconstructing an intra prediction mode group indicator and a prediction mode index, constructing an MPM group including three intra prediction modes using valid intra prediction modes of left and top blocks of the current block, determining the intra prediction mode corresponding to the prediction mode index in the intra prediction group corresponding to the intra prediction mode group indicator, and assigning the lowest mode numbers to non-directional modes. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of information for encoding the intra prediction mode of the current block by using intra prediction modes having higher possibility of being equal to the intra prediction mode of the current block. Also, it is possible to reduce the amount of information by assigning lowest mode numbers to the non-directional modes. |
| US09020027B2 |
Integrated circuit, communication unit and method for improved amplitude resolution of an RF-DAC
An integrated circuit includes: a digitally-controlled power generation stage for converting an input signal to a radio frequency (RF) carrier, the digitally-controlled power generation stage including a plurality of selectable switching devices capable of adjusting an envelope of the RF carrier; and a pulse width modulator (PWM) generator arranged to generate a PWM control signal according to a fractional word and operably coupleable to the plurality of selectable switching devices of the digitally-controlled power generation stage; wherein the PWM generator inputs the PWM control signal to a subset of the plurality of the selectable switching devices such that a PWM signal adjusts the envelope of the RF carrier output from the digitally-controlled power generation stage. |
| US09020026B2 |
Frequency dependent I/Q imbalance compensation
A method and system for compensating for frequency dependent phase and amplitude imbalances is provided. A plurality of frequency sub-bands is extracted from a received wideband signal. Each of the plurality of frequency sub-bands is compensated to produce an associated plurality of compensated frequency sub-bands. The compensated sub-bands are summed in order to produce a compensated signal. |
| US09020025B1 |
Transceiver with single coefficient based equalizer taps
A transceiver including an equalizer and a control circuit. The equalizer receives an input signal and first coefficients. The equalizer includes taps that, based on the first coefficients, filter the input signal to generate an output signal. The taps include a precursor tap, a unity tap and postcursor taps. The control circuit selects the first coefficients such that a sum of the first coefficients is equal to a predetermined value. The first coefficients include a precursor coefficient, a second coefficient, and post cursor coefficients corresponding respectively to the precursor tap, the unity tap, and the postcursor taps. The control circuit: maintains the second coefficient at a fixed value; based on the second coefficient, selects the precursor coefficient and the postcursor coefficients; and while maintaining the second coefficient at the fixed value and while the equalizer is receiving the input signal, adjusts the precursor coefficient or one of the postcursor coefficients. |
| US09020021B2 |
Precoding loss reduction
An apparatus for encoding data signals includes a transmitter configured to encode and transmit a data signal over a communication channel, the transmitter including a precoder; a signal shaper configured to adjust the data signal by applying an equalization setting to the data signal, the equalization setting including an amplitude and offset and transmit the adjusted data signal to the precoder; and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to perform: receiving channel coefficients associated with the communication channel; for each of a plurality of amplitude settings and a plurality of offset settings, calculating whether a modulo amplitude level would occur at a receiver using a modulo operation; selecting the equalization setting from the plurality of amplitude settings and the plurality of offset settings based on the calculation; and transmitting a control signal specifying the equalization setting to the signal shaper. |
| US09020015B2 |
Differential signal transmission circuit
A differential signal transmission circuit including a pattern generator, a low voltage differential signal (LVDS) transmitter, a transition minimized differential signal (TMDS) receiver, and a comparator is provided. The pattern generator generates a plurality of test data. The LVDS transmitter is coupled to the pattern generator to receive the test data, and generates a test output signal according to the test data. The TMDS receiver receives a test input signal to output a plurality of decoded data. The comparator is coupled to the TMDS receiver to receive the decoded data and the pattern generator to receive the test data. The comparator compares the decoded data with the test data to output a test result of the TMDS receiver. |
| US09020011B1 |
Enabling RX signal path synchronization and alignment signals in a highly integrated TX RFIC
A transmit (TX) signal path circuit in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) transceiver responsive to a digital front end (DFE) for generating receive (RX) path phase alignment signals is disclosed. A digital up-conversion block uses a first numerically-controlled oscillator (NCO) for generating digital intermediate frequency (IF) signals for ordinary TX signal generation, and a different, second NCO for generating digital IF signals for RX phase alignment signal generation. An RF up-conversion block uses a TX local oscillator (LO) for generating analog RF signals for ordinary TX signal generation, and a different feedback (FB) LO for generating analog RF signals for RX phase alignment signal generation. Thus, phase alignment of the circuitry used for ordinary TX signal generation is left undisturbed by RX phase alignment signal generation. |
| US09020008B2 |
Overlaying independent unicast frequency hopping schedules with a common broadcast schedule
In one embodiment, each device in a frequency hopping communication network independently determines its own local unicast listening schedule, and discovers a neighbor unicast listening schedule for each of its neighbors. The devices also synchronize to a common broadcast schedule for the network that simultaneously overlays a configured portion of all unicast listening schedules in the network. Accordingly, the device operate in a receive mode according to their local unicast listening schedule and the common broadcast schedule during the overlaid configured portion, and in a transmit mode according to each neighbor unicast listening schedule and the common broadcast schedule during the overlaid configured portion depending upon a destination of transmitted traffic. |
| US09020004B2 |
External resonator-type semiconductor laser element and optical element
A ring resonator is connected to an optical amplifier. The ring resonator and optical amplifier are contained within the optical path of an optical resonator formed by a first and second reflector. The optical coupler branches part of the light conducting from the optical amplifier to the ring resonator within the optical resonator off to an output optical waveguide. |
| US09020002B2 |
Hybrid silicon laser-quantum well intermixing wafer bonded integration platform for advanced photonic circuits with electroabsorption modulators
Photonic integrated circuits on silicon are disclosed. By bonding a wafer of compound semiconductor material as an active region to silicon and removing the substrate, the lasers, amplifiers, modulators, and other devices can be processed using standard photolithographic techniques on the silicon substrate. A silicon laser intermixed integrated device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises a silicon-on-insulator substrate, comprising at least one waveguide in a top surface, and a compound semiconductor substrate comprising a gain layer, the compound semiconductor substrate being subjected to a quantum well intermixing process, wherein the upper surface of the compound semiconductor substrate is bonded to the top surface of the silicon-on-insulator substrate. |
| US09019999B2 |
Efficient and compact visible microchip laser source with periodically poled nonlinear materials
A compact, optically-pumped solid-state microchip laser device uses efficient nonlinear intracavity frequency conversion for obtaining low-cost green and blue laser sources. The laser includes a solid-state gain medium, such as Nd:YVO4, and a nonlinear crystal. The nonlinear crystal is formed of periodically poled lithium niobate or periodically poled lithium tantalate, and the crystal is either MgO-doped, ZnO-doped, or stoichiometric to ensure high reliability. The nonlinear crystal provides efficient frequency doubling to translate energy from an infrared pump laser beam into the visible wavelength range. The laser device is assembled in a package having an output aperture for the output beam and being integrated with an optical bench accommodating a laser assembly. The package encloses and provides heat sinking for the semiconductor diode pump laser, the microchip laser cavity assembly, the optical bench platform, and electrical leads. |
| US09019998B1 |
Tunable fiber ring laser with a gain clamped semiconductor optical amplifier
A tunable fiber ring laser with a gain clamped semiconductor optical amplifier is a ring laser source working at room temperature. The laser has an inner cavity disposed inside an outer cavity. A pair of circulators disposed in the inner cavity is configured to assure counter-propagation of light between the inner cavity and the outer cavity. A gain-clamped semiconductor optical amplifier (GC-SOA) is formed by combining a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a fixed filter in conjunction with the pair of circulators. A Fiber Fabry-Perot Tunable Filter (FFP-TF) is disposed in the outer cavity and connects to the pair of circulators via a polarization controller and a fused coupler. |
| US09019997B1 |
