US08191168B2

Provided is a method of preparing a sample piece for a transmission electron microscope, the sample piece for a transmission electron microscope including a substantially planar finished surface which can be observed with the transmission electron microscope and a grabbing portion which microtweezers can grab without contacting the finished surface. The method of preparing a sample piece for a transmission electron microscope is characterized by including: a first step of cutting out the sample piece from a sample body Wa with a charged particle beam, the sample piece being coupled to the sample body at a coupling portion; a second step of grabbing with the microtweezers the grabbing portion of the sample piece with the finished surface of the sample piece cut out in the first step being covered with the microtweezers; a third step of detaching the sample piece grabbed with the microtweezers in the second step from the sample body by cutting the coupling portion with the charged particle beam with a grabbed state of the sample piece being maintained; and a fourth step of transferring and fixing with the microtweezers the sample piece detached in the third step onto a sample holder.
US08191166B2

Systems and methods that securely handle control information are provided. In one example, a system may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may include, for example, a content processing block and a control processing block. The content processing block may be coupled to the control processing block. The content received by the ASIC may be associated with the control information received by the ASIC. The control processing block may be adapted to validate the control information received by the ASIC. The content processing block may be adapted to process the content received by the ASIC in accordance with the validated control information.
US08191159B2

A computing system includes data encryption in the data path between a data source and data storage devices. The data storage devices may be local or they may be network resident. The data encryption may utilize a key which is derived at least in part from an identification code stored in a non-volatile memory. The key may also be derived at least in part from user input to the computer. In a LAN embodiment, public encryption keys may be automatically transferred to a network server for file encryption prior to file transfer to a client system.
US08191148B2

Systems, methods, and media for classifying messages are disclosed. A plurality of fraud indicators are identified in the message. A signature of the message is generated. The generated signature of the message is compared to a stored signature. The stored signature is based on a statistical analysis of fraud indicators in a second message associated with the stored signature. A determination as to whether the message is fraudulent is made based on the comparison. The message is processed based on the determination that the message is a fraudulent message.
US08191145B2

An apparatus, device, methods, computer program product, and system are described that determine a virus associated with communication data on a communications network, the communications network associated with at least one network policy device, associate an anti-viral agent with at least one identifier, prioritize transmission of the at least one identifier through the at least one network policy device, relative to the communication data, and provide the anti-viral agent on the communications network, in response to the prioritizing transmission of the at least one identifier through the at least one network policy device.
US08191144B2

A detection-based defense to a wireless network. Elements of the infrastructure, e.g., access points or scanning-only access points, detect intruders by detecting spoofed frames, such as from rogue access points. Access points include a signature, such as a message integrity check, with their management frames in a manner that enables neighboring access points to be able to validate the management frames, and to detect spoofed frames. When a neighboring access point receives a management frame, obtains a key for the access point sending the frame, and validates the management frame using the key.
US08191142B2

Generating and using a high-speed, scalable, and easily updateable data structure are described. The proposed data structure provides minimal perfect hashing functionality while intrinsically supporting low-cost set-membership queries. In other words, in some embodiments, it provides at most one match candidate in a set of known arbitrary-length bit strings that is used to match the query.
US08191135B2

A method for accessing failed events in an integrated server environment is disclosed. The method comprises providing a thin client in an application server within the environment, wherein the thin client provides role-based access to a failed event, and wherein the role-based access is based upon a user's ability to access critical data. A thin client referred to as the failed event manager aids the user via a web browser, to manage events that failed during an integration scenario. Apart from being web-based, the failed event manager application also provides role-based access wherein users with certain roles are restricted in their ability to access critical data. The web-based failed event manager uses the security of the underlying application server, thus providing a secure environment. A system and method in accordance with the present invention takes advantage of the distributed computing capabilities of the underlying application server. As a result, remote users can simply log into the server via a web-portal from any location, and the familiar Windows environment is visually replicated on the screen. Moreover, a thin client provides higher security as all data including logs are stored and backed up only on the server. Thin clients lessen the danger to confidential information as no data is stored locally.
US08191133B2

An embodiment of the present invention includes a technique to provide anti-replay protection with QoS queues. A single global anti-replay window is maintained to have global lowest and highest sequence numbers for an Internet protocol security (IPSec) security association (SA). The single global anti-replay window is associated with individual differentiated services code point (DSCP) or DSCP group, the individual DSCP or DSCP group corresponding to individual per-DSCP anti-replay windows. A received packet having a sequence number is pre-processed before packet processing using the single global anti-replay window. The received packet is post-processed after packet processing using the individual per-DSCP anti-replay windows.
US08191121B2

A Web authorization service facilitates the control of access to resources in a casino gaming network system.
US08191120B2

The present invention teaches a powerless lockable UFD system and a method for securely protecting information stored and retrieved on UFDs (USB flash drives) that does not require electric power in order to enter a password to the UFD. The system also features an alarm and reset mechanism for clearing entered passwords. Passwords are concealed from the sight of a viewer for further protection. The system can be similarly incorporated into peripheral devices such as hard-disk drives (HDDs), printers, scanners, cameras, and portable memory devices.
US08191119B2

A security policy enables security devices to forward ICE messages. The security policy may use protection tokens to prevent Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. This allows endpoints to use Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE) to enable multimedia communications across Network Address Translators (NATs) and other security devices.
US08191109B2

A device that is configured for wireless communication and for execution of at least one client application is disclosed. The device comprises an integrated security function configured to process a request for verification of a client application from an external device. A server configured to request for a verification of a client application from an integrated security function of a device is also disclosed. The server is adapted to receive a response from the device, to compare the response to reference data, and to decide, based on the comparison, if the client application is allowed to use a service.
US08191108B2

A method and apparatus for providing security to an endpoint device are disclosed. For example, the method receives a signaling message by the endpoint device. The method processes the signaling message, if the signaling message is received from a device associated with one of one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in an Access Control List (ACL), and discards the signaling message, if the signaling message is received from a device not associated with one of the one or more IP addresses in the ACL.
US08191105B2

A system and method for handling secure-format messages includes a message server that receives secure-format messages from senders and operates in conjunction with a secure message handler to detect and prevent the delivery of invalid secure-format messages. When a secure-format message is determined to be invalid, the secure message handler may take one or more of the following actions: replace the body of the invalid message with a template message, send a message to the sender of the invalid message indicating the message was rejected, delete the invalid message from the recipient's mailbox, or log the message on the message server and mark it for review. Additionally, the handling of invalid messages is configurable. In particular, the actions to take and the conditions under which those actions are to be taken may be specified by an administrator.
US08191101B2

A system for the delivery of video on demand (VOD). A wireless remote control device generates keystroke signals for controlling a TV display and has a single button for restarting a selected program at a beginning of the selected program. A head-end unit supports separate downstream virtual channels for each separate TV set connected on a common TV feeder-cable; The head-end unit locally records and stores many programs, and transmits each program using a compressed digital format. The Compressed digital format may use MPEG-2 or MPEG-4. The head-end unit has means for protecting against signal theft. A set top unit encapsulates the keystroke signals and transmits the keystroke signals via a two-way channel to the head-end unit.
US08191097B1

A method and apparatus for storing and distributing video information in an interactive information distribution system by storing video information on either a centralized or de-centralized secondary storage partition in a network of provider and subscriber equipment, and therein distributing the video information to a subscriber having made a request for such video information.
US08191092B2

A method and system for replacing and obscuring titles and/or descriptions pertaining to individual pieces of recorded content. In one embodiment, the method enables a user, such as a parent, to rename titles and replace descriptions for selected pieces of content, thereby obscuring the content information for those pieces of content from other users, such as children. In another embodiment, the method enables an administrative user (e.g., a parent) to define allowed access levels and assign the same to various users of the system. The administrative user is also enabled to assign access levels to individual pieces of content. In response to a user selection to view content information pertaining to recorded content, the system identifies the user and determines whether to display an original title/description or a new title/description based on the allowed access levels assigned to the user and the respective access levels assigned to the pieces of content.
US08191082B2

A system and associated method for subscribing Really Simple Syndication (RSS) enabled content using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) are disclosed. An application server intermediates a SIP message and a request for a RSS feed. An end device requests subscription of the RSS feed in a SIP message. The application server processes the SIP message, register the RSS feed, and tracks changes in the RSS feed over the Internet. The application server retrieves a web content linked to the RSS feed responsive to finding changes in the RSS feed. The application server stores update of the web content in a media cache. The end device subscribing the RSS feed fetches the web content from the media cache in later part of the subscription.
US08191077B2

A method for providing stand-in objects, where relationships among objects are automatically resolved in an object oriented relational database model without the necessity of retrieving data from the database until it is needed. A “fault” class is defined, as well as fault objects whose data haven't yet been fetched from the database. An object that's created for the destination of a relationship whenever an object that includes the relationship is fetched from the database. When an object is fetched that has relationships, fault objects are created to “stand-in” for the destination objects of those relationships. Fault objects transform themselves into the actual enterprise objects—and fetch their data—the first time they're accessed. Subsequently, messages sent to the target objects are responded to by the objects themselves.
US08191075B2

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.
US08191060B2

This specification describes technologies relating to software installation. In general, a method of installing software can include obtaining application information for a software application to be installed on a target platform, the application information including an application name, an application icon, version information, and application code; obtaining a template executable including machine code native to the target platform; and adding the application information to the template executable to form an application executable for the software application.
US08191048B2

A computer-based method for qualifying a software application such as a monitoring and/or management network-delivered product. The method includes operating a computer to run a software application with network-delivered services. A qualification computer system is provided with a code generator adapted for processing device qualification data and with a comparator module. The method includes generating a set of event messages with the code generator by processing a set of received or retrieved device qualification data. The event messages are processed with the services or serviceability features of the software application to generate a set of output. With the comparator module, the actual output is compared with expected output for the event messages. Based on the comparison, a qualification report is generated, and the expected output may be output from unit test cases. A code generator may be included that generates one or more native protocol event generators.
US08191041B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a framework for pre-processing Javascript files. In some embodiments, the framework includes a pre-processor component operable to determine whether pre-release Javascript file versions include pre-processing commands in a predefined syntax which is defined by the framework. The pre-processor component may maintain a mapping between any or all of these commands and one or more handler programs, such that the handler program(s) may be invoked to perform any of various pre-processing functions on a pre-release file version. The framework may be extensible and scalable in that it may accommodate the addition of or modification to any number of handler programs. A new handler program may be developed and invoked, for example, via a new pre-processing command which is defined to the pre-processor component and mapped to the handler program.
US08191039B2

A notification module is provided for executing in combination with an application design tool for facilitating generation of a component application. The notification module includes a program wizard configured to assist with the development of the component application. That is, the program wizard detects a notification from at least one message. Notification operations are created in accordance with the detected notification. Corresponding elements are constructed in accordance with the created notification operations. Lastly, a mapping document is created for correlating the at least one message with its corresponding constructed elements. The mapping document is for use at a gateway server to facilitate communication between the application and a corresponding backend server.
US08191033B1

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method/apparatus to measure the jitter of a timing signal used in an integrated circuit chip. The method/apparatus is used to send data from a launch element using a synchronous data path of the timing signal, receive the data at a capture element using the synchronous data path, wherein the launch element and the capture element are disposed on the same integrated circuit chip upon which the timing signal is generated and/or used, and gather statistics about whether a timing violation has occurred by comparing the sent data with the received data over the course of multiple launch/capture events as the timing is adjusted. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US08191032B1

Local constraints on placement of routing objects for direct connections between terminals in a circuit layout are determined from global constraints on the placement of the routing objects in a process referred to as global constraint budgeting. An autorouter finds paths in the layout to satisfy the local constraints and ignores the global constraints. The local constraints are updated before each routing pass to ensure that routes are completed on individual direct connections while also satisfying the global constraint.
US08191028B1

Mechanisms are provided to improve maximum operating frequency in an integrated circuit. Optimization may be performed during a route phase of a compilation process performed to generate a configuration of the integrated circuit. In some instances, useful clock skew is automatically determined and clock connectivity is rewired on a per-integrated circuit block (per-LAB) basis during the route phase.
US08191020B1

A graphical user aid that may be used for migrating source devices, such as programmable logic designs (PLDs or FPGAs) into target devices, such as equivalent or substitute application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”) is provided. A device selector guide is provided for evaluating migration prospects from the source device to the target device before completing the migration.
US08191015B2

A personalized content manager is disclosed. The personalized content manager comprises an apparatus, system, method, and computer readable medium that includes or performs the steps of receiving input regarding the filtering of broadband content, filtering the broadband content with one or more content categories based on the filtering input, filtering the content with one or more of a plurality of content sources based on the filtering input, and generating a personalized content management interface screen that includes a list of titles of the filtered content.
US08191010B2

The present invention provides enhanced dropdown selection lists and combination boxes. A method in accordance with an embodiment includes: providing a graphical user interface (GUI) control that displays a dropdown list when actuated, and displaying indicia in the GUI control indicating a number of entries in the dropdown list, wherein a user can visually determine from the indicia the number of entries in the dropdown list prior to display of the dropdown list. A method in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention includes: providing a GUI control having an entry field; and displaying indicia in the GUI control indicating whether the entry field of the GUI control is writable, wherein a user can visually determine from the indicia whether the entry field of the GUI control is writable before placing a cursor in the entry field.
US08191009B2

The present invention provides a device and a method for displaying appropriately on the display area for each processing unit such as an application according to the applied equipment. The CPU 12 processes display area acquisition requests from a plurality of processing units R1-Rn according to a display management program. The display management program decides whether use of the display area is allowed to each processing unit, considering the relationship of the plurality of display areas requested from each processing unit R1-Rn. Each processing unit R1-Rn executes display processing for the display area for which use is allowed. In this way, whether use is allowed is notified from the display management program to each processing unit R1-Rn after each processing unit R1-Rn sends the display area acquisition request. As a consequence, display in a plurality of areas by each processing unit R1-Rn can be controlled appropriately.
US08191007B1

Methods, computer-readable storage mediums encoded with computer programs executed by one or more processors, and systems, for organizing browser windows are disclosed. A selection of one or more tabs of a plurality of tabs arranged on one or more windows of a browser may be received, wherein each of the plurality of tabs corresponds to a web page. The tabs may be grouped based on the selection. The grouped tabs may be arranged on a grouped window of the browser. The grouped window comprising the grouped tabs may be tagged with an identifier that differentiates the grouped window from a remaining one or more windows of the browser not associated with the grouped tabs.
US08190999B2

A method for grouping IM statements together into a plurality of topics and displaying the topics in separate windows comprising a Configuration Program (CP), a Topic Creation Program (TCP), and a Statement Classification Program (SCP). The CP allows a user to configure the global options for the present invention such as designating the parties authorized to create a topic, specifying whether the topic name and/or keywords are negotiable, and specifying whether icons should be displayed with the topic name. The TCP allows a user to create a topic by specifying the topic name, selecting a statement classification method, designating keywords to be used in searching the statements, and adding an icon to the topic name. When a statement is submitted to an IM channel, the SCP places the statement into one of the topics based on the statement classification method selected in the TCP.
US08190977B2

In a method of decoding data symbols into codewords, reliability information of the data symbols is provided. A first group of symbols from a first set of groups of symbols is selected, wherein the first set of groups of symbols is defined by at least a first parity-check of a parity-check matrix of a linear block code which has been used to encode the data symbols. The selection is based on the reliability information. A second group of symbols from a second set of groups of symbols is selected, wherein the second set of groups of symbols is defined by at least a second parity-check of the parity-check matrix. The selection is based on the selected first group of symbols and the reliability information. At least a part of the codeword is composed on the basis of the first group of symbols and the second group of symbols.
US08190963B1

A method includes receiving a detected sequence representing a signal on a channel. The detected sequence includes data bits and one or more error detection code bits. One or more error indications are received for the detected sequence. Each of the one or more error indications identifies one of the data bits of the detected sequence that may have an erroneous value. Errors are detected in the detected sequence based on the error detection code bits in the detected sequence. When errors are detected in the detected sequence, a candidate sequence is generated based on the detected sequence and the one or more error indications.
US08190959B2

A non-terminated packet is transmitted, by utilizing a spatial layer responded with an ACK, which is assumed as a released layer. Alternatively, a non-terminated packet is transmitted by using a released layer and an original spatial layer in combination. Alternatively, a new packet is transmitted in a released layer by utilizating time till termination of transmission of a non-terminated packet. A wireless communication system effectively utilizing a released layer, a terminal and a base station.
US08190951B2

A data processing apparatus includes processing circuitry, a cache storage, and a replicated address storage having a plurality of entries. On detecting a cache record error, a record of a cache location avoid storage is allocated to store a cache record identifier for the accessed cache record. On detection of an entry error, use of the address indication currently stored in that accessed entry of the replicated address storage is prevented, and a command is issued to the cache location avoid storage. In response, a record of the cache location avoid storage is allocated to store the cache record identifier for the cache record of the cache storage associated with the accessed entry of the replicated address storage. Any cache record whose cache record identifier is stored in the cache location avoid storage is logically excluded from the plurality of cache records.
US08190949B2

An operations management apparatus which acquires performance information for each of a plurality of performance items from a plurality of controlled units and manages operation of the controlled units includes a correlation model generation unit which derives a correlation function between a first series of performance information that indicates time series variation about a first element and a second series of performance information that indicates time series variation about a second element, generates a correlation model between the first element and the second element based on the correlation function, and obtains the correlation model for each element pair of the performance information, and a correlation change analysis unit which analyzes a change in the correlation model based on the performance information acquired newly which has not been used for generation of the correlation model.
US08190948B1

Maintaining an ordering of transmitted data includes associating a sequence number with each element of the transmitted data, where the sequence number indicates a temporal relationship between different ones of the elements. Maintaining an ordering also includes maintaining a last aborted sequence number and an indicator of whether receipt of information indicating that the last aborted sequence number has been acknowledged and rejecting data associated with a sequence number indicative of a time before a time corresponding to the last aborted sequence number. The last aborted sequence number may be sent until receipt thereof is acknowledged. No data may be transmitted until receipt of the last aborted sequence number is acknowledged. The sequence numbers may be incremented by one.
US08190941B2

The field control system includes: a field device; a field controller which is connected to a control network and which executes a computation processing for controlling the field device according to a given control cycle while executing a data communication between the field controller and the field device, the field controller including a communication unit configured to execute the data communication with the field device, and a control computation unit configured to execute the computation processing independently from the communication unit; and an operation monitor which is connected to the control network and which operates and monitors the field device, the operation monitor including a network clock which provides a common network time to the control network. The control computation unit and the communication unit execute the computation processing and the data communication in synchronism with each other in accordance with a timer clock based on the network time.
US08190939B2

Techniques and systems are provided that work to minimize the energy usage of computing devices by building and using models that predict the future work required of one or more components of a computing system, based on observations, and using such forecasts in a decision analysis that weighs the costs and benefits of transitioning components to a lower power and performance state. Predictive models can be generated by machine learning methods from libraries of data collected about the future performance requirements on components, given current and recent observations. The models may be used to predict in an ongoing manner the future performance requirements of a computing device from cues. In various aspects, models that predict performance requirements that take into consideration the latency preferences and tolerances of users are used in cost-benefit analyses that guide powering decisions.
US08190936B2

The method for maximizing an unavailability interval includes the steps of initializing the starting frame number of each power saving class fi to 1 and adjusting fi to fi′ when the least common multiple of m1, m2, . . . , mi−1 and mi is not relatively prime. The index i is an integer from 1 to t, mi is the sleep cycle of the ith power saving class, and fi′ is an integer that maximizes common sleep windows of the i power saving classes. The common sleep windows of the t power saving classes are then set as the maximum unavailability interval of the wireless telecommunication device.
US08190928B2

There is provided a power-on detection circuit including: a flip-flop circuit storing an indefinite value at the time of power-on and outputting plural-bit data; and a comparator comparing the plural-bit data output from the flip-flop circuit and a plural-bit fixed value and outputting a power-on detect flag depending on a comparison result thereof.
US08190921B1

A method is provided to allow for encryption keys to be safely vaulted and for restarts after system failures, even when an external key server is not accessible. In one embodiment, the encryption keys are stored in memory in an encrypted format, the encryption keys being encrypted with a key encryption key (KEK). The data stored in a write cache may be encrypted and written to a vault, protecting it from unauthorized access, but the key table may be written directly to the data vault without need for any further encryption. Because the encryption keys are themselves encrypted, the encryption keys are protected from unauthorized access, ensuring the security of all the encrypted data stored on disk. This embodiment allows the data storage system to be restarted without accessing an external key server. In another embodiment, the KEK is stored in persistent storage within the data storage system, allowing for unattended restart. To enhance security, the KEK may be stored in ROM in a hardened location. Embodiments are also provided for apparatus for practicing the method.
US08190920B2

A method of establishing security in an electronic device. The method includes generating a statistically unique root key value and storing the root key value in a one-time programmable memory of the device. The method also includes isolating firmware in the device from access to the root key value. The root key value is used as a root of trust that ensures that each electronic device has its own key. In general, the root key is used to encrypt other keys in the device. In different aspects, a root key test value, which is utilized to test the root key, and other security features such as a re-purpose number and a cipher block chaining re-purpose value are included to protect the electronic device from unauthorized access. An electronic device that includes these security features is also provided.
US08190917B2

A system, method and program product that securely saves and restores the context of a secure program loader is presented. An interrupt is sent to a secured program running on an special purpose processor core that is running in isolation mode. The special purpose processor core is included in a heterogeneous processing environment that includes the special purpose processor cores (including the isolated special purpose processor core), and one or more general purpose processors. Each of the processors can access a shared memory. The isolated special purpose processor core includes a local memory that is inaccessible from the other processors. The system encrypts the secured program's context using a randomly generated encryption key and stores the context in the shared memory. A secure loader's context is updated with the generated encryption key and then the secure loader's context is saved to the shared memory.
US08190912B2

An development environment of a high security level is provided for a key-installed system. Development of a program for a system having an LSI device which includes a secure memory is performed by providing another LSI device having the same structure and setting the provided LSI device to a development mode which is different from a product operation mode. Alternatively, the provided LSI device is set to an administrator mode to perform development and encryption of a key-generation program. The LSI device is set to a key-generation mode to execute the encrypted key-generation program, thereby generating various keys.
US08190911B2

A method and system for processing or authenticating an operating computer file of an equipment item installed on board an aircraft. The method includes generating a first private key according to a scheme based on an identity of a first entity, the first private key being unique to the first entity. The method also includes signing the computer file using the first private key and transmitting the signed computer file to the aircraft through a network without a digital certificate that certifies the identity of the first entity. The method further includes verifying the signature of the signed computer file from a first public key determined according to a scheme based on the identity of the first entity, without using the digital certificate that certifies the identity of the first entity.
US08190908B2

An architecture is presented that controls access to secure data via biometric verification. The system comprises a memory module that communicates with biometric data to establish a heightened level of security for controlling access to data stored in the non-volatile memory. The memory module includes a security processor, non-volatile memory, and volatile memory. The security processor provides for concurrent processing of security protocols, provides a secure execution environment within the memory module to evaluate and store biometric data, communicates with the biometric data sensors to fetch the biometric data, and analyzes the biometric data to control access to data stored in the non-volatile memory. Specifically, biometric data is input and communicated to the security processor, then compared against the existing biometric templates stored in the non-volatile memory. If the data matches, verification is sent to the external processor and the user is granted access to the secure assets.
US08190906B1

A process and apparatus for automated testing of authentication tokens is disclosed which verifies the physical functioning of the tokens and the validity of the one-time passcodes (OTPs) displayed by the tokens during testing. The testing is automated to allow for large quantities of tokens to be tested in a single procedure, and also separates rejected tokens according to the particular failed test process identified with the token. In one embodiment, a rotary table is provided for testing, the table having multiple positions for performing different test procedures and for separating rejected tokens according to the particular test failed.
US08190902B2

Techniques are provided for forming a digital signature for a portion of a document. A registered module is invoked to process the document in accordance with a structured format associated with the document. The registered module is able to process a plurality of different structured formats. The registered module obtains the portion. A digital signature is formed for the portion. The digital signature is included in the document in accordance with the structured format.
US08190897B2

A first network device implements a method for the secure exchange of data in a network. The network also includes a second network device and a remote device. The method includes establishing an indirect path to the remote device and pre-negotiating first security parameters with the remote device over the indirect path using a network layer protocol, when the second network device has an active first data link. The method further includes establishing an active second data link with the remote device and exchanging first data with the remote device over the active second data link using the first security parameters, when the first data link becomes inactive.
US08190895B2

AKE with derived ephemeral keys is described. In one aspect, a first party computes a derived ephemeral public-key based on a derived ephemeral secret key and a mathematical group. The derived ephemeral secret key is based on an ephemeral secret key and a long-term secret key. The first party generates a session key for secure exchange of information with a second party. The session key is generated using the derived ephemeral secret key and a second party derived ephemeral public-key key to demonstrate to the second party that the first party possesses the long-term secret key.
US08190888B2

The present invention relates to a system and methodology facilitating network security and data access in an industrial control environment. An industrial control system is provided that includes an industrial controller to communicate with a network. At least one security layer can be configured in the industrial controller, wherein the security layer can be associated with one or more security components to control and/or restrict data access to the controller. An operating system manages the security layer in accordance with a processor to limit or mitigate communications from the network based upon the configured security layer or layers.
US08190873B2

Systems and methods for optimizing performance of an information handling system component communicatively coupled to the information handling system are disclosed. An information handling system may include a data gathering module and an operating condition controller module. The data gathering module may be configured to retrieve an operating condition characterization value from the component. That operating condition characterization value may be substantially based on a predetermined characteristic of the component. The operating condition controller module may be configured to modify an operating condition of the component based at least on the retrieved operating condition characterization value.
US08190866B2

Techniques for handling interrupts of multiple instruction threads within a multi-thread processing environment. The techniques include: interleavingly fetching and issuing instructions of (i) a first instruction execution thread and (ii) a second instruction thread for execution by an execution block of the multi-thread processing environment; providing a first interrupt signal via a first interrupt signal line within the multi-thread processing environment to interrupt fetching and issuing of instructions of the first instruction execution thread; and providing a second interrupt signal via a second interrupt signal line within the multi-thread processing environment to interrupt fetching and issuing of instructions of the second instruction execution thread. The first interrupt signal line and the second interrupt signal line are physically separate and distinct signal lines that are directly electrically coupled to one another.
US08190865B2

An instruction encoding architecture is provided for a microprocessor to allow atomic modification of privileged architecture registers. The instructions include an opcode that designates to the microprocessor that the instructions are to execute in privileged (kernel) state only, and that the instructions are to communicate with privileged control registers, a field for designating which of a plurality of privileged architecture registers is to be modified, a field for designating which bit fields within the designated privileged architecture register is to be modified, and a field to designate whether the whether the designated bit fields are to be set or cleared. The instruction encoding allows a single instruction to atomically set or clear bit fields within privileged architecture registers, without reading the privileged architecture registers into a general purpose register. In addition, the instruction encoding allows a programmer to specify whether the previous content of a privileged architecture register is to be saved to a general purpose register during the atomic modification.
US08190861B2

A method and system for implementing a micro-sequence based security model in a processor. More particularly, micro-sequences and JSM hardware resources are employed to construct a security model invisible to applications, and when memory constraints are in place, extend a complex security model in JSM code by implementing a micro-sequence security trigger. The method includes micro-sequence based security policy that determines whether an instruction accesses a privileged resource associated with a processor and when not already in privilege mode and not executing a micro-sequence, the micro-sequence based security policy is applied to the instruction to control access to the privileged resource according to the security policy.
US08190844B2

Disclosed is a method of issuing volume level alerts to provide a warning that indicates overutilization of storage resources in a computer system. Volume level checking is performed without the necessity of checking all the volumes, but only upon the occurrence of certain changes so that the only the most problematic volumes are checked. Hence, only a small number of volumes must be checked and only in response to certain identified changes. The method is applicable to any criterion for overutilization of storage resources which satisfies basic persistency rules. The method is also applicable to assessing risk for the use of other resources, such as communication bandwidth, that are supplied by resource providers, or pools of providers, to users of bandwidth. The principles disclosed can be utilized to check resources on an asset by asset basis, using the free space ratio definition provided to assess risk of overutilization of resources.
US08190842B2

Methods and apparatuses for reduction of Read Disturb errors in a NAND FLASH memory system comprise a controller configured to organize FLASH memory devices into blocks, each block having a plurality of pages, and each page defining an individually addressable physical memory location. The controller is further configured to accumulate a Block READ Count corresponding to the number of times any pages in a first block of pages have been read since the first block was last erased. Once the READ count reaches a predetermined number, the controller responds to subsequent READ requests for pages within the first block by moving data associated with a requested page to a page in a second, different block without moving data associated with other pages in the first block, and modifying a logical-to-physical translation table to associate the moved data with the physical address of the page in the second block.
US08190836B1

An image-based backup backs up one or more snapshots of a volume without duplicating common data blocks. A backup engine receives a request to generate a backup image of a volume. In response to the request, the backup engine generates the backup image including data blocks and metadata describing attributes of the data blocks. The data blocks and the metadata arranged in the backup image in a same order as they were retrieved without imposing any additional ordering constraints on the data blocks and the metadata.
US08190831B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for detecting a syncMark in a read channel, such as a hard disk drive. A syncMark is detected in a sector in an iterative read channel by obtaining a sector signal from a storage media, the sector signal comprising a first syncMark, data and a second syncMark substantially at an end of the sector; determining whether the first syncMark is detected in the sector signal; searching for the second syncMark if the first syncMark is not detected in the sector signal; and detecting and decoding the sector signal based on a detection of the second syncMark. The second syncMark may be positioned, for example, following data in the sector signal. The second syncMark can be searched for in a window within the signal sector that is based on an estimated location of the first syncMark.
US08190830B2

A memory controller may execute instructions instead of sending the instructions to a processor for execution. To maintain synchronization between the memory controller and the processor, the memory controller may queue a null instruction in the memory controller for each non-filler instruction sent to the processor and may send a filler instruction to the processor for each non-null instruction to be executed by the memory controller.
US08190825B2

A common L2 cache unit of a CPU constituting a multicore processor, in addition to a PFPORT arranged for each CPU core unit, has a common PFPORT shared by the plurality of the CPU core units. The common PFPORT secures an entry when the prefetch request loaded from the PFPORT into a L2 pipeline processing unit fails to be completed. The uncompleted prefetch request is loaded again from the common PFPORT to the L2 pipeline processing unit.
US08190818B2

