US08225470B1

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a process of making a surface acoustic wave device having a series connected interdigitated transducers with center chirping. A piezoelectric substrate is provided. Two acoustic reflectors may be formed on the piezoelectric substrate to define an acoustic cavity between the acoustic reflectors. In addition, at least three beta interdigitated transducers (IDTs) adjacent one another are formed on the piezoelectric substrate in electrical series with each other and aligned in acoustic series with each other between the acoustic reflectors, such that the at least three beta IDTs comprise at least one inner beta IDT between two outer beta IDTs, a center portion of the at least one inner beta IDT being chirped.
US08225466B2

The present invention provides a slider for a concealed type slide fastener with a separable bottom end stop capable of restoring a status to a normal one when an insert pin is inserted with an abnormal status, wherein a recess is provided in a shoulder mouth of a lower blade sideways of a diamond erected from a body of the slider and a slope is formed on a side wall sideways of the diamond and a rear mouth side of the recess, and the slope of the side wall restores the fastener tape into a parallel condition quickly and after that, the insert pin can be inserted into a box, thereby attaching the bottom end stop smoothly and easily.
US08225465B2

A headset cord holder comprises a body and a first groove built into the body configured to receive and releasably hold a headset cord. In some embodiments, the first groove has a diameter less than or equal to approximately 2 mm. In further embodiments, the body is integrally formed within the teeth of a zipper. In some embodiments the body comprises one or more of rubber, plastic and metal. In some embodiments, the body comprises one or more of stamped metal and molded metal. In further embodiments, the body comprises molded plastic. In some embodiments, the body comprises one or more additional grooves configured to receive and releasably secure the headset cord.
US08225463B2

A rope or line clamping device, including an assembly of two interfit tubular molded plastic members each having an internal web which are juxtaposed with each other and formed with elongated holes offset from the rotary axis of the members so that the holes progressively become more misaligned upon relative rotation of the members in a direction reducing the overlapping of the two holes, with a ratchet mechanism holding the members in relatively rotated positions to hold the rope or line segments clamped together until the ratchet mechanism is selectively released allowing reverse relative rotation.
US08225461B2

A cable tie with a reduced band thread force is disclosed, comprising an elongate metallic strap, a metallic locking head and a metallic roller means. In one embodiment, the metallic locking head comprising a strap entry notch. In another embodiment, the metallic locking head comprises a strap entry notch and a strap exit notch. In operation, the configuration of the notches, singularly or in tandem, serve to reduce the band thread force in the elongate metallic strap when the elongate metallic strap is inserted into the metallic locking head a second (and subsequent) time.
US08225456B2

A hand held vacuum cleaner having a housing, a motor-fan unit, a dust container, an air passage opening into the dust container and through which dust laden air is directed into the dust container, and at least one filter arranged after the dust container, as seen in the flow direction. The dust container has a first emptying opening, which is normally being covered by a lid and is sized such that it allows the dust collected in the dust container to fall out through the opening when the lid is opened. The dust container also has a second emptying opening. In one aspect, the second emptying opening is adapted to be fluidly connected to an external vacuum source via a connection. In another aspect, a similar device is provided, and adapted so the dust container can be emptied through the first emptying opening without removing the dust container from the vacuum cleaner. In another aspect, the invention provides a vacuum cleaner dust container having an air inlet, an air outlet, a first dirt outlet, and a second dirt outlet. The first and second dirt outlets are separate from the air outlet.
US08225454B2

A mop disc and fabric frame fixation structure includes a fabric frame including cotton strips at the bottom of the fabric frame, a noncircular embedding concave surface at the top of the fabric frame, latch bumps formed in the corresponding embedding concave surface and protruded upwardly, and a concave latch surface concavely formed on at least one side of the latch bump. A disc is embedded into the embedding concave surface and has a latch groove in the corresponding embedding concave surface. Each latch groove is arranged apart from the other. A latch block is formed on an internal wall of the latch groove and protrudes from the corresponding concave latch surface. Thus, the disc is embedded into the embedding concave surface, and the concave latch surface and the latch block are latched with each other, to combine the fabric frame to the disc.
US08225450B2

A multifunctional nozzle attachment for a portable hand-held lawn blower. The multifunctional nozzle attachment includes a coupler which can be attached to the nozzle of the lawn blower. Various attachments including scrapers, rakes, and brushes are provided for use with the coupler. When attached to the coupler, the attachments may be used to break up debris that does not release from the ground using the air stream alone. Once the debris is broken up, the air stream carries the debris away.
US08225443B2

A bedpan system including an underlayment for supporting a supine human patient above a substantially horizontal supporting surface, wherein the underlayment has: a substantially horizontal top surface upon which the patient rests, a substantially parallel, spaced apart bottom surface for lying upon the supporting surface, and a bedpan cavity having an open top in registry with buttocks of the patient; the bedpan system comprising: an underlayment that is an inflatable mattress constructed substantially of flexible plastic sheet material comprising: a top sheet providing the top surface, a bottom sheet providing the bottom surface, side wall sheets attached between the top sheet and the bottom sheet providing substantially vertical side walls around the perimeter of the underlayment when it is inflated, and cavity sidewall sheets attached between the top sheet and the bottom sheet providing substantially vertical sidewalls in the cavity; a cavity base that is joined to the cavity sidewalls as a closed bottom for the cavity, thereby effectively making the bottom surface of the underlayment a single, unitary, or continuous sheet including under the cavity; a smooth junction where the cavity sidewalls join with the top surface; and a smooth junction where the cavity sidewalls join with the cavity base.
US08225437B2

The invention provides a mixing faucet system for an aircraft capable of minimizing as much as possible the size of the portion visible to the user, to thereby enhance the design flexibility of the wash basin and the lavatory including the wash basin. A mixing faucet system 1 for an aircraft comprises a discharge unit 2 of hot and cold water disposed on the wash basin in a lavatory of an aircraft, and a supply unit 3 separated from the discharge unit 2 and provided at a remote location from the wash basin for supplying to the discharge unit 2 through a hose 4 cold water and hot water either independently or in a mixed state. The discharge unit 2 is not equipped with a mixing function, and the supply unit 3 provided with the mixing function can be placed at a position remote from the discharge unit 2. Therefore, the discharge unit 2 is the only portion of the mixing faucet system visible to the user in the lavatory unit, and therefore, the flexibility and freedom of design of the discharge unit 2 itself, the wash basin and the lavatory unit including the same can be improved.
US08225435B2

A shower bench includes an L-shaped first brace with legs attached to vertical shower walls. A bench subassembly includes a cross brace, a foam block, and a T-shaped beam made of cementitious bonding agent that adheres the cross brace to the foam block and also adds strength to a front edge of the foam block. The brace and the block are cut to fit horizontally against the first brace with legs overlapping, such that the braces form a rigid geometric arrangement that supports the block. Ends of the braces are screwed together. The large uniform surfaces of the block are covered with tile and grout. The resulting assembly is extremely rigid and non-flexing, such that cracking of the tile and grout is substantially minimized, even when the bench is loaded up to 400 lbs.
US08225433B2

An apparatus and method for minimizing entanglement and bunching of a retracting or extending cable (10, 11) for a swimming pool cover, comprises a shaft (4) with a roller (5, 6) to guide the cable. The roller slidably rotates on the shaft so that it rotates and moves axially in response to any forces provided by the cable when being retracted or extended, to minimize entanglement and bunching.
US08225431B2

There is disclosed a protective head gear comprising a helmet having a brim positioned above the eyes of the wearer, a face protector covering at least a portion of the face of the wearer, and an adapter comprising an elongate cross member for securing the face protector to the helmet along the brim. There is also disclosed an adapter for attaching a face protector having a pair of strap receiving slots molded therein to a helmet, comprising a cross member secured to the helmet, and a pair of support arms for insertion into the strap receiving slots. Additionally, there is disclosed face protective gear for use with a helmet having a brim positioned above the eyes of the wearer, comprising a cross member comprising a lip molded along an upper edge, and a pair of goggles depending from the cross member When the cross member is secured to the helmet, the lip overlaps the brim.
US08230516B2

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for network authentication and content distribution. The apparatus includes an authentication module configured to receive redirected network requests over a communications network from a firewall module and configured to present a user license agreement and not require user-identifiable information, and a content distribution module configured to synchronize over the communications network with a client module and transmit content to the client module. The system includes a firewall module connected with a global communications network, a network connected with the firewall module, a computing device configured to couple with the network, and the apparatus. The method includes receiving redirected network requests over a communications network from a firewall module, presenting a user license agreement and not requiring user-identifiable information, and synchronizing over the communications network with a client module and transmitting content to the client module.
US08230512B1

Clocks used by network security devices can be synchronized by a network security system. In one embodiment, the synchronization can include the network security system receiving a first stream of alerts from a first network security device having a first clock, each alert in the first stream representing an event detected by the first network security device and including a time of detection by the first network security device according to the first clock. Similarly, the network security system can receive a second stream of alerts from a second network security device having a second clock, each alert in the second stream representing an event detected by the second network security device and including a time of detection by the second network security device according to the second clock. The system can then identify a common event represented by a first alert in the first stream from the first network security device and by a second alert in the second stream from the second network security device, and then synchronize the first clock and the second clock using the common event.
US08230506B1

Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides security processing external to a network edge. The system can identify requests, such as HTTP requests, and can identify embedded resource request identifiers, such as embedded URLs. The embedded resource request identifiers can be classified and appropriate security measures can be initiated based on the classifications.
US08230504B1

A method and system are provided for centralizing services subscribed to by customers of a service provider for detecting attacks at the customer-end of a communications network. A signal diverter is installed in a signal path carrying inbound communication signals common to subscribed customers and a portion of the collective inbound signals for each customer is diverted to a detection apparatus. Finally, based on parameters for each subscribed customer, a determination is made as to if a subscribed customer is experiencing an attack.
US08230499B1

A hook is set for one or more downloading functions. Subsequently, code is executed within an application process. Responsive to the executed code calling one of the hooked functions, a return address of the called function is examined. If the return address is within a heap memory area of the application process, a remedial action, such as returning an error code or displaying an alert, is taken.
US08230486B2

A method and apparatus for providing mutual authentication between a user and a sending unit, (i.e. target resource) in one embodiment, includes determining, for a user that has been assigned an article, such as a card or other suitable article that has indicia thereon, desired sender authentication information that corresponds to actual sender authentication information that is embodied on the article. The sender authentication information can be located on the article by using the location information provided by the sending unit in a challenge. The method includes determining for the user, corresponding article identification information, such as a serial number that has been assigned to the article, or a shared secret, and sending a challenge for the user wherein the challenge includes at least location information, to allow the user to identify desired sender authentication information located on the article, and sending the article identification information.
US08230485B2

A system and method for controlling access to a computer provides for loose security within a local network while retaining strong security against external access to the network. In one embodiment, a user has access to trusted nodes in a secured group within an unmanaged network, without being required to choose, enter and remember a login password. To establish such a secure blank password or one-click logon account for the user on a computer, a strong random password is generated and stored, and the account is designated as a blank password account. If the device is part of a secured network group, the strong random password is replicated to the other trusted nodes. When a user with a blank password account wishes to log in to a computer, the stored strong random password is retrieved and the user is authenticated.
US08230481B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for reconfiguring an operational mode of an input interface based on a privacy level are disclosed. According to one method, at least one of an environment in which data is being entered into a computer via an input interface and a destination for the data being entered is identified. An input interface privacy level is determined based on the identified at least one of the environment and the data destination. The input interface is reconfigured to operate in a mode corresponding to the determined input interface privacy level.
US08230468B2

A system and process are provided to reduce the latency associated with delivery of data for trick functions (e.g., fast-forward or rewind) in data distribution systems. In response to a request for a trick function associated with program data being streamed to a user terminal, first trick data frames for the trick function are retrieved from a first computing apparatus (e.g., a storage server) and in the meantime second trick data frames for the trick function are generated at a second computing apparatus (e.g., streaming server). Until the first trick data frames arrive from the first computing apparatus, the second computing device streams the second trick data frames to the user terminal. The second computing apparatus streams the first trick data frame to the user terminal as they arrive.
US08230467B2

A method for managing video segments from an aerial sensor platform using a media asset management system includes collecting the video segments from the aerial sensor platform, associating corresponding geospatial data with each video segment, and creating a search thesaurus including search descriptors with cross-references therebetween. At least one respective search descriptor from the search thesaurus is associated with each video segment. The method further includes storing each video segment, its geospatial data and its at least one search descriptor on the media asset management system for later search and retrieval, such as by a surveillance organization. The search descriptors may be geospatial search descriptors that are cross-referenced in a hierarchical relationship.
US08230466B2

In a particular illustrative embodiment, a portable personal media player includes a first interface, a second interface, a display, an audio output, a keypad and a processor. The first interface communicates via a network with a residential gateway that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of electronic devices. The second interface may communicate wireless commands directly to at least one of the plurality of electronic devices. The display is adapted to display alphanumeric data and video content. The processor is responsive to a selection received via the keypad to transmit a request for selected media content to the residential gateway via the first interface. The processor receives media content related to the request via the first interface, processes the media content and provides video data to the display and audio data to the audio output. The keypad may include a plurality of dedicated controls, where at least one key is associated with a control function of one of the plurality of electronic devices.
US08230465B2

The invention relates to an ad-hoc peer to peer network for providing recommendations. User terminals (100, 103) of the data network comprise a local database (115) with community reference information. A processor (111) determines if a communication with a second user terminal (103) is possible and if so, communication is established by a direct wireless link. Community preference information is exchanged between the two user terminals (100,103) and the database (115) is updated accordingly by a database controller (113). The user terminal (100) also comprises a recommendation processor (117) which generates a recommendation based on the community preference information. The invention is particular applicable to small low cost terminals, such as mobile phones or wireless equipped Personal Digital Assistants.
US08230464B2

Disclosed in one embodiment is the use of a terrestrial media access control (MAC) chip or circuit in a satellite modem. The satellite modem comprises a satellite receiver, a satellite transmitter, an adaptor, and a terrestrial MAC chip. The adapter translates between the satellite physical layer and the physical layer of the terrestrial MAC chip. Protocols, messaging and signaling is spoofed for the terrestrial MAC chip such that it can be integrated into a satellite system. The received satellite signal is filtered so select one or more sub-channels that are fed to the terrestrial MAC chip. The terrestrial MAC chip could use a variety of physical layers, for example, Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) or World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).
US08230462B2

Enhancing a stream layer transmission for a MediaFLO™ mobile multimedia multicast system comprising a transmitter and a receiver. Code word (CW) computations are performed on a current channel being accessed by the receiver. A favorite channel that a user is statistically mostly likely to switch to on the receiver at any particular time is anticipated. The Overhead Information Symbols (OIS) for each favorite channel is periodically monitored. The receiver remains in a sleep mode while data bursts are received from non-favorite channels, and then wakes up during data bursts of the favorite channel. The same CW computations are performed on the favorite channel as were being performed on the current channel. A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is performed once the CW computations are performed upon selecting the favorite channel.
US08230460B2

A method can include receiving a plurality of unperfected logs via a network, storing the plurality of unperfected logs in a database based on the anticipated broadcast schedule, transmitting at least one unperfected log by the electronic hub, receiving an inquiry into one or more spots in the available inventory, transmitting data associated with the one or more spots the data to be displayed on a graphical user interface in response to the inquiry, receiving a selection of one or more spots in the available inventory in response, and requesting content related to the selected one or more spots. The method can include receiving and associating advertising content with the selection of the one or more spots, creating a perfected log based on the unperfected log and the received content, monitoring a broadcast of the media outlet, detecting a difference between the perfected log and the broadcast, and transmitting status information.
US08230459B2

Disclosed herein is a program guide providing system including: a terminal; a content providing server including a service providing section for providing programs and a related service to the terminal in response to a request from the terminal; a SIP proxy server; a program guide providing server including a communication history acquisition section for acquiring a communication history between the content providing server and the terminal, a communication history storage section, an audience situation calculation section for calculating an audience situation concerning each of the programs based on the communication history, a program guide generation section for generating a program guide in which each program is assigned an indicator based on the audience situation, and a program guide providing section for providing the program guide to the terminal; and an NGN to which the terminal, the content providing server, the SIP proxy server, and the program guide providing server are connected.
US08230453B2

A door opening and closing mechanism includes an apparatus body, a door configured to open and close a side face of the apparatus body, a closing mechanism configured to move the door from an open position to open the side face to a close position to close the side face, a control switch provided in the apparatus body, the control switch being operated from an operation hole opening in the side face, and a control button provided in the door and configured to press the control switch from the operation hole at the close position of the door. The control switch is provided at a position shifted from the operation hole toward the interior of the apparatus body.
US08230440B2

A utilization analyzer acquires accumulator values from multiple accumulators. Each accumulator corresponds to a particular processor thread and also corresponds to a particular processor utilization resource register (PURR). The utilization analyzer identifies, from the multiple accumulators, a combination of equal accumulators that each includes a largest accumulator value. Next, the utilization analyzer selects a subset of processor utilization resource registers from a combination of processor utilization resource registers that correspond to the combination of equal accumulators. The subset of processor utilization resource registers omits at least one processor utilization resource register from the combination of utilization resource registers. In turn, the utilization analyzer increments each of the subset of utilization resource registers.
US08230437B2

A method of detecting deadlock in a multithreading program is provided. An invocation graph is constructed having a single root and a plurality of nodes corresponding to one or more functions written in code of the multithreading program. A resource graph is computed in accordance with one or more resource sets in effect at each node of the invocation graph. It is determined whether cycles exist between two or more nodes of the resource graph. A cycle is an indication of deadlock in the multithreading program.
US08230429B2

Illustrative embodiments manage deadlock in a data processing system during an IPL process that includes monitoring the usage of locks in the Hardware Object Model (HOM) of the data processing system. The process further includes detecting a deadlock condition in response to an indication of the IPL process in the data processing system entering a hung state when at least one lock is in use. The process also includes handling the deadlock condition by performing one or more of the following: recording error information for the deadlock condition, and terminating the IPL process.
US08230424B2

A method, system and computer program product is disclosed for providing a distributed computing environment in which an arbitrary job manager or scheduler is able to be plugged. In the distributed computing environment, a job is created in a storage location to include one or more technical computing tasks and submitted to the arbitrary scheduler by transferring a reference to the storage location of the job. Since a reference to the storage location of the job is transferred to the scheduler, the interface with the scheduler can be implemented regardless of the scheduler. The scheduler then transfers the reference to the storage location of the job to one or more remote workers.
US08230423B2

A method and processor architecture for achieving a high level of concurrency and latency hiding in an “infinite-thread processor architecture” with a limited number of hardware threads is disclosed. A preferred embodiment defines “fork” and “join” instructions for spawning new context-switched threads. Context switching is used to hide the latency of both memory-access operations (i.e., loads and stores) and arithmetic/logical operations. When an operation executing in a thread incurs a latency having the potential to delay the instruction pipeline, the latency is hidden by performing a context switch to a different thread. When the result of the operation becomes available, a context switch back to that thread is performed to allow the thread to continue.
US08230411B1

For programming of modules which can be reprogrammed during operation and for partitioning of code sequences, a control and/or data flow graph may be extracted from a program and separated into a plurality of subgraphs, which may be distributed among the modules. The separation of the flow graph may be such that connections between different ones of the subgraphs are minimized. During execution of the program, after a first module completes execution of a first part of one of the subgraphs, the first module may be reconfigured for execution of a first part of a second subgraph, while a second module executes a second part of the first subgraph.
US08230409B2

A way to use multiple-reader locks for those paths where no writes occur is provided. Only if one of the writing paths executes will a full writer lock be acquired. Two copies of the critical section comprising a reading version and a writing version are created. The default execution leads to the reader version, which only acquires a reader-lock. The reader version of the code executes prior to execution of the writer lock only version, otherwise bypassing the writer lock only version. If the execution leads to a path in which a write would occur, the reader only version branches to the beginning of the writer version. The writer version is identical to the original code and obtains a full writer lock. If execution in the reader lock does not lead to a path that writes, then only the reader lock is acquired.
US08230408B2

In one embodiment, a hardware implementation of an electronic system may be realized by compiling the HDL description into an executable form and executing the processor instructions. By applying data flow separation technique, the operations of the system can be effectively mapped into the instruction set of complex processors for efficient logic evaluation, in some implementations. An array of interconnected processors may be deployed, in some embodiments, to exploit the inherent parallelism in a HDL description.
US08230400B2

There is described a control device of a machine, an engineering system and a method for operating said control device. Said control device is used to control and/or regulate the machine and is used to carry out at least one user program which is used to at least perform one function, and said control device comprises a debug function. The functionality of the debug function is limited in large user programs due to the high complexity and the unclearness thereof. According to the invention, in order to improve said function, the user program comprises stop points for the debug function and said stop points can be activated and/or deactivated.
US08230399B2

A method is provided which includes: facilitating intercepting a system call in user space by setting up signal handler code for executing operations related to the system call, and performing in the executing process, before execution of the system call, a SELF PTRACE request which sets system and self trace flags in the operating system kernel, wherein the self trace flag facilitates self-notifying the executing process whenever the executing process executes the system call; and intercepting the system call, including: verifying by the kernel that the system and self trace flags are set; saving and sending a signal to the signal handler conveying system call information to the user space; starting execution in user space of the signal handler; and at the end of signal handler execution, re-starting execution of the executing process, while providing system call return information to code of the executing process making the system call.
US08230391B2

The present invention improves correlation of events emitted by software components during a thread of execution. Each software component invoked during the thread registers with a correlation information manager associated with the thread of execution and then deregisters from said correlation information manager when it ceases to participate in the thread. The correlation information manager stores registered software components in a stack structure. Whenever an event is to be emitted by a software component, the associated correlation information manager provides explicit correlation information that identifies at least the software component that emitted the most recent event in the thread and all software components that registered with the correlation information manager after the software component that emitted the most recent event and that are still registered.
US08230390B2

A rule-based monitoring framework offering a simplified GUI-driven and template-based way to specify and generate monitoring rules. The automatically generated rules can be directly deployed or further modified, in particular by combining plural templates. The modification can take place in two different views on the rule: the code view and the template view. The views can be changed at any time during the modification/generation process. Test data and rule documentation for the generated rule may be automatically generated from the GUI-driven input data.
US08230386B2

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for monitoring distributed applications. Declarative application models are used. Operational data for a deployed application can be compared to an application intent expressed in a corresponding declarative application to provide more effective monitoring of application behavior. Application components can subscribe to an event fabric to receive configurations that indicate what events the application is to emit (i.e., publish into the event fabric) for monitoring. Thus, applications essentially subscribe to produce information (as opposed to subscribing to receive information). Monitoring can be dynamically adjusted in response to environment changes.
US08230382B2

A method, apparatus and program product are provided for simulating a circuit. A plurality of elements of the circuit is represented by device models including pass/fail criteria. A circuit simulation program is executed on a hardware implemented processor where the circuit simulation program is configured to obtain simulation results from the device models in response to applied parameters. The circuit simulation program identifies a failure of one or more of the plurality of elements of the circuit based on the pass/fail criteria of the device models. The circuit simulation program is further configured to output the failures during simulation of the one or more of the plurality of elements that are identified in response to the applied parameters.
US08230371B2

In one aspect of the invention, a method provides a calibrated critical-failure model for a printing process of a critical feature by virtue of a classification of an optical parameter space according to at least two print-criticality levels. Print failure of a respective critical feature is judged on the basis of a print-failure criterion for the critical feature. The respective print-criticality level is ascertained from test-print-simulation data at a sampling point of a process window for a given point in an optical-parameter space, and from a failure rule. An advantage achieved with the method is that it comprises ascertaining the predefined optical-parameter set from the test-print-simulation data at only one sampling point of the process window, which sampling point is identical for all test patterns. This saves processing time and processing complexity by reducing the number of ascertained optical-parameter sets and their processing in the subsequent scanning and classifying steps.
US08230370B2

A circuit design assisting apparatus for assisting designing of a circuit is provided. The apparatus includes a storage unit that stores information regarding a configuration of components used in a design-target circuit and wirings between the components, an acquiring unit that acquires label setting information that associates a label with the configuration information indicating the components of the design-target circuit and the wirings between the components, a selecting unit that selects, from the storage unit, information having a configuration that matches the configuration information included in the acquired label setting information. and a setting unit that sets a label that is associated with the configuration information by the acquired label setting information to the information selected by the selecting unit and registering the set label in the storage unit.
US08230367B2

Systems and methods for processing gesture-based user interactions within an interactive display area are provided. The display of one or more virtual objects and user interactions with the one or more virtual objects may be further provided. Multiple interactive areas may be created by partitioning an area proximate a display into multiple volumetric spaces or zones. The zones may be associated with respective user interaction capabilities. A representation of a user on the display may change as the ability of the user to interact with one or more virtual object changes.
US08230362B2

A computer-assisted inspection system provides customized workflow based on different types of inspections and other factors. The system can provide different rules that can be activated in response to valuation/pricing, rule-based validation and automatic grading. Features include flat car part picking, easy to use, inspectors can be geographically separated, and system is installable over the internet to provide efficient installation to far-flung install sites.
US08230345B2

A method of and system for providing an electronic Yahrzeit display corresponding to the current date including determining a current date, performing a search in a database storing a plurality of Yahrzeit entries to identify the Yahrzeit entries having an anniversary of the death date corresponding to the current date, and electronically displaying the identified Yahrzeit entries in a rotating manner, wherein each of the identified Yahrzeit entries are displayed for a predetermined amount of time, wherein the method and system may convert dates between a plurality of calendars.
US08230344B2

A method for creating a multimedia presentation, the method including determining the physical presence of at least one individual, selecting at least one multimedia object associated with the at least one individual whose physical presence has been determined, creating a multimedia presentation using the at least one multimedia object associated with the at least one individual, determining the physical presence of additional individuals other than the at least one individual, selecting at least one multimedia object associated with each of the additional individuals whose physical presence has been determined, updating the multimedia presentation using the at least one multimedia object associated with each of the additional individuals, and displaying the multimedia presentation.
US08230342B2

A method, medium, and apparatus for deleting and/or restoring time-series contents stored in a recording medium. When the time-series contents are stored in the recording medium, deleting of data that is present in a first area of a recording medium includes periodically inserting a time stamp into the contents, generating deletion data positional information based on the time stamp, the deletion data positional information representing a relative position of the deletion data within the contents, storing the deletion data positional information and the deletion data in a second area of the recording medium, and designating the first area as overwritable on the recording medium. Even if the recording medium is reloaded in another disk drive and under another operating system, data deleted from the recording medium can be easily restored.
US08230338B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for game determined tag relevance for social bookmarking. In one embodiment of the invention, a method for the game determination of tag relevance for social bookmarking can be provided. The method can include rendering a game user interface in connection with content in a content browser, providing a list of tags previously associated with the content in the game user interface for a game participant and receiving relevance values for the tags through the game user interface provided by the game participant for each of the tags, comparing the relevance values to relevance values provided by others to generate a score and presenting the score in the game user interface, and applying the received relevance values to the tags to improve quality for each of the tags in association with the content.
US08230336B2

An efficient system, and process, and user interface is provided for autocompletion of links within wiki page content. An indication is received that a user editing a wiki page desires to add a link to a resource. A user interface is provided to assist the user in autocompleting the insertion of the link into the wiki page. The user is provided with a list of both resource object types and options for each resource object type. The system is extensible in that new resource object types can be added to permit autocompletion of links to multiple resource types. A registration document is maintained by a wiki server that defines the resource object types that are available for autocompletion of links. The registration document contains contact information for providers that ultimately maintain the list of options for each of the resource object types.
US08230331B2

Session document for a presentation, where the session document includes a session grammar and a session structured document; selecting from the session structured document a classified structural element having an associated indication of interest from a user not participating in the presentation; presenting the selected structural element to a user participant; and notifying the user not participating of the presentation of the selected structural element. Typical embodiments also include recording for the user not participating the associated indication of interest in the selected structural element. Typical embodiments also include notifying the user not participating of the identity of at least one user participant. Typical embodiments also include allowing the user not participating to participate in the presentation.
US08230325B1

A new service, or new version of an existing service, can be tested using actual production requests and services. A request received by a production service, along with the response generated by the production service, is forwarded to a shadow service. The shadow service forwards the request to the new service, which generates a test response and sends the test response back to the shadow service. The shadow service utilizes a comparison engine operable to compare the responses for significant differences. Any significant differences can be logged, reported on, or added to statistics for the new service being tested.
US08230322B2

The present invention is directed to a method, system and program for displaying and/or hiding, in an electronic multi-dimensional spreadsheet on a user interface, elements of a range of cells, a range of cells having one or more contiguous elements aligned along a given spreadsheet dimension, an element of a range of cells having one or more cells along one or a plurality of spreadsheet dimensions. The method includes (A) detecting a command for hiding at least one element in a selected range of cells, the command comprising means for identifying the selected range of cells and means for identifying a display focus level selected among a plurality of ordered display focus levels defined for the selected range of cells; (B) identifying the selected range of cells in the element to hide; (C) identifying the selected display focus level; (D) identifying a table associated with the selected range of cells, the table associating each defined display focus level with at least one cell content criteria to apply to the content of the at least one cell; and (E) selectively displaying the element on the user interface based on the relationship of the selected display focus level with the display focus level associated with the element.
US08230320B2

A system for social bookmarking of a resource provided through a Web application that doesn't follow the representational state transfer architectural style (REST). When processing a request for a social bookmarking operation, the system searches for a URL and potentially other resource information within the document object model of a currently loaded Web page. If such resource information is found, it is used to process the requested social bookmarking operation. Otherwise, if such resource information is not found in the document object model, the system uses the URL stored in the location bar of the Web browser to process the requested social bookmarking operation. The system includes semantic information in the DOM of a Web page that is used to identify subsets of content within the Web page that can be socially bookmarked. The semantic information may be stored in what is generally referred to as “microformatting”.
US08230319B2

Technologies are described herein for refreshing data-linked diagrams on a server computer and viewing and consuming the refreshed diagrams via a Web browser. A drawing program allows equations within a diagram definition to define how external data is utilized to modify the attributes of a diagram element. When the diagram is published to a server computer, the definition is converted to server-legible definition. A published diagram is generated that includes a diagram representation defined by the server-legible definition. Upon a request for the published diagram, the external data is refreshed and the diagram definition is updated. The equations are recalculated to generate new element attributes. The diagram representation is then updated with the new attributes and returned for display by a client Web browser. An interface provides exploration tools and a client API exposes methods for surfacing external data and annotating the diagram.
US08230311B2

A method and apparatus for turbo code decoding are provided to reduce memory consumption during calculation of state metrics. In an embodiment of a turbo code decoder, a natural recursion unit comprises a plurality of add-compare-select (ACS) units performing natural recursion operations to generate a state metric. The original state metric is then converted to a differential metric before being stored into a memory device. The differential metric contains less data than the state metric so that memory consumption is reduced. To restore the original state metric from the differential metric, a plurality of revival units operating in parallel is provided. Thereby, the state metric is reacquired from the differential metric, and a Log Likelihood Recursion (LLR) operation is accordingly performed by an LLR unit.
US08230307B2

