US08387150B2
Segmented media content rights management is described. A media device can receive segments of protected media content from media content streams that each include a different version of the protected media content. A media content file can be generated to include the segments of the protected media content that are sequenced to render the protected media content for viewing. A file header object can be instantiated in a file header of the media content file, where the file header object includes DRM-associated features, such as one or more DRM licenses, properties, and/or attributes that correspond to the media content file to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together.
US08387147B2
A method and system for detecting and removing a hidden pestware file is described. One illustrative embodiment detects, using direct drive access, a file on a computer storage device; determines whether the file is also detectable by the operating system by attempting to access the file using a standard file Application-Program-Interface (API) function call of the operating system; identifies the file as a potential hidden pestware file, when the file is undetectable by the operating system; confirms through an automated pestware-signature scan of the potential hidden pestware file that the potential hidden pestware file is a hidden pestware file; and removes automatically, using direct drive access, the hidden pestware file from the storage device.
US08387143B2
The present application is directed towards systems and methods for aggressively probing a client side connection to determine and counteract a malicious window size attack or similar behavior from a malfunctioning client. The solution described herein detects when a connection may be under malicious attach via improper or unusual window size settings. Responsive to the detection, the solution described herein will setup probes that determine whether or not the client is malicious and does so within an aggressive time period to avoid the tying up of processing cycles, transport layer sockets and buffers, and other resources of the sender.
US08387142B2
A system to detect and analyze RF signals utilizes a data structure storing RF signatures indicating characteristics of known authorized and/or unauthorized RF transmissions. When an RF signal is detected, certain analysis characteristics are extracted from the RF signal and analyzed with respect to the stored RF signatures to determine whether the RF transmission is authorized or unauthorized. In the event of an unauthorized RF transmission, the system generates an alarm condition to alert the user to an RF intrusion and may further log data related to the intruder transmission. Known techniques may be used to determine the location of the RF intrusion within a defined area of operations.
US08387140B2
An apparatus and method are described for performing content filtering of encrypted network transactions. For example, in one embodiment, for an encrypted Internet transaction (such as an HTTPS transaction), a local cache lookup is performed using the network address of the requested Internet transaction to determine if name resolution data associated with the transaction is stored in a name resolution data cache. If name resolution data associated with the transaction is stored in the name resolution data cache, then the name resolution data is compared with a whitelist of acceptable Internet names. The requested Internet transaction is allowed only if a match is found between the name resolution data and one of the Internet names on the whitelist.
US08387138B2
The present disclosure provides a computer-readable medium, method and system for determining security vulnerabilities for a plurality of application programs used to provide television services to a customer device over a communications network. The method includes running a first scanning program against a first application program relating to a control panel for the customer device; running a second scanning program against a second application program that provides Internet content to the customer device; running a third scanning program against a third application program that relates to a component management system of customer premises equipment; and correlating security vulnerabilities identified utilizing the first, second, and third scanning programs.
US08387137B2
A method and system for managing role-based access control of token data using token profiles having predefined roles is described. In one method, a token processing system (TPS) assigns a TPS client a token profile for a group of multiple tokens, the token profile being stored in a profile data structure. The token profile specifies at least one of multiple predefined roles for the TPS client, each role associated with predefined access to entries of a token database. The TPS receives a request from the TPS client over a network to perform an operation on the entries of the token database that correspond to the group, and allows the TPS client access to the token database to perform the operation when permitted by the predefined roles specified in the token profile on the entries of the token database that correspond to the group identified by the token profile.
US08387133B2
A power on certification method for a personal computer (PC) and a power on certification system thereof are described. The power on method includes the following steps. At least one booting certification device is connected to a PC. The PC is booted, and a basic input output system (BIOS) is run. The BIOS is made to retrieve recognition information of the booting certification device through a verification procedure, so as to judge whether the recognition information is consistent with verification information stored in the PC. After the booting certification device passes through the verification procedure, the PC completes other procedures in the BIOS, and enters an operating system.
US08387123B2
An authentication system includes an authentication information input device to which a user inputs authentication information, an authentication server, and at least one image forming apparatus, all connected via a network. The authentication server acquires the authentication information input via the authentication information input device and performs user authentication based on the authentication information. The authentication server includes a transmitter to transmit a result of the user authentication indicating whether or not the user authentication is successful and information of the user identified by the authentication information to at least one of the image forming apparatuses. The image forming apparatus includes a receiver to receive the result of the user authentication and the user information transmitted from the authentication server, and an apparatus controller to switch the image forming apparatus from an unusable state to a usable state according to the result of the user authentication and the user information.
US08387113B2
An authenticating system according to the present invention has a characteristic structure of which an authenticating section 32 of a note type PC 10 and an authenticating section 42 of a battery 20 are directly connected through I/O ports 51 and 61, respectively. Thus, the authenticating system according to the present invention can be relatively easily accomplished using a conventional system. The present invention can be applied to a system that is composed of a plurality of electronic devices that perform an authenticating process.
US08387105B1
A system and a method for facilitating transitions between video streams is provided. The method includes the steps of: (i) receiving a primary video stream that includes a first primary video stream portion and a second primary video stream portion, wherein the second stream portion follows the first primary video stream portion; (ii) receiving a secondary video stream; processing at least one of the primary video stream and the secondary video stream to facilitate a seamless transition, at a multiple tuner device, between the first primary video stream portion and the secondary video stream; (iii) transmitting the primary video stream to a first tuner of the multiple tuner device; (iv) transmitting the secondary video stream to a second tuner of the multiple tuner device; and (v) instructing the multiple tuner device to perform a seamless transition between the first primary video stream portion to the secondary video stream.
US08387091B2
Several data streams contain video, audio and/or other data. Some of the data streams are pre-recorded in a multiplex on a storage medium while other data streams are located out of the data stream multiplex on the storage medium. The data streams are synchronized using a navigation file, which comprises descriptors pointing to parts of said data streams, wherein said descriptors define the arrangement in time for said data streams by means of data sub stream paths.
US08387090B2
A method of delivering a regional television channel to a user over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service comprising the steps of forming a multicast of channels intended for delivery to a user each channel having a specific channel slot, the multicast of channels including one or more regional channels corresponding to one of the multicast of channels; broadcasting the multicast channels to the user through a regional gateway; forming a regional channel control signal for scheduling and requesting broadcast of the at least one regional channel instead of the one of the multicast of channels; transmitting the regional channel control signal to the regional gateway; and in accordance with the regional channel control signal, at the required time, switching the regional gateway to the at least one regional channel instead of the corresponding one of the multicast channels such that the regional channel is in the specific channel slot of the corresponding channel.
US08387088B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device, including a controller to: transmit a client program having a graphical user interface (GUI) to a media device operating in an interactive television (iTV) network, wherein the client program presents a symbolic overlay that superimposes onto media content received by the media device and enables the media device to associate commentary with the media content received at the media device; and present the commentary by symbolic representations in a carrousel format within a window of the presentation of the symbolic overlay and in a vicinity of the media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08387080B2
An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a housing configured to include an optical component including a laser diode emitting a laser beam, the housing being made of metal; and a heatsink configured to dissipate heat generated from the laser diode, the heatsink being made of metal different from the metal of the housing; the heatsink being fixed to the housing with one screw and adhesive.
US08387078B2
In some embodiments a remote request is received relating to a context of a computer after the computer has been powered off. A sensor of the computer is turned on to obtain context information of the computer from the sensor. The obtained context information is provided from the computer to a remote device while the computer is still powered off. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08387070B2
A computer-implemented system for receiving an incoming message including a message header and a message body in General Inter-ORB Protocol (GIOP) type format, the system comprising: an external ORB element based on a computer configured to convert the header of the incoming message to an implementation-specific format, and configured to provide the header in implementation-specific format with the body in GIOP type format to a distribution mechanism for identifying an appropriate target server for processing the body of the incoming message; and an internal ORB element based on an originating server configured to convert the body of the outgoing message to CORBA GIOP type format to a distribution mechanism.
US08387069B2
An improved system and method is disclosed for making the Common Information Model (CIM), produced by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), more flexible and extensible without requiring changes to it or its existing implementations. MultipleInheritance associations are implemented to define extension abstract classes for managed element information and to create static and dynamic add-in classes, all operable to reference the CIM schema class. Ambiguity is mitigated by not allowing properties of different data types to have the same name in super classes that are used for MultipleInheritance associations. Data integrity is facilitated by merging class properties of the same name and data type through the use of a Min algorithm. Concrete user classes are derived from new abstract classes such that management functionality is enabled for managed element properties. A polymorphic object pointer is implemented using a PolymorphicPointer association to facilitate traversal or the resulting class hierarchies and inheritance trees.
US08387059B2
Throughput of a high-volume throughput-centric computer system is controlled by dynamically adjusting a concurrency level of a plurality of events being processed in a computer system to meet a predetermined target for utilization of one or more resources of a computer system. The predetermined target is less than 100% utilization of said one or more resources. The adjusted concurrency level is validated using one or more queuing models to check that said predetermined target is being met. Parameters are configured for adjusting the concurrency level. The parameters are configured so that said one or more resources are shared with one or more external programs. A statistical algorithm is established that minimizes total number of samples collected. The samples may be used to measure performance used to further dynamically adjust the concurrency level. A dynamic thread sleeping method is designed to handle systems that need only a very small number of threads to saturate bottleneck resources and hence are sensitive to concurrency level changes.
US08387055B1
A system and method builds a set of information by providing information related to each object of a first type surrounded with a pair of identifiers. Information related to objects of a second type is provided with an embedded identifier. Information received from a server is associated with one or more first objects by locating a pair of identifiers in the information and associating the information with one or more objects corresponding to the pair of identifiers.
US08387048B1
A method, system and computer program product migrating non-native applications include launching a first Virtual Machine (VM) and a first original guest OS in the VM, on a computing system that has the host OS and a host desktop, wherein the first VM has a non-native application associated with the first VM and the first original guest OS; replacing the first original guest operating system (OS) system in the first VM with a different version of the guest OS; upon a user attempting to launch the non-native application, migrating the non-native application in the first VM to the second VM; launching a second Virtual Machine (VM) and a second original guest OS in the VM, on the computing system; associating the non-native application with the second VM; launching the non-native application inside the second VM; and displaying a non-native application window to the user.
US08387043B2
A USB port shared control method executed by a hypervisor controlling port sharing among virtual machines and having a physical USB host controller including a physical register, the virtual machines each including a virtual USB host controller having a virtual register. The method includes performing sharing by: selectively allocating the physical register to the virtual register of a subject virtual USB host controller provided in a subject virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines to occupy and unitize the USB port by the subject virtual machine, and directly reading or writing of the physical register by the subject virtual machine via the subject virtual USB host controller, to thereby allow the subject virtual USB host controller to directly control the physical USB host controller. More particularly, the allocating, reading and writing are switched from subject virtual machine to subject virtual machines to facilitate sharing.
US08387036B2
A method for executing a computer program involving obtaining a statement of the source code, where the statement comprises a method call, and where the source code is composed in a statically-typed programming language. The method also involves, upon entry into a loop included in the computer program: incrementing an entry counter by one; and, for each iteration of the loop, incrementing an iteration counter by one, incrementing a local counter by one to obtain an incremented value of the local counter, incrementing a summation variable by the incremented value of the local counter, and executing the iteration of the loop.
US08387033B2
A Veil program analyzes the source code and/or data of an existing sequential target program and determines how best to distribute the target program and data among the processing elements of a multi-processing element computing system. The Veil program analyzes source code loops, data sizes and types to prepare a set of distribution attempts, whereby each distribution is run under a run-time evaluation wrapper and evaluated to determine the optimal distribution across the available processing elements.
US08387031B2
A mechanism is provided for operating a computing system, in which an inner virtual machine translates first instructions, which are supported by the inner virtual machine, into second instructions, which are supported by an outer virtual machine. The mechanism encodes, in the inner virtual machine, third instructions into the second instructions into which the first instructions are translated, the third instructions including hints for facilitating an execution of the second instructions, and, in an event the hints are supported by the outer virtual machine, initiating the execution of the second instructions while utilizing the hints by the outer virtual machine to achieve an increased efficiency of the execution of the second instructions.
US08387014B2
Described is a method for synchronizing interdependent artifacts that are each modified independent of a modification to the other artifact after a last synchronization. Each artifact has a plurality of elements and is of a different formant from the other artifact. The method includes generating a temporary artifact having all the elements of a last synchronized version of the first artifact and having all the elements of a latest version of the second artifact transformed as the first artifact. The temporary artifact is merged with a latest version of the first artifact to create a synchronized version of the first artifact. A synchronized version of the second artifact having all the elements of the latest version of the second artifact and having all the elements of the synchronized version of the first artifact transformed as the second artifact is generated.
US08387011B2
A process receives a personalization request to personalize a communication device. Further, the process provides the personalization request to a message controller that composes a message having personalization information with a message composer engine according to a set of rules and configures one or more communication parameters for the message with a message flow control engine according to the set of rules. The set of rules indicates a distributed environment set of files that the message composer engine and the message flow control engine utilize in a distributed environment, and a centralized environment set of files that the message composer engine and the message flow control engine utilize in a centralized environment.
US08387009B2
In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a method that includes initializing a queue for a master thread. A cyclic pointer buffer is created based on heap variables in arguments in the master thread. At least one heap variable is passed from the master thread to a slave thread. A pointer for the master thread is exchanged with a pointer for an entry in the buffer. The entry in the buffer is indicated as being available for processing by the slave thread.
US08387008B2
When an execution request for a predetermined function occurs when a content associated with a certain frame is executed, a definition of the function for which execution is requested is searched for in the content. When the definition of the function is not found in the content, the definition of the function is searched for until the definition of the function is found in a content associated with a parent frame of the frame associated with the content in which the definition has not been found. When the definition of the function is found, predetermined processing is executed based on the found definition of the function.
US08387007B2
A scripting bridge allows a developer to automatically build glue classes to access a scriptable application with standard method calls written in a language such as Objective-C. The Objective-C code sends properly formed Apple events automatically (or events according to some other event protocol), so that the developer is not required to have any knowledge of the scripting language of the target application. Classes can be created dynamically at run-time, including dynamic creation of methods within those classes. Lazy evaluation is employed to avoid unnecessary inter-process communication traffic.The present invention provides a straightforward model for controlling scriptable applications that can result in code that is significantly faster and more efficient than prior art methods.
US08387004B2
A compositional application programming interface (API) permits non-sequential construct declaration independent of other API calls. A wrapper is applied to an imperative API to provide a compositional interface that enables arbitrary and autonomous construct declaration. Additionally, a literal syntax (e.g., code literals, graphic literals . . . ) affords a convenient declaration mechanism for such constructs.
US08387002B2
One embodiment of the invention comprises a system and method enabling a guard condition for a statechart to be defined using graphical data flow code. Another embodiment of the invention comprises a system and method enabling an action for a statechart to be defined using graphical data flow code. The statechart may be created in response to user input, e.g., user input to a statechart development environment that includes a graphical statechart editor. The graphical data flow code that defines the guard condition or the action may be created in response to user input to a graphical data flow code editor. In some embodiments the graphical data flow code editor may be integrated with or embedded in the graphical statechart editor.
US08386999B2
A method and system of analyzing a software design includes receiving one or more specifications containing one or more design elements. One or more design elements not included in the one or more specifications are identified. One or more design elements not included in the one or more specifications are generated. The one or more generated design elements are added to the one or more specifications.
US08386997B2
A method and apparatus for authoring model-to-model transformations of programming models involving profiles is disclosed. Using a declarative mapping between a given profile of a subject programming model and a target profile of a target programming model, transformation of the given profile is specified and results in a declarative specification. Similarly the declarative mapping may be to a profile of a target programming model (without a corresponding source side profile) or from a profile of a source programming model (without a corresponding target side profile). Based on the declarative specification, a transformation code implementation (e.g. a transformation API) is generated. The given profile is specified as an input domain or as an output domain along with a meta model of the subject programming model. The generated transformation code implementation effectively handles complexities of dealing with the given profile at run time.
US08386996B2
This disclosure relates to methods, systems, and software for processing a coherent multi-dimensional business process model. The software includes computer-readable instructions embodied on media to identify a coherent multi-dimensional business process model based on at least a portion of a first model for a business process and at least a portion of a second model for the business process. The software then parses the multi-dimensional business process model to identify at least one extension point, each extension point operable to interface a disparate business tool with the business process. The software is further operable to present an extension wizard to a client for a particular one of the identified extension points. It can create entities and extensions in various modeling environments and development environments.
US08386992B2
A microcomputer provided on a rectangular semiconductor board has memory interface circuits. The memory interface circuits are separately disposed in such positions as to extend along the peripheries of the semiconductor board on both sides from one corner as a reference position. In this case, limitations to size reduction imposed on the semiconductor board can be reduced compared with a semiconductor board having memory interface circuits only on one side. Respective partial circuits on each of the separated memory interface circuits have equal data units associated with data and data strobe signals. Thus, the microcomputer has simplified line design on a mother board and on a module board.
US08386972B2
A method of managing the configuration, design parameters, and functionality of an integrated circuit (IC) design using a hardware description language (HDL). Instructions can be added, subtracted, or generated by the designer interactively during the design process, and customized HDL descriptions of the IC design are generated through the use of scripts based on the user-edited instruction set and inputs. The customized HDL description can then be used as the basis for generating “makefiles” for purposes of simulation and/or logic level synthesis. The method further affords the ability to generate an HDL model of a complete device, such as a microprocessor or DSP. A computer program implementing the aforementioned method and a hardware system for running the computer program are also disclosed.
US08386965B2
Techniques for increasing accessibility of touch-screen devices are disclosed. In one aspect, container regions on a touch-sensitive user interface of a touch screen device are defined. A touch event corresponding to a location on the user interface is received, and it is determined that the location corresponds to a particular container region. When another touch event is received, content is determined according to a context of the particular container region. The content is then presented. In another aspect, data specifying locations of user interface items on a user interface is received. The data is modified to enlarge an area for a particular item. A touch input event corresponding to a particular location on the user interface is received. It is determined that the location is within the enlarged area for the item, and input is provided to an application indicating that the item was selected.
US08386962B2
In a system for viewing the internal components of a device, a user interface is provided. Device selection criteria is received by the system from the user interface. After receiving the device selection criteria, a device model is retrieved from a database in accordance with the device selection criteria. The device model is displayed using the user interface. After displaying the device data, component or subsystem selection criteria is received from the user interface. Component or subsystem data is retrieved from the database, and the component or subsystem data is displayed using the user interface.
US08386956B2
A computer-human interface provides a mechanism to manage the available space of a computer display in a manner that facilitates navigation among multiple windows that are overlaid upon one another. The interface includes a user-selectable mode in which the windows are rearranged, and resized if necessary, so that all open windows can be simultaneously viewed within the area of the display, thereby enabling any one of the windows to be easily selected for access. In effect, the presentation of the windows is “flattened” so that all windows appear at the same virtual depth, rather than overlapping one another. With this approach, there is no need to minimize windows in order to access one that is overlaid by another, thereby enabling the user to keep the content of all windows visible and accessible. Subsets of windows can be repositioned in the same manner, or all windows can be removed from the display area for access to desktop objects.
US08386955B1
Computer-implemented methods for determining what to display to a user when the user opens a new web page browsing window in a web browser are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request to open a new web page browsing window, and providing the new web page browsing window for display, the new web page browsing window displaying, by default, either a collection of user selected web addresses or previously visited web pages. The method also includes receiving a request to display the collection that was not displayed by default in response to the request to open the new web page browsing window. The collection that was not displayed by default in response to the request to open the new web page browsing window becomes the default collection to display for a subsequent request. Systems, web browsers, and machine-readable media are also provided.
US08386954B2
Techniques are disclosed herein for a media center portal. One implementation includes displaying first content in an expanded state and second content in a contracted state. At least a portion of the first content is presented in a viewport. A request is received to expand the second content. The first content is contracted for display in the contracted state. The second content is expanded for display in the expanded state. The contracted first content is displayed while displaying the expanded second content. At least a portion of the second content is presented in a text reader when in the expanded state.
US08386951B2
A graphical user interface presents an image of an object coded with values from a sequence of qualitative values, according to a calibration of the qualitative values to a selected range of quantitative values. The interface includes a display adjustment feature, having the sequence of qualitative values superimposed thereon, and at least one moveable marker, which is adapted to select a quantitative value for the selected range of quantitative values.
US08386943B2
The present invention discloses a method for query based on layout information, including: setting up a query condition containing layout information; and querying an electronic document based on the query condition containing the layout information. The present invention also discloses a device corresponding to the method.
US08386940B2
Some embodiments of the present invention comprise a first provider adapted to provide a first user interface configured to receive an input about an instruction about an operation of an apparatus, the first user interface being provided in a first direction; a second provider adapted to provide a second user interface in conjunction with the first user interface, the second user interface being provided in a second direction; and an informer adapted to provide a status of the operation via the second user interface when the operation is performed.
US08386939B2
A system for generating, on a user terminal, a user interface having at least two interface items, where the system is configured to store at least two sets of data each corresponding to the interface items. A first set of data includes data for generating and controlling the performance of an operation associated with a first of interface items, and a second said set of data includes data for generating and controlling the performance of an operation associated with a second of the interface items. When a user interacts with the first interface item, the system is configured to perform the action associated with the first interface item, independent of the second interface item and without performing any other action corresponding to the user interface.
US08386922B2
A structured document including a first element which includes an attribute that handles values as character strings, and a second element which defines a change of the values of the attribute is acquired. The attribute is extracted from the first element, and the extracted attribute is converted into a child element of the first element. The second element is converted into a third element which defines a change of the values of the attribute converted into the child element. The structured document updated by the conversions is output as a structured document.
US08386917B1
A method and apparatus to mark-up an electronic document (i.e., a second electronic document) that is superimposed on a first electronic document keeping the first electronic document unchanged. The second electronic document is optionally viewed concurrently with the first electronic document. The second electronic document is capable of being viewed or modified using different application programs so long as the different application programs process the format used by the second electronic document. The second electronic document is saved as a separate document independent of the first electronic document.
US08386908B2
A data transmission method for a universal serial bus (USB) host controller is provided. First, input data is received. A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) result of the input data is calculated, and, simultaneously, the input data is transmitted to a system memory of a host. Then, it is determined whether the input data is the last input data of a data packet. When it is determined that the input data is the last input data of the data packet, the CRC result of the last input data of the data packet is calculated. Thus, the CRC result of the data packet is accumulated. The accumulated CRC result is combined with the last input data, and transmitted the combination to the system memory of the host.
US08386907B2
Various example embodiments are disclosed herein. According to an example embodiment, a method may include transmitting a Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU) via a wireless link to one or more mobile stations, the MAC PDU including a plurality of MAC management messages as a pay load, at least some of the MAC management messages directed to different mobile stations, the KIAC PDU including a MAC header having a connection ID field identifying a connection for all (or at least one, or a plurality) of the MAC management messages included in the MAC PDU.
US08386889B1
A control module includes an encoder module, which generates a first code word for multiple drives. A detector module, in response to detecting an error in a first drive subsequent to generation of the first code word, initiates replacement of the first drive with a second drive. The encoder module generates a second code word for the second drive. A mapping module maps physical locations of data in the drives to logical locations of the first code word, assigns a predetermined value to one of the logical locations corresponding to the first drive to identify an unused logical location, and assigns the unused logical location to the second drive based on the predetermined value. A difference module generates a third code word based on the first and second code words. The encoder module generates an updated code word for the multiple drives based on the first and third code words.
US08386886B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems are disclosed for preserving, verifying, and correcting data in DRAM device during a power-saving mode. In the power-saving mode, memory cells in the DRAM device may be refreshed using a self-refresh operation. This self-refresh operation may allow bit errors to occur in the DRAM device. However, by employing error correction coding (ECC), embodiments of the present invention may detect and correct these potential errors that may occur in the power-saving mode. Furthermore, a partial ECC check cycle is employed to check and correct a sub-set of the memory cells during a periodic self-refresh process that occurs during the power-saving mode.
US08386878B2
A method and a circuit for generating cyclic redundancy checks. The method calculates a plurality of cyclic redundancy checks for a transport block with a plurality of information bits. At least one cyclic redundancy check among the plurality of cyclic redundancy checks is calculated based on a subset of information bits, and at least one information bit among the plurality of information bits is not within said subset of the information bits. In addition, a transport block cyclic redundancy check may be calculated based on all the information bits.
US08386864B2
A system and method of sharing testing components for multiple embedded memories and the memory system incorporating the same are disclosed. The memory system includes multiple test controllers, multiple interface devices, a main controller, and a serial interface. The main controller is used for initializing testing of each of the dissimilar memory groups using a serial interface and local test controllers. The memory system results in reduced routing congestion and faster testing of plurality of dissimilar memories. The present disclosure further provides a programmable shared built in self-testing (BIST) architecture utilizing globally asynchronous and locally synchronous (GALS) methodology for testing multiple memories. The built in self-test (BIST) architecture includes a programmable master controller, multiple memory wrappers, and an interface. The interface can be a globally asynchronous and locally synchronous (GALS) interface.
US08386858B2
A semiconductor memory device is capable of performing a test operation in its various operation modes. Particularly, the semiconductor memory device can enter a test mode in other modes, as well as, an all bank pre-charge mode. The semiconductor memory device includes a test mode control block configured to generate a test signal enabled for a predetermined interval in an active mode, and a mode register set control block configured to enable a mode register set signal for a test operation in the predetermined interval in response to the test signal.
US08386855B2
Some embodiments of a system and a method to perform distributed healthchecking in a cluster system have been presented. For instance, a distributed healthchecking manager executable on a centralized server in a cluster system can assign nodes of the cluster system to at least some of the nodes for healthchecking. Then the distributed healthchecking manager may monitor the nodes performing healthchecking for reports of one or more failed nodes.
US08386851B2
A generator generates tests to improve functional coverage. A functional coverage of a first set of tests is examined in respect to a functional coverage model. The functional coverage model is transformed to a combinatorial model. The coverage measurements are used to refine the combinatorial model. The combinatorial model is utilized to generate a second set of tests that have a different functional coverage than the first set of tests. The second set of tests is utilized to examine quality of a tested system.
US08386849B2
A method of detecting and diagnosing system faults, includes detecting the noisy status of a monitor during operations and incorporating a quantified monitor uncertainty level to support fault isolation reasoning. A sequential probability ratio test is used to statistically test the noisy status of a monitor and Shannon's entropy theory is used to quantify the uncertainty levels of the monitor to support the use of the monitor values in fault isolation.
US08386843B2
A high speed data processing system is described comprising first and second data processing modules and first and second data checking modules. The first and second data processing modules are each arranged to perform substantially the same processing steps on data received at said data input, with each providing an output. The first and second checking modules are arranged to compare the outputs of said first and second data processing modules and to output an error signal indicative of whether or not said first and second data processing modules have performed substantially the same processing steps. The first and second checking modules are located on physically separate devices. In some arrangements a third checking module is provided, which checking module may be physically separated from each of said first and second checking modules.
US08386840B2
The invention concerns a distributed object storage system (1) comprising a maintenance agent (740) instructing an encoding module (400) to disassemble a repair data object into a specific number of repair sub blocks, this specific number being equal to or greater than said number of missing sub blocks and less then the predetermined number of sub blocks during a regular storage operation.
US08386838B1
Described herein is a high-availability storage system having hierarchical levels of storage functions. The storage system may comprise one or more hierarchical levels, each hierarchical level comprising physical servers and be assigned to perform a particular set of storage functions. Each physical server may implement one or more VMs configured to perform only the set of storage functions assigned to the hierarchical level on which the VM executes. VMs of a first hierarchical level may be configured to organize the VMs of a second hierarchical level into a redundant array of storage access servers for providing data reliability and high-availability of the storage system. VMs of a first hierarchical level are configured to produce and route sub-requests to the VMs of a second hierarchical level. Failure of a sub-request is detected and remedied by a VM of the first hierarchical level.
US08386833B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a memory module that includes at least one memory chip, and an intelligent chip coupled to the at least one memory chip and a memory controller, where the intelligent chip is configured to implement at least a part of a RAS feature. The disclosed architecture allows one or more RAS features to be implemented locally to the memory module using one or more intelligent register chips, one or more intelligent buffer chips, or some combination thereof. Such an approach not only increases the effectiveness of certain RAS features that were available in prior art systems, but also enables the implementation of certain RAS features that were not available in prior art systems.
US08386832B2
Redundancy of data and/or Inline Power in a wired data telecommunications network from a first network device and a second network device configured as power sourcing equipment (PSE) devices and coupled together and to a third network device (such as a PD) via a Y device is provided by providing redundant signaling to/from each of the pair of network devices, and coupling a port of each of the network devices to the Y device and from there to a third port where a third network device such as a PD may be coupled. Because the Y device is essentially passive, communications paths between the PSE devices and the PD are provided for negotiating master/slave status and other status and related information among the respective network devices. Dynamic impedance matching is provided to handle situations where not all devices are plugged in and as a communications technique among the devices.
US08386822B2
A wake-and-go mechanism is provided for a data processing system. The wake-and-go mechanism recognizes a programming idiom, specialized instruction, operating system call, or application programming interface call that indicates that a thread is waiting for an event. The wake-and-go mechanism updates a wake-and-go array with a target address, expected data value, and comparison type associated with the event. The thread then goes to sleep until the event occurs. The wake-and-go array may be a content addressable memory (CAM). When a transaction appears on the symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) fabric that modifies the value at a target address in the CAM, logic associated with the CAM performs a comparison based on the data value being written, expected data value, and comparison type.
US08386813B2
A host computer equipment includes an apparatus configured to perform a method for supporting a selective suspend mode of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) network-device. The host includes a power manager, a status manager, and a USB driver. When there is a transition to a host suspend mode, the power manager delivers a host suspend mode notification message to the status manager. The status manager delivers a status transition message of instructing a normal status (D0) transition to the USB driver. The USB driver makes a power status of the USB network-device transit to a normal status (D0), notifies the power manager of the status transition to the normal status (D0), and makes the power status of the USB network-device transit from the normal status (D0) to a power off status (D3).
US08386809B2
A system and method for directing a user to configure a power device via an alphanumeric user interface is provided. The power device may include data storage storing a plurality of operational parameters. The method includes acts of prompting, during an initial power-up of the power device, a user to enter an indication of quality of power supplied to the power device, receiving the indication via the user interface, determining a first value for each of the plurality of operational parameters of the power device based at least in part on the indication and applying each first value of the plurality of operational parameters to the power device.
US08386808B2
According to some embodiments, a power budget allocation engine of a multi-component computer system may receive a power budget allocation adjustment request signal from a first component. Based on the received budget allocation adjustment request signal (and, in some embodiments, a component preference), the power budget allocation engine may determine whether to adjust a power budget allocation signal provided to the first component.