A storage system including a memory unit having a disk management program, plural disk controllers each having a SAS port which can be attached to either a SAS disk drive or a SATA disk drive, and a LAN port which communicates with a user interface program in a management console. Upon receiving a request from the user interface program requesting what kinds of disk drives are attached to the disk controllers, the disk management program communicates with each disk controller to determine what kind of disk drive is attached to the disk controller, selects based on a result an appropriate protocol for the disk drive, sends a request to the disk controller to retrieve detailed information of the disk drive using the selected protocol, and sends the detailed information received from the disk controller back to the user interface program for display on a monitor of the management console.
US08190806B2

A system for maintaining a large number of Handheld Electronic Devices (HEDs) includes a drawer having a divider structure configured to define compartments that are sized to hold the HEDs while the HEDs are stored in the drawer. A 20 port USB hub is provided in the drawer so that 20 HEDs may be connected to the USB hub while stored in the drawer. The USB hub allows the HEDs to be charged at a low rate while being synchronized with a computer and at a high rate when not being synchronized. The USB hub is designed using a tree structure of available USB hub chips to enable a larger number of USB ports. A microcontroller is provided to control the manner in which the computer is allowed to recognize the HEDs connected to the USB ports.
US08190801B2

Interconnect logic is provided for coupling master logic units and slave logic units within a data processing apparatus to enable transactions to be performed. Each transaction comprises an address transfer from a master logic unit to a slave logic unit and one or more data transfers between that master logic unit and that slave logic unit. The interconnect logic comprises a plurality of connection paths for providing at least one address channel for carrying address transfers and at least one data channel for carrying data transfers, and control logic is used to control the use of the at least one address channel and the at least one data channel in order to enable the transactions to be performed. The control logic comprises address arbiter logic which, for an associated address channel, arbitrates between multiple address transfers seeking to use that associated address channel, and data arbiter logic which, for an associated data channel, arbitrates between multiple data transfers seeking to use that associated data channel. The data arbiter is operable independently of the address arbiter such that the data transfers of multiple transactions can occur out of order with respect to the corresponding address transfers of those multiple transactions. This enables efficient use to be made of the interconnect logic resources.
US08190792B2

When the activation of an output device is detected, the response prompt screen on which a response by an input device is requested is displayed on the activated output device, and when a response from the input device is received through the displayed response prompt screen, the input device which has returned a response is associated with the output device whose response prompt screen is displayed.
US08190784B1

An in-band protocol transport carries command-response protocol communications between first and second functional components of a storage input/output (I/O) interface stack, for example to control encryption-related processing of storage I/O commands. A storage read command used as a protocol transport message has protocol data in a read data buffer, and predetermined read address information, such as a prime-numbered starting block address and a small, odd-valued length value, unlikely to occur in normal (non-transport) storage read commands. The second functional component determines that the storage read command contains the predetermined read address information, indicating that the storage read command is a protocol transport message rather than a normal read. For greater confidence, it also determines that the protocol data in the read data buffer includes protocol identification data such as a protocol signature. The protocol data is used to control a processing action for subsequent normal storage I/O commands, such as encryption-related processing, and a protocol response is returned by creating and storing response data in the read data buffer and signaling completion of the storage read command to the first functional component.
US08190781B2

The driving of an audio device that supports two or more audio modes is accomplished by associating a first physical device object of an audio device with a first device identifier, the first physical device object representing a first audio mode enumerated by a bus enumerator; associating a second physical device object of an audio device with a second device identifier, the second physical device object representing a second audio mode enumerated by the bus enumerator; and if the first device identifier matches the second device identifier, enabling a coupled kernel streaming audio interface compatible with both the first physical device object and the second physical device object.
US08190772B2

An apparatus and a method for layer-2 and layer-3 VPN discovery are disclosed. The apparatus is incorporated in a network, and the network includes a first carrier network. The first carrier network includes at least two layer-1 provider edge devices. Layer-1 VPN information is created within the first carrier network. BGP next hop information passes within the first carrier network. The BGP next hop information is for a selected one of the following: a layer-2 VPN-based provider edge device, a layer-3 VPN-based provider edge device, and a layer-2 and layer-3 VPN-based provider edge device. The network also includes a second carrier network within which the BGP next hop information is used for VPN discovery.
US08190764B2

Techniques for establishing a chain of custody for intercepted electronic information are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method, comprising securely negotiating a data collection interval time and protocol support for electronic data collection between network equipment associated with a data collecting party and network equipment associated with a data receiving party, receiving a nonce at a network equipment associated with the data collecting party from network equipment associated with the data receiving party, utilizing the nonce to compute, at least in part, a hash value at network equipment associated with the data collecting party, collecting electronic data at an intercept access device at network equipment associated with the data collecting party, utilizing the nonce and the hash value to transmit the collected electronic data to network equipment associated with the data receiving party, and utilizing the hash value to establish a chain of custody between the data collecting party and the data receiving party.
US08190763B2

A method of detecting and isolating a fault includes collecting information regarding utilization of a resource of a device. The method further includes predicting the fault based on the information and modifying operation of the device in response to the fault.
US08190762B2

An electronic apparatus includes a reception section, a buffer section, a reproduction section, an operation reception section, a transmission section, and a control section. The reception section receives data of a content transmitted through streaming from a transmission apparatus. The buffer section buffers the received data. The reproduction section successively reads out and reproduces the buffered data. The operation reception section receives a pause operation and a resume operation regarding reproduction of the data. The transmission section transmits, in response to the pause operation and the resume operation, a pause request and a resume request regarding the reproduction to the transmission apparatus. The control section controls the buffer means to discard data overlapping data received after the resume request among the data buffered by the buffer means and buffer data identical to the discarded data, that is received after the resume request.
US08190760B2

A system and method are provided for managing multiple video players executing on a client software platform. The method includes the operation of displaying a plurality of video players viewable by an end user. Each video player can have at least one video data stream supplied over a data network. A priority value can be applied to selected video players. In addition, an amount of bandwidth available from the data network to supply the plurality of video players can then be determined. Another operation is calculating whether the selected video players can sustain a video playback quality above a pre-defined threshold using the determined amount of bandwidth available. This operation can include appropriately apportioning and managing bandwidth and/or processing power allotments between the video players based on the priority assignments when the bandwidth and/or processing power is less than what the video players want to consume A modify playback message may be sent to at least one video player when the video playback rate is not sustainable or has become sustainable again.
US08190757B1

A system for automatically binding client-side applications with backend services is disclosed. This system may comprise a client device programmed to request, on behalf of a user, a client-side application and a backend service programmed to: 1) identify a client account associated with the user, 2) identify authentication credentials associated with the client account, 3) dynamically inject, in response to the request, the authentication credentials into the client-side application, and 4) provide the injected client-side application to the client device. Corresponding computer-implemented methods and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08190751B2

Apparatuses and methods support a media server that is hosted in a service provider's network so that media content can be stored from or rendered to a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network. Media content may be stored directly by accessing the media server or by downloading the media content to the media server. A tunnel is established between an endpoint in the DLNA network through the service provider infrastructure to the media server. Subsequently, a session may be established between a DLNA device to the media server through the tunnel using a virtual address, where the media server is addressable as a virtual device within the DLNA network so that the virtual address is part of an address space of the DLNA network. The media server may support a plurality of DLNA networks, in which a tunnel is established to the media service for each DLNA network.
US08190748B1

The real-time aspects of keep-alive generation are removed from the dynamic routing protocol (DRP) application and are embedded within a Unix-based operating system, which is programmed by DRP. A keep-alive control provides the ability to create a keep-alive message and a timeout interval on a TCP socket. Each socket can have an independent keep-alive message and timeout interval. A keep-alive message is sent whenever the TCP socket sends no normal user output for a duration exceeding the timeout interval. A timeout interval is normally specific in seconds and a keep-alive message is user definable and must not exceed a predetermined length in bytes. System calls are used to set the timeout interval and keep-alive message independently. Both a timeout and a keep-alive message must be set before the timeout becomes active.
US08190744B2

A machine-controlled method can include determining an extended interval quality of service (QoS) specification for a batch job and determining a remaining data center resource requirement for the batch job based on the extended interval QoS specification. The machine-controlled method can also include determining an immediate QoS specification for the batch job based on the remaining data center resource requirement.
US08190741B2

Systems and methods to customize a namespace using a synthetic namespace. A NAS switch provides file migrations in a NAS storage network that are transparent to the clients. The NAS switch file handles are used to customize a namespace. More specifically, a synthetic namespace is generated from one or more file location tables that map the switch file handles to NAS file handles. The NAS file handles are independent of a physical export containing the objects referred to by the NAS file handles. In one example, the synthetic namespace presents a home directory corresponding to a location of a user.
US08190739B2

A method for lawfully intercepting communication IP packets exchanged between terminals is provided. The method involves assigning an IP address associated with a telecommunication service provider to, for example, a sending terminal for use as its IP address in communications with a receiving terminal, the telecommunication service provider providing SIP proxy services for establishing communication between the sending and receiving terminals. The communication IP packets are intercepted in such a way that the terminals are unaware of the interception.
US08190736B2

A detection that a client-server system, which is operating in a first state mode, has switched from a first use case to a second use case for accessing a property of an object associated with a server. The first state mode during the first use case reduces messaging in the client-server system as compared to using a second state mode. A determination is performed as to whether using the second state mode during the second use case would reduce messaging in the system as compared to using the first state mode. The client-server system is transitioned to the second state mode, if operating in the second state mode would reduce messaging in the client-server system as compared to operating in the first state mode for the second use case.
US08190735B2

A first information processing apparatus receives file information from a second information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus switches into a power saving state. If the first information processing apparatus receives, from a third information processing apparatus, a file process request packet in terms of a file stored in the second information processing apparatus, the first information processing apparatus stores the received file process request packet. When the second information processing apparatus returns into the normal power state, the first information processing apparatus transfers the stored file process request packet to the second information processing apparatus.
US08190733B1

The present invention relates generally to the field of computer and network software, and more particularly it relates to a method and apparatus for providing virtual goods and/or on-line services based on a user's virtual location while surfing the web. According to certain aspects, the invention allows interactive objects, virtual goods and on-line services to be automatically provided to users when they visit predetermined partner sites or perform some predetermined on-line activity. According to other aspects, the invention automatically provides parallel destinations for predetermined partner sites that only users of the system can visit, and where such users can receive virtual goods and on-line services, among other content.
US08190728B1

A building automation control system for use in a building having an IT network includes at least one BAS controller connected to the IT network and at least one BAS device located within the building and connected to the at least one BAS controller through the IT network. Further the system may be configured to use standards-based IT technologies over the IT network to manage the at least one BAS device. The standards-based IT technologies may include DHCP to obtain IP addresses and network parameters of the BAS devices, DNS to provide a mechanism for associating the BAS devices with human-friendly names, a distributed mechanism for storing the names, and a method for locating the BAS devices by resolving names and IP addresses, SNTP to synchronize time on the BAS devices, SNMP to monitor the BAS devices and report alarms, SMTP for delivery of e-mail alarms, web-services to provide Internet-friendly communications, and standards-based IT security mechanisms to protect software of the BAS devices.
US08190727B2

A network management system in an aircraft for managing and maintaining a network. An aircraft maintenance computer communicates with a first device to be managed via the SNMP protocol. The first device to be comprises a description file. Within a subnetwork one or more second devices to be managed are present which are linked with the first device to be managed. These second devices to be managed enter their data into the description file via these connections. The data are necessary for managing and maintaining the respective second device to be managed by the aircraft maintenance computer. Therefore the aircraft maintenance computer is enabled to manage and maintain the first and the second devices only by means of the central MIB.
US08190715B1

A storage area network push install performs SAN agent installation on a plurality of hosts according to a host install list. The target hosts may employ different operating systems, or platforms, and the installer selectively copies an install kit corresponding to the operating system on the target host The install kit includes an agent specific install script for identifying agent specific parameters on the target host. The installer initiates and remotely responds to the execution of the install script, or configuration script, in lieu of manual intervention by an operator, to provide the agent specific parameters for the agents being installed on the target host. The execution of the install script generates an agent initialization file for installing the agents in the appropriate locations on the target system. The agent initialization file establishes folders for locating the agent executable files and associated support files, as well as other runtime parameters.
US08190713B2

A method includes receiving, at a first device, data representing a graphic. The graphic includes non-uniformly toned regions with information steganographically encoded therein. The steganographically encoded information is decoded from the received data. The method also includes communicating with a second device and receiving data from the second device. An aspect of operation of the first device is controlled in accordance with the data received from the second device. The data received from the second device is a function of the decoded information.
US08190702B1

Some embodiments provide different frameworks for seamlessly issuing and executing commands across servers of different federation participants. Each framework facilitates issuance and execution of a command that originates from a first federation participant and that is intended for execution at servers of a second federation participant. In some embodiments, a framework implements a method for enabling command interoperability between distributed platforms that each operate a set of servers on behalf of content providers. The method involves receiving a command targeting a particular configuration that a first distributed platform deploys to a server that is operated by a second distributed platform. The method identifies the server of the second distributed platform that is deployed with the particular configuration. The method communicably couples to a command invocation system of the second distributed platform and issues the command to the command invocation system for issuance of the command to the identified server.
US08190698B2

Efficiently polling a DMA module to determine if the DMA copying of a packet payload to an application buffer is complete. For communication packets received from a network, a processing module may be configured to poll the DMA module at times when it is likely that the DMA copying of packet payloads is complete. Packets may be received and processed in batches. The polling of the DMA module for a packet belonging to a first batch may be deferred until the processing of a next batch. An exception may occur if a predefined amount of time elapses following the completion of the processing of the first batch before the next batch is received. In response to the predefined amount of time elapsing before the receipt of the next batch, the DMA module may be polled, i.e., prior to the next batch being processed.
US08190696B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for improving name services in a fiber channel fabric. Either a world wide name or an alias can be used to uniquely identify a device such as a storage device on a fiber channel fabric. World wide name and alias associations are maintained in an alias database that is synchronized on connected fiber channel switches in a physical fiber channel fabric. Devices can be moved from one switch to another while maintaining alias and world wide name associations.
US08190690B2

Image data communication equivalent to facsimile communication using a public network is realized on e-mail communication. When a communication apparatus for transmitting/receiving e-mail data by connecting to the Internet is to communicate e-mail data having facsimile-format image data attached, communication concerning functional information is performed in addition to the communication of the e-mail data. The functional information can be exchanged by an optimum method matching the form of connection to the Internet. This allows maximum utilization of the capability of each apparatus function in facsimile image communication using e-mail.
US08190674B2

A method and apparatus for delivering variable bit rate media files delivers media files to client systems. The media server can dynamically detect when a client can accept a different bit rate version of a media content. The media server can smoothly switch between different bit rate versions of the media content as it delivers the media content to client systems. A client system can also request different bit rate versions of a media content while it is playing the media content.
US08190673B2

A system and method of enforcing Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) software object permissions in a three-tiered architecture is provided. A user connects to the three-tiered architecture via an enhanced client, which connects to a database server via a middle-tier server. The database server stores code and permission information for each database object. When a user connects to the system, the user's permissions are retrieved and stored at the middle-tier server. The user may then access data by instantiating objects at the middle-tier server by compiling and executing code retrieved from the database server. The middle-tier server performs permission checking for accessing database objects and provides environments for executing both managed and unmanaged code. The middle-tier server can perform permission checking for users and objects without accessing the database server.
US08190671B2

The invention relates to arranging a synchronization device between a first synchronization device and a second synchronization device. A first synchronization session is set up between the first synchronization device and the second synchronization device. Role information is defined and stored for the first synchronization device to indicate whether the first synchronization device should serve as a client or a sync server in at least one subsequent synchronization session. The role information is checked when a need arises to initiate a second synchronization session between the first and the second synchronization devices. The second synchronization session is initiated from the first synchronization device in accordance with the role information.
US08190663B2

In order to be able to handle very large numbers of tracks in a similarity determination in order to identify tracks similar to a predetermined track, a filtering method is used in order to identify a number of closest neighbor candidates between which the correct nearest neighbors are determined. Thus, the computationally heavy similarity determination is performed only on a subset of the tracks.This filtering step may be a fastmap determination of the tracks where the pivot points are determined not as the extreme points along the to individual dimension but at the median thereof in order to avoid extremely high divergence values. This helps preserving the neighborhoods. Also, the mapping is performed on the basis of a square-rooted Symmetric Kullback-Leibler (SKL) divergence which is more metric than the SKL and thus provides a better mapping.
US08190657B2

A system for managing a file system. In response to a user selecting an image of the file system to perform a rollback operation, each data block in the file system that is owned by the image is searched for. Then, it is determined whether a data block owned by the image is marked in a first map and a second map. In response to determining that the data block owned by the image is marked in the first map and the second map, the data block is marked in a third map. In response to determining that the data block owned by the image is marked in the third map, a new data block is allocated in the file system. Subsequently, data from the data block owned by the image is copied to the new data block in the file system prior to performing the rollback operation to avoid a collision that causes data corruption.
US08190655B2

A method for converting metadata in a hierarchical configuration within a filesystem from a first format to a second format includes reading metadata that is in the first format within the hierarchical configuration; writing the metadata from the hierarchical configuration into a flat file; and writing the metadata back into the hierarchical configuration, the metadata being in the second format. The method can also include increasing the size of each of a first inode and a second inode within a first inode chunk in the filesystem, assigning the first inode to the first inode chunk, and assigning the second inode to a second inode chunk. Additionally, the method can also include writing a plurality of directory extents from a first location within the filesystem to a second location, each directory extent identifying a location and a length of a contiguous range of directory blocks.
US08190652B2

Techniques for achieving coherence between dynamically optimized code and original code are disclosed. In an embodiment, a search is performed for a first entry for a first page containing a first code region in a first data structure. The first code is used to determine whether a first indicator in the first entry is set to a first value. The first entry is added to the first data structure, in response to failing to find the first entry in the first data structure. A second search may be performed for a second entry for the first code region in a second data structure, in response to determining that the first indicator is set to the first value. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US08190651B2

A computer system and method for identifying and pairing devices. The system includes a plurality of remote user interface computers, each having a display device and a user input device and each connected to a first network via a first respective data communication link. The system also includes a plurality of medical devices each having a medical device user interface and a second data communication link adapted to exchange data with the remote user interface computers. The system also includes a database adapted to communicate with the remote user interface computers via a connection to the first network or via a direct connection to one of the remote user interface computers, the database being adapted to store patient medical information including a treatment prescription that includes use of one of the medical devices.
US08190649B2

A method of updating information stored in an index associated with spatially-related objects. The method includes accessing a hierarchical multi-level index having leaf nodes containing information about an object and non-leaf nodes storing information about a number of nodes related to the non-leaf nodes, adding a representation of the object at a leaf node in the index, and traversing parents of the leaf node toward a root node, and incrementing counts of each node in the traversal path.
US08190640B2

In one implementation, a system for managing Groups in a Unix environment includes a group management engine and an NIS converter. A group information database stores information about Groups and their Members. The group management engine receives commands from Administrators of a Group to change attributes of Members in the Group. It accesses the database and makes the requested changes. The information in the database is not in an NIS-compatible format. The NIS converter accesses the database and generates an NIS group file that describes a Group and its Members in a format that is NIS-compatible. For example, the NIS group file can be incorporated into the master NIS group map using the #Include# construct.
US08190631B2

Aspects may include determination of a first security profile associated with a user and an information space, the information space comprising metadata indicating a plurality of objects mapped to logical entities of a hierarchical data structure, reception of a request from the user for an interface for creating queries to the hierarchical data structure, and determination, based on the first security profile, of a first subset of the plurality of objects based on which the user is allowed to create queries. A query is executed based on one or more of the first subset of objects, data of the hierarchical data structure is received in response to execution of the query, a second subset of the received data which the user is allowed to view is determined based on the first security profile, and the second subset of the received data is presented to the user.
US08190629B2

A network-based URL management and data gathering system is provided. The system utilizes a client-side utility for capturing URLs during normal Web browsing, and a server-side utility for organizing and managing the captured URLs on the network. The server-side utility periodically sends a request to a proxy browsing and data gathering utility for navigating to and retrieving data from Web pages associated with the captured URLs. Data retrieved from the Web pages is returned in summary form for presentation to subscribing users. In preferred embodiments, the system is practiced on the Internet network between users operating an Internet-capable appliance having an Internet connection, and an Internet portal service.
US08190617B2

A portal server 4 determines that a user C, . . . whose taste information INCc, . . . include URLs corresponding to all the music information pages that a user A is interested in are persons each having a similar taste to the user A and introduces, to the user A, the “Japanese nursery rhymes group”, . . . that the user C, . . . belong to. As a result, the user A can receive introduction of a group that is likely to match his or her taste simply by requesting the introduction of a group that matches his or her taste.
US08190611B1

A categorization server is coupled to multiple clients via a network. Each client has a security module that monitors web browsing performed on the client and reports a web site browsing stream to the categorization server. The categorization server identifies a site from the browsing stream of a client that is of a known category. The categorization server uses content-temporal locality to determine whether other sites in the browsing stream belong to the same category as the site having the known category. This determination can be performed by assigning probabilities to other sites in the browsing stream, and by considering probabilities assigned to sites in browsing streams of other clients. The categorization server provides categories of sites to the clients, and the client security modules can implement category-based security policies.
US08190609B1

A product catalog system includes a product catalog having information regarding products for sale online by various merchants. The product catalog system transmits information regarding products in response to queries for a target product and also transmits information regarding products that serve as alternatives to the target product. The product catalog system includes a product alternatives module that identifies product alternatives based on information regarding a multitude of received queries and information regarding products that were selected from other products presented in response to the queries. The alternatives module computes an association weight for pairs of products that indicates the likelihood that the two products are alternatives. This association weight is based on the query and product information and further based on the number of times that the two products were the subject of a comparison query.
US08190607B2

A method for tagging media content captured by a portable electronic device is disclosed. The method comprises determining a time for capturing of a piece of media content; connecting, via the Internet, to at least one bulletin service; acquiring from the at least one bulletin service, a data string indicating information associated with the determined time; and including the data string into metadata associated with the piece of media content. A portable electronic device and a computer program are also disclosed.
US08190606B2

Disclosed herein is a system for providing lyrics for a plurality of digital audio files. The system includes at least one terminal, a server, and a database server. The terminal selects a digital audio file among the digital audio files, and transmits tag information to receive lyrical data assigned to the selected digital audio file. The server retrieves the lyrical data, which is assigned to the selected digital audio file, using the tag information on the digital audio file transmitted from the terminal, and transmits the lyrical data to the terminal. The database server transmits the lyrical data in response to a request from the server and previously stores lyrical data in which lyrics are synchronized with digital audio files.
US08190602B1

Searching a database of selected and associated resources is described, including receiving a selected resource and adding the selected resource to a database, finding an associated resource associated to the selected resource, assigning a weight to the associated resource based on a relationship of the associated resource to the selected resource.
US08190598B2

One embodiment is a method that determines skew to predict costs for query plans for a database query. The method selects a query plan that accounts for the skew to evenly distribute processing load among multiple processors and then executes the query with the selected query plan.
US08190590B2

The creation of course content for college and university courses, seminars, lectures, and other pedagogical activities has in the past relied heavily on a textbook. Using a textbook for course content creation creates a static, rigid course framework that fails to consider timely, relevant real world information that is dynamic and changing. This results in courses that are stagnant and hot well rounded. The present invention, and the various embodiments thereof, describes a computer based system and method for the creation and access of dynamic course content and associated media products. The present invention utilizes dynamic current content sources such as news, web sources, blogs, podcasts, user generated content, and other sources to create media products such as slides, videos, audio and the like. The media products of the present invention are keyed to the static framework of a textbook or textbooks, and are searchable, by textbook structure media structure, key terms, date range, and the like.
US08190587B1

To promote an image, an identification of at least one of an symbol name and an existing symbol value associated with the symbol name is received. An identification of a new symbol value is also received. It is then determined that a binary file that is a component of an unpromoted image is to be modified, wherein the image has previously been compiled and linked. The binary file is read to find occurrences of at least one of the symbol name or the existing symbol value in the binary file. The existing symbol value is replaced with the new symbol value to promote the image. The image is promoted without recompiling or relinking the binary file.
US08190586B2

A method for determining whether an entered character string corresponds to terminology utilized in a catalogue database, comprising: accepting the entered character string; determining if the character string matches terminology utilized in the database; if the character string does not match terminology utilized in the database, applying at least one action to the character string to create an edited character string; and determining if the edited character string matches terminology utilized in the database.
US08190585B2

A system can include a voxel database and the set of applications. The voxel database can include a set of voxel indexed records, wherein the voxel database manages a volumetric storage space corresponding to a real-world volumetric space, where units of real-world volumetric space and data specific to these units map to voxels and attributes of voxel indexed records. Each of the applications can include a user interface that renders a volumetric simulation space that corresponds to the volumetric storage space. Geospatial data for the simulation space can include visual attributes used to render a graphical user interface representation of the simulation space, where these visual attributes are acquired from the voxel database. The applications can have different geospatial formatting and content needs from each other, yet the content needs of each of the applications can be supported by the voxel database.
US08190575B1

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, and a head actuated over the disk. Control circuitry within the disk drive is operable to write a plurality of code segments to a primary area of the disk, and write the code segments to a backup area of the disk. The control circuitry reads the code segments from the primary area of the disk and executes the code segments read from the primary area of the disk. After reading the code segments from the primary area of the disk and executing the code segments, the control circuitry verifies recoverability of the code segments from the backup area of the disk, and when the verification fails, copies the code segments from the primary area of the disk to the backup area of the disk.
US08190568B2

A system and method for providing interactive communications includes receiving a communication from an originator destined for a persona. An identity of the persona is determined and one or more rules associated with the identity of the persona is determined. Presence information of the persona is obtained. The communication is sent to the persona in accordance with the determination of the identity of the persona, the one or more rules associated with the identity, and the presence information of the persona.
US08190562B2

A data synchronization task is received at a console, wherein the data synchronization task is associated with information technology management. A configuration document is configured using the data synchronization task, wherein the configuration document defines data synchronization through declarations. A linking framework is configured based on the configuration document. Data is synchronized from a first and second source to a target as defined by the configuration document.
US08190561B1

A replication priority queuing system prioritizes replication requests in accordance with a predetermined scheme. An exemplary system includes a Replication Priority Queue Manager that receives update requests and assigns a priority based upon business rules and stores the requests in associated storage means. A Replication Decision Engine retrieves the requests from storage and determines a destination for the update based upon predetermined replication rules, and sends the update to the destination.
US08190556B2

Automatically extracting information that matches a predetermined criterion from one or more web pages at one or more web sites and automatically producing one or more extracted data-field names from the information extracted from the one or more web pages at the one or more web sites. The extracted information includes at least one extracted data-field value associated with one of the one or more extracted data-field names. If one of the extracted data-field names matches an existing data-field name in a previously constructed data base including one or more data fields each associated with a data-field name and a data-field value, the method updates an extracted data-field value associated with the data-field name in the data base. If one of the extracted data field names does not match any of the existing data-field names in the data base, the method adds the extracted data-field name to the data base.
US08190554B2

An OLAP-based method and system for profiling customer behavior that can be utilized to detect telecommunication fraud. First, call records are received. Next, a calling profile cube (e.g., a multi-customer profile cube) is generated based on the call records. A volume-based calling pattern cube (e.g., a calling pattern cube for each individual customer) is then generated based on the multi-customer profile cube. The volume-based calling pattern cube is then compared with known fraudulent volume-based calling patterns. If the similarities generated by the comparison reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold, then the particular caller with the calling pattern being analyzed is considered suspicious. In this manner, suspicious calling activity can be detected, and appropriate remedial actions, such as further investigation or the cancellation of telephone services, can be taken.
US08190542B2

A neural network includes neurons and wires adapted for connecting the neurons. Some of the wires comprise input connections and exactly one output connection and/or a part of the wires comprise exactly one input connection and output connections. Neurons are hierarchically arranged in groups. A lower group of neurons recognizes a pattern of information input to the neurons of this lower group. A higher group of neurons recognizes higher level patterns. A strength value is associated with a connection between different neurons. The strength value of a particular connection is indicative of a likelihood that information which is input to the neurons propagates via the particular connection. The strength value of each connection is modifiable based on an amount of traffic of information which is input to the neurons and which propagates via the particular connection and/or is modifiable based on a strength modification impulse.
US08190534B1

Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing tee time prices are disclosed herein. A pricing module may receive price and demand values of tee times; determine elasticity; and provide prices for a selected purchasing channel of a plurality of purchasing channels. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08190533B2

A computer-implemented method for managing fuel costs, along with a corresponding apparatus, and a corresponding medium are described. The method includes receiving transaction information at a Network Administrator, the transaction information being associated with: (a) a shipper who has arranged for a shipment of goods from an origin to a destination; and (b) a corresponding carrier that has agreed to transport the shipment using a pre-determined maximum number of eligible units of fuel, where the fuel is purchased by the carrier at a pre-set base price per eligible unit, and where the fuel is purchased from pre-selected fueling locations. The maximum number of eligible units of fuel and the base price per eligible unit for the shipment are established between the shipper and the carrier, while the fueling locations are established by the Network Administrator. The actual price paid for the fuel is set by the market. Carrier fuel purchase information associated with fuel purchases made by the carrier at the pre-selected fueling locations is then transmitted to the Network Administrator.
US08190532B2

The present invention relates to methods and systems for managing intellectual property assets. In an embodiment, an intellectual property protection life cycle of an intellectual property asset is managed, and an intellectual property marketing life cycle of the intellectual property asset is managed.
US08190530B2

A secure point-of-sale (POS) portal architecture for delivering multiple services is provided. According to one exemplary aspect of the architecture, a number of services offered by various parties are integrated for delivery to merchants. The parties offering the services include, for example, payment processors and merchant acquirers and other external value-added service providers. The integrated services, in turn, are offered to merchants and/or their respective customers via one or more POS devices and its supporting system infrastructure at the merchant locations. The integrated services include, for example, acceptance of multiple payment instruments, payment processing, user dialog management, sales promotion and customer support, loyalty programs, back office processing, receipt capture, employee training, risk management, dispute resolution, system security, system administration etc. Moreover, these integrated services may be customized based on a merchant's particular requirements to provide a specific environment for delivering these services.
US08190527B2

Systems (and corresponding methodologies) that facilitate card-less financial transactions are provided. The innovation enables card-less ATM (automated teller machine) transactions such as cash withdrawals, transfers, balance inquiries, etc. In aspects, customers can set up an ‘electronic wallet’ account based upon a pre-set range or otherwise. Accordingly, access to the ‘electronic wallet’ is granted or denied based upon responses to challenges presented.
US08190525B2