A method of calculating backward computations branch metrics for a butterfly in a trellis of a MAP-genre decoding algorithm includes providing initialized branch metrics for the transitions in the butterfly and incrementing the branch metrics with a group of data values corresponding to the transitions in accordance with control signals derived from the butterfly index and one or more polynomials describing tap positions of the encoding equipment to whose operation the trellis relates, wherein the group comprises systematic bit and parity bit values.
US08230302B2

A data protection method is provided. The data protection method is adapted for a plurality of pages of a plurality of blocks in a memory. The data protection method records bit error weight values and erasing times of the blocks during routine operations of the memory. Therefore, when the system is in an idle status, the data of those blocks having higher bit error weight values can be recovered. Further, the data protection method moves data of those blocks having less erasing times to other blocks, so as to release the blocks having less erasing times from the data area for use. Then, the data protection method utilizes all blocks of the non-volatile memory in an average manner, so as to effectively protect the data saved in the memory and average the erasing operations.
US08230297B2

An error correction device for reducing the amount of access to an external memory while preventing the capacity of an internal memory from increasing. An optical disc stores scramble data for each data block. A descramble circuit reads scramble data in the data blocks from the optical disc as read blocks and applies a predetermined scramble value to the scramble data of each read block to generate descramble data. A 1-shift calculator generates a first calculated value by shifting the scramble value by one byte using a generation polynomial. A second shift calculator generates a second calculated value by shifting the scramble value by a number of bytes corresponding to {(total bytes of the data block in the column direction)+1−(total bytes of each read block in the column direction)} using the generation polynomial. An EOR circuit generates descramble data by applying the first or second calculated value as the scramble value to the input scramble data.
US08230295B2

A method for transmitting data in a communication system using a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) matrix includes generating an LDPC codeword by encoding information data bits, interleaving the LDPC codeword, mapping the interleaved LDPC codeword to a modulation signal, and generating a mapped signal by mapping the LDPC codeword bits separately to a bit corresponding to a real part and a bit corresponding to an imaginary part of said modulation signal, among bits constituting the modulation signal, generating a modulation signal by high-order-modulating the mapped signal and Radio Frequency (RF)-processing the modulation signal, and transmitting the RF-processed signal via a transmission antenna.
US08230291B2

A method for assigning hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process ID is provided. The method includes, when a retransmission associated with a first initial semi -persistent scheduling (SPS) transmission having a first HARQ process ID is expected to occur after a second initial transmission previously configured with SPS resource, explicitly assigning a second HARQ process ID to the second initial transmission wherein the second HARQ process ID is different from the first HARQ process ID.
US08230289B2

A data processor system includes a first data processor unit for transmitting data units to a second data processor unit and a retry buffer for temporarily storing transmitted data units. The second data processor unit receives the transmitted data and includes an error detector for detecting an error in the received data. When an error is detected, the first data processor unit is notified and a controller causes a data selector to select data from a retry buffer. The first data processor unit limits retransmission of a data unit to a predetermined maximum number of times irrespective of whether the data unit is correctly received or not. This allows for an undisturbed flow of streaming data with an increased reliability.
US08230288B2

Provided are a data transmission apparatus and method which apply an appropriate coding rate according to significance of bits or bit groups included in uncompressed data and retransmit all or part of the data when a transmission error occurs in the data while the data is being transmitted over a wireless network. The data transmission apparatus includes a mode termination unit which determines a retransmission mode for an initial transmission packet which has a transmission error; a packet generation unit which generates a retransmission packet, which includes at least part of the initial transmission packet, according to the determined retransmission mode; and a communication unit which transmits the retransmission packet through a communication channel.
US08230285B2

A protocol analyzer for analyzing traffic on a bus. A tap card is used to tap into a bidirectional bus. The tap provides a pass through connection from the card to the host and taps off of the bus. While tapping off the bus, stubs lengths are minimized and input capacitance is minimized. A repeater that preferably has no internal termination provides a differential input and a differential output. The bus lines are input to one of the inputs in the differential inputs and a reference voltage is provided to the other differential input. The reference voltage enables the tap to determine if the data is high or low. A jumper is also included in the tap such that the reference voltage can be selected from the host or from the pod.
US08230283B2

A system and method for detecting hold path faults in an integrated circuit is provided in exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments introduce a method of identifying data paths within an integrated circuit with statistically the highest timing slack among the data paths within the integrated circuit that cover the entire process space of the circuit. By identifying these paths (i.e., shortest data paths), a robust test pattern can be generated that directly tests for hold path faults on short data paths within the integrated circuit using one functional clock pulse.
US08230279B2

The invention concerns a circuit protected against transitory perturbations, comprising a combinatorial logic circuit (10), having at least an output (A); a circuit (20) generating an error control code for said output, and a storage element (24) provided at said output, controlled by the circuit generating a control code to be transparent when the control code is correct, and to maintain its status when the control code is incorrect.
US08230265B2

Software in an electronic device can be tested using a combination of random testing and deterministic testing. In various embodiments, deterministic tests can run for a prescribed duration and/or a prescribed number of iterations before and/or after random testing. Test results can be weighted using a metric representing an amount of code that was stressed during testing. This metric can be determined by tracking software code that is loaded into memory during testing.
US08230259B2

A set of log entries is automatically inspected to determine a bug. A training set is utilized to determine clustering of log identifications. Log entries are examined in real-time or retroactively and matched to clusters. Timeframe may also be matched to a cluster based on log entries associated with the timeframe. Error indications may be outputted to a user of the system in respect to a log entry or a timeframe.
US08230250B2

A computer has a plurality of sleeping modes to be switch directly. The power supply assemblies provide a plurality of power supplies to elements in the computer. The storage module is used to store executing data corresponding to each sleeping mode. The power management module is used to set the number of the power supply assemblies which need to be switched on in each sleeping mode. The control module determines the sleeping mode which is switched to according to a received trigger event and sends a first switching signal to the storage module to make the storage module store the executing data and a second switching signal to the power management module to make the power management module set the number of the power supply assemblies and switches the sleeping mode of the computer directly.
US08230243B2

According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a device controller, an operation mode switching circuit, a line switch, and a controller. The device controller includes a wakeup function and performs transmission with the external device through a data line. The operation mode switching circuit changes an operation mode of a sleep-and-charge function and performs transmission with the external device through the data line. The line switch selectively connects the data line with either of the device controller or the operation mode switching circuit. The controller controls a power supply to the device controller and a drive of the operation mode switching circuit and the line switch in accordance with the condition of the main body.
US08230241B2

The present invention discloses a storage power supply system includes a first storage device coupled with a network, a second storage device coupled with the network and an uninterrupted power supply. The uninterrupted power supply comprises a backup circuit that supplies backup power when commercial power supply is interrupted. The uninterrupted power supply comprises a power supply state signal generation circuit that generates a power supply state signal indicating a state of the power. The power supply state signal includes a backup state signal indicating a supply of backup power. The first storage device performs a self-processing corresponding to a state in which backup power is supplied when the backup state signal generated by the power supply state signal generation circuit is inputted. The second storage device performs a self-processing corresponding to a state in which backup power is supplied in response to the input of the backup state signal from the power supply state signal generation circuit to the first storage device.
US08230236B1

A secure storage device includes a storage medium configured to store encrypted digital content and an encrypted content key. A public key decryption module is configured to generate a private key for the secure storage device based on an identification (ID) code of the secure storage device. The public key decryption module decrypts the encrypted content key using the private key to generate a content key. A block decryption module is configured to receive the encrypted digital content and the content key and decrypt the encrypted digital content using the content key to generate decrypted digital content.
US08230232B2

The present invention provides a system and methods for computer user profiling based on behavioral biometrics. The approach consists of establishing distinctive profiles for computer users based on how they use a motion-based input device such as, but not limited to, a mouse and/or a keyboard. The profiles computed in the present invention are more accurate than those obtained through the traditional statistical profiling techniques, since they are based on distinctive biological characteristics of users.
US08230230B2

An embodiment of a data cartridge for interfacing with a data cartridge authorization system is disclosed. The data cartridge includes a drive and a communication interface. The drive is configured to store data, where the data comprises first information a first password and a fingerprint. The drive comprises an authentication feature configured to lock access to at least a portion of the data where a second password presented to the drive doesn't agree with the first password. The communication interface is coupled to the electronic storage medium and configured to communicatively couple to an authorization system. The communication interface is further configured to: (1) pass the first information to the authorization system subsequent to being communicatively coupled to the authorization system, (2) if the authentication feature is activated, receive the second password in response to passing the first information, and unlock access to the portion of the data locked by the first password if the second password agrees with the first password; and (3) pass the fingerprint to the authorization system. The communication interface is authorized to pass data to and/or receive data from the authorization system if the authorization system verifies the fingerprint as being correlated to the first information.
US08230224B2

Embodiments of the invention provide for efficiently implementing security features over HTTP communications. In some embodiments, a security feature, such as a digital signature, can be efficiently implemented over HTTP communications. The HTTP communications are conducted in parts. The first part contains the payload data of the message. The second part, if appropriate, contains information for the digital signature, such as the digital signature itself or the result of a signature verification.
US08230223B2

Controlling access to disseminated messages includes implementing one or more key management policies that specify how various encryption keys are maintained and in particular, when encryption keys are made inaccessible. Deleting a particular key renders inaccessible all copies of messages, known or unknown, associated with the particular key, regardless of the location of the associated messages. A message may be directly or indirectly associated with a deleted key. Any number of levels of indirection are possible and either situation makes the message unrecoverable. The approach is applicable to any type of data in any format and the invention is not limited to any type of data or any type of data format.
US08230220B2

A method for realizing trusted network management is provided. A trusted management agent resides on a managed host, and a trusted management system resides on a management host. The trusted management agent and the trusted management system are software modules, which are both based on a trusted computing platform and signed after being authenticated by a trusted third party of the trusted management agent and the trusted management system. Trusted platform modules of the managed host and the management host can perform integrity measurement, storage, and report for the trusted management agent and the trusted management system. Therefore, the managed host and the management host can ensure that the trusted management agent and the trusted management system are trustworthy. Then, the trusted management agent and the trusted management system execute a network management function, thus realizing the trusted network management. Therefore, the technical problem in the prior art that the network management security cannot be ensured due to the mutual attack between an agent, a host where the agent resides, and a manager system is solved, and trusted network management is realized.
US08230216B2

To authenticate an authentication reference apparatus, authentication information generation reference data is transmitted to the authentication reference apparatus. First authentication reference data generated by the authentication reference apparatus using the authentication information generation reference data is acquired from the authentication reference apparatus. Second authentication reference data is generated using key information complying with a method of generating the first authentication reference data and the authentication information generation reference data. The first authentication reference data is compared with the second authentication reference data. The authentication reference apparatus is authenticated based on the comparison result.
US08230205B2

An image processing apparatus has first through n-th pluralities of programs which, when executed by a computer processor, perform respectively first through n-th functions of the image processing apparatus, where n denotes an integer more than 1, and starts up, on a function-by-function basis, the first through n-th pluralities of programs respectively corresponding to the first through n-th functions. The image processing apparatus starts up, in a predetermined sequence, respective programs included in any one plurality of programs among the first through n-th pluralities of programs to a state in which the plurality of programs performs a corresponding function.
US08230204B2

Systems, devices, and methods, including program instructions, are provided for migrating operating system images. One method embodiment includes performing a process on a first device. The operation of the process is paused as a persistent image which is then migrated to a second device.
US08230198B2

The present invention discloses a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable code including: program code for delivering, in response to a CPU request, from a host-system processor of a host system, for a command code, an SWI that is different than the command code. Preferably, the computer-readable code further includes: program code for selecting between providing the command code and providing the SWI based on an availability of the command code. Preferably, the computer-readable code further includes: program code for distinguishing between a command-code read-request and a data read-request according to a built-in command-codes table, wherein the command-code read-request and the data read-request are different. Preferably, the computer-readable code further includes: program code that uses SWI machine code to respond to the host-system processor, when the command code is a part of a missing-code segment, without causing latency.
US08230193B2

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for RAID Restriping. One method includes selecting an initial RAID device for migration based on at least one score, creating an alternate RAID device, moving data from the initial RAID device to the alternate RAID device, and removing the initial RAID device. The method may be performed automatically by the system or manually. The method may be performed periodically, continuously, after every RAID device migration, upon addition of disk drives, and/or before removal of disk drives, etc. One system includes a RAID subsystem and a disk manager configured to automatically calculate a score for each RAID device, select a RAID device based on the relative scores of the RAID devices, create an alternate RAID device, move data from the selected RAID device to the alternate RAID device, and remove the selected RAID device.
US08230176B2

A mechanism is provided for providing an improved reconfigurable cache. The mechanism partitions a large cache into inclusive cache regions with equal-ratio size or other coarse size increase. The cache controller includes an address decoder for the large cache with a large routing structure. The cache controller includes an additional address decoder for the small cache with a smaller routing structure. The additional address decoder for the small cache reduces decode, array access, and data return latencies. When only a small cache is actively in use, the rest of the cache can be turned into low-power mode to save power.
US08230152B2

Crossbar circuitry, and a method of operation of such crossbar circuitry, are provided. The crossbar circuitry has an array of data input paths and data output paths where the data output paths are transverse to the data input paths. At each intersection between a data input path and a data output path, a crossbar cell is provided that comprises a configuration storage circuit programmable to store a routing value, a transmission circuit, and an arbitration circuit. In a transmission mode of operation, the transmission circuit is responsive to the routing value being a first value, indicating that the data input path should be coupled to the data output path, to detect the data input along the data input path, and to output an indication of that data on the data output path at the associated intersection.
US08230151B2

A device having a signal level different from a signal level of an external device includes an interface, such as an I2C interface, for providing communications with the external device. The interface is configurable to support communications with the external device either via multiple wires or via a single wire.
US08230149B1

A method and apparatus for managing a peripheral port of a computer system by identifying, within the computer system, a descriptor list for a peripheral device and manipulating the descriptor list to manage communications between a peripheral device and resources of the computer system via the peripheral port.
US08230146B2

A communication method and a master-slave system, for a field bus configures according to the AS-interface standard, are disclosed. Such a master-slave system for a field bus configured according to the AS-interface standard connects a master to a number of slaves. This field bus forms a first communication channel for the master and the slaves. In at least one embodiment, the master communicates with the slaves in sequence via telegrams, which are each uniquely associated with one of the slaves. Between the master and slaves a second communication channel is provided in at least one embodiment, via which one of the telegrams may be repeated, in addition to the first communication channel, if the communication of said telegram via the first communication channel has failed.
US08230144B1

A reduced instruction set computer (RISC) includes at least one arithmetic logic units (ALUs), which are arranged to evaluate logical conditions. A processing pipeline is arranged to solve a decision problem that is representable as a decision tree including at least three nodes by processing a sequence of pipelined instructions that traverse the decision tree. At least some of the pipelined instructions instruct the one or more ALUs to evaluate respective logical conditions, such that the pipeline flushes the instructions from the pipeline no more than once in the course of processing the sequence regardless of whether the logical conditions evaluate to true or false.
US08230134B2

A hardware automated IO path, comprising a message transport unit for transporting an IO request to a local memory via a DMA operation and determining a LMID for associating with a request descriptor of the IO request; a fastpath engine for validating the request descriptor and creating a fastpath descriptor based on the request descriptor; a data access module for performing an IO operation based on the fastpath descriptor and posting a completion message into the fastpath completion queue upon a successful completion of the IO operation. The fastpath engine is further configured for: receiving the completion message, releasing the IO request stored in the local memory, and providing a reply message based on the completion message. The message transport unit is further configured for providing the reply message in response to the IO request.
US08230126B2

An apparatus comprises a digital image sensor, a communication port, a detection circuit and a processor. The detection circuit is configured to detect a change in electrical resistance at a connector of the communication port. The processor is configured to initiate an operation of the apparatus according to the detected change in resistance.
US08230120B2

A method and apparatus for enhancing/extending a serial point-to-point interconnect architecture, such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is herein described. Temporal and locality caching hints and prefetching hints are provided to improve system wide caching and prefetching. Message codes for atomic operations to arbitrate ownership between system devices/resources are included to allow efficient access/ownership of shared data. Loose transaction ordering provided for while maintaining corresponding transaction priority to memory locations to ensure data integrity and efficient memory access. Active power sub-states and setting thereof is included to allow for more efficient power management. And, caching of device local memory in a host address space, as well as caching of system memory in a device local memory address space is provided for to improve bandwidth and latency for memory accesses.
US08230113B2

A system, method, and computer-readable medium for configuring a controlled device in a control system are provided. A self-describing device Module associated with a controlled device provides capabilities of a controlled device both at runtime and before installation. The controlled device Module includes a capabilities component that, when queried, provides a description of the controlled device's capabilities both as a capabilities object that can be queried at runtime and in a self-describing capabilities file implemented in an XML format prior to operational configuration of the Module or controlled device. The Module is configured to generate its runtime capabilities object and self-describing capabilities file.
US08230107B2

Provides control of the workload, flow control, and concurrency control of a computer system through the use of only external performance monitors. Data collected by external performance monitors are used to build a simple, black box model of the computer system, comprising two resources: a virtual bottleneck resource and a delay resource representing all non-bottleneck resources combined. The service times of the two resource types are two parameters of the black box model. The two parameters are evaluated based on historical data collected by the external performance monitors. The workload capacity that avoids saturation of the bottleneck resource is then determined and used as a control variable by a flow controller to limit the workload on the computer system. The workload may include a mix of traffic classes. In such a case, data is collected, parameters are evaluated and control variables are determined for each of the traffic classes.
US08230105B2

A method including receiving a receiver report from a terminal; estimating one or more network conditions of a media network based at least in part on the receiver report; determining an optimal session bitrate based on the estimated one or more network conditions; and providing media data to the terminal based on the optimal session bitrate.
US08230100B2

A layered media stream may be distributed via a managed server and a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. At least one base layer typically provides a lower-quality media stream, while one or more enhancement layers provide improvements to the media stream. A managed server may provide a base layer to clients. The managed server may also provide enhancement layers through the P2P network. The availability of the enhancement layers may provide clients with an incentive to participate in the P2P network. In some cases, when demand for the media stream is low, the managed server may provide all layers to clients in a traditional client-server network model. When demand for the media stream is high, the managed server may provide only the base layer, making enhancement layers available via the P2P network.
US08230091B2

A system and method for real-time data transmission through data communication networks are disclosed. The system and the method allow for real time communication between applications located in different internal networks protected by firewalls by means of representing the applications by proxies and establishing TCP channels towards an intermediate proxy server localized outside the firewalls. A set of parameters residing in the server determines i.a. the number of required TCP channels based on the ratio of measured bandwidth between the data flow directions.
US08230087B2

Enforcement of geographic and location based constraints on content distribution is provided to allow distribution of content to remote devices while preventing unauthorized use and consumption of the content. Content requested by a device may be protected using a variety of content protection mechanisms that support geographic constraints. The requesting device may be required to validate and/or obtain the device's physical location prior to being granted access to the protected content. The requesting device may validate and/or obtain its physical location by requesting location information from a location server or another geographic aware device. The distribution of the location information from the location server may be limited to a predefined proximity. The proximity limit on the dissemination of the location information prevents remote devices from fraudulently using the location information. Location information may be encapsulated and may be formatted as a content file.
US08230085B2

An architecture provides the ability to create and maintain multiple instances of virtual servers, such as virtual filers (vfilers), within a server, such as a storage appliance. A vfiler is a logical partitioning of network and storage resources of the storage appliance platform to establish an instance of a multi-protocol server. Each vfiler is allocated a subset of dedicated units of storage resources, such as volumes or logical sub-volumes (qtrees), and one or more network address resources. Each vfiler is also allowed shared access to a file system resource of a storage operating system. To ensure controlled access to the allocated and shared resources, each vfiler is further assigned its own security domain for each access protocol. A vfiler boundary check is performed by the file system to verify that a current vfiler is allowed to access certain storage resources for a requested file stored on the filer platform.
US08230084B2

Methods and apparatus for managing devices and content in a network environment. In one implementation, a method of adding a client as a member of a hub network includes: detecting a client connected to a server in a hub network; authenticating said client; authorizing said client; and adding said client as a member in said hub network.
US08230075B1

Computer-based methods and devices for identifying devices and objects that can be targeted for the purpose of establishing a communication session are described. In an example embodiment, a mobile handset displays a visual indication of the location of devices in proximity relative to the location and orientation of the mobile handset. A mobile handset includes object recognition logic for determining when the mobile handset is targeting another device with which the mobile handset is authorized to communicate. In some cases, the targeted device may be a non-computing object serving as a proxy for another computing device.
US08230072B1

A method for shortening popular navigation paths in a website comprises determining a popular navigation path through a network, identifying a start page and an end page of the popular navigation path, and updating the start page with a link referring to the end page, wherein the updating is performed by a network resource interfaced with the network.
US08230065B2

A plurality of repeater servers form a shared content delivery network (CDN) to serve resources to clients on behalf of a plurality of content providers. First and second resources are associated with a first content provider, the first resource referencing the second resource. The second resource is associated with a domain of the shared CDN. Responsive to a request that causes the first resource to be served to a client from a server in a domain associated with the first content provider, a CDN server is identified in the domain associated with the shared CDN to serve the second resource to the client. The CDN server is selected based, at least in part, on load conditions on at least some of the CDN servers, and on the client's location. Responsive to the CDN server being requested to serve the second resource: if a copy of the second resource is available on the CDN server, the copy is served to the client from the CDN server; otherwise, the second resource is replicated on the CDN server and then served to the client from the CDN server.
US08230064B2

A data providing system is provided with a data providing apparatus, a data utilizing apparatus configured to be connected with the data providing apparatus in a communicable manner, and a communication apparatus configured to be connected with the data providing apparatus in a communicable manner. The data utilizing apparatus is configured to send an identification information-sending request to the data providing apparatus, output identification information sent from the data providing apparatus, send the identification information to the data providing apparatus, and utilize data sent from the data providing apparatus. The communication apparatus is configured to allow a user to input the identification information and to designate data specifying information, and send the input identification information and the designated data specifying information to the data providing apparatus. The data providing apparatus is configured to send the identification information to the data utilizing apparatus in accordance with the identification information-sending request sent from the data utilizing apparatus, store the sent identification information, store an association of the identification information and the data specifying information sent from the communication apparatus on a condition that the identification information sent from the communication apparatus has been stored, and send data to the data utilizing apparatus. The data is specified by the data specifying information associated with the identification information sent from the data utilizing apparatus.
US08230062B2

Methods and a system for exploiting the secondary traffic generated by social networking sites are disclosed. Traffic on a commercial website is constantly monitored by a web analytics tool, which collects traffic measurements of hits, button presses, enquiries, purchases etc, as well as the referrer URL of a site such as a social networking site through which the commercial website is accessed. The collected measurements are forwarded to a Referred Traffic Analysis System. Concurrently, the Referred Traffic Analysis System crawls the Internet and collects a large number of social networking sites, analyses their content by extracting insight terms and phrases from them. In a third step, the collected traffic measurements are correlated with the collected insights from the social networking sites, and the top insights that reoccur frequently enough to appear to be a driver for the measurements observed, are presented to the client. A corresponding system is also provided.
US08230061B2

A computing device including an indicator predicting use of a network resource. The indicator may provide an indication that a threshold associated with a budget for the network resource has or will be reached. When a user requests a network operation that will consume the network resource, an amount of the network resource to be consumed by the operation is predicted, if possible. If the prior use of the network resource and the amount to be used to complete the network operation exceeds a threshold the user may be warned and given an opportunity to cancel the operation or adjust the way in which the operation will be performed. If the amount of network resource a network operation will consume is unknown, a rate of use of the network resource is determined and a time until the budget is reached is estimated. An administrative tool is provided for managing network resources and setting budgets for resource consumption by users, devices, or applications.
US08230060B2

A web browser security system including a network detector configured to detect when a computer attempts to connect to a computer network, and a data protector configured to move any data predefined as being private data from any private data areas that are accessible to a web browser on the computer to a secure data repository that is not accessible to the web browser, where any of the network detector and the data protector are implemented in either of computer hardware and computer software and embodied in a computer-readable medium.
US08230053B2

A Web address converter helps dynamic Web sites get the attention of spiders of Internet search engines. With the Web address converter, requests from Web browsers using static addresses access corresponding dynamic Web pages and requests from search engines generate an instance of a Web page having links with static addresses pointing to corresponding dynamic Web pages. The Web address converter performs both Dynamic-to-Static (D-to-S) address conversion and Static-to-Dynamic (S-to-D) address conversion. D-to-S address conversion is done when generating a spider-friendly main page for a spider of a search engine to crawl. S-to-D address conversion is used when a browser uses a static address to access a corresponding dynamic Web page. The static address that the browser uses was originally created when the spider-friendly main page was generated.
US08230050B1

Techniques are described for providing users with access to computer networks, such as to enable users to interact with a remote configurable network service in order to create and configure computer networks that are provided by the configurable network service for use by the users. Computer networks provided by the configurable network service may be configured to be private computer networks that are accessible only by the users who create them, and may each be created and configured by a client of the configurable network service to be an extension to an existing computer network of the client, such as a private computer network extension to an existing private computer network of the client. If so, secure private access between an existing computer network and new computer network extension that is being provided may be enabled using one or more VPN connections or other private access mechanisms.
US08230045B2

A server computer connected to a plurality of client computers through a network and controls objects in a Metaverse accessed by the client computers. The server computer includes: a storage unit for storing an object ID specifying a Metaverse object and authenticity information; a communication unit for communicating with each of the client computers; and an enquiry unit for causing the communication unit to transmit the authenticity information of the object ID to the communication unit. A method of controlling objects in a Metaverse accessed by client computers is also provided.
US08230043B2

The use of a map at a server allows flexibility to the operation of a help system.
US08230041B2

When a customer operates a terminal to send a request for a provision of a manual page to the center via the Internet, the center determines whether the customer who is accessing is a registered customer (user of a copier) based on the stored customer information. In a case where the customer who is accessing the center is a registered customer, the center automatically selects electronic manual file(s) for the copier being used by the customer concerned. And the center generates a manual page representing the content of the selected manual file so that the content of the manual file is noticeable rather than the other information. The center transmits the manual page to the terminal concerned.
US08230038B2

The present invention achieves data relocation in accordance with a user's policies, in an environment where a plurality of storage devices coexist. The volumes belonging to storage devices A-D are managed virtually integrally. A host recognizes a plurality of storage devices A-D as a single virtual storage device. The user is able to group arbitrarily each volume belonging to the storage system, as a plurality of storage layers 1-3. For example, storage layer 1 can be defined as a high-reliability layer, storage layer 2, as a low-cost layer, and storage layer 3, as an archive layer. Each storage layer is constituted by a group of volumes corresponding to respective policies (high reliability, low cost, archiving). The user designates volumes V1 and V2 to be moved, in group units, and indicates a storage layer forming a movement destination, whereby the data is relocated.
US08230037B2

Systems and methods for customized content delivery are provided. Customized and individualized electronic content over a network are included. The content delivered through content feeds may be specifically tailored to a specific user based numerous criteria including, but not limited to, attributes of a user, usage characteristics, subject matter of previous downloads, subscription details, and targeted advertising. The content provider may track and monitor the download characteristics of individual users and adapt the content delivered in the feeds.
US08230032B2

A workflow manager application transfers message data received from an originating device via a communication network to a target application for processing. A graphical user interface displays the received message data and allows the user to view and designate one or more target applications for processing the message data. The workflow manger application is responsive to user input to transfer message data to the designated one or more target applications for processing the message data. Alternatively, the workflow manager application analyzes received message data to identify one or more target applications, and transfers the message data to the identified one or more target applications for processing.
US08230028B2

An email message that is addressed to a plurality of recipients is defined on a first client electronic device. A first set of downstream response rights is assigned, on the first client electronic device, to a first recipient chosen from the plurality of recipients. A second set of downstream response rights is assigned, on the first client electronic device, to a second recipient chosen from the plurality of recipients. The second set of downstream response rights is different from the first set of downstream response rights.
US08230026B2

A system and method for message redirection receives an email message originating from a user's mobile data communication device for redirection. A record containing a domain name is obtained, based at least in part on a user ID associated with the email message. If the domain name is blank, the system uses an address associated with the user as the “from” email address and if the domain name is not blank, the system uses a juxtaposition of a user name and the domain name as the “from” email address for transmitting the message.
US08230025B2

There is disclosed a system and method for delivering a message to a communication device. In an embodiment, the method comprises obtaining a probability that the message is spam; in dependence upon the probability that the message is spam, determining a variable message size; and sending the message to the communication device in dependence upon the determined variable message size. In an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving a user response whether the message is spam; and if the message is verified as being spam, then filtering the message from the communication device.
US08230021B2

A method for adding a customizable reply function to an interface in an instant messaging (IM) client, including the steps of identifying a string of characters to be associated with the reply function, choosing an action of the IM client to be associated with the reply function, selecting presentation characteristics of a representation of the reply function in the interface of the IM client, and incorporating the reply function into the interface of the IM client, where a subsequent user selection of the incorporated representation of the reply function in the IM client interface instructs the IM client to output the string of characters associated with the reply function and to perform an action associated with the reply function.
US08230019B2

A mechanism to alert to a user that an address of an e-mail message may be undeliverable is provided. If a “bounced” mail notification is received, an indicator is associated with the address to which the notification pertains. When accessed by the user, in response to the indicator being set, the address is displayed in conjunction with one or more perceptive cues, such as highlighted color etc. If an indication that the delivery problems with respect to the address are resolved, such as receipt of an e-mail from the addressee or a successful delivery notification, the indicator is cleared whereby the alert is terminated.
US08230017B2

A method, system and apparatus for a collaborative system, method and apparatus configured for optimal page sharing. The system of the invention can include a collaborative application disposed in a collaborative peer and configured for communicative coupling to other collaborative peers. The system can further include a compressor/decompressor disposed in the collaborative peer. The compressor/decompressor can include logic programmed to pre-process a shared page for the collaborative application by compressing the shared page before transmitting the shared page to the other collaborative peers.
US08230015B2

A server unit provides a message board on a predetermined topic in which multiple unspecified users participate. A user can designate a message posted by an arbitrary user on the message board on the predetermined topic, as a watch target. When a plurality of users designate the same message on the message board on the predetermined topic as a watch target and post new messages on the message to be watched within a predetermined period, the users who have designated the same message as the watch target are grouped. The grouped users can use a message board for a temporary topic which is provided as separate from the message board for the predetermined topic.
US08230014B2

An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit adapted to store information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, a reception unit adapted to receive from an other information processing apparatus a request to acquire information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses stored by the storage unit, a determination unit adapted to, by comparing an address of the image forming apparatus stored by the storage unit with an address of another information processing apparatus, determine whether the image forming apparatus has the address which another information processing apparatus can access, and a transmission unit adapted to transmit to another information processing apparatus the information of the image forming apparatus having the address which is determined by the determination unit to be accessible from another information processing apparatus.
US08230009B1

In one general aspect, a computer-readable storage medium can store instructions that when executed cause a client device to perform a process. The instructions comprising instructions to define a plurality of event packets where each event packet from the plurality of event packets includes an input value from a user interface device associated with the client device, and instructions to define, at a first time, a first carrier packet including the plurality of event packets. The instructions can also include instructions to define an additional event packet representing an additional input value from the user interface device associated with the client device, and define, at a second time, a second carrier packet including the additional event packet and at least a portion of the plurality of event packets.
US08230006B2