Method and system for transporting constant bit rate clients across a packet interface
This disclosure describes a method and apparatus for signaling the phase and frequency of OTN and Constant Bit Rate (CBR) clients in an OTN network. The principles discussed are applicable when multiple stages of OTN multiplexing and demultiplexing are utilized. They are also applicable for use with the Generic Mapping Procedure (GMP) and Asynchronous Mapping Procedure (AMP). A method to use the phase and frequency of an ODUk/ODUflex to adjust a local reference clock to enable the recovery of the phase and frequency of a CBR client demapped from the ODUk/ODUflex is described. |
| US09019996B2 |
Network clock synchronization floating window and window delineation
A network component comprising at least one processor configured to implement a method comprising initiating a synchronization window, and promoting the transmission of a frame comprising a control symbol, wherein the control symbol delineates a beginning of the frame, and wherein the control symbol is offset from the beginning of the synchronization window. Also disclosed is a system comprising an upstream node in communication with a downstream node, wherein the upstream node transmits a data stream comprising a plurality of frames to the downstream node, wherein the data stream is organized into a plurality of synchronization windows, and wherein the frames float within the synchronization windows. Included is a method comprising transmitting an Ethernet data stream comprising an Ethernet control symbol, wherein the Ethernet control symbol is transmitted within a synchronization window and delineates a start of a packet within the synchronization window. |
| US09019995B2 |
Method and system for providing faster channel switching in a digital broadcast system
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for switching between channels of encoded media data involving receiving encoded media data including reference frames and dependent frames for a plurality of channels, wherein each dependent frame refers to at least one reference frame. Frames associated with a first channel from the plurality of channels are decoded to generate a decoded signal for the first channel. While decoding frames associated with the first channel, data corresponding to at least one reference frame associated with a second channel from the plurality of channels are stored. In response to a control signal for switching from the first to the second channel, at least one dependent frame associated with the second channel is decoded by utilizing the stored data corresponding to the at least one reference frame associated with the second channel, to generate a decoded signal for the second channel. |
| US09019987B1 |
System and method for avoiding the transmission of unsupported messages
Disclosed herein are methods and systems to provide, to a wireless communication device (WCD), a mapping between a first unsupported message type and a first supported message type. One embodiment takes the form of a method that involves a base station transmitting in a coverage area, for receipt by a given WCD configured to send a first unsupported message type to the base station, a mapping that correlates the first unsupported message type with the first supported message type. As a result of transmitting the mapping, the base station receives, from the given WCD, a message of the first supported message type in the place of a message of the first unsupported message type. |
| US09019986B2 |
System and method for communications link control
A method for operating an access point includes receiving information from a first station configured to operate in a non-traffic-indication-map (non-TIM) mode, and determining if downlink data intended for the first station is available at the access point. The method also includes transmitting at least one of the downlink data intended for the first station to the first station, a data indicator indicating that the downlink data intended for the first station is available at the access point, information indicating downlink data is available for the first station, and a time indicator indicating a specific time when the downlink data intended for the first station will be sent to the first station. |
| US09019984B2 |
Selecting wireless access points for geofence monitoring
Methods, program products, and systems for monitoring geofence exits using wireless access points are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, the mobile device can select, from multiple wireless access points, one or more wireless access points for monitoring a geofence. Selecting the one or more wireless access points can include determining multiple geographic regions corresponding to the geofence. The mobile device can select the one or more wireless access points based on a maximum total number of wireless access points to be selected and an access point allowance for each of the geographic regions. The access point allowance can indicate a maximum number of wireless access points to be selected for the geographic region. The mobile device can detect a potential entry or exit of the geofence by monitoring the selected one or more wireless access points using a wireless processor. |
| US09019983B2 |
Data communication method, communication system and mobile terminal
In a communications system which complies with LTE including a base station 2 which transmits data by using an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) method as a downlink access method, and a mobile terminal 3, in a case in which an uplink scheduling request signal SR is transmitted by using an S-RACH when an Ack/Nack signal is being transmitted by using an Ack/Nack exclusive channel, the transmission of the Ack/Nack signal is stopped while the uplink scheduling request signal SR is transmitted. |
| US09019982B2 |
Wireless communication base station device, wireless communication terminal device and CCE allocation method
Disclosed is a wireless communication base station device that can suppress increases in terminal power consumption while being able to perform CCE allocation flexibly. In the device, a search space setting unit (103) sets search space for each wireless communication terminal device that communicates using multiple downlink unit bands. When the aggregation level of a CCE that is allocated control information addressed to the wireless communication terminal devices is less than a threshold value, an allocating unit (106) allocates the control information to a CCE inside the search space established in a single one of the multiple downlink unit bands. When the aggregation level is greater than the threshold value, the control information is allocated distributed to the CCEs inside the search spaces established for each of the multiple downlink unit bands. |
| US09019981B1 |
Protocol for multicasting in a low bandwidth network
A modified protocol independent multicast (M-PIM) routing protocol is an improvement to protocol independent multicast (PIM) routing protocol. M-PIM is optimized for use with at least one low bandwidth multi-hop network. The improvement comprises at least one modification to PIM that facilitates the transport of multicast traffic in a multi-layer routing system. |
| US09019980B2 |
Control channel transmitting method, base station and terminal
A method used in a communication system including a base station and a terminal, the method includes: transmitting from the base station to the terminal a control channel with use of a control channel format selected from among a plurality of control channel formats, each including modulation scheme information, according to whether Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transmission is applied or not, and receiving the control channel by the terminal, wherein a number of bits indicating a modulation scheme included in a control channel format to be selected when the MIMO transmission is applied is greater than that included in a control channel format to be selected when the MIMO transmission is not applied. |
| US09019977B2 |
Configuration management of distributed virtual switch
A method, non-transitory storage medium, and apparatus are presented for configuration management of a distributed virtual switch including components distributed on different entities in a computing system is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a snapshot of a configuration of the distributed virtual switch is received from a management plane configured to manage the distributed virtual switch. The snapshot may include settings for the configuration at a time of taking the snapshot. A persistent storage location independent from the management plane is designated for storing the received snapshot of the configuration. After the snapshot is taken, the configuration may be retrieved from the persistent storage location and the settings of the configuration may be applied to the distributed virtual switch, a new distributed virtual switch, or an existing distributed virtual switch. |
| US09019970B1 |
Implementation of reliable synchronization of distributed databases
A plurality of forwarding devices are configured to couple to respective pluralities of ports to ingress and egress network traffic. Ones of the plurality of forwarding devices are coupled to respective forwarding databases and each one forwarding device is configured to maintain the respective forwarding database, and send messages to and receive message from other ones of the plurality of forwarding devices to synchronize the plurality of forwarding databases. |
| US09019967B2 |
VLAN advertisement and automated configuration
A gratuitous address resolution protocol frame is sent from an information handling system upon detection of VLAN status change the information handling system. A status flag included in the address resolution protocol frame provides a switch that receives the frame with the status change, such as the addition or removal of a VLAN at the information handling system. |
| US09019960B2 |
Enhanced data link communication over iridium
