US08250751B2
Printed circuit boards have circuit layers with one or more copper filled through-holes and methods of manufacturing the same. An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention enhances thermal characteristics of filled through-holes of printed circuit boards to provide extra reliability to the printed circuit boards. In one embodiment, a printed circuit broad has a plurality of through-holes to connect copper patterns on different layers of the printed circuits broad. Here, at least one of the through-holes is copper plated closed at both ends with at least 70% volume of the through-hole plated with copper to, e.g., enhance thermal characteristics of the through-hole, thereby providing extra reliability to the printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the printed circuit board includes a surface conductor (or cap) that is directly plated over the copper filled barrel plated through-hole.
US08250748B2
An LTCC substrate structure with at least one contact element for connecting a wire conductor, which has a first metallization (20) arranged on and/or in the ceramic substrate for electrical connection to the wire conductor, wherein the first metallization (20) preferably contains silver or a silver alloy. To avoid via posting or a plating process, a diffusion barrier layer covering the first metallization or metal layer, which diffusion barrier layer (22) covering the first metallization (20), which diffusion barrier layer is produced with a locally acting application method, and a second metal layer (24) arranged on the diffusion barrier layer (22) are provided, wherein the second metal layer (24) preferably contains gold and/or platinum and/or an alloy that has at least one of these elements. The invention also discloses a production method for an LTCC substrate structure of this type.
US08250747B2
A method is provided to mount a capacitor array onto a circuit board formed with first leads for connecting power lines to each other and a second lead for grounding. The method uses one of a first connection method of connecting such that first and second capacitor sections are parallel to each other, third capacitor section is in series with the parallel first and second capacitor sections; a second connection method of connecting such that the first to third capacitor sections are in series in sequence; and a third connection method of connecting such that the first and second capacitor sections are in series with each other without using the third capacitor section.
US08250742B2
A die ejector comprises a chamber which can be subjected to vacuum and comprises a cover plate having a hole, a plurality of plates which are arranged in the interior of the chamber, protrude into the first hole and are jointly and also individually displaceable in a direction extending perpendicularly or in an oblique way in relation to the surface of the cover plate, and drive means in order to displace the plates. The drive means comprise a drive mechanism which comprises a motor and a pin which can be moved along a predetermined path and which is movable by the motor between two positions back and forth. Each of the plates comprises a path-like opening. The path-like opening is different from plate to plate in such a way that the plates are displaced in a predetermined sequence in the mentioned direction when the pin is moved along the path.
US08250739B2
A multi-functional assembly device includes a fixed barrel, a number of supporting boards, a rotatable barrel, and a driving device for rotating the rotatable barrel. The fixed barrel includes a number of sidewalls and defines a chamber surrounded by the sidewalls. The supporting boards are configured for holding the lens modules and are able to be secured on the inner surfaces of the sidewalls. The rotatable barrel includes a main body, a number of carrying devices, a number of glue dispensers, and a number of glue solidifying devices. The main body includes a first side surface, a second side surface, and a third side surface facing the inner surfaces of the sidewalls. The carrying devices, the glue dispensers, and the glue solidifying devices are installed on the first side surface, the second side surface, and the third side surface respectively.
US08250730B2
In the disassembling method of a display device of the present invention, the display device has a display panel, and metal plate unit having a panel member formed of a chassis member disposed on the back surface of the display panel and a circuit board as an electric circuit member attached to the chassis member through an attaching member. The disassembling method has a mounting step of mounting metal plate unit on stage whose tilt angle can be adjusted by mechanism section and a cutting step of cutting the attaching member in parallel with the surface of stage with saw blade that abuts on the attaching member by the own weight of metal plate unit based on the tilt angle of stage.
US08250727B2
A machine for manufacturing a band of desired length having a fastener at one end thereof, the machine having a spindle for maintaining a spool of metal band material in proximity to the machine; structure for feeding and ejecting a metal strip into the machine; structure for determining the location of the end of the band; placement structure for positioning the fastener; holding structure for bending the band about the fastener; structure for crimping the fastener to the band; and a cutter for cutting a desired length of the band; width controls for controlling the manufacturing process.
US08250713B2
A hinge assembly, which allows a cable to be disposed therein quickly, includes a first coupling member with a first hole and a first slot, a second coupling member with a second hole and a second slot, and a limit member with a third hole and a third slot. The first, second and third holes collectively define a compartment, with the first, second and third holes being aligned one another. The first, second and third slots collectively define an entrance, with the first, second and third slots being aligned one another. The entrance defines a space with a size greater than a cross-sectional size of the cable to allow insertion of the cable. The limit member is operably rotatable to a position that the cable is retained in the compartment and is prevented from exiting from the entrance.
US08250690B2
A machine for laundry has a drum shaft rotatably mounted by a bearing for driving a laundry drum and having a device for determining loading-relevant characteristic variables or an unbalance of the laundry drum or of the drum shaft. The device for determining loading-relevant characteristic variables or an unbalance includes a magnetic field sensor that senses a magnetized region on the drum shaft or the laundry drum.
US08250679B1
A plunger apparatus, comprising a force cup assembly having a top edge, a neck, and a first bottom edge. An elongated connector has a tube comprising a first top end and a first bottom end. A housing assembly has a second top end and a second bottom edge. An adaptor has a third top end and a third bottom edge. A valve assembly comprises a valve and a fitting. The force cup assembly comprises at least one ridge and the second bottom edge rests upon the at least one ridge. In operation, a force is placed upon the valve assembly, thus biasing the second bottom edge against the at least one ridge to cause the first bottom edge to form a seal upon a drain. Flushing means comprise liquid matter entering via the fitting and flowing through the elongated connector and the force cup assembly when the valve is actuated.
US08250672B2
A material for making elastomeric nitrile rubber articles is disclosed. In particular, the process and material formulation can produce nitrile rubber based articles, which exhibit force-strain characteristics that are comparable to those of natural rubber latex articles, while maintaining the tensile strength properties of nitrile rubber. The process includes an accelerator composition at the pre-cure stage having a dithiocarbamate, a thiazole, and a guanidine compound. The invention also includes an elastomeric nitrile rubber product made by the process, such as examination, surgical, or work gloves, which can have an exterior coating over naked rubber selected from either a silicone emulsion or oil, glycerin solution, a combined mixture of silicone and glycerin/glycerol, a fluorocarbon release agent, or a natural or synthetic hydrocarbon-based oil in amounts that do not degrade said substrate rubber material.
US08256016B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for controlling capabilities of a user software application. A user software application is provided, the user software application including a set of disabled operations. Content capable of being operated on by one or more of the disabled operations in the set of disabled operations is received. Application rights information operable to enable an operation in the set of disabled operations to operate on content within a context specified in the application rights information are received and the operation in the set of disabled operations is enabled to operate on the received content. Methods and apparatus for providing content to be operated on by a user software application and methods and apparatus for providing a configurable, context-dependent user software application are also described.
US08256012B2
A system and a method are provided for activating one or more security functions of a mobile electronic device. The system and method provide for the activation of one or more security functions when the mobile electronic device is stored in a mobile electronic device holder. Security functions include, for example, closing a data item currently being displayed on the mobile electronic device, erasing decrypted information stored on the mobile electronic device, locking the mobile electronic device, and performing a secure garbage collection operation.
US08256010B2
An approach is described for controlling access to a data item using one or more access graphs. The approach entails distributing a compact package of access-related information to a recipient that pertains to the access graphs. The recipient can use the access-related information to access the data item through the access graphs in an off-line mode of operation. In one implementation, the access-related information includes markers associated with edges between nodes in the access graphs. One type of marker can link the data item to two or more nodes of the access graphs. This type of marker can be used to implement a logical AND operation among two or more policy factors.
US08256004B1
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods, systems and computer program products for a control transparency framework which is, in one embodiment, a transparent (i.e. easy to understand) and actionable risk/reward approach for organizational processes, controls, training and development. The control transparency framework method includes identifying threats to an organization, developing a risk score for each of the threats to develop a threat portfolio, developing a maturity portfolio, developing a control portfolio, determining a gap portfolio, and developing a control transparency portfolio to close gaps. A gap exists between a target state maturity level of each identified threat and a current maturity level of each control assigned to handle each identified threat, such that the gap occurs if the target state maturity level is at a level that is lower than the control maturity level.
US08256002B2
Tools and methods in which user interaction via a common user interface enables the assessing of network security prior to implementation of the network, as well as assessing the security of existing networks, portions of existing networks, or modifications to existing networks. A network security model useful in realizing the tools and methods is also disclosed.
US08255997B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing contextual feedback to a user of a computer system upon detection of an invasion of the computer system are provided herein. An invasion of the computer system is detected and a contextually appropriate alert is selected from a set of alerts. The alert is played immediately upon detection of the invasion so that the user is alerted to the invasion within close temporal proximity to the user's action that resulted in the invasion of the computer system. In addition, details of the invasion are logged to a diagnostic log file for later use by support personnel in repairing the computer system.
US08255995B2
A system defines at least one key event to be monitored by at least one agent, and creates a graphical model for the at least one key event. The system observes the at least one key event. The system infers a degree of attack on the computer system based on an observation of the at least one key event in conjunction with a result of an effect the at least one key event has on the graphical model. The system then adjusts a security policy based on an output of the graphical model.
US08255990B2
A method for identifying and performing a vehicle operator computer login to a vehicle computer provided in a vehicle. A device is arranged to request and receive vehicle operator data stored on a data carrier provided for a tachograph comprising a reader for reading the data carrier. The device controls communication of vehicle operator related data to the vehicle computer, wherein the device is arranged to initiate a vehicle operator login procedure of the vehicle computer, in dependence on the data carrier inserted in the tachograph. The invention is also related to a vehicle arrangement, a computer program and a computer program product. The invention solves the problem of providing identification and login of an operator of a vehicle to the vehicle computer in a simplified and secure way. The invention also enables shortened start up/stop times of a vehicle by reducing systems login/logoff time for an operator.
US08255988B2
A computer that self-administers operating in restricted and unrestricted operating modes boots from a main processor and operates normally in the unrestricted operating mode and operates from an alternate processor in a security module in the restricted operating mode. The alternate processor may communicate directly with peripheral devices such as a display controller and keyboard. Because the main processor is not used and may not even be started in the restricted operating mode, viruses, shims, and other related attacks are virtually eliminated. In one embodiment, the security module may operate as a PCI bus master when in the restricted operating mode.
US08255982B2
The present invention facilitates access to a restricted service related to secure transactions via a network. The present invention allows a user to select a minimum security level of authentication for its own login to a restricted service. The user's selected minimum security level of authentication may be registered in an authentication method system, so that the user must use the selected minimum security level for authentication in order to gain access to the restricted service. Alternatively, the user may specify that the selected minimum security level for authentication may be over-turned by the user, or optionally re-set to a new authentication method depending on the needs of the user. As such, the present invention allows the user the flexibility to select its own authentication method for accessing a restricted service.
US08255981B2
A method of resetting authentication token prompts a user of a computing device to transmit a first authentication token associated with an Internet account. The method also prompts the user to transmit a second token associated with the Internet account. The method receives the second authentication token via the computing device and transmitting a temporary authentication token to a set-top box device of the user.
US08255968B2
System and method for adaptively controlling the recording of program material using a program guide
A system and method for displaying an electronic program guide (“EPG”), the EPG allowing for the controlling of recording functionality of an appliance and/or playing of media. The displayable EPG includes a listing of playable media from which the user may select a program of interest for recording or playing. The EPG may also include a display of prior recorded media for playing. Options may be presented to allow for a selection of a rendering device on which selected media is to be played.
US08255961B2
Systems and methods may be provided for retrieving non-on-demand media data and on-demand media data that is provided by separate data sources. On-demand media data may be cached to reduce system latencies and the burden on the distribution network.
US08255958B2
An automobile entertainment system includes a plurality of video systems, each video system mounted within an automobile headrest. The headrest includes a headrest body and a first downwardly extending extension arm having a passage extending therethrough. The entertainment system also includes a central switching assembly linking the plurality of video systems. At least one of the video systems includes an output transmitting signals to the central switching assembly to transfer to the remaining video systems. Each video system also includes an input transmitting signals from the central switching assembly to the respective video systems.
US08255945B2
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for authenticating local and remote devices associated with a broadcast area. In one embodiment, an authentication server can transmit a unique broadcast identifier to a broadcast system and a local device. The broadcast system can then transmit a broadcast that includes the unique broadcast identifier. Once the local device receives the unique broadcast identifier from the broadcast and the authentication server, it can be authenticated as being in the broadcast area.
US08255934B2
An apparatus for loading disks and its method of orientating different disks includes housing, a print device, a drawer device, a base with multiple sets of sensor and a transport mechanism. The drawer device includes a disk tray, a driving mechanism, an attaching element, a swing element, an elastic element and a set of disk attachment. The transport mechanism is connected to the drawer device for moving disk tray upon the base. The transport mechanism through a controller automatically controls the various functions of the various components of the drawer device.
US08255931B2
A DLL that includes an API hook is injected into the address space of a target computer process called by an application program. Upon termination of the application program, computer-readable instructions describing a process for filtering exceptions returned from the target computer process are stored in memory locations accessible to the target computer process and the DLL is ejected from the address space.
US08255930B2
A method for dynamically switching between different device configurations to improve the utilization of the device and save the cost. The method comprises the steps of obtaining the current configuration information of a device connected to a host; and if the current configuration of the device does not meet the requirements of the host, switching the current configuration of the device to a suitable one for the host. A system for the same is also provided to improve the utilization of the device and save the cost.
US08255922B1
A mechanism is disclosed for enabling multiple processes to share the same portion of physical memory. The first time an instance of a process is executed, a list of common components is compiled. The compiled code is then written into a newly created mappable data structure, which is stored into persistent storage. The next time an instance of that process is executed, the mappable data structure is mapped into a portion of the process instance's virtual memory space. This enables the process instance to invoke the compiled code for the common components. Multiple instances of the process may have their virtual memory spaces mapped to the same mappable data structure in this way. Thereafter, it is up to the operating system to load the contents of the mappable data structure into a portion of physical memory, and to ensure that all of the process instances share that physical memory portion.
US08255917B2
A multi-partition computer system provides a configuration inspector for inspecting partitions to determine their identities and configuration information. The system also includes a policy controller for automatically setting workload-management policies at least in part as a function of the configuration information in response to a command. Computer partitions may be inspected to acquire configuration information such as identity and configuration information regarding workload containers contained by each of the partitions. An automatic policy generator may be triggered to generate policies for allocating resources to workloads as a function of the configuration information.
US08255912B2
To set one or more events without intermediate scheduling of threads in a multi-threaded system, a scheduler is first rendered essentially ineffective. The events are then set, for example, by repeatedly calling a function to set a single event, once for each event to be set. The scheduler is then restored to its normal effectiveness. The scheduler may be rendered ineffective by artificially setting the priority of the current thread being processed to the highest possible priority level. This prevents the current thread from being preempted by another thread during the time that events are being set. After all events have been set, the priority of the current thread is restored to the original priority level, which then restores the scheduler to its normal effectiveness.
US08255911B2
According to one embodiment, parallel processing optimization method for an apparatus configured to assign dynamically a part of some of basic modules, into which a program is divided and which comprise a execution rule which defines a executing order of the basic modules and are executable asynchronously with another modules, to threads includes identifiers based on the execution rule wherein the some of the basic modules are assignable to the threads, and configured to execute in parallel the threads by execution modules, the method includes managing the part of some of the basic modules and the identifiers of the threads assigned the part of some of the basic modules, managing an executable set includes the some of the basic modules, calculating transfer costs of the some of the basic modules when data, and selecting one of the basic module with a minimum transfer cost in the transfer costs.
US08255909B2
Synchronizing access to resources in a hybrid computing environment that includes a host computer, a plurality of accelerators, the host computer and the accelerators adapted to one another for data communications by a system level message passing module, where synchronizing access to resources includes providing in a registry, to processes executing on the accelerators and the host computer, a key associated with a resource, the key having a value; attempting, by a process, to access the resource including determining whether a current value of the key represents an unlocked state for the resource; if the current value represents an unlocked state, attempting to lock access to the resource including setting the value to a unique identification of the process; determining whether the current value is the unique identification of the process; if the current value is the unique identification accessing the resource by the process.
US08255907B2
According to one embodiment, a method for managing one or more virtual machines includes generating a request for at least one performance characteristic for at least one virtual machine, the at least one virtual machine being associated with a processing group, the processing group including one or more processing modules; receiving a response to the generated request for at least one performance characteristic for the at least one virtual machine; automatically determining whether an increase in the number of processing modules included in the processing group is required, by analyzing the received response to the generated request; and, in response to a determination that an increase in the number of processing modules included in the processing group is required, automatically adding at least one processing module to the processing group.
US08255905B2
Tools and techniques are described for multi-threaded processing for opening and saving documents. These tools may provide load processes for reading documents from storage devices, and for loading the documents into applications. These tools may spawn a load process thread for executing a given load process on a first processing unit, and an application thread may execute a given application on a second processing unit. A first pipeline may be created for executing the load process thread, with the first pipeline performing tasks associated with loading the document into the application. A second pipeline may be created for executing the application process thread, with the second pipeline performing tasks associated with operating on the documents. The tasks in the first pipeline are configured to pass tokens as input to the tasks in the second pipeline.
US08255898B2
Provided is a computer system including a first server and a storage system. In the first server, a first virtual server and a second virtual server are operated. Upon reception of a request to boot the first virtual server, the second virtual server judges whether system software of the first virtual server, which is requested to be booted, matches system software of the first server in which the first virtual server is operated. In the case where the system software of the first virtual server and the system software of the first server do not match, the second virtual server updates the system software of the first virtual server before booting the first virtual server.
US08255893B2
In a software management process, a software management apparatus, and a computer-readable medium storing a software management program for managing software installed in clients: a profile for a client is updated in accordance with a change notice on receipt of the change notice from the client; settings of the software in other clients which belong to the same group as the above client are determined to be synchronized with the settings of the software in the above client by reference to group information when the above profile for the above client is updated; and a synchronization notice indicating that the update of the above profile is to be reflected in the settings of the software in the other clients is sent to the other clients, and each of one or more profiles for the other clients is updated in accordance with the synchronization notice.
US08255892B2
Disclosed is a method for updating program code stored in a memory, which memory comprises a plurality of memory sectors. The method comprises transforming an updated input code into an updated program code version to be stored in a memory, which memory has stored thereon a current program code version occupying a first set of the memory sectors of the memory, wherein the updated program code version occupies a second set of memory sectors when stored in the memory. The transforming step further comprises receiving a representation of the current program code version; and performing at least one optimization step adapted to decrease the number of memory sectors of the second set of memory sectors occupied by the updated code version that are different from the corresponding memory sectors of the first set of memory sectors occupied by the current program code version.
US08255889B2
A device, for performing parallel processing, includes a processor to receive one or more portions of an inner context of a program created for a technical computing environment, and allocate one or more portions of the inner context of the program to two or more labs for parallel execution. The processor is also configured to receive one or more results associated with the parallel execution of the one or more portions from the two or more labs, and provide the one or more results to an outer context of the program.
US08255887B2
A memory management mechanism requires data structures to be explicitly deallocated in the programming code, but deallocation does not immediately make the memory available for reuse. Before a deallocated memory region can be reused, memory is scanned for pointers to the deallocated region, and any such pointer is set to null. The deallocated memory is then available for reuse. Preferably, deallocated memory regions are accumulated, and an asynchronous memory cleaning process periodically scans memory to nullify the pointers. In order to prevent previously scanned memory becoming contaminated with a dangling pointer before the scan is finished, any write to a pointer is checked to verify that the applicable target address has not been deallocated.
US08255882B2
A method, according to one aspect, may include estimating costs associated with translating a multi-format instruction of a source instruction set architecture to instructions of a target instruction set architecture by using a different format of the multi-format instruction for each of the costs, and selecting a format for the multiformat instruction based at least in part on the estimated costs. Methods of organizing or grouping multi-format instructions based on register use relationships. Software, hardware, and computer systems to implement the methods are also disclosed.
US08255872B2
A method (300) of editing program code is proposed. The program code consists of main instructions written in a high-level language. Typically, the program code further includes one or more sets of service instructions, which are not directly connected to a desired algorithm (such as tracing instructions for debugging purposes, performance measuring instructions, and the like). In the solution of the invention, each set of service instructions is enclosed (321-322) between a pair of predefined comments defining a starting tag and an ending tag. An editor of the program code is provided with commands for automatically disabling (341) the service instructions (converting them into corresponding comments); at the same time, the disabled instructions are condensed (340) on the monitor. Additional commands are available for automatically enabling (368) and restoring (367) the service instructions.
US08255870B2
One embodiment of the invention relates to a system for providing a support function in maintaining a computing system. The system includes a computer-implemented interface configured to receive a support user identification and a system user identification. The system also includes a support user implementation engine configured to set a support mode based on the support user identification and to log the support user into the computing system based on the system user identification. The system also includes one or more applications implemented by the computing system configured to perform one or more functions on the computing system in accordance with the system user identification and the support user identification.
US08255869B2
The invention relates to a system and/or methodology for the customization and transclusion of design templates/patterns for use in industrial automation. The system provides for the de-abstraction of one or more design templates, and generating engineering specifications via customization of the de-abstracted design templates. Additionally, the invention provides a user interface for modification of the template de-abstraction and/or customization process.
US08255868B1
A method and system for providing setup assistance for applications includes a process for providing setup and/or operational assistance for applications whereby as a user implements a given computing system implemented application, the user of the computing system implemented application is offered assistance for setting up and/or operating all, or part of, the computing system implemented application based, at least in part, on the amount of data, and/or the type of data, the user is entering and/or has entered, for use with and/or by the given computing system implemented application.
US08255865B2
Signal tracing across boards and chips can be used to greatly enhance failure analysis of the boards and chips. Concepts are disclosed for tracing one or more signal lines across a board, across a chip boundary, and across a chip. Signals may be traced through active circuitry on a chip along with paths through various logic cones. The result can be graphically and interactively presented.
US08255860B1
Slacks or timing weights are determined during implementation of an electronic design to improve design optimization. Multiple failings paths are optimized simultaneously by generalizing the notion of constraint relaxation used when computing slacks and timing weights to apply to portions of the design that can be independently optimized, rather than strictly adhering to clock domains and other coupled timing constraints used by conventional relaxation-based approaches. Improved calculation of slacks or timing weights better guides optimization algorithms.
US08255857B2
Routing methods for an integrated circuit design layout are disclosed. The layout can include design netlists and library cells. A multiple-level global routing can generate topological wire for each net. An area oriented graph-based detail routing on the design can be performed. A post route optimization after the detail routing can be performed to further improve the routing quality. Some methods can be single threaded all or some of the time, and/or multi-threaded some or all of the time.
US08255853B2
An apparatus for circuit emulation may include a first circuit board, one or more circuit emulation resource on the first circuit board, a first interconnection interface on the first circuit board, and a second interconnection interface on the first circuit board. The first circuit board may include conductive wiring paths. The circuit emulation resource is on the first circuit board and coupled with a portion of the conductive wiring paths, with each circuit emulation resource being configured to emulate a portion of an electronic circuit by receiving input signals and producing output signals in response to the input signals. The first interconnection interface is on the first circuit board and coupled with at least a first portion of the circuit emulation resource, The first interconnection interface may be configured to couple with an interconnection interface of a second circuit board having a second group of conductive wiring paths and having a second group of circuit emulation resources. The second interconnection interface is on the first circuit board and coupled with at least a second portion of the at least one circuit emulation resource. The second interconnection interface may be configured to couple with an interconnection interface of a third circuit board having a third group of conductive wiring paths and having a third group of circuit emulation resources.
US08255845B2
The present invention provides a method for generating flat layout design view that comprises importing port definitions of a first hierarchical block of digital instances from a source as a schematic symbol, importing port definitions of digital instances within the first hierarchical block from the source, instantiating the schematic symbol as a hierarchical layout instance in the flat layout, binding the hierarchical layout instance to the schematic symbol, and embedding digital layout block instances within the design layout by replacing the digital instances of a digital layout block with digital layout instances of a top layout module of the design layout.
US08255843B2
A method for fabricating a strained-silicon semiconductor device to ameliorate undesirable variation in selectively grown epitaxial film thickness. The layout or component configuration for the proposed semiconductor device is evaluated to determine areas of relatively light or dense population in order to determine whether local-loading-effect defects are likely to occur. If a possibility of such defects occurring exists, a dummy pattern of epitaxial structures may be indicated. If so, the dummy pattern appropriate to the proposed layout is created, incorporated into the mask design, and then implemented on the substrate along with the originally-proposed component configuration.
US08255840B2
Design-specific attributes of a circuit (such as timing, power, electro-migration, and signal integrity) are used to automatically identify one or more regions of one or more layers in a layout of the circuit. The automatically identified regions may be provided to a manufacturing tool in GDSII by use of overlapping shapes in, or alternatively by moving existing shapes to, a different layer/datatype pair. For example, information about the automatically identified regions may be stored using a conventional datatype (e.g. value 0) with a new layer, or alternatively using a conventional layer (e.g. metal 3) with a new datatype (e.g. value 1), depending on the embodiment. The automatically identified regions contain cells and/or features (e.g. groups of shapes and/or individual shapes) whose tolerance in silicon (to be fabricated) is automatically changed from default, based on the design-specific attribute(s) and sensitivity thereto, expressed as design intent by a circuit designer.
US08255839B2
A system and method are provided for securely manufacturing a device at a foundry. For example, an integrated circuit chip may be securely fabricated at an untrusted foundry by later verifying authenticity of the integrated circuit chip based on a valid usage of an original source code file associated with a semiconductor manufacturing process of the integrated circuit chip. The integrated circuit chip may be authenticated by matching a first set of unique daughter codes generated during fabrication with a second set of unique daughter codes generated independently by some entity other than the foundry. In this way, a trusted electronics integrator may compare the first and second unique daughter codes to nondestructively determine whether the integrated circuit chip is a trusted device or a tampered device.
US08255837B2
A method of designing a double patterning mask set for a layout of a chip includes designing standard cells. In each of the standard cells, all left-boundary patterns are assigned with one of a first indicator and a second indicator, and all right-boundary patterns are assigned with an additional one of the first indicator and the second indicator. The method further includes placing the standard cells in a row of the layout of the chip. Starting from one of the standard cells in the row, indicator changes to the standard cells are propagated throughout the row. All patterns in the standard cells having the first indicator are transferred to a first mask of the double patterning mask set. All patterns in the standard cells having the second indicator are transferred to a second mask of the double patterning mask set.
US08255834B2
A set of elements, such as, for example, a path, a directory list, a playlist, and a listing of information associated with a file or a song, may be truncated so that a partial set may be generated and displayed. The truncation may be performed in an intelligent manner to produce a meaningful truncated portion. Such a partial set may be beneficial when the space allotted for display of the set is small to begin with or is reduced. In one implementation, a display size of a set is compared with a size of a display area. A data element is selected based on the comparison, and a display space size is determined for the selected data element. A truncated, yet meaningful, portion is determined for the selected data element, the portion fitting within the display space size.
US08255821B2
An apparatus and method for processing an audio signal are discussed. According to an embodiment, the apparatus includes a receiving unit receiving a downmix signal including plural objects, a bitstream including object information and level guide information; and a display screen displaying a graphical user interface including at least one level fader for receiving a user input for controlling level for at least one object among the plural objects. The graphical user interface displays a representation corresponding to the level guide information in association with the level fader.
US08255808B2
An example apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a display, a processor configured to control the display. The display may be controlled to present a first ordered list of graphical icons in a first portion of the display and a second ordered list of graphical icons in a second portion of the display. The display may also be controlled to present a user input configured to control transfer of a data type from a first storage device by changing the visual configuration of the graphical icons in the first ordered list of graphical icons that represent and indicate a particular data type and configured to control transfer of a data type by a second storage device by changing the visual configuration of the graphical icons in the second ordered list of graphical icons that represents and indicates that data type. Example methods are also provided.
US08255807B2
Customized item that is usable on both a website as an item in a virtual world, and outside the website as a tangible item in the real world is provided and described. One single customization is used to create both items. The item can be the same in the virtual world as it is in the virtual world, or can be different in the virtual world.
US08255794B2
A method for generating markup language documents, e.g., XML documents, uses a code generator that creates programs configured to create dynamic XML documents at run time, avoiding many of the complexities arising from the use of conventional “XML GENERATE” statements. In one embodiment, this process involves (1) creating a template document using a markup language, wherein the template document includes a set of tags associated with the markup language documents; (2) parsing the template document to determine a working storage structure corresponding to the tags in the template document; and (3) generating an application program in the programming language (e.g., COBOL), wherein the application program includes a definition of the working storage structure, and is configured to generate, during run-time, a markup language document corresponding to the original template document.
US08255782B2
A method for constructing LDPC (Low-Density Parity-Check) code in the mobile digital multimedia broadcast system is provided, wherein the Low-Density Parity-Check matrix of the LDPC code is iteratively constructed according to a code-table and expansion method, and the code-table is a part of the constructed Low-Density Parity-Check matrix. According to the constructing method of the present invention, the LDPC code having excellent performance of error correcting coding which is applicable to the mobile digital multimedia broadcast system.
US08255781B2
A method for generating a codeword that is insensitive to variations of a channel and easily extensible is provided. The method includes obtaining a primary unit by taking a row vector from an N(E(N−1) simplex code and mapping a control signal to the codeword. The simplex code is obtained by removing a first row from an N(ENorthogonal matrix. The codeword is obtained by combining a plurality of primary units.
US08255776B2
A digital broadcast transmission apparatus includes a Reed-Solomon (RS) encoder to perform RS encoding of data to obtain RS-encoded data formatted in data packets each including a predetermined number of bytes; a sync byte inserter to insert sync bytes indicating a start point of one of the data packets in a predetermined location of the RS-encoded data; an interleaver to interleave the RS-encoded data after the sync bytes have been inserted in the RS-encoded data to obtain interleaved data; and a data stuffer to sequentially insert complete packets of the interleaved data each including the predetermined number of bytes in a field, and insert an initial portion of a final packet of the interleaved data beginning in the field in residual bytes of the field that are less than the predetermined number of bytes.
US08255772B1
In one embodiment an example apparatus includes a memory with an error detection system (EDS) that detects an error event in the memory. The error event involves at least one bit in the memory changing state erroneously. The apparatus also includes a scrub logic to scrub the memory and correct memory errors (e.g., bit errors). The apparatus also includes a scrub rate adaptive logic to selectively control a memory scrub frequency associated with the scrub logic where the control is based, at least in part, on a number of error events detected by the EDS during an interval of time. A memory scrub frequency is the rate that a memory is periodically scrubbed to remove errors.
