| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09043942B1 |
Methods and systems for facilitating limited access to paid-access or registration-required content items via search engine results, direct web addressing or indirect linking
Methods and systems for facilitating limited access to paid-access or registration-required content items. In one example, a server responds to a request for access to a restricted access content item (e.g., from a Web browser) by first determining whether a user associated with the request is already authorized to access the content item. If the user is so authorized, the user is allowed access to the content item. If the user is not already authorized, the server provides the user a limited preview of the content item. The limited preview is subject to preview rules associated with one or more of: a referral path by which the user (i.e., the browser) was directed to the content item, the content item itself, and previous accesses or access attempts by the user to the content item and other content items, access to which other content items is controlled by the server. |
| US09043940B2 |
Method for controlling content and digital device using the same
A method and device for controlling content that includes plural display pages in a sequence, the method including: displaying a current page included in the content; receiving a user input to or above a display screen of the display unit for changing from the current page to another page of the content; extracting fingerprint information from the user input; determining whether the content of the another page is or is not accessible based on the extracted fingerprint information; if all of the content of the another page is determined to be accessible based on the extracted fingerprint information, displaying the another page; and if any of the content of the another page is determined not to be accessible based on the extracted fingerprint information, displaying a page following the current page without displaying content of the another page that was determined not to be accessible. |
| US09043939B2 |
Accessing information during a teleconferencing event
A method for accessing information during a teleconferencing event. The method includes identifying a reference to a document transmitted by a telecommunication device participating in a teleconferencing event and identifying a name of the referenced document. The method includes determining, by a computer, an identity of a user of the participating telecommunication device. The method further includes determining the user has permission to access the identified document and, in response, transmitting the identified document to the participating telecommunication device. |
| US09043936B2 |
Communications device
A mobile device is provided having a smart card. The smart card is programmed with UICC applications metadata that is provided to the mobile device during a power-up or reset routine. The mobile device uses the UICC applications metadata to generate a user interface that allows a user to launch directly an application on the smart card. Icons for the UICC applications can be displayed together with icons for applications residing on the mobile device. In this way, the user selection of UICC resident applications is facilitated and can be made transparent to the user. |
| US09043935B2 |
Techniques for personalizing content
Techniques for personalizing content are presented. A principal requests access to content. Policy is evaluated in response to the request for the content. Scripts are processed in response to the policy evaluation to rewrite and modify the content. The modified content is then delivered to the requesting principal to personalize the content for the principal. |
| US09043934B2 |
System, method, and device for delivering communications and storing and delivering data
A system, method, and device includes a platform data storage that stores a wrap that secures an executable controller and executable sensors. The wrap is verified, optionally through a downloaded authentication driver. After verifying the wrap, the wrap is opened and a sister of the executable controller is installed into the platform memory to cooperate with the executable controller. Additionally or alternatively, the authentication driver may cooperate with the executable controller. The executable controller allows the platform processor to access data secured in a vault and/or verify the platform to create a connection to a connection server. |
| US09043933B2 |
Method of processing data to enable external storage thereof with minimized risk of information leakage
A method is provided to process data so that the data can be externally stored with minimized risk of information leakage. A framework (virtual execution framework) based on virtual machines (VMs) is utilized as a substitute for a trusted institution. Encryption of consolidated data can reduce risk of information leakage and enhance security. Since the virtual execution framework can control connection and direction of communication, financial institutions are allowed to apply encryption to data on their own, which makes the data further appropriate for external storage. By allowing financial institutions to apply their own decryption, it is possible to prevent one of two financial institutions from retrieving externally stored data into the external execution framework without intervention of the other. Additionally, associated acting subjects can be provided with freedom depending on the degree of information leakage risk. |
| US09043931B2 |
USB drive with multiple printed circuit board layers for storing data in a memory
A multi-layer USB drive for storing data in a memory has at least two printed circuit board assemblies, each one including a memory for storing data and a control microprocessor controlling the flow of data to and from the memory. The circuit board assemblies are operatively connected to one another in a serial manner for exchange of data between adjacent assemblies upon access by a user and wherein at least one of the control microprocessors is security enabled requiring a user defined security input for accessing the memory of the printed circuit board assembly of that security enabled control microprocessor. A USB connector is for connecting to a USB slot of a device and the USB connector is operatively connected to only one of the printed circuit board assemblies. A USB hub is provided on at least one of the assemblies for recognizing the circuit board assemblies of the USB drive. An opaque housing completely encloses the circuit board assemblies preventing at least the printed circuit board assembly or assemblies other than the one connected to the USB connector from being viewed. |
| US09043929B2 |
Minimizing sensitive data exposure during preparation of redacted documents
A document review and security technique is provided that presents a first portion of a document to a first reviewer, wherein the first portion includes less than the entire document, presents a second portion of the document to a second reviewer, wherein the second portion includes less than the entire document, wherein the second portion is at least partially different from the first portion, and wherein the first reviewer and the second reviewer are different reviewers, receives from the first reviewer a review action input associated with the first portion, receives from the second reviewer a review action input associated with the second portion, and determines a disposition of the document in accordance with the review action inputs. |
| US09043927B2 |
Method and apparatus for authenticating location-based services without compromising location privacy
A method and an apparatus for authenticating location-based services without compromising location privacy, which comprises a comprehensive solution that preserves unconditional location privacy when authenticating either range queries using three authentication schemes for R-tree and grid-file index, together with two optimization techniques, or k-nearest neighbor queries using two authentication schemes for R-tree and Voronoi Diagram index. |
| US09043923B2 |
Virtual machine monitor (VMM) extension for time shared accelerator management and side-channel vulnerability prevention
Technologies are presented for automatically generating accelerator code for datacenter users, detecting multiple hardware tenants with overlapping accelerator needs, and managing the accelerator needs of the tenants so that they can share use of programmable accelerator hardware. In some examples, the accelerator code may also be customer supplied. In other examples, a delay that simulates accelerator programming for a user first accessing an accelerator that was virtualized from a pre-existing one may be applied. By simulating the delay, co-location detection (a form of side channel attack) may be prevented. |
| US09043917B2 |
Automatic signature generation for malicious PDF files
In some embodiments, automatic signature generation for malicious PDF files includes: parsing a PDF file to extract script stream data embedded in the PDF file; determining whether the extracted script stream data within the PDF file is malicious; and automatically generating a signature for the PDF file. |
| US09043915B2 |
System and method for detecting malicious executable files based on similarity of their resources
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for detection of malicious executable files based on the similarity of various types of extractable resources of the executable files. In one aspect, the system determines a type of an executable file being analyzed and determines types of extractable resources of the executable file based on the type of the executable file. The system then extracts the identified extractable resources of the executable file and compares the extracted resources to known resources of malicious executable files. The system then determines a degree of similarity between the compared resources. The system then determines whether the executable file is malicious based on a degree of similarity of the one or more compared resources. |
| US09043914B2 |
File scanning
For file scanning, a division module divides a file into plurality of subfiles. An access module maintains a status of each subfile and scans each subfile with a separate server. |
| US09043913B2 |
Detection of spyware threats within virtual machine
A system analyzes content accessed at a network site to determine whether it is malicious. The system employs a tool able to identify spyware that is piggy-backed on executable files (such as software downloads) and is able to detect “drive-by download” attacks that install software on the victim's computer when a page is rendered by a browser program. The tool uses a virtual machine (VM) to sandbox and analyze potentially malicious content. By installing and running executable files within a clean VM environment, commercial anti-spyware tools can be employed to determine whether a specific executable contains piggy-backed spyware. By visiting a Web page with an unmodified browser inside a clean VM environment, predefined “triggers,” such as the installation of a new library, or the creation of a new process, can be used to determine whether the page mounts a drive-by download attack. |
| US09043908B1 |
Detection of encryption and compression applications
Detection of an encryption or compression application program may be based on similarity between read files read by a process of the application program and write files written by the process. Read fingerprints of the read files and write fingerprints of the write files are generated. A listing of the read fingerprints is searched for presence of matching write fingerprints to find matched fingerprints. The similarity is calculated based on the read fingerprints and matched fingerprints. |
| US09043905B1 |
System and method for insider threat detection
Described is a system for detecting insider threats in a network. In detecting the insider threat, the system receives data from the network relevant to network activity and extracts observable actions from the data relevant to a mission. The observable actions are combined to provide contextual cues and reasoning results. Based on the observable actions and reasoning results, proposed security policy updates are proposed to force insiders into using more observable actions. Finally, the system detects potential insider threats through analyzing the observable actions and reasoning results. |
| US09043902B2 |
Apparatus for controlling processor execution in a secure environment
Various embodiments described herein relate to apparatus for executing software in a secure computing environment. A secure processor can be used and configured to request a context swap from a first context to a second context when switching execution from a first portion of software to a second portion of software. A context manager, which can be in communication with the secure processor, can be configured to receive and initiate a requested context swap. A trust vector verifier, which can be in communication with the secure processor and the context manager, can be configured to load a trust vector descriptor upon command from a context manager. |
| US09043895B2 |
Reverse proxy database system and method
A system and method for providing a comprehensive security solution for databases through a reverse proxy, optionally featuring translating database queries across a plurality of different database platforms. |
| US09043894B1 |
Malicious software detection in a computing system
A computer system identifies malicious Uniform Resource Locator (URL) data items from a plurality of unscreened data items that have not been previously identified as associated with malicious URLs. The system can execute a number of pre-filters to identify a subset of URLs in the plurality of data items that are likely to be malicious. A scoring processor can score the subset of URLs based on a plurality of input vectors using a suitable machine learning model. Optionally, the system can execute one or more post-filters on the score data to identify data items of interest. Such data items can be fed back into the system to improve machine learning or can be used to provide a notification that a particular resource within a local network is infected with malicious software. |
| US09043893B1 |
System and method for web application firewall tunneling
Systems and methods for web application firewall tunneling are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method may include (1) receiving a plurality of characters entered by a user into a field of a HTML page that is executed in a client runtime environment of a client device; (2) executing a client tunneling application to encode at least some of the characters; (3) passing the plurality of characters through the web application firewall; (4) executing a server tunneling application to decode the encoded characters; and (5) providing the plurality of characters, including the decoded characters, to a host application. Parts of the method may be performed by at least one computer processor. |
| US09043890B1 |
Distributed authentication against stored user identifiers and user templates via pseudonym association
An authentication system including a first server configured to store identifiers of respective users in association with respective pseudonyms, and a second server configured to store templates of the respective users in association with the respective pseudonyms. Input is received from a given user in conjunction with an authentication attempt. The first server is configured to determine if a first portion of the received input is associated with one of the user identifiers stored in the first server. If the first portion of the received input is associated with one of the user identifiers stored in the first server, the corresponding pseudonym is provided from the first server to the second server. The given user is authenticated based on a determination as to whether or not a second portion of the received input matches one of the stored user templates corresponding to the pseudonym provided to the second server. |
| US09043888B1 |
Detecting automated identities in computer user communities
A computer-implemented method of detecting automated identities, including. The method includes, using one or more computing devices, providing for display to a user a first representation of a first profile for a first identity and a second representation of a second profile for a second identity, providing for display to the user a choice indication mechanism for indicating a judgment about the first representation of the first profile for the first identity and the second representation of the second profile for the second identity, receiving an indication of the judgment from the user about the first representation of the first profile for the first identity and the second representation of the second profile for the second identity, and determining whether at least one of the first identity, the second identity, or the user is more or less likely to be automated, based at least in part on the received indication. |
| US09043885B2 |
System for providing content or application and control method therefor, terminal and control method therefor, authentication device and control method therefor, program, and information storage medium
To provide a system for providing content or an application capable of restricting a terminal device in which the content or the application is able to be used to a single terminal device among one authorized terminal device and one or more unauthorized terminal devices. According to a generation rule, a new authentication symbol string is generated based on at least a part of an authentication symbol string stored in a first authentication symbol string storage unit (100). In a case where the new authentication symbol string belongs to a type of an authentication symbol string that is able to be generated, according to the above mentioned generation rule, based on at least a part of an authentication symbol string stored in a second authentication symbol string storage unit (200) so as to be correlated to terminal identification information, use of content or an application in a terminal device (10) is permitted, and the authentication symbol string stored in the first authentication symbol string storage unit (100) and the authentication symbol string stored in the second authentication symbol string storage unit (200) so as to be correlated to the terminal identification information are updated to the above mentioned new authentication symbol string. |
| US09043878B2 |
Method and system for multi-tiered distributed security authentication and filtering
Multi-tiered distributed security authentication and filtering. One embodiment comprises managing user access to one or more computing resources, by centrally maintaining user subscription information comprising user authentication information and system authorization information, and providing relevant subscription information from the user subscription information to one or more remote computing systems. Managing user access further includes, in a remote computing system, authenticating a user login to the remote computing system based on user authentication information from said relevant subscription information, and upon user authentication, selectively authorizing user access to computing resources of the remote computing system based on system authorization information from said relevant subscription information. |
| US09043877B2 |
Temporarily providing higher privileges for computing system to user identifier
A root user identifier of a computing system is disabled. Thereafter, and in response to determining that a problem with the computing system requires root privileges to the computing system to solve, a code patch for installation on the computing system is received from a third party. The code patch is installed on the computing system, resulting in a user identifier temporarily having the root privileges to the computing system. The user identifier is different than the root user identifier is. A password for the user identifier is provided to the third party to permit the third party to solve the problem with the computing system using the root privileges, via the user identifier temporarily having the root privileges to the computing system. The code patch is computer code installable on the computing system. |
| US09043875B2 |
Contactless authentication of optical disk drives
An optical disc drive (ODD) includes a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader. The reader includes a circuit and a coil antenna which has a rotational symmetry with respect to a rotation axis of a motor, shaft and turntable of the ODD. The coil antenna can be secured to a wall of a housing of the ODD or around the motor and/or shaft. The reader can read an RFID tag on an optical disc. The RFID tag includes a circuit and a coil antenna which has a rotational symmetry with respect to the disc. As a result, the RFID tag can be read while the disc is rotating. A magnetic insulating material such as a ferrite polymer composite film is used to magnetically insulate the coil antenna. An authentication code can be read from the RFID tag to control access to content of the optical disc. |
| US09043873B1 |
Method and apparatus for rejecting untrusted network
A method of accessing a communication system and a communication device for performing the same are disclosed. The method includes transmitting, by a communication device to a node of a communication system through a communication link between the communication device and the node, a request to negotiate basic capabilities for communicating with the node, receiving, by the communication device from the node, a response to the request to negotiate basic capabilities, and, transmitting, by the communication device to the node, a request to disconnect the communication link, when the response to the request to negotiate basic capabilities indicates that the node does not support authentication. |
| US09043872B2 |
Selective management controller authenticated access control to host mapped resources
An information handling system includes a host mapped general purpose input output (GPIO), a shared memory, a board management controller, and a cryptography engine. The host mapped GPIO includes a plurality of registers. The board management controller is in communication with the host mapped GPIO and with the shared memory, and is configured to control accessibility to the plurality of registers in the GPIO, and to control write accessibility of the shared memory based on a private key received from a basic input output system requesting accessibility to the plurality of registers and write accessibility of the shared memory. The cryptography engine is in communication with the board memory controller, and is configured to authenticate the private key received from the board management controller. |
| US09043870B1 |
Automated sign up based on existing online identity
An automated system for signing up users invited to join a site based on their existing identity includes an invitation generator, an invite processor, a federated authentication module, a user information retrieval module, an account population and creation module, and a user interface module. The automated sign up module is responsive to an invite request. The automated sign up module sends an authorization request, receives the authorization response, verifies the response and retrieves user data. The automated sign up module uses the retrieved data to populate a sign up form and initialize an account. The automated sign up module sends new account information to a user for confirmation. Once confirmation has been received, the automated sign up module creates the new account and allows the user to access the system. The present disclosure includes a method for signing up users invited to join a site based on their existing identity. |
| US09043864B2 |
Constraint definition for conditional policy attachments
Framework for conditionally attaching web service policies to a policy subject (e.g., a web service client or service endpoint) at subject runtime. In one set of embodiments, a constraint expression can be defined that specifies one or more runtime conditions under which a policy should be attached to a policy subject. The constraint expression can be associated with the policy and the policy subject via policy attachment metadata. The constraint expression can then be evaluated at runtime of the policy subject to determine whether attachment of the policy to the policy subject should occur. If the evaluation indicates that the policy should be attached, the attached policy can be processed at the policy subject (e.g., enforced or advertised) as appropriate. Using these techniques, the policy subject can be configured to dynamically exhibit different behaviors based on its runtime context. |
| US09043862B2 |
Policy control for encapsulated data flows
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate communicating encapsulation information for a related mobility protocol type utilized in communicating over a data flow with reduced specific implementation on the policy server to support different mobility protocol types. In this regard, encapsulation information can be transmitted to the policy server from a network gateway such that the policy server can forward the encapsulation information to a serving gateway along with policy rules related to a data flow type. The serving gateway can utilize the encapsulation information to detect and interpret the encapsulated data flow according to the policy rules. In this regard, the serving gateway can provide support (e.g., quality of service support) for the flow. The encapsulation information can relate to a mobility protocol type, an encapsulation header, an indication that encapsulation is required, parameters regarding locating an encapsulation header in a message, and/or the like. |
| US09043853B2 |
Systems and methods for prioritization of data for intelligent discard in a communication network
Systems and methods for optimizing system performance of capacity and spectrum constrained, multiple-access communication systems by selectively discarding packets are provided. The systems and methods provided herein can drive changes in the communication system using control responses. One such control responses includes the optimal discard (also referred to herein as “intelligent discard”) of network packets under capacity constrained conditions. Some embodiments inspect a video stream to determine priorities for various elements of the video stream. The elements may be discarding using the priorities. In various embodiments, the elements include frames, slices, macroblocks, and data partitions. |
| US09043852B2 |
Methods, devices, and computer program products for providing instant messaging in conjunction with an audiovisual, video, or audio program
Methods, devices, and computer program products for providing instant messaging in conjunction with an audiovisual, video, or audio program are provided. The methods include providing an audiovisual, video, or audio program to a user. Viewer/listener input is received requesting activation of a program-based instant messaging function. A viewer/listener identifier corresponding to the viewer/listener is associated with a program identifier that uniquely identifies the audiovisual, video, or audio program being provided to the user to thereby generate a program viewer/listener record. The program viewer/listener record is transmitted to an electronic database. A list of other users who are viewing or listening to the program in addition to the viewer/listener is acquired from the electronic database. The list of other users is transmitted to the viewer/listener. |
| US09043848B2 |
System and method for interactive spatio-temporal streaming data
System and method for providing a probabilistic order of tiles relative to a current section of a video that a user is viewing. A cache implementation uses this ordering to decide what tiles to evict from the cache, i.e. which tiles will probably not be accessed within a particular timeframe, but not when to evict (this is up to the cache implementation). A cache implementation can also use the prioritized list of the present embodiment to pre-fetch tiles. |
| US09043846B2 |
Inflight entertainment system with selectively preloaded seat end video caches
An inflight entertainment (IFE) system preloads from head end equipment onto seat end video caches subsets of prerecorded video entertainment programs from a library of prerecorded video entertainment programs stored on the head end equipment. Preloading is done independent of play requests made by passengers using the IFE system. The selected subsets are selected using selection metrics such as program popularity, passenger demographics and/or passenger preferences. The same or a different subset may be selected for different passengers. As a result of the selective preloading of the seat end video caches, if the head end equipment or the distribution system becomes inoperable during the flight, the IFE system is able to continue to deliver a limited offering of popular, demographically indicated and/or passenger preferred video entertainment from the seat end video caches, without requiring a large multiplier in storage capacity or loading time. |
| US09043843B2 |
Transfer of television programs from channel-specific files to program-specific files
A television receiver including a tuner and one or more processors may be presented. The television receiver may be configured to tune the tuner to a television channel. The television receiver may be configured to create and store an omnibus channel file containing a plurality of television programs broadcast consecutively on the television channel over a period of time. The television receiver may be configured to, after a predefined period of time, select the omnibus channel file for deletion. The television receiver may be configured to determine a television program to receive extended storage. The television receiver may be configured to store a portion of the omnibus channel file as an individual program file, wherein the portion of the omnibus channel file corresponds to the television program. The television receiver may be configured to, after storing the portion of the omnibus channel file, delete the omnibus channel file. |
| US09043841B2 |
Internet TV module for enabling presentation and navigation of non-native user interface on TV having native user interface using either TV remote control or module remote control
A display device such as a TV has both HDMI and IP network interfaces and uses the HDMI interface to exchange IP network parameters with an audio video application module (AVAM) upon HDMI connection. In this way, an IP-based peer-to-peer or client-server network connection can be automatically established to promote faster communication when sharing and executing applications between the devices than is typically available over the CEC link of HDMI. |
| US09043840B2 |
Method and a system for television display of web feed content
A system and method are described that provide television content broadcast system subscribers with convenient access to aggregated web feed content. In one embodiment, a television content broadcast system (20) maintains a database (21) linking one or more particular subscribers with one or more sources of web feed content. The television content broadcast system (20) downloads web feed content for a subscriber from the one or more sources associated with the subscriber, either at the user's request or to a cache (22). The television content broadcast system (20) sends the downloaded web feed content through a web content interface (30(2)) to a television receiver (41), or through a web content interface (30(3)) to a local memory (51) in a set-top box (50). In another embodiment, the television content broadcast subscribers also have accounts on a web content aggregation system (10). Web content aggregation system (10) retrieves web feed content associated with the user, and sends the web feed content to television content broadcast system (20) for forwarding to the appropriate subscriber. |
| US09043838B2 |
Apparatus, systems and methods for a video thumbnail electronic program guide
Video thumbnail electronic program guide (EPG) systems and methods are operable to include a video thumbnail. An exemplary embodiment receives a media content stream at a media device; picks a plurality of still image video frames from the received media content stream, wherein each still image video frame has information that is sufficient to construct the still image video frame; generate a plurality of still image video frame thumbnails, wherein each of the still image video frame thumbnails correspond to one of the still image video frames; generate a video thumbnail from the plurality of still image video frame thumbnails; and incorporate the video thumbnail with at least one program descriptor and a channel identifier associated with the media content stream into the video thumbnail EPG. |
| US09043837B2 |
Media content discovery in an integrated media service that distributes media content by way of a plurality of different media distribution models
An exemplary method includes a media service provider system 1) providing an end user of an integrated media service with access to a media program by way of a plurality of different media distribution models, 2) maintaining a catalog that includes comprehensive information about the media program, the comprehensive information being an aggregate of non-redundant information about the media program obtained from a plurality of independent source catalogs corresponding to the plurality of different media distribution models, and 3) providing, based on the comprehensive information included in the catalog, a media service user interface that supports discovery of the comprehensive information about the media program regardless of a user interface context from which a user request for information about the media program is received. Corresponding systems and methods are also described. |
| US09043834B2 |
Providing content responsive to multimedia signals
A method of providing information including providing a communication session of at least one of audio and video media and applying automatic recognition to media transferred on the communication session. An advertisement is selected by a processor, based on the automatic recognition and non-advertisement information is selected by the processor, responsive to the automatic recognition. The selected advertisements and the selected non-advertisement information, are presented during the communication session. |
| US09043833B2 |
System and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program
A system and method in a television system for presenting information associated with a user-selected object in a television program is provided. An identity of a user-selected object in a television program being presented to a user is determined. Based at least in part on the identity of the user-selected object in the television program, information to present to the user is determined. The determined information is presented to the user on a television display. |
| US09043832B2 |
Early warning system, server and method
An early warning system is provided. The early warning system includes a plurality of sensors, a server, and an information appliance device. The sensors produce status information. The server produces event information according to the status information of the sensors, transforms the event information into a first multimedia signal, and transmits the first multimedia signal to the information appliance device through a computer network. The information appliance device is connected to a display device, wherein the information appliance device transforms the first multimedia signal into a second multimedia signal capable of displaying through the display device. The disclosure further provides an early warning server, an early warning method, and a computer program product for report information. |
| US09043825B2 |
Content carried ratings based control
Example apparatus and methods concern selectively accepting or rejecting content based on ratings identifier information included in the content. Example apparatus and methods facilitate identifying a content fragment (e.g., f-MP4 fragment) to be rejected based on an identifier located in the fragment rather than information located in some external source (e,g., Event Information Table (EIT)). One example method includes identifying a fragment based on a ratings identifier encoded as a universally unique identifier (UUID) in the fragment and then selectively accepting or rejecting the fragment based on the rating. Rather than rely only on a predicted start time, a predicted end time, a predicted source, and a pre determined coarse-grained rating, example apparatus and methods may be better prepared to account for unanticipated start times, ending times, schedule changes, and source changes, and may provide finer grained user control based on ratings carried in content. |
| US09043823B1 |
Detecting and logging triggered events in a data stream
A method and apparatus for detecting triggering events in a data stream, comprising extracting audio portions from the data stream, detecting a sequence of one or more Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) signals representing the events from the extracted audio portions, and logging data representative of the sequence of DTMF signals into a database. |
| US09043819B2 |
Broadcasting receiver and parental control system
This broadcasting receiver includes a receiving portion receiving a broadcast signal, a determination portion determining whether or not a user to be subject to parental control of the broadcast signal has entered a prescribed range, and a control portion performing control of enabling parental control corresponding to a user determined to have entered the prescribed range in the case where the parental control corresponding to the user determined to have entered the prescribed range is disabled when the determination portion determines that the user to be subject to parental control has entered the prescribed range. |
| US09043818B2 |
Adaptive feedback loop based on a sensor for streaming static and interactive media content to animals
A system or method for inferring and selective display of visual and sound media content based on a pet(s)'s level of engagement or reactions to content displayed on any number of content display devices including, but not limited to, television screens, computer monitors, tablets, and cell phones and measured by a sensor. A content selection algorithm takes as input the sensor measurements and historical or pre-computed data to infer the pet(s)'s preference for content. A content modification algorithm interposes algorithmically computed shapes and sounds overlaid on top of the existing content to attract the attention of the pet(s) observing the display. |
| US09043815B2 |
Programming language conditional event dispatcher
Methods and systems of monitoring events occurring in a computer system are provided. An event monitoring instruction including a condition is parsed, the event monitoring instruction expressed using syntax defined in source code, the parsing resulting in an event channel to monitor and the condition. Then execution of an application is paused. The event channel is monitored until an event occurs on the event channel. Then an event handler for the event is run in response to the event occurring on the event channel. The condition is evaluated to determine whether the condition is satisfied. Execution of the application is resumed in response to the condition being satisfied. |
| US09043811B2 |
Virtual machine communication
Two or more virtual machines may be co-located on a same physical machine, and the virtual machines may communicate with each other. To establish efficient communication, memory mapping information for respective virtual machines can be exchanged between the respective virtual machines. An instance of a virtualized network interface can be established, and a direct communications channel can be mapped between respective virtualized network interfaces. Data packet routing information can be updated, such that data packets transferred between two of more co-located virtual machines can be transferred using the virtualized network interface communications channel. |
| US09043808B2 |
State management of operating system and applications
A method and a processing device may be provided for state management of an operating system and applications. A framework may be provided for separating behaviorless state information from code or instructions for executing a method. Applications may have instances of state information derived from, or completely different from, instances of state information of an operating system. Instances of state information for an application may be layered over corresponding instances of state information of the operating system, such that the application and the operating system may have different views of the instances of the state information. At least one policy may be defined, which may include rules for resolving conflicts, information for providing a merged view of data from multiple repositories, default values for instances of data, as well as other information. In various implementations, referential integrity of state information may be guaranteed. |
| US09043806B2 |
Information processing device and task switching method
Disclosed is an information processing device and a task switching method that can reduce the time required for switching of tasks in a plurality of coprocessors. The information processing device (30) includes a processor core (301); coprocessors (311 to 31n) including operation units (321 to 32n) that perform operation in response to a request from the processor core (301) and operation storage units (331 to 22n) that store the contents of operation of the operation units (321 to 32n), save storage units (351 to 35n) that store the saved contents of operation, a task switching control unit (302) that outputs a save/restore request signal when switching a task on which operation is performed by the coprocessors (311 to 31n), and save/restore units (341 to 34n) that perform at least one of saving of the contents of operation in the operation storage units (331 to 33n) to the save storage units (351 to 35n) and restoration of the contents of operation in the save storage units (351 to 35 n) to the operation storage units (331 to 33n) in response to the save/restore request signal. |
| US09043804B2 |
Parallel computer system and program
There is provided a parallel computer system for performing barrier synchronization using a master node and a plurality of worker nodes based on the time to allow for an adaptive setting of the synchronization time. When a task process in a certain worker node has not been completed by a worker determination time, the particular worker node performs a communication to indicate that the process has not been completed, to a master node. When the communication has been received by a master determination time, the master node performs a communication to indicate that the process time is extended by a correction process time, in order to adjust and extend the synchronization time. In this way, it is possible to reduce the synchronization overhead associated with the execution of an application with a relatively large variation in the process time from a synchronization point to the next synchronization point. |
| US09043801B2 |
Two-tiered dynamic load balancing using sets of distributed thread pools
By employing a two-tier load balancing scheme, embodiments of the present invention may reduce the overhead of shared resource management, while increasing the potential aggregate throughput of a thread pool. As a result, the techniques presented herein may lead to increased performance in many computing environments, such as graphics intensive gaming. |
| US09043800B2 |
Video player instance prioritization
A video player instance may be prioritized and decoding and rendering resources may be assigned to the video player instance accordingly. A video player instance may request use of a resource combination. Based on a determined priority a resource combination may be assigned to the video player instance. A resource combination may be reassigned to another video player instance upon detection that the previously assigned resource combination is no longer actively in use. |
| US09043797B2 |
Using pause on an electronic device to manage resources
An electronic device for using pause to manage resources is described. The electronic device includes a processor and instructions stored in memory. The electronic device monitors a pause duration and determines whether to perform a resource management operation based on the pause duration. The electronic device performs the resource management operation based on the pause duration. |
| US09043794B2 |
Scalable group synthesis
An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented process for scalable group synthesis receives a group definition, applies a sub-set of conditions to the group definition to form a conditioned group definition, receives a set of entities and populates group membership using the received set of entities and the conditioned group definition, wherein each member responds in the affirmative to the sub-set of conditions. |
| US09043785B1 |
Dynamic consolidation of virtual machines
A method and apparatus are disclosed of monitoring a number of virtual machines operating in an enterprise network. One example method of operation may include identifying a number of virtual machines currently operating in an enterprise network and determining performance metrics for each of the virtual machines. The method may also include identifying at least one candidate virtual machine from the virtual machines to optimize its active application load and modifying the candidate virtual machine to change its active application load. |
| US09043783B2 |
Generic download and upload functionality in a client/server web application architecture
The present invention relates generally to client-server architectures for allowing generic upload and download functionality between a web application at a server and a client. One exemplary method includes sending a download/upload request to a web application at the server, where the download/upload request specifies at least one file to download/upload; receiving a transmission from the server; parsing the transmission to identify a download/upload command and an associated download/upload manifest, where the download/upload manifest includes executable code that, when executed on the client, will perform the download/upload of the at least one file. |
| US09043782B2 |
Predictive software streaming
A software streaming platform may be implemented that predictively chooses units of a program to download based on the value of downloading the unit. In one example, a program is divided into blocks. The sequence in which blocks of the program historically have been requested is analyzed in order to determine, for a given history, what block is the next most likely to be requested. Blocks then may be combined into chunks, where each chunk represents a chain of blocks that have a high likelihood of occurring in a sequence. A table is then constructed indicating, for a given chunk, the chunks that are most likely to follow the given chunk. Based on the likelihood table and various other considerations, the value of downloading particular chunks is determined, and the chunk with the highest expected value is downloaded. |
| US09043780B2 |
Electronic system with system modification control mechanism and method of operation thereof
An electronic system and method of operation thereof includes: a control unit for receiving a patterned signal; a recognizer module, coupled to the control unit, for recognizing an unique trigger from the patterned signal; an operation module, coupled to the recognizer module, for detecting an operational mode from the unique trigger; and a change module, coupled to the operation module, for configuring a system state change of a memory sub-system based on the operational mode. |
| US09043775B2 |
Method for identifying problematic loops in an application and devices thereof
This invention relates to a method, computer readable medium, and apparatus for identifying one or more problematic loops in an application. This invention provides a Directed Acyclic Graph or DAG representation of structure of one or more loops in the application by performing a static and a dynamic analysis of the application source code and depicts the loop information as LoopID, loop weight, total loop iteration, average loop iteration, total loop iteration time, average loop iteration time and embedded vector size. This aids a programmer to concentrate on problematic loops in the application and analyze them further for potential parallelism. |