A method to reduce latency in a data link communication is provided. The method includes compressing a data packet to be uplinked from a ground station to an aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) in an aircraft and determining a packet size of the data packet. The aircraft communications addressing and reporting system is configured to receive packets having a packet size less than or equal to a first threshold packet size. An Iridium router based unrestricted digital inter-working connectivity solution data service is implemented to uplink the compressed data packet if the packet size exceeds a second threshold packet size. A short burst data service is implemented to uplink the compressed data packet if the packet size is less than or equal to the second threshold packet size. |
| US09019959B2 |
Node, switch, and system
According to one embodiment, a node is capable of conforming to one of a plurality of Ethernet standards and includes: an Ethernet controller unit that performs auto-negotiation with a switch to exchange information concerning an interface speed, to determine an interface speed to be used based on the information concerning the interface speed, and to receive information including a setting Ethernet standard set as an Ethernet standard to be used; a storage unit that stores a node's available Ethernet standard which is an Ethernet standard to which the node can conform; and a controller that performs setting such that the node operates using a coincident standard between the Ethernet standard stored in the storage unit and setting Ethernet standard and connects a link to the switch. |
| US09019955B2 |
Internet telephony with interactive information
A subscriber (12, 14, 16) initiating an Internet telephony call may receive specific content targeted to that subscriber in accordance with a match between at least one of the dialed number and the calling party number. Upon receipt of the subscriber's Internet telephony call, an Internet Telephony Service Provider server (18) searches each of a dialed number database, a calling party number database and a default database to establish a match between the calling party number, the dialed number or a range of either numbers. Upon finding a match, the Internet Telephony Service Provider server retrieves corresponding content, typically in the form of a URL that links to an associated web site, to provide to the subscriber who may elect to retrieve that information at the subscriber's discretion. |
| US09019953B2 |
Network node, method, and mobile terminal for providing voice calls to a mobile terminal in a packet-switched-only network
A network node, method, and mobile terminal for providing circuit-switched (CS) voice calls to a mobile terminal operating in a packet-switched (PS)-only network. A control node such as an EPC node in an SAE/LTE PS-only network is modified to mimic the messaging functionality of a Serving GPRS Service Node (SGSN). The EPC node is connected to an MSC/VLR in a CS network through a Gs interface. The EPC node registers the terminal with the MSC/VLR and provides a VLR TMSI to the terminal. When the MSC/VLR receives an incoming CS voice call for the terminal, the MSC/VLR notifies the EPC node, which sends a paging message to the terminal. To set up the CS voice call, the terminal sends a paging response directly to the MSC/VLR. |
| US09019951B2 |
Routing apparatus and method for processing network packet thereof
A routing apparatus and a method thereof for processing a network packet are provided. In the present method, a plurality of packet processing rules comprising a plurality of conditions are defined in the routing apparatus, and a relationship between each condition and the relative packet processing rules is recorded. After a packet enters the routing apparatus, it is determines that whether a specific packet processing rule can be found among the packet processing rules according to a plurality of packet information and the predefined relationship. If the specific packet processing rule can be found, the packet is processed by the specific packet processing rule. As a result, the performance of the routing apparatus and the processing speed can be increased. |
| US09019948B2 |
Allocation slot arrangement for wireless body area networks with sensor initiated grant extensions
Allocation slot arrangement is provided for wireless body area networks (BANs). In particular, in some embodiments the allocation slots are arranged based on a set of rules and received input parameters. Allocation slot arrangement may comprise maximizing a weighted sum function computed by applying the rules and input parameters to all nodes over all possible arrangements. |
| US09019944B2 |
Diagnosing and resolving wireless network malfunctions
A preconditioned air unit (10) for supplying preconditioned air to an aircraft parked on the ground, the preconditioned air unit comprising a main unit with a housing (12) accommodating a flow duct (20) with an air inlet (22) for ambient air and an air outlet (25) for connection to the parked aircraft, a blower (30) connected with the flow duct for generation of an air flow from the air inlet toward the air outlet, and a plurality of compartments (34), each of which is configured for accommodation of a self-contained cooling module comprising at least one refrigeration system, each of which includes at least one compressor (38), at least one condenser (40), at least one expansion valve (42), and at least one evaporator (44) connected in a flow circuit containing a refrigerant, and wherein each compartment is further configured so that the at least one evaporator interacts with the air flow in the flow duct when the self-contained cooling module is installed in the compartment, and wherein at least one self-contained cooling module is installed in the plurality of compartments. |
| US09019943B2 |
Systems and methods of communication using tunneled direct link setup (TDLS)
Systems and methods for improved communications using tunneled direct link setup are described herein. The systems and methods relate to discovery, link setup, channel switching, multicasting, link selection, and quality of service implemented in conjunction with tunneled direct link setup. |
| US09019942B2 |
Method and apparatus of supporting wireless femtocell clusters
A method of operating a femtocell network cluster is disclosed. One example method of operating the femtocell network cluster may include certain operations, such as, selecting a master femtocell access point among various femtocell access points operating on the femtocell network cluster and updating a master table to include the master femtocell access point in the master table neighbor list. Other operations may include transmitting the master table to each of the femtocell access points informing them of the identity of the master femtocell access point. The tables may be maintained by all of the femtocell access points operating on the network. |
| US09019937B2 |
Transferring a session for user equipment to a different basestation running a needed edge application
Mobile network services are performed in a mobile data network in a way that is transparent to most of the existing equipment in the mobile data network. The mobile data network includes a radio access network and a core network. A breakout component in the radio access network breaks out data coming from a basestation connected to user equipment, and hosts edge applications that perform one or more mobile network services at the edge of the mobile data network based on the broken out data. When a breakout component is not running a needed edge application, the session for the user equipment may be transferred to a neighboring basestation that is running the needed edge application. |
| US09019934B2 |
Systems and networks for half and full duplex wireless communication using multiple radios
Provided herein is a wireless communication system comprising a first device and a second device. The first device comprises a first radio type and a second radio type. The second device comprises a first radio type and a second radio type. The first device is adaptable to form a communication link with the second device using the first radio or the second radio. The first device can be adaptable to transmit data to the second device through the first radio type or the second radio type. The second device can be adaptable to form a communication link with the first device through dynamic switching between the first radio type and second radio type of the second device. The second device can be adaptable to receive data from the first device through the first radio type or the second radio type. The second device can be adaptable to transmit data to the first device using the first radio type or the second radio type. The second device can be adaptable to be in communication with the first device through dynamic switching between the first radio type and the second radio type and the second device can be adaptable to transmit data to the first device through the first radio type or the second radio type. Further provided herein is a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of devices comprising at least two devices, wherein at least two devices of the plurality of device are adaptable to form a communication link using a radio type selected from a plurality of radio types, wherein the network is adaptable to dynamically select the radio type used to form the communication link. The network can monitor the quality of the communication link between the at least two devices and is further adaptable to dynamically switch between the plurality of radio types in response to the quality of the communication link. |
| US09019931B2 |
Method for coordinating transmissions between different communications apparatuses and communications apparatuses utilizing the same
A communications apparatus is provided. A controller module generates a suggested sub-frame pattern describing suggested arrangement of one or more almost blank sub-frame(s) in one or more frame(s) and schedules control signal and/or data transmissions according to the suggested sub-frame pattern. A transceiver module transmits at least a first signal carrying information regarding the suggested sub-frame pattern to a peer communications apparatus. The peer communications apparatus does not schedule data transmissions in the almost blank sub-frame(s). |