US08255771B2
Operations within a memory device to replace one or more selected failing memory cells with one or more repair memory cells and to correct data digits read from other failing memory cells in the memory device.
US08255768B2
To allow a single LDPC decoder to operate on both 512 B blocks and 4 KB blocks with comparable error correction performance, 512 KB blocks are interlaced to form a 1 KB data sequence, and four sequential 1 KB data sequences are concatenated to form a 4 KB sector. A de-interlacer between the detector and decoder forms multiple data sequence from a single data sequence output by the detector. The multiple data sequences are separately processed by a de-interleaver between the de-interlacer and the LDPC decoder, by the LDPC decoder, and by an interleaver at the output of the LDPD decoder. An interlacer recombines the multiple data sequences into a single output. Diversity may be improved by feeding interleaver seeds for respective codewords into the de-interleaver and interleaver during processing.
US08255766B2
A receiving apparatus and a receiving method for interference cancellation in a wireless communication system are provided. The receiving apparatus includes a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) detector for estimating a desired signal and an interference signal based on received signals in accordance with a MIMO detection scheme; a first decoder for iteratively decoding the interference signal output from the detector; a second decoder for iteratively decoding the desired signal output from the decoder; and an LLR updater for updating an interval LLR value of the second decoder using an interval LLR value of the first decoder.
US08255762B2
This disclosure concerns a memory including: a first memory region including memory groups including a plurality of memory cells, addresses being respectively allocated for the memory groups, the memory groups respectively being units of data erase operations; a second memory region temporarily storing therein data read from the first memory region or temporarily storing therein data to be written to the first memory region; a read counter storing therein a data read count for each memory group; an error-correcting circuit calculating an error bit count of the read data; and a controller performing a refresh operation, in which the read data stored in one of the memory groups is temporarily stored in the second memory region and is written back the read data to the same memory group, when the error bit count exceeds a first threshold or when the data read count exceeds a second threshold.
US08255760B2
Header encoding for SC and/or OFDM signaling using shortening, puncturing, and/or repetition in accordance with encoding header information within a frame to be transmitted via a communication channel employs different respective puncturing patterns as applied to different portions thereof. For example, a first puncturing pattern is applied to a first portion of the frame, and a second puncturing pattern is applied to a second portion of the frame (the second portion may be a repeated version of the first portion). Shortening (e.g., by padding 0-valued bits thereto) may be made to header information bits before they undergo encoding (e.g., in an LDPC encoder). One or both of the information bits and parity/redundancy bits output from the encoder undergo selective puncturing. Moreover, one or both of the information bits and parity/redundancy bits output from the encoder may be repeated/spread before undergoing selective puncturing to generate a header.
US08255759B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate ensuring contention and/or collision free memory within a turbo decoder. A Posteriori Probability (APP) Random Access Memory (RAM) can be segmented or partitioned into two or more files with an interleaving sub-group within each file. This enables parallel operation in a turbo decoder and allows a turbo decoder to access multiple files simultaneously without memory access contention.
US08255755B2
A retransmission apparatus retransmits TS (Transport Stream) packets based on a received broadcast wave to a plurality of receiving apparatuses through a network. The retransmission apparatus has a TS packet determination unit for making a determination as to whether a number of received TS packets which include therein cyclic continuity counter values consecutive to each other is equal to or larger than a first predetermined threshold value N, and further configured to retransmit the received TS packets to the plurality of receiving apparatuses when the determination is true, and to drop the received TS packets when the determination is false.
US08255750B2
An architecture for testing a plurality of circuits on an integrated circuit is described. The architecture includes a TAP Linking Module located between test pins on the integrated circuit and 1149.1 Test Access Ports (TAP) of the plurality of circuits to be tested. The TAP Linking Module operates in response to 1149.1 scan operations from a tester connected to the test pins to selectively switch between 1149.1 TAPs to enable test access between the tester and plurality of circuits. The TAP Linking Module's 1149.1 TAP switching operation is based upon augmenting 1149.1 instruction patterns to affix an additional bit or bits of information which is used by the TAP Linking Module for performing the TAP switching operation.
US08255747B1
System and method for providing resolutions for abnormally ended jobs on a mainframe computer system
The present invention relates to a system method for automatically providing resolutions for abnormal end codes from a mainframe system. An abnormal end code for a mainframe computer system is received from a user. A storage device is accessed to determine if there is a resolution for the abnormal end code. If there is a resolution for the abnormal end code, the resolution is provided to the user. If there is not a resolution for the abnormal end code, it is determined what question should be asked of the user. The question and the answer to the question received for the abnormal end code help determine the correct resolution for the abnormal end code.
US08255741B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that can be reconfigured to provide error detection and correction after a failure of a memory component in a memory system. During operation, the system accesses a block of data from the memory system, wherein each block of data in the memory system includes an array of bits logically organized into R rows and C columns, including two checkbit columns containing checkbits, and C−2 data-bit columns containing data bits, wherein each column is stored in a different memory component, and wherein the checkbits are generated from the data bits to provide block-level detection and correction for a failed memory component. Next, upon examining the block of data, the system determines that a specific memory component in the memory system has failed. If the failed memory component contains a data-bit column for the block of data, the system uses checkbits from the two checkbit columns to correct the data-bit column, and then stores the corrected data-bit column. Next, the system generates and stores new checkbits in a functioning memory component, wherein the new checkbits provide single-error-correction and double-error-detection for erroneous bits in the block of data, but do not provide for detection and correction of a failed memory component.
US08255738B2
A copy export application emented in a computational device receives a request to perform a copy export operation of data and metadata to a selected tape in a tape library coupled to the computational device. The copy export application copies the data from the computational device to the selected tape. The copy export application determines a medium error on the selected tape while copying the metadata from the computational device to the selected tape, subsequent to completion of the copying of the data from the computational device to the selected tape. The copy export application sends a request to a tape control application to replace the selected tape by a new tape and copy the data from the selected tape to the new tape. The copy export application copies the metadata to the new tape.
US08255726B2
A method, system and computer program product for reducing power consumption when processing mathematical operations. Power may be reduced in processor hardware devices that receive one or more operands from an execution unit that executes instructions. A circuit detects when at least one operand of multiple operands is a zero operand, prior to the operand being forwarded to an execution component for completing a mathematical operation. When at least one operand is a zero operand or at least one operand is “unordered”, a flag is set that triggers a gating of a clock signal. The gating of the clock signal disables one or more processing stages and/or devices, which perform the mathematical operation. Disabling the stages and/or devices enables computing the correct result of the mathematical operation on a reduced data path. When a device(s) is disabled, the device may be powered off until the device is again required by subsequent operations.
US08255710B2
An information processor includes a set information storage unit storing evacuation residual quantity information representing an evacuation residual quantity as a residual quantity of the battery that corresponds to electric power necessary for executing a data evacuation process for storing data, stored in a memory of the information processor, onto a nonvolatile recording medium, a battery residual quantity detecting unit detecting the battery residual quantity of the battery, a load information collecting unit acquiring load information representing an electric load of the information processor, an evacuation residual quantity setting unit setting the evacuation residual quantity based on the load information collected by the load information collecting unit, and controls the set information storage unit to store the evacuation residual quantity information representing the set evacuation residual quantity, and an evacuation control unit controlling execution of the data evacuation process.
US08255709B2
Power budgeting for a group of computer systems using utilization feedback for manageable components
Power consumption of a group of computer systems is managed based on a maximum power consumption for the group. A power budget is determined from the power consumption of each computer system and the maximum power consumption for the group. The power budget identifies a power cap for each computer system in the group. The power caps in the power budget are distributed to the computer systems in the group.
US08255704B1
The invention provides a mechanism for selectively encrypting media within a consolidation of storage devices into a shared configuration, i.e. a media pool. The invention also provides a mechanism by which more than one key can be used for encrypting media. The invention accomplishes tape encryption by media parsing. An encryption key is determined based on the backup application's grouping of data sets. This is accomplished by examining the volume header of the tape and, from the header, deciding if pools are supported by the application. If they are, the invention auto-creates a pool key. In the case where the pools are known in advance, a user with appropriate administrative privileges can create the pools and assign keys to them. The invention thus allows mirroring of the logical groupings in the backup application with encryption keys.
US08255701B2
A file encryption method is provided. A first constant and a second constant are set. First one character of the first file is converted in a predetermined order to a first binary ASC code consisting of a high level and a low level. A logical exclusive OR is performed between the high level and the first constant to obtain a first result, and a logical exclusive OR is performed between the high level and the second constant to obtain a second result. A second binary ASC code is obtained. The second binary ASC code is converted to a second character. A second file is obtained.
US08255686B1
A method for securely communicating sensed data over a network that includes receiving sensed data from a sensor, dynamically switching through a plurality of multi-cast group addresses as destinations for sending the received sensed data to a client device based on time measurements, encryption keys, or pseudorandom numbers, and transmitting the sensed data to each of the plurality of multi-cast group addresses through the dynamic switching of the plurality of multi-cast group addresses for receipt by the client device.
US08255679B2
By deciding procedures for downloading content data and downloading key information, a safe service is provided for a content distributor and a method which can start playback before completion of the downloading of the content data is provided, thereby providing a technique easy for a user. A receiver has: an interface unit being adapted to download encoded content data and key information for decoding the content data from a communication line; a storage unit being adapted to store the downloaded content data and key information from the interface unit; and a control unit which decodes the content data outputted from the storage unit using the key information. The control unit downloads the key information after the content data is downloaded entirely.
US08255675B1
Configuration data, such as options a file system accessed by a host system, may be stored on the storage device storing the file system. File system configuration data may be stored in a file of the file system or in a private storage area configured for storing file system configuration data. A host may access the file system configuration data and subsequently may access the file system according to the file system configuration data. Additionally, different versions of file system configuration data may be stored and different hosts accessing the file system may read and use different versions of the file system configuration data based upon the type or context of the host accessing the file system. Storing file system configuration data with the file system data, or on the same storage device, may allow context dependent options to be provided to various hosts accessing the file system data.
US08255670B2
In one embodiment, a processor comprises a scheduler configured to issue a first instruction operation to be executed and an execution core coupled to the scheduler. Configured to execute the first instruction operation, the execution core comprises a plurality of replay sources configured to cause a replay of the first instruction operation responsive to detecting at least one of a plurality of replay cases. The scheduler is configured to inhibit issuance of the first instruction operation subsequent to the replay for a subset of the plurality of replay cases. The scheduler is coupled to receive an acknowledgement indication corresponding to each of the plurality of replay cases in the subset, and is configured to inhibit issuance of the first instruction operation until the acknowledgement indication is asserted that corresponds to an identified replay case of the subset.
US08255666B2
This invention provides a storage system to store data used by computers. A storage system coupled to a computer and a management apparatus, includes storage devices accessed by the computer and a control unit that controls the storage devices, in which the control unit performs the following operations: setting, in the storage devices, a first virtual device including a first logical device; setting a second virtual device which including a second logical device, which is a virtual volume accessed by the computer; allocating an address of the first logical device to the second logical device; and changing the allocation to change storage areas of the virtual volume.
US08255654B1
A method and system for backing up computer data uses a network device to select a storage device in a manner that enhances at least one parameter associated with the backup process.
US08255649B2
The present invention causes an asynchronous remote copy to work together with storage clustering technology. A host computer program for controlling the asynchronous remote copy carries out an asynchronous remote copy pair operation by asynchronously working together with a switchover instruction of a storage clustering control program that performs a host write-destination volume switchover in a storage clustering environment.
US08255640B2
A portable media device and a method for operating a portable media device are disclosed. According to one aspect, a battery-powered portable media device can manage use of a mass storage device to efficiently utilize battery power. By providing a cache memory and loading the cache memory so as to provide skip support, battery power for the portable media device can be conserved (i.e., efficiently consumed). According to another aspect, a portable media device can operate efficiently in a seek mode. The seek mode is an operational mode of the portable media device in which the portable media device automatically scans through media items to assist a user in selecting a desired one of the media items.
US08255634B2
Apparatus and methods for improved efficiency in accessing meta-data in a storage controller of a virtualized storage system. Features and aspects hereof walk/retrieve meta-data for one or more other I/O requests when retrieving meta-data for a first I/O request. The meta-data may include mapping information for mapping logical addresses of the virtual volume. Meta-data may also include meta-data associated with higher level, enhanced data services provide by or in conjunction with the storage system. Enhanced data services may include features for synchronous mirroring of a volume and/or management of time-based snapshots of the content of a virtual volume.
US08255627B2
A method for efficiently using a large secondary cache is disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, such a method may include accumulating, in a secondary cache, a plurality of data tracks. These data tracks may include modified data and/or unmodified data. The method may determine if a subset of the plurality of data tracks makes up a full stride. In the event the subset makes up a full stride, the method may destage the subset from the secondary cache. By destaging full strides, the method reduces the number of disk operations that are required to destage data from the secondary cache. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also disclosed and claimed herein.
US08255624B2
A storage apparatus and its control method capable of shortening data save time at the time of power shutdown are suggested.The storage apparatus includes a processor for controlling reading/writing user data from/to a disk device(s), and a cache memory for storing user data sent and received between a channel adapter and a the disk adapter and control data used by the processor, wherein the control data is sorted into and stored in the nonvolatile memory or the volatile memory according to its update frequency.
US08255623B2
An ordered storage structure implemented based on a content addressable memory (CAM). In an embodiment, a set of identifiers are formed with an order matching a desired access order for items. Each item is stored with a corresponding identifier in an entry of the CAM, with the identifiers being stored in the searchable fields/columns of the CAM. Thus, the items can be retrieved in the desired access order by providing the identifiers as search key inputs to the CAM in the desired access order.
US08255616B2
A method of storing information at a non-volatile memory includes storing a first status bit at a sector header of the memory prior to erasing a sector at the memory. A second status bit is stored after erasing of the sector. Because the erasure of the sector is interleaved with the storage of the status bits, a brownout or other corrupting event during erasure of the record will likely result in a failure to store the second status bit. Therefore, the first and second status bits can be compared to determine if the data was properly erased at the non-volatile memory. Further, multiple status bits can be employed to indicate the status of other memory sectors, so that a difference in the status bits for a particular sector can indicate a brownout or other corrupting event.
US08255612B2
A device includes a processor connected to a memory. The device further includes a module having a process. The module is integrated in a memory file manager (MFM). The process operates to allow an external computer access to MFM volumes in the memory. A method includes reverting a file allocating table (FAT) cluster number to a file ID and file offset of a non-FAT flash memory file system.
US08255605B2
A multiprocessor system comprises at least one processing module, at least one I/O module, and an interconnect network to connect the at least one processing module with the at least one input/output module. In an example embodiment, the interconnect network comprises at least two bridges to send and receive transactions between the input/output modules and the processing module. The interconnect network further comprises at least two crossbar switches to route the transactions over a high bandwidth switch connection. Using embodiments of the interconnect network allows high bandwidth communication between processing modules and I/O modules. Standard processing module hardware can be used with the interconnect network without modifying the BICS or the operating system. Furthermore, using the interconnect network of embodiments of the present invention is non-invasive to the processor motherboard. The processor memory bus, clock, and reset logic all remain intact.
US08255601B2
A system includes a first apparatus and a second apparatus connected via a transmission path. The first apparatus includes a transmitting unit that transmits a request as at least one packet and retransmits the at least one request packet if a time period between the request and a response is not less than a predetermined time period; and a receiving unit that receives the response as at least one response packet and discards any error packet and any redundant packet from among the received at least one response packet. The second apparatus includes: a receiving unit that receives the at least one request packet and discards any error packet from among the received at least one request packet; and a transmitting unit that determines a response type, selectively makes the at least one response packet redundant for any response of a specific type, and transmits the redundant response packets.
US08255594B2
A method, system, and computer program product containing instructions for handling legacy BIOS services for mass storage devices using system management interrupts. In response to receiving a request for an input/output service, a system management interrupt is generated to enter system management mode. A system management RAM (SMRAM) is accessible to code executing inside system management mode. Sub-operations to perform the requested service are identified, and code is executed outside the SMRAM to perform a sub-operation to fulfill the request. The sub-operations identified for execution outside SMRAM include any sub-operations that require waiting for data to be transferred. Other code executing inside the SMRAM may perform additional sub-operations that do not require waiting for data transfers to fulfill the request. System management mode is exited before invoking the code to perform the sub-operation to execute outside the SMRAM.
US08255593B2
A DMA device may include an offset determination unit configured to determine a first offset for a DMA transfer and a data transfer unit. The data transfer unit may be configured to receive a first buffer starting address identifying a starting location of a first buffer allocated in memory for the DMA transfer and to generate a first buffer offset address by applying the first offset to the first buffer starting address. The data transfer unit may be further configured to use the first buffer offset address as a starting location in the first buffer for data transferred in the DMA transfer. By applying various offsets, such DMA devices may spread memory access workload across multiple memory controllers, thereby achieving better workload balance and performance in the memory system.
US08255583B2
A digital interface system to display an inappropriate connection state of a digital interface (High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) in an HDMI connection supporting an Ethernet function and a cable connection state displaying method therefore. When a user intends to use the Ethernet function by connecting the HDMI cable, the inappropriate connection of the HDMI cable is displayed on a screen by a message or a diagram. Also, in case of a plurality of connected HDMI cables, the position of an inappropriate HDMI cable is indicated on the screen. Even though it is difficult to distinguish a general HDMI cable from an HDMI with HDMI Ethernet and Audio Return Channel (HEAC) cable, an inappropriate HDMI cable connection is accurately identified.
US08255581B2
An electronic device has primary and secondary functionalities. The electronic device includes a physical switch to switch between a first mode and a second mode. The electronic device includes logic to, when the electronic device is connected to a host computing device, expose the primary functionality to the host computing device when in the first mode, and expose the secondary functionality to the host computing device when in the second mode. The host computing device typically requires a driver particular to the electronic device when the primary functionality is exposed, and does not typically require a driver particular to the electronic device when the secondary functionality is exposed. The secondary functionality may include acting as a removable storage device storing a text file. The text file may contain information regarding the electronic device, and a user may modify the text file to cause a corresponding action to be performed.
US08255577B2
The method, apparatus and system of an I/O forwarding technique for multi-interrupt capable I/O devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of transferring an I/O request in a cache-coherent non-uniform memory access (ccNUMA) computer system including multiple cells (e.g., each cell may include multiple processors) that are connected via a system interconnect, includes receiving an I/O request from one of the multiple processors associated with one of the multiple cells in the ccNUMA computer system, associating a processor, corresponding to a multi-interrupt capable I/O interface that is servicing the I/O request, located in the one of the multiple cells as a lead processor, and executing an I/O initiation path and a completion path associated with the received I/O request on the lead processor upon associating the lead processor corresponding to the multi-interrupt capable I/O interface.
US08255571B2
A system includes a server site that includes a memory for storing update data sets that correspond to data sets stored on multiple computing devices of a user. The system also includes a synchronization manager for determining that one computing device associated with the user and another computing device associated with the user are absent one or more data updates stored in the memory at the server site. The synchronization manager is configured to send in parallel, absent establishing a data transfer lock, the one or more data updates to the both computing devices of the user for updating the corresponding data stored on each computing device.
US08255569B1
Systems and methods for providing network access, e.g. Internet access, are described. An architecture includes a host organization network through which network access is provided. The host organization network can be advantageously deployed in public areas such as airports and shopping malls. An authentication/negotiation component is provided for authenticating various users and negotiating for services with service providers on behalf of the system users. The authentication/negotiation component can include one or more specialized servers and a policy manager that contains policies that govern user access to the Internet. An authentication database is provided and authenticates various users of the system. An access module is provided through which individual client computing devices can access the Internet. In one embodiment, the access module comprises individual wireless access points that permit the client computing devices to wirelessly communicate data packets that are intended for the Internet. In one aspect, users are given a variety of choices of different service levels that they can use for accessing the Internet. The service levels can vary in such things as bandwidth allocation and security measures. The various service levels can be purchased by the users using their computing devices.
US08255565B2
Proxying transaction method for processing function of wireless node in peer-to-peer overlay network
A proxying process method for traffic of a wireless node and a system using the method are provided. The proxying process method includes: maintaining a virtual node which stores a communication packet from a server, destined for a first node; and transmitting the stored communication packet from the virtual node to a second node when a transmission request for the communication packet is transmitted to the first node by the second node.
US08255564B2
The invention is a personal wireless network that generally comprises at least a lightweight wireless client to send and receive audio and video from another system component. The personal wireless network also provides a wireless-enabled routing component, which stands alone to route traffic within the personal wireless network. Also provided is a transmitter component that connects to a computing device, such as a server and sends and receives data Furthermore, a software algorithm provides a method for supporting a personal wireless network.
US08255550B1
The present invention provides a system and method for abstracting multiple network attached storage (“NAS”) locations, providing a single global namespace and a single mount point that is protocol and location-independent. As a result, rather than identifying each NAS and file server by location, access is provided through a single transparent mechanism. In order to maintain transparency, the present invention provides a way to reconcile the different naming practices for different file server protocols.
US08255544B2
A method and apparatus are provided for establishing a split-terminated client-server communication connection through a stateful firewall, with network transparency. In an environment in which a pair of network intermediaries is employed to optimize client-server communications, a first intermediary intercepts a client request for a new connection. The first intermediary probes the network for a counterpart near the server, and opens an optimized communication session with a second intermediary that responds affirmatively. Some or all client-server communications that transit the intermediaries' session are accelerated or otherwise optimized. The first intermediary's probe uses the client's source address, but a different port number, while the optimized intermediary session is opened using the client's source address and source port. Therefore, a network monitoring tool can monitor the end-to-end connection, and the stateful firewall will not reject the optimized session.
US08255537B2
A vehicle communication device for using a plurality of applications in an inter-vehicle communication, and performing a control to avoid congestion of its own vehicle and the other vehicles. There is a vehicle communication device including a plurality of application units for performing the inter-vehicle communication, a lower protocol unit for transmitting and receiving data between vehicles, and a middleware unit intervening between said application units and the lower protocol unit. The middleware unit includes a transfer service processing unit, a communication control service unit, and a transmission/reception control processing unit. The communication control service unit controls a congestion avoiding process of its own vehicle and other vehicles based on application priority received for each of the application units, priority for each vehicle, and channel usage rate obtained from the lower protocol unit.
US08255532B2
Detecting unauthorized or excessive use of a resource is disclosed. The value of a metric is updated based at least in part on a first data associated with a current event associated with the metric and a second data associated with a most recent prior event associated with the metric. Responsive action is taken if the updated value of the metric exceeds a threshold.
US08255530B1
Network traffic is manages using a digital signal processing integrated circuit (DSP). The DSP performs one or more of the following functions on the incoming network traffic: classification, policing, congestion control, segmentation and reassembly, queuing, scheduling, shaping and label switching. The DSP may have one or a plurality of processing cores. In one embodiment of the invention, each processing core of the DSP is dedicated to specific traffic management layer. The DSP, used in management of network traffic, provides quality of service (QoS) or class of service (CoS) control.
US08255528B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for global server load balancing spillover. An intermediary device providing global server load balancing (GSLB) identifies a spillover threshold for a first GSLB virtual server of the intermediary device. The first GSLB virtual server resolving DNS requests to a remote site of a plurality of remote sites. The intermediary device monitors spillover related statistics of each of a plurality of services at the plurality of remote sites, establishes a first spillover aggregate statistic for the plurality of services, determines that the first spillover aggregate statistic exceeds the spillover threshold for the first GSLB virtual server, and receives a DNS request and directing the DNS request to a second GSLB virtual server of the intermediary device responsive to the determination.
US08255520B2
The present invention is directed to a server system for supplying differing amounts of data into a database, wherein the system comprises the database and a data tracker device, wherein the data tracker receives data sent by a plurality of functional entities, preferably office machines and in particular devices with a printer, wherein the data tracker device is prepared to transmit data asynchronously to an intermediate buffer storage device with a queue structure, the intermediate buffer storage device storing the data sequentially and transmitting the data sequentially to the database to be stored.
US08255518B2
Provided is a computer system including a host computer, a storage system connected to the host computer via a network, and a management computer connected to the host computer and the storage system. The management computer obtains performance information indicating performance of resources contained in at least one of the host computer, the storage system, and the network, and obtains pieces of performance information of the resources in a sequence set based on already obtained performance information. This permits solving a problem of the computer system that, when the amount of performance information to be obtained is large. A long time is necessary for detecting a performance problem based on the performance information and investigating its causes.
US08255506B2
Provided is a method and apparatus for managing networks. The method includes defining a set of managed objects of each of the networks to be managed, sending a request for information about the set of managed objects to an agent of the networks to be managed, and recognizing manageable managed objects based on information representing the managed objects, which is transmitted from the agent in response to the request. A network manager requests, receives, and obtains information about managed objects of each of sensor networks, especially heterogeneous sensor networks, thereby managing the heterogeneous sensor networks in an integrated way.
US08255505B2
A system and method for intelligent, context-sensitive enhancement of transactions among a plurality of mobile hosts, each having a local coordinator, engaging in services comprising an actual coordinator and an intelligence coordinator that determines context regarding the mobile hosts, and leverages the context to enhance the transactions between the local coordinators and the actual coordinator. The context can be leveraged by reducing the number and/or the amount of data of the transactions. The context can comprise a physical location, temporal data, and a network load near and at a network location of the mobile host. The system can also have an application operating on the services, in which the intelligence coordinator can improve performance of the application. The intelligence coordinator can receive and parse a meta-expression piggy-backed on a transaction message to enhance transactions.
US08255503B2
A network device having text-based command language functions that are accessible via the network, includes a receiver for receiving a network protocol command sent through the network and having a text-based command attached thereto. The receiver determines whether a text-based command is attached to the network protocol command, and an interface extracts the text-based command from the network protocol command.
US08255496B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a provisioning instruction including a device identifier from an external management entity, receiving the device identifier from a network device, associating the provisioning instruction the network device, and sending a portion of the provisioning instruction to the network device. The device identifier being associated with a virtual resource. The associating is based on the device identifier of the virtual resource and a device identifier of a network device. The portion of the provisioning instruction is sent to the network device based on the associating.
US08255486B2
Systems and methods are described for adjusting an item characteristic. An illustrative system includes a first network interface, a database storing information regarding a plurality of items, a load balancer, a web proxy processor configured to selectively block or route an inbound user browser request, a cache cluster system configured to cache data and states for access by other system components, and program code stored in computer readable memory, which, when executed is configured to receive a plurality of requests for items from corresponding users, wherein the plurality of requests are associated with corresponding offer amounts and determine what the users are to provide for the items based at least in part on how many requests were received, how many items are allocated to users, and/or how many unallocated items are available, wherein at least a portion of the users are to provide an amount different than their corresponding offer amount.
US08255485B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating life-cycle management and utilization of network resources. In one embodiment, instancing, virtualization and dynamic provisioning functionality facilitating management and utilization of web services is provided. The instancing functionality supports a web services network platform allowing for registration and use of multiple instances or versions of a given web service or other network-accessible computing resource. In one embodiment, the present invention combines the virtualization and dynamic provisioning functionality to facilitate the development of client application code in routed web services network architectures. In one embodiment, a set of management functions that may be applied to management of computing resources in any IP-based network.
US08255484B2
A provisioning server automatically configures a virtual machine (VM) according to user specifications and then deploys the VM on a physical host. The user may either choose from a list of pre-configured, ready-to-deploy VMs, or he may select which hardware, operating system and application(s) he would like the VM to have. The provisioning server then configures the VM accordingly, if the desired configuration is available, or it applies heuristics to configure a VM that best matches the user's request if it isn't. The invention also includes mechanisms for monitoring the status of VMs and hosts, for migrating VMs between hosts, and for creating a network of VMs.
US08255483B2
A system and method for providing a web-based operating system is disclosed. A web-based operating system is downloaded from a server to a network-enabled device. The web-based operating system provides a platform from which to run web-based computer applications. Web-based computer applications are downloaded from the server onto the network-enabled device, and executed in conjunction with the web-based operating system. Those portions of the web-based operating system software and web-based computer application software are downloaded to the network-enabled device as needed. A component-based environment for the development and deployment of a web-based operating system and web-based computer applications is also provided. Components are deployed within library files as part of a component-based development model. The web-based operating system downloads those library files needed to execute the web-based computer applications.
US08255482B2
A method and system for the creation of aspects from a service or application, the method defining related service aspects; inserting or encapsulating service aspects as named aspects into an abstraction layer in an execution environment; and associating the named aspects with logic in the abstraction layer to support application or service function points.
US08255479B2
Computer program products, computer systems and related methods are provided which compare a URL, title and/or content of an online site viewed by a user with a first index of keywords relating to a plurality of subject matter categories, to determine any subject matter categories to which the online site relates; cross-reference any determined subject matter categories with a second index of alternative online sites categorised by subject matter, in order to determine any alternative online sites in the same or similar category; and perform a variety of actions in response including displaying a determined alternative online site to the user.
US08255473B2
Creating and managing an editable cache of unsent message fragments during conversations using real-time messaging systems (such as instant messaging, text messaging, chat sessions, and so forth). Using this cache, a user participating in a real-time messaging conversation can cache at least one message fragment, and can then recall selected fragments for review and/or editing (as desired by the particular user) before sending to other conversation participants. Preferably, any unsent message fragment from the cache can be sent, upon request of the user, through a mouse click or keystroke.
US08255469B2
An approach is provided for locating communities over an ad-hoc mesh network. Community identifiers are used to locate communities and community members over an ad-hoc mesh network. The community identifiers are also associated with keys to authenticate members of the community and to protect the privacy and anonymity of information exchanged between the members.
US08255466B2
Network connectivity is selectively established by monitoring, on a client, communications activity incident to accessing a network, the communications activity including a request to access the network. An application associated with the communications activity is be identified. A communications configuration associated with the application is accessed, the communications configuration indicating how the application is configured to access the network. Network connectivity is selectively established based on the communications configuration, and the application may be enabled to access the network to support the communications activity.
US08255462B2
An information processing system and apparatus which have a plurality of actuators, a plurality of sensors, a signal processing unit, a control unit, and an integrating unit. Various types of signals are exchanged as necessary via a network. Actuators and sensors share processing through collaboration so that individual functionality is raised. The present invention can be achieved through a SHARN system (Sensor, Human, Actuator, Real world, and Network) which can be applied to surgery, Personal Digital Assistant design, and the like, for example.