A method for managing remote clients includes retrieving a client version identifier for an application program running on a client. The client version identifier is compared with a master version identifier for a master configuration file on a server. An active configuration of the application program on the client is altered while the application program is running.
US08230005B2

The information system and method for collecting, transferring and administrating quality control data, and particularly HACCP data disclosed allows bi-directional communication between a plurality of remote wireless measurement devices and a central web server through a local com/data link. The com/data link provides wireless communication with the various measurement devices and communication with the web server via an Internet connection. An Internet based database and website interface provides centralized data storage and easily accessible data management and analysis. Administrator/users can access and manage the data from any location or device with Internet connectivity. The measurement devices allow their operation and functions to be configured and reconfigured by uploading customized device “data packets” into the devices system memory. The Internet-based user interface allows administrator/users to remotely customize and modify these “data packets” for each individual measurement device to suit each specific application. The bi-directional communication between the various wireless measurement devices and the web server allows administrator/users to reconfigure each individual measurement device remotely through an Internet-based user interface.
US08229995B2

A computer-readable recording medium stores therein a data transfer processing program that causes a computer capable of accessing plural recording devices to acquire a group of update data for a first recording device among the recording devices and calculate, based on addresses respectively assigned to each data item in the group of update data, an overlap rate of the addresses. Further, based on the overlap rate calculated at the calculating, the computer selects a data transfer scheme from among a synchronous scheme of transmitting the group of update data simultaneously to the first recording device and a second recording device, and a nonsynchronous scheme of transmitting the group of update data to the first recording device and subsequently causing the first recording device to transmit the group of update data to the second recording device; and executes the data transfer scheme selected.
US08229992B2

A multiplier circuit comprises a fused Booth encoder multiplexer which produces partial product bits, a tree which uses the partial product bits to generate partial products, and an adder which uses the partial products to generate intermediate sum and carry results for a multiplication operation. The fused Booth encoder multiplexer utilizes encoder-selector cells having a logic tree which carries out a Boolean function according to a Booth encoding and selection algorithm to produce one of the partial product bits at a dynamic node, and a latch connected to the dynamic node which maintains the value at an output node. The encoder-selector cells operate in parallel to produce the partial product bits generally simultaneously. A given one of the encoder-selector cells has a unique set of both multiplier operand inputs and multiplicand operand inputs, and produces a single partial product bit.
US08229990B2

A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method to at least one of reduce a memory space requirement and to increase a processing efficiency in a computerized method of linear algebra processing. A hybrid full-packed data structure is generated for processing data of a triangular matrix by one or more dense linear algebra (DLA) matrix subroutines designed to process matrix data in a full format, as modified to process matrix data using said hybrid full-packed data structure into a hybrid full-packed data structure, as follows. A portion of the triangular matrix data is determined that would comprise a square portion having a dimension approximately one half a dimension of the triangular matrix data. A first triangular portion of the triangular matrix data is fitted into a first location relative to data of the square portion, and a second triangular portion of the triangular matrix data is fitted into a second location relative to data of the square portion, such that the first triangular portion, the second triangular portion, and the square portion fit together to form the rectangular data structure. The hybrid full-packed data structure provides a substantially rectangular full format data structure for an entirety of the triangular matrix data and the triangular matrix comprises a triangular or symmetric/Hermitian matrix.
US08229989B2

A method for controlling rounding modes in a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) floating-point unit is disclosed. The SIMD floating-point unit includes a floating-point status-and-control register (FPSCR) having a first rounding mode bit field and a second rounding mode bit field. The SIMD floating-point unit also includes means for generating a first slice and a second slice. During a floating-point operation, the SIMD floating-point unit concurrently performs a first rounding operation on the first slice and a second rounding operation on the second slice according to a bit in the first rounding mode bit field and a bit in the second rounding mode bit field within the FPSCR, respectively.
US08229981B2

A multimedia player includes an execution button for generating an execute instruction when operated, an auxiliary card associated with a file managing instruction, an auxiliary card reader for electrically connecting with the auxiliary card, and a control unit electrically connected to the execution button and the auxiliary card reader. The control unit is operable, in response to the execute instruction from the execution button, to execute the file managing instruction associated with the auxiliary card that is electrically connected to the auxiliary card reader.
US08229962B1

Location-aware task management solutions are disclosed that can be used in a variety of task-management applications that prioritize tasks associated with a plurality of remote locations, based at least in part on the location of the remote user. For instance, certain systems utilize media access control (MAC) addresses of a plurality of wireless access points (WAPs) to identify and/or recommend which of a plurality of tasks should be completed by one or more remote users responsible for completing the tasks. In other instances, certain systems utilize GPS or RFID information to identify and/or recommend which of a plurality of tasks should be completed by one or more remote users responsible for completing the tasks.
US08229956B2

With respect to each part at which a word included in a characteristic condition defining a characteristic text set designated by a user through the input device appears in text, the characteristic condition assurance degree calculating unit of the text mining device obtains a reliability of the word from the word reliability storage unit to operate a value of a characteristic condition assurance degree for each text by predetermined operation based on all the obtained reliabilities. The characteristic condition assurance degree calculating unit executes operation such that when a value of each reliability is large, a value of a degree of assurance becomes large. The representative text output unit outputs text whose characteristic condition assurance degree is the highest among texts whose characteristic condition assurance degrees are calculated together with its characteristic condition assurance degree.
US08229955B2

In a networked computer system that includes multiple nodes and multiple networks interconnecting the nodes, a database query optimizer takes network choice into consideration when optimizing a query. The query optimizer logs historical information for queries that includes network information. A network monitor determines network characteristics of the multiple networks. The query optimizer then selects a network for a query based on the network characteristics, and optionally based on the historical information as well. The result is a query optimizer that takes network choice into consideration, thereby providing a query that is optimized according to the characteristics of the networks.
US08229947B2

An apparatus includes a page designation unit configured to designate a page to be searched in a document file including a plurality of pages, an input unit configured to input a search key used to search the document file, and a search unit configured to perform character string search to search a keyword in the document file based on the search key. The search unit is capable of performing the character string search using a search key input by the input unit in a page of the document file designated by the page designation unit without performing the character string search in non-designated pages of the document file.
US08229940B2

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for a query predicate generator to construct a database query predicate from received query conditions. A plurality of query conditions are received, wherein each query condition includes a comparison operator and a comparison value for a database attribute, and wherein the comparison operator is capable of comprising matching and non-matching operators. The query conditions are processed to determine at least one logical operator to include between the query conditions. A database query predicate is generated to use in a database query to apply against the database comprising the received query conditions chained using the determined logical operators.
US08229939B2

A server system maintains records and their associated attributes in a secure database. A plurality of queries generated by encrypting indices identifying a records and their associated attributes, by homomorphic encryption is received from a client system. A secret key is generated at a certain query count and is divided into randomly generated key shares. A key share sequence is homomorphically encrypted. A table is formed by encrypting the indices, secret key and attributes. Query responses, which each comprise the attributes for each of the records of the table of entries are provided. The key shares are decrypted sufficient to recover the secret key subject to a non-inference enabling query.
US08229936B2

A data storage method and system. The method includes defining, by a computing system, a meta-object, a schema based structured definition for the meta-object, and a taxonomy with configuration data. The computing system creates content associated with the taxonomy and associates topics of the content with a logical storage room representations. Reference coordinates associated with the logical storage room representations are associated with the taxonomy. The computing system generates updated configuration data that includes the reference coordinates and a uniform resource identifier associated with the content is generated. The computing system generates an account associated with the meta-object for a user. Metering charges for usage of the account and a report associated with the account and usage are generated.
US08229930B2

A URL reputation system may have a reputation server and a client device with a cache of reputation information. A URL reputation query from the client to the server may return reputation data along with probabilistic set membership information for several variants of the requested URL. The client may use the probabilistic set membership information to determine if the reputation server has additional information for another related URL as well as whether the classifications are inheritable from one of the variants. If the probabilistic set membership determines that the reputation server may have additional information, a query may be made to the reputation server, otherwise the reputation may be inferred from the data stored in the cache.
US08229927B2

A search option input by a user is obtained through a user interface and a search term is determined based on the search option. A document database is searched to obtain a document that matches the search term and a search result is generated, including document information identifying the document that matches the search term and relevancy information indicating a degree of relevancy between the search term and the document. A display device displays the search result in a format indicating the correspondence relationship of the document information, the search term, and the relevancy information.
US08229915B1

A determination is made as to a first series of location rankings for one or more content item locations based on content item location data. Another determination is made as to a first series of content item rankings for one or more content items based on content item data. One of the content items having a first content item ranking is associated with one of the content item locations having a first location ranking.
US08229904B2

A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for managing an object are disclosed. In an embodiment, this comprises managing an object having content, in a system having a dynamic policy selector configured with at least one analytic policy applied to evaluate the content of the object. The object is associated to an information management policy. Classification levels may be used, in which classification levels are associated to information management policies and objects are associated with classification levels. Objects containing certain elements or related elements may be associated to form an information group, to which information management policies may be applied as a group. Storage pools may be used for managing objects with similar classification levels or information protection policies.
US08229894B2

When updating the data in each generation's logical units, the snapshot processing unit writes the update data in accordance with the update as forward differential data 221 to the base volume, and saves the old data that existed in the base volume before that update data was written as backward differential data in the backward differential data pool, and, when each generation's logical unit backward differential data is updated, deletes the forward differential data belonging the production LUs and the snapshots that together with those production LUs form the forward differential group. As a result of this, the amount of metadata necessary for executing a host command is able to be reduced in production LUs utilizing snapshots using the forward differential method.
US08229893B2

An archival storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes includes a metadata management system that organizes and provides access to given metadata, preferably in the form of metadata objects. Each metadata object may have a unique name, and metadata objects are organized into regions. Preferably, a region is selected by hashing one or more object attributes (e.g., the object's name) and extracting a given number of bits of the resulting hash value. The number of bits may be controlled by a configuration parameter. Each region is stored redundantly. A region comprises a set of region copies. In particular, there is one authoritative copy of the region, and zero or more backup copies. The number of backup copies may be controlled by a configuration parameter. Region copies are distributed across the nodes of the cluster so as to balance the number of authoritative region copies per node, as well as the number of total region copies per node. Backup region copies are maintained synchronized to their associated authoritative region copy.
US08229890B2

A document stored at each of a number of database replicas communicatively connected with a current database replica is desired to be opened. The current database replica is initially opened. The current database replica stores an indicator for the document denoting the database replicas at which the document is stored. A probable time to retrieve the document from each database replica is retrieved from the current database replica. For each database replica, a real-time analysis of network parameters in relation to the database replica is performed based on the probable time retrieved. This analysis yields an updated probable time to retrieve the document from the database replica. The document is thus retrieved from the database replica having the lowest updated probable time.
US08229888B1

Some embodiments comprise: A recipient data device connects to a source data device, which is associated with a profile that includes consumption state including information relating to a point at which playback of a piece of multimedia content at a playback device, different than the recipient data device, has been terminated. Data is synchronized, including the consumption state. The piece of multimedia content is played at the recipient data device, starting from a playback initiation point related to the point at which playback of the piece of multimedia content was terminated.
US08229885B2

A pharmaceutical administrative system with a pharmacy and a service center network for preparing and dispensing medication. The pharmacy network prepares orders for medication from various customers for various patients. By retrieving information from a global database in the service center network, the pharmacy network conveys patient, customer and formulary information to users of the pharmacy network. Also, the pharmacy network prepares medication specific labels to identify and verify the contents of the medication. Furthermore, the pharmacy network provides additional safeguards and information, including balancing orders and displaying and/or generating hardcopies of solubility curves, to a health care provider using the pharmacy network with the additional ability to customize the medication.
US08229884B1

A system monitors each of multiple applications. For each application, a corresponding monitoring script sets forth procedures for monitoring the application. A script execution engine executes each script, and each executed script retrieves indicia to be monitored from the corresponding application. For each retrieved indicia, the script generates a corresponding record in a generic format employed across all applications, which includes a date and time the indicia was retrieved, a name of the application from which the indicia was retrieved, a name of the indicia, and a value for the retrieved indicia. A monitoring database stores the records generated by each script in the generic format. A generic monitoring console retrieves various records in the generic format from the monitoring database for various ones of the multiple applications and displays monitoring information for various ones of the multiple applications as generated from the various records.
US08229882B2

The invention makes use of a single data structure to define all of the information and parameters necessary for the efficient sharing and exchange of entire or partial BI applications. The invention enables a user to capture preferences that are applicable to both ends of the exchange, namely the source and the target systems. It provides for users to be presented with a comprehensive list of preferences and smart defaults from which they can select, and in some cases override, at both the source and target end points of the exchange. The actual metadata exchange is persisted as an exchange structure in a computer system file system called an exchange archive.
US08229877B2

An information processing system includes a state estimation section that estimates a state of a user based on information that includes sensor information from at least one of a behavior sensor that measures a behavior of the user, a condition sensor that measures a condition of the user, and an environment sensor that measures an environment of the user, a historical information storage section that stores state historical information about the user, a usualness level evaluation section that evaluates a usualness level of the user, and a write section that writes the usualness level of the user evaluated by the usualness level evaluation section in the historical information storage section so that the usualness level is linked to each state of the user indicated by the state historical information about the user.
US08229876B2

Improved efficiencies of data mining clustering techniques are provided by preprocessing a sample set of data points taken from a complete data set to provide seeds for centroid calculations of the complete data set. Such seeds are generated by selecting a uniform sample set of data points from a set of multi-dimensional data and then seed values for the cluster determination calculation are determined using a centroid analysis on the sample set of data points. The number of seeds calculated corresponds to a number of data clusters expected in the set of multi-dimensional data points. Seed values are determined using subsample elimination techniques.
US08229873B1

According to some embodiments, a plurality of media items having associated classes are collected and stored in a media item repository. Generic selection data for a plurality of users of the media repository is collected and stored. The plurality of users includes a particular user of the media item repository. A likelihood of a generic user selecting media items associated with particular classes is determined. A likelihood of a particular user selecting media items associated with particular classes is determined. A relative likelihood of the particular user selecting media items associated with the particular classes compared to the generic user is determined. A first collection of media items reflecting the relative likelihood is sent to the particular user. Each of the media items is selectable by the particular user.
US08229870B2

A solver for a constraint satisfaction problem includes a plurality of variables and a plurality of constraints. A floating point variable has a domain and is assigned a value by first determining if a predetermined value can be assigned to the floating point variable if the predetermined value is in the domain. If not, the solver determines if a bound of the domain can be assigned to the floating point variable. If the predetermined value can not be assigned to the floating point variable and the bound of the domain can not be assigned to the floating point variable, the solver assigns a value to the floating point variable using domain splitting.
US08229868B2

A data converting apparatus and a data converting program are suitable to quantitatively estimate, based on a temporal alteration of a stimulus value, a temporal alteration of a sensitivity brought to human beings. The data converting apparatus includes a decomposing unit subjecting temporal alteration data of a stimulus value to wavelet decomposition to extract plural time-frequency components contained in the temporal alteration data, a weighting unit weighting the plural extracted time-frequency components weighting coefficients which are predetermined based on a relationship between a temporal alteration of a stimulus value and a temporal alteration of a sensitivity of human beings to the stimulus value, and a synthesizing unit subjecting the plural weighted time-frequency components to wavelet synthesis to estimate a sensitivity brought to human beings when the stimulus value is subjected to temporal alteration according to the temporal alteration data.
US08229858B1

An enterprise licensing system is provided that includes a licensing agent 172 operable to (a) provide a customer with a first set of enterprise licensable features and/or capacities and a second set of non-enterprise licensable features and/or capacities, with the enterprise licensable features and/or capacities, but not non-enterprise licensable features and/or capacities, being allocable freely by the customer among first and second computational components; (b) receive a first allocation of the members of the first set between the first and second computational components; and (c) generate first and second licenses reflecting the first allocation. The first license is for the first computational component and the second license is for the second computational component.
US08229843B2

A method for debt protection or cancellation may include providing an addendum for a debt protection or cancellation product for inclusion in a debt instrument. The method may also include serving the debt protection and cancellation product in response to a borrower purchasing the debt protection and cancellation product.
US08229837B2

A system and methods for processing and charting security exchange trading and market information shows security traders if current transactions originated as buy orders or sell orders, and simultaneously indicates traded quantity. Security exchange trading information is received that includes the price, volume and time of each trade. In addition, security exchange market information is received from buyers, specifying bide prices and quantities, and from sellers, specifying asking prices and quantities. The security exchange trading and market information is processed simultaneously and displayed as a continuously updated real-time chart depicting the exchange auction process whereby buyers and sellers agree to trade at specified prices, including details of individual transactions. The chart is formed by plotting each trade at the price traded, and for each plot point shows a distinctive icon indication whether the transaction was initiated by a buyer or seller.
US08229834B2

A method, system and computer program product for forecasting the transaction cost of a portfolio trade execution that may be applied to any given trading strategy or an optimal trading strategy that minimizes transaction costs. The system accepts user-defined input variables from customers and generates a transaction cost estimation report based on those variables. Two models are utilized: discretionary and non-discretionary. A specific transaction cost estimation and optimization is performed that model the transaction costs of a specific trade execution based on the user's trading profile and market variables.
US08229833B2

Presented is a method for calculating and distributing quoting share revenue to exchange members that contribute quote data to market data feeds. First, the method reads in trading data chronologically for a particular day. Using an object oriented framework, the method divides the symbols and orders into groups of objects to facilitate the tracking of the total price, quantity, and seconds displayed for each symbol. The timestamp of each message is read and the seconds field is parsed ignoring fractional seconds. Credits are awarded for each second the quote is displayed at the National Best Bid/Offer (“NBBO”) by multiplying the price, quantity, and elapsed whole seconds. These quote credits are stored by the system for each member and symbol. Members are eligible to earn quote credits on either the bid or the offer or both at the same time.
US08229830B2

A computerized financial instrument management system has a data storage device storing data indicative of an account balance based on deposits, withdrawals and changes in value of investments selected by an owner, a payment base value, a guarantee of availability of benefit payments for a term, during time periods during the term, without reduction of the payment base value; and withdrawal factor values correlated with dates after a first of the benefit payments and increasing after the first of the benefit payments. A processor is configured to determine, for any of the time periods, an available amount of the benefit payment, based on data indicative of a withdrawal factor value and at least one of a payment base value and either the payment base value or the account value.
US08229828B1

A system and method of investing and reallocating fund assets include investing assets in a first class in a fund having substantially a single asset class at any given time. The system and method further include determining whether a signal is given to reallocate the assets to a second asset class different from the first asset class, and reallocating the assets in the fund to the second asset class if the signal is given to reallocate the assets. In embodiments of the invention, the fund is diversified among different asset classes over time rather than at any instant.
US08229823B2

A network device coalesces data received from an exchange, and provides a user with the opportunity to receive fewer, but up-to-date, data updates from an exchange when duplicate prices become available or a large volume of prices becomes available suddenly. Accordingly, the trader can be assured of receiving non-duplicated prices that are fed at a rate that is cohesive with that trader's connection speed. The present invention is designed to conserve on bandwidth thereby increasing the likelihood that bandwidth will be available to receive desirable market information.
US08229808B1

A system and method for providing one or more client systems for communicating with a host system over a network. The client systems use a scanner to convert a paper form of a check, coupon, or other paper document to a digital representation and then the client systems send the digital representation over a network to the host system for storage. The host system archives the digital representation and determines the appropriate processing stream for a transaction related to the paper document (e.g. coupon, check), via a decisioning engine, based on a set of predefined stream selection rules. The host system then communicates the transaction to a back end transaction destination, according to the selected processing stream. Examples of the transaction destination can include ACH, Reproduce Paper, and Remittance. The host system can make use of a data buffer system for coordinating the storage of the digital representations in the host system as well as coordinating the respective settlement process, a distributed decisioning environment for assisting the host system in decisioning of the digital representations, and a hierarchy for coordinating the configuration of the host and client systems as well as coordinating the settlement process for the digital representations.
US08229807B2

Methods for resolving invoice obligations are disclosed that include: a) providing at least one sales invoice, wherein each sales invoice comprises a credit value, b) providing at least one purchase invoice, wherein each purchase invoice comprises a debit value, and c) offsetting at least part of the debit value of a purchase invoice with at least part of the credit value of a sales invoice. Methods are also disclosed for resolving invoice obligations that include: a) providing at least one seller having at least one sales invoice, b) providing at least one customer having at least one sales invoice and at least one purchase invoice, wherein at least one of the at least one sales invoice and at least one of the at least one purchase invoice forms an invoice chain; and c) offsetting the at least one sales invoice of the seller with at least one sales invoice of the customer, at least one purchase invoice or a combination thereof. Systems and software for resolving invoice obligations are disclosed that include: a) an executable code for intelligently determining an invoice chain comprising at least one purchase invoice having a debit value and at least one sales invoice having a credit value and offsetting the debit value with the credit value, b) a medium for executing the executable code, c) a display device, and d) an interaction tool for executing the executable code.
US08229806B1

Computer implemented methods of tracking customer spending and income are provided. The methods may comprise aggregating spending transactions by estimating income to a customer during a first time period. The methods may also comprise displaying a user interface to the customer. The user interface may comprise a first bar indicating customer income and a second bar indicating customer spending.
US08229804B2

In a term catering system, a management device held by a delivery agent and a manufacturer of cooking appliances outputs reservation sequence information including sequence identification data corresponding to a reserved cooking menu for each customer and obtains feedback information from the customer. The cooking appliance lent to the customer for a certain term controls cooking of a food material delivered by the delivery agent, according to cooking sequence data specified by the output reservation sequence information, among a plurality of cooking sequence data stored beforehand.
US08229803B2

At least one geometric characteristic for each of a number of pieces of lumber is determined. Each of the pieces of lumber may then be logically associated with at least one of a log or a cant from which the piece of lumber was sawn.
US08229792B2

The invention resides in a system (10) for real-time on-line sales comprising a database (11) for storing details of products, prices and other information. The database (11) is accessed by multiple sales controller computers (12). Each sales controller computer (12) runs sales controller application (13) which displays a sales controller interface. A sales controller (14), such as an auctioneer, monitors on-line sales activity via the interface. Sales controllers maybe in different physical locations. Multiple buyers (15) participate in real-time on-line sales via a buyer interface displayed by buyer application (16) running on a buyer computer (17). Buyer computers (17) communicate with one or more sales controller computers (12) via a communications channel (18) allowing each buyer application (16) to display multiple price clocks from multiple sales controller applications (13) in potentially different businesses/locations. Buyer computers (17) also communicate with a database (11) via communication channel (19) to access product information.
US08229791B2

A computer program product for managing a supply chain process to maintain equipment is described. The computer program product includes a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium. The computer-readable program code includes a first executable portion for identifying and capturing data relevant to one or more sets of equipment maintenance requirements, a second executable portion for providing access to the capabilities of a plurality of inventory management, supply chain management, and equipment maintenance applications for preprocessing of the identified and captured data, a third executable portion for receiving the preprocessed data from the plurality of applications, and a fourth executable portion for integrating the preprocessed data into a solution to the one or more sets of equipment maintenance requirements.
US08229787B2

A method for outputting information about a person includes identifying the person utilizing a wireless system upon entry into a physical location, and also includes locating the person within the physical structure. An engagement plan is retrieved based on the identification of the person and output. The engagement plan has information useful for interacting with the person. The engagement plan is created based at least in part on personal information of the person, the preferences of the person, and the past transactions of the person. A system for outputting information about a person, such as a customer, includes an object carried by the person, which is capable of being identified by a wireless system. A wireless interface communicates with the object. A computing device correlates the identification of the object with the person. An output device outputs information relating to the person.
US08229771B1

A person may store food to prepare for an emergency. An insurance policy may be issue to cover the stored food against loss, theft, spoilage, etc. In issuing the insurance policy and setting the premium, the insurer may take various factors into account, such as the type of food to be stored (e.g., canned, dried, etc.), where the food is to be stored (e.g., a cellar, a closet, a food locker, etc.), and whether the stored food is rotated with new food to prevent the stored food from spoiling due to age. During the life of the insurance policy, the insurer may issue alerts to the policyholder in order to advise the policyholder to rotate old food out of storage.
US08229766B2

A variable resolution grid provides a mechanism for focusing specific concentrations of risk exposure on a geographical grid to determine projected loss caused by a particular catastrophe. The geographic grid provides a stable base map by using latitudes and longitudes to define the grid points and cells. Each cell is assigned a geographic identifier or geocode that identifies the location of the cell and its associated resolution. The resolution of the grid may be varied depending in part, on the resolution of any available of hazard data.
US08229743B2

Various methods and apparatus are described for a speech recognition system. In an embodiment, the statistical language model (SLM) provides probability estimates of how linguistically likely a sequence of linguistic items are to occur in that sequence based on an amount of times the sequence of linguistic items occurs in text and phrases in general use. The speech recognition decoder module requests a correction module for one or more corrected probability estimates P′(z|xy) of how likely a linguistic item z follows a given sequence of linguistic items x followed by y, where (x, y, and z) are three variable linguistic items supplied from the decoder module. The correction module is trained to linguistics of a specific domain, and is located in between the decoder module and the SLM in order to adapt the probability estimates supplied by the SLM to the specific domain when those probability estimates from the SLM significantly disagree with the linguistic probabilities in that domain.
US08229742B2

A computer program product for use with dictated medical patient information resides on a computer-readable medium and comprises computer-readable instructions for causing a computer to analyze the dictated information, identify likely confidential information in the dictated medical patient information, and treat the likely confidential information disparately from likely non-confidential information in the dictated medical patient information.
US08229741B2

A method for processing audio data includes determining a first common scalefactor value for representing quantized audio data in a frame. A second common scalefactor value is determined for representing the quantized audio data in the frame. A line equation common scalefactor value is determined from the first and second common scalefactor values.
US08229737B2

A particular technique for classifying a name includes accessing a name; dividing the name into a series of first n-grams; forming multiple concatenated second n-grams by concatenating pairs of the first n-grams; for each of multiple groups, for each of the second n-grams, determining the term frequency-group frequency score; for each of the multiple groups, summing up the term frequency-group frequency scores for each second n-gram for that group; and determining a likelihood that the name belongs to one group of the multiple groups based on the summed scores, wherein a largest summed score indicates a greater likelihood that the name belongs to the one group.
US08229732B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which input keystroke data can be interpreted by a current mapping and a determination can be made whether the current mapping is valid based upon the characters identified by the mapping and the keystroke data. Invalid mappings can be corrected based upon alternative mapping of the keystroke data.
US08229731B2

A phrase-based translation system and method includes a statistically integrated phrase lattice (SIPL) (H) which represents an entire translational model. An input (I) is translated by determining a best path through an entire lattice (S) by performing an efficient composition operation between the input and the SIPL. The efficient composition operation is performed by a multiple level search where each operand in the efficient composition operation represents a different search level.
US08229726B1

An object-oriented software analysis framework is provided for enabling software engineers and hardware engineers to gain insight into the behavior of software applications on emerging hardware platforms even before the hardware is fabricated. In this analysis framework, simulation data containing instruction, address and/or hardware register information is sent to interchangeable and parameterizable analyzer and profiler modules that decode the data and perform analysis of the data according to each module's respective analysis function. This detailed analysis is performed by constructing a tree of such modules through which the data travels and is classified and analyzed or filtered at each level of the tree. Each node of the tree is represented by an analyzer or a profiler module that performs sub-analysis based on the analysis performed by its parent such that at the end of a hardware simulation, each node, starting at the root, recursively calls on its children to dump their analysis, resulting in a categorized performance report.
US08229724B2

A parameter acquisition section acquires model information about a waveform simulation model of a system of signal transmission, a first parameter of a waveform variation in a time direction in the system, and a second parameter of a waveform variation in an amplitude direction in the system. A first eye pattern calculation section calculates a first eye pattern of the system through a waveform simulation based on the model information acquired by the parameter acquisition section. A second eye pattern calculation section calculates, based on the first and second parameters acquired by the parameter acquisition section, a second eye pattern through processing of the first eye pattern calculated by the first eye pattern calculation section. And a transmission margin calculation section calculates, as a transmission margin, a positional relationship between a specific area and an aperture of the second eye pattern calculated by the second eye pattern calculation section.
US08229714B2

A method for simulating a physical property of a component model comprising a computer accessible construction model of a technical structure, by automatically generating a mesh of a component model. The component model is first described by a fine mesh of finite elements, and, based on the fine mesh, a fine natural frequency of the component model is determined. The component model is then described by a coarse mesh of finite elements, and based on the coarse mesh, a coarse natural frequency of the component model is determined. In this context, for example, the deviation of the coarse natural frequency from the fine natural frequency is used as a measure for the quality of the coarse mesh.
US08229712B2

An FEM analysis system is provided which is capable of analyzing with high accuracy and within a short time in a drop shock analysis of electronic devices in which a very small mesh size is incorporated. Processing to be performed by an optimal solution selecting and analyzing section includes a step of checking whether an analysis to be performed is a shock analysis, a step of searching for a minimum mesh size when the analysis to be performed is judged to be a shock analysis, a step of creating a simplified analysis model using the minimum mesh size, a step of performing a preliminary analysis on a simplified model by an implicit method and explicit method, and a step of selecting either of the implicit method or explicit method as an optimal analysis method by comparing results from preliminary analysis, results from these analyses and experiments or exact solution.
US08229690B2

The present invention provides a test device and a method for carrying out a function test on a communication system. The test device contains a transmission path having at least one leaky line antenna arranged in the aircraft cabin, a control device coupled to the transmission path for feeding an HF signal at a predetermined power level into the leaky line antenna, and at least one measuring mechanism coupled at a predetermined coupling point to the transmission path to measure the power level of the HF signal at the coupling point and to transmit a result signal which depends on the measured power level via the leaky line antenna to the control device.
US08229686B2

A method and apparatus for measuring a flow rate of a component of a stratified two-phase fluid flow within a substantially horizontally extending pipe is provided. The method includes the steps of: a) determining a first fluid velocity value and a second fluid velocity value within the pipe section; b) determining a density of the fluid flow within the pipe section, and creating a measured fluid density value; c) determining a degree of fluid phase stratification of the fluid flow using at least one of the top and bottom fluid flow velocity values, and the measured fluid density value; and d) determining a flow rate value for at least one of a liquid component of the fluid flow and a gas component of the fluid flow within the pipe section.
US08229683B2

A method, test circuit and test system provide measurements to accurately characterize threshold voltage changes due to negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) and positive bias temperature instability (PBTI). Both the bias temperature instability recovery profile and/or the bias temperature shifts due to rapid repetitions of stress application can be studied. In order to provide accurate measurements when stresses are applied at intervals on the order of tens of nanoseconds while avoiding unwanted recovery, and/or to achieve recovery profile sampling resolutions in the nanosecond range, multiple delay or ring oscillator frequency measurements are made using a delay line that is formed from delay elements that have delay variation substantially caused only by NBTI or PBTI effects. Devices in the delay elements are stressed, and then the delay line/ring oscillator is operated to measure a threshold voltage change for one or more measurement periods on the order of nanoseconds.
US08229675B2

A method and system for managing blood products and tracking their movement in which a database is provided for entering and storing information pertaining to each patient, and a patient toolbar is provided for selectively displaying patient information and condition including but not limited to each patient's special needs, prior transfusion reaction history, directed blood components, and blood type with a manual control button to selectively display each item or category of information on a screen.
US08229673B2