| US09043774B2 |
Systems and methods for information flow analysis
Computer-implemented methods for analyzing computer programs written in semi-structured languages are disclosed. The method is based on unification of the two classic forms of program flow analysis, control flow and data flow analysis. As such, it is capable of substantially increased precision, which increases the effectiveness of applications such as automated parallelization and software testing. Certain implementations of the method are based on a process of converting source code to a decision graph and transforming that into one or more alpha graphs which support various applications in software development. The method is designed for a wide variety of digital processing platforms, including highly parallel machines. The method may also be adapted to the analysis of (semi-structured) flows in other contexts including water systems and electrical grids. |
| US09043772B2 |
Optimization hints for a business process flow
In one embodiment, an optimization hint may be included in a business process flow. An executable process may be generated from the business process flow where the optimization hint is included in the executable process. While executing the executable process, the runtime engine encounters an optimization hint and determines an optimization to perform. The optimization hint may be related to an aspect of a business process being orchestrated by the business process flow. The optimization is then performed while executing the executable process. For example, the runtime engine may start pre-processing the branch while the condition is being evaluated. If the condition evaluates such that the pre-processed branch should be executed, then the runtime engine has already started processing of that branch. The processing is thus optimized in that the runtime engine is not sitting idle while waiting for the condition to be evaluated. |
| US09043770B2 |
Program module applicability analyzer for software development and testing for multi-processor environments
In one embodiment, a machine-implemented method programs a heterogeneous multi-processor computer system to run a plurality of program modules, wherein each program module is to be run on one of the processors The system includes a plurality of processors of two or more different processor types. According to the recited method, machine-implemented offline processing is performed using a plurality of SIET tools of a scheduling information extracting toolkit (SIET) and a plurality of SBT tools of a schedule building toolkit (SBT). A program module applicability analyzer (PMAA) determines whether a first processor of a first processor type is capable of running a first program module without compiling the first program module. Machine-implemented online processing is performed using realtime data to test the scheduling software and the selected schedule solution. |
| US09043769B2 |
Optimization of loops and data flow sections in multi-core processor environment
The present invention relates to a method for compiling code for a multi-core processor, comprising: detecting and optimizing a loop, partitioning the loop into partitions executable and mappable on physical hardware with optimal instruction level parallelism, optimizing the loop iterations and/or loop counter for ideal mapping on hardware, chaining the loop partitions generating a list representing the execution sequence of the partitions. |
| US09043764B2 |
Cross-platform compiler for data transforms
Techniques for automatically partitioning a multi-platform data transform flow graph to one or more target output platforms are provided. The techniques include performing type inference on a transform graph, wherein the transform graph comprises one or more data transforms, automatically partitioning the transform graph to one or more target output platforms based on one or more policies, performing an optimization of the partitioned transform graph, and generating code, from the partitioned transform graph, for each set of the one or more data transforms based on the one or more target output platforms. |
| US09043758B2 |
System for generating readable and meaningful descriptions of stream processing source code
An information processing system, computer readable storage medium, and method for automatically generating human readable and meaningful documentation for one or more source code files. A processor of the information processing system receives one or more source code files containing source code artifacts (SCA) and infers semantics therefrom based on predefined rules. The processor, based on the inferred semantics, extracts documentation from another source code file. The extracted documentation and the inferred semantics are used to generate new human readable and meaningful documentation for the SCA, such new documentation being previously missing from the SCA. The generated new documentation is included with the SCA in one or more source code files. |
| US09043754B2 |
Virtualizing embedded devices
A device virtualization system is described herein that separates common computer processing tasks of an embedded device from the application-specific peripherals of the embedded device to allow at least some functions of the device to be offloaded to servers or other computing devices. The device virtualization system greatly simplifies management, configuration, and control of virtual embedded devices. Because much of the software of the device runs on the virtualization server, information technology (IT) personnel can be assigned to manage the virtualization server and to apply any updates and diagnose any problems that occur. Moreover, a single server or group of servers can be used to provide virtualization services for a wide variety of virtualized embedded devices for a wide variety of users. Thus, the system enhances the usefulness of embedded devices and allows a longer lifetime and wider variety of uses than embedded devices today. |
| US09043751B2 |
Methods and devices for managing a cloud computing environment
Methods, devices, and systems for management of a cloud computing environment for use by a software application. The cloud computing environment may be an N-tier environment. Multiple cloud providers may be used to provide the cloud computing environment. |
| US09043750B2 |
Automated generation of two-tier mobile applications
The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for creating and using two-tier mobile applications. A computer-implemented method includes identifying at least a portion of a database to be associated with a mobile application, retrieving a set of metadata associated with the at least a portion of the identified database, automatically generating a set of mobile application source code for directly accessing the at least a portion of the database based on the set of retrieved metadata, and compiling the set of mobile application source code into a distributable mobile application, the distributable mobile application configured to directly access the identified database associated with the mobile application. In some instances, the identifying, retrieving, generating, and compiling operations are performed at design time, while at runtime, the mobile application is executable by a mobile device and, during runtime execution, can request database-related information directly from the identified database. |
| US09043748B2 |
Applying coding standards in graphical programming environments
Graphical programming or modeling environments in which a coding standard can be applied to graphical programs or models are disclosed. The present invention provides mechanisms for applying the coding standard to graphical programs/models in the graphical programming/modeling environments. The mechanisms may detect violations of the coding standard in the graphical model and report such violations to the users. The mechanisms may automatically correct the graphical model to remove the violations from the graphical model. The mechanisms may also automatically avoid the violations in the simulation and/or code generation of the graphical model. |
| US09043745B1 |
Systems and methods for monitoring product development
A computer-implemented method is provided for evaluating team performance in a product development environment. The method includes receiving a plurality of points of effort made by a team over a plurality of days in a time period, computing a slope associated with a line of best fit through the plurality of points of effort over the plurality of days, computing a deviation of the slope from an ideal slope corresponding to a desired performance rate for the team, and generating a display illustrating at least one of the slope, the ideal slope or the deviation. |
| US09043738B2 |
Machine-learning based datapath extraction
A datapath extraction tool uses machine-learning models to selectively classify clusters of cells in an integrated circuit design as either datapath logic or non-datapath logic based on cluster features. A support vector machine and a neural network can be used to build compact and run-time efficient models. A cluster is classified as datapath if both the support vector machine and the neural network indicate that it is datapath-like. The cluster features may include automorphism generators for the cell clusters, or physical information based on the cell locations from a previous (e.g., global) placement, such as a ratio of a total cell area for a given cluster to a half-perimeter of a bounding box for the given cluster. |
| US09043736B2 |
Circuit design support method, computer product, and circuit design support apparatus
A circuit-design support method includes obtaining information for a circuit having a logic circuit in which signal lines are connected to input terminals, signals of the signal lines being output via the logic circuit; obtaining information concerning a control circuit that has a first flip-flop for scanning and that can control a value of a given signal line by a value set by the first flip-flop; selecting, based on the circuit information, a second flip-flop at an output destination of a signal from the logic circuit, among second flip-flops of the circuit; and generating, based on the control circuit information, information indicating a serial connection of the control circuit between an output source of the signal of the given signal line and the given signal line and a connection of a data input terminal of the first flip-flop and an output terminal of the selected second flip-flop. |
| US09043732B2 |
Apparatus and method for user input for controlling displayed information
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method for proximity based input is provided, comprising: detecting presence of an object in close proximity to an input surface, detecting a displayed virtual layer currently associated with the object on the basis of distance of the object to the input surface, detecting a hovering input by the object, and causing a display operation to move at least a portion of the associated virtual layer in accordance with the detected hovering input. |
| US09043725B2 |
User interface with enlarged icon display of key function
To improve the consumer experience with portable electronic devices, a user interface combines the use of capacitive sensors with tactile sensors in an input device. When a user places a finger, stylus, or other input instrument near a given key button, a capacitive sensor causes the display to display temporarily an indication of the function of that key in an enlarged format. The user may then press the associated key button to activate the desired function. In one exemplary embodiment, the capacitive sensor fixes the functionality to the function indicated in the display. In this embodiment, a tactile input applied to any key, whether the correct key, multiple keys, or a single incorrect key, results in activating the function indicated in the display as a result of the capacitive input. |
| US09043724B2 |
Dynamically composed user interface help
A user interface help dialog for a computer system is provided in which the computer system has a plurality of system parameters and the user interface includes a plurality of command options that may be enabled or disabled. A cursor for indicating one of the command options is also provided. To generate the help dialog the identity of a disabled command option to which the cursor indicates is first identified. The status of a subset of the system parameters is then evaluated, the system parameters subset being determined in dependence on the identified command option. A help dialog to be displayed to the user is then generated, the content of which is dependent on the status of the evaluated system parameters. |
| US09043723B2 |
Representation of overlapping visual entities
Various embodiments present a combined visual entity that represents overlapping visual entities. The combined visual entity can include a primary visualization that represents one of the overlapping visual entities and annotations that represent others of the overlapping visual entities. For example, a map view can include multiple geographical entities that overlap. A primary visualization can be rendered that represents one of the multiple geographical entities. The primary visualization can be visually annotated (e.g., with symbols, letters, or other visual indicators) to indicate others of the multiple geographical entities. In some embodiments, a zoom operation can cause visual entities to be added and/or removed from the combined visual entity. |
| US09043721B2 |
Vehicular manipulation apparatus
A remote manipulation apparatus includes a main body and a manipulating handle manipulated by a user to move to cover all the orientations from a manipulation basis position defined on a basis of the main body. Movement of the manipulating handle relative to the manipulation basis position corresponds to movement of a pointer image relative to a screen basis position on a screen of a display apparatus. An auxiliary navigational display window includes a specified button image assigned with pointer-pulling information. When the auxiliary navigational display window appears on the screen, the manipulating handle is automatically driven to a position that corresponds to a position of the specified button image on the screen so that the pointer image is moved onto the specified button image that is assigned with the pointer-pulling information. |
| US09043713B2 |
Information processing apparatus for displaying screen information acquired from an outside device in a designated color
An information processing apparatus configured to display a user interface on a display unit according to screen information acquired from an outside device changes the screen information according to a display attribute set by a user, and if setting of a display attribute of an object included in the screen information is unchangeable, color conversion processing of a specified object included in the screen information is performed and the screen information obtained by executing conversion processing according to the display attribute set by the user with respect to the screen information including the object which has undergone the color conversion processing is displayed. |
| US09043711B2 |
Mirrored file manager
A file managing software program for managing a list of elements in a specific sequence in a first file of a computer program, including the steps of copying the first file to form a second file having an identical list of elements as the first file. The user is then permitted to rearrange the sequence of the elements of the second file independently of the sequence of the first file. A display of both the first and the second file list elements is provided to the user. Further embodiments allow the user to categorize, prioritize, and order according to users specified rules of how the second file element list is organized and displayed to provide a more convenient and flexible presentation of the file contents. |
| US09043707B2 |
Configurable viewcube controller
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product provide the ability to display representative properties of a three-dimensional scene view. A 3D scene and a 3D representation of a coordinate system of the 3D scene are displayed. Different faces of the 3D representation represent and correspond to different viewpoints of the 3D scene. Different statistics for features of the 3D scene are reflected on the different faces of the 3D representation based on the viewpoint corresponding to each face. Manipulation of the 3D representation identifies and selects a different viewpoint of the 3D scene which is then reoriented accordingly. |
| US09043706B2 |
System and method for using state replication between application instances to provide a collaborative desktop environment
Described herein are systems and methods for enabling a collaborative remote desktop environment. The system includes a computing device and a first application instance that has an application state associated therewith. The first application instance includes, or is associated with, a current state component and application data/data files. The system further includes an application launcher that is used to instantiate a second application instance operating either on the same or on a different computing device. The second application instance similarly has an application state associated therewith and is associated with the application launcher. Upon receiving a request from the second user to interact with the first application instance, the application state and the application data/data files are communicated to the application launcher, and the application launcher instantiates the second application instance so that its state is substantially identical to that of the first application instance. |
| US09043704B2 |
Method for configuring displets for an interactive platform for analyzing a computer network performance
A method for configuring an interactive platform for monitoring the performance and the quality of a computer network, the monitoring data being suitable to be displayed on a dynamic page of type webpage in a form of graphic components called “displets”; including providing, on the interactive platform a configuration interface in which are defined, for at least one given user, filtering criteria for displaying displets, the criteria being defined in the form of parameters for configuring the rights of the at least one user. |
| US09043703B2 |
Voice commands for online social networking systems
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, receiving from a first user a voice message comprising one or more commands, receiving location information associated with the first user, identifying edges and nodes in the social graph based on the location information, where each of the identified edges and nodes corresponds to at least one of the commands of the voice message, and generating new nodes or edges in the social graph based on the identified nodes or identified edges. |
| US09043701B2 |
Method and apparatus for indicating the impaired sequences of an audiovisual document
During reproduction of an audio or audiovisual document, a document is read from a recording medium. The audio or audiovisual content of the non impaired sequences, which represent sequences of the document which are not defective, are fully recorded. Impaired sequences of the document, which are defective sequences of the document are not recorded, but are represented by an identifier and information corresponding to the duration of the impaired sequences. The recorded sequences are then reproduced and a graphics menu representing the content of the document is displayed. The menu indicates the location of the impaired sequences with respect to the non impaired sequences and the duration of the impaired sequences. |
| US09043700B2 |
Handheld electronic device and associated method providing disambiguation of an ambiguous input and selectively providing prediction of future characters
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software and prediction software. In response to an ambiguous input, the system provides one or more disambiguated interpretations of the ambiguous input. In some circumstances, the system can additionally provide one or more completions, i.e., predictions of future characters. However, in other circumstances the outputting of completions of an ambiguous input can be suppressed in order to avoid distracting the user and to provide more meaningful results to the user. |
| US09043696B1 |
Systems and methods for visual definition of data associations
Systems and methods are disclosed for visual definitions of data associations. In accordance with one implementation, a method is provided for visual definitions of data associations. The method includes obtaining and displaying a first sample document, receiving a first input indicating selection of one or more objects within the first sample document, and determining a first set of one or more characteristics shared by the selected objects. The method also includes identifying, within one or more target documents, one or more target objects characterized by the first set of one or more characteristics, and storing object data associated with the target objects. |
| US09043695B2 |
Visualizing total order relation of nodes in a structured document
A method, system, and a computer readable storage medium for visualizing total order relation of nodes included in structured document. The method includes acquiring log information, where the log information is created by storing information on transitions between nodes in a structured document in chronological order. The method also includes specifying a relation of relative positions of the nodes in the transitions based on acquired log information. The method further includes determining a total order relation of the nodes in the structured document by performing a topological sorting that uses specified relation as a constraint, where the total order relation of the nodes is determined by using content data of the node if the node is added to or removed from the structured document. |
| US09043693B2 |
Input trail on data entry
A system may include reception, from a planning application, of a spreadsheet including a plurality of values, presentation of the plurality of values, reception of a first instruction to change a first value of the plurality of values to a second value, presentation, in response to the instruction, of a visual indication in association with the second value, the visual indication indicating that the second value is a fixed value, reception of a second instruction to refresh the spreadsheet, and in response to the second instruction, determination of one or more of the plurality of values of the spreadsheet, each of the determined one or more of the plurality of values presented in association with a visual indication indicating that the value is a fixed value, and transmission of the determined one or more of the plurality of values and a request to refresh the spreadsheet to the planning application. |
| US09043692B2 |
Predictive system recommended actions based on recent activities
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for tracking recent activities of processes and presenting recommended next actions based thereon. According to one embodiment, a method of tracking and interacting with one or more processes can comprise detecting one or more activities, each activity related to at least one of a plurality of ongoing transactions of the one or more processes. The one or more activities can be recorded in records of an activity log. At a later point in time, relevant records of the activity log for a particular user can be identified. A determination of a recommended next action can be made for each identified relevant record based on the recorded activity and the related transaction. A list of the identified relevant records of the activity log and the determined recommended next actions can be generated and presented to the user. |
| US09043690B2 |
Method and apparatus for detecting a parity error in a sequence of DQPSK symbols of a digital transmission system
The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting a parity error in a sequence of DQPSK symbols of a digital transmission system, comprising determining a first demodulated symbol r1; determining a second demodulated symbol r2; determining a first parity symbol p1; determining a second parity symbol p2; determining a super-parity symbol q1; and detecting a parity error in the sequence of DQPSK symbols by comparing a combination of the first parity symbol p1 and the second parity symbol p2 against the super-parity symbol q1, wherein a parity between two DQPSK symbols describes a phase difference between the two DQPSK symbols. |
| US09043688B1 |
Error data generation and application for disk drive applications
Generating error data associated with decoding data is disclosed, including: processing an input sequence of samples associated with data stored on media using a detector and a decoder during a global iteration; and generating one or more error values based at least in part on one or more decision bits output by the detector or the decoder and the input sequence of samples. |
| US09043686B2 |
Method and apparatus for decoding and checking tail-biting convolutional code
A method for decoding and checking a tail-biting convolutional code is provided. The method fully utilizes structural features of the tail-biting convolutional code to re-sort Log-Likelihood Ratio (LLR) values input into a decoder, and by reconstructing a derivative generator polynomial of a convolutional code, allows the decoder to output in serial according to a normal ordering of information bits during backtracking, that is, a first bit of an information sequence is first decoded successfully. Thus, CRC checking may be activated as soon as possible, so that part of the backtracking process and the CRC checking may be performed in parallel, thereby achieving the objective of reducing a processing time delay in decoding and checking the tail-biting convolutional code. |
| US09043685B2 |
Method and apparatus for error-correction in and processing of GFP-T superblocks
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for processing and error correction of a GFP-T superblock, where the 64 bytes of payload data of a first superblock are buffered in the first page of a two-page buffer. The flag byte is buffered in a separate buffer, and a CRC operation is performed in a separate logic element. The result of the CRC operation is checked against a single syndrome table which may indicate single- or multi-bit errors. As the payload data of the first superblock is processed and read out of the first page of the two-page buffer, the payload data of a second superblock is written into the second page of the two-page buffer to be processed and corrected. |
| US09043683B2 |
Error protection for integrated circuits
A method for providing error detection and/or correction to an array of storage cells includes determining a sensitive direction and an insensitive direction of the storage cells and adding a first error control mechanism to the array of storage cells in the insensitive direction. The method also includes adding a second error control mechanism to the array of storage cells in the sensitive direction. The second error control mechanism has a higher Hamming distance than the first error control mechanism. |
| US09043680B2 |
Method and system for in-place updating content stored in a storage device
Methods and systems for in-place updating original content stored in a non-volatile storage device and for yielding updated content. Some of the described embodiments illustrate the possibilities for reduction in storage operations, storage blocks, and/or update package size. Some of the described embodiments include the writing of error recovery result(s) such as XOR result(s) which enable the recovery of data in case of an interruption of the update process. In some of the described embodiments, there is re-usage of a protection buffer containing content which is required in the update process. |
| US09043679B2 |
Memory device
A memory device includes a memory chip that stores data, and an external controller that controls the memory chip. The memory chip includes multiple memory cells configured to store data of two or more bits; and an internal controller that executes a program operation for page data including a lower and an upper page program operation, and executes a read operation for page data including a lower and an upper page read operation. The external controller includes an error correction unit that performs error correction encoding on data to be programmed into the memory cell array and performs error correction decoding on data. The internal controller outputs the read page data from the memory cell array to the external controller, regardless of whether the upper page program operation is complete or not, in the upper page read operation. |
| US09043677B2 |
Memory controller and operating method of memory controller
A method of operating a memory controller to control a memory device includes reading a read vector from the memory device and correcting one or more errors in the read vector, where a power consumed at the correcting is varied according to the number of errors in the read vector. |
| US09043676B2 |
Parity error recovery method for string search CAM
Data is compressed using content addressable memory without disruption despite error using a plurality of content addressable memories to detect sequentially repeating data elements of the data. Compression information is generated for each sequence of repeating data elements that repeat for at least a compression threshold without any one of the plurality of content addressable memories generating an indication of an error for a matching content addressable memory entry. Individual data elements are output for each of the data elements that do not repeat for the compression threshold. Compression information is generated for each sequence of repeating data elements that repeat for at least the compression threshold and then generating a currently searched data element that matches the repeating data elements when any one of the plurality of content addressable memories generates an indication of an error for a content addressable memory entry that matches the currently searched data element. |
| US09043675B2 |
Storage device
A nonvolatile memory is configured with blocks as deletion units, each block having several pages that are configured as write units. A controller for the nonvolatile memory includes an error correcting circuit, which detects and corrects an error in data read out of a page in one of the blocks of the nonvolatile memory, the page being referenced by a logical address. The controller also determines an error occurrence when the error cannot be corrected. An error block table is provided to store the logical address where the error occurred, and a physical address corresponding to the logical address. |
| US09043671B2 |
Data protocol
A method of transmitting data according to a data transmission protocol wherein the data is transmitted as a plurality of data frames and each data frame includes an error checking field comprising at least two sub-fields, the data of the first sub-field being formed by a first error checking method performed on data of the frame and the data of the second sub-field being formed by a second error checking method performed on the said data of the frame, the first and second methods being such that the data of the first sub-field has different error checking properties from those of the data of the second sub-field. |
| US09043669B1 |
Distributed ECC engine for storage media
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus, method, and/or sequence for a distributed ECC that may be used in a storage system. In another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for handling distributed error correction code (ECC) operations, includes: a plurality of ECC engines configured to perform ECC operations in parallel on multiple data parts; the plurality of ECC engines distributed in parallel to receive some of the multiple data parts that are read from storage media devices and to receive some of the other multiple data parts that are to be written to the storage media devices; and the plurality of ECC engines configured to use respective ECC bytes corresponding to respective ones of the multiple data parts. |
| US09043667B2 |
Method and system for up-link HARQ-ACK and CSI transmission
A method and user equipment for simultaneous transmission of a first set of information bits and a second set of information bits by a user equipment, either separately encoded utilizing transmit power or rate matching to increase successful decoding of a set of information bits, or jointly encoding using a priori knowledge or bit positioning to increase successful decoding. Also, the use of joint coding where a first set of information bits is encoded first and then encoded with a second set of information bits, and modulation symbol mapping are provided. |
| US09043666B2 |
Method for efficient control signaling of two codeword to one codeword transmission
In a wireless communication system, a compact control signaling scheme is provided for signaling the selected retransmission mode and codeword identifier for a codeword retransmission when one of a plurality of codewords being transmitted over two codeword pipes to a receiver fails the transmission and when the base station/transmitter switches from a higher order channel rank to a lower order channel rank, either by including one or more additional signaling bits in the control signal to identify the retransmitted codeword, or by re-using existing control signal information in a way that can be recognized by the subscriber station/receiver to identify the retransmitted codeword. With the compact control signal, the receiver is able to determine which codeword is being retransmitted and to determine the corresponding time-frequency resource allocation for the retransmitted codeword. |
| US09043664B2 |
I/O linking, TAP selection and multiplexer remove select control circuitry
Today many instances of IEEE 1149.1 Tap domains are included in integrated circuits (ICs). While all TAP domains may be serially connected on a scan path that is accessible external to the IC, it is generally preferred to have selectivity on which Tap domain or Tap domains are accessed. Therefore Tap domain selection circuitry may be included in ICs and placed in the scan path along with the Tap domains. Ideally, the Tap domain selection circuitry should only be present in the scan path when it is necessary to modify which Tap domains are selected in the scan path. The present disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus which allows the Tap domain selection circuitry to be removed from the scan path after it has been used to select Tap domains and to be replaced back into the scan path when it is necessary to select different Tap domains. |
| US09043660B2 |
Data store capable of efficient storing of keys
Embodiments relate to a computer implemented information processing system, method and program product for data access. The information processing system includes a data store having a top tier store and at least another tier store with the top tier store including a counter for each entry of a symbol and another tier store including a representative frequency value defined for the another tier store. A sorter is also provided configured to sort the symbol in the top tier store and the another tier stores according to a value generated in the counter for the assessed symbol. The said sorter is also configured to restore entry of the symbol in the top tier store, in response to a symbol having moved from said top tier store to another tier store, by using the representative frequency value defined for said another store to which said symbol was moved. |
| US09043658B1 |
Automatic testing and remediation based on confidence indicators
An asset health monitoring system (AHMS) can assign a confidence indicator to some or all the services of a computing service provider. In response to drops in the confidence indicators, the AHMS can automatically initiate testing of services and/or computing assets associated with the services in order to raise confidence that a particular service and its computing assets will perform correctly. Further, the AHMS can automatically initiate remediation procedures for the particular service and/or specific computing assets that fail the confidence testing. By automatically triggering testing and/or remediation procedures, the AHMS can increase reliability of the computing service provider by preemptively identifying problems. |
| US09043656B2 |
Securing crash dump files
In a computer storage system, crash dump files are secured without power fencing in a cluster of a plurality of nodes connected to a storage system. Upon an occurrence of a panic of a crashing node and prior to receiving a panic message of the crashing node by a surviving node loading, in the cluster, a capturing node to become active, prior to a totem token being declared lost by the surviving node, for capturing the crash dump files of the crashing node, while manipulating the surviving node to continue to operate under the assumption the power fencing was performed on the crashing node. |
| US09043655B2 |
Apparatus and control method
An apparatus includes a first memory, a second memory, a processor configured to perform an initialization process including adding data that generates a first error to initialization data and storing the initialization data together with the added data in the first memory to initialize the first memory, and a controller configured to perform an exchanging process including, when a second error occurs in the second memory during reading or writing data from or to the second memory, copying the data stored in the second memory into the first memory and switching, using a selector, a memory for use in writing and reading data from the second memory to the first memory. The processor is configured to read data from the first memory and the second memory and detect a failure of the selector or a failure of the exchanging process depending on whether the first error occurs or not. |
| US09043654B2 |
Avoiding processing flaws in a computer processor triggered by a predetermined sequence of hardware events
A system, method and computer program product for avoiding a processing flaw in a computer processor triggered by a predetermined sequence of hardware events. The system may include a detecting unit and a power-on reset unit. The detecting unit detects that the predetermined sequence of hardware events is going to occur at the computer processor. The power-on reset unit initializes the computer processor to a state stored in computer memory in response to detecting the sequence of hardware events. |
| US09043652B2 |
User-coordinated resource recovery
A computing system resource recovery method can include identifying a resource manager associated with a computing transaction, classifying the computing transaction to determine a predetermined metric, measuring an actual metric of the computing transaction, comparing the predetermined metric to the actual metric to detect abnormal behavior in the transaction and modeling the abnormal behavior to determine how the resource manager is affected by the abnormal behavior. |
| US09043648B2 |
Intelligently responding to hardware failures so as to optimize system performance
A method, system and computer program product for intelligently responding to hardware failures so as to optimize system performance. An administrative server monitors the utilization of the hardware as well as the software components running on the hardware to assess a context of the software components running on the hardware. Upon detecting a hardware failure, the administrative server analyzes the hardware failure to determine the type of hardware failure and analyzes the properties of the workload running on the failed hardware. The administrative server then responds to the detected hardware failure based on various factors, including the type of the hardware failure, the properties of the workload running on the failed hardware and the context of the software running on the failed hardware. In this manner, by taking into consideration such factors in responding to the detected hardware failure, a more intelligent response is provided that optimizes system performance. |
| US09043646B2 |
Client selectable server-side error resolution
An illustrative embodiment of a computer-implemented process for client selectable server-side data error resolutions receives a request from a client to perform an action on a server, identifies a data error during performance of the action of the request and generates a response including an error description and a resolution subset for the identified error. The computer-implemented process further sends a response to the client, receives a selected resolution returned from the client, and responsive to a determination the selected resolution associated with the token returned executes on the server, executes the selected resolution, associated with the token returned, on the server to correct the data error. |
| US09043644B2 |
Using separate processes to handle short-lived and long-lived jobs to reduce failure of processes
A method, system and computer program product for reducing the failure of processes. After a job is received, a determination is made as whether the received job is a “short-lived job” or a “long-lived job.” A short-lived job refers to a job who accomplishes a given task in less than a threshold period of time. A long-lived job refers to a job who accomplishes a given task in greater than a threshold period of time. For an identified long-lived job, the long-lived job is executed on a single process apart from other processes; whereas, the short-lived job is executed on at least one process separate from the processes executing long-lived jobs. As a result of executing the long-lived jobs on separate processes from the short-lived jobs, the likelihood of having a process fail is lessened since the duration of time that the process is running will be lessened. |
| US09043642B2 |
Data manipulation on power fail
Disclosed is a power isolation and backup system. When a power fail condition is detected, temporary storage is flushed to an SDRAM. After the flush, interfaces are halted, and power is removed from most of the chip except the SDRAM subsystem. The SDRAM subsystem copies data from an SDRAM to a flash memory. On the way, the data may be encrypted, and/or a data integrity signature calculated. To restore data, the SDRAM subsystem copies data from the flash memory to the SDRAM. On the way, the data being restored may be decrypted, and/or a data integrity signature checked. |
| US09043636B2 |
Method of fencing in a cluster system
A method of fencing in a cluster system including network devices and a management network device is disclosed. Each network device may run an application program and comprises a fence device. A first network device receives a fence operation command from the management network device. The fence operation command contains information of a target network device and information of a target application. The first network device may determine a fence device on the first network device that corresponds to the fence operation command and activates the determined fence device such that the fence device performs a fence operation on the target application program according to the fence operation command. |
| US09043635B2 |
Techniques for upstream failure detection and failure recovery
The content provider provides content to the first data center, which then provides the content to the client. The client determines that a failure between content provider and the first data center may have occurred. When the client determines that a failure may have occurred, the client may connect to a second data center to receive content from the content provider through the second data center. Accordingly, the failure is detected and additionally, automatic failure recovery may be provided at the client. |
| US09043633B2 |
Memory controller with transaction-queue-monitoring power mode circuitry
An integrated-circuit memory controller outputs to a memory device a first signal in a first state to enable operation of synchronous data transmission and reception circuits within the memory device. A transaction queue within the memory controller stores memory read and write requests that, to be serviced, require operation of the synchronous data transmission and reception circuits, respectively, within the memory device. Power control circuitry within the memory controller determines that the transaction queue has reached a predetermined state and, in response, outputs the first signal to the memory device in a second state to disable operation of the synchronous data transmission and reception circuits within the memory device. |
| US09043632B2 |
Security enclave processor power control
An SOC implements a security enclave processor (SEP). The SEP may include a processor and one or more security peripherals. The SEP may be isolated from the rest of the SOC (e.g. one or more central processing units (CPUs) in the SOC, or application processors (APs) in the SOC). Access to the SEP may be strictly controlled by hardware. For example, a mechanism in which the CPUs/APs can only access a mailbox location in the SEP is described. The CPU/AP may write a message to the mailbox, which the SEP may read and respond to. The SEP may include one or more of the following in some embodiments: secure key management using wrapping keys, SEP control of boot and/or power management, and separate trust zones in memory. |
| US09043626B2 |
Power shifting in multicore platforms by varying SMT levels
Power consumption in a microprocessor platform is managed by setting a peak power level for power consumed by a multi-core microprocessor platform executing multi-threaded applications. The multi-core microprocessor platform contains a plurality of physical cores, and each physical core is configurable into a plurality of logical cores. A simultaneous multithreading level in at least one physical core is adjusted by changing the number of logical cores on that physical core in response to a power consumption level of the multi-core microprocessor platform exceeding the peak power level. Performance and power data based on simultaneous multi-threading levels are used in selecting the physical core to be adjusted. |
| US09043618B2 |
Drawing power over network cable
A source device to provide power through a network cable and a user device is to draw power from the network cable. A database is to store a parameter associated with the user device. The source device is to access the stored parameter based on receipt of information related to the user device and is to compare at least one of a current power drawn and an additional power requested by the user device to a power limit of the user device based on the accessed parameters. The source device is to send a power message to the user device based on the comparison, the power message to relate to an amount of the power the user device is to draw. |
| US09043612B2 |
Protecting visible data during computerized process usage
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for protecting visible data during computerized process usage. Specifically, in a typical embodiment, when a computerized process is identified, a physical page key (PPK) is generated (e.g., a unique PPK may be generated for each page of data) and stored in at least one table. Based on the PPK a virtual page key (VPK) is generated and stored in at least one register. When the process is later implemented, and a request to access a set of data associated the process is received, it will be determined whether the VPK is valid (based on the PPK). Based on the results of this determination, a data access determination is made. |
| US09043610B2 |
Systems and methods for data security
A system comprises a basic-input-output-system (“BIOS”), a disk drive, and a security system configured to prevent unauthenticated access to the disk drive. For each of at least two users out of a plurality of users, the BIOS authenticates the user based on the user's token. The BIOS also accesses secured data based on the authentication, and provides the secured data to the security system without input from the user. |
| US09043606B2 |
Apparatus for verifying and for generating an encrypted token and methods for same
Embodiments show an apparatus for verifying a validity of an encrypted token associated to a product, wherein the apparatus has a decryptor for decrypting an encrypted token using a decryption key to obtain a decrypted token having information bits related to the product and structure bits. The apparatus further has an evaluator for evaluating whether the structure bits fulfill a predetermined condition, wherein the encrypted token is verified to be valid when the predetermined condition is fulfilled or is not verified to be valid when the predetermined condition is not fulfilled. Further embodiments show an apparatus for generating an encrypted token associated to a product, wherein the apparatus has a plain token generator and an encryptor for encrypting the plain token using an encryption key to obtain an encrypted token. |