US08255458B2
A system and method for efficiently executing a plurality of live parallel Internet content usage experiments using a large pool of randomly selected participating users (separated into control and test groups) while minimally disturbing offered content is provided. In an illustrative implementation, a content provider communicates the parameters for a content usage experiment to a content server. A complimentary test subject verification script operates on the content server that determines which client computing devices are to be included in the experiment group. In operation, a participating client computing device requests content from the content provider's server. The content provider's server executes the test subject verification script to determine if the client computing device is to be considered as a test subject. The content usage of the experiment content and non-experiment content is tracked and compared to each other to determine if the experiment content impacted content usage.
US08255456B2
The present invention is directed towards a method and system for providing a technique referred to as flash caching to respond to requests for an object, such as a dynamically generated object, from multiple clients. This technique of the present invention uses a dynamically generated object stored in a buffer for transmission to a client, for example in response to a request from the client, to also respond to additional requests for the dynamically generated object from other clients while the object is stored in the buffer. Using this technique, the present invention is able to increase cache hit rates for extremely fast changing dynamically generated objects that may not otherwise be cacheable.
US08255441B2
A figure data verification apparatus includes an operation part configured to input design data and writing data converted from the design data and perform an exclusive OR operation between data of a figure included in the design data and data of a figure included in the writing data, a sorting part configured to sort figures produced as a result of the exclusive OR operation to at least one arbitrary-angle figure having at least one angle not being an integral multiple of 45 degrees and to at least one non-arbitrary-angle figure all angles of which are integral multiples of 45 degrees, a first removal part configured to remove a figure of a size smaller than a first allowable error value from the arbitrary-angle figure, and a second removal part configured to remove a figure of a size smaller than a second allowable error value from the non-arbitrary-angle figure.
US08255436B2
Per thread garbage collection is disclosed. Objects associated only with a thread that created them are tracked. At a garbage collection time for a particular thread, it is determined which objects associated only with that thread remain reachable from a restricted root set associated with the thread. Any thread-only objects that are not determined to be reachable are garbage collected.
US08255425B1
A system and method efficiently conveys event notification using an event routing table. An event is detected and forwarded to an event management system (EMS) that determines if any thresholds have been exceeded. If a threshold has been exceeded, one or more destination names from a routing table are expanded using a destination table and appropriate event notifications are sent.
US08255422B2
The present invention provides a highly reliable and scalable architecture for data centers. Work to be performed is divided into discrete work units. The work units are maintained in a pool of work units that may be processed by any number of different servers. A server may extract an eligible work unit and attempt to process it. If the processing of the work unit succeeds, the work unit is tagged as executed and becomes ineligible for other servers. If the server fails to execute the work unit for some reason, the work unit becomes eligible again and another server may extract and execute it. A server extracts and executes work units when they have available resources. This leads to the automatic load balancing of the data center.
US08255418B2
Systems and methods to search for, gather, transform, integrate, and present information representative of real property and land parcels. The systems and methods are web-based and include a spatial database configuration having an input side and an output side. The input side is capable of transforming data gathered from multiple disparate sources in an automated or semi-automated manner. The output side is capable of presenting an intuitive interface for users to search for, access, and view the transformed information.
US08255416B2
A computer-aided methodology of morphological analysis of a set of text data objects and associated graphic images named contextual data modeling (CDM) involves personal discovery of meaningful interrelations of parametric values and names of text data objects using permutation of a data table; plus viewing, for each text data object listed in the table, an integrated dialog box (item screen), containing the text data object's parametric data and other data; plus viewing tags that represent at least some of the text data objects. Display of the item screens and tags may be concurrent and coordinated with display of text data objects in the data table. Near real time operation may serve to optimize retention of perceived data in a computer user's short term working memory as reasoning leads to modeling (manipulating) the data, including editing and colorization, until the user's reasoning is reflected in the displayed data.
US08255415B2
An embedded searching system uses an application name to search for the interface specifications for the application. The interface specifications are used to update default registry information of the operating system. Different applications can thus be embedded with a search field. This increases the convenience of searching for the applications. The mechanism also produces a corresponding method.
US08255404B2
A method for classifying Web pages and organising their contents comprises a recording step of a plurality of Internet addresses, comprising executions of a plurality of automatic recording processes of the plurality of Internet addresses, and a selection step, for setting a corresponding pertinence value to said plurality of Internet addresses. The selection step sets the corresponding pertinence value to a pertinence value proportional to a hit thereof in the plurality of Internet addresses and selects the Internet addresses with pertinence value greater than a predetermined threshold value; the method further comprises a reduction step, which, starting from the Internet addresses with pertinence value greater than the threshold value, reduces the Internet addresses to the Internet addresses meeting one or more essentiality criteria, and a validation step for validating a subset of the Internet addresses meeting the essentiality criteria; the validation step comprises a human action.
US08255401B2
A method, system and program product for computer information retrieval is disclosed. A matrix A is received. Random sign matrices S and R are generated. Matrix products of S^T*A, A*R, and S^T*A*R are computed. A Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse C of S^T*A*R is computed. A singular value decomposition is computed of the pseudoinverse C. Three matrices ARU, Sigma, and V^TS^TA are outputted as factorization in applications.
US08255400B2
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: acquiring one or more relevant reported aspects associated with one or more source users that are relevant to achieving one or more target outcomes, the acquisition of the one or more relevant reported aspects being based, at least in part, on relevancy of the one or more relevant reported aspects with respect to the achievement of the one or more target outcomes; and developing one or more personalized plans designed to facilitate an end user to achieve the one or more target outcomes when one or more emulatable aspects indicated by the one or more personalized plans are emulated, the development of the one or more personalized plans being based, at least in part, on the acquiring In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08255395B2
Provided is a multimedia data recording method including: receiving one or more search object items for searching for scenes including the same kind of information from media data; selecting one or more scenes that contain each of the search object items during the input of the media data; generating metadata including one or more pieces of scene information from among an index or reproduction time of the selected scenes; and recording the metadata onto a header region and recording the media data onto a payload region.
US08255392B2
A computer implemented method for real time demographic or population data collection is provided. The invention accesses various social networks, mine and consolidate the data from theses sources into a common usable format. The data is sorted and aggregated for a geographic location. The data is then weighted from the first, second and third data sets based on the age of the data. A customer is provided with the real time interactive report including demographic data within the specified geographic location. The demographic data includes a confidence interval indicating the degree of likelihood that the demographic data is correct.
US08255387B2
Technologies for forming logical indexes and utilizing such indexes so as to abstract many of the complexities resulting from referencing partitioned database tables. Included are technologies for making use of order-preserving properties of table metadata, for adding a partition equality predicate to an explicit predicate in merge-join processing on partitioned tables, and for selecting execution of a logical skip scan on a partitioned table when a query predicate does not reference a specific partition. Such technologies generally abstract from the query writer and processing systems explicit referencing of table partitions.
US08255386B1
A system may identify a collection of documents, predict a utility score for each document in the collection of documents, and create a ranked list of the documents based on the predicted utility scores for the documents. The system may also select a number of the documents in the ranked list of documents, index the selected documents, and store the index.
US08255382B2
The present invention includes systems and methods for retrieving information via a flexible and consistent targeted search model that employs interactive multi-prefix, multi-tier and dynamic menu information retrieval techniques that provide context-specific functionality tailored to particular information channels, as well as to records within or across such channels, and other known state information. Users are presented with a consistent search interface among multiple tiers across and within a large domain of information sources, and need not learn different or special search syntax. A thin-client server-controlled architecture enables users of resource-constrained mobile communications devices to locate targeted information more quickly by entering fewer keystrokes and performing fewer query iterations and web page refreshes, which in turn reduces required network bandwidth.
US08255378B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing access for a networked device to a directory service for terrestrial broadcasts. A networked-based directory service that includes broadcasting data for one or more broadcasting stations within various geographical locations is provided. The broadcasting data includes tuning information that enables receivers to tune in one or more terrestrial broadcasts transmitted by the one or more broadcasting stations. A request is received from a networked device to obtain information about an availability of terrestrial broadcasts at a geographical location of the networked device. The directory service is queried using the geographical location as a query parameter. A response is transmitted to the networked device. The response includes tuning information that enables a receiver to automatically tune to one or more terrestrial broadcasts associated with the geographical location of the networked device.
US08255369B2
Techniques used in an automatic failover configuration having a primary database system, a standby database system, and an observer for preventing divergence among the primary and standby database systems while increasing the availability of the primary database system. In the automatic failover configuration, the primary database system remains available even in the absence of both the standby and the observer as long as the standby and the observer become absent sequentially. The failover configuration further permits automatic failover only when the observer is present and the standby and the primary are synchronized and inhibits state changes during failover. The database systems and the observer have copies of failover configuration state and the techniques include techniques for propagating the most recent version of the state among the databases and the observer and techniques for using carefully-ordered writes to ensure that state changes are propagated in a fashion which prevents divergence.
US08255359B2
Aspects of the advancement provide for information to be synchronized in an asynchronous manner among two or more computing devices.
US08255350B2
Among other disclosed subject matter, a system for instantiating at least one solution includes a plurality of preconfigured templates representing operating systems and business systems and comprising preconfigured system images and data images, each of the preconfigured templates adapted for use in instantiating an instantiation system in any of multiple pools isolated from each other. The system includes an infrastructure service for customizing and configuring the instantiation system in one of the pools as instantiated using any of the preconfigured templates. The system includes a virtualization allocator that allocates the instantiation system to a selection from among physical servers and virtual servers.
US08255345B2
Systems and methods may include obtaining an input population of parent chromosome data structures, where each parent chromosome data structure provides having a plurality of genes representative of variables in which associated values are permitted to evolve; selecting pairs of parent chromosome data structures from the input population; allocating the selected pairs of parent chromosome data structures to respective ones of a plurality of slave processors, where each slave processor applies an evolutionary process to genes of the allocated pair to generate a plurality of child chromosome data structures; receiving a portion of the plurality of child chromosome data structures generated by the plurality of slave processors; merging the parent chromosome data structures with at least the received portion of the child chromosome data structures to generate a merged set of chromosome data structures; and identifying a portion of the merged set of chromosome data structures as an elite set of chromosome data structures.
US08255342B2
Method, apparatus, and program for generating prediction model based on multiple regression analysis
An objective variable prediction model based on multiple regression analysis and having high prediction accuracy is generated by a computer. The method includes the steps of: a) constructing an initial sample set from samples whose measured value of an objective variable is known; b) obtaining a calculated value of the objective variable using multiple regression analysis; c) extracting samples whose difference between the measured and the calculated value is not larger than a first value, and calculating a determination coefficient by applying multiple regression analysis to the extracted samples; d) repeating the step c) by changing the first value until the determination coefficient exceeds a second value; and e) performing two-class classification to classify the sub-sample set obtained at the end of the step d) as a first sub-sample set and remaining samples as a second sub-sample set, and calculating a discriminant function.
US08255337B1
The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods providing a single system available over a global communications network for shipping management for each parcel from a plurality of parcels that each Shipper of a plurality of Shippers ships using any one of a plurality of services offered by any one of a plurality of carriers.
US08255333B2
A method and apparatus for generating and updating a license for content and for providing content are provided. The method of generating a license includes generating license signature information for authenticating the license; generating use rule information for controlling the use of the content; generating authentication code information for authenticating a coupon for changing at least a portion of the use rule information; and generating key information required for decrypting the content.
US08255324B2
In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a system for facilitating financial transactions over a network includes a first component adapted to communicate with a merchant via a merchant device over the network and a second component adapted to receive a merchant transaction request from the merchant via the merchant device over the network, determine a format of the merchant transaction request, translate the format into a recognizable format, and process the merchant transaction request based on information passed with the merchant transaction request. In one aspect, the merchant transaction request includes information related to a financial transaction between the merchant and a customer purchasing an item from the merchant. In another aspect, format translation provides the capability to easily switch transaction service providers without incurring important integration costs.
US08255318B2
A method of authenticating an applicant. A history is obtained of transactions performed on an account held by the applicant and for which the applicant has been previously authenticated. The transaction history includes information about each transaction. The applicant is asked one or more questions relating to the information in the history. Answers to the one or more questions are received from the applicant, and a decision is made based on the received answers and the transaction history whether the applicant is authenticated. The applicant may be applying for enrollment in a service, and enrollment may be accepted or declined based on whether the applicant is authenticated. The account may relate to a payment instrument, and the authentication may be performed by an entity other than the issuer of the payment instrument.
US08255309B2
To valuate intellectual assets in a portfolio, a corresponding group of parameters is associated with each of the intellectual assets. Weights are associated with the parameters of each of the groups. Based on a predetermined value of a single one of the intellectual assets or of a collection of the intellectual assets, corresponding values of the intellectual assets are computed using the weights associated with the parameters of the corresponding groups.
US08255303B2
Systems and methods for operating a payment service provider include storing information associating the identity of a buyer with a plurality of the buyer's payment source accounts and a plurality of personal identity numbers (PINs) respectively associated therewith in a database of the payment service provider. Upon receipt of an authorization from the buyer that includes a specified payment amount and the associated PIN of the selected buyer's account from which the payment is to be made, a transaction device of the service provider is operable to effect a transfer of the specified payment amount from the selected buyer's account to the designated seller's account.
US08255299B2
A system has been disclosed which allows improved sexual interaction between two individuals who are in separate locations or between one user and computer game software. One component of the system measures the displacement of a fluid that occurs when an object is inserted into an orifice to create digital data, which data can be transmitted to a remote location or used in software on the local computer. Another component of the system responds to a data signal that is received from a remote location or generated on the local computer and generates thrusting movement of a phallic object which movement is related to said data signal.
US08255294B2
A method and system for monitoring supply of physical consumables for one or more vehicles receives at an input port supply data associated with a corresponding one of the one or more vehicles. The supply data is originated at a supply device that supplies the physical consumables. Consumption specification data associated with the one or more vehicles are retrieved from a storage device. The consumption specification data is specified by at least one of a vehicle manufacturer or an authority, e.g. a commercial, governmental or military authority. The method and system provides the supply data to a processing unit over a physical transmission medium to determine a variance relative to the consumption specification data.
US08255289B2
An article of jewelry having colored gemstones may be designed according to a consumer's input at a retail location. The article of jewelry may be imaged and priced at the retail location, and a commitment to purchase the article of jewelry may be obtained based on the image provided. A jewelry retailing system may include a retail location having a design center to design an article of jewelry having colored gemstones according to a consumer's input, and an imaging device such as a color printer.
US08255283B1
Systems and methods for crediting a retailer for an online purchase made by a consumer while the consumer is located within or in the proximity of a store location of the retailer are provided. After browsing a retail location for a product, a consumer can purchase the product from an Internet merchant different than that of the retailer using a mobile or networked client device. The client device can include a module for determining the location of the client device at the time of purchase and include the location information with information used to complete the purchase of the product. This location information can include an actual geographic location, a store identifier, or a retailer identifier. The online merchant can match the location information with retailer information to determine whether a credit for the purchase should be given to a retailer.
US08255279B2
The present invention provides Internet users with access to an on-line vendor that has detailed product information some or all of which is supplied by at least one product supplier. Through selected storage and sharing of data, an on-line store is married to a supplier's product database. The on-line vendor is able to provide greater product information at a vastly reduced cost. The product supplier is provided with a unique company forum in which company activities such as sales training can be consolidated with advertising activities and product information to provide the most economical and up-to-date training information for the company.
US08255271B2
A computer implemented rating system for rating a company using at least one non-economic factor stored in a database populated with hierarchical data and metadata. The system displays at least a portion of the hierarchical data and a formula that generates a sustainability score, the sustainability score defining a rating of the company incorporating the at least one non-economic factor. The user can input at weightings into the system which associates each weighting with a respective non-economic factor. A processor computes the sustainability score using the formula by mathematically applying each associated user-input weighting to the respective non-economic factor. The system displays the sustainability score, and, in response to a user interaction, displays at least a portion of the hierarchical data including the metadata. The hierarchical data can include a second level of data which is used to compute the first level by applying weightings in a formula.
US08255257B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to software for prioritizing client engagements at accounting practices. The disclosure describes various data inputs, a business objectives preference module, an optimization engine, user schedule(s), and, in an embodiment, a database or data warehouse. The optimization engine receives requests for new clients, requests for new projects for existing clients, or the like, receives business objectives, receives a current client engagement schedule and receives various additional input data, preferences, or user settings. The engine outputs an updated client engagement schedule, including, for example, whether undertaking the new client or project is advisable based on some or all of the input data.
US08255253B2
A cross-functional area service identification method and system. The method includes reading by a computing system, processes. The computing system processes process elements associated with the processes. The computing system identifies a first functional area associated with a first current process element of the process elements and a second functional area associated with a first parent process element of the first current process element. The computing system compares the first functional area to the second functional area and determines if the first functional area comprises a same functional area as the second functional area. The computing system generates and stores results indicating if the first functional area comprises a same functional area as the second functional area.
US08255250B2
To determine if an intermediate stop in a multistop travel itinerary is a layover or an intermediate destination, a passenger utility value is calculated for the intermediate stop and the passenger utility value for the intermediate stop is compared to a passenger utility for a layover. The intermediate stop is determined to be a layover in response to the passenger utility value for the intermediate stop being greater than or equal to the passenger utility for a layover and the intermediate stop is determined to be an intermediate destination in response to the passenger utility value for the intermediate stop being less than the passenger utility for a layover.
US08255247B2
An improved processing system for tracking commerce on the Internet provides for subvariable processing and includes web page scanning to discern fraud or improper content to insure proper promotion of select products within the network environment.
US08255241B2
The present invention is directed to a method of providing information regarding a patient's use of medications, the method including the step of providing a graphical icon relating to the medication, the graphical icon including at least one indicator relating to the patient's use of the medication. The least one indicator preferably provides information such as dosage information, duration information, compliance information, and impression information.
US08255240B2
Presented are apparatus and methods for providing online health monitoring and accumulating data from patients applicable in both diagnosing and prescribing preventive medical treatment. Methods and devices include using a sensitive acoustic device to analyze a patient's health function from a location such as a public computer kiosk, a doctor's office or a patient's computer. The data may be downloaded to a central database, for example, via the Internet. The data may be retrieved by the patient, or accessed by doctors for purposes of diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. The data may include demographic data that can be stored while maintaining patient anonymity. The data may be accessible to researchers providing medical statistics on a wide variety of patients from various age groups, ethnic backgrounds, medical histories and the like.
US08255236B2
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: receiving one or more requests for one or more particular templates that are associated with one or more source users, the one or more particular templates designed to facilitate one or more end users to achieve one or more target outcomes when one or more emulatable aspects included in the one or more particular templates are emulated; and providing from a plurality of templates the one or more particular templates, the providing being based at least on the association of the one or more particular templates with the one or more source users, the one or more particular templates developed based on one or more reported aspects associated with the one or more source users In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08255225B2
Methods and apparatuses to assist a user in the performance of a plurality of tasks are provided. The method may comprise storing at least one care plan in a voice assistant, the care plan defining a plurality of tasks to be performed, capturing speech input from the user, determining, from the speech input, a selected interaction with a care plan, and in response to the selected interaction, providing a speech dialog with the user reflective of the care plan. Alternatively, the method may comprise capturing speech input from a user, determining from the speech input, a first weight associated with a resident, associating the first weight with a care plan in turn associated with the resident, comparing the first weight to a second weight associated with the resident and the care plan, and providing a speech dialog regarding reweighting the resident based on the comparison.
US08255223B2
Methods and system for authenticating a user are disclosed. The present invention includes accessing a collection of personal information related to the user. The present invention also includes performing an authentication operation that is based on the collection of personal information. The authentication operation incorporates at least one dynamic component and prompts the user to give an audible utterance. The audible utterance is compared to a stored voiceprint.
US08255217B2
Systems and methods for creating and using geo-centric language models are provided herein. An exemplary method includes assigning each of a plurality of listings to a local service area, determining a geographic center for the local service area, computing a listing density for the local service area, and selecting a desired number of listings for a geo-centric listing set. The geo-centric listing set includes a subset of the plurality of listings. The exemplary method further includes dividing the local service area into regions based upon the listing density and the number of listings in the geo-centric listing set, and building a language model for the geo-centric listing set.
US08255216B2
A method of and a system for processing speech. A spoken utterance of a plurality of characters can be received. A plurality of known character sequences that potentially correspond to the spoken utterance can be selected. Each selected known character sequence can be scored based on, at least in part, a weighting of individual characters that comprise the known character sequence.
US08255209B2
A noise elimination method and apparatus. The method eliminates noise from an input signal containing a voice signal mixed with a noise signal. The method includes detecting a noise section, in which the noise signal is present, from the input signal; obtaining a weight to be used for the input signal from signals of the noise section; and filtering the input signal using the obtained weight. The method and apparatus enable a mobile robot to eliminate noise in real time and effectively detect and recognize voice.
US08255208B2
Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for merging entropy codebook application ranges within an audio signal. According to one embodiment, an audio signal is obtained, the audio signal including quantization indexes, identification of segments of said quantization indexes, and indexes of entropy codebooks that have been assigned to such segments, with a single entropy codebook index having been assigned to each said segment; potential merging operations in which specified segments potentially would be merged with each other are identified; bit penalties are estimated for the potential merging operations; then, the potential merging operation having the lowest estimated the penalty is performed.
US08255170B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing nondestructive inspection (NDI) services. For example in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a system for remote inspection includes a nondestructive inspection (NDI) system configured to examine a structure and provide NDI data related to a damage condition of the structure, the NDI system being configured to communicate the NDI data to a remote location; and a remote computer disposed at the remote location, the remote computer being configured to receive the NDI data and provide the received NDI data for a review, the remote computer being configured to communicate an analytical result based on the review to the NDI system, the analytical result including a repair disposition decision corresponding to the damage condition.
US08255167B2
Methods, software, and systems are provided for determining the probability of an overlap set of entities having an overlap size, where the overlap set is independently selected from two sets of non-identical entities. Applications of the invention to microarrays are provided. Probability distributions are provided for determining the probability that the size of an overlap gene set from two different microarrays occurs by chance. Microarray analysis for determining the size of a statistically significant overlap gene set given two different microarrays is described. Overlap set size probability determinations that account for the total number of genes in two different microarrays and not just the common genes are described.
US08255163B2
Downhole drilling vibration analysis uses acceleration data measured in three orthogonal axes downhole while drilling to determine whether drilling assembly's efficiency has fallen to a point where the assembly needs to be pulled. In real or near real time, a downhole tool calculates impulse in at least one direction using the measured acceleration data over an acquisition period and determines whether the calculated impulse exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold for the acquisition period. If the impulse exceeds the threshold, the tool pulses the impulse data to the surface where the calculated impulse is correlated to efficiency of the assembly as the drillstring is used to drill in real time. Based on the correlation, operators can determine whether to pull the assembly if excessive impulse occurs continuously over a predetermined penetration depth.
US08255156B2
A method is provided for obtaining data about spatial objects. The data is received from a set of adaptable and programmable sensor units associated with a set of spatial objects in real time to form received data, wherein the data is generated in response to a change in a measurement or time of a sensor unit in the set of sensor units. A collection of data for spatial objects is updated with the received data.
US08255154B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for social networking utilizing a vehicular assembly. In operation, a vehicular assembly is utilized to communicate with a mobile device. Information about social contacts is received, utilizing the mobile device. Further, the information about social contacts is displayed, utilizing the vehicular assembly.
US08255151B2
A method (500) and navigation system (100) are provided that generate a navigation route that is environmentally optimized between an origin and destination. Upon receiving an origination location and destination from a user or other source, such as a GPS satellite (104), a route determination module (302) determines multiple routes between the origination location and destination. An environmental analysis module (301) then processes each route to determine an environmental impact value. An evaluation module (303) then can selects a proposed route for presentation to the user via a presentation module (304). Alternatively, the evaluation module (303) may select two or more routes, which the presentation module (304) may present with corresponding environmental impact data such that the user may select a particular route. Additionally, a green coach module (306) may provide instructions to the user for more environmentally beneficial operation of a vehicle (102).
US08255138B2
A method for starting a motor vehicle, which is held at a standstill on an inclined route by a brake force which is maintained independently of the driver, after a predetermined holding time has elapsed gradually reduces the brake force which is generated independently of the driver, to put the motor vehicle into motion, and then controls the movement of the motor vehicle, corresponding to a preset course.
US08255132B2
A control device is provided for a vehicle drive apparatus, which includes a differential mechanism and an electric motor provided in differential mechanism, which can be miniaturized in structure with improved fuel economy or enabling the suppression of occurrence in switching shocks. With a provision of a switching clutch C0 or a switching brake B0, a shifting mechanism 10 is placed in either a continuously variable shifting state or a step variable shifting state. This enables the vehicle drive apparatus to have combined advantages in a fuel economy improving effect with a transmission, enabled to electrically change a gear ratio, and a high transmitting efficiency with a gear type power transmitting device enabled to mechanically transmit drive power. During a shifting of an automatic shifting portion 20, engaging control variable control means 84 alters a method of learning an engaging pressure. This allows a rotation speed N18 of a transmitting member to achieve a given variation during the shifting, depending on a continuously variable shifting state and a non-continuously variable shifting state, for thereby providing a balance between an improvement in a feeling and a suppressing of shifting shocks.
US08255127B2
An engine speed control system for an agricultural vehicle includes a variable throttle controller, a mode selector, and a control device. The variable throttle control permits an operator to select a variably adjustable engine speed and the mode selector permits the operator to select between a plurality of pre-set engine speeds. The control device receives output signals from the throttle controller, generates engine speed commands, and delivers the commands to an engine controller for controlling the speed of the agricultural vehicle's engine. The control device is operable to generate a first engine speed command associated with one of the pre-set engine speeds when an operator activates the mode selector and to temporarily or permanently override the first engine speed command with a second engine speed command associated with the throttle controller when the operator activates the throttle controller.
US08255123B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for positioning a movable component of a motor actuated device. The apparatus for carrying out the method includes a speech sensor for receiving speech input provided by a user of the device, and a force sensor for measuring a force input provided by the device user. The apparatus further includes a controller coupled to the speech sensor, the force sensor, and the motor actuated vehicle accessory, where the controller is operable to position the movable component in accordance with the received speech input and the measured force input. Exemplary embodiments are presented where the principles of the disclosure are applied to adjust the positioning of movable components of an adjustable pedal assembly and a vehicle power seat.
US08255121B2
A method is provided for detecting a likely pedal misapplication event and mitigating the effects of a pedal misapplication. In one embodiment the method comprises determining if likely pedal misapplication has occurred by the steps of: determining if a gear shift has occurred within a threshold time; determining if a vehicle velocity is below a threshold velocity; determining if the accelerator pedal is above a threshold application level; determining if the brake pedal is being applied by the driver; and determining if an obstacle is in the vehicle path and within a threshold distance. If these criteria are found, a likely pedal misapplication is detected.
US08255116B2
A vehicle control device has a portable-unit restraining control unit which, when the portable unit is inserted in the slot in the drive-permitted state, irremovably fixed the portable unit, which is inserted in the slot, by the portable-unit restraining unit and, when the portable unit is inserted in the slot in the drive-prohibited state, releases the portable unit from the locking effected by the portable-unit restraining unit to allow removal of the portable unit from the slot.
US08255113B2
Details relating to the operation of a vehicle under adverse conditions are recorded and collected. This data is particularly useful to forestall catastrophic failures, and to provide valuable information for potential buyers of used vehicles. Among the operating conditions that are considered are high levels of air contaminants, operation in extreme hot or cold temperatures, hauling heavy loads, as well as hard braking, turning and acceleration. In addition to the detection and recording of data, prorated maintenance schedules are recalculated and adjusted to accommodate for the operation of the vehicle under these adverse or less than ideal conditions. Typically, the data is stored in the on-board computers present in most vehicles. Periodic off loading of the data to the dealer and service providers is also provided.
US08255112B2
Remotely performed maintenance of a transportation unit such as an aircraft is disclosed, wherein the maintenance is performed utilizing a networked environment. In one implementation, a first network, located within the mobile transportation unit, is accessed from a second network, located externally to the mobile transportation unit. Having remotely assessed the first network, communication with one or more assets of the mobile transportation unit, which are connected to the first network, is possible. Maintenance operations are then performed by exchanging data and commands with the assets of the mobile transportation unit.
US08255107B2
A traveling control method, medium, and apparatus for autonomous navigation. The traveling control method of controlling an autonomous navigation machine, having at least on the right and left sides thereof at least first and second receivers that receive a radio signal transmitted from a transmitter disposed at a specific position in a traveling area, the method includes allowing at least one of the first and second receivers to receive the radio signal, recognizing a command included in the received radio signal, acquiring data indicating a size of a recognizable area reached by the radio signal and a position of the transmitter while the autonomous navigation machine moves along the border of the recognizable area, and executing the recognized command in the recognizable area.
US08255101B2
A method and a device for estimating on an aircraft at least one wind characteristic.The device (1) comprises means (7) for determining a corrective term being representative of an apparent wind created upon a rotation of the aircraft and means (4) for determining the wind characteristic taking into account such a corrective term.
US08255091B2
A temperature control circuit includes a microprocessor, a temperature detecting module, and a heating module. The temperature detecting module includes a thermistor and a first switch. The thermistor is operable to sense a temperature to turn on or off the first switch for outputting a detection signal to the microprocessor. The heating module includes a heater and a second switch. The microprocessor controls the second switch to turn on or off for making the heater works or stop working according to the detection signal.
US08255088B2
A method is provided for dispensing materials (20) with fluctuating viscosity over time, such as liquid adhesives. Using a control algorithm derived from viscosity data or lab testing results, a first pressure or mechanical drive speed is used to force viscous material (20) from a supply syringe (14) during a first dispensing cycle. After a certain amount of time, a correction model is applied to the control algorithm to increase the pressure or drive speed as viscosity of the material (20) increases. A second higher pressure or drive speed is then used to force viscous material (20) from the supply syringe (14) during a second dispensing cycle. The correction model can be based on empirical data about the viscous material (20), or a camera system (30) can be used to periodically adjust the pressure or drive speed as required to maintain a substantially uniform dispensing rate.
US08255078B2
A numerical controller for controlling a multi-axis machine tool having three linear axes and three rotating axes obtains an interpolated tool direction vector by interpolating a tool direction command and computes multiple solutions for three rotating axes from the vector. The three rotating axis positions are computed by synthesizing these multiple solutions. The three linear axis positions on a machine coordinate system are computed by adding to the interpolated tool center point position the product of the interpolated tool direction vector, or a verified tool direction vector based on the three rotating axis positions determined by the rotating axis position computing means, and a tool length compensation amount. The three rotating axes are moved to the positions computed above and the three linear axes are moved to the positions computed above.