The invention provides in silico models for determining the physiological function of human cells, including human skeletal muscle cells. The models include a data structure relating a plurality of Homo sapiens reactants to a plurality of Homo sapiens reactions, a constraint set for the plurality of Homo sapiens reactions, and commands for determining a distribution of flux through the reactions that is predictive of a Homo sapiens physiological function. A model of the invention can further include a gene database containing information characterizing the associated gene or genes. A regulated Homo sapiens reaction can be represented in a model of the invention by including a variable constraint for the regulated reaction. The invention further provides methods for making an in silico Homo sapiens model and methods for determining a Homo sapiens physiological function using a model of the invention.
US08229671B2

A system and method for optimal placement of a riserless casing in a subsea drilling environment having the steps of: receiving input of pore pressure data for a well site; receiving input of fracture gradient for said well site; receiving input of the anticipated true vertical depth of said well site; integrating pore pressure data, fracture gradient data with said true vertical depth values; computing a pore pressure and fracture gradient verses true vertical depth graph; determining the true vertical depth at which the pore pressure begins to exceed the normal gradient of salt water; and determining the placement of a conductor casing string by corresponding the gradient true vertical depth to the true vertical depth of where the pore pressure beings to exceed the normal gradient of salt water. The method improves upon conventional placement of the riserless casing by optimizing the placement to achieve larger diameters in the wellbore, increased well depth, and mitigation of shallow hazards. Furthermore, the method of the present invention transforms readily available data to calculate optimal placement of a structural casing string to serve a dual purpose by providing not only structural integrity for the wellbore, but also ensuring leak-off integrity by taking advantage of the early growth of the fracture gradient of the natural subsea environment. Also, the suggestion that casing drilling will assist in mitigating shallow drilling hazards to allow casing seats to be placed as prescribed by this present invention. The method of the present invention may be implemented by a computer based apparatus or implemented using executable computer code on a computer based system.
US08229666B2

Systems and methods for automatically generating pattern keys based on models of user travel patterns and behavior, wherein the pattern keys may be used in automated navigation systems for fast and efficient prediction of user destinations.
US08229661B2

Hybrid inertial system onboard a mobile carrier comprising an inertial measurements unit, at least one platform for integrating inertial data, at least one exterior sensor and a multi-hypothesis hybridization filter, the said system being characterized in that the said hybridization filter implements at least the following steps: an initialization step performing the generation of a plurality of state vectors an update step executing, for each of the said state vectors, the phase of readjusting an extended Kalman filtering a propagation step executing, for each of the said state vectors, the phase of propagation of an extended Kalman filtering a step of determining the likelihood qit of the said updated state vector a step of calculating inertial corrections.
US08229658B1

It is an object of the present invention to provide a predictive traffic law enforcement profiler apparatus and method which incorporates a means to determine current location, date and time, speed and also incorporates a means to utilize a database of historic traffic law enforcement and historical traffic data and also incorporates a predictive processing means to statistically predict likely patrol locations and schedules of traffic law enforcement and traffic hazards and a means to provide this information to the driver. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a predictive parking meter law enforcement profiler apparatus which further includes a means to utilize a database of historical parking law enforcement citations to statistically profile parking law enforcement to predict patrol locations, schedules, and intervals.
US08229655B2

Systems and methods useful for detecting a combustion fault in a combustion engine include determining cylinder power density values for cylinders present on the engine during its operation and determining cylinder imbalance parameters for the cylinders, based on the cylinder power density values. The cylinder imbalance parameters are compared with a provided diagnostic threshold value.
US08229654B2

An output restriction device for restricting engine output when a drive power output system for an internal combustion engine has an abnormality is provided. The output restriction device includes an abnormality detection unit, and initial restriction unit, and a secondary restriction unit. The abnormality restriction unit detects an abnormality in the drive power output system. The initial restriction unit restricts a tolerable range of the engine output to a first restriction region when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the drive power output system. A secondary restriction unit shifts the tolerable range of the engine output to a second restriction region, which has an upper limit lower than that of the first restriction region, in accordance with an operation history of the engine after the initial restriction unit restricts the tolerable range of the engine output to the first restriction region.
US08229641B2

An aircraft braking control system for an aircraft braking system that comprises at least one first side braking unit (30L) for braking a respective wheel (22L) positioned on a first side of a longitudinal axis of an aircraft and at least one second side braking unit (30R) for braking a respective wheel (22R) positioned on a second side of said longitudinal axis, said braking control system comprising a brake control unit (40) operable to process respective measurements of performance of the braking units (30L, 30R) and according to the process results to provide command signals for controlling respective braking forces applied by said first and second braking units (30L, 30R) to reduce any difference between a first side braking force applied on the first side of the longitudinal axis by said at least one first side braking unit (30L) and a second side braking force applied on said second side by said at least one second side braking unit (30R).
US08229635B2

A control device of a transmission is capable of instantaneously correcting a torque shortly after starting a motor, and properly correcting a gear operation shortly after starting (at transient time) even in case of coil temperature change. The device includes a gear change end determination unit, a motor stop determination unit, and a coil resistance estimation unit of estimating a coil resistance of the motor alternately by repeating at regular intervals a state of application of a predetermined voltage to the motor during stop before start of gear change and a state of no application; and when the motor is determined stop by the determination units, an initial value of a command voltage to be applied to the motor after start of gear change is corrected in a predetermined time period in accordance with a coil resistance value having been calculated by the coil resistance estimation unit.
US08229632B2

An engine control system for preventing automatic increasing of an engine speed above a threshold engine speed when increasing engine speed toward an elevated transmission mainshaft speed during a transmission downshift includes a downshift sensor for detecting a transmission downshift in a manual transmission and an electronic control unit (ECU) operatively connected to the downshift sensor for receiving a downshift signal therefrom indicative of the transmission downshift. The ECU automatically increases the engine speed toward a transmission mainshaft speed when the downshift sensor detects a transmission downshift. The ECU limits the increasing of the engine speed to an engine target speed that is below the threshold engine speed.
US08229612B2

A hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine, a planetary gear mechanism linked to the output shaft of the engine and to a driveshaft, a first motor linked to the planetary gear, a second motor inputting and outputting power to and from the driveshaft, and a battery inputting and outputting electric power to and from the motors. When a cooling water temperature Tw of the engine is lower than a threshold Twref, the intermittent operation of the engine is prohibited, and a controller performs a warm-up control on a condition that a battery temperature Tb is a preset reference temperature Tα, while performing a low state of charge control on condition that a battery temperature Tb is higher than or equal to a preset reference temperature Tα and lower than a preset reference temperature Tβ.
US08229600B2

To provide a flow controlling device capable of providing an accurate flow set by a setting device without mutual interference between flow controlling devices. A flow controlling device having a solenoid valve for adjusting the opening of a flow path and a valve driving circuit for driving the valve, having an analog inputting circuit for converting an inputted analog voltage value or analog electric current value into a specific digital value or analog value and then transmitting; a controlling portion processing the digital value or analog value transmitted from the inputting circuit and outputting an instruction signal depending on the flow that has been set; a signal transmitting portion that electrically isolates the controlling portion and the valve driving circuit and sends, to the valve driving circuit, the instruction signal from the controlling portion; an isolating power supply circuit for electrically isolating the analog inputting circuit and the controlling portion and for supplying a power supply to the analog inputting circuit and the controlling portion; and a non-isolating power supply circuit for providing a power supply to the valve driving circuit.
US08229599B2

An air conditioning control device includes an operating-unit specifying unit, an adjacent-unit specifying unit and an adjacent-unit control unit, and collectively controls the operation of an indoor unit group. The operating-unit specifying unit specifies an operating unit to perform an air conditioning operation from the indoor units included in the indoor unit group. The adjacent-unit specifying unit specifies an adjacent unit adjacent to the operating unit from the indoor units included in the indoor unit group. The adjacent-unit control unit causes the adjacent unit to perform an air flow generating operation. This air flow inhibits air conditioned by the air conditioning operation of the operating unit from diffusing from an air conditioning target space.
US08229594B2

This method controls an automatic finishing machine using a robot with a tool through a model storage step, a data acquisition step, a calculation step, an error derivation step, a correction step and a machining step. In the model storage step, shape data of an unfinished work or data of a three-dimensional model is stored in a memory. In the data acquisition step, the tool is brought into contact with the unfinished work W, thereby obtaining measurement data. Then, in the calculation step, actual-position data on a comparative object point is calculated based on the measurement data. Subsequently, in the error derivation step, a data difference between the calculated actual-position data and position data on the comparative object point in the three-dimensional model is obtained. Thereafter, in the correction step, teaching data indicative of the position of the tool corresponding to the shape data of the three-dimensional model is corrected, based on the data difference. Finally, in the machining step, the finishing process is performed, while the robot (11) is controlled, based on the corrected teaching data.
US08229591B2

Disclosed is a method for programming the progress of an injection molding cycle of an injection molding machine. The injection molding cycle includes several sequences which are manually started as a whole or in part in a setup mode and in a teaching mode. In the setup mode, parts of the injection molding machine are first actuated and are tested as to the functionality thereof. The tested parts are then actuated once again in the teaching mode according to the desired sequence of movements, said sequence of movements being stored in a controller of the injection molding machine. Specific actions such as building up and reducing forces and generating holding pressure can also be taught. The individually taught sequences can then be freely combined into new processes in a controller having a suitable operator interface and can be repeated multiple times.
US08229590B2

A programming apparatus has a machining area recognizing section for recognizing a plurality of machining areas based on three-dimensional model data, a workpiece dividing section for setting a plurality of structures obtained by dividing a workpiece, a connection relationship recognizing section for recognizing a connection relationship between the machining areas, a machining area list generating section for recognizing, for each of the machining areas, either a machining type related to turning or a machining type related to milling corresponding thereto, and generating a machining area list in which the structures, machining areas, machining types and connection relationship are correlated with one another, a machining process setting section for setting, for each of the machining areas, a machining process corresponding to the machining type related to turning or milling thereof, and an NC program generating section for generating an NC program.
US08229582B1

A method and apparatus is shown to provide a downloadable and user configurable sound generator based on a Sound Definition Language method with inline modifiers, which provides the maximum user customization, flexibility and adjustment of sounds that can be produced. The embodiments of this method allow the creation of sound decoders that may be securely downloaded with sound and IPL data and that will operate in power limited environments with resistance to power drop outs and are significant improvements beyond prior art devices.
US08229577B2

A distributed historian framework is provided where historical data is collected in accordance with an organizational model of a hierarchical system that is distributed across various elements of an enterprise. A directory service operates with the organizational model to enable configuration of historian components within the organization and to enable data to be located within the organization. In one aspect, an industrial automation system is provided. The system includes at least one historian component to archive data within an organization. A common data model then exposes functionality and data of the organization to the historian component.
US08229567B2

An external antenna with a plurality of concentric primary coils recharges an implantable medical device with a secondary coil when the primary coils are placed in proximity of the secondary coil. Selection circuitry determines which of the plurality of concentric primary coils has the most efficient coupling with the secondary coil and drive circuitry drives the selected primary coil with an oscillating current. During a recharge session, selection circuitry periodically checks at least some of the primary coils to determine whether the primary coil with the most efficient connection has changed. An antenna housing may hold the primary coils in a rigid planar relationship with each other or the primary coils may shift with respect to each other, forming a cup-shape around a bulge in the skin created by the implantable medical device.
US08229562B2

A universal external control device for use by multiple conditional access users with varying access to functionality of an implantable medical device in wireless communication therewith. Circuitry associated with the external control device is used to uniquely identify each of the conditional access users via an access device such as a key or card. Access to functionality of the implantable medical device is restricted by the universal external control device based on the conditional access user identified by the access device.
US08229558B2

An implantable pacing system with single, double and triple chamber pacing capabilities, provided individually or in concert on a conditional or continuous basis depending upon ongoing analyses of atrial rhythm status, atrioventricular conduction status and ventricular rate. A mode is selected to reduce the occurrence of any ventricular pacing in favor of intrinsic atrioventricular and ventricular conduction. If excessively long PR intervals are occurring too frequently or atrioventricular conduction is unreliable or absent, the implantable pulse generator is operated in a conditional triple chamber pacing mode that provides atrial-synchronous biventricular pacing in every cardiac cycle for a period of time as necessary to restore and maintain AV synchrony, while minimizing ventricular asynchrony otherwise associated with monochamber RV pacing as in conventional dual chamber pacing systems. Similarly, biventricular pacing is provided in every cardiac cycle when ventricular rates are undesirably slow during atrial fibrillation, where AV synchronization is excluded.
US08229548B2

A medical imaging system provides simultaneous rendering of visible light and fluorescent images. The system may employ dyes in a small-molecule form that remains in a subject's blood stream for several minutes, allowing real-time imaging of the subject's circulatory system superimposed upon a conventional, visible light image of the subject. The system may also employ dyes or other fluorescent substances associated with antibodies, antibody fragments, or ligands that accumulate within a region of diagnostic significance. In one embodiment, the system provides an excitation light source to excite the fluorescent substance and a visible light source for general illumination within the same optical guide that is used to capture images. In another embodiment, the system is configured for use in open surgical procedures by providing an operating area that is closed to ambient light. More broadly, the systems described herein may be used in imaging applications where a visible light image may be usefully supplemented by an image formed from fluorescent emissions from a fluorescent substance that marks areas of functional interest.
US08229543B2

A medical device includes a sensor for sensing for an MRI gradient magnetic field and a microprocessor configured to operate in a signal processing mode in which electrical signals induced by the gradient magnetic field are not counted as cardiac events.
US08229539B1

A brain probe includes: a core probe made from a metal; and n electrode plates attached so as to cover an entire side surface circumference of the core probe and forming n side planes providing an n-angular cross section (n is an integer equal to or greater than 3). Each of the electrode plates is manufactured by a LSI manufacturing process, and provided with at least one electrode and a lead-out wiring extending in a longitudinal direction of a side plane from each of the at least one electrode.
US08229537B2

An electrode system for the measurement of biopotential signals includes a substrate. A microelectrode is coupled to the substrate. An accelerometer is coupled to the substrate. A biopotential amplifier is electrically coupled to the microelectrode and acceleration measurement circuit is electrically coupled to the accelerometer. A method of measuring a biopotential from a patient includes sensing a biopotential with a microelectrode. The biopotential is amplified with an amplifier in electrical communication with the microelectrode. A movement of the electrode is sensed with an accelerometer integrated with the electrode substrate. The sensed biopotential and the sensed movement are provided to an electronic controller. Portions of the sensed biopotential that correspond to sensed movement are identified as artifact contaminated portions.
US08229534B2

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.
US08229527B2

An annular end piece for a cylindrical vacuum vessel, comprising a metal end piece (42); an outer decorative shell (44) spaced away from a surface of the metal end piece; and a layer of solid foam filling the space between the metal end piece and the outer decorative shell.
US08229523B2

A locking mechanism having a magnet and a spring. The magnet is configured to cooperate with an anchor and the spring is configured to suspend the magnet whereby said magnet is capable of being movably connected to a housing body.
US08229516B2

The present invention relates to method and system for providing a terminal switching service between a telematics terminal and a mobile terminal, and the method according to the present invention comprises a switching step for receiving a terminal switching request from the telematics terminal mounted in a vehicle on a mobile communication network and providing the telematics terminal with a mobile communication service to be provided to the mobile terminal; a restoration request receiving step for receiving a terminal switching restoration request from the telematics terminal that sensed another passenger in the vehicle on the mobile communication network; and a restoring step for restoring information of each terminal to a state before terminal switching on the mobile communication network according to the restoration request.
US08229506B2

An array antenna is utilized to enhance the adaptive acquisition capability of a communication connection with one or more wireless subscribers. Subscribers who are located outside the omnidirectional range of the array antenna are acquired by using adaptive beamforming techniques to create an acquisition beam dedicated to acquiring new connections with wireless subscribers. The acquisition beam may sweep through the coverage of the array antenna seeking subscribers who lie beyond the omni range of the array antenna, but fall within the acquisition range using adaptive beamforming.
US08229505B2

In accordance with an example embodiment of the invention there is provided a method, comprising: associating an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMSI) with a mobile telecommunication device, the IMSI configured to identify the device to a mobile telephone network; storing a software program in memory associated with the device; storing a license, necessary for allowing the operation of the software program on the device, in memory associated with the device; and locking the license to said IMSI such that the software application cannot be operated on the device without said IMSI being associated with the device; wherein, the license and the IMSI are stored on the same memory medium such that they are transportable from the device together.
US08229504B1

The communication device which includes a voice communicating implementer, a video game implementer, an auto time adjusting implementer, a moving picture displaying implementer, a calculating implementer, a bold formatting implementer, an italic formatting implementer, a font formatting implementer, a stereo audio output implementer, a device vibration implementer, a photo quality setting implementer, a multiple language implementer, and a caller's information displaying implementer.
US08229486B2

A sheet making system that has two or more separated nodes one of which may be a scanner sensing head and the other of which may be a scanner end column. Each node has a wireless system and receives power from a common AC source. Each node receives events data associated with the wireless system. Each wireless system has a circuit that obtains from the common AC power source an associated events data acquisition clock that is the same for all of the wireless systems to time synchronize to each other the associated events data signals at each of the two or more nodes. A central computer may be connected to the two or more nodes. The communication between the computer and each of the two or more nodes can be wireless or by a LAN or other mechanisms.
US08229485B2

A method includes transferring data between a mobile station for communicating over a mobile communications network and a server in the Internet having a connection to the mobile communications network. The transfer of data includes providing at least a portion of a page on the Internet in the form of code, the code including a telephone number of the mobile station as hidden information, receiving the code in the mobile station in a first user message where the first user message is a short message service message, and interpreting the code in the mobile station to cause the mobile station to display information corresponding to the page on the Internet on the mobile station, wherein the information to be displayed on the mobile station does not include the hidden information.
US08229484B2

A system for routing short message service (SMS) messages to endpoints in a contact center includes a first node for receiving SMS message streams from multiple sources operating variant protocols and for multiplexing the multiple streams into a single message stream following a universal protocol, a media gateway server connected to the first node for receiving the single message stream and for forwarding individual ones of the messages therein to individual ones of a plurality of connected servers, and a router connected to at least one of the connected servers for routing individual messages represented therein to individual ones of a plurality of network-supported endpoint devices.
US08229479B1

Systems and methods for multimedia messaging are provided. When a multimedia messaging service center (MMS-C) receives an MMS message for an intended recipient, the MMS-C forms an MMS notification message that includes the MMS message. The MMS-C then sends the MMS notification message to an intended recipient independent of receipt of a retrieval request from the recipient.
US08229473B1

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for detecting when a mobile communication device exits a defined geographical area wherein the defined geographical area includes one or more cells. A cell that the mobile communication device is in communication with is identified and it is determined if the identified cell is a boundary cell, wherein a boundary cell is a cell in which a boundary of the defined geographical area is within the cell. The location of the mobile communication device is determined if the identified cell is a boundary cell and the location of the mobile communication device is compared with the boundary of the defined geographical area to detect if the mobile communication device has exited the defined geographical area.
US08229471B1

A computer-implemented technique is presented. The technique includes determining, at a server including one or more processors, one or more phones associated with a virtual phone number associated with a user. The technique includes determining, at the server, a location for each of the one or more phones. The technique includes receiving, at the server, position information from a mobile phone associated with the user indicating the user crossed a geo-fence corresponding to a specific location of a specific one of the one or more phones. The technique includes determining, at the server, a status of the specific phone associated with the geo-fence based on a previous status of the specific phone and the position information. The technique further includes selectively forwarding, from the server, an incoming phone call to the virtual phone number to the one or more phones based on their respective statuses.
US08229467B2

A method for locating at least one individual located remotely from a broadcast network. An analysis unit compares user profiles, dynamic locations stored in the communicator location database, and/or fixed locations entered into the analysis unit. A data set of at least one matching individualized locatee user profile is generated and the individualized locatee user profile is transmitted to the locator via the locator's communicator device.
US08229456B2

The present application provides a system for proximity awareness for mobile data communication on an electronic communication device comprising a client application on an electronic communication device communicating across a wireless network, and an awareness server that includes a plurality of server objects that monitor multiple devices on a wireless communication network. In addition, the client application on the electronic communication device comprises a plurality of software objects. The client application periodically broadcasts the current wireless tower that the device is communicating on to the awareness server. The awareness server tracks the location of other Tower IDs of other users in the individual's contact list. If there is a match in Tower IDs, an alert is sent to both users that they are in proximity to each other.
US08229453B2

A system for determining a Home Zone service availability within a cell in a cellular communications network, wherein users of said cell comprise Home Zone users for whom services are provided at special Home Zone subscription rates when the user is in the cell, and non-Home Zone users. The system comprises measuring means for measuring total usage within the cell, and determining means for determining from said measurements and one or more Home Zone user usage profiles whether a further Home Zone user can be added to the cell.
US08229452B2

Embodiments of methods and apparatus for providing downlink channel parameters determination for downlink channels associated with a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08229448B2

A subscriber station for use in a wireless network capable of communicating according to a multicarrier protocol. The subscriber station determines a total average signal level across N subbands, where each of subband comprises a plurality of subcarriers. The subscriber station also determines a first average signal level within a first subband. The subscriber station then transmits a channel quality indicator (CQI) feedback message to the wireless network. The CQI feedback message comprises a first data field indicating the total average signal level and a second data field indicating the first average signal level. The first data field may indicate the total average signal level as an absolute value and the second data field may indicate the first average signal level relative to the total average signal level.
US08229432B2

A base station reselection method for a mobile terminal camped on a base station, which mobile terminal performs a cell reselection function in accordance with reselection parameters. The method characterized by according a different priority to respective radio resource types and varying the reselection parameters in dependence upon the radio resource type of the base station on which the mobile terminal is camped to cause the mobile terminal to preferentially reselect to a higher priority radio resource type when available. A further base station reselection method includes determining radio characteristics of at least one neighboring base station at a frequency, characterized by varying the frequency at which said radio characteristics are determined in dependence upon the rate of movement of the mobile terminal.
US08229429B2

In a position registering method, a radio control station (RNC) transmits report information including a first position number, which has been extracted by using a cell identifier as key information, to the cell identified by the cell identifier. A mobile station (UE) transmits a position registration request when the first position number included in the report information is different from a position number stored in the mobile station. The radio control station (RNC) notifies the first position number and the second position number, which have been extracted by using as the key information the cell identifier for identifying the requester of the position registration request, and a user identifier for identifying the mobile station. An exchange (MSC/SGSN) stores the notified user identifier, first position number, and second position number in association with one another.
US08229428B2

A method and apparatus for that provides a re-entry procedure following a radio frequency outage in a wireless communication network is disclosed. The method includes providing (204) a entity identification for a base station (102-106) or a paging controller (108) to a mobile station (110) during initial entry of the mobile station to a wireless communication network. The method also includes storing (206) mobile station context information at an entity corresponding to the entity identification. After a radio frequency outage occurs after the initial entry of the mobile station into the network, a notification is sent (218) that indicates that the mobile station is re-entering the wireless communication network. Based on the notification that there has been a radio frequency outage, the mobile station context information is obtained (220) to assist the mobile station to re-enter the wireless communication network.
US08229418B2

A wireless control apparatus is disclosed that forms and controls an area of a base station according to an antenna pattern. The wireless control apparatus includes an area formation information gathering part that gathers area formation information pertaining to area formation of a neighboring base station; and an antenna pattern control part that controls and directs at least one of a main lobe, a side lobe, and a null point between the main lobe and the side lobe of the antenna pattern based on the area formation information to reduce frequency interference between a current cell formed by a current base station and a neighboring cell formed by the neighboring base station.
US08229412B2

The present disclosure relates to determining whether system information can be reused and managing system information in a wireless communication system. A wireless communication device may read and compare a physical cell identity and specific system information of a target component carrier with the physical cell identity and specific system information of a source component carrier to determine whether generic system information needs to be read or can be reused. A base station may determine whether a change in system information impacts generic system information and specific system information. The base station may update a data control variable such that it is synchronized for particular sets of component carriers.
US08229411B2

A computing device-implemented method includes displaying a receding timeline configured to fade back toward a horizon, the receding timeline including a starting point at a current time that is updated with a changing time. The method further includes receiving a time-related item from a peripheral application and creating a graphic based on the time-related item. The method also includes displaying the graphic at the starting point of the receding timeline and reducing the graphic size proportionally with the changing time of the receding timeline.
US08229407B2

An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method provide an improved call list that presents information relating to logged phone calls in a collapsed manner. A single entry is displayed on the call list to represent a call log of phone calls from the same phone number.
US08229406B2

Disclosed is a method for providing a target mobile station with a multimedia content such as audio or video content before a call an originating mobile station attempted to connect is answered by the target mobile station. A mobile communication network protocol for multimedia transmission between a target mobile station and a network is established before a called party receives a call, so that multimedia such as images or moving pictures may be sent to the target mobile station before the called party answers the call. In this way, the called party is able to enjoy a multimedia service before the phone call is connected. Moreover, if the multimedia is an audio or moving picture about a calling party, the called party can identify the calling party based on the multimedia.
US08229402B2

Electronic device, comprising a memory for storing data files, and means for accessing information in a data file stored in the memory, including a computer system and computer program code means which, when loaded, makes the computer system execute the steps of: —determining file format for the data file; —accessing a meta descriptor language file adapted to the file format of the data file; —parsing the data file by means of a generic parser using said meta descriptor language file; —extracting meta data from the data file; —presenting information related to the data file from the extracted meta data.
US08229400B1

Granular access control over data is provided. The access control can be on an individual entity, a group of entities or other data characterizations. Further, the control is not limited to data in folders, but can include contacts from a contact list, calendar entries, incoming calls, applications that can be accessed by the electronic device, etc. A new attribute is associated with a data characterization, designated an access level. Another attribute is associated with profiles stored on the electronic device, designated as a guard level. When a request for access to data is received, the electronic device allows access to the data if the value of the guard level associated with the active profile satisfies a predetermined access requirement relative to the value of the access level associated with the requested data.
US08229399B2

There is provided a communication terminal comprising: a readout unit which reads out, from a plurality of storage media each storing an identifier concerning a communication line, the identifiers; a communication unit which determines the communication lines based on the identifiers read out by the readout unit, and performs communication using the determined communication lines; a display unit; and a display control unit which displays, on the display unit, information corresponding to the identifiers, wherein the display control unit generates a plurality of display screens for displaying information corresponding to the plurality of communication lines determined based on the plurality of identifiers, and displays the plurality of display screens after dividing a display area of the display unit.
US08229398B2

Systems and techniques for secured communications from a subscriber station is disclosed. The subscriber station includes a processor having an authentication algorithm for a first network. The processor is configured to use a key for a second network in the authentication algorithm to establish a session with the second network.
US08229396B2

The present invention provides a wireless service purchasing system used for getting a service provided by a service provider. In one embodiment, the system comprises a mobile device including a SIM card, wherein a RFID tag is integrated, the user being identified by the same identification number in both SIM card and RFID tag. The RFID tag is adapted to communicate with a service controller booth so that the user of the mobile device be authorized to get the service. The system comprises a service provider server adapted to receive a request when it has received the identification number from the RFID tag to verify whether an account associated with the user has enough credit to gain access to the requested service and to send back a reply to the service controller booth authorizing or denying the user access to the service according to whether there is enough credit in the account.
US08229380B2

A radio wave receiving apparatus includes: an antenna to receive a radio wave; a tuning member to allow a reception frequency of the antenna to be tuned to an intended frequency, in which tuning member a frequency characteristic is variable; a receiving member to receive a reception signal from the antenna to demodulate a modulation wave; a positive feedback member to perform a positive feedback in a signal path including the tuning member; and a switching member to turn on/off a feedback operation of the positive feedback member.
US08229370B2

A method for automatically adjusting signal output power of a ZigBee wireless module. The method includes sending a signal with an output power from a transmitter of a ZigBee module to a receiver. The ZigBee module includes a power amplifier/low noise amplifier (PA/LNA) circuit. The output power can be adjusted between a minimum level and a maximum level. Additionally, the method includes generating a Link Quality Indicator (LQI) by the receiver based on the signal strength and returning the LQI to the ZigBee module. If the LQI is not within a predetermined range between a maximum value and a minimum value, the method includes adjusting the output power for sending next signal. If the output power from the transmitter has reached to the minimum level or the maximum level, the method further includes adjusting the PA/LNA circuit of the ZigBee module for maintaining the LQI within the predetermined range.
US08229361B2

The invention relates to background noise estimation in wireless communication systems with power control. The total received interference is measured at a receiving unit. Thereafter, a predetermined noise signal is injected at the receiving unit and the total received interference is measured again, preferably when the power control of the system has responded to the noise injection. The background noise is calculated based on the injected predetermined noise signal and the interference measurements before and after the noise injection.
US08229357B2

A method or system including managing one or more network connections of a first device, receiving a request for network access at the first device from one or more secondary devices, transmitting one or more network access requests to a network for the one or more secondary devices and enabling concurrent network access by the first device and the one or more secondary devices.
US08229341B2

This is a waste cyclone toner dispense system with a controlled gate and a collection bag below the gate. The controlled gate is configured to be opened and closed at a predetermined time thereby permitting the use of relatively inexpensive bags for collection of toner debris. The gate is hinged to permit easy opening by a controller and motor. The controller turns off any pressure while the gate is open. The drop gate conveys when open waste toner from an upper waste collection funnel to the collection bag.
US08229338B2

The image fixing apparatus forms a cleaning nip portion by pressing a web roll-up portion on a fixing rotation member with a feeding roller, a used portion for cleaning of the web is fed from a cleaning nip portion formation area, and during non-cleaning, a roller is at a waiting position at which the roller is farther from the fixing rotation member than its position during cleaning so as to separate the web roll-up portion from the fixing rotation member. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce degradation of a cleaning ability due to a toner component held by the used portion of the cleaning web.
US08229335B2

An image forming apparatus, includes a transferring belt where a color image is formed; a conveyance belt transferring a recording medium where a monochrome image is transferred; a velocity difference detecting part detecting a velocity difference between the transferring belt and the conveyance belt; a determining part determining whether the velocity difference detected by the velocity difference detecting part is equal to or greater than a designated value; a velocity adjusting part adjusting the velocity difference so that the velocity difference becomes lower than the designated value in a case where the velocity difference is determined to be the designated value or more by the determining part; and a color correcting part correcting a shift of colors between the color image and the monochrome image by using the transferring belt and the conveyance belt whose velocities are adjusted by the velocity adjusting part.
US08229324B2

A coupling unit includes two constant velocity joints arranged in series in the shaft direction. The coupling unit couples a driven shaft and a drive shaft. Each constant velocity joint includes a ball non-retaining member and a ball retaining member. The ball non-retaining member has an annular space with one opened end and a plurality of track grooves extending in the shaft direction on an external wall surface of the annular space at a constant interval in a circumferential direction. The ball retaining member has a portion that engages with the annular space of the ball non-retaining member, and that retains a ball that slides along each of the track grooves formed in the ball non-retaining member.
US08229321B2