| US09043605B1 |
Online and offline validation of tokencodes
An apparatus comprises a processing device configured to receive a request for access to a given protected resource, to receive a tokencode for validating the request for access to the given protected resource, to determine whether the processing device is connected to a network, to send the tokencode to a remote server over the network for validation responsive to determining that the processing device is connected to the network, and to validate the tokencode in the processing device to access the given protected resource responsive to determining that the processing device is not connected to the network. |
| US09043604B2 |
Method and apparatus for key provisioning of hardware devices
Keying materials used for providing security in a platform are securely provisioned both online and offline to devices in a remote platform. The secure provisioning of the keying materials is based on a revision of firmware installed in the platform. |
| US09043600B2 |
Security model for industrial devices
Systems and/or methods are described relating to a security model that provides interoperability with foreign security domains while remaining scalable to small embedded devices. A security token service is provided, which is configured to issue, renew, and/or validate security tokens in response to a token request. A communication protocol, corresponding message structures, and the security tokens are defined in accordance with protocol buffer definitions. |
| US09043597B2 |
Systems and methods for verifying the authenticity of a remote device
Some embodiments of the invention are directed to, among other things, systems, computer readable media, methods and any other means for verifying the authenticity of a client device. In some embodiments, a token is issued by one or more remote media servers that allows the client device to download video, media or other data from one or more remote media servers. |
| US09043593B2 |
Session attribute propagation through secure database server tiers
Mechanisms are provided for handling a database client request. An encrypted database client request (DCR) is received, by an unsecure access local agent, from a client computing device as part of a session between the client computing device and a database data processing system. The unsecure access local agent retrieves a database session information (DSI) address corresponding to the session and generates a first unique identifiable key (UIK) based on a portion of the encrypted DCR. The unsecure access local agent generates a DSI mapping data structure that maps the first UIK to the DSI address. A secure access local agent of the database data processing system processes the encrypted DCR using the DSI mapping data structure. |
| US09043584B2 |
Generating hardware events via the instruction stream for microprocessor verification
A processor receives an instruction operation (OP) code from a verification system. The instruction OP code includes instruction bits and forced event bits. The processor identifies a forced event based upon the forced event bits, which is unrelated to an instruction that corresponds to the instruction bits. In turn, the processor executes the forced event. |
| US09043582B2 |
Enhanced instruction scheduling during compilation of high level source code for improved executable code
Systems and methods for static code scheduling are disclosed. A method can include receiving an intermediate representation of source code, building a directed acyclic graph (DAG) for the intermediate representation, and creating chains of dependent instructions from the DAG for cluster formation. The chains are merged into clusters and each node in the DAG is marked with an identifier of a cluster it is part of to generate a marked instruction DAG. Instruction DAG scheduling is then performed using information about the clusters to generate an ordered intermediate representation of the source code. |
| US09043575B2 |
Managing CPU resources for high availability micro-partitions
A partition manager relocates a logical partition from a primary shared processor pool to a secondary shared processor pool in response to a predetermined condition, such as a hardware failure. The relocated logical partition is allocated a smaller quantity of processing units from the secondary pool than it was allocated from the primary pool. A quantity of processing units reserved for a second logical partition is identified in the secondary shared processor pool, and a portion of those reserved processing units are allocated to the relocated logical partition. The reserved processing units may be redistributed among multiple relocated logical partitions. |
| US09043574B2 |
Dispersed storage unit and method for configuration thereof
A dispersed storage (DS) unit for use within a dispersed storage network is capable of self-configuring using registry information provided to the DS unit. The registry information includes a slice name assignment indicating a range of slice names corresponding to a plurality of potential data slices of potential data objects to be stored in the DS unit. Based on the registry information, the DS unit allocates a portion of physical memory to store the potential data slices. |
| US09043571B2 |
Management apparatus and management method
Proposed are a management apparatus and a management method capable of improving the stability of the overall computer system. In a computer system which manages a storage area provided by each of a plurality of mutually connected storage apparatuses as a logical pool, provides to a host computer a virtual volume associated with the logical pool, and assigns a real storage area from the logical pool to the virtual volume when the host computer writes into the virtual volume, when a storage apparatus is added to the plurality of storage apparatuses, the host computer is controlled to switch the access path to the added storage apparatus. |
| US09043569B2 |
Memory data management
A method and computer-readable storage media are provided for rearranging data in physical memory units. In one embodiment, a method may include monitoring utilization counters. The method may further include, comparing the utilization counters for a match with an instance in a first table containing one or more instances when data may be rearranged in the physical memory units. The table may further include where the data should be relocated by a rearrangement. The method may also include, continuing to monitor the utilization counters if a match is not found with an instance in the first table. The method may further include, rearranging the data in the physical memory units if a match between the utilization counters and an instance in the first table is found. |
| US09043568B2 |
Moving blocks of data between main memory and storage class memory
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. |
| US09043567B1 |
Methods and systems for replicating an expandable storage volume
Machine implemented method and system for generating a disaster recovery copy of an expandable storage volume having a namespace for storing information for accessing data objects stored at a data constituent volume is provided. A transfer operation for transferring a point in time copy of the expandable storage volume from a first location to a second location is generated. Information regarding the expandable storage volume from the first location is retrieved and a destination expandable storage volume is resized to match components of the expandable storage volume at the first location. Thereafter, the point in time copy of the expandable storage volume is transferred from the first location to the second location and configuration information regarding the point in time copy is copied from the first location to the second location. |
| US09043561B2 |
Storage device
To provide a storage device with low power consumption. The storage device includes a plurality of cache lines. Each of the cache lines includes a data field which stores cache data; a tag which stores address data corresponding the cache data; and a valid bit which stores valid data indicating whether the cache data stored in the data field is valid or invalid. Whether power is supplied to the tag and the data field in each of the cache lines is determined based on the valid data stored in the valid bit. |
| US09043560B2 |
Distributed cache coherency protocol
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with a distributed cache coherency protocol are described. According to one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request from a requester for access to one or more memory blocks in a block storage device that is shared by at least two physical computing machines and determining if a caching right to any of the one or more memory blocks has been granted to a different requester. If the caching right has not been granted to the different requester, access is granted to the one or more memory blocks to the requester. |
| US09043559B2 |
Block memory engine with memory corruption detection
Techniques for handling version information using a copy engine. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a copy engine configured to perform one or more operations associated with a block memory operation in response to a command. Examples of block memory operations may include copy, clear, move, and/or compress operations. In one embodiment, the copy engine is configured to handle version information associated with the block memory operation based on the command. The one or more operations may include operating on data in a cache and/or modifying entries in a memory. In one embodiment, the copy engine is configured to compare version information in the command with stored version information. The copy engine may overwrite or preserve version information based on the command. The copy engine may be a coprocessing element. The copy engine may be configured to maintain coherency with other copy engines and/or processing elements. |
| US09043557B1 |
Heterogeneous memory system
A heterogeneous memory system includes a main memory arrangement, a first-level cache, and a memory management unit (MMU). The first-level cache includes an SRAM arrangement and a DRAM arrangement. The MMU is configured and arranged to read first data from the main memory arrangement in response to a stored first value associated with the first data and indicative of a start time. The MMU selects one of the SRAM arrangement or the DRAM arrangement for storage of the first data and stores the first data in the selected one of the SRAM arrangement or DRAM arrangement. The MMU reads second data from one of the SRAM arrangement or DRAM arrangement and writes the data to the main memory arrangement in response to a stored second value associated with the second data and indicative of a duration. |
| US09043551B1 |
Efficient processing of cache segment waiters
For a plurality of input/output (I/O) operations waiting to assemble complete data tracks from data segments, a process, separate from a process responsible for the data assembly into the complete data tracks, is initiated for waking a predetermined number of the waiting I/O operations. |
| US09043545B2 |
Distributing capacity slices across storage system nodes
Various systems and methods are described for configuring a data storage system. In one embodiment, a plurality of actual capacities of a plurality of storage devices of the data storage system are identified and divided into a plurality of capacity slices. The plurality of capacity slices are combined into a plurality of chunks of capacity slices, each having a combination of characteristics of the underlying physical storage devices. The chunks of capacity slices are then mapped to a plurality of logical storage devices. A group of the plurality of logical storage devices is then organized into a redundant array of logical storage devices. |
| US09043544B2 |
Writing of new data of a first block size in a raid array that stores both parity and data in a second block size
A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controller receives new data that is to be written, wherein the new data is indicated in blocks of a first block size. The RAID controller reads old data, and old parity that corresponds to the old data, stored in blocks of a second block size that is larger in size than the first block size. The RAID controller computes new parity based on the new data, the old data, and the old parity. The RAID controller writes the new data and the new parity aligned to the blocks of the second block size, wherein portions of the old data that are not overwritten by the RAID controller are also written to the blocks of the second block size. |
| US09043543B2 |
Writing of new data of a first block size in a raid array that stores both parity and data in a second block size
A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controller receives new data that is to be written, wherein the new data is indicated in blocks of a first block size. The RAID controller reads old data, and old parity that corresponds to the old data, stored in blocks of a second block size that is larger in size than the first block size. The RAID controller computes new parity based on the new data, the old data, and the old parity. The RAID controller writes the new data and the new parity aligned to the blocks of the second block size, wherein portions of the old data that are not overwritten by the RAID controller are also written to the blocks of the second block size. |
| US09043539B2 |
Semiconductor device having a memory and calibration circuit that selectively adjusts an impedance of an output buffer dependent upon refresh commands
A semiconductor device having a circuit that selectively adjusts an impedance of an output buffer. A calibration operation can be performed automatically without issuing a calibration command from a controller. Because a calibration operation to a memory is performed in response to an auto refresh command having been issued for a predetermined number of times, a periodic calibration operation can be secured, and a read operation or a write operation is not requested from a controller during a calibration operation. A start-up circuit activates the calibration circuit when a refresh counter indicates a predetermined value, and prohibits a refresh operation in response to the auto refresh command when the calibration circuit is activated. A temperature detecting circuit may be used to change the frequency of performing a calibration operation. |
| US09043538B1 |
Memory system and method for controlling nonvolatile memory
A memory system comprises a master control module, a memory control module, a nonvolatile memory and a cache, wherein the memory control module is connected with the master control module, the nonvolatile memory and the cache are respectively connected with the memory control module; and the memory control module is configured to, when the master control module sends a write command for the nonvolatile memory, store data to be written in the nonvolatile memory in the cache according to the write command, and release the cache used for storing the data to be written in the nonvolatile memory after finish of the write operation to the nonvolatile memory. |
| US09043535B1 |
Minimizing application response time
A computer-executable method, system or computer program product for providing an application aware caching solution for a data storage system including data storage devices and a pool of flash cache. The caching solution may utilize received information from users, or other components, in addition to information gathered from the data storage system to determine an optimal caching solution to provide a minimized response time from applications on the data storage system. |
| US09043534B2 |
Mobile data memory with automatic delete function
The invention relates to a mobile data memory (1) comprising a data memory module (2) and a holding and/or carrying device (3), wherein the data memory module (2) has a non-volatile, re-writable semiconductor memory (4) and an access controller (5) with a communications module (7), wherein furthermore the communications module (7) is connected to a communications interface (8). The holding and/or carrying device (3) has a contact detection unit (16); the data memory module (2) furthermore has an allocation monitoring module (6) which is designed to evaluate the contact detection unit (16) and which is connected to the semiconductor memory (4) and/or to the access controller (5). The invention further relates to a method for person-based saving of information in a mobile data memory, wherein a remote communications station can access information saved in the data memory via a communications interface, and wherein a loss of the allocation of the mobile data memory to a person is detected. The data memory is deleted as soon as it is removed from the holding and/or carrying device. |
| US09043530B1 |
Data storage within hybrid storage aggregate
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for storing data within a hybrid storage aggregate comprising a lower-latency storage tier and a higher-latency storage tier. In particular, frequently accessed data, randomly accessed data, and/or short lived data may be stored (e.g., read caching and/or write caching) within the lower-latency storage tier. Infrequently accessed data and/or sequentially accessed data may be stored within the higher-latency storage tier. Because the hybrid storage aggregate may comprise a single logical container derived from the higher-latency storage tier and the lower-latency storage tier, additional storage and/or file system functionality may be implemented across the storage tiers. For example, deduplication functionality, caching functionality, backup/restore functionality, and/or other functionality may be provided through a single file system (or other type of arrangement) and/or a cache map implemented within the hybrid storage aggregate. |
| US09043529B2 |
Method to facilitate fast context switching for partial and extended path extension to remote expanders
A method, apparatus, and system for switching from an existing target end device to a next target end device in a multi-expander storage topology by using Fast Context Switching. The method enhances Fast Context Switching by allowing Fast Context Switching to reuse or extend part of an existing connection path to an end device directly attached to a remote expander. The method can include reusing or extending at least a partial path of an established connection between an initiator and the existing target end device for a connection between the initiator and the next target end device, whereby the existing target end device and the next target end device are locally attached to different expanders. |
| US09043527B2 |
PCI express channel implementation in intelligent platform management interface stack
Certain embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC) that includes a PCI express (PCIe) interface controller configured to provide access to a PCIe channel over a PCIe link, and firmware. The firmware includes a PCIe module being configured to access the PCIe channel through the PCIe interface controller and registered as a PCIe function. A software stack of the BMC communicates, through the PCIe module, with a PCIe device over the PCIe channel. |
| US09043524B2 |
Information processing apparatus, method thereof, and storage medium
An information processing apparatus includes a plurality of modules connected in a ring shape via a bus, and each module processes a packet flowing in a single direction on the ring in a predetermined order. The module includes a communication unit for transmitting a packet received from a first direction in the ring via the bus to a second direction, a discrimination unit for discriminating a packet from among the packets received from the first direction as a processing packet to be processed by the module, and a processing unit which is connected with the communication unit one by one and configured to process the processing packet. The communication unit transmits the packet processed by the processing unit at an interval equivalent to processing time or more for a processing packet processed by a module in a latter stage in the predetermined order among packets transmitted by the communication unit to the second direction. |
| US09043523B2 |
Dongle device with video encoding and methods for use therewith
A universal serial bus (USB) dongle device includes a USB interface that receives selection data from a host device that indicates a selection of a first video format from a plurality of available formats. The USB interface also receives an input video signal from the host device in the first video format and a power signal from the host device. An encoding module generates a processed video signal in a second video format based on the input video signal, wherein the first video format differs from the second video format. The USB interface transfers the processed video signal to the host device. |
| US09043519B1 |
System and method to process event reporting in an adapter
Method and system for an adapter is provided. The adapter includes a plurality of function hierarchies, with each function hierarchy including a plurality of functions and each function being associated with an event. The adapter also includes a plurality of processors for processing one or more events generated by the plurality of functions. The adapter further includes a first set of arbitration modules, where each arbitration module is associated with a function hierarchy and receives interrupt signals from the functions within the associated function hierarchy and selects one of the interrupt signals. The adapter also includes a second set of arbitration modules, where each arbitration module receives processor specific interrupt signals and selects one of the interrupt signals for processing an event associated with the selected interrupt signal. |
| US09043517B1 |
Multipass programming in buffers implemented in non-volatile data storage systems
The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable multipass programming in buffers implemented in non-volatile data storage systems (e.g., using one or more flash memory devices). In one aspect, a portion of memory (e.g., a page in a block of a flash memory device) may be programmed many (e.g., 1000) times before an erase is required. Some embodiments include systems, methods and/or devices to integrate Bloom filter functionality in a non-volatile data storage system, where a portion of memory storing one or more bits of a Bloom filter array may be programmed many (e.g., 1000) times before the contents of the portion of memory need to be moved to an unused location in the memory. |
| US09043510B2 |
Hardware streaming unit
A processor having a streaming unit is disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes one or more execution units configured to execute instructions of a processor instruction set. The processor further includes a streaming unit configured to execute a first instruction of the processor instruction set, wherein executing the first instruction comprises the streaming unit loading a first data stream from a memory of a computer system responsive to execution of a first instruction. The first data stream comprises a plurality of data elements. The first instruction includes a first argument indicating a starting address of the first stream, a second argument indicating a stride between the data elements, and a third argument indicative of an ending address of the stream. The streaming unit is configured to output a second data stream corresponding to the first data stream. |
| US09043509B2 |
Method and system for low-latency networking
Various aspects of a method and system for low-latency networking are provided. Latency requirements of traffic to be communicated along a network path comprising one or more Ethernet links may be determined. A maximum size of Ethernet frames utilized for communicating the traffic may be determined based on the latency requirements. The maximum size of the Ethernet frames may be determined based on a data rate of one or more Ethernet links along the network path. A single device may utilize different maximum packet sizes for different ports/links on which it communicates. One or more messages indicating the determined maximum size may be communicated among devices along the network path to coordinate maximum packet sizes. |
| US09043507B2 |
Information processing system
An information processing system includes a CPU that is connected to a bus; a device that is connected to the bus; a memory that is accessed by the CPU or the device; and a power mode control circuit that sets a power consumption mode. The power mode control circuit sets the power consumption mode based on first information that indicates a cache hit or a cache miss of a cache memory in the CPU and second information that indicates an activated state or a non-activated state of the device. |
| US09043499B2 |
Modifying a dispersed storage network memory data access response plan
A dispersed storage network memory includes a pool of storage nodes, where the pool of storage nodes stores a multitude of encoded data files. A storage node obtains and analyzes data access response performance data for each of the storage nodes to produce a modified data access response plan that includes identity of an undesired performing storage node and an alternative data access response for the undesired performing storage node. The storage nodes receive corresponding portions of a data access request for at least a portion of one of the multitude of encoded data files. The undesired performing storage node or another storage node processes one of the corresponding portions of the data access request in accordance with the alternative data access response. |
| US09043497B2 |
Driver interface functions to interface client function drivers
In embodiments of driver interface functions to interface client function drivers, a set of serial communication protocol driver interfaces are exposed by a core driver stack, and the serial communication protocol driver interfaces include driver interface functions to interface with client function drivers that correspond to client devices configured for data communication in accordance with the serial communication protocol. A client function driver can check for the availability of a driver interface function before interfacing with the core driver stack via the serial communication protocol driver interfaces. A contract version identifier can also be received from the client function driver via an extension of the driver interface functions, where the contract version identifier indicates a set of operation rules by which the client function driver interfaces with the core driver stack. |
| US09043494B2 |
Providing indirect data addressing in an input/output processing system where the indirect data address list is non-contiguous
A method includes configuring a processing circuit to perform: receiving a control word for an I/O operation, forwarding a transport command control block (TCCB) from the channel subsystem to a control unit, gathering data associated with the I/O operation, and transmitting the gathered data to the control unit in the I/O processing system. Gathering the data includes accessing entries of a list of storage addresses that collectively specifying the data. Based on an entry of the list comprising a not-set first flag and a corresponding first storage address, gathering data from a corresponding storage location, and based on an entry of the list comprising a set first flag and a corresponding second storage address, obtaining a next entry of the list from a second storage location. |
| US09043486B2 |
Data transfer method, system and protocol
A method for transmitting blocks of data in data packets from a first device on a network to a second device on the network comprising the steps of, providing a File Transmitter Application in communication with the first device, which File Transmitter Application is adapted to control the transmission of the blocks of data in data packets on the network, including the timing of the commencement of the transmission of the data blocks on the network, providing a File Receiver Application in communication with the second device and in communication with the File Transmitter Application, which File Receiver Application is adapted to transmit Acknowledgment data to the File Transmitter Application relating to the receipt of data blocks received at the second device, commencing the transmission of a first data block from the first device to the second device, by way of the network and commencing the transmission of the second data block from the first device to the second device, by way of the network. |
| US09043482B2 |
Portable communication device for providing phone calling service
A portable communication device for phone calling is herein disclosed and enabled. The portable communication device includes a USB interface for connecting to an external USB port of a computing device for enabling phone calling services using the portable communication device. Upon connecting the portable communication device to the external USB port of the computing device, a phone calling software component or data stored in the portable communication device may execute for enabling phone calling services. The portable communication device may also include one or more ports, and may include an interface for Ethernet connection for connecting to the Internet and for making phone calls without the need for connecting the portable communication device to the external USB port. The portable communication device may further include a Wi-Fi wireless component for local wireless communication, and may be implemented as an adapter-sized dongle for providing phone calling services. |
| US09043474B2 |
Communication sessions among devices and interfaces with mixed capabilities
Users of various devices may participate in communication sessions, but only if the interfaces and components of such devices feature a minimum set of capabilities involved in the communication session type; e.g., in order to participate in a teleconference, the device of every user has to be capable of sending and receiving audio. Instead, a communication session server may automatically convert session items received from each user into interface-specific representations for each other user, based on the capabilities of the interface and device of the other user. For example, speech recognition may transform speech to text output; speech synthesis may transform text input to speech; and video recognition may identify individuals and gestures in a video stream and represent this information as text. The server may therefore host a “mixed” communication session, where each user may fully participate irrespective of the capabilities of the chosen device and interface. |
| US09043469B2 |
Cache control for web application resources
Cache control for Web application resources can include receiving a cache manifest for a Web application, wherein the cache manifest specifies a Web page of the Web application, and determining, using a processor, a resource that is required by the Web page. A closure collection can be built that includes the resource required by the Web page. A reference to the resource can be written to the cache manifest. |
| US09043466B2 |
Network management apparatus, network management method, and computer-readable storage medium
A network management apparatus that executes a registered task at a specified time on a device connected thereto via a network includes a determination unit configured to determine whether a registered task related to a new task exists, and a registration unit configured to, if the determination unit determines that the registered task related to the new task exists, specify a time when the new task can be executed, to accept a registration of the new task to be executed at the time, and not to accept the registration of the new task to be executed at other than the time. |
| US09043462B2 |
Schedule and location responsive agreement compliance controlled information throttle
Controls electronic devices and/or throttles electronic devices and/or information for electronic devices based on agreements or events and/or based on schedule, location, time, or any combination thereof. An agreement includes condition(s) to satisfy the agreement, such as task(s) or activities to be performed by an agreement performer, for example based on a schedule and/or location, at a particular time, or time period, or, or events that may be detected, and actions performed to enforce or assert the agreement. Actions may include controlling the electronic device and/or at least partially enabling/disabling or otherwise limiting, reducing or increasing the amount or type of information allowed with respect to any or all electronic devices associated with the agreement performer. Embodiments may reduce or block information from particular sources during a scheduled school class to limit web surfing for information related to that class based on a schedule and/or location of the electronic device. |
| US09043457B2 |
Dynamic adjustment of an interrupt latency threshold and a resource supporting a processor in a portable computing device
A portable computing device includes a modem and an application processor communicatively coupled by a data bus. The modem communicates a target data throughput in accordance with an identified data call. In response, the application processor determines whether an adjustment of an interrupt latency threshold is warranted to support the target data throughput identified by the modem. Otherwise, the application processor executes no such adjustment. In addition, the modem requests a desired performance of an application processor resource. In response, the application processor adjusts a control input of the application processor controlled resource. A change in a present data transfer session triggers the modem to communicate a revised target data throughput and/or a revised request for a desired performance of an application processor resource. |
| US09043453B1 |
Systems and methods for optimizing application data delivery over third party networks
Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for managing and optimizing end-to-end communication sessions involving the delivery of application data (e.g., audio data, audio/video data, electronic file download data, etc.) over third party networks using an optimized communication system (OCS), as described herein. Embodiments of the disclosed system enable optimal quality (e.g., reduced delay, packet loss, jitter, etc.) of communication sessions. In one example, the system provides a real-time or close to real-time evaluation of network conditions, e.g., network congestion, nodes best-suited for application data transfer, etc., and other factors associated with geographically diverse and unpredictable routing infrastructure characteristics of the Internet to enable optimized communication sessions. |
| US09043447B2 |
Simplifying setup of management servers controlling access to voluminous configuration data required for applications
An aspect of the present invention simplifies setup of management servers controlling access to voluminous configuration data required for applications. In one embodiment, a schema specifying the parameters (and the corresponding data types) in the configuration data is examined and a set of management interfaces is generated consistent with the corresponding data types based on the examining of the schema. The generated management interfaces are registered with a management server, such that the management server makes available to applications the values corresponding to the specified parameters according to the set of management interfaces. |
| US09043444B2 |
Using an audio stream to identify metadata associated with a currently playing television program
Systems and methods for using an audio stream to identify metadata associated with a currently playing television program are disclosed. A video stream including closed captions is received. A set of information is determined from the closed captions. A request including the set of information is sent to a server remotely located from the client for additional processing. A set of instructions is received from the server. The set of instructions is determined based on the additional processing of the set of information. One or more applications are executed in accordance with the set of instructions in response to receiving the set of instructions. |
| US09043442B2 |
Control method of information processing system, server device, and terminal device
A control method of an information processing system that includes a server device that distributes an application and a terminal device that communicates with the server device includes causing the server device to execute a first process including determining an expiration date of the application based on a type of the application, and transmitting the application and the expiration date to the terminal device, and causing the terminal device to execute a second process including receiving the application and the expiration date from the server device, and deleting the application received from the server device based on the expiration date received from the server device. |
| US09043437B2 |
Targeted and dynamic content-object storage based on inter-network performance metrics
Methods and systems for coordinating provisions of storage service for clients are provided. For each storage provider of a set of storage providers, a service-provider database stores a metric characterizing a property of a service provided by the service provider. The storage providers are independently owned and operated relative to each other. The metrics are repeatedly updated. A selection engine repeatedly selects a service provider from the set of service providers to store a content object of a client of the content delivery system. The selection is based on the repeatedly updated metrics for the set of service providers. For each service provider selected by the selection engine to store the content object of the client, a service manager coordinates with the service provider such that the service provider stores the content object of the client. |
| US09043434B1 |
Alternate page determination for a requested target page
Methods and structures are disclosed that allow a user navigation action (e.g., clicking a link in a web browser) to be intercepted for a determination of whether to provide the user an alternate page instead of a requested target page. A user may be redirected to an alternate page based on various criteria, including data related to content of the target page, whether the target page is unavailable, etc. In some embodiments, alternate page determination is performed by a computer system of a website different from a website of the target page. Thus, presenting an alternate page to a user may be based on a target page featuring an out-of-stock product, or one that is currently unavailable with certain features. The alternate page may include more useful content, and may include a current link to purchase the product, a link to purchase a similar product, or other features. |
| US09043433B2 |
Mobile network traffic coordination across multiple applications
Systems and methods for mobile network traffic coordination across multiple applications are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a distributed proxy and cache system, including, a local proxy on a mobile device for intercepting a data request made via a mobile device, and a proxy server coupled to the mobile device and a content server to which the data request is directed. One embodiment includes, delaying transfer of a first data transfer request initiated by a first application until another data transfer request initiated by a second application is detected on the mobile device and transferring, the first data transfer request of the first application and the other data transfer request of the second application a single transfer operation over the network. |
| US09043432B2 |
Converting content prior to delivery
A method of managing content format conversion for transmission of converted content to a mobile device includes retrieving initial content, which includes video content, having a first format over a data communications network. The retrieved initial content is analyzed based on an identification of data delivery parameters relating to potential delivery of converted content and a determination is made as to whether or not the data delivery parameters meet predetermined criteria. The format of the initial content is converted to a second format only in response to a determination that the data delivery parameters meet the predetermined criteria. The converted content forms a message body of a message. A conversion management system configured to manage content format conversion for transmission of converted content to a mobile device, and a computer program for performing the method, are also provided. |
| US09043431B2 |
Systems and methods to plan events at different locations
Systems and methods are provided to specify a location of a planned event via a selection of a listing that has location information. For example, in response to a search request a listing may show a business entity at a geographic location; and the user may select the listing as a way to specify the location of a new event or an existing event. In some embodiments, one event can have multiple listings specifying multiple locations. |
| US09043430B2 |
Using logical block addresses with generation numbers as data fingerprints for network deduplication
The technique introduced here involves using a block address and a corresponding generation number as a “fingerprint” to uniquely identify a sequence of data within a given storage domain. Each block address has an associated generation number which indicates the number of times that data at that block address has been modified. This technique can be employed, for example, to determine whether a given storage server already has the data, and to avoid sending the data to that storage server over a network if it already has the data. It can also be employed to maintain cache coherency among multiple storage nodes. |
| US09043428B2 |
Edge caching using HTTP headers
Disclosed is a program for pre-fetching resources. A computer, communicatively coupled to a plurality of client computers and a server computer, identifies a resource, through an examination of one or more HTTP server logs, that is cached on at least one of the plurality of client computers and has been validated by the server computer. The computer determines to pre-fetch the resource based on one or more predefined rules, at least one of the predefined rules including a threshold number of responses validating the resource that must be received by the computer. The computer pre-fetches and caches the resource from the server computer. The computer receives a request for the resource from a client computer that does not have the resource cached. The computer validates resource cached locally and sends the resource to the client computer from the local cache on the computer. |
| US09043427B2 |
Response device, integrated circuit of same, response method, and response system
The present invention performs efficient data transfer between devices. In particular, the present invention can reduce processing loads and power consumption of a response device and increase overall throughput. When a request device issues a direct transfer request to directly transfer data to or from a data storage unit included in the response device, the response device performs control so that data is directly transferred between a communication unit and the data storage unit. The request device is allowed to transparently and directly access the data storage unit included in the response device via the communication unit between the request device and the response device. |
| US09043424B2 |
Method for activating and deactivating client-side services from a remote server
A system, apparatus, and method for controlling the operation of a service in a client device. The invention uses an existing protocol which is used for communications between an application resident in the device and a remote server to convey information about the service to the application. The information may be relevant to a service specific function, such as configuration or provisioning, or an activation or de-activation instruction, for example. The application receives the service related information, processes the information and then provides the information to the service via a notification channel. The service related information may be incorporated into a message sent from the remote server to the client device by using an element of the protocol, for example, by appending a text string to a header. |
| US09043422B2 |
Instant messaging robot to provide product information
Methods and systems to automatically respond to a request for product information are described. In one embodiment, a data collection module may collect product data over a network, identify that the product data is related to a particular product, and store the product data and an association between the product data and the particular product in a database. An instant messaging engine may receive a request for the product data after the product data is stored in the database and an interpreter module may identify, in response to the request, the request to correspond to the particular product and retrieve the product data based on the association between the particular product and the product data. The instant messaging engine may also transmit, using an instant messaging protocol, a response to the request, the response including the product data. |
| US09043415B2 |
Managing a subscription hierarchy in presence systems
A method, an apparatus and an article of manufacture for managing a subscription hierarchy in a presence system. The method includes receiving a presence information request within a presence server, wherein the request is one of a subscription request and an un-subscribe request, determining if the request corresponds to an existing subscriber in the presence server, and if so, sending a redirect message to the existing subscriber, and if not, processing the request within the presence server, and enhancing functionality of subscribers to accept and handle subscription and un-subscribe requests. |
| US09043412B2 |
Computer device for reading e-book and server for being connected with the same
A device, server, method, and computer program product for reading an e-book are provided. The e-book may include at least a content identifier corresponding to a content in the e-book. The device may include a content navigator configured to present the content according to a command from a user and a processing unit configured to acquire the content identifier corresponding to the content presented by the content navigator, send the content identifier to a server, and receive from the server a message associated with the content. An output unit configured to output the message to the user may be provided. |
| US09043411B2 |
Inline message composing with visible list view
A compose form for drafting a message is presented inline within a window along with a message list. For example, instead of overlaying the message application's user interface (UI) with a new window for composing a message, the compose form is displayed within a portion of the window reserved for viewing content of messages. While composing the message using the compose form, the rest of the message application's UI remains visible and accessible to the user. For example, the user may navigate to another folder and/or move to another message/conversation by interacting with the tree view/message list view. A draft of the message being composed may be automatically saved when the user navigates away from the compose form (e.g. by selecting another conversation in the list view). |
| US09043406B2 |
Dynamically creating historical groups in a messaging client
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing user lists are provided. A group of instant messaging addresses used most frequently by a user of an instant messaging client on the communications device is identified. The identified group of instant messaging addresses is displayed visibly within a display in the communications device. |
| US09043403B2 |
System and method for providing visual representations of email to enable efficient email processing