US08255076B2
To provide a CAM system and method which can facilitate change of a machining posture and a machining procedure, and can aid an operation of forming an optimum machining path. Machining features capable of being integrated into one are obtained and a machining procedure for the integrated machining feature is obtained. Based on the machining procedure, design data is converted to manufacturing data. The manufacturing data capable of machining the integrated machining feature together can be therefore obtained in contrast with the case of separately machining the individual machining features which constitute the integrated machining feature.
US08255075B2
A thermal error compensation method for machine tools is disclosed, which comprises the steps of: disposing at least a thermal sensor at positions neighboring to the at least one heat source of a machine tool; driving the machine tool to operate under a specific operation condition for enabling the at least one heat source to generate heat; generating a thermal signal according to the temperature detected by the at least one thermal sensor; using a heat conducting calculation unit to access the thermal signal and the information relating to the specific operation condition to be used in a calculation for obtaining and thus outputting at least a node temperature; and using an error compensation unit to access the at least one node temperature to be used in a calculation for obtaining thermal error compensation values for the machine tool.
US08255067B2
An operation device position monitoring apparatus stores operation device position data outputted from the plant operation control system and the backup plant operation control system and further displays the operation device position data on a display device. Moreover, a processing device outputs a switching permission signal (Sk) to a switching device that performs switching from the plant operation control system to the backup plant operation control system when operation device position data outputted from the plant operation control system and operation device position data outputted from the backup plant operation control system are the same as each other, so that the operation device position is prevented from differing from the position upon normal operation when the plant operation control system is replaced by the backup plant operation control system.
US08255063B2
The invention relates to an intracardial implantable electrode line for connection to an implantable medical device, in particular a cardiac pacemaker or cardioverter/defibrillator or the like, which has an acceleration sensor in the area of its distal end, which is implemented to record and differentiate acceleration values in at least two different directions. The invention additionally relates to a cardiac stimulation configuration which also has a cardiac stimulator in addition to such an electrode line.
US08255057B2
Systems and methods for producing asynchronous neural responses to treat pain and/or other patient conditions are disclosed. A method in accordance with a particular embodiment includes selecting a target stimulation frequency that is above a threshold frequency, with the threshold frequency corresponding to a refractory period for neurons of a target sensory neural population. The method can further include producing a patient sensation of paresthesia by directing an electrical signal to multiple sensory neurons of the target sensory neural population at the stimulation frequency, with individual neurons of the sensory neural population completing corresponding individual refractory periods at different times, resulting in an asynchronous sensory neuron response to the electrical signal.
US08255051B2
An exemplary method includes emitting radiation subcutaneously; sensing at least some of the emitted radiation as reflected cutaneously; detecting an abnormal physiologic condition; and, based at least in part on the sensing, adjusting a stimulation therapy to treat the detected abnormal condition. In such a method, the abnormal condition may be an abnormal cardiac condition, an abnormal neural condition or other condition. Various other methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
US08255049B2
Various system embodiments comprise at least one sensor input adapted to receive at least one sensed signal associated with a tachyarrhythmia, a feature set extractor adapted to extract at least two features from the at least one sensed signal associated with the tachyarrhythmia, a feature set generator adapted to form a feature set using the at least two features extracted by the feature set extractor, at least one generator adapted for use to selectively apply an anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) therapy and a neural stimulation (NS) therapy, and a controller adapted to respond to the feature set. The controller is adapted to initiate the NS therapy when the feature set corresponds to criteria for applying the NS therapy to modify the tachyarrhythmia, and initiate the ATP therapy to terminate the modified tachyarrhythmia. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US08255042B2
A system and method for monitoring an individual's physiological condition and detecting abnormalities therein, comprising concurrently receiving an electrocardiograph signal and a ballistocardiograph signal. The electrocardiograph and ballistocardiograph signals are conditioned to minimize background extraneous noise after which, each signal is concurrently processed and analyzed to detect repeating cyclical patterns and further characterized to identify individual components of the repeating cycles. At least one individual component in one signal is selected as a reference marker or a selected component in the other signal. The two signals are then synchronized, outputs produced therefrom and stored in a database.
US08255038B2
A system employs non-uniform and nonlinear patient monitoring signals in automatically adaptively varying image resolution, image scanning frequency and acquisition speed and gates and synchronizes the image scanning and acquisition of an imaging system. A system acquires medical images of patient anatomy using a trigger generator. The trigger generator generates a trigger signal comprising a non-periodic sequence of pulses in a first signal portion within individual heart beat cycles. The first signal portion is periodically repeated for multiple sequential individual heart beat cycles. An image acquisition device acquires multiple images of a patient anatomical portion in response to corresponding multiple individual pulses of the non-periodic sequence of pulses. A display processor presents acquired images on a display for review by a user.
US08255036B2
The present invention relates to a method of characterizing lung function in a subject in need of such characterization. The method comprises performing an imaging technique, on a voxel defined within a lung space of interest. Image data is generated over a time period during which the subject inhales gases with at least two different partial pressures of a paramagnetic gas. A compartmental model algorithm is applied to the image data generated for the voxel to provide information on ventilation, diffusion and perfusion of a lung. The paramagnetic gas is preferably Oxygen. The imaging technique is preferably Oxygen Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (OE-MRI).
US08255032B2
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for increasing oxygen availability to implantable devices. The preferred embodiments provide a membrane system configured to provide protection of the device from the biological environment and/or a catalyst for enabling an enzymatic reaction, wherein the membrane system includes a polymer formed from a high oxygen soluble material. The high oxygen soluble polymer material is disposed adjacent to an oxygen-utilizing source on the implantable device so as to dynamically retain high oxygen availability to the oxygen-utilizing source during oxygen deficits. Membrane systems of the preferred embodiments are useful for implantable devices with oxygen-utilizing sources and/or that function in low oxygen environments, such as enzyme-based electrochemical sensors and cell transplantation devices.
US08255028B2
A patient monitor has multiple sensors adapted to attach to tissue sites of a living subject. The sensors generate sensor signals that are responsive to at least two wavelengths of optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood within the tissue sites. A patient monitor uses the plurality of signals to reduce the effects of noise.
US08255024B2
Between adjacent windings of a bifilar coil made of an HTS strip conductor in a resistive superconductive current limiter device, a spacer is provided which is transparent for a coolant. The spacer includes an electrically insulating support tape for sufficiently massive spacer elements attached thereon. The spacer elements are spaced and made of a material having high thermal conductivity. The spaces between the spacer elements form cooling channels for the coolant.
US08255022B2
A cryostat (1) with a magnet coil system including superconductors for the production of a magnet field B0 in a measuring volume (3) has a plurality of radially nested solenoid-shaped coil sections (4, 5, 6) which are electrically connected in series, at least one of which being an LTS section (5, 6) with a conventional low temperature superconductor (LTS) and at least one of which being an HTS section (4) including a high temperature superconductor (HTS), wherein the LTS section (5, 6) is located in a first helium tank (9) of the cryostat (1) along with liquid helium at a helium temperature TL<4 K. The apparatus is characterized in that the HTS section (4) is disposed radially within the LTS section (5, 6) in a separate helium tank (19) of the cryostat (1) having normal liquid helium and is separated from the LTS section (5, 6) by means of at least one wall disposed between the two helium tanks. An HTS coil section can be maintained in the cryostat in accordance with the invention over a long period of time and in a reliable fashion.
US08255016B2
A flip-type portable electronic device is provided. The flip-type electronic device includes a housing and a cushion member. The housing comprises an first body portion and a second body portion secured to the first body portion. The cushion member is attached to the second body portion.
US08255006B1
An event dependent notification system and method presents a message to a user of a mobile device suggesting the user to perform an action during and/or after an event is detected. The event is detected by an accelerometer or another sensor. In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to a message being presented, the action is automatically taken. The message is able to encourage users to perform actions they do not typically perform or enroll in programs/services they are not currently utilizing, ultimately providing better and/or more secure functionality of the mobile device.
US08255001B2
A method of performing expedited communication functions on a mobile device includes monitoring the duration-of key press on a keyboard of the mobile device and determining if the monitored duration of the key press is greater than a threshold duration. If the monitored duration of the key press is determined to be less than a threshold duration, then a primary key function associated with the pressed key is activated. If the monitored duration of the key press is determined to be greater than a threshold duration, then an expedited communication function associated with the pressed key is activated.
US08254999B2
A quantized multi-rank beamforming scheme for multiple-antenna systems such as a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) wireless downlink. User equipment (UE) estimates downlink channel and transmit power and determines rank and power allocations. A quantized beamforming matrix is then determined by the UE using successive beamforming. The UE also determines channel quality indices (CQI) which it feeds-back to the wireless downlink base station along with the index of the quantized beamforming matrix. The base station uses the CQI information to select a UE for scheduling of downlink transmission and the quantized beamforming matrix index received from the selected UE to beamform the downlink transmission to the UE. Base station overhead and is minimized while providing near-optimal performance given the constraints of a limited feed-back channel and computational complexity of the UE.
US08254995B2
A wireless device is disclosed. The wireless device includes a wireless communication module, a data storage module, and a controller for controlling the storage and/or retrieval of data from the data storage module. The wireless communication module communicates with each of a plurality of remote devices and the data storage module defines a first storage area and a second storage area. The controller controls the communication of data between the first storage area and the remote device, and the second storage area and the remote device dependent upon access rights associated with the remote device. The first storage area typically defines a public storage area with which data is exchanged in a relatively free manner, and the second storage area typically defines a private storage area with which data is exchanged in a relatively restricted manner.
US08254993B2
Message notifications to an accessory from a mobile communication device are provided according to some embodiments of the invention. When a message such as a text message, email, and/or voicemail is received at a mobile communication device, the mobile communication device can notify an attached accessory that a message has been received. In response, the accessory can request the full message, media associated with the message, an attachment to the message, and/or an audio/video stream of the message for presentation to a user.
US08254992B1
A wireless docking system and method is provided for monitoring the use of one or more docking stations by multiple portable computers. The system and method provides for the intelligent management of docking stations and connected resources by implementing a protocol that takes into account the identity of the user insofar as one user my have priority to the use of a docking station, the length of time an inactive computer has been connected to a docking station, whether another user requests the use of the docking station, whether the strength of the communication signals between a wireless docking station and computer is adequate to support the use of the docking station, and whether a user wishes to terminate a connection with a docking station.
US08254983B2
A communication device has a plurality of circuit modules including a processing module, a memory module and a wireless telephony transceiver for communicating with a network in accordance with a wireless telephony protocol. An RF data bus communicates first data between at least two of the plurality of circuit modules over a first millimeter wave communication path.
US08254981B2
A method for granting a mobile station permission to attempt to identify a cell of a first radio access technology (RAT) while being served by a cell of a second RAT. The mobile station receives a list of neighbor cells of the second RAT. The list contains at least one identifying characteristic associated with at least one cell of the first RAT. The mobile station identifies at least one cell of the first RAT associated with the at least one identifying characteristic.
US08254957B2
Context-based limitation of mobile device operation. An embodiment of a method includes receiving a request for a function of a mobile device. The method further includes obtaining data regarding a context of the mobile device, and determining a current context for the mobile device based on the obtained data. The method includes determining whether the function of the mobile device should be limited at least in part the current context of the mobile device; and responding to the request for the function based on the determination regarding the limitation of the function.
US08254951B2
A beacon device is disclosed for transmitting a proximity indication signal. When a mobile terminal is in proximity to the beacon device the mobile device receives the proximity indication signal and transmits a signal indicative thereof to the network with which it is registered in order to receive discounted calls because it is deemed to be within a special zone (such as the house of the user of the mobile terminal. The device is able to detect movement of device and to inhibit generation of the proximity indication signal to the mobile terminal when movement is detected. In order to detect movement, the device includes means for recording the pattern of selected ambient radio signals to derive a typical value range, means for measuring the ambient radio signals to produce a measurement value, means for comparing the measurement value with the value range to determine whether the device has been moved, and means for selectively enabling transmission of a proximity indication signal to the mobile terminal in dependence upon the determination of the comparing means.
US08254949B2
System(s), method(s), and device(s) that enable release of backhaul capacity associated with base stations are presented. During soft handover, a communication device can have its connection maintained with more than one base station. A link controller component can identify a radio link having the highest quality and can determine the relative backhaul load of each base station communicating with the communication device. The link controller component determines whether the base station having the highest radio link quality is experiencing the heaviest backhaul load relative to the other base stations. If the base station with the highest link quality does not also have the heaviest backhaul load, the link controller component identifies the base station having the heaviest backhaul load and the identified base station can have its status modified with respect to the communication device for a desired period of time, in accordance with predefined status modification criteria.
US08254946B2
The disclosed embodiments provide for methods and systems for flexibly allocating a shared frequency spectrum to a plurality of users, the spectrum may have a first number of segments, each segment having a second number of clusters associated with a certain sector/cell. In one aspect, a method for flexibly allocating a shared frequency spectrum to a plurality of users comprises the acts of fixedly assigning a first group of clusters to a first group of users, such that the first group of users stay fixed to the assigned clusters, and assigning a second group of clusters to a second group of users, such that the second group of users hop within the assigned clusters.
US08254945B2
A method of allocating bursts in a broadband wireless communication system is provided. The method includes dividing a downlink period into a plurality of regions according to a burst property, calculating a residual symbol axis size and a residual subchannel axis size of a first region conforming to two-dimensional allocation among the plurality of regions, allocating bursts to be allocated to the first region in a descending order, wherein the bursts are respectively allocated in a rectangular shape having a length corresponding to the number of residual symbols along a time axis or in a rectangular shape having a length corresponding to the number of residual subchannels along a frequency axis, and allocating bursts to be allocated to at least one region conforming to one-dimensional allocation among the plurality of regions to the at least one region conforming to one-dimensional allocation according to a scheduling priority.
US08254937B2
Disclosed is a method for a femtocell to reduce interference with an overlapping macrocell. The femtocell determines soft-frequency-reuse (“SFR”) information of the macrocell. From that information, the femtocell determines which frequency sub-channels are assigned by the macrocell for its cell-center users and which frequency sub-channels are assigned for cell-edge users. (Cell-edge users are given a higher transmission power profile in order to overcome potential interference with neighboring macrocells.) Then, the femtocell selects from the cell-center user frequency sub-channels for transmission to the femtocell's users. By transmitting on the cell-center user frequency sub-channels, the femtocell reduces interference with the overlapping macrocell. The femtocell continues to update its knowledge of the macrocell's SFR information and re-assigns frequency sub-channels as the SFR changes. If the macrocell detects that one of its cell-center users is “close enough” to the femtocell, then the macrocell re-assigns the cell-center user as a cell-edge user to overcome interference.
US08254932B2
A method of handling mobility in multimedia broadcast multicast service single frequency network (MBSFN) for a user equipment of a wireless communication system includes when the user equipment proceeds with an MBMS service and performs handover from a source cell to a target cell, checking whether a target MBSFN area which the target cell belongs to is the same as a source MBSFN area which the source cell belongs to, when the target MBSFN area is different from the source MBSFN area, receiving a multicast control channel (MCCH) corresponding to the target MBSFN area, checking whether the MBMS service is provided in the target MBSFN area, and when the MBMS service is provided in the target MBSFN area, sending a service join request to a target network of the wireless communication system, for continuing to receive the MBMS service.
US08254928B2
A communication control apparatus that is applied to a wireless communication system in which a mobile terminal can be connected to a fixed base station through a wireless connection to a relay station that is mounted on a moving body, wherein the communication control apparatus includes a detecting unit that detects a change, associated with movement of the moving body on which the relay station is mounted, of a communication environment between the mobile terminal and the relay station, a control unit that controls a handover of the mobile terminal according to the change, detected by the detecting unit, of communication environment between the mobile terminal and the relay station.
US08254924B2
Accordingly, a method adaptive registration is disclosed, wherein the access terminal adjusts the registration area based on mode and its location. Accordingly, the network also adjusts its paging area. Generally, the access terminal will transition from small registration area to large registration area based on its mobility.
US08254916B2
The invention relates to a method for blocking roaming steering mechanisms. According to said method, a foreign cellular device (3), e.g. a cellular telephone, is registered with nationally visited radio network (2) when the foreign (1) and the national cellular network operator have concluded a roaming agreement on mutually debiting cellular services. The invention is characterized in that an anti-roaming steering server (5) installed in the nationally visited cellular network (2) identifies manipulated error messages (14) and selectively manipulates the registration process (8) of foreign mobile users by adequately influencing signaling processes.
US08254910B1
Systems and methods provide network management based on mobility agent binding tables. A query component queries mobility agent binding tables to obtain mobile devices' data. The data may identify a group of mobile devices or the mobile devices may be in a geographic location. The query component may send a message to the group of mobile devices via the mobile devices' network access identifiers. A base transceiver station's operational parameter may be adjusted based on a comparison of the data to a threshold. Binding tables' updates may be written in response to receipt of updates, or binding tables may be accessed. Binding tables may be queried to obtain mobile devices' data to promote management action. The data may identify home agent binding tables, foreign agent binding tables, packet data serving nodes, radio network controllers, base transceiver stations, network access identifiers, home addresses, care of addresses, and time to live.
US08254905B2
A gateway apparatus configured to wirelessly communicate with and provide a service to a wireless client device includes a wireless access point module, a network interface and a controller. The wireless access point module is configured to wirelessly communicate with the wireless client device. The network interface module is configured to interface with a network in order to provide the service for the wireless client device. The controller is responsive to detecting degradation in the service or to receiving a command to generate a signal, for transmission to the wireless client device by the wireless access point module. The signal notifies the wireless client device to disconnect from the gateway apparatus.
US08254901B2
A method includes the steps of selecting an appliance to be controlled from a list of appliances stored in the cellular device, selecting an instruction to be communicated to the selected appliance from a list of instructions stored in the cellular device, and transmitting the instruction to a cellular interface associated with the selected appliance via a public cellular telephone infrastructure by dialing a telephone number stored in the cellular device.
US08254895B2
A system is provided for generating mobile internet pages for mobile communication devices. The system includes a plurality of data chunks, a page repository containing page structures, the page structures including a list of the data chunks, and a database including data relating to mobile communication devices of different configurations and information on adaptations to be made to data chunks corresponding to the different configurations. On receipt of a page request from an identified type of mobile communication device, the system selects a page structure from the page repository, identifies the data chunks listed in the selected page structure, retrieves specific information from the database corresponding to the identified model, uses the specific information to separately adapt each of the identified chunks according to the specific information, and compiles a mobile internet page by combining the separately adapted data chunks.
US08254893B2
The present invention relates to a method and system of saving contact information of local businesses into the contact list of a communication device. Contact information is downloaded from a web server into contact list of communication device. Upon input of a search query into communication device, user is able to search contact information of local businesses from within the contact information saved in the communication device without having to rely on communication link with the web server. According to another aspect user is provided means to define geographic restriction criteria relative to current location of communication device for display of contact list in response to search query.
US08254886B2
An intelligent network access controller for use with a wireless network that provides communications services to subscribers having wireless communications devices includes a multi-protocol interface for receiving and sending digital messaging by the wireless communications devices; an identification module that determines an identity of a wireless communications device; an access module that receives the identity and determines an access level for the wireless communications device; and a locking module that locks selected wireless communications devices to the controller based on the determined access level.
US08254882B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving security context information relevant to a connection between a wireless network infrastructure component and a wireless client, wherein the security context information comprises at least, an identification of the wireless client, and wherein the security context information identifies any security protocols associated with the connection; validating the connection based on the security context information; and transmitting the security context information to one or more detector wireless access points.
US08254881B2
Network systems and methods for utilizing mobile devices to enhance customer experiences are disclosed herein. A first aspect of the present invention facilitates a customer to acquire a membership to a membership program and subsequently access benefits of the membership program via a mobile device. Another aspect of the present invention facilitates a customer to redeem coupons for sales transactions via a mobile device. Yet another aspect of the present invention facilitates a customer to acquire a map including the location of requested items. Another aspect of the present invention facilitates a customer to search for an item and in response receive the availability and in some instances a map location of the requested item. Yet another aspect of the present invention facilitates a customer to pay for item using a remote charging method.
US08254870B2
A Bluetooth peripheral includes a sleeve, a Bluetooth earphone received in the sleeve, and a stylus latched to the sleeve. The invention also discloses a portable electronic device using the Bluetooth peripheral.
US08254862B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a single chip radio tuner, which may be adapted within an integrated circuit (IC). The tuner may be provided with a configurable front end to receive and process a radio frequency (RF) signal via a signal path. This configurable front end may be differently controlled depending on a particular radio implementation in which the tuner is adapted.
US08254861B2
A method for controlling receiver diversity operation in a base station of a mobile telecommunications network. The base station includes a first receiver arrangement and a second receiver arrangement. The method includes activating the first receiver arrangement, thereby receiving signals at a first gain level. The method also includes activating the second receiver arrangement, thereby receiving signals at a second gain level, the second gain level being equal to or lower than the first gain level. The method further includes measuring baseband consumption at the base station at predetermined intervals. The method finally includes, when the baseband consumption exceeds a predetermined deactivation threshold THDE, deactivating the first receiver arrangement, thereby leaving only the second receiver arrangement active.
US08254857B2
A radio communication device includes a power amplifier to amplify a transmit signal, a control unit to generate a voltage control signal for defining power to be supplied to the power amplifier in accordance with a conversion curve expressed using a polynomial series based on an envelope signal obtained from the transmit signal and determine the polynomial series based on an efficiency of the power amplifier, and a power source unit to supply the power to the power amplifier based on the voltage control signal, wherein the control unit divides an amplitude range of the envelope signal on the conversion curve into a plurality of sections and determines the polynomial series based on at least one of the plurality of sections.
US08254856B2
A method processes defects in a radio frequency transmission subsystem due to elements therein. The defects may include mismatch between two channels in phase quadrature in the transmission subsystem and a transposition signal leaking from a first frequency transposition stage of the transmission subsystem. The method may include calibration processing including estimating compensation parameters representative of the defects. The estimating may include delivering, into the transmission subsystem upstream of the elements creating the defects, a reference signal having a reference frequency, obtaining, downstream of the first transposition stage, of a resultant reference signal, and obtaining, from the resultant reference signal, of an approximate value for each compensation parameter. The method also may include compensating for the defects by injecting the approximate values into the transmission subsystem.
US08254848B1
A distributed antenna system (DAS) provides a plurality of DAS coverage areas for a wireless network. A plurality of statically deployed monitoring devices, each of which includes at least one radio frequency (RF) transmitter/receiver, are configured to run application tests, for example, for voice, messaging, or locations-based services, to provide testing of the wireless network to thereby generate test information related to the wireless network. An evaluation component and a control component respectively analyze the test information and adjust one or more parameters of the wireless network based on the test information.
US08254843B2
A method for reducing interference in a mobile network is provided. The method includes determining locations of a plurality of nodes in the mobile network; steering at least one antenna at a node in the plurality of nodes in the mobile network; estimating intensity of signals from the at least one antenna at each of the plurality of nodes; determining optimal direction to steer the at least one antenna to reduce interference; and steering the at least one antenna in the optimal direction.
US08254840B2
A system and method of a Dial-Up Networking (DUN) approach is disclosed. The DUN system authenticates a wireless network between a portable electronic device and a control module. The DUN system includes the portable electronic device, a transceiver, and the control module. A wireless service carrier is associated with the portable electronic device. The control module includes control logic for determining the wireless service carrier associated with the portable electronic device. The control module further includes control logic for establishing the wireless network connection between the control module and the portable electronic device.
US08254838B2
A portable RF wireless device (41), such as a microphone, is provided with an infrared beacon in order to signal a connection request to a wireless communication access point (48) using a first IR code (401). In response to this first IR code, the wireless communication access point broadcasts an RF inquiry message (101) that is responded (102) to by the portable RF wireless device in order to establish an RF communication link. After the RF communication link is established, the portable RF wireless device conditionally transmits a second IR code to verify that it is still collocated in the local vicinity of the wireless communication access point, such as being in the same room.
US08254837B2
A method to establish a full-duplex audio connection over an asynchronous Bluetooth link between an audio terminal and a wireless audio device exchanges supported service classes and codecs between the audio terminal and the wireless audio device, negotiates a service class and a codec that are common to the audio terminal and the wireless audio device, and establishes an asynchronous audio connection between the audio terminal and the wireless audio device using the common service class and the codec. The audio connection established can depend on the software application desiring the audio connection plus the available service classes and codecs at the audio terminal and wireless audio device. For non-internet protocol (non-IP) audio applications, an ACL using AVDTP may be selected; for IP audio applications, an ACL using BNEP may be selected. Both AVDTP and BNEP can use codecs that support wide bandwidth audio.
US08254829B1
A wireless network service delivers audio tracks to a user via a mobile wireless terminal. A server maintains a plurality of audio tracks, wherein each audio track is stored in conjunction with a respective cadence tag. A cadence evaluator identifies a substantially instantaneous user status and selects a cadence tag corresponding to the user status. The server streams a selected audio track having a cadence tag matching the selected cadence tag, and the mobile wireless terminal plays it back to the user. The cadence can be selected to match a desired pace of an athletic workout, a desired heart rate, or the particular geographic surroundings, for example.
US08254826B2
An image recording device includes: a tray having a placing surface; a feed unit comprising a rotating member configured to move in a first direction away from the placing surface of the tray and move in a second direction toward the placing surface of the tray; a frictional member disposed on the placing surface; a recording unit; a conveying unit configured to return the sheet, on one side of which the image has been recorded by the recording unit, to the placing surface; and a moving mechanism configured to move the rotating member in the first direction and in the second direction. The moving mechanism is configured to move the rotating member in the first direction before a leading end of the sheet returned by the conveying unit reaches the frictional member in a state where no sheet is placed on the tray.
US08254825B2
A digital printing system employing tandem marking engines for duplex printing utilizing a variable dwell time in the output sheet inverter of the first marking engine to provide correct positioning of the leading edge of the inverted sheet for arrival at the entrance of the second marking to avoid the seam in the photoreceptor.
US08254822B2
According to an aspect of the invention, an image forming apparatus includes a removing unit, a conveying unit, a partitioning unit. The removing unit includes an edge portion and removes toner on an image carrier while the tip end contacts the image carrier. The conveying unit conveys, toward an axial direction of the conveying unit, the toner removed from the image carrier and moved above the removing unit, the conveying unit being disposed above the removing unit. The partitioning unit is inclined to a conveying direction of the conveying unit and is disposed above the removing unit through a space.
US08254815B2
A toner cartridge in a bottle shape for storing toner is composed of a first cylindrical portion having a blocked bottom wall at one end and an opening at the other end and a second cylindrical portion in which one end thereof is connected to the opening, and an opening for ejecting toner is formed at the other end, and the outside diameter thereof is smaller than the first cylindrical portion.
US08254812B2
A driving unit for a photo conductor drum cartridge is assembled with a shaft of the photo conductor drum cartridge, including a gear and a conducting plate mounted on the gear. The conducting plate is provided with an elastic arm and defines an imaginary axis parallel to the shaft. When the elastic arm of the conducting plate is perpendicular to the imaginary axis, a distance L is defined between a distal end of the elastic arm and the imaginary axis. The distance L is longer than or equal to a radius d of an annular groove portion of the shaft and shorter than a radius D of the shaft. By means of this design, the driving unit can be reusable and provide a convenient detachment of a photo conductor drum.
US08254803B2
An image forming apparatus including a target part to be cooled detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus, a cooling device including a heat receiving part provided to contact the target part to be cooled to receive heat from the target part to be cooled with a cooling medium provided within the heat receiving part, and a contact/separation mechanism to cause the heat receiving part to contact and separate from the target part to be cooled. The contact/separation mechanism includes a pressing unit to press the heat receiving part against the target part to be cooled. A reaction of a pressing force of the heat receiving part applied to the pressing unit when the heat receiving part is pressed against the target part to be cooled is directed onto a predetermined portion of the target part to be cooled.
US08254800B2
An image processing apparatus includes a living body detection unit configured to detect approaching of a living body based on a detection output depending on a distance to the living body, an operation unit configured to receive an operation command from a user, a history recording unit configured to record a history of a detection output of the living body detection unit and a history of an operation performed on the operation unit, and a determination unit configured to determine a threshold value of the detection output, the threshold value being used by the living body detection unit as a determination reference value in determining whether a living body is detected, the determination of the threshold value being made based on the history recorded in the history recording unit as to the detection output of the living body detection unit and as to the operation performed on the operation unit.
US08254799B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section forming a charged toner image on an image holding body; a transfer accepting body moving circularly on a circulation path; a transfer section which includes a current supplied member arranged opposite to the image holding body with respect to the transfer accepting body and applied with a current with polarity opposite to that of the toner image, and transfers the toner image to the transfer accepting body by applying a current to the current applied member; an unevenness detection section detecting an unevenness portion where unevenness occurs on the transfer accepting body; and a current control section controlling the applied current to the current applied member such that the current is larger while the unevenness portion detected by the unevenness detection section passes through the position than a current applied while another portion except the unevenness portion passes through the position.
US08254787B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for optical polarization mode dispersion compensator (PMDC) feedback control for APol-DPSK signals. A feedback signal generator includes a delay-line-interferometer (DLI), with a differential delay line delay (D) different from one bit period (Tb). In an exemplary embodiment, the DLI delay is in the range of 0.5 Tb
US08254786B2
A digital signal is sent by a one-wire digital input/output unit of a one-wire IR communication system at the side of the dedicated device to an IR transmitting element, a working range is established in which the IR signal is sent, which is received at the side of the target device by an IR receiving element of the one-wire IR communication system of the target device, and the IR signal is sent by the one-wire digital input/out of the IR system across the main communication trunk to the modules of the target device. The system has a one-wire infrared communication system installed in a dedicated device and a target device, containing a one-wire digital input/output of the system, connected to a separator/amplifier unit with RxD and TxD lines, while the one-wire input/output of the system at the side with the dedicated device is connected to units of the testing system of the device and at the side with the target device the one-wire digital input/output of the system is connected directly by the main communication trunk to the modules of the target device.
US08254780B2
In a passive optical network system, a parent station includes a reception circuit that receives an optical signal from each of child stations using a threshold used to identify if the optical signal is 0 or 1; a bandwidth setting unit that determines a time at which each child station sends an optical signal; a storage unit that stores thresholds and intensities of optical signals received from the child stations; and a control unit that sets a threshold, stored corresponding to a sending time, in the reception circuit to control a reception of an optical signal. The control unit has a function that compares an intensity of a signal received from each child station at an optical signal reception time with information stored in the storage unit to detect and determine a fault in the child station or in the optical fiber connected to the child station.