| US09019930B2 |
Coded reverse link messages for closed-loop power control of forward link control messages
A field unit includes circuitry configured to receive a signal and determine whether the received signal has a predetermined quality; circuitry configured to select a signal from a plurality of signals including a first signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, a second signal indicating that the field unit is requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality, a third signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was received with the predetermined quality, and a fourth signal indicating that the field unit is not requesting an assignment of resources and the received signal was not received with the predetermined quality; and circuitry configured to transmit the selected signal over a control channel. |
| US09019927B2 |
Optimization of the presence information refresh for a wireless device
The various embodiments include methods implemented by a first mobile device for updating presence information for a second mobile device stored in memory of the first mobile device when the first mobile device determines that a calculated update quantification exceeds a particular threshold value. In an embodiment, the first mobile device may select one channel from a plurality of available communication channels in response to determining that the update quantification exceeds a threshold value. In a further embodiment, the first mobile device may update the presence information of the second mobile device via that selected channel. |
| US09019920B2 |
Integrated circuit for communication resource allocation
Provided is a base station capable of suppressing increase of overhead of allocation result report in frequency scheduling in multi-carrier communication and obtaining a sufficient frequency diversity effect. In the base station, encoding units (101-1 to 101-n) encode data (#1 to #n) to mobile stations (#1 to #n), modulation units (102-1 to 102-n) modulate the encoded data so as to generate a data symbol, a scheduler (103) performs frequency scheduling according to a CQI from each mobile station so as to uniformly allocate data to the respective mobile stations for a part of RB extracted from a plurality of RB, and an SCCH generation unit (105) generates control information (SCCH information) to report the allocation result in the scheduler (103) to the respective mobile stations. |
| US09019917B2 |
Method for detecting a downlink control structure for carrier aggregation
This invention relates with a method for detecting a downlink control structure for carrier aggregation in communication network in which data transmission is scheduled by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). An UE receives higher layer signaling enabling carrier aggregation for the UE. The UE reads the PDCCHs of component carriers (CCs), wherein the downlink control information (DCI) in the PDCCHs of each CC is read according to one of a plurality of predefined formats derived from the higher layer signaling. |
| US09019916B2 |
RACH preamble response with flexible UL allocation
A method for allocating resources between a mobile communication device and a network access node is described. The method includes sending a random access preamble message to the network access node. Receiving a random access response message which includes a response to the random access preamble message is also included in the method. The response includes UL resource allocation information for scheduling an UL transmission. The UL resource allocation information includes information identifying one or more individual time subframes allocated for the UL transmission. The method also includes sending the UL transmission in the identified one or more individual time subframes. Apparatus and computer readable memory are also described. |
| US09019915B2 |
Channel selection to minimize impact on existing networks
This document discloses one or more systems, apparatuses, methods, etc. for implementing an algorithm to enhance channel allocation and/or channel location selection in a wireless connection environment. |
| US09019912B2 |
Mobile terminal simulator for a wireless telecommunications network and method of simulating a mobile terminal
A mobile terminal simulator for a wireless telecommunications network includes: a simulation engine, providing a bit stream, according to a communications standard; a conversion stage, which converts the bit stream into a baseband signal in the frequency domain; a mapping and transformation stage, which generates transmission samples in the time domain as a function of the baseband signal; and a transmission module, connectable to a Base Radio Station of a wireless telecommunications network by a communication port. A transmission channel simulator module is connected between the conversion stage and the mapping and transformation stage and processes the baseband signal in the frequency domain so as to simulate a transmission channel between the communication port and the Base Radio Station. |
| US09019910B2 |
System and method for managing resource in communication system
A system for managing resources in a communication system including a plurality of systems, which do not have a permission for a first frequency band, includes a plurality of coexistence managers configured to, when a frequency band available for the plurality of systems is searched from the first frequency band, manage the plurality of systems for coexistence and frequency sharing of the plurality of systems in the available frequency band; a coexistence enabler configured to transmit and receive information of the plurality of systems and information of the coexistence manager; and a coexistence discovery and information server configured to support control of the coexistence manager over the plurality of systems, wherein predetermined messages are transmitted and received among the coexistence discovery and information server, the plurality of coexistence managers and the coexistence enabler to discover neighbor systems among the plurality of systems. |
| US09019909B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for coexistence management
Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to provide a wireless device with suitable operating parameters for wireless resource sharing with heterogeneous wireless networks to enable coexistence of secondary networks in a shared band environment. An example embodiment includes a method, comprising: receiving a request from a wireless network, requesting device management information for coexistence within an unassigned frequency band with zero or more neighboring wireless networks of the wireless network; and providing the requested device management information for the wireless network, based on at least location of the wireless network, the device management information including at least allowed frequency and transmission power. |
| US09019903B2 |
Optimization to support uplink coordinated multi-point
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate assigning uplink resources for utilization by a mobile device for sending an uplink signal in an uplink coordinated multi-point (CoMP) wireless communication environment. For instance, a hopping tree can be defined across base stations, and neighboring base stations can schedule interfering mobile devices upon uplink resources mapped to different nodes from the hopping tree. By way of another example, a plurality of hopping trees can be employed across base stations in the uplink CoMP wireless communication environment. Moreover, an acknowledgment can be sent to the mobile device upon downlink resources identified as a function of the uplink resources. Further, the downlink resources can be distinct from disparate downlink resources utilized for sending an acknowledgment to a disparate mobile device from a neighboring base station. |
| US09019894B2 |
Position managing apparatus, packet gateway apparatus, mobile communication system, mobile station apparatus and mobile communication method
When a connecting destination base station apparatus included in a message including an identifier of a base station apparatus serving as a connecting destination of a mobile station apparatus is different from a connecting source base station apparatus stored in an EPS bearer context, rearrangement of local PDN connection is requested to an L-PGW unit of the connecting destination base station apparatus and local PDN connection is deleted. After establishment of a wireless bearer is completed between the mobile station apparatus and the connecting destination base station apparatus, the connecting destination base station apparatus is instructed to start proxy transmission of neighbor advertisement instead of the mobile station apparatus. In base stations that support local IP access, when UE performs service request processing or handover processing between home base stations, it is possible to continue communication session using local IP access while suppressing alterations to existing system to the minimum. |
| US09019888B2 |
Method and system for communicating a plurality of packets in multicast broadcast service (MBS) communication network
A method and system for communicating a plurality of packets in the MBS communication network is provided. The method includes determining if one or more packets in the plurality of packets received at one or more controllers are MBS packets. The method further includes encoding one or more MBS frames using one or more packets, if each packet in one or more packets is a MBS packet. Thereafter, one or more MBS frames are transmitted from each BTS to a plurality of Mobile Stations (MS) at a predetermined Take Off Time (TOT) based on a predetermined criterion. |
| US09019885B2 |
Data networking through inherent RF connections in a communication system