A business reply mail payment system and method is provided. A business reply mail payment system establishes a master account with the postal system for the payment of business reply mail. A plurality of mailers each establish a separate account with the payment system and transfer control of payment for business reply mail accepted under their respective permit imprints to the payment system. When the mailer will be receiving business reply mail, a request for payment of postage is made to the payment system, which processes the information related to the business reply mail. The post office acceptance site communicates with the payment system as the business reply mail is received and compares the received business reply mail with the information processed by the payment system to determine if it should be accepted or rejected. If the business reply mail is accepted, the master account is debited for payment.
US08190522B1

A system and method providing a borrowing scheme. The method comprises the steps of: establishing an interest-free revolving amount or account using the computer processor; establishing a periodic payment for maintaining the interest-free revolving amount or account using the computer processor; and automatically revising the interest-free revolving amount or account or the periodic payment using the computer processor based upon at least one user performance metric over a predetermined period of time; wherein the interest-free revolving amount or account or the periodic payment for maintaining the interest-free revolving amount is determined by the user via the network.
US08190519B1

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for sending and receiving gifts including specified, electronically-deliverable electronically transferrable items are disclosed. A system includes a data store that stores electronically transferrable items available to be purchased as gifts. The system also includes a computing device in communication with the data store. The computing device is operative to receive a selection by a giver of a specified electronically transferrable item to be presented to a recipient as a gift. The computing device is further operative to charge a payment mechanism associated with the giver after the recipient has accepted the gift.
US08190518B2

A method and system for performing monetary transactions across multiple source accounts. The method includes the steps of: determining whether a multi-source transaction is desired or required to complete a monetary transaction; selecting the specific source accounts to be accessed and debited to perform the monetary transaction; determining the amount of funds to be withdrawn from each of the source accounts; and communicating with the source accounts to (i) access the funds and (ii) determine whether adequate funds exist in each of the source accounts to perform the monetary transaction. When summed, the funds accessed from the multi-source accounts equal the total required to perform the monetary transaction. The final steps for completing the monetary transaction include approving the monetary transaction and transferring funds from the multiple source accounts to a single destination account. The funds may be drawn from the source accounts in accordance with a predetermined percentage defined by the holder/owner of the source accounts or based upon a specific input made by the holder/owner at the time of the monetary transaction. The system employs a communication link and processor to receive the various inputs of the account holder/owner to perform the monetary transaction.
US08190515B2

Aspects of the invention provide for the use of transactional data in determining credit and product offerings. Further aspects of the invention provide for generating financial statements and indices using transactional data for use by users and/or financial institutions. The transactional based financial statements and indices may be used for making underwriting and financial planning decisions.
US08190510B2

A method and system for forecasting the transaction cost of a portfolio trade execution that may be applied to any given trade strategy or an optimal trade strategy that minimizes transaction costs. In preferred embodiments, a server comprises one or more computers that act as an automated forecaster whereby it accepts user-defined input variables from customers and generates a transaction cost estimation report based on those variables. The server is programmed with specific transaction cost estimation and optimization algorithms that model the transaction costs of a specific trade execution based on the user's trading profile and market variables.
US08190507B2

A method of exchanging assets within a wagering establishment computer-based marketplace layer including the acts of accessing a wagering establishment marketplace layer using a peripheral device, offering a first asset for exchange in the wagering establishment marketplace layer to all participants in the wagering establishment marketplace layer. The method also includes the acts of receiving an offer to exchange a second asset for the first asset from an anonymous one of the participants in the wagering establishment marketplace layer, accepting the offer to exchange the second asset for the first asset from the anonymous one of the participants in the wagering establishment marketplace layer, and transferring the first asset in exchange for the second asset.
US08190502B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for managing goals and recommendations. A particular method includes identifying one or more financial planning objectives for a financial planning client, receiving information relating to the one or more financial planning objectives, and creating a financial planning goal for the financial planning client based at least in part on an analysis of the information. One or more financial planning recommendations are associated with the financial planning goal, and data identifying the financial planning goal and the one or more financial planning recommendations is stored in a data store. The method also includes monitoring progress of the financial planning client with respect to the financial planning goal over at least a portion of a financial planning lifecycle.
US08190501B2

A method and system for reducing the time it takes for a trader to place a trade when electronically trading on an exchange, thus increasing the likelihood that the trader will have orders filled at desirable prices and quantities. The “Mercury” display and trading method of the present invention ensure fast and accurate execution of trades by displaying market depth on a vertical or horizontal plane, which fluctuates logically up or down, left or right across the plane as the market prices fluctuate. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently. The price consolidation feature of the present invention, as described herein, enables a trader to consolidate a number of prices in order to condense the display. Such action allows a trader to view a greater range of prices and a greater number of orders in the market at any given time. By consolidating prices, and therefore orders, a trader reduces the risk of a favorable order scrolling from the screen prior to filling a bid or ask on that order at a favorable price.
US08190499B1

Collecting tax return data and integrating collected tax return data into a future electronic tax return. A computer in communication with a tax authority stores first year electronic tax return data of a user that prepared the tax return with a tax preparation application for that year. The computer sends a first electronic message such as an e-mail or text message to a communication device of the user asking whether data in the first year tax return has changed or to verify prior data. The user sends a response to the message using the communication device. Verified and changed data in the response may be stored for inclusion in an electronic tax return of the following or second year. The second year tax return may also be partially prepared utilizing the response from the user. Thus, when the user launches the tax preparation application for the second year, the electronic tax return for the second year is already partially completed to give the user a head start on preparing that electronic tax return.
US08190475B1

Methods, systems and computer program products for inferring a value of a visitor property for a visitor to a web destination are described. A set of traversals indicating visits to web destinations are received, including scored and unscored traversals. Initial destination scores for the web destinations visited by the scored traversals are inferred based on the known scores of the scored traversals. Initial scores for the unscored traversals are estimated based on the initial destinations scores. Revised destination scores for the web destinations visited by the scored traversals and initial destination scores for the web destinations only visited by the unscored traversals are inferred. Revised scores for the unscored traversals are estimated based on the revised destination scores and initial destination scores. Revised destination scores for all of the web destinations are inferred based on the scores of the scored traversals and the revised scores of the unscored traversals.
US08190474B2

Systems and methods for dynamically sizing, structuring and operating advertisements that include a variety of content, including interaction prompts and other elements, which enable an engagement-based revenue generation model. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing advertising content, serving an XML file from an advertising server to an advertisement manager in order to control a player on a user computer, dynamically generating the advertisement through the player based on directions from the advertisement manager and the stored content, and tracking and reporting a user's engagement with the advertisement in order to determine compensation for the publisher.
US08190468B1

Disclosed are methods and systems that can develop productivity scores for quantitatively comparing employees with somewhat different job task assignments. Evaluations of modeled task performance scores can be obtained and analysis of the evaluations, e.g., a regression analysis, can be performed to obtain performance parameters. The performance parameters can be applied to employee task performance scores over a time frame to obtain productivity scores for the employees. Statistical control charts based on the productivity scores can be used to identify outstanding and/or poorly performing employees.
US08190466B2

The identification of safe havens for hazardous material transports is provided. Safe havens include locations at which a hazardous material transport is less susceptible to an event that may result in a hazardous material release and/or a location at which the impact of a hazardous material release is reduced. When an event occurs indicating that hazardous material transports should be moved to safe havens, the locations of hazardous material transports are determined. Safe havens may then be determined for each hazardous material transport. In some cases, safe havens may be selected from a group of predetermined locations designated as safe havens. In some cases, locations may be dynamically designated as safe havens for hazardous material transports after the occurrence of an event. The hazardous material transports are then moved to the selected safe havens, thereby reducing their susceptibility to events and/or minimizing the impact of an event that involves a hazardous material transport.
US08190458B2

A method of performing oilfield operations for an oilfield having a subterranean formation with a reservoir therein is provided. The method involves generating a business analysis of the oilfield based on business inputs, generating an operational analysis of the oilfield based on operational inputs, and selectively integrating the business analysis with the operational analysis by using the operational outputs as at least a portion of the business inputs and by using the business outputs as at least a portion of the operational inputs to form an integrated oilfield analysis. The business analysis includes business outputs for characterizing the business impact of projects performed on the oilfield. The operational analysis includes operational outputs for characterizing the operational impact of projects performed on the oilfield. The integrated oilfield analysis includes integrated oilfield outputs for characterizing the business and operational impact of projects performed on the oilfield. The method may also involve developing an oilfield plan based on the integrated oilfield analysis and implementing the oilfield plan.
US08190455B2

A system for managing an insurance scheme, the system including a benefit module to define at least one insured event for an insured person and to define at least one benefit to be paid out on the occurrence of one of the insured events. A monitoring module monitors the compliance of the insured person with a wellness program. A calculation module alters the at least one benefit based on the degree of participation of the insured person with the wellness programme and an awards module, on the occurrence of the at least one insured event, provides the at least one altered benefit to the insured person.
US08190454B2

A process apparatus and a mutual insurance method performed by the process apparatus are provided. The process apparatus is connected to a database storing a basic insurance group, receives a basic insurance application of an applicant, generates basic policy information of the applicant according to the basic insurance group and the basic insurance application and stores the basic policy information in the database. The process apparatus further calculates a current basic insurance premium of the applicant according to the basic policy information and a current death number corresponding to the basic insurance group. The process apparatus further transmits the current basic insurance premium to the applicant. Thereby, the process and security of the insurance are simplified and improved respectively.
US08190440B2

A system and method for providing an augmented version of a Low-Complexity Sub-band Coder (LC-SBC) is described herein. In accordance with the method, a series of input audio samples representative of the frame are received. A series of sub-band samples is generated for each of a plurality of frequency sub-bands based on the input audio samples. A determination is made as to whether the frame is a voice frame or a noise frame. Responsive to a determination that the frame is a noise frame, an index representative of a previously-processed series of sub-band samples stored in a history buffer for at least one of the frequency sub-bands is encoded instead of encoding the series of sub-band samples generated for the frequency sub-band.
US08190439B2

In many application environments, it is desirable to provide voice access to tables on Internet pages, where the user asks a subject-related question in a natural language and receives an adequate answer from the table read out to him in a natural language. A method is disclosed for preparing information presented in a tabular form for a speech dialogue system so that the information of the table can be consulted in a user dialogue in a targeted manner.
US08190434B2

The apparatus detects a mental condition of a user when a conversation content is inputted. The apparatus further collects service information based on a keyword extracted from conversation and a detected mental condition. For example, a user's interest is determined by considering a mental condition, i.e., a user's feeling, when the conversation containing the keyword is held. For example, the apparatus provides information collected based on the keyword which the user expresses a good feeling. As a result, it is possible to collect information reflecting the user's interest and hobby more exactly from a user's conversation in the vehicle. It is possible to provide the apparatus for providing information for vehicles which can respond to a variety of user tastes.
US08190422B2

A semantic cognitive map created by associating each of a multitude of dictionary entries with a point among a multitude of points in a metric space, each of the dictionary entries associated with at least one onym, the at least one onym including at least one synonym or antonym, the metric space having a topology and metrics, the location of each of the multitude of points defined by a global minimum of an energy function of the multitude of points.
US08190420B2

A language identification system that includes a universal phoneme decoder (UPD) is described. The UPD contains a universal phoneme set representing both 1) all phonemes occurring in the set of two or more spoken languages, and 2) captures phoneme correspondences across languages, such that a set of unique phoneme patterns and probabilities are calculated in order to identify a most likely phoneme occurring each time in the audio files in the set of two or more potential languages in which the UPD was trained on. Each statistical language models (SLM) uses the set of unique phoneme patterns created for each language in the set to distinguish between spoken human languages in the set of languages. The run-time language identifier module identifies a particular human language being spoken by utilizing the linguistic probabilities supplied by the one or more SLMs that are based on the set of unique phoneme patterns created for each language.
US08190419B1

Disclosed are systems and methods for analyzing and improving document readability. For example, a method of automatic text evaluation is disclosed. The method can include the following steps: detecting whether a particular writing problem exists in text that is technically grammatically correct; scanning for at least one sign that indicates the possible occurrence or absence of the writing problem, the at least one sign comprising the term “that”; and implementing correction logic for correcting the problem. The correction logic can specify a proposed edit, which can include, for example: deleting text; adding text; and/or reordering text. Various other rules for improving text are also disclosed.
US08190417B2

System for simulating sub-systems of a tested system includes: (a) a sequence diagram storage defining the intercommunication of messages between various sub-systems of a real system; (b) an indicator for the sequence diagram those missing sub-systems, which have to be simulated; (c) a receiver within the sequence diagram for receiving activation signal for the sequence diagram, and for maintaining only those messages relating to missing sub-systems. The system also includes (d) one or more simulated sub-system units, each containing a domain of predefined output and input messages; and (e) a real time engine for activating said sequence diagram, receiving messages relating to missing sub-systems from the simulated sub-systems units, introducing in real time the received messages on a bus leading to the real sub-systems, and receiving messages issued by the real sub-systems and conveying them in real time to the simulated sub-system units.
US08190414B2

A method for modeling a reservoir response in a subsurface system is provided. The subsurface system has at least one subsurface feature. Preferably, the subsurface system comprises a hydrocarbon reservoir. The method includes defining physical boundaries for the subsurface system, and locating the at least one subsurface feature within the physical boundaries. The method also includes creating a finite element mesh within the physical boundaries. The finite element mesh may have elements that cross the at least one subsurface feature such that the subsurface feature intersects elements in the mesh. A computer-based numerical simulation is then performed wherein the effects of the subsurface feature are recognized in the response. The reservoir response may be, for example, pore pressure or displacement at a given location within the physical boundaries.
US08190411B2

Methods and systems for optimizing a product supply chain, including managing and maintaining an optimum product inventory with respect to stock levels, frequency of use, and replenishment intervals for products in a clinical setting. Actual or historical par data and simulation parameters, such as par types, delivery schedules, and/or vendor settings, are received or updated, and one or more simulations are performed. The product supply chain is optimized based on the results of the simulations.
US08190409B2

A communication network is simulated with a simulator with object based architecture in which each object represents the model of a network device. The simulated network is capable of corresponding to a plurality of different systems, such as, GSM, GPRS, UMTS, WLAN, fixed networks. At the simulator level, the physical devices of the network are subdivided into a first set of devices completely independent of the system that regulates the operation of the network, the operation of the devices of the first set thus being independent of the system, a second set of devices which depend on the system under consideration, the operation of the devices included in the second set thus being specific for the system under consideration, and a third set of devices for the inter-work between the first set and second set, the devices of the third set being able to interact with the devices independent of the system under consideration and with the devices which do depend on the system under consideration.
US08190403B2

A real-time algorithm for rendering of an inhomogeneous scattering media such as smoke under dynamic low-frequency environment lighting is described. An input media animation is represented as a sequence of density fields, each of which is decomposed into a weighted sum of a set of radial basis functions (RBFs) and an optional residual field. Source radiances from single and optionally multiple scattering are directly computed at only the RBF centers and then approximated at other points in the volume using an RBF-based interpolation. Unique approximation techniques are introduced in the computational algorithms to simplify and speed up the computation of source radiance contributed by single and multiple scattering. Using the computed source radiances, a ray marching technique using slice-based integration of radiance along each viewing ray may be performed to render the final image.
US08190400B1

A distributed graphical presentation and manipulation application executes as a thin client application in a network. The networked graphical presentation and manipulation application can generally be used without requiring a user to install any specific software prior to using the application. In one embodiment, code may be received from a server via the network. A local environment may be generated based on the code, where the local environment may be configured to display a view of a graphical model. A request to manipulate the view may be received within the local environment. A request for a manipulated view may be transmitted to the server based on the received request. The manipulated view may be received from the server. The received manipulated view may be displayed within the local environment.
US08190394B2

A method for monitoring the condition of oil contained within a gearbox of a wind turbine is disclosed. The method generally includes receiving a signal corresponding to a measurement of an oil parameter of the gearbox, comparing the measurement to a predetermined limit for the oil parameter, assigning a severity level based on the comparison of the measurement to the predetermined limit and determining a recommended course of action for the wind turbine based on the severity level.
US08190386B2

An apparatus and method to electrically and optically characterize a multijunction solar cell. The apparatus can have as many light sources as there are subcells in the multijunction solar cell. Each light source has an optical spectrum that falls within the bandgap energy of a corresponding subcell. Each light source has a controllable intensity level.
US08190384B2

A method of the present invention using a prediction process including a battery equivalent circuit model used to predict a voltage and a state of charge of a battery. The equivalent circuit battery model includes different equivalent circuit models consisting of at least an ideal DC power source, internal resistance, and an arbitrary number of representative parallel resistors and capacitors. These parameters are obtained a priori by fitting the equivalent circuit model to battery testing data. The present invention further uses a correction process includes determining a corrected predicted state of charge of the battery; and storing the corrected state of charge of the battery in a storage medium. In the present invention, an expectation of the predicted voltage of the battery and an expectation of the predicted state of charge of the battery are obtained by an unscented transform with sigma points selected by a Gaussian process optimization.
US08190372B2

A sensor device for sensing magnetic particles, the sensor device including a substrate and a sensing unit provided on and/or in and/or near the substrate. The sensing unit is configured to sense a detection signal indicative of the presence of the magnetic particles. The sensor device further includes a magnetic field control unit which may be provided off the substrate and is configured to generate a time-dependent magnetic field for interaction with the magnetic particles.
US08190371B2

The present invention provides methods and software applications for quantifying a target in an experimental sample by collecting and processing initial signal data from the experimental sample and at least two standard control samples containing known target copy numbers. In this regards, the present invention allows the quantification of target copy number in the experimental sample.
US08190366B2

An apparatus and method for determining plasma parameters such as plasma electron density ne. The probe apparatus includes an LC resonance probe comprising an inductive element and a capacitive element connected in series. The capacitive element of the probe can be in the form of a parallel plate capacitor, a cylindrical capacitor, a spherical capacitor, or any other suitable capacitor. The configuration of the probe apparatus gives it a characteristic resonance frequency ωR0 which can be determined by a circuit analysis device. When the capacitive element of the probe apparatus is placed in a plasma, the probe exhibits a new resonance frequency ωR, which is different from ωR0 because of the dielectric constant ∈ of the plasma. The difference in resonance frequencies can be used to determine plasma density ne, where n e = m e ⁢ ɛ 0 e 2 ⁢ ( ω R 2 - ω R ⁢ ⁢ 0 2 ) .
US08190347B2

A control apparatus controlling anteroposterior acceleration of a vehicle by controlling a motive power generation apparatus mounted on the vehicle, which is also provided with a staged transmission apparatus that operates on gear ratios. The motive power generation apparatus has an output shaft producing a rotation force in response to a command to be requested. The rotation force is transmitted to the drive wheels via the staged transmission apparatus. A feedback manipulated variable is calculated to control the production of the rotation force of the motive power generation apparatus so that an actual value of anteroposterior acceleration of the vehicle is controlled at a target value thereof. The calculated feedback manipulated variable is used as the command. When the staged transmission apparatus is in the switchover control of the gear ratios, the manipulated variable is is limited from being calculated (for example, stopped from being calculated).
US08190346B2

A system and method for a host vehicle for generating distance between a host vehicle and a target object traveling in the predicted path of the host vehicle, and velocity data as to the velocity of the target object. When a target object is detected, distance data is set to correspond to a measured distance value, velocity data is set to correspond to a value based on a measured value of the relative velocity of the target object and the velocity of the host vehicle, and stored. When the target object ceases to be detectable when the host vehicle is traveling in a curve, a value of the distance between the host vehicle and the target object is repeatedly estimated based on latest distance and velocity data stored and the velocity of the host vehicle, whereupon the distance data is set to correspond to the estimated value and stored.
US08190345B1

A vehicle safety system installed within a vehicle operable to monitor the perimeter of vehicle and provide notification of objects within a defined range so as to alert the driver of the vehicle of a probable collision. The vehicle safety system includes a plurality of transceivers that are circumferentially mounted around the vehicle that function to provide detection of another object. A brake actuator is further included wherein the brake actuator is operable to engage the braking system of the vehicle upon the condition of the vehicle approaching an object within its perimeter and it has been calculated by the controller of the vehicle safety system that a collision with the object is probable. A warning light is further included to provide visual notification to a second vehicle that is generally rearward of the vehicle wherein the warning light is illuminated in a flashing sequence so as to provide visual notification of the second vehicle being too proximate the vehicle. A monitor is further included and disposed within the passenger compartment of the vehicle to provide directional notification of the location of an object within the perimeter of the vehicle.
US08190344B2

A method of optimizing steering and stability performance of a vehicle includes measuring a set of inertial data during a regenerative braking event (RBE), calculating a set of vehicle performance data using the inertial data, and comparing the performance data to calibrated threshold data to determine a maximum regenerative braking torque (RBT). The maximum RBT is automatically applied during the active RBE. The vehicle includes a chassis, an electric motor/generator for applying an RBT, a frictional braking system, chassis inertial sensors for measuring a set of chassis inertial data, and a controller having an algorithm for calculating a set of vehicle performance data using the chassis inertial data. The controller determines the maximum RBT by comparing the vehicle performance data to corresponding threshold data. The chassis inertial sensors can include accelerometers, a yaw rate sensor, a steering rate sensor, speed sensors, and/or a braking input sensor.
US08190343B2

A control system for a dual clutch transmission (DCT) of a vehicle comprises a difference module, a summer module, and a position control module. The difference module determines a difference between a desired position for a gear actuator and a measurement of a current position of the gear actuator. The summer module determines a sum of a derivative of the difference and a product of the difference and a predetermined gain. The position control module controls the current position of the gear actuator based on the sum. The current position of the gear actuator controls a position of a gear synchronizer that slides along an output shaft of the DCT. The position of the gear synchronizer controls coupling of a gear ratio with the output shaft.
US08190342B2

A hydraulic vehicle provided with a running-system hydraulic unit 10 that includes a hydraulic pump 11 being configured to be driven by an engine E, a hydraulic motor 12 being configured to be driven by pressure oil discharged from the hydraulic pump 11, and a pair of running-system oil passages 13a and 13b connected between the hydraulic pump 11 and the hydraulic motor 12 for forming a closed circuit. The hydraulic vehicle is configured to be driven by the hydraulic motor 12 for running. The hydraulic vehicle includes: a backup pump 40 being configured to be driven by the engine E; a backup control valve 30, a backup oil passage 47, a high-pressure selection valve 47b that are configured to allow pressure oil discharged from the backup pump 40 to flow to one of the running-system oil passages that is higher in pressure than the other.
US08190336B2

A method is provided for operating a machine. The method includes receiving data relating to a current state of multiple parameters. The method also includes determining a parameter signature for each parameter of the multiple parameters based on the received data. In addition, the method includes comparing each parameter signature to reference data to determine which operating modes of the machine are indicated by each parameter signature. The method further includes adjusting one or more components of an implement control system according to the operating mode indicated by a threshold number of parameter signatures.
US08190331B2

Systems for detecting animate objects in a vehicle compartment include active materials based sensors for detecting the presence of an animate object in the compartment. The systems produce a response if the sensors detect the presence of an animate object in the compartment and at least one other predetermined condition exists.
US08190319B2

A vehicle powertrain controller includes a fuzzy logic-based adaptive algorithm with a learning capability that estimates a driver's long term driving preferences. An adaptive algorithm arbitrates competing requirements for good fuel economy, avoidance of intrusiveness and vehicle drivability. Vehicle performance is maintained in accordance with a driver's driving style.
US08190308B2

A method and device for detecting a risk of collision of an aircraft, having a profile unit having knowledge of the terrain profile, a determination unit for determining effective values of particular flight parameters, a checking unit for verifying whether a flight path determined by the effective values is compatible with the terrain profile, and a transmitting unit for emitting a warning signal in case of incompatibility. The checking unit includes at least one element for calculating a height variation due to an energy transfer and a total slope variation generated by a speed reduction, during an evasive action, an element deter mining an evasive course using the height variation, and an element verifying whether the evasive course determined is compatible with the terrain profile.
US08190307B2

The control optimization method for helicopters carrying suspended loads during hover flight utilizes a controller based on time-delayed feedback of the load swing angles. The controller outputs include additional displacements, which are added to the helicopter trajectory in the longitudinal and lateral directions. This simple implementation requires only a small modification to the software of the helicopter position controller. Moreover, the implementation of this controller does not need rates of the swing angles. The parameters of the controllers are optimized using the method of particle swarms by minimizing an index that is a function of the history of the load swing. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the controller in suppressing the swing of the slung load while stabilizing the helicopter.
US08190303B2

In a particular embodiment, a system to dissipate heat in an information handling system includes a first heat-generating component adapted to process first data and a second heat-generating component adapted to process second data. The system also includes a cooling fluid guide including an electroactive material. The cooling fluid guide is adapted to change from a first shape to a second shape, in response to receiving a trigger voltage or in response to no longer receiving the trigger voltage. The system also includes a controller adapted to detect a data load processed at the second heat-generating component and, in response to detecting the data load, to cause the trigger voltage to be received at, or no longer received at, the cooling fluid guide. The cooling fluid guide is adapted to direct an increased portion of cooling fluid toward the first heat-generating component when the cooling fluid guide is in a form of the second shape, as compared to the first shape.
US08190301B2

A building optimization system for optimizing an environment of a building is disclosed. The building optimization system includes a number of building optimization switches for controlling the environment of a corresponding space in a building according to a plurality of operation modes, as well as any number of modular, interchangeable binary controllers for controlling various environmental factors of a number of zones of a building. The building optimization includes switch an A/B lighting switch having lighting controls and a graphical display. The A/B lighting switch is further connected to one or more sensors for sensing and measuring environmental data of at least one zone of the building. The building optimization switch further includes a binary controller connected with the A/B lighting switch to control an environmental variable of the zone based on user input or the environmental data.
US08190298B2

An apparatus and a method for controlling a power in a Network on Chip (NoC) are provided. The apparatus includes a storage for storing status information of links interconnecting processing elements (PEs), link configuration information for establishing paths between the PEs, and voltage and clock information of the links according to a bandwidth; and a control device for establishing paths between the PEs to transmit data by checking the link configuration information in the storage, and controlling the voltage and the clock of the links by determining the voltage and the clock of the links of the established paths according to a bandwidth required for the data transmission of the PEs.
US08190297B2

A control method is provided for a fluid control device, particularly for an internal combustion engine, equipped with a position sensor having a nominal characteristic curve representative of a predetermined relationship between an admissible range of position values and a corresponding range of return electric signal values. The method includes, but is not limited to determining an offset (offsetopen; offsetclose) between a returned signal related to at least one defined position of the device and an expected signal related to the defined position of the device according to the nominal characteristic curve, estimating an updated characteristic curve of the sensor by applying the offset (offsetopen; offsetclose) to the nominal characteristic curve, and applying a predetermined control strategy of the fluid control device according to the updated characteristic curve.
US08190293B2

An electromagnetic communication and connection system for self structuring and computing modules includes one or more inductors located on a connecting plate of a first module for communicating signals to one or more inductors located on a connecting plate of a second module. A computer processor and algorithm are utilized to calculate the spatial relationship of the two modules, and to facilitate alignment of respective connecting plates to achieve an aligned mechanical contact between the respective connecting plates. Once connected, a permanent or semi-permanent physical connection is maintained between the connecting plates and the modules may communicate with one another.
US08190289B2

A system for controlling advancement of and access to product and for generating data associated with such advancement and access. Systems of this invention include a pusher system having a track, a pusher, and mechanisms for generating data relating to the movement of the pusher. Certain embodiments of the invention include a door assembly, which controls consumer access to product located behind the door assembly, a stop for limiting the forward progression of the pusher along the track, and mechanisms for generating data relating to when and/or for how long the door assembly is open.
US08190288B2

The invention describes a method and a position control system (22″) for controlling operation of a computer-controlled load handling device, with a displacement drive for a displacement unit, a lift drive for a vertically displaceable lifting unit and an actuator drive for a loading and unloading device, and a computer predefines a target position for the displacement and lifting units and loading and unloading device and controls the travel to it. Time-minimized reference trajectories are set first of all, optimized with respect to the maximum permissible loads of the load handling device and with respect to the displacement between the start and target positions, and from these, the desired trajectories are calculated for desired positioning forces (Fxsoll, Fysoll, Fzsoll) of the displacement and lifting units and the loading and unloading. The displacement, lifting and actuator drives receive the desired positioning forces (Fxsoll, Fysoll, Fzsoll) in timed cycles and are controlled by them as they move along the desired trajectories, and dynamic deformations of the load handling device which occur during the acceleration and deceleration phase are reduced to zero by the instant the deceleration phase ends on the basis of the desired trajectories during the automatic control operation.
US08190284B1

Systems and methods that facilitate discovery of history data via a locator component associated with a plant embedded historian(s) of an industrial programmer (e.g., a controller device.) Such locator component can further detect micro historians that are distributed on the back plane of an industrial network. The locator component can be part of applications running on a control unit, which can function as a management control center for the industrial network system. A common data model can be employed to expose functionality and data of the organization to the embedded historian component.
US08190283B2

A server device includes: an abnormality information output unit for storing a plurality of measurement information, which is time sequential information related to information measured in a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses, having manufacturing apparatus identifiers and time information, and storing at least one set of abnormality information indicating an abnormality and one or more measurement information, and outputting one or more abnormality information; a chart composing unit for composing one or more charts from one or more measurement information in pair with one or more abnormality information corresponding to an abnormality information instruction when the instruction, which is an instruction for one or more abnormality information among the one or more abnormality information outputted by the abnormality information output unit, is received; and an output unit for outputting the one or more charts composed by the chart composing unit, so that abnormality analysis can be carried out easily and efficiently.
US08190280B2

A method and appertaining system implement the use of manufacturing protocols for hearing aid design such that the ability to build an instrument can be displayed as a numeric parameter based on the partial numerical and metrological contributions of all the essential parameters of the given impression, and a buildability index can be displayed as a 3D virtual image of the proposed shell or preferred shell types. The method utilizes a predefined parameter table comprising parameters to utilize for a buildability determination. The buildability index is computed based on impression shape data, selected shell type, selected number of device options, data obtained from the parameter table, and data obtained from a receiver table, and the buildability index is output to a display of a user interface device or an external system.
US08190274B2