US08254775B2
A ring-like region excluding a central region and a peripheral region from an image pickup area is preset as a focus area. An image signal is acquired through a lens and a CCD circuit. Based on the image signal thus acquired, a contrast value indicating the degree of in-focus of the preset focus area is calculated. A lens position corresponding to a maximum contrast value of the preset focus area is determined as an in-focus lens position. In autofocus processing, face detection is carried out first. Then, if the result of face detection is successful, a face region is set up as a focus area, and focus adjustment is performed based thereon. Alternatively, if the result of face detection is unsuccessful, focus adjustment is performed based on the preset focus area.
US08254774B2
An autofocus method for obtaining clear images characterized by: adjusting the lens position with an initial dataset of focus values to obtain a estimated lens position; moving the lens to the estimated lens position and acquiring the corresponding focus value; determining whether the estimated lens position is sufficiently proximate to the prior estimated lens position, wherein, if it is, the autofocus process stops, and, if not, repeating the above-described steps until a lens position having an optimal focus value is obtained, thereby obtaining the clearest image with increased focusing speed and reduced time of lens movement and without the need of empirical parameters.
US08254772B2
An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of lenses movable along an optical axis, a plurality of drivers configured to drive the plurality of lenses, respectively, and a synchronism loss detector configured to detect a loss of synchronism of one of the plurality of drivers. The one of the plurality of drivers is a driver that drives a lens which is heaviest in the plurality of lenses.
US08254769B2
An anti-shake structure for auto-focus module includes an auto-focus module for driving a lens to move forward and rearward in a light entering path, i.e. in z-axis direction, so that the lens focuses light on an image sensor; a frame for holding the auto-focus module therein; a lens suspender with a compensation lens arranged thereon being connected to a plurality of suspension wires while the latter are connected at respective another end to the top cover plate of the frame, so that the compensation lens is correspondingly suspended in the frame in the light entering path and located behind the lens; and a shake compensation driving unit for driving the lens suspender to move horizontally in x-axis or y-axis direction, so as to compensate any image shift caused by hand shaking.
US08254767B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and apparatus for rapid thermal processing of a substrate over an extended temperature range, including low temperatures. Systems and methods for using an extended temperature pyrometry system employing a transmitted radiation detector system are disclosed. Systems combining transmitted radiation detector systems and emitted radiation detector systems are also described.
US08254754B2
A reproducing device for playing back data from a recording medium, including: playback circuits for playing back at least two stream data in a time division multiplexing manner from a recording medium that records: first stream data which includes first video data, first audio data, and first sub-picture data, and second stream data which includes second video data, second audio data, and second sub-picture data; and selection circuits for conducting at least one of: switching from the first video data to the second video data, switching from the first audio data to the second audio data, and switching from the first sub-picture data to the second sub-picture data; wherein data which is newly switched by the selection circuits and the data which is not switched by the selection circuits, are synchronously superimposed and outputted.
US08254752B2
The present invention relates to a method for making a user easily replay a scene on which a specific person appears included in a movie. The method includes the steps of: (a) distinguishing persons appearing in the movie by recognizing their faces; (b) obtaining identifier of each distinguished person, feature data of the persons, information on time zone in which each person appears, wherein the information on the time zone includes a starting time and an ending time and wherein the ending time for a person is determined as the last time that the person appeared if the person has not appeared for more than a certain critical time; (c) displaying the identifier at a request of replay of the movie; and (d) replaying the movie from the starting time for a specific person who corresponds to a specific identifier if the specific identifier is selected.
US08254751B2
On an optical disk, video object sets (VTST_VOBS) to be reproduced and video title set information (VTSI) serving as management information on the video object sets have been stored. In each video object set (VTST_VOBS), many data cells, each containing video, audio, and sub-picture data, are arranged. Management information on programs chains, which are combinations of programs to be reproduced one after another, has been written in a video title set PGC table (VTS_PGCIT). By referring to the program chain table (VTS_PGCIT) according to the user's input, the playback order of program chains can be changed, enabling the program chains to be reproduced one after another in various modes.
US08254746B2
An optical sight is provided and may include: a housing; at least one optic supported by the housing; an illumination device associated with the at least one optic and selectively supplying the at least one optic with light, the illumination device including a first fiber associated with a first light source; a coupler collecting light from the first fiber and supplying the at least one optic with light from the first light source; and an electroluminescent device associated with the at least one optic and selectively supplying the at least one optic with light separate from the coupler.
US08254745B2
At least part of an optical device comprises an optical waveguide of a magneto-optical material. The magneto-optical material comprises a polycrystalline material having no lattice matching with an underlayer material. The optical waveguide exhibits no magnetic anisotropy due to an inverse magnetostriction effect caused by thermal strain. The magnetization direction of the optical waveguide is aligned with a traveling direction of light passing through the waveguide by shape magnetic anisotropy.
US08254738B2
The present application is directed towards systems and methods for efficient installation of optical and electrical cable in watercraft. A manufacturer may terminate one end of a cable in a location removed from the watercraft, allowing use of automated cable termination machines for efficiency and consistency of terminations. The single-terminated cable may then be brought to the watercraft and installed by pulling or routing the unterminated end through ductwork and pipes, watertight bulkhead throughways, and cable trays and ladders as necessary, prior to termination. Accordingly, more difficult and expensive on-site labor is reduced, and reliability is greatly increased. Furthermore, many cable tests that require termination but cannot be executed post-installation can be performed prior to installation, to ensure that at least the first termination, performed off-site, is error-free, reducing later troubleshooting and further increasing installation efficiency.
US08254735B2
A coupling device includes a fiber collimator, a wedge window pair and a plane window for coupling a light beam provided by a beam source to optical fiber. The fiber collimator is mounted to a base plate and includes a collimator lens, an end of the optical fiber being positioned at a focal point of the collimator lens. The wedge window pair is mounted to the base plate, and is configured to adjust the light beam to be parallel to an optical axis of the fiber collimator. The plane window is mounted to the base plate between the wedge window pair and the fiber collimator. The plane window is configured to align the parallel direction of the light beam with the optical axis of the fiber collimator.
US08254734B2
A virtual electronic switch system for a vehicle is provided. In one example, the system includes a switch assembly, a switch interface, and a computer. The switch assembly provides actuators that interface with non-contact sensors in the switch interface. The computer is coupled to the switch interface and assigns functions to each of the actuators. The non-contact sensors detect movement of the actuators and signal the computer, which manipulates an electrical system in the vehicle based on the assigned function.
US08254722B2
A system for controlling effects performed on an image includes a digital camera having a display that displays the image. Masking tools position graphical representations on the display to define a portion of the image that is altered when the effects are subsequently applied to the image. The several masking tools may be combined to form a single masking tool.
US08254719B2
Certain aspects can relate to obtaining at least some input compensating information at least partially based on the distortion characterizing imaging information that when applied to an imaging modality used to obtain the at least one image information can limit distortions to the at least the portion of the at least one image information resulting from at least a portion of at least one distorting feature, wherein the at least some input compensating information is characterized based at least in part on the at least one relative orientation of the at least the portion of the at least one distorting feature relative to the at least one image information.
US08254710B2
In a compression method of quantizing and compressing image data of an image, the method comprises the steps of: determining a method of quantization for each pixel; quantizing the image data in pixel unit according to the determined quantization method; storing the quantized image data in a same region of a memory in spite of the quantization method; and storing discrimination data for discriminating the quantization method used for quantizing the image data by corresponding to the quantized image data in the memory.
US08254702B2
When a motion image is to be compressed, the present invention divides a high-resolution still image into image segments to perform a motion image encoding process on each image segment. In this instance, the importance of each image segment and the relativity of each image segment with another image segment are computed. The image segments are then aligned in the order of importance to determine a picture type for motion image encoding in accordance with the computed relativity. Encoding is performed in accordance with a determined encoding sequence and picture type. Further, the rate control bit allocation amount for motion image encoding is increased for highly important image segments. Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to exhibit a high overall image compression efficiency while avoiding image quality deterioration in an important portion of a still image by using a motion image compression technology for still image compression.
US08254697B2
Methods are disclosed for finding images from a large corpus of images that at least partially match a query image. The present method makes use of feature detectors to bundle features into local groups or bundles. These bundled features are repeatable and much more discriminative than an individual SIFT feature. Equally importantly, the bundled features provide a flexible representation that allows simple and robust geometric constraints to be efficiently enforced when querying the index.
US08254695B1
Disclosed is a method for determining the absence or presence of one or more instances of a predetermined pattern in an image, and for determining the location of each found instance within a multidimensional space. A model represents the pattern to be found, the model including a plurality of probes. Each probe represents a relative position at which a test is performed in an image at a given pose, each such test contributing evidence that the pattern exists at the pose. The method further includes a comparison of the model with a run-time image at each of a plurality of poses. A match score is computed at each pose to provide a match score surface. Then, the match score is compared with an accept threshold, and used to provide the location any instances of the pattern in the image.
US08254686B2
The present invention discloses an on-line identifying method of hand-written Arabic letter. The advantage of the present invention is that the multilayer coarse classification algorithm based on the local characteristic of Arabic letter fully utilize the various local characteristics of Arabic letter, obtain the first candidate letter aggregation matching with the inputted hand-written Arabic letter according to the first level coarse classification formed by the stroke number of letter, and then obtain the second candidate letter aggregation matching with inputted hand-written Arabic letter according to the other local characteristics and the first candidate letter aggregation. The application of the algorithm enables that the inputted hand-written Arabic letter only need to match with the standard letter stored in the predetermined letter library and the corresponding standard letters of the second candidate letter aggregation.
US08254680B2
An apparatus usable in an image encoding and/or decoding system includes a segmentation unit to convert a first image of a first resolution into a second image of a second resolution, to segment the second image of the second resolution with one or more blocks of a binary mask layer having a foreground and a background, and to convert the segmented second image into a third image of a third resolution as a segmented image.
US08254679B2
A harmonization system and method are disclosed which allow harmonization of a set of digital images. The images are automatically segmented into foreground and background regions and the foreground and background regions are separately harmonized. This allows region-appropriate harmonization techniques to be applied. The segmenting and harmonizing may be category dependent, allowing object-specific techniques to be applied.
US08254674B2
A method for red-eye detection in an acquired digital image includes acquiring a first image, and analyzing one or more partial face regions within the first image. One or more characteristics of the first image are determined. One or more corrective processes are identified including red eye correction that can be beneficially applied to the first image according to the one or more characteristics. The one or more corrective processes are applied to the first image.
US08254669B2
A data processing apparatus includes a feature-value calculating unit that calculates an image feature value indicating a feature of image data, a case database including a case set including a correspondence of image feature values and functions, and an optimum-function predicting unit that predicts an optimum function based on the case database and the image feature value calculated by the feature-value calculating unit. Due to the optimum-function predicting unit, work efficiency of a user can be improved.
US08254662B2
A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
US08254657B2
A method of analyzing bubbles, cells, cell viability, or other particles or agglomerates in a process liquid contained in a vessel is provided. Images of bubbles, cells or other particles in the liquid are obtained in-situ with a vision probe extending through a wall of the vessel. The images are analyzed with image recognition software. The software measures at lease one of bubble, cell or particle size, mean diameter, surface area, flow rate, flow pattern, population distribution, viability, agglomerates or clumping, color change, viscosity, Sauter mean, ratio of surface area of bubbles relative to volume of bubbles, gas hold-up ratio of gas volume to volume of liquid, or interfacial area. The software distinguishes valid or viable bubbles, cells or particles that should be included in an analysis from invalid or non-viable bubbles, cells or particles that should not be included. The software can be configured to provide an analysis of the valid bubbles, cells or particles that fall within pre-set size and shape or viability parameters.
US08254654B2
Sidelobe and clutter suppression techniques in ultrasound imaging are described and referred to as Dual Apodization with Cross-correlation or “DAX”. DAX dramatically improves the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) allowing for easier visualization of anechoic cysts and blood vessels. These techniques use dual apodization or weighting strategies that are effective in removing or minimizing clutter and efficient in terms of computational load and hardware/software needs. This dual apodization allows for determination of the amount of mainlobe versus clutter contribution in a signal by cross-correlating RF data acquired from two apodization functions.
US08254641B2
A biometrics authentication system includes: a detection section; a light source section including a plurality of unit light sources capable of illuminating independently of one another; an image pickup device being arranged on the same side as a side where the light source section is arranged with respect to the detection section; a driving section driving the light source section so that the unit light sources periodically illuminate by time division, and driving the image pickup device so that while an image pickup operation by a first image pickup cell group positioned near each of illuminating unit light sources is suspended, an image pickup operation by a second image pickup cell group positioned farther from each of illuminating unit light sources than the first image pickup cell group is performed; an image processing section; and an authentication section.
US08254639B2
An image storage device includes a facial-expression-correlation estimator configured to estimate a facial expression correlation representing a degree of correlation between a facial expression in a face image and a predetermined reference facial expression, the face image being included in time-varying image data; a facial-expression estimator configured to detect, through estimation based on transition of the facial expression correlation, a situation where the facial expression in the face image and the predetermined reference facial expression are expected to come to have a predetermined correlative relationship within a predetermined period; and an image-storage controller configured to exercise control so that the image data in the predetermined period from the detection is maintained in an image-data storage unit.
US08254635B2
A traffic sign recognition system including a detection mechanism adapted for detecting a candidate traffic sign and a recognition mechanism adapted for recognizing the candidate traffic sign as being an electronic traffic sign. A partitioning mechanism may be adapted for partitioning the image frames into a first partition and a second partition. The detection mechanism may use the first portion of the image frames and the recognition mechanism may use the second portion of the image frames. When the candidate traffic sign is detected as an electronic traffic sign, the recognition mechanism may use both the first partition of the image frames and the second portion of the image frames.
US08254628B2
An image processing device for the detection and suppression of shadows in a camera image of a surveilled scene, the camera image optionally showing static objects with static shadow regions and moving objects with dynamic shadow regions, includes a long-term module, which is designed to generate a long-term reference image of the surveilled scene by evaluating a long-term observation of a particular scene, a mid-term module, which is designed to generate a mid-term reference image of the surveilled scene by evaluating a mid-term observation of the particular scene, and a shadow detection module, which is designed to process camera image—using information technology—with long-term reference image and mid-term reference image, in order to detect and suppress shadows.
US08254613B2
A speaker apparatus includes a speaker, a tubular duct extended in order to make the sound generated in the inside of the cabinet of the speaker get to the vicinity of the listener's ears and a support mechanism that rotatably supports the tubular duct in order to bring the front end aperture of the tubular duct to the vicinity of the ears of the listener.
US08254605B2
A pen based computing system concurrently captures handwriting gestures and records audio using binaural recording. A binaural headset communicatively coupled to the smart pen device uses at least two microphones. A left microphone is placed in or near the left ear and the right microphone is placed in or near the right ear, each facing outward. Speakers are integrated into a shared housing with the microphones facing inward towards the ear canal to play back the audio recordings. By recording audio with microphones placed close to the ears, the system provides realistic sounding playback and allows users to more easily differentiate between multiple sources of audio.
US08254593B2
An earphone includes an audio input terminal, an audio output terminal, a spring, and a rheostat. The rheostat includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a slide terminal. The audio input terminal is electrically connected to the slide terminal of the rheostat. The audio output terminal is electrically connected to the first terminal of the rheostat. The slide terminal of the rheostat is fixed to the spring. The slide terminal of the rheostat is at or near the first terminal of the rheostat in response to the spring being at an original position. The slide terminal moves to the second terminal of the rheostat in response to the spring being pressed to deform.
US08254592B2
Electronic devices and accessories such as headsets are provided. An accessory may include speakers and active noise cancellation circuitry. Microphones may be used to pick up ambient noise signals for implementing noise cancellation for the speakers. The accessory may also include a voice microphone and an ambient noise microphone that picks up ambient noise signals for implementing noise cancellation for the voice microphone. A user input interface may gather user input. Ultrasonic tone generators may transmit data between the device and accessory. The electronic device and accessory may be connected to each other by audio connectors. Hybrid circuits that each include a summer and a transconductance amplifier may be selectively switched into or out of use. When switched into use, paths between the device and accessory can support bidirectional communications such as communications involving the simultaneous flow of analog audio and microphone signals in opposite directions.
US08254587B2
A method and apparatus for objectively assessing acoustical performance of an in-ear device having a passageway extending there through use a dual microphone probe that removably engages the passageway. The acoustical performance of the in-ear device is performed with the in-ear device inserted into the ear canal of the user and a reference sound source. A clip holding the probe in an acoustic near field of the sound source permits real time calibration thereof. The method and apparatus allow on-site and in-situ measurement of a predicted personal attenuation rating of the device, a subject-fit re-insertion test, an acoustic seal test, a rating test, a stability and reliability test, as well as a protection test of the device with an assessment of a filtered predicted exposure level at the ear for a specific noise exposure level. The apparatus may be simply housed along with the sound source for in-field evaluation tests.
US08254578B2
An electronic circuit includes a more-secure processor having hardware based security for storing data. A less-secure processor eventually utilizes the data. By a data transfer request-response arrangement between the more-secure processor and the less-secure processor, the more-secure processor confers greater security of the data on the less-secure processor. A manufacturing process makes a handheld device having a storage space, a less-secure processor for executing modem software and a more-secure processor having a protected application and a secure storage. A manufacturing process involves generating a per-device private key and public key pair, storing the private key in a secure storage where it can be accessed by the protected application, combining the public key with the modem software to produce a combined software, signing the combined software; and storing the signed combined software into the storage space. Other processes of manufacture, processes of operation, circuits, devices, wireless and wireline communications products, wireless handsets and systems are disclosed and claimed.
US08254577B2
A label corresponding to a cryptographic key is stored at a first computational device. A user provided label is received at a second computational device. The user provided label is sent from the second computational device to the first computational device. The user provided label is compared to the label stored at the first computational device. The cryptographic key is used to perform cryptographic operations on data, in response to determining that the user provided label matches the label stored at the first computational device.
US08254571B1
A halting key derivation function is provided. A setup process scrambles a user-supplied password and a random string in a loop. When the loop is halted by user input, the setup process may generate verification information and a cryptographic key. The key may be used to encrypt data. During a subsequent password verification and key recovery process, the verification information is retrieved, a user-supplied trial password obtained, and both are used together to recover the key using a loop computation. During the loop, the verification process repeatedly tests the results produced by the looping scrambling function against the verification information. In case of match, the trial password is correct and a cryptographic key matching the key produced by the setup process may be generated and used for data decryption. As long as there is no match, the loop may continue indefinitely until interrupted exogenously, such as by user input.
US08254567B2
Telecommunications mounting case includes an enclosure containing a mounting plate having a grid pattern of crisscrossing horizontal and vertical slots or grooves extending partway through the mounting plate. The crisscrossing slots or grooves have a substantially uniform spacing therebetween in increments of the spacing between screw mounts on respective vertical and horizontal telecommunications devices mountable within the case. Each of the slots or grooves has substantially uniformly spaced apart side walls with a spacing therebetween that is somewhat less than the thread diameters of a range of different sized mounting screws used to attach the telecommunications devices to the mounting plate to enable the mounting screws to bite into the side walls when started by hand.
US08254566B2
A sliding mechanism comprises a sliding plate, a main plate, a sliding enabling member, a biasing member and a stopping member. The sliding plate has sidewalls and the main plate has peripheral walls corresponding to the sidewalls, respectively. The slide enabling member is coupling the sidewalls to the peripheral walls such that the sliding plate is slid relative to the main plate between closed and open position. The biasing member provides a force for biasing the sliding plate to slide relative to the main body. The stopping member is coupled between the sliding plate and the main plate. When the sliding plate is slid from the open position to the closed position, the stopping member provides a mechanism for the sliding plate to steadily slide relative to the main plate and to firmly stop in the closed position.
US08254565B2
A hand-held device that provides communication services and symbol processing is described. The device includes a case having a front side comprising a display and a lid having a transparent portion through which the display can be seen in a lid-closed state. In one version, the hand-held device comprises a QWERTY keyboard including an arrangement of digits as in a touch-tone area telephone keypad arrangement. In another version, the display includes a handwriting area for data entry using a stylus or other screen data entry device. In a closed position, the lid extends over the display and the keyboard, leaving another user input device physically accessible to touch for receiving input wherein the device performs processing responsive to receiving input from the physically accessible user input device in the lid closed state.
US08254561B1
Systems and methods for a headset adapter circuit are disclosed. The headset adapter circuit generally includes a maximal length sequence generator circuit coupled to the adapter transmit signal line for injecting a maximal length sequence signal. A maximal length sequence cross-correlator circuit is coupled to the adapter receive signal line for capturing a receive signal sample and convolving the receive signal sample with the maximal length sequence signal to generate a host phone sidetone path impulse response.
US08254556B2
The present invention is a call routing system for use in directory assistance. The call routing system employs a primary call routing device configured to receive directory assistance calls from callers at a first directory assistance system, and determines, for each of the calls, whether they will be handled by the first directory assistance system, or by a second directory assistance system among a plurality of directory assistance systems.A secondary router is also provided, configured to route the calls within the first directory assistance system to the primary call routing device. The secondary router has a default call distribution logic, such that if the primary call routing device is off-line, the secondary call router routes the calls among the first directory assistance system and the plurality of directory assistance systems according to the default distribution logic.
US08254553B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for number portability with local directory number support are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter herein includes a system for providing number translation with local directory number support. The system includes a communications node for receiving, from a message source, a first message that includes information identifying a subscriber. The system also includes a number translation module, operatively associated with the communications node, for determining a network address and a local directory number associated with the identified a subscriber, and for at least one of: including the network address and local directory number in the first message and forwarding the first message to a destination of the first message; and including the network address and local directory number in a second message and sending the second message to the source of the first message.
US08254547B2
A method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous calls. The method and system includes an intercept system that intercepts erroneous calls and automatically routes them to a directory assistance service. The directory assistance service provides a least one advertisement and a variety of other internal and external information services to the callers using a business subscriber information service, a white page database service; a yellow pages database service; a business intelligence database service; and/or an Internet search service.
US08254545B2
Calls placed to a call recipient bypass the terminating messaging system, creating an enhanced message in the call originator's messaging system and delivering the enhanced message using alternate routing information. A caller creates enhanced messages for a call recipient even when the call recipient's messaging system does not support such functionality. The caller also embeds stored content and/or use links in the enhanced messages to allow the message to be modified and/or deleted before it is accessed by the call recipient.
US08254544B2
An n-ways conferencing system using only the participants' telephony devices and without an external conference server. A plurality of telephony devices dial in to and report their mixing capability to a connection topology manager. The connection topology manager also determines the location of each telephony device and neighboring telephony device pairs in the conference service, as each telephony device is used for mixing voice signals of its closest neighbors, and calculates a minimum conference traffic delay for each telephony device. The connection topology manager then builds a topology for the conference service based on the mixing capability, location, and minimum conference traffic delay, wherein the connection topology manager distributes a mixing computation in a substantially uniform manner across the plurality of telephony devices. When a change in the network condition is detected, the connection topology manager rebuilds the topology to bypass the change in the network condition.
US08254540B2
The present invention enables a method for following the state of a call and generating defects as function of call completion success as opposed to discrete events that happen at individual network elements during the call. In one embodiment, the invention uses Call Detail Records (CDR) to analyze the end-to-end completion status to measure per call basis defects instead of using defect codes generated by network elements on a per equipment basis. CDR is data associated with a telephone call, including the calling and the called numbers, the date and timestamp, the duration, the call setup delay, and the final handling code of the telephone call.
US08254536B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receives a communication from an originating party, with the communication intended for a receiving party. A database of pre-created messages is accessed, with the database storing a pre-created message having a common association between the receiving party and the originating party. The pre-created message is then communicated.
US08254524B2
Systems, methods, and other modalities are described for (a) obtaining an indication relating to an emission module (which may be dangerous, e.g.) or its user (who may be untrained, e.g.) and for (b) configuring the module or causing an irradiation (for imaging, e.g.) in response to the indication.
US08254521B2
System, apparatus and methods specialized for breast and related tissue radiation therapy and imaging of a prone patient but also usable for supine patient if desired or needed. A special treatment radiation source such as a LINAC unit generates radiation of types and energy ranges specifically matched to breast tissue. Any one or more of several imaging technologies may be used to localize the tissue to be irradiated and to generate information for therapy planning, adjustment, and verification.
US08254515B2
A method for measuring a phase locked loop bandwidth parameter for a high-speed serial link includes the steps of initiating a jitter frequency of a clock input of a phase locked loop equal to a reference frequency with a frequency generator; determining a reference jitter amplitude value of a clock output of the phase locked loop with a waveform analyzer at the reference frequency, the reference jitter amplitude value being a function of a time interval error jitter trend of the clock output at the reference frequency; and adjusting the jitter frequency of the clock input with the frequency generator until an adjusted jitter amplitude value of the clock output reaches a goal value as determined by the waveform analyzer, the adjusted jitter amplitude being a function of a time interval error trend of the clock output at the adjusted frequency.
US08254510B2
A method for inter-carrier interference cancellation is provided. A time-domain received signal is detected to obtain information of an inter-symbol interference free region. Multiple cyclic useful symbols are obtained from the time-domain received signal according to the information of the inter-symbol interference free region and a set of multi-step windowing coefficients is generated. Adjusted cyclic useful symbols are obtained by multiplying the cyclic useful symbols by the set of multi-step windowing coefficients, respectively, and then combined in a time domain to obtain a time-domain combination signal. The inter-carrier interference of each of sub-carriers of the time-domain combination signal is centralized on neighboring D sub-carriers. The time-domain combination signal is transformed into a frequency-domain received signal. The frequency-domain received signal and its corresponding channel response matrix are divided into overlapped signal blocks according to D. Successive inter-carrier interference cancellation is performed on each signal block in parallel to obtain estimation data.
US08254504B2
A decision directed flicker noise canceller for reducing flicker noise in a modulated input signal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a decision circuit, a conversion circuit, first and second adders and a filter. The decision circuit provides signal decisions based on the input signal. The conversion circuit provides selected signal values based on the signal decisions. The first adder subtracts the selected signal values from signals based on the input signal to provide a flicker noise estimate. The filter receives and filters the flicker noise estimate and the second adder subtracts the filtered flicker noise estimate from the input signal and provides a corrected input signal. In a feedback configuration, the second adder is located in a feedback position before the decision circuit in the signal processing path. In a feed-forward configuration, the second adder is located in a feed-forward position after the decision circuit.
US08254501B2
A reception unit receives data from communication apparatuses. A transmission unit transmits data to the communication apparatuses. A control unit determines, in an adaptive way, which modulation and coding schemes to use to transmit and receive data. At a first stage, a modulation and coding scheme with a low transmission rate or a modulation and coding scheme that minimizes power requirements is selected from among a plurality of candidates therefor. At a second stage, the modulation and coding scheme of at least one of the communication apparatuses is changed to another scheme having a higher transmission rate, when it is impossible to allocate sufficient resources for the modulation and coding schemes selected at the first stage.
US08254498B1
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving a first modulated signal on a first sub-channel, wherein a first transmitter randomly selects the first sub-channel from a plurality of sub-channels and for receiving, at the receiver, a second modulated signal on a second sub-channel, wherein the second sub-channel is orthogonal to the first sub-channel, wherein a second transmitter randomly selects the second sub-channel from the plurality of sub-channels. At least a portion of the first signal overlaps with a portion of the second signal. For each of the plurality of sub-channels, a plurality of symbols are stored in a buffer and a plurality of potential data frames are determined based upon the symbols in the buffer. A signal detection algorithm is applied to the potential data frames to detect the first modulated signal and the second modulated signal.
US08254492B2
A method for transmitting data via multiple antennas by modulating data to be transmitted into a plurality of modulated symbols, encoding each pair of modulated symbols from among said plurality of symbols in accordance with a transmission diversity scheme to result in a plurality of N by N matrices, with each N by N matrix corresponding to each pair of modulated symbols, generating a M by M code matrix comprised of the plurality of N by N matrices, orthogonally spreading the M by M code matrix to generate an output matrix, generating a plurality of row-permuted matrices by exchanging at least one pair of rows in the output matrix, and transmitting the symbols in the plurality of row-permuted matrices via a plurality of antennas by using either a space time transmission diversity scheme, a space frequency transmission diversity scheme, or a combination of a space time transmission diversity scheme and a space frequency transmission diversity scheme.
US08254490B2
Embodiments of a method and apparatus of reducing transmit signal components of a receive signal of a transceiver are disclosed. One embodiment of an apparatus includes a transceiver that simultaneously transmits a transmit signal and receives a receive signal. The transceiver includes a transmit DAC that generates the transmit signal based on a transmit digital signal stream. The transmit DAC includes a plurality of transmit DAC circuit elements, and a plurality of transmit DAC switches that control which of the plurality of transmit DAC circuit elements contribute to generating the transmit signal. The transceiver additionally includes an echo cancellation DAC that generates an echo cancellation signal based on the transmit digital signal stream. The echo cancellation DAC includes a plurality of echo cancellation DAC circuit elements, and a plurality of echo cancellation DAC switches that control which of the plurality of echo cancellation DAC circuit elements contribute to generating the echo cancellation signal. A data controller receives the transmit digital signal stream, and controls both the plurality of transmit DAC switches and the plurality of echo cancellation DAC switches. A canceller (summer) cancels at least a portion of the receive signal by summing the echo cancellation signal with the receive signal.
US08254481B1
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for identifying data that is designated for wireless transmission to a remote computing device. A digital signal that encodes the data for transmission across a band of radio frequency channels is generated. Multiple radio frequency channels in the band that are available are determined. The digital signal is filtered to substantially reduce a power level of the digital signal at frequencies that correspond to channels in the band that have not been determined to be available. The filtered digital signal is converted to an analog signal. The analog signal is provided to an analog transmitter that isolates the band of channels to generate an isolated analog signal and that wirelessly transmits the isolated analog signal over the multiple available channels using one or more antennas.
US08254474B2
This invention relates to a method for determining at least one characteristic of an OFDM signal within a received signal, characterized in that: a plurality of cyclic correlation coefficients (ρk/(α+β)(α)) for the received signal is calculated (420, 520) for a correlation time difference (α) and a plurality of cyclic frequencies ( k α + β ) ; a discrimination function is calculated (430, 530) as a function of the amplitude of said cyclic correlation coefficients; said OFDM signal characteristic is deduced (440, 561, 562) as a function of at least one value of said discrimination function.
US08254473B2
A bit interleaver and a bit interleaving method are provided. The bit interleaver includes delay devices which are applied with symbol interleaving and tone interleaving, and delay a bit stream output from a memory, to generate a delayed bit stream; a first multiplexer (MUX) unit which selects any one of a bit of the bit stream output from the memory and a bit of the delayed bit stream, to generate a selection bit stream; and a second MUX unit which changes an order of the selection bit stream to generate an output bit stream. Accordingly, it is possible to easily and effectively perform bit interleaving including a cyclic shift.