An RF distribution system distributes a radio frequency (RF) signal to a plurality of receivers. Ports provide RF connectivity from the antennas to the receivers while also providing data connectivity between the receivers. Sensors detect which receivers are connected to the distribution system so that the distribution system can route data from the first detected receiver to the other detected receivers and back to the first detected receiver. The distribution system can dynamically alter the routing if the receiver configuration changes. Consequently, a receiver can send data to other receivers through A-ports and B-ports of a radio distribution system. The A-ports provide RF connectivity to a first antenna while the B-ports provide RF connectivity to a second antenna. Different commands for locking, unlocking, scanning RF spectrum, and configuring can be sent between the receivers via the A-ports and B-ports through the RF distribution system. |
| US09019884B2 |
Inactivity timer in a discontinuous reception configured system
Systems, methods and wireless devices are provided that utilize a timer to ensure a receiver of a wireless device is on to receive downlink transmissions. In the event the timer runs out without further resource allocation, the mobile device turns its radio off. If a further resource allocation occurs while the timer is running, the timer is restarted. |
| US09019882B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for managing pending HARQ retransmissions
Methods and systems present solutions to, for example, the problem of unnecessary preparedness for suspended retransmissions in the user equipment (UE) which contributes to power drain in the device battery. One method for monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) for adaptive retransmission grants in a radio communication system includes: monitoring, by a user equipment (UE), the PDCCH for adaptive retransmission grants; receiving, by the UE, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledge (ACK) message, and ceasing, by the UE, to monitor the PDCCH for adaptive retransmission grants after receipt of the HARQ ACK message. |
| US09019877B2 |
Method and apparatus for state/mode transitioning
A method and network element for sending a transition indication to transition a user equipment to a different state or mode, the method receiving a configuration message from a network; and transmitting a transition indication from the user equipment, the transition indication only includes a cause if the configuration message contains an inhibit transition indication. Also, a method and user equipment for processing a transitioning indication from a user equipment indicating the user equipment desires a transition to a different state or mode, the method comprising: receiving the transition indication from the user equipment; if the transition indication contains a cause: releasing a signaling connection of the user equipment or transitioning the user equipment to a different state or mode; and if the transition indication does not contain the cause: releasing the signaling connection. |
| US09019870B2 |
Systems and methods for location management and emergency support for a voice over internet protocol device
An example method stores a nomadic service designator and an operating mode designator in association with a public user identifier. The nomadic service designator indicates whether an IP device is allowed to access VoIP services from different network locations. The public user identifier facilitates establishing a call with the IP device. The operating mode designator indicates when the IP device is in a suspended operating mode and an unrestricted mode. The suspended operating mode restricts the IP device to a subset of communication services associated with a service subscription of the IP device, and to a 911 service. The unrestricted operating mode is based on a registered geographic location associated with the IP device being a current geographic location of the IP device, and is based on a service provider being able to provide an E911 service including a location-identification service at the current geographic location of the IP device. |
| US09019869B2 |
System and method to suppress voice prompts in SIP calls
System and method to enable selective suppression of an audible indication in a SIP-based call, the method including: receiving, by a SIP conferencing server, a message from a caller to initiate a SIP-based call, wherein the message comprises a header section; searching the header section for a predetermined header; if the predetermined header is found, determining a field and a corresponding field value from the predetermined header; and storing the field value in a memory, wherein the stored field value is specific to the field and to the caller. |
| US09019867B2 |
IP based emergency services solution in WiMAX
The present invention relates to a method and system for providing access to the emergency services over a network, particularly a WiMAX network. The method comprises the steps of identifying when a user device (51) sends a signal to the WiMAX network (52, 53, 54) requesting access to an emergency service; detecting a network address of the nearest emergency service communication device to the user device; relaying a signal (ES-SERV-RSP) via the WiMAX network to the user device containing the network address of the nearest emergency service communication device; and establishing at least one Service Flow between the WiMAX network and the user device to allow data to be exchanged between the user device and the emergency service communication device. |
| US09019866B2 |
Ad-hoc simple configuration
A protocol governing the operation of an ad-hoc WLAN enables each device in the WLAN to be configured as a registrar and/or an enrollee. Accordingly, each device is configurable to support both the registrar as well as enrollee modes of operations. In response to a time-driven user action, the device may be configured to enter into a registrar mode or an enrollee mode. While in the registrar mode, the device enters into an aggressive beaconing phase by setting its beacon contention window to a relatively very small value. The aggressive beaconing increases the probability of the discovery of the registrar by the enrollees. Optionally the device may prompt the user to select between a registrar and an enrollee mode of operation by displaying the option on an LCD panel. |
| US09019863B2 |
Ibypass high density device and methods thereof
A high density network arrangement for managing an integrated secured multiple networks arrangement is provided. The arrangement includes a power module for providing power to a circuitry of the high density network arrangement. The arrangement also includes a plurality of network interfaces, wherein each network interface of the plurality of network interfaces is configured for coupling with a network arrangement. The arrangement further includes a processor for providing processing capability to the high density network arrangement. The arrangement yet also includes logic arrangement for managing data traffic flowing through the plurality of network interfaces, wherein the data traffic is configured to traverse the high density network arrangement between the plurality of network arrangement interfaces irrespective whether the power is provided to the circuitry of the high density network arrangement. |
| US09019862B2 |
Method of performing link adaptation procedure
Methods and apparatuses for communicating in a wireless local area network are provided. The method includes receiving, by a responding station, from a requesting station, a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) feedback request frame to request the responding station to provide a MCS feedback, the MCS feedback request frame including a first MCS feedback sequence identifier identifying a MCS feedback request. The method also includes transmitting, by the responding station, to the requesting station, a MCS feedback frame as a response to the MCS feedback request frame, the MCS feedback frame including a MCS estimate and a second MCS feedback sequence identifier. An apparatus for performing the method is also provided. |
| US09019858B2 |
Generating short term base station utilization estimates for wireless networks
Monitoring within a network a history of bits throughput to a base station over each of a plurality of time intervals, monitoring within the network a physical resource block utilization level over each of the plurality of time intervals, determining a ratio of the history of bits to the utilization level for each of the plurality of time intervals, determining an updated history of bits for each of a plurality of upcoming time intervals, estimating an updated utilization level in response to the updated history of bits and the ratio, generating messaging to at least one additional network element conveying the estimated updated physical resource block utilization level, and adjusting at least one of a prefilling process or a prefetching process in response to the updated utilization level. |
| US09019856B2 |
Reporting of multiple processes for aperiodic channel state information
A method and an apparatus for transmitting Channel State Information (CSI) having a reporting mode and being transmitted from a User Equipment (UE) over a PUSCH transmission in an Uplink (UL) cell associated with a Downlink (DL) cell in response to the UE receiving a Downlink Control Information (DCI) format that includes a CSI request field indicating CSI transmission corresponding to one of CSI process sets associated with measurements of respective reference signals are provided. The method includes obtaining, from the CSI request field, an indication of a CSI process set for a CSI transmission; and transmitting the CSI for the CSI process set indicated by the CSI request field, wherein the CSI request field includes 2 bits of a first CSI process set having a first set of interpretations. |
| US09019855B2 |
Cable communication systems and methods employing TDMA/ATDMA QAM upstream channels below 20 MHz for increased upstream capacity to support voice and/or data services