Methods for accessing a control module that can be executed in a control device of an automating system are provided. The method includes the steps of providing the control module in the control device; providing a first interface module in the control device; providing a second interface module in the control device; connecting the control device with an operating device via a network; transferring the second interface module from the control device to the operating device, whereby the operating device comprises input and output devices for operation by a user; executing the second interface module by the operating device; and transferring data between the first and the second interface modules.
US08190268B2

A method of fitting to a recipient a cochlear implant including a plurality of stimulation channels. The method comprises applying to at least one stimulation channel of the cochlear implant a first stimulus signal comprising a neural response component and a psychophysics signal component, automatically measuring a strength of an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) of the recipient evoked in response to the application of the neural response component of the first stimulus signal, and simultaneously providing to a user an indication of the automatically measured strength of the ECAP and a value of the applied psychophysics signal component.
US08190267B2

The invention is a method of automatically adjusting an electrode array to the neural characteristics of an individual subject. The response to electrical neural stimulation varies from subject to subject. Measure of impedance may be used to predict the electrode height from the neural tissue and, thereby, predict the threshold of perception. Alternatively, electrode height may be measured directly to predict the threshold of perception. Also, impedance measurement may be used to quickly identify defective electrodes and proper electrode placement.
US08190266B2

A wide-filed retinal prosthesis enables an increased field of vision with a relatively small scleral incision. The retinal prosthesis includes a flexible substrate comprising a central member and at least one wing, with an array of electrodes disposed therein that are configured to stimulate the central and peripheral nerves of the retina.
US08190263B2

Methods of treating various medical conditions by neuromodulation of target sites of a cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway and/or a cortical-ponto-cerebellar pathway. Such medical conditions include unilateral motor deficits, movement disorders, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, speech or cognitive deficits associated with hemispheric lesions, visual deficits associated with hemispheric lesions, learning disorders associated with hemispheric lesions, vertigo and/or dizziness, gait disturbances, hereditary/genetic disorders, congenital malformations, infectious disease, degenerative disorders, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic disorders. A method of enhancing memory, learning and/or cognitive capacity in a normal individual by stimulating a target site of a cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway and/or a cortical-ponto-cerebellar pathway is also provided.
US08190254B2

A defibrillator for external application to a patient. The defibrillator includes a power storage unit for supplying a defibrillation shock. The power storage unit has a capacitor unit encompassing at least one capacitor. In order to adjust a defibrillation treatment to different patients, the defibrillator advantageously comprises several different capacitor units which have a capacity adapted to various patient impedances and are or can be coupled in a replaceable manner to the defibrillator.
US08190253B2

A medical device delivers a therapy to a patient. The medical device may periodically determine an activity level of the patient, and associate each determined activity level with a current therapy parameter set. A value of at least one activity metric is determined for each of a plurality of therapy parameter sets based on the activity levels associated with that therapy parameter set. A list of the therapy parameter sets is presented to a user, such as a clinician, for evaluation of the relative efficacy of the therapy parameter sets. The list may be ordered according to the one or more activity metric values to aid in evaluation of the therapy parameter sets. Where values are determined for a plurality of activity metrics, the list may be ordered according to the one of the activity metrics selected by the user.
US08190249B1

Certain embodiments relate to a method for determining a condition of a subject, including obtaining a signal, the signal including a plurality of determinable parameters. The method also includes determining at least two of the plurality of determinable parameters from the signal, to yield determined parameters. The method also includes applying a weighting factor to each of the determined parameters to yield weighted parameters, and combining the weighted parameters to determine a numeric value relating to the condition of the subject. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08190238B2

A method for performing an interventional procedure using a robotically controlled guide instrument coupled to an instrument drive assembly, includes manipulating a user interface of a master controller to actuate the drive assembly and thereby position a distal portion of the guide instrument at an interventional procedure site in a patient's body; and providing on a first display a graphically rendered image of the distal portion of the guide instrument overlaying an image of the interventional procedure site, wherein manipulation of the user interface causes a corresponding movement of the instrument model relative to the image in the first display.
US08190237B2

A head coil arrangement for a magnetic resonance device has a housing on or in which a number of coils are arranged, the housing having at least two housing parts that can be moved toward each other for adjustment to different head sizes.
US08190236B2

There are many inventions described herein as well as many aspects and embodiments of those inventions. A thigh compression device and technique to control, time, delay and/or prevent excessive early venous enhancement relative to arterial enhancement and thereby improve and/or enhance MRA images, including peripheral MRA images. In one embodiment, the present invention uses a curved strip of material which is longer on the superior edge and shorter along the inferior edge. When wrapped around the conical or conal-like shape of the thigh of a subject (for example, a human), the thigh compression device more uniformly conforms to and/or fits around the thigh, providing more even/uniform compression as well as reducing, minimizing and/or eliminating significant movement of the thigh compression device towards the knees of the subject. Notably, a snug fit on the thighs may also enable the thigh compression device to be inflated with less fluid (for example, air) which is faster and less cumbersome for the operator.
US08190235B2

A patient table for a common imaging system including Magnetic Resonance and X-Ray retains the patient stationary in position prior to, during and subsequent to the imaging and includes a base, a patient support portion cantilevered from the base and a mattress. A safety system is provided for controlling the operation of the magnet and MR system and the X-Ray systems to allow effective safe operation and controls the movement of the magnet to the table and the movement of the X-Ray imaging systems to and from the table to locations where they do not interfere with the MR imaging.
US08190230B2

A protective electrode structure comprises a middle protective electrode which resides between an outer protective electrode and the skin electrodes during a measurement. The middle protective electrode and the outer protective electrode are insulated from each other. Additionally, the middle protective electrode may be coupled to a virtual ground of the user-specific performance monitor system.
US08190228B2

A new model based on ray tracing is developed to estimate power spectral properties in laser Doppler velocimetry of retinal vessels and to predict the effects of laser beam size and eccentricity as well as absorption of laser light by oxygenated and reduced hemoglobin. There is described the model and show that it correctly converges to the traditional rectangular shape of the Doppler shift power spectrum, given the same assumptions, and that reduced beam size and eccentric alignment cause marked alterations in this shape. The changes in the detected total power of the Doppler-shifted light due to light scattering and absorption by blood can also be quantified with this model and may be used to determine the oxygen saturation in retinal arteries and veins. The potential of this approach is that it uses direct measurements of Doppler signals originating only from moving red blood cells. The invention opens new avenues for retinal vessel oximetry.
US08190224B2

A sensor may be adapted to reduce motion artifacts by mitigating the effects of the tissue moving within the sensor. A sensor is provided with an elastomeric sensor body adapted to accommodate patient motion. Further, a sensor is provided in which the sensor cable is arranged to mitigate its pressure on a patient's tissue.
US08190223B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a handheld multi-parameter patient monitor capable of determining multiple physiological parameters from the output of a light sensitive detector capable of detecting light attenuated by body tissue. For example, in an embodiment, the monitor is capable of advantageously and accurately displaying one or more of pulse rate, plethysmograph data, perfusion quality, signal confidence, and values of blood constituents in body tissue, including for example, arterial carbon monoxide saturation (“HbCO”), methemoglobin saturation (“HbMet”), total hemoglobin (“Hbt”), arterial oxygen saturation (“SpO2”), fractional arterial oxygen saturation (“SpaO2”), or the like. In an embodiment, the monitor advantageously includes a plurality of display modes enabling more parameter data to be displayed than the available physical display real estate.
US08190220B2

A mobile device comprising a base and a cover operatively coupled with a hinge-less slider mechanism and configured to move on an angle between a closed position and an open position. The base includes a keypad which is accessible when the cover is in the open position and the cover includes a display module for facilitating telephony and data functions such as email, text messaging, web browsing and voice calling. According to an embodiment, the mobile device is configured to provide a thinner profile in the open position which provides the ergonomic feel of a thinner mobile device.
US08190216B2

A method for controlling the operation of a mobile phone backlight. The method may include receiving an incoming call. The method may also include receiving a selection from a user in response to receiving the incoming call. The method may include storing information relating to the selection received from the user. The method may further include turning off the mobile phone backlight after the passing of a predetermined time span of user inaction. The passing of the predetermined time span may follow the selection received from the user. The length of the predetermined time span may be determined at least in part using an algorithm. The method may also include modifying the algorithm based at least in part on the stored information.
US08190210B2

A telecommunications tower is formed as an obelisk and permits collocation of multiple telecommunications network carriers. The tower includes a façade shaped like an obelisk over a frame structure and is designed to blend with the surrounding architecture and landscape. The obelisk façade disguises the internal support frame structure and antenna arrays within the tower. The obelisk and support frame are constructed above a base structure. The base structure may include multiple levels or rooms. Each level may permit storage of cellular communications equipment. The design features of the tower permit collocation of multiple carriers within a common tower.
US08190204B2

A digital, wireless PC/PCS modem is disclosed for incorporation with personal home computers, laptop units, hand-held computer units, and cellular phones for providing wireless communication via satellite transmission. The invention is a device that combines a personal computer (PC) modem with a satellite link and relay system for computers. This will allow the user to establish a communications link with Internet™ access, access to direct dial telephones, faxing on demand, hyperterminal access for remote computer link-up, video, and voice applications. Utilizing existing software and hardware, this invention uses digital satellite technology and combines it with a PC modem for access to various communication links including phone links, without a phone line. In order to accomplish this, the laptop has a type II PCMCIA card slot for receiving the PC modem. An antenna is attached to the plug-in cellular phone card for the modem using a swivel joint assembly.
US08190189B2

The invention relates to a communication system comprising a first and a second communication device, each comprising transmit and receive units for establishing a wireless link between the devices, wherein the first device is a portable listening device. The invention further relates to a method, a data processing system and a medium. The object of the present invention is to control power consumption in a short range wireless link. The problem is solved in that at least the first communication device comprises a control unit for dynamically adjusting the transmit power of its transmit unit based on a measure of the quality of the link, wherein the system is adapted to use the dynamic transmit power regulation to implement a partial power-down mode of the system, when the two communication devices are expected NOT to be in a normal use, wherein the partial power-down mode at least comprises a power-down of the components related to the wireless link. This has the advantage of enabling an adaptation of the power consumption to the current needs. The invention may e.g. be used for wireless communication between (portable) low power devices, e.g. between a pair of hearing instruments.
US08190188B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving forward channel status information in a multi-carrier mobile communication system. An MS transmits to a BS forward channel status information representing an average C/I of forward signals with respect to a plurality of carriers, the maximum of the forward signal C/Is, or each of the forward signal C/Is. The forward channel status information is absolute C/I information representing a current C/I, or relative C/I information representing a difference of the current C/I from a previous C/I.
US08190178B2

In a case where a cellular phone exists outside a WOS system service area, the cellular phone receives a not-connectable signal and an audio message from a mobile switching controller. The cellular phone conducts disconnection processing with the not-connectable signal as a turning point. Moreover, the cellular phone stores an extension number and converts a dedicated special number into an external number for retransmission, thus establishing connection to a PBX. After the reception of a connection-accepted signal and an automatic exchange answer message from the PBX, the cellular phone automatically transmits the stored extension number.
US08190174B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing location based services are provided. Embodiments may include storing locations for a plurality of users of a telecommunication environment and contact lists of associated users for the plurality of users. Embodiments may also include providing the locations of the associated users for a first user based on a request from the first user. The request may further include providing locations for associated users who are located within an area of interest. The area of interest may be defined by a particular distance from the first user or by a point of interest of the first user. The locations of the users may be determined based on the locations of communication devices of the users including an identified receiving communication device for each user.
US08190173B2

The system contains a central computer unit having a first database controlled by a first logic unit. At least one mobile computer unit is joined with the mobile equipment. Each of the mobile computer units has a second database controlled by a second logic unit. At least one wireless communication device enables communication between said first logic unit and said second logic unit, wherein said mobile computer unit is operable independent of the first logic unit.
US08190172B2

An appropriate indoor/outdoor decision is made for a mobile communication terminal in accordance with a purpose of selection of a positioning method or the like. A positioning server 10 is an indoor/outdoor decision apparatus for making an indoor/outdoor decision on whether a mobile communication terminal 20 is located indoors or outdoors, which has: a communication information acquiring unit 11 which acquires communication information about wireless communication at the mobile communication terminal 20; an environment information acquiring unit 12 which acquires environment information indicative of an environment associated with the mobile communication terminal 20; a criterion setting unit 13 which sets a criterion for the indoor/outdoor decision according to the environment information; and a deciding unit 14 which makes the indoor/outdoor decision with reference to the communication information on the basis of the set criterion.
US08190171B2

The present invention provides a solution for providing the location of a mobile device connected to a first mobile network to a second mobile network. A mobile device receives information about the geographic location of the base stations in its neighborhood. Based on the identity of the base station the device is connected to the device can determine its geographic location and provide that to the second mobile network.
US08190165B2

System and method for utility-based scheduling for SDMA transmissions on an uplink of a wireless communications network. A method comprises assigning a utility function to each user in a set of users, selecting a set of selected users from the set of users, assigning uplink transmission resources to each user in the set of selected users, and transmitting a control message to each user in the set of selected users. The selecting comprises iteratively selecting up to K users one user at a time from the set of users, wherein a combination of the selected users maximally increases a value of the assigned utility functions, wherein K is a maximum number of users in the set of selected users.
US08190164B2

An apparatus and method for periodically allocating uplink resources in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. Base Station (BS) includes a resource allocator for allocating periodic uplink (UL) resources to a terminal, a control information generator for generating a resource allocation message for the terminal using resource allocation information from the resource allocator, generating and outputting control information including the generated resource allocation message, and a transmitter for transmitting the control information from the control information generator.
US08190160B2

Disclosed is a method of allocating resources in a packet data system to a User Equipment (UE) with an active data session, such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call, using dedicated resources to transmit scheduling requests, thereby reducing latency which may occur as a result of collisions associated with transmitting scheduling requests over a random access channel. The method comprises the step of transmitting over dedicated resources a scheduling request, and receiving a scheduling grant in response thereto. The scheduling request indicates that a transmitter in a data session has a data packet to transmit. The scheduling grant indicates resources allocated for transmitting the data packet.
US08190155B2

A list of candidate basic service sets (BSSs) or access points (APs) is included in a medium access control (MAC) message which is received at a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). The list includes an identity of each candidate BSS or AP and a preference indicator which indicates an extent that the candidate BSS or AP is preferred for selection and whether the candidate BSS or AP shall not be considered for selection. A BSS or AP is selected by the WTRU using the list.
US08190143B1

Methods, systems and devices for receiving in a television (TV) set wireless OFDM modulated, infrared (IR) and wire connected cable provided signals from a mobile devices and from a cellular phone. Transmitting from a TV set by a wireless and by a cable connected transmitter of the TV set a video signal or music signal received in the TV set from the internet or from a video broadcast transmitter, to a mobile device. Generating and providing a camera generated and a motion detector signal in a mobile device to a TV set for control of interactive communications between a TV set and a mobile device.
US08190141B2

A method for reactivating a then-currently deactivated mobile unit involves submitting a request to a call center to reactivate the mobile unit and, upon receiving the request, submitting another request to a cellular service provider from the call center, where such other request includes a request to broadcast a message having a mobile unit identifier and a reactivation protocol contained therein. The method further involves broadcasting the message from the cellular service provider to a plurality of mobile units each having an identical inactive dialing number stored therein. A processor operatively associated with the then-currently deactivated mobile unit recognizes the mobile unit identifier contained in the broadcasted message. Upon recognizing the mobile unit identifier, the processor applies the reactivation protocol contained in the broadcasted message to initiate reactivation of the then-currently deactivated mobile unit.
US08190138B2

Mobile phone 300 is registered with various types of specific keywords. When receiving an e-mail from an external terminal, mobile phone 300 determines whether the e-mail contains a specific keyword. When it is determined that the e-mail contains the specific keyword, mobile phone 300 generates log data containing the specific keyword. Mobile phone 300 then transmits the generated log data to a predetermined transmission destination (such as communication management server 700).
US08190131B2

A method for providing message notification in a wireless network includes receiving from a subscriber a message that is to be sent over the wireless network, receiving from the subscriber a requested notification type and a requested notification destination, processing the requested notification type and the requested notification destination, and sending the requested notification type to the requested notification destination.
US08190129B2

A method and apparatus for three-factor authentication using a short wireless device. The short wireless device stores a digital key and sends the digital key wirelessly to a third party application or device. The short wireless device can authenticate the user voice or movements in 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional space.
US08190127B2

A process is provided in which a first device, e.g., a hub device of a home network, is temporarily provided with a SIM to store a challenge-response, and thereafter the first device uses the stored challenge-response to interrogate a second device, e.g., a mobile telephone, to authenticate that the second device now has the SIM with which the first device was previously provided. A further process is provided in which the second device authenticates that the first device previously had access to the SIM by verifying that a response from one or more challenge-response pairs provided by the first device to the second device is the same as a response received by the second device from the SIM when the second device interrogates the SIM with the challenge of the challenge-response pair received earlier from the first device.
US08190122B1

A system manages subscribers' data of mobile telephones in a wireless network. A plurality of data servers are located according to geographic service areas, and each of the data servers may store subscribers' data of mobile telephones based on the respective geographic area. Location of subscribers' data is determined depending upon subscribers' ID, to which two or more Mobile telephone Numbers (MTNs) are assigned. Two or more MTNs may have different area codes for which subscribers' data are stored in at least two or more of the data servers. A terminal receives a request of subscriber's data of a first Mobile telephone Number (MTN) and retrieves a subscriber's ID corresponding to the first MTN from an Electronic Telephone Number Inventory (eTNI) database. A router determines a first data server corresponding to the retrieved subscriber's ID and routes the request to the first data server.
US08190116B2

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for down-converting an electromagnetic (EM) signal by aliasing the EM signal are described herein. Briefly stated, such methods, systems, and apparatuses operate by receiving an EM signal and an aliasing signal having an aliasing rate. The EM signal is aliased according to the aliasing signal to down-convert the EM signal. The term aliasing, as used herein, refers to both down-converting an EM signal by under-sampling the EM signal at an aliasing rate, and down-converting an EM signal by transferring energy from the EM signal at the aliasing rate. In an embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is down-converted to a demodulated baseband information signal. In another embodiment, the EM signal is a frequency modulated (FM) signal, which is down-converted to a non-FM signal, such as a phase modulated (PM) signal or an amplitude modulated (AM) signal.
US08190115B2

Various example embodiments are disclosed. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a first circuit, a second circuit, a transmission line coupled between the first circuit and the second circuit, and a Q-enhancement cell coupled to the transmission line.
US08190112B2

A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and circuit board in the housing and having radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a power amplifier and microphone mounted thereon. An antenna is carried within the housing and operative with the RF circuitry. An RF shield surrounds and isolates the microphone from the RF circuitry, power amplifier and antenna and shields the microphone from radiated energy generated from the RF circuitry, antenna or power amplifier.
US08190111B2

A two-point polar modulator for generating a polar-modulated signal based on an amplitude information and a phase information includes a two-point modulation phase-locked loop which is implemented to enable a frequency setting depending on a first control value via a feedback path of the two-point modulation phase-locked loop and to enable a frequency setting depending on a second control value, directly, bypassing the feedback path, wherein the two-point modulation phase-locked loop is implemented to provide a phase-locked loop output signal depending on the two control values. The two-point polar modulator further includes a modulator which is implemented to combine an amplitude signal derived from the amplitude information with the phase-locked loop output signal, to generate the polar-modulated signal and a control value generator which is implemented to generate the first control value depending on the phase information and independent of the amplitude information and which is implemented to generate the second control value depending on the amplitude information.
US08190108B2

A method and system is described wherein a signal with a lower frequency is up-converted to a higher frequency. In one embodiment, the higher frequency signal is used as a stable frequency and phase reference. In another embodiment, the invention is used as a transmitter. The up-conversion is accomplished by controlling a switch with an oscillating signal, the frequency of the oscillating signal being selected as a sub-harmonic of the desired output frequency. When the invention is being used as a frequency or phase reference, the oscillating signal is not modulated, and controls a switch that is connected to a bias signal. When the invention is being used in the frequency modulation (FM) or phase modulation (PM) implementations, the oscillating signal is modulated by an information signal before it causes the switch to gate the bias signal. In the amplitude modulation implementation (AM), the oscillating signal is not modulated, but rather causes the switch to gate a reference signal that is substantially equal to or proportional to the information signal. In the FM and PM implementations, the signal that is output from the switch is modulated substantially the same as the modulated oscillating signal. In the AM implementation, the signal that is output from the switch has an amplitude that is a function of the information signal. In both embodiments, the output of the switch is filtered, and the desired harmonic is output.
US08190103B2

A method of providing assistance for synchronization of a radio link in a communications network comprising at least a first network element, the method comprising the steps: making a decision to connect a user equipment to the first network element via a first radio link to transmit a signal discontinuously thereto; transmitting the signal continuously from the user equipment to the first network element via the first radio link; synchronizing the first radio link; and switching the user equipment to transmit the signal discontinuously after the first radio link is synchronized.
US08190096B2

The invention relates to the selection of devices of a wireless network, particularly wireless home control networks, for example lighting control networks in buildings. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method and System to select devices of a wireless network, particularly a network of wireless lighting devices. According to the invention, for selecting a certain device in the wireless network a broadcast message is sent out by a wireless remote device (S10). Only devices with a certain communication link quality respond with unicast messages (S20). The wireless remote device then sends a command to the device with best communication link quality for selecting this device. This enables a user to select devices without buttons in a wireless network.
US08190094B2

A method for reducing inter-cell interference and a method for transmitting a signal by a collaborative MIMO scheme, in a communication system having a multi-cell environment are disclosed. An example of a method for transmitting, by a mobile station, precoding information in a collaborative MIMO communication system includes determining a precoding matrix set including precoding matrices of one more base stations including a serving base station, based on signal strength of the serving base station, and transmitting information about the precoding matrix set to the serving base station. A mobile station in an edge of a cell performs a collaborative MIMO mode or inter-cell interference mitigation mode using the information about the precoding matrix set collaboratively with neighboring base stations.
US08190073B2

An endless belt is provided with an endless belt body and a meandering prevention member in the form of a flat bar. The belt body includes a folded trace extending in the width direction thereof. The meandering prevention member is attached on one widthwise end of a circumferential surface of the belt body such that one widthwise end of the folded trace is covered thereby and the opposite longitudinal ends of the meandering prevention member abut each other in a rotating direction of the belt body. An abutting portion at the opposite ends of the meandering prevention member is arranged at a position displaced from the folded trace by a specified distance in the rotating direction of the belt body.
US08190069B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developing device, a developer container and a hole connection member. The developing device is provided so as to be movable in a direction in which it comes close to and goes away from the image carrier. And, the developing device develops a latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier into a visible image. The hole connection member is supported so as to be movable relative to an inlet of the developing device in the movable direction of the developing device and connects the inlet and an outlet of the developer container.
US08190064B2

A housing of a developing apparatus is provided with a conveying member and first and second agitating members. A guide is provided in an inner bottom surface of the housing between the first and second agitating members. The guide has a mountain shape with a wide foot portion in a cross sectional shape which is orthogonal to an axial direction of rotating shafts of the first and second agitating members. The first and second agitating are arranged in such a manner that gaps between respective outermost portions thereof and the inner bottom surface of the housing and the guide become equal to or more than 1.5 mm and less than 3 mm. A discharge portion is provided on a downstream side of a developer agitating portion in a developer conveying direction of the first and second agitating members.
US08190061B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a transporting path; a heating unit on the transporting path that is movably provided in a direction coming in contact with and departing from a continuous recording medium and that heats the continuous recording medium; a braking unit that has a first braking member and a second braking member and that brakes transportation of the continuous recording medium by sandwiching in the continuous recording medium between the first and second braking members, wherein the first and second braking members are provided on upstream and downstream sides on the transporting path of the heating unit, respectively; and a control unit that controls that the heating unit is brought into contact with the continuous recording medium and the braking of the continuous recording medium is released by the braking unit.
US08190060B2

In a fixing device, a first fixing member and a second fixing member nip a recording medium so as to fix a toner image on the recording medium by applying heat and pressure to the recording medium. A pressure application lever presses the second fixing member toward the first fixing member. A pressure release lever supported by the pressure application lever supports a lock member. An elastic member pulls the lock member in a lock direction. The pressure release lever moves the lock member between a pressure application position, at which the lock member causes the pressure application lever to press the second fixing member toward the first fixing member so as to apply tension to the second fixing member, and a pressure release position, at which the second fixing member separates from the first fixing member so as to release tension applied to the second fixing member.
US08190059B2

A developing unit is to be attachable to and detachable from an image forming device main body. The developing unit is provided with a developer case, a developing roller coupled with the developer case, and a movement member coupled with the developer case. The movement member is capable of moving between a housing position where the movement member is substantially housed inside the developer case and a protruding position where the movement member protrudes beyond the developer case. The movement member is positioned at the protruding position and pushed by the image forming device main body in a predetermined direction while the developing unit is being attached to the image forming device main body.
US08190055B2

A flat surface is arranged, adjacent to an operating surface of an image forming apparatus, at a lower position than the operating surface. A small-object placing member for placing clips is arranged on the flat surface. The small-object placing member includes a slanting surface that recedes towards an inner side from a side of an operator who operates the operating surface.
US08190053B2

In an image forming apparatus including a cleaning device having a cleaning blade arranged so as to make contact with and separate from a cleaned surface, an occurrence of excessive cutting when the cleaning blade makes contact with the cleaned surface is prevented. The image forming apparatus includes the cleaning blade for making contact with and separating from the cleaned surface and scraping off toner adhered onto the cleaned surface and a regulation member for regulating a movement of the cleaning blade in a direction of contact with the cleaned surface by a regulation member using a regulating force, the regulating force larger than the pressing force.
US08190043B2

A method for compensating a charge retentive imaging surface for a photoreceptor in a toner image processing machine, the surface including a plurality of panels, each panel including a document printing zone (DPZ) and an interdocument zone (IDZ), and the machine including at least one specially programmed computer, at least one sensor, and charging members for charging the surface, including: measuring for each panel, using the sensor, first density values for a plurality of points in the DPZ, the DPZ in a printing region of the photoreceptor; measuring for each panel, using the sensor, a second density value for the IDZ; determining for each IDZ, using a processor in the computer, a respective compensated IDZ density value; and modifying operation of the charging members according to the compensated IDZ density values, such that the first density values for each panel are substantially centered with a desired density value.
US08190039B2

An image forming apparatus includes a replaceable image formation unit. The image forming apparatus includes an input device for inputting a signal representing occurrence of abnormality in one of an output image and the image forming apparatus recognized by an operator, a unit specifying device for specifying an image formation unit to be replaced for resolving the abnormality upon receiving the signal, and a notification device for notifying information related to the replacement unit based on the unit specification result.
US08190037B2

A fault prediction method predicts a plurality of faults in a target device, and includes the steps of collecting internal information of the target device output from the target device, generating one or more criteria for defining a deviation from a normal state based on the collected internal information of the target device, incorporating the one or more criteria into a device state discriminator, identifying a deviation from a normal state in the target device according to the one or more criteria using the device state discriminator, and outputting a fault prediction as a result of the identifying step to a user. One or more of the steps are performed by a processor.
US08190036B2

A VOA maximum attenuation control circuit has, in addition to a conventional VOA maximum attenuation control circuit, a first resistor and a second resistor, a transistor which is an emitter follower type PNP transistor, and a capacitor. Since charge of the capacitor is 0 volt at the instant when power of the optical interface unit or each optical interface is shifted from OFF state to ON state, current is supplied to a VOA by the transistor in association with shift to the ON state of the power. As a result, attenuation of the VOA reaches maximum. When the capacitor is gradually charged, base potential of the transistor is finally +5 volts, and current is 0 ampere. Then shifting to maximum attenuation control of the VOA by an operational amplifier is realized.
US08190022B2

An optical transmission apparatus includes a network, a plurality of transponders, a monitor, a multiplexer, and demultiplexer. The plurality of transponders connected with the network, each of the plurality of transponders having a response transfer processing unit for communicating between the other transponders via the network, the plurality of transponders categorized a first transponder and a second transponder; The monitor connected with each of the transponder units, respectively, the monitor monitoring the plurality of transponders and sending a first request and a second request to the plurality of transponders. The first transponder responds an answer to the monitor via the network when the first transponder receives the first request. The second transponder responds an answer to the monitor instead of the first transponder via the network when the first transponder receives the second request.
US08190021B2

The present invention discloses a smart phone with a lens comprising a main body, a circuit board, a lens module, a speaker module and a flash module. The main body includes a rear casing having a circuit board mount formed at a lower portion of an inner surface of the rear casing, a lens mount formed at a position adjacent to an upper side of the circuit board mount and attached onto a lateral edge of the rear casing, and a speaker mount formed at an upper edge of the inner surface of the rear casing corresponding to another lateral edge of the rear casing. The circuit board is mounted in the circuit board mount. The lens module is mounted in the lens mount. The speaker module is mounted in the speaker mount. The flash module is mounted between the lens module and the upper edge of the rear casing.
US08190019B2

A digital camera in which a recording portion made up of a microcomputer 110 and a card slot 153 performs predetermined processing on image data generated by a CMOS sensor 130 so that the image data takes on the aspect ratio accepted via an operation portion 140 while in live view mode, or performs predetermined processing on the image data generated by the CMOS sensor 130 so that the image data takes on the aspect ratio of an optical viewfinder while in viewfinder mode. The image data is then stored in a memory card 300. Through this configuration, it is possible to provide a digital camera in which an image of a composition that suits the user's intent can be recorded, as well as in which the image can be recorded having an aspect ratio that the user desires, selected from among a plurality of aspect ratios.
US08190016B2

Motion of an image of a scene being captured by a digital image acquisition device is detected and used to control parameters of illumination of the scene by a flash lamp that is typically built into the device. Parameters that may be controlled include the intensity, duration and timing of light emitted by the flash lamp. Such control of the flash illumination is preferably performed in conjunction with adjusting one or more exposure parameters used to capture an image. Such exposure parameters include duration, aperture and sensor gain. Motion blur caused by movement of the camera or by movement of an object within the scene being photographed is reduced by selecting appropriate exposure parameters and flash light characteristics.
US08190015B2

In a method for reducing lens vibration in an image capture device, a lens movement requirement is broken up into N smaller lens move steps, and the lens is moved a first of the N smaller steps. A wait time is inserted after completing the first of the N smaller steps, and then the moving and inserting steps are repeated until the remaining N smaller move steps have been completed. The image capture device includes a voice coil motor for moving the lens under control of a controller in accordance with the lens movement requirement, which reflects a determined lens position. The voice coil motor includes springs which impart vibration to the lens during lens movement. The vibration imparted by the springs to the lens is thus actively dampened during the lens movement to the determined lens position.
US08190012B2