An email system is disclosed which provides annotations associated with email to recipients and allows the recipients to interact with annotated email. The system receives email and determines whether the received email includes items that should be annotated. Responsive to determining that an email includes items that should be annotated, the system acquires annotated information related to the email. The received email and associated annotated information are stored in the email system. When a request is received to access email for a specific user, the email system displays an email listing, identifying email that is associated with an annotation using a visual representation. If the recipient responds to an annotation, the system receives and stores the recipient's response. The system then sends the recipient's response to the sender of the email. The system also receives updates to received email from email senders and displays email updates to the appropriate recipients. |
| US09043399B2 |
Transmission management system and transmission system
A disclosed transmission management system includes a receiver unit to receive alteration information for altering a communication status of a first transmission terminal from the first transmission terminal that communicates with a second transmission terminal to exchange content data, a terminal management unit to manage first status information indicating the communication status of the first transmission terminal, an acquisition unit to acquire the first status information from the terminal management unit in a case where the receiver unit receives the alteration information for altering the communication status of the first transmission terminal, and an alteration unit to alter the first status information managed by the terminal management unit, based on the alteration information for altering the communication status of the first transmission terminal received by the receiver unit and the first status information acquired by the acquisition unit. |
| US09043395B2 |
Method and system for delegating group ownership in a Wi-Fi peer to peer network
A method for exiting, by a peer owner, a Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) peer-to-peer network including the peer owner and a plurality of client devices, and the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer network are provided. The method includes delegating ownership of the peer-to-peer network from the peer owner to a new owner from among said the plurality of client devices; and exiting the network after delegating the ownership to the new owner. |
| US09043393B2 |
Method and system for updating an electronic mail address book
A method for updating an electronic mail (“email”) address book comprising: determining whether an email message presented to a user on a display screen of a data processing system contains address information; and, if the email message contains address information: identifying the address information in the email message; determining whether the address information is contained in one or more contact records in the email address book; and, if the address information is not contained in one or more contact records, presenting first means to the user on the display screen for generating a command to add a new contact record to the address book for the address information. |
| US09043392B2 |
Screen data transfer device and a processing load reduction method
A screen data transfer device that includes a processor that executes a procedure. The procedure includes: (a) receiving screen data having a changed portion compressed by first compression processing, and detecting a high region where a changed frequency in the screen is a threshold value or greater; (b) detecting a processing load of the device itself; and (c) when the detected load is a threshold value or greater, and in cases in which the changed portion overlaps with the high region, assigning a route of the screen data to a first route in which second compression processing with a higher compression ratio than the first compression processing is executed by a compression section, and in cases in which the changed portion does not overlap with the high region, assigning the route to a second route in which the screen data bypasses the compression section. |
| US09043387B2 |
System, method and computer program product for smart upload automation
Systems, methods, and computer program products for smart upload automation in which actions are automatically performed on a set of digital assets against a target item. In one embodiment, a system includes a network, a server machine, a client machine and a data storage device, each of which is coupled to the network. The client machine designates digital assets and a target item against which the assets will be uploaded. The digital assets are uploaded by the client machine to the data storage device via the network. The server machine automatically performs actions on the digital assets without intervention by the client machine, where the actions are associated with or in some way defined by the target item. The actions may include setting metadata values of the digital assets based upon metadata associated with the target item, or generating different renditions of the digital assets. |
| US09043382B2 |
Stream processing using a client-server architecture
A computer hardware system configured to respond to requests using stream processing includes a HTTP stream server including at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to initiate and/or perform the following. Responsive to a server request received from a server, a stream processing request is sent to a first stream processing node. Responsive to a create response message received from a second stream processing node, a stream processing result is correlated with the server request. A write response message including the stream processing result is sent to the server. The stream processing request is derived from the server request and includes a request identifier associated with the server request. The create response message includes the stream processing result and the request identifier. |
| US09043380B2 |
Reception according to a data transfer protocol of data directed to any of a plurality of destination entities
A data processing system arranged for receiving over a network, according to a data transfer protocol, data directed to any of a plurality of destination identities, the data processing system comprising: data storage for storing data received over the network; and a first processing arrangement for performing processing in accordance with the data transfer protocol on received data in the data storage, for making the received data available to respective destination identities; and a response former arranged for: receiving a message requesting a response indicating the availability of received data to each of a group of destination identities; and forming such a response; wherein the system is arranged to, in dependence on receiving the said message. |
| US09043375B2 |
Searching the internet for common elements in a document in order to detect plagiarism
A method and system for detecting plagiarism of software source code is disclosed. In one embodiment, a database exists of program elements that have previously been found to be matching within the source code for two different programs. This embodiment searches the Internet for occurrences of these matching program elements to determine how many times they appear and thus whether they are commonly used or not. The elements and their associated number of hits are placed in a spreadsheet for further observation and manipulation. One of skill in the art will see that this invention also applies to other kinds of text documents. |
| US09043371B1 |
Storing information in a trusted environment for use in processing data triggers in an untrusted environment
A server system having memory and one or more processors running a trusted internal process receives, from an untrusted external process of one or more external processes, a request to interact with a data item. In response to the request, the server system interacts with the first data item and stores a marker indicative of the interaction with the data item. After storing the marker, the server system identifies a plurality of markers corresponding to a plurality of data items and retrieves information corresponding to the plurality of markers. The retrieved information enables a determination, for each data item in the plurality of data items, as to whether an operation corresponding to the data item is to be executed. When a determination has been made that an operation corresponding to the data item is to be executed, the server system deletes the markers in conjunction with execution of the operation. |
| US09043368B2 |
Interfacing an R language client environment with a database engine
A method, system, and computer program product for interfacing an R language client with a separate database engine environment. The method commences by interpreting an R language code fragment to identify and select R language constructs and transforming the R language constructs into queries or other database language constructs to execute within the database engine environment. The method further implements techniques for transmitting marshalled results (resulting from the execution of the database language constructs) back to the R client environment. In some situations, the marshalled results include an XML schema or DTD or another metadata description of the structure of the results. User conveniences in the form of transparent database query construction, and transparent exploitation of parallelism is achieved by determining the computation resource requirements of executable language constructs, and mapping the execution to one (or more) of, a local R client, a database engine, or a remote execution engine. |
| US09043364B2 |
System and method for providing an intelligent configuration rationalization solution
A system and method are disclosed for rationalizing configurations associated with one or more products. The system includes a database associated with one or more customers. The system further includes an order analysis system coupled with the database. The order analysis system is capable of rationalizing the differences between configurations of various combinations of options that are stored in the database. |
| US09043361B2 |
Migration of data from a legacy system
A method and system for translating data to be migrated from an older legacy database to a newer recipient database. Legacy data elements in the older legacy database are translated to correspond the one or more recipient data elements in the newer recipient database by utilizing a translation table in the older legacy database. The translation table defines recipient data elements in the newer recipient database based upon metadata of the older legacy database. The metadata of the older legacy database describes legacy data fields in the older legacy database. The older legacy database utilizes a first operating system. The newer recipient database utilizes a second operating system that differs from the first operating system. The legacy data elements translated in the older legacy database are used to migrate the legacy data elements translated from the older legacy database to the newer recipient database. |
| US09043360B2 |
Display entity relationship
Method, system, and programs for providing one or more explanations. An inquiry is received via a communication platform where the inquiry is about how a set of entities are related. Information is retrieved from a knowledge storage in accordance with the set of entities and such information describes a plurality of entities and relationships existing among the plurality of entities. Based on such retrieved information, one or more explanations with respect to each relationship by which the set of entities are connected are generated. The one or more explanations are then transmitted as a response to the inquiry. |
| US09043358B2 |
Enterprise search over private and public data
A unified search service may collect information related to an enterprise from at least one of publicly available data and private enterprise data. In some implementations, crowd sourcing may be used to determine a source list of one or more sources of information. Authored content can be generated, such as by combining one or more items of information from the public data with one or more items of information from the private enterprise data. Further, in some implementations, a public index may be generated from the public data, and one or more affiliation indexes may be generated from the private enterprise data. For example, a first affiliation index may contain confidential enterprise information, while a second affiliation index may contain non-confidential enterprise information. A user's affiliation to the enterprise may be taken into consideration when determining which indexes to use when responding to a search request from the user. |
| US09043355B1 |
Apparatuses, methods and systems for a journal entry automator
The APPARATUS, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A JOURNAL ENTRY AUTOMATOR (hereinafter “JEA”) implement efficient and scalable monitoring, regulation, and allocation of computational processing, data, labor, and/or the like resources within an enterprise. In some embodiments, the JEA may facilitate, in various implementations, transaction classification through the use of universal variables and economical interface features. In one embodiment, classification rules for assigning accounting Classes/Subclasses to transactions may be defined. Upon receipt of an indication of a transaction, the transaction is tagged with transaction characteristics. Based on relevant transaction characteristics, accounting Classes/Subclasses may be assigned to the transaction using the applicable classification rules. |
| US09043350B2 |
Providing topic based search guidance
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing topical search suggestions are provided. Topical search suggestions allow a user to receive search results related to the designated topic or subject matter. The present invention may generate multiple topics based on search input provided by a user. The search input may be a search prefix that includes one or more words entered into the search query box before the completed search query is submitted to the search engine. A search interface then presents the topics derived from the search prefix to a user before the user submits the query. In another embodiment, the user designates multiple search inputs. The present invention generates search results based on the search inputs and then presents topics extracted from the search results. In one embodiment, the topics are extracted by performing a natural language analysis of search result metadata. |
| US09043349B1 |
Image-based character recognition
Various embodiments enable a device to perform tasks such as processing an image to recognize and locate text in the image, and providing the recognized text an application executing on the device for performing a function (e.g., calling a number, opening an internet browser, etc.) associated with the recognized text. In at least one embodiment, processing the image includes substantially simultaneously or concurrently processing the image with at least two recognition engines, such as at least two optical character recognition (OCR) engines, running in a multithreaded mode. In at least one embodiment, the recognition engines can be tuned so that their respective processing speeds are roughly the same. Utilizing multiple recognition engines enables processing latency to be close to that of using only one recognition engine. |
| US09043340B1 |
Personal media database
A system and computer-implemented method for maintaining a personal media database associated with a user account including media-related information, the method including receiving media-related information regarding a media item from a remote media service, wherein the media-related information comprises rating information regarding the media item, the rating information representing an assessment of the quality of the media item by the user, and the rating information being provided according to a first rating standard, the first rating standard indicating a manner by which media items are rated, converting the rating information according to a second rating standard used at a personal media database, the second rating standard indicating a manner by which media items are rated wherein the second standard is different than the first standard and storing the media-related information including the converted rating information at the personal media database. |
| US09043337B1 |
Data mining and model generation using an in-database analytic flow generator
Embodiments are described for a system and method of providing a data miner that decouples the analytic flow solution components from the data source. An analytic-flow solution then couples with the target data source through a simple set of data source connector, table and transformation objects, to perform the requisite analytic flow function. As a result, the analytic-flow solution needs to be designed only once and can be re-used across multiple target data sources. The analytic flow can be modified and updated at one place and then deployed for use on various different target data sources. |
| US09043330B2 |
Normalized search
Systems and methods of searching by a processor are described herein. In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a master index having a plurality of index documents corresponding to artifacts stored in a repository is generated. An index document maps contents from a source artifact to index categories having different default boost values indicating relative importance of the index categories. A search query is fired by a user to search the master index. A result list of artifacts having contents matching (hit) the search query is generated. Artifacts are ranked in the list based on hit scores according to number of hits, which categories the hits occurred and the default boost values of the index categories. |
| US09043320B2 |
Enhanced find-in-page functions in a web browser
A system and method for an enhanced find-in-page query function in a web browser. A find-in-page query is received for at least one webpage displayed on a computing device, wherein the query comprises a search string. Metadata relating to data objects displayed on the webpage is collected from the HTML code comprising the webpage, from the source of the of the plurality of objects, and from at least one search engine. At least one of the plurality of data objects matching the find-in-page query is identified wherein the search string is matched to metadata, wherein metadata relating to the matching data objects comprises the search string. The display of the matching data objects on the webpage is then altered, using the computing device, whereby the user is able to identify the data objects which match the find-in-page query. |
| US09043316B1 |
Visual content retrieval
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating image search results. One of the methods includes receiving first image search results responsive to a text query, each first image search result associated with a respective first score indicating a relevance of an image represented by the first image search result to the text query. Second image search results responsive to a query image are received, each second image search result associated with a respective second score indicating a measure of similarity between an image represented by the second image search result and the query image. A set of final image search results is selected including combining first scores and second scores of the selected first image search results. The final image search results are ordered by similarity to the query image. |
| US09043313B2 |
System and/or method for personalization of searches
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and/or method for providing enhanced content search results based on metrics indicating user affinity for an information site such as a web site. Information on user visits to a particular web site may be accumulated, for example, in connection with a beacon or other tracker placed on the publisher web site. The enhanced content may be provided by the publisher web site or may be generated otherwise. |
| US09043312B2 |
Identifying symbolic links
Systems and computer program products for identifying symbolic links in network file systems are provided herein. An absolute path may be determined at a network file server. This may include determining a complete client path from an initial client path and combining the complete client path with a server export path. Once the absolute path is determined, it may be traversed using a file descriptor of each file in the absolute path to identify a symbolic link. |
| US09043311B1 |
Indexing data updates associated with an electronic catalog system
Systems and methods are provided for efficiently indexing archived objects in an archive data store to allow for efficient and quick access to the archived objects. The systems and methods provided also allow alleviate the strain on a live data store and enable a requester wishing to retrieve updates to do so without knowledge of the location of the stored update on a live or archive data store. |
| US09043309B2 |
SQL transformation-based optimization techniques for enforcement of data access control
Techniques are provided for a database server to identify a query that comprises an access check operator specifying a data access control policy, and if so, to re-write the query to produce an optimized query execution plan. A first technique rewrites a query comprising an access check operator based on the privileges associated with the database principal requesting the query. The rewritten query exposes the access predicates relevant to the requesting principal to subsequent database optimization processes. A second technique rewrites a query comprising an access check operator that specifies a data security policy that does not include a denied privilege. A third technique rewrites a query that comprises an access check operator specifying one or more database table columns that store row-specific access control lists. The rewritten queries are used to generate a query execution plan that provides for several query execution optimizations. |
| US09043303B2 |
Methods and systems for sharing email in a multitenant database system
A method for sharing an email in an on-demand database system is provided. The method receives, at one or more computer systems associated with the on-demand database system, the email from a first user; determines, at the one or more computer systems, a database record associated with the email; logs, at the one or more computer systems, the email with the associated database record; and provides access to the email to one or more second users with access rights to the database record. |
| US09043301B2 |
Search and retrieval of objects in a social networking system
A social networking system receives a query associated with a user and, in response, provides a combined result set comprising objects stored by a social networking system that match the query. The combined result set comprises multiple result sets obtained from different search algorithms. The various objects stored by the social networking system may be of different types representing different concepts, such as user objects, application objects, event objects, location objects, group objects, and hub/page objects, any of which may be included in the result set. The objects of the result set may be further filtered, ordered, and/or grouped based at least in part on known relationships of the user with the objects, such as geographic distances between locations associated with the user and the objects. |
| US09043300B2 |
Input method editor integration
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an input method editor receives composition inputs in an input method editor environment, the composition inputs based on user inputs. Candidate selections are identified in the input method editor environment based on the composition inputs. Each candidate selection comprises one or more ideograms. The input method editor environment receives a search command based on a user input, and selects one of the candidate selections in response to the search command. The selected candidate selection and the search command are provided to a search engine interface external to the input method editor environment. |
| US09043289B2 |
Estimation of errors in attribute values of aggregated databases
An apparatus (10) comprises a mobile device (1) that communicates with a web server (2) over a mobile network (3). The capabilities of the mobile device (1) can be described by device attributes in a device database. An aggregation engine (5) is provided to compile an aggregated device database from a number of source device databases. Both the source device databases and the aggregated database are stored in a device attribute store (4). When a user of the mobile device (1) attempts to access a web resource hosted on the web server (2), the web server (2) looks up the values of device attributes in the aggregated device database before returning data to the mobile device (1) that is appropriate for its capabilities. The aggregated database includes information regarding the value of each device attribute and also information regarding the probability that this value is correct. |
| US09043285B2 |
Phrase-based data classification system
A method of classifying data is disclosed. Text data items are received. A set of classes into which the text data items are to be classified is received. A phrase-based classifier to classify the text data items into the set of classes is selected. The phrase-based classifier is applied to classify the text data items into the classes. Here, the applying includes creating a controlled vocabulary pertaining to classifying the text data items into the set of classes, building phrases based on the text data items and the controlled vocabulary, and classifying the text data items into the set of classes based on the phrases. |
| US09043279B1 |
Class based storage allocation method and system
A method and system for allocating shared storage using one or more classification schemes is provided. One allocation method receives a storage request for provisioning storage from a class storage group configurable to share storage with more than one filesystems. Part of fulfilling this request includes associating a class and at least one corresponding storage allocation constraint with the storage request. The one or more storage allocation constraints can be used subsequently to determine if there is a sufficient amount of shared storage in the class storage group to fulfill the request. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention use at least one storage allocation constraint in determining if the storage allocation constraint for the class associated with the storage request allows allocation of shared storage to fulfill the request. When the storage allocation constraint allows, one implementation performs a provisioning of storage from the shared storage in class storage group. |
| US09043276B2 |
Packaging and bulk transfer of files and metadata for synchronization
An arrangement for packaging and transferring files such as content items and metadata in synchronization operations. Files are packaged in a concatenated fashion in order to optimize usage of the transfer channel, while maintaining an ability to keep track of how many files have been transferred. Metadata associated with the files may be sent in a single package in advance of sending the files. The metadata may be compressed using both a custom mechanism that takes into account predictable commonalities inherent in metadata for multimedia files, as well as standard compression techniques. |
| US09043267B2 |
Methods and systems for managing a data mining model
Methods, systems, and a computer readable medium storing a computer executable program for managing a data mining model are disclosed. A first notification associated with a data mining model is received at a business process system. A second notification associated with the data mining model is transmitted from the business process system responsive to the first notification. A determination is made regarding whether a first response operable to define an association between the data mining model and business data has been received at the business process system responsive to the second notification. A command is issued from the business process system to update model metadata associated with the data mining model based on the determination. |
| US09043266B2 |
Unified interactive data analysis system
A system for analyzing data from a data set is disclosed. The system includes analysis logic responsive to a dimensional analysis control and an attribute analysis control for the same data. This logic can incrementally update the state of a data presentation from an existing state to a new state, and then remain responsive in the new state to further user input via the dimensional data analysis control and further user input via the attribute analysis control to further incrementally update the presentation. |
| US09043260B2 |
Method and apparatus for contextual content suggestion
An approach is provided for contextual content suggestion. A recommendation platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of contextual information associated with at least one device to determine one or more locations, one or more contextual parameter values, or a combination thereof. The recommendation platform also determines popularity data associated with one or more content items with respect to the one or more locations, the one or more contextual parameter values, or a combination. The popularity data is determined from one or more other devices sharing at least substantially the one or more locations, the one or more contextual parameter values, or a combination thereof. The recommendation platform then causes, at least in part, a recommendation of the one or more content items to the at least one device based, at least in part, on the popularity information. |
| US09043251B2 |
Apparatus and method for recognizing representative user behavior based on recognition of unit behaviors
An apparatus for recognizing a representative user behavior includes a unit-data extracting unit configured to extract at least one unit data from sensor data, a feature-information extracting unit configured to extract feature information from each of the at least one unit data, a unit-behavior recognizing unit configured to recognize a respective unit behavior for each of the at least one unit data based on the feature information, and a representative-behavior recognizing unit configured to recognize at least one representative behavior based on the respective unit behavior recognized for each of the at least one unit data. |
| US09043249B2 |
Automatic chemical assay classification using a space enhancing proximity
A computer implemented method for automatic chemical assay classification, the method comprising steps the computer is programmed to perform, the steps comprising: receiving a plurality of sets of parameters, each one of the received sets of parameters characterizing a respective assay of a chemical reaction, calculating a space enhancing proximity among points representative of assays of qualitatively identical chemical reactions, and representing each one of at least two of the received sets of parameters as a respective point in the calculated space, and dividing the points in the calculated space into a number of groups, according to proximity among the points in the calculated space, each group pertaining to a respective chemical reaction, thereby classifying the assays. |
| US09043245B2 |
Apparatus and method for secure fulfillment of transactions involving virtual items
A computer implemented method to exchange virtual goods in a virtual environment includes receiving funds at a trading platform from a buyer. The buyer is provided with a first secret that the buyer can decrypt and a second secret that the buyer cannot decrypt. The buyer is authenticated to a seller using the first secret. A virtual item is delivered from the seller to the buyer in response to authenticating. The buyer delivers to the seller the second secret for decryption by the seller. The seller is authenticated at the trading platform with the second secret. The seller is supplied with the funds. |
| US09043238B2 |
Data visualization system
The present invention provides a method implemented by a computer for generating an image on a display that represents a plurality of transactions as lines connecting points in the display indicative of a source and an origin for the respective transactions. For each of the lines, an anti-aliasing process is used to determine a coverage value for each pixel of the display that represents the extent to which the line covers each pixel, and a record of a cumulative coverage value for each pixel is maintained in an image buffer. When the lines have been rendered into the image buffer, the method comprises determining a maximum and a minimum of the cumulative coverage values stored in the image buffer, scaling the cumulative coverage value for each pixel, and rendering each pixel onto the display by using the scaled cumulative coverage value to determine a transparency for the pixel. |
| US09043232B1 |
Associating item images with item catalog data
An image of an item is obtained in one or more computing devices. The item is identified from the image based at least in part on data derived from reference images that are each associated with one or more items. Catalog data corresponding to the item is associated with the image. The catalog data is added to a merchant catalog in an electronic marketplace. |
| US09043227B2 |
Viewing shopping information on a network based social platform
A system for viewing shopping information on a social networking platform is disclosed. At the social networking platform, the system receives a request from a user device corresponding to a first user of the social networking platform to view a list of a second user of the social networking platform. The list may include items offered for transaction on a network-based commerce server. In response to receiving the request from the user device, the system forwards the request to the network-based commerce server, and then receives updated information for at least one item on the list from the network-based corner server. Then, the system communicates the updated information received from the network-based commerce server to the user device. |
| US09043225B2 |
Approximating alternate currency equivalents in digital receipts
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for approximating alternate currency equivalents in digital receipts. In response to a user request, item prices in one currency in a digital receipts (e.g., for retail sales transactions) can be approximated in a second different currency. Digital receipts with approximated item prices can be presented on a display at a mobile device. Currency conversion can be handled at a receipt data server or at the mobile device. Currency conversion can be performed locally or can be referred to a conversion server. Item prices in digital receipts can be converted from and/or to any of a variety of different currencies. |
| US09043224B2 |
Credit card point of service payment authorization system
The risk of fraud in point of sale credit card transactions is reduced by providing independently-routed verification by communication between the authorized user of the credit card and the issuer of the credit card through a trusted intermediary. |
| US09043216B2 |
Audio signal decoder, time warp contour data provider, method and computer program
An audio signal decoder has a time warp contour calculator, a time warp contour data rescaler and a warp decoder. The time warp contour calculator is configured to generate time warp contour data repeatedly restarting from a predetermined time warp contour start value, based on time warp contour evolution information describing a temporal evolution of the time warp contour. The time warp contour data rescaler is configured to rescale at least a portion of the time warp contour data such that a discontinuity at a restart is avoided, reduced or eliminated in a rescaled version of the time warp contour. The warp decoder is configured to provide the decoded audio signal representation, based on an encoded audio signal representation and using the rescaled version of the time warp contour. |
| US09043215B2 |
Multi-resolution switched audio encoding/decoding scheme
An audio encoder for encoding an audio signal has a first coding branch, the first coding branch comprising a first converter for converting a signal from a time domain into a frequency domain. Furthermore, the audio encoder has a second coding branch comprising a second time/frequency converter. Additionally, a signal analyzer for analyzing the audio signal is provided. The signal analyzer, on the hand, determines whether an audio portion is effective in the encoder output signal as a first encoded signal from the first encoding branch or as a second encoded signal from a second encoding branch. On the other hand, the signal analyzer determines a time/frequency resolution to be applied by the converters when generating the encoded signals. An output interface includes, in addition to the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal, a resolution information identifying the resolution used by the first time/frequency converter and used by the second time/frequency converter. |
| US09043212B2 |
Messaging response system providing translation and conversion written language into different spoken language
A messaging response system is disclosed wherein a service providing system provides services to users via messaging communications. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, multiple respondents servicing users through messaging communications may appear to simultaneously use a common “screen name” identifier. |
| US09043209B2 |
Language model creation device
This device 301 stores a first content-specific language model representing a probability that a specific word appears in a word sequence representing a first content, and a second content-specific language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence representing a second content. Based on a first probability parameter representing a probability that a content represented by a target word sequence included in a speech recognition hypothesis generated by a speech recognition process of recognizing a word sequence corresponding to a speech, a second probability parameter representing a probability that the content represented by the target word sequence is a second content, the first content-specific language model and the second content-specific language model, the device creates a language model representing a probability that the specific word appears in a word sequence corresponding to a part corresponding to the target word sequence of the speech. |
| US09043207B2 |
Speaker recognition from telephone calls
The present invention relates to a method for speaker recognition, comprising the steps of obtaining and storing speaker information for at least one target speaker; obtaining a plurality of speech samples from a plurality of telephone calls from at least one unknown speaker; classifying the speech samples according to the at least one unknown speaker thereby providing speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; extracting speaker information for the speech samples of each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; combining the extracted speaker information for each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; comparing the combined extracted speaker information for each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples with the stored speaker information for the at least one target speaker to obtain at least one comparison result; and determining whether one of the at least one unknown speakers is identical with the at least one target speaker based on the at least one comparison result. |
| US09043204B2 |
Thought recollection and speech assistance device
Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter include a method for detecting speech loss and supplying appropriate recollection data to the user. Such embodiments include detecting a speech stream from a user, converting the speech stream to text, storing the text, detecting an interruption to the speech stream, wherein the interruption to the speech stream indicates speech loss by the user, searching a catalog using the text as a search parameter to find relevant catalog data and, presenting the relevant catalog data to remind the user about the speech stream. |
| US09043203B2 |
Audio encoder, audio decoder, methods for encoding and decoding an audio signal, and a computer program
An encoder for providing an audio stream on the basis of a transform-domain representation of an input audio signal includes a quantization error calculator configured to determine a multi-band quantization error over a plurality of frequency bands of the input audio signal for which separate band gain information is available. The encoder also includes an audio stream provider for providing the audio stream such that the audio stream includes information describing an audio content of the frequency bands and information describing the multi-band quantization error.A decoder for providing a decoded representation of an audio signal on the basis of an encoded audio stream representing spectral components of frequency bands of the audio signal includes a noise filler for introducing noise into spectral components of a plurality of frequency bands to which separate frequency band gain information is associated on the basis of a common multi-band noise intensity value. |
| US09043194B2 |
Method and system for efficient emulation of multiprocessor memory consistency
A method (and system) of emulation in a multiprocessor system, includes performing an emulation in which a host multiprocessing system of the multiprocessor system supports a weak consistency model, and the target multiprocessing system of the multiprocessor system supports a strong consistency model. |
| US09043193B2 |
Manufacturing method and system of target
The disclosed technology provides a manufacturing method of a target comprising obtaining an initial mass and a residual mass of the target sample, and calculating an etching mass; determining a relative etching depth of the target sample; calculating a relative etching mass based on the etching mass and the relative etching depth; determining a utilization parameter of the target sample based on the relative etching mass and the initial mass of the target sample before being used; and performing a simulation and optimization process on the utilization parameter of the target sample, obtaining target parameters corresponding to a preset value of the utilization parameter, and outputting the target parameters to a manufacturing control center for manufacturing a target. The disclosed technology also provides a manufacturing system of a target. |
| US09043190B2 |
Systems and methods for identifying personalized vascular implants from patient-specific anatomic data
Embodiments include methods of identifying a personalized cardiovascular device based on patient-specific geometrical information, the method comprising acquiring an anatomical model of at least part of the patient's vascular system; performing, using a processor, one or more of geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis on the anatomical model; and identifying, using the processor, a personalized cardiovascular device for the patient, based on results of one or more of the geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis of anatomical model. |
| US09043183B1 |
Hard press rejection
Techniques for hard press rejection are described herein. In an example embodiment, a touch area on a sensor array is determined, where the touch area corresponds to a detected object and is associated with multiple signal values. A slope value for the detected object is computed based on a ratio of a signal distribution value in the touch area to a metric indicating a size of the touch area with respect to the sensor array. The slope value is compared to a threshold in order to determine whether to accept or to reject the detected object, and the detected object is rejected based on the comparison. |
| US09043182B2 |
Absolute position measurement apparatus and method
An absolute position measurement apparatus measures an absolute position of an object to be measured using a first light source and a second light source which has coherency lower than that of the first light source. The absolute position measurement apparatus includes a measurement part which measures a point where phases of interference signals from the first and the second light sources coincide with each other or a point where an intensity of the interference signal from the second light source is maximized, an origin defining part which defines the point measured by the measurement part as an origin position, a phase storing part which stores the phase of the interference signal from the first light source at the origin position, an origin redefining part which redefines the origin position, and a position calculating part which calculates the absolute position of the object to be measured. |
| US09043181B2 |
Method for determining coordinates
A method for determining the coordinates of a point on the surface of an object is provided. A source system, such as an OBIRCH system, is used to analyze and detect faults in an integrated circuit on a semiconductor die. The die includes three reference points and the detected fault(s) are defined with reference to the reference points. When the die is transferred to a FIB or other system for fault analysis, a processor determines the coordinates of the fault(s) for the FIB system using the three reference points. |
| US09043178B2 |
Operating method of sensor node, operating method of data sink in sensor network, and sensor network
Provided is an operating method of a sensor node. The operating method of a sensor node includes receiving a sensing request, adjusting a sensing condition on the basis of the received sensing request, and sensing according to the adjusted sensing condition. |
| US09043176B2 |
Battery degradation determination device, battery degradation determination method and battery degradation determination system
A battery degradation determination device includes a fitting module configured to fit AC impedance measurement data into an equivalent circuit model including at least one circuit block in which a resistance and a constant phase element are connected in parallel, and to obtain circuit constants in the equivalent circuit model, a P-value saving module configured to save P values being index of the constant phase element obtained by fitting AC impedance measurement data of a reference battery to the equivalent circuit model, and a degradation determination module configured to perform degradation determination for a battery as a determination target based on circuit constants obtained by fitting AC impedance measurement data of the battery as a determination target to the equivalent circuit model with the use of the P values as fixed values, with reference to correlations between degrees of battery degradation and the circuit constants in the equivalent circuit model. |
| US09043175B2 |
Electronic apparatus
When discharge power calculated based on a current value detected by a current detector is smaller than expected maximum power, which is the maximum power expected in an actual operation, a discharge efficiency at the expected maximum power is set as a discharge efficiency used for remaining capacity calculation. This ensures that a remaining capacity based on power required for a photographing operation can be detected. |
| US09043174B2 |
Estimating loss rates of links in smart grids
A method for estimating loss rates of links in a smart grid includes identifying end-to-end passage rates from a source to each of multiple receiver and/or load meters in a smart grid, and estimating a loss in at least one link of the grid by identifying the sparsest solution of link loss rates that matches the end-to-end passage rates. Also, a system includes a memory, a processor coupled thereto, and software modules executing on the processor, including a monitoring module for monitoring power flow of receiver and/or load meters in a smart grid, a measurement collector module for collecting measurements to compute end-to-end passage rates from a source to each receiver and/or load meter, and a processing module for estimating a loss in a link of the grid by identifying the sparsest solution of link loss rates matching the end-to-end passage rates. |
| US09043171B2 |