Cable communication systems and methods to provide voice and/or data services to subscriber premises via a cable plant that conveys upstream information over an upstream path bandwidth, and a cable modem system including one or more demodulation tuners to receive and demodulate one or more upstream radio frequency (RF) signals. An RF signal includes an encoded carrier wave having a carrier frequency of between 5 MHz and 19.6 MHz that is modulated using a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) protocol or an Advanced Time Division Multiple Access (ATDMA) protocol and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with voice and/or data information constituting at least some of the upstream information. A modulation order of the QAM for the first upstream RF signal is at least 32, and at least one demodulation tuner of the cable modem system is configured to receive and demodulate the first upstream RF signal. |
| US09019851B2 |
Network node and method related to buffer estimation
The present invention relates to a network node such as a base station for a wireless communications system, and to a method for supporting a change of a buffer estimation state of a user equipment from a passive to a proactive state. The method comprises receiving (410) information describing a buffer status of the user equipment, and determining (420) whether to change the buffer estimation state of the user equipment to the proactive state based on the received information. The purpose is to achieve a more correct UE buffer estimation state and thus better accuracy for the buffer estimation. |
| US09019849B2 |
Dynamic space division duplex (SDD) wireless communications with multiple antennas using self-interference cancellation
A system and method to perform Full Duplex (FD) Space Division Duplex (SDD) communication using a Self-Interference Cancelling (SIC) precoder that applies different antenna phase shifts and amplitude scales to the transmitted signals to force them to be in the null space of the selected receive antennas. Thus, a wireless communication unit can place nulls at each of its receive antennas digitally at baseband for one or more frequency bands. The SIC precoder may be computed based on the self-interference channel from the transmit chain(s) to the receive chain(s). Different SIC precoders may be adaptively selected and stored digitally for different frequency bands. Subsequent single or multi-user precoder can be applied in concatenation with the SIC precoder to transmit signals to one or more users while receiving signals from one or more users simultaneously over the same frequency band. |
| US09019845B2 |
Method and apparatus for codebook exchange in a multiple access wireless communication system
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for generating and exchanging codebooks in a multiple access wireless communication system. The codebooks include a plurality of preferred precoding matrices. |
| US09019841B2 |
Architecture for relays in LTE using D2D
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus receives downlink data from a base station via a downlink resource, sends the downlink data to a user equipment (UE) via an uplink resource, receives uplink data from the UE via the uplink resource, and sends the uplink data to the base station via the uplink resource. The apparatus also determines at least one of an observed downlink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) or an observed uplink interference. The apparatus then broadcasts a relay availability based on the determination that the at least one of the downlink SINR observed is greater than a first threshold or the uplink interference at the relay is less than a second threshold. |
| US09019839B2 |
Device, system, and method of monitoring fax relay
Device, system, and method of monitoring fax relay. An apparatus for measuring Quality of Service (QoS) of Fax over Internet Protocol (FoIP) calls includes: a FoIP packet monitoring module to monitor in real-time Internet Protocol (IP) network streams exchanged between a FoIP emitter device and a FoIP receiver device; a FoIP equipment evaluator to evaluate real-time performance of at least one of: the FoIP emitter device, and the FoIP receiver device; and a FoIP call QoS evaluator to evaluate in real time a FoIP call QoS quality of a FoIP communication between said FoIP emitter device and said FoIP receiver device. |
| US09019837B2 |
Packet modification to facilitate use of network tags
A technique for accommodating network tagging technology includes receiving a packet that includes a network tag at a modifying node capable of modifying the packet in relation to the network tag; determining whether the packet is to be forwarded to a non-recognizing node in a network, the non-recognizing node not being capable of processing packets with network tags at a desired speed or at all; and in response to determining that the packet is to be forwarded to the non-recognizing node, modifying the packet to obtain a modified packet and sending the modified packet to the non-recognizing node, wherein the modified packet is capable of being processed by the non-recognizing node at the desired speed. After being processed by the non-recognizing node, the modified packet is received by a restoring node, where the cached information is used to restore the network tag of the packet. |
| US09019835B2 |
Parameter estimation device, parameter estimation method, and parameter estimation program
A parameter estimation device 600 includes: a communication throughput acquiring part 601 for acquiring communication throughput that is an amount of data transmitted per unit time; and a function specification parameter estimating part 602 for estimating a function specification parameter for specifying a probability density function where communication throughput at a second time point later than a first time point is a random variable, based on the communication throughput acquired by the first time point. |
| US09019831B2 |
Network repeater, QoS control method and storage medium storing QoS control program
[Problem]The problem is to carry out the QoS control which tracks a change in a state of an outward line.[Means for solving the problem]A network repeater according to the present invention includes: a flow control means to carry out flow control for restricting inflow of a data flow which is received through an inward line; a bandwidth control means to carry out bandwidth control of controlling a bandwidth of a data flow which is received through the inward line and is sent through an outward line; and an outward line monitoring means to monitor a change in a state of the outward line. In the case that the monitored state of the outward line satisfies a specified condition which is determined in advance, either the flow control or the bandwidth control is carried out on a condition corresponding to the specified condition. |
| US09019824B2 |
Prioritized queueing in a mesh network based on age of payload data
In one embodiment, a method comprises identifying an age of payload data in a data packet by a wireless network node configured for transmitting the data packet to a multi-hop destination via a wireless mesh network; determining by the wireless network node a schedule for the data packet reaching the multi-hop destination; and the wireless network node prioritizing queuing of the data packet for Collision Sense with Multiple Access and Collision Avoidance (CSMA-CA) based wireless transmission in the wireless mesh network based on the corresponding age, relative to the schedule and respective ages of other data packets awaiting transmission by the wireless network node to the destination, where a higher-aged data packet relative to the schedule is granted a higher priority than a lower-aged data packet relative to the schedule. |
| US09019823B1 |
Random access preamble selection
In systems and methods of random access preamble selection, a first plurality of random access preambles and a second plurality of random access preambles are stored at an access node. A random access channel request is received from a wireless device at the access node, the random access channel request comprising an application type of an application running on the wireless device, and a network load, a priority class of the wireless device, and a mobility of the wireless device are determined. When the first plurality of random access preambles is not exhausted, the network load meets a load criteria, the priority class of the wireless device meets a priority criteria, the mobility of the wireless device meets a mobility criteria, and the application type of the application meets an application criteria a random access preamble is assigned to the wireless device from the first plurality of random access preambles. |
| US09019821B2 |
Accounting based on active packet time
An accounting method, system, device, and a computer-readable medium. The accounting method, system, device, and a computer-readable medium provide for measuring a time interval between arrival of two adjacent packets, comparing the measured time interval to a predetermined threshold, and determining whether the measured time interval is an active packet transfer time based on the comparison. Accordingly, an active packet transfer time in a connection is obtained. |
| US09019815B2 |
Source alive route injection
Multiple redundant sources for a datastream can be established in a network, where the redundant sources are configured with the same source address. One of the redundant sources provides the datastream to a receiver of a multicast group. If the redundant source fails, another redundant source can be used in its place, ensuring the receiver continues to receive the datastream. A routing element coupled to a redundant source monitors the redundant source for failure and informs the rest of the network of the status of the coupled redundant source. The routing element can inform other routing elements of the status by advertising or withdrawing a route that reaches the coupled redundant source, which the other routing elements can use to update their routing tables. |
| US09019812B2 |