An optical system includes actuators in a coupling between a detector, such as a focal plane array, and a frame (mount) that supports the detector. The actuators may be actuated piezoelectric shims that can have their thickness adjusted by applying a voltage to them. The adjustment of the thickness of the actuators (shims) may be used to control tilt and focus (axial position) of the detector relative to the frame (and other parts of the optical system). The optical system may be part of a flying vehicle, such as a spacecraft or aircraft, for instance a missile. The system may include a temperature sensor, and a control system that adjusts the thickness the actuated shims based on temperature, for example using a lookup table.
US08190008B2

An image stabilization device is disclosed. The image stabilization device includes a first linkage assembly and a first flexible element. The first linkage assembly is disposed on a frame. The first linkage assembly includes a first linkage which is disposed in a first direction. The first flexible element is capable of pressing an optical element to the first linkage so as to make the optical element move along the first direction.
US08190004B2

A recording/playing device and a method for processing a broadcast signal are disclosed. The device includes an external storage device, and a broadcast receiver. The external storage device includes at least one storage medium. And, the broadcast receiver includes a broadcast processor, an interface unit, and a record/play controlling unit. The broadcast processor receives a broadcast signal of a specific channel and demodulates and decodes the received broadcast signal. The interface unit is capable of being connected to the storage medium of the external storage device. And, the record/play controlling unit activates a record/play mode, when a connection with the storage medium of the external storage device is detected through the interface unit, and stores the demodulated broadcast signal in the storage medium of the external storage device through the interface unit, or reads and plays (or plays-back) the broadcast signal from the storage medium of the external storage device.
US08189996B2

An interactive program guide system is provided. The system facilitates recording of programs selected from the program guide. The system handles the recording and viewing of pay programs, parentally-controlled programs, consecutive programs on different television channels, and programs with and without copy protection. Programs may be recorded using combination television videocassette recorder (TV/VCR) units.
US08189993B2

A medical support control device to display on a display device an image captured by a medical device. The control device has access to a storage unit for storing display format types of the image displayed on the base of video signals output from the medical device and a prescribed order for the display format types, and a display switching unit for causing the display unit to display the image in the format in the prescribed order based on a display format switching signal from an operation unit of the medical device.
US08189992B2

Total management information includes time zone information (TM_ZONE) indicating a time difference between a world standard time (Greenwich Mean Time) and a standard time in a predetermined location, wherein the data management information includes recording time zone information (REC_TM_ZONE) at a time of recoding the data, indicating a time difference between the world standard time (Greenwich Mean Time) and a standard time in a location where the data has been recorded; and data recording time information (REC_TM) indicating a recording time when the data has been recorded, and wherein the reproduction apparatus further includes a unit for specifying a local time in a location where the data recording time has been recorded, while the data is reproduced, in accordance with the data recording time information (REC_TM), the time zone information (TM_ZONE), and the recording time zone information (REC_TM_ZONE) at the data recording time.
US08189991B2

Data management information includes: recording time zone information (REC_TM_ZONE) at a time of recording data, first data recording time information indicating a recording time of data first recorded on the data group; second data recording time information indicating a recording time of data last recorded on the data group; and a flag indicating whether the recording time zone information (REC_TM_ZONE) at the time of recording the data specifies a time difference from the world standard time (Greenwich Mean Time) at the data recording time; specifying unit specifies the time difference from the world standard time (Greenwich Mean Time) in the location where the data has been recorded, at only a case where the flag indicates that the recording time zone information (REC_TM_ZONE) at the data recording time specifies the time difference from the world standard time (Greenwich Mean Time) in the location where the data has been recorded.
US08189990B2

A digital broadcast receiving apparatus which enables simple programming for receiving a digital television broadcast and/or a radio broadcast. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus includes: a broadcast receiving unit receiving a digital broadcast; an extraction unit extracting a service description table from the received digital broadcast; an identification unit identifying, from the extracted service description table, transport stream identification information, network identification information, and service identification information, as stream identification information; and a transmission unit transmitting, to a recording apparatus, the identified stream identification information and a recording command.
US08189985B2

A light guide plate template which comprises a frame and a plurality of light guide plate building blocks which are arranged in the frame to form an integral light guide plate, each of the light guide plate building blocks has dots on its bottom surface to make it have a predetermined light-emitting efficiency.
US08189982B2

A housing structure for pluggable transceiver module includes an insertion base, at least two light-guiding units separately connected to two lateral sides of the insertion base, and an enclosure enclosing the insertion base and the light-guiding units therein. The enclosure is set on two lateral sides with a plurality of inward protruded elastic pressing tabs for elastically pressing against lateral outer surfaces of the two light-guiding units. When the insertion base and the light-guiding units have been enclosed in the enclosure, the elastic pressing tabs on the enclosure further elastically press against the outer side surfaces of the light-guiding units to ensure more stable and firm connection of the light-guiding units to the enclosure.
US08189980B2

The present invention provides an electromagnetic wave resonator that is capable of showing surface wave resonance typically as outstanding plasmon resonance and can be manufactured industrially with excellent reproducibility and efficiency by combining currently available microprocessing technologies. The electromagnetic wave resonator of the present invention includes a first negative dielectric surface, a second negative dielectric surface and a positive dielectric thin film disposed between the first and the second negative dielectric surfaces. The positive dielectric thin film has an end face having an electromagnetic wave introduced therefrom. Intensity of the electromagnetic wave having a predetermined wavelength and being introduced from the end face is enhanced in the electromagnetic wave resonator due to resonance of a surface wave having an electric field component in a direction of film thickness of the positive dielectric thin film and without having a cut-off frequency.
US08189976B2

An endoscope system of the present invention includes: an image fiber with an image fiber main body made of a plurality of cores for forming pixels and a cladding common thereto; and an optical system connected to an eyepiece side of the image fiber for causing laser light to enter the image fiber and for taking in an image from the image fiber, in which the image fiber has the cores arranged substantially uniformly over a cross-section of the image fiber main body, the cross-section being perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the image fiber main body.
US08189970B2

A light guide apparatus includes a light guide layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, and a transversely oriented side-end surface that forms an output aperture of the light guide, characterized by an index of refraction, n1, and further characterized by a length dimension in an intended light propagation direction towards the output aperture, where the intended light propagation direction is a z-axis direction of a Cartesian coordinate system; and a plurality of light injection elements disposed in the form of at least one linear strip in at least one of the top and bottom surfaces of the light guide layer, wherein some of the plurality of light injection elements are disposed on one lateral side of the strip and some other of the plurality of light injection elements are disposed on an opposing lateral side of the strip, further wherein each light injection element is disposed outwardly at a rotation angle Δz about the y-axis.
US08189969B2

A switch having two apertured plates one of which is movable relative to the other to occupy spaced switch positions, the apertures being arranged in the plates so that in each switch position two or more pairs of apertures are aligned and all others are masked, wherein light transmitted through a selected one of the two or more aligned aperture pairs in a particular switch position is visible through an external switch position indicating window to thereby provide an unambiguous indication that the movable plate is positively registered in the particular switch position.
US08189967B1

A fiber optic sight for a gun is disclosed that allows for increased illumination to the shooter's eyes by the use of an angled cut at the forward end of the fiber optic rod. The angled cut is positioned on the underside of the rod, and the fiber optic rod is exposed to the ambient light through the exterior surface of the rod onto the angled cut. The angled cut may be polished or be provided with a reflective surface that may be applied to, bonded to or positioned adjacent to the angled cut. The ambient light is directed along the major axis of the fiber optic rod towards the shooter's eyes. A reflector may also be positioned against the angled cut to enhance the reflectivity down the major axis of the fiber optic rod. The illumination may be further increased through the positioning of a light source alongside the fiber optic rod, with the light being directed onto the angled cut, and along the major axis of the fiber optic rod.
US08189965B2

An image processing system and method is disclosed. The image processing system can be configured for use with a mouse scanner system operable to scan a document. The mouse scanner system includes a scanner built into a computer mouse and the image processing system includes a scanner software application operating on a computer. The scanner includes a positioning system operable to output position indicating data and an imaging system operable to output captured image data. The data is sent to the scanner software application where a feedback image is constructed and displayed on a display in real, or near real, time to allow the user to view what areas have been scanned. The scanner software application also constructs an output image that can be printed, saved or communicated.
US08189957B2

A method and system for compensating for a moving object placed between a projector and a projection scene is shown. The method/system dividing a movement pattern of the moving object into N discrete position states, and for each of said N position states determining a corresponding view projection matrix. While projecting an image within any of the N position states, multiplying a desired projection image by the corresponding view projection matrix.
US08189955B2

A noise suppression method using multiple digital images performs a de-noising process with the multiple digital images. First, a feature weighting procedure and an image feature compensation of a target pixel are performed on each digital image, and then a cross reference is performed on the multiple continuous or similar digital images to suppress noises for the target pixel.
US08189953B2

An image processing apparatus is disclosed. The image processing apparatus includes a thinning-out section generating thinned-out line data of thinned-out data constituted by a plurality of the thinned-out line data, the thinned-out data being obtained by thinning out wide-field image data with distortion captured using a wide-angle lens, and sequentially outputting the thinned-out line data at every predetermined timing, a switching section performing switching from an output of the wide-field image data to an output of the thinned-out line data in response to the predetermined timing, and a buffer temporarily storing the wide-field image data and the thinned-out data constituted by the plurality of thinned-out data outputted after the switching.
US08189951B2

A technical problem is to inhibit variation in the correction between frames of a moving image while maintaining a correction amount of the overall image. The video signal display device has an attraction point determination portion (104), a corrected center position storage portion (105), a corrected center position determination portion (106), a correction parameter creation portion (107), and a correction portion (108), and performs correction such that the corrected center position is gradually moved toward an attraction point. The video signal display device achieves the same effect as methods that suppress correction variability by adjusting the correction amount, while also inhibiting correction variability.
US08189950B2

The present invention relates to a method for image enhancement. The method includes the steps of: replacing a value of a pixel of a digital image with a maximum one of values of red, green and blue sub-pixels of the pixel; selecting a specific pixel from pixels of the digital image; selecting some of the pixels surrounding the specific pixel to constitute a specific block; calculating an average of values of the pixels of the specific block; providing multiple curve functions; obtaining a corresponding one of the curve functions according to the average, and substituting the value of the pixel of the image into the curve functions to obtain new output brightness values.
US08189944B1

In accordance with a method of filtering an image of image forming elements, a respective weighted average value is determined for each of selected ones of the image forming elements. The respective weighted average value is composed of equally weighted contributions of values that are associated with neighboring ones of the image forming elements in a neighborhood of the selected image forming element and are within a threshold photometric distance of the selected image forming element. The respective weighted average value is free of contributions from any of the image forming elements outside the neighborhood and is free of contributions from any of the image forming elements beyond the threshold photometric distance of the selected image forming element. An output image is produced from the determined weighted average values.
US08189934B2

Provide is an image decoding apparatus which reliably prevents deterioration of the image quality of decoded images which have been previously coded. An image decoding apparatus (200) includes: an inverse quantization and inverse orthogonal transform unit (220) and an adder (230) which decode a coded image included in a coded stream (Str) to generate a decoded image (Rc); an entropy decoding unit (210) which extracts cross-correlation data (p) which indicates a cross-correlation between the decoded image (Rc) and an image which corresponds to the decoded image and has not yet been coded; and an adaptive filter (240) which computes a filter parameter (w) based on the extracted cross-correlation data (p), and performs a filtering operation on the decoded image (Rc) according to the filter parameter (w).
US08189924B2

A method of identifying potential phishing abuse images includes: producing a first color map that represents a subset of color values and pixel locations within a base image; producing a second color map that represents color values and pixel locations within a target image; selecting an alignment the first color map with the second color map such that at least some pixel locations of the first color map align with at least some pixel locations of the second color map; determining a measure of color value matching of aligned pixel locations for the selected alignment; and repeating the acts of selecting and determining until a prescribed threshold measure of color value matching is determined for at least one of the selected alignments or until an evaluation limit is reached.
US08189923B2

A quadrangular or rectangular area on a medium surface of a printed material is defined as a block. A straight line in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction along an edge of the block is defined as a reference lattice line. A virtual lattice point is disposed at a predetermined interval on the reference lattice line. A reference lattice point dot is disposed on a virtual lattice point on a horizontal reference lattice line. A straight line connecting the reference grid point dots and virtual lattice points on a vertical line is defined as a lattice line. A point of intersection between lattice lines is defined as a virtual lattice point. A dot pattern is generated by arranging one or more information dots having a distance and a direction on the basis of the virtual lattice point. Such a dot pattern is scanned as image information by an optical reading means. Then, the dot pattern is converted into a numerical value and the information corresponding to the numerical information is read from a storage means. Then the information is outputted.
US08189921B2

The present invention firstly roughly classifies an analysis range specified by the operator in the color image data of a form into background, a character frame and a character, precisely specifies a character frame on the basis of the classification result, eliminates the character from the color image data from which the background is eliminated and recognizes the remaining character.
US08189917B2

Aspects of the present invention are related to systems and methods for locating text in a digital image.
US08189902B1

Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a method and apparatus for transferring an XY image to a rotating substrate, such as a semiconductor substrate, storage medium, etc. An XY image pattern comprising a plurality of image elements is divided into a matrix of adjacent tiles. A write beam is used to write the XY image pattern to a rotating substrate by defining a radial path at a selected radius of the rotating substrate, identifying the tiles of said matrix that intersect said radial path, and writing a portion of the XY image pattern at the selected radius using image elements from the identified tiles.
US08189895B2

A Method and system for visualising information by combining 3DRA with diagnostic data like regular CT or MR, and colorized physiologic data like perfusion or functional data to obtain a plurality of volumes obtained from the same patient. These volumes may be a 3DRA volume, a regular greyscale CT or MR volume and a colorized physiologic parameter like a perfusion CT, a perfusion MR or a functional MR volume. Then, an anatomic structure like a vessel is segmented from the 3DRA volume, a slab out of the regular CT or MR data is rendered through the segmented vessel, and a slice out of the colorized volume of the perfusion or functional data is rendered on top of the slab.
US08189892B2

Systems and methods facilitate the location and/or identification of repetitive DNA patterns, such as CpG islands, Alu repeats, tandem repeats and various types of satellite repeats. These repetitive elements can be found within a chromosome, within a genome or across genomes of various species. The systems and methods apply image processing operators to find prominent features in the vertical and horizontal direction of the DNA spectrograms. The systems and methods for detecting and/or classifying repetitive DNA patterns include: (a) a comparative histogram method, (b) feature selection and classification using support vector machines and genetic algorithms, and (c) generation of a spectrovideo from a plurality of spectral images.
US08189890B2

Candidate anomalies in an anatomical structure are processed for classification. For example, false positives can be reduced by techniques related to the anomaly's neck, wall thickness associated with the anomaly, template matching performed for the anomaly, or some combination thereof. The various techniques can be combined for use in a classifier, which can determine whether the anomaly is of interest. For example, a computed tomography scan of a colon can be analyzed to determine whether a candidate anomaly is a polyp. The technologies can be applied to a variety of other scenarios involving other anatomical structures.
US08189886B2

A method for estimating the location of an anatomical structure in a diagnostic image of a patient obtains the x-ray data in digital format and detects a first benchmark feature within the x-ray image. A second benchmark feature within the x-ray image is detected. An intersection is located between a first line that extends along the length of the first benchmark feature and a second line that extends from a central point related to the curvature of the second benchmark feature and that intersects with the first line at an angle that is within a predetermined range of angles. The location of the anatomical structure is identified relative to the intersection.
US08189882B2

Multiple different samples are obtained from a bulk material and are separately stained. The differently stained materials look different with the different stains but also have similar characteristics. A computer is used to reorient the images so that the samples are oriented with one another. The thus oriented samples can have their like parts either reoriented. Once the stained areas are analyzed, the identified area in the unstained sample can be removed by laser capture microdissection.
US08189877B2

The present invention provides systems and methods to automatically analyze Landsat satellite data of forests. The present invention can easily be used to monitor any type of forest disturbance such as from selective logging, agriculture, cattle ranching, natural hazards (fire, wind events, storms), etc. The present invention provides a large-scale, high-resolution, automated remote sensing analysis of such disturbances.
US08189875B2

Images of items of jewelry having gemstones embedded therein are imaged and analyzed to determine the weights associated with the gemstones and, separately the precious metal in which the gemstones are encased without having to remove the gemstones from the jewelry.
US08189866B1

The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products applying a plurality of low-level feature detectors to an image where each low-level feature detector produces a respective low-level feature vector that represents a detection result. The low-level feature vectors are provided to a plurality of higher-level feature detectors where each higher-level feature detector produces a respective higher-level feature vector that represents a detection result based on a distribution of features in one or more of the low-level feature vectors. The higher-level feature vectors are then provided to a classifier in order to classify a human-action in the image.
US08189865B2

A signal processing apparatus for displaying an input image in the sate in which a part of the image is enlarged, displays an enlarged image obtained by enlarging a part of a designated object in the input image so that the enlarged image is superimposed at a position in accordance with the position of the designated object.
US08189862B2

A technique for determining authenticity of analog forms such as packaging or documents determines whether the analog form has been made directly from a digital representation or by photocopying or scanning an analog form. The technique makes the determination by comparing an original digital representation of a portion of the analog form having an authentication pattern with a digital recording of the portion from the analog form and measuring differences in features that are affected by the operations of photocopying or scanning. The authentication pattern may depend on a key or on other information displayed on the analog form. Another pattern may be displayed on the analog form to locate the pattern.
US08189855B2

Image analysis techniques, including object recognition analysis, are applied to images obtained by one or more image capture devices deployed within inventory environments. The object recognition analysis provides object recognition data (that may include one or more recognized product instances) based on stored product (training) images. In turn, a variety of functionalities may be enabled based on the object recognition data. For example, a planogram may be extracted and compared to a target planogram, or at least one product display parameter for a product can be determined and used to assess presence of the product within the inventory environment, or to determine compliance of display of the product with a promotional objective. In yet another embodiment, comparisons may be made within a single image or between multiple images over time to detect potential conditions requiring response. In this manner, efficiency and effectiveness of many previously manually-implemented tasks may be improved.
US08189853B2

A watermarked image generation apparatus embeds target data in an original image to generate a watermarked image. The watermarked image generation apparatus includes a target-data embedding unit and a marker-image embedding unit. The target-data embedding unit embeds the target data in respective plural embedding areas contained in the original image, to generate a watermarked image. The marker-image embedding unit embeds in the watermarked image a plurality of marker images used for identifying the plurality of embedding areas.
US08189840B2

The invention provides, in some aspects, electronic devices with improved radiators (or “passive drivers”) comprising an elastomerically mounted mass in order to improve sound reproduction fidelity. The mass comprises a component of the device not normally used for such purpose—e.g., a battery—thereby, permitting size reductions while, at the same time, enhancing audio fidelity.
US08189839B2

There is provided hearing device improvements using modulation techniques adapted to the characteristics of auditory and vestibular hearing. One embodiment provides for extending hearing to the infrasonic range by extracting sounds from the high ambient noise in this range and applying them to a carrier in the ultrasonic “quiet zone.” Further extension of hearing into the ultrasonic range is provided by a modulation scheme which uses a fluid conduction coupler to match impedance for a vibration transducer applied to the skin. A variation on this embodiment integrates this ultrasonic hearing extension with normal acoustic headphones. Another embodiment compensates for high frequency hearing loss by a modulation scheme which uses middle ear resonance as an amplifier. A further embodiment combines ultrasonic transposition with wireless modulation to obtain secure communication.
US08189827B2

A method and apparatus for providing improved intelligibility of contemporaneously perceived audio signals. Differentiation cues are added to monaural audio signals to allow a listener to more effectively comprehend information contained in one or more of the signals. In a specific embodiment, a listener wearing stereo headphones listens to simultaneous monaural radio broadcasts from different stations. A differentiation cue is added to at least one of the audio signals from the radio reception to allow the listener to more effectively focus on and differentiate between the broadcasts.
US08189825B2

Vehicle including an arrangement for controlling audio reception by occupants of a passenger compartment includes a frame defining an interior, at least one seat in the interior defining a plurality of seating positions, and a sound generating system for generating different audio sounds for each seating position. The sound generating system utilizes hypersonic sound, and may be an entertainment system which delivers music or other audio content to the occupants. A monitoring system determines the presence and/or position of occupants in the seating positions relative to the sound generating system. The sound generating system for each seating position may then be automatically adjustable based on the determined presence and/or position of the occupant in the seating position such that different sounds are audible to each occupant.
US08189822B2

This invention relates to a line-array loudspeaker that is configurable to meet the acoustic requirements of a venue. In one embodiment, the line-array includes a combination of far-field and near-field loudspeaker modules which are selectively fixedly connected to each other. Each module includes a first loudspeaker element and a second loudspeaker element. Each of the first and second elements includes a high-frequency transducer assembly and a low-frequency transducer assembly. The far-field modules and the near-field modules are fixedly connected using a rigging system to provide a smooth and continuous transition from a first splay angle to a second splay.
US08189821B2

There is provided a condenser microphone unit incorporating a FET (impedance converter) in a unit case, in which the electromagnetic shield on the rear surface side of the unit case is assured, sound waves do not leak, and a steady internal stress is applied to incorporated parts almost uniformly. In a condenser microphone unit 1A including a unit case 2 that has a front acoustic terminal hole 21 on the front end surface side thereof and is open on the rear end surface side thereof, in which the unit case 2 incorporates an acousto-electric converter 3 including a diaphragm 31 and a backplate 33, which are arranged so as to face each other via a spacer member 35, and a FET 4; a circuit board 5 is disposed in an opening part 22 on the rear end surface side of the unit case 2; and the incorporated parts 3 and 5 are fixed into the unit case 2 by staking an edge 221 of the opening part 22, an elastic disc-shaped gel-form ferrite sheet 8 having an outside diameter approximately equal to the inside diameter of the unit case 2 is held between the rear surface side of the acousto-electric converter 3 and the circuit board 5.
US08189820B2

A microphone assembly includes a carrier, a silicon-based transducer, a conducting element, and an underfill agent. The carrier has a first surface holding an electrical contact element. The silicon-based transducer includes a displaceable diaphragm and an electrical contact element. The transducer is arranged at a distance above the first surface of the carrier. The conducting material is arranged to obtain electrical contact between the electrical contact elements of the carrier and the silicon based transducer. The underfill agent is disposed in a space between the silicon based transducer and the silicon based carrier. The underfill agent has an underfill coefficient of thermal expansion, CTE, below 40 ppm/° C.
US08189793B2

A key terminal apparatus includes a crypto-processing LSI that performs predetermined crypto-processing. Unique information identifying the crypto-processing LSI is embedded in the crypto-processing LSI. A predetermined master key corresponding to a predetermined key is embedded in the crypto-processing LSI. The crypto-processing LSI (a) receives an encrypted manufacturer key from the manufacturer key storage unit, (b) decrypts the encrypted manufacturer key using the predetermined master key to generate a manufacturer key, (c) generates a unique manufacturer key identical to the predetermined unique manufacturer key, based on the unique information embedded in the crypto-processing LSI and the generated manufacturer key, and (d) decrypts the received encrypted device key using the generated identical unique manufacturer key to generate a predetermined device key.
US08189778B2

A seed for use in a cryptographic operation for an electronic device is determined by estimating the number of entropy data bits needed to satisfy a predetermined security strength of the cryptographic operation. The estimation is based on an entropy strength of a string of entropy data bits. Entropy strength is a measure of randomness. Furthermore, guiding a determination of the seed differently according to the estimated number of entropy data bits may be performed.
US08189773B2

An information processing apparatus includes a reconfigurable unit in which a circuit is reconfigured. A generation unit generates design data for the circuit configured by the reconfigurable unit and reduces the amount of design data to be held by a design data storage unit.
US08189771B2

The hash functions with elliptic polynomial hopping are based upon an elliptic polynomial discrete logarithm problem. Security using hash functions is dependent upon the implementation of a computationally hard problem, and the elliptic polynomial discrete logarithm problem provides enough relative difficulty in computation to ensure that the produced hash functions, as applied to message bit strings, are optimally secure. The hash functions are produced as functions of both the elliptic polynomial as well as the twist of the elliptic polynomial, particularly using a method of polynomial hopping.
US08189768B2

A method for secure communication of a message. The method includes providing a message including a plurality of message packets, providing a nodal network including a plurality of nodes, where nodal operations are capable of execution on the message packets at the nodes, gaining, by a first node of the network, a first message packet, processing the first message packet by the first node, relinquishing the first message packet as processed by the first node, gaining, by any other node of the network, at least one other message packet, processing the other message packet by the other node, relinquishing the other message packet as processed by the other node, receiving, by a message destination node of the network, a first message packet, receiving, by the message destination node, at least a second message packet, and processing the first message packet and the second message packet to provide a reproduced message.
US08189761B2

A method for managing calls includes allocating a plurality of agents among a plurality of queues, receiving a plurality of calls each for connection with at least one of the plurality of agents, and assigning each of the plurality of calls to a queue of the plurality of queues. The method further includes monitoring a dynamic value profile for each of the plurality of queues. The dynamic value profile for a queue is calculated based on one or more financial attributes of the current calls in the queue. The method includes determining that the dynamic value profile for a first queue is greater than the dynamic value profile for a second queue. In addition, the method comprises reallocating one or more of the plurality of agents, among the plurality of queues in response to determining that the dynamic value profile for the first queue is greater than the dynamic value profile for the second queue.
US08189754B2

An image sharing system includes: a server apparatus; first and second client apparatuses, which are communicably connected with the server apparatus; first and second telephone terminals associated with the first and second client apparatuses respectively; a connection control apparatus for controlling the connection between the first telephone terminal and the second telephone terminal; and a communication terminal including a camera part for photographing a subject, and an image sending part for sending image data representing the image outputted from the camera part, wherein the server apparatus includes a share-image sending part for sending an image represented by image data sent from the communication terminal as a share image to both the first and the second client apparatuses when the first telephone terminal is connected with the second telephone terminal, and both the first and the second client apparatuses include a share-image display part for displaying the share image.
US08189745B2

A system and method for recording telephone conversations which have been placed on hold is provided. After a telephone conversation has been placed on hold, assuming that the conversation was being recorded, the call is designated to be in the background. Once a processor senses that a background call exists, a check is performed to determine if there is a downlink connection for this call. If there is, a new communication channel is opened so that the background call can be recorded and then appended to the original recording.
US08189744B2

A system and method for controlling a telecommunications device capable of text telephone, and voice carry over or hearing carry over operation where transition from text to voice operation, and vice versa, is accomplished without operator intervention. The system includes a text telephone signal detector that detects the presence of text telephone signals and an audio control manager coupled to the text telephone signal detector. The audio control manager comprises an audio stream manger that controls the processing of audio signals, and an audio profile manager that controls the routing of voice signals to the audio peripherals and the audio peripheral output sound loudness.
US08189732B1

A counter is efficiently implemented in non-volatile memory by using two binary counters and selectively using one or the other as a current counter. Writes to the binary counters are minimized by using two linear counters and using the state of the binary counters to determine which binary counter contains the current count. Write operations can be performed to the “not current” binary counter with the final write operation being to the linear counters. The linear counter write operations can be in program-only mode so that a power failure will not result in a loss of counts.
US08189727B2

A differential transmitter and an auto-adjustment method of data strobe thereof are provided. The differential transmitter includes a phase-detecting unit, a switching unit, a rising edge strobe unit, and a falling edge strobe unit. The phase-detecting unit detects a phase relation between a clock signal and a data signal to outputs a detection result. The rising edge strobe unit latches the data signal at a rising edge of the clock signal, and converts a latching result to a first differential output signal. The falling-edge-strobe unit latches the data signal at a falling edge of the clock signal, and converts a latching result to a second differential output signal. The switching unit determines whether to switch the clock signal and data signal to the rising edge strobe unit or to the falling edge strobe unit according to the detection result.
US08189723B2

A method for source synchronous communication. The method includes dynamically adjusting a delay that is applied to a data signal and a remote clock signal until a delayed remote clock signal is synchronized with a local clock signal, and capturing data from a delayed data signal associated with the delay in a local domain.
US08189722B2

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a discrete denoiser that replaces symbols in a received, noisy signal with replacement symbols in order to produce a recovered signal less distorted with respect to an originally transmitted, clean signal than the received, noisy signal. Certain, initially developed discrete denoisers employ an analysis of the number of occurrences of metasymbols within the received, noisy signal in order to select symbols for replacement, and to select the replacement symbols for the symbols that are replaced. Denoisers that represent examples of the present invention use blended counts that are combinations of the occurrences of metasymbol families within a noisy signal to determine the symbols to be replaced and the replacement symbols corresponding to them.
US08189707B1

The present invention relates to estimating a direct current (DC) offset of a radio frequency (RF) receiver when an estimated amplitude of a continuous-transmission amplitude-modulated (AM) RF signal is below a first threshold and when the RF receiver is not receiving an RF input signal. The estimated DC offset of the RF receiver may be used to improve RF receiver performance, particularly over temperature and supply voltage variations. Estimating the DC offset of the RF receiver when the estimated instantaneous amplitude of the continuous-transmission AM RF signal is below the first threshold may minimize errors in the estimated DC offset.
US08189700B2

A signal generation device that employs a transmission method that uses inverse Fourier transform includes: a modulation unit configured to modulate transmission data to obtain modulation data; a serial-parallel conversion unit configured to convert the modulation data input in series to parallel data of a prescribed size smaller than the size of inverse Fourier transform; a duplication unit configured to select and duplicate all or a portion of the parallel data, to obtain duplication data; a phase rotation unit configured to rotate the phase of a signal point at a prescribed rate for the duplication data, to obtain phase rotation data; and an inverse Fourier transform unit configured to carry out inverse Fourier transform on the parallel data obtained from the serial-parallel conversion unit and the phase rotation data obtained from the phase rotation unit.
US08189698B2

A wave detecting section of a receiver has a first wavelet transformer involving a plurality of wavelet filters orthogonal to each other for performing a wavelet transform on received waveform data, a Hilbert transformer for performing a Hilbert transform on the received waveform data, a second wavelet transformer having the same configuration as that of the first wavelet transformer for performing a wavelet transform on outputs from the Hilbert transformer, a code converter for inverting the codes of outputs in odd-numbered places among outputs from the second wavelet transformer, a level converter for correcting fluctuations of outputs from the code converter attributable to a ripple of the Hilbert transformer, and a complex data generator for generating complex data, by defining outputs of the first wavelet transformer as in-phase components of the complex information and outputs from the level converter as orthogonal components of the complex information.
US08189697B2