An image forming apparatus includes a photoconductor, a light scanning unit to irradiate light corresponding to image information, to the photoconductor so as to form an electrostatic latent image, and a developing unit arranged adjacent to an optical path of the light emitted from the light scanning unit and serving to feed developer to the photoconductor on which the electrostatic latent image is formed so as to form a visible image.
US08229318B2

An image forming device facilitating fluid communication between developer cartridges supported in a main body frame and a process unit in which developing units are accommodated in a drawer movable in a first direction and second direction opposite to the first direction. The developing units are arrayed in the first and second direction, and the process unit is formed with communication ports displaced from one another in a direction perpendicular to the first and second direction. An inlet shutter mechanism is provided to open the communication ports when the drawer is assembled to an operable position for image formation. The main body has abutment portions to open each shutter of the inlet shutter mechanism in accordance with the movement of the drawer to the operable position.
US08229316B2

An image forming apparatus includes a first belt roller which has a first roller shaft, a second belt roller which is disposed parallel with the first roller shaft and slidingly approaches and departs from the first roller shaft, and has a second roller shaft, a belt which is driven in circulation by the first belt roller and the second belt roller, an elastic tension member which elastically pushes the second belt roller to be separated from the first belt roller and a belt cleaning unit which is supported by the second roller shaft and is movable between a cleaning position contacting a surface of the belt and a stand-by position departed from the surface of the belt.
US08229310B2

An image forming device has a full-color image formation mode to form a color image using color photoconductor drums and a monochrome image formation mode to form a monochrome image using a photoconductor drum. In the image forming device, a driving unit drives rotation of an intermediate transfer belt or a transfer transport belt. A control unit changes rotational speeds of the color photoconductors in a transition from the full-color image formation mode to the monochrome image formation mode to make a torque to the driving unit in the full-color image formation mode equal to a torque to the driving unit in the monochrome image formation mode. A separator unit separates the color photoconductors from the intermediate transfer belt or the transfer transport belt after the rotational speeds of the color photoconductors are changed by the control unit.
US08229303B1

A transmitter reduces or minimizes pulse narrowing. In one approach, an optical transmitter is designed to transmit data over an optical fiber at a specified data rate using on-off keying. The transmitter includes a pre-converter electrical channel and a limiting E/O converter. The pre-converter electrical channel produces a pre-converter signal that drives the limiting E/O converter. The pre-converter electrical channel is designed to reduce pulse narrowing in the pre-converter signal. In one implementation, the pre-converter electrical channel includes a pre-emphasis filter that is designed to minimize pulse width shrinkage.
US08229302B2

In an optical transmission system including a transmitter Tx and a receiver Rx connected via a fiber link F, where the receiver Rx is adapted to utilize Forward Error Correction (FEC) on received signals, a polarization scrambler is provided at the transmitter Tx to scramble the polarization state of a transmitted signal, a polarization delay line is provided at the receiver Rx for controlling the polarization mode dispersion induced distortion of a received signal, a feedback unit is provided at the receiver Rx for providing a feedback signal based on at least part of the received signal, and at least one polarization controller interconnects the fiber link F and the polarization delay line. The polarization controller is operable based on the feedback signal to mitigate the polarization mode dispersion of the signal.
US08229298B2

The present invention discloses a method for detecting dispersion, overcoming disadvantages of complex configuration and insensitivity to a tiny dispersion of the method and device for detecting dispersion in the prior art. The inventive method includes: obtaining a signal within a predetermined bandwidth range from an optical signal received; obtaining an operated value of power via an operation on the signal within the predetermined bandwidth range; and obtaining amount of system dispersion according to a corresponding relation between the operated value of power and the amount of system dispersion. A device for detecting dispersion is disclosed, including a photoelectric filter operational unit and a processing unit, where an output of the photoelectric filter operational unit is connected to an input of the processing unit. The device for detecting dispersion of the present invention is applicable to an adaptive dispersion compensation system. An optical signal transmission system is further disclosed.
US08229291B2

A radiator apparatus for concentrating or dispersing energy. In one embodiment, the radiator includes a thermal conductive layer, a radiation layer, and a thermal insulation layer. The radiation layer is powered by an energy source and includes at least one radiation element embedded in at least a portion of the thermal conductive layer. The thermal insulation layer faces the thermal conductive layer. In another embodiment, the radiator includes a generally helical dome-shaped radiation member powered by an energy source and a generally dome-shaped reflection member including a reflective surface facing the radiation member. In yet another embodiment, the radiator includes a radiation member powered by an energy source and a reflection member having an at least partially ring-shaped concave reflective surface facing the radiation member for distributing energy to an at least partially hat-shaped or ring-shaped area or zone.
US08229290B2

A semiconductor wafer preheated to a preheating temperature is irradiated with light from flash lamps. With the light emission from the flash lamps, a surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer is maintained at a recovery temperature during a period of 10 to 100 milliseconds to induce recovery of defects created in silicon crystals. Then, with subsequent flashing light emission from the flash lamps, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer will reach a processing temperature to induce activation of impurities. Increasing the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer once to the recovery temperature and then, with the flashing light emission, to the processing temperature will also prevent cracking of the semiconductor wafer.
US08229287B1

Systems and methods are presented for viewing video content while dynamically switching between multiple viewing modes that present the video content at different levels of abridgment. While video content is playing in one viewing mode, input may be received to play the video content in another viewing mode. One of the viewing modes may present the video content in a more condensed form than the other viewing mode does, so that when switching from one viewing mode to another viewing mode, a more abridged or less abridged version of the video content may be presented. One of the viewing modes may be a full presentation mode that shows a complete, unabridged version of the video content, while the other of the viewing modes may play a condensed version of the video content.
US08229272B2

A video apparatus capable of changing a video output mode of an external video apparatus, and a control method of the video apparatus are provided. The video apparatus includes an interface which is connected to an external video apparatus, enabling communication between the video apparatus and the external video apparatus; and a controller which generates a control message to control a video output mode of the external video apparatus and transfers the generated control message to the external video apparatus via the interface. Therefore, it is possible to prevent video and audio signals from not being output due to user inexperience, and to increase user convenience.
US08229269B2

An exemplary apparatus includes ferrule offset assemblies each having opposing ferrules with respective ends and respective fiber channels maintained in general relative and adjustable alignment. Offset adjusting devices adjust the relative alignment of the fiber channels to create at least one select fiber channel alignment offset. Respective multimode fibers are disposed in the fiber channels and have a fiber alignment corresponding to the fiber channel alignment. One of the multimode fibers has an end configured to optically couple to a launch multimode fiber, which is connected to a device having a light source. The multimode fiber receives light from the launch multimode fiber so that at least some of the light passes through to the other multimode fiber and then to a power meter. Power measurements for different fiber offsets are then compared to established attenuation values.
US08229266B2

A connector holder suitable for use in a communications signal distribution system, comprising first and second parts between which an optical connector element may be secured, and which have means for locating the holder in one of a number of different positions and/or orientations on a base or other support of an optical fibre termination unit, whereby to permit a selected one of a number of different connector elements to be held between the two parts of the connector holder, and means for holding the two parts together with a connector element between them.
US08229263B2

Disclosed is an optical fiber cable that includes optical fibers and a deformable coupling element enclosed within a buffer tube. The coupling element is formed from a deformable yet substantially incompressible material that is capable of releasably and intermittently coupling the optical fibers to the buffer tube in various orientations. The design of the coupling element layer permits coupling of the optical fibers to the buffer tube without the use of a compressive cushioning layer and yet permits localized movement the optical fibers relative to the buffer tube to account for disparate thermal expansion and to accommodate optical fiber placement.
US08229259B1

A device having a case, an input optical fiber and an output optical fiber and a light path extending between the input and output optical fiber. A light path interrupting element is disposed within the case and is movable from a first position at which it interrupts a portion of the light path so that a first amount of light can reach the output optical fiber to a second position at which a second amount of light can reach the output optical fiber. A retainer is moveable relative to the case from a retaining position to a disengaged position. At the retaining position the retainer is engaged with the light path interrupting element to retain the light path interrupting element at the first position, and at the disengaged position the retainer is disengaged from the light path interrupting element and the light path interrupting element is at the second position.
US08229254B2

In one exemplary embodiment, a method comprises transmitting an optical signal via the optical line, measuring a relative change in spectral intensity of the optical signal near a clock frequency (or half of that frequency) while varying a polarization of the optical signal between a first state of polarization and a second state of polarization, and using the relative change in spectral intensity of the optical signal to determine and correct the DGD of the optical line. Another method comprises splitting an optical signal traveling through the optical line into a first and second portions having a first and second principal states of polarization of the optical line, converting the first and second portions into a first and second electrical signals, delaying the second electrical signal to create a delayed electrical signal that compensates for a DGD of the optical line, and combining the delayed electrical signal with the first electrical signal to produce a fixed output electrical signal.
US08229253B2

Embodiments of MEMS devices include a movable layer supported by overlying support structures, and may also include underlying support structures. In one embodiment, the residual stresses within the overlying support structures and the movable layer are substantially equal. In another embodiment, the residual stresses within the overlying support structures and the underlying support structures are substantially equal. In certain embodiments, substantially equal residual stresses are be obtained through the use of layers made from the same materials having the same thicknesses. In further embodiments, substantially equal residual stresses are obtained through the use of support structures and/or movable layers which are mirror images of one another.
US08229252B2

Embodiments include an apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, a method is provided. The method includes receiving an annotation environment signal that includes a context information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item. The method also includes receiving an expression signal that includes an annotation information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item. The method further includes electronically associating the context information indicative of a recognizable aspect of an item and the annotation information indicative of a user expression associated with the recognizable aspect of the item.
US08229249B2

A spatial motion calculation apparatus includes an image position relation calculation unit that calculates first similarities based on an image position relation between an inputted groups of feature points 1 and 2, a spatial position relation calculation unit that calculates second similarities based on an spatial position relation between said inputted groups, a feature descriptor relation calculation unit that calculates third similarities based on a feature descriptor relation between said inputted groups, and a spatial motion calculation unit that estimates the spatial motion based on the result that integrates the first to third similarities.
US08229244B2

Embodiments of the invention describe a method for reducing a blur in an image of a scene. First, we acquire a set of images of the scene, wherein each image in the set of images includes an object having a blur associated with a point spread function (PSF) forming a set of point spread functions (PSFs), wherein the set of PSFs is suitable for null-filling operation. Next, we invert jointly the set of images and the set of PSFs to produce an output image having a reduced blur.
US08229241B2

A system and method of enhancing an immersion based on adaptive immersion enhancement prediction is provided. A system for enhancing an immersion includes a foreground/background separation unit to separate an input image into a foreground image and a background image using color information and frequency information of the input image, an immersion enhancement factor calculation unit to calculate an immersion enhancement factor of the input image using the foreground image and the background image, an immersion enhancement prediction unit to predict an immersion enhancement degree of the input image using the immersion enhancement factor, and an immersion enhancement processing unit to process immersion enhancement of the input image by determining whether the immersion enhancement is necessary based on the predicted immersion enhancement degree.
US08229239B2

An image processor includes a quantization unit receiving first data before quantization and outputting second data after quantization, a prediction unit obtaining a difference value between the second data and third data being prediction data and outputting the difference value as fourth data, and an encoding unit encoding the fourth data. The quantization unit includes a first processing unit dividing the first data by a quantization coefficient, so as to obtain fifth data including a fraction as a result of division and a second processing unit rounding up or rounding off the fraction such that a value of the fourth data becomes smaller based on comparison between the third data and the fifth data, so as to obtain the second data.
US08229238B2

The invention provides an image encoding apparatus which can improve image quality of an output image while further reduce the amount of attribute. A determination unit determines an area including a character/line drawing as a foreground image area based on an input multi-valued image. A foreground image generator generates foreground image in binary representation so that a first encoder performs MMR encoding on the foreground image. A background image generator generates multi-valued background image data by replacing the value of a multi-valued pixel in a position of the character/line drawing in the foreground image area with a replacement value calculated from the pixel values in a position of the non-character/line drawing pixel. A second encoder performs JPEG encoding on the background image. A mask unit masks attribute for pixels within the foreground image area with a predetermined value to output the masked data to a third encoder.
US08229237B2

A method for assigning path address-form location codes to objects represented using aperture 3 hexagon discrete global grid systems in both vector systems and bucket and raster systems in which hexagons in a first resolution are given a linear code and hexagons in subsequent finer resolutions have identifiers added to the linear code, the method iteratively applying the assigning step to further finer resolutions to a maximum resolution. In vector systems each hexagon has seven hexagons in a finer resolution and in raster and bucket systems each hexagon is assigned to be an open or closed generator class, an open generator creating a closed generator in a finer resolution, and a closed generator generating six open generator hexagons and a seventh closed generator hexagon.
US08229230B2

A method which uses digital image comparison for imaging software development is described. The software under development is used to generate a set of test digital images from print data. The images are stored. The software of a reference system is used to generate a set of reference digital images based on the same print data. The test and reference images are tiled, and image comparison is carried out on a tile-by-tile basis. A difference tile is generated for each test image tile and corresponding reference image tile, and the tiles are stored together in an image file to be displayed to the human user. The test images and reference images are compared using an image comparison program. The result of the comparison is presented to the human software developer for further comparison and evaluation.
US08229226B2

The present invention provides a real-time motion recognition method for identifying whether an inertia-sensing device is in active state or not according to an angular velocity signal detected with respect to the device. The present invention further provides an inertia-sensing and trajectory-reconstruction device incorporated with the foregoing method for recording detected acceleration and angular velocity signals while the device is in operation so as to reconstruct a corresponding trajectory which is capable of being subsequently utilized to be a basis of writing recognition and motion analysis.
US08229224B2

Embodiments of the disclosed technology allow for the control, monitoring, and/or configuration of specialized hardware devices with proprietary interfaces from a central interface capable of interacting with one or a plurality of specialized hardware devices via respective proprietary interfaces. Such embodiments are especially useful in controlling medical equipment, such as radiology equipment at a central and/or remote location, where otherwise, only a proprietary interface at a proximate location could be used to do same.
US08229220B2

An image processing apparatus and method which revises a certain region of a scanned image to meet a user demand. The image processing method includes displaying a scanned image by scanning an scanning object, selecting a plurality of regions of the displayed scanned image, setting an image process to be performed on the selected regions and generating a final image by performing the set image process on the selected regions.
US08229213B2

A color interpolation method and a device are disclosed. The color interpolation method includes (a) setting a grid noise coefficient; (b) computing a grid noise offset by using the grid noise coefficient set in the step of (a); (c) extracting a pixel value only from a Bayer pattern image regardless of R, G and B values and computing edge directional information; (d) determining a condition of the edge directional information, computed in the step of (b), among a plurality of predetermined conditions, each of the plurality of predetermined conditions corresponding to a color interpolation parameter computing algorithm and the grid noise offset being used as a parameter of the color interpolation parameter computing algorithm corresponding to each of the conditions; and (e) computing a color interpolation parameter based on the color interpolation parameter computing algorithm corresponding to the condition of the edge directional information, determined in the step of (d).
US08229212B2

Interpolations systems and methods are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes an input to receive image data. The system also includes an image processing system responsive to the image data and including a demosaicing module. The demosaicing module is configured to use adaptive bi-cubic spline interpolation. The system further includes an output responsive to the image processing system and adapted to provide output data.
US08229211B2

Techniques for differentially enhancing selected areas within a digital image are disclosed. In certain embodiments, one or more attributes of a selected pixel or a group of pixels is determined. Examples of such attributes include color properties, grayscale properties, and/or multi-pixel properties, such as texture. In certain embodiments, the attribute may be used in conjunction with the properties of a modification tool, such as a brush, to selectively modify pixels having the attribute value or a similar attribute value.
US08229200B2

Methods and systems for quantification of a selected attribute of an image volume are provided. The system is configured to receive an image dataset for a volume of interest, process the dataset for a selected attribute based at least on one of shape and texture to obtain a plurality of responses, and compute an index of an aggregate of a plurality of obtained responses.
US08229198B2

Method for creating image recordings of blood vessel system of a patient, comprising: after administering contrast agent an image recording is created in a first image recording region of a first position of a detector, the diffusion of the contrast agent is observed to determine a current diffusion position; the position of the detector is changed to a second position as a function of the current diffusion position; an image recording of a second image recording region of the second position of the detector is created; and a part of an image recording in the first position extending in the region between the current diffusion position and the end of the first image recording region and recorded without contrast agent is used as a mask to evaluate a locationally correlated part, recorded with contrast agent, of the image recording in the second position for digital subtraction angiography.
US08229196B2

In a specific macromolecule crystal detecting method according to the present invention, ultraviolet light is irradiated to sample solution, and a fluorescent image emitted from a sample in the sample solution is detected to detect specific macromolecules in the sample solution. Furthermore, by detecting the outline of the sample from the visible light image of the sample contained in the sample solution, the crystal is discriminated from other materials on the basis of the outline. By integrating the detection results of the fluorescent image and the visible light image, the specific macromolecule crystal is detected from the sample solution.
US08229193B2

System and methods for applying image presentation context functions to image sub-regions are disclosed. An example method includes displaying a first medical image in a user interface, receiving a selection of a first image sub-region within the first medical image, receiving a selection of a first image presentation context function and a selection of an amount of a parameter of the first image presentation context function for the selected first image sub-region, applying the received first image presentation context function by the amount of the received parameter of the first image presentation context function to the received first image sub-region, and displaying the first sub-region with the applied first image presentation context function within the first medical image.
US08229189B2

Method to bring out a temporal difference between corresponding structures in a reference image R and a floating image F by convolving the reference image R and the floating image F with a window function Hw to generate Rw and Fw, applying a non-rigid transformation resulting in a transformation field g(rR) mapping every location rR to a corresponding location rF in the floating image F and generating a subtraction image by performing subtraction Rw(r)−Fw(g(r)) wherein r represents a voxel (x, y, z) in reference image R.
US08229188B2

Systems, method and apparatus in which some embodiments of automatic segmentation of a liver parenchyma from multiphase contrast-enhanced computed-tomography images includes analyzing an intensity change in the images belonging to the different phases in order to determine the region-of-interest of the liver, thereafter segmenting starting from the region-of-interest and incorporating anatomical information to prevent oversegmentation, and thereafter combining the information of all available images.
US08229187B2

The present technique provides a novel method and apparatus for determining the motion of an internal tissue or organ undergoing dynamic movement such as a respiratory cycle. Particularly, the technique provides for a method and system for processing projection data to determine the motion rather than relying on additional data acquired from an external sensor. The motion is extracted from projection data by tracking the change over time in projections from the same projection angle and/or conjugate projection angle pairs. The extraction is possible because multiple gantry rotations occur in the time period of a single respiratory period. The motion information may in turn be used to facilitate data acquisition or image reconstruction, such as by gating techniques, to reduce or eliminate motion related artifacts.
US08229185B2

Methods and systems for performing a biometric measurement on an individual are disclosed. A containment film is disposed between a skin site of the individual and a platen. Light is directed through the containment film to the skin site to illuminate the skin site under multiple distinct optical conditions. Light scattered from the skin site is received for the multiple optical conditions. A multispectral image of the skin site is derived from the received light. A biometric function is performed with the derived multispectral image.
US08229178B2

A method of personal identification includes switching between visible and near infrared light, acquiring palmprint image and palm vein image from a person under the visible and the near infrared light, extracting sub-images from the palmprint image and the palm vein image based on a region of interest, extracting multiple features from the sub-images, and matching the extracted multiple features with stored information in a database to authenticate the person.
US08229177B2

There is decribed an apparatus for generating a number from data originating from an analogue source, the apparatus comprising means for performing a set of the data and then processing, in accordance with stored processing instructions predetermined by a training process, the data to generate the number. During the training process, the sensitivity of the value of the generated number to variation in each of the measurement values is analyzed, and the process instructions are generated so that the processing of individual measurement values is modified to reduce this sensitivity. In this way, the repeatability of the generated number is improved.
US08229160B2

Systems and methods for identifying an object and presenting additional information about the identified object are provided. The techniques of the present invention can allow the user to specify modes to help with identifying objects. Furthermore, the additional information can be provided with different levels of detail depending on user selection. Apparatus for presenting a user with a log of the identified objects is also provided. The user can customize the log by, for example, creating a multi-media album.
US08229156B1

One embodiment of the present invention provides a computer-based system that automatically characterizes a video. During operation, the system extracts feature vectors from sampled frames in the video. Next, the system uses the extracted feature vectors for successive sampled frames in the video to define a curve. The system then determines a set of invariants for the curve. Next, the system using the set of invariants to characterize the video. The system can then use the characterization of the video to perform various operations, such as classifying the video with respect to other videos or detecting duplicates of the video.
US08229155B2

An improved audio speaker assembly is provided for directional adjustability of the woofer or driver. The assembly includes a housing comprising a baffle, a swivel, a swivel cup, and a retainer. The driver is mounted in the swivel. The swivel and swivel cup are mounted between the baffle and the retainer. The swivel is pivotal approximately 60° relative to the swivel cup, and is rotatable 360° relative to the baffle, thereby selectively positioning the driver in a desired direction. A pair of screws extend through the baffle and into the retainer, and can be tightened so as to lock or clamp the swivel and driver in the selected position, and preclude directional movement due to vibrations, temperature, and humidity.
US08229149B2

A hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear is provided, which includes a housing. The housing is here formed at least in part from an electrochrome polymer. Since electrochrome polymers represent a homogeneous material, this means that they can be printed onto the housing in very thin layers. According to a second aspect the present invention relates to a hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear, including a housing, which has an organic light-emitting diode. Because organic light-emitting diodes are able to separate out light in a wide variety of colors, this permits a high contrast to the environment and the colors appear stronger. Unlike conventional light-emitting diodes this is however performed in a printing process, so that it is possible to provide any surfaces with organic light-emitting diodes.
US08229148B2

This invention relates to a hearing instrument, which comprises a first microphone converting ambient sound to an ambient sound signal, a signal processor generating a processed sound signal based on the ambient sound signal, a controllable output stage generating a driving signal based on the processed sound signal and in accordance with a control signal, a speaker unit generating a sound in the ear canal based on said driving signal, a second microphone located in the ear canal of the user and converting the sound in the ear canal to the monitor sound signal, and a linearization stage comparing the processed sound signal and the monitor sound signal and generating the control signal based thereon.
US08229142B2

A device includes a substrate and a transducer attached to the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a surface to which the transducer is attached and at least one edge member extending along at least a portion of the outside edge of the surface. The surface can be a generally planar surface. The edge member is stiffer than the surface. In several embodiments, the transducer is adapted to vibrate. The transducer can, for example, be selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric transducer, an electrostrictive transducer and a magnetostrictive transducer. Preferably, the transducer is attached to the surface of the substrate by a metallic bonding agent and, more particularly, by welding.
US08229141B1

A transducer array assembly includes a support structure having a plurality of predetermined openings therein for accommodating transducer components. Flexible circuits are embedded in the support structure. Each flexible circuit has first ends being positioned in the support structure predetermined openings. Terminal blocks are joined to the second ends. Transducer elements are positioned in the support structure predetermined openings and placed in electrical communication with the flexible circuit first ends. A polymer material is provided surrounding the transducer elements, said support structure, and said flexible circuit first ends. There is also provided a method for manufacturing the transducer array.
US08229140B2

A miniature electret microphone includes a housing, a back plate/diaphragm assembly, an integrated circuit and a filter circuit. The housing for the microphone includes a sound inlet port. The back plate/diaphragm assembly is disposed within the housing and the assembly has an output responsive to sound pressure incident on the diaphragm. The integrated circuit includes a floating ground substrate and a p-n junction disposed within the housing coupled to the output. The filter circuit is formed within the integrated circuit, the filter circuit including a capacitor formed by the p-n junction.
US08229139B2

A microphone in a miniaturized form is described herein. The microphone includes a flat carrier substrate having a first recess extending through the carrier substrate. The microphone includes a first electro-acoustic transducer on a first surface of the carrier substrate and at least partially overlapping the first recess. The microphone also includes a cap on a second surface opposite the first surface having a tight seal with the second surface and spanning the first recess. The cap includes at least one metallic layer for electromagnetic shielding.
US08229138B2

A microphone assembly is provided that includes a condenser transducer element having a displaceable diaphragm and a back-plate. The displaceable diaphragm and the back-plate are arranged to form a capacitor in combination. A preamplifier circuit has an input stage, the input stage comprising a P-type field effect transistor. The displaceable diaphragm and the back-plate are operatively connected between a source input and a gate input of the P-type field effect transistor.
US08229122B2

Provided are a shared key transmission apparatus, an automatic teller machine (ATM), and a controlling method thereof. The shared key transmission apparatus may include: a reception unit receiving, from the ATM, a first cryptogram where a random number is encrypted; a decryption unit restoring the random number from the first cryptogram; an encryption unit encrypting the shared key using the restored random number; and a transmission unit transmitting the encrypted shared key to the ATM. The ATM may include: an encryption unit generating a random number and encrypting the random number to generate a first cryptogram; a transmission unit transmitting the first cryptogram to the shared key transmission apparatus; a reception unit receiving, from the shared key transmission apparatus, a shared key that is encrypted using the restored random number; and a decryption unit restoring the shared key from the encrypted shared key using the generated random number.
US08229109B2

Techniques are described to determine N mod M, where N is a number having a width of n-bits, and M is a number having a width of m-bits. The techniques, generally, involve determining N′=Nrt2f mod M+NL and, subsequently, determining N′ mod M.
US08229105B2

An enhanced sidetone system is disclosed which provides the user of a telecommunications terminal, while speaking, with immediate audio feedback that corresponds to what the far-end party is probably hearing. The sidetone system continuously samples the input speech signal from the user and also obtains signal quality statistics of the transmission path. These statistics can include descriptions of network quality-of-service characteristics (e.g., packet loss rate, etc.) and/or media quality characteristics (e.g., audio distortion due to echo cancellation, etc.). These statistics enable the disclosed technique to determine whether the transmitted signal quality is acceptable. When an unacceptable condition in transmit-path signal quality is detected, the technique modifies the traditional (main) sidetone signal. For example, a delayed sidetone signal can be transmitted back to the user's terminal, in addition to the main sidetone signal generated, so that the user perceives the combination of sidetone signals as a hollow-sounding, objectionable sound.
US08229098B2

A method and apparatus for routing contacts within an automatic contact distribution system having a plurality of automatic contact distributors. The method includes the steps of receiving a request for contact from a human client through a public communication system and randomly tendering the contact request to some subset of the plurality of automatic contact distributors.
US08229095B2

Methods, systems, and storage mediums for implementing self-provisioning telephony services are provided. A method includes storing an access number at a service control server that services a local exchange carrier switch. The method also includes assigning a toll-free number to a customer account and distributing the toll-free number and access number to the corresponding customer. The method further includes receiving, at the local exchange carrier switch, a call from a customer, the call identified as the access number. The method also includes routing the call to a server and, absent human intervention, the server accessing the toll-free number identified for the customer account and generating a provisioning order that includes a customer telephone number from the customer account and the toll-free number. The method also includes transmitting the provisioning order to the service control server, the service control server activating the toll-free number for the customer account.
US08229086B2

An apparatus and method for providing silently selectable audible communication. The apparatus may include a memory unit for storing a plurality of pre-recorded messages, and a messaging module for selecting, editing and/or transmitting selected messages to a second party for receipt in a voice mode, whereby a conversation may be implemented in a silent mode by at least one party. A method is also provided for adding new messages (or editing old ones) to a silently selectable audible communication system, and for conducting a silently selectable audible conversation.
US08229082B2

Methods, systems, and media are disclosed for a computer-implemented method for improved messaging between devices, which are local or remote to each other. One example embodiment includes a first device, having a first set of messaging preferences, receiving a second set of messaging preferences from a second device, such as a computer having instant messaging capabilities, in communication with the first device. Further, the example embodiment includes comparing the sets of messaging preferences to yield results showing if any conflicting messaging preferences exist between the devices. If conflicting messaging preferences exist, then the devices may negotiate in order to remove such conflicting messaging preferences. Further still, the example embodiment includes determining whether to commence the messaging based on the existence of any conflicting messaging preferences and by enforcing the possibly re-configured messaging preferences during a messaging session. If no conflicting preferences exist, then the messaging session commences.
US08229081B2

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for dynamically publishing directory information for a plurality of interactive voice response (‘IVR’) systems through an IVR directory service that include: providing a description of a web services publication interface for the IVR directory service; receiving, on behalf of one or more IVR systems, web services publication requests through the publication interface; determining, in response to the web services publication requests, directory information for each IVR system requesting publication; adding the directory information for each IVR system to an IVR system directory; generating a voice mode user interface to reflect the directory information for each IVR system added to the IVR system directory; and interacting, using the voice mode user interface, with a caller to identify a particular IVR system in dependence upon the IVR system directory and query information provided by the caller and to connect the caller with the identified IVR system.
US08229061B2

In an X-ray computer tomograph and a method for examining a component by means of X-ray computer tomography, the component carries out a movement relative to a radiation source detector unit in at least two degrees of freedom of movement, so at least one trajectory can be produced which spans a three-dimensional space. Since the X-radiation has a three-dimensional radiation geometry, volume data can be rapidly obtained and precisely reconstructed to form a three-dimensional X-ray image. The component can be geometrically measured by means of a geometry detection unit.
US08229055B2

The present invention relates to a top nozzle for a nuclear fuel assembly that has a two-stage elastic section such that a pushing force against the axial movement of the nuclear fuel assembly under normal conditions is optimized and at the same time a suppressing force against a drastic uplifting force of the nuclear fuel assembly under transient conditions is strengthened, and that lowers the elastic coefficients of the springs operating under normal conditions more than those of existing coil springs, thereby providing an optimal pushing force against the nuclear fuel assembly.
US08229048B2

A method, apparatus, and system for minimizing ringing in a high speed channel between a transmitter and a receiver in a circuit, including a component for initializing an n-tap equalization filter. The n-tap equalization filter includes numerous taps, each associated with each of numerous jitter pulses received from the transmitter at the receiver and over the channel. Many of the jitter pulses are greater than two. Further, each tap occurs at a time-domain point related to a time of a corresponding jitter pulse included within the numerous jitter pulses. Moreover, a component for applying the n-tap equalization filter to a subsequent signal sent over the channel is also included.
US08229046B2

A frequency error estimator and an operating method of the frequency error estimator are provided. In the frequency error estimator and the operating method of the frequency error estimator, a frequency error between a transmitter and a receiver of a mobile communication system using a reference code is calculated, thereby improving the precision of estimation while reflecting variations in frequency over time.
US08229045B2

Provided are an apparatus and method for measuring a carrier-to-interference and noise ratio (CINR) using a pilot symbol in a digital communication system, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for measuring a CINR by estimating a data signal, noise, and an interference signal from a pilot symbol in a digital communication system using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)/orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA). The apparatus includes: a pilot symbol acquisition unit for acquiring the pilot symbol from a baseband frequency signal; a signal estimation unit for estimating a pilot signal and a data signal from the pilot symbol; a power calculation unit for calculating a power value of the estimated data signal and calculating a power value of a noise signal from a difference between the pilot symbol and an estimated pilot signal; and a CINR calculation unit for calculating a CINR on the basis of the power values of the data and noise signals. Thus, a pilot symbol is used for more easily and precisely measuring a CINR of a received signal, and scheduling of a base station and transmission power control of a terminal are performed on the basis of the measured CINR.
US08229044B2