US08386798B2
A secure storage appliance is disclosed, along with methods of storing and reading data in a secure storage network. The secure storage appliance is configured to present to a client a virtual disk, the virtual disk mapped to the plurality of physical storage devices. The secure storage appliance is capable of executing program instructions configured to generate a plurality of secondary blocks of data by performing splitting and encrypting operations on a block of data received from the client for storage on the virtual disk and reconstitute the block of data from at least a portion of the plurality of secondary blocks of data stored in shares on corresponding physical storage devices in response to a request from the client.
US08386794B2
An apparatus and method for protecting radio frequency identification (RFID) data in a communication between a RFID tag and a RFID reader are provided. In the apparatus and method for protecting RFID data, message header information transmitted while communicating the RFID tag and the RFID reader is used to perform an encryption operation for important data, thereby protecting the important data included in the RFID tag. In the present invention, information of the RFID tag can be protected from an illegitimate eavesdropper and an ill-intentioned and unusual message can be detected, thereby ensuring the security of a RFID system.
US08386793B2
A method provided herein includes the following steps: storing seal data of an electronic seal, a digital certificate, electronic signature program and a private key of a sealer in an external portable apparatus; performing a Hash conversion to a file to be sealed and the seal data of the electronic seal to generate a data digest, wherein the file to be sealed is a layout file; sealing, in the portable apparatus, the data digest using the private key of the sealer and the electronic signature program to generate an electronic signature result; and combining the file to be sealed, the seal data of the electronic seal, the digital certificate and the electronic signature result to generate a seal combination file.
US08386792B1
Processes for fingerprinting a document file and for preventing information leakage are disclosed. Computer apparatus for implementing said processes are also disclosed. For fingerprinting a document, the document is provided and may be normalized. A sequence of hash values are generated for the document. A window size is adaptively determined depending upon the document. Fingerprints for the document are selected from amongst the hash values using the adaptively-sized window. The fingerprints for the document are added to a fingerprint set for content being protected by the information leakage prevention system. For information leakage prevention, suspect documents are processed at the deployment points by extracting fingerprints from the suspect documents and matching the extracted fingerprints against the fingerprints in the fingerprint set. Different fingerprint extraction methods are used at the server and the deployment points. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.
US08386789B2
The present invention includes a computer-implemented method and an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP). The method and system allows a user to enable an electronic signature approval process for modification of data in a transaction. The method includes accessing a table that corresponds with the transaction and adding a signature field having a property sheet to the table. The method also includes defining a select property in the property sheet with a select parameter. The select property configured to provide approval of modified data in the transaction upon entry of a valid electronic signature.
US08386787B2
This discloses, in the computer data security field, a cryptographic hash function process embodied in a computer system and which may be keyless, but is highly secure. The process is based on the type of randomness exhibited by a heap or stack of physical objects such as a heap of pieces of fruit and involves modeling the behavior of such a heap when pieces are removed from the heap. Computation of the hash value (digest) is thereby the result of executing a heap model algorithm using the message as an input to initialize the heap, then executing the heap model algorithm which logically models the process of serially removing objects (pieces of fruit) from the heap at various locations in the modeled heap.
US08386786B2
The present invention relates to file system authentication and, in particular, authentication of users for accessing files stored on a serverless distributed or peer-to-peer file system. Its objective is to preserve the anonymity of the users and to provide secure and private storage of data for users on a serverless distributed file system. It provides a method of authenticating access to a distributed file system comprising the steps of; receiving a user identifier; retrieving an encrypted validation record identified by the user identifier; decrypting the encrypted validation record so as to provide decrypted information; and authenticating access to data in the distributed file system using the decrypted information.
US08386755B2
A microprocessor executes an instruction specifying a floating-point input operand having a predetermined size and that instructs the microprocessor to round the floating-point input operand to an integer value using a rounding mode and to return a floating-point result having the same predetermined size. An instruction translator translates the instruction into first and second microinstructions. An execution unit executes the first and second microinstructions. The first microinstruction receives as an input operand the instruction floating-point input operand and generates an intermediate result from the input operand. The second microinstruction receives as an input operand the intermediate result of the first microinstruction and generates the floating-point result of the instruction from the intermediate result. The intermediate result is the same predetermined size as the instruction floating-point input operand. The microprocessor executes the first and second microinstructions such that the commencement of their executions may have indeterminate separation in time.
US08386752B2
A processor architecture includes a plurality of processing elements and a bus structure. Each element has at least one input port and at least one output port, each port having at least a data bus and a valid data signal line. The bus structure contains a plurality of switches arranged to connect an output port of any first processing element to the input port of any second processing element for a time interval. Each processing element sets a value on the valid data signal line of its output port to a first logic state when the associated data bus contains a transfer value and to a second logic state when it does not contain a transfer value. Each processing element enters a waiting state for a predetermined time interval when the value on the valid data signal line of the associated input port is in the second logic state.
US08386746B2
Storage unit management methods and systems are provided. The storage unit comprises a plurality of physical blocks, wherein each has one of a plurality of block type definitions. First, a sub-write command is obtained, wherein the sub-write command requests to write data to at least one logical page of a logical block. It is determined whether a candidate block having a first block type definition exists in the storage unit, wherein the logical page of the logic block cannot map to the candidate block based on the first block type definition. If the candidate block exists, the block type definition of the candidate block is transformed from the first block type definition to a second block type definition. Data is written to a specific page of the candidate block, and a mapping relationship between the logical page of the logical block and the specific page of the candidate block is recorded.
US08386744B2
A method for migrating data to a mass storage system, including receiving an incoming data partition for storage in the mass storage system and allocating logical storage for the incoming data partition in the mass storage system. The method further includes making a determination that the incoming data partition includes only zero data, and, in response to the determination, inhibiting physical storage of the incoming data partition in the mass storage system while maintaining the allocated logical storage for the incoming data partition.
US08386742B2
A recording and/or reproducing method, a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and an information storage medium are provided. The method of recording data to an information storage medium includes: according to a change in a method of using the information storage medium, rearranging the order of a first information structure with a variable size and a second information structure with a fixed size, both of which are included in management information of the information storage medium, so that the first information structure with the variable size can be positioned following the second information structure with the fixed size; and recording the rearranged management information on the information storage medium. According to the method and apparatus, recording management information can be found in a fixed location of a finalized information storage medium, thereby allowing the recording management information to be found easily and quickly.
US08386737B2
A memory device controller having a write leveling mode of operation comprises: a clock generator that generates a periodic clock signal for transmission to a memory device; a data strobe generator that generates a data strobe signal for transmission to the memory device; and a control unit that generates command signals for transmission to the memory device, the controller, during operation in the write leveling mode, generating a command signal and a write leveling control signal for transmission to the memory device.
US08386733B1
A method and apparatus for performing file-level restoration from a block-based backup file stored on a sequential storage device is described. In one embodiment, a method of processing a backup file to perform file-level restoration from a sequential storage device comprises generating extent information, wherein the extent information pertains to at least one file system object associated with a backup file, wherein the backup file is to be stored on a sequential storage device, wherein the backup file is block-based and processing a backup catalog, wherein the backup catalog indicates locations of various portions of the extent information and is used to restore a file system object.
US08386731B2
Techniques for migrating persistent data of virtual machines between and across data stores are optimized using special tracking data structures and monitoring methods. Special tracking data structures include an incremental change block tracking bitmap that indicate what blocks have been modified during a copy operation. The determination of whether any one block has been modified during the copy operation is based on whether or not the copy operation has progressed past that block. Another special tracking data structure is a Bloom filter, which provides a space-efficient data structure for keeping track of dirtied blocks. In addition, heat-based optimization techniques are applied so that blocks that are frequently updated are filtered and not transferred to the destination data store until the last iteration of the migration process.
US08386727B2
Bus transactions in a computer network are improved by utilizing a multicast transaction from a single initiator to multiple targets. The multiple targets simultaneously execute the transaction and provide a return transaction to the initiator. The transaction cycle time is reduced as individual request to each target is replace with a single request to a collective target group, addressable by a single base memory address. Interleaved read or write operation is provided to allow the multiple targets of a particular target group to independently execute a portion of the transaction request. Improved bus performance is achieve by utilizing the higher throughput capacity of the system bus providing a higher number of shorter data segments from each target executing its portion of the larger transaction.
US08386716B2
Techniques and methods are used to control allocations of cache lines to a higher level cache that have been displaced from a lower level cache. The allocations of the displaced cache lines are prevented for displaced cache lines that are determined to be redundant in the next level cache, whereby the displaced cache line castouts are not allocated to the higher level cache. To such ends, a line is selected to be displaced in a lower level cache. Information associated with the selected line is identified which indicates that the selected line is present in a higher level cache. An allocation of the selected line in the higher level cache is prevented based on the identified information.
US08386710B2
An apparatus comprising a remote storage array, a primary storage array and a network. The remote storage array may be configured to (i) define a queue size based on a performance capability of the remote storage array, (ii) generate a multiplier based on resources being used by the remote storage array, and (iii) adjust the queue size by the multiplier. The primary storage array may be configured to execute input/output (IO) requests between the remote storage array and the primary storage array based on the adjusted queue size. The network may be configured to connect the remote storage array to the primary storage array.
US08386699B2
A method for giving program commands to a flash memory chip is provided, the method is suitable for writing data from a host system into the flash memory chip. In the present method, a plurality of host write commands and data corresponding to the host write commands are received from the host system by using a native command queuing (NCQ) protocol, and cache program commands are gived to the flash memory chip to write the data into the flash memory chip. Accordingly, the time for executing the host write commands is effectively shortened by writing the data through the cache program commands and the NCQ protocol.
US08386696B2
A method of writing partial page data in a non-volatile memory device includes, reading data from a second block when the size of a last page of data to be written in a page of a first block is smaller than a size of the page of the first block, wherein a size of the read data is given by the size of the page of the first block minus the size of the last page of data; storing together data of the last page and the data read from the second block in a buffer; and writing the data stored in the buffer in the first block.
US08386691B1
A multimedia storage card system includes a memory card; a dynamic switch coupled electrically and communicatively to the memory card; a first accessor coupled electrically and communicatively to the dynamic switch for accessing to the memory card, thereby storing data into and retrieving data from the memory card; and a second accessor coupled electrically and communicatively to the dynamic switch. Upon receipt of a first access signal transmitted from the second accessor, the dynamic switch determines whether the first accessor is in an idle condition. Upon detecting the first accessor is in the idle condition, the dynamic switch is switched to and in communication link with the second accessor, thereby transmitting the first access signal to the memory card and enabling the second accessor to access the memory card in order to store data into and retrieving data from the memory card.
US08386690B2
Mechanisms for providing an interconnect layer of a three-dimensional integrated circuit device having multiple independent and cooperative on-chip networks are provided. With regard to an apparatus implementing the interconnect layer, such an apparatus comprises a first integrated circuit layer comprising one or more first functional units and an interconnect layer coupled to the first integrated circuit layer. The first integrated circuit layer and interconnect layer are integrated with one another into a single three-dimensional integrated circuit. The interconnect layer comprises a plurality of independent on-chip communication networks that are independently operable and independently able to be powered on and off, each on-chip communication network comprising a plurality of point-to-point communication links coupled together by a plurality of connection points. The one or more first functional units are coupled to a first independent on-chip communication network of the interconnect layer.
US08386684B2
A data processing system is provided which comprises at least two processing units (100, 101, 102) each for executing a plurality of tasks and an interrupt handling unit (200) for receiving an interrupt to be processed by the data processing system and for distributing the interrupt to one of the at least two processing units (100, 101, 102). The processing unit (100, 101, 102) to which the interrupt is distributed stops its current execution of the task and processes the interrupt. The interrupt handling unit (200) is adapted to determine whether the processing units (100, 101, 102) are executing a critical section (CS) of the task. The interrupt handling unit (200) distributes the interrupt to one of the processing units (100, 101, 102), which is not executing a critical section (CS) of a task.
US08386683B2
An information processing device in which interrupts are generated when some events are occurred. The information processing device includes: an interrupt generating unit to generate an interrupt; an interrupt control unit to receive the generated interrupt, count an interrupt reception count per unit time, notify of the interrupt and delay, if the counted interrupt reception count per unit time exceeds a predetermined value, the interrupt notification; and an interrupt processing unit to process the notified interrupt.
US08386678B2
A data storage device includes one or more electrical contacts and one or more data paths through the electrical contacts. The one or more electrical contacts enable bits to be transferred into and out of the data storage device via the one or more data paths. The data storage device also includes a memory that stores an indication of a number of the one or more data paths. The data storage device is configured to provide the indication via at least one of the one or more data paths while the data storage device is operatively coupled to a host device to indicate to the host device the number of the one or more data paths.
US08386672B2
An information handling system (IHS) provides a method for managing power consumption. The method includes detecting a power-on in the IHS, wherein the IHS comprises a first graphics processing unit (GPU) and at least one additional GPU. The method also includes determining if a normal boot is implemented in the IHS and determining if an instant-on boot occurred if the normal boot is implemented. The at least one additional GPU is disabled if an instant-on boot occurred.
US08386669B2
To appropriately manage configuration information acquired from a storage system for the purpose of performance management, etc., an information processing apparatus managing the configuration information, i.e., information indicative of a configuration of resources making up the storage system in a database, detects a change in setting of an I/O path to extract resources making up an invalidated I/O path, which is the I/O path subject to the change, as monitoring object resources, acquires performance information that is information indicative of operation statuses of the monitoring object resources from the storage system, judges whether the performance information of the monitoring object resource matches a preset policy, determines a timing to make invalidated configuration information, which is the configuration information related to the invalidated I/O path, deletable from the storage device based on the result of the judgement, and deletes the invalidated configuration information from the database when the determined timing comes.
US08386665B2
A distributed direct memory access (DMA) method, apparatus, and system is provided within a system on chip (SOC). DMA controller units are distributed to various functional modules desiring direct memory access. The functional modules interface to a systems bus over which the direct memory access occurs. A global buffer memory, to which the direct memory access is desired, is coupled to the system bus. Bus arbitrators are utilized to arbitrate which functional modules have access to the system bus to perform the direct memory access. Once a functional module is selected by the bus arbitrator to have access to the system bus, it can establish a DMA routine with the global buffer memory.
US08386661B2
A system and method for controlling devices that are part of a peer to peer network of controllers is provided. Messages are routed to controllers of the network and such messages are used to control devices coupled to said controllers. Status messages indicating the state of devices are routed to controllers to allow the state of the devices to be displayed by said controllers.
US08386657B2
A master/slave data communication system in which a master device communicates with the slave devices by uniquely addressing each of the slave devices. In order to enhance the security of the data communication system, each slave device includes an address generator for generating unique addresses. Periodically, the master device requests that one or more slave device change its address. In response to the request, the addressed slave device increments its address generating algorithm to provide a new slave address. The master device also includes an algorithm that is synchronized with the slave address generating algorithm, whereby when the slave changes its address, it need not transmit the new slave address to the master device over the bus.
US08386647B2
A method for time source calibration, wherein the method comprises steps of sending a requirement for obtaining time by a client side computer to a server side; sending a first data packet including time and generated verification information by the server side to a key device via the client side computer; said time is the current time of the server side; calibrating time of key device with the obtained as benchmark time and counting time normally by the key device; sending a second data packet including calibrated current time of the key device and the verification information by the key device to the server side via the client side computer; and obtaining the current time of the key device in the second data packet by the key device after the verification information in the second data packet is verified to be valid by the key device. According to the present invention, the reliable time source is obtained, which secures the security of the trade.
US08386625B2
The present invention provides a method and system for querying parameter information, and an apparatus for returning parameter information. The protocol layer that receives a query request establishes a correspondence between an acquired parameter value and a parameter name and returns the parameter value and the corresponding parameter name to the protocol layer that sends the query result. This can decrease the complexity of implementing the query mechanism. In addition, with the present invention, the MIH layer can also notify the upper layer/MIH users/NMS entity of the query result when returning the queried state information to the upper layer/MIH users/NMS entity.
US08386623B2
A comprehensive platform for merchandising intellectual property (IP) and conducting IP transactions is disclosed. A standardized data collection method enables IP assets to be characterized, rated and valuated in a consistent manner. Project management, workflow and data security functionality enable consistent, efficient and secure interactions between the IP Marketplace participants throughout the IP transaction process. Business rules, workflows, valuation models and rating methods may be user defined or based upon marketplace, industry or technology standards.
US08386622B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating communication in a content centric network (CCN). During operation, the system receives at a first node from an interest owner an interest in a piece of content. The interest indicates a structured name for the content. Furthermore, the name is unique and persistent with respect to the content, and where the name includes authentication information for the content. Next, the system determines whether content available at the first node satisfies the interest. If so, the system sends the content to the interest owner. Otherwise, the system marks the interest as pending, and forwards the interest to a second node in the network based on the interest. After receiving content from the second node in response to the forwarded interest, the system un-marks the interest as pending and sends the content to the interest owner.
US08386618B2
A system, device, and method for facilitating wireless communications during a pre-boot phase of a computing device includes establishing a communications interface between a unified extensible firmware interface executed on the computing device and a wireless transceiver of the computing device during a pre-boot phase of the computing device. An OOB processor of the computing device processes data communications between the unified extensible firmware interface and the wireless communication circuit during the pre-boot phase by reformatting the data communications between wired and wireless communication standards.
US08386617B2
A system including a first device connected to a network, a second device connected to the network, and at least one portable terminal is disclosed. Device information of the first device containing connection information for establishing a connection between the first device and the second device is transmitted from the first device to the portable terminal and later transmitted from the portable terminal to the second device. Therefore, the connection between the first device and the second device is established based on the device information.
US08386616B2
A method of delivering information from a Notifying node of a SIP/IMS network to a Watcher Client, via an intermediate Watcher Proxy. A connection is established between the Watcher Proxy and the Watcher Client, using a SIP session, wherein the established connection is used for forwarding a request for a SIP subscription to the Watcher Proxy as an embedded SIP subscribe message. Once a backend SIP subscription has been setup between the Watcher Proxy and the Notifying node, SIP notify messages delivered from the Notifying node will be forwarded from the Watcher Proxy to the Watcher Client via the established connection, thereby separating SIP subscribe traffic from SIP control traffic.
US08386610B2
Methods and systems for periodically analyzing and correcting storage load imbalances in a storage network environment including virtual machines are described. These methods and systems account for various resource types, logical access paths, and relationships among different storage environment components. Load balancing may be managed in terms of input/output (I/O) traffic and storage utilization. The aggregated information is stored, and may be used to identify and correct load imbalances in a virtual server environment in order to prevent primary congestion and bottlenecks.
US08386606B2
A group management device provides with a content a device included in a group managed by the group management device. The group management device includes a storage unit that stores a total number of remote device that the group management device currently registers, a maximum number of remote devices that the group management device is permitted to register, a total number of local device that the group management device currently registers, and a maximum number of local devices that the group management device is permitted to register. The group management device also includes a judging unit that judges whether the total number of the remote device exceeds the maximum number of the remote devices when it is judged that the one device is the remote device. The judging unit judges whether the total number of the local device exceeds the maximum number of the local devices when it is judged that the one device is the local device.
US08386600B2
A root node associated with an Ethernet-Tree (E-Tree) service sends, over a rooted-multipoint Ethernet virtual connection (EVC), a performance monitoring (PM) packet, where the PM packet includes a unique identifier for the root node and a time sent by the root node. The root node receives, from leaf nodes and a root point associated with the E-Tree service, PM response packets, where each PM response packet includes a unique identifier for the responding leaf node/root point and a time received by the responding leaf node/root point. The root node extracts, from each of the PM response packets, the unique identifier and the time received, and stores performance measurements based on the extracted data, where the performance measurements are associated with the respective leaf nodes/root point.
US08386588B1
Methods and apparatus provide for a serial subscriber to provide an RSS feed that is updated according to the user's consumption of serialized content. The serial subscriber creates a subscription request to receive a feed of serialized content from a content source, the feed comprising a plurality of episode references to episodes of the serialized content. The serial subscriber defines a subscription point relative to at least one episode reference within the feed of serialized content to designate where to parse the serialized content for downloading at least one episode of the serialized content. The serial subscriber creates a graphical representation of the at least one downloaded episode and monitors playback of the at least one downloaded episode to update the feed of serialized content with respect to the subscription point.
US08386587B2
Systems and methods for synchronizing data between endpoints using elements of centralized and decentralized synchronization systems and communication topologies are disclosed. Such systems and methods may in some cases synchronize some subset of data with a centralized endpoint while another subset of data is synchronized in a decentralized fashion directly with other endpoints. Such systems and methods may include a variety of cooperative functionality to assist in the synchronization of data between endpoints.
US08386586B2
An improved distributed operating system over a network of computer systems is described. Existing distributed operating systems have transmission performance limitations dictated by their inability to (1) reliably handle transient communication failures and rapid node reboots, (2) provide a transmission protocol that adapts to link reliability, and (3) allow transmissions to occur over an arbitrary combinations of communication links. The systems and methods described herein solve these problems by providing a reliable node-to-node session protocol that offers high performance message delivery and multi-interface management and support. This is done by transmitting all data between two nodes of the operating system over a single connection that may dynamically exploit multiple interfaces between the nodes.
US08386585B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time communications over data forwarding framework. A framework includes a group of interconnected computer system nodes each adapted to receive data and continuously forward the data from computer memory to computer memory without storing on any physical storage device in response to a request from a client system to store data from a requesting system and retrieve data being continuously forwarded from computer memory to computer memory in response to a request to retrieve data from the requesting system, and at least two client systems linked to the group, each of the client systems executing a real-time communications client program.
US08386583B2
Disclosed is an information distribution system including: a SIP server; and a plurality of terminals registered to the SIP server, wherein the plurality of terminals are composed of: a distribution source terminal; and a distribution destination terminal, the SIP server includes: a storage section to store terminal information; an obtaining section to obtain terminal information of a distribution destination terminal; a producing section to produce the distribution destination information; and a sending section to send distribution destination information to the distribution source terminal, the distribution source terminal includes: a requesting section to request to send the distribution destination information; and a distributing section to connect to the distribution destination terminal and to distribute the predetermined information by peer-to-peer communication, the requesting section sends the predetermined information to the SIP server, and the sending section sends the distribution destination information and the predetermined information.
US08386579B2
A bit selection circuit that arbitrarily selects, from among (2n) input bits, (2n−1) continuous output bits in the input bit arrangement (where n≧3), includes: a first multiplexer selecting {(2n−2)−(20+21+ . . . +2n−3)} continuous bits in the input bit arrangement from among (2n−2) input bits, excluding two first and (2n)th input bits at both ends in the input bit arrangement, in accordance with an input first control signal; and a second multiplexer selecting (2n−1) continuous output bits in the input bit arrangement from among the {(2n−2)−(20+21+ . . . +2n−3)} bits selected by the first multiplexer, the first input bit, and the (2n)th input bit in accordance with an input second control signal.
US08386578B2
A system for managing message volume and timing, which permits first and second messages to be spaced apart over time, with the pacing controlled in part by a characteristic of the second message. The system receives a first message and sends the first message to an intended recipient. When the system receives a second message for the recipient, the system determines a separation based on a pacing algorithm and send the second message to the recipient according to the separation.
US08386562B2
The disclosed web server and methodology processes responses to a web page. The web page is at least partially generated from one or more widgets and each widget denotes how an element of the web page is to be displayed at a client. The web server receives a response to the web page from the client. From the received response, the server identifies a widget that was used by the server to generate an element of the web page that was provided to the client. In response to this identification, the server then executes action processing logic associated with the particular widget that was used by the server to generate an element of the web page. The action processing logic for the widget uses data received in the response and performs an action with respect to that data.
US08386560B2
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates rendering a portion of an image from a server on a client. A portion of an image can be hosted by a server. A client can utilize a device to interact with the portion of an image via a network. The client can established two or more TCP/IP connections with the server in order to interact with the portion of the image. A pipe component can enforce an isolated pipeline and a processing thread for each of a user manipulation of the portion of the image, a transmission of a user request to manipulate the portion of the image via the network, a rendering of the portion of the image on the server, a compression of the portion of the image on the server, a transmission of the compressed portion of the image via the network, a decompression of the portion of the image on the client, and a display of the portion of the image on the client.
US08386547B2
A technique to accelerate range detection in a spline calcuation. In one embodiment, an instruction and corresponding logic are provided to perform range detection within a computer or processor.
US08386540B1
System and methods for providing a Scalable Relational Database Service (SRDBS) are disclosed. SRDBS may allow a subscriber to lease/rent a virtual relational database (a.k.a. namespace) with a specified allocation of disk space, CPU resources and/or I/O resources. The namespace may resemble a physical RDBMS, and may allow client applications to perform SQL queries. SRDBS may partition a subscriber's database across multiple database servers automatically and may replicate each partition automatically. SRDBS may provide automatic routing of client queries to the appropriate database server holding the required data. The routing process may mask temporary data outages due to database replica failures, network failures, and/or repartitioning operations. SRDBS may employ partition maps to convey the location of data to client-side routing functions. These partition maps may use a multi-versioning scheme. SRDBS may provide a resource isolation mechanism that limits the resource utilization of each namespace to its specified allocation.
US08386534B2
Disclosed are method and apparatus for identifying members of a social network who have a high likelihood of providing a useful response to a query. A query engine examines the personal pages of a set of members and automatically gleans semantic information relevant to the query. From the automatically-gleaned semantic information, a score indicative of the likelihood that the member may provide a useful response is calculated.
US08386505B2
A method of identifying images containing a unique object found in at least two separate image collections of different users comprising identifying the unique object and providing features for the unique object; at least one user identifying at least two separate image collections produced by separate users that potentially have images of the unique object; and using the features to search the at least two separate collections to identify images that contain the unique object.
US08386501B2
An online service includes managed databases that include one or more tenants (e.g. customers, users). A multi-tenant database may be split between two or more databases while the database being split continues processing requests. For example, web servers continue to request operations on the database while content is being moved. After moving the content, tenant traffic is automatically redirected to the database that contains the tenant's content.
US08386499B2
The disclosure describes systems and methods for modeling relationships between entities on a network using data collected from a plurality of communication channels including social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data within a W4 Network. The W4 Network personalizes and automates sorting, filtering and processing of W4COMN communications delivered or requested to be delivered using personalized value-based ranking and encoding of data, which is modeled from the point-of-view (POV) of any specific user, topic or node in the W4 Distributed graph. POV modeling supplies comparative value services to users which entails individuated data models to be aggregated and used in customization and personalization forecasting for each user and their associated data management needs.
US08386493B2
A system and method for matching one or more source schemas with one or more target schemas is provided. The matching between source and target schemas is performed by gathering inputs pertaining to the source and target schemas, wherein the inputs comprises a set of details in a predefined format. Thereafter, the gathered inputs are processed by comparing the source schemas with the target schemas. The processing is performed to identify a set of matches between the source and target schemas based on the linguistic similarity, structural similarity and functional similarity and relationship between the source and target schemas. Subsequently, the identified matches are stored.
US08386491B2
A plurality of subtechnologies may be identified in which each of the plurality of subtechnologies is characterized by a common granularity level. The organization-level demand and/or expertise for each of the identified plurality of subtechnologies may also be identified. Thereafter, a corresponding plurality of subtechnology profiles may be generated, which include a corresponding organization-level demand and/or expertise, as well as other subtechnology attributes. In one embodiment, the generated subtechnology profiles may then be stored in a common technology database. The technology database may be searched based on user queries entered via the common graphical user interface. The subtechnology search results may be ranked based, at least in part, on a quantitative comparison of the subtechnology's general relevance to the user, with the internal relevance to the user's company or organization.
US08386489B2
According to one embodiment, attributes associated with a concept type of a query conceptual graph are received. A potentially conceptually similar term is received from an onomasticon. The potentially conceptually similar term is validated according to the attributes. According to another embodiment, attributes associated with a concept type of a document conceptual graph are received. A potentially conceptually similar term is received from an onomasticon. The potentially conceptually similar term is validated according to the attributes.
US08386488B2
A method and system is provided for classifying and labeling information content (e.g., websites, databases, or the like) and also for profiling a user (e.g., interests or responsibilities) for accessing the information content, both using a coordinated labeling technique so that the content from multiple sources may be searched, identified and/or presented to the user according to the user's profile. This technique provides an ongoing update of information content and sources while at the same time filtering out unnecessary information that is irrelevant to the user's profile, resulting in more focused availability of information to the user. The user profile is matched with content of interest (as tagged by content creators reflective of categories that is also employed by a user profile) and matching content information may automatically be updated and made available to a user, in conformity with the user's profile. Content providers may now jointly use a common labeling scheme to improve the experience of their users and to provide content providers a technique to associate users with common facets of classification.
US08386483B2
Increasing quality of content provided to a user is provided. Communities of practice a user is associated with are determined based on login data. A corresponding set of tags is retrieved for each of the communities of practice. All corresponding sets of tags are aggregated to define a role for the user. A personal set of tags associated with the user is retrieved. The personal set of tags is added to the aggregate of all corresponding sets of tags to create a new set of tags. A context of the user in the particular task is recorded. The new set of tags is filtered based on the context to create a sub-set of tags. A defined number of tag aware information sources are queried using the sub-set of tags. Content is received from the defined number of tag aware information sources based on the query. The content is outputted.
US08386482B2
The various embodiments herein provide a method and system for personalizing information retrieval in a communication network. The method involves receiving one or more inputs from several sources and processing the information present in the received inputs. A contextual and personalized search is performed based on the received inputs and the results are displayed in support of the information in the communication network. The system has an application server for receiving the inputs from the sources and a processor for processing the information in the received inputs. One or more virtual documents are generated based on the processed information to perform a search and the results are displayed.
US08386474B2
Some aspects include determination of a data structure including a plurality of query language configuration parameters and at least two values associated with each of the plurality of query language configuration parameters, and generation, based on the data structure, of a first structured language query associated with a first value associated with one of the plurality of query language configuration parameters, and a second structured language query associated with a second value associated with the one of the plurality of query language configuration parameters. Also included are determination of a first expected query result associated with the first structured language query and a second expected query result associated with the second structured language query, query of a data source with the first structured language query and the second structured language query, reception of a first query result associated with the first structured language query and a second query result associated with the second structured language query, determination that the first query result matches the first expected query result and that the second query result does not match the second expected query result, and addition, to a query language configuration parameter file associated with the data source, of the one of the plurality of query language configuration parameters in association with the first value.
US08386469B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a computer implemented method and system for processing a query may include receiving a query from a user device; categorizing the query to identify one or more content sources; formatting the query according to one or more content source specifics for the one or more content sources; transmitting the formatted query for the one or more content sources to the one or more content sources; merging results in response to the formatted query from the one or more content sources based at least in part on one or more factors; and formatting the results for delivering to the user device.
US08386451B1
The present invention provides a system and method of managing Internet browser navigation. Software code designed to interact with and control the user's Internet browser is embedded into web pages made available to remote users by a web server. Embedded software code is read by the user's Internet browser upon loading a requested web page. Embedded software code directs the browser to store one or more attributes upon the remote user's computer system. Stored attributes may then be compared to attributes embedded within subsequently requested web pages to determine if the requested web page, or a corrected web page, should be displayed.