A communications device includes a demapping and demodulation circuit that demaps and demodulates an OFDM communications signal as modulated subcarriers carrying communications data and modulated subcarriers carrying a training sequence forming a preamble that includes a long sync sequence for channel and frequency offset estimation having a extended guard interval (GI). The OFDM subcarriers carrying the training sequence have a quadratic modulation to produce a low peak-to-average power (PAPR) preamble with PAPR of approximately 2.6 decibels (dB). A channel estimate circuit is positioned to receive signals after processing within a FFT circuit and subcarrier demapper circuit and estimates the channel characteristics of the communications channel based on splitting the extended guard interval from the long sync sequence and processing into values that represent the low PAPR preamble as plus or minus one (+/−1) values in a real or imaginary component as adds and subtracts.
US08189695B2

A OFDM-CDMA communication system that generates a plurality of subcarrier components by multiplying each of a plurality of transmission symbols by a channelization code whose length is N according to a spreading factor, and transmits those subcarrier components by a plurality of different subcarriers, measures the propagation environment of each subcarrier, divides the subcarriers into groups having N number of subcarriers in each group whose propagation environments are close one another, and transmits the N number of subcarrier components, which have been multiplied by the channelization code, by subcarriers of the same group.
US08189692B2

A voltage memory stores a signal level of a transmission signal from a signal generator at a timing of a clock signal, and outputs the transmission signal. A voltage difference detector detects a signal level of a transmission signal at a timing subsequent to the timing and detects a first signal level difference between the signal level and the signal level from the voltage memory. A maximum value detector, a voltage difference detector and bias voltage sources delay the transmission signal so as to keep a rise time of the transmission signal substantially within a predetermined value range by adding capacitances corresponding to the first signal level differences from the voltage difference detectors to transmission lines.
US08189691B2

The invention relates to a receiver for a differential data bus with two resistive branches (1, 2, 3; 4, 5, 6), with a differential amplifier with two transistors (9, 10), with a resistor (13), and with a control logic (16) that controls a switch (15) with which a current from a current source (14) is switchable to either side of the resistor (13), which resistor couples the two transistors (9, 10), and with two operational amplifiers (17, 18) which are coupled to the two transistors (9,10) of the differential amplifier with opposite poles, in which receiver the control logic detects from the output signals of the two operational amplifiers (17,18) whether a “0” or a “1” is expected on the bus and which receiver sets the switch (25) accordingly so that a comparison with the received bus signal is made.
US08189688B2

An image decoding device includes an error detecting unit that detects a decoding error in each unit area in one frame of an image; an error compensating determining unit that determines an error compensating area for which error compensation should be performed for the decoding error; and an error compensating unit that performs error compensation to the error compensating area. The error compensating area determining unit determines a unit area where the decoding error occurs, and a predetermined area adjacent to the unit area, as the error compensating area.
US08189686B2

Systems and methods for analyzing the performance of a digital network include capturing a stream of digital data, e.g., internet protocol (IP) packets, that represent streaming video, identifying which of the IP packets include bit errors, determining to which of a plurality of pixels the IP packets including bit errors belong and identifying such pixels as corrupted pixels, and illuminating only the corrupted pixels on a display of a tool. Corrupted pixels in different time blocks can be displayed with different colors to gain a better appreciation of the bit error rate over time.
US08189682B2

A decoding system generates a predicted image, receives error correcting information encoding an original image, and uses the predicted image and the error correcting information to carry out a multi-stage decoding process that reconstructs the original image by correcting prediction errors in the predicted image. This process uses correlation information representing an assumed correlation between the predicted image and the original image. As the decoding process proceeds, the correlation information is updated to reflect assumed or inferred changes in the correlation between the predicted image and the original image. Updating the correlation information permits more efficient coding by enabling the original image to be reconstructed to an acceptable level of image quality with less error correcting information.
US08189673B2

A method of and an apparatus are provided for predicting a DC coefficient of video data. In the method, at least one reference data unit for prediction of a DC coefficient of a current data unit is selected from at least one previous data unit that is scanned according to region of interest-oriented scanning and then transformed before the current data unit. In the region of interest-oriented scanning, scanning starts with a data unit located in a predetermined location of a region of interest and continues in the form of a plurality of square rings in which the remaining data units included in the region of interest surround the data unit located in the predetermined location of the region of interest. Thereafter, a predicted value of the DC coefficient of the current data unit is determined using a DC coefficient of the at least one reference data unit.
US08189672B2

Disclosed is a method for interpolating chrominance signals in a video encoder and a decoder. The method includes the steps of accessing a memory unit to load an integer pixel value with regard to a plurality of motion compensation blocks, searching for a location of a motion vector s to perform sub-pixel interpolation of chrominance signals regarding the blocks and performing ¼ sub-pixel interpolation by row-based and column-based shifting when the motion vector indicates a ¼ location pixel with regard to the blocks. Also disclosed is an apparatus for performing the interpolating method described and a computer program product which when loaded into a computer system performs the interpolating method described.
US08189671B2

Statistical content block matching for video pre-processing, for example in fast motion estimation, uses a second-order distortion criterion for processing steps such as identifying a best reference image portion for comparison with a current image portion. The second-order distortion criterion is a Lagrange-optimized combination of a mean squared error criterion with an entropy criterion. Then a fast motion estimation search advantageously includes performing a diamond search using the second-order distortion criterion to identify a candidate best reference image portion, and performing a nearest neighbor search starting using said second-order distortion criterion to identify the best reference image portion within a search range limited by an adaptive search range cap. A better motion vector can then be calculated.
US08189667B2

In a moving picture encoding apparatus, a processing load detection section detects a load and outputs load information and a video encoder judges a load level based on the load information. A start pixel in target pixels is determined depending on the load level, the evaluation value is calculated from pixels specified by the start pixel, a encoding cost is calculated based on the evaluation value to select one of prediction modes for minimizing the encoding cost. The start pixel is so selected as to exclude the pixels which are spatially neighboring to reference pixels for prediction, instead of all pixels within a 4×4 pixel block as the processing load becomes large. Thus, the picture processing amount is reducing while suppressing the deterioration of the encoding performance.
US08189661B2

Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for improving compression efficiency and quality in a remote session via tile image classification and variable encoding. A server determines a set of codecs that are shared by both the server and a corresponding client. Then, when it receives an image, it determines whether classification of the image is required. Where classification of the image is not required, the server sends the client the image, either uncompressed or compressed with a default codec and default fidelity. Where classification of the image is required, the server classifies the image (e.g. the image comprises either text or photograph), and based on that classification determines a codec with which to encode the image, and a fidelity to use on the encoding. The server performs that encoding with the codec and the fidelity, and then sends this encoded image to the client.
US08189655B2

A digital amplifier amplifies an input signal from a tuner (107) which receives a broadcast wave of a set receiving frequency so as to suppress degradation of the high-band reproduction performance and lowering of the amplification efficiency. The digital amplifier includes: a band division unit (102) for dividing an input signal into a plurality of bands; a high-band pulse width modulation unit (103a) and a low-band pulse width modulation unit (103b) which modulate the input signal of the respective bands divided by the band division unit (102), by the pulse width modulation method; a switching frequency control unit (101) which obtains a receiving frequency in the tuner (107) and controls a switching frequency (fsa) in the high-band pulse width modulation unit (103a) and a switching frequency (fsb) in the low-band pulse width modulation unit (103b); and a high-band amplification unit (104a) and a low-band amplification unit (104b) which amplify the input signal which has been subjected to pulse width modulation by the high-band pulse width modulation unit (103a) and the low-band pulse width modulation unit (103b).
US08189651B2

The invention relates to a method for measuring Hum on a digital QAM carrier using a testing device for testing digital TV signals including a QAM demodulator therein, and to a testing device implementing the method. A micro-controller is used to sample a register associated with an AGC circuit in the QAM demodulator, and to process the collected register values to obtain one or more Hum characteristics.
US08189649B2

In a wireless communication apparatus adopting a time division duplex system for executing transmission and reception using a plurality of antennas, deviation of amplitude and phase occurring between transmission and reception circuits is detected and corrected using a communication signal. Channel estimation means 105 detects channel information based on reception output of reception circuits 104-1 to 104-N provided in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of antennas 101-1 to 101-N. Correction value detection means 110 finds a correction value for correcting deviation occurring between each of transmission circuits 103-1 to 103-N and each of the reception circuits 104-1 to 104-N based on the channel information. A wireless communication apparatus 100 transmits an already known signal (training signal) to a base station with which the wireless communication apparatus conducts communications. The base station executes channel estimation based on the already known signal and generates and transmits a correction signal (probe signal). The correction value detection means 110 of the wireless communication apparatus 100 detects the correction value using the correction signal (probe signal).
US08189645B2

An adapted semiconductor laser package that may convert a first type of package pin-out arrangement to a desired pin-out arrangement. The laser package may include a laser package including a laser, an isolator, a lens, a fiber sleeve, and a pin-out arrangement. The isolator and the fiber sleeve may be jointly arranged away from the laser. The laser package may also include an adapter with a first section with a plurality of holes geometrically arranged and mated with the package pin-out arrangement, a second section with an adapter pin-out arrangement with two rows of pins extending along opposite sides of the package, and electrical connections between the plurality of holes and the pins.
US08189640B2

Provided is a laser light emitting device that has light sources of multiple wavelengths including an oscillation wavelength in a green region and the like, and that can be miniaturized. A metal wiring 4 is formed on a supporting substrate 5. A green LD 1 and a red LD 2 are bonded to the metal wiring 4. Each of the green LD 1 and the red LD 2 is a laser diode element formed of a semiconductor having a layered structure. One of a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the element is bonded to the metal wiring 4, and the other electrode is connected to a lead wire 6 or a lead wire 7. The green LD 1 is formed of a GaN-based semiconductor laser diode having a nonpolar plane or a semipolar plane as a main surface for crystal growth. The red LD 2 is formed of an AlInGaP-based semiconductor laser diode.
US08189639B2

A GaN-based edge emitting laser is provided comprising a semi-polar GaN substrate, an active region, an N-side waveguiding layer, a P-side waveguiding layer, an N-type cladding layer, and a P-type cladding layer. The GaN substrate is characterized by a threading dislocation density on the order of approximately 1×106/cm2. The strain-thickness product of the N-side waveguiding layer exceeds its strain relaxation critical value. In addition, the cumulative strain-thickness product of the active region calculated for the growth on a the relaxed N-side waveguiding layer is less than its strain relaxation critical value. As a result, the N-side interface between the N-type cladding layer and the N-side waveguiding layer comprises a set of N-side misfit dislocations and the P-side interface between the P-type cladding layer and the P-side waveguiding layer comprises a set of P-side misfit dislocations. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US08189637B2

A semiconductor light-emitting device includes an n-type cladding layer formed on a substrate, an active layer formed on the n-type cladding layer and including a well layer and a barrier layer, and a p-type cladding layer formed on the active layer. The well layer is made of an indium-containing nitride semiconductor, and has a hydrogen concentration greater than that of the n-type cladding layer and less than that of the p-type cladding layer.
US08189634B2

Method of manufacturing a laser medium with a material having a surface and a dopant in the material distributed whereby the material has a spatially variant optical flux density profile uses tailored non-uniform gain profiles within a Yb:YAG laser component (rod, slab, disc, etc.) achieved by a spatial material modification in the spatially masked pre-forms. High temperature-assisted reduction leads to the coordinate-dependent gain profiles, which are controlled by the topology of the deposited solid masks. The gain profiles are obtained by reducing the charge state of the laser-active trivalent Yb3+ ions into inactive divalent Yb2+ ions. This valence conversion process is driven by mass transport of ions and oxygen vacancies. These processes, in turn, affect the dopant distribution throughout the surface and bulk laser crystal. By reducing proportionally more Yb3+ ions at the unmasked areas of component, than in the masked areas, the coordinate-dependent or spatially-controlled gain profiles are achieved. The material can be used for the fabrication of laser rods, slabs, etc. with various concentrations and spatial localizations of dopants.
US08189628B2

In a wireless communication system, a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) adapted to bundle a plurality of services into radio access bearer (RAB) in an uplink signal and unbundle a plurality of services from a RAB in a downlink signal. The WTRU is adapted to communicate with a plurality of services through a communications tunnel.
US08189626B2

In a method for multicast and broadcast synchronization a data payload frame is generated from a data payload. A frame number is assigned to the data payload frame, wherein the frame number includes a generating time of the data payload frame. The data payload frame is distributed to a plurality of base stations in a wireless access system. The offset spans a travel time of a data payload frame from the controller to the plurality of base stations as well as a scheduling time and a multiplexing time.
US08189621B2

A system for signaling an application when a requested data rate and Quality of Service cannot be achieved using OFDM wireless data transmission, and the application proceeds by either renegotiating QoS and data rate, or waiting until they requested rate and QoS are met.
US08189617B2

A system and method is provided for simultaneous communications on Modbus and DNP 3.0 over Ethernet for an electronic power meter. The system incorporates one or more protocol wrappers to provide compatibility with both Modbus and DNP based applications. The system removes the appropriate wrappers and routes the incoming data packet to its destination. Additionally, the system also wraps outgoing response packets with the appropriate protocol wrapper based on the related data packet wrappers.
US08189616B2

An apparatus for controlling utilization of RTCP bandwidth for compound and non-compound RTCP packets is described. This apparatus includes a bandwidth detector determining available RTCP bandwidth and a channel quality detector determining channel quality. A bandwidth divider connected to the bandwidth detector and the channel quality detector divides the available RTCP bandwidth between compound and non-compound RTCP packets based on the determined channel quality.
US08189615B2

A method by which a UE device and a Node B communicate information such as scheduling information to each other, including a step of sending the information as part of a communication signal instead of padding in the communication signal if the information can be fit by removing all or part of the padding.
US08189610B2

A recursive path computation method is disclosed to integratedly manage resources required for a computation of a data transmission path in a multi-layer transport network to enable automatic real time allocation of lower layer resources required for processing a path request when resources required for a path computation of each layer are not sufficient or when resources have not been previously allocated. A network path request service over multiple layers can be quickly performed, and utilization efficiency of network resources can be maximized.
US08189605B2

A method and apparatus for switching a data packet between a source and destination in a network. The data packet includes a header portion and a data portion. The header portion includes routing information for the data packet. The method includes defining a data path in the router comprising a path through the router along which the data portion of the data packet travels and defining a control path comprising a path through the router along which routing information from the header portion travels. The method includes separating the data path and control path in the router such that the routing information can be separated from the data portion allowing for the separate processing of each in the router. The data portion can be stored in a global memory while routing decisions are made on the routing information in the control path.
US08189602B2

A plurality of partial networks can work independently from each other, and each partial network connects together several nodes including a connection node for transmission of audio signals. A connection network connects respective connection nodes of the respective partial networks so as to connect the plurality of the partial networks with each other through the connection nodes. The connection node of the partial network operates when the audio signal is transmitted from the partial network to the connection network, for forwarding the audio signal from a transmission channel used for carrying the audio signal in the partial network to another transmission channel to be used for carrying the audio signal in the connection network, and operates when the audio signal is transmitted from the connection network to the partial network, for forwarding the audio signal from a transmission channel used for carrying the audio signal in the connection network to another transmission channel to be used for carrying the audio signal in the partial network.
US08189600B2

A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing IP Routing when using dynamic virtual local area networks (VLANs) with web based authentication. A downstream VLAN is assigned to a first switch port of a first network device. A first upstream VLAN is also assigned to the first switch port of the first network device. The first upstream VLAN is changed to a second upstream VLAN upon authentication, and the downstream VLAN is maintained.
US08189590B1

A first network device and a second network device for forwarding data units are included in a network. The second network device is configured to receive data units from the first network device via an output interface from the first network device. Each of the network devices is further configured to form a first value derived from information pertaining to a received data unit, perform a function on the first value to provide a second value, wherein the function of the first network device is different from the function of the second network device when forwarding a same data unit, select an output interface based on the second value, and forward a received data unit via an interface.
US08189588B2

In an example embodiment, packets for a selected flow are replicated and sent over one or more diverse paths, such as a primary path and at least one secondary path, to a destination switching device. At the destination switching device, one copy of the replicated packets is selected for delivery to the destination, and the remaining copies are discarded. In the event that packets are not received at the destination switching device due to loss of connection on the primary path or packets are not timely delivered due to congestion on the primary path, a different path may be selected as the primary path.
US08189587B2

A routing table lookup algorithm is described that, for a first outbound packet, performs a first route lookup into the routing table with a first search key that includes the first packet's destination address and a first network interface identifier, and, for a second outbound packet, performs a second route lookup into the routing table with a second search key that includes the second outbound packet's destination address but does not include any network interface identifier.
US08189582B2

A multicast-supported virtual local area network switching system and a method thereof comprise a switching engine, a CPU unit, further comprising a mapping storage unit for storing the mapping relationship of the virtual local area network and the multicast stream pushed to the switching system by it, and a switching table storage unit for storing the corresponding relation between ingress virtual local area network and egress virtual local area network; the switching engine receives the internet group management protocol message from the user virtual local area network and transmits the message to the CPU unit for processing, if it is Internet group management protocol join/leave message, the CPU unit looks up the mapping storage unit and forwards it in the looked-up multicast virtual local area network; the switching engine receives the Internet group management protocol messages or multicast data frames from the multicast virtual local area network and forwards them in the looked-up user virtual local area network by looking up the switching table storage unit.
US08189568B2

In a particular embodiment a system and method for processing a call in a Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network are disclosed. The method includes receiving the call associated with a private identifier (PRID) at a server, classifying a call location based on the PRID and sending the call from the server to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) with a call back number associated with the PRID. The system includes a first server interface for receiving a message containing a PRID associated with the call, a second server interface to access the data base for searching for the PRID in the data structure; a third server interface to receive an output from the database indicating whether a PRID has been found in the data structure; and a fourth server interface to send the call to a PSAP.
US08189559B2

A method of rate matching process of the hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuestion (HARQ) operation in which coded bits are selected for a transmission depends on whether the transmission is a first transmission of a new packet or a retransmission of an existing packet. In downlink of long term evolution (LTE) system, a downlink grant message is transmitted along with the packet data transmission. The grant message may also contain the redundancy version (RV). A new data indicator (NDI) is introduced to indicate the start of a new packet. The improved method of rate matching may be implanted into either a transmitter or a receiver.
US08189555B2

Methods and apparatus for communicating information, e.g., peer discovery information, to peer communications devices using multiple antenna patterns at different times are described. One exemplary method includes transmitting first peer discovery information during a first period of time using a first antenna pattern, and transmitting second peer discovery information during a second period of time using a second antenna pattern which is different from the first antenna pattern. In at least some embodiments the first antenna pattern is a beam antenna pattern and the second antenna pattern is an omni-directional antenna pattern. In some embodiments, an omni-directional antenna pattern is used at least 50% of the time. This allows devices near the transmitting device to quickly obtain peer discovery information while devices further away make take longer to obtain the peer discovery information since they may need for a beam pattern facing their direction to be used.
US08189554B2

A method for generating a superframe structure by using a beacon scheduling within a wireless sensor network and transmitting data based on the generated superframe structure includes: defining, by each of a plurality of data transceivers in the network, a relation with data transceivers located in their vicinity; assigning a data transceiver for beacon transmission/reception to each slot of a superframe in consideration of the defined relation; generating a superframe structure including a Beacon Only Period (BOP) and a data frame transmission period, in consideration of assigned slots; and broadcasting beacons and data frames in consideration of the superframe structure.
US08189549B2

A system and related method provide a registration request via an access point, wherein the access point is associated with a defined service zone. In response, an authorization signal to access telecommunications services is received. The authorization signal includes service zone name data for the service zone and/or at least one service zone icon indicator for the service zone. Further details are described herein.
US08189539B2

A system and method for frequency diversity uses interleaving. Subcarriers of an interlace are interleaved in a bit reversal fashion and the interlaces are interleaved in the bit reversal fashion.
US08189538B2

A communication system is described. In one embodiment, the communication system comprises a mobile station having a transmitter to transmit packets wirelessly according to a protocol and multiple repeaters communicably coupled with the mobile station. Each of the plurality of repeaters receives one or more packets of the wirelessly transmitted packets from the mobile station. Each of the repeaters receives an indication of which of the wirelessly transmitted packets were received without errors by other repeaters and a received signal strength for those packets. The communication system also includes a switch coupled to the repeaters. Each of the repeaters forwards to the switch each packet of the wirelessly transmitted packets that each repeater had received without errors at a received signal strength higher than any other repeater.
US08189526B2

Performing distributed contention-free communication channel reservation for wireless communication, is disclosed. One implementation involves providing access to a shared communication channel in a wireless network including multiple wireless stations, by performing distributed channel time reservation for contention-free access to a shared wireless channel by each wireless station, based on a prior successful contention by the wireless station for access to the channel in a wireless network.
US08189510B2

A mobile IP communication system includes a home agent 1 and a plurality of foreign agents 6a-6c. The home agent 1 manages the location of a mobile node 4. The mobile node 4 transmits a location registration request to the foreign agent 6a. The foreign agent 6a transmits the location registration request to the home agent 1 via a path routed trough a router R1, in accordance with a routing table. When there is congestion in the path routed through the router R1, the foreign agent 6a transfers the location registration request to the foreign agent 6b. The foreign agent 6b transfers the location registration request to the home agent 1.
US08189508B2

Methods and apparatus related to peer, network or service discovery in a mobile wireless system, such as an ad hoc peer-to-peer network, are described. Transmission of discovery information, such as upper layer discovery information, is divided into a number of portions to be transmitted separately over time. Transmission of the individual portions is structured to enable flexibility in the frequency of the peer discovery transmissions as well as the monitoring of such transmissions. Various embodiments facilitate rapid discovery and secure discovery, such as selective discovery by trusted peers. The structuring enables proxying of some transmissions by a third party, such as an assist node. The assist node receives discovery information portions being communicated at a first rate and retransmits the received discovery information portions at a second rate which is higher than the first rate.
US08189498B2

The present invention discloses an FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) system based multi-user beamforming method and device. The method comprises the steps of: when two or more user terminals are at respective AOAs (Angles of Arrival), determining a transmit weight of a downlink signal of each user terminal by using a null-widening algorithm, and storing the transmit weight in a network side; and, the network side grouping the user terminals based on AOA information reported by the user terminals, selecting a corresponding transmit weight for the downlink signal of each user terminal in each group based on the AOA information of the user terminals in the group, and transmitting the selected transmit weight after multiplying it by a downlink data stream of the user terminal corresponding to the transmit weight. The present invention can reduce the computation burden of the network side, enhance the efficiency of beamforming, and thus increase the capacity of the FDD system while ensuring the communication quality.
US08189495B2

To register a communications device (UE1) in a communications network (CN), one or more temporary communications addresses (NI1, NI2) are negotiated between the communications device (UE1) and at least one registration unit (AV1) of the communications network (CN), the temporary communications addresses being valid only for a predeterminable utilization period (ZT1, ZT2). The temporary communications address (NI2) concerned is registered by the registration unit (AV1) for this utilization period (ZT2).
US08189487B1

A method of operating a communication system to determine latent applications in a communication network comprises transferring a first packet comprising a first test code to a network node, receiving the first packet in the network node, and in response to the first test code, time stamping the first packet. The method further comprises, in the test server, determining a node latency of the network node based on the time stamps, and if the node latency is greater than a first threshold, then transferring a second packet comprising a second test code to the network node, and in the network node, receiving the second packet, and in response to the second test code, time stamping the second packet. The method further comprises, in the test server, determining an application latency of an application based the time stamps, and if the application latency is greater than a second threshold, then receiving application data associated with the application.
US08189484B2

An electronic data analysis, storage, and retrievable system includes a verification capability for verifying the integrity of the system's operational health. An operation monitoring mechanism continuously monitors the system's operation. A collection mechanism contains relevant system data. The system further includes a storage ability for archiving system data. A media verification mechanism verifies the integrity and authenticity of storage media. Finally, a data analysis mechanism analyzes and compares archived system information.
US08189474B2

A wireless sensor network provides a communication link between a plurality of nodes. Communication among the plurality of nodes is based one or more protocol components that are associated with a selected quality of service (QoS). A preamble byte can have bit values assigned based on application preferences, and the preamble byte used to select one or more protocol components from a component library. The preamble byte is combined with a data payload and transmitted to additional nodes based on the selected QoS.
US08189471B2

A method for mapping a service flow to a service transmission channel includes: configuring determined configuration parameters for a message characteristic into an Optical Network Terminal (ONT); the ONT ensures that the received service flow matches the configured message characteristic; mapping the service flow to a specified service transmission channel. A system and an ONT for mapping the service flow to the service transmission channel are also provided, and the system sets a general service flow mapping module in the ONT. Service flows may be mapped to different service transmission channels based on any predetermined message characteristic by the method, system, and ONT of this invention and it meets the demand of the subdivision service QoS.
US08189469B2

A method for gracefully extending the range and/or capacity of voice communication systems is disclosed. The method involves the persistent storage of voice media on a communication device. When the usable bit rate on the network is poor and below that necessary for conducting a live conversation, voice media is transmitted and received by the communication device at the available usable bit rate on the network. Although latency may be introduced, the persistent storage of both transmitted and received media of a conversation provides the ability to extend the useful range of wireless networks beyond what is required for live conversations. In addition, the capacity and robustness in not being affected by external interferences for both wired and wireless communications is improved.
US08189465B1

A data packet is selected from a flow of data traffic communicated between a wireless device and a network. An attribute of the data packet is inspected to associate the packet with a profile. Based on the profile, a network policy associated with the wireless device is determined. The network policy may be enforced by causing a message to be sent to the wireless device instructing the wireless device to enter a dormant mode. The network policy may be enforced by causing a message to be sent to the wireless device that causes the wireless device to not request air-interface resources from a sector.
US08189462B2

Provided are a method of adjusting a PCS threshold in a wireless network, and a terminal apparatus for the wireless network. The method and the apparatus determines whether to adjust the PCS threshold to use a shared channel for transmitting data in a wireless network based on a congestion status of the shared channel, and adjusts the PCS threshold based on a packet loss measured for a predetermined period of time.
US08189449B2

A disclosed multilayer optical information medium includes three or more information layers. Address information indicating positions in each of the information layers is recorded in a helical manner. The information layers comprise at least one I to O layer in which values representing addresses in the address information increase from an inner perimeter section toward an outer perimeter section, and at least one O to I layer in which the values representing the addresses in the address information increase from the outer perimeter section toward the inner perimeter section. All of the I to O layers have substantially the same address information and all of the O to I layers have substantially the same address information. Layer specifying information specifying the information layer is attached to the address information.
US08189445B2

The present invention relates to an optical disk reproducing apparatus, and provides a technology capable of supporting even a situation in which a reproduction signal characteristic is changed due to a factor other than recording density of an optical disk by using PRML of different constrained length and capable of improving reading accuracy. The optical disk reproducing apparatus includes a PRML circuit of first constrained length (for example, 4) and a PRML circuit of second constrained length (for example, 5). Equalization error values obtained during calculation of equalization learning in respective circuits are compared with each other in a determination circuit. Switching control of a switch is performed so that an output of one of the PRML circuits having a smaller equalization error value is selected.
US08189443B2

A signal quality evaluation method is provided that can objectively evaluate signal quality regardless of a PRML detection method used. The signal quality evaluation method is used when recording and reading is performed by irradiating a medium with a laser beam having a wavelength of λ through an objective lens having a numerical aperture of NA. In the signal quality evaluation method, information of the difference between an ideal signal recoded in the medium and a real signal obtained by irradiating the medium with the laser beam is statistically analyzed for each signal level of the ideal signal. The evaluation of the quality of the real signal is made using the statistics obtained by the statistical analysis.
US08189442B2

A recording parameter setting device includes a trial recording parameter setting section and a reproduced signal quality judging section. The trial recording parameter setting section sets a trial recording parameter capable of controlling a heat level at least rear edges of recording marks, classified in accordance with recording mark lengths, and grouping a predetermined recording mark length or longer into a same group. The reproduced signal quality judging section judges whether a trial recording carried out in accordance with the trial recording parameter satisfies a predetermined reproduced signal quality. If the signal quality is unsatisfactory, the trial recording parameters of the predetermined recording mark length or longer are regrouped and trial recording is carried out again until the reproduced signal satisfies the predetermined signal quality. Then, the reproduced signal quality judging section sets the trial recording parameter as the recording parameter.
US08189441B2

A method of recognizing a track pitch of an optical disk, adapted for an optical disk player, is provided. The method includes the steps of driving an optical pickup head to a predetermined position, so that the optical pickup head and the spindle motor are a predetermined distance apart, reading a data sector address, and recognizing the magnitude of the track pitch of the optical disk according to the value of the data sector address.
US08189433B2

Disclosed herein are an optical recording medium driving device and an additional recording method, which performs tracking servo control for moving an objective lens in a direction orthogonal to a tangential direction of a guide track so that a guide tracking error signal is decreased with respect to a guide track of a guide layer separation type recording medium, detects an additional recording start position subsequent to a recorded track if the recorded track is present in a recording layer of the optical recording medium, generates a tracking correction signal according to the reproduction tracking error signal upon tracking servo control of the recorded track just before the additional recording start position, and corrects tracking servo control according to the tracking correction signal upon additional recording start.
US08189432B2

Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage. Methods and systems of tape technology disclose optical tape media including: configurations, formulations, markings, and structure; optical tape manufacturing methods, systems, and apparatus methods and systems including: curing processes, coating methods, embossing, drums, testing, tracking alignment stamper strip; optical tape methods and systems including: pick up head adapted for the disclosed optical tape; and optical tape uses including optical storage media devices for multimedia applications.
US08189430B2

An apparatus includes sound sensors for converting sounds into electric signals. An angular position of a sound source of a first sound wave as seen from the apparatus is determined on the basis of moments of arrival of the first sound wave at the respective sound sensors which are represented by the electric signals. An angular position of a sound source of a second sound wave as seen from the apparatus is determined on the basis of moments of arrival of the second sound wave at the respective sound sensors which are represented by the electric signals. Calculation is given of a relative angle between the determined angular position of the sound source of the first sound wave and the determined angular position of the sound source of the second sound wave. A condition of the apparatus is controlled in response to the calculated relative angle.
US08189411B2