The impairment processor described herein uses a look-up table operation to reduce the computational complexity associated with determining an impairment correlation between first and second sample streams for an interference rejection receiver. One exemplary impairment processor iteratively computes multiple partial impairment correlations based on values selected from look-up table(s), and combines the partial impairment correlations to obtain a final impairment correlation between the first and second sample streams. During each iteration, the impairment processor computes a pair of delay offsets corresponding to the respective processing and path delays of the first and second sample streams, computes an index value as a function of a difference between the pair of delay offsets, selects a pre-computed value from the look-up table based on the index value, determines a pulse correlation estimate based on the selected pre-computed value, and determines the partial impairment correlation for that iteration based on the pulse correlation estimate.
US08229036B2

Characterizing channel response using data tone decision feedback. In addition, to pilot tones which may be existent within an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, one or more data tones within that same signal may be employed to assist with channel estimation (alternatively, detection). Once a data tone qualifies as a pseudo-pilot tone, it may be used with the pilot tones for channel estimation. A qualifier considers slicer error associated with hard decisions for a data tone to determine if it is a candidate for assistance within channel estimation. A frame within an OFDM signal may, in one situation, include no pilot tones at all, and a previously calculated channel estimate may be used to process that frame. In addition, fewer pilot tones than needed to perform accurate channel estimation (based on the channel delay spread) may be employed by using one or more pseudo-pilot tones (e.g., qualified data tones).
US08229030B2

An FSK signal modulator is provided in a transmitter which receives desired information to be transmitted on its input and which modulates the information to be transmitted to transmit a binary FSK signal. A counter counts a value of addition with the value of addition modified in accordance with a predetermined rule, depending on the value specified by the information to be transmitted, and for holding the counted value . The count value is determined by a threshold value decision circuit with respect to a threshold value. The result from the decision is output in the form of binary FSK signal. An FSK signal modulator will be provided which is simplified in circuit constitution.
US08229024B2

A channel equalizer for use in a receiving system includes an overlap unit, a first estimator, an interpolator, and a second estimator. The overlap unit overlaps a group of normal data packets including a head, a body, and a tail, and a known data region is periodically repeated in the body. The first estimator estimates CIRs of the known data regions according to a first algorithm, and the interpolator estimates CIRs of normal data regions in the body by interpolating the estimated CIRs of the known data regions. The second estimator estimates CIRs of normal data regions in the head and tail according to a second algorithm different from the first algorithm. A calculator calculates equalization coefficients based on the estimated CIRs and a compensator multiplies the overlapped data with the coefficients. A save unit saves the compensated data.
US08229019B2

In a closed-loop wireless communication system, a codebook-based feedback mechanism is provided to enable non-unitary precoding for multi-stream transmission, where in each stream is optimized with suitable transmission power allocation and AMC. The codebook-based feedback mechanism uses a precoding codebook having a power allocation matrix which is constrained to specify that beamforming always applies full power to a predetermined beam. With this constraint, a one-bit power allocation feedback index may be used to switch between beamforming and spatial multiplexing.
US08229017B1

A method and apparatus for a communication system having a first transceiver device having a first plurality of antennas and a second transceiver device having a second plurality of antennas determines a channel estimation matrix describing a forward channel in which a signal travels from the first transceiver device to the second transceiver device. The channel estimation matrix is decomposed to derive a unitary matrix and an upper triangular matrix. A precoding matrix is developed using the upper triangular matrix, and the precoding matrix is used to control transmission of a modulated signal.
US08229016B2

An MIMO receiver and MIMO communication system which can have a small hardware scale even if the number of antennas used for MIMO communication. In a radio communication device (200), a receiving section (220) receives a spatially multiplexed signal generated by mutually-different and spatially multiplexing transmission signals, a first signal demultiplexing section (230) subjects a linear operation to the received spatial multiplexed signal to demultiplex the spatial multiplexed signal, and a second signal demultiplexing section (240) demultiplexer the demultiplexed spatially multiplexed signal into the transmission signals. When the received signal is demultiplexed by a single demultiplexing, as the number of multiplexed spatial multiplexed signal increases, the demultiplexer becomes complicated, and the hardware scale increases. When the received signal is demultiplexed by a plurality of demultiplexings, the hardware scale is relatively small.
US08229008B2

An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) communication system comprises OFDM transmitters, an OFDM receiver, and a subcarrier status data controller for transmitting subcarrier status data to the OFDM receiver. The subcarrier status data indicates the active subcarriers of the OFDM transmitters. The OFDM receiver comprises a receiver, a subcarrier status processor, a channel estimator, and an interference mitigation processor.
US08229006B2

Pulse communications using precision timing includes detecting a pulse stream from a pulse code modulated carrier signal; transforming the pulse stream into a reshaped pulse stream; transforming the reshaped pulse stream into a counter gate stream; and recovering a data stream from the counter gate stream. The reshaped pulse stream is transformed into the counter gate stream with a digital circuit.
US08229000B2

An apparatus and method are provided for enabling inhibition or reduction in the amount of processing to decode and to re-encode image data to be compatible with a transmission capacity upon delivery of converted images. Image data converter 205 converts and transfers an image of a conversion start frame in an intra-mode. Switch 206 transfers the image in the intra-mode, which was transferred by image data converter 205, as the conversion start frame, and transfers image data 103 demultiplexed from received data 100 for the remaining frames. Data synchronization/output unit 208 establishes the synchronization of image with audio by temporally adjusting audio data backward when the converted image data increases in size.
US08228996B2

One embodiment of the apparatus includes a decoder configured to obtain a coded block pattern of first and second blocks. The coded block pattern is one of a plurality of coded block patterns, the plurality of coded block patterns includes an intra-coded block, and the second block is adjacent to the first block. The decoder is configured to determine a non-zero filter strength value based on the obtained coded block pattern of the first and second block, a determination of whether the first block has non-zero transform coefficient information, and an obtained motion vector difference. The decoder is configured to remove the blocking phenomenon according to the filter strength value.
US08228994B2

A method and system for coding a multi-view video having multiple views based on temporal decomposition and view decomposition is provided. A multi-view video coding (“MVC”) system provides a disparity compensated view filter based on a generic lifting transform that is used in conjunction with a motion compensated temporal filtering and a two-dimensional spatial discrete wavelet transform to decompose a multi-view video into four-dimensional wavelet coefficients. The MVC system performs a hierarchy of decompositions for each view that may be a combination of temporal decompositions and view decompositions.
US08228986B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for ordering, communicating and applying pixel intra-prediction modes.
US08228984B2

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for encoding video signals based on prediction information of an intra mode block of a sub-layer and decoding the encoded video data accordingly. The method encodes a video signal in a scalable MCTF scheme to output a bit stream of an enhanced layer, and simultaneously encodes the video signal using a pre-determined method to output a bit stream of a base layer. When the video signal is encoded in the MCTF scheme, an image block included in an arbitrary frame of the video signal is coded to be an error value using the uncoded value of pixels adjacent to the image block, on the basis of prediction information of the corresponding block coded as an intra mode, the corresponding block being included in a bit stream of the base layer and corresponding to the image block, and a bit stream including the coded image block is transmitted while constraint information being released.
US08228982B2

A method of transmitting a video stream over an IP network. The method includes encoding a source video into a plurality of packets. The method also includes measuring a real-time transmission status of a current set of the plurality of packets. The method also includes mapping a utility curve for the video which reflects utilities of the video at corresponding sending rates. The method also includes calculating a target sending rate for a next set of the plurality of packets according to the real-time transmission status of the current set of the plurality of packets and the utility curve. The method also includes determining a proper strategy to meet the target sending rate for the next set of the plurality of packets.
US08228981B2

A method of encoding multi-view video using camera parameters and a method of decoding multi-view video using the camera parameters are provided. The method of encoding multi-view video using the camera parameters includes detecting the camera parameters from each of a plurality of video data input from a multi-view camera in predetermined video units, and adaptively encoding each of the plurality of the video data according to whether each video data has the camera parameters. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the efficiency of compressing video without degrading video quality.
US08228973B2

When a downlink communication channel quality is informed of in the downlink packet communication using a shared channel, the communication channel quality for each RB that is obtained by dividing a downlink into a plurality of small bands (RBs) is informed of via the uplink. As the downlink band is getting wider, the number of RBs increases and the bands required to inform via the uplink also increases. Then, in the mobile station, RBs whose the communication channel quality is at a predetermined threshold or more are selected as a selected group, with the others considered as in the non-selected group, the information indicating which groups do they belong to is generated as a bitmap, and then the average value, the minimum value and the maximum value of the communication channel quality of the RBs are also obtained. Then the minimum or the maximum value is transmitted as a represented value of the selected group, the average value is transmitted as a representative value of the non-selected group, and also the bitmap is transmitted to the base station. At the base station, the communication channel quality for each RB is restored by replacing the communication channel quality belonging to the selected group by the minimum or the maximum value, and the communication channel quality belonging to the non-selected group by the average value.
US08228968B2

The present invention relates to a method and system that emulates a desired waveform by producing a time profile of the desired waveform, which is characterized by a plurality of sample values, and generating a plurality of RF waveforms, each RF waveform of the plurality of RF waveforms having a polarity and scaled energy based on a corresponding one of the plurality of sample values, to produce an aggregate RF energy having spectral characteristics that approximate the spectral characteristics of the desired waveform.
US08228963B2

A gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device is provided that includes an indium-containing gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer that exhibit low piezoelectric effect and high crystal quality. The gallium nitride-based semiconductor optical device 11a includes a GaN support base 13, a GaN-based semiconductor region 15, and well layers 19. A primary surface 13a tilts from a surface orthogonal to a reference axis that extends in a direction from one crystal axis of the m-axis and the a-axis of GaN toward the other crystal axis. The tilt angle AOFF is 0.05 degree or more to less than 15 degrees. The angle AOFF is equal to the angle defined by a vector VM and a vector VN. The inclination of the primary surface is shown by a typical m-plane SM and m-axis vector VM. The GaN-based semiconductor region 15 is provided on the primary surface 13a. In the well layers 19 in an active layer 17, both the m-plane and the a-plane of the well layers 19 tilt from a normal axis AN of the primary surface 13a. The indium content of the well layers 19 is 0.1 or more.
US08228952B2

Disclosed is a method for managing the operation of a telecom system, and minimizing the energy to be drained from a power supply. According to the method, a rate constraint and telecom environment conditions are determined. Then, a working point is selected a plurality of predetermined working points based on the rate constraint and the telecom environment conditions. The telecom system is operated at the selected working point by setting corresponding control parameters.
US08228950B2

A method for detecting and/or estimating a ranging signal in a wireless communications network, wherein the ranging signal comprises a plurality of tiles. The method includes (i) for two or more of the plurality of tiles, carrying out a plurality of mathematical correlations for one or more of the plurality of tiles but less than all of the plurality of tiles products between subcarriers, wherein at least one of the plurality of products is carried out between non-adjacent subcarriers associated with one of the two or more of the plurality of tiles; (ii) summing the results of the correlations products, thereby obtaining mathematical correlations that make up summed results; and (iii) based on the summed results, detecting a code characterizing the ranging signal and/or estimating the timing offset of the ranging signal.
US08228949B2

For quasi-orthogonal multiplexing in an OFDMA system, multiple (M) sets of traffic channels are defined for each base station. The traffic channels in each set are orthogonal to one another and may be pseudo-random with respect to the traffic channels in each of the other sets. The minimum number of sets of traffic channels (L) is used to support a given number of (U) terminals selected for data transmission, where M≧L≧1 and U≧1. Each terminal transmits data and pilot symbols on its traffic channel. A base station receives data transmissions from all terminals and may perform receiver spatial processing on received symbols with spatial filter matrices to obtain detected data symbols. The spatial filter matrix for each subband may be derived based on channel response estimates for all terminals transmitting on that subband.
US08228934B2

Provided is a method of performing a routing and allocating a resource in a wireless sensor network. The method includes electing one or more cluster heads, each representing each of one or more clusters comprised of a plurality of sensor nodes, selecting a routing path between the cluster heads and the plurality of sensor nodes, selecting a frame length based on elements and distribution methods of the wireless sensor network and the routing path, forming a time slot resource allocation table for communication between the cluster heads, and exchanging the time slot resource allocation table between the cluster heads separated by one hop. The present invention can enhance the reliability of the wireless sensor network and QoS by effectively performing routing and allocating resources in such a manner that various data requirements can be satisfied.
US08228929B2

A device provides a flow table. The device receives a data unit, determines a data flow associated with the data unit, determines whether the flow table includes an entry corresponding to the data flow, determines a current utilization of a group of output ports of the device, selects an output port, of the group of output ports, for the data flow based on the current utilization of the group of output ports when the flow table does not store an entry corresponding to the data flow, and stores the data unit in a queue associated with the selected output port.
US08228927B2

A method and system is presented for path discovery and asynchronous message transfer in a partially connected middleware communication space comprising mobile ad hoc networks. Embodiments of the present invention use mobile devices to bridge separated islands of networks and store and propagate messages. The system and software architecture supports methods for routing, messaging caching, and transferring. More specifically, embodiments provide methods and systems that extend a communication space concept into a distributed environment and combine it with the standard Web Services technologies, i.e., SOAP, and WS series protocols. The communication space provides an extension of Web Services to mobile ad hoc networks and provides asynchronous message caching, transferring and routing.
US08228919B2

In a communication device (1) which realizes communication with data distributed to a plurality of connections, a data division restoration processing unit (1-2), when transmitting data, receives data from an application processing unit (1-1), divides the data into an arbitrary number of blocks, stores information for restoring the block to original data within a TCP header and sends the data to a network processing unit (1-3) by using an arbitrary number of TCP connections, and when receiving data, refers to restoration information stored within the TCP header with respect to data of the plurality of TCP connections received from the network processing unit (1-3), identifies a divisional block, combines the blocks to restore data as of before division and sends the data to the application processing unit (1-1).
US08228914B2

A route selecting method includes performing a route search for obtaining route information from destination information contained in a received packet; attaching the route information obtained by the route search to the received packet; storing the packet having the route information in a buffer; reading the packet stored in the buffer sequentially from the route information attached to the packet; selecting an output route for the packet read from the buffer based on the route information read from the buffer; and outputting the packet via the selected output route.
US08228905B2

When a telephone a belonging to an office a calls up a telephone b belonging to an office b, a subscriber of the telephone a operates a WS a connected to a computer network and edits camp-on request information when the telephone b is busy. The camp-on request information is transferred from the WS a to a CTI server b belonging to the office b connected to the computer network. The CTI server unit b performs camp-on control between the telephone b belonging to the office b and the telephone a belonging to the office a by controlling a private branch exchange b based on a schedule corresponding to the received camp-on request information.
US08228903B2

A system for verifying VoIP call routing information. The system may include an apparatus integrated with a private branch exchange (PBX). The apparatus may store at least one call attribute of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) call initiated to a destination telephone number. The apparatus may verify a destination Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) call agent for the destination telephone number based on demonstrated knowledge of the PSTN call. The apparatus may route a new call either over a VoIP network to the destination VoIP call agent or over a circuit switched network based on whether the destination VoIP call agent is verified for the destination telephone number.
US08228902B2

In one embodiment, an apparatus may receive at least one call attribute of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) call initiated to a destination telephone number. The apparatus may verify a destination Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) call agent for the destination telephone number based on demonstrated knowledge of the PSTN call. The apparatus may transmit an indication the destination VoIP call agent is verified for the destination telephone number.
US08228901B2

A telecommunications system is disclosed which may include a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) network having a plurality of network elements; at least one carrier data center; communication links enabling communication between the network elements and the at least one carrier data center, wherein the carrier data center is operable to receive a query describing a communication session active at a given one of the network elements, over one of the communication links, and to generate a routing table in response to the query.
US08228873B2

In a method of configuring connection identifier (CID) update information in a broadband wireless access (BWA) communication system where each service between an mobile station (MS) and a base station (BS) has a unique CID, a registration request message is received from the MS, requesting updating of at least one old CID used for the MS. The CID update information is configured to include a bitmap area indicating whether a service corresponding to the at least one old CID is available, and a new CID area including at least one new CID in correspondence with a predetermined bit value in the bitmap area.
US08228871B2

Aspects of the present invention relate to improved systems and methods for handing over a UE from a source node to a target node. In some embodiments, the target node receives UL and DL count information directly from the UE being handed over, rather than from the source node or from a core network node.
US08228864B2

A communication unit comprises a receiver for receiving a message sent on an allocation channel, packet identifying logic, capable of identifying a data type of the received message, operably coupled to buffer logic for buffering data packets to be sent to the second communication unit. In an active mode of operation, the receiver of the communication unit is capable of intermittently receiving the message sent on the allocation channel and transition to continuously receive the message sent on the allocation channel in response to either: the buffer logic identifying that data packets are to be transferred to the second communication unit; or the packet identifying logic receiving a communication resource allocation message and identifying resource allocation data therein.
US08228855B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate reporting an uplink power headroom (UPH) during an E-DCH transmission in a CELL_FACH state. For a E-DCH transmission, a reduced measurement period can be utilized in order to report a UPH measurement. In particular, the reduced measurement period can be less than 100 milliseconds. The UPH measurement can be communicated based upon receipt of AICH/E-AICH and transmission of DPCCH for a configurable number of radio frames. The UPH measurement can be based upon the transmitted power prior to actual data transmission. Additionally, the UPH measurement can be included within scheduling information portion of a MAC header.
US08228846B2

To prevent a collision from occurring at the time of random access in cases such as handover, response to paging and the like where a mobile station apparatus performs random access in response to directions from a base station apparatus. In a mobile communication system in which a mobile station apparatus 200 uses a signature of a beforehand determined signature group at the time of random access with a base station apparatus 100, the signature group is comprised of a signature group managed by the base station apparatus 100 and another signature group managed by the mobile station apparatus 200. The signature group managed by the base station apparatus 100 includes signatures associated with particular random access reasons to be selected by the base station apparatus 100.
US08228828B2

A communication method and device are applicable in a mobile communication system of LTE Type2 wideband TDD. The method includes transmitting, by a first communication device, to a second communication device a radio frame, where each half-frame of the radio frame including a data timeslot for transmitting data, an uplink special timeslot and a Downlink special timeslot for carrying synchronizing information, and the data timeslot is shorter than an original data timeslot by a first timeslot and/or the uplink special timeslot is shorter than an original uplink special timeslot by a second timeslot; and a part of the first timeslot or the second timeslot or the combination of the first timeslot and the second timeslot, having the length of one orthogonal frequency division multiplex symbol, carries a secondary synchronous channel.
US08228822B2

In a tiered system of networks capable of processing distributed hash table (DHT) Put and Get messages, if a sending network of a Put or Get is at a tier below a subject tier at which a subject network receiving the message is located, the message is forwarded to networks at tiers below the subject tier. On the other hand, if the sending network is at a tier equal to or above the subject tier, the message is forwarded to all networks in the system other than the sending network.
US08228821B2

A system and method for generating graphical representations of message-related relationships is provided. Messages exchanged between at least two entities are analyzed. Data elements are extracted from the messages. Concepts are identified based on the extracted data elements. A social network is created based on the exchanged messages. Each entity is represented by a node. One or more links are created between at least two of the nodes. Each link represents the messages exchanged between the entities represented by the at least two nodes. A representation of the social network is provided. The concepts associated with the exchanged messages are displayed with the social network.
US08228818B2

Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a method comprising: for selected traffic that enters a backbone network via a predetermined ingress point and is addressed to a predetermined destination, via a dynamic tunnel, automatically diverting the selected traffic from the predetermined ingress point to a processing complex; and automatically forwarding the selected traffic from the processing complex toward the predetermined destination.
US08228809B1

Systems and methods for intelligently switching between communication modes. An optimum communication mode is selected based upon determining the mobility of the subscriber station, the location of the subscriber station, and orthogonality of signals received from the subscriber station with respect to a signal of another subscriber station. Each determination may be continually or incrementally performed according to the passage of a time interval or upon observation of changes in relevant conditions.
US08228808B2

An information communication device has a storage medium that stores information to determine a target information communication device on a network. A selection unit selects at least one protocol from plural protocols for obtaining information on other information communication devices on the basis of the stored information. A generating unit generates a list of information communication devices that have the at least one selected protocol as target information communication devices which a user can select on the network.
US08228804B2

A metric tuning technique optimizes the maximum link utilization of a set of links incrementally. Changes to the metric are constrained to be metric increases to divert routes from select links, thereby minimizing the number of changes required to achieve the optimization by avoiding the potential cascade of changes caused by attracting routes to a link. An interactive user interface is provided to allow a user to specify limits and constraints, and to select the sets of links to be addressed, including, for example, only the links that exceed a given link utilization threshold, the links having the highest link utilizations, the links having the highest failure effect, and so on. This incremental optimization technique is also used to optimize network resiliency by minimizing the network degradation caused by the failure of one or more links.
US08228802B2

A signal transmission apparatus is connected to a network as one node among a plurality of nodes involved in the network which is provided with an audio signal transmission period for transmitting a plurality of channels of audio signals each transmission cycle and a control data transmission period for transmitting control data of the plurality of the nodes each control cycle by using an idle time period other than the audio signal transmission period. In the signal transmission apparatus, a storage section stores configuration information of the one node. A transmitting section transmits the control data including an error checking code of the configuration information. A receiving section receives request data from another node, the request data requesting the one node for transmission of an information block of the configuration information. A control section controls the transmitting section to transmit the information block in response to the request data.
US08228800B2

Transmission delays are minimized when packets are transmitted from a source computer over a network to a destination computer. The source computer measures the network's available bandwidth, forms a sequence of output packets from a sequence of data packets, and transmits the output packets over the network to the destination computer, where the transmission rate is ramped up to the measured bandwidth. In conjunction with the transmission, the source computer monitors a transmission delay indicator which it computes using acknowledgement packets it receives from the destination computer. Whenever the indicator specifies that the transmission delay is increasing, the source computer reduces the transmission rate until the indicator specifies that the delay is unchanged. The source computer dynamically decides whether each output packet will be a forward error correction packet or a single data packet, where the decision is based on minimizing the expected transmission delays.
US08228797B1

A system and method for communicating the current congestion state of a destination virtual output queue to a plurality of source queues in order to allow the source queues to adjust their data rates in real time for each class of service is disclosed. The preferred embodiment method comprises tracking the amount of data for one or more classes of service entering and leaving at least one destination queue associated with an output port; determining the amount of available space in the destination queue; creating a message based at least in part on the determined amount of available space; and transmitting the created message to a plurality of source queues at least one of which is providing data to the destination queue.
US08228791B2

A system and method for communicating data packets over packet network owned by different communications carriers. Rate information may be stored in a first packet network for communicating data packets over at least two other packet networks. A determination over which of the at least two other packet networks to communicate data packets based on a lowest billing rate for communicating the data packets may be made. The data packets may be communicated over a packet network determined to have the lowest billing rate for communicating the data packets.
US08228786B2

A technique is provided for dynamically discovering shared risk node group (SRNG) memberships of a plurality of interconnected edge devices in a computer network. According to the technique, each edge device “learns” the identities of its directly-attached peer devices situated in neighboring routing domains, e.g., by establishing an interior or exterior gateway routing protocol session with each peer. Thereafter, each edge device advertises the identities of its learned peers to the other interconnected edge devices. Preferably, the peer identities are distributed in novel “peer-router” extended community attributes transported in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) messages. After an edge device has learned the identity of its own peers and received the identities of the other edge devices' peers, the device can automatically detect SRNG memberships in the computer network. Specifically, edge devices that advertise the same peer are determined to participate in the same SRNG.
US08228778B2

An optical pickup device imparts different astigmatisms from each other to light fluxes in four light flux areas formed around an optical axis of laser light, out of the laser light reflected on a disc. The optical pickup device also changes the propagating directions of the light fluxes in the light flux areas to separate the light fluxes in the light flux areas each other. A signal light area where only signal light exists is defined on a detection surface of a photodetector. Eight sensing portions are arranged at a position corresponding to the signal light area. According to this arrangement, only the signal light is received by the sensing portions to thereby suppress deterioration of a detection signal resulting from stray light. Further, a push-pull signal, whose DC component is suppressed, is obtained by computing an output from the eight sensing portions by a predetermined formula.
US08228771B2

In a recording/reproducing apparatus and a recording method, for enabling a high reliability on reproduction data are conducted the followings: recording a test mark within the test aria with a predetermined write strategy; obtaining signal amplitudes corresponding to a front portion, a middle portion, and a rear portion of the test mark, by reproducing the test mark; determining on whether the test mark has a desirable configuration or not, upon basis of at least one of ratios, defined between the amplitude of the front portion and the amplitude of the rear portion, and between the amplitude of the middle portion and the amplitude of the rear portion; correcting the write strategy if it is determined that the test mark has not the desirable configuration; and recording the information within the data area with the write strategy after the correction thereof.
US08228769B2

An optical disc recording method of suppressing variations in the record quality due to variations in an initial strategy of a write strategy using many parameters corresponding to a next-generation large-capacity optical disc. Modulation conditions for recorded data on the optical disc are determined based on a real measurement thereof; an initial strategy that meets the modulation conditions is determined; an optical strategy is determined in which the record quality is best in the vicinity of the initial strategy; and data is recorded on the optical disc, using the optimal strategy.
US08228758B2

The present invention is a method of creating an image in a wellbore that includes receiving input data from a wellbore at one or more measured depths. The input data including geometry of wellbore, tool setting, survey data, trajectory of wellbore (button angle) etc. One dimensional arrays are constructed for a measured depth in one direction by a) calculating maximum positive amplitudes from input data and b) obtaining a sinusoidal line at a measured depth from the maximum positive amplitudes and assigning the sinusoidal line physical property. The calculations of a) and b) are repeated to obtain multiple arrays. A synthetic image is constructing from the multiple arrays and a synthetic image is outputted.
US08228755B2

A word line driving circuit includes an address decoding signal generating unit and a word line voltage supply unit. The address decoding signal generating unit includes inverter chain receiving and delaying a first address decoding signal and outputting the delayed first address decoding signal. The word line voltage supply unit includes a pull-up driver that supplies the delayed first address signal to a selected word line in response to a second address decoding signal. The inverter chain includes an NMOS transistor outputting the delayed first address signal and a source terminal of the NMOS transistor receives a set voltage that is higher than a ground voltage and lower than a high voltage.
US08228749B2

A static random access memory (SRAM) and method of evaluating the same for cell stability, write margin, and read current margin. The memory is constructed so that bit line precharge can be disabled, and so that complementary bit lines for each column of cells can float during memory operations. The various tests are performed by precharging the bit lines for a column, then floating the bit lines, and while the bit lines are floating, pulsing the word lines of one or more selected cells to cause the voltage on one of the bit lines to discharge. The discharged bit line voltage is then applied to another cell, which is then read in a normal read operation to determine whether its state changed due to the discharged bit line voltage. The memory can be characterized for cell stability, write margin, and read current margin in this manner; the method can also be adapted into a manufacturing margin screen, or used in failure analysis.
US08228747B2

Provided is a delay adjustment device that contributes to downsizing the circuit that adjusts a flight time. The delay adjustment device is connected to a memory, and adjusts a timing to retrieve data with a data signal and a data strobe signal output from the memory. The delay adjustment device includes a data retrieve unit that receives the data signal and the data strobe signal, and outputs a data value of the data signal in accordance with the data strobe signal; and a control unit that issues a read command to the memory, calculates a flight time, and controls a valid period of the data strobe signal based on the flight time.
US08228744B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a page buffer, a data line pair, a differential amplifier and a precharger. The memory cell array includes a plurality of pages in which a plurality of memory cells are arranged. The page buffer is formed adjacent to the memory cell array, and includes a plurality of sense amplifiers configured to temporarily hold page data read from the memory cells in the page. The data line pair is arranged in the page buffer and is connected to the sense amplifiers. The differential amplifier is configured to amplify a potential difference between lines of the data line pair. The precharger is configured to precharge the data line pair to a predetermined potential. At least one of the differential amplifier and the precharger is formed in the page buffer, and the at least one circuit is electrically connected to the data line pair.
US08228731B2

Systems, methods, and memory device with row lines and column lines arranged in a matrix configuration with a memory cell coupled to one of the column lines and one of the row lines. The memory cell includes a storage capacitor with a first plate coupled to a storage node, a CMOS-compatible non-volatile storage element having a node coupled to the storage node and configured to hold a charge corresponding to a binary value, and an access transistor coupled to the storage node. The access transistor includes a word line gate, a first node, and a second node, the word line gate being coupled to the one of the plurality of row lines, the first node being coupled to the one of the plurality of column lines, the second node being coupled to the storage node and to said node of the CMOS-compatible non-volatile storage element.
US08228723B2

The leakage current and power consumption of phase change memories may be reduced using adaptive word line biasing. Depending on the particular voltage applied to the bitline of a programmed cell, the word lines of unselected cells may vary correspondingly. In some embodiments, the word line voltage may be caused to match the bitline voltage of the programmed cell.
US08228717B2

Spin current generators and systems and methods for employing spin current generators. A spin current generator may be configured to generate a spin current polarized in one direction, or a spin current selectively polarized in two directions. The spin current generator may by employed in spintronics applications, wherein a spin current is desired.
US08228714B2

In a particular embodiment, a memory device is disclosed that includes a memory cell including a resistance-based memory element coupled to an access transistor. The access transistor has a first oxide thickness to enable operation of the memory cell at an operating voltage. The memory device also includes a first amplifier configured to couple the memory cell to a supply voltage that is greater than a voltage limit to generate a data signal based on a current through the memory cell. The first amplifier includes a clamp transistor that has a second oxide thickness that is greater than the first oxide thickness. The clamp transistor is configured to prevent the operating voltage at the memory cell from exceeding the voltage limit.
US08228699B2

A power converting apparatus includes three sets of half-bridge inverters connected between output terminals of a solar battery, each of the half-bridge inverters including two series-connected switching devices, single-phase inverters connected to individual AC output lines of the bridge inverters, and two series-connected capacitors dividing a voltage of the solar battery, wherein output terminals of the single-phase inverters are connected to individual phases of a three-phase power system. Each of the half-bridge inverters is operated to output one pulse per half cycle, each of the single-phase inverters is controlled by PWM control operation to make up for a voltage insufficiency from the system voltage, and sums of outputs of the half-bridge inverters and the single-phase inverters are output to the power system.
US08228696B2

A PFC converter that rapidly and highly accurately detects current passing through an inductor so as to properly improve harmonics and the power factor as well as to correctly detect the operation state. In the PFC converter, a first current value is obtained by performing sampling at the middle portion of the on-period of a switching element, and a second current value is obtained by performing sampling at the middle portion of the off-period thereof. If the first current value and the second current value are equal or substantially equal to each other, then it is determined that the operation state is a continuous current mode, and if the first current value and the second current value are not equal or substantially equal to each other, then it is determined that the operation state is a discontinuous current mode.
US08228693B2

The resistors of a filter block in a voltage source converter station are connected with a floating neutral point.
US08228684B2

An electronic system adapted to perform a corresponding function and including at least a first subsystem and a second subsystem, the first subsystem and the second subsystem being operatively couplable to each other through a plurality of electric connections to perform the function of the system, in which the first subsystem and the second subsystem are respectively integrated on a first material chip and on a second material chip, the plurality of electric connections including a plurality of conductive through holes formed in at least one of the first and second chips and adapted to form a corresponding plurality of inter-chip electric connections when the first and the second chips are superimposed.
US08228683B2