Electronic device and method for calculating efficiency of simulative power supply system
A method for calculating efficiency of a power supply system includes: displaying a parameter selection interface on the display unit for selecting power supply parameters and transmission line parameters. Obtaining power supply parameters and transmission line parameters selected by the user via the parameter selection interface when determining the user has finished the selection. Determining a efficiency of a selected power supply of the power supply parameters according to the relationship table, and calculating a sum efficiency according to the obtained power supply parameters and the transmission line parameters and the efficiency of the selected power supply. And calculating a total efficiency of the power supply system according to each sum efficiency when determining that all of the power supplies of the power supply system have been selected. |
| US09043168B2 |
Method and system for signal generation via a temperature sensing crystal integrated circuit
Disclosed are various embodiments involving correction of signals generated by a crystal oscillator. An age of an integrated circuit or a time of use of the integrated circuit may be determined. A signal generated from a crystal of the integrated circuit may be modified based at least in part on the determined age of the integrated circuit or the determined time of use of the integrated circuit. |
| US09043167B2 |
Subject information acquisition apparatus and subject information acquisition method
A subject information acquisition apparatus includes a first holding member that holds a subject, a probe that receives an elastic wave from the subject through the first holding member, a first holding member deformation amount measuring unit that measures an amount of deformation of the first holding member, and a processing unit that creates an area for generating subject information by using the amount of deformation of the first holding member and position information of the first holding member deformation amount measuring unit and generates an information value of subject information corresponding to the area for generating subject information by using a signal outputted by the probe. |
| US09043166B2 |
Meter electronics and fluid quantification method for a fluid being transferred
Meter electronics (20) for quantifying a fluid being transferred is provided. The meter electronics (20) includes an interface (201) configured to communicate with a flowmeter assembly of a vibratory flowmeter and receive a vibrational response and a processing system (203) coupled to the interface (201). The processing system (203) is configured to measure a volume flow and a density for a predetermined time portion of the fluid transfer, determine if the fluid transfer is non-aerated during the predetermined time portion, if the predetermined time portion is non-aerated then add a volume-density product to an accumulated volume-density product and add the volume flow to an accumulated volume flow, and determine a non-aerated volume-weighted density for the fluid transfer by dividing the accumulated volume-density product by the accumulated volume flow. |
| US09043162B2 |
Acquisition method and apparatus for mass spectrometer data
A method and apparatus for acquiring data from a mass spectrometer and its transmission to a computer system including a data acquisition engine, a network interface and a throughput optimization module which includes a ring buffer and a protocol stack. A compression engine may be provided between the acquisition engine and the ring buffer. The ring buffer is configured as a number of segments containing portions of memory matching the size of data words from the acquisition engine. When a segment is full of data corresponding to the words, or is partially full and has received data containing an end of scan marker, the number of words in the segment is written into a header word in the segment and the data in that segment are moved to the protocol stack. Subsequent data is received by the next segment in the buffer. |
| US09043157B2 |
Device for the collection and processing of information relating to the exposure of one or more persons to one or more products of chemical or biological origin and method for the use of such a device
A device for the collection and processing of information relating to the exposure of one or more persons to one or more products of chemical or biological origin has: at least one coded sensor for automatic or semi-automatic identification of a person likely to be exposed to at least one product, at least one coded sensor for the collection of information relating to the handling of at least one product by the person likely to be exposed to the product, at least one sensor for validating the information collected by the identification and collection sensors, at least one module for reading at least one coded sensor, and a module for processing information collected by the sensors. |
| US09043155B2 |
Matching pursuit-based apparatus and technique to construct a seismic signal using a predicted energy distribution
A technique includes processing seismic data indicative of samples of at least one measured seismic signal in a processor-based machine to, in an iterative process, determine basis functions, which represent a constructed seismic signal. The technique includes in each iteration of the iterative process, selecting another basis function of the plurality of basis functions. The selecting includes based at least in part on the samples and a current version of the constructed seismic signal, determining a cost function; and interpreting the cost function based at least in part on a predicted energy distribution of the constructed seismic signal to select the basis function. |
| US09043147B2 |
Navigation system with fuzzy routing mechanism and method of operation thereof
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: receiving an origin and a destination; receiving a route keyword for routing between the origin and the destination; identifying a via point matching the route keyword; calculating a keyword group locale based on the via point within a group distance threshold from a keyword group center; and calculating a travel route from the origin to the destination traversing the keyword group locale for displaying on a device. |
| US09043145B2 |
Transporting residue of vehicle position data via wireless network
The invention relates to compressed data transmission in wireless data communication. Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network. A disclosed method for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network, includes the steps of: receiving data for updating residue encoding schema from a monitoring server; constructing a residue encoding schema based on the data, thereby producing a constructed residue encoding schema; and storing the constructed residue encoding schema such that the constructed residue encoding schema will become the current residue encoding schema; where: the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that each residue of the constructed residue encoding schema corresponds to a code; and the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that a residue having a relatively high probability of occurrence corresponds to a code of relatively short length. |
| US09043144B2 |
Trajectory planning
A method and apparatus for determining a trajectory for a vehicle are disclosed, wherein, the method includes: identifying a starting position (p0) and a desired terminal position (P) for the vehicle; linearly approximating dynamics of the vehicle; and using the starting position (p0), desired terminal position (P), and linear approximation, determining the trajectory for the vehicle. The linear approximation can be constrained by requirements (e.g., specifications) that: (i) an acceleration applied to the vehicle at a point on the trajectory is relatively large when the acceleration acts in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the velocity of the vehicle; and (ii) an acceleration applied to the vehicle at a point on the trajectory is relatively small when the acceleration acts in a direction that is substantially parallel to the velocity of the vehicle. The vehicle may have a curvature limit. |
| US09043140B2 |
Predictive natural guidance
In one embodiment, a navigation system provides predictive natural guidance utilizing a mobile landmark based on location data. The location data may be a schedule. A controller receives data of a schedule of a mobile landmark. The location data could be collected in real time or estimated. The mobile landmark may be a vehicle or a celestial body. The controller correlates a route from an origin location to a destination location and the location of the mobile landmark. The controller generates a message based on the correlation. The message is output during presentation of the route and references the mobile landmark. |
| US09043138B2 |
System and method for automated updating of map information
Traffic information readings corresponding to a vehicle are received, the readings including at least a location. The traffic information readings are compared to information already within a map database, and are used to derive additional map information augmenting or correcting that already within the database, the additional map information subsequently being stored in the database. Additional information that is derived includes the presence of stop signs and traffic lights at intersections, the legality of turns at certain times of day, and the connectedness or non-connectedness of road segments. |
| US09043137B2 |
Map display device and navigation device
According to a map display device, from current location information acquired by a current location acquiring unit 6 and boundary coordinate information in time zone information acquired by a time zone information acquiring unit 22, it is determined whether or not a vehicle 9 is located within a set area which is provided in the range of a predetermined distance from a boundary of a time zone to which a current location of the vehicle 9 belongs, and if it is determined that the vehicle 9 is located within the set area, a display unit 3 displays distinctively the time zone to which the current location of the vehicle 9 belongs and a time zone which is adjacent to the corresponding time zone through the set area. |
| US09043134B2 |
Range marker for a navigation system
Devices, methods and systems are disclosed herein to describe a range marker for a navigation system. The range marker may delineate a bounded area within a navigation map that a vehicle may travel based on the amount of fuel remaining. As the fuel continues to decrease during operation of the vehicle, the range marker may become smaller and smaller indicating a shrinking range since the fuel remaining decreases, thereby allowing the driver to easily identify which gas stations may be within a range of the vehicle (based on a current vehicle fuel level) and which gas stations might not be within the range of the vehicle. |
| US09043132B2 |
Apparatus for estimating travel path of a vehicle
An apparatus for estimating a travel path of a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle; and includes: an object detection device that detects an object lying ahead of the vehicle; a stationary object detection device that determines whether a detected object is a stationary object; a device that calculates an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object from the temporal positional data for the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates using a vehicle position as a starting point; a device that calculates a orthogonal line which passes through a midpoint in the temporal positional data for the stationary object and goes straight with respect to the approximate straight line on the two-dimensional coordinates; and a device that calculates a vehicle turning radius from an intersection point where the orthogonal line intersects with a x axis. |
| US09043130B2 |
Object sensing (pedestrian avoidance/accident avoidance)
Methods and systems for a complete vehicle ecosystem are provided. Specifically, systems that when taken alone, or together, provide an individual or group of individuals with an intuitive and comfortable vehicular environment. The present disclosure builds on integrating existing technology with new devices, methods, and systems to provide a complete vehicle ecosystem. |
| US09043126B2 |
Method, apparatus and computer program for determining the location of a user in an area
Apparatus for orientating a user in a space wherein the space comprises a plurality of zones of which only certain zones constitute functional zones wherein each functional zone includes a first type device containing information relating to the position of the zone in the space and wherein the first type device is reactive to the presence of a second type device associated with the user to provide the user with the information to determine the orientation of the user in the space. A method of orientating the user within the space and guiding the user toward one or more features in the space is also disclosed. |
| US09043117B2 |
Driver assistance system in a motor vehicle comprising a speed limiting function
In the driver assistance system, a function module is provided for a speed limiting function by which certain conditions for exceeding a predefined maximum speed and for decelerating again down to the maximum speed are implemented. The function module generates signals for carrying out one or more measures to generate or increase the braking torque. The signal for carrying out the measures can be only a binary signal, or can correspond to a required braking torque progression in the form of a regulating step so as to reach the maximum speed within a predefined time period. In the second case, the predefined time period is preferably shorter than a defined time window during which a warning intervention of the speed limiting function is suppressed during an exception where the maximum speed is allowed to be exceeded. |
| US09043116B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing driving assistance
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for performing driving assistance for a controlled vehicle, involving determining a first longitudinal acceleration target value on the basis of a lateral acceleration of the controlled vehicle, determining a second longitudinal acceleration target value on the basis of a target speed of the controlled vehicle, determining a third longitudinal acceleration target value based on a minimum value of the first longitudinal acceleration target value and the second longitudinal acceleration target value, and controlling a longitudinal acceleration of the controlled vehicle on the basis of the determined third longitudinal acceleration target value. |
| US09043115B2 |
Method for operating a longitudinally guiding driver assist system and motor vehicle
In a method for operating a longitudinally guiding driver assist system of a motor vehicle, wherein a comfort curve speed is determined as a function of curve data, wherein the curve data are commensurate with at least one curve to be driven through next by the motor vehicle, wherein a target speed is determined as a function of the curve comfort speed at a defined point of the curve, and wherein the speed of the motor vehicle is adjusted as a function of at least the target speed of the motor vehicle. |
| US09043109B2 |
Method for automatically braking a vehicle, and control unit in which the method is executed
A method for automatically braking a vehicle using a hydraulic brake system, which includes a multi-stage valve situated between a master brake cylinder and the intake side of a hydraulic pump. To attenuate a pressure equalization process between a fluid volume on the side of the master brake cylinder and a suction line of the hydraulic pump, the control current for the valve is increased in ramp-shaped manner in order to first open a preliminary stage and then a main stage of the valve. |
| US09043104B2 |
Method for determining and selecting the optimal gear before driving into a curve for a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission
A method of determining and shifting to an optimal gear in a vehicle prior to entering a curve in a vehicle which comprises an automatic transmission. A curve speed limit is determined for an anticipated curve which is recognized by a navigation device, an anticipated road pattern and dependent on the vehicle and curve or road data, and a sportiness indicator (Ftyp). For each anticipated curve, an actual, optimal gear is determined, based on the determined curve speed limit and the sportiness indicator (FTyp) and, after determining the optimal gear, the method performs a check to determine whether or not the optimal gear deviates from the engaged gear (RGA_DEST). When a deviation is recognized and a driver reaction, which causes a deceleration of the vehicle and/or a reduction of the vehicle speed, is present, a down shift down to the actual, optimal gear occurs. |
| US09043103B2 |
Dog clutch control apparatus for automated transmission
A dog clutch control apparatus for an automated transmission includes a rotary shaft, plural dog clutch mechanisms, each of the dog clutch mechanisms including a clutch ring, a clutch hub arranged next to the clutch ring, a sleeve fitted with the clutch hub, a dog clutch portion which is provided at the clutch ring and selectively meshes with a spline formed at the sleeve, an axial driving device for moving the sleeve, the dog clutch control apparatus includes a disengagement detecting portion for detecting disengagement before the sleeve reaches a neutral position and a control apparatus for controlling operation of the axial driving device, wherein in a case where the disengagement is detected at a time of shifting operation, the control apparatus starts a shift-related control. |
| US09043101B2 |
Arrangement and method for controlling an automatically shifting transmission
In an arrangement for controlling an automatically shifting transmission, as a result of a corresponding programming of an electric control device, when actuating a second selecting device, starting from the automatic mode, first an immediate upshifting or downshifting can be prompted and is permitted unless prevented by a specified condition. In the case of a brief actuation, a first or further immediate upshifting and/or downshifting can be prompted and the current or thereby reached gear will be maintained until, first, the duration of the actuation has reached the specific minimum duration and, second, the actuation of the selecting device was terminated. When the second selecting device has a first operating element for the manual triggering of an upshift command and a second operating element for the manual triggering of a downshift command, the event controlling the return to the automatic mode may be the recognition of the simultaneously present commands downshifting and upshifting. After a first actuation of the second selecting device for the purpose of a manually prompted immediate up- or downshifting, a transition may immediately take place to the automatic gear change control according to the automatic mode, if subsequently thereto, an actuation of the second selecting device for the purpose of a gear change in a direction opposite thereto takes place within a comparatively brief time window. |
| US09043094B2 |
Assembly for coupling a towing vehicle to a trailer
An assembly is described for coupling a towing vehicle to a trailer having a towing vehicle-side coupling unit and a trailer-side coupling unit. A measuring device, which records and analyzes the force acting on the towing vehicle-side coupling unit in at least one direction, is assigned to the towing vehicle-side coupling unit. The measuring device is coupled to a vehicle immobilizer that prevents the towing vehicle from starting and/or being set in motion in response to the force recorded by the measuring device and/or a physical quantity derived therefrom exceeding a predefined threshold value. |
| US09043091B2 |
Vehicle steering system
When a partial malfunction is detected, a sensor malfunction determination unit changes a control mode from a first control mode to a second control mode. When the control mode is changed from the first control mode to the second control mode, a steered system motor is rotated in a direction corresponding to a rotation direction of a steering wheel immediately before the partial malfunction occurs in the angle sensor. When the absolute value of a steering angular velocity of the steering wheel exceeds a threshold, it is determined that a driver has operated the steering wheel in a direction opposite to a current steered direction, and the rotation direction of the steered system motor is reversed. |
| US09043082B2 |
Power supply control device for electric actuators for door-related accessories in vehicle
In a vehicle in which a power distributor is provided between a plurality of electric actuators for door-related accessories and an auxiliary power source connected to a main power source, the electric actuators including an electric actuator for a door lock device provided on a door lock device, control unit for controlling the power distributor operates so that, when a voltage applied from the main power source to the auxiliary power source is reduced to a predetermined voltage or below, and an impact detection sensor detects an impact that is a predetermined value or greater, a door lock device is put into an unlocked state while maintaining the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the electric actuator for a door lock device, but the supply of power from the auxiliary power source to the remaining electric actuators for door-related accessories is forcibly stopped. |
| US09043075B2 |
Vehicle information acquisition system and vehicle information acquisition method
A vehicle information acquisition system includes a vehicle and an information management center. The vehicle includes an information acquisition portion that acquires a piece of vehicle information, which is processed by an information processing unit, based on a set collection condition, and transmits the acquired piece of the vehicle information to the information management center. The information management center determines a new collection condition for the piece of the vehicle information, which is processed by the information processing unit, based on a result of an analysis of the transmitted piece of the vehicle information, and transmits the determined collection condition to the vehicle as a collection condition for a piece of vehicle information to be subsequently acquired by the information acquisition portion to re-set the transmitted collection condition in the information acquisition portion. |
| US09043074B2 |
Determination of running resistance for a vehicle
A method and a system for determining a running resistance Fres for a vehicle. A model-based running resistance Fres,mod is estimated. Thereafter an energy change difference ΔWdiff between a model-based estimated energy change ΔWpred and an actual energy change ΔWreal is determined for the vehicle from a starting point to an end point of a distance S which is traveled by the vehicle. A braking force Funknown which is unknown to the model and which acts upon the vehicle over the distance S is also determined on the basis of the energy change difference ΔWdiff. Thereafter the running resistance Fres is determined to an adjusted value of the model-based estimate of the running resistance Fres,mod, the adjustment being based on the braking force Funknown which is unknown to the model. |
| US09043067B2 |
Front wheel energy recovery system
A kinetic energy recovery system (“KERS system”) and motorcycle equipped with the same is disclosed. The KERS system may be mechanical, hydraulic, or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, motorcycle includes a rear wheel, an electric motor, a motor shaft, and a front wheel equipped with a wheel hub that includes a sprag clutch. The motor shaft can be fitted with a motor drive sprocket that drives a jackshaft chain that in turn drives a jackshaft input sprocket that is fitted to the jackshaft. Jackshaft input sprocket may be installed in conjunction with a sprag clutch that allows the rear wheel to free wheel during coasting while the front wheel KERS system is engaged. The motor harvests kinetic energy from the front wheel without simultaneously powering the rear wheel while the use of a geared dead zone allows the front and rear wheels to not lock together to improve safety. |
| US09043065B2 |
Method of adjusting the electrical supply voltage for the operation of at least one electrically powered vehicle
A vehicle is supplied by a first electrical energy storage unit on board the vehicle, and a ground electrical network providing an energy supply by application of a supply voltage through electrical distribution. The first energy storage unit is controllable under a generator regime or a receiver regime. The supply voltage is adjusted, in the generator regime, by applying an algebraically additive supply voltage originating from the first electrical storage unit to the distribution, to maintain a supply voltage above a minimum threshold. In the receiver regime, if a surplus of supply voltage originating at least partially from a second storage unit in the generator regime is detected above the minimum threshold, this surplus is channeled energetically to the first energy storage unit of the vehicle if it is required for operating the vehicle and enables maintaining the supply voltage below a maximum threshold and above the minimum threshold. |
| US09043063B2 |
Anti-nose down torque control system and method for vehicle
An anti-nose down torque control system and method for a vehicle is provided that prevents a nose down phenomenon where, during braking of a vehicle, front parts of the vehicle rotates forward. The method includes braking, by a controller, the vehicle being driven by a motor and applying the anti-nose down torque in a forward direction to the motor in response to a deceleration and a vehicle speed in a last braking stage. In addition, the controller is configured to decrease a braking deceleration and reduce a nose down phenomenon by the anti-nose down torque. |
| US09043061B2 |
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for driveline load management
A method includes interpreting a powertrain load variation amplitude and an internal combustion engine output profile. The method further includes determining an engine output differential in response to the powertrain load variation amplitude and the internal combustion engine output profile. The method further includes providing an energy accumulator sizing parameter and/or an alternate motive power provider sizing parameter in response to the engine output differential. |
| US09043058B1 |
Systems and methods for facilitating shift changes in marine propulsion devices
Methods and systems are for facilitating shift changes in a marine propulsion device having an internal combustion engine and a shift linkage that operatively connects a shift control lever to a transmission for effecting shift changes amongst a reverse gear, a neutral gear and a forward gear. A position sensor senses position of the shift linkage. A speed sensor senses speed of the engine. A control circuit compares the speed of the engine to a stored engine speed and modifies, based upon the position of the shift linkage when the speed of the engine reaches the stored engine speed, a neutral state threshold that determines when the control circuit ceases reducing the speed of the engine to facilitate a shift change. |
| US09043057B2 |
Control device for propulsion machine
A control device controls the operating state of each of a plurality of propulsion machines arranged in parallel in a marine vessel. Control devices are connected to each other by a communication line through which operating information of the propulsion machine is mutually transmitted and received. The control device includes a unit which determines the installation position of a corresponding propulsion machine, a unit which determines the connection state of another propulsion machine connected to the communication line, and a unit which determines a propulsion machine as a control reference from among a plurality of control devices. The propulsion machine as a control reference is switched to a propulsion machine which is arbitrarily designated by an operator or a propulsion machine which has the highest priority as a control reference. |
| US09043056B2 |
Method and system for using dynamic boundaries to manage the progression of ride vehicles that have rider control inputs
A method for controlling vehicle progression along a ride path of an amusement park ride. The method includes receiving inputs from a passenger of a vehicle on the ride path and processing the received inputs to determine a vehicle state change. The method includes determining a present or predicted vehicle state and comparing the present or predicted vehicle state with constraints defined by a dynamic boundary associated with the vehicle. The method includes issuing vehicle control commands to a drive assembly to implement the vehicle state change if it complies with the constraints. The dynamic boundary is moved logically along the ride path at a nominal speed to define a set of boundaries for movement of the vehicle along the ride path. The vehicle state change may be a change that causes the vehicle to travel at a speed differing from the dynamic boundary while remaining within the dynamic boundary. |
| US09043054B2 |
Method for determining the speed air aircraft and aircraft equipped with means for implementation
An aircraft is equipped with engines, each engine having at least one pod and one compressor/turbine hitch. The aircraft has at least one data processing unit and at least one system at the engine level. At least one engine is equipped with at least one static pressure probe for measuring the ambient air under the pod. Also, air static pressure probes are arranged at the engine levels, with one pressure probe at the output of the compressor, at least one rotation speed sensor, for example of a blower, and ambient air temperature probes at the air input or in any compression point. The processing unit is able, from measurements performed by such probes at the engine level, to supply to at least one of the systems at the engine level, determination data for the air speed of the aircraft. |
| US09043051B1 |
Event-based flight management system, device, and method
Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating and presenting one or more flight management strips on a visual display unit are disclosed. An event generator (“EG”) is configured to receive flight management data representative of one or more future vertical mode actions or future lateral mode actions, generate event data representative of one or more flight management strips, and provide the event data to a presentation system for the subsequent display of flight management strip(s). Each future vertical mode action may be comprised of a vertical FMS event or a speed/thrust FMS event, and each future lateral mode action may be comprised of a lateral FMS event. Also, each flight management strip could be informative of one FMS event and comprised of at least one commencement time row and one FMS event row for displaying time and event information, respectively. |
| US09043050B2 |
Programmable reverse thrust detent system and method
A reverse thrust detent system for an aircraft includes a throttle quadrant having an intermediate reverse thrust detent position, a reverse thrust scheduling system interfacing with the throttle quadrant, at least one aircraft engine interfacing with the reverse thrust scheduling system and a programmable input interfacing with the reverse thrust scheduling system and adapted to receive an engine reverse thrust setting. The reverse thrust scheduling system is adapted to operate the at least one aircraft engine according to the engine reverse thrust setting responsive to actuation of the intermediate reverse thrust detent position of the throttle quadrant. A reverse thrust detent method for an aircraft is also disclosed. |
| US09043047B2 |
Data link for use with components of remote control vehicles
Electronic components that are operable within remote control vehicles include Electronic Speed Controllers, radio control receivers, and telemetry transmitters. Hardware and software are described that support communication between a user computer and electronic components. A data link device has analog input and output interfaces that communicate to a mobile computing device such as smartphone. The data link device communicates with a electronic component to send and receive data such as parameters or operational data over a wired bidirectional bus interface. Software for performing data link operations run for example on an electronic component, a mobile computing device, a smartphone, a data link device, or a telemetry receive radio, or a combination of the above. Embodiments include software operable on a smartphone and a data link device that enables parameter or operational data communication between a smartphone and an electronic component using the microphone and speaker interface on the smartphone. Embodiments include software operable on an electronic component and a data link device for performing live-mode communication to a mobile computing device that displays live data. |
| US09043046B2 |
Data processing device, microcontroller, and self-diagnosis method of data processing device
A data processing device includes a memory, an arithmetic circuit that accesses the memory by outputting an access control signal CTRL that controls access to the memory, a first data storage unit that stores first data used when a self-diagnosis is performed, a read-modify-write circuit that generates second data by replacing a part of the first data stored in the first data storage unit with modify data outputted from the arithmetic circuit, and a determination unit that diagnoses a failure of the read-modify-write circuit by comparing the second data with an expected value. |
| US09043045B2 |
Travel assist apparatus and travel assist method
A travel assist apparatus performs assist of warning or auxiliary for preventing departure of a vehicle in a lateral direction of the vehicle. A value of the estimated time to lane crossing at which assist is to be performed is varied in accordance with the velocity of the vehicle in the lateral direction. This enables selection of a value of the estimated time to lane crossing at which assist is to be performed that is suitable for the velocity of the vehicle in the lateral direction, enabling optimization of the timing of performing assist. Therefore, assist of warning or auxiliary is performed in an optimal way without bothering the driver. |
| US09043044B2 |
System and method for communicating data in a consist
A system for communicating a dataset may include at least a first and a second communication line. The system may also include a first transceiver configured to communicate a first data signal indicative of the dataset over the first communication line and a second transceiver configured to communicate a second data signal indicative of the dataset over the second communication line. The system may also include a processor. The processor may be configured to receive the first data signal and the second data signal and compare the first data signal and the second data signal to determine whether the first data signal or the second data signal comprises a more accurate signal. The processor may also be configured to determine the dataset based upon the more accurate signal. |
| US09043043B1 |
Autonomous flight controls for providing safe mode navigation
The present invention is directed to a flight controls system and a method for navigating an aircraft via the flight controls system implemented on-board an aircraft. The flight controls system may provide a first mode for allowing the aircraft to be autonomously navigated safely to a loiter zone in the event the pilot becomes incapacitated or unable to operate the aircraft. Further, the flight controls system may provide a second mode for providing autonomous landing functionality for the aircraft when the engines of the aircraft have failed. |
| US09043042B2 |
Method to map gaze position to information display in vehicle
A method of controlling a vehicle system of a vehicle is provided. The method includes: receiving image data that is captured from an occupant of the vehicle; determining a focus of the occupant of the vehicle based on the image data; and generating a user command to control the vehicle system based on the focus of the occupant. |
| US09043041B2 |
Monitoring aggressive driving operation of a mobile asset
The acceleration of a mobile asset is sensed and compared to threshold acceleration levels when the speed of the mobile asset is above a threshold speed. When the acceleration exceeds a threshold a report is created allowing aggressive driving behavior to be logged. |
| US09043040B2 |
Power system stabilization
A method of damping power system oscillations include obtaining a time synchronized damping control signal from a remote location and determining a communication time delay in receiving the time synchronized damping control signal from the remote location. The time synchronized damping control signal is then modified based on a phase compensation factor and an amplitude compensation factor determined from the time delay. Finally, a damping signal is generated based on the modified time synchronized damping control signal. |
| US09043039B2 |
System and method for arc detection and intervention in solar energy systems
An arc detection and intervention system for a solar energy system. One or more arc detectors are strategically located among strings of solar panels. In conjunction with local management units (LMUs), arcs can be isolated and affected panels disconnected from the solar energy system. |
| US09043035B2 |
Dynamically limiting energy consumed by cooling apparatus
Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided which include one or more coolant-cooled structures associated with an electronics rack, a coolant loop coupled in fluid communication with one or more passages of the coolant-cooled structure(s), one or more heat exchange units coupled to facilitate heat transfer from coolant within the coolant loop, and N controllable components associated with the coolant loop or the heat exchange unit(s), wherein N≧1. The N controllable components facilitate circulation of coolant through the coolant loop or transfer of heat from the coolant via the heat exchange unit(s). A controller is coupled to the N controllable components, and dynamically adjusts operation of the N controllable components, based on Z input parameters and one or more specified constraints, to provide a specified cooling to the coolant-cooled structure(s), while limiting energy consumed by the N controllable components, wherein Z≧1. |
| US09043034B2 |
Energy reducing retrofit method and apparatus for a constant volume HVAC system
An energy-reducing method and apparatus for retrofitting a single zone, constant volume HVAC system, with or without an economizer, that provides heating, cooling, and ventilation to occupants within a building space. The present invention includes the introduction of a programmable logic controller and variable frequency drive (VFD) that takes control of the existing fan, heating, cooling, and optional economizer operation. The reduction of the fan speed in the ventilation mode when the 100% operation is not needed saves significant energy of the existing constant volume HVAC system where the fan motor is designed to run 100% of the time. |
| US09043033B2 |
Network system and control method thereof
A network system may be provided that includes an electronic product, a recognition target, a recognition device, a setting program and a display unit. The electronic product may operate to manage or process a target. The recognition target may include information relating to the target. The recognition device may recognize information listed on the recognition target. The setting program may convert information recognized by the recognition device into setting information. The display unit may display the setting information converted by the setting program. |
| US09043032B2 |
Verification and control device and method for at least one water purification system
A verification and control method for at least one water purification system is described, which includes a step of supplying, by a server embedded with the water purification system, an editing interface comprising a zone for selecting items of exploitation information representing physical quantities associated with the water purification system, a step of selecting, via the first remote browser, at least one item of exploitation information to constitute at least one exploitation interface page, a step of sending a request to access the exploitation page, by a second remote browser, to the server, a step of collecting the value of each physical quantity represented by a selected item of information to constitute the page, and a step of supplying, by the server, the page comprising each collected value. |
| US09043030B2 |
Manipulator and path generation method thereof
A manipulator and a method of generating the shortest path along which the manipulator moves to grip an object without collision with the object models a target object and a gripper into a spherical shape, measures a current position of the gripper and a position of the target object and a target position of the gripper, calculates an arc-shaped path in a two-dimensional plane along which the gripper needs to move by calculating an included angle of a triangle consisting of the position of the object and the current position and target position of the gripper, transforms the arc-shaped path in the two-dimensional plane into an arc-shaped path in a three-dimensional space using a transform matrix consisting of the position of the object and the current position and target position of the gripper, thereby automatically generating the shortest path of the manipulator. |
| US09043026B2 |
Method and device for actuating a key of a keyboard with a tracer finger of a robot
There is provided a method for actuating a first key of a keyboard with a tracer finger of a robot. An exemplary method comprises acquiring parameters of the keyboard and determining a position of the first key as a function of the acquired parameters using a model of the keyboard. The exemplary method also comprises guiding the tracer finger of the robot to the determined position of the first key. The exemplary method additionally comprises actuating the first key with the tracer finger of the robot. |
| US09043025B2 |
Systems and methods for safe robot operation
In various embodiments, safe collaboration between a robot and humans is achieved by operating the robot continuously at or below a first threshold speed at which any collisions with a person's arms do not cause harm, and, upon detection of the person's torso or head within a danger zone around the robot, reducing the speed to or below a second threshold at which any collisions with the person's torso or head do not cause harm. |
| US09043024B2 |
Vision correction method for tool center point of a robot manipulator
A vision correction method for establishing the position of a tool center point (TCP) for a robot manipulator includes the steps of: defining a preset position of the TCP; defining a preset coordinate system TG with the preset position of the TCP as its origin; capturing a two-dimensional picture of the preset coordinate system TG to establish a visual coordinate system TV; calculating a scaling ratio λ of the vision coordinate system TV relative to the preset coordinate system TG; rotating the TCP relative to axes of the preset coordinate system TG; capturing pictures of the TCP prior to and after rotation; calculating the deviation ΔP between the preset position and actual position of the TCP; correcting the preset position and corresponding coordinate system TG using ΔP, and repeating the rotation through correction steps until ΔP is less than or equal to a maximum allowable deviation of the robot manipulator. |
| US09043019B2 |
Automated pharmacy admixture system (APAS)
In a preferred embodiment, an Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station. |
| US09043017B2 |
Home network system and method for an autonomous mobile robot to travel shortest path
Provided are a home network system and a method for an autonomous mobile robot to travel along a shortest travel route. The home network system capable of home automation includes a plurality of beacons for sensing a user located in a cell coverage area and for transmitting resulting sensing information of the user; an autonomous mobile robot for executing travel to reach the user based on provided travel route information; and a home server for calculating a travel route along which the autonomous mobile robot can easily reach the user based on the sensing information of the user transmitted from the beacons, and for providing the travel route to the autonomous mobile robot. Therefore, the autonomous mobile robot may reach the user by the shortest travel route and thus reducing energy loss. |
| US09043016B2 |
Versatile robotic control module
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide robotic control modules for use in a robotic control system of a vehicle, including structures, systems and methods, that can provide (i) a robotic control module that has multiple functional circuits, such as a processor and accompanying circuits, an actuator controller, an actuator amplifier, a packet network switch, and a power supply integrated into a mountable and/or stackable package/housing; (ii) a robotic control module with the noted complement of circuits that is configured to reduce heat, reduce space, shield sensitive components from electro-magnetic noise; (iii) a robotic control system utilizing robotic control modules that include the sufficiently interchangeable functionality allowing for interchangeability of modules; and (iv) a robotic control system that distributes the functionality and processing among a plurality of robotic control modules in a vehicle. |
| US09043013B2 |
Sort systems and methods
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for assisting sort operators in identifying the appropriate location to sort an item. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system for identifying a particular bin from a plurality of bins for sorting a package is provided. The system includes a plurality of bins configured to receive sorted packages; an optical reader positioned to capture destination indicia associated with the package; a keypad comprising a plurality of keys, where in at least some of the keys are associated with individual bins of the plurality of bins and at least some of the keys include lights; and a control system. The control system is configured to: receive data from the optical reader relating to the destination indicia; identify a particular bin within the plurality of bins associated with the received data; and trigger illumination of one or more lights on the keypad. |
| US09043012B2 |
Pharmacy automation using autonomous robot
A pharmacy automation system having a robot having a hardware device and a software for internal mapping is configured to carry out at least the following different interactions: the robot communicates autonomously with a physician or an assistant directly or via an intermediary; the robot interacts with an inventory of goods and browses the inventory of goods to determine if a prescribed medication is available in the pharmacy; if the prescribed medication is available in the pharmacy, the robot interacts with a medication dispenser, using the internal mapping to fill a container with the prescribed medication, and store the container; when a patient or a proxy arrives to pick up the prescribed medication, the robot checks and approves an identification of the patient or the proxy; and hands the container with the prescribed medication over to the patient or proxy. |
| US09043010B2 |
Method and weaving machine for shedding
Shed formation on a weaving machine (2), which is driven by a main motor (3), with a shedding device (4), which is driven by a shedding motor (5), wherein in each motion cycle (N) of the weaving machine (2), a loom shed (7) formed by warp threads (8) of the weaving machine (2) is opened and closed dependent on a weave pattern, and wherein the synchronicity of the two motors (3, 5) is controlled by signals (10) of a control device (9). During a partial number (Tn1, Tn2) of motion cycles (N), the synchronicity of the two motors (3, 5) is changed in such a manner so that plural shed closure angles (FSW) at which the loom shed (7) in the respective motion cycles (N) is closed, form an increasing or decreasing sequence. |