US08386445B2
Techniques are disclosed for reorganizing rows of a database table. In one embodiment, each row is associated with a respective row identifier. A mapping is provided that assigns a logical identifier to each row identifier. Each database index on the database table is configured to use the logical identifier rather than the row identifier. Accordingly, the rows of the database table may be reorganized without having to modify any database index on the database table.
US08386441B1
Information describing a transaction is received and a set of hierarchical documents pertinent to the transaction are identified based at least in part on the received information. The set of hierarchical documents is pruned responsive to data describing documents that a user involved in the transaction has previously accepted. Information describing the pruned set of hierarchical documents is output for presenting the pruned set of hierarchical documents to the user involved in the transaction for acceptance as part of the transaction.
US08386439B2
A system and method for providing cost-effective user-driven data archiving. An end-user utilizes a file selection for data archiving application to select certain specific files and/or file folders to be archived. The file selection for data archiving application invokes a translation software engine to translate the intended actions into instructions specific for a particular data archiving product in order for that application to archive the selected file(s)/folder(s) as intended by the user. In this manner, the user interface can be optimized for those purposes while the archiving application can by optimized for its purposes without regard to ease of use of the user interface.
US08386425B1
Described herein are a system and method for remote mirroring of data and metadata from a local node to a remote node using out-of-order delivery (OOD), while also providing data integrity at the remote node. OOD may utilize increased throughput of multiple connection paths between nodes. A mirroring layer/engine executing on the local node may receive related groups of data and metadata for storing to the remote node, each related group comprising one or more data sets and one metadata set that describes and is associated with each of the one or more data sets in the related group. The mirroring layer provides data integrity at the remote node by ensuring that the metadata set of a related group is stored to the remote node only after all the data sets in the related group are stored to the remote node, thus ensuring data consistency at the remote node.
US08386422B1
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to indoor localization, for example, where GPS or other localization signals are unavailable. More specifically, aspects relate to using a particle filter in conjunction with one or more orientation devices to identify a location of a client device with respect to a map of an indoor space. This location may then be used to identify the path of the client device through the indoor space. The paths of a plurality of different client devices through the same indoor space may be used to update the map based on common patterns or inconsistencies between the map and the paths of the plurality of client devices.
US08386417B2
The electronic album providing system, with which publishing and viewing of an electronic album by a system user is possible, includes: a first decision unit that detects whether or not a designated reader who has been designated by a publisher has viewed the album, and that decides that a first condition has become valid when a number of persons who have completed viewing to a total number of the designated readers reaches a predetermined value; a second decision unit that decides that a second condition has become valid when a time limit for publishing the album that has been set in advance arrives; and a deletion unit that performs deletion control of the album when at least one of the first condition and the second condition becomes valid.
US08386415B2
A wireless enabled digital media frame that can communicate over a wireless wide area network (WWAN) is provided. The wireless enabled digital media frame comprises an internal or external WWAN modem (e.g. GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA/LTE) such that the one or more media is transferred to the media frame using a wireless connection (e.g. 2G/3G/3.5G/4G). The wireless enabled digital media frame displays the received media files on a display screen. Further, broadcast alerts received over the WWAN and/or calculated current signal strength is also displayed on the display screen. Furthermore, setting information is received by the WWAN modem and accordingly applied to modify or update media frame functions.
US08386414B2
Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for integrating web browsing with a three dimensional (3D) immersive environment. In one embodiment, characteristics describing a user's web browsing history may be used to identify objects that are of interest to the user. The objects of interest may be matched to objects included in a virtual environment. The virtual objects may then be presented to the user within an interface to the virtual environment. In another embodiment, characteristics of user interactions with virtual objects may be used to determine related web content. The related web content may be presented to the user in a web browser.
US08386406B2
A method and a system for making contextual recommendations to users on a network-based system. For example, a first and second related category are selected and a relationship score is calculated representing an aspect of the relationship between the first and second related categories. A relationship type is selected to represent the relationship between the first and second categories using the relationship score. The relationship type is one of either a complement or a substitute. A complement relationship indicates a complementary relationship between the first and second related categories. While a substitute relationship indicates a substitutionary relationship between the first and second categories. The relationship type is stored associated with the first and second related categories. Using the selected relationship type, a recommendation is provided to a user on the network-based system.
US08386404B2
A system and method for precisely detecting tubing flaws using a computer architecture that combines scalable processing power with an extensible array of detection and classification possibilities involving eddy current data analysis, as well as detection algorithms for pinpointing exact tubing regions and wherein these regions can be further divided into manageable segments for flaw analysis. Multiple classification tools utilized to discriminate detection and to precisely assign proper report codes to detect flaws repeatedly and accurately.
US08386391B1
Resource-type weighting is used in evaluating the use-rights associated with hardware resources.
US08386386B1
A credit card fraud reduction system is disclosed. The system comprises a computer system and an application. The application, when executed on the computer system, applies increased credit card fraud prevention procedures to use of an electronic credit card application in a mobile electronic device, based on a changed communication usage pattern of the mobile electronic device.
US08386383B1
A method, system and program product for managing a plurality of individual client deposits for multiple clients, the method comprising: accessing, an electronic database, comprising: aggregated account information for a plurality of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of banking institutions, and client information for each of a plurality of the respective clients, i, comprising (i) a total of a respective client's funds deposited across a plurality of the FDIC-insured interest-bearing aggregated accounts held in a plurality of the banking institutions; and (ii) a maximum deposit percentage of the respective client funds to be held in at least one of the banking institutions; maintaining funds for said individual clients in a plurality of the FDIC-insured, interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts at a plurality of banking institutions, wherein each of the banking institutions has at least one of the aggregated deposit accounts; processing, by computer, client transaction data comprising data for each of one or more deposits/transfers and/or one or more withdrawals/transfers for one or more of said clients, with the data comprising a respective amount for each respective deposit/transfer and each respective withdrawal/transfer; making needed deposits to, or needed withdrawals from one or more of said aggregated deposit accounts based on the data for one or more of the deposit/transfers and/or the withdrawals/transfers and based, at least in part, on the maximum deposit percentage in the database for one or more of the clients; and updating the database based on the client's deposits/transfers and/or withdrawals/transfers.
US08386380B2
Various techniques of distributing revenue and/or other money, selecting/bonding delivery agents, and performing other tasks are providing herein. Methods include distributing portions of loan payments to one or more referrers associated with one or more loans, bonding of delivery agents, selecting delivery agents, allocating portions of credit card payments and/or sharing advertisement revenue. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed.
US08386378B2
An automated loan risk assessment system and method are described. The system is adapted to receive information about a loan or an insurance application requesting insurance to cover same. The system calculates a risk score for the loan based on a plurality of risk factors including at least two of a fraud risk factor, a credit risk factor and a property valuation risk factor. The risk score can be used by a loan service provider in deciding whether or not to fund or insure the loan.
US08386376B2
Processes for reducing fraud risk in credit transactions, particularly those involving airline ticket purchases, include collecting the following additional transaction variables and their use in real-time authorization decisions: credit card holder name, reservation code, passenger name, origin city, destination city, travel date, routing description, class of service, e-ticket indicator, number of passengers traveling and carrier code. The additional transaction variables received during a transaction involving the purchase of airline tickets are passed, in addition to the transaction variables traditionally included in a real-time authorizations request, to a fraud risk evaluation model maintained by a financial institution or other entity responsible for authorizing a payment for the transaction. The fraud-risk models use historical behavior and optimal risk decision-making factors to authorize or reject the transaction in real time, without slowing standard authorization processing times.
US08386373B2
In the financial-services industry, there are online centers that help brokers to match sellers and buyers of stock based on indications of interest (IOIs). However, at least some of these centers are not only limited in the types of IOIs that they provide, but also in the ways how they allow IOI senders to control IOI usage. Accordingly, to facilitate trades, one exemplary system provides an IOI which is associated with an online negotiation capability. Some versions of this system provide mechanisms for users, such as broker-dealers, to define different IOI response privileges for recipients of their IOIs. To reduce the market risks of failed negotiations, some versions provide automated features for comparing confidential information from traders and initiating online negotiations for stock transactions contingent on favorable comparisons.
US08386366B2
An electronic auction system may include a bid validator connected between a network and a customer database. The example bid validator may receive bid information from a customer over the network. The example bid validator may use the bid information to detect whether the customer database includes a customer record for the customer. If no customer record is found in the customer database, the example bid validator may initiate creation of a new customer record and place it in the customer database.
US08386361B1
The invention generally concerns systems, methods, and apparatus wherein a computer may receive information concerning a group of target date funds from a database. Information about the target date funds may comprise information about the glide path and the target retirement date of that fund. A diversification level of each of the target date funds may be determined from the received information. An equity ratio may also be determined for each of the target date funds using the received information. In some instances, the equity ratio may be based upon the amount of equity projected to be owned by the target date fund upon the target retirement date. After determining an equity ratio and a diversification level, a summary of the group of funds is output for review by a user. The summary may include a summary or graph of the diversification levels and equity ratios of the target date funds.
US08386357B1
The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A RISK-ADJUSTED RETURN MAXIMIZING INVESTMENT STRUCTURE (“RAR-MAX”) transform market data, client's investment request inputs, and/or the like via RAR-MAX components into transaction record, investment return outputs, and/or the like). A method is disclosed, comprising: retrieving information of an investment portfolio of financial instruments; receiving market data of a list of eligible financial instrument positions; determining the instant trading time is within an initial time period of a trading period; calculating implied roll costs associated with each of the one or more eligible financial instrument positions; determining a financial instrument position with the lowest implied roll cost based on the calculation; and generating a transaction order purchasing a portion of the financial instrument with the lowest implied roll cost.
US08386354B2
In certain embodiments, a method for deterministic pricing management of a portfolio of one or more applications comprises, for each of the one or more applications: (1) receiving information associated with the application for a plurality of pricing drivers comprising one or more business pricing drivers and one or more maintainability pricing drivers, each pricing driver associated with a corresponding set of categories; (2) determining, for each business pricing driver and based on the received information, a particular category from the corresponding set of categories for the business pricing driver; (3) generating a business index based on the determined particular categories for the business drivers; (4) generating a maintainability index based on the received information; and (5) generating a composite index based on the generated business and maintainability indices. The method comprises determining one or more pricing bands based on the generated composite indices of the one or more applications, associating each of the applications with a corresponding pricing band, and determining a price for each of the applications based on the corresponding pricing band for the application.
US08386352B1
A method for preparing a financial statement for a member of a group of members participating in a community system. The method includes submitting a request to the community system for an accounting adjustment rule. The request includes an attribute of the member, an adjustment rule type, and an account of a general ledger of the member. The accounting adjustment rule is used to adjust a trial balance of the general ledger, obtaining the accounting adjustment rule from the community system based on the request, making an adjustment in the account based on the accounting adjustment rule to obtain an adjusted trial balance, validating the adjusted trial balance of the general ledger subsequent to making the adjustment, and preparing the financial statement for the member upon validating the adjusted trial balance. The accounting adjustment rule is contributed to the community system by at least one of the group of members.
US08386350B2
A system and methods for extracting value from a portfolio of assets, for example a patent portfolio, are described. By granting floating privileges described herein, a portfolio owner can extend an opportunity for obtaining an interest in selected assets from the portfolio to a client who lacks the resources to accumulate and maintain such a portfolio, in return for an annuity stream to the portfolio owner. The floating privilege can take many forms, depending on the needs of the client and the nature of the assets in the portfolio. The privilege is executed for a set of assets selected by the client and approved by the portfolio owner in accordance with a floating privilege agreement controlling the floating privilege.
US08386348B2
A method of comparing and analyzing expenditures and savings for a first and a second time period includes a first step of receiving consumption data, expenditure data and market price data for the first and second time periods, a second step of calculating data representing a change in savings from the first time period to the second time period, based on differences between the market price data and the expenditure data for the two time periods, and a third step of outputting the data representing the change in savings from the first to the second time period. The consumption data represents a type and an amount of a commodity consumed during a given time period, the expenditure data represents an actual cost paid for the commodity consumed during that given time period, and the market price data represents a market price of the commodity consumed during that given time period.
US08386340B1
Interactions between an item and an online shopper may be used to determine interest in an item or a category of items. Once interest has been determined, the online shopper may be presented with an option to initiate communication with other users. This communication may be between a plurality of users including shoppers, owners, experts, item representatives, and so forth. Communication may include text chat, video chat, audio chat, telephone, and so forth. Rewards may be provided to some or all users to encourage communication.
US08386338B2
A system and method for automated selective gift delivery whereby a gift-giver is provided the opportunity to register as a user of the system and with respect to each desired recipient of one or more gifts for one or more events, typically recurring, to provide information to the system about the recipient and the events such that the system may select, or cause to be automatically selected, a gift suitable for the recipient and event based upon the parameters provided by the gift-giver, and cause the gift to be automatically delivered to the recipient without further action or intervention by the gift-giver. Alternative modes of the invention provide for various additional or alternative actions, including providing for: the sending of alternate gifts, which may be pre-selected or selected by the user; for declining to send a gift; and for sending non-recurring gifts.
US08386315B1
System, method, computer program and computer program product automate and optimize process of placing advertising campaigns on available inventory. When visitor loads one of publisher's web pages, system will be queried for advertisement that should be shown. System periodically analyzes performance data to determine optimal allocations. When queried, identifies advertiser campaign and advertisement to be shown. Results of that visitor encounter are logged or recorded for future analysis. Determination of campaign placements may advantageously be a two-phase process. First, campaign is efficiently tested on the inventory most likely to produce good results. The testing module dynamically adapts, adjusting the amount of testing on different channels until a sufficient determination of the creative performance on different channels can be made. The second phase is the resource allocation. Campaign performance data and contractual constraints are formulated as a network problem. Efficient methods for solving network problems are well known. These two phases may be further subdivided if necessary.
US08386312B2
A neuro-informatics repository system is provided to allow efficient generation, management, and access to central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, effector data, and behavioral data obtained from subjects exposed to stimulus material. Data collected using multiple modalities such as Electroencephalography (EEG), Electrooculography (EOG), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Event Related Potential (ERP), surveys, etc., is stored using a variety of data models to allow efficient querying, report generation, analysis and/or visualization.
US08386305B1
A method for promoting an electronic database-driven gift registry includes issuing one or more database access keys to an organization having one or more members, and providing an incentive for the one or more members to register with the gift registry by initializing respective of the database access keys with a database associated with the gift registry. The method further includes awarding a first award to the one or more members who register with a gift registry, and awarding a second award to the organization for each of the one or more members who register with the gift registry.
US08386301B2
Methods and systems for making decisions and risk mitigation for professional contracts and related collaboration. The use of a Collaboration Network is used with one or more Trust Layers and Professional layer to identify matches for collaboration separately on professional reputation and on integrity.
US08386291B2
The invention relates to a triple-deck elevator equipment planning support system, arranged such that the average number of times of being stopped per going-round is calculated on the basis of a given building specification and cage specification data in a triple-deck elevator system; a total value of getting-on/off time periods of passengers, a total value of door-opening/closing time periods, and the total value of running time periods are calculated based on the average number; and a going-round time period of an elevator is calculated from these calculation results, and a practical transportation capacity per on triple-deck elevator is calculated.
US08386289B2
In a remote technical support system, a technical support controller receives an indication of a maximum number of support sessions to be serviced by a remote technician. Thereafter, the technical support controller receives a service request for a user device. The technical support controller determines if handling of the service request by the remote technician would cause the number of support sessions currently being handled by the remote technician to exceed the previously-indicated maximum number of support sessions. If not, the service request is added to a work queue for the remote technician. Each service request may be classified into categories such that only remote technicians associated with a given category can handle service requests for that category. Furthermore, the process of selecting a remote technician to handle a given service request can be completely automated or based on individual remote technicians selecting service requests from a preliminary queue.
US08386278B2
The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps.
US08386272B2
A system, method and apparatus for autonomically assisting in the creation of an administrative policy. The method can include detecting a stimuli in a system under study and monitoring a response by a systems administrator to the stimuli. The stimuli and the response can be forwarded to a policy maker suited to analyze the stimuli and the response. Also, the policy maker can be queried for a preferred response to the stimuli. Based upon the preferred response to the stimuli, a policy for responding to the stimuli can be formulated. As such, the policy can be enforced in managing the system under study. Moreover, the policy can be forwarded for future consideration to the systems administrator.
US08386271B2
A scalable audio codec encodes an input audio signal as a base layer at a high compression ratio and one or more residual signals as an enhancement layer of a compressed bitstream, which permits a lossless or near lossless reconstruction of the input audio signal at decoding. The scalable audio codec uses perceptual transform coding to encode the base layer. The residual is calculated in a transform domain, which includes a frequency and possibly also multi-channel transform of the input audio. For lossless reconstruction, the frequency and multi-channel transforms are reversible.
US08386263B2
In one aspect, a method for determining a validity of an identity asserted by a speaker using a voice print is provided. The method comprises acts of performing a first verification stage comprising comparing a first voice signal from the speaker uttering at least one first challenge utterance with at least a portion of the voice print and performing a second verification stage if it is concluded in the first verification stage that the first voice signal was obtained from an utterance by the user. The second verification stage comprises adapting at least one parameter of the voice print based, at least in part, on the first voice signal to obtain an adapted voice print, and comparing a second voice signal from the speaker uttering at least one second challenge utterance with at least a portion of the adapted voice print.
US08386253B2
Systems, methods, and programs for generating an authorized profile for a text communication device or account, may sample a text communication generated by the text communication device or account during communication and may store the text sample. The systems, methods, and programs may extract a language pattern from the stored text sample and may create an authorized profile based on the language pattern. Systems, methods, and programs for detecting unauthorized use of a text communication device or account may sample a text communication generated by the device or account during communication, may extract a language pattern from the audio sample, and may compare extracted language pattern of the sample with an authorized user profile.
US08386251B2
A speech recognition system is provided with iteratively refined multiple passes through the received data to enhance the accuracy of the results by introducing constraints and adaptation from initial passes into subsequent recognition operations. The multiple passes are performed on an initial utterance received from a user. The iteratively enhanced subsequent passes are also performed on following utterances received from the user increasing an overall system efficiency and accuracy.
US08386239B2
This invention is a multi-stage method for “text morphing,” wherein text morphing involves integrating or blending together substantive content from two or more bodies of text into a single body of text based on locations of linguistic commonality among the two or more bodies of text. This method for multi-stage text morphing entails: substitution of phrase synonyms between two bodies of text; substitution, between two bodies of text, of text segments with synonymous starting phrases and synonymous ending phrases; and substitution, between two bodies of text, of phrases or segments using associations within a larger reference body of text. Text morphing as disclosed herein can be useful for creative ideation, product development, integrative search engines, and entertainment purposes.
US08386237B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which input keystroke data can be interpreted using a current mapping and a determination can be made whether the current mapping is valid based upon the characters identified by the mapping and the keystroke data. Invalid mappings can be corrected by identifying a transliteration of the characters in an alternative language.
US08386228B2
Provided is a microcomputer simulator capable of quickly dealing with change of a target microcomputer to thereby enable a speedy development of software. The microcomputer simulator is a microcomputer simulator for simulating a microcomputer including therein a CPU and a peripheral circuit of the CPU, and includes a mother board including a CPU for executing application software to be processed by the CPU provided in the microcomputer, and an IO board for executing, at an FPGA thereof, processing of the peripheral circuit provided in the microcomputer and IO processing executed by the CPU provided in the microcomputer. The FPGA includes a common memory portion so that the microcomputer simulator updates data stored in the common memory portion through a communication bus provided between the mother board 10 and the IO board, and causes data to be exchanged between the CPU provided in the mother board and the FPGA.
US08386224B2
A method for simulating the stretching and wiggling of liquids is provided. The complex phase-interface dynamics is effectively simulated by introducing the Eulerian vortex sheet method, which focuses on the vorticity at the interface and is extended to provide user control for the production of visual effects. The generated fluid flow creates complex surface details, such as thin and wiggling fluid sheets. To capture such high-frequency features efficiently, a denser grid is used for surface tracking in addition to coarser simulation grid. A filter, called the liquid-biased filter, is used to downsample the surface in the high-resolution grid into the coarse grid without unrealistic volume loss resulting from aliasing error.
US08386221B2
Systems and methods for generating transfer functions associated with calculating local stresses on pipe elements by post processing forces and moments of a pipe model representing the piping system. The transfer functions are reusable and allow recalculation with different sets of user data without requiring regeneration of the transfer functions.
US08386219B2
Methods of using computer based models for simulating the physical behavior of bodily fluids with absorbent articles.
US08386215B2
A method and apparatus for modeling radio propagation is provided. In the method, when a wall having a thickness is modeled as a line having no thickness, an error in a shade area is minimized by considering the thickness of a wall while maintaining simplicity in a ray-tracing method.
US08386197B1
A method for operating a solar thermal system. The method includes providing a photovoltaic apparatus coupled to a solar thermal apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, the solar thermal apparatus comprises flow region having a first measurement region and a second measurement region. The first measurement region is configured by a spatial distance to the second measurement region according to one or more embodiments. The present method also includes receiving electrical information associated with operation of the photovoltaic apparatus and receiving thermal information associated with operation of the solar thermal apparatus. In a specific embodiment, the thermal information is derived from the first measurement region and the second measurement region. The method also includes processing the electrical information and associating the electrical information against one or more electrical parameters and processing the thermal information and associating the thermal information against one or more thermal parameters. In a preferred embodiment, the method associates the one or more thermal parameters with the one or more electrical parameters to determine a state (e.g., failure, working, maintenance) of the solar thermal apparatus.
US08386196B2
This invention relates to a method for determining a wear state of a chisel, a chisel holder, and/or a chisel holder replacement system equipped with a chisel and chisel holder. For this method to give the user qualitative and quantitative information about the wear, according to one embodiment of this invention, a position of at least one point of the chisel and/or the chisel holder is determined by a contactless measurement method and a corresponding measurement result is compared in a switching unit to a reference value stored in a memory device.
US08386182B2
A waveform design method is presented for controlled source electromagnetic surveying. A desired source spectrum (82) is specified based on a desired resistivity depth image resolution (81) with spectral amplitudes determined by expected noise levels (83). Techniques are disclosed for designing a source waveform to match the desired source spectrum. When better resolution is desired at a target zone, this leads to a required clustering of frequency components. A modulated waveform can be used to provide this clustering of frequency components.
US08386178B2
A marking tool and a method for marking a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility is presented. The method includes dispensing a marker when a trigger of a marking tool is actuated. The method further includes identifying at least one characteristic associated with the marker or the dispensing of the marker. The method further includes storing the at least one characteristic associated with dispensing the marker when the actuation of the trigger is signaled.
US08386169B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: detecting a light intensity; and selecting a route determined by the light intensity for displaying on a device.
US08386165B2
Tour guide contents stored in a tour guide apparatus carried by a user at a tour destination are provided with points of interest information and map data. This information includes latitude and longitude information for the site of each point of interest, and information on the providers of the information and the categories of information. The latitude and longitude information is provided for each site in relation to map data. By matching these pieces of latitude and longitude information to the map data, points of interest information can be laid out on the map and displayed. This makes it possible to select interesting site information to be displayed on the map based on the information provider, for example, points of interest information provided by provider A for restaurants and another set of information provided by provider B for hotels.
US08386164B1
Various technologies and techniques directed to creating, encrypting, and updating a database of position coordinates of LDAR components. In one implementation, the method for creating a database of coordinates of leak detection and repair (LDAR) components includes receiving an input pertaining to an LDAR component, obtaining position coordinates of a handheld computer device and associating the position coordinates of the handheld computer device with the LDAR component.
US08386163B2
A GPS navigation code device that enables a driver to retrieve directions, without taking his eyes off the road. The user pre-programs the GPS navigation code device with a plurality of addressees or points of interest, and assigns unique navigation codes for each as keyboard entry and speech, all stored in local database within the GPS. While driving, the user presses a special address search mode key and inputs the unique navigation code by keyboard or speech pattern, views displayed address and accepts the same. When an unknown navigation code is entered, the GPS accesses a remote database through the Internet to recover the associated company name and business GPS coordinates. The remote database computes travel distance based on vehicle and business GPS coordinates, creating an ordered list that is presented to the GPS user, together with directions by map and speech on a turn-by-turn basis.
US08386146B2
In an inter-vehicle distance control apparatus and an inter-vehicle distance control method, object detection information is obtained from a detection portion that detects a first preceding vehicle ahead of a vehicle, and an object ahead of the first preceding vehicle; a first possible target stop position is calculated taking into account the first preceding vehicle, and a second possible target stop position is calculated taking into account the object, based on the object detection information; and a target stop position for the vehicle is set to one of the first possible target stop position and the second possible target stop position, which is closer to the vehicle than the other of the first possible target stop position and the second possible target stop position is.
US08386138B2
An engine is restarted in response to an idle stop OFF command at t1 so that a gear shift control purpose hydraulic pressure is raised according to a working oil from an engine driven oil pump. An idle stop release time control of the engine is allowed according to a torque down unnecessary determination when a gear shift control purpose hydraulic pressure has reached to a set hydraulic pressure at t2. In a case where this allowance causes an engine torque Te to be raised from a torque down value toward a driving operation corresponding value by a predetermined gradient ΔTe1, a command value of a starting frictional element engagement pressure Ps is set to a control maximum value during the idle stop control including during the idle stop release time control.
US08386129B2
A raster-based system for GNSS guidance includes a vehicle-mounted GNSS antenna and receiver. A processor provides guidance and/or autosteering commands based on GNSS-defined pixels forming a grid representing an area to be treated, such as a field. Specific guidance and chemical application methods are provided based on the pixel-defined treatment areas and preprogrammed chemical application prescription maps, which can include variable chemical application rates and dynamic control of the individual nozzles of a sprayer.
US08386127B2
A bicycle is disclosed having a control system with a user interface and an active suspension system. The control system includes a one or more sensors arranged to measure and transmit a signal indicative of the terrain over which the bicycle is being ridden. The active suspension system includes a valve box that is fluidly coupled to each chamber of the lower cylinder. An orifice in the valve box is changed in size in response to a signal from a sensor associated with the front wheel that changes the response of the suspension system due to changing terrain conditions. The user interface includes a selection device mounted to the handlebars that allows the user to change parameters of the active suspension system during operation of the bicycle.
US08386119B2
A vehicle driving operation support apparatus for a vehicle, includes a sensing section to sense a traveling condition of the vehicle including a surrounding condition inclusive of an obstacle around the vehicle, and a control section to calculate a risk potential for the vehicle in accordance with the traveling condition. The control section performs a support control to support the driver in accordance with the risk potential, and performs an assist control to restrain disturbance (such as vibration from a road) transmitted to the driver in accordance with the risk potential.
US08386118B2
Systems and methods are provided for detecting an anomaly in a hidden portion of a first layer of a multi-layer structure. A monitoring element is provided on at least one exposed end of a fastener that extends through the multi-layer structure, and another monitoring element on an exposed portion of the first layer. With at least one of the monitoring elements, an inspection signal is introduced into the multi-layer structure including the hidden portion of the first layer. The inspection signal is then sensed with at least another one of the monitoring elements following propagation of the inspection signal through at least a portion of the multi-layer structure including the hidden portion of the first layer. Finally, an anomaly may be detected in the hidden portion of the first layer based upon the inspection signal that has been sensed.
US08386117B2
When determining that a failure has occurred, a vehicle (10) transmits alarm lamp illumination information, vehicle ID information and user identification information to a center (20). The center (20) transmits the received alarm lamp illumination information to an automobile dealer computer (30) at an automobile dealer. The center (20) then obtains abnormality countermeasure information transmitted from the automobile dealer, prepares an abnormality notification, and transmits the abnormality notification to the vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) notifies a user of the abnormality notification, and reserves servicing at the automobile dealer through an operation of a reservation button performed by the user. With the reservation, the center (20) transmits an abnormality transmission request to the vehicle (10). The vehicle (10) collects failure information in response to the failure information transmission request, and transmits the failure information to the center (20). The center (20) transmits detailed abnormality countermeasure information transmitted from the automobile dealer to the vehicle (10).
US08386115B2
A vehicle email notification system and method in which templates are used to automatically generate email messages that provide the recipient with diverse types of dynamic vehicle information. The email notifications are triggered by different events, some of which are independent of the vehicle (e.g., a monthly trigger), and others of which occur at the vehicle, such as a mileage or low oil life trigger. The notification system selects an appropriate template based on the type of trigger and uses that template to build and send to the subscriber an email message that contains the dynamic vehicle information and identifies any detected vehicle condition for which action is needed. In addition to trigger type, different templates can be defined for each combination of vehicle type (e.g., make of vehicle), trigger type, and a language preference (e.g., English, Spanish).
US08386113B2
A multiprocessor network in a home uses a transceiver configured to detect and establish communication between a processor in the network and a new device brought near or into the home. The device is connected to the network and a data manager identifies a type of data used by the new device. The multiprocessor network identifies software in the network that processes the same type of data as the new device, and transfers control and operation of the new device over to the multiprocessor network in the home.
US08386111B2
An automated vehicle protection system is provided comprising a guideway (20), a vehicle (10), a guideway loop antenna (21), and transponders (41a, 41b), mounted on the vehicle (10). Means (24, 25) are provided, couple to the guideway loop antenna (21), for receiving a signal from the vehicle (10) and generating an inhibit signal in order to inhibit vehicle movement in a section of the guideway (20). The inhibit signal may be passed to a circuit associated with another guideway loop antenna (22, 23) to control transmission of a signal from this other guideway loop antenna (22, 23).
US08386097B2
Disclosed is a method and device for assisting guidance of an aircraft. A flight management system is used to determine guidance instructions that include speed instructions having at least one flight time constraint to guide the aircraft to a check-point. An accuracy level for complying with the flight time constraint and at least one error level for at least one flight parameter are generated by an accuracy generating unit. An operating margin for at least one second parameter is determined from the determined accuracy and error levels, with the operating margin being representative of air speed criterion values of the aircraft. A range determining unit is used to determine whether the range of air speed criterion values is within an air speed envelope of the aircraft, and the speed instructions are modified when the range of air speed criterion values is not within the air speed envelope.
US08386093B2
A multi-axis serially redundant, single channel, multi-path fly-by-wire control system comprising: serially redundant flight control computers in a single channel where only one “primary” flight control computer is active and controlling at any given time; a matrix of parallel flight control surface controllers including stabilizer motor control units (SMCU) and actuator electronics control modules (AECM) define multiple control paths within the single channel, each implemented with dissimilar hardware and which each control the movement of a distributed set of flight control surfaces on the aircraft in response to flight control surface commands of the primary flight control computer; and a set of (pilot and co-pilot) controls and aircraft surface/reference/navigation sensors and systems which provide input to a primary flight control computer and are used to generate the flight control surface commands to control the aircraft in flight in accordance with the control law algorithms implemented in the flight control computers.