A framework of wireless network access device, comprising a communication circuit board with a first electrical connecting portion, a wireless transmission circuit board with a second electrical connecting portion, and at least a signal transmission element connecting with the first and second connecting portions respectively, wherein the signal transmission element is provided for transmitting a signal between the communication circuit board and the wireless transmission circuit board, so as to solve drawbacks of the prior art.
US08228680B2

Using die side capacitors and embedded resistors, an advantageous power delivery network may be achieved. In some embodiments, the embedded resistors may be more precisely controllable. The number of die side capacitors may be reduced by combining embedded resistors with these capacitors to reduce costs. The embedded resistors may be provided within the metallization layers either at an upper layer or a lower layer, as two examples.
US08228674B2

An electronic device includes a housing and a switching assembly. The housing is configured for receiving a battery. The switching assembly is configured for detachedly assembling the battery with the housing. The switching assembly defines at least one locking portion and comprises a linkage mechanism, at least one restriction portion, and an actuator. The at least one locking portion is disposed in the battery. The linkage mechanism is secured to the housing. The at least one restriction portion is disposed on the linkage mechanism correspondingly to the at least one locking portion. The actuator is secured to the linkage mechanism and drives the at least one restriction portion to lock or unlock with the linkage mechanism when the actuator is pressed.
US08228669B2

A server chassis layout structure includes a chassis body, a partition plate, and a power backplane module. The chassis body includes a bottom plate, first and second top plates, and two side plates. The first and second top plates form a first opening therebetween. The side plates are mounted between the bottom and top plates. The partition plate includes at least one retaining portion and is perpendicularly fixed to the bottom plate below the first opening. The partition plate divides the chassis body into first and second sections. The power backplane module includes at least one lock portion and is vertically inserted into the chassis body via the first opening. The lock portion interferes with the retaining portion so as to assemble the power backplane module into the chassis body above the partition plate, and both the power backplane and the partition plate are exposed via the first opening.
US08228667B2

An electronic device includes a main body and a flexible display panel. The main body includes a body portion, a connecting portion, and a cover portion. The connecting portion is pivotally connected to the body portion. The cover portion is pivotally connected to the connecting portion so as to be capable of rotating relative to the body portion. The cover portion, the body portion, and the connecting portion form a containing space cooperatively. The flexible display panel is disposed in the containing space in a curved manner. The flexible display panel includes a first display section and a second display section. The first display section is fixed to the cover portion. The second display section is slidably disposed on the body portion.
US08228662B2

In a feedthrough capacitor, a signal internal electrode layer is so arranged that an opposed portion opposed to a ground internal electrode layer is provided with a projection projecting toward a ground electrode, when viewed from a direction of a stack of dielectric layers. Therefore, if a gap amount G is abnormal between an end face with the ground electrode thereon and the signal internal electrode layer, the projection comes in contact with the ground electrode and a short circuit occurs between the ground electrode and terminal electrodes. This feedthrough capacitor thus permits easy detection of abnormality of the gap amount G, based on the presence/absence of a short-circuit failure.
US08228657B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and applications involving the actuation of a semi-insulative working fluid by electromechanical forces based on electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) and liquid dielectrophoresis (liquid DEP) mechanisms that are controlled by the frequency, but not the magnitude, of an AC voltage (i.e., ‘frequency-addressable). In the various apparatus embodiments of the invention, a single, frequency-addressable electrode pair includes at least one electrode that has a spatially-varying dielectric coating thickness and thus a spatially-varying electrode gap wherein at least a portion of which a volume of a working fluid can stably reside under no influence of an applied voltage. In an exemplary aspect, a frequency-addressable, bistable apparatus includes at least one wider gap and one narrower gap associated, respectively, with a thicker and a thinner dielectric coating thickness of the electrode(s). The working fluid resides in only one of the at least two gap regions only under the influence of capillary force. A brief burst of AC voltage at a selected high frequency or low frequency will move the liquid from one gap region to another (and back) by one of an EWOD-based and a DEP-based force. In an alternative aspect, an analog apparatus has a continuous, spatially-varying electrode gap in which the dielectric coating thickness on the electrodes varies smoothly in an inverse manner. Various applications to a display device, fiber optic coupler and attenuator, controlled liquid volume dispensers, spotting arrays, well plate apparatus, and others are presented, along with control methods.
US08228650B2

An input-output interface circuit of the present invention includes an input-output terminal, an input buffer, a first MOS transistor of a first conductivity type formed in a floating well region, an output buffer for outputting a signal externally through the input-output terminal, an electrostatic protection circuit, and a floating well potential adjusting circuit, wherein the electrostatic protection circuit has a first resistance, and a diode connected between another end of the first resistance and a high level power supply potential, and the floating well potential adjusting circuit has a second resistance having one end connected to the input-output terminal, and a second MOS transistor of the first conductivity type having one end connected to another end of the second resistance, another end connected to the floating well region, and a gate connected to the high level power supply potential.
US08228649B2

Arc fault detection method and apparatus employ an impedance-based current sensor to provide a sensing signal indicative of current through a conductor. The impedance-based current sensor diverts high frequency components of current through the conductor and converts the high frequency components into an arc fault signal.
US08228637B2

The disclosure is directed to a method for creating a remanence magnetization on a magnetic tape medium. The magnetic tape is first substantially demagnetized, e.g., erased, by an erasure unit having multiple magnetic elements of alternating polarity. The erased magnetic tape is then passed by a bias magnet that creates a remanence magnetization on the magnetic tape. The remanence magnetized magnetic tape is then passed through a servo write head that writes servo patterns to the remanence magnetized magnetic tape. The bias magnet may be housed within the erasure unit or within a bias unit, and the distance between the bias magnet and the tape path of the magnetic tape may be adjustable to create the desired remanence magnetization on the magnetic tape. The remanence magnetization created on the magnetic tape may be greater than 20 percent to reduce defects in the servo pattern written to the magnetic tape.
US08228635B2

In one embodiment, a tape movement constraint for a tape drive system, comprises a tiltable tape roller bearing and an actuator adapted to pivot the roller bearing surface when the actuator is actuated, to control the lateral position of a tape. In operation, in one embodiment, the roller barrel of the roller bearing is rotated by engaging a surface of the tape roller barrel with a longitudinally moving magnetic tape. At least a portion of any air bearing between the moving tape and the barrel surface is quenched using grooves formed in the barrel surface. The lateral position of the moving tape is sensed and the rotating roller barrel is tilted in response to the sensed lateral position of the moving tape to control the lateral position of the moving tape. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08228634B2

A device to facilitate Thermally Assisted Magnetic Recording (TAMR), and a method for its manufacture, are described. One or more cylindrical lenses are used to focus light from a laser diode onto a wave-guide and a nearby plasmon antenna. Five embodiments of the invention are described, each one featuring a different way to couple the laser light to the optical wave-guide.
US08228631B1

A novel disk drive includes a disk and a spindle motor to which the disk is attached to rotate about an axis of rotation. The disk drive also includes a stationary plate facing and disposed over the disk, wherein the stationary plate includes a plurality of grooves through which rotation-induced air flows from an inlet end to an outlet end. The disk drive also includes a recirculation filter coupled to and immediately adjacent said outlet end of said plurality of grooves.
US08228627B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive includes a magnetic disk to be subjected to perpendicular recording, a first pole core including a main pole configured to record signals on the magnetic disk, a first coil wound around the first pole core, a second pole core magnetically independent of the first pole core, tip ends of which are arranged on both sides of the main pole, a second coil wound around the second pole core, a read unit including an element configured to read data recorded on the magnetic disk, and a correction unit configured to correct a current phase difference between the first and second coils.
US08228623B2

In order to obtain stable lens positions to have an object imaged in focus when the temperature of lenses changes, an imaging device of the present invention comprises a system control section 60 having a imaging mode and a correction mode, the imaging mode in which a group of lenses 10 are controlled and moved to focusing positions for a predetermined distance at first and are further moved to correct the focusing positions for the predetermined distance to the object during imaging according to the temperature compensation data, the correction mode in which the group of lenses 10 are controlled and moved to have the temperature compensation data corrected when the temperature change is larger than or equal to a predetermined temperature difference, a correction coefficient calculation section 50 for calculating the correction coefficient to correct the temperature compensation data based on first focusing positions of the group of lenses to which the group of lenses are moved according to the temperature compensation data before corrected and second focusing positions of the group of the lenses to which the group of the lenses are automatically moved from the first focusing positions to have the object the predetermined distance away imaged in focus based on the focus evaluation value under a condition under which a moving range of the group of lenses is restricted, when the system control section is on the correction mode, a temperature compensation data correction section 51 for correcting the temperature compensation data to be used for the imaging mode based on the correction coefficient calculated by the correction coefficient calculation section.
US08228618B2

Provided is a drive mechanism comprising a stationary support member, a lever member having a displacement input portion for receiving a moving force from the outside and a bearing portion for abutting against the support member, so that the lever member engages with a driven member and swings on the bearing portion relative to the support member in response to the input of the moving force to the displacement input portion, thereby moving the driven member in a predetermined first axis direction, and a shape-memory alloy actuator for applying the moving force to the displacement input portion. The drive mechanism is characterized in that a displacement input member having the displacement input portion and a bearing member having the bearing portion are formed, in the lever member, of a material different from that of the lever member.
US08228615B2

A zoom lens including four lens units having positive, negative, positive, and positive refractive power in order from an object side to an image side thereof, wherein the distance between the adjacent lens units changes when zooming: wherein the third lens unit includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens subunit having negative refractive power and a second lens subunit having positive refractive power. The zoom lens is configured to displace an image formed by the zoom lens in a direction perpendicular to its optical axis by moving the second lens subunit so as to have a component perpendicular to the optical axis, wherein the curvature radius of a surface, closest to the object, of the first lens subunit and the curvature radius of a surface second closest to the object, of the first lens subunit are set at appropriate values.
US08228609B2

An apparatus for combining individual light beams to form a coaxial light bundle. The apparatus has a plurality of coupling-in positions, the number of which corresponds to the number of light beams, and also at least one coupling-out position. It is suitable for generating a collimated beam bundle as a multicolor source for use in digital image generation. The apparatus includes an apparatus base body with the coupling-in positions for the light beams and with a coupling-out position for the light bundle and adjusting devices for coaxially orienting the individual light beams relative to the beam direction of the light bundle. The coaxial light bundle can optionally emerge as free beam at the coupling-out position or into an optical waveguide via connecting elements.
US08228607B2

The present invention provides a novel head-mounted type image display device capable of displaying a lot of information with good viewability by multi-screens without impairing mobility of the device. The device comprises a plurality of eyepiece optical units 25Ru, 25Rd emitting image light to be displayed toward corresponding eye balls respectively and a head-mounting unit 11 for supporting the plurality of eyepiece optical units 25Ru, 25Rd and adapted to detachably attached to the head of an observer. The head-mounting unit 11 in a state where the unit is attached to the head of the observer supports the plurality of eyepiece optical units 25Ru, 25Rd such that an emitting optical axis of each eyepiece optical unit 25Ru, 25Rd substantially passes through the eyeball rolling center of the corresponding eyeball and, when the emitting optical axis of one eyepiece optical unit passes through a pupil of the corresponding eyeball thereof as a result of rolling of the eyes, the emitting optical axis of another eyepiece optical unit does not pass through a pupil of the corresponding eyeball thereof.
US08228605B2

Anti-vibration zoom lens optics of four lens groups where a unit associated with an aperture stop and an anti-vibration unit can be spaced apart from each other without interference between their driving mechanisms. The four groups include a leading, first lens group of positive refractivity, a succeeding second lens group of negative refractivity, a third lens group of positive refractivity, and a trailing, fourth lens group of positive refractivity all arranged in this order from the front end closest to the object to the rearmost. The fourth lens group include three subsets of lens pieces, a leading, first subset, a succeeding, second subset, and a trailing, third subset all arranged in this order from the front end closest to the object to the rearmost, and the second subset of lens pieces are moved perpendicular to the optical axis to compensate for blur in the imaging plane.
US08228603B2

A screen includes a plurality of structures arrayed in parallel in at least one direction of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on a reference surface parallel to the first direction and the second direction. The structures are arrayed such that at least one of a distance between central positions of the structures adjacent to each other and a size of the structure changes irregularly in at least one direction, in which the structures are arrayed in parallel, of the first and second directions.
US08228588B2

An interior rearview mirror information display system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including an electrochromic reflective element. A display device is disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes supported by a circuit board disposed rearward of the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The light emitting diodes of the circuit board are disposed to the rear of the display screen to provide backlighting of the display screen when activated. Information displayed by the display device is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle. When the plurality of light emitting diodes is activated and the display device is displaying information, light emitted by the plurality of light emitting diodes passes through the display screen and through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.
US08228577B2

A hologram recording apparatus where holograms corresponding to incident angles of reference light are multiple-recorded onto a medium, including a recording light projection unit projecting the recording light onto a region of the medium; a reference light projection unit projecting the reference light onto the medium by intermittently changing an incident angle; an incident-angle variation projection unit changing the incident angle of the reference light; an incident-angle switching instruction unit giving an instruction for switching the incident angle; a feed-back control unit operating the incident-angle variation projection unit by feed-back control when the switching instruction of the incident angle has been given; and a feed-forward compensation unit learning a feed-back control signal which is outputted every switching instruction of the incident angle from the feed-back control unit, wherein a feed-forward compensation is made as to a next feed-back control signal on the basis of a result of the learning.
US08228564B2

An information identification apparatus includes a processor and a storage device. The storage device stores computer programmed instructions which when activated by the processor cause the processor to operate as a specially programmed processor. The processor obtains image data assumed to be embedded with supplemental information, extracts a portion of the image data to obtain target pattern data from the portion of the image data, obtains reference information, compares the target pattern data with the reference information to generate a comparison result, and determines whether the supplemental information embedded in the image data is identifiable using the reference information based on the comparison result.
US08228562B2

Described is an image processing apparatuses, which makes it possible to accurately remove a periodicity from a halftone dot pattern included in an image. The apparatus includes: a periodicity pattern analyzing section to acquire periodicity information indicating the periodicity of the halftone dot pattern; a smoothing area determining section to determine a smoothing area, constituted by either a pair of rectangular areas contacting with each other or a single rectangular area, based on the periodicity information; a spatial filter creating section to create a spatial filter within which the smoothing area is includible, and in which a weighted coefficient of each of pixels is established corresponding to an overlapping area of a concerned pixel overlapping with the smoothing area; and a smoothing calculation section that applies a convolution arithmetic calculation processing to the image data representing the processing objective image with the spatial filter.
US08228561B2

An image processing system utilizes an image type classification circuit to identify inputted image data as picture image data or text/graphics image data. A halftone circuit, operatively connected to the image type classification circuit, converts the inputted image data, identified as picture image data, to halftone image data. Moreover, a tile pattern circuit, operatively connected to the image type classification circuit, to replace the inputted image data, identified as text/graphics image data, with tile patterns. The tile patterns are encoded with a predetermined pattern. A bitmap rendering circuit combines the halftone image data with the encoded tile patterns to render a bitmap, wherein the bitmap can be used by a print engine to reproduce the image.
US08228549B2

When a plurality of documents is read to generate an image file including a plurality of pages in a storage medium, if a capacity of the storage medium is short during generation, a storage control unit returns a writing position so that file end information can be written and writes the file end information therein. Further, when a cancellation instruction is input during reading of a document, the storage control unit writes the file end information even when a file is being generated. Thus, even if a memory capacity comes short in the middle of a page or file generation is interrupted by cancellation operation, the generated file can be prevented from resulting in an incomplete file that cannot be displayed.
US08228546B2

A printing system includes a server and a plurality of printing devices connected with the server via a network. A maximum number of printable sheets is set for each of the printing devices. Upon receipt of a print request, when determining that a remaining number of printable sheets is insufficient, a first printing device issues a transfer request to the server. In response to the transfer request, the server selects a second printing device that cedes at least part of the maximum number of printable sheets therefore, based on respective frequencies of printing operations of the printing devices other than the first printing device, and issues a transfer instruction to each of the first printing device and the second printing device, the transfer instruction causing the first and second printing devices to increase and decrease their maximum numbers of printable sheets, respectively.
US08228543B2

In a printing system, a first apparatus transmits, to a printing apparatus, a printing instruction containing location information indicating the location of printing content on a network. When receiving the printing instruction, the printing apparatus updates the location information contained in the received printing instruction in accordance with a medium setting indicating a recording medium on which printing is to be performed, and issues a request for printing content corresponding to the updated location information through the network. In response to the request from the printing apparatus, a second apparatus transmits the printing content corresponding to the updated location information to the printing apparatus through the network, and the printing apparatus receives the printing content and performs printing of the printing content on the recording medium. Accordingly, printing content suitable for a printable region of a medium on which printing is to be performed can be easily acquired and printed.
US08228535B2

The invention relates to a print controlling apparatus for controlling the operation of a printer. The print controlling apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes: a setting information storing section that memorizes language type information and country area information that are set for the print controlling apparatus; a status acquiring section that acquires status information of the printer; an image acquiring section that transmits the language type information and the country area information to a server when it is necessary to display a status notification screen for notifying a user of the status of the printer on the basis of the acquired status information of the printer, and then acquires image data corresponding to the language type information and the country area information from the server; and a display controlling section that commands an image based on the image data to be displayed in the status notification screen.
US08228524B2

An image processing apparatus is provided that includes plural devices, a device control unit associated with each of the devices for controlling a power status of each of the devices according to a relevant power mode, and power mode setting unit for setting the relevant power mode to the device control unit.
US08228523B2

An image forming apparatus in which multiple image forming units for forming a developer image arranged along a prescribed medium feeding path are disposed in a manner to contact and face a belt component, the image forming apparatus includes an image formation driving unit for driving said multiple image forming units; a belt component driving unit for driving said belt component; and a drive control unit for supplying a drive command to said belt component driving unit and said image formation driving unit, said drive control unit sequentially initiating the driving of said image forming units from said image forming unit located downstream in the medium feeding path, after initiating the driving of said belt component drive unit.
US08228519B2

There is described an image processing system, which makes it possible not only to prevent the system from generating printing errors, but also to increase the reuse ratio of the object. The system includes a first apparatus that generates first data for designating a first job and a second apparatus that rasterizes a plurality of objects based on the first data generated by the first apparatus so as to synthesize the plurality of objects. The first apparatus generates an object name of each of the plurality of objects by utilizing information pertaining to the concerned object. The second apparatus stores a plurality of rasterized objects into a cache memory, and registers object names into a table. The first apparatus inquires whether object names of rasterized objects to be used in the next job are registered in the table from the second apparatus, to add an unregistered object to data.
US08228517B2

An image processing apparatus including: an image processing section that processes an original image, and outputs the processed original image; an operating section that a user operates; a reading-and-displaying section disposed in the operating section, and has a function of reading control information as an image and has a function of displaying the read control information; an instruction input section disposed in the operating section, and receives an instruction regarding an original image; and a controller that controls operations of the image processing section, the reading-and-displaying section, and the instruction input section, wherein the controller instructs the reading-and-displaying section to read the control information, acquires the control information from a result read by the reading-and-displaying section, and instructs the image processing section to process the original image and to output the processed original image, based on the acquired control information and/or the instruction received by the instruction input section.
US08228516B2

An image formation device capable of forming a plurality of reduced images on an output medium comprises an input data acquisition unit which acquires input data, a recognizability judgment unit which judges whether each reduced image to be formed corresponding to each piece of input data acquired by the input data acquisition unit is recognizable to a user or not based on the input data and size of the reduced image to be formed, and a reduced image formation unit which forms the reduced images that are judged to be recognizable by the recognizability judgment unit on the output medium while prohibiting the formation of the reduced images that are judged to be unrecognizable by the recognizability judgment unit.
US08228500B2

A reflex sight is provided, including a first lens module, a first light source, and a second light source. The first light source projects a first reticle image to the first lens module, and the first lens module reflects the first reticle image to a viewer. When the first light source is inactive, the second light source projects a second reticle image to the first lens module, and the first lens module reflects the second reticle image to the viewer.
US08228497B2

A method and system for evaluating an object that has a repetitive pattern. Illumination optics of an optical unit are adapted to scan a spot of radiation over a repetitive pattern that includes multiple regularly repeating structural elements that are optically distinguishable from their background, generating a diffraction pattern that includes multiple diffraction lobes. Collection optics are adapted to focus radiation from the repetitive pattern onto a detector. The focused radiation includes a single diffraction lobe while not including other diffraction lobes. A grey field detector generates detection signals, responsive to the focused collected radiation. The optical unit is adapted to maintain, at a detection surface of the grew field detector, a radiation pattern that includes a first radiation pattern component resulting from the repetitive pattern and a second radiation pattern component resulting from a defect; wherein the first radiation pattern component is stronger than the second radiation component.
US08228495B2

An inspecting apparatus and method including first and second illuminating units for illuminating a surface of a specimen to be inspected with different incident angles and first and second detecting optical units arranged at different elevation angle directions to the surface of the specimen for detecting images of the specimen illuminated by the first and second illuminating units.
US08228491B2

The Field Testing Instrument (FTI) is designed for use in the regular maintenance and installation of airport Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI). The FTI is a self-contained and portable instrument that accurately measures the most important PAPI parameters, such as vertical aiming angle, transition angle, and light intensity. In addition to working with the current incandescent PAPIs, the FTI also measures parameters specific to the next generation LED PAPI. The FTI uses modern, efficient technology to reduce the life-cycle cost of approach lighting systems. The FTI improves on traditional PAPI testing methods by directly measuring the PAPI light beam focused to a target plate, as if seen from the pilot perspective. Due to significantly improvements in measurement accuracy and reliability, the FTI may supplement and even replace costly flight checks for PAPI maintenance with ground based operation.
US08228489B2

The present invention relates to a thermally compensated optical sensing system for identifying various types of liquid fuels and/or the ratio in liquid fuel mixtures on real time. In this system, an optical fiber is used as a light guide and a sensor device for determining the refractive index of liquid fuels through the principle of reflectivity. Starting from a light source, light is transmitted interiorly of the optical fiber to the test probe which is in contact with the fuel. The optical signal resulting from the interaction between light and fuel is a function of refractive indexes of the optical fiber and the fuel, the wavelength of light used, and the fuel temperature. The system proposed herein relates to the use of this optical system in liquid fuels by using optical fibers having suitable refractive indexes as a function of the fuel type and/or fuel mixture being analyzed, allowing the sensitivity of the optical system to be optimized according to application requirements.
US08228484B2

An exposure apparatus is an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by filling a liquid between a projection optical system and the substrate, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid, wherein the projection optical system has a first group comprising an optical member that contacts the liquid, and a second group that differs from that first group; the first group is supported by a first support member; and the second group is separated from the first group and is supported by the second support member that differs from the first support member.
US08228479B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate and a counter substrate with liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween. Support columns which project toward the TFT substrate are formed on the counter substrate. A plurality of gate signal lines, a plurality of drain signal lines, thin film transistors, an insulation film which covers the thin film transistors, organic films which are arranged on the insulation film, and a transparent electrode which constitutes a common electrode arranged on an upper layer of the organic films, are formed on the TFT substrate. A metal film which constitutes a common electrode auxiliary line is arranged on an upper layer of the transparent electrode. The insulation film, the organic films, the transparent electrode, and the metal film are laminated in this order on the gate signal lines, and portions of the metal film arranged on the transparent electrode form pedestals corresponding to the support columns.
US08228477B2

In a liquid crystal display device of an IPS system, to realize reduction of manufacturing cost and improvement of yield by decreasing the number of steps for manufacturing a TFT. A channel etch type bottom gate TFT structure, where patterning of a source region and a drain region and patterning of a source wiring and a pixel electrode are carried out by the same photomask.
US08228473B2

A liquid crystal display device including first and second substrates, a liquid crystal layer, a plurality of gate bus lines and a plurality of drain bus lines. A plurality of pixel regions are defined by the gate bus lines and the drain bus lines. Pixel electrodes are divided into at least four regions such that at least four domains of different liquid crystal orientation directions are defined within the pixel regions. The first and second regions each include a micro-cutout pattern including a plurality of cutouts extending in a slanted direction with respect to an edge of the first or second region, respectively, and the cutouts of the first region and the cutouts of the second region are generally parallel to each other both within each of the regions as well as across the first and second regions.
US08228472B2

A liquid crystal lens cell comprises a pair of flat layers with the liquid crystal lens supported between the layers. One of the layers supports a planar electrode made of ITO. The other electrode, also formed of ITO, is supported in the center of the opposing substrate and projects downwardly toward the center of the liquid crystal layer. A power supply creates a potential difference between the two electrodes and accordingly imposes a non-uniform electric field on the liquid crystal modules which aligns them in which a way as to act as a lens. By varying the voltage between the two electrodes the focal length of the lens may be controlled. A central electrode may be in the form of a beam or of a pointed tip. In other embodiments of the invention an electrode having a central hole may be associated with the central electrode or the planar electrode.
US08228467B2

A reflective color filter liquid crystal display, in the reverse order of receiving incident light, includes a backplane substrate, a reflective electrode layer, a planar liquid crystal cell, a transparent protective dielectric layer and a transparent plate. The transparent plate is adapted for receiving and transmitting the incident light. The planar liquid crystal cell is sandwiched between the reflective electrode layer and the transparent conductive film. The reflective electrode layer further includes a first band reflective electrode, a second band reflective electrode and a third band reflective electrode in a regularly tiled planar arrangement.
US08228466B2

A liquid crystal display comprises a matrix pattern formed in a double layer comprising a lower pattern having a hydrophilic property on a substrate, and a black matrix having a hydrophobic property on the lower pattern; and color filters formed in the pixel area.
US08228461B2

A compact liquid crystal display device is provided by connecting a plurality of liquid crystal display panel units each provided with a light guiding plate unit on a back side with a connection portion and supplying a laser light source via the connection portion. The compact liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of display portions formed of liquid crystal display panel units and light guiding plate units disposed in intimate contact with the back sides of the liquid crystal display panel units, a connection portion connecting a plurality of the display portions, and a laser light source. By supplying a laser beam emitted from the laser light source to the light guiding plate units via the connection portion, the display surfaces of the liquid crystal display panel units are illuminated by the laser beam.
US08228454B2

The present invention provides a simplifying method for a peeling process as well as peeling and transcribing to a large-size substrate uniformly. A feature of the present invention is to peel a first adhesive and to cure a second adhesive at the same time in a peeling process, thereby to simplify a manufacturing process. In addition, the present invention is to devise the timing of transcribing a peel-off layer in which up to an electrode of a semiconductor are formed to a predetermined substrate. In particular, a feature is that peeling is performed by using a pressure difference in the case that peeling is performed with a state in which plural semiconductor elements are formed on a large-size substrate.
US08228450B2

A liquid crystal display includes a thin film transistor, a liquid crystal capacitor, which is electrically connected to the thin film transistor and includes a liquid crystal layer, and a storage capacitor, which is electrically connected to the thin film transistor in parallel to the liquid crystal capacitor, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a positive dielectric anisotropy and is disposed in a twisted nematic mode, and a capacitance ratio of a capacitance of the storage capacitor to a capacitance of the liquid crystal capacitor is approximately 0.4 or more.
US08228448B2

A backlight module including a beam splitting film, a light guide plate, and two light emitting elements is provided. The beam splitting film includes a light transmissive plate and multiple strip-shaped protrusion structures. Each of the strip-shaped protrusion structures has a first inclined surface group and a second inclined surface group. The first inclined surface group includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface with different slopes. The second inclined surface group includes a third inclined surface and a fourth inclined surface with different slopes. The light guide plate is disposed beside the beam splitting film. The two light emitting elements are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the light guide plate and capable of flickering alternately. A stereo display apparatus is also provided.
US08228445B2

A rear projection imaging system with an image warping distortion correction system using a camera and processing unit to generate a warping map that corrects for image distortion. The warping map is generated in an iterative process by displaying a known pattern on a viewing screen and, through the use of a camera, having a microprocessor determine the location and shape of the pattern on the screen. The microprocessor then compares the displayed image to the original reference image, calculates the distortion effects present in the projection optics, and generates a warping map.
US08228443B2

A video projection device includes: a video display element, a projection lens, a converter lens, and a video processing part. The video display element displays a video by an electrical video signal. The projection lens projects on a screen the video displayed on the video display element. The converter lens is attachably and detachably provided for the projection lens. The video processing part outputs different video signals to the video display element in accordance with whether or not the converter lens is attached.
US08228442B2

A digital broadcasting receiver having multiple tuners and a method of selecting a tuner in the digital broadcasting receiver. An embodiment of the present invention attempts to tune each tuner with transponder data of a satellite being connected to a digital broadcasting receiver having multiple tuners and selects one tuner to search channels according to the result of tuning. The transponder input procedure and the following tuner selection procedure can be omitted such that the tuner selection procedure can be simplified.
US08228441B2

An apparatus and a method capable of receiving digital broadcasting without image discontinuity during channel switching. A digital multimedia broadcasting receiver buffers a previous channel while a new channel is buffered in a deinterleaver, thereby preventing image discontinuity during channel switching. The digital broadcasting receiver receives and deinterleaves broadcast data of a channel to be changed and stores the deinterleaved broadcast data in a buffer when a broadcast channel change is requested. The digital broadcasting receiver outputs and displays broadcast data of an initial channel stored in the buffer and stops output of the broadcast data of the initial channel and outputs the broadcast data of the channel to be changed, when the broadcast data of the channel to be changed are stored in the buffer by a predetermined buffering size.
US08228440B2

This receiver includes a control portion detecting whether or not an antenna is connected and whether or not the connected antenna is an active antenna and a power supply portion supplying power to the antenna, while the control portion controls the power supply portion to supply power to the antenna when detecting that the connected antenna is an active antenna and controls the power supply portion not to supply power to the antenna when at least detecting that the antenna is not connected.
US08228439B2

A television receiver having: an external input terminal to receive a non-RF signal from a first external device, the non-RF signal being a video and/or audio signal which is not modulated into a radio frequency signal; an RF input terminal to receive an RF signal from a second external device, the RF signal being generated by modulating a video and/or audio signal, and an external-input switching unit to perform switching selection to the non-RF signal received through the external input terminal, wherein the external-input switching unit is capable of tuning in a frequency of RF signal transferred through the RF input terminal to perform switching selection to a receiving channel when the detecting unit detects that an RF signal has been transferred through the RF input terminal.
US08228437B2

A video processing method and apparatus for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device is disclosed. The video processing method for the LCD device includes detecting noise by comparing data of a previous frame with data of a current frame, if the noise is detected, removing the noise from the current frame data, and outputting the resultant current frame data having no noise together with the previous frame data, and comparing the previous frame data with the resultant current frame data having no noise in a lookup table, selecting overdriving data corresponding to the comparison result, and outputting the selected overdriving data.
US08228429B2

In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, de-interlacing may be accomplished by using an edge gradient to select a best interpolation direction for several adjacent pixels between two lines of interlaced video. The interpolation of the intermediate line is performed using the best direction. Then the pixels in the line above and below are analyzed to determine whether the interpolated pixel value should actually be used in view of the possible presence of artifacts.
US08228428B2