| US09043005B2 |
Music collection navigation device and method
An audio navigation device comprising an input means for inputting two or more audio pieces into the navigation device; a spatialization means for allocating a position in the form of a unique spatial co-ordinate to each audio piece and arranging the audio pieces in a multi-dimensional arrangement; a generating means for generating a binaural audio output for each audio piece, wherein the audio output simulates sounds that would be made by one or more physical sources located at the given position of each audio piece; an output means for simultaneously outputting multiple audio pieces as binaural audio output to a user; a navigation means for enabling a user to navigate around the audio outputs in the multi-dimensional arrangement; a selection means for allowing a user to select a single audio output. |
| US09043002B2 |
Adaptive control of electrical devices to achieve desired power use characteristics
A system and method is provided for energizing and managing digitally-controlled devices at different levels of granularity, to achieve desired power use characteristics. At the lowest level, a digitally-controlled device is energized using a variable load-sensing adaptive control (VLSAC). Operation of the device is controlled using digital signals input to the device, so that limits on parameters, such as power consumption are met. A plurality of VLSACs can be coupled to a power distribution unit (PDU), which is controlled to achieve desired levels for selected parameters, set for the PDU. Multiple PDUs can be coupled to a power conversion and regulation unit (PCRU), which can be controlled by a master control to achieve a desired power profile for an entire facility, enabling the facility to meet requirements of a utility supplying the power and thus, reducing operational costs. The VLSACs and PCRU include high efficiency power sources having low distortion. |
| US09043001B2 |
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. |
| US09042995B2 |
Implantable medical devices and systems having power management for recharge sessions
Implantable devices and related systems utilize power management features in conjunction with a recharge circuit that includes a coil and capacitance. The reactance such as the capacitance and/or inductance may be variable such that in the event of an overcharge condition, the reactance may be varied to change the resonant frequency of the circuit of the coil from the recharge frequency to another frequency to reduce the power being received. Other power management features may additionally or alternatively be employed. For instance, the device may send an uplink telemetry signal to an external device to request that recharge power be decreased. The device may switch additional resistance into the circuit of the coil to reduce the Q of the circuit. As another example, the device may clamp the circuit of the coil to ground. |
| US09042993B2 |
Skin-hair treatment method and system
A method and system of conditioning human skin and hair using a hand-held skin/hair conditioner having interchangeable interface conductors that are contoured to enhance electrical conductivity between the conditioner and a variety of body areas. Each of the interchangeable interface conductors are preferably formed to maximize surface area contact with a variety of body surfaces such as scalp/hair, body skin, and facial skin. In a preferred embodiment, the skin/hair conditioner is formed to fit comfortably and controllably in a user's grasp while providing maximum contact with the selected body surface. The skin/hair conditioner includes an audio signal generator and a vibration mechanism to alert a user of a change in status of the conditioner. The interface conductors may be (1) smoothly rounded, (2) include teeth, (3) spherical or hemispherical (4) include multiple rounded nodules. The housings for the conditioner may be (1) elongated and somewhat flattened, (2) of elongated cylindrical shape, or (3) of a compact configuration similar to a door knob. The interface conductors and conditioning system may have a releasable latch, and spring arrangements for ejecting the interface conductor when the latch is released. |
| US09042989B2 |
Stimulation electrode selection
Bioelectrical signals may be sensed within a brain of a patient with a plurality of sense electrode combinations. A stimulation electrode combination for delivering stimulation to the patient to manage a patient condition may be selected based on the frequency band characteristics of the sensed signals. In some examples, a stimulation electrode combination associated with the sense electrode combination that sensed a bioelectrical brain signal having a relatively highest relative beta band power level may be selected to deliver stimulation therapy to the patient. Other frequency bands characteristics may also be used to select the stimulation electrode combination. |
| US09042988B2 |
Closed-loop vagus nerve stimulation
The present invention provides a closed-loop system for treating neurological disorders, such as epilepsy. In one embodiment the system comprises an input assembly that is adapted to receive one or more signals from a patient that are indicative of a patient's neurological state. The input assembly processes the one or more signals to generate one or more control input signals. An output assembly receives the one or more control input signals from the input assembly and generate a neuromodulation signal that is a function of the patient's neurological state. An electrode array is configured to deliver the neuromodulation signal to a patient's peripheral nerve, such as the vagus nerve. |
| US09042983B2 |
Implantable system for flow measurement including charge amplifier
An implantable medical device lead having a flow measurement sensor mounted thereon is provided with a capsule mounted proximate to the sensor. The capsule is used to house electrical circuitry corresponding to the sensor in order to prevent impedance on conductors of the lead, which gradually decreases over chronic periods, from directly affecting signal transmission between the sensor and the electrical circuitry. The electrical circuitry includes a charge amplifier used for processing signals from the sensor. In some cases, the amplifier can be initially calibrated and periodically tuned so as to have consistent functioning with the sensor over chronic periods. |
| US09042981B2 |
Vagus nerve stimulation with target effects controlled by adjusting temporal parameters
One or more temporal stimulation parameters of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) are selected to substantially modulate one or more target physiological functions without substantially modulating one or more non-target physiological functions. In one embodiment, a stimulation duty cycle is selected such that VNS is delivered to the cervical vagus nerve trunk to modulate a cardiovascular function without causing laryngeal muscle contractions. |
| US09042972B2 |
Pain judging device to judge pain based on a frequency component of a peak-relevant value
A peak-relevant value device acquires a peak-relevant value (for example, the peak value of an R wave (R peak value)) every cycle from an electrocardiogram acquired. The frequencies of the peak-relevant value acquired as time-series data and the magnitudes for the respective frequencies are analyzed. A peak-relevant value LF calculating device calculates an LF component (peak-relevant value LF component) from the frequency component of the peak-relevant value. An interval acquiring device acquires the interval between characteristic points of the electrocardiographic complex from the electrocardiogram acquired and the frequencies of the feature point interval acquired as time-series data to acquire the magnitudes of the respective frequency component are analyzed. An interval HF calculating device calculates the HF component from the frequency components of the feature point interval acquired and pain is judged on the basis of the variations of the peak-relevant value LF components and the interval HF components. |
| US09042969B2 |
Heart rate correction system and methods for the detection of cardiac events
A device for detecting a cardiac event is disclosed. Detection of an event is based on a test applied to a parameter whose value varies according to heart rate. Both the parameter value and heart rate (RR interval) are filtered with an exponential average filter. From these filtered values, the average change in the parameter and the RR interval are also computed with an exponential average filter. Before computing the average change in the parameter, large changes in the parameter over short times, which may be caused by body position shifts, are attenuated are removed, so that the average change represents an average of small/smooth changes in the parameter's value that are characteristic of acute ischemia, one of the cardiac events that may be detected. The test to detect the cardiac event depends on the heart rate, the difference between the parameter's value and its upper and lower normal values, and its average change over time, adjusted for heart rate changes. The upper and lower normal parameter values as a function of heart rate are determined from long term stored data of the filtered RR values and parameter values. Hysteeresis related data and transitory deviations from normal (e.g. vasospasm related data) are excluded from the computation of normal upper and lower parameter bounds. |
| US09042965B2 |
Biopsy marker with in situ-generated imaging properties
An intracorporeal marker, for marking a site within living tissue of a host, includes an outer body portion of biodegradable material. An inner body portion is located in the outer body portion. The inner body portion includes biological material that becomes calcified in the living tissue of the host over time. An agent interacts with the biological material to promote calcification of the biological material of the inner body portion in the living tissue of the host. |
| US09042963B2 |
System and method for acquiring images from within a tissue
Systems and methods for imaging within depth layers of a tissue include illuminating light rays at different changing wavelengths (frequencies), collimating illuminated light rays using a collimator, and splitting light rays using a beam splitter, such that some of the light rays are directed towards a reference mirror and some of the rays are directed towards the tissue. The systems and methods further include reflecting light rays from the reference mirror towards the imager, filtering out non-collimated light rays reflected off the tissue by using a telecentric optical system, and reflecting collimated light rays reflected off the tissue towards the imager, thus creating an image of an interference pattern based on collimated light rays reflected off the tissue and off the reference mirror. The method may further include creating full 2D images from the interference pattern for each depth layer of the tissue using Fast Fourier transform. |
| US09042960B2 |
Determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses
A procedure and system for determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses includes measuring a change in position of vertebrae at an affected level of a patient's spine from a first position where the patient reports greatest pain at the affected level, to a second position where the patient reports least pain at the affected level. Spinal implants or prostheses are selected so as to urge the affected level of the spine toward the second position and away from the first position when the implants are placed at the affected level. In one embodiment, an implant device is formed by one or more inflatable balloons that are placed at determined locations inside a disc space at the affected level. When the balloons are inflated, vertebrae above and below the balloons are urged toward the second position and away from the first position at the affected level. |
| US09042956B2 |
System and method for power-efficient transmission of EMG data
The system for displaying muscle force data includes a wearable patch and a remote visual display. The wearable patch carries electrodes suitable for sensing electromyographic signals on the skin of the patient. The patch carries circuitry which converts the detected electromyographic signal to a digital output which can be transmitted to the remote visual display. The circuitry relies on filtering to produce a usable digital signal at very low power consumption. The transmitted signal can be used to drive a variety of visual displays, including a conventional hand-held personal communicators and entertainment devices which had been programmed to suitably process the visual display. |
| US09042955B2 |
Reference electrodes having an extended lifetime for use in long term amperometric sensors
The present application provides Ag/AgCl based reference electrodes having an extended lifetime that are suitable for use in long term amperometric sensors. Electrochemical sensors equipped with reference electrodes described herein demonstrate considerable stability and extended lifetime in a variety of conditions. |
| US09042954B2 |
Analyte sensors comprising hydrogel membranes
Generally, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to analyte determining methods and devices (e.g., electrochemical analyte monitoring systems) that have improved signal response and stability by inclusion of a coating including a hydrogel, a crosslinker, and a swelling modulator, where the coating is disposed proximate to a working electrode of in vivo and/or in vitro analyte sensors, e.g., continuous and/or automatic in vivo monitoring using analyte sensors and/or test strips. Also provided are systems and methods of using the, for example electrochemical, analyte sensors in analyte monitoring. |
| US09042953B2 |
Analyte monitoring device and methods of use
An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor has, for example, a substrate, a recessed channel formed in the substrate, and conductive material disposed in the recessed channel to form a working electrode. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte. The analyte monitor may also be part of a drug delivery system to alter the level of the analyte based on the data obtained using the sensor. |
| US09042950B1 |
Detachable front flip cover for cell-phone case
The detachable front flip cover comprises a flip cover and a first barrier rod. The flip cover covers a front face of the cell-phone. The flip cover comprises a first side cover portion for covering a first side edge portion, and a front cover portion for covering a front surface portion. The first barrier rod is provided along the first edge of the flip cover, and extends from the first barrier rod, and has a diameter larger than a thickness of the first edge portion of the flip cover, and is configured for being partially fitted into a first groove provided along an edge portion of the main cell-phone case so as to be received and held in place. The first edge portion and the first side cover portion are connected to each other along a line foldably so as to fit a corresponding edge of the cell-phone. |
| US09042949B2 |
Mobile wireless device with multi feed point antenna and audio transducer and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a circuit board carried by the portable housing, a wireless communications circuit carried by the circuit board, and an audio circuit carried by the circuit board. The mobile wireless communications device may further include an antenna assembly including an antenna carrier frame coupled to the circuit board and defining a cavity therein, and an antenna element carried on the antenna carrier frame and having a plurality of spaced apart signal feed points coupled to the wireless communications circuit. In addition, an audio transducer may be carried within the cavity of the antenna carrier frame and coupled to the audio circuit. |
| US09042947B2 |
Multiple input acoustic coupler
A cable assembly for electronic devices such as cellular telephones and music devices is disclosed. The cable assembly can comprise either one or two earpieces, each of which is configured to be received into the concha of a user's ear. The earpiece(s) can be configured so as to be held in place by at least one anatomical structure of the concha. A speaker can be in acoustic communication with each earpiece. A cable can be configured to communicate a signal representative of sound from the electronic device to each earpiece. A microphone can be permanently attached or removably attachable to the cable to facilitate use with a cellular telephone. The cable assembly can facilitate hands free operation of a cellular telephone and can facilitate listening to a music device. Other implementations and related methods are also disclosed. |
| US09042940B2 |
Technique for executing communication of object data with mobile device
In a case where a communication device belongs to a first wireless network for the communication device to execute a wireless communication, the communication device may execute using a wireless communication with a mobile device via the first wireless network after sending to the mobile device a first wireless setting. The first wireless setting may be for the mobile device to belong to the first wireless network and include a password. In a case where the communication device belongs to a second wireless network for the communication device to execute a wireless communication, the communication device may execute a wireless communication with the mobile device via the second wireless network after sending to the mobile device a second wireless setting. The second wireless setting may be for the mobile device to belong to the second wireless network and not including the password. |
| US09042939B2 |
Portable electronic device and control method
A portable electronic device and a method of controlling are disclosed, each of which is capable of efficiently selecting a communication processing unit. The portable electronic device includes: a first communication processing unit conforming to a first communication scheme; a second communication processing unit conforming to a second communication scheme; a third communication processing unit conforming to a third communication scheme; and a control unit. When data communication is performed, the control unit controls each processing unit so as to preferentially use the first communication processing unit, the second communication processing unit, and the third communication processing unit in this order. In a case in which a network is disconnected while data communication is being performed by the second communication processing unit, the control unit executes control so as to continue the data communication by the third communication processing unit. |
| US09042936B2 |
Communication device and power control method thereof
A communication device and a power control method thereof are provided. The power control method, performed by a communication device, includes: determining a power range of a transmit power of an uplink signal; determining a gain switch range based on the power range; when the transmit power of the uplink signal is within the gain switch range, determining a first gain mode for amplifying the uplink signal; and when the transmit power of the uplink signal is out of the gain switch range, determining a second gain mode for amplifying the uplink signal. |
| US09042929B2 |
Trunked and broadband radio communication method and system
A data communication system and a method of data communication. The method comprises receiving data associated with a plurality of users, wherein a first set of the plurality of users is located at a first location and a second set of the plurality of users is located at a second location. The method further comprises determining that the first set of users has access to both a broadband data communication system and a trunked radio system and that at least one user of the second set of users does not have access to the broadband data communication system. The data is then provided to the first set of users by the broadband data communication system and not the trunked radio system, and to the second set of users by the trunked radio system and not the broadband data communication system. |
| US09042928B2 |
Apparatus and method for operating multiple beamforming transceiver in wireless communication system
A method for operating a base station in a wireless communication system in order to support a plurality of characteristics is provided. The method includes allocating resource periods for respective characteristics, transmitting system information including information on the characteristics, transmitting a reference signal with the characteristic corresponding to the relevant resource period through at least one of the resource periods, and receiving feedback information determining channel qualities for all of the characteristics. |
| US09042924B1 |
System and method for identifying SMS messages from multiple originators using a shared shortcode
To enable multiple message originators to share an SMS shortcode, originator identifying codes can be added to outbound SMS messages that prompt recipients to respond with response messages that include the originator identifying codes. The originator identifying codes can be added by a service provider that administers the SMS shortcode. When a response message is received on the SMS shortcode number, the service provider processes the response message content to extract the originator identifying code. The code and, optionally, a recipient ID can be used as a lookup to determine the intended originator that the response message is for. The response message can then be associated by the service provider with the correct originator for subsequent processing. |
| US09042922B2 |
Centralized system and method for automated carrier status updates via SMS in a multi-carrier environment
A method for managing carrier status via the Short Message Service (SMS) by a centralized system in a multi-carrier environment includes: associating a driver with a first load to be transported, using an SMS-enabled cellphone number of the driver; storing the association of driver and load in a database of the system, along with a unique identifier of the carrier; transmitting, by the server to the driver, an instruction as a text message to the driver's cell phone with instructions for replying upon arrival; receiving, by the server from the driver, a response consistent with the instructions for replying upon arrival; updating, by the server, a status associated with the driver's response in the database; repeating the steps for a second driver of a second carrier; and providing, by the centralized system, status reports related to both the driver and associated load, and the second driver and associated load. |
| US09042919B2 |
Sharing of location information in a networked computing environment
A system includes a server and a source client executable on a first electronic device in communication with the server The server is configured to provide to a second electronic device in communication with the server access to location data implementable by a user interface associated with the second electronic device The location data enables the user interface to display the geographical location of the first electronic device The access to the location data is accessible to the second electronic device only during a time interval designated by a user of the first electronic device. |
| US09042918B2 |
Using fingerprints in proximity detection of wireless devices
A method in a network node for enabling proximity detection is presented. The network node is comprised in a wireless communications network and serves a wireless device. According to the method, the network node obtains a fingerprint of a CSG cell, or of an inter-frequency cell. The network node then transmits the fingerprint to the wireless device, thereby enabling the wireless device to determine when it is in the proximity of the cell. |
| US09042917B2 |
Positioning for WLANS and other wireless networks
Techniques for positioning access points and terminals in WLANs and other wireless networks are described. For access point positioning, measurements are obtained for at least one access point in a WLAN. The measurements may be based on transmission sequences (e.g., beacon frames) transmitted periodically by each access point. The measurements may be made by multiple terminals at different locations or a single mobile terminal at different locations. The location of each access point is determined based on the measurements and known locations of the terminal(s). For terminal positioning, measurements for at least one access point in a WLAN are obtained. The location of the terminal is determined based on the measurements and known location of each access point. The measurements may be round trip time (RTT) measurements, observed time difference (OTD) measurements, time of arrival (TOA) measurements, signal strength measurements, signal quality measurements, etc. |
| US09042915B1 |
Estimating the location of a wireless terminal despite apparently reasonable but misleading or erroneous empirical data
A location engine is disclosed that estimates the location of a wireless terminal using (i) cell ID, (ii) triangulation, (iii) GPS, (iv) RF pattern-matching, or (v) any combination of them. The location engine is adept at discounting the contribution of apparently reasonable but erroneous data. The location engine receives data that are evidence of the location of a wireless terminal at each of a plurality of different times. The location engine then generates an initial hypothesis for the location of the wireless terminal at each time assuming that all of the data is correct and equally probative. Next, the location engine generates one alternative hypothesis for each initial hypothesis and each datum assuming that the datum is erroneous. Finally, the location engine generates the estimate for the location of the wireless terminal at each time by determining which combination of initial hypotheses and alternative hypothesis is the most self-consistent. |
| US09042913B2 |
Transmitter position integrity checking
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to determining whether a reported position of a wireless transmitter is sufficiently accurate in accordance with an accuracy metric based at least in part on a calculated range between an estimated position of a mobile station and the reported position and also based at least in part on one or more measurements taken from one or more signals transmitted by the wireless transmitter. |
| US09042910B2 |
Method and system for monitoring a mobile station presence in a special area
Method for monitoring the presence of a mobile station in at least one special area, wherein a radio communication defining device transmits one radio distinctive defining signal that define the special area by its coverage, the mobile station processes a signal received in order to determine whether or not it is defining signal and more precisely a distinctive one that defines the special area, the mobile station sends an updating signal to a mobile telephone network, the network routes the updating signal to special operating means that adapt the value of an operating parameter. According to the invention, the special area is associated to the mobile station by transmitting to the mobile station a checking data used by the mobile station for determining whether or not the defining signal received is distinctive defining signal. |
| US09042907B2 |
Location identification of a portable electronic device based on characteristics of an operating environment of the portable electronic device
A location label may be determined for a portable electronic device. The location label may provide a textual indication of the particular location of a user of the portable electronic device, such as a restaurant name, or more generally a type of location of the user, such as simply a restaurant. The location label is determined based on a signature vector of operating environment characteristics of the portable electronic device. The operating environment characteristics may include sensor values, visible transmitters, radio connection information, executing applications or other operating environment characteristics that can have a value associated with them. |
| US09042906B1 |
Identifying a geographically nearby mobile computing device
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for identifying proximity of a mobile computing device to another mobile computing device. A computing system determines that a set of mobile computing devices are geographically proximate to a first mobile computing device based on identifying that each of the mobile computing devices received a first type of signal from an emitting device for which the first mobile computing device also received the first type of signal. The computing system determines a subset of the mobile computing devices that share a physical space with the first mobile computing device based on identifying that each of the mobile computing devices emitted a second type of signal that was detected by the first mobile computing device, or detected the second type of signal that was emitted by the first mobile computing device. |
| US09042905B2 |
Automatic configuration of telecommunication station sets
A telecommunication station set such as an IP phone is configured based on proximity of a user. Proximity of the user relative to the station set can be determined using RF-ID, UWB, GPS, direct user input, contextual information or other technology. For example, the user may carry a badge equipped with an RF-ID tag. The RF-ID tag is operative in response to an RF-ID reader associated with the phone, when in close proximity, to signal user ID and password, which may be encrypted. The user ID and password are sent to a SIP server, which authenticates the user and retrieves user-specific configuration details which are returned to the IP phone. The IP phone configures itself with the user-specific parameters. If the user moves away from the phone, as determined by the RF-ID tag being out of range of the reader, the IP phone de-configures itself. |
| US09042901B2 |
Dynamic small cell provisioning and frequency tuning
A system may include a macro cell base station configured to determine a service quality associated with the macro cell base station; determine whether the service quality is below a quality threshold; and instruct a small cell base station to switch from a sleep mode to an awake mode, when the service quality is below the quality threshold. The system may further include a small cell base station, located within a coverage area of the macro cell base station, configured to enter an awake mode, when instructed to enter the awake mode by the macro cell base station; and inform the macro cell base station that the small cell base station is in awake mode. The macro cell base station may be further configured to hand over one or more user devices to the small cell base station, when the small cell base station is in the awake mode. |
| US09042896B2 |
Method and apparatus for efficient zone switch operation in a broadband wireless access system
A wireless access system and, more particularly, a method and apparatus for more efficiently performing zone switch are disclosed. The method of performing zone switch by an advanced mobile station (AMS) in a mixed-mode advanced base station (ABS) which operates in a mixed mode of a broadband wireless access system includes receiving a ranging response (RNG-RSP) message including system information of an AMS support zone from a legacy zone (LZone) of the ABS, and performing ranging to the AMS support zone using the system information. |
| US09042894B2 |
Uplink interference mitigation by adapting open cell transmission power
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for interference mitigation of an open-access node. The method includes determining, at the open-access node, whether uplink interference from a mobile entity is above a threshold. The method includes adjusting a transmission power to trigger a hand-in of the mobile entity in response to determining the uplink interference is above the threshold. The method includes handing-in the mobile entity from a first cell in response to adjusting the transmission power. The method includes redirecting the mobile entity to a second cell different from the first cell. |
| US09042893B2 |
Congestion control method for femtocell
A congestion control method for a femtocell is provided. When the femtocell is not congested, the femtocell is prompted to enter an access permitted mode. When the femtocell enters the access permitted mode, the femtocell sends a system information modification notification. When the femtocell enters the access permitted mode, the femtocell repeatedly adjusts at least one cell selection parameter or at least one cell reselection parameter to gradually increase a coverage of the femtocell. |
| US09042892B2 |
Effective energy saving method of next generation mobile communication
Disclosed is an operating method of a base station which includes searching user equipment, having a machine to machine (hereinafter, referred to as M2M) communication function, from user equipment under communication; sending an M2M call setup request to the searched user equipment; sending a handover call setup request to the remaining user equipment from among the user equipment under communication; and entering a power-saving mode. |
| US09042889B2 |
Method and apparatus for selecting wireless communication systems
Methods and apparatuses are provided that facilitate avoiding one or more wireless communication systems based at least in part on determining a level of unreliability of a reverse link channel related to a system. This can be based at least in part on determining whether the system can be accessed over the reverse link channel. If not, the wireless communication system can be avoided to conserve power utilized to perform such access attempts. Where the unreliability is temporary, however, some access attempts can be performed for systems of higher priority than a current system during the period of avoidance of one or more higher priority systems. |
| US09042888B2 |
Mobile device network signaling management
A mobile wireless device maintains a radio sector database. When receiving no response or a negative response from a radio sector to a transmitted signaling message, the mobile wireless device adds or updates the radio sector database. When receiving a positive response from the radio sector, the mobile wireless device deletes the radio sector from the radio sector database. Before transmitting signaling messages to a radio sector, the mobile device determines a time delay value if the radio sector is in the radio sector database. The mobile wireless device discards the signaling message when an elapsed time since a most recently transmitted signaling message to the radio sector does not exceed the determined time delay value. In an embodiment, each radio sector in the radio sector database includes a failure count value, and the determined time delay value depends on the failure count value. |
| US09042884B1 |
System and method for enabling authorization of local breakout for internet protocol multimedia services
A mobile communication terminal includes a registration module that initiates a registration of the mobile communication terminal with Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystems (IMS) within a home network. The registration module initiates registration when the mobile communication terminal is roaming in a visited network. The mobile communication terminal also includes a session module that initiates a session set-up with the IMS to enable use of IMS resources. At least one of the registration module and the session module provide a first IP address to the IMS during at least one of the registration and the session set-up. The mobile communication terminal communicates with a first packet data network (PDN) that is local to the visited network using the first IP address in order to use at least one of the IMS resources. |
| US09042882B2 |
Methods to enable efficient use of multiple radio access technologies
A device and method are provided for concurrently using a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) to support a wireless-enabled communications session. A set of data is processed at a client node to identify a subset of priority data. The set of data and the subset of priority data are respectively provided to a first and second protocol stack, which correspond to a first and second RAT. The first and second protocol stacks are then used to control the transmission of a first and second set of transmitted data, which in turn respectively comprise the set of data and the subset of priority data. The first and second sets of transmitted data are received by an access node, which uses corresponding first and second protocol stacks to control their reception. The first and second sets of transmitted data are then processed to generate a set of received data. |
| US09042880B2 |
Method and apparatus for uploading content over wireless networks
Method and apparatus for uploading content from a user terminal in response to a request triggered at the user terminal to upload content is provided. An exemplary method includes initiating a test call at the user terminal to a wireless network in response to an indication to upload content from the user terminal, obtaining user-channel information for the test call and network-level state information for the user terminal during the test call, determining whether a user-channel condition and a network-level condition are satisfied based on the user-channel information and network-level state information respectively, and uploading the content to the wireless network in response to the user-channel condition and the network-level condition being satisfied. The user terminal obtains at the user terminal user-level state information and triggers the indication to upload content from the user terminal if the user-level condition is determined to be satisfied. |
| US09042879B2 |
Capacity station activation method, radio communication apparatus, and system
Embodiments of the present invention provide a capacity station activation method and system. The method includes: A coverage station sends activation control information to a capacity station, where the activation control information is used to enable the capacity station to send a pilot signal to a user in a power increasing manner; receives a measurement result of measuring the pilot signal by the user; determines, according to the measurement result, a capacity station that needs to be activated to meet a system requirement; and sends activation information to a determined capacity station that needs to be activated to activate the capacity station. With the capacity station activation method and system in the embodiments of the present invention, a capacity station that needs to be activated can be determined more accurately, and furthermore, transmit power of an activated capacity station can be controlled, thereby reducing energy consumption of a whole system. |
| US09042877B1 |
System and method for retrofitting a branding framework into a mobile communication device
A method for retrofitting a branding framework into a mobile communication device is provided. The Method comprises the mobile communication device wirelessly receiving update instructions. In response to executing the update instructions, reducing the amount of memory in the mobile communication device allocated to a system memory partition. The method further comprises in response to executing the update instructions, reducing the amount of memory allocated to a user memory partition. The method further comprises determining the memory of the mobile communication device to allocate to create a carrier memory partition on the mobile communication device. The method further comprises installing a branding framework application into the system memory partition, wherein the branding framework application is configured to change the mobile communication device from a current brand to a different brand, wherein some information related to the current brand of the mobile communication device is stored in the carrier partition. |
| US09042876B2 |
System and method for uploading location information based on device movement
Systems and methods for uploading location information based on device movement are disclosed. In some embodiments, location information may be received or determined by a mobile communications device. The location information may be associated with a physical location of the mobile communications device. A rate of movement of the mobile communications device may be identified. In some embodiments, the location information may be transmitted or uploaded from the mobile communications device to a server. The frequency of the transmitting or uploading of the location information may be based on the rate of movement of the mobile communications device. |
| US09042870B2 |
Methods for capacity limitation mitigation in a radio frequency device
Example embodiments provide a method and/or network element capable of mitigating one or more effects of operating at full capacity. According to an example embodiment, a network element may address load capacity by identifying that a first network element (e.g., a femto) is operating at a threshold capacity. If a communication from a second network element intended for the first network element is received, an operation is performed that informs the second network element of at least one of (i) that the first network element is operating at a threshold capacity and (ii) that the communication cannot be delivered to the first network element while the first network element is operating at a threshold capacity. |
| US09042868B2 |
Instant messaging through secondary wireless communication device
A secondary wireless communication device may send and receive instant messages by causing a primary wireless communication device to send and receive the messages on behalf of the secondary wireless mobile communication device through a cellular communication system. To accomplish this, the primary and secondary devices may wirelessly communicate with one another through a connection other than the cellular communication system. Synchronization of instant messages between the primary and secondary devices may be maintained whenever the devices are in communication. |
| US09042867B2 |
System and method for speaker recognition on mobile devices
A speaker recognition system for authenticating a mobile device user includes an enrollment and learning software module, a voice biometric authentication software module, and a secure software application. Upon request by a user of the mobile device, the enrollment and learning software module displays text prompts to the user, receives speech utterances from the user, and produces a voice biometric print. The enrollment and training software module determines when a voice biometric print has met at least a quality threshold before storing it on the mobile device. The secure software application prompts a user requiring authentication to repeat an utterance based at least on an attribute of a selected voice biometric print, receives a corresponding utterance, requests the voice biometric authentication software module to verify the identity of the second user using the utterance, and, if the user is authenticated, imports the voice biometric print. |
| US09042866B2 |
Method for accessing a CSG femtocell
A method implemented by a terminal for accessing a CSG femtocell of a first access network. The terminal includes a list containing identifiers of CSG femtocells to which an access right is defined. The method includes: scanning a frequency band for discovering CSG femtocells; decoding, based on a key, a data stream broadcasted from the CGS femtocells; obtaining, based on the decoded data stream, an identifier of the CSG femtocells; and determining, based on the list, whether the terminal has authorized access to the discovered femtocells. The frequency band, the key or the list is determined based on a message received from a remote server via a second cellular access network different from the first access network. |
| US09042865B2 |
Method for determining mobile device password settings based on check-in information
Methods, devices, and systems are disclosed for altering a mobile electronic device's screen timeout based on a check-in of a mobile device at a venue. A ringtone can be altered in addition to the password timeout time. Nearby venues and/or locations may be recognized and the time out can be adjusted based on the determined risk which may include the crime risk. |
| US09042863B2 |
Service classification of web traffic
A method for communication includes recording, at a gateway to a network, a generic definition of a service provided to clients of the gateway. The generic definition specifies a first Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) on the network that is associated with the service. At least a first communication between a client and the network is processed at the gateway in order to identify at least a second URI that is referenced from the first URI in a context of the service. Responsively to at least the first communication, an extended definition of the service for the client is automatically created by adding at least the second URI to the generic definition. Use of the service is monitored by applying the extended definition to second communications conveyed by the gateway between the client and the network. |
| US09042860B2 |
Monolithically integrated circuit
A monolithically integrated circuit, particularly an integrated circuit for radio frequency power applications, may include a transistor and a spiral inductor. The spiral inductor is arranged above the transistor. An electromagnetic coupling is created between the transistor and the inductor. The transistor may have a finger type layout to prevent any significant eddy currents caused by the electromagnetic coupling from occurring. The chip area needed for the circuit may be reduced by such arrangement. |
| US09042858B2 |
Device including a plurality of analog circuits and an interface that matches characteristics of the analog circuits
According to one embodiment, a compact low-power receiver comprises first and second analog circuits connected by a digitally controlled interface circuit. The first analog circuit has a first direct-current (DC) offset and a first common mode voltage at an output, and the second analog circuit has a second DC offset and a second common mode voltage at an input. The digitally controlled interface circuit connects the output to the input, and is configured to match the first and second DC offsets and to match the first and second common mode voltages. In one embodiment, the first analog circuit is a variable gain control transimpedance amplifier (TIA) implemented using a current mode buffer, the second analog circuit is a second-order adjustable low-pass filter, whereby a three-pole adjustable low-pass filter in the compact low-power receiver is effectively produced. |
| US09042857B2 |
Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media for wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filtering
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filtering are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a wideband frequency and bandwidth tunable filter that splits a filter input signal into first and second input signals, modifies the first input signal to produce a first output signal, modifies the second input signal to produce a second output signal having an intermediate frequency response, and combines the first and second output signals while adjusting their relative phases and/or amplitudes to produce a filter output signal with the target frequency response. Adjustment includes splitting the second input signal into third and fourth input signals, which are modified and then combined to produce the second output signal having the intermediate frequency response. |
| US09042854B2 |
Apparatus and methods for tuning a voltage controlled oscillator
Apparatus and methods for tuning a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) are provided. In one aspect, a method of auto-tuning in a phase-locked loop includes generating a VCO clock signal using a VCO coupled to a capacitor array, dividing the VCO clock signal to generate a divided clock signal using a prescaler circuit having a selectable division ratio, controlling a value of the selectable division ratio using a first counter and a second counter of a counter module, generating a phase-frequency detector feedback signal based on a division control signal M and the divided clock signal using the counter module, counting a number of cycles of the divided clock signal that occur during a calibration interval using a cycle counter of a digital processing logic circuit, and determining the value of a capacitor array control signal based on the number of cycles counted during the calibration interval. |