US08386089B2
A method is provided for teleoperating an unmanned ground vehicle having a control unit, a first drive unit, a second drive unit and a pan camera, arranged in front of or behind the nominal center of rotation (z) of the vehicle. The operator controls the translation and rotation of the camera, and thus his field of vision, relative to a camera-fixed coordinate system, and the movement of the vehicle is calculated to perform this camera movement. Consequently, the operator can in most cases ignore the vehicle dynamics and experience the feeling of controlling a floating camera. An unmanned ground vehicle with a control unit which performs the method is also provided.
US08386087B2
An apparatus and methods are disclosed for controlling load shedding and payback spikes of a population by segregating the population into subsets based on predicted energy consumption usage and peak load profiles. Subset populations respond independently from another based on a communication message sent to the population. Each subset population of homes with one or more energy consuming devices responds based on a generated value generated from a randomizing distribution routine.
US08386080B2
A robotic system implements a collision avoidance scheme and includes a first robotic manipulator and a first controller configured to control the first robotic manipulator for movement along a first pre-planned actual path. A second controller is configured to control movement of a second robotic manipulator for movement along a second pre-planned intended path and deviating therefrom to move in a dodging path away from the first pre-planned actual path based upon determining a potential collision with the first robotic manipulator without prior knowledge of the first pre-planned actual path.
US08386077B2
A method for assessing the positioning accuracy of a medical robot arm comprising at least one joint, wherein the rigidity of the robot arm in a joint placement is calculated and assessed on the basis of a rigidity model.
US08386076B2
There is provided a legged robot that performs motion by changing a joint angle, which includes a trajectory generating section to calculate a center-of-gravity trajectory in designated stepping motion from the stepping motion including at least one of walking motion, running motion and stopping motion, and generate a center-of-gravity trajectory by superimposing a designated travel velocity onto a travel velocity of a center of gravity in the calculated center-of-gravity trajectory in stepping motion, and a trajectory updating section to store the generated center-of-gravity trajectory and update all the stored center-of-gravity trajectories so as to be continuous, and a trajectory reproducing section to calculate time-varying data of a target value of the joint angle based on the updated center-of-gravity trajectory, and a joint driving section to rotate a joint of the legged robot based on the calculated time-varying data of a target value of the joint angle.
US08386073B2
Disclosed are a quantity regulating module of an automatic tablet dispenser, and a tablet dispensing method thereof, which are capable of automatically packing various-shaped tablets, and accurately, rapidly and cleanly controlling supplying of tablets without missing any. The quantity regulating module includes: a module body including an inlet through which a tablet is put, a hopper-side supply part supplying the tablet put through the inlet to a hopper of a medicine packing machine, and a recollecting part returning the tablet put through the inlet to a location from which the tablet starts to be transferred; a detecting sensor counting the number of tablets put through the inlet; and a controller comparing the number of tablets counted by the detecting sensor to a predetermined quantity, transferring the tablets to the hopper-side supply part if the counted number of tablets is equal to the predetermined quantity, and transferring the tablets to the recollecting part if the counted number of tablets exceeds the predetermined quantity.
US08386066B2
The invention relates to a method for suppressing the influence of roll eccentricities on the run-out thickness of a rolled stock, which runs through a rolling stand, roll eccentricities being identified by using a process model and taken into consideration in the determination of a correction signal for at least one final control element, preferably a final control element for the adjustment position, of the rolling stand, wherein the measured tensile force upstream of the rolling stand is fed to the process model to identify the roll eccentricities. According to the invention, variations in tensile force are fed back in a targeted manner to reduce the effects of periodic roll eccentricities on the rolled stock, whereas all other sources of variation are eliminated. A process model of the rolling nip and the rolls, preferably based on the observer principle, produces reliable data on the roll eccentricity.
US08386058B2
A method and a device for robust rejection of the periodic disturbances in a motor-position control structure of the RST type, wherein the assembly including the motor, the position sensor, the element for computing the functions 1/So(z−1) and Ro(z−1), in a loop, is called central controller. Within the framework of the invention, to the central controller are added two additional computing elements, the first one being an estimator block E(z−1) and the second one a modifier block Q(z−1), as well as an additional loop, the estimator block E(z−1) allowing a load disturbance estimation signal {circumflex over (v)}(t) to be computed, the modifier block Q(z−1) receiving the load disturbance estimation signal {circumflex over (v)}(t) as an input, to produce a modified signal, which is applied to a negative input of an additional adder arranged upstream from the element for computing the function 1/So(z−1) and then forming the additional loop, the modifier block having a variable transfer function.
US08386053B2
Techniques for improving cardiac performance by applying stimulation to the subclavian ansae nerve of a patient are disclosed. In one example, a method comprises identifying a human patient as having a cardiac condition, and delivering stimulation therapy to a subclavian ansae nerve of a human patient with a stimulation electrode.
US08386044B2
A complex connector and component within an implantable medical device in which the complex connector is positioned within the spacing footprint of the component to optimize packaging within the device.
US08386037B2
A subcutaneous cardiac device includes a subcutaneous electrode and a housing coupled to the subcutaneous electrode by a lead with a lead wire. The subcutaneous electrode is adapted to be implanted in a frontal region of the patient so as to overlap a portion of the patient's heart.
US08386029B2
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for an electrotherapeutic system including a first and second electrode. Each electrode includes a respective resistance wherein during operation of the electrotherapeutic system, an electrochemical reaction involving one or both of the electrodes varies the respective resistance of at least one of the electrodes.
US08386025B2
An apparatus and a method for monitoring muscle activity are provided. The apparatus comprises a sensor for detecting the generated electromyographic signals and processing means. The processing means generates an event signal if the electromyographic signal exceeds a predetermined power content within a predetermined time window. The event signal triggers an event, which may be an alarm. The apparatus further comprises communication means for transmitting the detected electromyographic signals from the sensor to the processing means. The means comprises the steps of detecting and evaluating the electromyographic signals. Furthermore, the method comprises generating an event signal and triggering an event by the event signal.
US08386023B2
A catheter tip apparatus arranged in a catheter for the delivery and collection of a light-energy signal to permit subsequent computerized analysis of body tissue by the collected signal. The apparatus comprises an elongated housing supporting a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface. The first reflective surface and the second reflective surface are longitudinally spaced apart from one another. A first flexible, elongated energy bearing delivery fiber has a distalmost end arranged adjacent the first reflective surface. A second flexible, elongated energy bearing collection fiber has a distalmost end arranged adjacent the second reflective surface. The housing is rotatably supported on a flexible catheter sheath for insertion of the catheter into a mammalian body for tissue analysis thereof.
US08386019B2
The invention relates to an arrangement for assisting a percutaneous intervention, comprising an imaging system for tomographic imaging, a robot registered therewith and devices for capturing movements of the patient. A processing unit registers a 4D image dataset recorded before the intervention with a 2D or 3D image dataset of the patient which was recorded immediately before the intervention by the imaging system at a defined respiratory position. From this image data, the access path is transmitted to the robot as a function of the movements captured during recording the 4D image dataset and registration, said robot in turn, depending on the instantaneous movement data, holding the instrument on a predetermined target path and preventing the instrument from being advanced by the person if and as long as the instantaneous movement data does not match the previously recorded movement data. The arrangement reduces the risk of puncture errors.
US08386002B2
A physiological sensor is provided that includes an emitter and detector disposed on a frame such that the emitter and detector define an optical axis. The frame includes one or more pair of flexible elements disposed generally symmetric relative to the optical axis. In one embodiment, the emitter and detector remain aligned when moved relative to one another along the optical axis.
US08385998B2
The present invention provides contact lens with integrated biosensor for the continuous, non-invasive monitoring of physiological glucose by employing biocompatible nanostructure-laden lens materials. These contact lenses can be worn by diabetics who can colorimetrically see changes in their contact lens color or other fluorescence-based properties, giving an indication of tear and blood glucose levels. This invention for the glucose biosensor based on the new disposal contact lens provides a safe, convenient and non-expensive glucose sensing device. The sensing device disclosed herein provides an efficient and noninvasive solution for monitoring blood glucose.
US08385979B2
Sharing antennas among carriers co-located at a base station such to increase throughput of the individual carriers is provided. Thus, the carriers can effectively receive multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) from mobile devices though the individual antennas of the carrier alone are not sufficient to receive such signals. A co-sharing interface is provided that takes signals from antennas of one carrier and forwards the signals to a second co-located carrier. In this regard, a carrier can receive signals from a related set of antennas as well as the co-sharing interface component (from a set of antennas related to a disparate carrier) and process the signals in conjunction. Thus, the signals can be disparate portions of a MIMO signal. In addition, the co-sharing interface can modify the signals as defined by the carrier receiving the signals from the interface, such as by applying gain control, alarming, bypass circuitry, and/or amplification.
US08385976B2
Disclosed is a multi-SIM cellular telephone capable of accessing information on multiple SIM cards for multiple cellular service subscriptions while simultaneously accessing full functionality of all other features on the handset. It allows users to insert multiple SIM cards, each with a unique IMSI number associated with a unique cellular service subscription. The user can remove any SIM card and port to other handsets at his/her discretion. Purchasing extra cellular service for such purposes as business use is less expensive than was heretofore possible. Some services are only required on one subscription in order for the service to be used since the microprocessor assesses the features of each subscription and applies the required functionality to that SIM card. The multi-SIM cellular telephone also has a phone number that is associated with the handset; this number allows communication to and from the user of the multi-SIM phone on any installed subscription.
US08385975B2
This disclosure describes techniques for providing a wireless communication device with context-based voicemail messaging. In reply to a call, a wireless communication device may select a message based on a context. As an example, a wireless communication system may detect a call directed to a wireless communication device from a caller, generate one of a plurality of reply messages for the caller based on a context of the wireless communication device derived from input information received by at least one input of the wireless communication device, and transmit the generated reply message to the caller. In some cases, the message may be selected based on both context and caller identity. In addition, the message may be selected based at least in part on analysis of a pattern of usage or user activity with respect to the wireless communication device.
US08385971B2
Cell phones and other portable devices are equipped with a variety of technologies by which existing functionality can be improved, and new functionality can be provided. Some aspects relate to data driven imaging architectures, in which a cell phone's image sensor is one in a chain of stages that successively act on packetized instructions/data, to capture and later process imagery. Other aspects relate to distribution of processing tasks between the device and remote resources (“the cloud”). Elemental image processing, such as filtering and edge detection—and even some simpler template matching operations—may be performed on the cell phone. Other operations are referred out to remote service providers. The remote service providers can be identified using techniques such as a reverse auction, though which they compete for processing tasks. Other aspects of the disclosed technologies relate to visual search capabilities, and determining appropriate actions responsive to different image inputs. Still others concern metadata generation, processing, and representation. Yet others relate to coping with fixed focus limitations of cell phone cameras, e.g., in reading digital watermark data. Still others concern user interface improvements. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US08385962B1
A system is provided for push-to-talk voice messages. The system includes a processor and a voice message component. When executed by the processor, the voice message component identifies a request from a first handset to communicate with a second handset via push-to-talk communication, and determines whether the second handset is available. If the second handset is not available, the voice message component stores a voice communication associated with the request in an audio file identifies a voice mail storage associated with the second handset, and provides the audio file to the voice mail storage. The voice message component also informs the first handset that the second handset is not available and that the voice mail storage stores the voice communication.
US08385959B2
A method and apparatus for performing a carrier management in a broadband wireless communication system supporting multi-carriers are disclosed. A method for a mobile station to perform a carrier management procedure with a base station supporting multiple carriers includes receiving a carrier management command message including an action code indicating a primary carrier change and an action time, on a serving primary carrier, transmitting an acknowledgement message indicating that the carrier management command message is successfully received in the mobile station, on the serving primary carrier, and switching the primary carrier to a target carrier indicated by the carrier management command message at the action time, wherein the action time is set to a value more than a retransmission timer, the retransmission timer is set to a time during which the base station waits for receiving the acknowledgement message in response to the carrier management command message.
US08385955B2
A system and method for narrowcasting text messages to a plurality of cellular phones. The system and method allow a potential user to opt in to receive the text messages the user wants to receive. The potential user can opt in through a computer network based web page. Once the potential user sends a sign up request application to participate via the computer network, the user will receive a first text message containing an authorization code on their cell phone. The user enters the authorization code into the web page and sends the authorization code. Receipt of the authorization code back through the computer network will trigger the phone number of the potential user to be added to a list of authorized text message receivers. A narrowcaster then instructs the central computer to narrowcast text messages to the phone numbers on the list that have indicated they want to receive messages on a certain topic.
US08385953B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products are for mapping an extensible markup language (XML) encoding declarations to a short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) data coding scheme (DCS) for a mobile-terminated (MT) short messaging service (SMS). An exemplary method includes receiving a message from a short message entity (SME) for delivery to a mobile device. The message includes a payload with at least one character encoded in accordance with a first character encoding scheme. The exemplary method further includes receiving from the SME a second encoding scheme for the message, implementing a mapping table to map the first character encoding scheme to the second character encoding scheme, and performing an encoding transformation of the message from the first character encoding to the second character encoding scheme yielding a modified message comprising the payload of the message encoded in the second character encoding scheme as specified by the SME.
US08385946B2
Adaptive route guidance can include analyzing route progressions associated with one or more routes based on multiple user preferences. The adaptive route guidance can provide one or more preferred routes based on the user preferences, which can be presented to a user for navigation purposes.
US08385943B1
A method and apparatus for determining location information of a position in a multi-storey building, the method comprising: retrieving observation data comprising observed addresses and corresponding observed received signal strengths of wireless access points detected at the position from a memory; retrieving, for each storey of the building, a radio map comprising a plurality of location points in the respective storey of the building from a database, each location point comprising addresses and corresponding mean received signal strengths of wireless access points detected at the location point and coordinates of the location point; selecting one or more location points comprising the observed addresses from the radio map; determining a storey estimate of the position by calculating a sum probability for each storey of the building, the sum probability being calculated by summing all individual probabilities of each observed address contained in each selected location point in the radio map of the respective storey being detected on the respective storey; and setting the storey estimate as the storey of the building having highest value of the calculated sum probability, wherein each of said individual probabilities is calculated based on the corresponding observed received signal strength of said each observed address in said each selected location point and the corresponding mean received signal strength in said each selected location point containing said each observed address.
US08385940B2
A MOAF algorithm is used to resize cells for balancing capacity. The MOAF algorithm bases its decision on a cell and all other cells which the algorithm decides are sufficiently close in a propagation sense to affect the results. The MOAF algorithm also automatically determines those cells in an area which are most heavily loaded and those cells which are lightly loaded. The MOAF algorithm will only decrease the size of a cell if it determines specific adjacent cells that are willing and able to accept the load, and the MOAF algorithm will increase the size of a cell only if there is a nearby heavily loaded cell that requires the removal of load. Moreover, the MOAF algorithm can be tuned (via the threshold parameter T) to shift the focus of the optimization from avoidance of coverage holes to the avoidance of creation of excessive handover legs. Because the changes are electrical rather than physical they can be deployed instantaneously via the network management system thus saving the cost of sending a field crew to the site. Moreover, it is possible to make these changes much more frequently than has been possible in the past thereby permitting the optimization of the network to be done in near real time to meet the temporal changes in the geographic distribution of customers.
US08385934B2
An apparatus and a method for playing an audio in an audio player using Bluetooth are provided. The method for playing an audio in an audio player using Bluetooth includes determining an available resource status of the player, transmitting audio data with decreasing audio quality when it is determined that the available resource status is less than a reference value, and transmitting an audio data with increasing audio quality when it is determined that the available resource status is more than the reference value.
US08385923B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for providing adaptive server selection in wireless communications. An access terminal may be configured to determine a forward link quality metric associated with each of a plurality of sectors serviced by a plurality of access points; assign credits to each sector in relation to the forward link quality metric; and change a data source control (DSC) value if the credits accumulated for a non-serving sector at a DSC change boundary is greater than a predetermined threshold, where the non-serving sector and the serving sector for the access terminal belong to different cells. The access terminal may be further configured to change a data rate control (DRC) cover in accordance with the DSC change. The use of DSC may provide an early indication of handoff, thereby allowing the service outage associated with server switching to be substantially reduced.
US08385911B1
A method, using a positioning module and a wireless telecommunication network comprises first and second base stations and first and second mobile terminals, said first terminal comprising a rake receiver, the method comprising: storing received signal data (MT_data) generated by the first mobile terminal rake receiver from signals transmitted over the air in a multipath environment and received by first mobile terminal; storing positioning data (MT_pos) obtained from the positioning module, said positioning data (MT_pos) comprising a plurality of positions of first mobile terminal with time associated with such position information; storing base station data obtained from first base station, said base station data comprising first base station identification code (BS_id) and first base station position information (BS_pos); determining field test data from said received signal data (MT_data), positioning data (MT_data) and base station data (BS_id, BS_pos), such determined field test data comprising: an estimate of the angle (MT_BS_ang) between the first mobile terminal antenna orientation and the first base station antenna orientation, an estimate of the pathloss and the shadowing attenuation of the received signals (path_shad), at least one tap of the received signals (sig_taps), a tap being an information representing an estimate of phase and amplitude of a path of the multipath environment, and an estimate of the first mobile terminal speed (MT_speed) generating radio propagation characteristics of the multipath environment for simulation of radio propagation between the second base station and the second mobile terminal, using the determined field test data.
US08385910B2
A test system emulates the analog processing portion of a communication device and adjusts input signals based on distortions specified by a user and control signals generated by a baseband processing portion of the communication device. The distortions can be specified in terms of the baseband. One or more of the control signals can be bypassed to investigate the effect of each of the control signals alone, or in various combinations. An operator interface can be provided that allows the user to set up and conduct the tests, and monitor the results. Facilities are also provided to allow the reference voltage at the baseband processing portion to be adjusted while maintaining the appropriate reference voltage for components in the test system.
US08385909B1
A system is provided for dynamic communication adjustment. The system includes a server that obtains data associated with a base transceiver station. The server also compares the data to at least one threshold. Additionally, the server promotes adjustment of an operational parameter of a base transceiver station based on the comparison. Furthermore, the server promotes readjustment of at least one operational parameter based on an at least weekly comparison of subsequently obtained data associated with the base transceiver station to at least one threshold.
US08385903B2
Systems and methods for transferring a session or components of a session in a communication network are provided. The components of the session include media flows and control over the media flows. The user can initiate a transfer of a existing session with a mobile device such as user equipment (UE) to one or more devices that may lead to fan-out or fan-in to multiple devices. This can include separating the delivery of media from the control of the delivery. For example, a UE can be designated a controller to control another UE, such as a television (TV). In providing the capability to transfer these sessions, a gateway is used to implement network functions that allow the streaming to be controlled and delivered to the respective UEs. In some embodiments, the gateway can be flexible and its operation modified according to messages it receives.
US08385901B2
Systems, methods and interfaces are disclosed for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device. Mobile communication devices process environmental inputs and transmit mobile communication device context information to a communication management system. The context information may, for example, reflect the motion and/or geographic location of the mobile device, and may reflect the risk associated with using the device to handle a call or other communications session. The communication management system uses the context information, optionally in combination with communication device profiles, to determine how to manage incoming and/or ongoing calls or other communication sessions. Mobile device users may also be inhibited from initiating communication sessions.
US08385892B2
A radio base station 200 includes a call process controller 105 and a baseband processor 109. The call process controller 105 notifies the baseband processor 109 of an offset of the baseband resource when accepting the priority call. The baseband processor 109 changes the baseband resource to be allocated to the normal call in a predetermined cycle and applies a resource use restriction based on the offset notified from the call process controller 105, the resource use restriction restricting the baseband resource to be allocated to the normal call within a range defined by subtracting the offset from a total baseband resource.
US08385881B2
An E-9-1-1 voice-over-IP (VoIP) solution is provided wherein a 911 call from a mobile VoIP device is routed directly to the correct Public Safety Answer Point (PSAP) via dedicated trunks, together with correct location information and call-back number. VoIP gateways are implemented locally, at least one per LATA, and accept VoIP packetized data inbound, and convert it to standard wireline voice calls. Calls are routed to an IP address at the VoIP gateway, which then egresses the call to a voice port at a selective router. Mid-call updating of location of a moving VoIP terminal is provided to a PSAP. The location of the VoIP is validated using HTTP based protocol by pushing location information to a VoIP location server, and comparing it against a geographic location database to confirm that a contained street address is valid.
US08385875B2
In a communication semiconductor integrated circuit, a capacitance included in a filter on the output side of a mixer circuit is reduced without requiring the cutoff frequency of the filter to be changed. A Gilbert cell circuit is used as a mixer circuit which combines, for downconversion, a reception signal and a local oscillator signal. A low-pass filter for removing unwanted waves from output is composed of load resistors of upper stage differential transistors and a capacitive element provided between differential output terminals. The resistances of the load resistors are increased, and a current circuit for applying a current to emitters or collectors of the upper stage differential transistors is provided, so that a current to make up for a decrease in current amount attributable to the increase in load resistance can be applied from the current circuit to lower stage differential transistors.
US08385868B2
An antenna system for receiving an RF signal from a first antenna and a second antenna includes a phase shift circuit. The phase shift circuit shifts a phase of the RF signal from the second antenna by one of a plurality of possible phase shifts to produce a phase shifted signal. A combiner combines the RF signal from the first antenna and the phase shifted signal to produce a combined signal. A comparator circuit compares a signal quality of the combined signal with a minimum threshold value to determine if the signal quality of the combined signal is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The comparator circuit is in communicative control of the phase shift circuit and maintains the phase shift of the RF signal received by the second antenna in response to the signal quality of the combined signal being equal to or greater than the threshold value.
US08385849B2
A standby mode switch system includes a mode selection module, a control module, and a position detection module. The mode selection module has a vibration mode. The control module is in communication with the mode selection module and the position detection module. The control module turns on the vibration mode when the mode selection module selects the vibration mode and an incoming call. The control module turns off the vibration mode when the position detection module detects a distance from the position detection module to an adjacent object element is greater than a predetermined value.
US08385833B2
Methods and apparatus in a receiver for selecting among methods of estimating a received power of at least one signal based on whether inter-frequency or inter-radio-access-technology received power measurements are needed. A method includes using a first method of measuring the received power based on the pattern to generate a first power estimate based on a first duration of the at least one signal; comparing the first power estimate to a first threshold; and based on the comparing, either using the first method of measuring to generate another first power estimate or using a second method of measuring the received power based on the pattern to generate a second power estimate, the second method being different from the first method and the second power estimate being based on a second duration of the at least one signal, and measuring a received power of at least one signal having a second carrier frequency.
US08385832B2
A multi-carrier cellular radio communication system includes a serving base station associate with a serving cell currently serving a mobile radio and a non-serving base station within range of the mobile radio and associated with a non-serving cell. The mobile radio can transmit to the serving base station at the same time over multiple radio frequency carriers. An estimate is made of inter-cell interference in the non-serving cell caused by uplink transmission by the mobile radio over one or more of the multiple radio frequency carriers over which the mobile radio is currently simultaneously transmitting. If the estimated inter-cell interference in the non-serving cell exceeds a predetermined threshold, then the inter-cell interference in the non-serving cell is reduced or limited by managing radio resources so that the estimated inter-cell interference in the non-serving cell is or becomes less than the predetermined threshold.
US08385818B2
A wireless repeater has a receiving antenna for receiving an input signal and a transmitting antenna for transmitting an amplified signal where the input signal is a sum of a remote signal and a feedback signal. The repeater includes an echo canceller receiving the input signal and generating an echo cancelled signal by estimating a feedback channel between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna and cancelling a feedback signal estimate from the input signal, an amplifier for amplifying the echo cancelled signal and providing the amplified signal to the transmitting antenna, and a variable delay element receiving the echo cancelled signal and introducing a first delay to the echo cancelled signal. The first delay is selected to optimize the estimation of the feedback channel, thereby optimizing the cancellation of the feedback signal. The delayed echo cancelled signal is coupled to the echo canceller as a reference signal for estimating the feedback channel.
US08385817B2
One or more satellites may generate multiple beams. The beams may facilitate communication over multiple communication frequency bands including a relatively high capacity frequency band and a relatively fade-resilient frequency band. The beams may overlap. User terminals and/or gateways in a beam intersection may select from among the multiple communication frequency bands to communication with the satellite(s). Responsive to detection of rain fade, some of the user terminals and/or gateways may be instructed to use the relatively fade-resilient frequency band. The multiple communication frequency bands may be assigned to the user terminals and/or gateways so as to maximize total system capacity.
US08385816B2
A relay device that monitors and controls common public radio interface (CPRI) links that are links using CPRIs functioning as interfaces for connecting multiple relay devices included in a radio base station detects a disconnected CPRI link by monitoring, via the CPRI links, relay information containing communication data and control data. The relay device distributes a control content, such as a forced link disconnection that forcibly disconnect a CPRI link or no-transmission that stops the transmission of the communication data, with respect to each CPRI link in accordance with a connecting location of the CPRI link in which a link disconnection is detected. The relay device monitors and controls each CPRI link.
US08385810B2
A system for providing feedback on educational standards within schools includes an interface providing access to a plurality of established educational standards which may be downloaded into a database of the system. A plurality of control modules enables a user to establish educational programs specifically associated with at least one of the downloaded established educational standards and receive feedback on student performance. Real time reports on student performance are provided responsive to the received feedback on student performance.
US08385807B2
The present invention provides an image-bearing member protecting agent containing a fatty acid metal salt, and boron nitride, wherein the boron nitride has an oxygen content of 0.4% by mass to 4.5% by mass, and wherein the image-bearing member protecting agent is applied or attached onto a surface of an image bearing member.
US08385803B2
A fixing device includes a fixing roller that fixes a non-fixed toner image onto a sheet, a separation roller arranged downstream of the fixing roller to separate the sheet, and an endless fixing belt wound around the fixing roller and the separation roller. A pressing roller presses against the fixing roller via the fixing belt and cooperatively fixes the non-fixed toner image with the fixing roller. A guiding member is secured to the fixing device and has a guiding hole. The guiding member guides the separation roller when the separation roller approaches or withdraws from the fixing roller along the guiding hole. A belt tensioner creates a prescribed tension on the fixing belt by applying tension use biasing force to the separation roller in an opposite direction to the fixing roller. A driving force transmitting device directly transmits rotational driving force to the separation roller via an engaging section of the separation roller. The guiding hole has an arc shape coaxially formed with the driving force transmitting device.
US08385788B2
An image forming device includes a movable holding member, a plurality of operation members and a plurality of developer cartridges detachably mountable on the holding member. The holding member has a plurality of photosensitive members and developing devices. Each operation members is disposed on the holding member in correspondence with each developing device. Each of the photosensitive member, the operation member and the developer cartridge extends in a first direction. Each developer cartridge is formed with an opening and has a shutter member linearly movable between an open position and a closed position in the first direction. The shutter member opens the opening at the open position to allow developer to flow and closes the opening at the closed position to prevent developer from flowing. Each operation member is linearly movable in the first direction to move the shutter member between the open position and the closed position.
US08385780B2
A charging member, includes: an electrically-conductive support; an electrical resistance adjustment layer having ion conductivity provided on the electrically-conductive support; an intermediate layer having ion conductivity provided on the electrical resistance adjustment layer; and a surface layer having insulation provided on the intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer is formed of a resin composition containing at least a polyether polyol resin, and the surface layer is formed of a resin composition containing at least one of a fluorine-based resin, a silicone-based resin, a polyamide resin, a polyester resin, and a urethane resin.
US08385774B2
Each of the toner cartridges includes a case, a shutter, a first operation portion and a second operation portion. The shutter is located at an open position where the shutter opens an opening of a case when the first operation portion is located at a first position. The shutter is located at a block position the shutter blocks the opening when the first operation portion is located at a second position. The shutter is located at the open position when the second operation portion is located at a third position. The shutter is located at the block position when the second operation portion is located at a fourth position. An interference unit is configured such that a first operation portions abut the interference unit to be displaced from the second position to the first position when a holder unit is moved from a pulled out position to an accommodated position and such that the second operation portions abut the interference unit to be displaced from the third position to the fourth position when the holder unit is moved from the accommodated position to the pulled out position.
US08385767B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer belt having a surface onto which a toner image is transferred directly or through a transfer medium; plural image forming units that are aligned along a moving direction of the surface of the transfer belt and form the toner image; a support member that supports the transfer belt; a flow path forming member that forms a flow path along the moving direction of the surface of the transfer belt, has plural suction ports through which floating fine toner particles occurring in the plural image forming units are sucked into the flow path, and is disposed at the transfer belt side with respect to the support member; and an exhausting unit that sucks the floating fine toner particles through the suction ports into the flow path, and exhausts the sucked floating fine toner particles from the flow path.
US08385766B2
An image forming apparatus includes, an image forming unit, an irradiating unit, a first low voltage power supply which generates a first low voltage, a first low voltage power supply line, a first switching element, a first high voltage generating unit including a first transformer, a second low voltage power supply, and a control unit. The image forming apparatus further includes a cover which can be opened and closed, wherein the image forming unit detects the opening and closing of the cover; and an interlock switch which interlocks with the opening/closing of the cover and includes a first contact point connected to the first low voltage power supply and a second contact point connected to the first low voltage power supply line, wherein the interlock switch is opened to disconnect the first contact point from the second contact point when the cover is opened.
US08385753B2
An image forming apparatus for forming an image based on image data, includes: a power source for supplying power to various sections of the apparatus; a display section for displaying; and a control section for executing a controlling regarding operations of the apparatus, wherein the control section is provided with a normal power supply mode representing a state of normal power supply, and a power supply mode for operator part replacement representing the state of power supply different from said normal power supply mode, the power supply mode for operator part replacement to which an operator changes the state of power supply on changing a part or a unit of the apparatus.
US08385734B2
A focus control apparatus for use in an imaging apparatus includes an exchangeable lens and a camera body. The exchangeable lens includes an optical system including a focus lens. The camera body is able to hold the exchangeable lens and includes an imaging element. The apparatus further includes a pan•tilt detection unit, a decision unit, and a control unit. The pan•tilt detection unit detects a pan and tilt of the camera body. The decision unit determines whether the exchangeable lens is able to achieve wobbling. The control unit controls an automatic focusing process of the focus lens in accordance with an image data generated by the imaging element. The control unit executes a different automatic focusing process in accordance with a decision made by the decision unit, when the pan or tilt of the camera body is detected to have started.
US08385732B2
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to image stabilization. Image stabilization includes techniques used to reduce jitter associated with the motion of a camera. Image stabilization can compensate for pan and tilt (angular movement, equivalent to yaw and pitch) of a camera or other imaging device. Image stabilization can be used in still and video cameras, including those found in mobile devices such as cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
US08385730B2
An air freshener with customizable fragrances is disclosed. The air freshener accepts a plurality of fragrance modules, which allow a user to create customized fragrant environments. A fan and/or heating element are included to increase fragrance dispersal. Additional components may be included into the air freshener to provide enhancements to the user experience, including but not limited to a clock, timer, or a music player. The air freshener obtains power from a number of sources, such as AC mains or DC batteries. Energy storage devices located on board the air freshener may be charged by inductive or solar power. The air freshener may also include lighting elements and styling cues to integrate into the local environment.