US08254468B2
A coding distortion removal method for removing coding distortion in an image which was has been divided in to a plurality of macroblocks. The method operates under the following conditions such that: (i) a size of a pixel in a motion compensation block is smaller than a size of a pixel in said macroblock; (ii) a size of a pixel in a motion compensation block is larger than a size of a pixel in a coding unit; and (iii) a pixel difference between two adjacent motion compensation blocks located inside the macroblock is zero. The method disables the coding distortion removal at a boundary between blocks located inside each of the two adjacent motion compensation blocks, and enables the coding distortion removal at a boundary between the two adjacent motion compensation blocks.
US08254464B2
An image quality estimation apparatus is provided that solves the problem of the need for a large-capacity memory. An FEC packet analysis unit (3) verifies the continuity of FEC packets. An error information table generation unit (4) verifies the continuity of image packets. An estimation unit estimates, as uncorrectable data, image data that are contained in image packets that are missing and for which error correction by FEC data is not possible. The estimation unit estimates image quality of the image data based on the uncorrectable data.
US08254450B2
A system and method for improving the efficiency of decoding intra-coded blocks in video decoding, even in the event that neighboring pixels of the block are unavailable. According to various embodiments, in addition to information that is used to describe how a prediction is formed using a specified process, other “side” information is also transmitted for use in the decoding process. For example, after the intra-prediction direction of a block is decoded, it is determined whether the intra-prediction requires pixels that are unavailable for the block. If such pixels are needed, than side information may be parsed from the bitstream in a predetermined manner. The prediction signal may then be reconstructed for the block using various pieces of information.
US08254449B2
Video traffic bandwidth prediction may be provided. Frames of a video stream may be encoded according to a compression scheme. The encoded frames may be received and, depending on the type of frame, may be used to predict the size of other frames of the stream. The predicted frame sizes may then be used to allocate bandwidth for transmission of the video stream.
US08254443B2
There is provided an improved latency rate distortion optimization apparatus comprising a forward quantize unit (1200) for processing input coefficients (Wij), an inverse quantize unit (1300) coupled to the forward quantize unit (1200), and at least one look-up-table (150) of quantize values for use by the forward (1200) and inverse (1300) quantize units, wherein the at least one look-up-table (150) of quantize values further includes any one or more of the following modified quantize multiplication factors: negative forward quantize multiplication factors (−MF); pre-shifted forward quantize multiplication factors (MFps); negative pre-shifted forward quantize multiplication factors (−MFps); negative inverse quantize multiplication factors (−V); pre-shifted inverse quantize multiplication factors (Vps); or negative pre-shifted inverse quantize multiplication factors (−Vps), and the forward quantize unit (1200) is arranged to operate on the input coefficients (Wij) using one of the modified forward quantize multiplication factors, and the inverse quantize unit (1300) is arranged to operate on the output of the forward quantize unit (1200) using one of the modified inverse quantize multiplication factors.
US08254431B2
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for carrier offset recovery. An adaptive matched filter produces a filtered signal. A rake receiver provides relative path values of multipath components. A mixer generates channel impulse response estimates. A channel despreader despreads the filtered signal using the pseudo-noise signal generated to produce a despread channel signal of the selected channel. A pilot channel despreader despreads the filtered signal using a pseudo-noise signal generator to produce a despread pilot signal of the pilot channel. A hard decision processor determines a symbol value of the despread channel signal. A complex conjugate processor generates a complex conjugate of the symbol value as a correction signal. A phase-locked loop produces a phase correction signal to recover carrier offset.
US08254426B2
A surface emitting semiconductor component with an emission direction that has a semiconductor body. The semiconductor body has a plurality of active regions for the generation of radiation and are spaced apart from one another, wherein between two active regions a tunnel junction is monolithically integrated in the semiconductor body. The two active regions are electrically conductively connected by means of the tunnel junction, and the semiconductor component is provided for operation with an external resonator. A laser device comprising a semiconductor component of this type and an external resonator is also disclosed.
US08254418B2
An apparatus comprising: a processor for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state, wherein the one or more tunable parameters include the following parameters: the laser current and the wavelength of the output light. The apparatus may include a laser and/or a holographic storage medium. Also provided is a method for determining if a laser is operating in a single-mode state and for determining the degree to which one of one or more tunable parameters for the laser must be adjusted so that laser operates in a single-mode state if not operating in a single-mode state.
US08254414B2
A communication system includes a plurality of communication stations arranged to respectively transmit a beacon on which beacon time information related to a beacon received from a peripheral communication station is placed at a predetermined transmission interval and control a beacon transmission timing of its own station while a collision with the beacon transmitted from the peripheral communication station is avoided on the basis of beacon information placed on the received beacon, in which at least a part of the communication stations includes means configured to decide a priority with respect to beacons received from at least one peripheral communication station and means configured to place beacon time information of a beacon having a high priority among the received beacons on a beacon of its own station, and transmits the beacon at a predetermined transmission interval.
US08254404B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a network gateway is configured to facilitate on line and off line bi-directional communication between a number of near end data and telephony devices with far end data termination devices via a hybrid fiber coaxial network and a cable modem termination system. The described network gateway combines a QAM receiver, a transmitter, a DOCSIS MAC, a CPU, a voice and audio processor, an Ethernet MAC, and a USB controller to provide high performance and robust operation.
US08254396B2
A checkpointing approach enables BGP peers to reduce the number of UPDATE messages that are exchanged and processed after a router restarts. A router receives update messages to update routing information for the one or more other devices, wherein each of the update messages includes a checkpoint marker and a route. The router stores the route in a checkpoint repository and stores the checkpoint markers in association with information identifying the other routers from which the checkpoint markers were received. In response to a restart event, the router sends each of the stored checkpoint markers to respective other devices and receives from the respective other devices only route updates that occurred later in time than the checkpoint markers.
US08254389B2
An exemplary apparatus includes a processor configured to compress an A11 message into a compressed message. The processor assigns a first value to a first portion of a first octet of the compressed message based on a message type field of the A11 message. The first portion may be three bits in length. The processor may also assign a second value to a second portion of the first octet of the compressed message based on a code field, a flags field and a status field of the A11 message. The second value may correspond to a set of values for the code, flags and status fields and may be five bits long. Third and fourth values are assigned to portions of a second octet of the compressed message based on an information element identifier and other field/s respectively of the A11 message so as to uniquely identify an information element.
US08254387B2
A method, device, and system for establishing and maintaining a multicast group call. The method includes monitoring one or more link parameters for each of a plurality of communication devices associated with the multicast group call. The method further includes selecting, for each of the plurality of communication devices, a sector from a plurality of permitted sectors, the selected sector providing an associated highest signal strength for the communication device and forming a multicast communication zone based on the selected sectors. The method further proceeds with calculating a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) for each communication device based on the formed multicast communication zone, identifying a communication device with a lowest SINR, updating a spectral efficiency metric relative to the formed multicast communication zone based on the lowest SINR, and establishing the multicast group call when the updated spectral efficiency metric meets a minimum expected spectral efficiency metric.
US08254386B2
A method for implementing multicast via a passive optical network (PON) may include receiving Internet group multicast protocol (IGMP) messages from a customer device. Multicast information associated with the IGMP messages is identified, wherein the multicast information includes at least multicast group information and customer identification information. The multicast information is stored in a multicast state table. Downstream layer 2 traffic is received and multicast addressing information is extracted from the layer 2 traffic. It is then determined whether the multicast addressing information matches the multicast group information stored in the multicast state table. The layer 2 traffic is forwarded on at least one PON interface corresponding to the customer identification information that is associated with the stored multicast group information when the multicast addressing information matches the multicast group information stored in the multicast state table.
US08254378B2
The present invention discloses an apparatus to implement a m=n Non-Blocking Minimal Spanning Switch, where n=the total number of data input signals and m=the total number of data output signals and m=the number of crossbar connections in each switch. Data is input to the switch as a plurality of frames, whereby each crossbar connection contains a framer which detects framing patterns in the data. Skewed data is re-aligned and buffered so that the data output by each crossbar connection is equal and identical, thus any crossbar connection may be used to ensure a connection, eliminating the possibility of data interrupts.
US08254360B2
Apparatus and methods for interlacing communications in random access control channels of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) wireless communication system are described. A wireless communication device communicating over distinct OFDMA control channels to multiple serving sectors may operate under link limited conditions. The wireless communication device can interlace the communications between the multiple serving sectors. The wireless communication device can interlace the control channel communications in a number of interlaces equal to the number of distinct control channels over which communications are scheduled. In another embodiment, the wireless communication device divide the multiple scheduled control channel communications into two or more sets and can interlace the sets. In another embodiment, the wireless communication device can reserve a first interlace for control channel communications with the serving sector and can time multiplex the remaining control channel communications on a second interlace.
US08254354B2
Briefly, a wireless communication device that includes a processor to enable a determined number of receivers of a MIMO system according to a value provided with a request to enable the receivers is provided. A method for enabling the receivers of MIMO system is also provided.
US08254346B2
Aspects of the invention provide a communication system and method in a hybrid wired/wireless local area network. At least one discovery message may be broadcasted to at least one of a plurality of access points. A response may be received from one or more of the access points. The response may report a presence of at least one access device located within a coverage area of one or more of the access points. A status of at least one access device located within a coverage area of one or more of the access points may be requested from the access points.
US08254345B2
A beacon scheduling method in multi-hop ad-hoc communications is provided. This method can prevent overhead in a manner that a base station (BS) transmits beacon slot information to a carrier sense multiple access (CSMA)/collision avoidance (CA) node (CN) and a gateway (GW) through contention-free time division multiple access (TDMA) communications at initial clustering, the CN and the GW performs a sequential clustering to forward the beacon slot information to a cluster head (CH), the CH aggregates joining messages from nodes and assigns non-colliding beacon slots to the nodes, and the GW uses a beacon slot frame of a beacon transmission period (BTP) used by its selected CH in a beacon reply period (BRP) as well. Accordingly, the CH does not need to separately perform the initialization to elect the beacon slot, and the GW also does not require a separate initialization to select the beacon relay slot.
US08254339B2
In a receiver apparatus of HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) data transmission scheme, it is achieved to minimize the occurrence of the system performance degradation and problems caused by TSN flash execution. In the receiver apparatus, each of a plurality of reordering buffers that temporarily store received traffic data is ranked on the basis of QoS information of the traffic data. When it is determined that memory release of the reordering buffers is necessary, the memory release is performed from the lowest ranked reordering buffer.
US08254333B2
A method for improving a buffer status triggering mechanism for a mobile device of a wireless communication system comprises triggering a buffer status report when uplink data becomes data available for transmission and a logical channel corresponding to data of the uplink data has higher priority than logical channels corresponding to data available for transmission already existed in a transmission buffer if there is already data available for transmission other than the uplink data included in the UE transmission buffer.
US08254327B2
A method for efficiently scheduling virtual resource blocks to physical resource blocks is disclosed. In a wireless mobile communication system that supports a resource block group (RBG) allocation scheme, when consecutively allocated virtual resource blocks are distributively mapped to physical resource blocks, a gap for the distribution is determined to be a multiple of a square of the number of consecutive physical resource blocks constituting an RBG.
US08254319B2
A programmable logic device includes a control module, a plurality of input/output modules, and a plurality of configurable logic and millimeter wave (MMW) transceiver modules (CXM). The control module is operable to: receive a programming instruction; identify a set of the plurality of CXMs based on the programming instruction; identify at least one of the plurality of input/output modules based on the programming instruction; determine configuration of the set of the plurality of CXMs and the at least one of input/output modules in accordance with the programming instruction; and allocate wireless communication resources of the programmable logic device to support the configuration of the set of the plurality of CXMs and the at least one of the plurality of input/output modules.
US08254317B2
A method for processing dynamic service flows includes a SFM entity that sends a resource processing request to a H-PF server through an anchor SFA entity according to the received dynamic service flow processing request, with the request carrying the parameters related to the resource processing request. The H-PF server sends the result of the resource processing performed by each node in the network according to the resource requirements to the SFM through a resource processing response. The SFM returns a service flow processing response to the UE. After receiving the response, the UE saves the relevant parameters, and returns an acknowledgement to the SFM.
US08254314B2
Provided is a device and method for scheduling uplink resources in a wireless communication system supporting VoIP. When its data rate is decreased, an MS notifies a BS of the rate decreased. When increasing its data rate, the MS requests resource allocation to the BS by transmitting a BR header or a CQICH codeword. Compared to the conventional ertPS in which the BS periodically allocates uplink resources to the MS irrespective of the state of the MS, the BS does not allocate uplink resources when the MS transitions form a talk-spurt period to a silence period. Therefore, resources consumption arising from unnecessary bandwidth allocation is reduced.
US08254296B1
The present specification describes techniques and apparatuses for peer-to-peer frequency band negotiation. In some embodiments, techniques are described using a bit vector that are fast and/or require low data throughput.
US08254290B2
A method and apparatus using a synchronous sensor network medium access control (MAC) protocol, such as a ZigBee or IEEE 802.15.4 low-rate wireless personal area network (WPAN), is disclosed. A method and apparatus for constructing a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) of which a life is increased by using power beacons and reducing the number of unnecessary control packets (beacon packets), thereby reducing an initialization time between nodes and preventing beacon collision, is also disclosed. A beacon packet channel having a large output power and a data channel of which a transmission range is restricted by reducing an output power to be less than that of the beacon packet channel, may be simultaneously used.
US08254278B2
A method for telephony includes receiving at a facility of a telephone service provider a first subscriber request to place a first call to a specified telephone number. A provider request is sent to a remote server (26), which maintains a database (28) of records associating telephone numbers with respective packet network addresses, for a record (72) indicating a packet network address to which calls to the specified telephone number should be placed. Upon receiving the record from the remote server, the record is stored in a local cache (42) at the facility of the telephone service provider. After storing the record, upon receiving at the facility of the telephone service provider a second subscriber request to place a second call to the specified telephone number, the record is read from the local cache and is used in placing the second call to the packet network address.
US08254268B2
Methods and apparatus to perform quality testing in Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia subsystem (IMS) based communication systems are disclosed. An example IMS-based system comprises a web portal to allow a user to configure quality testing for a user endpoint and to present results of the quality testing, a test server to exchange packets with the user endpoint to perform the testing, an IMS application server to implement a state machine to establish a test session between the test server and a test module of the user endpoint, the packets to be exchanged between the test server and the test module via the session, and a data analyzer to determine one or more parameters representative of performance of the session based on the exchanged packets, and to provide the same to the web portal, the web portal to present information representative of the one or more parameters to the user.
US08254267B2
A traffic generator generates a plurality of traffic flows, with each of the traffic flows being associatable with one or more of a plurality of output interfaces of the traffic generator. In an illustrative embodiment, each of the output interfaces may have any desired combination of the traffic flows associated therewith. The traffic flows may be generated based on user selection of at least one of a protocol encapsulation, a packet size distribution model, a packet arrival time distribution model, a traffic model, and a packet payload description. Information characterizing one or more of the traffic flows may be stored as a traffic file in a memory associated with the traffic generator.
US08254263B2
An alternate path calculation process may be terminated after considering some of a source node's neighbors and without considering each of its neighbors, to reduce the amount of processing required to perform the alternate path calculations. The neighbors may be ranked according to the number of alternate paths that the neighbor has historically been able to provide on the network. The influence of historical success or failure may degrade over time so that the rankings may be adjusted to reflect changes in network topography. A given source node, when computing alternate paths through the network, may preferentially select neighbors to perform alternate path calculations on historically higher scoring nodes before performing calculations on historically lower scoring nodes. Several different criteria may be used to stop the alternate path calculation process before considering all neighbors. The neighbors may be loop free neighbors or U-turn neighbors.
US08254258B2
Managing packet data network jitter is disclosed. A first call data associated with a mobile network communication session is received. A second call data that is older than the first call data is dropped from a buffer if required to make room in the buffer for the first call data.
US08254249B2
A method for managing a plurality of subscriber sessions tied to mobile devices in a router, each subscriber session of the plurality of subscriber sessions assigned to a line card in the router, the line card implementing a data plane entity and a control card implementing a control plane entity, the method comprising: redistributing each subscriber session in the plurality of subscriber sessions assigned to a failed line card in the router to minimize packets lost and maximize subscriber session retention, redistributing including classifying each subscriber session in the plurality of subscriber sessions into a plurality of priority queues, in response to detection of the failed line card, transferring each subscriber session in the plurality of subscriber sessions assigned to the failed line card to one of a plurality of operating line cards in priority queue order.
US08254246B2
A method and apparatus are provided for reducing the number of pilot symbols within a MIMO-OFDM communication system, and for improving channel estimation within such a system. For each transmitting antenna in an OFDM transmitter, pilot symbols are encoded so as to be unique to the transmitting antenna. The encoded pilot symbols are then inserted into an OFDM frame to form a diamond lattice, the diamond lattices for the different transmitting antennae using the same frequencies but being offset from each other by a single symbol in the time domain. At the OFDM receiver, a channel response is estimated for a symbol central to each diamond of the diamond lattice using a two-dimensional interpolation. The estimated channel responses are smoothed in the frequency domain. The channel responses of remaining symbols are then estimated by interpolation in the frequency domain.
US08254241B2
An exemplary wireless communication network that includes a base that communicates with remote units located in a cell of the network. A base concatenates information symbols with a preamble corresponding to a destination remote unit. One or more remote units communicating with a base each concatenates information symbols with a preamble corresponding to that remote unit. An adaptive receiver system for a base unit rapidly adapts optimal despreading weights for reproducing information symbols transmitted from multiple remote units. A transmitter system for a base unit concatenates information symbols with a preamble associated with a remote unit in the cell. An adaptive receiver system for a remote unit in a communication network rapidly adapts optimal weights for reproducing a signal transmitted to it by a specific base unit in the network. A transmitter system for a remote unit in a cell of a communication network which concatenates information symbols with preamble associated with the remote unit. A base initiates communication with a desired remote unit by transmitting an initiation codeword in a selected entry slot. One or more remote units each initiates communication with a base by transmitting an initiation codeword associated with the remote unit in a selected entry slot. A remote unit synchronizes in time and frequency to the base using a sequence of synchronization signals transmitted by the base in a number of entry slots.
US08254240B2
In a multilayer optical disc having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, because the type of each information layer is not recorded in the other information layers, in read and write operations by a compatible optical disc device conforming to a plurality of optical disc standards, every time the information layer being accessed changes, it has been necessary to read the type of the information layer and select a method of generating a tracking error signal adapted to the type of information layer, so access has taken time. In order to solve the above problem, in the optical multilayer disc according to the present invention, having information layers conforming to a plurality of different optical disc standards, in an area in one of the information layers, information about the other information layers is recorded. The time required to access the other information layers can be reduced by using this information to select a tracking error signal generating method.
US08254237B2
An optical pickup device includes a semiconductor laser which emits a light beam, first and second objective lenses which focus the light beam onto a first and second optical disc, respectively, a grating which branches a light beam reflected from the second optical disc, an optical detector having a plurality of light receiving parts, which receives light beams branched by the grating, and an actuator which displaces the first and second objective lenses in a radial direction of the first optical disc and the second optical disc. The grating has a first area on which a 0-order diffraction light beam and a +1-order diffraction light beam upon reflection at the second optical disc enter, and a second area on which a 0-order diffraction light beam and a −1-order diffraction light beam upon diffraction through the second optical disc enter.
US08254236B2
A light beam emitted from a laser source is divided into a first light beam and a second light beam. An optical divider is further provided to separate a combined light beam of the first and second light beams into a first light bundle near the optical axis and a second light bundle in the edge portion and to diverge the first and second light bundles so that the first and second light bundles are individually detected by plural detectors. The first light beam is signal light focused on an optical information recording medium by an objective lens and reflected off the medium, and the second light beam is reference light not focused on the optical information recording medium. A focus error signal is then detected for the first light bundle for compensating focus error.
US08254231B2
A driving device includes: n pickups; n first control means for respectively controlling the pickups; and a second control means for controlling the n first control means so as to divide data into n pieces of data and to write divided data on a predetermined disc through the n pickups, wherein, when a notification that defect is detected is received from at least one first control means from among the n first control means while data is being written on the disc, the second control means determines a replacement destination, notifies information regarding the replacement destination to the n first control means, and determines the replacement destination in a region where data is continuously read at the time of reproducing of the disc.
US08254229B2
In order to ensure a favorable recording characteristic for a write-once recording medium whose recording layer is made of an organic dye having an absorption spectrum at a wavelength λ=405 nm, this optical information recording apparatus includes a unit to set a write power to form recording marks, a space forming power to form spaces and a pulse width of a cooling pulse, and a unit to record information onto the recording medium according to the setting. The pulse width of the cooling pulse and a ratio of the space recording power to the write power are determined from a favorable region in a plane whose one coordinate axis represents the ratio and whose other coordinate axis represents the pulse width of the cooling pulse.
US08254223B2
An optical drive device for performing information recording or reproduction of recorded information by formation of a mark by focusing a first light at a necessary position in a recording layer of an optical recording medium by an objective lens includes a position control unit configured to focus a second light on a reflection film, in which a position guide element of the optical recording medium is formed, through the objective lens and to enable the spot position of the second light to follow the position guide element based on the reflected light of the second light focused on the reflection film so as to control the position of the objective lens. The optical drive device further includes a first focusing unit, a first light-sensing portion, and a surface reflection light deviation amount detection unit.
US08254214B2
Provided is a light source unit the weight of which can be reduced while ensuring power supply to the light source. The light source is configured to form a thermally-assisted magnetic recording head by being joined with a slider including an optical system that propagates light for thermal assist. The light source unit comprises: a unit substrate including a joining surface that faces an power-supply electrode of the slider; a first electrode provided on the joining surface; a second electrode provided on a source-installation surface and electrically connected to the first electrode; and a light source that includes two electrode layers and a light-emission center located in a light-emitting surface. The first and second electrodes eliminate the provision of a terminal electrode for light source on the source-integration surface. As a result, the weight of the light source unit can be reduced.
US08254205B2
A circuit for shifting an address includes a shift cell block configured to sequentially shift address signals in response to shift control signals and a control cell block configured to generate the shift control signals for activating the shift cell block in a column unit using sequentially shifted read commands or write commands.
US08254204B2
A burst address generator includes a burst bit counter for receiving at least one burst bit, and increasing or decreasing the at least one burst bit, a burst bit splitter for receiving the increased or decreased at least one burst bit from the burst bit counter, and dividing the increased or decreased at least one burst bit into an X burst bit and a Y burst bit, and a selector for receiving an X address, a Y address, the X burst bit, and the Y burst bit, and generating an X burst address based on the X address and the X burst bit and a Y burst address based on the Y address and the Y burst bit.
US08254193B2
There is provided a semiconductor memory device including: plural memory cells; a selection signal outputting section; a first precharging section that precharges a potential of a data line that outputs, to an exterior, a signal of a level corresponding to data stored in the memory cell; and a bit line selecting section that has, per bit line, a bit line selecting section that comprises (1) a second precharging section, (2) a potential lowering section, and (3) a third precharging section connected to the bit line selection line and the bit line between the second precharging section and a connection point at which the potential lowering section is connected to the bit line, and when the non-selection signal is inputted, the third precharging section precharges the bit line between the second precharging section and the connection point at which the potential lowering section is connected to the bit line.
US08254191B2
Systems and methods disclosed herein include those that may receive a memory request including a requested memory address and may send the memory request directly to an address decoder associated with a stacked-die memory vault without knowing whether a repair address is required. If a subsequent analysis of the memory request shows that a repair address is required, an in-process decode of the requested memory address can be halted and decoding of the repair address initiated.
US08254189B2
Disclosed is a method for tuning control signals associated with one or more memory devices. The method includes performing a number of memory access operations on at least one memory device and recording results of the memory access operations. Specifically, the memory access operations are performed with different time delays for a first edge of a control signal. The control signal used for capturing data is provided by the at least one memory device. The method further includes selecting a time delay from the time delays used in the memory access operations. Moreover, the method includes utilizing the selected time delay in performing subsequent memory access operations on the at least one memory device. Also disclosed is a system including at least one memory device and an integrated circuit operatively coupled to the at least one memory device. The system incorporates the method for tuning control signals.
US08254186B2
A memory system including a one time programmable (OTP) memory is provided. The memory system further includes a write enable verification circuit including an asymmetric inverter stage and a symmetric inverter stage coupled at a node. The write enable verification circuit is configured to receive a write enable signal. When the write enable signal changes from a first voltage level to a second voltage level, a voltage at the node changes at a first rate and wherein when the write enable signal changes from the second voltage level to the first voltage level, the voltage at the node changes at a second rate higher than the first rate. The write enable verification circuit is further configured to generate a verified write enable signal for enabling programming of the OTP memory.
US08254183B2
The present invention relates to a method of programming a nonvolatile memory device. A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device in accordance with an aspect of the present invention can include performing an erase operation, counting an erase pulse application number once the erase operation is completed, comparing the counted erase pulse application number and a reference value, defining a post program start voltage based on the comparison result, performing a post program operation and a verify operation using the defined post program start voltage, and performing a program operation on cells on which the post program operation has been completed.
US08254180B2
Methods of operating memories facilitate compensating for memory cell signal line propagation delays, such as to increase the overall threshold voltage range and non-volatile memory cell states available. Methods include selecting a memory cell signal line of a memory and characterizing the memory cell signal line by determining an RC time constant of the memory cell signal line.
US08254175B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor region, a tunnel insulating film formed on the semiconductor region, a charge-storage insulating film formed on the tunnel insulating film, a block insulating film formed on the charge-storage insulating film, and a control gate electrode formed on the block insulating film, wherein the tunnel insulating film comprises a first region which is formed on a surface of the semiconductor region and contains silicon and oxygen, a second region which contains silicon and nitrogen, a third region which is formed on a back surface of the charge-storage insulating film and contains silicon and oxygen, and an insulating region which is formed at least between the first region and the second region or between the second region and the third region, and contains silicon and nitrogen and oxygen and the second region is formed between the first region and the third region.
US08254170B2
Programmer's data is initially stored in a memory device of the storage device by using an MBC storage scheme. After the storage device is embedded in a host device, the programmer's data is internally read from the memory device by using conventional read reference voltages, and the number of erroneous data bits in the programmer's data is calculated. If the programmer's data includes an uncorrectable number of erroneous data bits, the programmer's data is iteratively reread by using unconventional read reference voltages with decreased levels. The iteration process, which includes decreasing the level of the read reference voltages and recalculating the number of erroneous data bits, is terminated when the number of erroneous data bits in the programmer's is less than or equals a predetermined number of erroneous data bits, after which the storage device restores the programmer's data and conventionally rewrites it into the memory device.
US08254168B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes memory cells, bit lines, a write circuit, and sense amplifiers. The bit lines are connected to the memory cells. The sense amplifiers are configured to bias the bit line to which the selected memory cell is connected, to a first voltage until the threshold of the selected memory cell reaches the value of a first write state. Then, when the threshold of the selected memory cell reaches the value of the first write state, the bit line is biased to a second voltage higher than the first voltage. When the threshold of the selected memory cell reaches the value of a second write state, the bit line is continuously biased to a third voltage higher than the second voltage. Bit lines connected to unselected memory cells corresponding to the memory cells other than the selected one are biased to the third voltage.
US08254165B2
The invention relates to an organic electronic memory component having an electrode and a counterelectrode and an organic layer arrangement formed between said electrode and counterelectrode and in electrical contact herewith, wherein the organic layer arrangement comprises the following organic layers: an electrode-specific charge carrier transport layer and a counterelectrode-specific charge carrier-blocking layer and disposed between said electrode-specific charge carrier transport layer and counterelectrode-specific charge carrier-blocking layer a memory layer region having a charge carrier-storing layer and a further charge carrier-storing layer between which charge carrier-storing layer and a further charge carrier-storing layer is disposed a charge carrier barrier layer. Furthermore the invention relates to a method for the operating of an organic electronic memory component.
US08254156B2
A data holding device comprises a loop structure part (LOOP) that holds data by use of logic gates connected in a loop (e.g., inverters INV3 and INV4 of FIG. 1); a nonvolatile storage part (CL1a, CL1b, CL2a, CL2b, Q1a, Q1b, Q2a and Q2b) that utilizes the hysteresis characteristic of a ferroelectric element to store, in a nonvolatile manner, the data held in the loop structure part (LOOP); and a circuit isolating part (MUX1, MUX2, INV6, INV7, SW3 and SW4) that electrically isolates the loop structure part (LOOP) from the nonvolatile storage part.
US08254151B2
In a switched mode power supply, and in accordance with a method for operating a switched mode power supply, the magnitude of each occurrence of a current flowing during operation of a power output switch is sensed for negative feedback control. A sense voltage is generated proportional to the primary supply voltage. Whenever the sense voltage exceeds a threshold, output power of the power supply is limited by increasing the sensed magnitude of each occurrence of the flowing currents by adding to each sensed magnitude a voltage proportional to the sense voltage. Threshold voltages can be selected by using Zener diodes having different breakdown voltages. Respective ranges within the overall range of the primary supply voltage in which supplemental power limiting occurs and does not occur can thus be controlled.
US08254148B2
A system includes a mounting rack and an electronic device. The mounting rack includes a frame and a plurality of supports located at the back of the frame. A plurality of cable securing components is located in the frame. The electronic device is inserted in the mounting rack from front to back and includes a front wall. The front wall is adjacent to the frame and defines a port for receiving a cable. The cable is arranged in the cable securing components.
US08254140B2
A mounting substrate includes a substrate, a bonding pad and an induction heating pad. The bonding pad is formed on the substrate, and adhered to a solder ball to mount a semiconductor chip on the substrate. The induction heating pad is disposed adjacent to the bonding pad, the induction heating pad being induction heated by an applied alternating magnetic field to reflow the solder ball. The induction heating pad having a diameter greater than a skin depth in response to the frequency of the applied alternating magnetic field is selectively induction heated in response to a low frequency band of the alternating magnetic field. Accordingly, during a reflow process for a solder ball, the semiconductor chip may be mounted on the mounting substrate to complete a semiconductor package without damaging the mounting substrate, to thereby improve the reliability of the completed semiconductor package.
US08254136B2
A printed circuit board (“PCB”) includes a first pattern structure, a second pattern structure, a third pattern structure, and a fourth pattern structure. The first pattern structure includes a first ground pattern. The second pattern structure includes a first line pattern overlapping the first ground pattern and a second ground pattern electrically insulated from the first line pattern. The third pattern structure includes a third ground pattern overlapping the first line pattern and a second line pattern overlapping the second ground pattern. The fourth pattern structure includes a fourth ground pattern overlapping the second line pattern. Therefore, the PCB may decrease noise.