| US09042849B2 |
Panoramic display for a wireless device
Various embodiments of a panoramic display for a wireless device are described. In one embodiment, a wireless device may include a display comprising a plurality of display regions. The display regions may include a central display region and multiple lateral display regions arranged to provide a panoramic display. Image compression and/or scaling may be applied to media content that is to be displayed in one or more of the lateral display regions based on the proximity of the lateral display region to the edge of the display. |
| US09042844B2 |
Transceiver and related switching method applied therein
A transceiver includes: a power amplifying circuit arranged to generate differential output signals during a transmitting mode of the transceiver; a balance-unbalance circuit arranged to convert the differential output signals into a single-ended output signal; a switchable matching circuit arranged to receive the single-ended output signal on a signal port of the transceiver during the transmitting mode, and to convert a single-ended receiving signal on the signal port into a single-ended input signal during a receiving mode of the transceiver; and a low-noise amplifying circuit arranged to convert the single-ended input signal into a low-noise input signal during the receiving mode. The power amplifying circuit, the Balun, the switchable matching circuit, and the low-noise amplifying circuit are configured as a single chip. |
| US09042841B2 |
System and method for PUCCH subband feedback signaling in a wireless network
A mobile station for use in a wireless network. The mobile station transmits feedback reports to a base station of the wireless network. The feedback reports comprise a first feedback report, a second feedback report and a third feedback report. The first feedback report includes a precoder type indication (PTI) value that indicates at least one of a period of the second feedback report and a period of the third feedback report. The PTI value indicates a ratio of the second feedback report period to the third feedback report period. The PTI value also indicates the selected feedback information contained in the second feedback report and the third feedback report. |
| US09042836B2 |
Apparatuses and methods for measurement control
A communications apparatus includes a wireless module and a controller module is provided. The wireless module transmits and receives radio frequency signals to and from a service network via at least a first and a second component carriers. The controller module receives a first measurement configuration corresponding to the first component carrier from the service network, receives a message indicating that the first component carrier is replaced by a third component carrier from the service network via the wireless module, receives a second measurement configuration corresponding to the third component carrier from the service network via the wireless module, keeps at least one of the first and second measurement configurations in response to receiving the message, and performs measurements according to the kept measurement configuration. |
| US09042834B2 |
Mobile station
A mobile station (UE) according to the present invention is configured to repeatedly transmit a first measurement report including a radio quality of a first cell and to repeatedly transmit a second measurement report including a radio quality of a second cell at the same timings, when the mobile station starts transmitting the first measurement report and thereafter starts transmitting the second measurement report. |
| US09042833B1 |
Infrared and capacitance based sensing for proximity detection
A proximity detection module determines, using an infrared (IR) sensor of a user device, a distance between an object and the user device. The proximity detection module compares the distance to a distance threshold. If the distance is below the predefined distance threshold, the proximity detection module determines, using a capacitance sensor of the user device, a capacitance value associated with the object. The proximity detection module compares the capacitance value to a predefined presence threshold, and if the capacitance value meets or exceeds the predefined presence threshold, determines that the object comprises a body part of a user. |
| US09042829B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless short-range communication
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enable devices to invoke a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. In an example embodiment, a method includes measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection; and invoking, by the apparatus, a programmed process, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. |
| US09042826B2 |
Apparatus and method for power state transition via near field communication
An apparatus and method for power state transition via Near Field Communication (NFC) are provided. The apparatus includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver for generating a trigger signal in response to presence of another NFC device within an NFC communication range of the NFC transceiver, and a controller for controlling the apparatus to transition to or from a wake state when the trigger signal is received from the NFC transceiver. |
| US09042823B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless short-range communication disconnection
Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enable devices to disconnect a communication connection. In an example embodiment, a method includes measuring, by an apparatus, a power level of one or more wireless communication messages received from a selected wireless device over a wireless communication connection, after an interval following an establishment of the wireless communication connection; and disconnecting, by the apparatus, the wireless communication connection with the selected wireless device, if the one or more wireless communication messages received over the wireless communication connection, has a measured power level greater than a threshold value. |
| US09042817B2 |
Method and system to automatically establish NFC link between NFC enabled electronic devices based on proximate distance
Presented is a near field communication system and method to automatically establish an interconnection between two electronic devices. The system includes a first electronic device including an NFC chip communicatively coupled to a passive NFC tag, where the NFC tag having an integrated circuit with a predefined information content, a second device including an active NFC reader configured to read the predefined information content from the NFC tag based on an identification of a proximate distance therebetween, and where the NFC tag is capable of transmitting an activation signal to the NFC chip to enable transition of the NFC chip from a first state to a second state such as to establish a near field wireless communication link between the two devices to enable exchange of digital content therebetween. |
| US09042815B2 |
Wireless device for providing notifications associated with a mobile electronic device
A wireless device for providing notifications associated with a mobile electronic device is provided. The device comprises: an indicator; a body enabled to mate with a mobile electronic device, the body comprising the indicator such that when the body is mated to the mobile electronic device, the indicator is not obscured by the body; an induction device for wirelessly receiving signals from the mobile electronic device to control the indicator; and, a circuit connecting the induction device to the indicator, the circuit enabled to receive the signals and control the indicator in response thereto. |
| US09042813B2 |
Dynamic control point in simulcast radio communication system
Simulcast communication network (200) includes a first transmit/receive (T/R) site (2101, 2102, . . . 210N) that functions as control point. At least one processing device (211) is communicatively coupled to the simulcast communication network. The at least one processing device is responsive to a determination that the first T/R site has experienced at least one fault to initiate a dynamic control point arbitration (DCPA) session. The DCPA session includes automatically selecting one of a plurality of second T/R site (2101, 2102, . . . 210N) to function as the control point in place of the first T/R site and automatically re-configuring of the simulcast communication network to cause the selected one of the plurality of second T/R sites to function as the new control point. |
| US09042812B1 |
Surface-wave communications and methods thereof
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system including a frequency mixer that combines a signal and a carrier wave to form a combined signal, and a transmitter that generates a transmission based on the combined signal. The system can also include a coupling device that emits the transmission as an electromagnetic wave guided by an outer surface of a transmission medium. The electromagnetic wave can propagate longitudinally along the surface of the transmission medium and at least partially around the surface of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09042811B2 |
Specification of smart wireless television for rendering digital content
The specification of smart televisions are herein disclosed and enabled. The smart television is a wireless television that includes a wireless communication unit compatible, at least partly, with a protocol within IEEE 802.11, and may include Bluetooth compatibility. The smart television may render digital content received from a wireless mobile information apparatus over the wireless communication unit. The smart television includes an operating system for enabling installation of additional applications for expanding functionalities of the smart television; an output controller for decoding, decompressing, or decrypting the digital content; an image processor for applying one or more of a color, an image enhancement, or a resolution operation; and an output engine for rendering the digital content to a display or a projection medium. The wireless television may further include a touch sensitive display screen for interacting with users. Additionally, the wireless television may include authentication based on biometrics of the user. |
| US09042810B2 |
Single-cable automatic IRD installation procedure
A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for auto-installing an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) includes issuing an auto-installation command from the IRD to an outdoor unit (ODU) and receiving a plurality of tones from the ODU in response to the auto-installation command, each tone representing a center frequency of available user bands (UBs). The auto-installation also includes acquiring a UB center frequency by the IRD, requesting the ODU to confirm a UB number corresponding to the acquired UB center frequency, and receiving confirmation from the ODU that a UB number corresponds to the acquired UB center frequency. The auto-installation also includes sending an acceptance of the assigned UB number from the IRD to signal the ODU that it may mark the assigned UB as assigned. |
| US09042804B2 |
Image forming apparatus reducing driving noise
An image forming apparatus which includes a main body, an image forming unit to form an image on a printing medium, a plate to open and close a first side of the main body; a pickup unit which includes a driven gear to rotate in forward and backward directions, a pickup roller to receive a driving force from the driven gear to pick up the printing medium disposed on the plate, and a support frame to rotatably support the pickup roller and to interlock with the forward and backward rotations of the driven gear to move toward and away from the plate, a driving source to drive the image forming unit and the driven gear, and a blocking gear disposed between the driven gear and the driving source, to prevent the support frame, spaced apart from the plate, from moving toward the plate. |
| US09042802B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a charger; an irradiator; a development device having an accommodation unit to accommodate toner to obtain a visible image; a transfer device; and a fixing device to fix the visible image transferred onto a recording medium. The fixing device having a fixing rotation member; and a pressure rotation member to form a nipping portion by contacting the fixing rotation member, wherein the surface pressure of the nipping portion is 1.5 kgf/cm2 or less, wherein the fixing rotation member has a Martens hardness of 1.0 N/mm2 or less at 23° C., wherein the ratio of the projected area of a single particle of the toner onto the recording medium at 120° C. to the projected area of a single particle of the toner onto the recording medium at 23° C. is 1.60 or less. |
| US09042797B2 |
Fixing device and image forming apparatus
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member and a separating member. The fixing member is provided with a sheet passing region through which a recording medium is passed and a non-sheet passing region arranged outside the sheet passing region. The pressing member comes in pressure-contact with the fixing member to form a fixing nip. The separating member is configured to separate the recording medium passed through the fixing nip from the fixing member. The separating member has a separating plate and a restricting piece. The separating plate faces the sheet passing region with an interval. The restricting piece restricts the interval. The restricting piece is provided with a contacting surface which comes in contact with the non-sheet passing region. The contacting surface has a width which becomes wider from an upstream side to a downstream side in the rotation direction of the fixing member. |
| US09042789B2 |
Toner case and image forming apparatus
A toner case includes a case main body and a shutter, a lever, a rotating member and a transmitting member attached to the case main body. The case main body includes a discharge port discharging a toner. The shutter is rotatably attached to open/close the discharge port and includes a shutter side gear. The lever is rotatably attached to operate the shutter and includes a lever main body that includes a lever side gear meshing with the shutter side gear. The rotating member is installed in a rotatable state. The transmitting member is rotatably attached to transmit the rotation to the rotating member and includes a transmitting member main body that covers the outside of the lever main body and includes an aperture. The aperture exposes a meshing part of the lever side gear and shutter side gear when the transmitting member is located to a predetermined rotational displacement. |
| US09042788B2 |
Charging device
A charging device for electrically charging a photosensitive member, includes: a discharging electrode; a casing provided with an opening; a grid provided at the opening; a sheet-shaped shutter; a moving portion; a connecting portion; a winding-up portion; an urging portion; a first supporting portion; a second supporting portion; and an operating portion. The winding-up portion is configured to wind up, when the shutter is closed, the shutter so that a surface of the shutter opposing the photosensitive member is an outermost surface. When movement of the shutter in the opening direction is completed, the operating portion is covered with the shutter. When the connecting portion is separated from the moving portion, a leading end portion of the shutter with respect to the closing direction is movable toward a downstream side of the operating portion with respect to the opening direction by a winding-up force by the urging portion. |
| US09042762B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus has an image forming section configured to form an image on a recording sheet, a controller to execute a job, and an adjustment section configured to adjust a density of the image formed on the recording sheet by the image forming section during execution of the job. The controller discharges an inserting sheet onto the recording sheet having the image formed during the execution of the job when a value of the adjustment is larger than a predetermined value. |
| US09042757B2 |
Image forming apparatus
A controller controls a replenishing operation of the first replenishing device based on the first sensor, and controls a replenishing operation of the second replenishing device based on the second sensor. The controller prohibits the replenishing operation of the first replenishing device when the developer concentration in the first replenishing device reaches a first upper limit set to the first developing device, and the controller prohibits the replenishing operation of the second replenishing device when the developer concentration in the second replenishing device reaches a second upper limit set to the second developing device. The controller corrects the second upper limit based on the developer concentration in the second developing device when the developer concentration in the first developing device reaches the first upper limit. |
| US09042755B2 |
Printer control using optical and electrostatic sensors
Various methods and devices transfer test patches of marking material from a marking device of a printing apparatus to a transfer surface of the printing apparatus, optically measure the density of the test patches on the transfer surface using an optical sensor of the printing apparatus, and measure the electrostatic differences in charge of the transfer surface as the test patches on the transfer surface move by an electrostatic sensor of the printing apparatus. Such methods and devices adjust settings of the marking device based on output from the electrostatic sensor alone, or based on a combination of the output from the optical sensor and converted output from the electrostatic sensor. |
| US09042751B2 |
High voltage power supply and image forming apparatus
A high voltage power supply includes a developer carrier, an image carrier, a developing control unit, a load detection unit, a variation detection unit, and a voltage correction unit. The developing control unit applies a developing bias voltage to the developer carrier and thereby supplies the developer to the image carrier and develops an electrostatic latent image. The variation detection unit detects the variation in capacitance between the developer carrier and the image carrier detected by the load detection unit. The voltage correction unit corrects the developing bias voltage by decreasing the developing bias voltage as the variation increases, and increasing the developing bias voltage as the variation decreases. |
| US09042746B2 |
Methods for providing a page countdown for a replaceable unit of an image forming device
A method for providing a page countdown for a replaceable unit of an image forming device according to one embodiment includes calculating a number of pages remaining until the replaceable unit will reach the end of its life. The calculated number of pages remaining until the replaceable unit will reach the end of life is displayed on a display screen. After the calculated number of pages remaining is displayed, the displayed number of pages remaining is decreased by one for each page printed, the number of pages remaining is recalculated and a discrepancy between the displayed number of pages remaining and the recalculated number of pages remaining is tracked. If the discrepancy exceeds a predetermined error threshold, the recalculated number of pages remaining is displayed and the displayed number of pages remaining continues to be decreased by one for each page printed from the displayed recalculated number of pages remaining. |
| US09042744B2 |
Image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, an exposure unit for exposing a surface of the photosensitive member to light, and a detecting portion for detecting a lifetime of the photosensitive member on the basis of a thickness of a charge transporting layer of the photosensitive member and an amount of the light received by the charge transporting layer of the photosensitive member. |
| US09042742B2 |
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
An image forming apparatus receives setting of an object to be adjusted, on an adjustment object selection screen when selecting an adjustment mode. After the object to be adjusted is set, camera(s) photograph(s) the object to be adjusted so that the image forming apparatus obtains photographed data of current object to be adjusted. Next, the apparatus searches photographed data of the object to be adjusted in the ideal state thereof from the database. Name of the object to be adjusted and related information in the photographed data agree with those of the photographed data of current object to be adjusted. The higher ranked related information is preferentially searched and it is determined whether or not pieces of the higher ranked related information thus preferentially searched agree with each other. |
| US09042739B2 |
Network management system, repeater, and repeating method
A repeater includes a reception part configured to receive an optical signal transmitted by wavelength division multiplexing from a preceding repeater in a path from a source to a destination; a determination part configured to determine the channel allocation of the signal received by the reception part by determining a bit rate and a modulation technique with respect to each of channels in the received signal; and a detection part configured to detect a prohibited channel not to be included in the optical signal to be transmitted from the repeater, based on the channel allocation and a predetermined criterion. |
| US09042738B2 |
Illumination device and method for embedding data symbols in a luminance output
The invention relates to embedding data symbols of a data signal into a luminance output of an illumination device. The device includes a controller configured for receiving a first base pattern and a second base pattern within a frame period, and generating a shifted second pattern by phase shifting the second base pattern within the frame period with respect to the first base pattern in response to the data signal such that the data symbols are embedded in the luminance output of the device. The device also includes a first light source configured to generate a first luminance output in response to the first base pattern and a second light source configured to generate a second luminance output in response to the shifted second pattern. The first and second luminance outputs have different output spectra and the luminance output of the illumination device comprises both the first and second luminance outputs. With this approach, the short-time average light output of the illumination device remains constant, decreasing the visible flicker and allowing the use of lower switching frequencies relative to the prior art approaches. |
| US09042733B2 |
Device identification apparatus and remote control system
The device identification apparatus includes: a remote controller signal detecting section for detecting an optical signal from a remote controller; a receiving section for receiving the optical signal from the remote controller; a signal decryption section for decrypting the optical signal received by the receiving section; and a transmitting section for transmitting a device identification signal when the optical signal is a device selecting signal, and configured such that operations of the receiving section, the signal decryption section, and the transmitting section are started in response to a detecting signal of the remote controller signal detecting section, thereby realizing a device identification apparatus in which power consumption during standby is minimized. |
| US09042730B2 |
System and method for compensating signal degradation in dual polarization optical systems
A method for adjusting an optical signal includes determining a polarization dependent loss (PDL) value associated with the optical signal, determining an angle between the optical signal and one or more axes of PDL, determining an amount of nonlinear phase noise due to PDL and nonlinear effects upon the optical signal based upon the PDL value and the angle, determining a phase rotation based upon the amount of nonlinear phase noise, and applying the phase rotation to the optical signal. |
| US09042729B2 |
Minimizing bandwidth narrowing penalities in a wavelength selective switch optical network
This invention relates to provisioning wavelength-selective switches and reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers to minimize the bandwidth narrowing effect from the optical filters. Novel architectures and methods are disclosed that can significantly reduce bandwidth-narrowing on channels in a reconfigurable WDM network where a large number of optical filter elements are cascaded. Instead of blocking unused channels as in the prior art, unused channels are selectively provisioned depending on the state of their adjacent channels. Unused adjacent channels of an active channel are provisioned to follow the same path as the active channels. As each channels is deployed, the channel frequency is selected so as to minimize bandwidth narrowing. |
| US09042728B2 |
Optical line termination node and passive optical network
An optical line termination node has a first connection arrangement for connecting a working fiber, a second connection arrangement for connecting a protection fiber, a transceiver arrangement having first primary link and a first secondary link, and protection switching means configured for being switched either in a working operating state or in a protection operating state. |
| US09042724B2 |
Measuring signal to noise ratio of a WDM optical signal
A WDM optical signal is transmitted through a tunable optical filter and is polarization-nulled to find optical signal to noise ratio of individual WDM channels. The polarization nulling can be performed using a heuristic multipoint extrema search method, such as Nelder-Mead method. A plurality of checkpoints can be included in the search to verify the progress and to improve the overall robustness of a real-time polarization nulling. |
| US09042722B2 |
Optical transceiver having enhanced EMI tolerance
An optical transceiver that reduces the EMI radiation leaked therefrom is disclosed. The optical transceiver includes a top cover and the bottom base to form a cavity into which a TOSA, a ROSA, and a circuit are set. The top cover provides a combed structure in a rear portion thereof, where the combed structure has a plurality of fins with a distance preferably less that quarter wavelength λ/4 of the noise wavelength to be reduced. The combed structure operates as a short stub for the electromagnetic wave traveling longitudinally in the cavity. |
| US09042721B2 |
Stochastic reflectometer
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a time-domain reflectometer having a transmitter configured to apply, to a system under test (SUT), an intensity-modulated probe signal generated based on a periodic pseudo-random bit sequence. The reflectometer further has a receiver configured to receive, back from the SUT, a reflected signal corresponding to the probe signal. The receiver converts the received reflected signal into a binary bit sequence using a relatively simple slicer circuit, and without the use of complex analog circuits and/or multi-bit analog-to-digital converters. The binary bit sequence is then compared with the original pseudo-random bit sequence to obtain a measure of the impulse response of the SUT. In some embodiments, the reflectometer has a controllable noise generator that can be used, e.g., to optimize the obtained measure for the detection of multiple SUT defects having significantly differing reflection characteristics. |
| US09042714B2 |
Dome-shape camera
A dome-shaped camera comprising: a camera body including a focus adjustment ring for manually performing focus adjustment; a base part which supports the camera body and includes a tilt mechanism which changes an angle of a tilt direction for supporting the camera body; a dome cover which covers the camera body; a mount device which mounts the dome cover on the base part so that the dome cover is rotatable about a center axis of the dome cover; and a power transmitting device which transmits a rotating force in a direction about the center axis added to the dome cover as a rotating force of a focus adjustment ring of the camera supported at any angle in the tilt direction via a power transmission member placed on a tilt axis. |
| US09042713B2 |
System and method for storing images captured from a booth
A system for capturing images in a booth. The system includes a network, a server communicatively coupled to the network, the server comprising a database operable to store images. The system further includes a booth communicatively coupled to the network, the booth comprising an input device operable to receive one or more inputs from a user, a camera operable to capture one or more images of the user, a display operable to present the one or more images, and a booth computer operable to transmit the one or more images to the server. |
| US09042712B2 |
Heated air freshener for 12V receptacle
An air freshener is configured to be carried by a power outlet of an automobile. The air freshener includes a scent capsule disposed in a housing. A heat source is disposed in the housing adjacent and opposing a permeable membrane of the scent capsule. The heat source is configured to heat the fragrant material in the scent capsule and accelerate permeation of the fragrant material through the permeable membrane of the sent capsule. A hatch is pivotally coupled to the housing and substantially contained within a hatch cavity with an outer surface that is substantially flush with an exterior of the housing in a closed position. The hatch can include a capsule cavity therein, carrying the scent capsule, and facing an interior of the housing in the closed position. |
| US09042711B2 |
Systems and methods to position and play content
Systems and methods to position and play content. The system renders a first content segment to an output device at an accelerated speed for the first content segment. Next, the system receives a request to play the first content segment from the beginning of the first content segment at a normal speed for the first content segment. Next, the system automatically positions to the beginning of the first content segment based on position information that is associated with the first content segment. Finally, the system renders the first content segment to the output device from the beginning of the first content segment at a normal speed for the first content segment. |
| US09042709B2 |
Image capture device, player, and image processing method
An image capture device includes: first and second shooting sections, each of which is configured to shoot an image of a subject; a disparity calculating section configured to generate a depth map based on first and second images that have been shot by the first and second shooting sections, respectively; and an image generating section configured to generate, based on the depth map and the first image, a third image that has as high a resolution as the first image and that forms part of a 3D image. The image generating section is controlled to determine whether or not to generate the third image based on at least one of the states of the first and second images, a zoom power during shooting, and the tilt of the image capture device during shooting. |
| US09042707B2 |
Apparatus and method for editing
An editing method comprises: generating, from a material data which is generated according to a first time and in which a first time range is specified, a playback data that is to be played back according to a second time different from the first time; and locating a second time range, which includes the material data within the first time range, in the playback data. |
| US09042706B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a generation unit configured to continuously generate still images from a moving image which is being read out from a recording medium and played back, a detection unit configured to detect a change of a playback state of the moving image which is being read out from the recording medium and played back, and a control unit configured to control an operation of the generation unit. The control unit performs control to stop generating of the still image when the detection unit detects that the playback state of the moving image during playback is changed. |
| US09042700B2 |
Cable spool assembly
A spool assembly includes a drum having a first axial end and an oppositely disposed second axial end. The drum includes an inner surface that defines a bore that extends through the first and second axial ends. A drum support is disposed in the bore of the drum. The drum support includes a first end and an oppositely disposed second end. The drum support has an exterior surface. The exterior surface of the drum support and the inner surface of the drum define a plurality of channels. A first flange is engaged to the first end of the drum support. A second flange is engaged to the second end of the drum support. |
| US09042699B2 |
Switch rack system
In one embodiment, the system comprises: (a) a chassis; (b) one or more cards mounted in the chassis, each card having a plurality of switch ports, the plurality of switch ports being aligned in one or more columns; (c) an aggregator mounted adjacent the chassis, the aggregator having a plurality of bays, each bay being aligned with a card in the chassis, at least one of the bays having a faceplate comprising at least first and second aggregator ports aligned in a column; (d) at least first and second hydras, wherein each hydra comprises at least (i) a first connector; (ii) a plurality of second connectors; (iii) a plurality of conductors, each conductor connecting the first connector to one of the second connectors, the plurality of conductors being bundled together to form a trunk portion from the first connector to a breakout point, the plurality of conductors being separated into breakout portions from the breakout point to the second connectors; (iv) wherein the trunk portion of the first cable is longer than that of the second cable; and (e) wherein the first connector of the first hydra is connected to the first aggregator port and the second connectors of the first hydra are connected to a first set of switch ports, and the first connector of the second hydra is connected to the second aggregator port and the second connectors of the second hydra are connected to a second set of switch ports, wherein the first set of switch ports are further away from the aggregator than the second set of switch ports. |
| US09042697B2 |
Resonator for thermo optic device
A resonator for thermo optic devices is formed in the same process steps as a waveguide and is formed in a depression of a lower cladding while the waveguide is formed on a surface of the lower cladding. Since upper surfaces of the resonator and waveguide are substantially coplanar, the aspect ratio, as between the waveguide and resonator in an area where the waveguide and resonator front one another, decreases thereby increasing the bandwidth of the resonator. The depression is formed by photomasking and etching the lower cladding before forming the resonator and waveguide. Pluralities of resonators are also taught that are formed in a plurality of depressions of the lower cladding. To decrease resonator bandwidth, waveguide(s) are formed in the depression(s) of the lower cladding while the resonator is formed on the surface. Thermo optic devices formed with these resonators are also taught. |
| US09042696B2 |
Method and structure combining vertical and angled facets in silicon photonic waveguides
Embodiments of the invention use crystallographic etching of SOI wafers with a (110)-oriented epi layer to form both the vertical input facet and the re-entrant mirror. Proposed layout design combined with proposed orientation of the epi enables both vertical facets and re-entrant (upward-reflecting) mirror facets to be made in a single wafer-level wet etch process. |
| US09042690B2 |
Hybrid laser light sources for photonic integrated circuits
A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a reflection coupling layer formed on a substrate in which an optical waveguide is provided, at least one side of the reflection coupling layer being optically connected to the optical waveguide; an optical mode alignment layer provided on the reflection coupling layer; and/or an upper structure provided on the optical mode alignment layer and including an active layer for generating light and a reflection layer provided on the active layer. A light source for a photonic integrated circuit may comprise a lower reflection layer; an optical waveguide optically connected to the lower reflection layer; an optical mode alignment layer on the lower reflection layer; an active layer on the optical mode alignment layer; and/or an upper reflection layer on the active layer. |
| US09042686B2 |
Optical waveguide platform with hybrid-integrated optical transmission device and optical active device and method of manufacturing the same
Disclosed are an optical waveguide platform with integrated active transmission device and monitoring photodiode. The optical waveguide platform with hybrid integrated optical transmission device and optical active device includes an optical waveguide region formed by stacking a lower cladding layer, a core layer and an upper cladding layer on a substrate; a trench region formed by etching a portion of the optical waveguide region; and a spot expanding region formed on the core layer in the optical waveguide region, in which the optical transmission device is mounted in the trench region and the optical active device is flip-chip bonded to the spot expanding region. The monitoring photodiode is flip-chip bonded to the spot expanding region of the core layer of the optical waveguide, thereby monitoring output light including an optical coupling loss that occurs during flip-chip bonding. |
| US09042679B2 |
Projection-based image registration
Systems, methods, and computer readable media to register images in real-time and that are capable of producing reliable registrations even when the number of high frequency image features is small. The disclosed techniques may also provide a quantitative measure of a registration's quality. The latter may be used to inform the user and/or to automatically determine when visual registration techniques may be less accurate than motion sensor-based approaches. When such a case is detected, an image capture device may be automatically switched from visual-based to sensor-based registration. Disclosed techniques quickly determine indicators of an image's overall composition (row and column projections) which may be used to determine the translation of a first image, relative to a second image. The translation so determined may be used to align/register the two images. |
| US09042678B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing size of image data
An input image (IMG1) may be converted to a lower-resolution output image (IMG2) by: determining a location (OP) of an output pixel (P2) with respect to said input image (IMG1), determining values of elements (E) of a filter array (FA1) such that non-zero values of the elements (E) of said filter array (FA1) approximate a paraboloid reference surface (REFS), wherein said reference surface (REFS) has a maximum at a base point (BP), and determining a value of said output pixel (P2) by performing a sum-of-products operation between non-zero values of said elements (E) and values of input pixels (P1) of said input image (IMG1) located at respective positions, wherein said filter array (FA1) is superimposed on said input image (IMG1) such that the location of said base point (BP) corresponds to the location of said output pixel (P2). |
| US09042676B2 |
Method and device for forming a panoramic image
There is described a method and a device for forming a panoramic image wherein it is decided to add a current image in a current panoramic image based on definitions of edges of the current image and the current panoramic image. |
| US09042675B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable recording medium which corrects an image such that some of warping of the image is left
An image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit that acquires an image; an information acquiring unit that acquires image information indicative of a content of the image; and a correcting unit that corrects the image based on the image information such that some of warping of the image is left. The horizontal direction component of the warping may be completely or nearly completely eliminated while a predetermined portion of a vertical direction component of the warping is left, when the image information indicates the content of the image is a person. Alternatively, there is an analyzer which generates the image information indicating that the content of the image is a erson when the analyzing determines that the image contains two or more persons. |
| US09042673B2 |
Method and apparatus for deblurring non-uniform motion blur in large scale input image based on tile unit
Provided is a method and apparatus for deblurring a non-uniform motion blur in an input image, that may restore a clearer image by dividing a large scale input image into tiles corresponding to partial areas, selecting, among the divided tiles, an optimal tile for a partial area most suitable for estimating non-uniform motion blur information, and effectively removing an artifact in an outer portion of a tile through padding of each tile. |
| US09042672B2 |
Motion deblurring using image upsampling
Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for motion deblurring are disclosed. In one embodiment, an estimate of a latent image of a blurred image at a current scale from an estimate of a latent image at a previous coarse scale is generated using an upsampling super-resolution function, and a blur kernel is estimated based on the estimate of the latent image and the blurred image; and are repeated from a course to fine scale. A final image estimate is generated. The generating the final image estimate includes performing a deconvolution of the latent image using the blur kernel and the blurred image. |
| US09042670B2 |
Downsizing an encoded image
There is provided a system, a computer program product, program storage device readable by machine, and a method of downsizing an input disjoint block level encoded image. According to examples of the presently disclosed subject matter, the method can include calculating a DCT downsize ratio for downsizing the input image in a DCT domain according to a target downsize ratio and according to a size of a DCT transform length associated with the input image; adapting an I-DCT according to the DCT domain downsize ratios; performing the adapted I-DCT; providing an intermediate image as output of a DCT domain process; and applying a pixel domain interpolation to the intermediate image according to dimensions of the intermediate image and according to dimensions of the target image. |
| US09042669B2 |
Method and apparatus to prioritize video information during coding and decoding
A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information. |
| US09042668B2 |
Color-information based image compression method and apparatus
An image processing apparatus includes the following elements. A document-type determining unit determines what type of document a document is on the basis of read information obtained as a result of reading the document by using a document reader. A compression-format setting unit sets, on the basis of the type of document determined by the document-type determining unit, a compression format used for generating image data from the read information. A generator compresses the read information by using the compression format set by the compression-format setting unit so as to generate image data corresponding to the document. |
| US09042665B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding image
An apparatus and method for encoding and decoding an image are provided. The image decoding method includes decoding luma blocks according to a predetermined decoding mode of each of the luma blocks, and decoding chroma blocks according to the predetermined decoding mode of each of the luma blocks. |
| US09042664B2 |
Image display apparatus
An image display apparatus that can shorten time for observing a series of images of an interior of a subject without hampering observation of a desired region of interest is provided. The image display apparatus according to the present invention is an image display apparatus for displaying the series of images of the interior of the subject picked up at time series, including an image extracting unit 15a that extracts images each having a feature of a desired region in the interior of the subject and that identifies the extracted images as images of the desired region among the series of images, and a frame rate controller 15b that sets a display frame rate for the identified images of the desired region to be different from a display frame rate for images of regions other than the desired region. |
| US09042659B2 |
Method and system for fast and robust identification of specific product images
Identification of objects in images. All images are scanned for key-points and a descriptor is computed for each region. A large number of descriptor examples are clustered into a Vocabulary of Visual Words. An inverted file structure is extended to support clustering of matches in the pose space. It has a hit list for every visual word, which stores all occurrences of the word in all reference images. Every hit stores an identifier of the reference image where the key-point was detected and its scale and orientation. Recognition starts by assigning key-points from the query image to the closest visual words. Then, every pairing of the key-point and one of the hits from the list casts a vote into a pose accumulator corresponding to the reference image where the hit was found. Every pair key-point/hit predicts specific orientation and scale of the model represented by the reference image. |
| US09042655B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and non-transitory computer readable recording medium
A converted reference image generated from a reference image is searched for a first corresponding point corresponding to a first standard point included in a converted standard image generated from a standard image. Based on a position of the first corresponding point in the converted reference image, a second search standard point is determined on the reference image. Further, based on phase information on each frequency component regarding a second standard area including a second standard point corresponding to the first standard point of the standard image, and based on phase information on each frequency component regarding a second reference area including the second search standard point of the reference image, the reference image is searched for a second corresponding point corresponding to the second standard point. The information on a frequency component obtained in the computation on another stage is reused in the search on the two stages above. |
| US09042650B2 |
Rule-based segmentation for objects with frontal view in color images
A method of labeling pixels in an image in which pixels in the image that represent human skin of one or more people are detected and one or more regions in the image are identified, where each region in the one or more regions includes all or a portion of a human face of a person in the one or people in the image. Pixels that represent each face in the image are identified using the pixels that represent skin and the regions that include faces of the people, thereby identifying a position of each face in the image. From this, a face mask for each face and a rough body map corresponding to each face is determined using the positions of the identified faces. Further still, a torso map corresponding to each face is determined using determined face positions. Then, the extracted face masks and the torso maps are used to refine a skin map. A person or people map is determined using the skin map and the rough body map. |
| US09042647B2 |
Adaptive character segmentation method and system for automated license plate recognition
Methods, systems and processor-readable media for adaptive character segmentation in an automatic license plate recognition application. A region of interest can be identified in an image of a license plate acquired via an automatic license plate recognition engine. Characters in the image with respect to the region of interest can be segmented using a histogram projection associated with particular segmentation threshold parameters. The characters in the image can be iteratively validated if a minimum number of valid characters is determined based on the histogram projection and the particular segmentation threshold parameters to produce character images sufficient to identify the license plate. |