US08385728B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for searching a start position of a broadcast program. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a received broadcast program is recorded in a recording medium while being output as video and audio. If a new broadcast program is started, position information regarding a start part of the new broadcast program is stored in a memory. Thus, a current broadcast program is reproduced from a start part by searching a start position of the current broadcast program recorded in the recording medium with reference to stored position information. A determination on whether the new broadcast program is started is done on the basis of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) information or a change in audio and video signals. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly search and reproduce a start part of a broadcast program which is currently recorded.
US08385725B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for recording digital multimedia by buffering. The method includes performing buffering with regard to each of a plurality of received multimedia services in a predetermined output mode; managing buffering information relating to buffering settings with regard to each of the buffered multimedia services; and controlling output of a corresponding multimedia service according to the buffering information, wherein the output mode comprises a time shift mode where a previously buffered multimedia service is called and reproduced and a background mode where a currently received multimedia service is buffered without being displayed on a screen.
US08385719B2
In a reproducing apparatus capable of displaying text subtitles in synchronization with an AV stream, before the AV stream is reproduced, text subtitle streams and font information are read into a preload buffer section (122, 123) in a sequence determined by a priority language setting section (131), and subtitle images are generated from the text subtitle streams and font information and displayed overlaid on the image information of the AV stream. Even if a preload buffer section with a small memory size is used, when the text subtitle language is switched, the text subtitle display can be switched smoothly, with little likelihood of interrupting the audio-video display.
US08385717B2
There is provided a reproducing apparatus. The reproducing apparatus includes acquisition section configured to read out recorded data from a disk and acquire related data related to the recorded data, reproducing section configured to generate data by using the recorded data read out by the acquisition section and the related data acquired by the acquisition section and output the data as reproduced data, generating section configured to generate specific information that specifies the related data based on data appended to the related data acquired by the acquisition section, and memory control section configured to cause memory section to store reproduction-stop position information indicating reproduction-stop position on the disk and the specific information when the reproduction of the reproducing section is halted.
US08385714B2
A method is provided for visual inspection of an array of interferometric modulators in various driven states. This method may include driving multiple columns or rows of interferometric modulators via a single test pad or test lead, such as test pad, and then observing the array for discrepancies between the expected optical output and the actual optical output of the array. This method may particularly include, for example, driving a set of non-adjacent rows or columns to a state different from the intervening rows or columns and then observing the optical output of the array.
US08385712B2
A cable pulling assembly includes a pulling sleeve, which includes a bore, and a base assembly. The base assembly is selectively engaged with the bore of the pulling sleeve. The base assembly includes a first base member and a second base member. The first and second base members cooperatively define a cable channel. The cable channel includes a plurality of gripping protrusions. A method of assembling a cable pulling assembly includes inserting a portion of a cable into a first channel of a first base member of a base assembly. The first channel in friction fit engagement with the cable. A second base member of the base assembly is engaged to the first base member. The second base member defines a second channel. A connectorized end of the cable is inserted into a bore of a pulling sleeve. The base assembly is engaged to the pulling sleeve.
US08385705B2
Disclosed is an improved, single-mode optical fiber possessing a novel coating system. When combined with a bend-insensitive glass fiber, the novel coating system according to the present invention yields an optical fiber having exceptionally low losses. The coating system features (i) a softer primary coating with excellent low-temperature characteristics to protect against microbending in any environment and in the toughest physical situations and, optionally, (ii) a colored secondary coating possessing enhanced color strength and vividness. The secondary coating provides improved ribbon characteristics for structures that are robust, yet easily entered (i.e., separated and stripped). The optional dual coating is specifically balanced for superior heat stripping in fiber ribbons, with virtually no residue left behind on the glass. This facilitates fast splicing and terminations. The improved coating system provides optical fibers that offer significant advantages for deployment in most, if not all, fiber-to-the-premises (FTTx) systems.
US08385702B2
Bend resistant multimode optical fibers are disclosed herein. Multimode optical fibers disclosed herein comprise a core region and a cladding region surrounding and directly adjacent to the core region, the cladding region comprising a depressed-index annular region, wherein the inner boundary of said depressed index region is an extension of the graded index core, the depressed region having a moat volume greater than 105%-um2.
US08385698B2
A controllable optical ring resonator, a photonic system and a method of controlling an optical ring resonator employ control electrodes periodically spaced apart along a closed loop optical path of an optical waveguide. The controllable optical ring resonator includes the optical waveguide and a plurality of the periodically spaced control electrodes. The photonic system includes an input optical waveguide segment and the controllable optical ring resonator adjacent and optically coupled to the segment. The method includes providing the plurality of periodically spaced control electrodes, providing an optical signal within the optical path, and addressing one or more of the control electrodes to interact with the optical signal within the optical path.
US08385695B2
A nonlinear fluorescence imaging system and method for generating fluorescence imaging includes a pulsed laser source for generating laser pulses at a first wavelength and an optical pulse stretcher including one or more optical pulse stretcher fibers having a first dispersion parameter at the first wavelength. The system also includes a probe for interfacing with a sample to deliver the laser pulses and extract fluorescence signals excited in the sample. One or more optical delivery fibers are included for delivering the laser pulses and collecting nonlinear fluorescence signals. The optical delivery fiber has a second dispersion parameter at the first wavelength which is opposite a polarity of the first dispersion parameter. A detector detects images based on the collected fluorescence signals.
US08385694B2
An automated optical switch for use in a central office to increase coupling density including a frame having a mating plate defining a plurality of precision alignment holes formed therethrough. In one embodiment, the precision alignment holes are sized and configured to receive corresponding pairs of optical fibers with polished end faces disposed within ferrules free of connector housings. In another embodiment, the precision alignment holes are sized and configured to receive optical fibers with polished end faces free of ferrules and connector housings.
US08385685B2
A system and method include decomposing via a computer an ocular region into several filtered images of different orientation and scale, using the computer to combine the decomposed images for each scale, using a computer executed classifier for each scale, matching across different quality images, and using a computer, constructing a matching score by combining the scale scores using adaptively weighted sum for each scale.
US08385682B2
A defective pixel specifying method and a defective pixel specifying system for a semiconductor device having a defective pixel are provided. Also provided are an image correcting method and an image correcting system for making a defective pixel inconspicuous on the screen when a read image is displayed. The present invention determines whether or not there is a defective pixel for each pixel and specifies the coordinate of the defective pixel using image signals obtained by reading a plurality of images. The image signal of the defective pixel is set based on the image signals of the pixels adjacent to the defective pixel to correct the image of the subject read.
US08385668B2
A display panel driver includes a compression circuit configured to, when receiving image data of a plurality of pixels of a target block, generate compressed image data corresponding to the target block by compressing the image data, an image memory configured to store the compressed image data, a decompression circuit configured to generate decompressed image data by decompressing the compressed image data reading from the image memory, and a drive circuit configured to drive a display panel in response to the decompressed image data. The number of bits of the compression type recognition bit of the compressed image data becomes low, when the correlation between the image data of the plurality of pixels becomes low.
US08385666B2
In various embodiments, methods and systems are disclosed for dynamic runtime implementation and end-to-end biased tuning of a two stage image classification system based on a decision function that uses network packet sizes and multiple image characteristics to determine the selection of an encoding codec to reduce overall network bandwidth consumption.
US08385659B2
A system for and method of displaying non-rectangular images in electronic content on an electronic device in accordance with exemplary embodiments may include identifying, using a template identification computing apparatus, an image shape template associated with a non-rectangular image that is part of electronic content to be displayed on the electronic device, determining, using a boundary region determination computing apparatus, a boundary region of the image shape template, placing, using an image placement computing apparatus, the non-rectangular image inside the boundary region of the image shape template and on the electronic content, flowing, using a text flow computing apparatus, text that is part of the electronic content outside and along the boundary region of the image shape template, and transmitting, using a communication computing apparatus, the electronic content along with the non-rectangular image to the electronic device via a network.
US08385655B2
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. According to a feature of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, identifying a dominant region of single reflectance in the image and segregating the image into intrinsic images as a function of the dominant region of single reflectance.
US08385654B2
The present invention provides a salience estimation method for object-based visual attention model. The method comprises steps of segmenting the image into a plurality of objects to be estimated, extracting feature maps for each segmented object, calculating the saliences of each segmented object in a set of circles defined around a center pixel of the object based on the extracted feature maps, and integrating the saliences of each segmented object in all circles in order to achieve an overall salience estimation for each segmented object. The present invention is much more human vision inosculated and of low computing complexity.
US08385651B2
A character recognition device includes: an acquiring unit that acquires image data describing pixel values representing colors of pixels constituting an image; a binarizing unit that binarizes the pixel values; an extracting unit that extracts boundaries of colors in the image; a delimiting unit that delimits plural image areas in the image; a specifying unit that specifies, with regard to first image areas arranged according to a predetermined rule, pixels binarized by the binarizing unit, as a subject for character recognition, and specifies, with regard to second image areas not arranged according to the predetermined rule, pixels of areas surrounded by boundaries extracted by the extracting unit, as a subject for character recognition; and a character recognition unit that recognizes characters represented by the pixels specified by the specifying unit as a subject for character recognition.
US08385645B2
An object detecting device includes a calculating unit configured to calculate gradient intensity and gradient orientation of luminance for a plurality of regions in an image and calculate a frequency distribution of the luminance gradient intensity as to the calculated luminance gradient orientation for each of the regions, and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not an identified object is included in the image by comparing a plurality of frequency distributions calculated for each of the regions.
US08385638B2
One aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a method that includes sampling an image to generate a sample portion; evaluating pixels in the sample portion to determine whether the pixels correspond to skin tone colors; generating, based on the determination, a skin tone result indicating a confidence level that the received image includes a depiction of human skin; and providing the skin tone result to an image management application to indicate a likelihood the image depicts a human face.
US08385632B2
A generic classifier is adapted to detect an object in a particular scene, wherein the particular scene was unknown when the classifier was trained with generic training data. A camera acquires a video of frames of the particular scene. A model of the particular scene model is constructed using the frames in the video. The classifier is applied to the model to select negative examples, and new negative examples are added to the training data while removing another set of existing negative examples from the training data based on an uncertainty measure. Selected positive examples are also added to the training data and the classifier is retrained until a desired accuracy level is reached to obtain a scene specific classifier.
US08385628B2
An image encoding method includes determining and encoding global parallax data which is probably correct parallax data in consideration of the Epipolar geometry constraint between a camera of a standard viewpoint, which is selected from the entire multi-viewpoint images, and images obtained by all the other viewpoints; generating base parallax data for each camera as a viewpoint other than the standard viewpoint, where the base parallax data is probably correct parallax data in consideration of the Epipolar geometry constraint between the image of the relevant camera and the images of all the other cameras based on the global parallax data and the camera parameters; determining and encoding correction parallax data used for correcting the base parallax data, so as to indicate parallax data between the image of the relevant camera and an already-encoded reference viewpoint image used for parallax compensation; and encoding the image of the relevant camera by using parallax data obtained by correcting the base parallax data by means of the correction parallax data.
US08385626B2
An embedded imaging system for addressing burn rack time issues. The embedded imaging system focuses on flexibility, control, and the ability to run without manufacturer specific IT capabilities (which allows the use of the embedded imaging system at outside manufacturing facilities).
US08385623B2
A radiographic apparatus of this invention, imaging (slot imaging) is carried out in one operation for obtaining a plurality of radiographic images based on radiation detected with an irradiation field restricted to be narrow by the irradiation field control device. Since these plurality of radiographic images are images picked up with the irradiation field restricted to be narrow, a center calculating device can determine a shifted center of the radiographic images. A shift calculating device derives a shift of the center of the X-ray images from a positional relationship between the shifted center of the radiographic images determined and the irradiation field of a radiation detecting device. Since the shift is corrected for the plurality of radiographic images per se based on the shift determined, the shift can be corrected in one slot imaging operation. At a time of slot imaging, the shift can be corrected while determining a central point at a point of time when each image is acquired, or determining a central point all together after acquiring a series of images.
US08385621B2
A reconstruction method for an image of an object, the reconstruction method comprising receiving a first projection data set representing information about said object, receiving a second projection data set representing information about said object, reconstructing a first image of said object using the first projection data set, reconstructing a second image of said object using the second projection data set, performing a registration between the first image and the second image, and fusing the first image and the second image to said image of said object, wherein the first projecting data set and the second projecting data set are achieved by using a single radiation type.
US08385618B2
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for determining the energy of a laser. In particular, the invention relates to an initial determination of a laser energy and the monitoring of the laser energy preferably of an excimer laser for use in a refractive laser system for treatment of any eye. An apparatus for determining an energy of an excimer laser comprises a tool comprising an area being ablated with a plurality of laser pulses of said excimer laser using at least one predetermined multi spot ablation pattern, said ablation area comprising a specific ablation area being as large as the ablation area or smaller, an image capturing means for capturing at least one image comprising at least said specific ablation area of the tool; an analyzing means for analyzing said at least one image, wherein the size of the specific ablation area provides a measure of the energy of the excimer laser.
US08385615B2
The invention features a method including: (i) providing spectrally resolved information about light coming from different spatial locations in a sample comprising deep tissue in response to an illumination of the sample, wherein the light includes contributions from different components in the sample; (ii) decomposing the spectrally resolved information for each of at least some of the different spatial locations into contributions from spectral estimates associated with at least some of the components in the sample; and (iii) constructing a deep tissue image of the sample based on the decomposition to preferentially show a selected one of the components.
US08385613B2
A biometric authentication system, including a database of digital images of biometrics of known people, a camera for capturing a digital image of a biometric of an unknown person, a two-dimensional gradient filter coupled with said database and said camera for deriving a spatial gradient of a digital image, and a match processor coupled with the two-dimensional gradient filter for processing two spatial gradients and determining the extent to which the unknown biometric corresponds with a known biometric. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described and claimed.
US08385606B2
An image processing apparatus includes detecting means for detecting the number of face image elements, which are one or more image elements of faces, included in an image, and associating means for associating the image with the detected number of face image elements.
US08385588B2
A method of processing audio signals recorded during display of image data from a media file on a display device to produce semantic understanding data and associating such data with the original media file, includes: separating a desired audio signal from the aggregate mixture of audio signals; analyzing the separated signal for purposes of gaining semantic understanding; and associating the semantic information obtained from the audio signals recorded during image display with the original media file.
US08385584B2
A diaphragm includes a central portion and an edge portion around the central portion. The central portion includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes therein. The central portion is a carbon nanotube structure or a carbon nanotube composite structure. A loudspeaker using the diaphragm is also disclosed. The loudspeaker includes the diaphragm and a voice coil connected to the diaphragm. The voice coil is connected to an outer periphery of the central portion or a joint portion between the central portion and the edge portion.
US08385579B2
A diaphragm includes a membrane and at least one reinforcing structure stacked on the membrane. The at least one reinforcing structure includes at least one free-standing carbon nanotube structure. The at least one free-standing carbon nanotube structure includes a net structure of a plurality of carbon nanotubes combined to each other due to the van der Waals attractive force. A loudspeaker using the diaphragm is also disclosed.
US08385575B2
A reflex enclosure, includes an enclosure body, a loudspeaker, a waveguide portion and a vibration unit; a rearward sound wave generated from the loudspeaker is guided 360 degree (in all directions) from the outside of the waveguide portion to the inside of the waveguide portion, and then push the vibration unit to generate vibration to generate a corresponding sound wave, thereby reducing a standing wave ratio of the rearward sound wave in a sound room to obtain a better timbre. Furthermore, the length of a rearward sound wave guiding distance can be extended, allowing the sound wave to have the effect of extending toward a low frequency compass. In addition, the rearward sound wave is allowed to compress to increase a vibration unit pushing force, thereby obtaining a better sound effect.
US08385566B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a decentralized mixer includes an audio input circuit to receive one or more local audio input signals, a network adapter to couple to a network and to receive one or more mix busses from one or more other mixers coupled to the network, a digital signal processor to create a local mix of the local audio input signals in combination with the mix busses from the network, and a recording circuit to record the local mix, and/or to record the raw signals from the mix busses and the local audio input signals.
US08385564B2
A thermally regulated amplifier system includes an amplifier unit, a temperature-sensing unit and a controller. The amplifier unit includes a power amplifier that has an adjustable gain function. The controller receives temperature readings from the temperature-sensing unit, computes the gain G(n) of the amplifier unit, and provides the computed gain of the amplifier G(n) to the power amplifier unit.
US08385563B2
A system and method for controlling a sound level of a mobile audio device are disclosed herein. In accordance with at least some embodiments, a system includes a transducer, a phase estimator, and a sound level control. The transducer converts an electrical signal applied to the transducer into audible sound. The phase estimator estimates a phase difference between a voltage and a current of the electrical signal applied to the transducer. The sound level control controls the loudness of sound produced by the transducer based, at least in part on the estimated phase difference.
US08385562B2
Provided is a sound source signal filtering method and apparatus. The sound source signal filtering method includes: generating two or more microphone output signals by combining sound source signals input through a plurality of microphones; calculating distances between the microphones and a sound source from which the sound source signals are emitted by using distance relationships according to frequencies of the sound source signals extracted from the generated microphone output signals; and filtering the sound source signals to obtain one or more sound source signals corresponding to a predetermined distance by using the calculated distances. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain only sound source signals emitted from a sound source at a particular distance from the microphone array among a plurality of sound source signals input through the microphone array.
US08385555B2
A content delivery network and method employing a Downloadable Conditional Access System (“DCAS”) includes first and second personalization servers. A unit key list having unique keys is segmented into different blocks. Each block is encrypted with a separate transmission key corresponding to that block such that first and second blocks are respectively encrypted with first and second transmission keys. The encrypted blocks are communicated to the personalization servers. The first transmission key is communicated to the first personalization server without being communicated to another personalization server such that the first server can decrypt the first block using the first transmission key to access the keys of the first block. The second transmission key is communicated to the second personalization server without being communicated to another personalization server such that the second server can decrypt the second block using the second transmission key to access the keys of the second block.
US08385548B2
Apparatus and method for producing quantum entangled signal and idler photon pairs is provided. The apparatus makes use of a nonlinear optical fiber to generate the entangled photons. The use of an external broad band light source for alignment of any downstream measurement apparatuses is disclosed. One or more polarized output signals can be generated at both the signal and idler wavelengths using the alignment source, allowing the downstream measurement apparatuses to be aligned using classical light. Multiple signal and idler wavelengths can be generated and aligned using such a system.
US08385544B2
A packet based high bandwidth copy protection method is described that includes the following operations. Forming a number of data packets at a source device, encrypting selected ones of the data packets based upon a set of encryption values, transmitting the encrypted data packets from the source device to a sink device coupled thereto, decrypting the encrypted data packets based in part upon the encryption values, and accessing the decrypted data packets by the sink device.
US08385543B1
A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing confidentiality, integrity and authenticity for a video file is presented. An encryption header is produced for the video file, the video file including a plurality of packets that carry content, the encryption header containing information necessary to successfully decrypt the video file. The encryption header is added to the video file. An encryption key is generated from a master key identified in the encryption header and, using the encryption key, individual packets of the video file that carry content are encrypted. The video file comprises one of the group consisting of pre-recorded streaming video, live streaming video and randomly accessed video.
US08385537B1
A computerized method and related system and software for simplifying telephonic calling, comprising: designating a default destination area code; the user specifying a destination telephone number; and as a default, causing the call to be signaled using the designated default destination area code in combination with the specified destination telephone number, without the user entering the designated default destination area code when specifying the destination telephone number.
US08385525B2
An Internet accessed server that on demand downloads and activates text-to-speech program elements to a subscriber's computer. Program elements are customized to match the operating system of the subscriber's computer. Upon termination of the text-to-speech session, the server deactivates all program elements and the subscriber becomes free to reinitiate over the Internet the text-to-speech program on the same or another computer system.
US08385522B2
A method and system for updating the available amount of a service to be used by a user in a communications system, wherein a requested amount of a requested service is reserved if it is available. It is detected if a valid delivery of the requested service has been performed, if so, the delivered amount of said requested service is accumulated; and available amount is updated in dependence of the delivered amount.
US08385514B2
Communication networks and associated methods are disclosed that provide an advertisement or other type of informational message to a calling party before providing ringback tones. A communication network described herein receives a call from the calling party to the called party, and temporarily interrupts call processing for the call. The communication network then selects an advertisement for the call, and initiates delivery of the advertisement to the calling party. After the advertisement is delivered to the calling party, the communication network resumes call processing for the call. In resuming call processing, the communication network provides ringback tones to the calling party and attempts to connect the call to the called party.
US08385503B2
An X-ray diffraction contrast tomography system (DCT) comprising a laboratory X-ray source (2), a staging device (5) rotating a polycrystalline material sample in the direct path of the X-ray beam, a first X-ray detector (6) detecting the direct X-ray beam being transmitted through the crystalline material sample, a second X-ray detector (7) positioned between the staging device and the first X-ray detector for detecting diffracted X-ray beams, and a processing device (15) for analysing detected values. The crystallographic grain orientation of the individual grain in the polycrystalline sample is determined based on the two-dimensional position of extinction spots and the associated angular position of the sample for a set of extinction spots pertaining to the individual grain.
US08385502B1
A treatment planning, simulation, and verification system is described. According to one embodiment, a treatment plan and a fluoroscopy data image of a treatment volume are received and the treatment plan is automatically adjusted based on the movement of the fluoroscopy data image. According another embodiment, a system includes a treatment planning component to generate a treatment plan and a simulation component to simulate the execution of the treatment plan.
US08385492B2
Described are methods and circuits for margin testing digital receivers. These methods and circuits prevent margins from collapsing in response to erroneously received data, and can thus be used in receivers that employ historical data to reduce intersymbol interference (ISI). Some embodiments detect receive errors for input data streams of unknown patterns, and can thus be used for in-system margin testing. Such systems can be adapted to dynamically alter system parameters during device operation to maintain adequate margins despite fluctuations in the system noise environment due to e.g. temperature and supply-voltage changes. Also described are methods of plotting and interpreting filtered and unfiltered error data generated by the disclosed methods and circuits. Some embodiments filter error data to facilitate pattern-specific margin testing.
US08385486B2
There is provided a diversity receiving apparatus, comprising: a first branch (5) for decoding a frequency multiplexing signal in which a carrier group has been multiplexed, thereby outputting a first data carrier and a first pilot carrier; a second branch (6) for decoding a frequency multiplexing signal in which a carrier group has been multiplexed, thereby outputting a second data carrier and a second pilot carrier; a timing adjusting unit (7) for synchronizing processing timing for a carrier group decoded by the first branch (5) and a carrier group decoded by the second branch (6); a combining/selecting unit (8) for combining/selecting the first data carrier and/or the second data carrier; and a control unit (10) for controlling stopping and starting operation of at least one of the first branch (5) and the second branch (6) according to at least one of a receiving status of the first branch (5) and a receiving status of second branch (6).
US08385476B2
A phase locked loop circuit (30, 100, 110) includes a controllable oscillator (42) for generating an output signal of desired frequency responsive to a control signal, a first phase detection circuit (32, 102, 112) for generating an output indicative of phase differential responsive to the output signal and a first edge of a reference signal and a second phase detection circuit (34, 104, 114) for generating an output indicative of phase differential responsive to the output signal and a second edge of a reference signal. The control signal to the controllable oscillator (42) is driven by the outputs of the first and second phase detections circuits.
US08385468B2
An asynchronous delta-sigma modulator is proposed that comprises an input port, a filter, an envelope path, a phase path, an amplifier, and a feedback path that conveys the amplifier output signal to the filter. The envelope path extracts an envelope from the signal provided by the filter and issues an envelope signal. The phase path processes or processes a phase from the signal provided by the filter and issues a phase signal. The amplifier comprises input ports for the envelope signal and the phase signal. The amplifier issues an amplifier output signal based on said envelope signal and said phase signal. The feedback path conveys the amplifier output signal to the filter. The feedback signal contains both amplitude information and phase information. A corresponding method and computer-program products usable for production and operation of the delta-sigma modulator are also disclosed.
US08385465B2
In a communications system, transmitter power gain can be changed between symbols. A power gain change of a first part of a transmit chain is initiated a first time, whereas a power gain change of a second part of the transmit chain is initiated at a second time, such that the resulting power gain changes of the first and second parts both occur substantially within an inter-symbol time in a desired relationship to one another. In one example, the power gain change of the first part is initiated before the beginning of the inter-symbol time to account for expected serial bus latency between initiation and execution of the power gain change of the first part. The power gain change of the second part is initiated during the inter-symbol time such that overall power does not exceed an amount (for example, a maximum permitted under a communication standard).
US08385461B1
A system and method including deriving a subcarrier frequency from a binary data stream having a clock frequency, wherein the subcarrier frequency is substantially the same as the clock frequency; gating the subcarrier frequency using the data stream to produce a modulated OOK signal; determining a OOK subcarrier center frequency based on the modulated OOK signal with the clock frequency; delaying the modulated OOK signal relative to the binary data stream by a predetermined amount to produce a delayed modulated OOK signal; conditioning the modulated OOK signal and the delayed modulated OOK signal to create a differential transition signal in an I channel and a Q channel to provide a stable amplitude signal level reference at an input to an I and Q vector modulator.
US08385459B2
Provided is a cyclic shift sequence generation method which can prevent coming of an interference wave into a desired wave detection window even if a cyclic shift sequence has a high mutual correlation in different bandwidths, thereby improving a channel estimation accuracy in a base station. In this method, a cyclic shift sequence number to be allocated to a cell is decided in advance. Moreover, when the cyclic shift amount between cyclic shift sequences allocated in cells is Δ1 and the cyclic shift amount of the cyclic shift sequences allocated between the cells is Δ2, Δ1 and Δ2 are made different when generating a cyclic shift sequence.
US08385451B2
The present invention is a method and apparatus for improving the performance of spatial temporal turbo channel coding (STTCC) used in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication systems called eigen-STTCC (E-STTCC) that employs eigen-beamforming to make use of orthogonal eigen streams in the MIMO channel. Singular value decomposition (SVD) is applied to the channel matrix producing a linear precoding matrix containing the orthonormal basis for the eigen streams. In a first embodiment, the turbo encoded codeword containing concatenated systematic and parity bits is precoded with the linear precoding matrix such that the systematic bits are transmitted over the eigen streams with highest power. In a second embodiment, the codeword is made up of interleaved systematic bits and parity bits prior to eigen beamform preceding, effectively interleaving the systematic and data bits spatially over the eigen streams. In an alternate embodiment, the data stream is interleaved at the input to the encoder.
US08385447B2
A transport stream (TS) generating apparatus, a transmitting apparatus, a receiving apparatus, a digital broadcast system having the above, and a method thereof are provided. The digital broadcast system includes a transport stream (TS) generating apparatus which generates a multi transport stream (TS) by multiplexing a normal stream and a turbo stream having a variable coding rate, a transmitting apparatus which re-constructs the multi TS by processing the turbo stream, and transmits the re-constructed multi TS, and a receiving apparatus which receives the re-constructed multi TS, and decodes the normal stream and the turbo stream respectively, to recover normal data and turbo data. Accordingly, a multi TS, which includes normal stream and a turbo stream of various coding rates, can be transmitted and received efficiently.
US08385440B2
An apparatus includes a signal generator to output one of a first sequence or a second sequence and to augment sequences with cover codes, such that a sum of out-of-phase aperiodic autocorrelation coefficients of the first sequence and the second sequence of is zero, a physical layer preamble controller to control the signal generator to generate a preamble of a data unit, including a short training field (STF) formatter to cause the signal generator to generate an STF for use in at least frame synchronization, and a long training field (LTF) formatter to cause the signal generator to generate an LTF for use in at least channel estimation, such that the STF formatter controls the signal generator to include the first sequence in a last portion of the STF, and the LTF formatter controls the signal generator to include the second sequence in a beginning portion of the LTF.
US08385438B1
A system and method are disclosed to synchronize adaptively a transform window in a multiple sub-carrier communication system based on analysis of a time domain channel impulse response. A set of frequency domain channel estimates, derived from received and one-dimensional Wiener filter interpolated channel estimates, are transformed into a time domain channel impulse response estimate containing multiple, repeated constituent responses. Each order of the constituent responses in the time domain channel impulse response estimate is associated with a two-dimensional Wiener interpolation filter. The set of two-dimensional Wiener interpolation filters generate interpolated channel estimates to compare with received channel estimates to determine a best channel impulse response order of the constituent responses. The transform window is adaptively updated using the best channel impulse response order.
US08385415B2
A video system for coding a stream of video data that includes a stream of video frames divides each video frame into a matrix of a plurality of subblocks, wherein each subblock includes a plurality of pixels. The video system operates in accordance with nine prediction modes. Each prediction mode determines a prediction mode according to which a present subblock is to be coded. One of the nine prediction modes is selected to encode the present subblock, wherein the selected prediction mode provides for a minimum error value in the present subblock.
US08385411B2
A method of processing a video signal is disclosed. The present invention includes receiving prediction information of a macroblock and filter information, predicting a current picture using the prediction information of the macroblock, and applying a filter using the predicted current picture and the filter information. Accordingly, accuracy of prediction can be enhanced by applying a filter to a frame predicted before a residual for a predicted frame is coded. As the residual is reduced, efficiency of video signal processing can be enhanced.
US08385391B2
Methods and systems for calculating pre-distortion coefficients in a closed-loop communication system are presented. Transmission terminals that include high power amplifiers are difficult to operate at or near the saturation point without transmitting signals with nonlinear distortions. By pre-distorting the signal prior to amplification the transmitted nonlinear distortions may be decreased. A closed-looped pre-distortion system may include a receiver that calculates the pre-distortion coefficients and transmits these coefficients back to the transmitter. These coefficients may be stored in a pre-distortion coefficient lookup table and may be updated by the receiver terminal.
US08385386B2
Accordingly, a method and apparatus are provided to convert received content into a first stream and a second stream, to transmit said first stream using a first tone and to transmit said second stream using an orthogonal scheme. A layering scheme is used to transmit the base stream covering a smaller area and an enhanced stream is used to cover a large utilizing orthogonal scheme.
US08385382B2
A compact solid state laser that generates multiple wavelengths and multiple beams that are parallel, i.e., bore-sighted relative to each other, is disclosed. Each of the multiple laser beams can be at a different wavelength, pulse energy, pulse length, repetition rate and average power. Each of the laser beams can be turned on or off independently. The laser is comprised of an optically segmented gain section, common laser resonator with common surface segmented cavity mirrors, optically segmented pump laser, and different intra-cavity elements in each laser segment.
US08385364B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to allocate resources in discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiple access (DFT-S-OFDMA) networks, which involve determining a reward for each user when assigned a frequency chunk (FC) of subcarriers, where each FC is a set of contiguous subcarriers; splitting each user into one or more sub-users, with each sub-user having identical rewards; and assigning resources with a message-passing based FC allocation.