US08254133B2
Provided is a power module capable of welding a snubber capacitor without causing melting damage to a resin housing by welding heat. When leads of a snubber capacitor are respectively welded to upper surfaces of the specific portions of a P-pole bus bar and an N-pole bus bar, the welding heat generated at the specific portions of the P-pole bus bar and the N-pole bus bar is respectively radiated from openings, through which the lower surfaces of the specific portions of the P-pole bus bar and the N-pole bus bar are exposed. As a result, the snubber capacitor can be later appended by welding without causing melting damage to the resin housing due to the welding heat. During welding, a separate cooling head is inserted into the openings to forcibly cool the lower surfaces of the specific portions of the P-pole bus bar and the N-pole bus bar respectively, so that the melting damage to a resin housing can be more reliably avoided.
US08254131B2
Carriage chassis for installation of a component assembly in a support structure. The support structure includes a power connector in a connector housing. The carriage chassis includes: rails adapted to receive a component assembly and a safety cover. One of the rails includes a tri-lobed torsion stop that includes a first lobe configured to contact the connector housing when no safety cover is installed, preventing a component assembly from coupling with power; a second lobe configured to receive contact from a displacement member of a safety cover, rotating the tri-lobed torsion stop; and a third lobe configured to provide contact to the displacement member when the safety cover is installed and a component assembly is coupled with power. The third lobe and the first lobe prevent removal of the safety cover when a component assembly is coupled with the power connector.
US08254128B2
A heat-transfer mechanism which transfers heat of a heat-generating component mounted on a board to a housing includes a heat-transfer plate having a bottom face portion which has contact with the heat-generating component, a first heat-transfer portion which is screwed near one end portion of the housing and a second heat-transfer portion which is screwed near the other end portion of the housing.
US08254116B2
A tilting portable electronic device includes a housing, a cover, at least one rod, and at least one elastic member. The rod and the elastic member respectively rotatably connect the housing and the cover. When the cover is opened relative to the housing, the elastic member expands and causes the rod to rotate until the elastic member and the rod intercross to support an end of the cover in a slanted position relative to the housing.
US08254114B2
A battery cover structure includes a removable cover, a button and a main body. The removable cover includes a locking portion and defines a receiving hole. The button includes an operating portion. The main body includes a latching portion and a recessed portion. The button is attached to the recessed portion. A curved arm is integrally formed with the main body and includes a contacting portion abutting the button. The latching portion is engaged with the locking portion and the operating portion is engaged in the receiving hole to lock the removable cover in the main body. The button is pressed down to detach the removable cover from the main body and return back by a rebounding force of the curved arm.
US08254113B2
A circuit board assembly includes a motherboard defining a number of plug slots, and a fixing mechanism for securing a heat sink. The fixing mechanism is positioned between two adjacent plug slots, and includes a support member mounted on the motherboard, two fixing brackets mounted on opposite ends of the support member, two bars rotatably connected to the fixing brackets, and a connection member detachably connected to the support member by the bars. The opposite borders of the support member extend in the same direction substantially parallel to the plug slots, and the support member forms four connecting portions for securing the heat sink on opposite sides thereof, and the connecting portions are located between the opposite borders.
US08254112B2
A heat dissipation device for dissipating heat from an electronic component. The heat dissipation device includes a shroud having a bottom wall and a sidewall partially surrounding the bottom wall, a base mounted on a bottom of the bottom wall, a bracket fixed on a top of the bottom wall, an impeller rotatably mounted on the bracket, a fin assembly arranged on the bottom wall, a plurality of heat pipes connecting the fin assembly with the base, and a cover secured on the sidewall. An end of the bottom wall extends beyond the sidewall to support the fin assembly thereon. An opening and a window are respectively defined in the bottom wall and the cover. A plate is formed within the opening of the bottom wall and connects the bracket with the base.
US08254104B2
A tilting portable electronic device includes a housing, a cover forming two spaced stopping blocks, at least one connecting member rotatably connecting the housing and the cover, a rotating member rotatably connecting the housing and the cover, and an elastic member securing with the rotating member and having a resisting section slidably resisting against the cover. When the cover is opened relative to the housing, the connecting member and the rotating member rotates to support an end of the cover slanted relative to the housing, after the cover slides a predetermined distance, the elastic member causing the cover to slide automatically until the resisting section slides to the other stopping block.
US08254103B2
Disclosed are a hinge unit which couples a first member and a second member, the hinge unit including: a conic shaft which is coupled to the first member, and comprises a hinge pivot, a conic unit of a truncated cone shape, the radius of which is extended in an end area of the hinge pivot, and a first rocking unit formed to an outer surface of the conic unit; and a conic sleeve which is coupled to the second member, and comprises a sleeve main body formed with a conic accommodating unit having a shape corresponding to the conic unit in an inner part of the conic accommodating unit, and a second rocking unit formed to an inner surface of the conic accommodating unit to be coupled with the first rocking unit.
US08254098B2
A housing comprises a first section, a second section and a glue. The first section has at least one resisting block protruding therefrom, each resisting block defines a latching slot therein. The second section has at least one catch protruding therefrom, each catch corresponding to one of the latching slots, respectively. The glue is positioned between the first section and the second section for adhering the first section to the second section. When the second section is stacked on the first section via the glue, the at least one catch latch with the latching slot after the first section is pushed toward the second section.
US08254097B2
A mounting apparatus for a PCI card includes a mounting bracket, a securing piece adapted to attach the PCI card to the mounting bracket and a securing member. The mounting bracket has a base and a blocking plate perpendicular to the base. The securing member includes a pressing piece and a securing piece rotatably attached to the pressing piece. The mounting piece includes a mounting end. The securing piece includes a securing portion. The securing piece is capable of engaging with an inside surface of the mounting bracket by rotating the securing piece relative to the pressing piece, thereby sandwiching the mounting end of the securing piece between the blocking plate and the pressing piece.
US08254089B2
An electrical panelboard enclosure includes a primary service panel configured to receive power from a main power source and an alternate power source, an alternate power source connector array, and a distribution panel that delivers main or alternate power to subsidiary load circuits. A service transfer switch unit includes a main power breaker and an alternate power breaker having mutually interlocked toggle switches for respectively activating/deactivating the main and alternate power. The panelboard enclosure further includes an arrangement in which the primary service panel, the distribution panel, the alternate power source connector array and the service transfer switch are part of an installable panelboard assembly that is mountable as a unit within the panelboard enclosure.
US08254086B2
A process to deposit a conformal coating of manganese oxide nanocrystals within a high surface area connected pore structure of a carbon paper electrode. A two-step process is utilized. In the first step the carbon paper electrode is immersed in an alkaline manganese oxide solution to form a nanocrystal seed layer on the surface and within the pores of the carbon paper. In the second step the seeded carbon paper is immersed in an acidic manganese oxide solution. The result is a densely packed continuous conformal nanocrystal coating both on the surface of the carbon and deep within its pores. The carbon paper is highly suitable for use as an electrode in a supercapacitor.
US08254084B2
The present invention provides a chip type electric double layer capacitor including: a lower case having an internal space of which an upper surface is opened and an external terminal of which portions exposed to a bottom of the internal space and the outside are connected to each other; an electric double layer capacitor cell disposed in the internal space of the lower case to be electrically connected to the portion of the external terminal, which is exposed to the bottom of the internal space; and an upper cap mounted on the lower case to cover the internal space, and a method for manufacturing the same.
US08254081B2
In a laminated ceramic electronic component in which, by directly carrying out a plating process on an outer surface of a component main body, an external electrode is formed thereon, an attempt is made to improve the adhesion strength between a plated film forming the external electrode and the component main body. A brazing material containing Ti is applied to at least one portion of a surface on which external electrodes of a component main body is formed, and by baking this brazing material, a metal layer containing Ti is formed. Moreover, the external electrodes are formed by a plating process so as to coat at least the metal layer, and a heating process is then carried out so as to cause counter diffusion between the metal layer and the plated film that is to form the external electrodes.
US08254078B2
A joint on an aircraft, a bonding lead for use in such a joint, and a method of manufacturing such a joint. The bonding lead comprises an elongate conductive core with a pair of end faces at the extremities of its length. The conductive core is encapsulated along at least a majority of its length and at both end faces in a barrier layer typically formed from an elastomer. The lead is encapsulated along its length in the barrier layer apart from at a first contact region towards a first end of the bonding lead and a second contact region towards a second end of the bonding lead. A first electrical connector passes through a first hole in the barrier layer to engage the first contact region of the conductive core and provide an electrical connection between the conductive core and the first component; and a second electrical connector passes through a second hole in the barrier layer to engage the second contact region of the conductive core and provide an electrical connection between the conductive core and the second component.
US08254076B2
In one embodiment, a medium voltage drive system includes at least one transformer and multiple power cell chambers each coupled to a transformer. The power cell chambers each may include a rectifier, a DC-link, and an inverter. Each power cell chamber can be separated into fixed and moveable portions, where the moveable portion includes the rectifier and the inverter and the fixed portion includes the DC-link. A power service bus can couple the fixed and moveable portions of each power cell chamber and couple in series groups of the plurality of power cell chambers.
US08254065B2
For a piezoelectric actuator in which, upon receiving electric power, a piezoelectric element causes a shear deformation to minutely move a movable member of the actuator relative to a base member of the actuator, a power supply includes a wiring member having an insulating layer, a wiring connector, a hole through at least the wiring member insulating layer, and a contact in the through hole. The wiring member has a conductive base layer, the insulating layer, and a conductor layer, the connector base layer having an insular part and a main part that is electrically isolated from the insular part. The wiring connector has a first face joined with an electrode of the piezoelectric element and a second face joined with the insular part. The contact electrically connects the conductor layer of the wiring member to the wiring connector and to the piezoelectric element.
US08254056B2
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a magnetic disk drive that reliably prevents entry of water or other form of liquid through a breathing hole for the enhanced performance, reliability, and the like. In one embodiment, a box body forming part of a hard disk drive (HDD) has a top cover. The top cover includes a breathing hole drilled therein. The breathing hole serves to eliminate any pressure difference between an inside and an outside of the HDD. A fiber waterproof body, which includes a waterproof fiber material or the like, is fitted in a large-diameter hole of the breathing hole. A pore waterproof body, formed by bundling up a large number of slender pores, is mounted in a small-diameter hole of the breathing hole.
US08254053B2
To provide a magnetic tape loader with which undesirable slippage does not occur while a cartridge is inserted/ejected and carried, whose configuration is simple, and capable of being produced at a low cost. While a projection on an endless belt wrapped around pulleys is engaged with a notch section formed in a front end face of the cartridge in a rack, wherein the pulleys are provided within a cartridge housing container along a cartridge inserting/ejecting direction and having an interval in between, the pulleys and the endless belt are driven to rotate so that the projection slides and the cartridge is pulled out from the rack or a magnetic tape drive. Then the cartridge is housed in the cartridge housing container. The pulley and the endless belt are driven to rotate in reverse so that the projection slides to insert the cartridge from the cartridge housing container into the rack or the magnetic tape drive.
US08254044B2
The size of a driving apparatus to be mounted in a mobile terminal is desired to be reduced. In a driving apparatus according to the present invention, an arm member supports a member to be driven in a slidable manner. A first biasing member has a predetermined spring constant and biases the member to be driven via the arm member. A second biasing member has a spring constant that is smaller than the spring constant of the first biasing member and, by biasing the member to be driven in a direction that goes against the first biasing member, supports the member to be driven along with the arm member. A shape-memory alloy swings the arm member against the first biasing member by contracting when a drive current is supplied. The member to be driven is slid, when the arm member swings, by the second biasing member while keeping contact with the arm member.
US08254042B2
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging system, a dome cover that houses the imaging system, and a correction lens between the imaging system and the dome cover. The focal length of the dome cover and the focal length of the correction lens are appropriately set based on predetermined conditions.
US08254041B2
A lens system, in order from the object, includes positive first lens, negative second lens, positive third lens, positive fourth lens, and an aperture stop positioned between the third and fourth lens. The second lens includes a first optical portion, a first support portion surrounding the first optical portion with a first surface and second surface. The third lens includes a second optical portion and a second support portion surrounding the second optical portion with a third surface and fourth surface. The fourth lens includes a light stop surface facing the object side of the lens system. The lens system satisfies the formulas: d23<1.1×d34, where the d23 is a distance along the optical axis of the lens system from the second surface to the third surface, and the d34 is a distance along the optical axis from the fourth surface to the light stop surface.
US08254032B2
The collimated test object according to the invention is used for projecting to infinity a set of marks, the positions of which are very accurately known so as to be able to verify the alignment and/or the distortion of optical equipment such as sensors or collimated screens. This test object comprises a plurality of microcollimated sets, each comprising a light source, an elementary test object comprising a mark illuminated by the source as well as a collimation lens for projecting the mark to infinity. With this solution, one gets free of aberration problems to which are subject convention test objects of large dimensions.
US08254030B2
A film material utilizing a regular two-dimensional array of non-cylindrical lenses to enlarge micro-images, called icons, to form a synthetically magnified image through the united performance of a multiplicity of individual lens/icon image systems. The synthetic magnification micro-optic system includes one or more optical spacers (5), a micro-image formed of a periodic planar array of a plurality of image icons (4) having an axis of symmetry about at least one of its planar axes and positioned on or next to the optical spacer (5), and a periodic planar array of image icon focusing elements (1) having an axis of symmetry about at least one of its planar axes, the axis of symmetry being the same planar axis as that of the micro-image planar array (4). A number of distinctive visual effects, such as three-dimensional and motion effects, can be provided by the present system.
US08254025B1
A screen unit includes a flexible screen, a pantograph mechanism which expands and stores the screen, a motor which shifts one end of the pantograph mechanism to stretch and contract the pantograph mechanism, and a wire. The screen unit further includes a housing which accommodates these components, and a cover which opens and closes at the time of expansion and storage of the screen. One end of the wire is held by the electric motor, and the other end of the wire is held by the cover, so that the cover can be closed in accordance with the contraction of the pantograph mechanism effected by the motor.
US08254019B2
The present application generates an image suitable for collectively observing a whole area or all wavelength components in a viewing field. A confocal microscope apparatus includes a detecting unit being disposed on a collecting location of the collecting optical system, separating incident light into a light from a vicinity of a collecting point on the sample and a light from a peripheral of the vicinity, and detecting each of the lights; and an image generating unit generating an image of the sample by a light signal from the vicinity and a light signal from the peripheral of the vicinity, and setting a ratio of the signal of the light from the vicinity of the collecting point to the signal of the light from the peripheral of the vicinity for each of areas on the image.
US08254016B2
Disclosed herein is a color electronic paper display device. The color electronic paper display device includes a barrier rib structure body that has a cavity partitioning rotating balls; and an electrode structure that is provided in the barrier rib structure body and applies voltage to the rotating balls, wherein the barrier rib structure body has a multilayer barrier rib structure formed of a lower barrier rib and an upper barrier rib, having different light absorptions.
US08254012B2
A display element in which reduced variation in color in the midtone has been achieved even when repeatedly driven is disclosed, comprising opposing electrodes and an electrolyte containing silver or a compound including silver in the chemical structure between the opposing electrodes, wherein the opposing electrodes are driven so that the silver is dissolved or deposited and the following requirement is satisfied: A1/A2>4 in which A1 (mA/cm2) is a maximum value of absolute values of an electric current applied between the opposed electrodes when driven in the direction of from a state of no silver being deposited on the side of the display electrode to that of the silver being deposited and A2 (mA/cm2) is a maximum of absolute values of an electric current applied between the opposing electrodes when driven in the direction of from a state of no silver being deposited on the side of the display electrode to that of the silver being dissolved.
US08254008B2
A blade drive device includes: a board including an optical path opening; first and second blades cooperatively defining an amount of light passing through the optical path opening to a given amount of light. The first blade includes a first opening. The second blade includes: a first cutout portion defining the amount of light in cooperation with the first opening; and a second cutout portion defining the amount of light in cooperation with the first opening. The second cutout portion overlaps the first blade when the first cutout portion and the first opening cooperatively define the amount of light.
US08254006B2
An oscillator device includes at least one movable element supported for oscillatory motion around a rotational axis, and a damper member for applying a damping function to the oscillatory motion of the movable element, the damper member being provided along at least a portion of a locus plane defined by an edge of the movable element during oscillatory motion thereof, so that, based on a viscosity of a fluid which is present between the edge of the movable element and a portion of the damper member opposed to the edge of the movable element, the damping function is applied to applied to the oscillatory motion of the movable element.
US08254005B2
The invention relates to arrangements of micromechanical elements, preferably microoptical elements, which are each held by means of spring elements. In this respect, they can be pivoted or also deflected in translation around a rotational axis by the effect of electrostatic forces. It is the object of the invention to provide an arrangement having micromechanical elements which can be operated over a long time period without drift without any frequent recalibration being necessary. The arrangement in accordance with the invention having micromechanical elements is made in this connection such that electrodes are likewise arranged beneath micromechanical elements, that is, on the side onto which no electromagnetic radiation can be directly incident. In this respect, a respective electrode is arranged and made such that it is associated with at least two micromechanical elements. It can in this connection effect a deflection of the micromechanical elements associated with it by electrostatic force effect. It is only necessary to set a suitable difference of the electrical voltage between the electrode and the respective micromechanical element for this purpose. Electrodes are arranged in the region of gaps of adjacent micromechanical elements for this purpose.
US08254004B2
An oscillating device includes an oscillator, an elastic supporting member for movably supporting the oscillator, a first supporting frame for supporting the elastic supporting member, and a second supporting frame extending along the elastic supporting member with a spacing maintained therebetween, the second supporting member extending from the first supporting frame, wherein the second supporting frame is provided in a cantilever shape relative to the first supporting frame.
US08253998B2
An image forming apparatus includes a reader connecting unit capable of being connected with an original document reader. The original document reader can be a color original document reader that reads original documents in color mode or a monochrome original document reader that reads original documents in monochrome mode. A control unit receives original document data from the original document reader connected to the reader connecting unit, subjects the original document data to prescribed processing corresponding to the format of the original document data and generates image data. Finally, an image forming unit forms an image based on the image data.
US08253996B2
A system is disclosed comprising a color image producing device for providing a test pattern on a medium, said test pattern comprising a plurality of color patches, said test pattern having a principal orientation axis under a non-perpendicular angle α with the propagation direction of the medium through said color image producing device; and a color measurement device coupled to receive the medium from the color image producing device and arranged to propagate the medium in said propagation direction, the color measurement device being further arranged to measure the colors of the respective patches of the medium during said propagation, the color measurement device comprising a color sensor mounted on the carriage oriented substantially perpendicularly to the propagation direction. The present application further discloses a color image producing device and a color measurement device that can be used in such a system, and a method for measuring colors with such a system.
US08253986B2
An image scanner includes a transparent plate, a scanning device, a driving device, a positioning member, a light absorbing portion and a white reference portion. The transparent plate has an original placing surface. The scanning device irradiates an original with light by means of a light source and scans reflected light from the original. The driving device reciprocates the scanning device along the transparent plate. The positioning member positions the original placed on the original placing surface of the transparent plate. The light absorbing portion, which is disposed on the original placing surface side of the positioning member and at substantially a central portion of the positioning member in moving directions of the scanning device, absorbs ambient light entering to the original placing surface side of the positioning member through the transparent plate. The white reference portion is provided to the original placing surface side of the positioning member.
US08253982B2
A dot pattern including a block defined as a rectangular area of a square or a rectangle of a medium face, such as printed matter. A straight line in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction configuring a frame of the block each are defined as a standard grid line. Virtual reference grid points are provided at predetermined intervals on the reference grid line. Reference grid point dots are placed on respective virtual reference grid points. Straight lines that connect the virtual reference grid points to each other and are parallel to the reference grid lines are defined as grid lines. A point of intersection of grid lines is defined as a virtual grid point. A dot pattern is generated by arranging one or a plurality of information dots, each of which has a distance and a direction around the virtual grid point.
US08253974B2
In performing multi-pass printing by using a printhead having a plurality of nozzles, a print data setting unit sets a printing amount for each nozzle for each main scan of the printhead based on a print data setting LUT. This print data setting LUT reflects the information of the number of passes and the number of nozzles to be used which are arbitrarily set. A halftoning unit generates a dot pattern as a formation target by performing binarization processing for the print amounts set in this manner.
US08253966B2
An image forming apparatus having a page sorting function includes a scanning unit to scan a plurality of pages in order, a number recognizing unit to recognize a page number on each of the scanned pages, a control unit to determine whether a current scanned page whose page number is recognized is printable based on a predetermined page sorting order and pre-scanned page numbers, and a printing unit to print the scanned page. By sorting and printing simultaneously, a total amount of time required to perform a copying process can be substantially reduced, and user's convenience is improved.
US08253963B2
A print system in which a printer and a client personal computer are connected to a network. The printer may include a storage unit configured to store a residual quantity information of sheets of paper in a paper feed cassette, a communication unit configured to transmit the residual quantity information to the client personal computer, and a printing unit. The client personal computer may include a generation unit configured to generating print data corresponding to a print job, and a control unit configured to acquire the residual quantity information and a number of sheets of paper necessary for the print job and compare the residual quantity information and the number of sheets of paper necessary. Upon judging an occurrence of exhaustion of sheets of paper according to a comparison result, the control unit may notify a user before starting printing in the printer.
US08253960B2
In a method or system for operation of a data bus to which multiple bus participants each with a respective serial number specific to them are connected, a new bus participant is connected to the data bus. A request bus message is generated by the new bus participant, the message containing a preliminary participant identification number as an identifier derived from a serial number of the new bus participant. The request bus message is sent to a master processor system for assigning a final participant identification number for the new bus participant after a receipt of the request bus message with the preliminary participant identification number. The final participant identification number has fewer digits than the serial number of the new bus participant. The final participant identification number is used by the new bus participant as an identifier for further bus messages. Upon connection of said new bus participant, a time offset for said request bus message from said new bus participant to said master processor system is determined in addition to the preliminary participant identification number, said time offset being derived from the serial number of said new bus participant so that a simultaneous transmission of request bus messages from said new bus participant and any other new bus participants to said master processor system with the same preliminary participant identification numbers is avoided.
US08253953B2
The Job executing device comprises a Job executing unit of executing a job concerning image data, an execution instruction-receiving unit of receiving an instruction for job execution sent to the Job executing unit by a user who is authenticated by an authentication unit, a memory unit of storing the notification destination corresponding to user identification information inputted for user authentication, and a notification unit of notifying the notification destination corresponding to the inputted user identification information of the instruction of job execution after receipt of the instruction for job execution by the execution instruction-receiving unit.
US08253948B2
A device for handling a substantially circular wafer is provided. The device includes an interior accessible through a plurality of entrances, and a plurality of sensors consisting of two sensors for each one of the plurality of entrances, each sensor capable of detecting a presence of the substantially circular wafer, at a predetermined location within the interior, wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged so that at least two of the plurality of sensors detect the wafer for any position of the wafer entirely within the interior, wherein a first one of the two sensors is positioned to detect the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances, and a second one of the two sensors is positioned immediately outside a diameter of the wafer when the wafer has passed entirely into the interior through one of the plurality of entrances.
US08253933B2
A sensor for sensing a target chemical with high signal-to-noise ratio is disclosed. In some embodiments, the sensor comprises a sensing region that is optically coupled with an attenuation region. The sensing region receives optical stimulation that comprises light characterized by an excitation wavelength. In response to exposure to the target chemical, the sensing region fluoresces at a fluorescence wavelength. The attenuation region receives light from the fluorescing sensing region that includes light characterized by the fluorescence wavelength (i.e., signal) and light characterized by the excitation wavelength (i.e., noise). The attenuation region conveys the light to a detector that provides an electrical output signal based on the target chemical. While conveying the light, however, the attenuation region improves the signal-to-noise ratio by attenuating light characterized by the excitation wavelength more than light characterized by the fluorescence region.
US08253931B2
An apparatus includes an optical system for illuminating an original, a measurement device which includes an image sensor arranged on a substrate stage, and is configured to measure a characteristic of the optical system based on a light intensity distribution that is formed on an image sensing plane of the image sensor via the optical system and a measurement pattern, a calibration pattern arranged to form a light intensity distribution having a known shape on the image sensing plane, and a controller configured to calibrate the measurement device based on the light intensity distribution by the calibration pattern, and a theoretical light intensity distribution that is expected to be formed on the image sensing plane by the calibration pattern, wherein the calibration pattern is arranged around a region where the measurement pattern is arranged.
US08253929B2
A stage apparatus including: a movement member movable with a plate member placed on a placement surface; and a fixing apparatus that fixes said plate member to said placement surface in parallel with said movement member passing through a prescribed first region.
US08253912B2
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) includes a decoupling line extending in a first direction, first and second data lines extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a pixel electrode including a first sub-pixel electrode and a second sub-pixel electrode. The pixel electrode further includes a lower domain-dividing part formed thereon. The LCD further includes a common electrode disposed opposite the pixel electrode and including an upper domain-dividing part formed thereon, and a first decoupling electrode including a slanting part and a straight part. The slanting part extends from the decoupling line and overlaps a portion of one of the lower domain-dividing part and the upper domain-dividing part, and the straight part extends from the slanting part and is formed parallel to the first data line in an area of the pixel where the first sub-pixel electrode and the first data line are adjacent to each other.
US08253906B2
A TFT substrate (110) of a liquid crystal display device(100) includes a common electrode (112) and a drain electrode (114) facing the common electrode (112) via an insulating layer (113) and provided with an opening (114a) for making an electric field generated between the common electrode (112) and the drain electrode (114) supplied into a liquid crystal layer (130). Since the opening (114a) for making an electric field supplied into the liquid crystal layer (130) is provided in the drain electrode (114) made from metal, the opening (114a) can be formed more finely than before. Thus, a liquid crystal display which can more surely control spray-to-bend transition can be attained.
US08253867B2
A universal smart remote control includes intelligence software and algorithms that have been programmed into the remote control's microprocessor memory, and a large display which is used to prompt the user to take certain actions. The remote control provides guidance to the user in setting up and operating the various components of his or her entertainment system, and asks the user non-technical questions that are understandable to the user.
US08253865B2
The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for programming and/or charging one or more audio/video devices such that the audio/video devices will be programmed and charged to receive transmitted audio and video signals associated with an event, allowing a user to use the audio/video device to observe the sights and sounds of the event. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cart with a docking port for each of a plurality of personal audio/video devices, a charger configured to charge the power source of each personal audio/video display device, and programming logic configured to program each of the personal audio/video devices.
US08253863B2
A receiver receives differential analog video signals from a long distance transmission line and converts them into unbalanced analog video signals to output to an analog video signal line that is internal wiring. A frequency response characteristics corrector inside the receiver corrects the frequency response characteristics attenuated mainly by the long distance transmission line, and a delay corrector corrects differences of propagation delay. A transmitter receives the unbalanced analog video signals form the analog video signal line and converts them into balanced differential analog video signals to transmit to a long distance transmission line as differential analog video signals. A video output circuit outputs the unbalanced analog video signals or unbalanced digital video signals to a video signal line as unbalanced video signals.
US08253862B2
The present invention discloses a method and a device for image sharpness adjustment. The device comprises a color analyzer, a color sharpness setting unit, a computing circuit, and a luminance adjusting unit. The color analyzer is for analyzing an input color signal to generate a plurality of color flags. The color sharpness setting unit is for generating a plurality of first sharpness gains according to the plurality of the color flags. The computing circuit is for generating a second sharpness gain according to the plurality of the first sharpness gains and the input color signal. The luminance adjusting unit is for adjusting a luminance signal according to the second sharpness gain.
US08253861B2
A display device having a multi-view display panel (45) for displaying, on the common screen, individual images for more than one viewing direction and having image quality adjustment circuits (41, 42) for individually adjusting the quality of an image corresponding to each of the individual images.
US08253855B2
A method of automatic luminance-chrominance delay compensation is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an intermediate signal by processing a video signal such as to enhance a plurality of edges in a picture within the video signal, the picture having a luminance component and a chrominance component temporally separated from each other by an actual delay, (B) identifying an estimated delay between the luminance component and the chrominance component by correlating the luminance component in the intermediate signal to the chrominance component in the intermediate signal at a plurality of relative delays and (C) compensating for the actual delay by delaying one of either (i) the luminance component and (ii) the chrominance component by the estimated delay.
US08253851B2
A keyboard includes a keyboard body, and a camera module. The camera module includes a support, a receiving portion and a camera unit. The support includes a first connecting end and a first receiving end. The receiving portion includes a rotating end and an opposite second receiving end. The support is rotatably coupled to the keyboard body by the first connecting end. The rotating end is rotatably received in the first receiving end and the camera unit is received in the second receiving end.
US08253848B2
An imaging apparatus includes a focus control unit that sets an image area including eyes, which is included in an input image inputted in the imaging apparatus, as a range finding area for calculation of a subject distance and acquires an evaluation value based on contrast of the range finding area to detect a focus position and a blink detecting unit that detects presence or absence of a blink on the basis of image analysis in the range finding area. The focus control unit inputs blink detection information in the blink detection unit, identifies evaluation value data in a blink period and a non-blink period, and executes processing for detecting a focus position on the basis of only an evaluation value in a period judged as the non-blink period.
US08253847B2
A digital camera includes: an imaging unit that receives and images a light from a subject transmitted a photographing optical system; a recognition unit that recognizes a feature region of the subject using an image obtained by imaging with the imaging unit; a detection unit that detects a size of the feature region that is recognized with the recognition unit; and a control unit that predicts a distance to the subject after a predetermined period of time according to the size of the feature region, and controls the photographing optical system so as to focus on the subject.
US08253846B2
A picture signal processing circuit includes a filter unit, a memory and a main control unit. When a display operates in a first display mode, the filter unit removes high-frequency components from first picture signals supplied in a first picture size from an imaging device, to provide second picture signals. When the display operates in a second display mode, the picture signals are provided unchanged. The memory stores the first and second picture signals, reads out the second picture signals, changes the second picture signals from a first picture size to a second picture size and supplies those second picture signals to the display when the display operates in the first display mode. The first picture signals corresponding to a picture clipped from the first picture size to the second picture size are read out to the display when the display operates in the second display mode. The main control unit controls switching between the first picture signals and the second picture signals from the memory according to whether the first or second display mode is selected.