| US09042646B2 |
Detecting recurring themes in consumer image collections
A method of identifying groups of related digital images in a digital image collection, comprising: analyzing each of the digital images to generate associated feature descriptors related to image content or image capture conditions; storing the feature descriptors associated with the digital images in a metadata database; automatically analyzing the metadata database to identify a plurality of frequent itemsets, wherein each of the frequent itemsets is a co-occurring feature descriptor group that occurs in at least a predefined fraction of the digital images; determining a probability of occurrence for each the identified frequent itemsets; determining a quality score for each of the identified frequent itemsets responsive to the determined probability of occurrence; ranking the frequent itemsets based at least on the determined quality scores; and identifying one or more groups of related digital images corresponding to one or more of the top ranked frequent itemsets. |
| US09042645B2 |
Feature detection in numeric data
A method for detecting features in digital numeric data comprises obtaining digital numeric data comprising values corresponding to a plurality of sampling points over a domain space having at least one dimension, computing a plurality of scale-space data comprising filtering said digital numeric data using a filter bank, determining a plurality of feature regions each corresponding to a local extremum in scale and location of the scale-space data; and determining a feature region descriptor for each of said plurality of feature regions. The filter bank is a Cosine Modulated Gaussian filter bank in which the standard deviation parameter of the Gaussian equals 1 π ln ( 2 ) 2 2 b + 1 2 b - 1 multiplied by the cosine wavelength, in which b is in the range of 0.75 to 1.25, or said filter bank is an Nth-order Gaussian Derivative filter bank with N being in the range of 5 to 20. |
| US09042644B2 |
Artifact removal method and system for contoured images and video
A system and method that reduce or eliminate step-contouring generated by compression algorithms are provided because many types of compression algorithms introduce a step-contoured artifact for images and video with slow gradients. The system and method restores the gradient to a piece of content by detecting a start and end of the step contour in each row and column of the piece of content and increments a pixel in certain regions of the row or the column to restore the gradient in the piece of content. |
| US09042643B2 |
Method for demosaicking
A method for demosaicking a digital image is provided. Pixels of the digital image are processed in an order from the upper-left to lower-right of the digital image. If a current-processed pixel is a second color or a third color, a first sub-window centered at the current-processed pixel is generated. A first mask is used to select a first plurality of prior-processed pixels. A set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel is calculated according to stored direction weightings of the first plurality of prior-processed pixels. An interpolating direction of the current-processed pixel is determined according to the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel. A value of a first color for the current-processed pixel is calculated based on the set of direction weightings of the current-processed pixel and values of the first color of pixels of the first color in the first sub-window. |
| US09042641B2 |
Character recognition apparatus, character recognition method, and computer-readable medium
A character recognition apparatus includes an extracting unit extracting a feature point for a line in a handwritten character, first and second generation units, a learning unit, and a determination unit. The first generation unit generates first feature data from feature points for lines including an in-same-character line (first line) and being selected from lines in character-code-specified handwritten characters (known lines). The second generation unit generates second feature data from feature points for lines including an after-character-transition line (second line) and being selected from known lines. The learning unit causes a discriminator to learn classifications for first and second lines based on the first and second feature data. The determination unit determines whether each line in character-code-unknown handwritten characters is a first or second line, based on which classification is determined by the discriminator for feature data for the line. |
| US09042638B2 |
Image matching method and stereo matching system
An image matching method is utilized for performing a stereo matching from a first image block to a second image block in a stereo matching system. The image matching method includes performing a matching computation from the first image block to the second image block according to a first matching algorithm to generate a first matching result; performing the matching computation between the first image block and the second image block according to a second matching algorithm to generate a second matching result and a third matching result; obtaining a matching error and a matching similarity of the first image block according to the second matching result and the third matching result; and determining a stereo matching result of the first image block according to the matching error and the matching similarity. |
| US09042636B2 |
Apparatus and method for indicating depth of one or more pixels of a stereoscopic 3-D image comprised from a plurality of 2-D layers
Implementations of the present invention involve methods and systems for converting a 2-D image to a stereoscopic 3-D image and displaying the depth of one or more pixels of the 3-D image through an output image of a user interface. The pixels of the output image display the perceived depth of the corresponding 3-D image such that the user may determine the relative depth of the pixels of the image. In addition, one or more x-offset values or z-axis positions may be individually selected such that any pixel of the output image that correspond to the selected values is indicated in the output image. By providing the user with a visualization tool to quickly determine the perceived position of any pixel of a stereoscopic image, the user may confirm the proper alignment of the objects of the image in relation to the image as a whole. |
| US09042635B2 |
System and a method for inspecting an object using a hybrid sensor
A system, that includes a hybrid sensor that comprises: a monochromatic portion that is arranged to obtain a monochromatic image of a first area of an object; a multiple-color portion that is arranged to obtain a multi-colored image of a second area of the object; wherein the monochromatic portion comprises monochromatic sensing elements that sense radiation of a same frequency band; wherein the multiple-color portion comprises color sensing elements of different types, wherein different types of color sensing elements are associated with different frequency bands. |
| US09042634B2 |
Method system and computer product for non-destructive object analysis
Aspects of the invention provide a solution for analyzing an object, such as a part of a turbo machine. A planar surface is generated using a curved reformat function based on a surface of a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object. A peel of the 3D image that is adjacent to the surface is determined. Based on the peel, a second planar surface is generated. These two, and/or other similarly generated planar surfaces can be analyzed to determine characteristics of the original object. |
| US09042633B2 |
Recording media processing device, control method of a recording media processing device, and non-transitory storage medium
The recognition rate is improved while suppressing the processing time. The character recognition unit 80 of a check reader 1 uses two sets of reference waveform data, data for printing method 1 and data for printing method 2, in combination with modifying the reference waveform data in two ways, sliding the reference waveform data or scaling the reference waveform data according to variation in the line width of the magnetic ink character 101, to execute four candidate selection processes. If the same character is selected as a candidate by the first three of the four selection process combinations, the remaining one of the four processes is limited to using the reference waveform data for the selected candidate character. |
| US09042631B2 |
Method and systems for cell-level fish dot counting
The invention relates to a computer implemented method and systems for cell level fish dot counting. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) dot counting is the process of enumerating chromosomal abnormalities in the cells which can be used in areas of diagnosis and cancer research. The method comprises in part overlaying images of a biological sample comprising a nuclear counterstain mask and a FISH binary mask. The FISH binary mask is extracted using a multi-level extended h-maxima or h-minima. |
| US09042630B2 |
Biomarker evaluation through image analysis
A method for determining whether a test biomarker is a stain for a type of cell component, such as membrane or nucleus, involves performing various segmentation processes on an image of tissue stained with the test biomarker. One segmentation process searches for a first cell component type, and another segmentation process searches for a second cell component type by segmenting only stained pixels. The test biomarker is identified as a stain for each component type if the process identifies the component based only on stained pixels. Whether the test biomarker is a membrane stain or nucleus stain is displayed on a graphical user interface. In addition, the method identifies stained pixels corresponding to a second cell component using pixels determined to correspond to a first cell component. An expression profile for the test biomarker is then displayed that indicates the proportion of stained pixels in each type of cell component. |
| US09042629B2 |
Image classification based on image segmentation
The invention relates to a system (100) for classifying image data on the basis of a model for adapting to an object in the image data, the system comprising a segmentation unit (110) for segmenting the image data by adapting the model to the object in the image data and a classification unit (120) for assigning a class to the image data on the basis of the model adapted to the object in the image data, thereby classifying the image data, wherein the classification unit (120) comprises an attribute unit (122) for computing a value of an attribute of the model on the basis of the model adapted to the object in the image data, and wherein the assigned class is based on the computed value of the attribute. Thus, the system (100) of the invention is capable of classifying the image data without any user input. All inputs required for classifying the image data 10 constitute a model for adapting to an object in the image data. A person skilled in the art will understand however that in some embodiments of the system (100), a limited number of user inputs may be enabled to let the user influence and control the system and the classification process. |
| US09042627B2 |
X-ray diagnostic apparatus, X-ray diagnostic method and stent for X-ray diagnosis
According to one embodiment, an X-ray diagnostic apparatus includes a data acquiring unit and a data processing unit. The data acquiring unit acquires X-ray projection data corresponding to plural directions from an object in which a stent having markers has been inserted by exposing X-rays to the object from the plural directions. The data processing unit obtains a spatial position corresponding to at least one marker out of the markers based on first three dimensional image data generated by first image reconstruction processing of the X-ray projection data to generate second three dimensional image data by second image reconstruction processing of the X-ray projection data with a correction using a shift amount obtained based on the X-ray projection data and projected data of the one marker on a projected plane of the X-ray projection data. |
| US09042626B1 |
System and method for hybrid local tomography image reconstruction
Methods, processes and systems of image reconstruction utilizing a hybrid local tomography (HLT) methodology for reconstructing internal body images in medical applications, and the like. The system and method of the present invention provides an image with emphasized edges, and the image provides estimations of the attenuation coefficient inside the object being scanned. |
| US09042623B2 |
Automatic detection and correction of magnetic resonance imaging data
Systems and methods for processing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data are provided. A method includes receiving MRI data comprising a plurality of k-space points and deriving a plurality of image data sets based on the MRI data, each of the plurality of MRI image sets obtained by zeroing a different one of the plurality of k-space points. The method further includes computing image space metric values for each of the plurality of image data sets and adjusting a portion of the MRI data associated with ones of the image space metric values that fail to meet a threshold value to yield adjusted MRI data. |
| US09042619B2 |
Method and system for automatic native and bypass coronary ostia detection in cardiac computed tomography volumes
A method and system for detection of native and bypass coronary ostia in a 3D volume, such as a CT volume, is disclosed. Native coronary ostia are detected by detecting a bounding box defining locations of a left native coronary ostium and a right native coronary ostium in the 3D volume using marginal space learning (MSL), and locally refining the locations of the left native coronary ostium and the right native coronary ostium using a trained native coronary ostium detector. Bypass coronary ostia are detected by segmenting an ascending aorta surface mesh in the 3D volume, generating a search region of a plurality of mesh points on the ascending aorta surface mesh based on a distribution of annotated bypass coronary ostia in a plurality of training volumes, and detecting the bypass coronary ostia by searching the plurality of mesh points in the search region. |
| US09042611B2 |
Automated vascular region separation in medical imaging
A system and/or method automatically identifies one or more vascular regions in a medical image or set of medical images. For example, the system/method may automatically identify vascular structures as belonging to the left carotid, right carotid, and/or basilar vascular regions in the head. The system/method takes as input the medical image(s) and automatically identifies one or more vascular regions. The system/method may also automatically generate MIP renderings of the identified region or regions. |
| US09042610B2 |
Image pickup apparatus equipped with face-recognition function
An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit to pick up an image of a subject which a user desires. The image pickup apparatus detects a face image area which includes a face of the subject person in the picked-up image based on the image information of the picked-up image, recognizes an expression of the face in the detected face image area, ranks the face image areas in order of good smile from among the recognized expressions, and displays the face image areas arranged in the order of ranking and the entire picked-up image on a same screen. |
| US09042608B2 |
Data security system
A data security system comprises a host processor, and a plurality of remote computers. Each remote computer provides biometric authentication of a user prior to responding to the user request for data access. The remote computers are handheld when in operational mode. A sensor in the handheld computer captures a biometric image while the remote computer is being used. The biometric sensor is positioned in such a way that the sensor enables the capture of the biometric image continually during computer usage with each request for access to secure data. The biometric authentication occurs in a seamless manner and is incidental to the data request enabling user identity authentication with each request to access secure data. |
| US09042601B2 |
Selective max-pooling for object detection
Systems and methods are disclosed for object detection by receiving an image and extracting features therefrom; applying a learning process to determine sub-regions and select predetermined pooling regions; and performing selective max-pooling to choose one or more feature regions without noises. |
| US09042596B2 |
Willpower watch (TM)—a wearable food consumption monitor
This invention is a wearable, automatic, and tamper-resistant device and method for monitoring and measuring food consumption and caloric intake. It can help people to manage their energy balance and weight. It can be embodied as: (a) one or more automatic-imaging members that are worn on a person from which these members collectively and automatically take pictures of the person's mouth and pictures of a reachable food source when the person eats; (b) a tamper-resisting mechanism which detects and responds if the operation of the one or more automatic-imaging members is impaired; and (c) an image-analyzing member which automatically analyzes pictures of the person's mouth and pictures of the reachable food source in order to estimate the types and quantities of food that are consumed by the person. |
| US09042594B2 |
Electrodynamic transducer having a dome and an inner hanging part
Electro-dynamic transducer (1) including: a main magnetic circuit (2) defining an air gap (15), a moving part (16) comprising a dome shaped diaphragm (17) fixed to a movable coil (18) diving into the air gap (15); a support (20) to which the moving part (16) is suspended; a suspension (26) linking the moving part (16) and the support (20); wherein the support (20) at least partly extends in an inner volume inside the moving part (16), wherein the suspension (26) is fixed, by an outer periphery, to an inner face of the moving part (16), and wherein the suspension (26) is made of an acoustically non emitting material. |
| US09042590B2 |
Earpiece positioning and retaining
A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece. An outer leg and an inner leg are attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end. The outer leg lies in a plane. The positioning and retaining structure have a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg. The positioning and retaining structure position an earpiece associated with the earpiece in a user's ear and retains the earpiece in its position. |
| US09042588B2 |
Pressure sensing earbuds and systems and methods for the use thereof
Pressure sensing earbuds and systems are disclosed. The earbuds can include one or more pressure sensors to determine the size and shape of a user's ear. The pressure signals can be relayed back to a processor, which may use them to dynamically optimize the volume levels delivered for frequencies over the audible range for a particular user. |
| US09042586B2 |
Method and apparatus for own-voice sensing in a hearing assistance device
Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for own-voice sensing in hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing assistance device adapted to process sounds, including sounds from a wearer's mouth. According to various embodiments, the device includes a hollow plastic housing adapted to be worn in the ear of the wearer and a differential sensor mounted to an interior surface of the housing in an ear canal of the wearer. The differential sensor includes inlets located within the housing and the differential sensor is configured to improve speech intelligibility of sounds from the wearer's mouth, in various embodiments. |
| US09042582B2 |
Coaxial passive radiation monomer
A coaxial passive radiation monomer apparatus is disclosed. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a dynamic speaker monomer combined with a passive radiator in a single unitary structure located in spatial proximity with respect to one another to thereby and further comprising an elastic material at the base of the speaker assembly for enhanced and optimized resonance frequencies for the active and passive components of the overall device. |
| US09042581B2 |
Component having a micromechanical microphone structure, and method for manufacturing same
Measures for improving the acoustic properties of a microphone component produced in sacrificial layer technology. The micromechanical microphone structure of such a component is implemented in a layered structure, and includes at least one diaphragm, which is deflectable by sound pressure and which is implemented in a diaphragm layer, and a stationary acoustically permeable counterelement for the diaphragm which is implemented in a thick functional layer above the diaphragm layer and which is provided with through openings for introducing sound. The through openings for introducing sound are situated above the middle region of the diaphragm, while perforation openings which are largely acoustically passive are provided in the counterelement, above the edge region of the diaphragm. |
| US09042580B2 |
Diaphragm
A diaphragm is disclosed in the invention, which comprises a one-piece diaphragm body and a plurality of mass blocks mounted on the diaphragm body. Each of the mass blocks substantially has the same radial distance from the center of the diaphragm. The mass blocks are divided into three or more arrays each of which includes one or more mass blocks. the arrays are distributed along the circumference direction of the diaphragm body, and the mass blocks in each array are distributed along the circumference direction of the diaphragm. The mass blocks are elastic and made of materials with internal damping, such as rubber, silicone or foam rubber. At least one of the mass blocks is connected to an annular roll fixed on the peripheral edge of the diaphragm body, and the mass blocks are bonded to the diaphragm body. |
| US09042577B2 |
Automated noise reduction circuit
An automated noise reduction circuit is configured to find an audio output with the lowest voltage level associated with undesirable noise. The circuit may include a plurality of audio input ports, ground isolation devices, electronic switches and a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be configured to toggle the ground isolation devices on and off, sample voltage at an output of the ground loop isolation transformers when the ground isolation devices are on and off, and switch the ground isolation devices to a position that produces a lowest voltage output based on a comparison of sampled voltage that is analyzed by a set of algorithms programmed into the microprocessor and that has been sampled from the output of the ground isolation devices for each of the multiple input ports. |
| US09042575B2 |
Processing audio signals
A method, device and computer program product for processing audio signals, the method including determining beamformer filter coefficients to be applied to the audio signals; applying the beamformer filter coefficients to the audio signals; outputting the filtered audio signals from an audio output comprising a plurality of speakers coupled with the device; and receiving at a microphone coupled with the device, the filtered audio signals output from the audio output. The filter coefficients are determined such that the filtered audio signals are suppressed when received at the microphone. |
| US09042571B2 |
Method and system for touch gesture detection in response to microphone output
In some embodiments, a method for processing output of at least one microphone of a device (e.g., a headset) to identify at least one touch gesture exerted by a user on the device, including by distinguishing the gesture from input to the microphone other than a touch gesture intended by the user, and by distinguishing between a tap exerted by the user on the device and at least one dynamic gesture exerted by the user on the device, where the output of the at least one microphone is also indicative of ambient sound (e.g., voice utterences). Other embodiments are systems for detecting ambient sound (e.g., voice utterences) and touch gestures, each including a device including at least one microphone and a processor coupled and configured to process output of each microphone to identify at least one touch gesture exerted by a user on the device. |
| US09042569B2 |
Active noise control device
An active noise control device detects composite vibration of a vibration transmitting route to which both vibration of a rotating body caused by generation or transmission of drive force of a vehicle and vibration of a wheel generated by contact between the wheel and a road surface are transmitted. A first reference signal for defining a reference waveform of a canceling sound for canceling vibration noise in a vehicle interior is generated based on the composite vibration. The component of the canceling sound for canceling vibration noise of the rotating body is removed from the first reference signal to generate a second reference signal for defining a reference waveform of the canceling sound for canceling vibration noise of the wheel. The canceling sound is outputted based on the second reference signal. |
| US09042568B2 |
Portable smart stethoscope formed of smart mobile device and casing assembly
A smart portable stethoscope is formed of a smart mobile device and a casing assembly for the mobile device. The casing assembly comprises a casing member, a diaphragm holder member configured to securely and effectively retain a diaphragm, and a vibrator-transducer member. The casing member includes a diaphragm connector part configured to securely fasten the diaphragm holder member to the casing member. The vibrator-transducer member is configured to be securely fastened to diaphragm holder member or casing member in such a manner that its vibrator is disposed to interconnect with the diaphragm and effectively duplicate vibrations captured by the diaphragm so as to deliver medical-grade auscultation electronic signal based on the duplicated vibrations to the mobile device through an audio plug plugged into a microphone jack thereof. |
| US09042567B2 |
Acoustic echo cancellation system
An acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) system includes a remote device, for capturing a remote captured sound, a server coupled to the remote device, and a local device coupled to the server. The server transmits the remote captured sound from the remote device to the local device. The local device receives, stores and plays the remote captured sound as a local playback sound. An echo is generated from reflection of the local playback sound. The local device captures the echo and a local sound into a local captured sound, and transmits both the remote captured sound and the local captured sound to the server. The server performs AEC on the local captured sound by using the remote captured sound from the local device and transmits the AEC processed local captured sound to the remote device. |
| US09042565B2 |
Spatial audio encoding and reproduction of diffuse sound
A method and apparatus processes multi-channel audio by encoding, transmitting or recording “dry” audio tracks or “stems” in synchronous relationship with time-variable metadata controlled by a content producer and representing a desired degree and quality of diffusion. Audio tracks are compressed and transmitted in connection with synchronized metadata representing diffusion and preferably also mix and delay parameters. The separation of audio stems from diffusion metadata facilitates the customization of playback at the receiver, taking into account the characteristics of local playback environment. |
| US09042564B2 |
Wireless communication device having speech recognition, speech translation, and hearing aid functions
Provided is a wireless communication device having speech recognition, speech translation, and hearing aid functions, which includes: an ITE (In-The-Ear) type radio transceiver including a microphone that receives an external voice, an ITE (In-The-Ear) type radio signal processor that processes radio data received from the microphone, a receiver that converts electrical signals from the radio signal processor into sound pressure, a volume controller that controls the intensity of the sound pressure, and a coil antenna for short-range wireless communications; and a portable radio repeater including a portable communication device that relays signals transmitted from the coil antenna of the ITE type radio transceiver, a coil antenna for short-range wireless communications with the ITE type radio transceiver, and a radio frequency (RF) antenna for two-way wireless communications with a portable radio repeater owned by another conversation partner. |
| US09042557B2 |
Method and apparatus for reproducing three-dimensional sound field
Provided is a method and apparatus for reproducing a three-dimensional (3D) sound field. A method of reproducing a 3D sound field may determine a control region based on a wavelength of an excitation frequency, set, based on a loudspeaker array, at least one candidate control point in the control region, and determine a non-uniform control point corresponding to a non-uniform loudspeaker. |
| US09042556B2 |
Shaping sound responsive to speaker orientation
Techniques for shaping sound based on a speaker orientation are disclosed. In an embodiment, an audio data stream is obtained by a zone player having one or more speaker drivers, an orientation of the zone player is determined, and sound is reproduced by the zone player based on the orientation. The sound may be further shaped based on other states of the zone player in addition to orientation. The overall sound may be shaped from one zone player or from a collection of zone players. |
| US09042553B2 |
Communicating device and communicating method
The debugging unit writes a public key of the key issuing server and an initializing program given from outside, to the storage unit. The instruction executing unit reads and executes the initializing program stored in the storage unit. The debug disabling unit disables the debugging unit. The public-key encrypting unit encrypts the random number by the public key in the storage unit, the random number generated by the random number generating unit after the debugging unit is disabled. The transmitting unit transmits the encrypted random number to the key issuing server. The receiving unit receives an individual key encrypted by the random number from the key issuing server. The individual-key writing unit decrypts the encrypted individual key by the random number to obtain the individual key and write the individual key to the storage unit. |
| US09042552B2 |
Managing encryption keys in a computer system
A method and apparatus is disclosed for managing encryption keys in a computer system in which in response to the change of a system key the old key and new key are both maintained for subsequent use. |
| US09042542B2 |
Integrated alerting
In a wide-area communication system, users or numbers in the system to be alerted are ranked so to improve the efficiency of the alert calls. Rankings are based on various factors, including whether two or more users are on the same active call, whether a user is on an active call, how recently a user ended a call, and whether a user recently missed a call. Within rankings, there may be multiple callers or numbers. These users may further be ranked, such as by determining which caller is expected to end a call first based on the current elapsed time of the call and the average call duration for that user or number. |
| US09042541B2 |
Multi-node predictive dialing for scalability
Multiple-nodes (multiple media servers) can be deployed in a single outbound calling system. Agent nailups can be established with the media servers, on a one-to-one basis (an agent is nailed up to only one of the media servers at any given time). Predictive dialing can be performed by each of the media servers (dialing nodes), resulting in active (answered) calls with customers. If the active call is in a different node than a nailup for an available agent, the controller can direct the agent nailup to be moved to the node which is handling the active call (or call leg). |
| US09042535B2 |
Echo control optimization
In one implementation, a conference hosted on a conference bridge that includes an echo control device that classifies the echo return loss of a plurality of endpoints. The endpoints may include endpoints on internet protocol (IP) networks and public switched telephone networks (PSTN). The echo control of the endpoints is controlled independently. An echo classification module calculates the echo return loss value of the associated echo tail of the endpoint and chooses an appropriate echo control mode. If the echo return loss is above a high threshold, a pass through mode is activated. If the echo return loss is below a low threshold, a full echo cancellation mode is activated. If the echo return loss is between the low threshold and the high threshold, an echo suppression mode is activated. |
| US09042534B2 |
Caller name identification using data structure synchronization of different networks
A device may receive a request to enable service on a wireless network for a user device. The user device may be associated with a wired network. The device may request network provisioning information, associated with the wired network, identifying service activation parameters. The device may provision the wireless network based on the request for network provisioning associated with the wired network. The device may synchronize caller information to a first caller information device, associated with the wireless network, from a second caller information device, associated with the wired network. The caller information may include caller identification information. The device may enable the service for the user device on the wireless network based on provisioning the wireless network and synchronizing the caller information to the first caller information device from the second caller information device. |
| US09042533B2 |
Dual-channel analog door entry system and a method thereof
The present invention discloses a dual-channel analog door entry system and a method thereof. The dual-channel analog door entry system comprises two cables connected between the building gateway and the floor distributors, configured to transmit audio and/or video signals between the outdoor stations and indoor phones; the building gateway, configured to receive a call request from at least one of the outdoor stations, identify and assign an available cable as an intercom channel, send the call request to each of the floor distributors via the intercom channel, and switch the audio and/or video signals from the outdoor station to the available cable; at least one of floor distributors, configured to receive and forward the call request to a desired indoor phone, receive a call response from the desired indoor phone if the desired indoor phone is available, and switch the audio and/or video signals from the available cable to the desired indoor phone. The solutions of the present invention achieves great improvement on line busy probability for large buildings and communities; and the solution is smart and simple to implement with low additional cost for reconstruction. |
| US09042529B2 |
Communication system
A communication system including a plurality of terminals; and a switchboard connected to the terminals, includes a means for causing each of the terminals to register an identifier and an address of the terminal itself in the switchboard; a means for, when one of the terminals transmits a request of transmitting a list of the terminals connected to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit the list of the terminals to the terminal that transmits the request; a means for, when the terminal that transmits the request selects one of the terminals from the list and transmits the identifier of the selected terminal to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit the address of the selected terminal to the terminal that transmits the request; and a means for causing the terminal that transmits the request to establish a communication with the selected terminal using the received address and a default port number. |
| US09042526B2 |
Method and apparatus for enabling a calling party to leave a voice message for a called party in response to a command provided by the calling party
A method for allowing a calling party to leave a message for a called party. The method comprises: receiving a command provided by the calling party and indicative of a desire of the calling party to leave a message for the called party; obtaining message destination information associated with the called party; receiving a voice message provided by the calling party; generating an electronic message representative of the voice message; and causing transmission of the electronic message based on the message destination information. An apparatus for implementing the method is also provided. |
| US09042524B2 |
Systems and methods for proximity-activated voice recording
According to one aspect, a proximity-activated voice recording system having at least two proximity-activated voice recording devices. Each voice-activated recording device may include a first proximity sensor for detecting a proximity defined by a device communications distance, and an identification token that contains first identification information for identifying the voice-activated recording device. In some cases, each device may have a second proximity sensor for detecting a proximity defined by a vocal communications distance. |
| US09042521B2 |
Beam lighting unit for radiographic apparatus
Method for limiting an X-ray beam, wherein the X-ray beam is limited by a limiting unit comprising a couple of blades approaching each other or moving away from each other to adjust the width of a space between the blades the two blades being driven by an actuator (12) linked to both blades. The position of a symmetry axis (S) of the space between the blades is set in a shifting step by changing the distance between the blades and by impeding the motion of one blade in comparison with the motion of the other blade resulting in an asymmetric motion of the blades with respect to an initial position of the symmetry axis (S). The desired width (W) of the space between the blades is set in an adjustment step by an unimpeded symmetric motion of the blades with respect to the position of the symmetry axis (S) set in the shifting step. |
| US09042520B2 |
Electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter
The present disclosure relates to an electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter, and more particularly, to an electric field emission x-ray tube apparatus equipped with a built-in getter that makes it possible to reduce the size of an x-ray tube by forming a stacked structure, with electric insulation and predetermined gaps maintained for each electrode, by manufacturing an x-ray tube having a stacked structure by inserting insulating spacers (for example, ceramic) between an exhausting port, a cathode, a gate, a focusing electrode, and an anode and bonding them with an adhesive substance, and then inserting a spacer between a field emitter on a cathode substrate and a gate hole connected with a gate electrode. |
| US09042519B2 |
Radiographing system, method of controlling automatic exposure in radiographing system, and radiological image detection device
A compensation circuit 76 of an AEC unit 67 of an electronic cassette 13 defines the detection signal of a detection pixel 65 of the electronic cassette 13 as a detection signal corresponding to the detection signal of an old AEC sensor 25. The compensation circuit 76 performs compensation so as to exclude the influence on the detection signal due to a difference in the configuration of an intermediate member disposed between an X-ray source 10 and an FPD 35 of the electronic cassette 13 when the detection pixel 65 is used as an AEC sensor instead of the old AEC sensor 25. The detection signal is transmitted from a detection signal I/F 80 to a detection signal I/F 26 of a source control device 11 as it is (instantaneous value) or as an accumulated value obtained using an integration circuit 77. |
| US09042512B2 |
Multi-sector computed tomography image acquisition
An approach is disclosed for acquiring multi-sector computed tomography scan data. The approach includes activating an X-ray source during heartbeats of a patient to acquire projection data over a limited angular range for each heartbeat. The projection data acquired over the different is combined. An image having good temporal resolution is reconstructed using the combined projection data. |
| US09042508B2 |
Counter, counting method, ad converter, solid-state imaging device, and electronic device
A counter configured to perform counting at both edges of an input clock to output an additional value or a subtraction value for a previous count value and a next count value includes a first latch circuit that latches the input clock, a second latch circuit that latches an output from the first latch circuit, a holding section that holds data of the 0th bit of a count value, and a correction section that performs count correction on data of the first and subsequent bits of the count value on the basis of an output of the second latch circuit. |
| US09042507B2 |
Nuclear reactor green and sintered fuel pellets, corresponding fuel rod and fuel assembly
A sintered fuel pellet for a water nuclear reactor fuel rod including a peripheral wall extending along a central axis and two end faces. At least one of the end faces includes at least a first chamfer extending from the peripheral wall towards the central axis with a first non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis and a second chamfer extending from the first chamfer towards the central axis with a second non-zero slope with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the first slope is different from the second slope. |
| US09042506B2 |
Discrete signal synchronization based on a known bit pattern
Systems and methods for discrete signal synchronization based on a known bit pattern are described. In one aspect of the present subject matter, a discrete signal synchronization system is configured to synchronize a preprocessed discrete signal with a modified discrete signal. The system comprises a processor and a synchronization module coupled to the processor. The synchronization module comprises an extraction module and comparison module. The extraction module determines a bit pattern from the modified discrete signal using Discrete Wavelet Transformation (DWT) and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). The comparison module compares the determined bit pattern with a known bit pattern of the preprocessed discrete signal and records a time point at which the determined bit pattern matches with the known bit pattern of the preprocessed discrete signal as a synchronization point. |
| US09042503B2 |
Data recovery circuit and operation method thereof
In a data recovery circuit, a sampling circuit is configured to sample data using a plurality of sampling clock signals having different phases relative to one another and to output a plurality of sampled data. A recovery data generation circuit is configured to perform a logic operation on the plurality of sampled data and to generate a plurality of intermediate recovery data according to a result of the logic operation. A recovery circuit is configured to check the plurality of intermediate recovery data for existence of an error and to output intermediate recovery data that is error-free, among the plurality of intermediate recovery data, as recovery data. |
| US09042500B1 |
Very low intermediate frequency (VLIF) receiver and method of controlling a VLIF receiver
A very-low intermediate frequency (VLIF) receiver and a method of controlling a VLIF receiver. The method comprises receiving a first signal, the first signal including one or both of an on-channel signal portion and an adjacent channel interferer (ACI) portion; determining that the first signal includes a portion having a strength that is above a threshold; in response to determining that the first signal includes a portion having a strength that is above the threshold, estimating one or more IQ imbalance parameters for at least a portion of the first signal; and compensating for an IQ imbalance in at least the portion of the first signal using the one or more IQ imbalance parameters. |
| US09042499B2 |
Radio frequency (RF) receivers with whitened digital clocks and related methods
Radio frequency (RF) receivers having whitened digital clocks and related methods are disclosed. Disclosed embodiments generate whitened clocks having random variations that are used to operate digital processing blocks so that interference created by the whitened clocks is seen as white noise within the received RF signal spectrum. RF input signals are received by RF front-ends (RFFEs) that output analog signals associated with channels within the RF input signals. These analog signals are converted to digital information and processed by digital receive path circuitry that outputs digital data associated with the channel. The digital receive path circuitry includes a whitened clock generator that generates a whitened clock having random variations and which a digital processing block that operates based upon the whitened clock. Further, the RFFE and the digital receive path circuitry are located within a single integrated circuit. |
| US09042496B1 |
Signal modulation scheme determination through an at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant
Various embodiments associated with an at least fourth-order cumulant of a signal are described. The at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant of the signal can be taken and compared against an at least fourth-order noise-insensitive cumulant of known signals. A match can be found between the signal and a known signal and from this match, a demodulation scheme of the signal can be determined. The demodulation scheme can be used to demodulate the signal. |
| US09042489B2 |
Carrier frequency offset compensation apparatus and associated method
A carrier frequency offset compensation method for a communication system is provided. The method includes: mixing, filtering and interpolating an input signal according to a mixing parameter, a first filtering parameter and a first interpolation parameter, respectively, to generate a processed result; calculating a carrier frequency offset estimation value of the input signal according to the processed result; adjusting the mixing parameter according to the carrier frequency offset estimation value; and mixing, filtering and interpolating the input signal according to the adjusted mixing parameter, a second filtering parameter and a second interpolation parameter, respectively. The first interpolation parameter is associated with a cut-off frequency corresponding to the first filtering parameter. |
| US09042486B2 |
Sideband suppression in angle modulated signals
In an angle modulated radio transmitter, the total power is the same when modulated or unmodulated. Angle modulation produces multiple sideband pairs. The power in the sidebands is derived from the carrier. When a complex modulating waveform is used, the power (and therefore the amplitude) of the carrier varies. A system and method is provided for dramatically minimizing, to nearly zero, the bandwidth needed to transmit digital information using sideband suppression of angle modulated signals. The systems described use various techniques to suppress sideband pairs, leaving the carrier signal. The amplitude variations of the carrier are used to convey information. In some examples, techniques are used to filter and/or phase out one or more sideband pairs, leaving the carrier signal. |
| US09042482B2 |
FBR DC vector offset removal using LO phase switching
One embodiment relates to a feedback receiver (FBR). The FBR includes a FBR signal input configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal, a first local oscillator (LO) signal input configured to receive a first LO signal having an LO frequency, and a second LO signal input configured to receive a second LO signal having the LO frequency. The second LO signal is phase shifted by approximately 90° relative to the first LO signal. FBR also includes a divider that induces a time-varying phase shift in the first and second LO signals while concurrently retaining a 90° phase shift between the first and second LO signals. |