US08385363B2
A system for adapting an analog system to a packet network may include an electronic signal adapter in communication with the analog system and packet network. The electronic signal adapter may be configured to convert information received in data packets from the packet network into dual-tone multiple frequency (DTMF) signals and single tone analog signals and to communicate the DTMF and single tone analog signals to the analog system. The single tones may have a signal strength below approximately −25 dBm. The electronic signal adapter may further be configured to receive and convert analog signals into digital data for communication in data packets over a packet network.
US08385355B1
An E-Tree is disclosed which includes a root node associated with a Metro Ethernet network. The E-Tree includes a first Virtual Bridge (VB), associated with the root node, which is configured to process Ethernet traffic, and a second node associated with the Metro Ethernet network. The E-Tree includes a second VB, associated with the second node, configured to process Ethernet traffic and having a first connection between the first VB and the second VB. The second VB is configured to be able to send Ethernet traffic to the first VB via the first connection, if appropriate. In the event there is a second connection between the second VB and a third VB and the second connection has been assigned a down direction from the point of view of the second VB, the second VB is not permitted to send traffic received from the second connection to another connection which from the point of view of the second VB has been assigned a down direction.
US08385347B2
A mobile node transmits a frame requesting IP address allocation information needed to obtain an IP address in a neighboring network; receives a frame including the IP address allocation information requested in the transmitted frame; and obtains an IP address in the neighboring network based on the IP address allocation information in the received frame to move to the neighboring network.
US08385346B2
A system and method for forming N0GBASE-T. In one embodiment, N 10GBASE-T PHYs are matched to a N×10G MAC via a shim layer. The shim layer is designed to distribute data received from a higher rate MAC to multiple lower-rate PHYs on the transmit end, and to collect data received from multiple lower-rate PHYs to a higher rate MAC.
US08385345B2
A system and method are disclosed for forwarding data in hybrid wireless mesh networks. The method includes configuring a number of mesh network nodes as Potential Relay Nodes (PRNs) in an overlay network associated with a hybrid wireless mesh network, streaming data packets from a source node to a destination node using a native data forwarding algorithm of the hybrid wireless mesh network, dynamically identifying Relay Nodes (RNs) among PRNs in the overlay network, creating secondary paths for sending data packets towards selected RNs in the overlay network, and relaying data packets from RNs to the destination node using the overlay network.
US08385338B2
In at least some embodiments, a multicast communication system includes sender and a plurality of receivers in communication with the sender. The sender is configured to multicast a data packet to the plurality of receivers. The plurality of receivers are configured to acknowledge the data packet received from the sender based on weakest member selection without a sender-side competitive time window.
US08385332B2
A new architecture provides network-based mobility in cellular networks that is built on Internet Protocol (IP)/Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technologies, such as Virtual Private Local Area Network (LAN) Service (VPLS), the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and BGP MPLS Layer 3 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The architecture consists of several building blocks that provide functionality for different aspects of cellular network mobility. One building block is network-based macro mobility in IP/MPLS networks. The macro mobility techniques described herein are built on extensions to a routing protocol such as BGP. Another building block relates to transferring subscriber context between network devices while preserving the IP address of the subscriber. The techniques described herein provide a subscriber context transfer mechanism for mobile subscriber management that is built on extensions to a routing protocol such as BGP. Another building block of the mobility architecture is network-based micro mobility based on VPLS.
US08385324B2
A method for managing allocation of paths for transmission, in packets of symbols, of at least a first data content, each content being transmitted from a source node up to a destination node in a meshed communications network comprising a plurality of nodes, each destination node receiving a plurality of copies of a same packet of symbols of the content transmitted to said destination node by a source node, each copy being received by the destination node via a distinct transmission path directly from the source node or via at least one relay node of the meshed communications network, the packets being encoded with an error correction code enabling decoding by erasure of packets symbols. Such a method comprises the following steps: selecting a set of transmission paths from the source node up to the destination node for the transmission of copies of at least one packet of the first content, for which an estimated first number of erasures of symbols of the at least one packet is smaller than a determined threshold, the first number of erasures being estimated from a piece of information on quality of transmission that is determined and associated with each of the selected transmission paths, the threshold being determined as a function of an erasure correction capability of the error correction code; allocating the selected transmission paths to the transmission of the first content from said source node up to said destination node.
US08385314B1
Disclosed are methods and systems for modifying a data-synchronization interval for an access terminal based on a number of access terminals being served by a wireless access point in a coverage area. In at least one embodiment, an access terminal periodically polls at least one network device via the access point for synchronization data according to a first data-synchronization interval. The access terminal receives from the access point information indicative of a number of access terminals being served by the access point in the coverage area. The access terminal determines a second data-synchronization interval based at least in part on a comparison of the number to a threshold value. Subsequent to determining the second data-synchronization interval, the access terminal periodically polls the at least one network device for synchronization data according to the second data-synchronization interval.
US08385307B2
A TFC selection apparatus includes: a SIR calculation unit calculating SIR by using a CPICH symbol of receive data; a conversion unit obtaining STFC(m) which contains m pieces of TFC corresponding to the calculated SIR; a total transmit power calculation unit selecting TFC corresponding to the obtained STFC(m) from a TFCS which is a set of TFCs sequenced in proportion to a magnitude of total transmit power, and calculating total transmit power of TFC included in the TFCS in order indicated by a search direction signal, beginning with the selected TFC as a starting point; and a TFC selection unit generating the search direction signal based on the calculated total transmit power of the TFC as the starting point, and selecting an optimum TFC to be applied to transmit data from the TFCS, wherein the TFC selection unit selects TFC as the optimum TFC corresponding to total transmit power which indicates less than or equal to as well as approximate to a maximum value allowed for the transmit data.
US08385306B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems and apparatuses for optimizing downlink path loss (PL) measurements in time division duplex (TDD) systems enabling fast power control targeting to decrease fading margin. In one embodiment, a method of power control in a long term evolution time division duplex (TDD) system is provided. The method includes controlling a length of a path loss measurement filter based on an allocation type. A width and frequency position of the path loss measurement filter is made dependent on the allocation type.
US08385304B2
A controlling device is used to configure an appliance for wireless network communications through use of a setup wizard installed on a computing device. The setup wizard is used to obtain from a user information required to perform communications on a wireless network via a wireless network router and a digital representation of the information obtained from the user through use of the setup wizard is provided to the controlling device. The controlling device is then used to transfer the digital representation of the information to the appliance whereupon the appliance will use the digital representation of the information to configure itself for wireless network communications.
US08385293B2
A code division multiple access telecommunications network including an underlay base station in a private premises and a plurality of overlay macro base stations. The underlay base station includes a GPS receiver and a mobile unit receiver. The underlay base station uses its geographic location to obtain information identifying macro base stations within a preselected distance of the underlay base station. It uses the mobile receiver to measure pilot signal strength of the macro base stations. It generates a neighbor list of the identified macro base stations ranked according to pilot signal strength.
US08385291B2
A method for configuring a network is described, the method comprising: receiving, from a first radio node in the network, network information associated with one or more second radio nodes in the network; generating a network relation table, the network relation table comprising network information associated with the first radio node and the one or more second radio nodes; and performing a handoff to a third radio node in the network using the network relation table.
US08385287B2
Provided is a base station capable of suppressing increase of overhead of allocation result report in frequency scheduling in multi-carrier communication and obtaining a sufficient frequency diversity effect. In the base station, encoding units (101-1 to 101-n) encode data (#1 to #n) to mobile stations (#1 to #n), modulation units (102-1 to 102-n) modulate the encoded data so as to generate a data symbol, a scheduler (103) performs frequency scheduling according to a CQI from each mobile station so as to uniformly allocate data to the respective mobile stations for a part of RB extracted from a plurality of RB, and an SCCH generation unit (105) generates control information (SCCH information) to report the allocation result in the scheduler (103) to the respective mobile stations.
US08385285B2
A network, a method and devices (i.e., mobile node, access router, home agent, destination home agent) are described herein for enabling an efficient hybrid route optimization between two mobile endpoints so they can re-direct their data traffic to an optimal path without exchanging any mobility signaling messages.
US08385284B2
The invention relates to a method for providing control signalling associated to a protocol data unit conveying user data in a mobile communication system and to the control channel signal itself. Furthermore, the invention also provides a mobile station and a base station and their respective operation in view of the newly defined control channel signals defined herein. In order to reduce the control channel overhead, the invention suggests defining a common field for the transport format and redundancy version in the control channel information format. According to one approach, the common field is used to jointly encode transport format and redundancy version therein. According to another aspect, one shared field is provided on the control channel signal that indicates either a transport format or a redundancy version depending of whether the control channel signal relates to an initial transmission or a retransmission. In another embodiment, further enhancements to a HARQ protocol are suggested for addressing certain error cases.
US08385278B2
A mobile radio terminal includes a radio transmission/reception unit and a control unit. The radio transmission/reception unit uses a radio signal to perform transmission and reception to and from a base station belonging to a circuit switching network, and also uses a radio signal to perform transmission and reception to and from a base station belonging to a mobile communication network. The mobile communication network is connected to the circuit switching network and forms an integrated communication network together with the circuit switching network. When the mobile radio terminal is on standby in a base station belonging to the mobile communication network, the control unit activates the radio transmission/reception unit and controls the radio transmission/reception unit so as to maintain synchronization with a base station belonging to the circuit switching network.
US08385273B2
A base station according to the present invention includes: a scheduling unit configured to perform a persistent scheduling for transmitting data at a predetermined timing; and a scheduling information generating unit configured to generate scheduling information and to notify the scheduling information to a predetermined mobile station, when the persistent scheduling is performed. The scheduling information includes resource assignment information that indicates a radio resource assigned to the predetermined mobile station at the predetermined timing in the persistent scheduling.
US08385268B2
Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate efficient control decoding to facilitate management of cooperative relay operation in a wireless communication environment. As described herein, a relay node (RN) and/or another entity cooperating with a serving network node for respective users in a potentially assisted group can prune a search space of control decoding candidates corresponding to the respective users. For example, respective control decoding candidates corresponding to, e.g., common and/or user-specific search spaces, aggregation levels, control channel sizes, etc., can be eliminated from a reduced control search space based on various criteria. Further, sets of control decoding candidates corresponding to respective users not schedulable at a given time interval can be eliminated. In addition, control search space pruning can be performed in addition to or in place of increased cyclic redundancy check (CRC) protection for control information, thereby further decreasing the probability of false control detection.
US08385259B2
A wireless system including a plurality of WRAN's operating on different channels identifies and addresses a number of important issues relating to the current CBP mechanism (in D0.3) used for inter-cell discovery and communication. The present invention provides fundamental remedies to respectively resolve these issues. Moreover, an Enhanced Coexistence Beaconing Protocol (CBP) is provided that allows efficient, scalable, and backward-compatible cross-channel inter-cell communications for IEEE 802.22 systems.
US08385250B2
A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method are disclosed. In an aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a data processing method including receiving a broadcast signal in which main service data and mobile service data are multiplexed, demodulating the received broadcast signal, outputting demodulation time information of a specific position of a broadcast signal frame, and acquiring reference time information contained in the mobile service data frame, setting the reference time information to a system time clock at a specific time based on the demodulation time information and decoding the mobile service data according to the system time clock.
US08385245B2
An apparatus is provided in one example embodiment and includes a content player that receives a request for content from an endpoint and evaluates whether a given portion of the content has already been multicasted. If the portion has been multicasted, then the endpoint is connected to a multicast version of the portion of the content, and if the portion has not been previously multicasted then the portion of content is added to a multicast transmission schedule. In more specific embodiments, the content player requests a piece of content from a content source and segments the piece of content into clips to be delivered to one or more endpoints. In still other embodiments, if the portion has not been previously multicasted then the portion of content is sent over a unicast channel.
US08385241B2
A method is provided for detection of an uplink grant for a user agent (UA). The method comprises detecting a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) activation/reconfiguration signaling over a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) only during an SPS activation window, wherein the SPS activation window precedes a discontinuous reception (DRX) on-duration by a predetermined amount of time. Also included is a UA comprising a component configured to detect an SPS activation/reconfiguration signaling over a PDCCH only during an SPS activation window, wherein the SPS activation window precedes a DRX on-duration by a predetermined amount of time.
US08385229B2
A user interface for viewing network system data is provided and includes at least one company level view that includes a list of one or more service regions within a company, at least one regional level view that includes a list of one or more service markets within each of the one or more service regions, and at least one market level view that includes a list of one or more wire centers within the one or more service markets.
US08385225B1
A base round trip time (RTT) for a path in a network is determined. The RTT along a network path between a source node and a destination node is measured one or more times. A sample set of fitting parameters based on a distribution of historical queue delays is obtained. A Monte Carlo simulation is performed using the fitting parameters in the sample set to generate a distribution of queue delays for the measured network path. A base RTT for the network path is determined using the measured RTT and the distribution of queue delays.
US08385219B2
A measurement device is provided for measuring an upstream bandwidth. The measurement device includes a return path extending at least a portion of a distance between a supplier side connector and a user side connector. A coupler is connected within the return path, the coupler providing a secondary path. A detection circuit is connected electrically downstream the coupler. A level detector is connected electrically downstream the detection circuit, and a microprocessor is connected electrically downstream the level detector. The microprocessor includes a first buffer and a second buffer.
US08385216B1
A method and system for vertical handoff of a mobile station from a first-protocol RAN to a second-protocol RAN. The method and system provide a make-before-break vertical handoff, by having the first-protocol RAN (i) acquire, on behalf of the mobile station, a traffic channel assignment defining one or more traffic channel parameters for air interface communication in the second-protocol RAN, and (ii) pass to the mobile station, via the first air interface protocol, the one or more traffic channel parameters so that the mobile station can then readily switch over to communication under the second-protocol RAN. Optimally, the acquisition and passing of the one or more second-protocol traffic channel parameters may occur without the mobile station having requested the handoff, without the mobile station having asked for the traffic channel assignment, and without the mobile station having yet begun communication with the second-protocol RAN.
US08385202B2
In one embodiment a method includes selectively controlling a virtual network switch to control a quality of service (QoS) for a flow associated with a virtual machine (VM). Controlling the QoS may include controlling the virtual switch to provide classification, congestion management, congestion avoidance, bandwidth limiting, traffic shaping, and/or priority manipulation. The method may also include migrating a policy associated with a virtual interface between the VM and the virtual switch from a first server to a second server when the VM is to be migrated from the first server to the second server. The migration may also include moving statistics associated with the policy. The method may include selectively adapting the policy or an existing policy on the receiving server when a discrepancy is detected between the policies. The method may include reserving resources to provide guaranteed minimum bandwidth, even without control of an ingress and egress queue.
US08385198B2
The transmission terminal in a wireless communication system includes: a communication unit for intermittently transmitting a radio signal; a transmission-side beacon reception unit; a beacon analysis unit for analyzing the received beacon signal; and a transmission output level change unit for estimating an emission time period of a beacon signal to be received by the transmission-side beacon reception unit on the basis of the beacon period information and the beacon reception time information, thereby obtaining an estimated emission time period; wherein the transmission output level change unit instructs the transmission-side communication unit to transmit the radio signal having a raised transmission output level during at least the estimated emission time period, the raised transmission output level being higher than a transmission output level during a time period other than at least the estimated emission time period.
US08385189B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide an implementation for a multi-hop wireless backhaul network, in particular an aggregation node (AGN). The AGN includes a plurality of spatially switched antennas and a transceiver configured to operate on the plurality of spatially switched antennas in a time divisional multiplexing (TDM) fashion to establish active connections with other network nodes in a hierarchical manner. The AGN is further configured to perform a bi-directional relay function for backhaul traffic with the other network nodes using at least one virtual circuit having an allocated bandwidth for delay sensitive traffic. The AGN may serve to aggregate and relay/amplify circuit traffic between network nodes in the up stream and down stream directions. If the AGN is interposed within a circuit between two other nodes, the AGN can switch the circuit traffic between the end-nodes of the circuit.
US08385188B2
A multi-port Serdes transceiver includes multiple parallel ports and serial ports, and includes the flexibility to connect any of the parallel ports to another parallel port or to a serial port, or both. Furthermore, the transceiver can connect any of the serial ports to another serial port or to a parallel port. The transceiver further includes a switch, a logic core, and a bus. The switch is selectively coupled to at least a first port and a second port. The switch activates the first port and deactivates the second port based on satisfaction of a condition associated with the first port. The logic core operates the serial and parallel ports, and the bus connects the ports. The bus can be described as a “ring” structure (or donut “structure”) around the logic core, and is configured between the logic core and the ports. The ring structure provides efficient communication between the logic core and the ports.
US08385184B2
A device for mass storage of information, the device comprising: a substrate (30); an electrically-conductive tip (10) for atomic force microscopy located above the surface (31) of said substrate (30) in electrical contact therewith; and a voltage generator (41) for applying a potential difference between said tip (10) and said substrate (30); the device being characterized in that: said substrate (30) has a surface (31) of a material presenting electrical conductivity that is both electronic and ionic in nature; and in that said generator (41) is adapted to apply a potential difference that is sufficient to induce a redox reaction of said material that modifies the surface electrical conductivity of the substrate (30). The use of such a device (1) for mass storage of information.
US08385182B2
An optical-pickup apparatus includes: a laser diode; an objective lens; a diffraction grating; a photodetector including main-beam-, first-sub-beam-, and second-sub-beam-light-receiving portions; a quarter-wave plate having either a second area allowing a reflected-laser beam to pass therethrough without polarization or a third area allowing the reflected beam to pass therethrough at a polarization angle different from that of the first area; and a polarizing member having a separate-light-amount ratio set therefor with respect to the reflected beams passing through the second or third area and an area excluding the second or third area from the first area, such that proportions of the reflected beams passing therethrough toward the photodetector are different, thereby decreasing an irradiation level when the first- and second-sub-beam-light-receiving portions are irradiated, as stray light, with the reflected beam reflected from either one, not subjected to a signal-reading operation, of the first- and second-signal-recording layers of an optical disc.
US08385181B2
Provided are an optical pickup apparatus and an objective lens which can appropriately record and/or reproduce information on three types of discs with different recording densities and improve the light-utilization efficiency using a simple structure. A first optical path difference providing structure is formed on an optical surface of the objective lens. The first optical path difference providing structure is a step structure in which plural ring-shaped step units each including the same number of steps are arranged concentrically about the optical axis as the center. The width w1 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the highest step or the lowest step in at least one step unit in the step structure is approximately half of the average value w2 of two steps at both sides of the highest step or the lowest step in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis.
US08385176B2
[Object] To enable additional supplementary information such as PID to be utilized in a generally-used DVD player.[Solving Means] Additional supplementary information recorded with additional recording mark rows of the additional recording mark rows and pit rows is set to be previously recorded in a format of command information for instructing a normal DVD player to read. Similar to a so-called navigation command in a DVD system, in recording information that can be handled by the reproduction device, the additional supplementary information can be used, to thereby utilize the additional supplementary information in the current reproduction device.
US08385175B2
Medium recording and reproduction apparatus and method can prevent prohibition of disc recording due to the fact that laser power calibration area becomes unusable by studying a management information update method during data recording. When usable capacity of the laser power calibration area is monitored and the capacity is reduced, management information area to be currently updated is changed to another layer.
US08385172B2
An exemplary method for recording a first mark with a first length and a second mark with a second length onto an optical storage medium includes: when recording of the first mark requires a power transition from a first laser power level to a second laser power level, making a specific control signal have a logic transition from a low logic value to a high logic value and other control signals have no logic transition; and when recording of the second mark requires a power transition from a third laser power level to a fourth laser power level, making the specific control signal have the logic transition from the low logic value to the high logic value and other control signals have no logic transition.
US08385170B2
An optical disc device compatible with optical discs of different types having different track pitches, having a light detecting means (104) disposed in the path of diffracted light from the recording tracks on the optical disc (101), on which a light beam from a light emitting section (103) is incident. During the loading of the optical disc, the optical disc device discriminates the type of optical disc from the detection output of the light detecting means (104) and the positional relation between the optical disc (101) and the light detecting means (104). A simple structure thus enables the optical disc type to be discriminated.
US08385158B1
A method and system for fabricating an energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) transducer is described. The EAMR transducer has an air-bearing surface (ABS) and a waveguide. The method includes providing a planarized near field transducer (NFT) for the waveguide and forming a sloped surface on the planarized NFT. The sloped surface has a front edge separated from the ABS by a distance. The method and system also include providing a write pole on the sloped surface.
US08385131B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide methods of programming memory devices that include an array of vertical channels passing through a stacked plurality of word plates, wherein respective columns of vertical channels are configured to be coupled to respective bit lines. In some method embodiments, potentials of the vertical channels are boosted, followed by selectively applying respective data to vertical channels via the bit lines to thereby selectively change the potentials of the vertical channels according to the data. A program voltage is subsequently applied to a selected word plate to thereby program a plurality of cells.
US08385119B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes: a data write portion configured to repeat a write loop until data write is complete, the write loop including a program operation of applying a selected word-line with a program voltage necessary for program and a verify operation of applying the selected word-line with a verify voltage necessary for verify, the program voltage being changed for each write loop by a predetermined step width, the data write being performed in units of a page including a plurality of memory cells selected by the selected word-line; and an endurance determination portion configured to determine the endurance of the memory cells of the page, the data write portion supplies the selected word-line with a program voltage of a step width depending on the endurance.
US08385113B2
Nanoelectromechanical systems are disclosed that utilize vertically grown or placed nanometer-scale beams. The beams may be configured and arranged for use in a variety of applications, such as batteries, generators, transistors, switching assemblies, and sensors. In some generator applications, nanometer-scale beams may be fixed to a base and grown to a desired height. The beams may produce an electric potential as the beams vibrate, and may provide the electric potential to an electrical contact located at a suitable height above the base. In other embodiments, vertical beams may be grown or placed on side-by-side traces, and an electrical connection may be formed between the side-by-side traces when beams on separate traces vibrate and contact one another.
US08385110B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a security controller. When a one time programmable (OTP) device is programmed, the semiconductor memory device prohibits lock-status information pre-stored in an OTP lock register from being changed to an unlock status, such that it increases the stability of data stored in an OTP area. The semiconductor memory device includes an OTP device configured to determine whether or not data is changed according to a lock/unlock status when a program command is received, and an OTP controller configured to prohibit the lock status from being changed to the unlock status.
US08385104B2
A semiconductor storage device includes: a memory cell array having memory cells positioned at respective intersections between a plurality of first wirings and a plurality of second wirings, each of the memory cells having a rectifier element and a variable resistance element connected in series; and a control circuit selectively driving the first and second wirings. The plurality of first wirings that are specified and selectively driven at the same time by one of a plurality of address signals are separately arranged with other first wirings interposed therebetween within the memory cell array when a certain potential difference is applied to a selected memory cell positioned at an intersection between the first and second wirings by the control circuit.
US08385103B2
A non-volatile memory device includes a bank including a plurality of unit cells so as to output sensed data to a global input/output (I/O) line, and a data input/output (I/O) unit configured to store the same data as that of a unit cell contained in a bank in a register, store external input data in the register during a write operation, and output data stored in the register to an external part during a read operation.
US08385098B2
A ferroelectric memory device having a NAND array of a plurality of ferroelectric memory cells includes: a fully depleted channel layer; a gate electrode layer; and a ferroelectric layer located between the channel layer and the gate electrode layer. The data of the plurality of ferroelectric memory cells is erased by applying a first erase voltage to a bit line and a common source line and applying a second erase voltage to a string selection line and a ground selection line.
US08385094B2
A multiple-output switching power source apparatus has a series resonant circuit connected in parallel with a switch Q2 and including a primary winding and a current resonant capacitor, a first rectifying-smoothing circuit rectifying and smoothing a voltage of a secondary winding in an ON period of the switch to provide a voltage Vo1, a series resonant circuit connected in parallel with the switch and including a primary winding and a current resonant circuit, a second rectifying-smoothing circuit rectifying and smoothing a voltage of a secondary winding in the ON period of the switch Q2 to provide a voltage Vo2, and a control circuit controlling an ON period of a switch Q1 according to the output voltage Vo1 and the ON period of the switch Q2 according to the voltage Vo2 and limit the ON period of the switch Q1 if the voltage Vo2 exceeds a predetermined voltage.
US08385083B2
An energy management system. The system includes a coax controller apparatus comprising an exterior housing and plurality of coax modules numbered from 2 through N, where N is an integer greater than 3. In a specific embodiment, each of the coax modules comprises a powerline chip (PLC) module coupled to an analog front end, which is coupled to a coaxial connector. The system also has an electromagnetic shield configured to each of the coax modules. In a specific embodiment, the electromagnetic shield is configured to substantially maintain the coax module substantially free from interference noise or other disturbances. The system has a power meter coupled to one or more ports of the coax controller apparatus.
US08385081B2
A stacked mounting structure includes a first substrate which includes a first electronic component, a second substrate disposed facing the first substrate and including a second electronic component, an intermediate member having a space for accommodating the second electronic component, an electroconductive member provided to the intermediate member, a first electrode for testing electrically connected to the first electronic component, as an electrode for testing an operation of the first electronic component, a connecting electrode toward the second substrate electrically connected to the second electronic component, as an electrode for electrically connecting to the electroconductive member, and a second electrode for testing provided to the first substrate as an electrode for testing an operation of the second electronic component and electrically connected to the second electronic component via the electroconductive member and the connecting electrode toward the second substrate.
US08385073B2
A folded system-in-package (SiP) assembly is provided for minimizing the footprint of two corresponding circuit board modules in a handheld electronic device. The assembly includes top and bottom circuit board modules that are electrically interconnected through a flex circuit. Either a plate or wrapped heat spreader may be thermally coupled to the top circuit board module to conduct heat from the heat-generating components mounted to the top circuit board module and to a case of the electronic device.
US08385071B2
A heat radiator is in the form of a rectangular body having two opposite longer sides and two opposite shorter sides, and includes a contact section located at an end surface of the heat radiator for contacting with a heat source and having at least one extension wall outward extended therefrom to divide the heat radiator into a first heat-dissipating zone, which consists of a plurality of curved radiation fins outward extended from the contact section toward the two longer sides, and a second heat-dissipating zone, which consists of a plurality of straight or curved radiation fins outward extended from the contact section and the extension wall toward the two shorted sides. These radially outward extended radiation fins not only provide increased heat radiating areas, but also guide airflow produced by a cooling fan to smoothly flow therethrough to carry heat away from the heat radiator in different directions.
US08385057B2
A mobile computing device formed from at least two housing segments that can be moved between positions, including an open position that fully exposes a display surface or façade of each of the housing segments, and a closed position in which at least one of the facades or display surfaces is occluded or overlaid by the other housing segment, according to at least some embodiments.
US08385033B2
In an emergency run down unit for a superconductive magnet assembly, a quench in the magnet is induced by the release of stored mechanical energy or by direct manual actuation.
US08385028B2
A galvanic isolator having a split circuit element, a polymeric substrate, a transmitter and receiver is disclosed. The split circuit element has first and second portions, the first portion being disposed on a first surface of the substrate and the second portion being disposed a second surface of the substrate. The transmitter receives an input signal and couples a signal derived from the input signal to the first portion. The receiver is connected to the second portion of the circuit element and generates an output signal that is coupled to an external circuit. The galvanic isolator can be economically fabricated on conventional printed circuit board substrates and flexible circuit substrates.
US08385026B2
A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) device, like a TMR read head for a magnetic recording disk drive, has low magnetic damping, and thus low mag-noise, as a result of the addition of a ferromagnetic backing layer to the ferromagnetic free layer. The backing layer is a material with a low Gilbert damping constant or parameter α, the well-known dimensionless coefficient in the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The backing layer may have a thickness such that it contributes up to two-thirds of the total moment/area of the combined free layer and backing layer. The backing layer may be formed of a material having a composition selected from (CoxFe(100-x))(100-y)Xy, (Co2Mn)(100-y)Xy and (Co2FexMn(1-x))(100-y)Xy, where X is selected from Ge, Al and Si, and (Co2Fe)(100-y)Aly, where y is in a range that results in a low damping constant for the material.
US08385024B2
A novel tolerance ring includes a hollow cylindrical body defining a longitudinal axis that passes axially through its center. A circumferential gap divides the hollow cylindrical body so that the hollow cylindrical body includes first and second longitudinal edges that define the circumferential gap. A plurality of bumps protrude radially from the hollow cylindrical body, and consists of a plurality of gap-adjacent bumps and a plurality of non-gap-adjacent bumps. At least one of the plurality of bumps is circumferentially between the gap and each of the non-gap-adjacent bumps. None of the plurality of bumps is circumferentially between the gap and each of the gap-adjacent bumps. The tolerance ring includes a means for increasing an otherwise lower average radial compressive stiffness of the gap-adjacent bumps to become substantially equal to an average radial stiffness of the non-gap-adjacent bumps.
US08385017B2
In a motor, an annular radially extending gap is defined between an outer annular surface and a lower surface of an annular cover portion. The radially extending gap has an axial width smaller than a maximum width of an upper seal portion defined between an outer circumferential surface of an upper thrust portion and an inner circumferential surface of a tubular portion. An annular axially extending gap is defined between an inner cylindrical surface and a radially inner edge of the annular cover portion. The axially extending gap has a radial width smaller than the maximum width of the upper seal portion.
US08385010B2
An imaging lens includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a second lens group having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in order from an object. The first lens group has a first lens component having a negative refractive power and a second lens component having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in order from the object, and conditions expressed by the expressions 0.12
US08385000B2
A lens and a method of forming a lens are included. A lens can include a plurality of concentric rings formed from a dielectric material interleaved by a plurality of gaps separating the plurality of concentric rings.
US08384997B2
Optical apparatus includes first and second diffractive optical elements (DOEs) arranged in series to diffract an input beam of radiation. The first DOE is configured to apply to the input beam a pattern with a specified divergence angle, while the second DOE is configured to split the input beam into a matrix of output beams with a specified fan-out angle. The divergence and fan-out angles are chosen so as to project the radiation onto a region in space in multiple adjacent instances of the pattern.
US08384995B2
A rear-type projection board apparatus (rear-surface projection-type video display apparatus), of new structure, having no necessity of a housing, being superior in portability, cheaply producible, comprises a transmission-type screen, being disposed within an interior space, under a condition of exposing both surfaces thereof in the space, and for transmitting a visual light projected onto a rear surface therethrough, so as to display it on a video display surface on a front surface, and a video projection apparatus (projector), being disposed at a predetermined position on a rear surface side of the transmission-type screen, and for projecting the visual light from a rear surface of the transmission-type screen, enlargedly, wherein the transmission-type screen has a Fresnel lens having Fresnel lens surfaces, covering over an entire light receiving surface for receiving the visual light, which is enlargedly projected from the video projection apparatus, whereby guiding the visual light received from the video projection apparatus into a direction perpendicular to the video display surface, while guiding external lights within the interior space downwards.
US08384989B2
A device of oscillating an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 0.1 THz to 3 THz from pump and idler waves by parametric effect. The device includes a supporting body, an oscillating substrate of a non-linear optical crystal, an adhesive layer adhering the supporting body and the oscillating substrate, and a film for reflecting the electromagnetic wave formed on a surface of the supporting body on the side of the adhesive layer. The oscillating substrate has an upper face, a bottom face and an incident face on which the pump wave is made incident, with the adhesive layer having a refractive index with respect to the pump wave lower than that of the oscillating substrate.