Method, system, and device for managing addresses on ethernet ring network
The present invention discloses a method, system, and device for managing addresses on an Ethernet ring network. The method includes: receiving, by a master node on an Ethernet ring network, a failure message from a node connected to at least one of two ends of a failed link on the Ethernet ring network; determining, according to the failure message, a specific virtual local area network affected by the failure on the Ethernet ring network; and sending an instruction message for flushing a media access control address forwarding table to a specific node accessed by the specific virtual local area network on the Ethernet ring network, where the instruction message carries an identifier of the specific virtual local area network, so that the specific node deletes addresses related to the specific virtual local area network. |
| US09019805B2 |
Multilayer optical recording medium, drive device, reproducing and recording apparatus, and inspection method for multilayer optical recording medium
According to one embodiment, a multilayer optical recording medium including a substrate, a guide layer group that is provided on the substrate and has guide layers in which positional information in a radial direction is recorded, and a recording layer group that is provided on the substrate and has recording layers in which information can be recorded. In the recording layer group, positional information of the recording layers associated with the positional information recorded in the guide layers and control information of the optical device where reflected light volumes of the laser beams on the guide layers and the recording layers become maximum at the positions in the radial direction are recorded at the positions in the radial direction of the recording layers. |
| US09019804B1 |
Timing loop with large pull-in range
Aspects of the disclosure provide a sync mark detector. The sync mark detector includes a first unit configured to decay over time a value indicating a length of a bit format, a second unit configured to compare the decayed value with a detected length of the bit format to determine a new length, and a third unit configured to detect a sync mark based on the detected length and the new length. |
| US09019800B2 |
Sealing device for a minute-repeater
A sealing device for a minute-repeater mechanism, comprising a striking work control bolt which can move in an aperture of a case between a rest position and a pulled-out position. The case includes a seat for receiving in sealed abutment, in the rest position of the bolt, a first sealing gasket mounted in a sealed manner on the bolt and moveable therewith, and which is at a distance from the seat when the bolt is in a pulled-out position for operating the striking work. The case includes a chamber, one wall of which comprises the aperture, which limits the travel of a second sliding sealing gasket in which the bolt slides in a sealed manner, and which is in sealed abutment on an inner surface of the chamber. |
| US09019790B2 |
Apparatus and method for refreshing DRAM
A refresh method for DRAM is provided, in which a memory cell array is arranged to have multiple storing pages. Each storing page has a counter value. The method includes detecting out a portion of the storing pages being no longer used, indicated as a “no-use portion”, and another portion of the storing pages being still in use, indicated as “in-use portion”. Then, only the in-use portion of the storing pages is performed with a refreshing operation. |
| US09019788B2 |
Techniques for accessing memory cells
Techniques for accessing memory cells are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus providing voltage to a high impedance node of a memory cell. The apparatus may comprise a precharge switch coupled to a first voltage source node, a precharge capacitor coupled to the precharge switch, and a switch matrix coupled to the precharge capacitor, a second voltage source node, and the high impedance node of the memory cell. The precharge switch may be configured to decouple the precharge capacitor from the first voltage source node, and the switch matrix may be configured to decouple the second voltage source node from the high impedance node of the memory cell and to couple the precharge capacitor to the high impedance node of the memory cell. |
| US09019787B2 |
Semiconductor device having hierarchical bit line structure
A semiconductor device having hierarchical bit lines is disclosed, which comprises: a first global bit line; first and second local bit lines coupled in common to the first global bit line; first and second power lines; a first transistor coupled between the first local bit line and the first power line; a second transistor coupled between the second local bit line and the second power line; a third transistor coupled between the first and second power lines. |
| US09019785B2 |
Data shifting via a number of isolation devices
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to data shifting. An example apparatus comprises a first memory cell coupled to a first sense line of an array, a first isolation device located between the first memory cell and first sensing circuitry corresponding thereto, and a second isolation device located between the first memory cell and second sensing circuitry corresponding to a second sense line. The first and the second isolation devices are operated to shift data in the array without transferring the data via an input/output line of the array. |
| US09019777B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and operating method of the same
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a semiconductor substrate, and a memory cell which is arranged on the semiconductor substrate and comprises a variable resistance element. The variable resistance element comprises a laminated structure including a phase-change element which has at least two different crystalline resistance states by varying a crystalline state, and a magnetoresistive element which has at least two different magnetization resistance states by varying a magnetization state, and applies or does not apply a magnetic field to the phase-change element in accordance with the magnetization state. |
| US09019775B2 |
Erase operation for 3D non-volatile memory with controllable gate-induced drain leakage current
An erase operation for a 3D stacked memory device applies an erase pulse which includes an intermediate level (Vgidl) and a peak level (Verase) to a set of memory cells, and steps up Vgidl in erase iterations of the erase operation. Vgidl can be stepped up when a specified portion of the cells have reached the erase verify level. In this case, a majority of the cells may have reached the erase verify level, such that the remaining cells can benefit from a higher gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) current to reached the erase verify level. Verase can step up before and, optionally, after Vigdl is stepped up, but remain fixed while Vgidl is stepped. Vgidl can be stepped up until a maximum allowed level, Vgidl_max, is reached. Vgidl may be applied to a drain-side and/or source-side of a NAND string via a bit line or source line, respectively. |
| US09019773B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device and method of operating the same
A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array and control logic. The memory cell array includes multiple memory blocks, each memory block including memory cells connected to word lines and bit lines. The control logic is configured to perform an erase operation in which an erase voltage is applied to a memory block of the multiple memory blocks to erase the memory cells of the memory block, and in which an erase verification voltage is applied a selected word line of the memory block to verify respective erase states of memory cells connected to the selected word line. The control logic is further configured to apply a read voltage to the selected word line to extract erase state information of the memory cells, and to control a level of the erase verification voltage based on the erase state information. |
| US09019772B1 |
IAS voltage generator for reference cell and bias voltage providing method therefor
A bias voltage generator and generating method for a reference cell are provided. The bias voltage generator includes a data read detector, a cut-off signal generator and an output stage circuit. The data read detector generates a detection signal according to transition points of a sense amplifier enable signal and a sense amplifier latch signal. The cut-off signal generator delays the detection signal a delay time to generate a cut-off signal, wherein a start-up time of the cut-off signal is decided by the detection signal and the delay time. The output stage circuit starts or stops to provide a bias-voltage providing signal according to the cut-off signal. |
| US09019768B1 |
Split page 3D memory array
A semiconductor device includes active strips. Active strip stack selection structures electrically couple to the active strip stacks at positions between the first and second ends, and select particular ones of the active strip stacks for operations. In one embodiment, different pads coupled to opposite pads have a higher voltage, depending on the memory cell selected for read. The same active strip stack selection structure can act as a pair of side gates for opposite sides of a first active strip stack, and as one side gate for each of the adjacent active strip stacks. Each active strip stack can have: a first structure from a first set acting as first and second side gates on a first side of word lines; and a second structure and a third structure from a second set respectively acting as third and fourth side gates on the second side of word lines. |
| US09019766B2 |
Biasing system and method