Provided is a circuit for controlling a data bus connecting a bitline sense amplifier to a data sense amplifier in accordance with a variation of an operating frequency of a memory device, being comprised of a pulse width adjusting circuit for varying a pulse width of an input signal in accordance with the operating frequency of the memory device after receiving the input signal, a signal transmission circuit for buffing a signal outputted from the pulse width adjusting circuit, and an output circuit for outputting a first signal to control the data bus in response to a signal outputted from the signal transmission circuit.
US08189410B1

A first input of a sense amplifier is connected to a first bitline, a second input of the sense amplifier is connected to a second bitline, a third input of the sense amplifier is coupled to a third bitline. The sense amplifier provides at an output an indicator of a storage state of a memory cell connected to the first bitline based upon information provided to the sense amplifier via the first, second, and third bitlines.
US08189408B2

An array of memory bit cells are operable to provide a memory device having data shifting capability, so that data can be flexibly stored and retrieved from the memory device in both parallel and serial fashions. The memory array can thus be used for conventional memory storage operations, and also for operations, such as matrix operations, that provide for the alteration of the arrangement of stored data elements.
US08189404B2

A storage device includes a control unit, a first voltage supply unit for supplying a first working voltage to the control unit, N memory units, a second voltage supply unit for supplying a second working voltage to each memory unit, a logic gate, a first voltage detecting unit and a second voltage detecting unit. Once the first voltage detecting unit detects that the first working voltage of the control unit is abnormal, the logic gate outputs a first write protect signal to notify the control unit and control the memory units to enter a write protect mode. Once the second voltage detecting unit detects that the second working voltage of one or more memory units is abnormal, the logic gate outputs a second write protect signal to notify the control unit and control the one or more memory units to enter the write protect mode.
US08189402B2

An output current of a memory cell is sensed by a sensing circuit for distinguishing a program state and an erase state of the memory cell. The sensing circuit includes a reference transistor, a P-type MOSFET, and an N-type MOSFET. The P-type MOSFET has a gate connected to a memory cell for receiving an output current of the memory cell. The N-type MOSFET has a drain connected to a drain of the first P-type MOSFET, and has a source connected to ground. The inverter has an input terminal connected to the drain of the first N-type MOSFET. The voltage at an output terminal of the inverter is used for indicating the program state or the erase state of the memory cell. The reference transistor has a gate connected to a reference signal, and has a drain connected to the gate of the P-type MOSFET.
US08189396B2

A memory device of the non-volatile type including a memory array having a plurality of memory cells organized as sectors, each sector having a main word line associated with a plurality of local word lines, each local word line coupled to the main word line by a respective local word line driver circuit, each of the local word line driver circuits consisting of a first MOS transistor coupled between the respective main word line and a respective local word line and a second MOS transistor coupled between the respective local word line and a first biasing terminal.
US08189393B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes a sense amplifier circuit sensing first data from a memory cell via a bit line and outputting the sensed first data, in response to a read command. A write driver circuit programs the memory cell and stores second data indicating a programming state of the memory cell, in response to a program command. A verification block outputs a result of a comparison between the first and second data in response to a first read command. The second data is updated based on the determination on the programming of the memory cell in response to a second read command applied following the first read command.
US08189390B2

A NAND flash memory device includes a NAND flash memory array defined as a plurality of sectors. Row decoding is performed in two levels. The first level is performed that is applicable to all of the sectors. This can be used to select a block, for example. The second level is performed for a particular sector, to select a page within a block in the particular sector, for example. Read and program operations take place to the resolution of a page within a sector, while erase operation takes place to the resolution of a block within a sector.
US08189386B2

A programming method for a non-volatile memory device includes performing a programming operation to program memory cells, when the programmed memory cells are determined to include memory cells that failed to be programmed and when a current program loop is a maximum program loop, determining whether a number of the memory cells that failed to be programmed corresponds to a number of memory cells that can successfully undergo ECC (error checking and correction), when the number of the memory cells that failed to be programmed is less than the number of the memory cells that can successfully undergo ECC, reading data so as to determine whether a number of error bits of the memory cells that failed to be programmed can successfully undergo ECC, and, when the memory cells that failed to be programmed can successfully undergo ECC, ending a programming operation.
US08189384B2

A device includes a one-time-programmable memory including multiple random accessible input/output pins. Each random accessible I/O pin corresponds to a unique memory address in the one-time-programmable memory. The device also includes a multiplexing circuit with multiple inputs. Each of the multiple inputs is coupled to one of the multiple random accessible I/O pins. An output of the multiplexing circuit has a bit width that is less than the number of the multiple random accessible I/O pins.
US08189378B2

A non-volatile semiconductor storage system is programmed in a manner that reduces program disturb by applying a higher boosting voltage on one or more word lines that are connected to non-volatile storage elements that may be partially programmed.
US08189372B2

An integrated circuit includes a first electrode including an etched recessed portion. The integrated circuit includes a second electrode and a resistivity changing material filling the recessed portion and coupled to the second electrode.
US08189371B2

According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a control circuit. The memory cell array includes a stacked body, a through-hole, a semiconductor pillar, and a charge storage film. The stacked body includes a plurality of insulating films alternately stacked with a plurality of electrode films. The through-hole is made in the stacked body to align in a stacking direction. The semiconductor pillar is buried in the through-hole. The charge storage film is provided between the electrode films and the semiconductor pillar. Memory cells are formed at each intersection between the electrode films and the semiconductor pillar. The control circuit writs a first value to at least some of the memory cells, performs an erasing operation of the first value from the memory cell written with the first value, reads data stored in the memory cell having undergone the erasing operation, and sets the memory cell to be unusable in a case that the first value is read from the memory cell.
US08189366B2

The invention relates to a method and apparatus providing a memory cell array in which each resistance memory cell is connected in series to a capacitive element. Access transistors are not necessary to perform read and write operations on the memory cell. In one exemplary embodiment, the capacitive element is a capacitor.
US08189365B2

A plurality of three-terminal variable resistance switching elements each having a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode are connected to each other in series. The source electrode of each of the three-terminal variable resistance switching elements and the drain electrode of its adjacent three-terminal variable resistance switching element are connected to each other through a wiring segment to form a lane. A potential holding section for holding a predetermined potential level is connected to the wiring segment. A column group is configured by selecting one of the three-terminal variable resistance elements in each lane. A common gate line is connected to each of the gate electrodes of the three-terminal variable resistance elements belonging to the column group.
US08189363B2

A resistance change memory includes two memory cell arrays each including a plurality of memory cells, the memory cells including variable resistive elements, two reference cell arrays provided to correspond to the two memory cell arrays, respectively, and each including a plurality of reference cells, the reference cells having a reference value, and a sense amplifier shared by the two memory cell arrays and detecting data in an accessed memory cell by use of a reference cell array corresponding to a second memory cell array different from a first memory cell array including the accessed memory cell. In reading the data, a particular reference cell in one reference cell array is always activated for an address space based on one memory cell array as a unit.
US08189362B2

Techniques for encoding and decoding fuse data to reduce sense current are disclosed. An embodiment to encode fuse sense data includes inverting each of the bits of the fuse data and using an individual fuse as a flag bit to record the data inversion. The states of the respective fuses may represent different logic states. A fuse may be blown to indicate a logic one and likewise, an unblown fuse may indicate a logic zero. A blown fuse and an unblown fuse may have different current consumption. An unblown fuse may consume more sensing current compared to a blown fuse. Another embodiment to decode the encoded fuse data includes embedded logic circuits and a separate fuse as a flag bit. Encoding and decoding fuse data may reduce fuse sensing current.
US08189355B2

A multiple-output switching power source apparatus includes a control circuit to adjust a time for applying a DC voltage to a primary winding of a transformer by turning on/off a switching element Q1, a first rectifying-smoothing circuit for a first secondary winding of the transformer, a second rectifying-smoothing circuit for a switching element Q2 to provide a second output voltage connected to an output terminal of the first rectifying-smoothing circuit through the switching element Q2, a third rectifying-smoothing circuit for a second secondary winding of the transformer and provide a third output voltage, a first end of the second secondary winding of the transformer being connected to the switching element Q2, and a control circuit 13 to adjust an ON/OFF time of the switching element Q2 according to the voltage of the first secondary winding of the transformer, the second output voltage, and the third output voltage.
US08189354B2

A voltage converter transmits energy in multiple stages using a charge pump so as to decrease the voltage rating of the secondary side of the transformer and reduce the size of the transformer. Meanwhile, the voltage converter stores and recycles the leakage inductance energy by using a snubber circuit so as to increase the efficiency.
US08189347B2

A technique is provided for improvement in convenience and in cost reduction of a fixing part of a printed board unit. A printed board unit includes a plurality printed board including a first printed board and a second printed board; and at least one fixing part, interposed between the first printed board and the second printed board, fixing the first printed board and the second printed board such that the first printed board and the second printed board overlap and keep a predetermined space between the first printed board and the second printed board, and the fixing part variably determines the predetermined space.
US08189342B2

Example embodiments of the present invention may include a printed circuit board, a method of manufacturing the printed circuit board, and a memory module/socket assembly. Example embodiments of the present invention may increase the number of contact taps on a memory module, in addition, a force required to insert the memory module into a module socket may be decreased.
US08189340B2

A mobile digital video recorder (MDVR) has a hollow shell, two board tracks, two brackets, a main board, power board, VSM board, and a storage device. The board tracks and the brackets are attached securely in the shell. The main board is mounted slidably and detachably in the shell via the tracks. The power board is mounted slidably and detachably in the shell via the tracks. The VSM board is mounted slidably and detachably in the shell via the tracks. The storage device is mounted slidably and detachably in the shell via the brackets. Therefore, the main board, power board, VSM board and the storage device are easily pulled out from the shell for repairing, replacing, or upgrading to new technology.
US08189337B2

A mounting apparatus is provided to hold a number of data storage devices each including opposite sidewalls. The mounting apparatus includes a bracket, a number of fasteners, and a number of fixing members. The fasteners are fixed to the sidewalls of each data storage device, respectively, and each fastener includes a head portion abutting the corresponding sidewall. Each fixing member includes a main body fixed to the bracket, a number of cushioning boards fixed to the main body, and a number of guiding rails fixed each fixed to a corresponding one of the plurality of cushioning boards. Each guiding rail defines a sliding groove. When the data storage devices are moved along two adjacent fixing members, the head portions are slid in the corresponding sliding grooves.
US08189325B2

A switchgear case is partitioned into a high voltage bus bar chamber, which contains bus bars and cable heads, a high voltage device chamber containing circuit breakers and operation mechanisms and a low voltage control chamber containing a relay and measurement devices, etc. A rear wall of the case has a first suction port disposed at a lower part thereof, wherein the high voltage bus bar chamber, high voltage device chamber and the low voltage control chamber are communicated and air passing through the chambers is discharged from a first discharging port of the casing. The bus bars electrically connecting the high voltage devices in the high voltage device chamber and connecting bars connecting the adjoining bus bars and the cable heads are covered with solid insulators for solid-insulation.
US08189322B2

The solid electrolytic capacitor according to the present invention comprises a capacitor element including an anode section, a cathode section, and a dielectric oxide film provided between the anode section and the cathode section. The solid electrolytic capacitor further comprises an anode lead frame connected to the anode section, a cathode lead frame connected to the cathode section, and an exterior resin covering the capacitor element and a part of the anode lead frame and cathode lead frame respectively. The anode section comprises an anode body including a sintered body of a valve action metal, and an average particle diameter of particles of the valve action metal of the anode body is 0.43 μm or smaller.
US08189319B2

A MEMS variable capacitor includes: a first connection beam having one end fixed to a substrate; a first actuation beam connected to the first connection beam; a second actuation beam connected to the first actuation beam and extending in a reverse direction; a second connection beam having one end fixed to the substrate; a third actuation beam connected to the second connection beam; a fourth actuation beam connected to the third actuation beam and extending in a reverse direction; a movable electrode provided between the second and fourth actuation beams; and a fixed electrode provided on the substrate opposed to the movable electrode. The first to fourth actuation beams have a piezoelectric film sandwiched between a lower electrode and an upper electrode, the first and third actuation beams are placed on a line, the second and fourth actuation beams are placed on a line, and the first and second actuation beams and the third and fourth actuation beams are placed symmetrically about a line.
US08189311B2

A method of circuit breaker control includes determining if a trip event for a circuit breaker has occurred, determining a set of redundancy parameters for the circuit breaker, and transmitting a trip signal and a shunt trip signal to the circuit breaker based on the set of redundancy parameters.
US08189310B2

A CMOS IC according to the invention includes a discharging circuit for preventing electrostatic breakdown from occurring. The discharging circuit includes a discharging NMOSFET Qe, which couples a gate terminal node Vgp continuous to the gate of an outputting PDMOS transistor Qo and the gate of a discharging NMOSFET Qe via a capacitor Ce, and connects the drain of the discharging NMOSFET Qe to a gate terminal node Vgp continuous to the gate terminal of the outputting PDMOS transistor Qo. The discharging circuit 300 also includes a pull-down resistor disposed between the gate of the discharging NMOSFET Qe and the ground for preventing the discharging NMOSFET Qe from operating in a steady state condition. The CMOS IC according to the invention makes the discharging NMOSFET Qe trigger to operate by the potential change at the node corresponding to the potential change of the power supply line, when a surge caused by static electricity and such is applied to the power supply line.
US08189306B2

Dynamic grounding including monitoring the floating DC outputs of a power amplifier, detecting an imbalance in the floating DC outputs, generating a compensation signal in response to a detected imbalance, and adjusting the power amplifier to re-balance the floating DC outputs and suppress transients.
US08189300B1

A capacitive transducer of multi-layer construction includes at least one rotor plate supported by flexible springs, A number of improvements are disclosed including a hollow rotor plate structure for reduced moving mass, buckling resistant features for the springs, improved spring anchor joint design for reduced creep and hysteresis, and material selection and matching for reduced thermal sensitivity. one embodiment allows measurement of force and/or displacement in multiple directions.
US08189293B1

According to one embodiment, a perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a shield having a groove and a main magnetic pole positioned in the groove of the shield. The groove includes a bottom side near a leading edge of the shield and inclined sides extending from the bottom side toward a trailing edge of the shield and from an ABS side of the head to a recessed side of the shield opposite the ABS. The shield is coupled to a non-magnetic layer at the recessed side, a cross-sectional area of the groove is less at a position nearer to the substrate than a position farther from the substrate, a cross-sectional area of the groove is less at a position nearer to the ABS side of the shield than a position farther from the ABS side of the shield, and a portion of the sides of the groove have curved surfaces.
US08189286B1

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of servo sectors that define a plurality of servo tracks. The servo sectors comprise a plurality of servo bursts including a first servo burst, a second servo burst following the first servo burst and offset radially by approximately one half of a servo track from the first servo burst, a third servo burst following the second servo burst and offset radially by approximately one full servo track from the second servo burst, and a fourth servo burst following the third servo burst and offset radially by approximately one half of a servo track from the third servo burst. A PES is generated form the servo bursts that is substantially insensitive to a radial velocity of the head.
US08189274B2

There is provided an imaging optical system installed in a mobile communications terminal and a personal digital assistant (PDA) or utilized in a surveillance camera and a digital camera. The imaging optical system including, sequentially from an object side in front of an image plane: a first lens having positive refractive power and two convex surfaces; a second lens having negative refractive power and two concave surfaces; a third lens having positive refractive power and a meniscus shape; and a fourth lens having a concave object-side surface. The fourth lens has a shape satisfying following condition 1: 10<|R8/F|<50  condition 1, where R8 is a radius of curvature of the object-side surface of the fourth lens, and F is an overall focal length of the imaging optical system.
US08189261B2

An optical component includes an antireflection film that is a multilayer film having alternately-laminated six or more layers including high refractive index layers and low refractive index layers; wherein a first layer of the antireflection film deposited closest to the substrate is a high refractive index layer; λ satisfies 480 nm≦λ≦530 nm where λ is the wavelength of light incident into the antireflection film; an optical thickness D1 of the first layer satisfies 0.02λ≦D1≦0.04λ; an optical thickness Dm of a layer of the antireflection film that is located fifth from an outermost layer deposited furthest from the substrate satisfies 0.19λ≦Dm≦0.75λ; a total physical thickness dt of the entire antireflection film satisfies 350 nm≦dt≦480 nm; and a total physical thickness da of the low refractive index layers satisfies 0.65 dt≦da≦0.80 dt.
US08189258B2

An optical amplifier configuration for WDM (wavelength division multiplex) systems uses a common pump source connected to an input of an optical splitter deploying pump light via variable optical attenuators to a plurality of optical amplifiers. Control circuits determine individually the output powers of the amplifiers by varying the attenuations of the variable optical attenuators. Amplifier units based on PLC technology are implemented to reduce the size.
US08189257B2

A laser structure is provided that includes a pulsed source producing a pulsed signal having a low spontaneous noise component to its spectral output and a pulse-shape that is optimally flat. Also, the laser structure includes one or more optical fiber structures receiving the pulsed signal and performing Raman amplification. The pulsed signal is used to excite in the one or more optical fiber structures possessing normal chromatic dispersion, which acts as a nonlinear system for efficient mid-infrared spectral generation.
US08189247B2

Improved techniques for using holograms to provide security for documents and the like. A method of providing a tamper-resistant pattern in association with a hologram on a substrate, the method including: preparing a hologram, the hologram being recorded in a photosensitive recording layer carried by a carrier; printing a pattern onto the photosensitive recording layer; and then attaching the hologram to a substrate by adhesive such that the pattern is between the photosensitive recording layer and the substrate to provide a tamper-resistant pattern in association with the hologram.
US08189246B2

An image forming system includes: an obtaining unit that obtains image information including a grey-level value of a pixel; a modifying unit that modifies the grey-level value of the pixel included in the image information obtained by the obtaining unit; a color image forming unit that forms on a recording medium a color image in accordance with information showing the color image including the grey-level value of the pixel modified by the modifying unit; and a transparent image forming unit that forms on the recording medium a transparent image overlapping the color image.
US08189245B2

If an image is shifted in increments of pixels according to scan line changing points, the printed image suffers from jaggies or boundaries at positions corresponding to the scan line changing points. The jaggies or boundaries are also produced when a 1/2 speed or a 1/3 speed obtained by varying the process speed is used. Consequently, it has been impossible to obtain high-quality output images. An image forming apparatus is offered which has a printing unit operating to print at different process speeds and a control unit for controlling the output range of output image data for each line according to the process speeds. When the process speed in use is lower than a normal process speed, a part of 1 line of image data is outputted divisionally at timings at which lines from which image is not usually outputted at this low process speed are scanned.
US08189242B2

In forming an image including a spot color, when an image for which a trapping process is performed does not include information of a spot color, the trapping process sometimes functions ineffectively. To solve this problem, image data having information of colors less in number than the colors included in the image is input and two adjacent regions are detected from the input image data. When the color information is color-separated into the colors, it is determined if the two regions share the color, and trapping for an adjacent portion of the two regions is controlled.
US08189233B2

A density calculating apparatus includes: an image data acquisition section that acquires print image data representing a print image; a place designating section that designates a place on the print image; and a target color acquisition section that acquires a target color of a color of the place. The apparatus further includes: a color guess section that guesses a print color of the place to be printed by a printing system, by using a patch image produced based on a predetermined criterion; and a density calculation section that calculates the print densities of the color materials having the multiple colors by using the color guess section so that the target color is achieved at the place by the printing system based on the print image data.
US08189226B2

An image forming apparatus (1000) is equipped with a scanner (1002) for scanning a paper document to thereby convert it to document data; a document memory (1008) for storing the document data; and a history memory (1007) for holding a history of user operations on the document data in association with whether or not the user operations are being managed as an object of control processing. A user operation upon document data is accepted from a operating unit (1001). If this user operation is being managed as an operation that is not an object of control processing in the history memory (1007), then the document data is processed based upon this user operation.
US08189221B2

In an image forming device, when a priority of outputting input data determined by a priority determining unit is higher than a priority of in-process data during image expansion performed by one of PDL interpreter units, a PDL control unit determines whether the one of the PDL interpreter units supports an interruption process, and an output sequence changing unit changes an output sequence stored in an output sequence storing unit such that, when the one of the PDL interpreter units supports the interruption process, another of the PDL interpreter units performs image expansion of the input data earlier than the image expansion of the in-process data, and when the one of the PDL interpreter units does not support the interruption process, another of the PDL interpreter units performs the image expansion of the input data later than the image expansion of the in-process data.
US08189220B2

A data processing system comprises a print-enabled identity server. The print-enabled identity server comprises an identity provider operative in a federated identity system that authenticates a user, and stores profile information and payment information. The print-enabled identity server further comprises a Federated Print Search Responder (FPSR) and a discovery service hosted by the identity provider that operate in combination to answer client print-search queries for finding at least one remote printer according to client-designated criteria. An identity-based payment service manages user payment transactions.
US08189219B2

An image processing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input identification information for identifying a user, an acquisition unit configured to acquire entry management information about an area for which a user identified based on the identification information has an entry authority, and a display unit configured to, in displaying a list of image processing apparatuses that can be sending destinations of data input by the image processing apparatus, display information indicating whether each of the image processing apparatuses is present in an area for which the user has an entry authority based on the entry management information.
US08189210B2

A method is provided for simulating the function of an image conversion device, comprising steps of reading input image data, recording the physical transformations of the base elements in at least one process step, emulating a predetermined number of processes, recording the final states of the base elements, collecting the base elements states following the last simulation step, transforming said collection into the simulation file and printing or displaying said simulation file. A system for implementing the method is also provided.
US08189208B2

The present invention provides an image processing apparatus, a method of controlling the image processing apparatus, a program and a storage medium that can increase security strength of encoded data, printed on a recording medium. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an image to be a document is read and is subjected to image processing, and thereby digital data is acquired. Next, the above-described digital data is encoded to generate a first encoded data. Next, information on a process of decoding the digital data from the first encoded data is encoded to generate second encoded data.
US08189207B2

A color image forming apparatus that automatically switches a printing mode between a single color printing mode and a color printing mode according to requested image data stores, when capturing of image data of a print job is started, the image data in an image memory unit, starts image formation of the image data in the color printing mode as an initial state, and maintains a color printing mode regardless of the image data until the number of printed copies reach a first number of copies for operation switching determination X1. When the number of printed copies reaches X1, the color image forming apparatus compares, in a comparing unit, the number of remaining pages of the print job and a second number of copies for operation switching determination X2 stored in a number-of-pages storing unit 36 and controls the printing mode on the basis of a result of the comparison and information concerning whether the remaining image data is color image data or single color image data.
US08189206B2

A print control apparatus controls a color multifunction printer (MFP) having a print unit and a paper ejecting unit, and a post-press section including a nearline finisher having a feeding unit and a post processing unit and including a post-press server controlling the finisher. The print control apparatus performs control as follows: The print unit is controlled to print content included in a job together with a job ticket and to print information included in the job ticket on the upper surface thereof. The paper ejecting unit is controlled to eject the job ticket using a determined paper ejection method so as to be placed on top of the printed media on which the content has been printed, in a state in which the printed media are stacked.
US08189202B2

Systems are disclosed that include an interferometer configured to direct test light to an overlay test pad and subsequently combine it with reference light, the test and reference light being derived from a common source, one or more optics configured to direct at least a portion of the combined light to a multi-element detector so that different regions of the detector correspond to different illumination angles of the overlay test pad by the test light, the detector being configured to produce an interference signal based on the combined light, and an electronic processor in communication with the multi-element detector. The overlay test pad comprises a first patterned structure and a second patterned structure and the electronic processor is configured to determine information about the relative alignment between the first and second patterned structures based on the interference signal.
US08189200B2

An apparatus and a method for multiplexing and demultiplexing Fiber Optic Interferometric Sensors (FOISs), including means for forming an optical source, at least one sensing cable, at least one wavelength demultiplexing system, and a calibration system.
US08189196B2

A light emitting diode (LED) based detection system is employed for spectroscopy based applications. LEDs are used as monochromatic light sources for applications at specific and pre-defined wavelengths. Spectrographic information is generated using LEDs of different wavelengths ranging from 260 nm to 1400 nm. Multiple wavelength information is generated by coupling light from each LED into an intensity and mode mixing fiber bundle. A dual beam approach of using a reference and a sample photodiode ensures automatic drift correction. Interference filters at the LED input fiber reduce the spectral bandwidth of the monochromatic light emission to a useful 10 nm bandwidth by cutting off the LEDs trailing emission distribution allowing for absorbance measurements similar to typical spectrometers.
US08189182B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device controlling a first light amount of light emitted from a light source based on a second light amount of light entering a light amount detection part so that the first light amount becomes a target level is disclosed. The semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a comparison part configured to compare a voltage corresponding to the second light amount and a reference voltage corresponding to the target level; and a drive current control part configured to control a drive current supplied to the light source based on the result of the comparison by the comparison part. The drive current control part includes a return light identification part configured to determine whether the second light amount includes a third light amount of return light occurring discontinuously.
US08189179B2

Embodiments of a system and method for collecting hyperspectral and polarimetric data that are spatially and temporally coincident include a dispersive element configured to receive incident electromagnetic radiation. The dispersive element is configured to disperse a non-zero order of the electromagnetic radiation into its constituent spectra, which is directed to a first focal plane array, and may be read out as hyperspectral data. The dispersive element is also configured to reflect a zero order of the electromagnetic radiation, which is directed through a polarity discriminating element to a second focal plane array, which may be read out as polarimetric data. By synchronously reading out the first and second focal plane arrays, the hyperspectral and polarimetric data may be both spatially and temporally coincident.
US08189173B2

Apparatus and methods are used to control a polarization state of a radiation beam. A polarization control unit is configured to modulate a polarization state of at least a part of a radiation beam. A determination arrangement is configured to subsequently determine the polarization state of the at least a part of the radiation beam. A feedback unit is configured to provide signals to the polarization control arrangement based on at least the determined polarization state in order to correct for deviation in the polarization state of the part of the radiation beam from a desired polarization state. For example, the correction may ensure that the polarization state of the part of the radiation beam is at, or returns to, the desired polarization state.
US08189158B1

A fringe field switching liquid crystal display apparatus is provided. This apparatus includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode includes a first side edge, a second side edge and plural strips defining plural spacings between the first and the second side edges. Each of the plural strips is formed between two of the plural spacings, and each of the plural spacings has two ends. The second electrode is disposed in a stacked relationship with the first electrode, and includes at least a penetrating vacancy with a projection, which overlaps one of the two ends of one of the plural spacings.
US08189149B2

A liquid crystal panel has a first optical film (4) adhered to a viewing side of a liquid crystal cell (2) through a first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (3), and a second optical film (6) adhered to the reverse side of the liquid crystal cell (2) through a second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (5). A creep value (L1) of the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (3) is from 50 to 3000 μm. A creep value (L2) of the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (5) is from 10 to 400 μm. The creep value (L1) of the first pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (3) is larger than the creep value (L2) of the second pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (5). The creep value means the shift amount after one hour of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 20 μm in a case where a tensile shearing force of 4.9 N is applied to an adhesive area of 10 mm2 at 23° C.
US08189148B2

A transflective liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel which is configured such that a liquid crystal layer is held between a pair of substrates, and to which an OCB mode is applied, and a pair of optical elements which are disposed on outsides of the liquid crystal layer, and optically compensate a retardation of the liquid crystal layer in a predetermined display state in which a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer, wherein the optical element is configured to include a circular polarization element including a polarizer and a first retardation plate which imparts a retardation of ¼ wavelength, and the first retardation plate has such wavelength dispersion characteristics as to establish a relationship, α1<1, where α1 is a ratio of an in-plane retardation Re430 at a wavelength of 430 nm to an in-plane retardation Re550 at a wavelength of 550 nm.
US08189129B2

The backlight system of the invention creates illumination behind a liquid crystal or other transparent display. In one mode of operation it produces a series of precise, thin slanted lines with dark space in between which are used to make multiple perspective views, displayed simultaneously on the LCD, visible from a series of horizontally spaced viewing zones spaced in front of the display. In another mode of operation, it produces even diffuse illumination similar to that generated by conventional backlights, allowing the LCD to display conventional 2D images.
US08189112B2

An embodiment has a C separating circuit which separates a carriage color signal and which outputs a reference, a lead, and a delayed composite video signals, a filter that extracts a high-frequency carriage color component with a significant variation in hue from the carriage color signal, a first calculation circuit which outputs a first luminance signal, a second calculation circuit which subtracts the carriage color signal from each of the reference, the preceding lead, and the delayed composite video signals and which derives a second luminance signal having an intermediate value, and a selection circuit which outputs the second luminance signal when the high-frequency carriage color component has a value larger than the reference value and which derives the first luminance signal when the high-frequency carriage color component has a value smaller than the reference value.
US08189109B2

A digital image converting apparatus with auto-correcting phase and a method thereof are provided. The digital image converting apparatus includes a phase controller, a delay locked loop (DLL), an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a position adjuster. The phase controller selects one of preset phases for outputting and continuously changes the output preset phase for controlling a clock signal produced by the delay locked loop. The ADC converts an analog display frame according to the adjusted clock signal. After all the preset phases are output in sequence, the phase controller can obtain an optimal phase for converting the display frame according to the smallest front porch of horizontal scan line and the smallest back porch of horizontal scan line of a digital display frame produced by the position adjuster.
US08189108B2

An apparatus for providing multiple screens and a method of dynamically configuring multiple screens are provided. The apparatus for providing multiple screens is capable of providing a plurality of contents on a single physical display device and reconstructing a form or connection relationship among screens existing on a system. The apparatus for providing multiple screens includes an operation module which generates at least one screen for displaying a service and a setting module which senses a change of set of the screen.
US08189093B2

To provide a drive unit and a drive module which include a shape memory alloy as a drive source to move a driven member and are capable of the high-precision movement of the driven member to a reference position. A drive unit and a drive module can be provided by controlling, in the drive unit and the drive module which include the shape memory alloy as the drive source to move the driven member, the shape memory alloy so that the resistance of the shape memory alloy is equal to the resistance when the driven member is located at the reference position.
US08189092B2

Provided are an apparatus and method for adjusting focus using the MTF characteristics of a lens in a digital image processing apparatus that adjusts focus using optical characteristics of a lens. The apparatus for adjusting focus includes: an image pickup unit in which modulation transfer function (MTF) data, which can be used to represent the performance of a lens, is stored; and a digital signal processing unit that calculates a focus peak value of an image and a defocus correction value based on the MTF data, and corrects the focus position using the focus peak value and the defocus correction value.
US08189065B2