US08253845B2
First lens-group is composed of a negative lens and a positive lens. When magnification is changed from wide end to tele end, a distance between first lens-group and second lens-group increases, and a distance between second lens-group and third lens-group decreases. Specifically, first lens-group moves toward the object side, second lens-group moves along a path convex toward the image side, third lens-group monotonously moves only toward the object side, and fourth lens-group moves along a path convex toward the object side. Further, the following formulas are satisfied: 0.3
US08253843B2
An optical lens system for taking image comprises: a first lens element with positive refractive power, an Abbe Number of the first lens element being V1, and it satisfying the relation: 50
US08253842B2
An electronic device includes: at least one switch which is arranged at a printed circuit board; at least one operation member which is capable of pressing the at least one switch; a support member which has at least one arm part configured to support the at least one operation member movably; and an exterior member which abuts to the support member and has at least one hole into which the at least one operation member is inserted, wherein the support member further has at least one positioning member which is uncovered by the exterior member.
US08253833B2
Photosensitive cells each includes a photodiode (1), a transfer gate (2), a floating diffusion layer portion (3), an amplifying transistor (4), and a reset transistor (5). Drains of the amplifying transistors (4) of the photosensitive cells are connected to a power supply line (10), and a pulsed power supply voltage (VddC) is applied to the power supply line (10). Here, a low-level potential (VddC_L) of the power supply voltage has a predetermined potential higher than zero potential. Specifically, by making the low-level potential (VddC_L) higher than channel potentials obtained when a low level is applied to the reset transistors (5), or channel potentials obtained when a low level is applied to the transfer gates (2), or channel potentials of the photodiodes (1), a reproduced image with low noise is read.
US08253816B2
An imaging device (1) includes an all-pixel readout imaging element (2) outputting a LONG signal and a SHORT signal in one field period for each pixel line, a mixing level calculator (7) calculating for each pixel line a mixing level at which the luminance level of the LONG signal is saturated, and an offset calculator (8) calculating for each pixel line an offset that raises the luminance level of the SHORT signal to the mixing level. Level mixing means (9) generates a level mixed signal for each pixel line so as to obtain a LONG signal when the luminance level is lower than the mixing level and obtain a SHORT signal with the offset added when the luminance level is higher than the mixing level. Consequently, an image having a wide dynamic range and a high resolution can be obtained and line-to-line luminance differences in the obtained image can be suppressed.
US08253807B2
An information processing apparatus includes a first obtaining unit, a second obtaining unit and a display control unit. The first obtaining unit obtains, from an electronic device connected to the information processing apparatus, image data stored in a memory medium connected to the electronic device. The second obtaining unit obtains in advance reduced image data corresponding to the image data before obtainment of the image data by the first obtaining unit. The display control unit updates reduced image data displayed on a display unit, obtained by the second obtaining unit, in accordance with a display condition designated by a user. When the display condition is changed while the first obtaining unit is executing obtainment of image data, the first obtaining unit changes an obtainment order of image data based on the changed display condition.
US08253806B2
An image processing apparatus determines categories for classifying image data based on shooting information of the image data, generates an update information file for each category, and uploads the update information file along with the image data to an image managing server. A client terminal registers, in advance, the address of a desired update information file, and periodically checks the update information file in the image managing server. If the update information file indicates that new image data has been added to the image managing server, the image data is downloaded in accordance with the file path described in the update information file.
US08253794B2
An image processing apparatus may include an input accepting unit configured to accept an operation input about an input image; a time-series section generating unit configured to accept information specifying a time-series section where frames including a face of a specified person appear in the input image and information specifying a representative frame of the time-series section and to draw display of the time-series section and the representative frame on the basis of the information; and an image control unit configured to allow the time-series section generating unit to draw display of the time-series section in accordance with the operation input.
US08253787B2
The object of this invention is to provide a magnifying attachment to be attached to a camera by which a high magnification image can be obtained without appearing a part having no image in the image. The magnifying attachment has a magnifying objective lens (21A), a field lens (21B) for converting a light passed through the objective lens (21A) into collimated light, and a converging lens (21C) for focusing the collimated light on a camera lens (42). Light passed through the converging lens (21C) is converged on a pupil (42X) of the camera lens (42) with a solid angle exceeding the view angle of the camera lens (42).
US08253786B2
A computer connected with an electronic device applicable for a sleeping baby in a crib sets a first threshold value and sets a second threshold value. The computer receives an acceleration value of the motion of the crib from the electronic device and activates the electronic device to capture an image if the acceleration value exceeds the first threshold value. The computer detects a face zone of a captured image and locates an eye area in the face zone then calculating a ratio of height and width of the eye area and compares the ratio to the second threshold value. The computer instructs the electronic device to dial a predefined warning number automatically if the ratio of height and width of the eye area exceeds the second threshold value.
US08253785B2
A video signal selector has a selector switch for selectively outputting one of an endoscopic video signal and an ultrasonic video signal, and a selector control circuit for controlling the selector switch. The selector switch selects the endoscopic video signal by default. The selector control circuit switches the selector switch to the ultrasonic video signal in response to input of an ultrasonic image capture command for commanding to save an ultrasonic image.
US08253779B2
Systems and methods for combining tomographic images with human vision. The systems preferably include a first assembly located proximal to an object to be imaged and a second assembly remote from the target. The first assembly is preferably able to collect a tomographic image from a target object and superimpose that tomographic image onto a direct view of the target object. The first assembly also includes components that allow the transmission of the tomographic image to the remote assembly. At the remote location, a highly trained expert may interact with the captured image by placing electronic markers on the image via an electronic interface. The captured image plus electronic marker are then preferably transmitted back to the local site via a second transmitter-receiver. The local user may use the electronic marker to guide his actions during the appropriate task. The systems have particular utility in the medical field where a trained clinician at a remote location may provide guidance to an untrained individual in performing a medical procedure on a patient.
US08253769B2
An optical write apparatus. The apparatus has a semiconductor laser drive apparatus that modulates a semiconductor laser according to a modulation signal and induces the semiconductor laser to emit light. The drive apparatus has a control unit that is adapted to supply a fixed bias current during a light emission off time, and start supplying a predetermined current that is less than a light emission threshold current right before a light emission time. The apparatus has a write unit that is adapted to realize optical writing on an image sustaining element by scanning a laser beam that is emitted from the semiconductor laser driven by the semiconductor laser drive apparatus using a polygon mirror.
US08253762B2
A display apparatus and a brightness correcting method thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes: a display panel which displays an image; a backlight assembly which includes at least one light source unit which supplies a light to the display panel; and a brightness correcting unit that corrects a brightness of the image using brightness correction information which is determined based on the brightness of each area of the image.
US08253757B2
The present invention relates to the compression of color image data. A combination of hard decision pixel mapping and soft decision pixel mapping is used to jointly address both quantization distortion and compression rate while maintaining low computational complexity and compatibility with standard decoders, such as, for example, the GIF/PNG decoder.
US08253752B2
This application includes devices and methods for processing multimedia data to generate enhanced multimedia data at a receiver based on encoder assisted pre-processing. In one aspect, processing multimedia data includes identifying at least one pixel intensity range in at least one image of multimedia data, modifying at least a portion of the multimedia data to reduce the pixel intensity range, and encoding the modified multimedia data to form encoded multimedia data.
US08253748B1
One embodiment of a system for collecting performance data for a multithreaded processing unit includes a plurality of independent performance registers, each configured to count hardware-based and/or software-based events. Functional blocks within the multithreaded processing unit are configured to generate various event signals, and subsets of the events are selected and used to generate one or more functions, each of which increments one of the performance registers. By accessing the contents of the performance registers, a user may observe and characterize the behavior of the different functional blocks within the multithreaded processing unit when one or more threads are executed within the processing unit. The contents of the performance registers may also be used to modify the behavior of the program running on the multithreaded processing unit, to modify a global performance register or to trigger an interrupt.
US08253738B2
A data processing apparatus for a collision check with respect to a plurality of rays. A control unit may generate a plurality of packets with respect to a plurality of rays associated with a first node in a spatial data structure. At least one of the plurality of packets may include information about k rays, and k may be a natural number. A processor may sequentially receive the plurality of packets and determine which child node of the first node is associated with each of the plurality of rays associated with the first node.
US08253729B1
Techniques for improving the conversion of 2D images to 3D stereoscopic images, including trimming of portions of depth information to achieve improved processing at object boundaries.
US08253724B2
A terrain modeling system provides a terrain model having variable resolution. The system receives an input terrain made up of raster points. The system identifies raster points that differ in height from an adjacent raster point by a threshold. The system interpolates the identified raster points to calculate one or more B-spline surfaces. The surfaces correspond to a multi-dimensional representation of a physical terrain.
US08253722B2
A method, medium, and system rendering 3D graphics data. The method includes selecting objects to render from graphic data that have rendering results of a current frame that are different from rendering results of a previous frame, setting an operational voltage and an operational frequency based on the selected objects to render, and rendering the selected objects according to the set operational voltage and operational frequency with reference to the rendering results of the previous frame.
US08253701B2
A touch panel includes a substrate, a transparent conductive layer, and at least two separate electrodes. The transparent conductive layer is formed on a surface of the substrate. The transparent conductive layer includes a carbon nanotube structure comprised of carbon nanotubes, and the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube structure are arranged isotropically, arranged along a same direction, or arranged along different directions. The electrodes are separately located and electrically connected with the transparent conductive layer.
US08253697B2
A height dependent filter for a pointing device or digitizer tablet, a method of reducing jitter in position data of a pointing device, and a computer readable medium are provided. A method of stabilizing positional data in a digitizer tablet associated with a display device for reporting a position of a pointer includes detecting a current location of the pointer with respect to a coordinate grid defined on the tablet and outputting a position signal indicative of the current pointer location. Noise is filtered from the position signal based on at least one filter parameter. A distance between the pointer and a point on the tablet is determined, and an amount of jitter in the position signal is determined based on the determined distance. The at least one filter parameter is adjusted based on the estimated amount of jitter.
US08253685B2
A HMD images at least a portion of a field of view of a user, and detects a user's hand based on a result of an analysis of an imaged image. The HMD performs a control of defining and displaying a position of an operation part of a virtual operation panel based on a position of the detected user's hand. A position associated with the hand observed by the user is set as a display position of the virtual operation panel which tracks the position of the user's hand. The HMD detects an operation conducted by a user's finger, determines whether or not the virtual operation panel is operated based on the operation conducted by the detected finger, and performs a control corresponding to an operation position of the virtual operation panel when it is determined that the virtual operation panel is operated.
US08253684B1
For multiple times in a time period, multiple data points can be received from an accelerometer and from a magnetometer that are included in a mobile computing device. For each of the data points, an orientation and a position of the mobile computing device can be determined based on an acceleration output and a magnetometer output that corresponds to the particular time. A trajectory is determined that represents movement of the mobile computing device during the time period based on the determined orientations and positions of the mobile computing device at the multiple times. Information that characterizes the trajectory is compared to stored information that characterizes a set of one or more base trajectories. Based on the comparison, an operation of the mobile computing device is identified that is associated with a trajectory included in the set of one or more base trajectories.
US08253683B2
It is intended to reduce the number of exclusive signal interconnections for connecting a host module to a liquid crystal display driver for a sub-display, and peripheral devices, respectively.A liquid crystal display drive and control device comprises, over one semiconductor substrate, a host interface circuit, a drive circuit, and an output port. The host interface circuit is used for connection with the host module. The drive circuit generates a drive signal for driving a liquid crystal display on the basis of information inputted to the host interface circuit before outputting. The output port is capable of controlling a logic level of an output signal on the basis of the information inputted to the host interface circuit. The liquid crystal display drive and control device is capable of performing the function of distributing signals to circuits subjected to control by level signals with determined logic levels, respectively, such as strobe control of a liquid crystal display driver for a sub-display, control of peripheral devices including a camera flashlight, and so forth.
US08253677B2
Provided are a display device with improved display quality and a method of driving the same. The display device includes: a display panel which includes a plurality of dither blocks displaying an image that corresponds to a dither image signal; and an image signal controller which generates the dither image signal by using a dither pattern that determines a plurality of dither pixels, which are to be dithered, from among a plurality of pixels included in each of the dither blocks, wherein each of the dither blocks includes a plurality of pixels, whose respective polarities are inverted every frame and which are driven accordingly, and comprises equal numbers of positive-polarity dither pixels and negative-polarity dither pixels.
US08253666B2
Representative embodiments of the disclosure provide a system, apparatus, and method of controlling an intensity and spectrum of light emitted from a solid state lighting system. The solid state lighting system has a first emitted spectrum at full intensity and at a selected temperature, with a first electrical biasing for the solid state lighting system producing a first wavelength shift, and a second electrical biasing for the solid state lighting system producing a second, opposing wavelength shift. Representative embodiments provide for receiving information designating a selected intensity level or a selected temperature and providing a combined first electrical biasing and second electrical biasing to the solid state lighting system to generate emitted light having the selected intensity level and having a second emitted spectrum within a predetermined variance of the first emitted spectrum over a predetermined range of temperatures.
US08253661B2
A method of compensating for luminance of an organic light emitting diode is provided. In an embodiment, an operational current of a dummy organic light emitting diode of a color is utilized to simulate the condition that a real pixel current attenuates with time, and a feedback current is outputted accordingly. A compensating voltage is generated according to the feedback current, and is used to regulates the data current inputted to the real pixel so as to compensate for the luminance of the real pixel of the color.
US08253658B2
A plasma display apparatus is disclosed. The plasma display apparatus a plasma display panel including a front substrate on which a scan electrode and a sustain electrode are positioned parallel to each other, a rear substrate on which an address electrode is positioned to cross the scan electrode and the sustain electrode, and a barrier rib that is positioned between the front substrate and the rear substrate to partition a discharge cell and a driver supplying a sustain signal to the scan electrode and the sustain electrode in a sustain period of at least one of a plurality of subfields of a frame. A sustain signal supplied to the scan electrode overlaps a sustain signal supplied to the sustain electrode in the sustain period. The address electrode is electrically floated in the sustain period.
US08253655B2
A common-voltage compensation circuit functions to provide a crosstalk interference suppressing mechanism for use in a liquid crystal display having a liquid-crystal capacitor and a storage capacitor. The compensation circuit includes a buffer for receiving a preliminary common voltage, a current/voltage converter, a high-pass filter and a ripple-voltage inverter. The current/voltage converter is utilized for generating a liquid-crystal capacitor common voltage furnished to the liquid-crystal capacitor according to an output current of the buffer. The high-pass filter performs a high-pass filtering operation on the liquid-crystal capacitor common voltage for extracting a ripple voltage. The ripple-voltage inverter is employed to generate a storage capacitor common voltage furnished to the storage capacitor through performing an inverting operation on the ripple voltage based on the preliminary common voltage. The ripple voltage of the storage capacitor common voltage has a phase opposite to that of the liquid-crystal capacitor common voltage for suppressing crosstalk interference.
US08253647B2
A high isolation multi-band monopole antenna that can be used in connection with MIMO systems is provided. The antenna can include various components to prevent band to band coupling and provide isolation from neighboring antennas.
US08253644B2
There is described a Passive Intermodulation (PIM) shield for use with an aircraft for reducing PIM sources, the PIM shield comprising: a conductive material adapted to be placed between an antenna and a fuselage of the aircraft for preventing undesired Radio Frequency (RF) signals resulting from a combination of RF signals transmitted from and to the antenna and generated by non-linear junctions or material between the antenna and the fuselage of the aircraft, the conductive material having a thickness based on an RF skin-depth related to an operating frequency of the antenna. There is described a method for determining an operating frequency of an antenna, determining an RF skin-depth related to the operating frequency of the antenna, and providing the PIM shield.
US08253639B2
Arrangement of resonators in an aperiodic configurations are described, which can be used for electromagnetic cloaking of objects. The overall assembly of resonators, as structures, do not all repeat periodically and at least some of the resonators are spaced such that their phase centers are separated by more than a wavelength. The arrangements can include resonators of several different sizes and/or geometries arranged so that each size or geometry corresponds to a moderate or high “Q” response that resonates within a specific frequency range, and that arrangement within that specific grouping of akin elements is periodic in the overall structure. The relative spacing and arrangement of groupings can be defined by self similarity and origin symmetry.
US08253638B2
An easily transportable multiband antenna array. The antenna array is fabricated on a multi-sided structure, such as a four-sided cube, made from a wire frame and fabric. The multi-sided structure is constructed so that it may be folded by first folding the faces against each other, and then twisting them to form a stack of loops. The antenna elements are fabricated on the faces, and comprise at least a loop antenna around the perimeter of each face, and a bow-tie antenna attached to each face. The antenna elements are fabricated and attached so that they do not inhibit the folding of the structure.
US08253637B2
An antenna array for a motor vehicle includes at least one AM antenna for receiving long wave, medium wave and/or short wave signals as well as at least one additional electrically conductive structural part that is arranged so as to be adjacent to the AM antenna. The additional structural part is connected to a ground potential and/or supply potential of the motor vehicle by at least one filter element, by which the signal frequencies in at least one frequency range that is to be received by the AM antenna are suppressed.
US08253634B2
In a portable telephone, a first housing and a second housing are connected to each other by hinge sections which makes the first housing and the second housing rotatable about the long-side direction of the housings. A metal frame is provided at a peripheral section of the first housing, and a display section is provided at the central section of the first housing. A metal is used as a frame and can also be operated as an antenna element. In the second housing, a circuit board to which a baseband circuit and a radio circuit are mounted, a first feeding section which supplies electric power to the metal frame, and a draw-out rod antenna which can be drawn out from and housed in the housing are supplied with electric power by the second feeding section. Further, a cellular antenna which performs communication with a base station is also incorporated in the second housing. The rod antenna can be drawn out in the direction substantially in parallel with the rotation axis of the above described hinge.
US08253632B2
A disclosed transmitting and receiving apparatus includes a UWB antenna having an element pattern and battery disposed on a side of the element pattern so that satisfactory antenna characteristics are obtained. The transmitting and receiving apparatus includes the UWB antenna having the element pattern, a ground pattern, and the battery disposed on a side of the element pattern. Preferably, the width and the height of the element pattern are about 16 mm and about 15 mm, respectively, and the distance between the element pattern and the battery is about 7 mm.
US08253631B2
An object of the present invention is to obtain high radiation efficiency by strengthening electromagnetic coupling in an antenna device that supplies a radiation current by the electromagnetic coupling. An antenna device includes a substrate 110 and a conductor pattern that includes a radiation conductor 121, a feed conductor 122, and a coupling conductor 123 formed on the substrate 110. Both the feed conductor 122 and the coupling conductor 123 are formed on a side surface 115 of the substrate 110. One end 122a of the feed conductor 122 is connected to a feed line, and other end 122b is connected to a ground pattern. A coupling portion 122b of the feed conductor 122 is substantially U-shaped, and the coupling conductor 123 is electromagnetically coupled to the coupling portion 122b of the feed conductor 122. Because the feed conductor 122 is gently curved, an electric filed concentration can hardly occur. The length of the feed conductor 122 can be increased, and thus it is possible to obtain a strong electromagnetic coupling with the coupling conductor 123.
US08253624B2
A method for eliminating or reducing interference in a receiver, for example, interference in a satellite positioning system receiver caused by a co-located TDMA transmitter, including detecting (210) the presence of a jamming signal, generating a synchronous blanking signal (220), and reducing the jamming signal by blanking (230) the receiver with a blanking signal. In one embodiment, the jamming signal is detected in the receiver, for example, at a correlator output of a satellite positioning system receiver.
US08253619B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides an imager, preferably portable, that includes a source of electromagnetic radiation capable of generating radiation with one or more frequencies in a range of about 1 GHz to about 2000 GHz. An optical system that is optically coupled to the source focuses radiation received therefrom onto an object plane, and directs at least a portion of the focused radiation propagating back from the object plane onto an image plane. The imager further includes a scan mechanism coupled to the optical system for controlling thereof so as to move the focused radiation over the object plane. A detector optically coupled to the lens at the image plane detects at least a portion of the radiation propagating back from a plurality of scanned locations in the object plane, thereby generating a detection signal. A processor that is in communication with the detector generates an image of at least a portion of the object plane based on the detection signal.
US08253618B2
A remote controller is provided with: at least one first input unit that macro-controls predetermined remotely controlled devices including signal source devices; a plurality of second input units that select the signal source devices; a memory unit that stores a plurality of remote control codes for remotely controlling the remotely controlled devices; a transmitting unit that externally transmits the remote control codes; and a control unit that, when the first input unit is operated, outputs the remote control codes for remotely controlling the plurality of remotely controlled devices to the transmitting unit, and causes the transmitting unit to externally transmit the codes, wherein when the first input unit and one of the second input units are operated in a predetermined manner, a signal source device to be remotely controlled by the first input unit is changed to a signal source device that has been selected by the operated one of the second input units.
US08253616B2
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) generates an output digital value equivalent to the difference between two analog signal values. The ADC receives a first analog signal level, a second analog signal level and a ramp signal. A counter is operable to count in a single direction. A control stage is arranged to enable the counter based on a comparison of the ramp signal with the first analog signal and the second analog signal. A digital value accumulated by the counter during a period when it is enabled forms the output. The ADC can perform the conversion during a single cycle of the ramp signal. The counter can be loaded with a starting digital value representing an exposure level accumulated during a previous exposure period. Techniques are described for reducing the conversion time.
US08253599B2
The disclosure provides a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device includes a movement sensor and a processing module. The movement sensor is configured for sensing a movement of the portable electronic device and generating electrical signals in response to the movement. The movement sensor further includes a metal assembly and a magnetic assembly. When the portable electronic device has a movement, the metal assembly moves relative to the magnetic assembly to cut lines of magnetic force, therefore the metal assembly generates the electrical signals. The processing module performs predetermined operations according to the electrical signals.
US08253595B2
A portable electronic device includes a main body, a housing and a protective cover. The main body includes a keypad. The housing is attached to the main body. The housing defines a receiving space and two guiding grooves. The two guiding grooves are positioned at two opposite sides of the receiving space and communicating with the receiving space. The protective cover includes two rails respectively engaged in the two guiding grooves. The protective cover is slidable in the receiving space along the guiding grooves to cover or expose the keypad.
US08253590B2
An in-vehicle receiving apparatus to receive transmitted data from an on-road device having a reference position setting device to set a position satisfying a predetermined reception condition, as a reference position; a real receiving situation acquiring device to acquire a receiving situation of the transmitted data in a zone from the reference position set by the reference position setting device, to a predetermined position; a designed receiving situation estimating device to estimate a receiving situation of the transmitted data in a zone from a design position to the predetermined position when the predetermined reception condition is satisfied at the design position; and an error calculating device to calculate a distance error of the reference position from the design position, based on the receiving situation acquired by the real receiving situation acquiring device and the receiving situation estimated by the designed receiving situation estimating device.
US08253588B2
Some embodiments provide a system that analyzes telemetry data from a computer system. During operation, the system obtains the telemetry data as a set of telemetric signals from the computer system and validates the telemetric signals using a nonlinear, nonparametric regression technique. Next, the system assesses the integrity of a power supply unit (PSU) in the computer system by comparing the telemetric signals to one or more reference telemetric signals associated with the computer system. If the assessed integrity falls below a threshold, the system performs a remedial action for the computer system.
US08253576B2
A system for search and rescue includes a rescue beacon including a radiation source to emit radiation, at least a portion of which includes ultraviolet c-band radiation, and an ultraviolet c-band detector to detect the ultraviolet c-band radiation to enable locating of the rescue beacon.
US08253574B2
Systems and methods are provided for establishing smoke flow paths and times of flow between a plurality of ambient condition detectors. Such information can be used in establishing, in real time, dynamically changing evacuation flow routes.
US08253563B2
Present day intrusion detection systems frequently cause false alarms by mistaking occupants as intruders, and it is desirable to reduce such false alarms. This invention comprises a processor that employs various software algorithms. The processor receives signals over temporal periods and software algorithms statistically discern various activities, thereby reducing false alarms and detection failures. The software algorithms are adaptive to the level of detected activity such that a rate of false alarms may be predetermined. As such, the processor and software algorithms comprise an artificial intelligence system. This artificial intelligence system may be employed in intruder and vehicle alarm systems composed of a multiplicity of detectors and within such detectors. A second aspect of this invention is an improved infrasound detection method that may be employed in such artificial intelligence.
US08253560B2
An adjunct device includes a first housing for coupling to a handheld wireless communication device via a communication port of the handheld wireless communication device. A short-range wireless receiver receives a first RF paging signal from a remote wireless device. A user interface emits a first detectable alert signal in response to the first RF paging signal to assist the user in locating the handheld wireless communication device.
US08253555B2
A non-hermetically sealed and biocompatible multi-turn RFID loop antenna is electrically connected to a RFID chip which is enclosed within its own hermetically sealed miniature container. The hermetic seal can be very small and the loop antenna can be relatively large, wherein the entire package is both highly reliable, resistant to body fluids and completely biocompatible. The RFID structure can be implanted in a patient and later communicate with an RFID interrogator to provide information relating to the patient and/or implantable medical devices.
US08253554B2
A multi-purpose alarm operates in a motion-detected alarm mode and a motion-expected alarm mode. In the motion-detected alarm mode, when the multi-purpose alarm is touched or moved, an alarm is issued. In the motion-expected alarm mode, when the multi-purpose alarm has not been touched or moved for a period of time, an alarm is issued. The multi-purpose alarm employs an accelerometer to sense the presence or absence of movement and is attachable to an object being monitored through various attachment means including a spring clamp, an adhesive, and a magnet.
US08253547B2
An system has a sensing device for detecting a signal and logic configured to assess a timestamp to at least one data point contained in the signal prior to transmitting data indicative of the data point to a controller.
US08253545B2
An electronic device includes a remote control and a host. The remote control is for generating different wireless signals. The host communicates with the remote control. The host includes a processor, a control panel, and a receiving unit. The control panel is for generating different key signals. The control panel includes a key for generating a locking signal and an unlocking signal. The receiving unit is for transferring the different key signals from the control panel to control the processor, and further for transferring the different wireless signals from the remote control to control the processor. The processor disables the receiving unit according to the locking signal and enables the receiving unit according to the unlocking signal.
US08253541B2
An apparatus (10, 240, 300) includes a signpost (11, 241-256, 322, 612, 623, 626-628, 652, 661, 682, 686, 703) which transmits signpost signals (24) that are received by a tag (12, 271-275, 301-316, 395-397, 616-618, 641-643, 653, 656-657, 662-664, 679, 708, 711). The tag in turn transmits radio frequency beacon signals (72) which are received by a reader (13, 261, 319, 521-530). The tag can vary the duration of the beacon signals, for example in dependence on whether it is currently receiving a signpost signal. Further, the tag can dynamically vary the transmission rate and/or transmission power of the beacon signals, for example following receipt of a signpost signal. Varying these parameters can facilitate compliance with governmental regulations.
US08253536B2
A security document is disclosed which includes an electrical circuit embedded in a document substrate, where the electrical circuit includes a power source with at least one electroactive polymer power generator, and an optical display including at least one electroluminescent display element and at least one nanohole array which forms a layer of the electroluminescent display element. A method of authenticating a security document is also disclosed, the method including illuminating an encoded nanohole array in the security document with a focused light beam or laser light source emitting at least one defined wavelength of incident light, detecting a transmitted portion of the incident light transmitted through the nanohole array with an optoelectronic sensor, analyzing at least one wavelength of the transmitted portion of light to produce a detected signal, and comparing the detected signal with an authentication signal to authenticate the security document.
US08253534B2
In a vehicle door control system, a portable unit stores registration of an instruction of automatic door-opening to a vehicle unit, when predetermined registration processing is made on the portable unit. In response to a request signal from the vehicle unit, the portable unit transmits a response signal including an ID code and the instruction of the registered automatic door-opening operation. The vehicle unit unlocks a vehicle door without any manual door-unlocking operation by a user and automatically opens the vehicle door, when the response signal includes the instruction and the ID code matches a predetermined ID code.
US08253532B2
A controlling device having a feature for toggling between various device mode states. The device mode state toggle feature may be implemented as a key which is preferably located with the function keys thus being spaced from the top of the controlling device. The device mode state toggle feature may be used to sequentially toggle between all device mode states of the controlling device, to toggle between a currently selected device mode state and a previously selected device mode state of the controlling device, to toggle between device mode states that have been designated by a user of the controlling device, etc. An indicia, such as a LED, key illumination, color, sound, or the like, may be utilized to provide an indication to the user as to which device mode state the controlling device is placed into when the device mode state toggle feature is activated.
US08253526B2
A system for calibrating operation of integrated differential signal receiver circuitry mounted on a substrate and coupled via surface conductors to edge mounted interface electrodes in which compensation is provided for variances among the resistances of the surface conductors.
US08253515B2
A band-pass filter includes an input portion inputting an electromagnetic signal, an output portion outputting the electromagnetic signal, a plurality of transmission portions electrically connecting the input portion and the output portion to transmit the electromagnetic signal therebetween, and a pair of coupling members each shaping the frequency of the band-pass filter. Each of the coupling members includes a first coupling portion electrically connecting two of the transmission portions and a second coupling portion electrically connecting the first coupling portion. The first coupling portion includes a pair of parallel coupling microstrip lines of the same size. The second coupling portion includes a pair of transmission lines of different sizes.
US08253513B2
The present invention in one aspect relates to an acoustic wave resonator having an acoustic reflector, a piezoelectric layer, a composite structure having a first electrode, a temperature compensation layer formed on the first electrode, having one or more vias or trenches formed therein, and a second electrode formed on the temperature compensation layer and electrically connected to the first electrode at least through the one or more vias or trenches, and a third electrode, where the composite structure is disposed under the piezoelectric layer, on the piezoelectric layer, or inside the piezoelectric layer.
US08253507B2
A fixed-frequency control circuit and method detect the difference between the frequency of a pulse width modulation signal and a target frequency to adjust a current used to determine the on-time or off-time of the pulse width modulation signal, such that the frequency of the pulse width modulation signal is stable at the target frequency.
US08253506B2
A resonator of a VCO includes a fine tuning main varactor circuit, an auxiliary varactor circuit, and a coarse tuning capacitor bank circuit coupled in parallel with an inductance. The main varactor circuit includes a plurality of circuit portions that can be separately disabled. Within each circuit portion is a multiplexing circuit that supplies a selectable one of either a fine tuning control signal (FTAVCS) or a temperature compensation control signal (TCAVCS) onto a varactor control node within the circuit portion. If the circuit portion is enabled then the FTAVCS is supplied onto the control node so that the circuit portion is used for fine tuning. If the circuit portion is disabled then the TCAVCS is supplied onto the control node so that the circuit portion is used to combat VCO frequency drift as a function of temperature. How the voltage of the TCAVCS varies with temperature is digitally programmable.