US08384984B2
A lighting device is described for receiving source light within a predetermined source wavelength range, converting the source light into a converted light, and reflecting the converted light to a desired output direction. The lighting device may use a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) device to receive and redirect the source light to the desired output direction. A conversion coating may be applied to the operative surface of the MEMS device to convert the source light into a converted light.
US08384979B2
A writing device includes a display panel, a stylus, a transparent first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. The display panel includes a displaying layer and a first light source. The displaying layer consists essentially of a photochromic material reversibly transformable between a first state of an electroluminescent material, and a second state of a non-electroluminescent material. The first light source is configured for emitting light to the displaying layer to transform the displaying layer into the second state. The stylus includes a second light source configured for emitting light to illuminate portions of the displaying layer, thus transforming the illuminated portions of the displaying layer into the first state. The first and second electrode layers attached on opposite sides of the displaying layer are configured to excite the illuminated portions of the displaying layer in the first state to emit light.
US08384964B2
Each object in input image data is separated into an area by an image area separation unit. An area determined to be a character area based on the image area separation processing is smoothened by an MTF correction unit. The resulting data is then binarized by a binarizing unit. The binarized data is split according to types of objects, and characters and line drawings are vectorized and stored in a storage unit. Alternatively, the characters and line drawings are printed out.
US08384961B2
Disclosed is a method of creating a color-mapping lookup table and a color-mapping method using the same. The method of creating a color-mapping lookup table includes; obtaining color-space data for respective solid colors specified as lattice points of the color-mapping lookup table, obtaining color-space data for respective achromatic colors specified as lattice points of the color-mapping lookup table, and tabulating the color-space data for the respective solid colors specified as the lattice points and the color-space for the respective achromatic colors specified as the lattice points. Therefore, the methods can create a color-mapping LUT in which significant colors such as solid colors or achromatic colors are specified as lattice points, so that significant colors are more optimally reproduced since device data for the significant colors are not calculated through interpolation.
US08384959B2
In a matrix area, a plurality of linear areas each of which extends in a tilt direction tilted relatively to row and column directions are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the tilt direction without spaces, and the plurality of linear areas are alternatively assigned to first and second element groups along an arrangement direction. One element is specified in each element group, and subsequently a process of specifying an element farthest from the specified elements is repeated, to acquire a turn-on order of dots with increase in gray level in one grayscale range and a turn-off order of dots with decrease in gray level in the remaining grayscale range, and a threshold value of each element is determined according to these orders. Thus, generated is a threshold matrix capable of reducing graininess in a halftone image with directionality in the tilt direction, and improving the reproduction of thin lines and characters.
US08384958B2
A density detector detects a first density of a first pattern and a second density of a second pattern from a density-correction determination patch. A density-correction-value calculator calculates a density correction value from the first and the second densities. A noise-occurrence determination unit determines whether a target pixel is a noise generating pixel that causes a change of a local density due to a change in a relation with a nearby pixel. A density correction processor performs a density correction process on the target pixel by adding or subtracting the density correction value to or from the target pixel or the nearby pixel.
US08384950B2
When color measurement is performed, a printer driver of a host apparatus 150 transmits a job start command “JS” to a printer 10, then performs printing instruction (print data transmission for color measurement printing), color measurement instruction, reception of a color measurement result (color measurement data) from a color measuring device (a color meter 41 and a color measurement driving device 80), label printing instruction, job information storage instruction, and positioning instruction, and subsequently transmits a job end command “JE” to the printer 10. During a period from the job start command “JS” until the job end command “JE” is received, a communication connect between the printer 10 and the host apparatus 150 is maintained while an interrupt from other than the host apparatus 150 is inhibited.
US08384942B1
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to computing devices and systems, as well as software, computer programs, applications, and user interfaces, and more particularly, to systems, devices and methods to facilitate message preview control. For example, the method may include generating representations for messages to present on an interface, and detecting selection of the representation for the message. Further, the method can include presenting preview information for the message, which can be an electronic facsimile. The representations for the messages can include a representation for an electronic facsimile, as well as a voice message and an email.
US08384938B2
An image reading apparatus includes: a reading unit; a transmission unit and a limiting unit. The reading unit is configured to read a document and create image data. The transmission unit supports a plurality of transmission modes, and is configured to transmit the image data to an external apparatus using at least one selected from the plurality of transmission modes. The limiting unit is configured to limit selectable transmission modes of the transmission unit based on at least one of: a user-designated attribute of the document set by a user; a reading attribute of the reading unit; and a content of the document read by the reading unit.
US08384937B2
An image forming system capable of determining whether a detected communication speed reaches a communication speed needed for printing the received printing data successfully according to printing ability of an image forming apparatus. A detection unit detects a communication speed of wireless communication executed between the image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus. An obtainment unit obtains a communication speed needed so that the image forming apparatus successfully prints the print data that is received by using wireless communication according to a printing ability of the image forming apparatus. A determination unit determines whether the communication speed detected by the detection unit reaches the communication speed obtained by the obtainment unit or not. A notification unit notifies a user that the detected communication speed is insufficient when the determination unit determines that the communication speed detected by the detection unit does not reach the communication speed obtained by the obtainment unit.
US08384925B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for maintaining imaging device (IDev) accounting data in the event that an imaging device's primary accounting server becomes unavailable.
US08384923B2
A past print job is held as a history; selection of a target item by a user, from among a plurality of types of print setting items that are settable for a print job in which print processing of image data will be performed, is received; with respect to the target item, a search is performed for a past print job in which the content of the target item was set; a list of past print jobs is displayed; selection of a print job by the user, from among the list of past print jobs that was displayed, is received; the content of the target item that has been set for the selected past print job is set to the print job of the image data; and print processing of the image data is performed using the print job for which settings have been set.
US08384922B2
A printing condition setting apparatus having a setting parameter data storage unit for storing a plurality of setting parameter data each including at least one setting parameter registered by the user's operation among a plurality of setting parameters specifying printing conditions; a setting parameter data reception unit for receiving the user's selection of one setting parameter data among a plurality of setting parameter data stored in said setting parameter data storage unit; and a setting parameter data call unit for calling up said one setting parameter data selected by the user to display the setting parameters included in said setting parameter data on a specific operating screen.
US08384920B2
An image processing apparatus and method which are capable of reducing waiting time of an operator, and improving operation feeling and productivity. An input image is registered as usable data before completion of generation of vectorized data from the input image stored in a HDD. Even for a job in which the vectorization of the input image has not been completed, it is possible to set various processes, such as preview, change of the order of pages, and designation of editing of an image, other than printing.
US08384916B2
The attenuation and other optical properties of a medium are exploited to measure a thickness of the medium between a sensor and a target surface. Disclosed herein are various mediums, arrangements of hardware, and processing techniques that can be used to capture these thickness measurements and obtain dynamic three-dimensional images of the target surface in a variety of imaging contexts. This includes general techniques for imaging interior/concave surfaces as well as exterior/convex surfaces, as well as specific adaptations of these techniques to imaging ear canals, human dentition, and so forth.
US08384906B2
An autocorrelator to measure pulse width of an incident laser divides the incident laser to a reference beam and a controlled beam. Two rotating parallel mirrors are used as an optical delay component for the controlled beam. The axis of rotation of the rotating parallel mirrors and the incident beam on the parallel mirrors are on the same horizontal plane. There is a small angle δ between them. The scan range can be easily adjustable by changing this angle δ. Using this arrangement, real-time and range adjustable autocorrelator is realized.
US08384895B2
A spectrometer sample head including a housing, at least one source of radiation in the housing, and a flip top sample cell. First and second hinged plates each include a window aligned with each other when the plate are coupled together. The housing includes a channel for receiving the plates when coupled together for placing the sample in the optical path of the radiation.
US08384889B2
An outer shape determination device includes: a mounting base having a rectangular mounting surface for placing an object to be subjected to determination thereon; a longitudinal light-emitting optical waveguide, a longitudinal light-receiving optical waveguide, a transverse light-emitting optical waveguide, and a transverse light-receiving optical waveguide which are provided along the periphery of the mounting surface; a heightwise light-emitting optical waveguide and a heightwise light-receiving optical waveguide which are erected upwardly from the mounting surface; a light source connected to light-emitting cores of the longitudinal, transverse and heightwise light-emitting optical waveguides; a photoelectric conversion element connected to light-receiving cores of the longitudinal, transverse and heightwise light-receiving optical waveguides; and an outer shape calculating means for receiving a light interception signal from the photoelectric conversion element to perform a computation process, thereby calculating the outer shape of the object.
US08384884B2
A range finder 100 includes a transmission optical system 20 that transmits signal light toward a target object, a detection optical system 30 that has a different optical axis from that of the transmission optical system and detects the signal light reflected from the target object, and a photodetector 12 that is disposed on an imaging surface of the detection optical system. A distance to the target object is measured on the basis of a time difference between a transmission time and a detection time of the signal light. The detection optical system 30 includes a variable focal length optical system 14 that makes the focal length of the detection optical system variable, thereby providing a range finder capable of measuring a distance to a target object that locates from further away to nearer by using a photodetector having the same size.
US08384864B2
A system for forming an alignment layer of a liquid crystal display device includes a rubbing apparatus to perform a rubbing process on the alignment layer on a substrate, a pre-treatment apparatus to thermally treat the substrate, and a light irradiation apparatus to irradiate light onto the substrate. The rubbing apparatus, the pre-treatment apparatus and the light irradiation apparatus are constructed in an in-line type.
US08384862B2
A method is disclosed for efficiently producing a nanoimprint film with high-accurately formed nanostructures even if a base on which the nanoimprint film is formed is capable of absorbing UV light. The production method of at least one embodiment of the present invention is a production method of a nanoimprint film formed on a base, the nanoimprint film having a surface with nanosized protrusions and recesses formed thereon. In at least one embodiment, the production method includes a first step of applying a UV-curable resin on a base containing a UV-absorbing component to form a film; a second step of irradiating the film with UV light from a top-side surface of the film to form a semi-cured film; a third step of imprinting nanosized protrusions and recesses on the semi-cured film to form a film having a surface with protrusions and recesses formed thereon; and a fourth step of curing the film with protrusions and recesses to form a nanoimprint film.
US08384861B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) comprises a light source; a light diffractor over the light source configured to diffract light received from the light source; a liquid crystal diffraction grating over the light diffractor and between liquid crystal pixel structures comprising a plurality of liquid crystal pixels; the liquid crystal diffraction grating has a changed diffraction index in response to application of a voltage differential across the diffraction grating, and when having the changed diffraction index aligns diffracted light received from the light diffractor into aligned light directed toward the liquid crystal pixel structure. An LCD may comprise a plurality of liquid crystal pixels each comprising a reflective part and a transmissive part, the reflective part of at least some of the plurality of liquid crystal pixels comprising a retroreflector configured to reflect at least some light rays, received from an external light source, toward the external light source.
US08384860B2
A liquid crystal display device has a plurality of pixels and a reflection section for reflecting incident light toward a display surface. The reflection section includes a metal layer having a plurality of apertures, and a reflective layer formed on the metal layer with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. A surface of the reflective layer includes a plurality of recesses or protrusions formed in accordance with a cross-sectional shape of the metal layer.
US08384856B2
A color filter substrate and a display device are each capable of reducing color separation of a straight line displayed with a mixed color and particularly color separation of a straight white line displayed with a mixed color on a black background. The color filter substrate is a color filter substrate including colored layers of at least four colors, arrayed inside a pixel region, wherein at least one pair of colored layers that are not next to each other when the colored layers of all the colors are arrayed in order of hue is adjacently arranged to each other inside the pixel region.
US08384853B2
It is an object to provide a display that can reliably shield visible light in the entire wavelength regions when viewed from an oblique direction and a viewing angle control element used for the display. A viewing angle control liquid crystal panel (2) is comprised of a liquid crystal cell (21) and an emission-side polarizing plate (22). When light having a part of wavelength components (R,G) in the visible wavelength regions enters at least at a predetermined angle, the liquid crystal cell (21) provides the incident light with a phase difference so as to function as a first light-shielding layer that shields the light of the R and G components not to pass through the emission-side polarizing plate (22). A retardation plate (4) and a polarizing plate (5) function as auxiliary light-shielding layers, more specifically, when the light that has passed through the first light-shielding layer enters at least at the predetermined angle, the retardation plate (4) provides the light with a phase difference so that at least light having a wavelength component (B) is shielded and thus not transmitted by the polarizing plate (5).
US08384846B2
A backlight unit including: a light emitting diode (LED) module including a metal substrate and an LED which is disposed on a first side of the metal substrate; a frame on which the LED module is mounted; a first mounting portion formed lengthwise on the LED module; and a second mounting portion formed on the frame, the second mounting portion remaining within a width of the LED module.
US08384840B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel on a mold, and a backlight placed in the mold. The backlight includes a light guide panel, an LED provided on a side surface of the liquid guide panel, and other components. A main flexible wiring substrate is attached to the liquid crystal display panel, and extends to a back surface of the mold. The LED is mounted on an LED flexible wiring substrate. At least one electronic component mounted on the main flexible wiring substrate is arranged on an end surface of the mold. Then, an insulating sheet is provided between the at least one electronic component and the LED to prevent short circuit between them, instead of using a partition wall for electrical insulation.
US08384839B2
An embodiment of this document relates to a liquid crystal display device. A liquid crystal display device in accordance with an aspect of this document may comprise a mold frame; a liquid crystal panel supported by the mold frame and having a display area and non-display area; a polorizer film disposed at least one surface of the liquid crystal panel; a light source substrate supported by the mold frame and having a light source; a light guide plate deliver the light produced by the light source to the liquid crystal panel; a plurality of optical sheets disposed on the light guide plate; a black frame disposed between the optical sheets and the liquid crystal panel and having an exposal area corresponding to the display area of the liquid crystal panel; and a dummy film disposed between the liquid crystal panel and the black frame.
US08384837B2
A repair method for an array substrate of a liquid crystal display device includes, providing an array substrate for a liquid crystal display device, detecting a line defect of a signal transmitting wire and locating the line defect, performing a removal process to remove a shielding layer covering two ends of the line defect and the shielding layer extending to a common line adjacent to the line defect, performing a deposition process to deposit a connecting metal layer the region where the shielding layer is removed, and performing a cutting process to cut outer ends of the common line adjacent to the line defect to form a common line section. The signal transmitting wire forms an electrical circuit with the common line section.
US08384834B2
An electronic imaging device includes a display unit having a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixels, and a barrier layer disposed in front of the display unit and divided into a plurality of areas along a scan direction. The barrier layer includes a plurality of first barrier electrodes and a plurality of second barrier electrode. The plurality of first barrier electrodes includes a plurality of first and second sub-electrodes in a zigzag pattern along the scan direction, the plurality of second barrier electrodes includes a plurality of third and fourth sub-electrodes in a zigzag pattern along the scan direction, and the third and fourth sub-electrodes being offset with respect to the first and second sub-electrodes along the scan direction.
US08384830B2
A method for buffering an alarm video sequence includes receiving input image frames from an input video stream comprising full image frames and differential image frames, storing the received input image frames, and generating an output alarm video sequence by combining at least one full image frame with the input image frames stored in the buffer. The full image frame may be inserted as a first image frame in the output alarm video sequence.
US08384828B2
There is provided a video display device including a content control unit for displaying a video content on a display screen; a user specifying unit for specifying a user viewing a video content displayed on the display screen; and an image quality adjustment unit for adjusting the image quality of the display screen according to the user specified by the user specifying unit.
US08384820B1
A system and method for optimizing a video stream from a high frame rate image sensor. The high frame rate video stream is split into two separate video streams so that one video stream can be shown to a user or recorded, while the other video stream can be processed. The processed video stream can be analyzed for sharpness to adjust for focus or it can be imaged with or without an optical filter and used to enhance the appearance of the other video stream.
US08384819B2
An electromagnetic shielding coating covers a lens coated with an optical coating. A light shielding coating covers the optical coating. The electromagnetic shielding coating covers the light shielding coating. The electromagnetic shielding coating includes a first metal layer containing stainless steel and covering the light shielding coating directly, a second copper layer formed on the first metal layer, and a third metal layer formed on the second copper layer. The third metal layer includes stainless steel and copper.
US08384808B2
An imaging apparatus includes a half mirror that splits light from a subject having passed through a photographic optical system into transmitted light and reflected light, a first light receiving sensor that receives the transmitted light, the first light receiving sensor having a spectral sensitivity characteristic with a sensitivity peak at a specific wavelength of light, and a second light receiving sensor that receives the reflected light. The wavelength of a transmission peak in the spectral transmission characteristic of the half mirror matches the wavelength of the sensitivity peak of the first light receiving sensor.
US08384797B2
According to the present invention, the album including user's favorite pictures as main features can be easily provided. The system includes; a image capturing section which captures an image; an image capturing time measuring section which measures the time after setting the image capturing section ready to capture the image and while the user continues to operate the image capturing section to capture the image in each image capturing operation of the image capturing section; a ranking calculating section which ranks the image based on the image capturing time calculated by the image capturing time measuring section; and an output controlling section which displays or prints out the image ranked more highly by the ranking calculating section.
US08384789B2
A sensor array module with wide angle for creating a composite image includes a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a storage unit and a processor. The first image sensor is for capturing a first image. The second image sensor is for capturing a second image and has a relative spatial relationship with respective to the first image sensor. The storage unit stores at least one transformation matrix obtained according to the relative spatial relationship between the first and the second image sensors. The processor combines the first image and the second image by using the transformation matrix to create the composite image. The present invention also provides an image calibration method, an operation method and an application for a sensor array module with wide angle.
US08384787B2
A method for providing a stabilized digital video sequence, comprising: analyzing a set of image frames captured at different times to determine one-dimensional image frame representations; combining the one-dimensional frame representations to form a two-dimensional spatiotemporal representation of the video sequence; identifying a set of trajectories corresponding to structures in the two-dimensional spatiotemporal representation; identify a set of foreground trajectory segments and a set of background trajectory segments; analyzing the background trajectory segments to estimate a motion pattern for the digital video camera; analyzing the motion pattern for the digital video camera to determine a undesired motion portion corresponding to an unintended camera shaking motion; applying spatial shifts to at least some of the image frames of the digital video sequence to provide a stabilized digital video sequence.
US08384781B2
A stereo camera device includes: plural picture image taking sections, an image correction section which makes correction of picture images taken, a parallax calculating section which calculates parallax, an amount of dislocation between the left and right images, and an image recognition section which carries out image recognition processing using both the image taken and the calculated parallax, or either of them. The stereo camera device further includes: a processing area setting up section which sets up the image area to be processed and reduction ratio differently depending on the driving environment of the vehicle on which the stereo camera device is mounted, wherein, by using the image area and the reduction ratio set up by the processing area setting up section, the image correction section makes correction to the picture image, the parallax calculating section calculates parallax, and the image recognition section carries out processing of image recognition.
US08384780B1
Systems and methods disclosed herein provide for some embodiments infrared camera systems for maritime applications. For example in one embodiment, a watercraft includes a plurality of image capture components coupled to the watercraft to capture infrared images around at least a substantial portion of a perimeter of the watercraft; a memory component adapted to store the captured infrared images; a processing component adapted to process the captured infrared images according to a man overboard mode of operation to provide processed infrared images and determine if a person falls from the watercraft; and a display component adapted to display the processed infrared images.
US08384779B2
A display device for a vehicle which includes: an image-taking unit which takes images of an area ahead of the vehicle at predetermined intervals; a display which displays the images taken by the image-taking unit; and a controller which divides a display area of the display into a plurality of areas including a center area and a right-and-left side area, wherein the controller sets a first interval for the image-taking unit for taking images to be displayed in the right-and-left side area of the display to become longer than a second interval for the image-taking unit for taking images to be displayed in the center area.
US08384776B2
A method of creating an obstacle-free diagram using topological sensor data to form a graph corresponding to a driving path, transforming the graph using discrete heuristics, locally smoothing a plurality of edges of the graph after the transforming, and globally smoothing the graph after the locally smoothing. Transforming includes deleting an edge of the graph, merging two intersections of the graph into a single intersection, and collapsing a plurality of edges forming a loop into a single edge. Locally smoothing includes smoothing a lane segment of the graph by minimizing a sum of a function of smoothness and a function of distance. Globally smoothing includes defining an intersection potential and minimizing a sum of the function of smoothness, the function of distance, a function of intersections and a function of direction.
US08384772B2
It is made possible to provide a three-dimensional image display device by which an alarm image with high visibility can be displayed at the end of the viewing zone in a parallel-ray one-dimensional IP system, without a reduction of the viewing zone or a decrease in processing speed. A three-dimensional image display device includes: an elemental image display unit that has pixels arranged in a matrix form in a display plane, and displays elemental images; an optical plate that is placed to face the elemental image display unit, has optical apertures that extend linearly in a vertical direction and are arranged at regular intervals in a horizontal direction, and controls light rays from the elemental image display unit; and an image data converting unit that converts image data so that single-color portions having periodically varying widths are inserted to boundary portions between the elemental images, the width varying with locations in the elemental image display unit, the inserted single-color portions being asymmetrical in the entire elemental image display unit.
US08384766B2
A system is provided for processing a compressed image stream of a stereoscopic image stream, the compressed image stream having a plurality of frames in a first format, each frame consisting of a merged image comprising pixels sampled from a left image and pixels sampled from a right image. A receiver receives the compressed image stream and a decompressing module in communication with the receiver decompresses the compressed image stream. The left and right images of the decompressed image stream are stored in a frame buffer. A serializing unit reads pixels of the frames stored in the frame buffer and outputs a pixel stream comprising pixels of a left frame and pixels of a right frame. A stereoscopic image processor receives the pixel stream, buffers the pixels, performs interpolation in order to reconstruct pixels of the left and right images and outputs a reconstructed left pixel stream and a reconstructed right pixel stream, the reconstructed streams having a format different from the first format. A display signal generator receives the stereoscopic pixel stream to provide an output display signal.
US08384764B2
Provided is a method and apparatus for generating a multi-view image data stream, the method including: recording multi-view image data onto the multi-view image data stream; recording onto the multi-view image data stream a multi-view image parameter recording parameter indicating whether a multi-view image parameter with regard to the multi-view image data is to be recorded onto the multi-view image data stream; and determining whether the multi-view image parameter is to be recorded onto the multi-view image data stream based on a value of the multi-view image data parameter recording parameter.
US08384761B2
An image pickup device includes an optical system having a wide angle, wherein at least magnification chromatic aberration is large; an image sensor configured to read an image picked up through the optical system; and a magnification chromatic aberration correction unit configured to perform magnification chromatic aberration correction by performing coordinate conversion on the image read by the image sensor. The magnification chromatic aberration correction unit includes plural coordinate conversion parameters used for the magnification chromatic aberration correction, and switches the coordinate conversion parameter used for the magnification chromatic aberration correction in the event that there is a change in a light source or an illumination light.
US08384760B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to video-conferencing systems configured and operated to create eye contact between video conference participants. In one embodiment, video conferencing system includes a display, a video camera positioned to capture a video image of a first video conference participant through the display, and a projector positioned to project a video image of a second video conference participant onto the display screen such that the first participant can view the second participant. The display screen is positioned between the first participant and the video camera. The video camera and the projector can be operated during a video conference to establish eye contact between the first participant and the second participant by creating a line-of-sight that passes through a point of the head of the second participant's image between the video camera and the first participant.
US08384759B2
A method of setting up communication sessions in a telepresence call including a multiple point-to-point connections between at least two telepresence systems, wherein the information required for setting up the communication sessions is embedded in a control protocol message flow establishing a first communication session between the two telepresence systems.
US08384751B2
A thermal head includes an insulating head substrate, one or a plurality of driver ICs, a plurality of heat generating elements that is arranged on the head substrate in a main scanning direction, a plurality of individual electrodes that is provided on the head substrate at one ends of the respective heat generating elements and connects the respective heat generating elements to the driver ICs, and a common electrode that is provided on the head substrate at the other ends of the respective heat generating elements so as to be common to the heat generating elements. Capacitance adjustment portions, which adjust capacitance difference between the respective individual electrodes so that the capacitance difference is reduced, are formed at a wiring pattern of the individual electrodes.
US08384750B2
In a printing apparatus, each application period is set as fixed period of time ranging from main heating start point to next main heating start point to form successive printed dots on a printing medium in sub-scanning direction of thermal head. A control unit executes application of sub pulse for auxiliary heating which, when applied independently, cannot realize color development on the printing medium, but, when applied for compensating main heating by main pulse as applied in next application period can realize color development thereon, relating to each of heater elements under constraint such that sub pulse is applied within current application period wherein color development cannot be realized on the printing medium, irrespective of whether next application period wherein main pulse for main heating is applied to realize color development on the printing medium starts immediately after current application period wherein color development is not realized.
US08384742B2
Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received at a first user location, which may be remote from the dig area. The source data is processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more indicators are added to the displayed input image(s), via a user input device associated with the display device, to provide at least one indication of the dig area and thereby generate a marked-up digital image. In the case of a staged excavation project, the input image, or a plurality of associated images, may include indicia of multiple dig areas corresponding to multiple stages of the staged excavation project.
US08384740B1
A method, system and computer program product for virtually placing an object on an image of a human appendage is provided. First, image boundaries are detected in the image of the appendage and converted into a set of line segments. A pair of line segments is evaluated according to a function that combines subscores of the pair of line segments to produce a score. The subscores of the line segments are computed based on various properties such as orientation difference, extent, proximity to the center of the image, bilateral symmetry, and the number of skin-colored pixels. A pair of line segments with the highest score is chosen as the appendage boundaries and is used to determine the position, orientation, and extent of the object. The image of the object is then transformed according to the determined parameters and combined with the image of the appendage to produce the desired result.
US08384728B2
Disclosed herein is a supplemental cache for use with a graphics processing unit. The supplemental cache can be used to supplement a vertex cache used with a graphics processing unit. The supplemental cache stores vertex values generated in assembling primitives from vertices provided to the graphics processing unit as part of an image geometry. Generated vertex values associated with a vertex determined to be shared by two or more primitives can be retrieved from the supplemental cache, so as to reduce the need to perform duplicative operations to generate vertex values for shared vertices.
US08384727B2
A video display device including an integrated atypical/typical defect compensation circuit is disclosed. The video display device includes a display panel, a memory storing atypical/typical defect information used to compensate atypical/typical defect regions of the display panel, and an integrated atypical/typical compensation circuit including a first compensator for compensating input data to be displayed on the atypical/typical defect regions, using the atypical/typical defect information from the memory, and a second compensator for finely compensating the data compensated by the first compensator, using first and second dithering patterns. The compensation circuit supplies data to be displayed on normal regions, without compensation. The video display device also includes a timing controller including a dithering unit for finely compensating data output from the integrated atypical/typical compensation circuit, using a third dithering pattern different from the first and second dithering patterns, and a panel driver for driving the display panel under a control of the timing controller.
US08384721B2
An electronic entertainment system for creating a video sequence by executing video game camera behavior based upon a video game sound file includes a memory configured to store an action event/camera behavior (AE/CB) database, game software such as an action generator module, and one or more sound files. In addition, the system includes a sound processing unit coupled to the memory for processing a selected sound file, and a processor coupled to the memory and the sound processing unit. The processor randomly selects an AE pointer and a CB pointer from the AE/CB database. Upon selection of the CB pointer and the AE pointer, the action generator executes camera behavior corresponding to the selected CB pointer to view an action event corresponding to the selected AE pointer.
US08384716B2
A modified VOMAC mesh generation method for image data sampled from an actual object in which mesh resolution can vary locally within the mesh while permitting control of the distortion of cells in the mesh to maintain suitability for performing finite element (or finite volume) analysis on a representation of the object.The method includes computer-implemented instructions that calculate a variable sampling point distribution (SPD) in image data space, the variable SPD having localized variations in SPD within the image data space, and the distribution of sampling points having the same topology as a uniform SPD suitable for obtaining a regular structured is mesh. The method includes generating an indication of the magnitude of cell distortion between the generated mesh and the regular structured meshVarying the mesh resolution may enable smaller elements to be located in regions of particular interest or activity when subsequently performing analysis using the mesh model.
US08384704B2
A liquid crystal display device which can reduce a scale of the whole counter-electrode-signal drive circuits is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes: a substrate; a plurality of counter electrodes which are formed on the substrate corresponding to pixels; a plurality of counter electrode signal lines which are formed on the substrate, are electrically made conductive with the counter electrodes, extend in the X direction, and are arranged parallel to each other in the Y direction which intersects the X direction; and counter electrode signal drive circuits having control signal outputting parts which are mounted on the substrate at a rate of one control signal outputting part for two counter electrode signal lines.
US08384693B2
A low profile touch display can be provided, namely one including an optical detection system with the bulk of the electronics and optics positioned partially or completely below the detecting plane surface. The light source and optical detection system components can be configured so that the exit and entry apertures for light being directed to and/or received from the detection plane are the only members above the touch surface. For instance, a reflective or refractive member at the edge of the touch surface can direct light to detection optics and/or from illumination sources via a pinhole aperture, with the light moving between the detection optics and illumination sources in one or more detection planes above the touch surface. Consequently, the touch screen can have a thin cross section that is more suitable for devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, and other portable computing devices for which minimal device thickness is a priority.
US08384688B2
A touch screen display device includes; a touch screen display panel including; first sensing lines which extend in a first direction, second sensing lines which extend in a second direction, and a plurality of touch sensors located at a plurality of sensing positions, each of which provides touch data or untouch data, a readout unit which reads the touch data or the untouch data and outputs the read data as sensing data corresponding to each of the sensing positions, and a sensing unit which groups the sensing positions into at least one pre-touch areas using the sensing data and which recognizes at least one touch positions using the pre-touch areas, wherein when first and third sensing positions from among first through third sensing positions provide the touch data while the second sensing position provides the untouch data, the sensing unit recognizes the untouch data as the touch data.
US08384687B2
A manipulation input apparatus includes a panel member, strain gauges, and a controller. The panel member has a front surface functioning as a manipulation input surface to which an input is executed by touch manipulation. The strain gauges detect a load which is applied to the panel member. The controller calculates a position to which a load is applied based on load detection result by the strain gauges. A stick as a convex-shaped structural section is further arranged and integrated in the manipulation input surface of the panel member such that an upward load against the panel member is applied via the stick.
US08384685B2
A switchable three-dimensional display includes a display panel and a switchable parallax barrier. The switchable parallax barrier is configured over the display panel and includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an insulating layer, a common electrode, and a light-valve layer. The first substrate has a touch-sensing circuit. The second substrate has a plurality of control electrodes and is configured between the first substrate and the display panel. The touch-sensing circuit and the control electrodes are located between the first substrate and the second substrate. The insulating layer is configured over the first substrate and covers the touch-sensing circuit. The common electrode is configured on the insulating layer. The light-valve layer is configured between the common electrode and the control electrodes.