Method and apparatus for full-resolution light-field capture and rendering. A radiance camera is described in which the microlenses in a microlens array are focused on the image plane of the main lens instead of on the main lens, as in conventional plenoptic cameras. The microlens array may be located at distances greater than f from the photosensor, where f is the focal length of the microlenses. Radiance cameras in which the distance of the microlens array from the photosensor is adjustable, and in which other characteristics of the camera are adjustable, are described. Digital and film embodiments of the radiance camera are described. A full-resolution light-field rendering method may be applied to flats captured by a radiance camera to render higher-resolution output images than are possible with conventional plenoptic cameras and rendering methods.
US08189063B2

An image pickup system includes a verification unit for verifying a reliability related to a plurality of image signals obtained by an image-pickup operation performed by setting a spectral characteristic of a color image sensor system different; a correction unit for performing a correction processing on the plurality of image signals on the basis of the reliability; and an estimation unit for performing an estimation for an unknown spectral characteristic related to a subject or an illumination light on the basis of the plurality of image signals on which the correction processing is performed.
US08189061B1

A method of capturing a still frame is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of initial frames with a sensor in response to an optical signal and (B) generating the still frame by combining the initial frames using a noise reduction technique.
US08189059B2

In a collaborating work, it is to provide a digital camera in which camera information about each camera is displayed on a monitor of a master camera and a memory status of each memory card in use is also displayed and further, when monitoring a video from a slave camera, a size of a display screen can be manually set and in a digital camera system at collaborating work, a first digital camera is provided with camera information about each digital camera, a total memory capacity, a total sum of shot-taken frame numbers, a total remaining memory capacity or a display device indicating a total sum of remaining frame numbers. Camera information is information that is required to be set when instructing a shooting work or a storage work or to specify a second digital camera.
US08189056B2

In a digital camera 1, a storing means stores feature quantities of a subject area in an image, and a search point setting means sets a plurality of search points in the subject area. Next, an updating means updates coordinates of the set plurality of search points using random numbers. Then, a weight setting means compares feature quantities of the updated search points with the stored feature quantities, and sets a weight for each search point based on similarity. Next, a sorting means sorts the search points depend on those weight, and a variance acquiring means calculates the variance of the sorted search points. Then, an angle-of-view adjusting means determines the amount of adjustment for the angle-of-view based on the calculated variance.
US08189052B1

Media, systems, and methods are provided for evaluating a video processing technology based on subjective feedback. Videos from a plurality of sources for one or more subjective feedback targets are randomly selected. The selected videos with a video processing technology are processed, such that the selected videos include at least one impairment. The selected videos are transmitted to the one or more subjective feedback targets. Subjective feedback is received from the one or more subjective feedback targets regarding a perceptional aspect of the selected videos.
US08189046B2

A communication system for multiple users whereby an automatic indication of away status is prompted immediately upon a user's departure from the vicinity of a computer or other medium. In a preferred embodiment, this is accomplished, in an instant messaging environment, via a video camera arrangement whereby, upon there being a detection of a user's absence from the immediate vicinity, an automatic prompt is made to indicate away status for the user.
US08189043B2

A visual inspection device includes a body having a support portion and a grip portion extending from the support portion. The body defines a cavity. The device also includes a flexible cable having a first end portion coupled to the body and a second end portion, and a camera assembly coupled to the second end portion of the flexible cable. The camera assembly includes an image sensor and a light source. The image sensor is operable to transmit image data through the flexible cable. The device further includes a display supported by the support portion of the body. The display is electrically coupled to the flexible cable to display images captured by the image sensor. The device also includes a rechargeable battery pack removably coupled to the body.
US08189037B2

A panoramic 3D image is created by using multiple projectors whose field-of-view is narrower than the screen's width. Each projector provides a different image of a common subject from a different view angle, and the different images are mosaiced onto the screen. An observer may have a limited view of the composite image depending on which projectors are within the observer's field-of-view. A viewing volume is also extended by using space beyond a far limit line dependent upon the observer's inter-pupillary distance, the width of each projector's viewing window, and the distance from the projection baseline to the screen.
US08189036B2

A sender produces a background video image 4 from a reference video image 1 and a depth map 3 and synthesizes the background video image 4 in a background buffer 5. A projection converting matrix 6 for synthesizing is calculated. A receiver receives the reference video image 1, the depth map 3 and the projection converting matrix 6. The receiver produces a free viewpoint video image 11 and a background video image 12. The background buffer 13 is dynamically renewed. The free viewpoint video image 11 and the image in the background buffer 13 are synthesized with each other, and the background video image in the concealed regions in the free viewpoint video image are complemented to obtain the complemented image 14.
US08189018B2

A time stamp is a device that prints time information on a time card inserted into a time card slot. The time card slot is formed to be inclined downwardly in the depthwise direction of the time stamp at an angle of 8 to 10 degrees or so with the mount surface of the time stamp being a reference. The time stamp has a mount portion to be attached to a wall surface. The time card slot extends in a direction orthogonal to the rear surface of the time stamp.
US08189015B2

The present invention provides a various methods, systems and devices for controlling light modulating elements and/or spatial light modulators. In some embodiments of the present invention, a recursive feedback method is used to control light modulating elements and/or spatial light modulators.
US08189009B1

A method for generating a texture buffer object configured for storing and manipulating texture data for graphics processing operations includes the steps of creating a buffer object configured to store the texture data, binding the buffer object to a texture buffer object, binding the texture buffer object to one of a plurality of texture targets included within a texture image unit, and binding a shader program to a processing unit within a graphics rendering pipeline. One advantage of the disclosed method is that, once a texture buffer object is bound as the target of a texture image unit, shader programs may read and/or write to the buffer object referenced by the texture buffer object, without having to rebind that texture buffer object.
US08189006B1

Surfaces without a global surface coordinate system are divided into surface regions having local surface coordinate systems to enable the caching of surface attribute values. Surface attribute functions are evaluated to determine surface attribute values for the surface regions. A surface attribute value for a surface region may include contributions from two or more adjacent surfaces. A multiresolution cache stores surface attribute values at different resolution levels for surface regions of one or more surfaces, which may be discontiguous. Surface attribute values for a surface are retrieved from the multiresolution cache by dividing the surface into surface regions at a desired resolution level and selecting a corresponding resolution level of the multiresolution cache. One or more cached surface attribute values are retrieved for each surface region. Surface attribute values can be artistically or procedurally generated and can specify surface attributes including optical, illumination, animation, simulation, modeling, or rendering attributes.
US08189004B2

The present disclosure includes, among other things, systems, methods and program products for translating RenderMan shading language code.
US08188996B2

Methods, systems, devices, and computer program code (software) products enable acceleration of ray tracing by using acceleration data structures with high arity to enable processing of nodes using streaming SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) instructions with reduced memory requirements.
US08188990B2

In a method for displaying visual information (9) on a display surface (3, 13, 20, 21), a display parameter (P) is modified, at trigger intervals, in at least one region of the display surface (3, 13) for a subliminal period of time. The display parameter (P) is preferably selected from the brightness, color, illumination, contrast, focus, frequency or connection/disconnection of the display. By said measure, a viewer of the display surface (3) is prompted to perform a blinking movement which leads to the moistening of the eye with tear fluid and thereby prevents eye irritation without the viewer consciously perceiving the externally controlled blinking.
US08188989B2

The present invention provides a control knob on a device that allows a user to control functions of the device. In one embodiment, the knob is rotatable in a rotary degree of freedom and moveable in at least one transverse direction approximately perpendicular to the axis. An actuator is coupled to the knob to output a force in the rotary degree of freedom about the axis, thus providing force feedback. In a different embodiment, the knob is provided with force feedback in a rotary degree of freedom about an axis and is also moveable in a linear degree of freedom approximately parallel to the axis, allowing the knob to be pushed and/or pulled by the user. The device controlled by the knob can be a variety of types of devices, such as an audio device, video device, etc. The device can also include a display providing an image updated in response to manipulation of the knob. Detent forces can be provided for the knob by overlapping and adjusting ranges of closely-spaced detents in the rotary degree of freedom of the knob.
US08188982B2

A touch screen display apparatus includes a first substrate including a pixel electrode and a lower sensor electrode, a second substrate facing the first substrate and including a common electrode and an upper sensor electrode facing the lower sensor electrode, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates, a first alignment layer disposed on the pixel electrode and the common electrode, a second alignment layer disposed on the lower sensor electrode, and a third alignment layer disposed on the upper sensor electrode. The second or third alignment layers aligns the liquid crystal layer in a different direction from a direction the first alignment layer aligns the liquid crystal layer. When pressure is applied onto a point on the first or second substrate, a distance and a capacitance between the lower sensor electrode and the upper sensor electrode at the point are changed to detect a position of the point.
US08188980B2

A device for inputting characters or numbers in a mobile terminal having a touch screen, the device including a display screen for displaying characters or numbers at a display area and a wheel for selecting a desired character or number at another display area in a text input mode; and a control unit for controlling the display screen to display the characters or numbers and the wheel for selecting a desired character or number at the display areas, placing a cursor on a character or number corresponding to rotation of the wheel, and controlling the display screen to display a character or number selected by placing the cursor.
US08188976B2

A mobile terminal device provided with a plurality of keys includes: a touch pad and a touch detection interface which detect a user touching a key; a press detection interface which detects the user pressing the key; a display unit which sequentially displays characters, as candidate characters, assigned to the key pressed by the user, when the press detection interface detects the user pressing the key; and a controller which converts the candidate character displayed on the display unit to a finalized character, when an untouched time period during the user does not touch the pressed key reaches a predetermined judging time after the press detection interface detects the user pressing the key.
US08188975B2

A method for providing a continuous key operation in a mobile terminal that uses an input unit for detecting position movement of an object relative to the input unit depending on a change of an input signal, and a mobile terminal implementing the method, is provided. In the method, whether position movement is detected through the input unit is determined. When the position movement is detected, whether a continuous operation control key is actuated within a predefined time is determined. When the continuous operation control key is actuated within the predefined time, an operation corresponding to the detected position movement is repeatedly performed. The method for the continuous key operation of the mobile terminal provides convenience to a user who uses a directional key service through an optical mouse and a touchscreen.
US08188970B2

A pointing device system includes a moveable puck, a first surface on which a puck field of motion is defined, a controller, and a pressure-sensing mechanism. The pressure sensing mechanism measures an amount of pressure applied to the puck. The controller determines whether the measured amount of pressure meets a touch threshold value or a click threshold value. The touch threshold value is re-calculated when the measured amount of pressure meets or exceeds the previous touch threshold value but does not meet the click threshold value. The click threshold value is re-calculated when the measured amount of pressure meets the previous click threshold value. Changes in a position of the puck or a review of previously measured pressure values or events may also be analyzed prior to re-calculating the touch or click threshold values.
US08188961B2

By way of enabling a reset signal while turning off a liquid crystal display, a method for decaying residual image of the liquid crystal display is capable of setting the corresponding gate signal of each of a plurality of gate lines of the liquid crystal display based on the enabled reset signal. Accordingly, enhanced discharging processes on all the storage units of the liquid crystal display for fast decaying residual image can be performed via the data switches of the liquid crystal display turned on by the gate signals being set. The reset operation for performing discharging processes in response to the reset signal can be carried out based on a reset circuit for setting all the gate signals to become high-level signals, or based on a charging/discharging module for furnishing a high-level voltage directly to all the gate lines.
US08188958B2

Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention include a method device and/or system of displaying an image on a display having an array of sub-pixel elements. The method may include, for example, obtaining a first set of one or more values by sampling values of one or more sub-pixel value-holders associated with one or more of said sub-pixel elements, the first set of values corresponding to one or more sub-pixels of a first frame of said image; receiving a second set of values corresponding to one or more sub-pixels of a second frame of said image; and updating the values of one or more of the sub-pixel value-holders based on the first and second sets of values. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08188957B2

Techniques for providing LED-based backlighting in liquid crystal flat panel displays are disclosed. In one embodiment, the backlighting includes at least three color groups of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are turned on successively for one frame of image. Liquid crystals (pixels) in an LCD are controlled in accordance with a display signal to transmit none, all or a determined amount of one or more of the colored lights from the three color groups of light emitting diodes in a cycle, resulting in an LCD with vivid colors and minimized tailing effects.
US08188954B2

Provided are a display device and a mobile terminal having the same. The display device includes a transflective liquid crystal panel, a first light unit on a rear side of the transflective liquid crystal panel, and a second light unit on a front side of the transflective liquid crystal panel.
US08188950B2

A display device includes a display panel, light emitting elements, a temperature detector, and an image processing circuit. The light emitting elements are disposed in a matrix form on the display panel, a luminance of light emitting elements being controlled by a current value. The temperature detector detects a rise in temperature caused by a consumption power of a driver IC and outputs temperature information, the driver IC being configured for supplying current to the light emitting elements. The image processing circuit controls a supply current to the light emitting elements using the temperature information output from the temperature detector.
US08188944B2

In an embodiment of the present invention, a signal driver employs a two-stage system in which the potential of a signal line (SL) is switched from a reference potential (Vofs) to an intermediate potential (Vofs2), and then switched to a signal potential (Vsig) of a video signal. A scanner supplies a first control pulse to a scan line (WS) when the signal line (SL) is at the intermediate potential (Vofs2), and then supplies a second control pulse to thereby turn on and off a sampling transistor T1 when the signal line (SL) is at the signal potential (Vsig). Based on this configuration, two times of mobility correction (μ correction) are carried out.
US08188941B2

There is provided a pixel circuit, including: a signal line; a drive transistor; a light emitting element; and at least one power source line wired so as to intersect perpendicularly the signal line; wherein the drive transistor is connected between the wiring layer and a predetermined electrode of the light emitting element, and any one of wirings intersecting perpendicularly one another is wired in a region of overlapping a light emitting region of the light emitting element in a direction of lamination of layers.
US08188938B2

A plasma display device including: a display panel for displaying an image according to a driving signal converted from an external image signal; a logic controller for measuring a temperature of the display panel for comparison with a temperature section information having at least two temperature sections, generating a driving control signal for changing the driving signal when the temperature of the display panel changes to a temperature of a different temperature section, and calculating a changing condition included in the driving control signal for determining a changing time of the driving signal; and a driver for supplying the driving signal that is changed according to the temperature section at the changing time determined by the changing condition of the driving control signal.
US08188937B1

In a body mounting type display system, at least a signal corresponding to display data is outputted to a computer side output transmission circuit through a bus line of a computer, and the data corresponding to the signal is written in a buffer memory of the computer side output transmission circuit by the computer. The data written in the buffer memory is read and sent, and the data is received at a body side output transmission circuit, which is restored to a signal corresponding to the signal outputted through the bus line. An image output interface connected to the body side output transmission circuit produces a signal for actuating a display device worn by a user based on the display data of the restored signal. Thus, there is provided the body mounting type display system suitable for providing information to the user who can work with hand free condition.
US08188931B2

An electronic device includes an antenna and a semiconductor element. The antenna includes a first conductor section that includes a first feeding point and spreads flatly, and a second conductor section that includes a second feeding point and spreads flatly while facing the first conductor section, the first conductor section and the second conductor section being disposed so as to be symmetric with respect to a plane, including a position of the first feeding point and a position of the second feeding point. The semiconductor element supplies the first feeding point and the second feeding point with signals opposite to each other in polarity, respectively, thereby communicating via the antenna.
US08188927B1

RFID tags are assembled through affixing an antenna to an integrated circuit (IC) by forming one or more capacitors coupling the antenna and the IC with the dielectric material of the capacitor(s) including a non-conductive covering layer of the IC, a non-conductive covering layer of the antenna such as an oxide layer, and/or an additionally formed dielectric layer. Top and bottom plates of the capacitor(s) are formed by the antenna traces and one or more patches on a top surface of the IC.
US08188923B2

Method and system for locating one or more transmitters in the potential presence of obstacles in a network comprising a first receiving station A and a second receiving station B that is asynchronous with A. The method includes the identification of a reference transmitter through an estimation of its direction of arrival AOA-TDOA pair (θref, Δτref) on the basis of the knowledge of the positions of the reference transmitter and of stations A and B, an estimation of the direction of arrival of the transmitter or transmitters and of the reflectors (or estimation of the AOA) on station A, and the correction of the errors of asynchronism between station A and station B by using the reference transmitter and the location of the various transmitters on the basis of each pair (AOAi, TDOAi).
US08188920B2

The present subject matter discloses a method for estimating dilution of precision (DOP) across a service area. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to determine the DOP across a service area. Random points are selected across a service area and as well as the radio transmitters who signals are capable of being received at the random points are determined. Using the network topology of radio transmitters, a DOP is calculated for each of the random points. DOP is modeled for the service area as a function of the calculated DOP for each of the random points. The modeled DOP is used to determined the measurement accuracy required for subsequent location requests.
US08188898B2

An integrated circuit includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit including at least one first channel type DAC and at least one second channel type DAC. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of sample and hold (S/H) circuits. Each of the S/H circuits is coupled with one of the DAC circuit. The S/H circuits are capable of receiving signals from the DAC circuit and outputting the signals in parallel.
US08188897B2

An analog to digital converter includes a dielectric substrate, an analog input wire, and digital output wires, with a metal insulator extending over the digital output wires. The analog input wire can be in proximity to the dielectric substrate and can generate heat when an electric current flows through the analog input wire. The digital output wires can also be in proximity to the dielectric substrate. The metal insulator can have a phase transition temperature above which the metal insulator is electrically conductive to short circuit at least one of the digital output wires in contact with a metal insulator portion above the phase transition temperature. The digital output wires can be arranged at predetermined distances from the analog input wire such that output wires have varying short circuit thresholds.
US08188896B2

According to one embodiment, a digital converter is provided to process output signals of a resolver attached to a rotating apparatus. These output signals are converted into digital signals by ΔΣ AD converters. Multiplication units receive the digital signals outputted from the ΔΣ AD converters. A subtraction unit subtracts the outputs of the multiplication units. A synchronous detection unit detects the output of the subtraction unit based on a synchronization signal synchronously. An angular velocity calculation unit adjusts a proportional gain of an output of the synchronous detection unit, compensates the phase thereof, and calculates the angular velocity of the rotating apparatus. A rotational angle calculation unit calculates a rotational angle by integrating the angular velocity. Cosine and sine output units output a cosine and a sine corresponding to the obtained rotational angle to the multiplication units, respectively.
US08188895B2

In a bit stream syntax containing compressed video slice data for compressed video data of a slice structure, a slice header for compressed video slice data has attached thereto a slice start code, a register reset flag indicating whether a register value, which designates a status of a codeword occurring in an arithmetic coding process, should be reset in the next transmission unit, an initial register value which indicates a register value to be used to start arithmetic coding/decoding to build/decompose the next transmission unit, only when the register reset flag indicates that the register should not be reset.
US08188894B2

Serial-to-parallel and parallel-to-serial conversion devices may provide for efficient conversion of serial bit streams into parallel data units (and vice versa). In one implementation, a device may include delay circuits, each of which being configured to receive a serial data stream. A rotator circuit may receive the delayed serial data streams and rearrange bits in the serial data streams. Register circuits may receive the output of the rotator circuit and collectively output, in parallel, a number of bits of one of the serial bit streams.
US08188892B2

A detection head has an array including a plurality of coils. Magnetic marks are arranged in a travel route at a pitch equal to the array length. By interaction between the magnetic marks and the coils, a position of a moving vehicle is determined based on the magnetic marks.
US08188886B2

A method and system by which certain radio transmitters are assigned to certain reception nodes for the purpose of transmitting metering data derived from a plurality of utility meters to a system management computer. The reception nodes are configured to receive and process data transmissions only from those transmitters with data paths assigned to particular reception nodes, and to ignore data transmissions from non-listed transmitters, thereby assuring that on a continuous basis, a majority of the transmitters will utilize only one data path. Lists may be formed for the transmitters and reception nodes in the system management computer and transmitted to the reception nodes. The status of data transmissions through the repeaters may also be uploaded to the system management computer for analysis of data update rates and data path redundancy.
US08188872B2

A device for evaluating a temperature measurement signal of a temperature measurement facility has a modeling unit with a first input for picking up an input signal which is indicative for the temperature measurement signal, a second input for picking up a feedback signal, and an output for outputting an output signal. The output signal can be generated in dependence on the input signal and the feedback signal by using a computational model stored in the modeling unit. The feedback signal (slope) is directly or indirectly dependent on the output signal. Furthermore, an alarm indicator with an evaluation device of this type and a method for evaluating a temperature measurement signal are provided. Alongside this, a computer-readable storage medium and also a program element are described, which contain instructions for carrying out the evaluation method.
US08188871B2

In a memory cell, the drive current capabilities of the transistors may be adjusted by locally providing an increased gate dielectric thickness and/or gate length of one or more of the transistors of the memory cell. That is, the gate length and/or the gate dielectric thickness may vary along the transistor width direction, thereby providing an efficient mechanism for adjusting the effective drive current capability while at the same time allowing the usage of a simplified geometry of the active region, which may result in enhanced production yield due to enhanced process uniformity. In particular, the probability of creating short circuits caused by nickel silicide portions may be reduced.
US08188870B2

A system is presented for monitoring an alertness of an operator of a powered system which operates based on a profile. The monitoring system includes a controller to initiate a query to the operator during an operation of the powered system. The query is used to prompt the operator for information related to the operation of the powered system along the profile. The controller compares a response to the query with a correct answer of the query to determine the alertness of the operator.
US08188868B2

Articles of clothing or pieces of athletic equipment include modules, e.g., for sensing physical and/or physiological characteristics associated with use of the clothing or athletic equipment or for performing other functions. Such systems and methods may use physical or other interaction(s) between the module and the article of clothing or piece of athletic equipment for activating and/or deactivating the module and/or sensing devices included with the module, for confirming whether the module and clothing or piece of athletic equipment are authorized for use with one another, and/or for automatic data algorithm selection methods. Additionally, such systems and methods also may use the activation and/or authentication systems for data input to the module. Some examples of such systems and methods may utilize magnets and magnetic sensing systems and/or light (or other radiation) sources and sensing systems for activation, authentication, data input, and/or algorithm selection.
US08188855B2

A system, method and device for communicating over a power line are provided. In one embodiment, the device includes a controller, a first port in communication with the controller and configured to communicate over a power line via any of a plurality of frequency bands, and a second port in communication with the controller and configured to transmit and receive broadband communications. The first port may be configured to select one of the plurality of frequency bands for communications and the controller configured to provide routing functions for data received via the second port to be transmitted via the first port. The second port may comprise a wireless modem or a modem configured to communicate over a power line via broadband communications. The broadband communications may use a frequency band having a bandwidth greater than at least five of the plurality of frequency bands. The device may communicate on multiple frequency bands concurrently and may select or change frequency bands and/or the modulation scheme based on channel conditions or operational parameters.
US08188854B2

The method of data transmission embedded in electric power transmission disposes a transmitting coil 11 and a receiving coil 31 in close proximity, transmits electric power in a non-contact fashion from the transmitting coil 11 to the receiving coil 31 by magnetic induction, and transmits data from the receiving coil 31 side to the transmitting coil 11 side. The method of data transmission changes the load on the receiving coil 31 and detects transmitting coil 11 current change corresponding to that load variation to send data from the receiving coil 31 side to the transmitting coil 11 side.
US08188852B2

A machine-tool safety device for a machine tool having a transmitting unit for transmitting an outgoing signal and a receiving unit for receiving an incoming signal. The machine-tool safety device has an adjusting unit for at least semi-automatically adjusting the outgoing signal to be transmitted.
US08188851B2

An electronic device may include a wireless transceiver for establishing a wireless interface with a wireless transceiver of another device. The electronic device may further include a wake-up assembly including a permanent magnet that generates a magnet field and a sensor that outputs a signal corresponding to sensed magnetic field. A control assembly of the electronic device may be configured to control at least one of activation or deactivation of the wireless transceiver when the output from the sensor indicates that the magnetic field of the permanent magnet has been disturbed by presence of a magnet external to the electronic device.
US08188849B2

To display a temperature value in a passenger compartment (5), it is proposed to use a luminous pointer that is moved along a row of modules (7a, 7b . . . ) that are on or off. Values (9a, 9b . . . ) of this temperature are also marked on the panel (3), along this row. Depending on the temperature to be displayed, the pointer will be moved with a single module on for a first type of temperature values and two adjacent luminous modules on for a second type of temperature values that are intermediate between two successive values of the first type.
US08188839B2

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for RFID tags, RFID readers, communications algorithms, and RFID-related applications are described herein. In an aspect of the invention, an RFID tag is capable of storing data, receiving a signal from a reader, determining a response taking into account the tag mode and the data, and transmitting a response to the reader. The data includes a first plurality of bits and a second plurality of bits. The tag mode may be set by a current or a prior command by the reader. Depending on the tag mode, the response may be complete, or the second plurality of bits may be truncated, compressed, or encrypted. In an aspect of the invention, the response includes an implicit indication of whether the response is complete, truncated, encrypted, or compressed. In another aspect of the invention, a command from the reader indicates how many bits should be truncated, compressed, or encrypted.
US08188838B2

A sliding key fob includes a housing formed of a first housing member and a second housing member. A transmitter is disposed within the housing. A transmitter sends a first actuating signal when the first housing member is slidably moved in a first direction relative to the second housing member. The transmitter sends a second actuating signal when the first housing member is slidably moved in a second direction relative to the second housing member.
US08188835B2

The invention relates to a potentiometer comprising (a) at least two electrically conducting segments (12), each of which has a contact end (14) that is bordered by a circumferential edge (16) and which adjoin each other in a flush manner by means of one respective section (18, 20) of the edges (16) thereof, and (b) a connecting device (38) for electrically connecting a first contact point (P1) in a first segment to at least one second contact point (P2, P3) in a second segment that is different from the first segment.
US08188833B2

A variable resistance element capable of increasing stability of a resistance changing operation and reducing a current necessary for changing, to a low resistance state for the first time, the variable resistance element in an initial state immediately after manufacture. The variable resistance element includes: a first electrode (101); a memory cell hole (150) formed above the first electrode (101); a first variable resistance layer (201) covering a bottom of the memory cell hole (150) and an upper surface of the first electrode (101); a second variable resistance layer (202) formed on the first variable resistance layer (201); and a second electrode (102) formed on the memory cell hole (150), in which a thickness of the first variable resistance layer (201) at the bottom of the memory cell hole (150) gradually decreases toward an edge area of the memory cell hole (150) and has a local minimum value around the edge area of the memory cell hole (150). Furthermore, an oxygen concentration in the first variable resistance layer (201) is higher than an oxygen concentration in the second variable resistance layer (202).
US08188830B2

The transformer includes: a magnetic core having two base-plates and four legs; a first conductive member as a first winding, having four through-holes through which the four legs pass, respectively; and one or more second conductive members as a second winding, each having four through-holes through which the four legs pass, respectively. The first and second windings are wound around the four legs. Closed magnetic paths are formed inside the magnetic core from the four legs to the two base-plates due to currents flowing through the first or the second winding. A couple of magnetic fluxes each generated inside each of a couple of legs arranged along one diagonal line are both directed in a first direction, while another couple of magnetic fluxes each generated inside each of another couple of legs arranged along another diagonal line are both directed in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
US08188821B2

A linear solenoid includes a pair of soft iron pole members which are in a spaced apart linear arrangement. A permanent magnet is attached to the end of a plunger which rides between the pole members. When a first of two electro-magnet coils is energized the plunger which is latched to one of the pole members is repelled to the opposite pole member and latched. When the second coil is energized the plunger returns to the original pole member and is latched.
US08188820B2

Displacement encoder for a moving shaft, comprising a sleeve intended to be fitted onto the shaft and at least one permanent magnet forming at least one polarized magnetic mark. An elastomer layer lies between the permanent magnet and the sleeve. This elastomer layer is adhesively bonded to the permanent magnet and to the sleeve. The invention also relates to a device for a moving shaft comprising such an encoder and to the method of manufacturing the encoder.
US08188818B2

A relay comprises: a solenoid; a hermetically sealed chamber mounted at a lower end thereof with a cylinder into which a center portion of the spool is inserted, mounted at an upper end thereof with a pair of stationary terminals each provided at a stationary contact point and filled therein with insulating gas to be coupled at an upper portion of the spool; an insulation member insulating the chamber and the stationary terminals; a movable unit including a shaft, a conductive movable terminal, and a pair of movable contact points; a restoring spring to pull the shaft toward the lower surface of the cylinder; and an insulated sliding guide to guide the movable unit that is moved by the solenoid and the restoring spring.
US08188813B2

A microwave filter having a resonator comprising a cylindrical structure having conductive walls filled with a conductor material. The cylindrical structure is recessed inside a multi-layered substrate. First and second conductive coupling arms are disposed on the top layer of the substrate for coupling signals to the cylindrical structure. The conductive coupling arms are physically separated from the cylindrical structure by a dielectric layer. The first and second conductive coupling arms extend away from the center of the cylindrical structure to form a microstrip line. The cylindrical structure further comprises a bottom portion having a solid conductive bottom plate perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. A bottom conductive ground layer separated from the conductive bottom plate by a second dielectric layer.
US08188812B2

An elastic wave device includes a first elastic wave resonator and a second elastic wave resonator that are connected in series to each other, and a resistor is connected in parallel with the first elastic wave resonator while no resistors are connected in parallel with the second elastic wave resonator.
US08188811B2

A filter with coupled resonator having a substrate; an acoustic mirror intended to support acoustic resonators, and to isolate these resonators from the substrate; a first structure with an upper resonator and a lower resonator coupled to one another through at least one layer of acoustic coupling; a second structure with an upper resonator and a lower resonator coupled to one another through at least one layer of acoustic coupling; the lower resonators of the first and second structure having the same electrodes. The first and second structures are connected via a fifth resonator for which electrodes and the piezoelectric layer of the lower resonators are of the first and second structure.
US08188810B2

An acoustic resonator comprises: a substrate; a first electrode adjacent the substrate; a layer of piezoelectric material adjacent the first electrode; a second electrode adjacent the layer of piezoelectric material; and a passivation layer adjacent the layer of piezoelectric material. The passivation layer includes a recessed feature. Fill material is provided in the recessed feature of the passivation layer.
US08188802B2

An apparatus for generating an oscillating signal including an oscillator configured to generate the oscillating signal, a controller configured to generate a control signal that controls a characteristic (e.g., amplitude or frequency) of the oscillating signal, and a power supply configured to supply power to the oscillator as a function of the control signal. The power supply may be configured to supply power to the oscillator as a function of the amplitude or frequency of the oscillating signal to improve power efficiency.
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