Embodiments are provided that include a memory system that includes a memory system, having an access device coupled between a global line and a local line and a voltage source coupled to the global line and configured to output a bias voltage on the global line when the memory system is in a non-operation state. The access device is selected when the memory system is in the non-operation state, and the access device is deselected when the memory system is in an other state. Further embodiments provide, for example, a method that includes coupling a global access line to a local access line, biasing the local access line to a voltage other than a negative supply voltage while a memory device is in a first state and uncoupling the global access line from the local access line while the memory device is in an other state. |
| US09019756B2 |
Architecture for device having cantilever electrode
In one embodiment, a non-volatile memory bitcell includes a program electrode, an erase electrode, a cantilever electrode connected to a bi-stable cantilever positioned between the program electrode and the erase electrode, and switching means connected to the program electrode arranged to apply a voltage potential onto the program electrode, or to detect or to prevent the flow of current from the cantilever to the program electrode. The switching means may comprise a switch having a first node, a second node, and a control node, wherein voltage is applied to the control node to activate the switch to provide a connection between the first node and the second node. The switching means may comprise a pass-gate. The switching means may comprise an NMOS transistor. The switching means may comprise a PMOS transistor. The switching means may comprise a MEMS switch. |
| US09019752B1 |
Static random access memory (SRAM) global bitline circuits for reducing power glitches during memory read accesses, and related methods and systems
Static random access memory (SRAM) global bitline circuits for reducing glitches during read accesses, and related methods and systems are disclosed. A global bitline scheme in SRAM can reduce output load, reducing power consumption. In certain embodiments, SRAM includes an SRAM array. The SRAM includes a global bitline circuit for each SRAM array column. Each global bitline circuit includes memory access circuit that pre-charges local bitlines corresponding to bitcells in SRAM array. The data read from selected bitcell is read from its local bitline onto aggregated read bitline, an aggregation of local bitlines. The SRAM includes bitline evaluation circuit that sends data from aggregated read bitline onto global bitline. Instead of sending data based on rising transition of clock trigger, data is sent onto the global bitline based on falling transition of clock trigger. A global bitline scheme can be employed that reduces glitches and resulting increases in power consumption. |
| US09019749B2 |
Method of programming a non-volatile resistive memory
The invention relates to a method for pre-programming a matrix of resistive non-volatile memory cells, with said memory cells comprising a dielectric material positioned between two conducting electrodes, with said memory cells being initially in an original resistive state (original HRS) and the dielectric material being able to be so electrically modified as to bring the memory cell from the original resistive state (original HRS) to at least another resistive state (LRS, programmed HRS) wherein the resistance of the memory cell is at least twice and preferably at least ten times lower than the resistance of the memory cell in the original resistive state (original HRS), at least for a reading voltage interval, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: prior to mounting a component containing said matrix on a support, programming the matrix by electrically bringing a plurality of cells from the original resistive state (original HRS) to said other resistive state (LRS, programmed HRS), leaving the other memory cells in the original resistive state (original HRS) thereof; mounting said matrix on a support, with the step of mounting comprising at least one of the following steps: a step of brazing, a step of welding. |
| US09019747B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and write method for the same
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes word lines, bit lines, a cross-point cell array including cells, each of which includes memory cells and at least one offset detection cell, a word line selection circuit, a bit line selection circuit, a write control circuit, a current sensing circuit which detects a current and converts it into an electrical signal, wherein a write control circuit adjusts a write electrical signal for causing a second write current higher than a first write current to flow through the memory cell. |
| US09019746B2 |
Resistive memory device and method for driving the same
A resistive memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, each of which is configured to store a normal data, a first reference data corresponding to a first resistance state and a second reference data corresponding to a second resistance state, a data copy unit configured to temporarily store the normal data read from a selected memory cell and generate a copied cell current based on the stored normal data, a mirroring block configured to temporarily store the first and second reference data read from the selected memory cell, and to generate a first reference current and a second reference current based on the stored first and second reference data, respectively, and a sensing unit configured to sense the stored normal data based on the copied cell current and the first reference current and the second reference current. |
| US09019743B2 |
Method and structure for resistive switching random access memory with high reliable and high density
The present disclosure provides a resistive random access memory (RRAM) structure. The RRAM structure includes a bottom electrode on a substrate; a resistive material layer on the bottom electrode, the resistive material layer having filament features with a filament ratio greater than about 0.5; and a top electrode on the resistive material layer. |
| US09019742B2 |
Multiple-state one-time programmable (OTP) memory to function as multi-time programmable (MTP) memory
A circuit, method, and system for using multiple-state One-Time Programmable (OTP) memory to function as a multiple-bit programmable (MTP) memory. The OTP memory can have N (N>2) distinct resistance states, that can be differentiated by at least N−1 reference resistances, can be functionally equivalent programmed N−1 times. The multiple-state OTP memory can have a plural of multiple-state OTP cells that can be selectively programmed to a resistance state. The reference resistance can be set to determine a state of the from the programmed multiple-state OTP cells. |
| US09019736B2 |
DC-to-AC power conversion system and method of operating the same
A DC-to-AC power conversion system is provided to convert a DC input voltage into an AC output voltage, which mainly includes a bridge switching circuit, an auxiliary switch circuit, and a control circuit. The bridge switching circuit has a first power switch, a second power switch, a third power switch, and a fourth power switch. The auxiliary switch circuit has a fifth power switch, a sixth power switch, a seventh power switch, and an eighth power switch. The control circuit produces a complementary switching signal pair to control the first and fourth power switches and the second and third power switches, respectively. In addition, the control circuit produces a complementary level signal pair to control the sixth and seventh power switches and the fifth and eighth power switches, respectively. |
| US09019733B2 |
Three-phase AC-DC converter circuit and conversion method and control system thereof
The embodiment of present invention provides a three-phase AC (Alternating Current)-DC (Direct Current) converter circuit, conversion method and the control system thereof. The converter circuit includes a three-phase AC power source having a first output terminal, a second output terminal and a third output terminal; a first AC-DC conversion module, a second AC-DC conversion module and a third AC-DC conversion module electrically connected to the first output terminal, the second output terminal and the third output terminal of the three-phase AC power respectively, and respectively have N1 pieces, N2 pieces and N3 pieces of AC-DC converters which are connected in parallel; and a DC side output terminal electrically connected to the parallel-connected output terminals of the first AC-DC conversion module, the second AC-DC conversion module and the third AC-DC conversion module, wherein at least one of N1, N2 and N3 is greater than or equal to 2. |
| US09019732B2 |
High voltage DC/DC converter
It is presented a high voltage DC/DC converter for converting between a first DC connection and a second DC connection. The high voltage DC/DC converter comprises: a first set of DC terminals; a second set of DC terminals); a multiphase transformer device comprising a plurality of primary windings and a corresponding plurality of secondary windings; a first converter arranged to convert DC to AC, comprising a plurality of phase legs serially connected between the first set of DC terminals, wherein each phase leg is connected to an AC connection of a respective primary winding; and a second converter arranged to convert AC from the secondary windings to DC on the second set of DC terminals. |
| US09019731B2 |
High-power medium-voltage drive power cell having power elements disposed on both sides of base plate
The present invention provides a high-power medium-voltage drive power cell, which comprises: a rectifier module for rectifying the three-phase AC input voltage to get a DC voltage; an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) inverter bridge connected to capacitors for converting the DC voltage into an AC voltage of which the frequency, the amplitude and the phase are adjustable; a bypass module connected to the IGBT inverter bridge for providing the bypass function when the IGBT inverter bridge works in an abnormal state; and a heat pipe heat sink having a base plate on both sides of which power elements of the high-power medium-voltage drive power cell are disposed. |