US08384684B2
Techniques for identifying and discriminating between different input patterns to a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. By way of example, large objects hovering a short distance from the touch-surface (e.g., a cheek, thigh or chest) may be identified and distinguished from physical contacts to the surface. In addition, rough contacts due to, for example, ears and earlobes, may be similarly identified and distinguished from contacts due to fingers, thumbs, palms and finger clasps.
US08384674B1
An integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly with a soft thermoplastic outer surface coupled directly to a digitizer mechanism. A touch screen assembly consisting of a display mechanism and a resistive digitizer mechanism are enclosed within a single piece cover. The digitizer mechanism consists of a top film and a digitizing element, and the single piece cover is affixed directly to the top film of the digitizer mechanism. The single piece cover has a flat outer surface that is free of any steps or indentations which provides an enclosure that is both dust free and waterproof. The soft thermoplastic material used for the single piece cover will allow activation of the digitizer mechanism by means of mechanical pressure applied to the outer surface of the single piece cover. In one embodiment, the single piece cover is constructed by coupling a soft thermoplastic outer film directly to the top film of the digitizer mechanism by an in mold decoration process. This process forms the flat outer surface for the single piece cover and also may be used to provide various shapes for the outer edges of the cover. In a second embodiment, a touch screen assembly consisting of a display mechanism and a digitizer mechanism are enclosed within a mechanical support mechanism. A soft thermoplastic film is then coupled directly to the top film of the digitizer mechanism and the support mechanism to form a flat outer surface for the entire enclosure that is free of any steps or indentations.
US08384673B2
A method for inputting characters pairs in an electronic device having a user input device, a display for displaying characters input through the user input device, and a memory for storing characters input through the user input device, including storing a character input through the user input device in the memory and displaying the input character on the display; and determining if the input character is an opening character of a predefined character pair, and if so, automatically and without further user input, causing a corresponding closing character of the predefined character pair to be inserted in the memory and on the display, and locating an input pointer so that subsequently input characters will be inserted between the opening and closing characters in the memory and on the display.
US08384669B2
An information processing apparatus includes a mouse driver that adds a second data to a first data showing a movement distance of a mouse cursor, and transmits the combined data to an OS. The information processing apparatus has: an input portion that inputs the first data from an external device via a KVM switch, and a flag showing effectiveness or invalidation of adding the second data to the first data; and a controlling portion that transmits the first data input to the input portion to the mouse driver, and when the flag shows invalidation of addition of the second data, the controlling portion interrupting between the mouse driver and the OS, acquiring the combined data, removing the second data from the combined data, and transmitting the first data to the OS.
US08384656B2
A driving device for driving an electro-optical device includes an outputting section that divides original image signal into and outputs a number of signal portions. The number corresponds to a number of groups of data lines. An assigning section assigns the signal portions to the data lines of corresponding group. A changing section determines an order that the signal portions are to be supplied to the data lines of the corresponding group and changes the order. A correcting section corrects the signal portions to reduce a difference in brightness in the display area generated by the changed order of the signal portions. A supplying section supplies the corrected signal portions to the data lines in accordance with the changed order.
US08384650B2
A multi-reference voltage generator includes an interface controller, a first bank of N m-bit registers and a second bank of N m-bit registers. A first multiplexer has inputs connected to outputs of the first and second bank of registers. An m-bit digital-to-analog (DAC) has an m-bit parallel input connected to an output of the first multiplexer. An analog demultiplexer has an input connected to an analog output of the m-bit DAC. Each voltage storage device in a first group of N voltage storage devices is connected to a corresponding output of the analog demultiplexer. Similarly, each voltage storage device in a second group of N voltage storage devices is connected to a corresponding output of the analog demultiplexer. N further multiplexers each have a first input connected to an output of a corresponding one of the voltage storage devices in the first group and a second input connected to an output of a corresponding one of the voltage storage devices in the second group. N output buffers, each have an input connected to an output of a corresponding one of the N further multiplexers, and an output useful for driving a column driver.
US08384649B2
A gate drive device for liquid crystal display including multiple stages of shift register units and plurality of clock signal lines, said plurality of clock signal lines all being connected to the multiple stages of shift register units, to enable the multiple stages of shift register units to generate a gate drive signal, each stage of shift register unit all includes a signal output terminal, a first discharge circuit modular is connected between the signal output terminal for the i-th stage of shift register unit and the signal output terminal for the (i+1)-th stage of shift register unit, said first discharge circuit modular is used to cause the charges of a high level signal outputted from the signal output terminal for the i-th stage of shift register unit to be discharged to the signal output terminal for the (i+1)-th stage of shift register unit.
US08384633B2
An optical writing display apparatus that performs: applying to a pair of electrodes a first voltage having a first polarity that applies a first partial voltage to a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the first partial voltage being more than a threshold at which the state of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer changes from focal conic to homeotropic when the exposure is conducted, and exposing an photoconductive layer to light; stopping applying the first voltage for a predetermined time and exposing the photoconductive layer to light; applying a second voltage having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity that applies a second partial voltage to the cholesteric liquid crystal layer, the second partial voltage being not more than the above threshold when the exposure is not conducted, but more than the above threshold when the exposure is conducted; and selectively exposing the photoconductive layer to light and stopping applying the second voltage.
US08384629B2
An offset voltage generating circuit sets an offset voltage through binary search based on a voltage value of the initial voltage, and a voltage controlling circuit generates an output voltage which is a predetermined gradation voltage added with the offset voltage, and applies a voltage based on the output voltage to a control terminal of a drive transistor. A current comparison circuit applies a supply voltage from a power supply to the other end of current path of the drive transistor. The current comparison circuit compares the current value of a reference current corresponding to the gradation voltage with a current value of the current flowing in the current path of the drive transistor at this time. The offset voltage generating circuit acquires a specific offset voltage corresponding to variation of the characteristic of the drive transistor based on a result of comparison performed by the current comparison circuit.
US08384626B2
Disclosed herein is an EL display panel module, including: a pixel array section including a panel serving as a substrate, and a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix on the panel and each including a pixel circuit, and a light emitting region; and a driving circuit for driving the pixel circuits such that a threshold value correction operation is carried out commonly for plural ones of the pixel circuits which are connected to each signal line and writing of a signal potential corresponding to a gradation value is executed time-sequentially for the individual pixel circuits, the driving circuit applying a reset potential lower than a reference potential for the threshold value correction to the plural ones of the pixel circuits before first writing of the signal potential after the threshold value correction operation is completed; the pixel array section and the driving circuit being mounted on the same substrate.
US08384625B2
Methods and systems for improving imaging quality and power efficiency of scanning beam display systems using fluorescent screens are disclosed. In various embodiments, beam shaping mechanisms for maximizing overlap between the beam cross-section and the florescent element corresponding to each color sub-pixel of the screen, as well as pulse width and timing adjustments, are introduced to reduce imaging noise and improve power efficiency of the display system.
US08384623B2
Sustain discharge is stably caused while power consumption is reduced, and image display quality is improved. A plasma display device has a plasma display panel, an electric power recovering circuit for raising or falling a sustain pulse by resonating an inductor and the inter-electrode capacity of a display electrode pair, and a sustain pulse generating circuit for alternately applying, to the display electrode pair, as many sustain pulses as the number corresponding to the luminance weight in the sustain period of a plurality of subfields that are disposed in one field and have initializing, address, and sustain periods. The sustain pulse generating circuit switches and generates at least three kinds of sustain pulses including a first sustain pulse serving as a reference, a second sustain pulse that rises more gently than the first sustain pulse, and a third sustain pulse that rises more steeply than the first sustain pulse.
US08384614B2
Apparatus and methods for enhancing the gain of a wireless signal are provided. In at least one specific embodiment, the apparatus can include a screen comprised of one or more electrically conductive regions for reflecting electromagnetic radiation and one or more non-conductive regions for permitting electromagnetic radiation therethrough. The one or more electrically conductive regions can be disposed adjacent to at least one of the one or more non-conductive regions. The apparatus can also include a support member disposed about at least a portion of the screen. The screen can be capable of collapsing by twisting the support member in opposite screw senses to form interleaved concentric sections.
US08384613B1
A non-planar surface support structure that is compatible with deployable thin shell reflector segments. The structure is composed of multiple four strut closed loops connected to compliant hinges at the nodes to create an effective surface. The deployed surface shape is determined by the strut lengths (L) and the node locations and the packaged compatibility constraint in which L1+L3−L2−L4 approximately equals zero. Each of the compliant hinges have degrees of freedom such that the compact configuration of the support structure is obtained by the translation of two opposite nodes of each loop upwards and the remaining two nodes downwards in a continuous process until all struts are approximately parallel and tightly bundled and the hinges lock out all degrees of freedom in the deployed configuration.
US08384603B2
A Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and an embedded antenna for a mobile communication terminal having double feed points using the same are provided. The embedded antenna includes a PCB having an emission carrier. The emission carrier includes first and second feed points connected to a feed wiring layer of the PCB, as well as an emission pattern to which the feed points are connected. The feed wiring layer supplies a current to one of the feed points, and has a connection wiring for supplying a current from the feed point to the other feed point. Through overlapping between a first resonance spot created by the first feed point, and a second resonance spot, which branches off from the first feed point and connects to the PCB, the frequency bandwidth can be expanded, which accommodates any frequency shift minimizes deterioration resulting from the influence of human bodies, and maintains stable antenna characteristics.
US08384602B2
A plasma array of plural plasma containers of selected shapes and a selected spacial distribution, contain variable plasma density within each container and from one container to the next for establishing plasma frequency ranges from zero to an arbitrary plasma frequency. The plasma array is operating in a mode to transmit, receive, filter, reflect and/or refract radiation.
US08384601B2
An object of the present invention is to prevent electrical characteristics of circuit elements from being adversely affected by copper diffusion in a semiconductor device having an integrated circuit and an antenna formed over one substrate, which uses copper plating for the antenna. Another object is to prevent a defect of a semiconductor device due to poor connection between an antenna and an integrated circuit in a semiconductor device having the integrated circuit and the antenna formed over one substrate. In a semiconductor device having an integrated circuit 100 and an antenna 101 formed over one substrate 102, when a copper plating layer 108 is used for a conductor of the antenna 101, it is possible to decrease an adverse effect on electrical characteristics of circuit elements due to copper diffusion because a base layer 107 of the antenna 101 uses a nitride film of a predetermined metal.
US08384599B2
An antenna for a Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) system is disclosed that comprises a pair of resonant cavities. The antenna is realized by folding the ends of a ribbon of conductive material, such as metal foil, over the middle part of the ribbon. The antenna generates a higher voltage than prior-art antennas used in RFID systems, and it makes possible RFID systems with an improved range. In an alternative embodiment, the antenna comprises a reflector that enables the RFID system to better tolerate the presence of nearby metal objects.
US08384592B1
A satellite navigation receiver receives a combination of radio frequency signals from satellites in satellite navigation systems and process the radio frequency signals to calculate an approximate current location of the satellite navigation receiver. Satellite acquisition plays an important part in identifying the current location of the satellite navigation receiver. Acquisition involves identifying the satellites in the satellite navigation that can be used to provide navigation information. Fast Fourier transform based acquisition involves using FFT and subsequently inverse FFT (IFFT) to correlate a coarse acquisition (C/A) code transmitted by a satellite with a C/A code locally generated on the GPS receiver to identify and acquire a transmitting satellite.
US08384591B2
A system and method of locating the position of a satellite or a user using a satellite positioning system. The system and method includes receiving, at a terminal, satellite positioning data for at least one specified time period over a communications channel. In addition, the system includes storing, at the terminal, the satellite positioning data for the at least one specified time period. Responsive to an event at a later time, the system generally calculates, at the terminal, the satellite position at the later time based only on the satellite positioning data for the at least one specified time period.
US08384588B2
A method for estimating a target angle of a wideband signal received on an electronically steered antenna array includes: generating spatial frequency data from the received wideband signal; stabilizing the spatial frequency data to a beam steering direction; compressing the stabilized spatial frequency data to a plurality of frequency range bins; calculating a monopulse discriminant from the stabilized spatial frequency data; and calculating the target angle using the monopulse discriminant.
US08384582B2
An active transponder for synthetic aperture radar systems includes a receiving antenna for receiving a first radiofrequency signal modulated according to a first train of one or more first pulses, separating means comprising two outputs outputting the first radiofrequency signal, second processing means connected to a first output of the separating means to generate a code synchronized with the first pulses, signal generating means connected to the second output and to the second processing means generate a second radiofrequency signal modulated by the code, and a transmitting antenna means to transmit the second radiofrequency signal to generate, for each one of the first pulses, a sequence of one or more second pulses, the code being synchronized with the second pulses.
US08384581B2
A structure and a method for modifying an existing design of structure are provided, wherein the structure is provided to at least partially enclose an object that has a large radar cross section. The structure comprises a non-metallic portion having a radar-reflective layer applied to an inclined surface of the structure. The inclined surface is arranged with one or more angles of inclination selected so that the radar cross-section for the structure has a value that is lower than that for the object enclosed in one or more frequency ranges. In a preferred variation, an at least partially detached and appropriately shaped radar-reflective structure may be provided as an alternative to or to supplement the modification of an existing enclosure.
US08384580B2
A method for configuring a transmitter device to transmit a recognized transmission to a receiving device is provided. The method includes transmitting a first transmission and transmitting a second transmission after the first transmission. The method further includes receiving, during the second transmission, a user input signal from an interface for receiving signals from one or more user interface elements. The method further includes storing an attribute associated with the second transmission in a memory device in response to the user input signal.
US08384571B2
An analog-to-digital conversion circuit includes: comparators to compare an input analog signal and one of reference voltages corresponding to each operation in an analog-to-digital conversion; an interpolating comparator to compare the input analog signal and a determination voltage between first and second reference voltages corresponding to two comparators; a correction value acquisition circuit to calculate a correction value to correct an error between the input analog signal and the determination voltage; a correction value application circuit to set the correction value in the interpolating comparator; a test voltage generation circuit to supply the two comparators with a first test voltage corresponding to one of the determination voltages; a common voltage generation circuit to supply the two comparators with a second test voltage; and a correction value calculation circuit to calculate respective correction values corresponding to the determination voltages based on errors corresponding to the first and second test voltages.
US08384569B2
A stochastic signal generation circuit includes a signal output circuit and a signal processing circuit connected with the signal output circuit. The signal output circuit includes two matching semiconductor components, wherein the signal output circuit detects a slight mismatch between the two matching semiconductor components, converts the detected slight mismatch into a corresponding electric signal, amplifies the electric signal, and outputs an analog voltage signal. The signal processing circuit converts the analog voltage signal into a stochastic digital signal. Also, a method for generating a stochastic signal is provided. The present invention decreases the cost of the integrated circuit, and better ensures the information security of the electronic products.
US08384566B2
An apparatus is provided that includes a processor to at least perform or cause the apparatus to at least perform a number of operations. These operations include receiving pressure-measurement signals from a keyboard including an arrangement of keys, and a plurality of pressure sensors associated with a respective plurality of the keys. In this regard, the pressure sensors are configured to measure a pressure applied to the respective plurality of the keys, and produce the pressure-measurement signals representative of the measured pressure. The operations also include predicting one or more next keystrokes on the keyboard as a function of the pressure-measurement signals, and determining one or more commands or instructions for directing performance of one or more operations of an apparatus or software operating on the apparatus, where the command(s) or instruction(s) are determined as a function of the predicted next keystroke(s).
US08384563B2
A device for confirming the engine thrust of an aircraft is disclosed. The device, via an operating logic unit (14) of each engine processing different information, including a warning indicator (15) connected to the unit (14) delivers or not thrust confirmation information at the level of the cockpit.
US08384560B2
A system and method for predicting the location of a vehicle in an electronic toll collection system employing a wide area communication protocol. The vehicle includes a transponder that sends reports regarding the position of the vehicle and the time at which the position was determined. The system includes a vehicle position predictor for estimating the future position of the vehicle within a roadway based on two or more reports of past positions and the times at which they were recorded. Speed data or other data impacting likely future position may also be reported and factored into the estimate. The estimate of future position may be used in connection with triggering enforcement measures, timing a toll transaction, integrating wide area toll communications into a legacy toll transaction system, or for other applications.
US08384559B2
A sensor device includes an interface that receives a request. The sensor device includes an updatable information store that responds to the request if the request is directed to the updatable information store, the updatable information store being in a first power domain of the sensor device. The sensor device also includes a power manager that activates a sensor element in the sensor device in response to receiving the request if the request is a request for measurement of a parameter by the sensor element. The sensor element is in a second power domain of the sensor device. The sensor element communicates measured parameter information to the updatable information store.
US08384558B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methodology subject matters for providing improved functionality of a meter in a 2-way communications arrangement, such as an Advanced Metering System (AMS) or Infrastructure (AMI). More particularly, the present technology relates to methodologies and apparatus for providing load sensing for utility meters which preferably are operable with remote disconnect features in an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) open operational framework. Meters per the present subject matter utilize a detection circuit, and separately utilize certain remote disconnect functionality. In particular, disconnect functionality is coupled with consideration of electric load information, such as load current as determined by the metering functionality. Providing such functionality allows for the following, all in accordance with the present subject matter: (a) frequent on/off cycling of the electrical service, (b) disconnection of service while full rated current is being delivered through the switch contacts, (c) preservation of switch contact integrity by selective switch operation based on current load, and (d) providing immediate override functionality if needed.
US08384557B2
Wire antennas (14, 22) define a target region (18), primarily between them. A generator (16) generates an electric field in the target region (18). A sensor arrangement (20) senses the electric field. Control means (25) is operable to analyze the field strength sensed by the sensor arrangement (20), for changes indicative of a change in conditions in the target region, such as the presence of a body (30).
US08384551B2
A sensor device has an insole, a sensor body abutting the insole, pressure sensors operably mounted on the sensor body for generating a pressure data signal, and an accelerometer mounted on the insole for generating a movement data signal indicating the measuring movement of the insole. A transmitter is used for transmitting the pressure data signal and the movement data signal to a reporting device having a receiver for receiving the pressure data signal and the movement data signal. The reporting device further has a processor and a computer-readable medium for storing the pressure data signal and the movement data signal.
US08384549B2
An event communication system involves facilitating entry by a user of one or more device addresses via a network accessible user interface of the event communication system. The device addresses are associated with alerts provided by the event communication system. Test alert messages targeted for the device addresses are sent via the user interface. The system sends alerts user devices corresponding to the one or more tested device addresses in response to predetermined events. The system may provide user access to historical copies of data relating to the alerts. Registration on the system involves storing a personal identity data of a student on a database and comparing the personal identity data to registration data entered via the user interface. Authentication is automatically provided based on the comparison.
US08384547B2
A wireless IC device includes a wireless IC chip having a power supply circuit including a resonant circuit having a predetermined resonant frequency and a radiation plate that externally radiates a transmission signal supplied from the power supply circuit and that supplies a reception signal externally transmitted to the power supply circuit. The radiation plate is connected to the power supply circuit via an electric field or the radiation plate is coupled to the power supply circuit via a magnetic field. The radiation plate is a two-surface-open type radiation plate including at least one radiation portion arranged to externally exchange a transmission-reception signal and a power supply portion arranged to exchange a transmission-reception signal with the power supply circuit.
US08384544B2
The subject invention relates to systems and methods that distribute electronic data, such as Electronic Product Code (EPC) data, obtained from RFID tags by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and/or servers to agents within an agent-based control system. The systems and methods employ a component that collects, filters, processes, and stores electronic product data. The component collects electronic product data through corresponding reader and/or server interfaces. This data can be filtered to accept particular electronic product data, processed to a format suitable to the agents, and stored. Such storage can include delineating the electronic product data across rows of a table by electronic product code and across columns of the table by various types of data. Upon receiving a subscription and/or request from an agent for electronic product data, the component can obtain and convey the information to the agent.
US08384541B2
A charging method of a mobile terminal is provided. The method comprises detecting brightness of ambient light around the mobile terminal by an illumination sensor of the mobile terminal; activating a charging circuit for charging a battery of the mobile terminal when the detected brightness is more than a first value; measuring a generated current of a solar cell; and deactivating the charging circuit when the generated current of the solar cell is below a second value.
US08384530B2
A seat occupant determining apparatus includes a first load detecting sensor at a right of a seat, a second load detecting sensor at a left of the seat, a third load detecting sensor at a front or a rear of the first and second load detecting sensors, in order to detect a part of the load, respectively, a right-left sum value calculating portion calculating a right-left sum value, a threshold changing portion for changing an occupant determining threshold on the basis of the load value of the third load detecting sensor, and an occupant determining portion determining an occupant of the seat to be an adult when the right-left sum value is equal to or more than the occupant determining threshold and determining an occupant of the seat to be a child in a child seat when the right-left sum value is less than the occupant determining threshold.
US08384528B2
An apparatus and method for customizing the sound emitted from an automotive vehicle during operation. Specifically, the vehicle operator uses a controller to vary the sound emitted from the engine exhaust and intake or engine compartment sounds during vehicle operation. In addition, the operator can control the sound level, sound type and sound aspect in the vehicle interior or passenger compartment and the vehicle exterior. Further, the apparatus uses an active sound control system, such as those using microphones and speakers, to customize and/or tune the sound emanating from the vehicle.
US08384526B2
An indicator apparatus is configurable for use in a healthcare communication system, such as a nurse call system. The indicator apparatus includes a visual indicator. The visual indicator is operable to selectively display one or more colors in response to calls received by the healthcare communication system.
US08384519B2
A reader device for radio frequency identification transponders, which implements enhanced radio frequency identification transponder functionality. The reader device is capable of serving as a radio frequency identification transponder. Such a reader device includes a reader logic unit, a radio/high frequency (RF/HF) interface and an antenna, and is adapted to communicate at least with radio frequency identification transponders in a reader operation mode. The reader device also includes a transponder logic unit that is connected to the reader device and in particular to the radio/high frequency (RF/HF) interface such that the reader device acts as a radio frequency identification transponder in a transponder operation mode. In particular, the transponder logic unit is adapted to communicate with other reader devices for radio frequency identification transponders. The reader device for radio frequency identification transponders can be attached, connected, implemented and/or embedded in electronic device and particularly portable electronic devices, respectively.
US08384518B2
A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a data capture device such as a camera. In one aspect, the data capture device may integrated with the housing of the computing device and further detachable therefrom. In another aspect, the data capture device may swivel and/or translate relative to the housing of the computing device. In another aspect, the computing device may include a positioning device for controlling the movement of the data capture device relative to the housing. In yet another aspect, the computing device may include a latch that is automatically positioned in a home position when a housing component of the computing device is positioned in first position, and is automatically positioned in a lock position when the housing component of the computing device is positioned in a closed position.
US08384517B2
A label for a product includes an electronic display for displaying label information. The digital label includes an operating system program with an applications interface to allow development of custom applications by manufacturers, retailers, and users of the product. The digital label also includes a communications interface enable communication with external devices, such as other computer systems. The processor in the digital label can process, display, and transmit information.
US08384513B2
A transmitter for transmitting an RF control signal to a remote system includes a user input device, a memory and a transmitter circuit. The memory includes control data associated with the remote device. The control data includes a first frequency and a second frequency. The transmitter circuit is coupled to the user input device and memory. In response to a single user input, the transmitter circuit generates a rolling code signal, transmits the rolling code signal at the first frequency for a predetermined amount of time, and, upon expiration of the predetermined about of time, transmits the rolling code signal at the second frequency.
US08384506B2
A magnetic device that includes a magnetic core having a surface facing a conductive substrate. The magnetic device also includes a conductive clip facing a surface of the magnetic core with ends of the conductive clip electrically coupled to the conductive substrate to cooperatively form a winding therewith about the magnetic core.
US08384492B2
A connector comprises a coaxial connector and a metallic plate. The coaxial connector has an outer conductor, a dielectric material, a mounting wall, and a center conductor. The space between the two conductors is filled with the dielectric material. The center conductor is extended from the inside of the coaxial connector to the other side of the mounting wall. The metallic plate has a through hole and is attached to the mounting wall of the coaxial connector. The outside center conductor of the coaxial connector is placed within the through hole. Hence, the connector improves the transmission passband of the transition between a coaxial line and a microstrip line at high frequencies.
US08384491B2
A signal transmission apparatus includes two circuit layers. First and second ground sheets are arranged in the two circuit layers respectively. A third ground sheet is arranged between the two circuit layers. A differential pair includes a transmission line arranged between the first and third ground sheets and a transmission line arranged between the second and third ground sheets. The first to third ground sheets have same electric potential. Projections of the first and second ground sheets on the third ground sheet superpose a border of the third ground sheet. The third ground sheet is formed by extending the border along a signal transmission direction. A vertical distance between the first and second transmission lines is twice as each of a vertical distance from the first ground sheet to the first transmission line and a vertical distance from the second ground sheet to the second transmission line.
US08384490B2
A central conductor assembly for use in a non-reciprocal circuit comprising a first inductance element between a first input/output port and a second input/output port, and a second inductance element between the second input/output port and a ground port, a magnetic substrate being integrally provided with a first central conductor constituting the first inductance element and a second central conductor constituting the second inductance element; and the second central conductor being crossing the first central conductor on a main surface side of the substrate via a magnetic layer or a dielectric layer, with at least one end portion thereof bent such that high-frequency current flows therethrough in the same direction as or in an opposite direction to that of high-frequency current flowing through the first central conductor.
US08384487B2
An orthogonally referenced integrated ensemble for navigation and timing includes a dual-polyhedral oscillator array, including an outer sensing array of oscillators and an inner clock array of oscillators situated inside the outer sensing array. The outer sensing array includes a first pair of sensing oscillators situated along a first axis of the outer sensing array, a second pair of sensing oscillators situated along a second axis of the outer sensing array, and a third pair of sensing oscillators situated along a third axis of the outer sensing array. The inner clock array of oscillators includes a first pair of clock oscillators situated along a first axis of the inner clock array, a second pair of clock oscillators situated along a second axis of the inner clock array, and a third pair of clock oscillators situated along a third axis of the inner clock array.
US08384474B2
A Bi-Directional and Adjustable Current Source (“BACS”) for providing an input voltage to a mute/standby control pin of a power stage integrated circuit (“IC”) of an amplifier input with a voltage signal that is linear, where an output of the BACS and the input to the control pin are shunted with a capacitor, is described. The BACS may include a first switch in signal communication with a high voltage reference and a first current source in signal communication with the first switch. The BACS may also include a second switch in signal communication with a low voltage reference and a second current source in signal communication with the second switch. The BACS may further include a directional current element in signal communication with both the first current source, the second current source, the output of the BACS, the input to the control pin, and the capacitor, where the directional current element is configured to prevent current flow from the output BACS to the first current source.
US08384472B2
A circuit for reducing power consumption in input ports of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The circuit comprises a plurality of receiver circuits of the integrated circuit for receiving input signals coupled to the integrated circuit; and a bias current generator coupled to the plurality of receiver circuits, the bias current generator providing a bias voltage for each receiver circuit of the plurality of receiver circuits to mirror the current in the bias current generator in each of the receiver circuits. A method of reducing power consumption in input ports of an integrated circuit is also disclosed.
US08384464B1
Low jitter clock interpolator circuits in accordance with embodiments of the invention are illustrated. In many embodiments, the low jitter clock interpolator incorporates a time based numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) to generate a clock signal, and different phases of the resulting clock are created using a clock interpolator. Information from the time based NCO and the interpolator is then used to select phases and create an output clock that is jitter free within the precision of the interpolator. One embodiment of the invention includes a time based numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) configured to produce a NCO output in response to a high speed clock (hsclk) input and a frequency control word (FCW), where the output periods of the NCO output are integer multiples of the hsclk period and the average output period of the NCO output corresponds to the FCW, a clock interpolator circuit configured to receive the NCO output and the hsclk input and to generate a plurality of different phases of the NCO output, and a phase calculator circuit configured to select phases generated by the clock interpolator to produce a low jitter clock signal output having an output period that corresponds to the FCW.
US08384463B2
A clock supply circuit includes a clock generating portion configured to generate a clock signal and to change a frequency of the clock signal from a first frequency to a second frequency being higher than the first frequency; and a intermittent clock generating portion configured to receive the clock signal and to mask a clock pulse of the clock signal at a predetermined rate for a predetermined period when the frequency of the clock signal is changed to the second frequency.
US08384461B2
Disclosed are a shift register and a display device which can suppress noise of output of each stage without causing an increase in circuit scale. In at least one example embodiment, each stage of the shift register includes a first output transistor, a second output transistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, an input gate, a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element, a fourth switching element, and a fifth switching element.
US08384451B2
A PLL circuit includes: a first counter to accumulate a frequency command word in response to a reference clock signal and to generate a first counted value; a second counter to count an output clock signal and generate a second counted value; a time measuring circuit to measure an interval between a transition edge of the reference clock signal and a transition edge of the output clock signal to output a third counted value; a phase difference normalizing circuit to multiply the third counted value by a normalizing coefficient to generate a first phase difference; an operating circuit to subtract a value obtained by subtracting the first phase difference from the second counted value from the first counted value to generate a phase difference signal; and an oscillator to change a frequency of the output clock signal based on the phase difference signal.
US08384443B2
Techniques are described to mirror currents and subtract currents accurately. In an implementation, a circuit includes a first current source coupled to a first node to provide a current IPD1 and a current mirror coupled to the first node through a first switch T1 to provide a current IREF1. In a closed configuration, the current IREF1 flows from the current mirror into the first node. A sigma delta modulator controls the switch T1 such that over a period of time an average current flowing from the current mirror into the first node is equal to the current IPD1 flowing out of the first node. The sigma delta modulator generates a digital output to control switch T2 to allow a current IREF2 into a second node, thus subtracting a portion of a current IPD2 at the second node over a period of time.
US08384441B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit has a squelch circuit which has a first noninverting input terminal and a first inverting input terminal, which compares differential amplitude between a signal which is input to the first noninverting input terminal and a signal which is input to the first inverting input terminal with a preset threshold, and which outputs a signal depending upon a result of the comparison. The semiconductor integrated circuit has a first switch circuit between a first reception terminal and the first noninverting input terminal. The semiconductor integrated circuit has a second switch circuit between a second reception terminal and the first inverting input terminal. The semiconductor integrated circuit has a third switch circuit between the first reception terminal and the first inverting input terminal. The semiconductor integrated circuit has a fourth switch circuit between the second reception terminal and the first noninverting input terminal.
US08384438B1
A conversion circuit includes a first inverter having an input node configured to receive a single-ended signal and second and third inverters each having respective inputs coupled to an output of the first inverter. A fourth inverter has an input coupled to an output of the second inverter and has an output coupled to a first node. A fifth inverter has an input coupled to the first node and an output coupled to a second node to which an output of the third inverter is coupled. Sixth and seventh inverters are configured to respectively output a differential signal based on the single-ended signal. The sixth inverter has an input coupled to the first node, and the seventh inverter has an input coupled to the second node.