The present invention relates to a video signal processing method and a video signal processing apparatus. The video signal processing apparatus receives a picture datum, which includes M×N pixel data, wherein a scan orientation of the pixel data includes M pixel data. The video signal processing apparatus includes a horizontal scaling unit and a timing control unit. The horizontal scaling unit scales the pixel data of the scan orientation of the picture datum to obtain P pixel data. The timing control unit transfers the P pixel data to a scan-line signal of the video signal, determines the number of times of outputting the scan-line signal according to a ratio of Q to N, sequentially outputs the scan-line signal according to the number of times of outputting the scan-line signal and thus outputs the video signal with a resolution of P×Q.
US08228423B2

An imaging apparatus includes: flash driving means for driving a flash during a set preliminary emission period and a set main emission period; and an image sensor constituted by a plurality of photoelectric converting elements which are arranged in a matrix and capable of being accessed randomly. The charge accumulation initiation timing and the charge accumulation cessation timing of the photoelectric converting elements line are controlled line by line or pixel by pixel. The imaging apparatus forms images employing pixel signals output from the photoelectric converting elements, and determines main regions within the images. The preliminary emission period is set such that charge accumulation in photoelectric converting elements corresponding to pixels that constitute the main region is initiated prior to the preliminary emission period and ceased after the preliminary emission period. The flash driving means drives the flash during the set preliminary emission period.
US08228417B1

Methods and apparatus for capturing and rendering images with focused plenoptic cameras employing different filtering at different microlenses. In a focused plenoptic camera, the main lens creates an image at the focal plane. That image is re-imaged on the sensor multiple times by an array of microlenses. Different filters that provide different levels and/or types of filtering may be combined with different ones of the microlenses. A flat captured with the camera includes multiple microimages captured according to the different filters. Multiple images may be assembled from the microimages, with each image assembled from microimages captured using a different filter. A final image may be generated by appropriately combining the images assembled from the microimages. Alternatively, a final image, or multiple images, may be assembled from the microimages by first combining the microimages and then assembling the combined microimages to produce one or more output images.
US08228415B2

A lens barrel capable of, in a housed state of the photographing lens barrel, making an image pickup apparatus more compact than the conventional image pickup apparatuses, while protecting an image pickup element from harmful light. The lens barrel comprises a lens holding section adapted to hold a lens, a dimming filter adapted to be retractable to reduce light from an object, a shutter adapted to be opened and closed to shield the light from the object, and a control unit adapted to control the movement of the lens holding section, the dimming filter and the shutter. The control unit is adapted, in a non-image-pickup state, to close the shutter and to retreat the dimming filter, and adapted to move the lens or the lens holding section to a space formed by retreating of the dimming filter.
US08228408B2

An image sensor has a plurality of pixels in a pixel array. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion unit below an insulating layer and a light guide to transmit light to the photoelectric conversion unit. Across five or more pixels arrayed in a direction, the light guides have a spacing between them that varies non-monotonically across the five or more pixels. A width of the light guide and/or a horizontal pitch between consecutive light guides may vary non-monotonically across same. A light guide of a pixel that detects light of shorter wavelengths only may be narrower than a light guide of another pixel that detects light of longer wavelengths. A color filter may be coupled to the light guide. A width of a gap between consecutive color filters may vary non-monotonically across same. A pitch between the gaps may vary non-monotonically across same.
US08228406B2

Systems, methods, and devices for applying lens shading correction to image data captured by an image sensor are provided. In one embodiment, multiple lens shading adaptation functions, each modeled based on the response of a color channel to a reference illuminant, are provided. An image frame from the image data may be analyzed to select a lens shading adaptation function corresponding to a reference illuminant that most closely matches a current illuminant. The selected lens shading function may then be used to adjust a set of lens shading parameters.
US08228399B2

A camera, and a method and apparatus for providing photographing guide information are provided. The camera extracts first scene information expressing features of a first scene that a user intends to photograph when a user input requesting scene setup is received. The camera extracts second scene information expressing features of a second scene that is captured in a photographing standby state. The camera uses the first scene information and the second scene information to generate guide information for guiding a photographer capturing the second scene to photograph the first scene, and providing the guide information to the display.
US08228398B2

An electronic camera system has an electronic camera and a cradle. The electronic camera includes an image pickup section that photoelectrically converts a subject image to generate image data, a first recording section that records image data, a first connecting terminal used for transmission/reception of data to/from an outside of the camera, and a camera controlling section that transfers the image data to the outside of the camera. The cradle includes a second connecting terminal constructed to be capable of engaging with the first connecting terminal, a cradle controlling section that transmits/receives data to/from the electronic camera, and a second recording section in which the image data transferred from the electronic camera can be recorded. Also, at least one of the electronic camera and the cradle further includes a transfer determination section which determines a possibility of transferring the image data based on predetermined authentication information.
US08228397B2

An image sensing apparatus includes: an image sensing section for sensing an image of a subject; a detector for detecting a luminance of the subject; a compressor for compressing a dynamic range of the subject image; and a controller for controlling a compression characteristic to be used in compressing the dynamic range based on a detection result of the detector.
US08228395B2

In a digital still camera, pixel values representing an image frame in a first format are stored in a memory. The pixel values of the image frame in the first format are converted to a second format. The pixel values in the second format are stored in the memory by overwriting at least a portion of the pixel values in the first format. Memory space is thus conserved by the overwriting, thereby requiring reduced memory for storage of pixel values in the digital still camera. The minimum delay (shot to shot interval) required between user-indicated image capture instances is also reduced.
US08228391B2

An imaging apparatus capable of preventing photographing sensitivity from being increased more than necessary, reducing image quality degradation caused by camera shake or object shake and easily photographing images in good image quality. Digital camera 1 includes image shake correcting selection 16 that corrects shake of an optical image of a photographing object formed by the imaging optical system L, digital signal amplification section 110 that amplifies an image signal with a gain set by digital signal gain setting section 111, face detection section 120 that detects a face of a fast-moving specific photographing object such as a child or pet, and motion detection section 100 that detects motion of the face of the specific photographing object based on an output of face detection section 120, wherein when a fast-moving specific photographing object such as a child or pet or the face of the specific photographing object is detected, microcomputer 3 increases the gain of a photographing sensitivity changing function compared with when no specific photographing object such as a child or pet is detected, increases ISO sensitivity, increases a shutter speed and shortens exposure time.
US08228387B2

A miniaturized anti-vibration image pickup device is provided, including a fixing base, a moving plane disposed on the fixing base that moves along a first direction and a second direction opposite to the fixing base, an image pickup member disposed on the moving plane, and a driving member. The driving member includes a first magnet and a second magnet disposed on the fixing base. A circuit board is disposed on the fixing base, wherein a first precision coil pattern and a second precision coil pattern are printed on the circuit board. The first precision coil pattern and the second precision coil pattern are formed by a electronic signal and move opposite to the first magnet and the second magnet disposed on the fixing base, so that the anti-vibration image pickup devices moved forward to restrain and compensate for blurred images. The coil on the circuit board designed by printed, reduces thickness of the whole device effectively.
US08228386B2

Faults resulting in reception of a still, but unknown, frame are recognized by comparing each received frame of the video signal with its predecessor, incrementing a counter in the event that the difference between the frames falls below a threshold; and generating an alarm signal in the event that the count of the counter exceeds a predetermined count. Other types of fault such as loss of signal (i.e. reception of just noise) are recognized by incrementing the counter whenever the difference exceeds a threshold. Similar results may be obtained by instead the monitoring quantization step size and/or number of transmitted bits of a digitally coded signal, and noting that it falls below, or exceeds, a threshold. A preferred option is to compute a complexity measure, being a monotonically increasing function (e.g the product) of the quantization step size and of the number of coded bits and compare this with the threshold value. Faults occasioned by receipt of a particular fixed image instead of the wanted picture are recognized by comparing each frame of the video signal with the fixed image, and generating an alarm signal in the event that the difference between the frames consistently falls below a threshold.
US08228383B2

An image pickup apparatus includes a motion amount detecting unit that detects an amount of motion of an object on the basis of an image signal of the object, a type information storage unit that stores a plurality of type information items used for detecting the type of the object, a type detecting unit that detects a type of the object on the basis of the stored type information items and the image signal of the object, a moving distance estimating unit that estimates a distance through which the object moves in an imaging screen on the basis of the detected amount of motion of the object and the object type detected by the type detecting unit, and a ranging area control unit that controls the size of a ranging area on the basis of the estimated distance through which the object moves in the imaging screen.
US08228382B2

A system for counting people in a specified area. The system includes a camera for capturing an image of the specified area and a computer for receiving the captured image. The computer analyzes the image to detect people by detecting head or face shapes in the image. The computer counts the detected head or face shapes to determine a number of people within the specified area. The computer may confirm that the head or face shapes are human by determining if the shapes have the approximate coloration of a human. The system may detect stationary or moving persons. In addition, the system may detect the presence of video recording devices in a room. The system may also detect if a seat is occupied by determining that a pattern in the seat is blocked or the outline of the seat is blocked.
US08228381B2

A video and data capturing system and method includes a mobile unit having an image sensor and motion sensing equipment connected to a microprocessor. The mobile unit is installed in an object for detecting visual images and motion data associated with the object. The mobile unit communicates with a base unit capable of analyzing the image and motion data and correcting the image data so it is level with the horizon. A foot unit may be used in conjunction with the mobile unit for detection of an athlete's foot acceleration for determining when the athlete's foot comes in contact with the ground. A field unit may be used in conjunction with the mobile unit and foot unit to determine the location of the foot unit on a playing surface to assist in determining whether an athlete is in or out of bounds, or their location on the playing surface.
US08228375B2

A stereoscopic display device has a plurality of sub-pixel units respectively arranged along a first axis and a second axis. Each sub-pixel unit and the adjacent sub-pixel unit along the first axis have a predetermined dislocation in the second axis. Each of the sub-pixel unit includes a first sub-pixel row having a first sub-pixel and two second sub-pixels arranged along the first axis, a second sub-pixel row under the first sub-pixel row having a first sub-pixel and two second sub-pixels arranged along the first axis, and a three sub-pixel row under the second sub-pixel row having three third sub-pixels arranged along the first axis. The stereoscopic display device also has a parallax panel having a plurality of transparent regions and shielding regions alternately parallel to each other.
US08228372B2

A digital video editing and playback system and methods of editing and playing back digital video are provided. The system includes a video processor adapted to receive video segments from multiple sources. The video segments include synchronization information. The video processor includes software instructions adapted to be executed by the video processor. The software instructions are adapted to evaluate the synchronization information from various video segments and to form associations between video segments from different sources that correspond to a common event.
US08228369B2

An endoscope apparatus includes a polygonal camera module integrally formed at a wafer level by aligning and bonding a light collecting surface side of a lens wafer formed by laminating a plurality of optical wafers on which a plurality of optical parts are formed, and a device surface side of a sensor wafer on which a plurality of solid-state image pickup devices are formed, and then separating the aligned and bonded lens wafer and sensor wafer into individual pieces, wherein an endoscope functional portion is located in a region from an edge end portion of the camera module to an outer peripheral end of an outer shape portion.
US08228357B2

A display system (110) has a subpixel array (120) and a light source (140). In normal mode, image data (164) are processed by the display system to generate subpixel values (174) for the subpixels (130) and to generate a light source control value (BL) for the light source (140). In bypass mode suitable for testing new types of image-data processing, the subpixel values and the light source control value are generated by an external system (210) and are provided to the display system which is operated in bypass mode. The light source control value is not provided separately from the subpixel values but is encoded into some bits of the subpixel values for compatibility with older interfaces. The light source control value is encoded into the subpixel values' MSBs in case the subpixel values could be truncated. Other features are also provided.
US08228355B2

A display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a display configured to have a backlight; a driver configured to drive the backlight; first and second temperature measurement modules, configured to measure temperatures of the display device, disposed in different positions in the display; a first comparison module configured to compare the temperature measured in the first temperature measurement module with a first threshold value; a second comparison module configured to compare the temperature measured in the second temperature measurement module with a second threshold value different from the first threshold value; and a controller controlling an output current value of the driver based on a comparison result in the first comparison module and the second comparison module.
US08228349B2

A method for writing data to a display includes the steps of receiving a plurality of data bits, where each bit is associated with a different pixel of the display, reading the value of each data bit, determining whether each data bits has an off-state value, and generating a disable signal if each data bit has an off-state value. Responsive to a disable signal, the method further includes suspending the transfer of data to the pixels of the display, turning off a light source (e.g., an LED, laser, etc.) for a time period dependent on the significance of at least one of the data bits, and/or forcing each pixel of the display into an off state for a time period dependent on the significance of at least one of the data bits. A display driver circuit for performing the methods of the present invention is also disclosed.
US08228348B2

The invention describes a method for improving the spatial and off-axis conformance of display systems with respect to an enforced greyscale or color display standard. In the display systems, the native transfer curve is obtained for each pixel or zone of pixels, i.e. as a function of position on the display and as a function of viewing-angle. Once that information is available, an optimal conversion scheme from P-value to DDL can be created for each position on the display and this for all possible viewing-angles. In use, the conversion scheme is used to obtain an improved DICOM behavior. This optimization is also done with respect to the viewing-angle, based on a pre-set, selectable or measured viewing angle.
US08228345B2

An image generation method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing apparatus from a video recording device attached to a backside of a video monitor connected to the computing apparatus, a video data stream comprising a first video image of an input device connected to the computing apparatus and a second video image of a users hands enabling switches on the input device. An input device image associated with the input device is displayed. The computing apparatus super-imposes and displays a hand image associated with the user's hands over the input device image. The computing apparatus adjusts a brightness of the hand image such that the input device image is visible through the hand image.
US08228339B2

A graphics animation and compositing operations framework has a layer tree for interfacing with the application and a render tree for interfacing with a render engine. Layers in the layer tree can be content, windows, views, video, images, text, media, or other types of objects for an application's user interface. The application commits state changes to the layers of the layer tree. The application does not need to include explicit code for animating the changes to the layers. Instead, an animation is determined for animating the change in state by the framework which can define a set of predetermined animations based on motion, visibility, and transition. The determined animation is explicitly applied to the affected layers in the render tree. A render engine renders from the render tree into a frame buffer. Portions of the render tree changing relative to prior versions can be tracked to improve resource management.
US08228330B2

A system and a method are disclosed for visually displaying data points using charts on a display screen with limited display area. A fixed magnification area allows presentation of detailed information for some data points compared to other data points that are displayed. The chart can be moved relative to the fixed magnification area thereby changing the data points displayed within the fixed magnification area that present additional information. The relative movement between the chart and the fixed magnification area is triggered by different kinds of inputs from the user including, tilting of the device, swiping with a pointing device and selecting a particular data point.
US08228327B2

A method for rendering stereoscopic images with non-linear depth variation. The method includes storing content in memory that is ready for rendering, e.g., computer animated images including animated objects or models. A processor is operated to position stereo or horizontally offset cameras and to render the images based on a non-linear relationship between disparity assigned to one or more of the animated objects and a distance between the cameras and the objects. The non-linear relationship is defined by a function or algorithm callable by the processor such as a function that defines a curved depth variation for the computer animated scene. In other cases, the non-linear relationship is defined by stored table, and the rendering includes using the distance between the cameras and an object to retrieve the disparity value to assign to that object. More than one non-linear relationship may be used to render objects with differing depth variations.
US08228320B2

An integrated circuit device includes: a high-speed serial interface circuit including a receiver circuit that receives a differential signal through a serial bus; a first terminal into which a first signal included in the differential signal is inputted; a second terminal into which a second signal included in the differential signal is inputted; a receiver circuit power supply terminal to which a power supply voltage applied to a high-voltage side of the receiver circuit is supplied; a first terminating resistor provided between the first terminal and a first node; a second terminating resistor provided between the second terminal and a second node; and a switching element provided between the first and the second nodes. In the device, the switching element is turned on in a high-speed serial interface mode and is turned off in a parallel interface mode by using the power supply from the receiver circuit power supply terminal.
US08228319B2

A display device includes a display panel and a controller driver. The controller driver includes: a preceding image processing stage performing color-reduction processing on input image data to generate color-reduced image data; a memory; a latter image processing stage to perform modification processing on the color-reduced image data received from the memory to generate output image data; and a driver circuit driving the display panel in response to the output image data. The latter image processing stage is provided with a counter generating a counter value; a binary LUT outputting an LUT output value in response to the counter value and coordinates of a target pixel selected from the plurality of pixels; and a selector section generating the output image data from the color-reduced image data in response to the LUT output value. The bit width of the output image data is identical to that of the color-reduced image data.
US08228316B2

There is provided a video signal processing apparatus including motion picture region detecting, transition region generating unit, still level delay unit which delays the output from the transition region generating unit for output, addition unit which adds an error diffused from neighboring pixels to a video signal, still image processing unit which performs a still image process on a video signal, motion picture processing unit which performs a motion picture process on a video signal, selection unit which outputs a video signal on which the still image process has been performed or a video signal on which the motion picture process has been performed, subtraction unit which calculates a difference between an input video signal and an output video signal, multiplication unit which multiplies an error by a predetermined constant, and a delay unit which delays the error and diffuses the error to neighboring pixels.
US08228313B2

A keypad assembly includes a keypad cover, a printed circuit board and a sensing module. The sensing module is arranged between the keypad cover and the printed circuit board. The sensing module is used to sense touches of a user's finger on the keypad cover. A portable electronic device equipped with the keypad assembly is also described.
US08228302B2

A display apparatus and a data read-out controller thereof are provided. The display apparatus comprises a touch display module, a first data read-out controller, and a second data read-out controller. Each of the first and the second data read-out controllers comprises a first read-out switch, a second read-out switch, a first sampling unit, and a second sampling unit. According to the time division multiple output operated by the first sampling units, the first read-out switches, the second sampling units, and the second read-out switches of the first and the second data read-out controllers, the number of the output points and power loss can be reduced effectively.
US08228298B2

Method of transmitting tactile information to a tactile display with a touch plate containing pads, the touch plate being controlled by a server, in which, (a) tactile information is defined as being a sequence of a predefined number of images together forming a pattern, each image having a rank in the pattern, each pattern being defined by: a design of successive images a duration for each image, a duration between consecutive images, a duration between consecutive patterns; (b) said word is transmitted to a tactile display server, preceded by a beacon indicating that data following the beacon must be directed to the touch plate control server; (c) a series of instructions is activated when the server receives the word, this series having a start address that depends on said word, said series of instructions being used to display the successive images together forming the pattern corresponding to the word to be displayed, said series of instructions being repeated to display the same pattern a predefined number of times or for a predetermined duration.
US08228297B2

An electronic device includes a keyboard module, which has a plurality of first keys, a plurality of second keys, a first vibration element and a second vibration element. When any one of the first keys is pressed or touched, the first vibration element vibrates accordingly; and when any one of the second keys is pressed or touched, the second vibration element vibrates accordingly thereby providing a tactile feedback to a user.
US08228288B2

A color liquid crystal display device capable of displaying color images comprises an input pen for use in determining the individual position for color display on the screen of a liquid crystal display panel, a coordinate detector for recognizing the position as designated by the input pen to output the position as the corresponding coordinate data, a color designator circuit for designating a color as presently selected for color display to output the color as a color data, a memory device for storing the color data representative of the color designated, a memory controller responsive to receipt of an address issued from the selected coordinate data for controlling the color data to be written into and read out of the memory, and an output controller which allows the color data read from the memory to be supplied to the liquid crystal display panel as video data.
US08228284B2

The present invention describes a lighting apparatus which includes a regulator configured to receive power, LEDs of at least two different colors, and a programmable controller. The programmable controller includes software that is configured to provide a digital pulse width signal to the LEDs in response to a data signal. Also included is according to an embodiment of the present invention is a programmable controller with non-volatile memory for storing the software, which may be upgradeable.
US08228282B2

In a gate driving circuit and a display apparatus having the gate driving circuit, a pull-up transistor of a present stage among plural stages, which are connected one after another to each other and sequentially output a gate signal, pulls up a present gate signal output through an output terminal to a gate-on voltage. A buffer transistor is connected to a control terminal of the pull-up transistor to receive a previous output signal from a previous stage and to turn on the pull-up transistor. The buffer transistor has a chargeability that is about two times or greater than the chargeability of the pull-up transistor. Thus, the size of the pull-up transistor may be reduced, thereby preventing a malfunction of the gate driving circuit when the gate driving circuit is operated under conditions of high temperature or low temperature.
US08228279B2

An electronic device for enhancing image quality of an LCD monitor is utilized for comparing a voltage level of an output indication signal and a voltage level of a residue power when a start indication signal indicates a scan line signal output circuit from an ON state transformation to an OFF state, to output a comparison result to the scan line signal output circuit, so as to prolong time of the scan line signal output circuit driving a panel of the LCD monitor.
US08228277B2

The invention provides an active matrix EL display device which can perform a clear multi-gray scale color display. In particular, the invention provides a large active matrix EL display device at low cost by a manufacturing method which can selectively form a pattern. Power supply lines in a pixel portion are arranged in matrix by the manufacturing method which can selectively form a pattern. Further, capacitance between wirings is reduced by providing a longer distance between adjacent wirings by the manufacturing method which can selectively form a pattern.
US08228262B2

Multimedia from a source can be wirelessly transmitted in a 60 GHz system to a display. To support rapid reads of encryption, EDID, and other data written into a slave at the display by a master at the source in accordance with I2C protocol, a master simulator on the display side continually polls the slave for changes, and maintains a shadow memory in a slave simulator at the source side current, so that reads from the master may be immediately executed from the shadow memory in the slave simulator without transmitting the wireless link.
US08228253B2

An antenna for communicating with a satellite from a moving vehicle. The antenna comprises a transmitter for generating a transmission signal, main and sub reflectors, and a waveguide associated with the transmitter for conducting the transmission signal toward the sub reflector. The sub reflector is configured for redirecting the transmission signal toward the main reflector; the main reflector is configured for projecting the redirected transmission signal as an antenna beam toward the satellite.
US08228245B2

A multiband antenna includes at least two polygons. The at least two polygons are spaced by means of a non-straight gap shaped as a space-filling curve, in such a way that the whole gap length is increased yet keeping its size and the same overall antenna size allowing for an effective tuning of frequency bands of the anenna.
US08228240B2

A portable terminal is provided that has a terminal body, a receiver located in the terminal body, the receiver being oriented in a first direction, and a ground unit located in the terminal body. The ground unit includes a first ground portion connected to the receiver, and a second ground portion connected to the first ground portion at a position on the first ground portion at a distance from the receiver. The second ground portion is configured to emit electromagnetic waves in a second direction away from the first direction.
US08228238B2

An antenna assembly including a ground plane and a radiator supported above the ground plane is disclosed. The radiator may include a slot to configure the radiator to be resonant in at least two frequency ranges and a grounding point coupled to the ground plane. The radiator may be a dual-band planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) having an upper surface opposite the ground plane. First and second antenna modules may be coupled to the upper surface of the PIFA. The first and second antenna modules may be patch antennas, such as stacked patch antennas.
US08228235B2

The present invention provides for an antenna and a method for providing an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic waves of at least one predefined frequency and a circular polarization, the antenna comprising at least a first support having upper and lower faces and at least one pair of substantially identical upper and lower radiating elements disposed on the upper and lower faces, respectively, each radiating element being capable of transmitting and/or receiving electromagnetic waves of circular polarization with a phase center located at a predefined position.
US08228232B2

In an exemplary embodiment, a phased array solid-state architecture has dual-polarized feeds and is manufactured, for example, on highly flexible silicon germanium (SiGe). The implementation of dual-polarized feeds facilitates the operation of phased arrays where the polarization can be statically or dynamically controlled on a subarray or element basis. In an exemplary embodiment, the sub-component control is configured to optimize a performance characteristic associated with polarization, such as phase or amplitude adjustment. An active phased array architecture may replace traditional distributed and GaAs implementations for the necessary functions required to operate electronically steerable phased array antennas. The architecture combines active versions of vector generators, power splitters, power combiners, and RF hybrids in a novel fashion to realize a fully or substantially monolithic solution for a wide range of antenna applications that can be realized with radiating elements having single-polarized or dual-polarized feeds.
US08228224B2

A method includes receiving a first identification signal, where the first identification signal corresponds to a first control. The method also includes determining an active device function to which the first control corresponds, where the active device function is a first function of a first device when the first device is active and where the active device function is a second function of a second device when the second device is active. The method also includes triggering emission of an audible signal identifying the active device function.
US08228220B2

Methods, systems and apparatuses for operating a converter or other circuits are disclosed. More particularly, in one embodiment a converter or other circuit can be operated in two modes which may include the count-to-time and time-to count modes to determine an output value corresponding to an input signal. During operation in the count-to-time mode a converter may be operated using a reference signal to determine a number of clock cycles needed until an output corresponds to a scaling factor is reached. During operation of the circuit in the time-to-count mode then, the converter may be operated for this number of clock cycles using the input signal to determine an output. This output may be proportional to the level on the input signal.
US08228214B2

A variable-length code decoding apparatus that decodes a bitstream includes: a storage unit that stores a variable-length code table; a bitstream cutout unit that outputs a bit string of a fixed length; a reference unit that outputs decoded data and a code length with reference to the storage unit; a determination unit that determines whether a bit string of the fixed length is accumulated; a determination unit that determines whether a bit string of a length that is shorter than the fixed length is accumulated; and a selection unit that selects one of the determination results from the determination units. The bitstream cutout unit sets a starting bit based on the selected determination result, and the selection unit switches the selection of the determination results from the determination units.
US08228209B2

Method and apparatus for mounting and locating untethered embedded antenna elements in the dielectric cover of electric utility meters configured for but not limited to wireless remote one way or two way radio communications for automated metering applications such as remote meter reading, remote connect/disconnect, home area networking, meter equipment firmware downloads, load management or locations based services. A multiplicity of untethered integral antenna elements and topologies may be located within a replacement dielectric cover for a direct-connect cable free or cable connection to a radio or microwave modem. Also described is a method and apparatus for retro-fitting the antenna elements on the inner face of an existing utility meter dielectric cover.
US08228204B2

A client device for creating a virtual fence includes a locator that determines a location of the client device. The client device includes a receiver that receives speech data and transmits the speech data to a speech processor that isolates an individual voice signature from the speech data. The client device includes a profile storage that stores profile information of a user of the client device. The client device includes an alarm generator that generates an alarm based on the isolated individual voice signature and the location of the client device.
US08228194B2

An energy harvesting circuit has an active automatic tuning circuit to search for broadcast frequencies in a band of interest and selecting only those broadcast signals received with sufficient RF strength to be used in energy harvesting. This circuit would provide power storage devices with a circuit that has a means to select the ambient RF that can maximize or enhance the performance of an RFID circuit by increasing the amount of energy for harvesting. This automatic tuning would enable a power storage devices charger circuit to move from location to location without manual tuning of the circuit and increase the effective range of an RFID circuit.
US08228181B2

A physiological trend monitor has a sensor signal responsive to multiple wavelengths of light transmitted into a tissue site. The transmitted light is detected after attenuation by pulsatile blood flow within the tissue site. A processor has an input responsive to the sensor signal and a physiological parameter output. Features are extracted from the physiological parameter output. Criteria are applied to the features. An alarm output is generated when the criteria are satisfied.
US08228180B2

A fuel efficiency display for a vehicle includes a scale extending vertically on a screen with a bar superimposed over the scale to represent the instantaneous fuel efficiency of the vehicle. A numerical representation of the instantaneous fuel efficiency of the vehicle is displayed above the scale and the bar. A first marker indicating and a numerical representation of the average fuel efficiency of the vehicle over a pre-selected range is displayed on a left side of the scale and the bar. A second marker indicating a numerical representation of the greatest fuel efficiency achieved by the vehicle over the pre-selected range is displayed on a right side of the scale and the bar.
US08228177B1

An automobile security device includes an enclosing housing mounted to a roof of a vehicle. An erectable, pivoting mooring post is located within the housing. A motion control and power delivery system erects the mooring post upon activation providing power and control to devices mounted to the post. Means are provided for activating and controlling the control system. Various surveillance devices are mounted to the mooring post including a video camera, a lighting system to illuminate an area surrounding the vehicle and sound recording equipment to record sounds adjacent the vehicle. The means for activating and controlling the motion control and power delivery system includes manual controls located within the vehicle, a wireless remote control, timing systems linked to starting and turning off of the vehicle electrical system and sound and motion detectors located on the vehicle. The system is provided as original equipment and as an after market product.
US08228152B2

A transformer includes a magnetic element, a first winding, a second winding and a shield. The first winding is wound outside the magnetic element, the second winding is wound outside the first winding, and the shield is disposed between the first winding and the second winding.
US08228148B2

A persistent-mode magnet, assembled from superconducting annuli, provides a micro coil NMR, in which compactness and manufacturability are provided for a variety of applications. An annular magnet for micro NMR can include a YBCO-annulus Helmholtz coil, for example, that can energized by a magnet system and then transported for use at a second location with an operating system.
US08228147B2

A supported superconducting magnet, comprising a superconducting magnet arranged within an outer vacuum container; and a support structure bearing the weight of the superconducting magnet against a support surface. The support structure comprises a tubular suspension element located between the magnet and the support surface, said tubular suspension element retaining the magnet in a fixed relative position with reference to the outer vacuum container by means of complementary interface surfaces arranged to transmit the weight of the superconducting magnet to the support structure. The tubular suspension element is arranged about a generally vertical axis, and supports a solenoidal magnet structure which is arranged about a generally horizontal axis.
US08228146B2

An apparatus (1) for monitoring the state of a protective device (2) of a machine (4) in particular is a safety switch for monitoring the closed state of a protective door or the like. The apparatus (1) has a switch housing (22) with a switch head (24) and an actuator (8). In the closed state of the protective device (2), the actuator interacts with the switch head (24) and, as a result, the closed state of the protective device (2) can be signaled. The apparatus (1) has a tumbler device (20) with a tumbler element (30) mounted movably in the apparatus (1) and by which the closed state of the protective device (2) can be locked releasably. The tumbler device (20) has at least one permanent magnet (34). By the magnetic force, the tumbler element (30) can be fixed in a first position when the power supply to the apparatus (1) is switched off, in which first position the tumbler device (20) locks the closed state of the protective device (2), and/or can be fixed in a second position, in which the tumbler device (20) does not lock the closed state of the protective device (2).
US08228145B2

An integrated magnetic switch assembly includes a winding assembly portion having a housing, and a cover assembly mounted to the housing. The cover assembly includes at least one rivet terminal and at least one power terminal The at least one rivet terminal includes a body that extends through the cover assembly. The body has a first end that extends to a second end, and an opening that includes a first diameter that extends from the first end to the second end. A sealing member is positioned at the first end of the body about the opening of the at least one rivet terminal. The sealing member includes an opening having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter. A sealing element is positioned between the at least one power terminal and the cover assembly.
US08228144B2

In an electromagnetic relay, length from a movable contact to an end portion of a movable element on a first end side is set greater than length from the movable contact to another end portion of the movable element on a second end side opposite to the first end side. A direction of a Lorentz force acting on a portion of the movable element from the movable contact to the end portion of the movable element on the first end side is conformed to a direction for bringing fixed contacts and movable contacts into contact with each other. Thus, separation between the movable contacts and the fixed contacts due to an electromagnetic repulsive force can be inhibited.
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